A post

Yes, I have not posted for a while, but i'm not dead yet. I've been down to Florida a few times, then out to WV and then home for a bit. Spent a weekend in Wisconsin, and now home again. I'll probably post more later, but for now I'm gonna rest.

Eat Your Way Through Disney Tour

Well then, I am now back to the Friendliest Place on Earth (From the Happiest Place on Earth).  And I must say that the Deluxe Disney Dining Plan can be a grand thing.  The only problem is it seems that all we did was eat.  But we ate amazingly well.

Day 1: Flew in so only 1 meal, Grand Gathering for Illuminations

They had a buffet from stuff all over the world, so there was much sampling.  The Canadian cheese soup was really good.  Then we got to go and watch Illuminations, was a very good time.

Day 2: Breakfast: Character Breakfast at Tony's (Magic Kingdom)  We got to get into the park a bit early to make this reservation.  Got to see Mickey and Minnie, Donald and Daisy and Goofy (who it seems I am as tall as).  They had breakfast pastries, eggs, sauage, bacon, hash browns, and waffles.  

Lunch: Another character meal, this one at the Crystal Palace (Magic Kingdom)  This time we saw Pooh and Tigger and Piglet and Eeyore, they gave us an anniversary card.  Another buffet, I had some chicken nuggets and pizza some veggies and pork tenderloin.  Then Max got a cake and we had that for desert.

Dinner: Liberty Tree Tavern (Magic Kingdom) [No Characters]  This one they brought out bread and green beans, mashed potatos, ham, turkey, gravy and mac and cheese.  Then apple cobbler and ice cream for desert.  We sat in the Jefferson Room

Day 3: No Breakfast, saving meal points

Lunch: Rose and Crown (Pub in the England Pavilion of EPCOT)  I had the cheese platter appetizer, shepards pie and I forget the desert (i think it was some form of a cake).  Oh yes, and the Imperial Sampler - 6 different British Beers.  It was good stuff.

Dinner: Teppan Edo (Japanese Pavilion of EPCOT)  I had the seaweed salad with ginger dressing, the steak and chicken and green tea pudding for desert.  It was all very good, but we were soaking wet cause of the rain.

Day 4: Breakfast at the Tusker House (Animal Kingdom) Another character meal, we saw Goofy, Donald, Daisy and Mickey.  Another buffet, had some more eggs, biscuit and gravy and some ham.  Plus they had Pineapple Orange Guava juice which was really good.

Lunch: Yak and Yeti (Animal Kingdom)  I had pork egg rolls, the Mahi Mahi and fried wontons.  It was a really neat restaruent and the food was really good.

Dinner: Safari Grand Gathering (Animal Kingdom)  Went on the Safari ride and the then to the tusker house for another buffet.  I don't really remember what all they had, but it was good.  The also brought out a spider and owl for everyone to see and Timon and Raffiki stopped by.

Day 5:Breakfast at Boma (Animal Kingdom Lodge) More of the juice from the previous breakfast and a buffet.  Mostly had a crossiant and some fruit.

Lunch: Mama Melrose (Hollywood Studios) A little Italian style place.  I had a Caesar Salad and a pepperoni pizza with Gelato for desert.  

Dinner: Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show (Polynesian Resort).  We had pineapple and salad with sweet bread, followed by barbeque ribs and chicken with rice and a cake thingie for desert.  Plus we had Pelea Fire Punch in a coconut monkey.  And the traditional dances were really cool to watch as well.

Day 6: Breakfast at the Kona Cafe (Polynesian Resort).  Another character meal, this time we saw Mickey, Pluto, Lilo and Stitch.  They brought out more of the juice and a big skillet with eggs, bacon, sauage and potato wedges.  And I got a picture with Stitch.

Lunch: Marrakesh (Morroco Pavilion at EPCOT)  I had roast lamb and Marrakesh delight.  And they had really good mint tea.  

Dinner: Le Cellier (Canada Pavillion at EPCOT) I had a spicy chicken sauage and then veal for my dinner.  Had a nice Chardonnay with it.  Also my little brother proposed and she said Yes.

Day 7: No breakfast, went to Mass instead.

Lunch: Chefs de France (French Pavillion at EPCOT)  I had another cheese plate, sampled the escargo (nick ordered it) and then had the ham and cheese sandwhich.  It was good stuffs.

Dinner:  Went to Artist Point (Wilderness Lodge) [As a point of order I think the Wilderness Lodge looks amazing and would love to stay there, perhaps in a december setting]  We had a gewuritanmer then I had venison pot stickers (with a chardonney)  wild boar tenderloin (with a merlot) and berries in a muscat (with an ice wine chardonney).  Since it was our anniversary they gave us copies of the menu with an anniversary message printed on them, plus a certificate.  It was really nice.

Then finally we returned home, very very full.

Disney

So then.. I went to disney with the family and we ate our way through Disney World.  The deluxe dining plan was wonderful, but we ate so very much.  Currently in the airport waiting to go home, kinda tired.  I'm sure that I'll post more later.

Happy Memorial Day to All.

Happy Towel Day!!

I'm still around

So then...

It is once again time to fly to Orlando, it hasn't happened for a while.  Luckily this time is for fun!  I will be going to Disney World with my family.  In fact tomorrow night will be the first time in about a year that I will have seen my family.  Its kinda weird.  

Ahh.. the trip to Orlando.  Wake up at 2 AM, leave the house by 3 AM.  Get to the airport by 430 AM.  Check in, through security, to the gate.... board at 530 AM.  Plane departs at 6 AM, lands at Dallas at 8 AM.  Transfer from terminal C to D, Board plane at 9 AM, plane departs at 930 AM.  Land in Orlando at 1 PM.  All times being local of course. 

This time will be grand, since I don't have to get a rental car and drive for another hour.  The Disney shuttle will pick me up and take me to the hotel. Plus they will take my luggage for me.  It shall be nice.  Yay!  Anyhow.. the photo blog will most likely have some Disney pics in the not to distant future.

Star Trek

Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its five-year mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations; to boldly go where no man has gone before.

Star Trek opens this Friday.  As such I have been watching the Star Trek which I have, which would be the original series.  I think that the 4th movie is one of the best, I would say the best of the original series.  First Contact is a great movie as well.  

Any how, leave a message with your favorite movie, episode or such.

As for the new movie...is a 23rd century Constitution class starship any match for a 24th century Romulan mining ship outfitted with Borg technology that can fire while cloaked?

Menu for this past week

Sunday 

-Homemade fioccia bread pizza

-V Sattui Chardonnay (06)

Monday (rather busy)

-Left over pizza

Tuesday

-Fajitas

-Margaritas

Wednesday

-Chicken Caesar Salad

-Martinis

Thursday

-Pork cooked in white wine

-mixed veggies

-salad

Friday

-Caesar Salad

-Lasagna 

-Pinot Noir

San Francisco and Napa Valley

Alright, I have managed to return safely.  

I drove out and got into my hotel.  The first place I went was up to Fisherman's Wharf, I walked from the BART station since the line was really long for the cable car (I don't know why they are called cable cars since they are trolleys).  Turns out the hills where a bit more steep then I first though.  But I made it all the way the Wharf and wandered about.  Got to go on a bay cruise and go under the Golden Gate Bridge and around Alcatraz.  Plus I got to see the Sea Lions.  From there I wondered over to Lombard Street, which is apparently the crookedest street in the world.  It was too steep to drive down, so they added a bunch of turns in it. After that I went over to Chinatown to see it.  Then it was back to the wharf to stroll about pier 39 and get dinner

.  I had to get some seafood since I was right there on the wharf.  (Oh and since the cruise passed under the bridge I was on the pacific ocean.  Twas cool).  After dinner I went down and got on a cable car.  I stopped by a speak easy.  You had to ring the bell and give the password.  Then you go back behind the bookshelf to the bar.  Finally it was time to go and get sleep.

The next morning I got up and found out that I couldn't get tickets on the ferry to Alcatraz.  I had wanted to go, but I guess that I will have to go back to see it.  So instead I ended up renting a bike and biking across the Golden Gate Bridge.  I biked from Fisherman's Wharf to Sausalito.  It was a bit more then 8 miles.  I got a bunch of pictures, check the photo blog.  I had lunch at a nice little Italian cafe in Sausalito and then hopped the ferry back to San Francisco.  A bit more biking and then I hopped in the car and drove the bridge on the way to Napa Valley.

I drove out and passed through Sonoma Valley first.  It was cool to cruise along and see all the wineries.  Then I rolled into Napa and stopped at the visitor's center and got some info.  It was a bit late and so I didn't stay to long.  The first winery I visited was the Robert Mondavi winery.  (by the way one of the attraction types in my GPS is winery).  Apparently this was like the first winery in Napa valley.  I tasted a few wines there, then headed off to the V Sattui winery.  I must say that I really enjoyed it. It had a little deli area and a picnic lawn.  I tasted some more wine here.  I would recommend it should you find yourself in the area.  Stella, this means that when we go we will be stopping here.  After that it was time to head back "home".

One thought though, why is it that when you are driving at night and you come across a construction area they flash all sorts of lights at you in an effort to destroy your night vision and blind you as you drive through the area?