Brownski
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jul 19, 2020
First of all, this is a modern, high tech version of a puke bag. If you’re a puker, it’s worth investing in a quality product ahead of time. Dangerboy has a well earned puker reputation.
My parents and sisters have been Disney freaks for years. I enjoyed Disney World the first time I went in fifth grade but every time I got dragged back after that, it was less and less appealing, especially after I’d been on a real roller coaster. I felt obligated to bring my kids so they each got one trip and then it was on to bigger and better amusement parks for subsequent trips. Six Flags, Cedar Point, even Busch Gardens were all vastly superior from a rides perspective.
So for years when people talk about vacationing, moving to, retiring in or generally say anything nice about Florida, I would heap derision and scorn upon them. Florida is too hot, too humid, too crowded and especially too flat. It has no appeal to me. Some people would question me about where I’d been in Florida and, upon hearing my answer- Orlando - they would say “Well of course. That’s why you hate it. Orlando is the worst part of Florida. Nobody from Florida likes Orlando. You need to try the gulf coast of Miami or the Keys. Yeah, alright. I guess. I still didn’t feel any real urge to go back.
Then earlier this year, mg wife was nominated for and then won an award from a professional organization. She would get it and be recognized at a dinner in Tamp in the middle of August. We wouldn’t think of trying to milk her employee but they would legitimately cover two plane tickets and two nights in a hotel in Tampa. My wife suggested building a trip around it. Since Tampa isn’t Orlando, I agreed. Then she suggested trying out Universal since everybody says the rides are better than Disney and only Junior had been there before (on a class trip) which of course would mean that we would end up back in Orlando. I agreed on the condition that we carve out half a day to visit Gatorland, which is the only place in all of central Florida I had any desire to see again.
So we went to Florida for our summer vacation.
After landing, Dangerboy directed us to a nearby Culver’s for lunch. We discovered Culver’s on our Midwest / Texas road trip a couple years ago. Their butter burgers really are a treat. This was the first of many questionable food choices we made on this trip but it really tasted good.
Rather than staying in Tampa, we made our way to Clearwater Beach for a couple days. We got a deal at one of those clubs right on the beach. It was one of the older ones. Our room was on one of the upper floors.
Hurricane Fred had just rolled up the gulf so it wasn’t exactly sunny but the water was warm and the waves were nice. I should have had access to kayaks and jet skis through the club but the water conditions were an excuse to shut those down for the couple days we were there. Swimming in the waves and the pool was enough though.
We more or less just wandered around the touristy ares a bit. Drank some beers here and there, walked on the beach.
Too soon?
The pier was sort of cool.
I hate to think how many turtles got their cheeks ripped out before this system was implemented.
I‘m not going to claim I ate healthy in Clearwater Beach. I did have some fish at one point. That’s good for you right? I am starting to like grits too.
The beer menu wasn’t very deep but Dos Equis is an old favorite, better than what was available at the hotel.
The hotel was a little run down to be honest. This wasn’t all that long after that beachfront apartment building collapsed n Florida so when I noticed a prominent hump in the hotel hallway’s carpet I decided right away that the floor was sagging on either side of a steel girder. Hopefully they implode the place before it sinks.
We did get a little sunshine while we were there.
But there were still bits of Fred rolling through. I actually get a kick out of watching a big thunder storm roll across a big body of water.
Additional reading
When it was time to restate back to Tampa, Dangerboy had another request. Zaxby’s was discovered on a recent trip to North Carolina for a wedding. Damn fine chicken if I’m being honest.
We made another pit stop on the way. There’s a minor league team that plays there during the summer. No games while we were there though.
Our hotel in Tampa was much nicer, and right on the Riverwalk. We ended up on an upper floor there too.
Floating Tiki Bars are a thing down here?
That night we knocked off another MLB park.
Every bit as charming inside as, say, Barclays.
Still, there was baseball to be watched. We had pretty good seats but annoying neighbors and the place was almost empty so we wandered. Notice there isn’t a real bullpen. The Rays absolutely pounded Baltimore by the way.
They have a pool with actual rays in it though.
And somebody found the fancy food court.
It seems like everybody wants a piece of the upstate.
The funniest part might have been when somebody tried to get a wave going. Huge swathes of the seats were uninhabited so it would go a few sections and then Peter out.
Thd next day we didn’t have much planned until the evening so we let the kids hit the pool and my wife and I went for an exploration of the Riverwalk. Compared to San Antonio’s it was a little lifeless and lacking in charm. We spotted a place to rent boats though.
And then, even though it was set way back between a couple much larger buildings, my wife spotted this place. I found a good one alright.
So what if it’s 11 in the morning and 90 degrees out, I’m not passing up a Guinnes. I’m pretty sure they weren’t officially open yet. We bought a T shirt too.
My parents and sisters have been Disney freaks for years. I enjoyed Disney World the first time I went in fifth grade but every time I got dragged back after that, it was less and less appealing, especially after I’d been on a real roller coaster. I felt obligated to bring my kids so they each got one trip and then it was on to bigger and better amusement parks for subsequent trips. Six Flags, Cedar Point, even Busch Gardens were all vastly superior from a rides perspective.
So for years when people talk about vacationing, moving to, retiring in or generally say anything nice about Florida, I would heap derision and scorn upon them. Florida is too hot, too humid, too crowded and especially too flat. It has no appeal to me. Some people would question me about where I’d been in Florida and, upon hearing my answer- Orlando - they would say “Well of course. That’s why you hate it. Orlando is the worst part of Florida. Nobody from Florida likes Orlando. You need to try the gulf coast of Miami or the Keys. Yeah, alright. I guess. I still didn’t feel any real urge to go back.
Then earlier this year, mg wife was nominated for and then won an award from a professional organization. She would get it and be recognized at a dinner in Tamp in the middle of August. We wouldn’t think of trying to milk her employee but they would legitimately cover two plane tickets and two nights in a hotel in Tampa. My wife suggested building a trip around it. Since Tampa isn’t Orlando, I agreed. Then she suggested trying out Universal since everybody says the rides are better than Disney and only Junior had been there before (on a class trip) which of course would mean that we would end up back in Orlando. I agreed on the condition that we carve out half a day to visit Gatorland, which is the only place in all of central Florida I had any desire to see again.
So we went to Florida for our summer vacation.
After landing, Dangerboy directed us to a nearby Culver’s for lunch. We discovered Culver’s on our Midwest / Texas road trip a couple years ago. Their butter burgers really are a treat. This was the first of many questionable food choices we made on this trip but it really tasted good.
Rather than staying in Tampa, we made our way to Clearwater Beach for a couple days. We got a deal at one of those clubs right on the beach. It was one of the older ones. Our room was on one of the upper floors.
Hurricane Fred had just rolled up the gulf so it wasn’t exactly sunny but the water was warm and the waves were nice. I should have had access to kayaks and jet skis through the club but the water conditions were an excuse to shut those down for the couple days we were there. Swimming in the waves and the pool was enough though.
We more or less just wandered around the touristy ares a bit. Drank some beers here and there, walked on the beach.
Too soon?
The pier was sort of cool.
I hate to think how many turtles got their cheeks ripped out before this system was implemented.
I‘m not going to claim I ate healthy in Clearwater Beach. I did have some fish at one point. That’s good for you right? I am starting to like grits too.
The beer menu wasn’t very deep but Dos Equis is an old favorite, better than what was available at the hotel.
The hotel was a little run down to be honest. This wasn’t all that long after that beachfront apartment building collapsed n Florida so when I noticed a prominent hump in the hotel hallway’s carpet I decided right away that the floor was sagging on either side of a steel girder. Hopefully they implode the place before it sinks.
We did get a little sunshine while we were there.
But there were still bits of Fred rolling through. I actually get a kick out of watching a big thunder storm roll across a big body of water.
Additional reading
When it was time to restate back to Tampa, Dangerboy had another request. Zaxby’s was discovered on a recent trip to North Carolina for a wedding. Damn fine chicken if I’m being honest.
We made another pit stop on the way. There’s a minor league team that plays there during the summer. No games while we were there though.
Our hotel in Tampa was much nicer, and right on the Riverwalk. We ended up on an upper floor there too.
Floating Tiki Bars are a thing down here?
That night we knocked off another MLB park.
Every bit as charming inside as, say, Barclays.
Still, there was baseball to be watched. We had pretty good seats but annoying neighbors and the place was almost empty so we wandered. Notice there isn’t a real bullpen. The Rays absolutely pounded Baltimore by the way.
They have a pool with actual rays in it though.
And somebody found the fancy food court.
It seems like everybody wants a piece of the upstate.
The funniest part might have been when somebody tried to get a wave going. Huge swathes of the seats were uninhabited so it would go a few sections and then Peter out.
Thd next day we didn’t have much planned until the evening so we let the kids hit the pool and my wife and I went for an exploration of the Riverwalk. Compared to San Antonio’s it was a little lifeless and lacking in charm. We spotted a place to rent boats though.
And then, even though it was set way back between a couple much larger buildings, my wife spotted this place. I found a good one alright.
So what if it’s 11 in the morning and 90 degrees out, I’m not passing up a Guinnes. I’m pretty sure they weren’t officially open yet. We bought a T shirt too.
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