A rough 3 days at work

In the R&D portion of my job at work I occasionally end up attending conferences or shows at different convention centers around the country. One of the conferences that I have been involved with over the years revolves around the RFID industry and this year their show was in Orlando, Florida at the Swan And Dolphin convention center near Disney's Epcot.

Margaret likes Florida so she decided that she would take vacation and accompany me this year and hang out at the pool and boardwalk while I was slaving away in the convention center. We arrived at the Orlando International Airport, disembarked from the airplane and picked up our rental car. National rental allows you to pick the car you want from the available cars in the lot and Margaret picked the soon to be extinct PT Cruiser for our vehicle for the next few days.

The Swan and Dolphin Convention Center, part of the Epcot Resorts center is an older but still spectacular place to stay. Our room was on the 15th floor with a great view of the surrounding area. We could watch the fireworks every night from our room.

Located on a small chain of lakes and canals serviced by water taxies you can travel by boat or bus from the hotel to other parts of the Disney properties quickly and easily for free.

Just across the bridge from our hotel is another set of resorts around another lake, the Boardwalk, the Yacht Club, and the Beach Club. A beautiful walking path around the lake connects all these resorts and you can wander freely between them checking out all the facilities. (Margaret nearly wore a groove in the path around the lake from walking)

So starting Monday morning at 7:30 till 4:30 for the three days below you see what each of us did

If you have followed our blogs over time you have seen our Spring in Minnesota photos.

Here is a contrasting perspective of Spring in Florida.

So can someone remind me why we live in Minnesota again?
Sunday had some open time for me since the conference didn’t start until Monday morning so we went out exploring together. One of the things we wanted to see was the Disney campground Fort Wilderness. We may be taking the coach there some day.
We took the car to the gate at Fort Wilderness and the gate attendant allowed us in to park and explorer the campground. We walked from one end to the other. Its actually quite large over a mile from end to end with very large, nice sites with full hook ups and large paved parking spots. A bit expensive at 50 + dollars a night but it seemed like we may spend a week here sometime in the future.

Throughout Disney properties there are free busses and boat taxis that will take you to other parts of the park for free. At the north end of Fort Wilderness we caught a boat across the lake to the Wilderness Lodge which is right next to the Enchanted Kingdom.

Here are the Hotels in the enchanted Kingdom across the lake as viewed from the water taxi.

When we arrived at the Wilderness lodge we had lunch at an outdoor cafe near the pool area.

This is the only recorded instance in history where I have ever drank a Budweiser. It was all they had. At least it had lime in it. That sort of made it drinkable. (almost)

The duck joined us for lunch, but when we ignored him we thought he would leave, he wouldn’t take that for an answer and started pecking me in the leg to get my attention and a scrap of food.

After lunch we toured the inside of the Wilderness lodge. Its quite a place to see.

After the tour we headed out into the woods following an old sand road behind the “Cast only beyond here” sign looking for a way back to the campground and our car. The trail turned into a nice walk and far more interesting than the typical paths the crowds get to walk on.

More Cast only areas with Clydesdales!

Onward to Downtown Disney for a tour.

Margaret gets a new Eco drive Mouse watch that never needs batteries or winding. It runs on light! You charge it for a few hours in the sunshine and it runs for up to a year!

She didn't get to keep the Harley.

After lunch at the Ranglund Road Fish and chips shop Margaret poses in front of the Irish shop,

Back at the Swan and Dolphin relaxing in the pool area.


We found a nice quit spot under the trees to camp for a few hours with drinks and an occasional trip to the hot tub.

During a break from wearing a groove in the path around the lake Margaret made a couple of fuzzy little friends on the beach.

Well at least until the adults show up and heard them away into the underbrush.

April at the Lake

The middle of April can go either way at the lake. Often the ice is gone but farther up north there can still be ice until later in April or sometimes even May like last year. This spring has been fairly warm and this weekend looks like its suppose to be 70 degrees up north at the Lake so we are taking Friday off and heading to the lake ice or not. Most of the way up to our lake place the water was ice free, but as we headed north on the last stretch of road the small ponds still had some ice.
When we arrived at the lake is was nearly 70 degrees the sun was shining and it was a beautiful day. After opening up and checking everything out a trip down to the lake revealed that we are close to ice out, but not quite. The ice is dark grey and mushy, but its still there. It should be gone by next week.

All along our shoreline was open, and a few strange looking ducks had taken up residence in the narrow stretch of water. I have never seen any ducks that look quite like these, all white with a dark head and back.

Apparently I’m not the stealthy wildlife photographer that I think I am because as I was trying to sneak down to the lakeshore behind a big pine tree to get a better photo they took off winging their way over the grey ice.
Later research indicates that they were Common Mergansers a diving duck that hangs out all over the North America

With the sun shining on the lake shore and 70 degree weather it was a great place for a class of wine for happy hour.

We sat on the shore until the sun disappeared behind the trees watching some little crayfish scuttling about in the water looking for a meal

Dinner was grilled salmon and sashimi tuna along with a baked potato.
As always the first couple of days at the lake in spring are consumed with cleaning and repairing the effects of the long winter. Raking leaves and hauling them into the woods for disposal make the grass grow better in the summer.

It wouldn’t be the lake if Margaret didn’t want some rocks moved around.

I also started the big diesel engine in the coach for the first time since last November. I was expecting trouble, but the engine cranked right over and started immediately! I also fired up the diesel generator and let it run for a while to exercise it.

Then out into the woods I went with the big chain saw to drop a dead jack pine tree that could eventually fall on the neighbors house.
Here you see some work by the world famous videographer Margaret.

I had just a bit of a problem with it wanting to fall the wrong way so I had to use a wedge on the back cut, but it ultimately went down in the right direction. Then it had to be cut up.
There is still a couple of smaller dead ones in the same area, but they can wait till another time. They will require ropes and a hand wench to get them to fall in the right area and not hit an electrical wire or a house.

One more Jack Pine down. One lawn wheel to fix. Is there no rest for me?

Here comes the rest. Lovely Margaret the world famous videographer has been looking out for me and provided refreshments and chair in what was left of the sunshine for Saturday afternoon. I guess moving rocks pays after all.

All in all it was a good weekend. We got some work done and that puts us that much closer to a relaxing summer at the lake this year. ….Ya Right that will never happen!

Spring at the Lake

Beaches, the lake, hot weather, lying on the sand, all great things to do in Minnesota in the summer. But its not quite summer yet in Minnesota. It just turned spring the other day. But people in Minnesota seem to rush such things as the lake and being able to to dig your toes into the hot sand.



Margaret has been looking for a couple of new sling chairs to put in the coach so we were out and about in the different sports stores Saturday looking to see what was available. Well we found a couple in REI that suited our purpose and of course we had to check them out after our purchase. Since it is a beautiful spring day in Minnesota 62 degrees we figured hey we may be rushing it a bit but how about margaritas at the lake!

So the new chairs go into the jeep a stop at the Edina liquor store for a bottle of pre-mixed margaritas and we are off to the beach.

Did I mention it was a bit early for the lake?







Being hardy Minnesotans beach visits require going in the water at least a little bit.





The chairs work great, the margaritas were good, but the water was a bit cool to make for a great beach day. Hey its Minnesota you have to make due with what you have!

Winter Camping?

Out of the house in the sunshine on the way to the Lake! It was 40 degrees the sun was shining and we took off work early Friday afternoon. You know what’s great about going to the lake in the winter? The traffic is non existent! No one else on the road make it a pleasure!

We left about 11:30 and arrived around 3:00 the sun was still out. John keeps his driveway clean all year so we just parked in the driveway up near the road.

I started to shovel out the bank that was plowed up and was going to drive down into our driveway, but decided it wasn’t worth the effort. You see the start of it here. We will just leave the Jeep sit where it is.



Checked out everything and it all looked great. No rabbits or ground hogs chewing on anything this year for some reason. The snow is still pretty deep. I turned on the power and started charging the house batteries on the coach, and also hooked up a battery charger to the engine batteries.



The sun shining through the windows had already warmed the coach quite a bit so after turning on the furnace and the electric heater in no time it was warm and inviting inside. So while its still daylight its time to break out the wine for happy hour.





Margaret had purchased one of those tables that goes on the coach steering wheel so that had to get set up,



After happy hour I ran to town for a pizza for supper.

Even though it got down to 15 degrees overnight it stays really warm in the coach. I set the furnace at 60 degrees and left the electric fireplace on. The furnace didn’t even start all night the little fireplace can keep the coach above 60 degrees.

In the morning when the sun was shinning again we went for a walk along the lake. Earlier last summer the people that own the lot in the bay just north of us that had the old trailer house were building. We walked up to check it out. It seems that they have constructed a castle. The place must be 3 or 4 thousand square feet!



This morning it was a bout 15 degrees and crisp but it was nice to be out on the lake.



We left about 9AM and headed back to the city. We will come up again in a few weeks to cut down some dead Jack Pine trees before the leaves come out in the woods.

Celebrating

Miserable weather again this weekend. Temperature hovering around zero, maybe we should go out.

We got a gift certificate to Outback Steakhouse for Valentines day from a faithful reader of our blogs :) so off we go to the Outback on Hwy 494 near Hwy 77. We arrived at 5:30 Saturday evening, just the right time because it began to fill up quickly.

From Windows Live Writer

Listed on the specials board tonight: Bonus time Wine is 2 for one! Margaret is in Heaven!

From Windows Live Writer

Margaret ordered salmon and I had the prime rib.

Get the card out for a picture.

From Windows Live Writer

The food was good the company was better, the fact that it was paid for was priceless!

From Windows Live Writer

Well not quite paid for you can’t get out of Outback for $25.

So faithful reader feel free to reimburse me for the difference!

RV Show

The weather lately has been better, you can actually go outside. Its not below Zero. YA!

This weekend the anuall RV show is being held in the Minneapolis auditorium. We headed down there around 10:30 Sunday morning. Hey maybe we can find something we like!

We parked in a parking ramp near the auditorium and took the sky way to the show. We really didn't have to go out side at all. From our heated garage to the sky ways to the show. So why am I whining about the weather?

As bad as the economy is suppose to be there were a lot of people there. At $10 a pop to get in there still must be some money left in the world.

We checked out a few Class A rigs and a few fifth wheels. and walked up and down the rows.

I did find a cool inflatable kayak for 2 with bike pedals for propulsion. Looks like it would fit in the basement of the Dutch Star. I'll have to keep that in mind.


We had lunch and a beer at one of the concession stands then continued walking the floor.

Margaret found some recliner chairs she likes for the coach at the Camping World booth for a good price but we didn't want to carry them so she negotiated the same price if we pick them up next weekend at the Camping World store on 101 and 94. I guess we are going to Camping World next weekend.


Mean while just across the aisle I found a cool way to mount a TV in the basement storage unit of a motor home. I just may have to get me one of these!

On the way out we both decided there wasn't any RV's there that we liked better than our current Dutch Star. Well at least anything we could actually afford to purchase. That a good thing!