jknezek
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Dec 19, 2016
Well this was a tougher trip. It's not that we didn't have fun, it just was a more difficult trip. Weather, sickness, travel issues, park issues, we had them all, but we soldiered on and made some great family memories.
1/25 -- Got a phone call from my kids' school. Daughter was running a small fever and had a sore throat. Trip to the Dr. and we had a strep diagnosis. Picked up the meds, start feeding them to her right away. Motorhome was packed, kids and wife put to bed in the coach, as it was pointed down the driveway. I slept for a few hours in the house before leaving Birmingham just after 2a.m. CST 1/26.
1/26 -- A difficult early morning drive. 26 degrees when we left and the old motorhome was a bit grumpy to start. But once we got moving, heavy, freezing fog settled in. About 30 miles down the interstate a stag with a death wish cut in front of the coach and I bet we missed contact by less than a foot. Didn't need that big cup of coffee anymore, but sure could have used a new set of underwear!
About 4 a.m. a trucker pulled in behind me on the Troy Highway. He insisted on using his brights, and sitting less than 5 feet off my bumper. After a few miles where he could have passed but didn't, I accelerated up a hill to move away from him. He caught me on the next down hill and settled in again. I slowed from 60 to 25, he followed right along. 45 minutes of this insane jerk behind me before he finally turned off the road. He sat on my bumper with his brights the whole time. I probably should have pulled in somewhere, but I didn't want to wake the kids. Still didn't need my coffee, but now I'm irritated.
7 a.m. -- kids starting to wake up as we hit I10. Sun starts to rise. Can't see a darn thing heading eastbound. Pull off for gas and to let the life giving ball of gas rise higher in the sky. Get back on the road, go 2 exits, get off again for breakfast. Retinas are feeling burned out.
2:30 p.m. EST -- pull in to Fort Wilderness after 550 miles. Assigned spot 231. Was hoping for an outside loop spot, but 231 is not a bad site. We fit easily, good room, broke out the chalk and let the kids go to town decorating the site. Daughter still down for the count from strep.
5 p.m. -- Took my twin boys to Captain Cook's for dinner. Small boat to the monorail, monorail to the Poly. Wife stayed with wiped out daughter and had P&J's takeout from The Fort. Captain Cook's was good. Pork nachos are a nice option. Boys had burgers. Sat inside because it was cold, but we wandered around for a bit. The Poly is still one of my favorite themed resorts. Beautiful. Love the pool area. Boys don't want to take the monorail back. Freeze on a boat to Magic Kingdom, freeze even more on the boat from MK to Fort Wilderness. Apparently one of the inside boats for the Fort-MK run is broken, so they are using a small boat instead. Cold weather and exposed boats is somewhat of a theme for this trip. On the upside, amazing boat captains gave my boys lots of transportation cards!
Early bedtime for all. Hopefully daughter will feel better for Park Day 1, EPCOT!
1/25 -- Got a phone call from my kids' school. Daughter was running a small fever and had a sore throat. Trip to the Dr. and we had a strep diagnosis. Picked up the meds, start feeding them to her right away. Motorhome was packed, kids and wife put to bed in the coach, as it was pointed down the driveway. I slept for a few hours in the house before leaving Birmingham just after 2a.m. CST 1/26.
1/26 -- A difficult early morning drive. 26 degrees when we left and the old motorhome was a bit grumpy to start. But once we got moving, heavy, freezing fog settled in. About 30 miles down the interstate a stag with a death wish cut in front of the coach and I bet we missed contact by less than a foot. Didn't need that big cup of coffee anymore, but sure could have used a new set of underwear!
About 4 a.m. a trucker pulled in behind me on the Troy Highway. He insisted on using his brights, and sitting less than 5 feet off my bumper. After a few miles where he could have passed but didn't, I accelerated up a hill to move away from him. He caught me on the next down hill and settled in again. I slowed from 60 to 25, he followed right along. 45 minutes of this insane jerk behind me before he finally turned off the road. He sat on my bumper with his brights the whole time. I probably should have pulled in somewhere, but I didn't want to wake the kids. Still didn't need my coffee, but now I'm irritated.
7 a.m. -- kids starting to wake up as we hit I10. Sun starts to rise. Can't see a darn thing heading eastbound. Pull off for gas and to let the life giving ball of gas rise higher in the sky. Get back on the road, go 2 exits, get off again for breakfast. Retinas are feeling burned out.
2:30 p.m. EST -- pull in to Fort Wilderness after 550 miles. Assigned spot 231. Was hoping for an outside loop spot, but 231 is not a bad site. We fit easily, good room, broke out the chalk and let the kids go to town decorating the site. Daughter still down for the count from strep.
5 p.m. -- Took my twin boys to Captain Cook's for dinner. Small boat to the monorail, monorail to the Poly. Wife stayed with wiped out daughter and had P&J's takeout from The Fort. Captain Cook's was good. Pork nachos are a nice option. Boys had burgers. Sat inside because it was cold, but we wandered around for a bit. The Poly is still one of my favorite themed resorts. Beautiful. Love the pool area. Boys don't want to take the monorail back. Freeze on a boat to Magic Kingdom, freeze even more on the boat from MK to Fort Wilderness. Apparently one of the inside boats for the Fort-MK run is broken, so they are using a small boat instead. Cold weather and exposed boats is somewhat of a theme for this trip. On the upside, amazing boat captains gave my boys lots of transportation cards!
Early bedtime for all. Hopefully daughter will feel better for Park Day 1, EPCOT!