USRoadTripper

I'm with Robb, that no caption could EVER do that photo justice!! hahahaha -Julie

Sheep living right up under the coasters...hmm, bet that's what it's like in New Zealand. Oh, and I thought the picture of Barry in the Crystal Maze was equally as distrubing as the other one because some guy has his head near Barry's crotch! Did you guys offer to pay for his therapy?? -Julie

Robb, don't worry about pleasing a couple of kids who get demanding. Updates are nice, but I don't expect them every day while you are still *on* the vacation! Enjoy yourselves and have fun, and if that means waiting until you get home to post some updates, so be it. The fanboys will survive. I do find it a bit strange though that no one else that's currently on the trip is contributing much to this thread. I thought people would jump on now and then and post bits about their days. Guess they are too worn out to worry about the internet! -Julie

Wow, they just talked about this place on Food Network last week. I'm surprised that they didn't mention that it was closing (y'know, it was probably an old episode, I guess). It looked great though! -Julie

If the two two-week trips are Japan, that sucks since most of us can't take off two weeks plus travel time from work. It was like pulling teeth to get my work to ok 10 days for my trip to Spain...no way could I get 16. I was hoping they'd be in the 9-10 day range including travel. Oh well...was a nice thought -Julie

More Tarifa pics One last shot of the city center as we headed in for the night. Dinner was very nice, as was the wine, the weather, the atmosphere and the company! Luckily, next door, they served real food! So I wasn't stuck eating anything that was jumbled or sucking. Now, for the second course. Lets see, I could have some fresh salts...maybe some nice clams to the seafaring one...I think I will just go with a big plate of jumbled of the house! Ok, time for dinner. What do I want? Hmm, maybe some Mustard to the Antigua? Or lamb leg to the honey? Nah, I think I'll have some nice chops of sucking lamb. A statue of Guzman El Bueno guards the port A church in Tarifa While wandering around, I found this bad ass dude spray painted onto one of the walls...awesome. More buildings in Tarifa (uh oh, I am falling into that area of unfunny captions again) Buildings in Tarifa Here's a shot of our clothes hanging out to dry on our balconies. I guess this photo proves that I am now officially a world traveller! Mmm...panini...and again, just steps away from our hotel! Heading out for the evening, we couldn't help but have a bit of fun with the lobby mirror. Back at the hotel, Kevin has a spill with a glass. I'm sure that's not the first time that's happened in this hotel! This is the one of the main plazas in Tarifa, with lots of restaurants, and the tourist info center.

May 13, 2006 Saturday We were up and out of Hostal Arias early on Saturday morning so we could catch the 9:00am bus to Tarifa, the southernmost city in Europe. We got all of our stuff packed up, and walked to the bus stop since it wasn't too far from the hotel. We were hoping that the Starbucks would be open for breakfast, but it was still closed. Once at the bus stop, I snacked on some Frosted Mini Wheats and Gardettos that I'd brought so I could free up some space in my bag as well as get a quasi-meal. We met a man in the bus station who said he owned a house on the beach in Tarifa, and tried to give us as many tips as he could in his broken English. Our bus left right at 9:00am, and we were seated in the row of five seats at the back of the bus, so we must have gotten two of the last five seats on the bus. A man in the row in front of us had horrible, piquant body odor, but luckily he got off well before we reached Tarifa! During a stretch of road just north of Tarifa, we started to see wind power generating windmills! When I worked at Universe of Energy at Epcot, the wind power segment was one of my favorites since I thought they were so pretty, and I thought it was so cool to see them in person! I really wish we'd had a minute to get out of the bus and get closer to them because, for whatever reason, they strike me as so beautiful...like kinetic art. We arrived in Tarifa around 12:30, and made our way to our hotel. As we walked, we passed surf shop after surf shop...you can tell what the main tourist draw is in Tarifa! The walk got pretty tiring with my big backpack (next time, I am packing even lighter than I did this time!!) but soon we found the city center, with it's majestic archway entrance. Our hotel was La Casa Amarilla, the Yellow House. It was pretty easy to spot as you approached it since it's the only building in the area that's yellow! The interior of the hotel was gorgeous...this was by far my favorite of the hotels we stayed in. The lobby was covered in gray marble and ironwork, and all the walls were a happy, bright yellow (the same yellow that I have in my bathroom at home!). The room was opposite the front desk, and had two balconies, a small but full kitchen, marble floors, and probably the prettiest bathroom door I've ever seen! Plus, it was located pretty much in the center of the old area of the city, so it was central to everything...nothing in the area was more than a 10 minute walk. Our room wasn't ready when we checked in, so they stored our luggage in the laundry room, and we headed out for a bite to eat. Cafe Central was right across the street, so we stopped for a bite. Luckily for me, the menu was full of Julie friendly food choices! I was nearly extatic to find pasta on the menu since I hadn't seen it on any other menu in the last four days! I promptly ordered the tortelini with herb sauce, and Kevin got a plate of four tapas. I guess since both things we ordered were "fill you up" sized meals, we confused the waitress when we ordered two! She was like "One for both?" and we're like "No, one meal each please!" haha North American overconsumption rears it's ugly head! Needless to say, my pasta was awesome, and I think I made yummy noises through the whole meal. Kevin got tortilla de patatas, a meatball dish with fries, a dish that he said he thought as pig knuckles, and a dish that was apparently fish, but didn't look remotely like any fish I'd ever seen! He said they were all great though! After lunch, we walked down to the port to get our tickets for the ferry to Morocco the following day. When we first walked down there, it seemed like a long walk, but over the course of two days, I bet we walked that same way five times or more, and each time the walk seemed to get shorter and shorter. On the way, I popped a Euro into a vending machine with these huge balls with toys in them, but instead of giving me one toy for a Euro, it insisted on two Euros, then gave me two toys. They were interesting little junk, and probably stuff I will hang onto since they were the only non-useful souvenirs I got during the trip! Once at th FRS Iberia office, I got some confusion regarding my reservation straightened out, and we were headed off with our tickets fairly quickly. As we walked, we spotted this two lane causeway that led out to a little island named Isla de las Palomas, so we decided to walk out to the end of it. We'd already noticed that Tarifa was quite breezy, but as we walked, the breeze turned to wind, then to howling wind! As we passed the beach on the Mediterranean side of the causeway, we were basically sandblasted by the wind picking up the sand! It was quite painful, but really really funny at the same time! My sunblock had not quite soaked in yet, so not only was I getting sandblasted, but the sand was sticking to me! We kept walking, trying to protect ourselves however we could from the wind. The view was really beautiful...too bad I could barely keep my eyes open to enjoy it! When we finally reached the end, we found the signs that pointed out that the Atlantic was to our right, and the Mediterranean was to our left. Having never seen the Mediterranean, I thought it was pretty cool, despite the fact that the water looked just like the water off the beaches in the Bahamas. We also found the sign telling us that we were in the "southest" city in Europe, which was a nice photo op. There was also a wall enclosing the whole area, so we got a brief break from the howling wind. After taking a few moments to enjoy the island and chat with some folks from Miami that we spotted along the way, we walked back to the city. Really, it was so windy that it was hilarious, including a second sandblasting as we passed the beach a second time. Just as we got past the beach, the wind caught Kevin's hat and blew it into a construction zone behind a fence! After pondering for a moment the best way to retrieve the hat, he took the brute approach and pulled up one of the poles holding up the fencing and ran in to get it. He was glad to have it back since it was the only hat he'd brought with him, and it was also an Epcot souvenir! Arriving back in the city, we stopped in the main plaza area near the tourist info center and each got a Frigo popsicle...I got a Twister and he got a lime calippo. It was really good, and a nice way to slow down and take in the beautiful city we were in. We browsed the tourist info center, then headed back to our hotel for a bit, purchasing a Coke along the way. Once at the hotel, we decided to do a bit of laundry since we were in Tarifa for two days and the wind would effectively dry any laundry left hanging out. When Kevin was done, he laid down and napped while I did mine, then I laid down for a bit as well. We whiled away another two hours or so just laughing, watching tv, looking at our pictures, eating M&Ms and resting. At one point, Kevin dropped a glass and it broke everywhere. The lady at the desk was very nice about it though...I guess you can expect that kind of thing when your hotel has real marble floors! When our break was over, we headed out to explore the city a bit. We stopped in a little place next to our hotel that sold sandwiches and such, and we each got a "panini" which was pretty much just pizza toppings on french bread. They over-warmed it a little bit, but it was still good! As we continued walking, we realized that the walled part of the town had tons of small restaurants and shops that just oozed character, and for watever reason, I fell in love with this city! It was much smaller than Sevilla, so we could just wander and wander and not really worry about getting truly lost. Kevin said he was gonna follow me, so I walked and walked, turning into every alley I found. Twice, I paused and said "Well, are we completely lost now?" then looked up only to see our hotel a little ways down the road! Even trying to get lost, I couldn't! I also found a fantastic t-shirt in one shop that said "Tarifa blows" with a cloud on it. They only had one in my size, so I bought it immediately. I'd hoped to find some really random shirt in Spain, and I thought it was perfect! After a bit, we were both hungry again, so we set off in search of dinner. While wandering around earlier, I'd spotted an Italian restaurant that looked like a safe bet for having Julie friendly food, so we ended up stopping there. We got a bottle of blush wine, and started off with a tomato and mozzarella salad. It was very, very good, and I liked it even more with a touch of vinegar. For the entree, I got a pizza Margherita, and Kevin got a pizza with a soft white cheese and some type of meat, but I don't remember exactly what it was. My pizza was very nice, and too large to finish. We both ended up leaving some on our plates, but of course we finished the wine! Having had a really awesome day, we wandered back to our hotel. Upon arrival, we realized that there was a night club just outside our window on the first floor, and they were quite loud. I rearranged a bit of my laundry, and when I went to push open one of the windows on the balcony, the entire pane of glass I was touching fell out and shattered on the ground! My initial reaction was that I was very glad no one got hurt, since someone from the night club could have easily gotten hit by it. Second was that I hoped I didnt get charged for it since I didn't *break* the window...the entire pane fell out along with the little strip of wood that is supposed to hold it onto the window. With the desk already closed for the night, and since no on was hurt, we went on to bed. That night was the most pleasant we'd had thus far I thought because of the cool breezes all night. And despite the loud noise downstairs, I slept really well. After all the hard work of trying to stand upright on Isla de las Palomas, we indulge in a frozen treat. At last, Kevin claims victory over the hat eating Tarifa wind. Kevin says "Take that, wind! You can't have that hat! That's an Epcot souvenir! I'll just enter this prohibido area and show you who's boss." Uh oh! The wind tries to claim it's first victim...Kevin's Canada hat. Kevin points out that we are in the "southest" city in Europe, while giving me a "I can barely keep my eyes open for all the horribly gusty wind" face. And the Atlantic ocean to the right! The Mediterranean Sea to the left... And this was the view from the island looking back at Tarifa. But despite the wind, there was a great view! You'd never know that the wind was blowing so hard that I could barely keep my eyes open long enough to frame this shot, huh? Here's Kevin headed out to Isla de las Palomas. You can't really tell from the picture, but the wind is probably at least sustaining 50mph on this road! It felt like we were about to get blown into the water! And Kevin greatly enjoyed his tapas. See the dish on the right with those yellow things? That is supposedly the fish dish. I'm still not sold on that. Nummy tortellini and herb sauce for lunch Cafe Central, home of Julie friendly food, located just steps away from our hotel. Funny, but anyone I've show my pics to seem to love this picture for some reason! Here was the view out of our window. Not bad during the day, but it turns into a bustling, loud nightclub at night. I'd say that's the only down side to this hotel. Stained glass on a bathroom door...who puts stained glass in a bathroom door in a hotel?? It was so pretty!!! Our Casa Amarilla room...the nicest of the trip. La Casa Amarilla lobby La Casa Amarilla lobby The beautiful Casa Amarilla lobby Our hotel, La Casa Amarilla Tarifa's archway entrance Windmills on the way to Tarifa

Mean Streak and Flying Unicorn are the two that I remember thinking "*That* is why you don't ride coasters when you're pregnant!" when I hit the brake runs. -Julie

I didn't realize it was in the avatar gallery. I'd kinda prefer it not be. -Julie

I saw La Nouba at Disney World in 2000, and it was truly incredible! It's expensive, but well worth it for an unforgettable evening. I sat in the second row, and while some people say that that's too close, I'd sit there again in a heartbeat. The ribbon flyers were right above my head! I can't wait to get out to Vegas to take in a Cirque show or two. If you haven't seen one, go! Now! -Julie

^ He doesn't have a mullet, so obviously it's not you. teehee -Julie

Please...I worked down there for three summers, and every year there was a major fire on or just outside of property. They even had that fire at the power plant at Epcot a couple of years ago! Anyone who lives in that area can tell you that fires are common in the summer. You know it's a major fire when you have ash raining on you at Epcot, and Japanese tourists asking "Why it always smell like barbecue here?" -Julie

No, your stolen avatar is one of my previous avatar contest entries. -Julie

Scat 2 was hair-raising and scary! Don kept trying to get Monica to ride it so he could get video of it, so eventually, Monica and I rode it, and Don said he was planning on riding after us. Of course, we were on the last cycle of the night...I think we were duped into riding this death contraption! hahaha The spinning was so strong that our faces were smushing back, and we could barely talk or breathe! Seriously, had it gone on another minute or so, I would have probably passed out! The wall you lean against is tilted, so all the blood rushes to your head. I really don't think I've ever been so dizzy when leaving a ride before! We both had to take a few minutes to get our bearings back after we got off the ride. Whew...if you can handle it, you gotta try this ride! -Julie

I am so out of the loop! What is this and where is it going?? Is this replacing the Woody's Roundup thing in the Diamond Horseshoe? Or is this a ride? Can't believe I didn't hear about this! -Julie

Is there any chance of getting any with the design on the front? Those of us with long hair will completely hide the design if it's on the back, plus you can't see it when wearing a jacket. Either of those top two designs would be great, but would be hidden by my hair. -Julie

Beech Bend photos And finally, this is Ross. He has awesome hair. Thanks for reading! After this was taken, we were surprised that we weren't killed by a roving gang of Dale Earnhardt enthusiasts! What a lovely picture of the Rumbler! Yep, everyone can expect some awesome POV of the Dragon coaster on the next Tools DVD! Who's tha gangsta with all tha kiddie credits? I had a couple of crazy freaks following me the whole way to Bowling Green! Lucky for them, I resisted the urge to slam on my brakes. On the way to Beech Bend, my odometer hit a number that I think a lot of people here would appreciate. Yes, I know, I need to dust my dashboard!

On Wednesday, May 31st, I joined Don and Monica for a day at Holiday World so we could all check out Voyage. I will let the pictures do the talking, so I won't write too much. I really enjoyed Voyage! I guess it is my #1 woodie, though there is still room at the top of my list for something to wow me even more. The first, say, 2/3rds of the ride were great, but by the end, my neck was getting tired from bracing it for so long, so it almost seemed like *too* much coaster for me. But the airtime was awesome (a back seat ride elicited an uncontrollable "Wooooah my God!!!" from both Don and myself!) and I thought it was an extremely solid ride. The back was better than the front though in my opinion, especially for the triple down. After finishing up at Holiday World, we ended out the day at Beech Bend. Since we only had about an hour, we just did the coasters and the Scat 2 death machine before the park closed. Afterwards, we found a nice dinner at Cracker Barrell, chatted a bit, and i made it home by about a little after 1:00am. Onto the photos! -Julie Holiday World has some interesting merchandise to say the least. Mmm, sexy. Time to say goodbye to Holiday World. We took a moment to take advantage of this photo op before perusing one of the gift shops. We assumed that everyone must have gone to the waterpark by this point, but when we got back over to Legend, we were still baffled at how empty the coasters were. We paused for a moment (while enjoying another drink) to watch the diving show. This part reminded me of Indiana Beach! After another drink, we headed back over to Raven. Here, Don models the lovely empty Raven station. Monica and I sat out a third ride while Don rode. There he is in the second row in the gray shirt! When we head back to Voyage, no one is there, just the way we like it! Thinking of you, Kev! Get your butt down here and ride these awesome woodies! Monica finds her name quite easily. Hmm...we couldn't decide which wooden name plaque would be more appropriate for Don. At this point, we decded to ride the log flume. While riding, we noticed that Legend was running, so we ran to it to grab a ride. I think I have a photo just like this of anyone I've ever ridden flyers with. Don says, "Oh well, it's out in the open now! Now I can video myself with the flyers without shame!" Don...BUSTED being a theme park dork! Yes, even Holiday World doesn't fail to deliver your daily dose of creepy while in a theme park. What better ride to ride on a full stomach than Liberty Launch? Don and I decided to be Sad and Pathetic for this one. We were hungry at that point, so we stopped for lunch at Kringles Cafe. I had some great pizza, and CHEESECAKE ON A STICK. Frozen cheesecake, covered in chocolate, and on a stick. I couldn't ask for a more perfect food. Ahh Raven. I thought Raven was quite a bit more impressive on this trip than my last. It had penty of airtme, and while not a long ride, it's a quality ride. I'd rank it just about equal with Legend now. After a free beverage, we headed over to the Raven. This one's line was a bit longer, and in the non-airconditioned queue house. Wasn't terribly bad though. Our first stop, much like everyone else, was the Voyage. It was a great ride, and we didn't have to wait more than about 10 minutes for it. D'oh!!! Well, at least we all had the credit already, and we were told that it might open later in the day. McDonald's through a tree! The first order of business of the day was breakfast, so I made it an E-stop! (Thanks Guy!)

I got my Pteranadon Flyers credit one day during the summer when it had been downpouring for a couple of hours. The park had almost completely emptied out...maybe I saw 100 other people in the park! So I asked the greeter if I could ride alone and in a sad vioce she said no, and I said "Oh, I was just hoping to get the credit." And she goes "Oh! You want the credit? Ok, go on in." hahaha The greeter was a credit whore! haha The ride wasn't that great, but I do have the much sought after credit. -Julie

Favorite one ever is Chaos from Opryland. Favorite currently operating one would be Rock N Roller Coaster. -Julie

I know you asked about weekedays, but last year I went on a Sunday in July and the park wasn't terribly crowded. I arrived at noon, but had I arrived at park opening, I could have done all the rides plus some. We did not rush, had a full service dinner, stopped to watch the evening show, and we only missed three coasters that day. The following day, Monday, the park was really busy...at least twice as many people as the Sunday we were there. Waits were fairly bad for everything, and I doubt that we could have gotten in all the coasters on just the Monday. So if you can, I'd recommend a Sunday for your visit based on my experience last year. -Julie

Where's the "sh** then get off the pot" option? I've never understood why you'd want to linger on a seat that is full of your waste??? Maybe it's a guy thing??? -Julie

I always thought that Grad Nights were supposed to be a formal event. Or is that just at WDW? I know I have seen pictures of a Grad Night where everyone looked like they were at the prom! -Julie

http://www.themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=437 -Julie

You might want to check out www.roadsideamerica.com. They have tons of listings for little offbeat stuff that can be found in the US. I *love* this site, and check it any time I am driving to a place I've never been. They list more mainstream touristy stuff like caves and museums, and really random stuff like world's largest strawberries and authentic shrunken heads! What an awesome site! -Julie