Big Apple, Boardwalk, and Beach - Bullies and Wrap-up (The End!) (pg 44)

[ksinniger]

So funny - we stayed at that Comfort Suites in Brunswick several years ago (the last time we drove), and enjoyed it so much we'll be making a reservation to do it again when we drive next summer. I've recommended it to any friends who do the drive (we're in northern VA, so it's a good stopping point that doesn't require starting at oh dark thirty). Good to know it's not worth pushing any further on that first day's drive! And do you really need more options than the Waffle House?

 

[glennbo123]

Funny/scary story I guess - I went up first with some stuff while Marv parked the car. My key would not work but after a try or two I just stopped trying. Marv came up and used the key he had and his key worked. I was standing off to the side so I saw nothing but yup the door opened and he was greeted by the occupant. So back downstairs and I guess it was shift change at the desk because there were about 3 people back there and the oldest of the people had done the check in and had to look up everything and correct his mistake. The Woman behind the desk taking over, when she heard who was in the room we were given said " well he is a frequent customer" of which I am not sure how to take that...

Anyway we went to the right room , 1 floor up and tried not to stomp on the floor.

Wow, that is a crazy story. The check-in guy you describe had to be the same one we had. I didn’t put in my write-up, but he had trouble finding my reservation for a couple of minutes, so yeah, I believe it. I don’t know how to take the “frequent customer” comment either. Strange.

Yes exactly.... I always find the comfort/quality can be a gamble. We try to make sure the reviews are decent. We have never just left to find somewhere else but sometimes we make a note not to repeat...

There was only one time (way back when Lauren was a baby) that we stayed in a hotel that we absolutely should have left. I don’t remember what chain it was. The floor was so filthy that Judy wouldn’t let Lauren crawl around on it – had to put some blankets down for her (assuming they were better!).

Ah, Sir Paul. I saw him in Milwaukee in the summer of 1994 when I was just 19. I grew up with the Beatles as my parents (dad especially) were huge fans. It was absolutely one of the 2 best concerts I've ever seen (the best being Elton John and Billy Joel the same summer). So glad your kids got to see him!

Glad to know that some other dads are making sure their kids are indoctrinated! I can’t remember if I saw him on the 1994 tour or not, Lauren was born that year so we might not have. I thought I’d remember those dates forever, but 20+ years later they all run together!


Lauren and I saw Billy Joel last year, but I didn’t see the tour with Elton John. I heard that was pretty good though!

Glad you got on the road after the concert. That was smart. Sounds like you made really good time!

It was the right call. It would have taken me a while to fall asleep and then I’d have been a zombie by the time we wanted to get started. It really feels like bonus miles when you can travel around usually-congested areas like D.C. so quickly.

Sorry your lunch wasn't great and the hotel was also not great. That stinks. We never make reservations on the way down, just stop when we get tired, but we use some road app to find one with good reviews and we've had good luck.

I always get a little nervous about not having a place to stay, so I’ve usually tried to get a reservation ahead of time. The one time I did what you describe was when we got the filthy-floored hotel room that I described to Pat in the reply just above. That place was recommended in the AAA book (back before “app’s”!).

That BBQ place though, yum! And yes, I noticed the sign.

It’s hard to miss!

Sorry Glenn, gonna take me a while to dig myself out after my self-induced, but very necessary DISHiatus to finish up the Term. Great chapter and even better plan to get a move on! I'd probably do that kinda thing too. Bummer on the crappy hotel though- pork butts always make up for that. So yay for that! I like 'em too.

No problemo. It takes me days just to get to replies!


I was kind of surprised that it took me until 24 hours before travel-time to come up with that plan, but it eventually dawned on me (no pun intended).

That was very excellent. Thanks.

You are most welcome. Some people are probably thanking me for stopping the Beatle puns also.

I would love to see Sir Paul. My favorite concert ever is Elton John who I've been lucky enough to see twice.

I haven’t made it to an Elton show yet, but he is unbelievable talented, no doubt.

That BBQ place looks good! The best BBQ is always in a gas station.

So true! You can’t mass-produce that kind of goodness.

Hey there Glenn!

Hey there Tammie!

So cool Marlene got to march in the parade! I did see her band, I was just off the internet at the time at my mom's and didn't know someone I "knew" was in the band!

You just never know! Glad you got to see a little bit of it, even though you didn’t know she was in it at the time.

I love that you made that concert memory with your kids, and that they enjoyed the music as much as you!

Thanks. It was a great night!

Pretty special night for you - especially the midnight run to Georgia! (That sounds like a country song).

I remember “leavin’ on a midnight train to Georgia” Woo woo! I would’ve made a great Pip, although I might’ve stood out a little.

Sounds like the concert was a great kickoff to your vaca. A memory you and your kids will have forever.

I tell ya, with the trip to NYC and then the concert and then WDW and Hilton Head...we felt like we were on vacation for at least 3 weeks. (With a few days of week thrown in here and there.)

Home your stay at the Boardwalk is better than your hotel. Looking forward to your next update.

I can guarantee that! I need to start working on that update one of these days, too much going on lately though.

So funny - we stayed at that Comfort Suites in Brunswick several years ago (the last time we drove), and enjoyed it so much we'll be making a reservation to do it again when we drive next summer. I've recommended it to any friends who do the drive (we're in northern VA, so it's a good stopping point that doesn't require starting at oh dark thirty). Good to know it's not worth pushing any further on that first day's drive!

Hi ksinniger! Thanks for joining in!


Yes, I’d recommend that Brunswick location over this one unless having plenty of restaurant options is a priority. The location seems a little strange, back behind that truck gas station and all, but I was more impressed by it than this one.

And do you really need more options than the Waffle House?

That’s a great point! Although Jim Gaffigan’s Waffle House routine has made us a little wary, even though I know it was all in fun.

 

[Sam33]

Of course (with the buildup that I gave you earlier), we decided during the drive back home that we were Flying high and would prefer to wake Judy up and hit the road rather than try to go to sleep. The task that took the longest was downloading pictures from my phone, since I wanted to go into the vacation with maximum available memory. With the final loading of stuff (Carry That Weight), we got started around 2am. I drove us south of D.C., with Judy occasionally asking how I was doing, and I’d reply, “I Feel Fine”. But eventually I gave up and said, “I’m So Tired. Baby, You Can Drive My Car”, since I had had such A Hard Day’s Night. And Judy (Judy, Judy, Judy, Judaaaay!) took over the driving duties. We saw the Good Day Sunshine appearing as we drove through Virginia, and hit a North Carolina rest stop at 7am.

This is an awesome paragraph!

Can't wait until you get to Disney

 

[englishrose47]

Just checking in , and waiting for more !!

 

[Steppesister]

You are most welcome. Some people are probably thanking me for stopping the Beatle puns also.

Puns are always welcome. Always.

 

[glennbo123]

This is an awesome paragraph!

Can't wait until you get to Disney

Glad you liked it Sam! We'll be there (in TR form) soon.

Just checking in , and waiting for more !!

Thanks for bumping me up Rosie!

Puns are always welcome. Always.

If eye-rolls are welcomes, then yes, I've noticed this phenomenon!

 

[glennbo123]

And you said this wouldn’t be fun



Our complimentary continental breakfast was what you would expect at a Comfort Inn -- enough to get you going for the day but certainly nothing to rave about. At least the price was right. We got started on our drive around 8 o’clock, made a stop somewhere around Jacksonville to get a van-ful of Starbucks frappucino’s, and then eventually arrived at the Boardwalk around 11:30. We were so excited when we walked in.



Our check-in cast member was named Andy and he reminded me of Drew Carey, especially his voice and speech pattern. I must have been wearing something with a Penn State logo on it because he saw it and mentioned that he went to a Big Ten school. Michigan, I think. And he had kind of a Drew Carey charm and wit to him. When he asked if we’d like to allow the kids’ Magic Bands to have room-charging privileges he said that if we reviewed the charges we’d be able to see who the “perpetrator, er I mean, purchaser was”. (We did allow them, by the way, and the kids were very responsible.)



As you might expect checking in at that early hour, our room wasn’t ready yet so we piled back into the van and headed off to Downtown Disney (in the midst of its transformation to Disney Springs). We had three things to accomplish there (in no particular order): 1) I wanted Judy to see Erin McKenna’s Bakery (gluten-free heaven, from what I’d heard), 2) I needed to get a Tables in Wonderland card at Guest Relations, and 3) we were getting mighty hungry and needed to address that situation.



I found the new parking garage and we were impressed by the boards that show you how many available spots are on each level. That’s a nice touch. The rest of Downtown Disney Springs (yeah, that’s what I’ll call it since it was in its metamorphosis stage) was undergoing a lot of work. Walls were just about everywhere.



As we were walking I noticed the new Boathouse restaurant, so snapped a picture.

We went into Chapel Hats to take a look. And you know, trying on hats at Disney always fun.

Marlene has a way with hats.

James looks like he’s ready for Miami Beach or something.

Judy’s Kentucky Derby hat.

1920’s Lauren.

Marlene and Lauren. I dunno, attire for a Guns ‘n Roses show?

The girls ready for the next coronation.

Erin McKenna’s Bakery was right next door after we left Chapel Hats. Looks like Marlene is amazed at the items on the top of the counter that were called “Bakery Sink”. I think Judy just kept asking, “And everything is gluten-free?!” This was her kind of shop.

Judy is psyched about her gluten-free Bakery Sink.

We each took a couple of bites of the Bakery Sink (after buying it) and it was really good. It was a concoction, kind of a mini-trifle (you didn’t think I’d know what that was, did you? c’mon I know about desserts), that had doughnuts, cookie crumbs, brownie-bites, frosting, and cupcakes in it. We decided that we’d stop back in here to pick up some more items on our way out.



Our next stop was the World Of Disney store and we found more hats, among other things (they have quite a wide selection in there, as you probably know).

I just noticed that James is wearing the shark necklace that he made at Disney’s Vero Beach resort on a previous trip in that picture.



I had my fill of shopping pretty quickly so told the ladies that I was going to go on to Guest Relations to get our Tables in Wonderland card. James said that he’d go with me and I warned him that it wasn’t going to be much fun, just standing in line and buying a card. He decided to come along anyway. We got to Guest Relations and sat down to wait for our turn at the counter. (I forget how it worked exactly, but we must’ve taken a number or something because I remember that we had our place in line but could sit on a bench.) Anyway, after a minute or so of silence, sitting there twiddling our thumbs, we happened to look at each other. James broke the silence with, “And you said this wouldn’t be fun!” I laughed out loud!



James wanted to look for a Star Wars slider for his Magic Band and the folks at Guest Relations suggested that we try the Pin Traders store. We didn’t find a slider that James liked, but we were able to take a good selfie to text to some friends of mine at work.

We found the girls in the boutiques in the Marketplace Co-Op and Tren-D. They were trying on some clothes so we wandered around the other stores for a little bit. We found this chair that seemed to suit me for some reason, but I can’t really put my finger on it.

By this point it was approaching 2 o’clock and we were starving, so once the girls were ready to move on we started hiking back toward the West Side. We wanted try the food trucks.



I barely recognized this area around Cooke’s of Dublin, with the walls up and all of the construction going on.

Here’s a shot of the street with the Erin McKenna Bakery, Chapel Hats, and the Boathouse restaurant at the corner.

We stopped back in the Bakery so that Judy get some gluten-free things for breakfasts.

continued in next post

 

[glennbo123]

continued from previous post



The amphicars were out as we passed the Boathouse, but we didn’t see anybody taking a ride in them. I had James ask how much it was to take a ride, and I forget the answer, but I know that it was high enough that I realized that I would most-probably never be doing that.

Some more street shots as we walked toward the West Side.

Splitsville is in the distance in this picture, and the food trucks are in a little plaza beyond the Starbucks on the right side.

We arrived at the food trucks and discovered that they didn’t open until 4pm! We were so disappointed! I think we all had already decided what we were going to order months in-advance. I remember reading the menu to the family as we rode in the van going to visit relatives the previous Thanksgiving, just before our ADR window opened, so yeah, we were planning on this one. But apparently not “planning” enough to know when they opened. I guess since basically every other food truck in the world does the majority of their business for lunch, I just assumed these did too.

We needed a plan “B” quick, because we were famished. I remembered that Mary Ellen and Cynthia’s (@MEK and @eandesmom) trip report had mentioned that the sushi was good at Splitsville (which I never would have imagined was even an offering at Splitsville, let alone be good) so I suggested that we try that. I wasn’t looking to spend that much for lunch, but my original plan was severely thwarted. Also, Judy’s dietary restrictions rule-out a lot of other options, so Splitsville it was.

We were given a tall table to the left of the bowling lanes on the first floor. We put our orders in with the waitress and took a moment to create a “start of vacation” photo to post on Instagram.

Soon, our orders were ready. Judy got the riceless dish on the left, I think that’s “the Alberto”. Going clockwise, Lauren got the “Crouching Dragon”. James got the “Volcano Roll”. And both Marlene and I got the “California Crunch” (only one is pictured since they’re both the same).

We really liked the look of the Crouching Dragon.

Another shot of my California Crunch.

Our view of the bowling lanes.

After we left Splitsville, the ladies looked in the Something Silver store, but it’s such a small and crowded store that I didn’t last too long in there. I went next door to Sosa Family Cigars to inhale that (unlit) tobacco smell a little bit. I love the smell of unlit cigars and pipe tobacco, but can’t stand the smoke. After that I ended up at the window of the Candy Cauldron watching the candy experts work their magic.

We didn’t have a text yet that our room was ready, but we were pretty much done with Downtown Disney so decided to head back. We stopped at a Publix on the way back to stock up on groceries. Judy had made a list of some things to get for the week, and we each picked out a frozen dinner to get for tonight’s meal. At one point Judy asked me if I wanted to get some Oreo’s and I replied, “Well, they are milk’s favorite cookie. If we didn’t, it’d be a disservice to milk.”




Up next: Our Boardwalk Suite

 

[Steppesister]

I totally remembered Cynthia's and MEK soiree into Splitsville and just as with then, the sushi looked completely amazing! I have Wolfgang Pucks on the plan for arrival day, but now I'm starting to re-think this choice. Zach LOVES (as do I) sushi. Anara isn't so keen on it, so I'm off to peruse the menu to see if there's fare for her. I might be fun to check out the price of a game or two of bowling. Might be a fun way to kick start the vacay.

As for food trucks not being open for lunch. Pffffftttt!! Whose stupid dunce move was that?!?! That's why food trucks were invented.

We've already got Raglan on the docket for arrival DINNER, so trucks are out, but sushi for lunch sounds great. Our flight arrives at 10:30 and I totally think we could be to DS by lunch. Ish. Then spend embarrassing amounts of time in the Lego store, then a late dinner. In your expert opinion, does this sound do-able?

Lastly, WOW! DS has REALLY changed so much since we've been there judging from your photos. It'll be fun to see a "new area!

 

[orangecats2]

Interesting looking sushi. My DH might want to try it next year.
I was hoping to see pics of your room at BW, guess I'll have to wait till the next update.

 

[franandaj]

We wanted to eat at Splitsville on our last trip, but in the end a reservation at Morimoto Asia won out, so that's still on the list. The sushi rolls looked good..

We went in the hat store and I totally missed that there was a GF bakery next door. So many things for the next trips!

 

[englishrose47]

I am not a sushi fan, so that would not be for me , I will have to check out the food trucks but after 4p of course !!!!

 

[afwdwfan]

Our complimentary continental breakfast was what you would expect at a Comfort Inn -- enough to get you going for the day but certainly nothing to rave about.

Sounds about right...

I found the new parking garage and we were impressed by the boards that show you how many available spots are on each level. That’s a nice touch

Wow! There were actually parking spots open??? Like you can drive and find a spot to park without driving around in circles for an hour?

We went into Chapel Hats to take a look. And you know, trying on hats at Disney always fun.

They certainly have some interesting hats there.

We each took a couple of bites of the Bakery Sink (after buying it) and it was really good. It was a concoction, kind of a mini-trifle (you didn’t think I’d know what that was, did you? c’mon I know about desserts), that had doughnuts, cookie crumbs, brownie-bites, frosting, and cupcakes in it. We decided that we’d stop back in here to pick up some more items on our way out.

I'm glad that Judy found her gluten free nirvana.

(I forget how it worked exactly, but we must’ve taken a number or something because I remember that we had our place in line but could sit on a bench.) Anyway, after a minute or so of silence, sitting there twiddling our thumbs, we happened to look at each other. James broke the silence with, “And you said this wouldn’t be fun!” I laughed out loud!

Hey, it beats shopping...

The amphicars were out as we passed the Boathouse, but we didn’t see anybody taking a ride in them. I had James ask how much it was to take a ride, and I forget the answer, but I know that it was high enough that I realized that I would most-probably never be doing that.

I'm guessing you were so in shock by the number that you permanently blocked it from your memory.

We needed a plan “B” quick, because we were famished.

Sorry about the food trucks, but I'm glad Splitsville provided a good alternative for you.

I went next door to Sosa Family Cigars to inhale that (unlit) tobacco smell a little bit. I love the smell of unlit cigars and pipe tobacco, but can’t stand the smoke.

Totally agree.

At one point Judy asked me if I wanted to get some Oreo’s and I replied, “Well, they are milk’s favorite cookie. If we didn’t, it’d be a disservice to milk.”

What kind of a question is that anyway???

 

[SimplyGoofy]

It's too bad that your last meal in NYC was lackluster, but you had so many good meals on your trip that one of them was bound to be less exciting. Marlene's NYC trip looked great and it seems you all had a great time.

YAY, you've started the Disney World portion of your trip! Disney Springs is rather crazy at the moment, but I look forward to seeing it once it's all done. I managed to see one of the amphicars take off from the Boathouse when I was wandering around DS - it was pretty cool! (I never plan to pay for a ride in one myself, so seeing someone else ride in one is as close as I'm going to get!)

 

[jedijill]

Playing catch up from the holidays! I'm so glad Judy found her GF bakery heaven! I can't believe those food trucks weren't open yet. I don't care for sushi but those plates looked good!

Jill in CO

 

[GreatBiscuit]

I’m sure the sign to the left of the window caught your eye.

Yes. Yes it did.

We were given a tall table to the left of the bowling lanes on the first floor. We put our orders in with the waitress and took a moment to create a “start of vacation” photo to post on Instagram.

In accordance with the prophecy.

Soon, our orders were ready. Judy got the riceless dish on the left, I think that’s “the Alberto”. Going clockwise, Lauren got the “Crouching Dragon”. James got the “Volcano Roll”. And both Marlene and I got the “California Crunch” (only one is pictured since they’re both the same).

That actually looks really good.

If we didn’t, it’d be a disservice to milk.”

We can't have that.

Nifty updates GB!

 

[Disneybuckeye]

So how was the sushi at Splitsville taste wise? We wanted to eat at the food trucks for lunch two weeks ago and also were sad they were closed. We ended up at WGP. Had no idea we could just eat at Splitsville.

Watching the amphibicars on the river I always think they look to low and are going to take on water and sink. No way would I get in one.

Looking forward to your Boardwalk review. We haven't been back in 5 years and I recently booked Boardwalk view for November.

 

[jandlinz]

I love the hat pictures. It really looks like a fun afternoon. Does that gluten free bakery cater to any other food intolerances or is it just gluten?i'm excited to read your Boardwalk reviews.

 

[mom3sonstt]

Hi Glenn! Haven't been on here for a few years, but came out of hiding for Liesa's celebration trip, and saw you had a report going too. Hopefully I will be able to keep up. The New York trip looked like a lot of fun, although I kinda got a kick out of the Steak N Shake adventure. It's a staple around here, so at first I thought you were being sarcastic

Looking forward to the Disney portion of the stay - you are staying at my favorite location!

 

[glennbo123]

I totally remembered Cynthia's and MEK soiree into Splitsville and just as with then, the sushi looked completely amazing! I have Wolfgang Pucks on the plan for arrival day, but now I'm starting to re-think this choice. Zach LOVES (as do I) sushi. Anara isn't so keen on it, so I'm off to peruse the menu to see if there's fare for her. I might be fun to check out the price of a game or two of bowling. Might be a fun way to kick start the vacay.

I would've had no idea that Splitsville was a food spot to consider if it wasn't for their TR. My whole crew loves sushi so I knew it was a good option in that regard, even if it was a more expensive meal than I was planning on. It looked like people were having some fun on the bowling lanes, but we had checking-in festivities to attend to!

As for food trucks not being open for lunch. Pffffftttt!! Whose stupid dunce move was that?!?! That's why food trucks were invented.

That's what I thought, obviously!

We've already got Raglan on the docket for arrival DINNER, so trucks are out, but sushi for lunch sounds great. Our flight arrives at 10:30 and I totally think we could be to DS by lunch. Ish. Then spend embarrassing amounts of time in the Lego store, then a late dinner. In your expert opinion, does this sound do-able?

Hmm, it would probably be a late lunch. I'm assuming you'll be taking ME to your resort first and then to DS, correct? I'd guess that you'll be at the resort around noon. After dealing with miscellaneous stuff, travel to DS, and walking to Splitsville, you might be looking at closer to 2pm. You guys might be starving as much as we were.

Lastly, WOW! DS has REALLY changed so much since we've been there judging from your photos. It'll be fun to see a "new area!

Yes, he's grown a lot more since then too. He's almost as tall as me now.

Interesting looking sushi. My DH might want to try it next year.
I was hoping to see pics of your room at BW, guess I'll have to wait till the next update.

It was the best sushi I've ever had at a bowling alley, that's gotta be true! Sorry, I'll get the BWV pictures up soon.

We wanted to eat at Splitsville on our last trip, but in the end a reservation at Morimoto Asia won out, so that's still on the list. The sushi rolls looked good..

Well, I bet Morimoto Asia is a pretty good option. I wouldn't mind trying that out.

We went in the hat store and I totally missed that there was a GF bakery next door. So many things for the next trips!

Isn't it funny that there are always more things to discover.

I am not a sushi fan, so that would not be for me , I will have to check out the food trucks but after 4p of course !!!!

We all like sushi -- my kids have expensive taste. I really wanted to try out the variety at the food trucks.

Sounds about right...

Yep, the usual.

Wow! There were actually parking spots open??? Like you can drive and find a spot to park without driving around in circles for an hour?

Uh huh. The boards and lights and things can actually direct you to a row with open parking spots! Pretty cool.

They certainly have some interesting hats there.

Always fun to try on hats.

I'm glad that Judy found her gluten free nirvana.

She coulda spent a lot more in there than she did.

Hey, it beats shopping...

That's true!

I'm guessing you were so in shock by the number that you permanently blocked it from your memory.

I think you're right. I just thought, "whoa, that's too much...never gonna do that."

Sorry about the food trucks, but I'm glad Splitsville provided a good alternative for you.

I was actually kinda bummed about not being able to check out the food trucks.

Totally agree.

I don't know what it is about an unlit cigar, but the smell is intoxicating.

What kind of a question is that anyway???

I know. It's her only flaw -- she doesn't like oreo's. At least she still buys them, and I don't have to worry about her eating them.

It's too bad that your last meal in NYC was lackluster, but you had so many good meals on your trip that one of them was bound to be less exciting. Marlene's NYC trip looked great and it seems you all had a great time.

I agree, we had some great meals there. At least it proves that not all of my reviews are positive! (That picture of the burritos looks so nasty that there was no way anyone could've made a positive review out of that. )

YAY, you've started the Disney World portion of your trip! Disney Springs is rather crazy at the moment, but I look forward to seeing it once it's all done. I managed to see one of the amphicars take off from the Boathouse when I was wandering around DS - it was pretty cool! (I never plan to pay for a ride in one myself, so seeing someone else ride in one is as close as I'm going to get!)

Yeah, I think Disney Springs will be great when it's done. There was sure a lot of construction going on. I would've liked to have seen someone going out for a ride in an amphicar, but I think the price point is pretty high for just about anyone.

Playing catch up from the holidays! I'm so glad Judy found her GF bakery heaven! I can't believe those food trucks weren't open yet. I don't care for sushi but those plates looked good!

Hi Jill! Judy wishes there was one of those bakery shops around us. The sushi tasted as good as it looked!

Yes. Yes it did.

I knew you'd notice that!

In accordance with the prophecy.

Everything is proceeding as I have foreseen.

That actually looks really good.

It was. My choice was best of course.

We can't have that.

Absolutely not, must stock suite with Oreos.

Nifty updates GB!

Thank you GB.

So how was the sushi at Splitsville taste wise? We wanted to eat at the food trucks for lunch two weeks ago and also were sad they were closed. We ended up at WGP. Had no idea we could just eat at Splitsville.

It was really good! Quality stuff. Yeah, Wolfgang Puck's was another option, but I knew that sushi would be an easy sell to my crew. If I had proposed going to Wolfgang Puck's, Judy would've had to check out the menu.

Watching the amphibicars on the river I always think they look to low and are going to take on water and sink. No way would I get in one.

They do look like they ride pretty low. But I'm a good enough swimmer that I wouldn't worry.

Looking forward to your Boardwalk review. We haven't been back in 5 years and I recently booked Boardwalk view for November.

I think it'd be fun to have a Boardwalk view and be able to watch all of the goings-on out there. You'll like it!

I love the hat pictures. It really looks like a fun afternoon. Does that gluten free bakery cater to any other food intolerances or is it just gluten?i'm excited to read your Boardwalk reviews.

Thanks. You know, I'm not sure if they do. You'd have to check out their website or call. I don't want to steer you wrong.

Hi Glenn! Haven't been on here for a few years, but came out of hiding for Liesa's celebration trip, and saw you had a report going too. Hopefully I will be able to keep up.

HI Tanya! Good to see you back here. I'm moving as slow as ever on this one (at least lately), so you should have no trouble keeping up!

The New York trip looked like a lot of fun, although I kinda got a kick out of the Steak N Shake adventure. It's a staple around here, so at first I thought you were being sarcastic

No, I wasn't being sarcastic...I had never been to one before!

Looking forward to the Disney portion of the stay - you are staying at my favorite location!

Great! Glad to hear you're looking forward to it.