2001 ALABAMA-FLORIDA-BAHAMAS VACATION

• Two nights in Cary, NC- home of Bernie Lindemer and East Europe trip friends Arnold & Julia Jones
• Four days on the State run Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in Southern Alabama.
• 5 days in Destin near the Dansburys, Hunters, and Huttons monthly golf rentals on the Florida Panhandle.
• A week at a retirement community Villages promotional at Lady Lake in Central Florida.
• A stay with Pat's Brother and his wife in Flagler Beach, Florida.
• A trip to golf and see Celtic Singer Charlie Zahm at the Sebastian, FL "Salute To Scotland" show.
• Three days on the Sovereign of the Seas cruising to the Bahamas.
• Two "Extra Florida Days" to avoid travelling home in bad weather.

01/26- Friday

We were off at 5:30 with a full car and after a stop for Gas at the Green Lane Wawa, continued on RT 13 to the I95 entrance at Street Road. Traffic was relatively light and we stopped at the Maryland House for breakfast at the Bob's Big Boy- we had been there on previous trips.

Traffic continued to be quite bearable through Baltimore's I95 McHenry Tunnel and was fine until about halfway to Washington where there was a sign warning about congestion into the I495 Washington bypass. So it was very slow going with quite a few dead stops and didn't clear up until just before we turned off I495 at McLean for Total Beverage a couple of miles from the interstate. We bought some wine and beer, stashed them in the car's nooks and crannies and were again off onto I495.

It was a cold and bright sunny day, excellent travel conditions. There was a lot of snow in the fields until Virginia and we started listening to the book, "Murder at the Pentagon". We decided to try and find a place for lunch and got off I95 just North of Richmond. We found a place fairly quickly at the Mexican El Azteca in Ashland. It was very crowded and we had a nice lunch. We were still very close to I95 and hopped back on and continued through Richmond and onto I85 at Petersburg. I85 traffic has always been light every time we have been on it and again we sailed along into North Carolina and exited at Henderson onto RT 1. We got gas, finished listening to the book and continued toward Raleigh where there were quite a few lights and a good amount of traffic. We thought we were going to be early and we were, but not that much.

Bernie had said about 5:00, and we were about 20 minutes before that and since she wasn't there yet, we drove around her development for a while. When she got home from work, there was a mail truck at her mailbox, and she had to wait to get in her garage, and sat there but didn't recognize us right away in our new car!

Bernie & Pat at Bernie's. She Has An E-Mail Address License Plate!		Julia, Arnold, Pat, Clay at Bernie's Cary, NC House		Pat, Bernie, Marie, Joyce, John At Tir Na nOg, A Celtic Bar In Raleigh

We had a nice visit with Bernie, a nice bottle of Sancerre, and her and her two frisky dogs, 20 month old Pierce and 8 month old Leisl. We phoned Arnold and Julia, the couple we met on the Eastern Europe tour and made arrangements for lunch the next day. Bernie, Pat, and Clay then went to Brothers, an Italian restaurant run by Greg and Maria, Bernie's Niece. Marie's father and Bernie's Brother-in-law John, was helping out and sat with us and we talked about our travels including his recent trip to Poland. Greg picked up the tab- it very nice of him and they have a nice place. Bernie said that she helped out one night as a hostess and it isn't that easy!.

After dinner we went to Maria and Greg's house just down the street where Joyce was babysitting Maria's and Lisa's kids. Then we went back to Bernie's and after a short chat went to bed.

01/27- Saturday

After a great night's sleep, we were up about 7:30 and had a light breakfast made by Bernie, grits(!), toast and coffee. Arnold picked the three of us up and we went to their house at the other end of Cary with a peek at the golf course (tight, Arnold said), and of their one-mile long lake on the way- very nice! We had a couple of glasses of wine with Bernie, Arnold, and Julia, and a nice talk. Clay showed Arnold and Julia the web page of the East Europe trip on our laptop which they seemed to appreciate. They have a very nice place right on the lake with a dock for a small boat and kayak.

We went to Vespa in Cary for lunch, Italian of course, with a decent wine list. We spent a good while there with a bottle of white and a bottle of red, and very nice entrées. Arnold and Julia drove us back to Bernie's and we had a photo session and a little more conversation. Bernie and the Jones exchanged phone numbers and Bernie will put them on Greg's mailing list for his restaurant's wine dinners.

The three of us watched Pat's tape of the dubbed version of "Life is Beautiful", Bernie had not seen it. John picked us and Bernie up at about 6:30 with Joyce and Marie. He drove us into downtown Raleigh and to Tir na nOg, a big Irish (Celtic?) bar. We had a nice dinner and some Irish beer and left before the 10:00 time scheduled for the musicians. A young man next to Clay in the restroom mentioned that the Hurricanes lost that night, and Clay didn't get the drift. He said "you don't know what I'm saying" and Clay confessed that he didn't but mentioned that he was from Philadelphia. The Hurricanes are the Carolina hockey team that the Flyers had just beaten that night, how's that for a coincidence! We went back to the car and headed back to John and Joyce's house. We had a tour of their very lovely large house and sat and visited in Marie's living room before John drove the three of us back to Bernie's and we turned in for the night.

01/28- Sunday

We got up at 5:00 and tried to sneak out the door without waking Bernie, but she came out and we said good-byes before heading out the back way to RT 64. It was a little confusing at first, but we found our way and sailed through small towns on pretty good roads. We stopped for breakfast at a Shoney's just outside of Charlotte. There was still light traffic with the exception of the approach to Atlanta, where the traffic on a Sunday afternoon was somewhat heavy. Still it was an easy trip to meet Muggy and Joan and we were on schedule to get to Prattville, just outside of Montgomery by the 4:00 PM drop dead time for dinner together before the Super Bowl.

When we came to the sign announcing that we were passing into the Central Time Zone and would gain an hour, the first thought was that we were home free! But wait, if we are turning the clocks back, the Super Bowl will start an hour early also, so it will be close. Anyway, we got there in plenty of time and had a few drinks before heading down the road to O'Charlys, a chain similar to Bennigan's, etc. Most of the restaurants here are closed on Sunday, and the reason probably is that there is no alcohol served all day, so we had a dry dinner and headed back to the Motel.

We had some beer, wine, and snacks and watched the Ravens beat the Giants bad in the Super Bowl- a good game for the first half. We won $50 on Pat's First Federal pool, and Muggy said they got shut out on their pool from the mountain hunting club, but Frank Hunter probably won some bucks with a quarter score.

01/29- Monday

The motel radio went on at 6:00- we had no idea that it was either on or set. We got up for good at 7:00 and met Muggy and Joan in the motel lobby for the included continental breakfast which was not too bad- cereal, fruit, and pastries. Clay went back to the room to take his pills, and the housekeeper was there, so it was awkward, but she was cool and finished and said she would come back to do the vacuuming.

We headed out at 9:00 for the Capitol Hill golf course and were there in 10 minutes. Clay drove Muggy back to the motel to get his glasses and by the time we got back, it was our tee time, so we headed for the first tee where the starter said that he hoped we brought a lot of balls- not a good sign! This is everybody's first round in over two months. The first hole set the tone, it was very tight with trouble on both sides. The course was very nice with a lot of water and sand traps on every hole. Pat played reasonably well, but the other three didn't do very well, but we had a great time. The course was very interesting, but also very hard. There was a little rain at the ninth hole, and we waited for about 15 minutes, and it stopped and we finished the round dry. We took a good while to play even considering the rain delay at the 10^th hole, and we didn't see anyone else on the course anywhere for the entire 18 holes.

Pat and Joan went into Prattville to the Wal Mart and Muggy and Clay watched some TV before going out for dinner. We went to Buck's Place and all had steaks, during which there was heavy rain outside- we were lucky to miss that. There were blinking lights outside near Muggy and Joan's car, but it was just a traffic stop that pulled over to the side of the road.

01/30- Tuesday

We got up pretty early, loaded up the cars, and headed on I65 South of Montgomery to the Cambrian Ridge golf course with the going-to-work traffic. This is where we got rained out two years ago. It is another beautiful course and again extremely hard, probably the hardest course we've ever played, every hole has water and a lot of traps, and there were a few canyons to hit over. You couldn't land the ball short of the green and run it up, it had to be hit directly on the green or you were in a trap!. We got off about an hour early and with the course difficulty and cart paths-only restriction, it took 7 hours to play, a word's record by far for elapsed time, and we didn't see many other golfers! Again we had our good shots (and holes) but did terrible overall.

Clay Donning the Convertible Legs For Alabama's Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail		Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail Cambrian Ridge (Near Montgomery) Water Carry		Joan Had No Trouble With This Water Carry

Pat Drove Well Past That Bunker		All You Have To Do Is Hit It, Muggy!		"Joan, Where The !@#$% Do I Put This?"

After the round, we got back on I65 South and headed South, with almost no traffic. We got off at Exit 3 in Mobile (Airport Highway), which was quite busy at the rush hour of course, and we had to make the first left hand turn off of it, but couldn't because it was two lanes away, so we had to keep going on Airport Highway, and were planning to come back on that road. But they had two bi-directional access roads on each side of Airport Highway, and you can't make a right to turn anywhere, you have to make a half right to the access road between intersections, so we got on the right-hand one and had to go into the stores on the right to get back and go the other way in the opposite direction on the opposite access road! We never saw anything like it, it is only the familiarity that the locals have that holds down the accidents!

We finally got on the right access road, but we panicked and got off at a side road too soon and went through a few parking lots, but we finally got to the Holiday Inn. When we got there, Muggy was in the car, and Joan was in the office! We signed in, parked where they told us and walked a mile to the second floor room. Clay went back and moved the car to a place further from the room, but a lot closer to the stairway that we had to take to get to the room! Although it was about 5:30, we still had a happy hour and a few wines and beers and discussed where we were going to go for dinner.

Since we had a long drive to here (about 2 hours!), Pat and Joan wanted to go to Mulligans (the motel restaurant), so we headed there, but there was no one in the place and the menu didn't look too good, so we walked next door to Daryls's, again a kind of Bennigan's place, but it turned out pretty good. Our waitress didn't write anything down, and Clay's dinner came with ribs instead of chicken. He told the waitress, but started eating the ribs which were very good and then tried to cancel the chicken, but it came anyway, the waitress suggesting that we could take a doggie bag! It was a very good meal and we headed back to the motel and turned in for the night.

01/31- Wednesday

We arose with plenty of time and headed over to the dining room for breakfast. This was a full-service buffet with scrambled eggs, sausage, kielbasa, lots of other stuff, and eggs to order on request. The bananas were as bad as at the Prattville motel however- we've never tasted bananas like that anywhere or in any state of ripeness. The motel gave us directions to the Magnolia Grove golf course using the back roads, but we got on and off of I65 and got to the course easily. Joan pointed out that our gas gauge said that we needed gas, and we really did, planning to get it when we arrived at Mobile, but with the difficulty finding the motel, that was forgotten.

There was a light rain as we started for the course, and it got heavier as we got there. There was no way we could play, so we waited in the pro shop and looked at the radar on a monitor for awhile. There was a 20% chance of rain all day long! It finally let up just a little past our tee time and we were off. This course was a little easier, with no water and wide fairways, but with as many greenside traps, and we pretty well screwed it up anyway.

When we started out, it was extremely wet, and we were surprised to be told to take the carts 90 degrees which we thought was very liberal. At the 11^th hole, the computer screen on the cart said to keep the carts on the cart path, so naturally we ignored that, but at the 13^th hole, the ranger told us that he was telling everyone that they has to stay on the cart paths. Muggy reluctantly agreed, but it wasn't that bad and we finished up with the sun shining- it was a wonderful day weatherwise. They screwed up, we shouldn't have been allowed 90 degrees when we started out, and when they said we had to stay on the cart path, it was a lot drier of course, but the "cart paths only" wasn't as bad for this course as it was for the day before!

We played what we thought was the 16^th hole, a par 5 but when we went to the next hole, we knew we played that one before, so we went back to the previous tee, and sure as shit that was the 13th, and we had just played it incorrectly a second time. So we found the correct hole, wiping out the scores, Pat lost her par, and instead of the Stahls wining a point, the Dansburys gained two, but the Stahls won the back by a point anyway, so it didn't make any difference. We finished in a reasonable amount of time and Clay got some gas with Muggy, while Pat and Joan went to the dollar store.

Back at the motel at a reasonable time, we had some beer, wine, and snacks and discussed dinner. We finally headed out to see what was there with Joan driving on request and we headed for an Irish bar that Clay and Pat had seen the previous day on the North Access road. It was a bar with only bar food, and the cook was absent anyway, so we continued down the access road to Joe's Crab Shack, a seafood chain that turned out to be excellent. After a good meal, everyone agreeing that it was the best so far, Clay, Pat, and Joan headed to the motel bar to redeem the free drink chits. You know Muggy must have been real tired to pass up a free drink! There was no Irish coffee, so Pat and Joan had to go to plan "B", i.e. amaretto, and we had a nice talk and headed back to the motel room and Pat had an early bed, and Clay is writing this tome!

02/01- Thursday

After a somewhat restless night for Clay, with a few trips to the bathroom, we loaded the car and went to breakfast but Clay could not eat as he had some kind of intestinal problem. Pat thought that Clay should not play, but we headed for the Magnolia Grove course again, but a different 18-holes at the same location as the previous day. It was very cold, probably around 50 and very wet. It was supposed to be cart paths only, but Muggy got a flag so we could go in the rough but still not in the fairway. When he got the flag, they asked him if he needed one or two, and he said one, much to Pat's and Joan's consternation! This course was supposed to be like the one the day before, but we found it to be much harder, and again it was very nice. Clay had to avail himself of all the comfort stations! When he went back an entire hole to one, the cart computer said that it was an 800-yard par 4!

Feeling very poor, Clay changed his pants and we drove the 3-hours or so back into Mobile, across the bay through Pensacola and to Destin. We stopped at the Florida Visitor Center so Pat could call the realty office and tell them that we would not be there by 5:00. Before going into the rest room, Clay threw up a little in the parking lot and felt a little better momentarily. We had to pick up the key at the realty office's lock box as it was after 5 o'clock. We went to our apartment at the Sundestin resort, a very nice condo right on the gulf with a living room, small but full kitchen, bedroom, and 1 ½ baths. Pat had to tote the luggage up to our fourth floor room all by herself. Clay hit the sack and made frequent trips to the bathroom throughout the night. Pat unpacked and got us settled in and ordered a Pizza from the in-house Pizza Hut as she hadn't had anything to eat all day. Clay owes her one!

02/02- Friday

Clay woke up feeling a little better and Pat called Dr. Ratini's office to get some advice on what he should eat. The office was very nice and said he should have only clear liquids for the rest of the day and light fair the next. As Pat got us further settled in, Joan called to see how we are doing, mentioned that they canceled out of golf that day because it was too cold. She wanted to know if we would be playing the next day and Pat told her probably not. Pat paid the bills, calling the toll-free numbers where she could to find out the balances. Pat also called the realty office to mention a few minor things like missing handles, a phone key sticking, etc., so they wouldn't hold us responsible.

The Dansburys and Huttons visited in the afternoon after having a little trouble finding the place. They said that it has been a little cold for there. We had a nice visit and they invited Pat to dinner with them.

We watched a tape from the resort's library, "Instinct" which was interesting but with a lot of coincidences. Pat went down a little early to wait for the others to pick her up. She had a nice dinner with Muggy, Joan, Tom, and Alberta. Frank and Gloria were there at another table with some other friends.

02/03- Saturday

We took it easy again today, having a light breakfast and rode down RT 98 past Seascape and over to the shore road past Cibony and Marivilla, the Dansbury's and Hutton's places. We stopped at a Wal Mart, went in to the City of Destin and drove around the bay side and headed back to our apartment.

Our Condo On Florida's Panhandle We Were On The 4th Floor For Six Nights		The Gulf From Our Sundestin Resort It Is A Very Nice Beach!		Looking East On The Florida Panhandle Gulf

It is still overcast and pretty cold for Florida, so it was not too bad a day to miss golf if you have to. We had a light lunch and watched a tape of "The Cider House Rules" from the condo's rental library and the pro golf tour on TV. Clay had wanted to go to a brewpub for a light dinner, but Pat wisely talked him out of it. Pat got a hamburger from the downstairs bar and Clay had Pat's doggie bag from the previous evening's dinner, although nothing tasted any good. Even the wine had no flavor!

Pat called Joan and assured her that Clay would be playing tomorrow, although she said that Frank could play if we let her know early enough, but Clay was pretty sure he would be OK. The news comes on at 10:00 here and we turned in about 10:30. In this time zone, all TV is an hour earlier, and we found that our entire day was displaced accordingly.

02/04- Sunday

Clay had a pretty good night, but Pat threw up twice! We got up about 8:00, ate a light breakfast and headed to the Regatta Bay Golf Course to play with the Dansburys, but it was only Joan with Frank taking Muggy's place. Muggy is sick with pretty much the same thing that Clay had. Regatta Bay is very nice, the weather was better and the course a lot drier than those in Alabama. The course is usually pretty expensive, but almost everybody has a coupon, and we played for about half-price. Clay suggested playing the gold tees as the white tees were long with a high rating and slope. It helped Clay, but Frank had a tough time anyway.

Sunset On The Florida Panhandle Gulf		Regatta Bay Clubhouse, Very Nice Course Forgot The Camera During The Round...		...But Came Back To Snap The 10th Too Bad, There Were Some Nice Views

After golf, it was 3:00 and we were both pretty hungry. We decided to go to the brewpub near our rental, but they didn't start serving until 4:30, the Fort Walton brewpub was also closed, so we went to the third brewpub- McGuire's Irish Pub by the Destin Bridge. We both ate fairly lightly and it was very good. They have Irish music there some weekdays, but we have to leave on Wednesday. They also have interesting signs on the rest room doors, for example:

"This is not the Men's room",

so the first time in the restaurant, naturally you go into the wrong one!

We stopped in the Winn Dixie for a few things and headed back to the room, watched a little TV and went to bed. Barbara Farmer, staying with the Huttons, called to see how we are doing and was surprised to hear that Muggy was not feeling well.

Tom, Alberta, Muggy, Barbara, Pat, Pete, Joan -- Snowbirds At Shalimar Pointe		Lefty Tom Hutton Getting a Good Start At Shalimar Pointe Near Destin		Pete Watching Muggy's "Waggle" Hmm- How About Those "Golf Shoes!"

02/05- Monday

We got up early, had breakfast and were picked up by the Dansburys at 7:45 for golf at Shalimar Pointe with the Huttons and Farmers. The course was OK, of course not as nice as the previous day, but not too bad, although there were a lot of adjacent private properties right up to the fairways, so it was a little intimidating and Clay had a few out-of-bounds shots, but the weather was great. The men played and the women played in separate foursomes. Clay got a couple of "2-for-1" golf shirts in the pro shop.

After golf, the Dansburys dropped us off at our rental, Pat made a sandwich for Muggy, and we got some snacks and drinks and headed over to Cibony, the Dansbury's monthly rental, located a bit east of us on the coast, but across the street form the beach. They have a very nice end unit with two full bedrooms, and two sides with a view of the gulf. The Huttons and the Farmers arrived shortly after and we had a nice happy hour.

Joan, Barb, Alberta, Pete, Tom, Pat, Muggy At Cibony- The Dansbury's Monthly Rental		Clay, Pat, Pete, Barb, Joan, Muggy, Alberta, & Tom At McGuires		A Booth at McGuires, The Irish Brewpub In Destin

The eight of us went to dinner at McGuires, the Irish brewpub where we also had lunch the previous day, with Muggy having a couple of the "red"s and Clay having a porter and a stout. There was faint piped Irish music and we did the claps along with the Irish Rover getting funny looks from our dining partners.

After watching TV for a while, Clay turned out the light to go to bed and he noticed that the laptop AC adapter was still on and in turning on the light back on, he knocked over and broke a partially-filled bottle of red wine on the tile living-room floor that took a while to clean up. There was a discoloring of the grout that seemed to be quite noticeable.

02/06- Tuesday

We got up early and Pat tried a few things on the discolored grout, but it didn't seem to make much difference then. We went out to breakfast at the Destin Diner, a classic old-time silver diner a few blocks from our rental, but with modern prices. We got back just in time for the Dansburys to pick us up for the trip to the Hidden Creek golf course which we played once before when we were here two years ago. It is another typical Florida course with yards coming right up to the fairways and out-of-bounds stakes all over the place. We again played with the Huttons and Farmers and again the men played with the men and the women with the women. Pat did pretty well, but Clay was intimidated and had a few blow up holes, although he had his moments. Muggy and Clay decided to keep the match between themselves and let Tom and Pete out, and it worked pretty well, as we split the match.

Alberta, Tom, Pete, Barb, Joan, Muggy Those Two Play Golf Backward Too!		No Pressure For Clay On The Hidden Creek Practice Green		No Problem Clay, There's No Hidden Creek On This Hole!

Alberta Hutton And Barb Farmer Attacking The Hidden Creek Course Near Destin

After golf, the Dansburys, Farmers, Huttons, from our group, and the group staying at Seascape- the Hunters, Charlie & Mary Hoyt, and Tom & Mary Stoeckle came to our place and we had a nice visit with snacks, beer, and wine. It was pointed out that Clay had mismatched socks, but you had to look close! There were a number of photo sessions and the beer lasted just long enough before we left for dinner! It was also pointed out that our living room tile grout didn't look too bad, probably due to the treatment that Pat gave it and the passage in time!

The Gang At Our Sundestin Rental		Tom, Alberta, Frank, and Pete

Mary Stoeckle, Mary Hoyt, Joan, Muggy, Tom's Pate, Barb		Tom Stoeckle, Gloria Hunter, Charlie Hoyt, Tom Hutton

We went to Gratzi, a very nice Italian restaurant a little way east on the old shore road. We sat with the Hunters and Tom and Mary Stoeckle. The food (and wine), ambiance, and service was very good and the company was wonderful. The Dansburys were going to come back to check Joan's E-mail on our laptop and the Hunters were invited to do the same, but both declined.

The Dansburys dropped us off at the rental and we got ready to leave the next day. We had originally thought that we had a full week here, but it turned out to be only 6 nights, i.e. 5 days with two lost to Clay's illness.

02/07- Wednesday

We got up early, packed up everything and loaded all the stuff back into the car. We motored to the real estate office at 8:00 and we were off heading East around Tallahassee and then South to the Villages on the other side of Ocala. We thought we may have to go out of our way to get breakfast up by the interstate, but found a place in the perfect spot. It was similar to the place we found two years ago on our way out of Destin, very good and dirt cheap.

We took a number of back roads where there was very little traffic, and we probably saved a little distance. The roads were very good, with great surfaces, sight lines, and some with 65 MPH speed limits. We made a stop for gas near Tallahassee and stopped at the Carriage Inn in Cross City, a small roadside restaurant for a beer and fries snack further south.

We approached the Villages from the west with quite a few signs leading the way, and got to the Buena Vista (Western) Sales Office about 4:15. Bev Strock, our marketing representative was very nice and efficient and gave us the lowdown with little sales pressure, pointing out golf courses, restaurants, swimming pools, and even smoking and non-smoking bowling alleys!

We had previously paid $700 and received $525 in "Village Dollars", usable in bars, restaurants, golf courses, etc. owned by The Villages. They have pictures of the owner's family on the bills, and they look somewhat like real money! We also got our keys, maps and directions to everything and we found our unit easily, unloaded the car and looked around the house trying everything. There is a two-car (or car and golf cart) garage, a master bedroom and full bath, a smaller but nice guest bed room and full bath, a small but full kitchen, and laundry facilities. Pete and Barbara Farmer are down the street from us, and Pete called to tell us that there would be a shuttle launch, and we saw it from the front of the house.

We went to Augustines on the Town Square with the Formicas, Farmers, and Tony & Cele Olivieri who are friends of the Farmers and have owned a house in the Villages for three years. The restaurant is Italian and contiguous to Augies Brewpub and the beers are available in both. We got there just in time for the 2-for-1 drink special, so our waiter hurried to get our selections in. We ordered our entrées which were pretty good, but we never saw the second drinks until the entrées were finished. It was extremely annoying but they were very busy.

Our Courtyard Villa, 1422 Almanza Drive With Its Car and Golf Cart Garage		A Candid Pete Farmer At Their Villa Down The Street. They Inquired, But It Wasn't For Sale

02/08- Thursday

The Formicas picked us up at 8:30 for golf at Baseline, out of the Villages about 30 minutes north toward Ocala. The course was very lush and green with grass on the fairway(!), beautifully landscaped, but also very short. We all set new lows for scoring as it was very easy in addition to being short.

Dolores, Vince, Pat, At The Short But Lush Baseline Golf Course Near Ocala		Dolores & Pat Driving To Their Drives At Baseline (Funny Name!)

Dolores On A Par Four Tee		Vince Driving On A Baseline Hole		Pat On The Baseline "Lucky 13th", An Extra Hole In The Middle Of The 18!

The pro shop had a sale on shoes with the second at half price, so Pat and Clay both got a pair, but Vince couldn't find his size, so Dolores got two! The Formicas came back to our villa for refreshments and the Farmers came over from their place down the street and we had a nice talk on our lanai.

The group decided on McCall's Tavern on the Town Square for dinner. We got there first and made reservations, but they were only serving a buffet, again with drinks 2 for 1 of course. It was ordinary, with carved beef, the other usual stuff including beef and pork ribs, but at least you could use the Village Dollars. After dinner, we walked around the square with the country music in the gazebo. We had trouble finding the car as there are parking lots all around the Town Square, and you have to remember which way you came in. We finally got it and headed home for the evening.

02/09- Friday

We got up and headed for the town square for the 8:30 trolley tour as part of our (unwritten) obligation to look at homes. We ended up at the Hacienda Recreation Center where there seemed to be offices and activities, but it was not the Sales Office. We got back in the car and went a little further into Main Street and found the Sales Office just off the Town Square. We announced ourselves, bought a better Villages Map (for a Village Dollar!) and they sat us on a bench and took our picture under a Stahl Lane street sign. They are supposed to mail it to your home, but we never saw it! We also asked about a place to turn in our disposable camera to be developed, but were told that there was probably nothing open this early.

We wandered up to the shopping area and dropped off the disposable cameras at the Publix. The liquor store next door takes Village Dollars and we went in and got some beer and wine. The clerk said "Come again", and we said "We'll be back". She said "Most people make this their last stop", and Clay said "I thought I came up with that!". We got lost in the parking lot again, ran into the Farmers, and after a lot of joking, found the car and went back to our place.

We were scheduled on the newest (championship) Villages golf course Glenview with the Farmers who were on a promotional also, but they went to go visit homes and the Formicas, who have a monthly rental, took their place. We went to the course early for a very nice lunch. The Formicas came in at the end and we went to the pro shop and signed in. We were a little early, but there seemed to be a lot of people at the first hole of both nines that we were to play, and we were worried that we may not get the round in with our 1:08 tee time.

We proceeded to the first tee and there were a few groups ahead of us. LPGA Pro Kathy Whitworth was giving a demo nearby, so with that and the practice green, the time went fast and we got off about 20 minutes late. The pace of play was fine and we breezed off the first hole of the second nine right away and finished the round in plenty of time. We did very well, but there are always a few holes that could have been played better. Clay and Vince chose the white tees which were a little short, and we should have played the next longest ones. Panic- when we got home, the laptop wouldn't respond, although the battery light was on, and something was running. Clay tried a few things under time pressure, but couldn't turn it off or on! It was left on AC power to try later.

We went over to the Farmers for a quicky happy hour. They told us about their homes visit, and Pete said he was considering an investment home, but we think he just got caught up in the moment. After a drink, we decided to go to El Santiago restaurant, but Vince didn't feel too good, so it was just the Farmers and us. The restaurant was fine, although they didn't have the listed $17 Chardonnay, but had plenty of the $27 one! The Olivieris and friends came in for a drink at the bar and we talked with them for a while before heading out.

Back at the villa, Clay finally got the battery out of the laptop and was able to start it on AC power. We're pretty sure that this happened once before and everything is back to normal- even as this is being written! We'll have to remember this for the next time!

02/10- Saturday

Pat went out to the flea market on RTs 27/441, the road outside the Villages toward Ocala and bought a suitcase for us and some Rada knives for people that gave her orders before we left home. We picked up the Farmers about 12:00 and headed to Stonecrest golf course just outside the Villages also on 27/441. The Formicas and Azzolinas, who have a time-share near Orlando and are staying overnight with the Formicas, were in the parking lot when we arrived.

After the usual greetings, the men headed for the pro shop to register. The attendant got Vince in and took Clay's credit card, but while Sal was engaging him in conversation, he gave Clay Sal's invoice. The credit card verification took a long time and he probably forgot to swipe Clay's card, and Sal worried that he may be paying double! Even without that confusion, the system was very slow and it took a long time, but we finally got signed in and we think everyone probably got charged properly. We'll see when the bills come due.

The staff was short because one of the workers had to go home because of a heart problem, and we were scheduled to go off on the 10^th tee with a group in between our two foursomes. There was nobody on the tee when we got there and the starter said no problem, so the ladies went and we followed. While on the 10^th tee (our first), the refreshment cart came by, but naturally we didn't want anything then and we never saw her again for the entire 18 holes!

The Farmers, Formicas, Azzolinas, Pat in the Stonecrest Parking Lot		Vince Telling Pete & Sal At the Stonecrest 2nd- "Whoa, That's a Long Carry"		Marge, Barb Sinking A Long One, Dolores, & Pat On The Stonecrest 2nd Green

Pat in the first foursome and Clay in the second did pretty good and we had a nice round and got finished a little earlier than expected. When we got back to the house, Charlie (Pat's brother) and Jen Ebel were waiting, so we had some drinks and snacks while Clay and Pat showered. The four of us then headed over to the Formicas for drinks with them, the Farmers, and the Azzolinas.

Vince & Dolores Playing The Perfect Hosts At Their Villages Monthly Rental

All of us- the Farmers, Formicas, Azzolinas, Ebels, and Stahls- went to Hacienda Hills Country Club for dinner. It is a pretty nice place with a dress code (well, no shorts anyway), and was very good with the Lenny Wilson Trio providing music during dinner. Charlie, Clay, and Pat shared a couple of bottles of wine, but Charlie didn't drink his share! What a guy!

Pat, Jen, Charlie, Others Beyond the Flash At The Hacienda Hills Country Club		Pete, Sal, Vince, Obviously Candid At Hacienda Hills		Clay & Pat On The Dance Floor

We then went to the Olivieris for dessert and another drink or two with a nice visit, and after an hour or so, we left and stopped at our access gate. But there was no guard to lift the visitor's bar as it was after 11:00. During our initial briefing, Bev said that we were to enter through another gate that was open all night, and we said "well, of course we won't need that, we'll always be in before 11:00!". Anyway, we piggybacked through the resident's gate after another car. Whew, good thing the bar didn't crash down on our car as we went through!

Tony Olivieri, Jen, & Sal At The Olivieris		Pat, Barb, Marge, Nancy Price, Cele Olivieri		Nancy, Cele, Marge, Pat, Dolores, Barb (And A Finger) At The Olivieris

02/11- Sunday

Pat went to church, and she said that arriving 20 minutes early, the place was packed and is at least the size of St. Michael's at home! Charlie, Jen, & Clay talked until Pat got back, and we headed for the Town Square, pointing out the "sights" as we went along. We waited a half hour with a beeper before being seated at Katie Belles' breakfast buffet. It was very good with an assembly line omelet station. We drove Charlie & Jen over to the older East side and around the Orange Blossom pool and golf course clubhouse so they could see the "old" part of the Villages. Charlie asked us what we thought the (15 year old) homes sold for, and we said we would find out on our afternoon visit with Bev, our marketing representative.

After we got back to our villa, Charlie and Jen took off back to Flagler Beach, and we headed to the Buena Vista Sales Office to meet Bev Strock and look at some homes. We expressed an interest in the resale upper scale non-modulars approaching $100k. Of course, they would only be available in the completed East side. She took us to see four homes, a double wide at 77k, and three non-modulars from 92k to 98k. We thought that one was really nice, but we wonder if a good portion of the appeal came from the fact that it was the only one occupied and very well kept.

After the four visits, she suggested that we look at the new patio villas now being built, and we saw a basic model and also one with an average number of amenities which usually run about 10% over the basic price. Both were very nice and we were surprised that you can get a new place with pretty much the same amount of space in the new side for about the same price! We had a pretty good idea of the prices of the new places, but were amazed that the resale (well asking, anyway) prices across the highway were so high. After Bev dropped us off back at the sales office, we went to the town square and had a beer on the patio at Augustines/Augies/Spanish Springs Brewery.

We went in to the Banner Mercantile, where they have shirts, hats and other stuff with the Villages and related logos. Pat and Clay both got golf shirts, Pat a golf hat, and there was a Spanish Springs white and red wine Napa Valley label, so we got one of each, all with Village Dollars, of course. We then went to the Winn Dixie to get a few things and went back to our villa.

Bev Strock, Our Personable Sales Representative In Her Natural Habitat		The Canadians At The Japanese Restaurant. Golf and Wine -- We Had A Lot In Common

We decided to find an ethnic restaurant on our own since the other couples are meat and potatoes types, and we decided on a Japanese restaurant in Leesburg about 10 miles away. On our way there, not being sure of the prospective restaurant's location, we saw another Japanese restaurant, Sakura in Lady Lake and decided to pull in there rather than go farther and try to find the other one. They only had the steakhouse grills, and we were seated all by ourselves at one.

We ordered a bottle of wine, Clay ordered shushi, and Pat the special- steak, shrimp, and chicken. Soon after they took our order, a party of three couples came in and were reluctantly (it seemed at the time) seated at our table grill. They were from the Toronto area and Nova Scotia, could drink some wine, and were very delightful. We had a great time discussing golf, wine, and relating our favorite jokes. Clay gave them his web page URL, and when we got back in the car, found the camera, and ran back in to take a group photo.

02/12- Monday

Pat looked at our bill from our dinner the Hacienda Country Club two nights ago, and it stated "Gratuity Not Included". We were only a party of four with Charlie and Jen, and there was an 18% "Service Charge" item, and Clay put a gratuity on top of that! We stopped there on the way to the golf course, and Clay talked to the Assistant Manager Susan. She said that the "Gratuity Not Included" is printed on every bill, and the service charge was there because the reservation was a party of 12(!?). Anyway the bottom line is that she will take care of it and to check back with her later. It was still a nice tip for the waitress with the two bottles of wine, beer, stingers and four nice meals.

We had E-mail from last night's Canadian dining partners with the name of the realtor that they used to get their rentals, and with a few other exchanges, we finally got it right!

We went to the Tierra Del Sol golf course, another Villages Championship (translation: 18 hole) golf course to meet the Farmers, and of course we were very early, so we went across the street to what seemed a long way to the practice green. When we got back to the car, the Farmers already had their cart so Clay went to the Pro Shop and signed in and got our cart. We were still pretty early, so we went to the real practice green (the one across the street was for the adjacent 9-hole course) and waited for our tee time.

Pete (Well Half Of Him Anyway) Paying Up At the Villages Tierra Del Sol		Clay, Barb, & Pete At the Extremely Dry Tierra Del Sol		Pat With A Tough Carry

The starter was very nice and with the infrequent rain problem, he said that we were to forget about the 90 degree rule and head down the middle of the fairway because that is watered and the rough is not! We've seen that before, but not too often. Pat had a pretty good day except for the last hole and Clay was not on his game, but it wasn't a total disaster. The group behind us always seemed to be pushing us, but we were right in back of the group in front most of the way.

On the way home, we stopped back at the Hacienda Hills Country Club and the Assistant Manager Susan told Clay the charge with the double gratuity hadn't been processed, and they would take off the second gratuity and we should see the proper amount on the charge. It was taken care of on our next bill!

We had a message from the Formicas inquiring about dinner plans, and we thought that we'd like to try the Orange Blossom restaurant across the main highway in the old Villages, but they were only doing a buffet. So with a few other false starts, the four of us went to the Chula Vista Club for dinner. After about a half-hour wait, we were seated at a round table and ordered drinks which were 2-for-1 again! Pat and Clay shared a bottle of wine and had to let the second drink go mostly wasted. We had a wonderful server and a great meal.

02/13- Tuesday

We picked up the Formicas and headed South about 30 miles on RTs 27/441 for golf at the Diamond Players Club at Clermont. Vince thought that we should use the turnpike, but after going our way, he said that it wasn't too bad! The course was very nice, billing itself as "Florida's Mountain Course", the second course that we've played with that claim- the other being "Ravines" South of Jacksonville that we played twice in the past.

Vince & Dolores Formica At The Extremely Sandy Diamond Players Club In Clermont				Nice Pose Girls, But Where Are You Going To Hit The Ball?

It was foggy when we started, but that burned off and the sun came out after a few holes and it was fine, except for the sand. In addition to the course being very hilly, it would be even for a non-Florida course, there was more sand than anywhere we have ever played! There were the usual large number of sand traps guarding the greens on all sides, probably a little more numerous, deeper, and softer, but what was so unusual were the number and size of the fairway traps, many of them also deep and soft. A few also were hundreds of yards long with closely cut roughs funneling down to them, and with the hilly terrain- almost vertical walls. There were also a lot of wetlands (that weren't too wet because of the drought) that came into play. It was the kind of course that having played previously would have helped very much.

Pat, That Sand Doesn't Come Into Play! (Even Though It Is 200 Yards Long!)		They Never Give Clay A Short One! At Diamond Players Club

With all that in mind, the course was still very nice and in good condition and we had a wonderful time, and not too bad a round everything considered. We had a drink at the course's sports-themed bar with a great deal of autographed sports memorabilia. The bartender said that Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Todd Stotlemeyer was an owner. After the drink, we headed back to the Formicas for a social hour with the Farmers coming over toward the end.

We decided to go to dinner at the Silver Lake Country Club restaurant across the main highway at the Golf Course. Picking the restaurant was easy, but there was a great deal of discussion on how to get there. We know that there are gates that allow residents only and gates that allow both residents and visitors, and we knew how we could get to the restaurant, but Barbara was given directions with supposedly no gate to go through. Anyway, we went there through the visitor gate and put our name in.

Cele Olivieri, Bob Price, Nancy Price, Tony Olivieri At Another Table		Cele, Bob, & Nancy At The Silver Lake C. C.		Pete, Barb, Pat, Clay, Dolores, Vince - The Usual Suspects!

It was Karaoke Night and most of the singers were surprisingly good. The Olivieris and Prices were also there at another table and we had some good discussions. The karaoke hosts were also pretty good, and the Farmers and Stahls danced. We had a couple of half-carafes of wine and the food was tolerable, but the ambiance was great and we had a good time. We had borrowed Vince's Villages map and we needed it to get back, so we followed them and ended up going out through the road with no gate, so Barbara was right! We wondered why do they have the gates if they can so easily be avoided!

02/14- Wednesday

We got up early and packed everything and loaded the car, now having accumulated a little more stuff than during the previous move from The Villages to Destin. The card in our villa stated that the Sales Offices opened at 7:30, and we headed to the Buena Vista office on the Villages Western edge where we had checked in. The office was closed and the hours on the door showed that they open at 8:00. Rather than wait, we drove over to the Sales Office on the Town Square and turned in our keys. They looked us up in the computer, and we were all set.

We stopped for breakfast in Leesburg and proceeded on to the Black Bear Golf Course in Eustice. Neither the directions that Pat got from the pro shop nor those in the pamphlet we had were accurate. But we finally found it in time and were paired with another couple, Rick and Sue Bookman from Cleveland. They were a little younger than us and great company, with Rick being a little better golfer than we are. They had played the course before, so they were very helpful, and we had a good time and decent scores. We traded E-Mail addresses and had a drink together discussing families and sports before leaving for Flagler Beach.

Pat, Pharmacist Rick & Sue Bookman From Cleveland -- Our Black Bear (Eustice, FL) Playing Partners

The trip to the Ebel's house in Flagler Beach was uneventful, taking the back roads, and with a detour near Bunnell, we retraced the route to their golf course and their house. Jen had a nice roasted chicken dinner in the oven for us, a welcome change from two weeks of restaurants! We watched Pat's tape "Life is Beautiful" again with Jen.

Charlie & Jen Ebel's House In Flagler Beach From The End Of Their Dock		Barge Heading North Up The Intracostal, Approaching The RT 100 Bridge

02/15- Thursday

The Ebels and Stahls headed north on Route 1 to St. Augustine Shores golf club, a short but watery course, that we had played on a previous trip. It was a little bit out of shape with the lack of rain affecting all of the fairways, and to a lesser extent the greens. The ground was very hard and there was a lot of roll, some good, and some bad! Jen took a few photos with her digital that came out pretty good. As usual, we had a good time with Pat doing very well, and Clay starting out poorly, but making it respectable at the end.

Clay at St. Augustine Shores		Clay Hitting Two Down the Middle (Well, Nice Follow Through Anyway)
Charlie's "Good Side"		Another Down The Middle For Charlie		Clay & Pat Analyzing Charlie's Swing
Pat's "Good Side"		Charlie,Clay,Pat Waiting Slowpokes		Charlie & Clay With "Hurry Up" Poses

We had a few drinks in the golf course bar before heading out to Saltwater Cowboys, a restaurant on A1A near St. Augustine. It was a few blocks off the main highway on the West side, away from the main traffic, in a delightful setting looking a lot like an oasis in the jungle amid wetlands with rustic décor and wicker chairs. The head waiter told our admittedly inexperienced but friendly waiter to get a cloth napkin for our wine bucket (pail) sitting on the table. That request produced a napkin placed under the bucket- so it doesn't sweat on the table, we guess! Anyway, the meal was terrific for everyone with great ambiance, service, food, and everything else, and deserving of the maximum number of stars.

The very popular restaurant Martins in Flagler Beach was our destination for after dinner drinks. Charlie and Jen frequent it on a regular basis for such social experiences. With Speed Week(s) going on in Daytona just a few miles away, the joint was jumpin'! Most of the people in the bar were waiting for tables, and we were lucky to get seats at the bar almost right away. Charlie and Jen introduced us to a lot of their friends, and Clay had a fervent discussion with a group of race fans from Boston, one of the few cities that is having a rougher time with sports teams than we usually do.

A few minutes in front of the TV back at the Ebels was sufficient to entice everyone to retire for the night.

02/16- Friday

Clay rode with Charlie to his jewelry store in Daytona Beach to drop off his ring to be repaired. We went into a racing memorabilia store next door and looked at the antique race cars, photos, etc. On the way back, Clay wanted to leave the disposable camera at the Winn Dixie, but didn't as they have a 3 to 7 day wait for that type of camera to be processed, as they have to send it out, so we will wait until tomorrow and drop it off at the Wal Mart where they can take care of it in house. We had a quick lunch at the Ebels and later in the afternoon, the four of us went to the Ocean Palms 9-hole golf course in Flagler Beach.

The course was short and tight, in so-so condition with lumpy greens and a good bit of water, producing a unanimous opinion that the course wasn't very good! In addition it was very crowded and it took a long time to play and we didn't do too well (maybe that had something to do with our perception of the course quality?). It was probably walkable, but we decided to take carts.

After golf, the four of us went to Portugalia, a Portuguese restaurant in Palm Coast that we went to last year. Again, it was very good with a carafe of sangria and a bottle of Portuguese white wine.

02/17- Saturday

We headed out early for a three-day trip South to see Charlie Zahm perform in the "Salute to Scotland" show presented by The Scottish Society of the Treasure Coast in Sebastian and to visit Rose Brothers, Pat's only surviving Aunt in Port St. Lucie. As usual, we left plenty of time and took A1A south, got breakfast on the road, and followed the clubhouse directions to the Baytree National golf course in Melbourne. As usual also, the directions given when we made the tee time were wrong. We had to backtrack about 15 miles after getting directions at a convenience store.

We expected the course to be on the golf card, even though it would still be a little expensive. The regular rate was $79, but probably because of our nice demeanor, the clubhouse guy "found" a couple of coupons and gave us a $12 discount! We got off a few minutes late and were paired with Fred and Cisco Van Dyke, members of the club and also living on the course. They were very nice helping us out with advice on where to place the ball which was a help, although knowing where to hit the ball is usually not our biggest problem! The course was moderately hard with some water, lots of sand waste areas/cart paths, the usual amount of greenside bunkers, but very nice and in great condition. It also was very windy and got cloudy toward the end of the round, although we subsequently found out that it was smoke from nearby fires -- they need rain badly.

Pat At The Very Nice (And Very Pricy) Baytree		Clay With A tough Carry At Baytree

Fred & Cisco Van Dyck, Our Playing Partners At Baytree				Cisco Hitting With Their House (Red Roof) On The Other Side of the Fairway

Heading out from the course to Sebastian, we ran into even denser smoke and didn't get rid of that until about 30 miles, after we were well South of Melbourne. One of the East-West roads was closed because of the smoke. We noted the location of a nice-looking restaurant, and found the High School where the "Salute to Scotland" is being held and headed back for dinner at Captain Hirams. We were chagrined to find a 30 minute wait for a table -- well it is Saturday night! We met a couple of firemen sports fans in the adjacent sand bar and were kept busy with them for a while. However, the 30 minute wait turned into 50, and we had to rush a little, but the server was very nice and we arrived at the show on time.

We picked up our tickets at the door and went in the auditorium. In Florida, some schools have very nice connecting or nearby auditoriums for (revenue-creating, I guess) non-high school events. The festival was similar to last year's in Vero Beach with a Pipe Band from Miami, The Rogues -- two pipes and two percussionists and some Scottish humor -- that we saw last year, young Celtic dance teams with pipe music, and a choir made up of (mostly very mature) members of the society. Of course, the reason that we were there was to hear Charlie Zahm and he did his usual wonderful job with fiddler Tad Marks performing about 5 songs in each of two sets. He was doing a land office business with his CDs and tapes and we had to wait until well after the show to get a picture taken of us with Charlie, Andrea (Mrs. Zahm), and Tad.

Charlie Zahm At The "Salute To Scotland" In Sebastian, FL		Tad Marks, Pat, Clay, Charlie, Andrea (Mrs. Zahm) Tad Is Charlie's Very Fine Fiddler		One Of The Many CDs That Charlie Had On Display That Night

We then went to the Fort Pierce Days Inn to enter a smoking room that had a very bad odor (we had reserved a non-smoking room). A complaint at the desk produced nothing but a refusal because that was all they had. There was a couple in the office with a confirmed reservation for whom they didn't even have a room and probably wondered what we were complaining about, so we reluctantly retired for the night. Since it was about 11:00, overbooking was probably responsible for both problems. Upon settling in the room, we found that the TV remote and a bedside light didn't work!

02/18- Sunday

We went to the Club Med Sandpiper Bay Saints Golf Course, and there is a corresponding (and more upscale, we hear) Sinners Course. It was not nearly as nice as yesterday, but not nearly as expensive either. To make a wine analogy, would you rather have two rounds here or one round on Baytree, yesterday's upscale course? There were not very many cars in the parking lot, maybe due to the fact that it was Daytona 500 race day. On the schedule sheet in the clubhouse, there were three tee times before us and four after us that were open, so we had suspicions about the course quality. The course was acceptable, in decent shape, and not too hard with some water and a lot of sand and it was quite windy, but we had respectable scores. The round took less than three hours as we played by ourselves with nobody in front of us except for the foursome on the 11^th that we think probably started on the back, but they let us play right through, and we saw nobody in front of us during the remainder of the round.

But You Are Allowed To Do Anything Else You Can To Screw Up Your Game!		Clay And Friend On The Sandpiper Saints Practice Green
Pat, Do You See Those Sand Traps? "They Don't Come Into Play"		Clay Hitting An Approach At Sandpiper Saints Notice The Interesting Yard Ornament

Pat called her Aunt Rose from the golf course, but there was no answer and we went to her and her son's house and as expected, there was nobody there, so Pat wrote out a note and we left it in the mailbox. We then called Joe Matinas, our PIAA baseball assignor and co-umpire, and Nona whom we visited two years ago, but this produced the same result as Clay left a message on his answering machine. We then headed back to the motel and had a drink while watching the finish of the Daytona 500 race, seeing the rerun of the 180^th lap horrible crash, and the final lap where Dale Earnhardt was killed, the only Daytona 500 fatality ever! We didn't know that at the time, and we watched the finish of the Bob Hope golf. Both the TV remote and light problems were fixed! Our AOL access was stymied until we found that our phone was not activated!

We scanned the phone book looking for a seafood restaurant nearby and decided on Ian's Tropical Grill, in Fort Pierce advertising "Fish with an Attitude", and "A Great Selection of Fine Wines" in their advertisement in the yellow pages. They were faithful to both quotes with many fish specials and a great wine list, although they didn't have the Franciscan Napa Chardonnay, and this time we saved a few bucks with a Kunde Sauvignon Blanc. We overheard a few key words from the adjacent table of four, such as "Albany", "Schenectady", "St. Clare's", and "golf". It turns out that they were from that area, and we had a nice discussion, with one of the men having 33 years with GE!

02/19- Monday

We headed out a little late from Fort Pierce for Space Coast National golf Course in Titusville where we were to join up with the Ebels. This is the former Bent Oak, and before that the former Sherwood, where the Ebel's former house bordered two holes. We decided to take Route 1 to avoid the I95 traffic, and as we went along we soon realized that we would not have time to stop for breakfast and we went directly to the course.

We got a snack before heading out for the round, with Pat doing a little better than Clay, who could not get a break all day! The course was also set up for Disk Golf with "tees" by the side of ours, and "holes" (elaborate devices with loose chains to catch and deaden the Frisbee) off to the side of each green. There was a foursome of Disk Golfers with motorized carts behind us that we let go through on a par 3, with one of them tossing his Disk into the creek, and we wondered what the penalty was for that! They had Disks for sale in the pro shop -- 12 to 16 dollars each, so even though they had pretty much the same course to play as we did, I'll bet they don't have many water "drives". The guy in the pro shop said that they paid only two dollars less than we did for the Frisbee round, but he didn't know that we were on the golf card! The foursome that we saw seemed pretty good and we and wondered what pars and their scores were! The guy in the pro shop also said that they were professionals!?

We then headed to the Outback Steakhouse in Ormond Beach for dinner, with the Ebels getting to the restaurant via I95 about 10 minutes before the Stahls who took RT 1. There were many signs and hastily written tributes to Dale Earnhardt along our route. As usual at all the Outbacks, there was a wait and we had a 2-for-1 (shades of The Villages) drink at the bar. The dinner also as usual, was very good with us sharing a bottle of shiraz.

02/20- Tuesday

Clay called Tony Anella in Palm Coast to set up a date to play golf with our wives, and also Artie Brantl in his (winter) Winter Springs home to set up another date to play golf with Pat and Artie's son Mike at Tuscawilla, near their home.

Charlie and Clay went to play golf at Halifax Plantation, where Charlie is a member. We had a late tee time and there were no carts available for us, and even when three foursomes playing together came in, they had second tee times, so we had to wait for carts about a half hour to tee off, and member Charlie got a little agitated. They put us with two singles- Roberta, a Halifax member who knew the Ebels, and a man on a month's vacation from Maine. Roberta only played the front nine and play was exceedingly slow, but the course was in good condition.

Pat stayed home with Jen and had an exciting day doing laundry and getting a haircut and Jen and Pat made a nice dinner at the Ebels.

02/21- Wednesday

Pat went to mass at the new church Santa Maria del Mar, (Saint Mary of the Sea) in Flagler Beach.

Tony Anella had always wanted to play Halifax Plantation and got a tee time for today, so Clay and Pat met him and Mildred a little early for a snack in the restaurant before golf. We talked about our golf and Mildred having a hole-in-one on the Cypress Knoll 2^nd, the same hole on which Pat had her's- although it was the 11^th hole then. They are staying with another couple in a Palm Coast house along with another 20 or so people from Spring Mill doing the same thing and playing golf together during January through March.

Tony & Mildred Anella And Us At Halifax Plantation		Clay, Pat, & Tony On The Halifax 10th Tee		Tony In The Middle Of The Fairway

Mildred Watching Pat's Fairway Shot		Can't Give You That One, Mildred There Is Very Little Water On Halifax		Pat, What Happened To The Hole?

We got off on time and had a great time, playing alternating 6-6-6 partners low ball with Clay losing a dollar to each of the other three. Pat played very well, and Clay didn't do too bad, but couldn't get any help! After golf, we had a pitcher of beer in the golf course bar before heading back to Flagler Beach and the Oceanside Inn for a decent dinner and drinks. We thought that this restaurant used to be the "Damn Yankee", but that was another one that had changed its name.

02/22- Thursday

We went to the Wal Mart to pick up our disposable camera prints, but they weren't ready, so we continued on to Glen Abbey golf course in DeBary, North of Orlando. We were plenty early, so we checked in and the attendant said maybe we could get off early, but we went to the bar to get a sandwich and beer. The course appeared great from the parking lot and club house, especially for the $27 newspaper coupon we had.

Glen Abbey In DeBary We Had Coupons From The Newspaper		This Course Was A Ways Away- Near Orlando		Is That Pat Putting Out Of That Sand Trap?

It Was Very Tight On A Few Holes		Can That Be Our Two Balls In The Middle Of This Glen Abbey Fairway?

We eventually got off on by ourselves on time following 3 seniors that seemed quite slow, but we finished in less than four hours. It wasn't quite the lush course that it initially appeared but it wasn't too bad either and definitely worth the money! It also didn't seem too hard, and we did pretty good on the front nine. The honeymoon was over for Clay during the first three holes on the back with a horribly tight landing area on the 10^th, a fairway sloping to a lake on the 11^th, and a long par 3 water carry on the 12^th. The remainder of the course was sensible, and Clay recovered at the end, but Pat couldn't maintain her A-game streak.

On the way to the course, we saw a lot of restaurants on the main street in DeLand, so we headed back there, parked, and walked up and down the street looking at them. There were at least 10 that seemed great with about half open and the remainder opening shortly, too bad we can only eat once! We picked the Main Street Grill, a level down from the street with mosaic waterfalls and outdoor dining. It was still pretty warm, so we got a table inside and had a nice meal, although it was nothing to brag about.

A visit back to the Wal Mart produced our photos and then we headed to the bar at Martins restaurant where the Ebels meet their friends every Thursday. We had a couple of drinks and talked for a while before calling it a day.

02/23- Friday

Again we got out a little early taking the back roads to Tuscawilla country Club in Winter Springs to meet Artie Brantl and his son Mike. We checked in at the pro shop and found out that there was one of the party here already. A look outside produced Mike warming up and he said that Artie was waiting for us at his house. Clay had thought that he told Artie's wife Lucille that we would meet them at the course, so Mike called his dad and he got there in a few minutes.

We got off just about on time and met Bill Brantl, another of Artie's and Lucille's sons who works at the golf course. The course is a little expensive, but is very nice and we had a good time with varying degrees of golfing success. We wanted to play an extra 9 holes, but would have had an hour wait, so we declined. This course also had gold tees in front of the red tees, but they were rated only for women.

Artie Brantl On A Tough Par 3 At Tuscawilla		Artie, Pat, Mike Brantl At Tuscawilla

Artie, Pat, Bill Brantl, & Mike		Mike's Long Drive Went Astray Surely He Will Take An Unplayable

We then went to the Brantls for a tour of their house, the area, and the model homes, with Artie acting like a real estate agent! Their house is very nice, but Artie still talks about getting a bigger one- they already upgraded once. Lucille and Jill soon came home and we showed them our photos of Destin and had snacks and a drink. Mike and Jill are engaged and are staying with Artie, Lucille, and Bill for a couple of weeks vacation.

The restaurant that they wanted to take us to didn't open until six o'clock, so we went to an Olive Garden in Forest City, a half hour or so west of their house for their usually reliable fare, and this time was no exception. The waitress spilled a glass of soda on the table, partially getting it on Clay and was flustered, but we assured her that it was no big deal.

We had a little trouble finding the main road from the restaurant, but we finally got on track and had an uneventful trip back. We stopped at the Palm Coast Wal Mart with another disposable camera for developing. This time we found out when it will be ready, i.e. three days for our type of camera.

02/24- Saturday

Tomoka Oaks was the golf course de jour, and it was just Jen Ebel and us this time as it was when we played there two years ago. It is an ordinary, but good value course that seemed in a little better condition than the other two times we played there, the first being with the Dansburys in 1994. Clay had a cart with steering problems, but did OK with it for the round and reported it to the pro shop after we were finished. We started about 15 minutes late, and play seemed slow, always waiting for the foursome (a couple and two young blue-teers) ahead of us, but we got done in a little under four hours. This course also had yellow tees shorter than the reds and again the rating was for women, but Pat and Jen played the reds.

We got home just in time for the Siena-Niagara basketball game, which was the reason that Charlie didn't play golf with us. Charlie is a big fan of Siena and they didn't play up to their capabilities, so he needed a little cheering up! The Ebel's friend Ernie (Ernestine) came over for a great lasagna dinner prepared by Jen and Pat and we got changed for the "Always Patsy Cline" show.

We had a little trouble finding the tiny Beachside Playhouse in Flagler Beach, even though Charlie had "scoped it out" earlier in the day! It was the same show that we had seen at the Headly Dinner Theater in Edgely back home with Louise and Patsy reminiscing about their friendship and Patsy singing about 20 of her most famous songs with a four-piece band. The theater only held about 50 people and we think the performance was probably a little better than the one back home.

Back at the Ebels, the five of us had a few drinks and listened to some CDs, Patsy Cline and others on the Ebels Karaoke machine with only Ernie taking the mike for "Crazy"!

02/25- Sunday

Today we went to Halifax Plantation country club again to play in a scramble with a group that includes Charlie and Jen. Pat was in the second foursome with Becky, Bob, and Frank, and Clay was in a foursome with Jen, Warren Hohn- the organizer, and Mary Ann. Warren stood in a fire ant hill while waiting to tee off, and had to take off his shoes and socks and spray his feet with Benadryl, but he seemed OK during the round.

There were three foursomes and Clay & Jen's team had three birdies and three bogeys, with a birdie on the number 1 handicap hole on Clay's long putt, and a sandie with Clay's up and down bunker shot on the 18^th. Warren's long capability and his straightening out on the last few holes, Jens drives off the red tees, and Mary Ann's putting and life-saving middle of the green tee shot in a par 3 got us back in even gross. We had a drink in the card room while the prizes were being announced. With the elimination of the worst hole(!?) and our two stroke handicap, our team won with Pat's team a shot back.

We went to Martins again in Flagler Beach for a drink at the bar before going upstairs for dinner. We have had dinner here at least once each year we've been in this area, and they are always very good. This time was no exception with the Ebels talking Clay into getting the un-menued and entrée-sized mussel appetizer which was first-class as Charlie had a few also. All entrées were very good and the only minus was Charlie's undercooked rice pudding desert.

02/26- Monday

Artie Brantl wanted to play with us again, so we made a tee time at Spruce Creek, the "Fly-In" community near Port Orange. Many of the houses have Airplane Hangers attached! We got there early and signed in with our $5 coupon and were assured that Artie would also get the same $45 rate. Clay hit the practice green and soon Artie drove in.

In the pro shop, Artie gave them a $50 bill and got a 10 and a 5 in return. The attendant said that he gave him too much change and took the 5 back! Artie asked Clay about it, but Clay said Shhhhh! We headed out after talking to the starter and ranger, from Pittsburgh and North Jersey near where Artie grew up.

Clay was up first and hit the first shot out of bounds onto the driving range and that set the tempo for the day as everybody had their problems score-wise. The course is beautiful, in great condition, but a little tight, and watery on the back nine. You can't miss race car driver Mark Martin's house and also his parents' house and Artie the Floridian admired those and all the houses on the course. On an early hole, Clay almost got a bird- an ibis- a close call, but it got the flock's attention!. It rained real hard on the back nine for a few minutes, and then the sun came back out. Typical Florida, we got cooled off and they needed whatever rain they can get.

Artie Brantl At Spruce Creek Near Port Orange The "Fly In" Community		Another 1-Putter For Pat & Artie		Clay & Artie Standing In Awe Of Race Car Driver Mark Martin's House

Pat Looking For A Level Spot		No Problem For Pat On This Drive

Clay, See How It Opens Up Out There		Clay Driving With The Nice Houses Nearby		Artie & Pat After Lunch In Port Orange

The playing pace was not too bad, so we got done fairly early, and the three of us went to Applebee's in Port Orange for a mid afternoon lunch/dinner, and then headed up to the Palm Coast Wal Mart to pick up our pictures -- except that, as the attendant pointed out, we were a day early!

02/27- Tuesday

The Stahls and Ebels went to the German Restaurant in Flagler Beach for Breakfast on the way to the Ebel's realtor in Ormond Beach. We put a deposit for next January and February on a 5^th floor condo in Leeward Winds, located on the West side of A1A with a great view of the ocean. This is the same building in which the Ebels had their condo before they bought their house, and we had stayed there for a week each in 1994 and 1995 with the Dansburys.

We continued on South to New Smyrna Beach and found the Hidden Lakes golf course. There were coupons in the Newspaper for $20 that we had forgotten to bring, but that was the posted rate anyway! For that price, we didn't expect too much and we knew that it would be a short par 65. But we didn't expect the greens to be as bad as they were, being not only recently aerated, but extremely bumpy and spotted, and everybody's putting suffered, but at least the price was right. There was a little improvement as we went along however, and the back nine was a little better, although the greens sure needed a trim. Many of the other courses we played in Florida had somewhat long grass greens because of the drought.

All Ready For Hidden Lakes In New Smyrna Beach		Charlie With An "Easy" Carry After A Nice Drive		OK, Jen Thanks For The Snapshot Now Try To Relax!

Pat, Is That A White Tee Marker? She And Jen Played The Short Whites		Jen & Pat Looking For The Next Tee At Hidden Lakes		Clay On A Hidden Lakes Fairway & A Rocket Trail From A Cape Launch

Which Lake Did That One Go In?		A Golden Slipper, One Of Florida's Many Fauna		Charlie Acting Wise At Pat's Approach Shot		A Strategy Session? "Start This One Out Right, Draw It Back In, And..."

All four of us played the short white "champion" tees which made it real short for Clay and Charlie, but was a reasonable length for Pat and Jen. It was a pretty interesting layout and not too hard at all with only a moderate number of greenside sand traps, and the lakes were not hidden and most didn't come into play. This was probably the first time that we have had the women and men playing the same tees, and Pat broke a hundred! We followed a group of very elderly ladies and Charlie offered a bet to Clay that they would only play 9 holes. Clay took it and lost $5, but afterward the starter said that it was a nine-hole league and that they only ever play nine because they want to have their beer! Now how did Charlie know that?

Don't Go Left With This, Pat She said "No Problem"- And She Didn't		Clay Got A Break On This Hidden Lakes Drive		A Nice Follow Through For Charlie

Charlie, Clay (In A Different Light?), & Pat At Hidden Lakes		The Front Was A Little Slow Behind Super-Senior Ladies!		The Lakes Were Not "Hidden" But They Were Plentiful		Yessss, I Did Have Fun!

Dinner was at Norwoods, a Wine Spectator award restaurant in New Smyrna Beach and we got directions from the pro shop. We had previously found their Web page that we used to make the reservation and also put in for free glasses of their house wine. When we got there however, they knew nothing about either the reservation or the wine request, but took our word for it, seated us, and promptly gave us our wine with no problem. I guess if you even know about the web page, they take care of you.

Dinner On The Island In New Smyrna Beach		So Many Wines, So Little Time!		Charlie Clipping His Crab Legs

The restaurant was very nice and we all had great meals with some more wine from a very comprehensive list. They also had a very nice wine store, and we got another bottle of Bernardus, the California Chardonnay that Dr. Segal, Clay's cardiologist, had recommended a few years ago. We also got a Clos Pegase Cabernet Sauvignon that we will use later at the Ebels.

02/28- Wednesday

Pat had seen an ad in the telephone book for a roadside fruit stand on RT 100 in Bunnell, and we thought that we would buy some and have it sent back home so we wouldn't have to lug it back in the car. We drove through Bunnell about 20 miles and couldn't find it, so we gave that up and went to the Palm Coast Wal Mart and picked up the prints from our last disposable camera.

Pine Lakes course, one of the five Palm Coast golf courses was the place where we had tee times today. We were paired with two guys from New Yawk, one who lives in the Hamptons on Long Island who is visiting the other who has lived in Palm Coast for four years. They were very nice and we had a great time with Gene, the Palm Coaster hitting them pretty good, and Pete the guest with only a couple of rounds in this year having a tough time with his two shoulder replacements. They talked about having a big money match all day, but we wonder if they were really serious.

Pat Driving At Pine Lakes		Clay Needs This Putt On The 18th		Our Playing Partners, Long Islanders Phil & Mike

There were four women ahead of us all through the front nine, and when we got to the 10^th, there was a male foursome on the tee. The starter said that two foursomes stopped earlier for lunch, and they stuck them in place of the ladies who only played nine. Member Gene got a little hacked, but the starter told him that the pro would give us a free drink or something, but we didn't pursue it. It actually didn't go too bad, we thought that this would be the last round for the vacation and we had wonderful weather, and so it was a great time.

Back at the Ebels, we had a nice corned beef and cabbage dinner and some wine and watched TV for a while before going to bed to get ready for the Bahamas cruise.

03/01- Thursday

We have over 3000 miles on the trip so far, so Clay took our car up to the Palm Coast Wal Mart and got an oil change. We left the Ebel's house in their van and after a stop for Charlie at the Ormond Beach Wal Mart, we headed to Paul's Smokehouse just below Titusville for lunch and a bottle of wine.

The next stop was the parking lot at Port Canaveral, much larger than we had thought. There are many "short cruises" out of here, and we boarded the Royal Caribbean Sovereign Of The Seas. We were registered as separate same-sex couples, Charlie and Clay in one, and Jen and Pat in the other, and the cabin attendant came and welcomed Charlie and Clay! This was necessary as the price that we paid was the half-price Florida resident rate, so at least one of each party had to be from Florida. Pat & Jen got their room upgraded to the 9^th deck from the 7^th (it was just a little bigger), so we flipped and the Stahls got it. That was OK since Charlie and Jen will be next to their friends Ken and Linda Costello on the 7^th.

Charlie, Pat, & Jen Entering The Royal Caribbean Port Canaveral Terminal Building		The Lifeboat Drill-In The Lounge! The Easiest Muster Station Assembly Ever		The Ship Leaving The Lengthy Port For A 3-Day Cruise To The Bahamas

It was mid afternoon and we went to the Schooner bar for a couple of drinks before the muster stations rehearsals. Ken was there and Linda came in later, both of them working a half day and getting to the ship separately. Our muster station was in the lounge with recorded instructions, and we sat with a young couple from Jacksonville, easily the most enjoyable muster that we ever had on the three cruises that we have taken!

We went up on the top deck as the ship took forever to leave the long port and enjoyed the view. We are definitely among the older people among all others on deck. This is a much larger ship than the one we took on the Eastern Mediterranean cruise, or the cruise to Bermuda in 1988. Clay went back to the stateroom to change out of his shorts for dinner and when he got to the table, none of our party was there, but we had a table for twelve and there was another woman there with the same problem.

Pat was in the bar before dinner with the Ebels and Costellos. The five of them and the other lady's party and another party of three finally showed up and we had a good time and mixed well. The food was great as it always is on a cruise. The wine steward wouldn't let us take an empty wine bottle, but offered to get the label off. He came with the chit to sign and we never heard toot about the label then or ever.

We went to a show "Rock On Broadway" in the Follies lounge. It wasn't too bad after the opening "Hair" numbers. It picked up with tunes from "Grease", "Jesus Christ Superstar", "Tommy", "Rent", and others.

03/02- Friday

Breakfast at the Windjammer Café was so-so, typical with a lot of items, but not a lot of quality, so we decided that tomorrow we will go to the sit-down breakfast in the Kismet dining room. After a lot of walking around, we stood by the bow and watched the ship dock in Nassau. There were four other big ships there before us (they can hold 10!) and that may be the reason why the Windjammer tour that we wanted to take was full as soon as we got on the ship.

Nassau Harbor the Next Morning		The Beach At Nassau With The Contrasting Water Colors		Clay & Pat On Fort Fincastle Overlooking Nassau And The Harbor

We went to the Shore Excursion desk and decided on the "Nassau Sightseeing Tour and Ardastra Gardens." After a hurried lunch on the ship, we boarded a 10-passenger van and headed out through the streets of congested Nassau, and climbed a hill to Fort Fincastle. The driver gave a nice talk on the way about the Bahamas and Nassau, and said that the Bahamas became an independent country in 1972. We got out of the Van and saw the Fort, built by Lord Dunsmore, Governor of Nassau in 1793, but saw little action and was only really used as a lighthouse. It affords a great view of the harbor including the docked ships.

On the same hill was the Water Tower, a large concrete column built in 1928, used into the 70s, and is the highest point on the island. Also on the hill is the Queen's Staircase, originally an escape route for the governor. It consists of 65 steps hand carved through the coral rock in the days of Queen Victoria, forgotten when no longer needed, and now restored, probably just for us tourists.

The Water Tower Next To Fort Fincastle		The Queens Staircase Hand Carved Through The Coral		Fort Charlotte, Little Used For Defense, But It Was A Pirate Prison

A short ride through Nassau in the Van brought us to Fort Charlotte, another little-used fortification, built in 1787, and is unique because it was used by early English pirates and as a prison, with a network of underground dungeons. This vantage point also overlooks downtown Nassau and the harbor.

The third and final stop was the Ardastra Gardens and Conservation Center, a zoo dedicated to the preservation of the island's wildlife. There are colorful birds, sloths, monkeys, and much more, but the highlight of the site was the Flamingo Show. The audience is seated in thatched stands in the round, and 25 flamingos come marching in step and respond to the trainer's military commands. A number of people from the audience were called out to stand like flamingos(!?) while the flamingos were paraded around them. We were seated in the front row, but fortunately were not called upon to participate in that.

Pat At A Nassau Dock Vendor Our Ship Is The First One		Marching Flamingos At The Ardastra Gardens		They Come Up Real Close, But Are Used To Seeing The Tourists

On the way back we were taken through a "residential" area to see where "the Bahamians live". We had seen a few residences earlier, and these were obviously very nice, and we are sure that this is not where the ordinary Bahamians live! We perused the shops in downtown Nassau with 4-for-$10 tee shirts and cheap souvenirs, especially in the Straw Market, a unique covered, congested, and very large shopping building, but appropriately charming. There are also very upscale shops on Bay Street selling clothing, jewelry, and very reasonable liquor. Of course, Pat Pat had to check out the Ebel watches- $1300 here for the one she would like. We had a drink in Lums Iguana Café and headed back to the ship for dinner.

Tonight was French night in the dining rooms, and they did pretty good with it, but there was no escargot- the waiter said the captain was too cheap! The after-dinner show was "The Not So Newlywed Game", so in lieu of that, we headed for Finian's Rainbow Lounge with the Ebels and Costellos to have a drink, dance, and hear Sheila Darcy sing and play guitar with her recorded accompaniment. The Ebels turned in early and Clay followed soon after. The Costellos and Pat headed for the karaoke lounge. Ken took the mike and did a very good job according to Pat.

Ebels' Friends Ken & Linda Costello, Dancing And Mugging!		Ken & Linda At Dinner		CocoCay, "Somewhere In The Bahamas"

03/03- Saturday

At about 8AM, the ship anchored off CocoCay, a small Island somewhere in the northern Bahamas owned by Royal Caribbean, about a mile long by a half mile wide. The sit-down breakfast in the Kismet dining room was much better than the buffet the previous day, and we soon gingerly boarded the bobbing tender that took us to the island's dock. There was another Royal Caribbean ship in Nassau the day before, and another ship anchored by CocoCay, and although we couldn't see what it was, we think that ship was here for the day also, adding to the congestion on the island.

It was very warm, and we first took a walk around the periphery of the island until the walking got difficult and pulled a couple of beach chairs into the shade and watched the water for a while. Only a few people walked by and we saw the couple that we sat across from at breakfast and with 2200 passengers, what were the odds of seeing someone you know!

Our Ship From The Tender Taking Us To CocoCay, Royal Caribbean's Private Island		In The CocoCay Harbor Looking Back At Our Ship		The Main CocoCay Beach And Our Ship Out In The Water

After about an hour, we walked back to the main part of the island where the majority of the people congregated and found Charlie and Jen with chairs and a picnic table, so we joined them. There a big deal made about the "Coco Loco", a slushy coconut, mango and rum drink that roving waiters hawk constantly all day so we each had one. They were very filling and sweet, and with their availability throughout the entire day, we wondered how much rum they had. The Costellos finally walked by and we sat and talked for a while until Charlie and Jen left to go back to the ship so Charlie could watch the Siena College basketball game on ESPN, although it wasn't on. The Costellos took off for a walk and we got some hamburgers, hot dogs, and salads, and a wine and beer, all included except the wine and beer of course.

We stayed until mid-afternoon with Clay taking a short swim and Pat checking out the souvenir stands, buying a pair of earrings. It was very relaxing with a breeze and as long as you stayed in the shade, quite comfortable. We caught the tender back after it was almost full, and had a quick trip back to the ship. Transfer onto the ship was difficult with stepping to the solidly anchored ship from the bobbing tender. Pat went to the casino for video poker and Clay updated this diary and walked around the ship for a while.

Pat and Clay went into the Champagne Bar and had a couple of glasses of Piper-Heidsieck Rose and talked with the bartender. He was from the Philippines, used to be a Wine Steward, and also worked for Norwegian Cruise Lines. We then looked at the pictures (they take your picture every time you turn around), but didn't find any that we liked, and headed to the dining room.

Back To The Ship In Mid Afternoon After A Coco Loco And A Swim		Pat & Clay In The Champagne Bar With Some Piper Heidsieck Rosé		Our Wonderful Waiter Ian & Pat

Tonight was International Night in the dining room and the food was excellent as usual, definitely better overall than the Norwegian Dream that we took to the Eastern Mediterranean two years ago, but it is hard to compare to the Royal Caribbean Nordic Prince that we were on in 1988. Being the last night, the wait staff was in a real jovial mood, and we all had a real good time. It was too early to go to the entertainment in the lounge so we went back to our rooms and agreed to meet later. Pat left the room early to go to the Casino and Clay fell asleep! Nobody went to the entertainment anyway, and Pat spent some more time in the Casino before going to bed.

Ian And The "Girls" At Our Table We Don't Know Why All The Deserts!		Heading Back To Florida

03/04- Sunday

There was an announcement the previous evening that we may have some rough seas back to Florida, but we never noticed anything out of the ordinary and slept very well. Clay woke up about 6 and went out to watch the ship dock. It was overcast and quite windy but still very warm. Pat woke up about 7 and we went up for the continental breakfast buffet although we could have gone to the dining room. We vacated the room and waited in the Schooner Bar until the announcement to disembark came about 8:30. Customs was the easiest we have ever gone through, just requiring a submission of the declaration card. Of course, we had to show our passport when we got on, and we had to show our boarding pass everywhere else, so it is kind of a captive population that is disembarking here.

Back In Port Canaveral		Another Cruise Ship In Port		Pat Waiting To Disembark

We got in the Ebel's van and Jen drove North on I95 with a stop at the Daytona Flea Market for Pat to get some more Rada knives for the family and others. From below Daytona to Flagler Beach, we got some of the rain that Florida needs so badly. When we got back to the Ebels, we learned the weather forecast is for snow on Tuesday in Virginia and through Wednesday in the Philadelphia area, so we will delay our plans to leave Flagler Beach on Monday, and plan to leave on Wednesday instead.

We went up A1A, to inquire again about shipping fruit, but the packages are small and costly, and decided not to. We continued on to Palm Coast and had lunch at The Meeting Place, got a few things at the Publix and resigned ourselves to spend two more days here. O well, we will just have to play a few more rounds of golf until the snow stops up North!

Pat and Jen prepared a dinner with filets shipped from Omaha Steaks which were excellent, maybe not quite as good as the Kobe beef filets at the Ebels last year, but of course they didn't cost as much either. The 1997 Clos Pegase went very well, but was definitely too young.

03/05- Monday

On this first extra day stranded in Florida (!?), Clay, Pat, and Charlie went to Palatka to play the municipal course, as we usually do at least once a year. It is not too hard, reasonably priced, and they always have room for us. We had a little road construction on the way but made it on time, and had a light lunch and a beer before teeing off.

There was nobody in front of us until the 9^th hole, and it still wasn't too bad even after that. The course was so-so as usual (you get what you pay for), but the greens were pretty good. It was as windy as we have seen it in Florida but still mild. We started with sleeves and finished with bare arms, but there was a foursome on an adjacent fairway that were all bundled up, obviously Floridians as we were obviously snowbirds. The wind affected everyone's score and nobody had a really good round. We drowned our sorrows in a beer and headed back to the Ebels.

Charlie Waiting For Clay To Putt At Palatka, Stuck Here By The Weather		Pat Just Got Her Ball Out Of The Hole, Charlie, A Fast Player, Is Ready To Putt!

Jen had a wonderful pork and sauerkraut dinner well on the way with a garlic mussels appetizer for the three of us, even though she doesn't care for them. The evening was topped off with a bananas foster dessert- god bless her!

03/06- Tuesday

Pat went to mass at Santa Maria Del Mar, the newly built hugh Catholic church in Flagler Beach.

We got a tee time at Grand Haven, the upscale Palm Coast course which we played with the Ebels in 1999. It is a hard place to get into, especially with the golf card. The weather was still cool and windy, so that may be the reason that the tee time was available- we tried there earlier in the trip and they were full. There are still unpaved roads to the course, and a trailer for the clubhouse, so for now they seem to be putting the money back into the course.

We were paired with Doug and Bonnie from Wisconsin and they were wonderful company with Doug playing the lengthy blue tees, and Clay the somewhat shorter whites. Doug was much better than we were, but with the wind got into quite a bit of trouble (and had a bunch of bad breaks) with his length. They have been taking promotionals with a round of golf all over Florida, including Sandestin, The Villages, Grand Haven, and tomorrow the World Golf Village up by Jacksonville! They are seriously looking for a place to buy, and the golf course(s) will be a major factor. We were truly lucky when we were paired with other twosomes the entire trip.

Grand Haven is very nice with a lot of sand traps, and with the wind all of us were in quite a few. There were a lot of other subtle problems, with uneven approaches, a few environmental and wet areas, and some tricky greens, but overall it was a very fair course. Playing speed was not too bad, and we had a couple of beers with Doug and Bonnie after the round.

Dinner was just us at Canatellas, the tiny Creole place on A1A just above RT 100. They were pretty busy and we were seated at a bar-like counter looking out on the ocean, which turned out to be just fine. It is tough getting in without a reservation, and we were lucky to get there when we did. Other people were turned away, including a party of four bikers- Bike Week is coming up in Daytona. The food and wine were great, and we had a nice conversation with the gentleman sitting next to us. He was a biker from Maine whose wife was flying in the next day, and one of the main points of the conversation was about how the biker image is changing. He is a perfect example, drinking Chardonnay instead of Budweiser, and he is a golfer- hey, is this a great country or what?

Our Second Extra Day In Florida At Grand Haven, The Upscale Palm Coast Course		Doug & Bonnie From Wisconsin. They Are On Promotionals, Looking To Buy

03/07- Wednesday

We started out for home North on I95 about 7AM with a lot of traffic through Jacksonville, and a breakfast stop just into Georgia. We had a motel reservation in Fayetteville, NC and we made excellent time. After a gas stop in Santee, SC, we noticed that the weather was mild (milder than in Florida even), and we decided that we had time for a round of golf and could still make it to Fayetteville at a reasonable hour. We looked in the Golf Card book, and a cell phone call to a course elicited a "come on over", but when we looked at the I95 exit numbers, we were already past it, so a little further on, another look at the Golf Card book suggested Sumter National. We called there, but got a fax machine/computer, so we decided to just go to the course.

We thought the location sounded like the old Pineland Plantation that we played a couple of times on previous vacations, and it was- having undergone two name changes (and owners) since we were last there in 1994. They were very happy to have us and gave us the Golf Card rate of $15 apiece! We remember the course being ordinary and in crappy condition (it still is both), but of course this is not Florida. We sailed through the front nine, waited a little on the back and still got through in 3:18. Pat did pretty well, but Clay had a couple of drives that went astray leading to blow-up holes, but the weather was great and we still had a good time.

We continued driving to Fayetteville, and got to the Quality Inn in about 2 hours at 6:30. We checked in with no problem and decided to go to the motel restaurant. The meal was tolerable, but inexpensive with us having shellfish and a bottle of Pinot Grigio.

03/08- Thursday

We had the included spartan (well, they had grits of course) buffet breakfast at the motel before we checked out and sped north on I95 in great weather. We got off the interstate around Fredericksburg, filled the gas tank and drove North a while on RT 1 looking for a place for lunch.

After a few tries we ended up at the Hard Times Café, a restaurant with a dozen beers (at least six of them really good) on tap. We were looking at the usual lunch things on the menu until the waitress brought a sampling of 4 different kinds of chili, their specialty on almost half of the menu. We both had a pasta dish topped with chili, which was not that spicy although there were a half-dozen hot sauces on the table, but of course we had none of that! This place is real serious about chili and has many different kinds served many different ways- the only thing missing is a Lone Star long neck!

Again, we quickly got on I95 and exited the Washington beltway at McLean, VA, just west of Washington for another visit to Total Beverage, the place we stopped at on the way down. We got three cases of wine and some Micro beers, stashed them in the car and got back on the Washington beltway. The traffic was brutal until we hit I95 North of Washington. There was a warning on a sign on I95 that the two Baltimore Tunnels were congested, so we took the Key Bridge. It was a little longer and although traffic was still heavy, there was no stop-and-go.

We continued on I95, unfortunately hitting Philadelphia at the rush hour, but this was a known quantity and not that upsetting, and with the usual congestion from the Ben Franklin to Girard, we got home about 6:30. We noticed that there was no snow on the ground, and soon after found out that there was no storm, and we could have come home a day earlier, or even two days earlier, as we had originally planned, but how could you tell?

It was a great vacation, can't wait until next year!

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Created: 03/17/01 Changed: 11/13/08

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