Parc Soleil

I thought I would take the opportunity to review the Parc Soleil resort in Orlando.  We spent a week here over Thanksgiving and had a great time.  As I have written before, Orlando is one of my favorite places and somewhere we have visited many times.  This was not a Disney vacation though we did spend two days at the parks.  In addition to celebrating Thanksgiving with my extended family it was also my parent's 50th wedding anniversary.  We arrived the Tuesday before Thanksgiving and stayed in a two bedroom, two bath suite.  We were on the 10th floor overlooking the pool.  I liked this view though other members of my family had a view of the adjoining lake which also provided a view of Disney and the nightly fireworks.  I think we would have been happy with either view.  The room was very nice and comfortable.  It offered plenty of room for the three of us.  Everyone in our group was happy with the accommodations.  Though the weather wasn't perfect we did spend several days at the pool.  My parents rented a private cabana which served as a nice please to keep our stuff, eat lunch, and hang out.  The pool area had a slide and several hot tubes.  The entertainment team offered daily games for adults and kids and one day there was live music.  There was also an activity center geared to kids where they could go play video games and other fun things.  Overall there was a lot to do at the resort and our time there flew by.  I also wanted to mention the food.  Most days were started at the Marketplace where they served Starbucks coffee and offered many quick breakfast options.  Lunch was usually by the pool delivered by the great wait staff.  We did have several dinners, including Thanksgiving, in the Soleil Cafe.  This was a casual eatery but the food was consistently good.  Parc Soleil is part of the Hilton Grand Vacations system.  It was very convenient to Disney and other Orlando attractions.  I would highly recommend the resort if you find yourself in Orlando and want an alternative to the large chain resorts.  I look forward to going back within the next year.

Until tomorrow,
Dave

Coming Soon...

I am hoping to do some new and exciting things with the blog soon.  I  would like to get on a regular publishing schedule again with some content that may expand my audience.  Please stay tuned.

Dave

2015

A belated Happy New Year to everyone.  2014 could not come to an end fast enough.  There were some good moments but it will be remembered as a year of loss and tough times.  When I started the blog a year ago I had hoped to make 2014 the best year ever.  Well it wasn't but I have same hope for 2015.  So much of life is out of our hands but one thing we can control is to try to make of most of every moment of every day.  That is my goal for this year.  Focus on what matters and enjoy life.  I am not going to have any resolutions for 2015 as I did for 2014.  If you remember I swore off french fries.  I can report that I really did go all year without one.  We are now a week into 2015 and I still haven't had a fry but I can't wait to have one.  I look forward to writing about 2015 as I take it one day at a time.

Until tomorrow,

Dave

Shelling

Sanibel Island is known as one of the best shelling destinations in the country.  What is shelling you ask?  Well it is pretty self explanatory.  It is the act of collecting shells.  Sounds easy right?  Well I learned on our trip that it is not as easy as it sounds.  It was obvious from the first time I stepped on the beach in Sanibel that there were a lot of shells around.  As you looked closer most were broken or not very pretty.  I wondered where all the conch like shells were.  After talking to a local we learned the best strategy is to wade waist deep into the water at low tide and dig down into the sand.  Experienced shellers have a screen bucket with a long handle attached that they use to dig and shift.  Well I didn't have that so I got very wet and actually ended up finding some good ones by feeling around with my feet.  My daughter actually had some success just looking along the shore and I credit our friend Dick for helping train her eye while we've looked for shark teeth along the North Carolina coast. I'm not sure shelling will become a new hobby but I know if we ever return to Sanibel I will be prepared.

Until tomorrow,

Dave

Roseate Spoonbilll

I mentioned in my previous post that we visited Sanibel Island, FL over Christmas.  One of the highlights of the trip was seeing new varieties of birds.  I've written before about my fondness for birds and seeing new types.  While in Florida I saw one of my favorites.  The Roseate Spoonbill.  Before this trip I had never seen one in person, but I became familiar with them while playing bird bingo.  This is a version of bingo that has birds on the cards instead of letters and was a gift to my daughter from my mom.  While playing countless games the spoonbill stuck out to me.  In Florida we took a guided tour of the Ding Daring Wildlife Refuge.  While on the tour vehicle we stopped to observe a flock of white pelicans sitting on a sandbar during low tide in a mangrove filled estuary.  When out of the sky came two beautiful pink and white birds.  Before the guide could even say what they were I mouthed "rosette spoonbill."  They were beautiful and looked just like the appeared on the bird bingo card just a bit smaller than I anticipated.  After they landed they stood among the pelicans with their light pink feathers popping against the white background.  So it was the small things like this that made the trip so special.  It also got me thinking that if I ever own a boat or beach house I think Roseate Spoonbill may make a great name.

Until tomorrow,
Dave

Sanibel Island

It has been way too long since I did a blog post.  I thought a year ago I would do daily updates for a year and call it quits.  I did great for the first quarter of 2014 but my daily posts didn't last long after that.  For 2015 I am going to be a bit more realistic.  I will keep the blog alive but not try to post something everyday.  Just when something is worth posting about.  Starting tomorrow I will write a few blogs about my recent trip to Sanibel Island.  After spending a week there I grew very fond of the place and had some great experiences.  For those not familiar with Sanibel is sits just west  of Fort Myers, FL.  It is a known for its shelling but there is a lot more than that to do.  I will cover several of these things over the next week or so.

Until tomorrow,
Dave

Do the right thing

This week I faced a moral dilemma.  I didn't realize it was one until after it was over, but for the past few days I've been thinking about it.  On the way to grab lunch at work on Wednesday I stepped outside of my building and heard a women yelling.  I walked further and saw a young man walking quickly away from a distressed women, probably his girlfriend.  She was apologizing and asking him to come back.  They may have been homeless or mentally challenged or both I couldn't tell.  As the girl started to run after her boyfriend she dropped a big folder she was carrying and the contents spilled on the sidewalk.  I kept walking and as I passed her a women came and asked if she was OK and offered to help.  Why didn't I stop?  That is my nature but I honestly didn't even consider helping her.  I guess I didn't want to interfere with an obvious domestic situation.  It would have been so easy to stop and help he pick up her stuff and I regret not doing it.  From now on I won't keep walking when someone needs help.  I have people stop me all the time asking for money and I refuse but that is different.  This women in that moment was lost and alone and needed a hand.  I didn't offer her mine but I will in the future.

Until tomorrow,
Dave