Happy Anni-birth-aversary...A 33 night Celebration & HHN too.....SF & RPR September 2022 TR

[schumigirl]

We decided it was time to head towards the front of the park as we were not eating in the park today, but there are so many distractions it always takes us so much longer than we plan!!

This scare zone is very good at night, not my favourite zone, but the little show is good and SA are as always, very good.

Our two least favourite areas are the Meetz Meats and Sweet Revenge for this year, they just didn`t completely work for us and I still maintain the props they left around during the day looked like Mardi Gras floats. However they still look good and photograph well.

We were surprised to see some of these props uncovered during the day, it`s fine for us, didn`t bother us but some folks complain about anything and get offended on other folks behalf as on TM told us someone did complain.....in case it upset the kids.....she didn`t have kids, but that`s folks for you.......

I really didn`t like this area, but we did enjoy the zombie brains, chicken offal, but not the sour heart, that was not nice.

But, it was just mediocre and the props weren`t as good as they could be.

We are huge fans of old black and white movies and comedy scary ones are real favourites, and we love Basil Rathbone. The Black Cat is a classic and one we watch every year in the winter without fail along with many others.

We were quite sad to see the Mummy was not open yet, it had been supposed to open way back but as is the usual pattern now, they were waiting on a single chip, we knew it would be open before we left, but it was the only ride this side of the parks we really enjoy.

The lines for these food tents were always around 3 miles long every night

​

We would try to have something from them tonight as we did plan to attend HHN again.....

Gramercy Park always looks stunning........

I did like the decor they had added to the food tents this year, usually they looked a little dull, but we were impressed with them all this year.

We were walking out and Tom spotted the Panda thingy leaning out the window waving to folks. Now, much as though I don`t like the Jimmy Fallon ride.....the Panda is quite funny and caught me in a huge scare in 2017 when Kyle was with us.....I hadn`t realised the Panda was a thing and moved, I assumed it was a decoration at the top of the stairs.......then he moved towards me......lol......yes, I screamed!!! Kyle thought it was hilarious......

Horrors of Halloween wasn`t the worst zone....it had the Pumpkin Lord of course and an array of pumpkins built into the gantry display.......they task you to find Lil Boo.......it`s easier than you think.

I was starting to get hungry now so we got a wiggle on and headed out of the park, but we love this view so we normally stop and get pictures....we never stop in the morning or peak park closing as everyone and their grandma want their picture in front of the globe as it is a classic must have picture.

Weirdly, I don`t think we have a family shot in front of it now I think on it......

There was a boat waiting to take us home, and once we showered and changed we headed to the parking lot and noticed how darn hot it was now.....which was lovely of course but I was glad we weren`t still trucking round the park right now. Being able to spend a few hours and then go somewhere else is perfect for us. I always admire folks who do full days in them in the heat, I don`t think I could do it.

We drive up to Yellow Dog Eats which is around a 20 minute drive up through some lovely areas, close enough but you do feel you have ventured far enough away from the parks.

It is a very rustic place, lots of tables outside and they have an upstairs with extra seating and of course a few seats at the bar.

The menu has some dog based names for sandwiches like the Rufus, but it is gorgeous and very original options. Everything is freshly made and as the place is usually mobbed, you can maybe wait a little for your food. But they give you a buzzer, you get your drinks and find a table while you wait.

They sell a lot of their own products and their own BBQ sauce is beautiful, we always buy a few jars to take home with us, but they have shirts, hats and similar items.

I think Kyle would love their chocolate cake......for me the coconut cake is out of this world!!!

We find folks chat a lot up here when they know you`re a tourist as it`s a very local place. They do get tourists of course and a lot of them are Brits from what the owner said. One lady asked us not to tell too many folks about this place as it`s hard enough to get parked with locals.......lol.....maybe just a few folks???

We head for the counter to order and Tom spots the special of the day and decided to order that with no cilantro of course which is fine as they cook everything to order.

I decided to go with the curry chicken salad which sounded so nice, I added jalapeno`s and asked for no red onions.....two sodas and we were set.

We went upstairs with our soda`s, I had pepsi and Tom had Dr Pepper which I didn`t like.....until I tried his!! Why did I think I didn`t like Dr Pepper!!

I did get the look of.....hey, you have your own drink.......lol......

We did start off in this little area upstairs, there are around 4 or 5 tables and it is almost completely silent up there.....we were alone, then a man came in with his wife and dog. They do allow dogs everywhere in here.....

I don`t like sharing my eating space with dogs....never have never will. I do like dogs, of course I do, but not when I`m eating, however we would normally ignore it as most dogs we have encountered will usually sit quietly.

But.......It was a Bulldog. And it sat and sounded as if it couldn`t breathe, almost making choking and snuffling sounds that were loud and completely disgusting...the guy never batted an eye, so it must have been normal.

​

There is no way in any Universe I was going to be able to sit and eat listening to that horribly gross sound......Tom had already started picking up his drink as he knew we`d be moving......lol....

We picked up our things and found another table way over the other side of the restaurant, yes, much better. I`m guessing the folks who had the dog were just used to their dog making such sounds, but to others......nope don`t want to listen to that!

Just at that our buzzer buzzed and our food was ready.......Tom went down to pick them up and they did look good.

Tom`s was hard to make out but it was incredibly tasty, there was a lot of meat under all that salad and the coleslaw was also lovely.

The curry chicken salad was divine. I usually get the sandwich with pulled pork, Brie and spicy sauces with jalapenos, but thought a change this time.

It wasn`t overly spicy, very mild curry flavour and it had coconut, mango chutney, salad with dried fruits and a few chopped peanuts. The peanut dressing was lovely too and I thought it wouldn`t be enough, but there was some more underneath the chicken......this dish was beautiful. And it was enhanced by the adding of the jalapeno for sure. But, I do like spicy.

Yellow Dog Eats is a fabulous place. There are plenty of parking spaces, but it does fill up and there are extra spaces over the other side of the street. Staff are unique and very friendly and it is quite an experience to eat here with the dog pictures everywhere and the writing on the walls.

The menu is one we like a lot and although we tend to stick to the same things, I think we`ve had about 8 items on the menu between the two of us, everything we have tasted has been absolutely incredible.



More to come....yep, again......

 

[Cara]

Carole, I love your reports! We'll be at Universal for the first time in a number of years next month. I'm really looking forward to several laid-back days after being with the grandson for a few days in Disney!

I already have Citricos, Stormwater and Orchids on my list from your reports. Do you have other places on property or offsite that would be a must-do for a short trip?

 

[schumigirl]

We drove back home, we didn`t plan to do much this afternoon as it was a little later than we had planned, so we thought we`d do some laundry.

In Sapphire the laundry room is in the bowels of Guest House 2, and on the same floor where dogs are predominantly placed. We had noticed a strong aroma of dog in May one time, but this time there was nothing. There was however a couple of dogs barking that had been left alone. Such a shame for them and more of a shame for those that might be around them and have to listen to them.

We popped our laundry in the machine and headed back down the corridor towards the elevators, we passed a couple and just before we got to the door I heard someone say Carole......then louder as someone called me......I turned and it took me a minute to remember, but it was a couple we had met several years back, her user name is @houseofthrees and I hadn`t noticed her post for a while, but it was so nice to be able to say hello to her and her husband again, I think they had just arrived for their visit.

We chatted and then headed back to our suite, surfed around the internet for half an hour before going back down to pop most of it in the dryer.

The laundry room in Sapphire Falls is much better and bigger than the one at RP. There are far more washers and dryers and it`s very spacious.

Someone had taken up most of the machines when we went down, I think they had 2 suitcases full of laundry, but there was one washer and dryer left over, so we didn`t have to come back down waiting for an empty machine.

Once everything was dry, I got everything ironed and put away for this time, I didn`t think I`d need to do a washing again till we were at RP.

Tom had a quick snooze and I pottered about and not exactly sure what I did, but I got changed before heading over to the Club Lounge for a couple of glasses of sparkly before heading off to HHN.

Tonights offerings were chicken tenders and mac n cheese......we did have a taste of them and they were not the best we had seen them offer. We weren`t eating anyway, and folks seemed to enjoy it as the line is always quite long when it`s tenders night.

Tom liked the look of this salad.....until, he spotted blue cheese crumbles in it.......no. Just no. So, he didn`t bother having a little taster.

We always have such fun in the lounge, we always get to chat to all the staff who we just adore and time passes so quickly. They are just the nicest bunch of folks. Our American kids......

However, we did want to get to HHN before too long tonight so we went and got the boat which was quick tonight, we timed it nicely and then headed into the Hotel guest entrance again, we probably didn`t need to as the lines weren`t too bad, but if folks don`t use it, they might close it which would be a shame.

We didn`t take a lot of pictures tonight, but as we went into Descendents we grabbed one of the outside before heading in.

To be honest this house did get a little better the second time, although it was similar all the way through, very grey, it wasn`t as bad as I thought it was from memory. But, not one I`d rush to do regularly.

Normally we`d do the other houses that are at the back of the park, but they didn`t thrill us. Classic Monsters was so much better back in 2019, there`s too much of The Mummy and not enough of the others. I did like the way they change the victor of the house often, but it wasn`t good enough.

And The Weeknd is just not my kind of house......I heard it was "just ok" from most folks, no one said it was brilliant, so I`m happy we didn`t bother with it.

However, we did go into Bugs. Not a house I liked, it just wasn`t scary.....but one of our friends was working this house tonight and he had given us the time his shifts were and what position he was in the house....we had to count SA to work that out.......so we wandered in so we would guarantee we`d see him and we didn`t get in there for a change of shift.

The woman in front of me was ridiculous though so we let a few folks go through in front of us, she just screeched for no reason which is not fun to be around....a little like the teens who squeal at their own shadow.......so we into the house and I`ll be honest, we didn`t really pay a lot of attention to the detail as we were so busy counting SA`s......we got to the bit where he was supposed to be......and he wasn`t there!!! I wondered if we had it wrong, but turns out he had a little change of plan and didn`t get the chance to let us know......well, that was that. It was a shame as we`d have loved to see him in action again. But, I didn`t think we`d do the Bug house again......it just wasn`t scary......but, those SA still give it their all every single night in all the houses.

And we were still spending most of our time looking out for our little Lindsey who I knew was working tonight and she said she was wearing light blue scrubs and would be waving a green light, we had to see her sometime surely!!!

We headed into DA for a little cool down next.......during HHN it is either completely empty or there are a few folks wandering around. Many use their HHN as a chance to see it if they`ve never been before. We`ve all seen it empty and it is quite nice to be able to wander around without the hordes.

We didn`t spend a lot of time in DA tonight, we never do the rides during HHN, it`s just not the reason we`re there.....we want the scares!!!

Next up for us tonight was Conjure the Dark scare zone. This one was good, the little show was fun and the SA wandering around were very keen and got loads of folks with scares.

Loved this guy!!!

This young lady spotted Tom taking pictures and swirled around until he turned and got her picture which was so cool as some SA weren`t keen on pictures this year. I can understand it, it`s not a selfie event....and I say that as someone who does like their picture with SA`s, but when folks use their flash and take numerous pictures at the one time, it`s understandable.

Sweet Revenge doesn`t seem to have been as well received as they thought it would be and I`m not completely sure why as they did have some fun characters around, but no real jump scares and it`s so disappointing as that`s why most folks are there.....of course there are always some that don`t like scares.

We were followed around for a little bit by this character and they were fun I have to say......they kept coming after me until I did get a genuine fright and screamed......then they were happy!!!

And despite us not enjoying this year as much as others, I`ll never criticise the SA for one moment. They are all amazing and work with what they have. Many have been doing it for years and some come from far and wide just for this event as it is one of the top Halloween set ups in the whole country. So, they really are completely wonderful at what they do.

This scene just tickled me somehow.......

I cannot remember which order we did these houses in tonight as it was a bit of a blur, but we did Dead Man`s Pier which always completely stuns us with how visually beautiful it is and an excellent experience, Chupacabra which was quite good tonight as we did get some scares, more than we had before in all the visits and of course Halloween which I think we did last.

The lines for these houses are so warm as there is no air running through this area at all.....I was glad of my little Chinese fan which helped a lot with the heat.....

But, I still looked like I was melting!!! It was hot and I needed some water at this point.

Before we did Halloween house, we decided to go get a snack so we tried the Petrified Rat Tails which looked like fries, but they were funnel fries and not something we enjoyed. They were topped with a creamy crab dip which tasted a little too artificial to be enjoyed too much. I missed the scallions on top of ours which everyone else had. Wouldn`t rush to buy them again and we trashed most of them.

We also tried the pepperoni pizza skull which again was a little overhyped for us....we didn`t finish that either, but I would try it again, I think Tom liked it more than I did.

And lots of water.

We headed back into the EP line for Halloween at this point.....and at the rear of the building.....YES.......there she was......we saw her We yelled out to Lindsey at the top of our voice......she turned and ran towards us for the biggest hug ever before turning to the RIP tour she was taking and explained we were her favourite people from the UK....they all smiled and said it was fine......we didn`t keep her obviously as she was working, and we were meeting her and her boyfriend for lunch on Friday, so we`d catch up then properly, but we were so glad to have seen her at work in a job she was absolutely suited for......her knowledge of HHN blows me away every time we talk about it, there`s nothing she doesn`t know about every year it`s been on.

We snatch a few pictures as she ambled past with her group...one woman leaned over and said they were from the UK too and so far she had been brilliant, we told her she had the best guide ever for their tour tonight!!

We love that girl!!! And very apt we saw her at the Halloween house as that wa sone of our first conversations we had with her when she was in the lounge. And she was also responsible for the room where Judith Myers body lay in the house.....she is a complete star, and so talented.

If I was choosing a daughter, it would be Lindsey.

Pictures of her and the group were all a little blurry.......

Halloween was only around a 10-15 minute wait tonight and it is worth it. I think I got every jump scare going tonight, timing is everything for scares.....and one I hadn`t noticed before which was fun. The last room with all the Michael`s does get me more than the rest of the house, as I never remember which Michael is real despite trying to!

We were thrilled though to have seen Lindsey, but after Halloween we decided to leave heading through Horrors of Halloween scare zone which wasn`t too busy tonight compared to future nights.

There was quite a short line for Hellblock Horror, so the EP line would be much shorter so we bimbled into that line on the way out and again, it was ok, just not thrilling and maybe we were unlucky but we missed a lot of SA and scares, and that does affect one`s perception of the houses for sure.

All Hail the Pumpkin Lord.......he was a hoot!! And there weren`t many folks around him tonight which I think annoyed him as he does like attention!!!

We had enjoyed tonight, no doubt about it, but some components of the event just weren`t completely bowling us over, we`d be back next few nights hopefully.

As we hadn`t really eaten anything we were a little hungry, but we didn`t want a lot, so I suggested going to Bread Box in Citywalk. We had gone there several times and always enjoyed it, so up we went and it wasn`t even remotely busy. I think there were more Universal TM`s eating there than regular customers.

It took us a few minutes to choose, but Tom went for the cold turkey sandwich with fries and I opted for the Nashville Hot with tots, but on white instead of what they had on the menu. We also ordered a fanta each.

You order, pay, then go sit and they bring it to you as soon as it`s ready. And we didn`t wait too long for our food.

Food is nothing spectacular, but it is good. The chicken was good and it was spicy, although it could have been hotter for me and Tom loved his sandwich......he is a big sandwich fan.

Once we had finished we got the boat back home and went into Strong Water Bar.

We hadn`t even stepped in when the wonderful Anthony yelled my name and gestured for us to go to the back of the bar with him with a huge big smile on his face.......we saw Fernando sitting at one of the tables with Maria who used to be Orchids manager and Brie who used to be Amatista manager.....they were all smiling and I think I worked out why.

A few days ago I had asked Anthony to make me something off the menu, tall strong and fruity.....and he knows what I like in a drink so he came up with the nicest cocktail I think I ever tasted. I said it was so good it should go on the menu......

Fernando explained that on Wednesday they were doing a food and drink presentation of the things they were putting on the new menu. Mr Beiderman and 6 or 7 of the top managers including the Food and Beverage manager were all coming in for a tasting session in the bar and they were going to put the drink forward as one of their new choices.

I jokingly said it should have my name on it.....and laughed.

So, at lunchtime today, they were all there and Anthony explained the meaning behind the cocktail`s invention, it was a fruity punch and when he said it was Carole who had asked him to make it up, Mr Beiderman asked if it was me.....Anthony of course said yes and Mr Beiderman immediately said then that`s what it should be called.......

Carole`s Punch........

OMG!!!!!!!

I was completely side swiped and stunned and there were a few tears of happiness when Fernando and Anthony told us what had happened and to be honest I never thought they`d opt for someone`s name on it......but, it`s on the menu now and it`s a gorgeous drink!!!

After the tears stopped Fernando said we had to get a picture to celebrate the new drink officially going on the menu when it changed in October......I was so happy, thrilled, touched and very honoured and of course it was all down to the wonderful Anthony who created it. He is an exceptional Rum Captain and his knowledge is incredible....

I just love that picture with all four of us and the cocktail as I can remember the emotion we all felt when we were discussing it.

This was the drink from another night when we had drinks with our friend who also loved it, but it looks so good in this image. It is very fruity and very fresh and if you like those kinds of tastes, you`ll love it!!

And just this week Fernando sent us a snapshot of the new menu and here it is.......

Yes, I am darned excited about the whole thing!!!! How many folks get a drink named after them in their favourite place in the whole wide world!!!!

Anthony has created a gorgeous drink and there are quite a few ingredients in it. As with most of their cocktails from Strong Water, the secret to perfection is their housemade shrubs which they make from scratch and it`s quite a process to see being done and you can genuinely taste the difference in the drinks in here......they are the best!!!

But, huge thanks to the wonderful Fernando, adorable and talented creator of the drink Anthony and the top management, especially the lovely Mr Beiderman for it being on the menu now!!! Yep, I`m thrilled!!!

Several folks have tried it and really enjoyed it, I know when we`re back in May that`ll be the first drink I order!!

We sat the rest of the evening with Fernando who had finished work so we could chat without him being busy, he is so professional, and also Maria, we chatted the evening away and it was lovely. We have such a lovely relationship with everyone in Strong Water, they are incredibly special to us and we just love spending time with them all.

I think we were late in bed tonight as we were having such a lovely time. My head was still spinning with delight.

Tom was also thrilled and knew I was going to remind him a lot I had a drink named after me in Strong Water......lol.....and I did!!!!

 

[Elsaspiritanimal]

Carole`s Punch........

I love this! You absolutely deserve to have a drink named after you! And it is beautiful enough to match the lady it is named after. Will definitely need to try this out on my next trip!

Loving your trip report as usual!

 

[Cara]

No way! Carole's Punch! It sounds delicious!! That is so exciting!

 

[NashvilleTrio]

And just this week Fernando sent us a snapshot of the new menu and here it is.......

Now I must make a special trip over to SW so I can try this!! That's sooo exciting!!

 

[schumigirl]

Carole, I love your reports! We'll be at Universal for the first time in a number of years next month. I'm really looking forward to several laid-back days after being with the grandson for a few days in Disney!

I already have Citricos, Stormwater and Orchids on my list from your reports. Do you have other places on property or offsite that would be a must-do for a short trip?

Your trip is next month?????? That crept up didn`t it!!! You`ll have such a lovely time with the little one...

Oh goodness, so many to choose from. Strong Water of course, they do have a kids menu there too, Orchids in RP and the Bula Bar is lovely poolside at RP. Confisco Grille in IOA for sure, Cowfish, Vivo in Citywalk. Sal`s pizza in PB.

Off site, depends what you like......Bubbalous Bodacious for BBQ, Teak Neighborhood Grill for the best burgers and other stuff too, only about 10 minutes away from the Universal hotels. The Ale house on Kirkman has some lovely food, as does Kobe just next door to it.

Some others that are a little further away but for a short trip you might not want to venture further afield.

No way! Carole's Punch! It sounds delicious!! That is so exciting!

Isn`t it!!!!!

It is gorgeous.....if you go to Strong Water be sure to ask for it.....

 

[schumigirl]

I love this! You absolutely deserve to have a drink named after you! And it is beautiful enough to match the lady it is named after. Will definitely need to try this out on my next trip!

Loving your trip report as usual!

Awwww...thank you so much!!! I am completely thrilled about it and don`t mind yelling it from the rooftops......lol.......I think you`ll love it.....

And thank you, I`m glad you are enjoying it, good to see you.......

 

[schumigirl]

@NashvilleTrio

Your quote isn`t working for me......but, yes, you`ll have to go and try it.......it is lovely, even if I say so myself.......

 

[keishashadow]

Up to speed

Tom with his Jack shirt on. Anyone who is old school HHN knows you don`t wear merchandise from the year you are in. You always wear older merchandise including shirts and lanyards otherwise people will throw rotten fruit and veg at you......

makes it easy to spot a noob

Kyle does Astronomy as a hobby

His work is stunning, really needs to compile it and publish IMO.

Add in 2 sodas and you have the ideal lunch.

In the running for best Orlando pizza as far as I’m concerned

We joined the 21st century and created an Uber account!

Heck doth frozen over!

You lost me at cheese in a soup.......

I can vouch for Panera’s cheese soup, rivals most home-made versions.

I really didn`t like this area, but we did enjoy the zombie brains, chicken offal, but not the sour heart, that was not nice.

Only on the Universal boards can you post /\ and not have people blink an eye lol

Carole`s Punch........

You have officially entered the big leagues

PS the bracelet is absolutely beautiful. What a lovely present to mark such a happy occasion. I was lusting over it in a slick magazine feature featured in Vogue on plane ride down this trip, quite on trend.

 

[schumigirl]

Up to speed

makes it easy to spot a noob

His work is stunning, really needs to compile it and publish IMO.

In the running for best Orlando pizza as far as I’m concerned

Heck doth frozen over!

I can vouch for Panera’s cheese soup, rivals most home-made versions.

Only on the Universal boards can you post /\ and not have people blink an eye lol

You have officially entered the big leagues

PS the bracelet is absolutely beautiful. What a lovely present to mark such a happy occasion. I was lusting over it in a slick magazine feature featured in Vogue on plane ride down this trip, quite on trend.

lol.....it does doesn`t it.....I told several folks they shouldn`t wear this years merchandise....looked at me like I had horns!

Thank you, his pictures are stunning!!

lol....yes, I have been dragged into the modern world, not exactly screaming.......

I never noticed that with the food descriptions.....you`re right though

Big league???? Never been in the big league in my life......I`ll take it though!!

Thank you....I love the bracelet....yep, brand spanking new in the stores the day we went in......timing again.

Good to see you back.......

 

[schumigirl]

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 8TH​

Today was going to be one of those "not doing much" days we strangely enjoy.

We woke as early as usual and once ready headed over to the lounge as usual. There we got breakfast and as I wasn`t driving, I had champagne as usual I could almost imagine my mother who is completely teetotal, admonishing me with a withering look for drinking at breakfast...

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She`s so funny!!

I do not take after her in that way at all........lol

Raphael appeared with his hands behind his back at one point and he had very kindly created a little gift basket of Brazilian chocolate in a little parcel he had made himself.......it was so cute and so thoughtful!!!

He does love the camera though.....and actually he is very photogenic as we saw some pictures he had taken and they were stunning!

We always bring over lots of British chocolate for them so this was a little way of returning the compliment......

We sat for a time this morning and then headed over to Sapphire to get the car as we were driving up to Tavares to have a coffee with a friend of ours who used to work in Orlando but was in a different position now so we didn`t see him as often as we used to when he was working in this area.

We had arranged to drive up to see him and his wife this morning and spend a couple of hours with them so that`s what we did and it was very nice.

They couldn`t make lunch as they were both heading to work, so we drove back into Mount Dora and had lunch in our favourite place here The Goblin Market. It sits in a street that has somewhat of a cool name.....Dora Drawdy Way.......not really cool I guess, I just liked it. It is almost a back alley that it sits on so the outside area isn`t the best, but they do decorate the exterior of the building nicely.

We never book and we were lucky there were a good few tables available, although there is a bar you can go sit at, I think we might do that the next time, but it is a beautiful restaurant that is quite unique.

I ordered a Strawberry Fields Margarita which was nice, although I wished I`d ordered the spicy one I had the last time, it was nicer.

It`s set out like a classic English tearoom/restaurant/elegant dining room and the touches are cute as they have fake walls of books and little things like a cute holder for sugar on the table. And it`s larger than it looks from the exterior as there are lots of little areas to eat in. Staff are nice too.

They change their menu frequently using the freshest of ingredients available, so it`s not always the same as your previous visit.

Today Tom chose the Ranchero Chicken sandwich, chicken breast, caramelised onion, tomatoes, swiss cheese, spicy sauce, bacon and all on a brioche bun with fries and a lovely little orzo salad which is strangely addictive!!

I opted for the Cashew Chicken sandwich which was gorgeous.....chicken breast which was rather large, the cashew crust was light and not at all stodgy and was coated in a delicious Brie-mornay along with cranberry/apple relish with the same brioche bun, orzo salad and the most gorgeous fries I have tasted this trip!!

The lunch was lovely, I was glad we had chosen to come here today, it has never let us down anytime we have visited.

We paid and left to head out to look for a house that we had booked to go do a Ghost Hunt later in the trip, we knew where it was we just wanted to go have a nosey what it was like and how parking was around it.

The Donnelly House is now a Masonic Lodge but hosts ghost tours throughout the year. It is a beautiful building and we were looking forward to this one.

I had never heard of this guy before we looked into this visit, but this guy practically built Mount Dora into what it is today.

It is a lovely little town to walk through, they have beautiful little stores and so many cute little food options, it`s somewhere we could wander round for the longest time.

We head down to the lake which is a gorgeous place to just wander and relax on a bench for a little while looking out over the lake which is full of alligators, snakes and snapping turtles that will take a nasty chunk out of you.....the guy who runs the boat tours say they are more aggressive than the alligators unless it`s mating season or they`re fighting. Ok then.......

I was curious to see one of the houses I liked the look of go up for sale.....I was never sure if this was apartments or one big house.....turns out it is one home and I don`t think I could convince Tom to buy that as a pied-a-terre for us...

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It is beautiful though......and maybe a little too purple, even for me who adores all things purple!

We wandered down to the pontoon and the couple who operate the boat tours pointed out a baby alligator, yes, that thing is a darn baby........ sunning itself by the water.....heck!!!

We sat on the bench at the end of the pontoon for a while, until a couple sat on the other bench and started smoking........that was us out of there.......bleurgh.......

It was feeling a little damp in the air about now and did feel like the sky was going to drop everything it had on us, so we set off back to the car and drove home.

We just got back in and the heavens opened.....torrential downpour of stupendous power and thunder and lightning to follow......I was glad we were home and not out in that!!

I decided (exciting lifestyle we lead) to go to sleep....Tom had found some sci fi movie on the tv to watch, so he stayed in the sitting room and I went to bed. I did leave the drapes open and watched the storm as I drifted off, and I must have been tired as I slept for two hours solid.

Tom said he popped through a couple of times to see if I was awake yet.....I guess the movie was boring.....but, he said I was out for the count and he knows if I`m asleep...don`t wake me!

It was still raining when I woke up, I hoped it went off for HHN tonight, but didn`t look good right now. Such a shame as the SA won`t be out when it`s like that.

I showered, changed and we headed over to the lounge, where it was still raining when we got there.

The lounge was quite busy due to weather tonight I imagined, so we sat and chatted to the staff as usual and we noticed there was a beef dish we really liked in May on offer tonight, I think we would try a little of that, I said in May it was one of the nicest meals offered from the Club Lounge....Beef Bulogi stir fry with rice.

This dish was gorgeous, so much so we ended up breaking our habit of not eating full meals in there and we had two plates each over the couple of hours we were in there.

It wasn`t really a stir fry, more like a casserole, but it was delicious and even better when you add tabasco sauce to it......lovely.

We were quite full by the time service was over, and looking at the rain we weren`t going to HHN tonight. It`s just not fun when the weather is like this.

So, our other option was Strong Water Bar......not a bad option.......lol.......so we walked over and we got a table as it wasn`t too busy. They do reservations now for Strong Water, they didn`t used to when they first opened but we never usually make one as we never know what time we`ll be around.

I told Tom to order a bottle of Sonoma Cutrer and I went to the bathroom before I sat down.

You do have to walk round past Dutch Trading quick service for the bathrooms, which feels quite far when you really need to go, but that`s where they are.

I came back and Tom pointed to the table beside us and asked if that was the couple from May....just as Maggie came up and said your friends are at the next table again........

Yes, you can just see in the background.....Raeven and Josh again.....we were sitting next to each other at the same tables as we were in May....what a coincidence!!!

I will say, the rain went off around 8.30ish but by then we couldn`t be bothered to head out to HHN.......chatting to Josh and Raeven they were going to go after they ate so I was glad the rain had ceased for everyone.

I do love that wine.....

Fernando came to join us for a while and showed us the box he leaves out with some of the chocolate we bring them over....he puts out some at a time otherwise it would just disappear.....lol.....I could imagine as our chocolate is nice and folks love it. We do bring a lot so it will last for a decent amount of time.......

I loved the box he brought it in!!!

And the lovely Maggie in the background....she is the best!!

I don`t think I told Raeven how much I liked her teeshirt......it is cool.....they have the best tees for HHN!!

Maggie insisted we get a picture together as Tom had taken one with the three of us, so here it is, she took loads of them at different angles due to the light......

We managed to chat to most of the crew tonight.....as well as Fernando, Mike and Julisa were working so we always enjoy chatting to them too, they have a wonderful team in here and they all merge well together.

We were still full from the beef bulogi we enjoyed earlier, but Maggie insisted we had dessert......so we said only one between us as I couldn`t have eaten a full one.....however, it is gorgeous and we did finish it!!

I forget how late we sat tonight, but I think we may have closed the place out again......we very rarely see midnight in a bar, but I had slept a couple of hours, so I was good.

It was lovely just sitting chatting to Fernando and crew, it always is and we eventually headed off to bed after what had been a very quiet day, but such a fun day spent chatting with such lovely folks.

 

[keishashadow]

After how disorganized this year’s stay & scream was for us on multiple nights, starting to think you ‘just’ may be onto something with enjoying a few cocktails in AC peace instead of doing stay & scream.

 

[BroadwayHermione5]

Ah I see. I genuinely have no knowledge whatsoever on the layout of the California parks.

No, I wouldn’t like to use it either, but if someone steps out suddenly you would have to. We did see one man was going so darn fast we thought he was going to tip it on its side passing Confisco Grille! He was flying!

Those are the worst humans! Why are you going so fast?!?!?

 

[Cara]

Interesting little side note about John Carpenter and Halloween and The Fog. He is an alumnus of my University -- Western Kentucky University in Bowing Green, Ky. HIs dad was a professor and he grew up in a house located on campus. A number of names in the movies are little Easter eggs to the local area -- things like Smiths Grove and Russellville (Kentucky towns near the Bowling Green), as well as Regents Avenue (runs through campus), Chestnut Street adjacent to campus, and Morgantown Road and Richardsville Pike -- all references things local to Bowling Green, Ky. Just an interesting little factoid!

 

[NashvilleTrio]

Interesting little side note about John Carpenter and Halloween and The Fog. He is an alumnus of my University -- Western Kentucky University in Bowing Green, Ky. HIs dad was a professor and he grew up in a house located on campus. A number of names in the movies are little Easter eggs to the local area -- things like Smiths Grove and Russellville (Kentucky towns near the Bowling Green), as well as Regents Avenue (runs through campus), Chestnut Street adjacent to campus, and Morgantown Road and Richardsville Pike -- all references things local to Bowling Green, Ky. Just an interesting little factoid!

I didn't know this! I grew up in Campbellsville, KY so I'm very familiar with Bowling Green and the surrounding areas. Very cool bit of trivia! Thanks for sharing!

 

[schumigirl]

After how disorganized this year’s stay & scream was for us on multiple nights, starting to think you ‘just’ may be onto something with enjoying a few cocktails in AC peace instead of doing stay & scream.

Oh goodness yes, we gave up on stay and scream areas several years back.....I know some find them useful on occasion, but I doubt we`d ever bother again unless we were only doing one or two nights.

Cocktail and AC.....yep.......happy place....

 

[schumigirl]

Those are the worst humans! Why are you going so fast?!?!?

Exactly. There was no need at all, but there was no stopping him. I couldn`t watch after he turned the corner as I was sure he was going to hit someone.

 

[schumigirl]

Interesting little side note about John Carpenter and Halloween and The Fog. He is an alumnus of my University -- Western Kentucky University in Bowing Green, Ky. HIs dad was a professor and he grew up in a house located on campus. A number of names in the movies are little Easter eggs to the local area -- things like Smiths Grove and Russellville (Kentucky towns near the Bowling Green), as well as Regents Avenue (runs through campus), Chestnut Street adjacent to campus, and Morgantown Road and Richardsville Pike -- all references things local to Bowling Green, Ky. Just an interesting little factoid!

Oh I never knew that Cara.....I knew he mentioned Smith`s Grove having relevence to him, but never knew exactly why.....

Thanks for that

 

[schumigirl]

I didn't know this! I grew up in Campbellsville, KY so I'm very familiar with Bowling Green and the surrounding areas. Very cool bit of trivia! Thanks for sharing!

I find it fascinating too when you find out some trivia that`s local to you, yes, where you grew up or just areas you know.....

Yes, cool trivia!