Road Trip Family

Science Fiction Dining

I’ve written before about the Prime-Time Café in Hollywood Studios and how it’s a wonderful themed restaurant and a great change of pace from the rest of the park.

But, there’s another place in Hollywood Studios that has a great theme and is as much of an attraction as the rides and shows.

The Sci-Fi Dine-in Theater provides a nostalgic trip for anyone who has ever gone to a drive-in theater. It takes a walk down memory lane – or maybe it’s a drive down memory lane.

 

When you arrive, you are escorted to your car. I mean table. No, I mean car.

The dining room of the restaurant is shaped like a drive-in theater. All of the tables, I mean cars, are parked around the room and are facing a big movie screen which is playing clips from old, cheesy B-rated science-fiction and monster movies in a continuous loop.

Each car is reminiscent of a 1950s convertible car. Most cars feature three tables. Two people can sit in the front seat, two people can sit in the middle seat and two people can sit in the back seat.

A little tip: it’s a bit of a squeeze, but you can fit a small person in-between two adults at one of these tables. This is good to know because the restaurant is dark and some small people may not like the “night” feeling.

 

Everyone sits in their cars facing the movie screen under a sea of stars. You have the drivers in the front seat, the passengers in the middle and the hitchhikers in the back. A “car hop” comes to your window to take your order. With the exception of a few menu items, the majority of the menu features foods that you would probably see at a food stand at a drive-in theater. Foods like nachos, burgers, hot dogs, onion rings, sandwiches.

One of the best items on the menu is their milkshakes. If you try one, I recommend the Oreo ice cream milkshake! 

Once you’ve had your fill and watched numerous movie clips, the “car hop” will issue you a parking ticket, aka the bill. That’s what I love about Disney is that they carry a theme through from beginning to end and that they are so meticulous with details.

From the stars to the car hops to the bill, everything adds to the feeling that you're at the drive in movies!

 

Red Hot and Yummy!

There’s a road trip that I love to take. We usually make this trip at least once a year, usually on Mother’s Day. We climb into our “roadtripfamily” van and make the trek to Plattsburgh, NY, to visit this place:

Clare and Carl’s is really just a tiny ramshackle type of restaurant, but it has perhaps the best Michigan hot dogs anywhere.

Established in 1942, this little out of the way stand on Route 9 features a small U-shaped counter where you can sit and enjoy a special hot dog with meat sauce. Or if it's nice out, head out to the picnic tables. Just don’t feed the seagulls!

(And yes, My Chandler, loves to make faces in pictures!)

If you’d rather stay in your car, though, a “car hop” will come to your car, take your order and return with it on a tray that attaches to the window frame of your car. 

What I love about it is that some of the members of this road trip family are fairly particular, but enjoy a plain hotdog, so it’s a place where we can all find something to eat.

 

The rest of us like to have the meaty sauce - otherwise known as Michigan sauce - liberally scooped onto the hotdog which sits in a little bun that is dug out like a boat. With a little mustard, it’s spicy without being too hot. You can have without onions or with onions – specify on top or buried, though!

After we get our fill of these delicacies, we pour ourselves back into the car and head home, completely filled and completely happy!

From the Man Behind the Mouse



"It's kind of fun to do the impossible."   -- Walter Elias Disney

Entertaining the Troops

Keeping really young kids entertained in a car during a long car trip can be, well, entertaining in itself. If someone were to look in our car at some points during a trip, they would find it very interesting!

There have been the times that we’ve made funny faces to keep someone happy.

There have been times where we act goofy and sound like Grover as we sing along to a song on the radio.

And – don’t tell the police – but there have been times where we’ve resorted to the unbuckling and half climbing in the back to reach a dropped toy or hand over a juice box. Of course, the responsible part of me tells the children to never mimic what I’m doing at the same time I'm telling My Chandler, “Don’t get into an accident.”

It’s one thing when the kids are young. It’s another thing when they are so young that their car seats are facing the rear.

I’m amazed at my gymnastics moves and ability to entertain a child who can’t really see me!

A couple of years ago, when Pumpkin was a tiny gourd and in a rear-facing seat, we were preparing for a very long trip. I was dreading the inevitable gymnastics and monkeying that was facing me.

Then, My Chandler came to the rescue. Using some play links, he devised a contraption that hung over the car seat. From this contraption, we hung some of Pumpkin’s favorite toys like Mr. Whoozit and rattle-type toys. She was able to reach them and play with them and we didn't have to worry about them falling on the floor of the car.

Of course, it wasn’t going to entertain her for hours, but it would help ease some of the torture that I would have to endure reaching into the back seat. And, throughout the trip, we rotated toys to provide some variety.

 It definitely made the trip more enjoyable – especially for my back and arms!

Main Street Electrical Parade

There’s always a bit of Disney magic floating around at Walt Disney World, no matter what time of day. Mickey Mouse is there to greet you when the park gets ready to open for the day. Tinker Bell shows up on your hands in pictures that the professional photographers take on your way to the castle. Characters pop up in areas all around the park so that you are almost guaranteed to bump into one at some point or another. And don’t forget the magical fireworks at the end, set to music and featuring a little pixie dust.

One of the most spectacular sites I have ever witnessed is the magical light parade that closes out some evenings at Magic Kingdom (and during the summer it’s almost every evening and sometimes twice in one night!). When this parade first started in 1977, it was called the Main Street Electrical Parade.

During the 1990s and for a brief time in the new millennium, the parade was recreated and renamed to Spectromagic. Jiminy Cricket hosted this parade and it featured lighted “units” or floats that held different Disney characters.

The Main Street Electrical Parade made an appearance at Disney World again between 1999 and 2001 and has recently returned for another run. There has been some remodeling of the parade over the years, but for returning visitors, it’s a pretty familiar  - and spectacular – sight to behold.

The parade starts with the synthesized announcer voice saying: “Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls! The Magic Kingdom proudly presents our spectacular festival pageant of nighttime magic and imagination. In thousands of sparkling lights and electro-synthe-magnetic musical sounds. The Main Street Electrical Parade.”

What a perfect description of a sparkling parade of lights and music!

Tinker Bell is currently leading the parade, having replaced Pinocchio’s Blue Fairy. What follows are floats that are strung with strand after strand after strand of little lights. Each float has a theme and is filled with characters from these themes. There’s Casey Jr., the Circus Engine, holding Mickey and the gang. Alice’s Wonderland makes an appearance. There’s a magical ball for Cinderella, as well as scenes from Peter Pan, Dumbo, Pinocchio and Snow White. Perhaps my all-time favorite is a character that isn’t as well known as the others. It’s Elliott, otherwise known as Pete’s Dragon, who magically disappears and reappears along the parade route.

There are also tons of dancing characters circling around the floats during the parade. And just like the floats, they are decked out in costumes that feature hundreds of sparkling lights.

And of course no parade is complete without fireworks! I’ve talked about these fireworks shows in a previous blog, but when it’s combined with the parade, it makes for an entertaining end to a day at the park.

These nighttime performances are definitely not to be missed! You can even see versions of this at Disneyland in California and other Disney theme parks around the world.

Where’s the best place to see this parade? It’s often more crowded on Main Street , but if you get there early enough and stake out a spot, you get a good view and an easier access to the front gate after it’s over. We tried this one time. We had to stake out a spot early, but we took turns holding the spot while others went on rides. And with a young child it sometimes works out nice to have that downtime from the rest of the park.

But, if you aren’t in a hurry to leave, I’d suggest making your way over to Liberty Square. It’s quieter here, there isn’t as much of a crowd and the parade passes right through this spot.

Have you already seen this parade and don’t need to see it a second – or third or fourth – time? Here are some tips about other happenings at the same time:

1.  At the same time this parade is heading down Main Street, there’s also a magical sight to see in the Seven Seas Lagoon next to the Magic Kingdom, Polynesian Resort and Grand Floridian. It’s called the Electrical Water Pageant, it was introduced shortly after the park opened in 1971 and has been entertaining guests ever since. This water parade of 14 floating floats features images of sea creatures from Disney shows like Pete’s Dragon, the Little Mermaid, Peter Pan and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea done up in sparkling multi-colored lights.



2. During this parade is a great time to go on some of the rides that you might have missed. The lines aren’t as long and the rest of the park tends to be a bit quieter at this point of the night.

Grand Central Fun

My Chandler, the girls and I love finding the time to take a trip to New York City. Whether it’s to take in a baseball game, celebrate a birthday at the American Girl Store or the Museum of Natural History, take in a Broadway show, or to simply do a little sightseeing, we just love it when we can make that trek to the Big Apple.

For the last couple of trips to the city, I have found that our time in the city has been beginning and ending at a train station. And not just any train station. No, THE train station of train stations – Grand Central Station.

With it’s constellations etched into the ceiling, it’s trademark gold clock in the center of the building and the flurry of activity as people head to or from a destination, it’s a site to behold.

There are shops for those last minute souvenirs or gifts for loved ones. There are restaurants where you can grab a bite to eat as you wait for your train to arrive or depart. There are huge billboards announcing arrivals and departure times for trains.

On more than one occasion, we have even witnessed a bride and groom posing for formal shots. 

This station has also been a frequent backdrop in movies and television shows (most recently “Smash”). It’s fun to see the station on the big (or little) screen and look for the entryway that leads to a nice bathroom, or the doors that we always walk out of, or the clock that we’ve taken our kids’ pictures in front of numerous times.

One of my favorite scenes is the commercial with the flash mob that appears in Grand Central Station. Anytime I’m in this station, I drag my feet, procrastinate leaving the building as long as possible, do everything I can think of to try to expand my time in the building, hoping that at some point in my future, I’ll be able to witness a flash mob.

Or, even better, get dragged into pulled into invited to participate in a flash mob on the spot! Who knows - it could happen!

 

Back on Track

This blog is like a road trip. There’s the strong start when everything is freshly packed and in its place. When everyone has gone to the bathroom, is well-rested and is ready to face the trip ahead. Like the start of the road trip, this blog was ready for the trip ahead. The writer was well-rested, had lots of stories packed and ready to be posted, lots of ideas packed in her head. And the writer had used the bathroom.

Then, about an hour or two into the trip, the snacks are broken into, the scenery begins to look the same, and the first “Are we there yet?” is heard from the back seat. Like the road trip, the blog starts to stumble a little. The writer is starting to pull out the “extras”, those blog entries that were written for a rainy day, and starting to wonder what to do when she gets to the bottom of that pile.

Then, a short while later, the snacks are used up, the car activity bags no longer have the same appeal, the “Are we there, yet?” question is joined by “I have to go potty!” statement. Like the trip, the blog starts to feel the same, the “extras” are long gone, time constraints may appear and the writer is struggling to find entertaining antidotes in the far reaches of her mind.

Finally, there’s no other choice on a road trip, but to find that rest area, that welcome center, that gas station or restaurant, where everyone can get out, stretch their legs, use the restrooms and take a break from the monotony of the trip.

It’s the same with the blog. Sometimes, the writer may not be able to find the time to share a story, the writer may not be struggling to find more ideas from the far reaches of her mind, the writer may be simply tired. So, there’s no other choice, but to find that rest area and take a break.

Which is just what I did. With the flurry of recent activity in our lives, I was finding it increasingly hard to be creative, find new ideas and pictures and write about them. I found myself wrapped up in productions of the childrens’ school plays, taekwondo and ballet practices, being a taxi driver for the kids, and teaching Sunday School. Work, school and everyday life seemed to speed up. I felt like I was riding a bicycle on the highway as cars were zipping by me at 70 mph.

So, I jumped off the highway and stopped at a rest area. I got out, stretched my legs, did some knee bends, took some deep breaths and went to the bathroom.  It’s amazing how much more relaxed you can feel after a small break!

So, now it’s time to get back on track and see where this next path takes me. Ready for the next leg of the trip?

On Broadway!

It’s been kind of quiet on the Road Trip blog these last few weeks. Mainly, it’s because I’ve found myself in the middle of what feels like a tornado.

You see, it’s theater season for the Road Trip family.

For some reason – and if you know my family, it’s not an unknown reason – my children have been bitten with a bug. The acting bug. 

It started out small. A preschool nursery rhyme play here. A church pageant there.

But, then grade school happened and – with the help of a local children’s theater company – the plays became bigger and more involved.

 And, like any organization with not a lot of money to spare for the arts, there’s a lot of donations and volunteering from the parents.

And once they discover you can sew a – fairly – straight line, well, let’s just say that my little sewing machine has had quite the workout over the years.

Despite all of the tiring hours and weeks of rehearsals and meetings and organizing, it is nice to see my kids be interested in something that I have had an interest in for years. A love that I definitely inherited from my parents. A love of being on the stage.

And a love of watching plays.

I’ve been reminiscing over these past few weeks about my theater experiences. I've thought back to my earliest memory of theater. I was about 4 or 5 and I saw a dress rehearsal for a local production of "Oklahoma" that my dad was in. I remember being enthralled with Ado Annie as she sang right in front of me about not being a girl who can't say no. I wanted to be up on that stage, too, singing my heart out!

My earliest experience on a stage that I can remember is playing Old Mother Hubbard in my Kindergarten play. I dove into the role with relish, immersing myself into the role of a woman with a dog who found her cupboards were bare and so she had no bone to give to her dog. There was tenderness, there was intense drama, there was mystery!

My first big speaking role was as the ghost of a young child in "Blithe Spirit," a production that my Dad was directing. Of course it was a recording of my voice, but I brought a lot of life to that dead character!

And then there was the first time I saw a show on Broadway. I was in 8^th grade when my family went to New York to see "Big River." Everything is etched with such clarity in my mind  - from the marquis outside to our seats off to the left of the stage, to the spittle flying from Huck Finn’s Pappy’s mouth, to the cute, cute, cute actor who play Tom Sawyer.

Over the years, theater has been a big part in my life. There were usually a couple of musicals thrown into the music mix on our car trips. There were school productions where there was as much drama going on backstage as there was onstage. There were road trips to small town theaters and to big city productions. There have been local productions with hardly any sets and big traveling shows with amazingly big sets.

And now in two weeks, I’ll be able to sit back and enjoy two great productions. We’ll get to see Peanut in a slightly rewritten production of "Narnia" (complete with some familiar tunes from the 1960s). And then the following week Sweet Pea will put on her least favorite color in the world to become a Pink Lady in a very G-rated version of "Grease."

I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree!

Disney World, Take Me Away!

It has been a very busy couple of weeks. On top of the normal day-to-day activities – work, school, taekwondo classes, ballet classes, church, homework, household chores – I have found myself swamped with “extras.”

We had a 10^th birthday to plan, which also included a trip into NYC – but that’s for another blog.

Two of the three girls are involved in their school plays, thus My Chandler and I have become involved in them, as well, with costume making and transportation.

There was a taekwondo tournament that Peanut participated in the morning of her birthday party. Talk about a busy day!

Planning for this summer’s Vacation Bible School has started up with a bang. Didn’t I just finish last year’s school?

Throw in some field trips, unscheduled illnesses and a Mardi Gras party and what’s a Mom to do?

How about a trip to Disney World?

Unfortunately, that’s not in the cards right now, but I did discover something this past weekend that is almost as nice.

The Disney Store in New York City.

Two stories of pure Disney!

With a castle!

Yes, it’s a store with merchandise to buy, but there’s something about the atmosphere that just brings a person’s stress level way down. Just like that Happiest Place on Earth in Florida.

Maybe it’s the greeter at the front door who welcomes you with a great big smile and chipper attitude. Or maybe it’s the music that’s playing as you walk around the store. Or maybe it’s the “electronic” fireworks that go off on the walls of the store.  Or maybe it’s just that this girl is always so happy to see her crush, Mickey Mouse!

One of the cast members at the store learned that we were celebrating Peanut’s birthday that weekend, along with her cousin’s birthday. She quickly ushered us to a gazebo on the second floor where, in typical Disney fashion, had a celebration shout out to the birthday girls.

The "peppiness" of the employees (or cast members as they are called in Disney land), the Disney themed music and the fact that I was surrounded by lots of Disney love – and Mickey – helped me have a “Calgon” moment!

Peanut

Ten years ago, My Chandler and I took a road trip to an old feed store that had been converted into a restaurant. This restaurant had a reputation amongst the pregnant population. I had heard that there was a chicken dinner at this restaurant that, for some mysterious reason, was known to help induce labor. The restaurant actually had a list of women who had delivered within a day after having this dinner.

Being 15 months pregnant with our second child and more than ready to deliver, I was ready to try anything!

When we arrived, I was grilled by the hostess about due dates and it being okay with my doctor if I did go into labor. After reassuring her, we were seated and I ordered the chicken dinner. It was delicious.

And at 12:06 pm the next day, Peanut was born.

We like to joke with her that she must have loved that chicken dinner so much that she wanted to see what else was available to eat out in the world.

Peanut arrived with very little crying, a little wiggling and a big heart.

And an appetite.

Ten years later, she has grown into a beautiful young lady. She's creative, artistic, free-spirited, caring, emotional, loving. She's a unique individual who is just as happy playing with friends as she is playing alone. She is curious about the world, loves to snuggle, and has an effortless sense of humor.

She waltzed into our hearts 10 years ago and set up camp there.

Happy Birthday, dear Peanut!