TW1
04-03-2006, 05:00 PM
Day 1, Saturday March 25
Chili Today…Hot Tamale!
Our HHI ritual begins with the 12 hour trek south, down I-95 from Philly. We’ve got this trip down pat knowing our favorite rest stops and those to avoid. Thankfully this most recent journey was completely un-eventful. All 725 miles were relatively clear sailing.
The only interest this drive holds for us is the final destination…and the signs for South of the Border where “Pedro Says – You’ve Never Sausage a Place and You’re Always a Weiner.” And remember, what happens at South of the Border stays at South of the Border!
We ended this drive as usual in Beaufort, SC, about 30 minutes north of the resort, where we stay at the Country Inn & Suites. This stop saves the Saturday night points and makes the Sunday morning drive onto the island a breeze. (more about points on Day 4.)
Day 2, Sunday March 26
Vamos a la Playa…
Reaching the gate at 22 Harbourside Lane is always a treat! Hearing “Welcome Home” over the security intercom as you wait for the gate to be raised is a sign of good times ahead.
It was only about 9:30 a.m. and our studio wasn’t ready, though we were given a choice of rooms to wait for. After narrowing it down to the two available no-smoking and non-HA rooms, we chose a new building, 16, as our destination. We’ve been in the Main Lodge for the past 5 years, and welcomed the chance to try something new.
Since the room wasn’t ready, but the weather was, we changed and headed to the beach house. Coming from PA, even 62 degrees was more than warm enough for us to hit the beach. We spend about 2 hours walking along the surf, enjoying the scenery, the smells, the sounds and that overall warm feeling of “being home.”
Our room was ready by lunchtime, so we headed back, unpacked, and got our vacation started. DS wanted to go fishing, so he and I headed out to the resort’s pier. Not much luck, only one fish for us this day. DW and DD picked up two bikes for the week at the recreation desk. This is a great deal, just $50 for the entire length of stay for the first two bikes and $10 for each additional bike. DS and I picked up our bikes later in the day as well.
We enjoyed the pool, ping pong, shuffleboard and foosball, and of course the hot tub for the rest of the day. Sunday night is campfire night, as we headed back to the fire pit by 7:00 p.m. for what was sure to be a great time. Campfire sing-alongs in HHI (and VB) are a blast with the CMs leading the crowd in hilarious songs, and leading off with the traditional “Cheeky Cheeky.” After about an hour-and-a-half of singing and ‘smores we jumped into the hot tub for a few more minutes and before heading back to the room.
Day 3, Monday, March 27
Hi, I’m Kate!
The newest member of the recreation staff is Cast Member Kate, from Massachusetts, and more recently the Emporium on Main Street! Kate has got to be the nicest CM we’ve ever met, fun, friendly, perky, out-going and a great campfire leader! We’ve always been interested in the new staff, year to year. There have been great ones and we miss some of the CMs from years ago (though not all!) All in all, these current CMs are just fabulous with many still on staff like B’Lou Crabbe, Richard, Gordon, Suzan and others.
The daily recreation schedule was jammed packed, as usual, with activities for all ages. We always join the various nature walks and excursions with the naturalist, magic shows, and this year tried the Pirates of the Calibogue event, which is a great scavenger hunt around the resort.
Day 4, Tuesday, March 28
So, How Much Are Saturday Night Points?
WHAT! My mind is racing! What’s my come-back to DW’s almost innocent question? I know…I’ll take Add-Ons for $1,000 please! Oh it’s a Daily Double!
Yes, we had THE TALK! Its seems DW has a very mild case of add-on-itis. We’re five years into this and our meager 150 points may not be enough after all. Talk around the hot tub with other members about points, weekend stays, three trips a year, 2 bedrooms, and more really has DW thinking about more points.
Currently, our 150 pts allows us two, Sun-Fri Studio trips a year, a 40 point trip in March and a 65 point trip in August. DW is thinking 1) drop the overnight in Beaufort and check in on Saturdays, 2) upgrade to at least a 1 bedroom, and/or 3) make each trip longer. So, I’ve been given the green light to draw up a few scenarios to accomplish at least one of these objectives. WOOHOO!
Day 5 Wednesday, March 29
I’m a Disgrace to MouseOwners!
New to the activities line-up was a Members’ Meet-n-Greet at the beach house. For $15 per person, members 21 and over were invited to a one-hour wine and cheese reception. About a dozen members came and enjoyed some very good wine, cheese, crackers, crudités, fresh fruit and coconut shrimp. One CM, Gwyneth, put together two trivia questions for us: #1 the exact date HHI opened, which I knew (03/01/96), and #2 the order in which each resort opened, which I stumbled on, mixing up VWL and VB. Ugh! Do I lose my Founding Member status on MouseOwners? While I did not win this one, I was singled out by a CM for using the initials (OKW, VWL, BW, etc) on my entry form rather than spelling out the names (all this forum chatter makes for interesting talents after all). Well there were a few winners of each and 2 random winners were given a nice baseball cap with the DVC HHI logo. The resorts general manager came as well and thanked everyone for being there.
Some of the members talked amongst themselves about forums and that other board. I mentioned MO and will wait to see if any pop up here.
Day 6, Thursday, March 30
Family Walk on the Beach…
We always wrap up out last night in HHI with a sunset walk on the beach. Since our first visit in 2000, we’ve gone to the beach after dinner on our last night to stroll, search for treasures, take some pictures, and revel in the natural beauty of HHI beaches. This year was no different, while the air was a bit chilly, the tide was just reaching its high point and we watched the waves overtake the various sand sculptures left behind by the day’s visitors. The sky was clear and the tiniest sliver of a moon hung in the western sky. There was a perfect palmetto palm, silhouetted against this rich blue backdrop that clearly resembled the SC state flag, though my camera just couldn’t capture that magic.
Leaving the beach that last night is always hard. We wait until it’s almost too dark to find our way back, each with a shell in our hand and a mental picture to hold us until we return.
Day 7, Friday, March 31
Pardon our Appearance…
Checking out is never fun, especially this year when we know it will be at least a year until we return. We will not be making our traditional August trip to HHI this year, but rather venturing to Colorado to visit family, so the kids wanted to make the most of their last morning. We were all up and out by 8:00 a.m., the kids on their bikes and DW and I doing last minute chores and packing.
After clearing out the room, we suffered our first unpleasant sight, the shutting of the door for the last time! DW and I walked our bikes over to the recreation desk to turn them in, only to pass the second unpleasant sight, the roped-off hot tub which was emptied and sporting a large “pardon our appearance while we renovate” sign. We certainly enjoyed the hot tub this week, but the unfortunate guests for the next few days are out of luck. No idea what the renovations will entail or how long they will take.
Our third and last unpleasant sight was DS barreling down the path to find us and let us know his sister wiped out her bike. She was just around the corner with a bloody knee and scattered bruises. A very nice housekeeping CM had run to get some band aids and met us there. Well, we cleaned her up and all is well, but we knew it was time to hit the road. We poured them both into the van and began our long voyage north.
Our ride home was a bit slower, about 13.5 hours due to Friday night traffic around the DC beltway, but we were in our own beds at midnight, safe and sound.
Finally, The Trip Report Wrap-Up!
In general the trip to HHI was fabulous, again. We just love it there and are so happy we made it our home resort. At our campfire, when the CMs were going around asking us where we come from, I blurted out, “Two weeks a year we live here, the rest of the time it just doesn’t matter.”
The resort, now 10 years old, is showing its age in places, but there were also plenty of maintenance projects underway, or recently completed, like new walkways, new lights, the pool slide has been repainted, new ping pong and foosball tables, various public spaces have been refinished, and more. The room was fine overall though minor cosmetic deficiencies in the bathroom. The CMs are the best of the Disney family and the overall resort ambience makes HHI our happy place.
Now, about that add-on….
Chili Today…Hot Tamale!
Our HHI ritual begins with the 12 hour trek south, down I-95 from Philly. We’ve got this trip down pat knowing our favorite rest stops and those to avoid. Thankfully this most recent journey was completely un-eventful. All 725 miles were relatively clear sailing.
The only interest this drive holds for us is the final destination…and the signs for South of the Border where “Pedro Says – You’ve Never Sausage a Place and You’re Always a Weiner.” And remember, what happens at South of the Border stays at South of the Border!
We ended this drive as usual in Beaufort, SC, about 30 minutes north of the resort, where we stay at the Country Inn & Suites. This stop saves the Saturday night points and makes the Sunday morning drive onto the island a breeze. (more about points on Day 4.)
Day 2, Sunday March 26
Vamos a la Playa…
Reaching the gate at 22 Harbourside Lane is always a treat! Hearing “Welcome Home” over the security intercom as you wait for the gate to be raised is a sign of good times ahead.
It was only about 9:30 a.m. and our studio wasn’t ready, though we were given a choice of rooms to wait for. After narrowing it down to the two available no-smoking and non-HA rooms, we chose a new building, 16, as our destination. We’ve been in the Main Lodge for the past 5 years, and welcomed the chance to try something new.
Since the room wasn’t ready, but the weather was, we changed and headed to the beach house. Coming from PA, even 62 degrees was more than warm enough for us to hit the beach. We spend about 2 hours walking along the surf, enjoying the scenery, the smells, the sounds and that overall warm feeling of “being home.”
Our room was ready by lunchtime, so we headed back, unpacked, and got our vacation started. DS wanted to go fishing, so he and I headed out to the resort’s pier. Not much luck, only one fish for us this day. DW and DD picked up two bikes for the week at the recreation desk. This is a great deal, just $50 for the entire length of stay for the first two bikes and $10 for each additional bike. DS and I picked up our bikes later in the day as well.
We enjoyed the pool, ping pong, shuffleboard and foosball, and of course the hot tub for the rest of the day. Sunday night is campfire night, as we headed back to the fire pit by 7:00 p.m. for what was sure to be a great time. Campfire sing-alongs in HHI (and VB) are a blast with the CMs leading the crowd in hilarious songs, and leading off with the traditional “Cheeky Cheeky.” After about an hour-and-a-half of singing and ‘smores we jumped into the hot tub for a few more minutes and before heading back to the room.
Day 3, Monday, March 27
Hi, I’m Kate!
The newest member of the recreation staff is Cast Member Kate, from Massachusetts, and more recently the Emporium on Main Street! Kate has got to be the nicest CM we’ve ever met, fun, friendly, perky, out-going and a great campfire leader! We’ve always been interested in the new staff, year to year. There have been great ones and we miss some of the CMs from years ago (though not all!) All in all, these current CMs are just fabulous with many still on staff like B’Lou Crabbe, Richard, Gordon, Suzan and others.
The daily recreation schedule was jammed packed, as usual, with activities for all ages. We always join the various nature walks and excursions with the naturalist, magic shows, and this year tried the Pirates of the Calibogue event, which is a great scavenger hunt around the resort.
Day 4, Tuesday, March 28
So, How Much Are Saturday Night Points?
WHAT! My mind is racing! What’s my come-back to DW’s almost innocent question? I know…I’ll take Add-Ons for $1,000 please! Oh it’s a Daily Double!
Yes, we had THE TALK! Its seems DW has a very mild case of add-on-itis. We’re five years into this and our meager 150 points may not be enough after all. Talk around the hot tub with other members about points, weekend stays, three trips a year, 2 bedrooms, and more really has DW thinking about more points.
Currently, our 150 pts allows us two, Sun-Fri Studio trips a year, a 40 point trip in March and a 65 point trip in August. DW is thinking 1) drop the overnight in Beaufort and check in on Saturdays, 2) upgrade to at least a 1 bedroom, and/or 3) make each trip longer. So, I’ve been given the green light to draw up a few scenarios to accomplish at least one of these objectives. WOOHOO!
Day 5 Wednesday, March 29
I’m a Disgrace to MouseOwners!
New to the activities line-up was a Members’ Meet-n-Greet at the beach house. For $15 per person, members 21 and over were invited to a one-hour wine and cheese reception. About a dozen members came and enjoyed some very good wine, cheese, crackers, crudités, fresh fruit and coconut shrimp. One CM, Gwyneth, put together two trivia questions for us: #1 the exact date HHI opened, which I knew (03/01/96), and #2 the order in which each resort opened, which I stumbled on, mixing up VWL and VB. Ugh! Do I lose my Founding Member status on MouseOwners? While I did not win this one, I was singled out by a CM for using the initials (OKW, VWL, BW, etc) on my entry form rather than spelling out the names (all this forum chatter makes for interesting talents after all). Well there were a few winners of each and 2 random winners were given a nice baseball cap with the DVC HHI logo. The resorts general manager came as well and thanked everyone for being there.
Some of the members talked amongst themselves about forums and that other board. I mentioned MO and will wait to see if any pop up here.
Day 6, Thursday, March 30
Family Walk on the Beach…
We always wrap up out last night in HHI with a sunset walk on the beach. Since our first visit in 2000, we’ve gone to the beach after dinner on our last night to stroll, search for treasures, take some pictures, and revel in the natural beauty of HHI beaches. This year was no different, while the air was a bit chilly, the tide was just reaching its high point and we watched the waves overtake the various sand sculptures left behind by the day’s visitors. The sky was clear and the tiniest sliver of a moon hung in the western sky. There was a perfect palmetto palm, silhouetted against this rich blue backdrop that clearly resembled the SC state flag, though my camera just couldn’t capture that magic.
Leaving the beach that last night is always hard. We wait until it’s almost too dark to find our way back, each with a shell in our hand and a mental picture to hold us until we return.
Day 7, Friday, March 31
Pardon our Appearance…
Checking out is never fun, especially this year when we know it will be at least a year until we return. We will not be making our traditional August trip to HHI this year, but rather venturing to Colorado to visit family, so the kids wanted to make the most of their last morning. We were all up and out by 8:00 a.m., the kids on their bikes and DW and I doing last minute chores and packing.
After clearing out the room, we suffered our first unpleasant sight, the shutting of the door for the last time! DW and I walked our bikes over to the recreation desk to turn them in, only to pass the second unpleasant sight, the roped-off hot tub which was emptied and sporting a large “pardon our appearance while we renovate” sign. We certainly enjoyed the hot tub this week, but the unfortunate guests for the next few days are out of luck. No idea what the renovations will entail or how long they will take.
Our third and last unpleasant sight was DS barreling down the path to find us and let us know his sister wiped out her bike. She was just around the corner with a bloody knee and scattered bruises. A very nice housekeeping CM had run to get some band aids and met us there. Well, we cleaned her up and all is well, but we knew it was time to hit the road. We poured them both into the van and began our long voyage north.
Our ride home was a bit slower, about 13.5 hours due to Friday night traffic around the DC beltway, but we were in our own beds at midnight, safe and sound.
Finally, The Trip Report Wrap-Up!
In general the trip to HHI was fabulous, again. We just love it there and are so happy we made it our home resort. At our campfire, when the CMs were going around asking us where we come from, I blurted out, “Two weeks a year we live here, the rest of the time it just doesn’t matter.”
The resort, now 10 years old, is showing its age in places, but there were also plenty of maintenance projects underway, or recently completed, like new walkways, new lights, the pool slide has been repainted, new ping pong and foosball tables, various public spaces have been refinished, and more. The room was fine overall though minor cosmetic deficiencies in the bathroom. The CMs are the best of the Disney family and the overall resort ambience makes HHI our happy place.
Now, about that add-on….