Guarded Optimism…..

We have been waiting for some months now for the Redland Hotel and City Hall Bistro to reopen in Homestead. It is a historic building and repeated attempts at restaurants have failed for a variety of reasons. Because of the different hats I wear, I’ve been talking with the new owner and his son who will be the on-site restaurant oversight. The hotel part – 13 rooms – has a high occupancy because it is the only hotel of its type and that appeals to a certain type of traveler. The refurbished rooms are done well. Although not spacious, they have all the basics and the redecorating is stylish.

The bar and restaurant have finally been done correctly in an appealing, sophisticated way and everyone is impressed. The new owner is getting to know people within the community and at this point, I am guardedly optimistic. The ambience is first rate, the food quite good, the presentation lovely, and so far the service is good. Prices are definitely high end and while people understand the level of renovation comes at a price, there are a few issues that could tilt sustainability. I won’t go into them because a) they may yet be resolved, and b) with the growth in the area, there may be enough new people who don’t view these factors as issues. Going into the historically slow season of summer though generally means the year-round residents will allow a place to sustain. This is true with any seasonal community and while we don’t have quite the swing in population of say places that close down in off-season, there is a definite drop in population.

We have not met the chef who is leasing the bar and restaurant, but I have heard he (might be a she) is highly experienced. The cuisine is a mix of American and Latin with a few other items thrown in. For example, among the appetizers are bang-bang shrimp (spicy or plain), tostones topped with shrimp, loaded nachos, sliders, tuna tartar; smoke fish dip and a few more. There is a similar combination for entrees.

As I say, we shall see.

Reliable Wreck Site…….

The extensive reef network off Key Largo – the third largest barrier reef in the world – has many dive sites with mooring balls as the “official” sites shown on maps where the charter boats go. Private boats can go as well. There are lots of “unmarked” sites as well; those people discover and don’t publicize the location. The primary reason for charter boats to use mooring ball sites is to protect the reef system. Otherwise you have to anchor and depending on where you are, there could be coral heads or sea grass that can be damaged with careless anchoring. Anyway, having missed Feb and Mar for diving, I had to cancel one possible event to get out yesterday and it was almost perfect.

The weather was great, little wind, no current, good visibility, and this was a day Hubby went for fun and was able to bring the camera. (As an instructor, he’s not allowed to carry a camera unless teaching the underwater imaging course. He can attach his GoPro on regular dives because that runs hands-free). Yesterday we went first to the wreck of the Benwood. Wrecks – whether artificial as in deliberately deployed – or genuine as is the Benwood from WW II – start to immediately become a reef system. With more than seventy years of being down, there’s a lot of marine growth and pieces of the large ship are scattered around the hull that is recognizable as once being a ship. This provides plenty of space for fish and other creatures to tuck into. The anchor sets off to one side and makes for nice viewing. The maturity of it as an artificial reef means it’s reliable as a site even on those occasions where there is “nothing big”. I did almost give up on seeing the turtle that is often present and didn’t find it until the end of my dive. There had been extra schools of fish though and lots of regulars; parrots in all colors, all three kinds of angels, trumpet, trunk fish, and others.

We went onto French Reef for the second dive and there are nineteen mooring balls on that section of reef. This particular spot is “Sand Bottom Cave”. (It’s a small cave and there are several “swim-thrus” in the area. Sure enough, a baby Goliath Grouper was tucked into the cave, taking up most of the space. Even as a “baby”, it was about three-plus feet long and thick. There were lots of other fish to enjoy as well and we saw a honeycomb cowfish which we hadn’t seen in ages. Even though this picture was taken in Belize, we see Queen Angels all the time on our reefs.

Queen Angel on Reef in Belize

Getting Caught Up….

The drive back from Disney went as well as possible and for once the kids’ flight was not delayed. I have only been through the Orlando airport briefly and not paid much attention as I have never flown out of it. Apparently, in light of all the family travel, Disney also provided significant funds to help make the airport an interesting place. Daughter-in-law made this comment as I expressed mild concern they would have to be at the airport for a few hours because my option to fly them home meant mid-afternoon or early morning. Anyway, son sent a short video and some pictures of a large wall with what appeared to be an interactive activity with music and marine creatures where you can be “underwater” with them. Not sure what else was there, but granddaughter was definitely having a good time.

It will be a busy week of course as in addition to all the normal tasks, there were some I put off while we were gone. Then a friend I hadn’t seen for months called. I needed to take him something so we met for lunch yesterday. He did provide me with some interesting information that might be useful in another project he didn’t know I was involved with; we’ll see if it does “bear fruit”. Hubby actually has a few days off from teaching which will allow him to work off his considerable to-do list. Of course, it only takes one phone call/text from the dive shop to change that.  It would also be nice if I could squeeze in one morning/afternoon for diving as I didn’t get to go in February or March. We’ll see about that, too.

Disney Trip, Day 5………

Not surprisingly our last parks day was the same mostly ups with some discomfort downs due to heat and crowds. The wait times were better as we added in the extra cost for Thursday and Friday to access things more quickly. This required use of the mobile app, scheduling, and things I had to leave to daughter-in-law, son, and Hubby to work out. We did start with the classic “Pirates of the Caribbean” and there was a wonderful “Swiss Family Robinson Tree House” as a walk-through event. A couple of mild rides and preceded a quick lunch, then a visit with two princesses in Princess Hall. Another plan was interrupted as the heat and distance got to granddaughter and we diverted into the air-conditioned Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor. It was cute. The desire for a tiara topped other ideas as the previously unknown desire was of course back where we had started with the puzzle of what granddaughter was talking about, and her not quite remembering where they were. It did get resolved with a lot more walking and looking. Along the way though was part of a show in front of the Castle with more characters to include more princesses and of music and dancing. Then there was the encounter with another princess for an autograph. With tiara kiosk located and chose made, we sent the kids off to have at least a little alone time. In making our way back to the resort, there wasn’t pool time because we had earlier dinner reservations.

This was back at Animal Kingdom to be at Tusker House in the African section and a Character dinner. Unknown to granddaughter, we had tried and been unable to book the one we wanted for her with princesses, and since we weren’t sure how this one would go, we didn’t say anything to her before. We arrived early enough to go through a couple of spots we’d missed Thursday. Dinner was a buffet with a huge selection, plenty of meats, potatoes, and vegetables with appropriate spices and naan plus other breads. There were some dishes available for the unadventurous and the dessert table did not disappoint. I didn’t go near it, but did take one small bite of a terrific brownie. The characters were the Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Donald and Daisy Duck and Goofy in their safari outfits. They each came to each table for hugs and photos. There was a group autographed card provided to each child rather than the kind of time it would take to do that at each table.

Oh, I forgot to explain. Princess dress had been the attire for the day – you see lots of those worn – and the tiara was added for dinner. This had replaced the previous days wearing of decorative mouse ears. By the way, I had no idea there were so many types of mouse ear headbands/hats that existed. We’re all going to breakfast soon, then it’s pack up and get the kids on the way to the airport as we hope for no issues on the turnpike..

Disney Trip, Day 5…..

Okay, yesterday was multiple adventures as we went to Animal Kingdom, then to the fancy Chefs de France at Epcot for dinner. We only did one of the major items at the Park – the Safari – as the others had such incredibly long lines. The Safari was excellent though in riding slowly through different sections and except for one, we did see the expected animals. At the very beginning of the park there was a kids booklet with different “badges” to get while in the park and the rangers were great interacting with the kids. There was the Gorillas Mist Trail as a walking piece in addition to the ride. After a quick fast food lunch, there was a great “The Boneyard” set up with different activities. “Discoveries”, stairs within “scaffolding”, cargo net bridges, and slides were all involved. Very hot again, so by 2:00ish, it was time to head back. I thought a nap might be in order, however, the desire for pool time won out.

There are actually two fireworks displays each night. The biggest is the Magic Kingdom, but Epcot has one, too. We didn’t say anything to granddaughter as we weren’t sure how that would work out. Daughter-in-law booked the French restaurant because it was close to the spot. With our timing though it was going to be tricky. She was on the last few bites of her ratatouille with quinoa when they started so she took granddaughter out as Hubby finished his steak au poivre and swapped places outside. Son and I stayed inside finishing my steak au poivre and his beef bourguignon. Everyone was back in for dessert. My indulgence for the trip was chocolate tart with vanilla ice cream. Hubby had creme brulee, son assorted sorbet and a madelain, daughter-in-law a lovely citrus cake with a raspberry ganache. Vanilla ice cream for granddaughter although of course it was special ice cream. The place was lovely and our waitress was utterly French with a charming accent.

On to Magic Kingdom today.

 

Disney Trip Day 4…….

Extra long post. I want to take time to brag about son and daughter-in-law. For those who have never dealt with a child who is placed in uncomfortable physical situations or those who may have forgotten, children have to reach a certain age before they can manage extreme tiredness, aching body parts, etc. As I did mention, we were aware coming to Disney during Spring Break would be super crowded and there was the aspect of being at a resort where we have to to take transport to all the others. That means all mornings and certain other times there are lines and crowds on the SkyLink and busses. The point is granddaughter is prone to the whiney, “I want this to stop” natural for her age. The kids do a great job of managing that by taking certain precautions that do require a level of logistics and good parenting, and some accommodation. Yesterday was perhaps the best example. It was their day for a little “date time” as son had his “Build Your Own Light Saber” work shop. (I’m not kidding.) The intent was for all of us to be up early, go over and we would take granddaughter in one direction while they went the other. We had the late night Tues, so granddaughter didn’t want o get up that early. I had suspected that and told them not to worry. So, daughter-in-law set up necessities for the morning and as granddaughter was getting herself dressed, I took care of getting a little breakfast in her.

The delay, however, meant we missed the window of early park entrance which is one of the benefits of staying in a Disney Resort. It was also the day to go to one of the most popular parks. Long line for Skylink and when we arrived at the park, it was the only time we have encountered entry lines not managed as well as usual. We do get in to go to the “Toy Story” area and the only ride granddaughter wants to go on is the popular one with the wait already 90 minutes. She initially said that was too long, then as we walked to the end of the area, she changed her mind. We headed back and now the wait was 120 minutes. She decided it would be okay. Again, Disney does handle lines well, but it’s still a long wait and interesting dynamics are observed among others generally with the “we’re all in it together” attitude. One of the kids close by who had a bubble maker did provide a source of amusement. I think I’ve also mentioned it has been in the high 80s with yesterday at 89. So, the wait involved pacing out the cookies from the pack, sips of water, and the occasional “spritz”, plus chatting about all sorts of things. Granddaughter made it almost 1 hour and 45 minutes before the “I really am tired of waiting”, but at that point we were almost to the boarding part. Meanwhile, our first planned rendezvous with the kids had come and gone and we were resetting by text. The ride was a fairly mild roller coaster, but granddaughter’s first. Hubby got on with her as I took all our stuff and went to the exit. The kids showed up and we caught sight of Hubby and granddaughter in the first car as the ride made the last couple of swoops. It was a success, but had taken a bit of a toll. Oh, and son’s light saber really is cool. We backtracked to see more of the Star Wars area as he went in to make arrangement for having it shipped home.

This is were the kids took over and managed the next couple of hours through lunch and a special show before coming back for pool time. Daughter-in-law did sit that one out. So now, we approach the major event of going to the Magic Kingdom for fireworks and light show at the Castle. This requires a bus ride and setting the tone for the night with having to stand the 15ish minutes trip. Next came huge crowds and wait time until the 9:00 start. I won’t get into these details, but it meant standing for about an hour, jostling for position as more and more people arrived and son doing a masterful job between occasionally picking granddaughter up and finding a narrow spot to sit with her close by as we carefully saved a spot on the edge of the growing crowd. The display was spectacular and granddaughter exhibited all the delight that makes something like this worthwhile and a memory that will last her a lifetime.

Last two words on this. The management of the busses to get that crowd of people efficiently channeled into appropriate lines and number of busses available is “magic” of a different sort; something Hubby and I can especially appreciate as former logisticians. I was sure it would be at least 10:30 before we returned, but it was right at 10:00.

So, a little later start to the morning as we head to another of the very popular parks.

Disney Day 2…..

Our first full day and I mean full. Interestingly, as it turns out, granddaughter does not want to do the rides very much, but rather meet as many characters as she can. This, too involves waiting in lines; made a bit more complicated by not being sure of where characters will be at any given time. There is an “autograph book” (they purchased of course) and yesterday it was Daisy Duck, Princess Aurora and Princess Jasmin.

It was hot and crowded and granddaughter was struggling with all the walking by the time we got way around to The Living Seas. The line for the actual aquarium – at almost 6 million gallons – was also long. We did have to wait until nearly 1:00 for our table, but the kids had each had a crepe in “France” about 10:30 and granddaughter had a gelato in “Italy” which did help. Once we sat and she saw the amazing fish, sharks, rays, and turtles swimming around as we watched from our table with a clear view, she perked up; at least for that. I had mahi; son did salmon; daughter-in-law had chicken, as did granddaughter; and Hubby had shrimp and grits. All were excellent.

Hubby did stay after to go through the aquarium and a couple of other things as we came back for the pool. Also crowded, but set up well for kids. There were large sections under four feet deep so that worked well. The late night dining is a bit on the difficult side although manageable so far and we had plenty of time to kill when we went over. That allowed time to go into a cute Muppet show, then walk through one of the Star Wars areas. The main attraction still had a 2 hour wait time at 7:30 at night. Glad we weren’t planning it. Dinner at Italian place was okay for me – an average chicken parm, Hubby’s pasta was good, but chicken overcooked. Son and daughter-in-law thoroughly enjoyed their pastas. The ciabatta rolls were right out of the oven and the season olive oil for dipping was excellent.

We have an extra early start today.

Disney, Day 1…..

If you hadn’t seen the previous post, our granddaughter was eight last month and we had let the kids know back at Christmas we could do the Disney trip for their Spring Break or summer. They opted for now and even with me trying to book in February, the better resorts we’ve stayed in in the past were already full. We are in the Pop Century which has two drawbacks from my perspective. None of the parks are within walking distance and there is no sit-down restaurant. The other issue is we have to now make reservations in advance for dinner and again, even trying to book in Feb I could only get later seatings. We’ll see how this goes.

Okay, we encountered a delay where the turnpike was closed near Fort Pierce and it took a while to shunt traffic off, through a stretch to get back on 95, then back to the Turnpike. We still made it to the resort about an 1.5 hours ahead of the kids. It’s a sprawling place although once you walk around a bit and see a few unmissable landmarks, it makes more sense. As planned, we oriented ourselves that included walking out back to see the SkyTram; like a ski lift that will take us to Epcot and Disney Hollywood Studios (today and tomorrow). We’ll have to do bus for Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom (Thursday and Friday)

The food here is food court. Granddaughter went for pizza, but didn’t care for the sauce. All us opted for burgers and they were quite generous with the fries, so she had enough between us. Then there was the Rice Krispy treat in the shape of Mickey that the three of them shared. Since we drove, we did haul up lots of beverages and snacks, to include those of the adult type. All food and beverage here is – and always has been – really expensive. It isn’t that we’re cutting any corners; we do this whenever we drive somewhere.

And off we go shortly for the first of our theme park days.

Trying to Catch Up……

Quite a whirl of a week with Hubby and I both double committed more than one day. This is part of writing for the community paper as different groups hold events we routinely cover and other items of interest come in at the same time. It’s been flat out since a week ago Monday. Tomorrow has the potential for a bit of a break.

Anyway, granddaughter did have her birthday celebration Monday and her grandmother from Maine was able to be there. Apparently, the weather wasn’t as nice as they’d hoped, but March can be a tricky month. They have created a countdown calendar for the Disney trip and as I explained on the birthday phone call, it’s like that gap between Thanksgiving and Christmas. It can seem like a long time when you’re a kid. In the never missing a chance to make more money, there is an option now to have a “magic bracelet” which when activated allows you to open your room, gain access to the parks, etc.,. And of course they have a huge number of choices in color and design. Hubby wanted Darth Vadar and I went with something fairly normal. He will do whatever it is he has to do to activate them with the computer. Part of granddaughter’s surprise was for them to go on-line and pick out their bracelets as well. Son wanted some kind of Star Wars one as well and granddaughter got something in pink. The kids have of course already put the App on their phones and Hubby will do that, too. I won’t bother with it since a) I’ll be with one them all the time and b) I don’t intend to need it again. Not surprisingly I have old Apps on my phone (or some that came preloaded) that I don’t need and don’t know how to delete them.

 

 

Small Town Advantages…..

I’ve posted before about creating the town of Wallington, GA when I wrote the “Small Town” Quilting series. I used  four towns I’ve lived in or have visited extensively; one in Georgia, one in Louisiana, one in Maine, and here in South Florida. I threw in other things as needed for descriptions, plot, or character support.

Small towns are definitely not for everyone. E-commerce and all the on-line deliveries available now though has gone a long way to minimizing one of the big drawbacks which is limited access to goods. Then again, there is also the definition of “small”. Census data uses a range of less than 5,000 although less than 10,000 is referred to as well. For me, around 15-20,000 is more my comfort zone, which isn’t the kind of  “true small town” where literally everybody knows everybody. When I go back to visit Louisiana, my stops include the range of the very small place where my favorite aunt and cousins live to the larger university town, and of course I was going to the town where Daddy lived. There’s no one left there for me to visit although I may need to make another trip to take care of one lingering task.

Anyway, what prompted this post was I spent a frustrating part of yesterday morning trying to reach Social Security to get a piece of information about Daddy. Not surprisingly, he didn’t have an on-line account. Without getting into dreary detail, I was at that stage of raising my voice at the robot “help”. And yes, I had looked everywhere I could to try and send a query on-line. After my second round of calls attempting to get through, I  did finally get passed to wait for a representative. That went to a “we can’t accept any more calls today. Please call back at another time”, plus a couple of comments about how busy they are. I then had a thought and looked up the number to the actual office in the town where Daddy lived. I waited until afternoon and tried the main number once again just to be fair. No luck on even the first round of trying to get help. I then called the office and spoke with an actual human. He listened to my problem, looked up what I needed and will allegedly mail it to me today. No, he didn’t know Daddy – the town isn’t that small – yet he was sympathetic and was willing to help.