Polo Towers

Posted on March 15, 2016March 15, 2016 by Dusty Roads

After a long but uneventful flight we arrived at McCarren International Airport, Las Vegas, NV. A quick hello to the tortoise in the terminal

and we were taking a short cab ride to our destination, Polo Towers, in the heart of the strip.

Polo Towers is a time share resort. There is no casino but we had a lovely one bedroom on the 14th floor.

There was a huge bed in the bedroom and a pull out couch in the living room. We also had a full kitchen with fridge, stove and microwave.

There is a shuttle to some of the malls and a grocery store but we were content to pick up our provisions in the little mini mart in the resort.

There is also a pool and a fitness center although we didn’t get a chance to use either.

Upon arrival we were treated like VIP’s. Everyone making us feel welcome.

It had been a long day . We left Albany Airport at 11 am but didn’t arrive in Las Vegas until 6:30 pm. We quickly got checked in and settled.

We took a quick look at the views of the strip from our room and then headed out for dinner.

Our meal was enjoyed with the elephants of the Rainforest Cafe before we returned to our room for the night.

Time enough to explore in the morning.

California Adventure

Posted on February 16, 2016February 16, 2016 by Dusty Roads | 20 Comments

After dinner at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel I walked into a Disney themed retail area right out the back door of the hotel.

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Strolling along this section was similar to Disney Boardwalk in Orlando, just much smaller. That seemed to be the theme over all. I am used to Walt Disney World, Orlando with multiple parks covering lots of acres.

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This was only 2 parks, Disneyland and California Adventure. I wanted to see both but there wasn’t enough time.

My goal for this one evening was to see the water fountain show at California Adventure called World of Colors.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WK38wHBNOJM

In celebration of Disneyland’s 60th anniversary, the “World of Color” water show at Disney California Adventure got a new story overlay dedicated to the history of Walt Disney and his first theme park. Neil Patrick Harris’s image tells the story from Steamboat Willie to Star Wars with a little help from Mickey and Walt.

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I couldn’t believe I was wearing a winter coat in California but it was cold and the World of Color is projected over a pond that is loaded with fountains that dance and provide a backdrop for the videos. The breeze was chilly and when the fountains explode you do get wet!

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Of course when the flames shoot into the night sky the brief warmth is welcome!

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I got there in time for the last show of the day and by the time it was over the California Adventure Park was closing so I didn’t get to see much else. I’ll have to plan another visit when I have more time.

Maybe I should plan a California Dreamin’ Vacation. What do you think?

Gator Wrestling Anyone?

Posted on January 29, 2016January 29, 2016 by Dusty Roads

Once we returned from air boat ride we followed the signs to the gator wrestling pit. This was in a different place from the old pit where I saw J Mark do his performance.

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The new pit had a cover so if the rain started only the wrestler would get wet. The audience would stay nice and dry. There were tip boxes placed along the fence.

We had a lady wrestler that I’d never seen before. I don’t think she was ever on the Gator Boys show but I could be wrong. I may have missed an episode or two.

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She did the usual tricks, nothing new. After the show you could have your picture taken with a baby alligator.

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I have to admit to feeling a bit let down. My last visit has so much emotion attached to it because J Mark passed away after I’d seen his show. As a result this visit left me feeling kind of flat. I would have liked to see one of the show’s principal’s make an appearance. But that was not to be on this day.

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The air boat ride was good, especially with the iguana at the end but I’ve been spoiled by going out on the smaller 6 person air boats. Now the big Holiday Park boats don’t have the same thrill as before.

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All I can say is they do good work, rescuing alligators and deserve support. I’m sure I’ll continue to keep them on my South Florida activity list.

Deck the Halls the Disney Way

Posted on January 15, 2016January 15, 2016 by Dusty Roads

All together we spent about 3 hours at the Magic Kingdom. As we headed for the boat ramps to sail to the Disney Hotels, I stopped at the ECV to let them know to take our/my name off the list. We were still #2.

By now I had started to limp as my back muscles cramped up and put stress on my sciatic nerve sending pain down my left leg. I sat off to the side while Joe stood in line. The bench wasn’t too comfortable but it provided a little relief.

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Pretty soon we boarded a cute little boat and headed to the Grand Floridian, the most opulent of the Disney hotels. We wanted to see the Gingerbread house. The walk from the boat dock is slightly uphill and for someone feeling the strain, it seemed like a looong walk.

It was worth it once we stepped inside. The lobby is magnificent and even more so with enormous the Christmas Tree right in the center.

Grand Floridian

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They had comfy couches and chairs and I took full advantage of it. That was immediately relief and a promise of more pain to come as the back muscles contracted. Joe left me to recover while he explored the other vantage points for photos.

Tired and sore

The Gingerbread house was everything it was built up to be, including having a load of “hidden Mickey’s” but the tree in that Lobby really was the main event. It really overshadowed the gingerbread house.

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Speaking of the Gingerbread house, it is a real gingerbread house, not a cardboard imitation. Designed by the executive pastry chef, Erich Herbitschek, this house took over 1,050 lbs. of honey, 800 lbs. of flour, 600 lbs. of chocolate, 600 lbs. of powdered sugar, 140 pints of egg whites, and 35 lbs. of spices! Oh, and don’t forget the pinch of Pixie Dust and dash of Disney Magic mixed in as well.

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Recovered somewhat it was time to re-board and head to the Polynesian Resort.

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The Magic Kingdom in December

Posted on January 11, 2016January 11, 2016 by Dusty Roads

Finally it was the day I’d originally envisioned. It was time to visit the Magic Kingdom. I’d been here for Christmas once before and although the park was wall to wall people that trip, I remember the decorations were spectacular.

The mono rail was not running to the Magic Kingdom so everyone had to get there by boat.

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We lined up and waited, and waited and waited. There’s no place to sit or lean. It didn’t take long for my newly improved back muscles to start a downhill slide.

As soon as we reached the park I rushed to get through security and ticketing.

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I had my eye on the ECV (electric convenience vehicle or scooter) rentals. Too late, there was a waiting list. I was #2 on the list. They would call our cell phone as soon as one came back in. They don’t take reservations so you just take your chances that one will be available. This was the first time I’d struck out.

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