Off to the Magic Kingdom

John and Trudy with Mitchell and Adam

Who knew our condo could be so quiet? Trudy, John and the boys were up before 7:00 and out of the house soon afterward. Not surprised that the bedroom and bath were left perfectly tidy ... but it's so empty!

The day is cloudy, with a little rain left over after last night's storm, noisy in the distance. I hope their weather at Disney World is like this. I have the idea that the Magic Kingdom is less populated on rainy days. Trudy wrote out an agenda, so that they can hit the highlights of the park in the one day they have.

Happy the Woodbury Hennesseys chose to spend so much of their Florida vacation with us, but sorry they had to leave so soon.

Good Cheer at Crabby Bill's

Here we are with Adam and Mitchell

Crabby Bill's is an mandatory stop for first-time visitors to St Pete Beach. We've been there several times and were impressed only by the restaurant's prime location on the beach. Large windows on the main floor provide beautiful views from any of the large picnic tables set up to accommodate family dining.

We opted to sit inside after being told of a 40-minute wait for the patio upstairs. Our drinks -- root beer for Adam and Mitchell, beer for John, scotch for Bob, margaritas for Trudy and me -- were delivered promptly. Maybe a little too promptly, as we missed reduced happy hour prices for some beverages on the first round.

John and Trudy

I'd never had soft shell crab before and felt a little squeamish staring at a sandy looking crab sitting on a roll with lettuce and tomato. However, the sandwich was delicious, as was most of the food. Bob looked woefully at his garlic mashed potatoes and overcooked baby carrots (which he says he didn't order as a side), so I gave him most of my fries and cole slaw in trade. The boys' pizza was enjoyed without complaint.

The video games keep kids occupied while adults finish their meals. Each of the boys selected a Crabby Bill's shirt as a souvenir as we left the restaurant. It was a fun, and last meal together but I felt a little sad, knowing our guests were leaving in the morning.

The Big Slide

The slide at TradeWinds

John told the boys they would each have to go down the TradeWinds Resort slide 20 times to reduce the unit cost per ride to $1.00. Sound familiar, Team Hennessey? They were on the slide early in the morning, before the sun got really hot, well ahead of the 40-minute lines that form in the afternoon.

John, Mitchell and Adam
 

We also enjoyed several of the pools while Trudy and Adam took a paddleboat ride on the "moat" that surrounds one of the buildings. John's sunglasses finally bit the dust when the cracked frame collapsed into so many pieces they were beyond repair. Bob insisted on getting him new shades on the spot.

After a couple of beers from the bar, everyone was tired and hungry, so walked back across the street to our own condo.