Magic Kingdom & Epcot with Friends

Friends Graham, MaryAnne and Chloe came for a visit to Disney World. We caught up with them at The Magic Kingdom where Graham and Chloe were sporting their Happy Birthday! buttons. Happy 11th and 39th!

We were all treated to a front row seat for the Celebrate A Dream Come True Parade.

Lilo and Jessie showed up.

And, of course, Mickey and Minnie were the stars of the show.

Celebrate Today!

Pinocchio and Jiminy Cricket put in a cameo.

Cinderella was riding with Prince Charming in her pumpkin coach courtesy of her Fairy Godmother.

Even the Beast believes in Dreams Come True.

Take the picture already!

Their birthday celebration today concluded with a dinner at Cinderella's Royal Table.

A couple of days later, we met up with them again at Epcot.

We found Donald about to be clobbered by some anti-social children on the Gran Fiesta Tour featuring The Three Caballeros based on the 1944 animated feature.

They decided these hats would not fit in their luggage, so a picture would have to do.

Everyone enjoyed seeing their future on Spaceship Earth.

For more pictures, click here and here .

To be continued...

Tampa RV Supershow

Today we visited the Tampa RV Supershow with Delbert and Trina at the Florida State Fairgrounds.

You would think for a $10 admission price per person they could come up with something better than this generic boring sign.

Trina is in awe of the $2 million motorcoach she just toured.

She has decided to save her pennies and buy it next time.

A unique feature of one fifth wheel at the show was its own outdoor deck which folds up on the side of the unit while traveling.

Very nice, but you'll need a wide campsite for this one.

Doug prefers the motorhome he already owns.

The show featured some motorized entertainment.

One of the strongest armadillos in the world was here to pull this float.

Another unique feature we saw was the rear end kitchen in a fifth wheel.

For more pictures, click here .

To be continued...

Chalet Suzanne Restaurant & Inn, Lake Wales, Florida

Today, we visited the historic Chalet Suzanne Restaurant & Inn in Lake Wales, Florida.

Cheese baron Charles Kraft, along with Carl and Bertha Hinshaw, originally envisioned the property as a magnificent residential resort appealing to those who loved golf and tennis.

However, when the Great Depression forced Kraft to withdraw from the project and Mr. Hinshaw passed away in 1931, Mrs. Hinshaw changed the direction of the project and Chalet Suzanne Restaurant & Inn was born.

The soups served in the restaurant are canned right onsite in Chalet Suzanne's own cannery which offers tours every weekend.

That's one big pot of soup!

The cans are fed down a conveyor belt into the machines which then fill and seal them.

After being sealed, the cans move to the pressure cooking area where they are heated to the correct temperature to kill all the germs and bacteria which may be present.

The cans are then boxed up and shipped out to their destinations.

Chalet Suzanne's Soups were chosen to be served on Apollo 15's flight to the moon...hence one of their flavors, Moon Soup.

The Inn features 26 guest rooms with beautiful courtyard settings.

Each room is appointed with a wide variety of antique furnishings.

Guests can enjoy the unique surroundings in or out of their rooms.

The Wedding Garden hosts many weddings and other events each year.

The Wedding Garden is also known as the Autograph Garden as thousands of visitors have personally autographed and inscribed tiles throughout.

Huge old trees are abundant around the property.

A view of another room showcases wicker furniture, a favorite of Marlon's mom.

Soon after opening, the Inn was discovered by Duncan Hines, who included it in a list he compiled of wonderful places to stay and dine in Florida.

Chalet Suzanne's Restaurant was named by Uncle Ben's Rice as one of the Top 10 Country Inns in the United States.

Entering the restaurant, visitors immediately see a vast collection of antique furnishings.

A fully stocked bar is available for those who wish to imbibe.

Each individual table is unique with different antique chairs, dishware and glassware.

Diners can enjoy beautiful views of Lake Suzanne from the large windows in the dining area.

For more pictures, click here .

To be continued...

Christmas with Frank, Joyce, Laura & the Boys

We spent Christmas Day with Frank, Joyce, Laura, Aron and Austin.

Joyce always make sure no one goes home hungry or presentless.

Aron and Austin took awhile opening their mountain of gifts.

For a few more pictures, click here .

To be continued...

Disney's Hollywood Studios & Osborne Family Lights

It was a chilly morning as we headed to Disney's Hollywood Studios with Trina and Delbert.

Each American Idol Experience pits three contestants against each other for a chance to appear in the daily finals.

Each contestant gets pointers following their performance just like on the real show.

The daily winners of The American Idol Experience receive a "Golden Ticket" which entitles them to move to the front of the line at auditions around the country.

Next up was the Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom stunt show.

The water tower at Disney's Hollywood Studios is cleverly disguised as a mouse.

On the Backstage Tour, visitors get to see props from many famous movies and the plane Walt Disney flew in to scout out the land for Walt Disney World.

Trina and Delbert enjoyed their turn at Aerosmith's Rock n Roller Coaster.

The Wicked Witch of the West proclaims her warning "I'll get you, my pretty...and your little dog too!"

The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights first came to Disney's Hollywood Studios in 1995.

After a brief absence in 2005, the lights took over The Streets of America in 2006.

The display includes over four million individual lights.

Frosty looks on from the safety of his telephone booth.

Snow flutters down to the ground as music fills the air.

The Osborne Lights can be viewed annually from the second week of November until just after the New Year.

Catch the lights in action in this video.
For more pictures, click here .

To be continued...