http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2013/04/30/news-sanaa-at-the-animal-kingdom-lodge-unveils-new-lunch-menu-with-some-surprises/

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From the moment we walk in to Disney?s Polynesian Resort we start getting that far away feeling. It?s a great feeling! You feel transported to a tropical paradise as if you’re really in Hawaii. There’s lush greenery, water falls and smiling faces greeting you with lei’s and “Aloha’s”. There are many take you away from it all places at Walt Disney World but none quite like the Polynesian.

So it is really no surprise that one of our very favorite places to eat at Disney World is ‘Ohana, the Hawaiian themed restaurant located on the second floor of the Polynesian. It is an amazing dining experience. Even the wait to be seated is enjoyable. There?s a big comfortable chair waiting for you, there?s a friendly server to bring drinks and of course there’s that tropical island feeling that the Polynesian does so well.

‘Ohana means family in Hawaiian, and they serve an all you can eat family style meal. The servers call you ?cousin? and introduce themselves as ‘cousin? because its a traditional Hawaiian greeting. They bring the meal out in stages. Your first course is Pineapple-Coconut Bread with soft honey butter and a Mixed Green Salad with honey-lime dressing. DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT fill up on bread! You will want to fill up on bread because that stuff tastes amazing but resist the temptation because you?ve got a long journey still to go and you won?t want to miss the great things still to come. Oh yeah the salad?I?m not really a salad guy but it is a nice refreshing bite or two even for non green eaters. For salad lovers (feels weird even typing that) it?s a nice salad but I?m writing this and for me it?s all about the bread in those first few minutes.

It never fails at ‘Ohana at the exact moment you?re loading up the butter on your third hunk of bread here comes your new ?cousin? hula?n out with more amazing food. He?s got large, family sized bowls of Honey Coriander Chicken Wings, Egg Noodles tossed in peanut sauce, Stir Fried Vegetables and the star of this round?Pork Fried Dumplings. OH the dumplings?eat em, ask for more and eat them too! Make sure you try the different dipping sauces with them too. They serve a fantastic house made Peanut Sauce, Chimichurri Sauce and a Pineapple Sweet and Sour Sauce. Each one offers a unique taste to all the food on the table.

Honey Coriander Chicken Wings and Fried Pork Dumplings.

Surprisingly delicious Steamed Veggies and Egg Noodles tossed in Peanut Sauce

At this point your new cousin is your favorite relation of all time and that?s before he shows up armed with skewers of Oak Grilled Chicken, Asian BBQ Pork, Spicy Grilled Peel n Eat Shrimp and Marinated Sirloin Steak. Everything is cooked to perfection over the open flames right out in the middle of the restaurant. They will also accommodate any way you like your steak too. I am a steak lover, but of all the meats the chicken is probably my favorite. I can?t adequately describe just how good that grilled chicken tastes. Don?t be shy, you can ask your cousin for more of anything he?s served you through out the meal and it?ll be there in a Hawaiian flash.

Just make sure you save room for dessert because it’s included in your meal and you won’t want to miss ‘Ohana’s famous Bread Pudding! Hot pineapple-coconut bread pudding a la mode with bananas and caramel sauce.

It?s good. It?s really, really good. It?s so good we made that picture of bread pudding our Food Reviews picture on the homepage of our blog. I have no clue if they offer all you can eat on the bread pudding?I?m sure they do but I?m not sure if anyone has ever had room for a second helping of dessert at O?Hana. We haven’t. I think someday we would like to try all the courses in reverse?I wouldn?t mind a bit being too full for the salad.

‘Ohana is one of the toughest reservations to secure at the entire Walt Disney World Resort, but it?s for good reason. For months after your visit you?ll be saying, ?you know what sounds good right now?.?

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The Trix of my childhood.

Why were they only for kids? Was it true? Would there come a time that I wouldn?t like Trix and all the other fun cereals? Then as if in some crazy Hitchcock movie…the signs started swirling all around me and it was all too clear. I never saw my mom or dad eat Trix or any other GREAT cereal. They ate Raisin Bran and Corn Flakes?there weren?t any prizes in either of those and they still ate them! They even ate Grape Nuts?holy moly! They ate tomatoes and onions too?ONIONS! Once my mom cooked liver and onions for dinner and they ate it and liked it! I couldn?t swallow a single bite and they liked it. Suddenly I was on the run like Cary Grant in North by Northwest! That crop duster was adulthood and it was bearing down on me. I wasn?t going to let it catch me though, I refused to grow up. I was going to beat the system and eat Trix and watch cartoons forever. Then I turned 13 and discovered girls?what were we talking about again?

Cary Grant in North by Northwest

It?s been well over 30 years since I dealt with the great Trix panic of 75-76 and I?m happy to report that I still eat cereal and I still watch cartoons and I found a way to fit girls in there too. Crisis averted, apparently it was all about rabbits and cereal not adults. I still get excited about ball games and I still dream impossible dreams and they still seem possible. I?ve added onions and tomatoes to my diet and once in a while I?ll even eat some Raisin Bran. Hey, as an adult you gotta?but that?s another whole thing they didn?t warn us about when we were kids. I think it?s ok to be a part time kid forever. Our favorite act like a kid time is a family vacation to Walt Disney World. We love walking in to a Disney park early each morning, it never gets old. We love eating whatever we want for vacation week. Ice cream at 10 p.m., YES!

There’s a full 3 scoops of ice cream inside those giant cookies folks!

See who can keep their hands up the longest on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, YES!

Monica and Cameron battling it out on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

Have a dunking contest in the Coronado Springs pool with your teenage son who?s stronger than you now and doesn?t know it, YES!

After The Great Dunking Contest of 2012 at Coronado Springs. My nephew Jackson, son Cameron, me Steve, and my niece Jenna, The 7 Year Old Travel Blogger.

Spend a few days just being goofy, YES!

Go ahead indulge your part time kid and pass the milk.

Steve

The post Trix Are For Kids appeared first on Our Getaways.

Jenna Spencer, The 7 Year Old Travel Blogger.

She’s my best buddy! From the time she started talking we have been thick as thieves. She?s my little friend. We agree on candy and we both love travel. She?s my 7 year old niece.

Jenna loves Walt Disney World. She?s an expert… just ask her anything and she?ll know.

But her love of travel doesn?t stop at the Happiest Place on Earth. She?s a travel nut. She keeps notes, draws pictures and helps her mother plan all the trips she takes with her family. After their recent visit to Northern California, I asked Jenna to write a travel blog for Our Getaways. I didn?t want anyone to type her words for her though, I wanted the blog to be all her! So here ya go?this is Jenna?s first of what I hope are many travel blogs to come. This one is about her visit to Northern California.

Jenna, the 7 Year Old Travel Blogger

Meet Jenna. She’s my best buddy! From the time she started talking we have been thick as thieves. She?s my little friend. We agree on candy and we both love travel. She?s my 7 year old niece. Jenna loves Walt Disney World. She?s an expert… just ask her anything and she?ll know.

But her love of travel doesn?t stop at the Happiest Place on Earth. She?s a travel nut. She keeps notes, draws pictures and helps her mother plan all the trips she takes with her family. After their recent visit to Northern California, I asked Jenna to write a travel blog for Our Getaways. I didn?t want anyone to type her words for her though, I wanted the blog to be all her! So here ya go?this is Jenna?s first of what I hope are many travel blogs to come. This one is about her visit to Northern California.

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Disney’s ski lodge themed Blizzard Beach.

While the tropical themed Typhoon Lagoon is relaxing and puts you in a south Pacific mood.

Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon.

Both parks offer something for everyone.

For the lil? bit of LAZY in all of us it’s the lazy rivers:
Disney?s Blizzard Beach has Cross Country Creek. It?s a 3,000 foot lazy river that takes about 30 minutes to circle once. There?s quiet music and lots of fun along the way, highlighted by dripping ice water (if dripping means a HUGE icy waterfall) as you pass through the ice cave. It?s a lot of fun and will wake you right up if you should happen to get a little drowsy while floating. This is a kid friendly lazy river?unless you have our kid. From the time he was 4 till about 12 or 13 we often had to bribe or threaten him to get him to be still and let us relax just one time around. I am happy to report that he?s 17 this year and has been napping happily around Cross Country Creek for several years now.

The lazy river ice caves at Disney’s Blizzard Beach. Brrrrrr!

For our money Disney?s Typhoon Lagoon wins the lazy river competition hands down with Castaway Creek. It?s tropical with lots of shade so its easy to lay back, close your eyes and just relax. It?s about 900 feet shorter than Cross Country Creek and only takes about 20 minutes to circle once but who?s counting? You float through a few quiet, misty falls and one not so quiet play area where guests (mostly cantankerous little boys) can soak floaters with water guns as they pass by…but it?s easy to avoid if you prefer and doesn?t take away from the other 2,000 feet of relaxation that is Castaway Creek.

Castaway Creek, the lazy river at Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon

For the adventurers it’s the water slides and coasters:
Our water park visits are 2 very distinct experiences. Our afternoons are for catching some Z?s in a lazy river and working on the tan. Our mornings are for catching the waves, rides and fun. We usually spend at least 1 morning at a water park during our trip. In the morning we can grab a few lounge chairs in a prime location, drop off our stuff and hit the slides. Since we aren?t much for lines, being there at 9 a.m. (don?t worry it?s already HOT) allows us to avoid them. As a matter of fact on most week days before 10:30 you can ride anything with no wait, or jump off and jump right back on your favorites.

During the afternoon at Disney?s Blizzard Beach you will wait on average about 60-90 minutes for the pleasure of being dropped 120 feet from Summit Plummet, the parks headline attraction. If you can take it first thing in the morning, you could enjoy (not sure that?s the correct word here) the 13 story drop at 60 mph a couple of times before breakfast. That one?s up to you friends.

Summit Plummet

Make sure and hit Crush “N” Gusher at Disney?s Typhoon Lagoon. It’s more than a water slide, it’s a water coaster and it’s our favorite ride at TL. There are three different tubes on this one that give you three different rides. Again, before 10:30 or so you can jump off and jump right back on until you try all three. It?s a lot of fun especially when you don?t have to wait an hour to ride.

Crush ‘n’ Gusher at Typhoon Lagoon

For all the rest:
Both Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach have great shops full of name brand clothing, hats and footwear. In fact, we?ve found some things to be a little cheaper than the same stuff at home. Both parks also have good counter service options for lunch and some really great snacks too.

THE Sand Pail.

Here?s my dollar?s worth of free advice today. Grab 2 or 3 ice cream lovin? partners and get yourself a Sand Pail at either park. It?s a bucket of fun full of soft serve ice cream and every topping you can imagine. It?ll run ya under $10 and will provide enough ice cream for even the most rapid of ice cream eaters! If that isn?t enough when you?re done the little ones will have a nice sand pail to take down to the water?s edge and build a sand castle while the big ones sleep off the dessert binge. When?s the last time everyone got full on ice cream for under $10? That?s worth the ticket right there.

We get our Sand Pail HERE at Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon

I could go on for several more paragraphs talking about the rides and slides and good eats at each park. But I’ll leave that to the links above (Disney Pal does an awesome job of explaining everything in detail) and just say if you haven?t visited a Disney water park…you?re missing out! As with all of their creations, the Disney water parks are first class all the way. The music, the shops, the food and the star of the show, the water, make it a must do when you visit Walt Disney World in the warmer months. Once you?ve been there, you?ll never hear a steel drum again without thinking of Disney?s Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon.

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Santa and the Mrs. hanging out at Epcot.

?Even Santa loves Disney World dad.? On our first Christmas visit to Disney World my son noticed ole St Nick had set up shop there. He was there every day meeting and greeting excited children. Since he looked much more legit than the mall guy, my son came to the conclusion that the mall Santas were just guys working for the North Pole and the real guy hangs out at Epcot until it?s time to take his sleigh ride. He told me Santa must spend his days taking orders from kids and then the rest of his time hitting the water slides at Disney?s Blizzard Beach. Hey, I didn?t argue sounded reasonable to me, who doesn?t love Disney World at Christmas? It?s our favorite time to visit the parks.

So here we are in April already planning our Christmas 2013 trip. There will be 11 of us going this year and it really takes 8 ˝ months to plan. We will do the Disney Dining Plan and that alone takes quite a bit of planning. Since dining reservations are accepted 180 days out we have to get our must dos, won?t dos and compromises in order so we can enjoy a relatively stress free 11 person Disney World trip. Btw?this isn?t our first big group trip so we have worked most of the bugs out and it actually is pretty stress free. It?s pretty cool how the planning actually ends up being part of the excitement of the trip. Slowly but surely we will finalize our favorite places to eat and must do rides. We will figure out where and when to visit each one and by then it?s like 3 or 4 weeks away. We all have our must dos but luckily we all agree on a lot of things that take no planning at all?it?s just the stuff that make these trips so much fun. Ohana at Disney?s Polynesian Resort will most likely be our first dinner. One of us will be on the phone first thing that 180th day out to book a reservation for the night we arrive because they go fast! It?s a great way to start off the trip. We love the atmosphere at the Polynesian and the food is fantastic. Their steak, shrimp and pork are always perfect. The bread pudding is a family favorite too. Yes our first night will get things started off on the right foot.

O’hana in Disney’s Polynesian Resort is fun for the whole family. That’s my Dad there on the hula hoop.

Our first morning will be spent at the Magic Kingdom. We have only 3 kids in our party this year and only 1 that?s not a teenager. She?s 7 and if you?ve ever spent any time at Disney World with a wide eyed 7 year old girl you know all of the adults will be following her around and snapping pictures like we?re the paparazzi. She will be the only 7 year old in the park with a 10 person entourage catering to her every whim that first morning.

Not to worry though, all of us BIGGER kids will be having fun too. We will ride Buzz Lightyear and gamble on our scores. Space Mountain will be another competition?who can keep their hands up the longest. We will laugh about how my sister was scared of Pirates of the Caribbean and quote her 4 year old self saying ?I don?t wanna ride the carrot on the carrot on the bean again? and we will laugh like it?s the first time we?ve heard that quote since it was uttered in 1976. Around lunch time we will eat together or maybe we will split off and visit individual favorites. Some in our party love the cheese on tap at Casey?s Corner. One evening we will do the Wishes Dessert Party at the Magic Kingdom. We will try our best to eat a little less at dinner so we can enjoy a few of the hundreds of treats they have to offer. My dad will get his own personal platter of fruit and sugar free desserts from a Disney chef and we will enjoy the best view of the fireworks in the park.

Wishes Dessert Party. One of our new traditions.

We love Expedition Everest?well some of us do. We will try and get a couple of first timers in our party on the front row. We will try our best to pose for the coaster cam and act like we aren?t bothered a bit by the fall?most of us will be lying though. We will laugh at our pictures and try to capture them via our cell phones because we are always too cheap to buy a roller coaster picture.

Check out the (unrelated) guy in the back seat. How did he pull that off?

We will enjoy the Clam Bake at Cape May Café. Although I?m pretty sure none of us actually eat any clams. We will walk the Boardwalk, watch the performers, sit on the beach at Disney?s Beach Club Resort and finally end up in the World Showcase. We will stop and watch The British Invasion and compare that night?s line-up to the one we saw last time. My son will buy a Churro. We will visit the shops and take pictures of each other in stupid hats and generally act goofy most of the night?oh and with 11 people in our party we will stop at every bathroom in every country.

My son is crazy!

My mom will worry about her grandbabies on dangerous rides. My parents will be ready hours each morning before some of us even get out of bed. We will get our money?s worth out of our Disney Resort Refillable Mugs. Somebody WILL jump in a pool before we leave no matter the temperature. Even though we swear to the kids it?s going to be a smaller Christmas giftwise because we came to Disney World?Santa will show up in our hotel rooms and leave gifts that make us liars.

My parents.

On our final night someone will get teary eyed as we walk around the Magic Kingdom enjoying the music and lights. The kids, not content to just walk around will try to get ?just one more ride? on Space Mountain and we will let them?again and again. On the way home before we make it to Gainesville my son will say the same thing he?s been saying since he was old enough to talk??hey guys I have an idea?why don?t we just turn the car around and go back!? He will be mostly joking now just to keep the tradition alive, but I know somewhere in there he?d love it if we did too. In between all these for sures, we will create some new memories and start a new tradition or two. That?s what we do.

The post Santa Loves Disney World appeared first on Our Getaways.

Santa and the Mrs. hanging out in Epcot.

So here we are in April already planning our Christmas 2013 trip. There will be 11 of us going this year and it really takes 8 ˝ months to plan. We will do the Disney Dining Plan and that alone takes quite a bit of planning. Since dining reservations are accepted 180 days out we have to get our must dos, won?t dos and compromises in order so we can enjoy a relatively stress free 11 person Disney World trip. Btw?this isn?t our first big group trip so we have worked most of the bugs out and it actually is pretty stress free.

It?s pretty cool how the planning actually ends up being part of the excitement of the trip. Slowly but surely we will finalize our favorite places to eat and must do rides. We will figure out where and when to visit each one and by then it?s like 3 or 4 weeks away. We all have our must dos but luckily we all agree on a lot of things that take no planning at all?it?s just the stuff that make these trips so much fun.

O?hana at Disney?s Polynesian Resort will most likely be our first dinner. One of us will be on the phone first thing that 180th day out to book a reservation for the night we arrive because they go fast! It?s a great way to start off the trip. We love the atmosphere at the Polynesian and the food is fantastic. Their steak, shrimp and pork are always perfect. The bread pudding is a family favorite too. Yes our first night will get things started off on the right foot.

O’hana is fun for the whole family. That’s my Dad there on the hula hoop.

Our first morning will be spent at the Magic Kingdom. We have only 3 kids in our party this year and only 1 that?s not a teenager. She?s 7 and if you?ve ever spent any time at Disney World with a wide eyed 7 year old girl you know all of the adults will be following her around and snapping pictures like we?re the paparazzi. She will be the only 7 year old in the park with a 10 person entourage catering to her every whim that first morning.

My niece Jenna.

Not to worry though, all of us BIGGER kids will be having fun too. We will ride Buzz Lightyear and gamble on our scores. Space Mountain will be another competition?who can keep their hands up the longest. We will laugh about how my sister was scared of Pirates of the Caribbean and quote her 4 year old self saying ?I don?t wanna ride the carrot on the carrot on the bean again? and we will laugh like it?s the first time we?ve heard that quote since it was uttered in 1976. Around lunch time we will eat together or maybe we will split off and visit individual favorites. Some in our party love the cheese on tap at Casey?s Corner.

One evening we will do the Wishes Dessert Party at the Magic Kingdom. We will try our best to eat a little less at dinner so we can enjoy a few of the hundreds of treats they have to offer. My dad will get his own personal platter of fruit and sugar free desserts from a Disney chef and we will enjoy the best view of the fireworks in the park.

Wishes Dessert Party. A new tradition.

We love Expedition Everest?well some of us do. We will try and get a couple of first timers in our party on the front row. We will try our best to pose for the coaster cam and act like we aren?t bothered a bit by the fall?most of us will be lying though. We will laugh at our pictures and try to capture them via our cell phones because we are always too cheap to buy a roller coaster picture.

Check out the (unrelated) man in the backseat. How did he DO that?

We will enjoy the Clam Bake at Cape May Café. Although I?m pretty sure none of us actually eat any clams. We will walk the Boardwalk, watch the performers, sit on the beach at Disney?s Beach Club Resort and finally end up in the World Showcase. We will stop and watch The British Invasion and compare that night?s line-up to the one we saw last time. My son will buy a Churro. We will visit the shops and take pictures of each other in stupid hats and generally act goofy most of the night?oh and with 11 people in our party we will stop at every bathroom in every country.

Our son is crazy.

My mom will worry about her babies on dangerous rides. My parents will be ready hours each morning before some of us even get out of bed. We will get our money?s worth out of our Disney Resort Refillable Mugs. Somebody WILL jump in a pool before we leave no matter the temperature. Even though we swear to the kids it?s going to be a smaller Christmas giftwise because we came to Disney World?Santa will show up in our hotel rooms and leave gifts that make us liars.

My parents.

On our final night someone will get teary eyed as we walk around the Magic Kingdom enjoying the music and lights. The kids, not content to just walk around will try to get ?just one more ride? on Space Mountain and we will let them?again and again. On the way home before we make it to Gainesville my son will say the same thing he?s been saying since he was old enough to talk??hey guys I have an idea?why don?t we just turn the car around and go back!? He will be mostly joking now just to keep the tradition alive, but I know somewhere in there he?d love it if we did too.

In between all these for sures, we will create some new memories and start a new tradition or two. That?s what we do.

My Great Grandfather’s Barn

?That ole? barn?s about all that?s left today, you can?t tell it now but this farm was a paradise. My mama and daddy?d hate to see their dreams ended up this way, they?d surely ask why?if I close my eyes I feel the morning chill and the fire warm my hands, I smell the coffee and I can taste mama?s homemade jam and it takes me back, back home again?to who I am?

The ?new? farm was a fresh start for Roosevelt and Almedia Clark who had spent the 1930?s in McClain, Texas doing their best to survive. Like so many, the great depression beat them down and by 1939 they just wanted to go home. Home was Cecil, AR. and in 1940 with a little money, three boys and everything they owned in an old truck they made their way back home. They would never leave again.

?Oh if you could see us back then, this old farm and me, when it lived and breathed and held a family and didn?t sit here all alone, if you could see us back then, I know you?d understand, we?re more than our memories?this old farm and me.?

My grandfather James Fillmore was the oldest Clark boy. He was a three sport athlete for McClain High but quit school when they got back to Cecil so he could go to work for one of FDR?s New Deal programs. The family needed the money to keep their dream alive so like so many back then off to work he went. At home Roosevelt and his young boys ran their new dairy farm seven days a week from daylight till dark, while Almedia cooked three meals a day all from scratch. She churned butter, made scratch biscuits every morning, baked bread every afternoon, collected eggs from the chicken house, canned fruit and vegetables from their garden and even cured all their own meat in a smoke house. They never ate a store bought meal.

?From the early spring, through the summer breeze and October leaves, daddy worked this land…one determined man?

My great grandparents Almedia and Roosevelt Clark and their sons at the farm.

For almost 25 years the Clarks ran their dairy farm and watched their boys leave home one by one to start their own lives. They never got rich, never went to the movies or ate out. They never took a vacation together because somebody had to work the farm. They also never complained. In his later years, Roosevelt loved to sit on the porch and watch his grandkids play when they came home for a visit. He never said much, he just smiled.

Roosevelt died in the early 1960?s and Almedia passed in the mid 1980?s. They didn?t leave much behind, just an old farm. A farm that has been a source of wonder, mystery and inspiration to their great grand children and their children for years?none of whom they ever knew. We know them though. We know them through their stories and those old buildings. We know Roosevelt sat on a stool each morning and called out a cow?s name and that cow would look up and walk to the barn to be milked. We?ve put our feet in the same creek where he used to cool watermelons for an afternoon snack. We know the spot where Almedia made her own soap and where she was struck by lightning?not once, but twice. She was a tough, no nonsense woman. We can walk just a ways down the old dirt road to the old family graveyard where Almedia?s daddy is buried?he was killed chasing draft dodgers in 1916. We all know the stories and we never tire of hearing them again and again.

?Oh if you could see it back then??

When I got my record deal in Nashville one of my goals was to make a video at the farm someday. Last year we got to make that happen. We filmed part of our single ?Little Miss Rough and Tumble? out there. The band performance was shot in Nashville but the ?B? roll was shot in Cecil with my niece as the star. It was shot by my brother who is a professional artist and photographer. It was a perfect family affair and one of my favorite things I?ve ever done in music and an experience I?ll never forget.

Last weekend our getaway took us back to Cecil. It was the first time we?d been back since we shot the video. It?s a little more run down each time we visit but I never get tired of being there. My son loves to wander the property and explore. His love for the farm is greater than mine I think. I?m so glad we have such a link to our family history. Sometimes being able to touch the past is the greatest gift a loved one can leave behind.

?This old farm and me??

3 generations

The post This Old Farm appeared first on Our Getaways.

Recently I wrote a song for our new record called ?This Old Farm.? It?s all about one of my favorite places in the whole world, my great grandparent?s farm in Cecil, AR. Once a year or so we make the trek to our still family owned land and walk around and explore the old home place while my mom tells her grandkids the stories of the farm just the same way my grandpa told me when I was young.

?That ole? barn?s about all that?s left today, you can?t tell it now but this farm was a paradise. My mama and daddy?d hate to see their dreams ended up this way, they?d surely ask why?if I close my eyes I feel the morning chill and the fire warm my hands, I smell the coffee and I can taste mama?s homemade jam and it takes me back, back home again?to who I am?

The ?new? farm was a fresh start for Roosevelt and Almedia Clark who had spent the 1930?s in McClain, Texas doing their best to survive. Like so many, the great depression beat them down and by 1939 they just wanted to go home. Home was Cecil, AR. and in 1940 with a little money, three boys and everything they owned in an old truck they made their way back home. They would never leave again.

?Oh if you could see us back then, this old farm and me, when it lived and breathed and held a family and didn?t sit here all alone, if you could see us back then, I know you?d understand, we?re more than our memories?this old farm and me.?

My grandfather James Fillmore was the oldest Clark boy. He was a three sport athlete for McClain High but quit school when they got back to Cecil so he could go to work for one of FDR?s New Deal programs. The family needed the money to keep their dream alive so like so many back then off to work he went. At home Roosevelt and his young boys ran their new dairy farm seven days a week from daylight till dark, while Almedia cooked three meals a day all from scratch. She churned butter, made scratch biscuits every morning, baked bread every afternoon, collected eggs from the chicken house, canned fruit and vegetables from their garden and even cured all their own meat in a smoke house. They never ate a store bought meal.

?From the early spring, through the summer breeze and October leaves, daddy worked this land…one determined man?

Almedia and Roosevelt Clark and their sons at the farm.

For almost 25 years the Clarks ran their dairy farm and watched their boys leave home one by one to start their own lives. They never got rich, never went to the movies or ate out. They never took a vacation together because somebody had to work the farm. They also never complained. In his later years, Roosevelt loved to sit on the porch and watch his grandkids play when they came home for a visit. He never said much, he just smiled.

Roosevelt died in the early 1960?s and Almedia passed in the mid 1980?s. They didn?t leave much behind, just an old farm. A farm that has been a source of wonder, mystery and inspiration to their great grand children and their children for years?none of whom they ever knew. We know them though. We know them through their stories and those old buildings. We know Roosevelt sat on a stool each morning and called out a cow?s name and that cow would look up and walk to the barn to be milked. We?ve put our feet in the same creek where he used to cool watermelons for an afternoon snack. We know the spot where Almedia made her own soap and where she was struck by lightning?not once, but twice. She was a tough, no nonsense woman. We can walk just a ways down the old dirt road to the old family graveyard where Almedia?s daddy is buried?he was killed chasing draft dodgers in 1916. We all know the stories and we never tire of hearing them again and again.

?Oh if you could see it back then??

When I got my record deal in Nashville one of my goals was to make a video at the farm someday. Last year we got to make that happen. We filmed part of our single ?Little Miss Rough and Tumble? out there. The band performance was shot in Nashville but the ?B? roll was shot in Cecil with my niece as the star. It was shot by my brother who is a professional artist and photographer. It was a perfect family affair and one of my favorite things I?ve ever done in music and an experience I?ll never forget.

Last weekend our getaway took us back to Cecil. It was the first time we?d been back since we shot the video. It?s a little more run down each time we visit but I never get tired of being there. My son loves to wander the property and explore. His love for the farm is greater than mine I think. I?m so glad we have such a link to our family history. Sometimes being able to touch the past is the greatest gift a loved one can leave behind.

?This old farm and me??

We are Disney people. We have been going to Disney World a couple of times a year for 16 years now. At first we were clueless and wasted a lot of time in long hot lines. But each trip we tested out new ways to beat the traffic and crowds and eventually we found our winning formula.

For instance, we?ve found early mornings at the parks work best for us. We are able to ride all the major rides that we are interested in with little wait. And all we have to do is get up early.

For varying reasons a lot of people that visit Disney World end up rolling in to the parks about 10:30 each morning. The downside to that strategy is that it?s already hot and crowded by then and a leisurely day is out the window. For the next 16 hours or so those poor people and their children will slowly melt and be exhausted by dusk. We know because we used to be those melting people. Florida is a hot place in the summer and will beat you up even if you?re used to the south. So after a couple of visits our daily Disney World routine became an early morning in the parks, a nice lunch, spend a few hours at a water park and then grab a short nap and back out to the parks in the evening rested and ready to go. Once we found that formula we started enjoying all the things about Disney World that make people keep going back again and again.

Disney World is full of cool things people sometimes just walk by and never give a second look to. Disney isn?t just about how many times you ride Tower of Terror or Space Mountain. It?s about the details both big and small. Disney is about enjoying things you can?t enjoy at home. We have dozens of favorites?here?s just a few.

At the Magic Kingdom we love Walt?s favorite ride, the Carousel of Progress. It is buried deep in the back of Tomorrowland and has been seemingly forgotten by both the park and park guests. It?s fun though and a perfect ride on a hot afternoon or even better in the evening while you?re taking a nice walk around the park. Don?t miss it, it?s a one of kind throw back attraction that might not be around much longer.

This often overlooked attraction in the Magic Kingdom was Walt Disney’s favorite, and it’s our favorite too.

Away from the parks we love a round of mini golf at The Fairways near the Swan and Dolphin Hotels in the Epcot resorts area. It?s not your typical hit the ball through something?s mouth type of place, they have a couple of courses like that around the resort but the Fairways is unique. It?s a miniature golf course with each hole based off of some of the most famous courses in America. Try it once and you?ll be back the next night for round two.

Monica playing “mini golf for grown ups” at the challenging Fairways course in Disney World.

Finally one of our most favorite nights starts at Disney?s Boardwalk and ends at the World Showcase. We love to enjoy a sunset on the Beach after dinner at Cape May Café in Disney?s Beach Club. It?s a beautiful place. The white sandy beach is never crowded and the chairs are just there waiting for you to pull one up and watch the sun fall behind the Boardwalk.

Watching the sunset from Disney’s Beach Club

Then once you?re rested and ready you can enter Epcot through the International Gateway and you?re standing in the World Showcase when it’s at its best…after dark. Once you?ve taken a walk around the World Showcase after dark you?ll be hooked.

There?s a million things we love about Disney World…but we will save the rest for another time. What?s your favorite Disney World stop?

The post Disney World Our Way appeared first on Our Getaways.

For instance, we?ve found early mornings at the parks work best for us. We are able to ride all the major rides that we are interested in with little wait. And all we have to do is get up early.

For varying reasons a lot of people that visit Disney World end up rolling in to the parks about 10:30 each morning. The downside to that strategy is that it?s already hot and crowded by then and a leisurely day is out the window. For the next 16 hours or so those poor people and their children will slowly melt and be exhausted by dusk. We know because we used to be those melting people. Florida is a hot place in the summer and will beat you up even if you?re used to the south. So after a couple of visits our daily Disney World routine became an early morning in the parks, a nice lunch, spend a few hours at a water park and then grab a short nap and back out to the parks in the evening rested and ready to go. Once we found that formula we started enjoying all the things about Disney World that make people keep going back again and again.

Disney World is full of cool things people sometimes just walk by and never give a second look to. Disney isn?t just about how many times you ride Tower of Terror or Space Mountain. It?s about the details both big and small. Disney is about enjoying things you can?t enjoy at home. We have dozens of favorites?here?s just a few.

At the Magic Kingdom we love Walt?s favorite ride, the Carousel of Progress. It is buried deep in the back of Tomorrowland and has been seemingly forgotten by both the park and park guests. It?s fun though and a perfect ride on a hot afternoon or even better in the evening while you?re taking a nice walk around the park. Don?t miss it, it?s a one of kind throw back attraction that might not be around much longer.

Walt Disney’s favorite ride. And ours too.

Away from the parks we love a round of mini golf at The Fairways near the Swan and Dolphin Hotels in the Epcot resorts area. It?s not your typical hit the ball through something?s mouth type of place, they have a couple of courses like that around the resort but the Fairways is unique. It?s a miniature golf course with each hole based off of some of the most famous courses in America. Try it once and you?ll be back the next night for round two.

Finally one of our most favorite nights starts at Disney?s Boardwalk and ends at the World Showcase. We love to enjoy a sunset on the Beach after dinner at Cape May Café in Disney?s Beach Club. It?s a beautiful place. The white sandy beach is never crowded and the chairs are just there waiting for you to pull one up and watch the sun fall behind the Boardwalk.

Then once you?re rested and ready you can enter Epcot through the International Gateway and you?re standing in the World Showcase when it’s at its best…after dark. Once you?ve taken a walk around the World Showcase after dark you?ll be hooked.

There?s a million things we love about Disney World…but we will save the rest for another time. What?s your favorite Disney World stop?

For instance, we?ve found early mornings at the parks work best for us. We are able to ride all the major rides that we are interested in with little wait. And all we have to do is get up early.

For varying reasons a lot of people that visit Disney World end up rolling in to the parks about 10:30 each morning. The downside to that strategy is that it?s already hot and crowded by then and a leisurely day is out the window. For the next 16 hours or so those poor people and their children will slowly melt and be exhausted by dusk. We know because we used to be those melting people. Florida is a hot place in the summer and will beat you up even if you?re used to the south. So after a couple of visits our daily Disney World routine became an early morning in the parks, a nice lunch, spend a few hours at a water park and then grab a short nap and back out to the parks in the evening rested and ready to go. Once we found that formula we started enjoying all the things about Disney World that make people keep going back again and again.

Disney World is full of cool things people sometimes just walk by and never give a second look to. Disney isn?t just about how many times you ride Tower of Terror or Space Mountain. It?s about the details both big and small. Disney is about enjoying things you can?t enjoy at home. We have dozens of favorites?here?s just a few.

At the Magic Kingdom we love Walt?s favorite ride, the Carousel of Progress. It is buried deep in the back of Tomorrowland and has been seemingly forgotten by both the park and park guests. It?s fun though and a perfect ride on a hot afternoon or even better in the evening while you?re taking a nice walk around the park. Don?t miss it, it?s a one of kind throw back attraction that might not be around much longer.

Walt Disney’s favorite ride. And ours too.

Away from the parks we love a round of mini golf at The Fairways near the Swan and Dolphin Hotels in the Epcot resorts area. It?s not your typical hit the ball through something?s mouth type of place, they have a couple of courses like that around the resort but the Fairways is unique. It?s a miniature golf course with each hole based off of some of the most famous courses in America. Try it once and you?ll be back the next night for round two.

Finally one of our most favorite nights starts at Disney?s Boardwalk and ends at the World Showcase. We love to enjoy a sunset on the Beach after dinner at Cape May Café in Disney?s Beach Club. It?s a beautiful place. The white sandy beach is never crowded and the chairs are just there waiting for you to pull one up and watch the sun fall behind the Boardwalk.

Then once you?re rested and ready you can enter Epcot through the International Gateway and you?re standing in the World Showcase when it’s at its best…after dark. Once you?ve taken a walk around the World Showcase after dark you?ll be hooked.

There?s a million things we love about Disney World…but we will save the rest for another time. What?s your favorite Disney World stop?

The post Disney World Our Way appeared first on Our Getaways.

The King

There is so much food at the Walt Disney World Resort that even seasoned vets have never tried everything they’ve got. So when you stumble across something pretty darned good that isn’t widely publicized you have to pass the word along. Even if you stay offsite or at another Disney resort nothing prevents you from dropping by Pop Century and grabbing a little snack.

For my money Pop Century has one of the absolute best food courts in all of Disney World and it is the home of THE Elvis Cupcake…IT’S GOOD BABY! It’s not too sweet even though it really looks dangerous. Chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting and topped with bacon. I’m not a big bacon fan but in this case it’s perfect. The icing tastes a lot more like peanut butter and a lot less like pure sugar than you would think. In the middle of this little number…bananas. Yup bananas. Everything you would want and expect in an Elvis themed dessert.

The King was famous for loving peanut butter and banana sandwiches. In fact he once flew from Memphis to Denver in the middle of the night just for a sack of peanut butter sandwiches he liked there. I’m not asking you to gas up your jet and cross a time zone, I’m simply saying if you’re a fan of these ingredients go to Pop Century and give it a try. It’s good and it’ll make ya giggle like a little kid…ain’t nothing wrong with that. Okay somebody go tell the health nuts they can come back in the room now.

The post The King Cupcake at Pop Century appeared first on Our Getaways.

OKAY…if you’re a health nut who never cheats on your diet just stop reading now…go in the other room or go visit Whole Foods or something while I talk to the 99% of the world who still giggles like a child when it comes to ice cream and cupcakes. Fellow gigglers lets talk about the Elvis Cupcake at Disney’s Pop Century.

There is so much food at the Walt Disney World Resort that even seasoned vets have never tried everything they’ve got. So when you stumble across something pretty darned good that isn’t widely publicized you have to pass the word along. Even if you stay offsite or at another Disney resort nothing prevents you from dropping by Pop and grabbing a little snack.

For my money Pop Century has one of the absolute best food courts in all of Disney and it is the home of THE Elvis Cupcake…IT’S GOOD BABY! It’s not too sweet even though it really looks dangerous. Chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting and topped with bacon. I’m not a big bacon fan but in this case it’s perfect. The icing tastes a lot more like peanut butter and a lot less like pure sugar than you would think. In the middle of this little number…bananas. Yup bananas. Everything you would want and expect in an Elvis themed dessert.

The King was famous for loving peanut butter and banana sandwiches. In fact he once flew from Memphis to Denver in the middle of the night just for a sack of peanut butter sandwiches he liked there. I’m not asking you to gas up your jet and cross a time zone, I’m simply saying if you’re a fan of these ingredients go to Pop and give it a try. It’s good and it’ll make ya giggle like a little kid…ain’t nothing wrong with that. Okay somebody go tell the health nuts they can come back in the room now.

The post Today’s Must Eat…Elvis Cupcake at Disney’s Pop Century appeared first on Our Getaways.

OKAY…if you’re a health nut who never cheats on your diet just stop reading now…go in the other room or go visit Whole Foods or something while I talk to the 99% of the world who still giggles like a child when it comes to ice cream and cupcakes. Fellow gigglers lets talk about The King Cupcake at Pop Century.

There is so much food at the Walt Disney World Resort that even seasoned vets have never tried everything they’ve got. So when you stumble across something pretty darned good that isn’t widely publicized you have to pass the word along. Even if you stay offsite or at another Disney resort nothing prevents you from dropping by Pop Century and grabbing a little snack.

For my money Pop Century has one of the absolute best food courts in all of Disney World and it is the home of THE Elvis Cupcake…IT’S GOOD BABY! It’s not too sweet even though it really looks dangerous. Chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting and topped with bacon. I’m not a big bacon fan but in this case it’s perfect. The icing tastes a lot more like peanut butter and a lot less like pure sugar than you would think. In the middle of this little number…bananas. Yup bananas. Everything you would want and expect in an Elvis themed dessert.

The King was famous for loving peanut butter and banana sandwiches. In fact he once flew from Memphis to Denver in the middle of the night just for a sack of peanut butter sandwiches he liked there. I’m not asking you to gas up your jet and cross a time zone, I’m simply saying if you’re a fan of these ingredients go to Pop Century and give it a try. It’s good and it’ll make ya giggle like a little kid…ain’t nothing wrong with that. Okay somebody go tell the health nuts they can come back in the room now.

OKAY…if you’re a health nut who never cheats on your diet just stop reading now…go in the other room or go visit Whole Foods or something while I talk to the 99% of the world who still giggles like a child when it comes to ice cream and cupcakes. Fellow gigglers lets talk about the Elvis Cupcake at Disney’s Pop Century.

There is so much food at the Walt Disney World Resort that even seasoned vets have never tried everything they’ve got. So when you stumble across something pretty darned good that isn’t widely publicized you have to pass the word along. Even if you stay offsite or at another Disney resort nothing prevents you from dropping by Pop and grabbing a little snack.

For my money Pop Century has one of the absolute best food courts in all of Disney and it is the home of THE Elvis Cupcake…IT’S GOOD BABY! It’s not too sweet even though it really looks dangerous. Chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting and topped with bacon. I’m not a big bacon fan but in this case it’s perfect. The icing tastes a lot more like peanut butter and a lot less like pure sugar than you would think. In the middle of this little number…bananas. Yup bananas. Everything you would want and expect in an Elvis themed dessert.

The King was famous for loving peanut butter and banana sandwiches. In fact he once flew from Memphis to Denver in the middle of the night just for a sack of peanut butter sandwiches he liked there. I’m not asking you to gas up your jet and cross a time zone, I’m simply saying if you’re a fan of these ingredients go to Pop and give it a try. It’s good and it’ll make ya giggle like a little kid…ain’t nothing wrong with that. Okay somebody go tell the health nuts they can come back in the room now.

The post Today’s Must Eat…The Elvis at Pop Century appeared first on Our Getaways.

OKAY…if you’re a health nut who never cheats on your diet just stop reading now…go in the other room or go visit Whole Foods or something while I talk to the 99% of the world who still giggles like a child when it comes to ice cream and cupcakes. Fellow gigglers lets talk about The King Cupcake at Pop Century.

There is so much food at the Walt Disney World Resort that even seasoned vets have never tried everything they’ve got. So when you stumble across something pretty darned good that isn’t widely publicized you have to pass the word along. Even if you stay offsite or at another Disney resort nothing prevents you from dropping by Pop Century and grabbing a little snack.

For my money Pop Century has one of the absolute best food courts in all of Disney World and it is the home of THE Elvis Cupcake…IT’S GOOD BABY! It’s not too sweet even though it really looks dangerous. Chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting and topped with bacon. I’m not a big bacon fan but in this case it’s perfect. The icing tastes a lot more like peanut butter and a lot less like pure sugar than you would think. In the middle of this little number…bananas. Yup bananas. Everything you would want and expect in an Elvis themed dessert.

The King was famous for loving peanut butter and banana sandwiches. In fact he once flew from Memphis to Denver in the middle of the night just for a sack of peanut butter sandwiches he liked there. I’m not asking you to gas up your jet and cross a time zone, I’m simply saying if you’re a fan of these ingredients go to Pop Century and give it a try. It’s good and it’ll make ya giggle like a little kid…ain’t nothing wrong with that. Okay somebody go tell the health nuts they can come back in the room now.

The post The King Cupcake at Pop Century appeared first on Our Getaways.

Steve and Monica exploring The Village. We found Walt Disney’s former home.

DRIVING

Do not drive for any reason! They say you can get a cheaper hotel rate in New Jersey and then you either leave your car at the hotel or at one of those Park N Rides and take a train in to the city. Do not do this! This waiting on a train business in New Jersey will only add hours to your already hard to squeeze everything in to day. Secondly, you are only depriving yourself of the city experience and the take out option but I?ll get to that later. Listen, you will not need a car. In fact I read somewhere before we got there that hardly anyone in Manhattan owns a car. This is puzzling because there are millions and millions of cars at a stand still this very moment on that island honking, double parking and bumping in to each other. But since nobody there owns a car I have no idea who all of those cars belong to but believe me you don?t want to add to the chaos. So just fly and let someone else do the honking.

TAXIS

Take a Yellow Cab your first time from the airport. They have reasonable car services, shuttle buses and public transportation but I would advise you to just take the taxi. They have stands right outside the airport waiting to take you to your hotel. You don?t have to know some hand gesture or whistle. Just get in a roped taxi line and they?ll do all the work from there. They?re not rip-offs and they are very safe. Every Yellow Cab takes credit cards and the fares are printed clearly where you can read them. I always heard horror stories but those stories were wrong. The fare from La Guardia in Queens to our hotel in Manhattan was about $30 plus tip. That ride from the airport to the hotel lobby was worth every cent.

TIMES SQUARE

It sucks! This is what I imagined all of New York City to be like before visiting. It?s crowded, campy and expensive. We walked through it once and vowed that we?d never do that again. If you must and I know you must, check it out for yourself. I?d only ask you not judge the rest of the city based on that little square of earth and don?t say I didn?t warn you.

THE SUBWAY

This was probably the scariest idea about New York City to me before I tried it. I can?t lie, the subway is a little overwhelming and tough to negotiate and very confusing at first. Trains are mapped by color on the signs but New Yorkers refer to them by numbers. Jeez I don?t know? Anyway, we were quite confused at first but found out there were plenty of friendly New Yorkers around to point us in the right direction?who woulda believed it. You can ride the subway almost anywhere and it?s inexpensive, quick and from our experience pretty safe and uneventful. Just be aware of your surroundings and ask a friendly face if you?re confused or lost and you?ll be fine.

THE FOOD

I can?t tell you how many travel shows I?ve watched and how many cooking shows I?ve watched all about the food in New York being the best in the entire universe. I was sure it wasn?t that good, surely it was just hype. Not so fast! It is pretty darned close to that good. We had a couple of expensive meals and they were good but didn?t live up to the hype. What we found to be amazing was the regular people food on the street and in the little hole in the wall places. The hotdogs YES! The cheesecake YES! Chinese takeout (told ya I?d get to it) from a little steamy place the size of my closet YES YES YES! It tastes like no other. There was something so cool about walking down one of those numbered avenues back to our hotel late at night and grabbing Chinese. It was cooked fresh while we waited and cheaper than the slop they serve us and claim to be Chinese at home. Amazing! As good as that stuff is?the star of the show is the pizza! We grabbed slices from a couple of different places and they were just amazing. On the street you get a slice on a paper plate for about $2.50 and it?s like Manna from Heaven. It was so good we sought out a whole pie. We ended up in the Village at a place called John?s. It?s been in that same building for like 80 something years. No slices there and that was ok?we had a whole pie and a pitcher of coke all for about $16. No leftovers?and I swear I?ll forever judge pizza by what we ate in New York! It?s actually a cheap place to eat?Times Square prices make Disney blink but everywhere else the pricing isn?t much different than home.

Eating cheap in NYC = Mmm Mmm Mmmmmm

WHAT TO SEE

This is something you?ll have to figure out for yourself. There?s just too much to see in a short visit. Museums, attractions, the statue, Ground Zero all things you?ll want to see. Central Park is really beautiful and a must see. Here?s my advice, don?t try and see it all in a single trip. Pick out some key things and must see places and enjoy them, don?t rush it. Monica is such a great travel planner, she knew what we would like and made sure we spent time seeing those things. We took a lot of walks through the neighborhoods. We walked narrow, quiet streets (yes quiet streets) with rows of homes and neighborhood cafes. We spent time in the squares and in the shops in the Village. Thanks to Monica I couldn?t judge New York like I had already planned on judging it because she took me to beautiful places and I learned a valuable lesson about myself and my preconceived opinions. I loved New York City and we are already looking forward to going back soon. I wouldn?t live there, drive there or play guitar in my underwear in Times Square there but I?ll go back there for sure.

The post New York, New York?so nice they named it twice. appeared first on Our Getaways.

Steve and Monica exploring The Village. We found Walt Disney’s former home!

I must admit I have always had zero desire to visit NYC. So when a once in a life time opportunity came up for us to spend a few days there I was less than interested. Every movie and TV show is about a New York detective, a New York lawyer, a New York crime family, a single ad exec dating in New York?my God the entertainment industry just wears the world out on New York. Seems like everything we see, read and hear about in the media is New York this and New York that?blah blah blah! So NO, I wasn?t interested in visiting New York. After all, Seinfeld made it look too easy to end up in some sort of misunderstanding mayhem there. Detective Sipowicz made it look too ?bad? naked there and Carrie Bradshaw made it took too?everything else that regular people hate there. If all that?s not enough the New York Yankees are there?the freakin? Evil Empire! But my son was playing Carnegie Hall, yeah that kind of once in a lifetime opportunity. So no matter how I hated the idea I had to go, so off we went. Here?s my story and my advice for you fellow ?Fly Overs? who swear you won?t ever go but end up in New York City through no fault of your own.

DRIVING

Do not drive for any reason! They say you can get a cheaper hotel rate in New Jersey and then you either leave your car at the hotel or at one of those Park N Rides and take a train in to the city. Do not do this! This waiting on a train business in New Jersey will only add hours to your already hard to squeeze everything in to day. Secondly, you are only depriving yourself of the city experience and the take out option but I?ll get to that later. Listen, you will not need a car. In fact I read somewhere before we got there that hardly anyone in Manhattan owns a car. This is puzzling because there are millions and millions of cars at a stand still this very moment on that island honking, double parking and bumping in to each other. But since nobody there owns a car I have no idea who all of those cars belong to but believe me you don?t want to add to the chaos. So just fly and let someone else do the honking.

TAXIS

Take a Yellow Cab your first time from the airport. They have reasonable car services, shuttle buses and public transportation but I would advise you to just take the taxi. They have stands right outside the airport waiting to take you to your hotel. You don?t have to know some hand gesture or whistle. Just get in a roped taxi line and they?ll do all the work from there. They?re not rip-offs and they are very safe. Every Yellow Cab takes credit cards and the fares are printed clearly where you can read them. I always heard horror stories but those stories were wrong. The fare from La Guardia in Queens to our hotel in Manhattan was about $30 plus tip. That ride from the airport to the hotel lobby was worth every cent.

TIMES SQUARE

It sucks! This is what I imagined all of New York City to be like before visiting. It?s crowded, campy and expensive. We walked through it once and vowed that we?d never do that again. If you must and I know you must, check it out for yourself. I?d only ask you not judge the rest of the city based on that little square of earth and don?t say I didn?t warn you.

THE SUBWAY

This was probably the scariest idea about New York City to me before I tried it. I can?t lie, the subway is a little overwhelming and tough to negotiate and very confusing at first. Trains are mapped by color on the signs but New Yorkers refer to them by numbers. Jeez I don?t know? Anyway, we were quite confused at first but found out there were plenty of friendly New Yorkers around to point us in the right direction?who woulda believed it. You can ride the subway almost anywhere and it?s inexpensive, quick and from our experience pretty safe and uneventful. Just be aware of your surroundings and ask a friendly face if you?re confused or lost and you?ll be fine.

THE FOOD

I can?t tell you how many travel shows I?ve watched and how many cooking shows I?ve watched all about the food in New York being the best in the entire universe. I was sure it wasn?t that good, surely it was just hype. Not so fast! It is pretty darned close to that good. We had a couple of expensive meals and they were good but didn?t live up to the hype. What we found to be amazing was the regular people food on the street and in the little hole in the wall places. The hotdogs YES! The cheesecake YES! Chinese takeout (told ya I?d get to it) from a little steamy place the size of my closet YES YES YES! It tastes like no other. There was something so cool about walking down one of those numbered avenues back to our hotel late at night and grabbing Chinese. It was cooked fresh while we waited and cheaper than the slop they serve us and claim to be Chinese at home. Amazing! As good as that stuff is?the star of the show is the pizza! We grabbed slices from a couple of different places and they were just amazing. On the street you get a slice on a paper plate for about $2.50 and it?s like Manna from Heaven. It was so good we sought out a whole pie. We ended up in the Village at a place called John?s. It?s been in that same building for like 80 something years. No slices there and that was ok?we had a whole pie and a pitcher of coke all for about $16. No leftovers?and I swear I?ll forever judge pizza by what we ate in New York! It?s actually a cheap place to eat?Times Square prices make Disney blink but everywhere else the pricing isn?t much different than home.

Eating cheap in NYC = Mmm Mmm Mmmmmm

WHAT TO SEE

This is something you?ll have to figure out for yourself. There?s just too much to see in a short visit. Museums, attractions, the statue, Ground Zero all things you?ll want to see. Central Park is really beautiful and a must see. Here?s my advice, don?t try and see it all in a single trip. Pick out some key things and must see places and enjoy them, don?t rush it. Monica is such a great travel planner, she knew what we would like and made sure we spent time seeing those things. We took a lot of walks through the neighborhoods. We walked narrow, quiet streets (yes quiet streets) with rows of homes and neighborhood cafes. We spent time in the squares and in the shops in the Village. Thanks to Monica I couldn?t judge New York like I had already planned on judging it because she took me to beautiful places and I learned a valuable lesson about myself and my preconceived opinions. I loved New York City and we are already looking forward to going back soon. I wouldn?t live there, drive there or play guitar in my underwear in Times Square there but I?ll go back there for sure.