The Chit Chat Chit Chat Thread

[ajrwdwgirl]

The chinese area looks a bit empty? are they just starting to build it?

Also that sub looks messy! was it tasty?

The Chinese area is new, it just opened last fall so it is taking time to develop. I'm hoping over time it will develop more, not many of the Chinese peonies bloomed this year but that isn't unusual for the next blooming season after being planted or transplanted. The dragon was recently added and the rocks actually came from China. When they announced it I was excited about it and was thinking about Epcot's China gardens. There is potential in this one, it just needs some time.

The sub was messy but I used my fork. It was very tasty too!

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

I actually laughed at the horse stick in the parade XD

There could have been a real horse, but nobody wanted to pooper scoop!

 

[93boomer]

A

@93boomer Donna's pies arrived safe in the post
She said they made a nice change instead of a traditional Birthday cake

Awww good! I was afraid they would crumble to bits before she got them

 

[93boomer]

@SteveBrickNJ we also boarded the train in Williams to go to the Grand Canyon once. It was nice. The red rocks in Sedona are so vibrant. I like the Coffeepot and Snoopy rocks best. They actually look like a coffeepot and Snoopy lying on his doghouse! If you go to the little airport on a hill, you have a view of a lot of the rock formations and the town of Sedona. Such a great trip!

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

Thank you and I'm glad you had fun. Good luck at the meeting today

You are welcome! And the meeting shouldn't be too bad, mostly boring. So I'll need the luck to stay awake! It is the day that we analyze data, state testing results and make school district goals. I know, sounds like fun right!?

I spy with my little eye Bingo cards

See, I knew I liked you! Bingo, such a simple game but also exciting! Especially when I'm only a couple of numbers away from winning!

Who turned off summer? 70, damp and breezy is not how I planned on spending today

We had that yesterday and now again today. It is supposed to be 90 by the weekend but who knows.

 

[Songbird76]

{{HUGS}} he broke it he can fix it with the kids. Don't fret over not doing the package it's a waste of money. They don't have photographers all over the place like Disney. Their dining plan is a giant PITA and not every place takes it. Here's where you need to put your foot down. Stay onsite at UNI!!!!!!!!!! Between morning EMH and DAS card you'll be able to do everything. If he wants to go cheap make sure it's one of their hotels. It may not have the theme you want but it will be a nice hotel with wi-fi and such. I say go Royal Pacific but Cabana Bay has a nice cheesy retro theme. If insists on super cheap make him spring for a suite at one of their hotels so you have some extra room BTW do you need a loaner frying pan?

Oh he didn't fight me on the Royal Pacific for while we're at Uni parks. It's the days between Disney and Universal where he wants to go cheap. I suggested staying at either a Disney Springs area hotel, or a Universal springs one, but the cheapest is like $138 per night. It looks like he found a marriot room for $100, so that's perfectly fine. I just want a place that's in a decent area and has a pool. We don't have anything planned for those in between days and I know the kids are going to want pool time. He's with me on Royal Pacific because of the EMH and Royal Pacific is also the cheapest of the hotels that also includes the Express Unlimited pass, which will help a lot, and if you have to add that on separately, you end up spending MORE money than you would have if you just stayed at the Royal Pacific. So he agrees with me on that.
We're doing the choose-your-own package for 4 nights...it has 4 day park to park tickets, which is what we need....the splash, stay, and play has a minimum of 5 nights, but they are only base tickets, so then you have to pay for the upgrade to park hopper, and it ends up being more expensive. And we don't need 5 days. And I DO want to eat at Three Broomsticks and Leaky Cauldron, but it's cheaper to pay out of pocket, we think. The photo package in the HP thing isn't like photopass...it's a Harry Potter-themed photo shoot. It's cool, but not necessary, so we can live without that.
The biggest thing I was upset about was that now I don't get to stay at the Poly for that one night. AND, I had spent HOURS researching the best deals and how to do everything the easiest way possible and still get to do everything we wanted...we've been talking about it for months. Then I show him the stuff last night and suddenly it's "But why are we doing THIS?" and " But do we really need that?" and I'm like....I told you about this in MAY! You couldn't have said something BEFORE I spent all the time and effort into organizing it, and BEFORE I got all excited about finally getting to do an item on my bucket list? And then I have to back and do a bunch MORE research to change everything I had planned before.

 

[Songbird76]

@Songbird76 I'm sorry if I came across a little snippy. The snippy was for your h not you xoxo

You didn't come across as snippy at all. Believe me, I'm snippy enough for the both of us!!

 

[21stamps]

We eventually decided to start a drive back, up 52 along the Ohio River. We wanted to stop at a few Underground Railroad sites, but it was too late at that point.

So we drove, and drove, and drove on a small two lane road thru Scioto County.. I was deathly afraid of dear, we were still in a forest, so I drove super slow. We didn’t pass much of anything for an hour.. then saw a creepy graveyard and Chapel. Had to stop.. but using my iPhone, the photos didn’t come out too well.




Then came upon their “downtown”. More creepy beauty. It’s really sad.




Found an OPEN gas station!! Stoped to get snacks, drinks, and stretch. We were next to a creepy motel.. surprisingly, all of the motels has many cars in their parking lots.


Stretching our legs.

 

[SteveBrickNJ]

@SteveBrickNJ we also boarded the train in Williams to go to the Grand Canyon once. It was nice. The red rocks in Sedona are so vibrant. I like the Coffeepot and Snoopy rocks best. They actually look like a coffeepot and Snoopy lying on his doghouse! If you go to the little airport on a hill, you have a view of a lot of the rock formations and the town of Sedona. Such a great trip!

That DOES sound great. My favorite memories were seeing the Lower Antelope Canyon in Paige and the jeep tour in Sedona.

 

[MouseDreaming]

Cooking Light magazine - google peach hand pies. It is the 5 ingredient recipe. If you have trouble finding it, let me know. I didn’t have whole wheat pie crusts. Pillsbury did fine.

Thank you!

 

[21stamps]

Eventually we saw a beautiful bridge.. decided to take it across the river..

 

[21stamps]

Met a woman who was night fishing, talked to her for awhile, asked questions about the area.. and then went back to Ohio.. next stop was Ripley. Only thing open was a pub, we did walk around the quiet streets and along the river. Tristan marveled over all of the abandoned stores, and he loved seeing the old truck.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Where did the summer go!?!?!?

Honestly, I have no idea.

I do.... you folks spent so much time complaining about the heat that you missed it.

 

[93boomer]

That DOES sound great. My favorite memories were seeing the Lower Antelope Canyon in Paige and the jeep tour in Sedona.

The pink jeeps! We wanted to do that but never did. We did take an awesome jeep tour in Utah though.

 

[93boomer]

Thank you!

You are most welcome

 

[21stamps]

Last stop (way too late now). Town called Point Pleasant.
Birthplace of Ulysses S. Grant

 

[21stamps]

Last photo!





...and then T fell asleep. I made our way back home. This was one of the best days of my life!!! Exploring completely new places, walking across 100+ year old covered bridges, getting lost, no cell service, no itinerary, meeting locals.. seeing a sad and glorious beauty throughout all of it. We’ll be back to visit a few of the river towns during daylight!

 

[93boomer]

Last photo!

View attachment 305146



...and then T fell asleep. I made our way back home. This was one of the best days of my life!!! Exploring completely new places, walking across 100+ year old covered bridges, getting lost, no cell service, no itinerary, meeting locals.. seeing a sad and glorious beauty throughout all of it. We’ll be back to visit a few of the river towns during daylight!

Awesome trip!!!

 

[SteveBrickNJ]

Last photo!

View attachment 305146



...and then T fell asleep. I made our way back home. This was one of the best days of my life!!! Exploring completely new places, walking across 100+ year old covered bridges, getting lost, no cell service, no itinerary, meeting locals.. seeing a sad and glorious beauty throughout all of it. We’ll be back to visit a few of the river towns during daylight!

The photos are so great....it makes the viewer feel like we are there.
I like the photo of "General Grant" standing against the curtains in the window.

 

[21stamps]

Awesome trip!!!

It really was! We were sitting at Starbucks after T’s game.. discussing what we should do with our day. We had planned on a water park, then I remembered that the haunted covered bridge probably wasn’t too far from where we were.. we were already fairly far East. Asked him if he wanted to go.. he said “Yeah, let’s go explore the country!”

After the first stop, he named us the “Diamondback Explorers”..and I had to call him “Tristan the Adventurer” (he started calling himself that on our Red River Gorge trip in June).
I asked what my name was, he said “Well duh Mom, You’re ‘Mom the Leader’...who always goes the wrong way (pause)...actually, you’re name will be “Lost Mom”. Tristan the Adventurer and Lost Mom, we’re the Diamondback Explorers”