Day 6 started out with me getting up and trying to catch up on my blog posts and Pam going for a run along the beach. We decided there would be no official plans for the day and we would let the girls sleep in as long as their teenage bodies needed to rejuvenate.
I went out to the terrace that overlooked the ocean to enjoy my cup of joe and seek inspiration from the waves hitting the beach. Pam soon joined me, and I tried to convince her that I need to take a six-month sabbatical to Clear Water Beach to complete my book that I have been working on. She disagreed stating the Gus, our dog, would miss out on me being the only male in the household, and offered up our backyard porch as an alternative.
The girls soon woke up and joined us for the typical Hampton Inn breakfast with the exception that today was Pam's favorite breakfast pairing. The Bagel Topper was put out for Pam's eating pleasure. It's not often that Pam loses her composer, but the Bagel Topper has made her skip the line in front of small kids and the elderly to get her favorite breakfast snack before they run out.
With the Bagel Toppers consumed the girls decided to play a friendly game of Corn Hole. The girls love playing Corn Hole since their Uncle Jeffy taught them the craft of the game a few years ago in his backyard. They quickly fell in love and will play it any chance they get!
With the weather being a little chilly in the morning we decided to walk the island and do some exploring. The exploring allowed us to enjoy all the island has to offer. We enjoyed a plan-free day of nothing.
Little D soon decided colder weather or not; it would be a shame to not go to the private beach. She reasoned that we were in paradise, and it was not nearly as cold as the flat, dusty lands of West Texas as reports back home had freezing weather with the possibility of rare snow in the forecast. We all agreed with Little D's thought process and followed her. Pam and I opted for the much warmer hot tub, and the girls decided the pool would suffice.
Little D's idea proved to be a good one as we were spectators to one of the most incredible sunsets we have witnessed anywhere. Clear Water Beach stood still to watch the fantastic display of lights and reflections taking place off the Gulf of Mexico.
After the sunset, Pam declared we would be staying in and ordering a pizza and eating on the terrace of the hotel under the nice warm space heaters. Nobody argued as everyone was still in chill mode from Disney magic overload and enjoying the relaxation that the "salt life" provides.
We chowed down on the local pizza as AK and Pam got caught up in their bible study, and Little D made sure to get some reading done. Bedtime came early for the entire Fambam as we would be partaking on the Christmas present Grandma from Colorado provided on the trip for the next day. Some of us were excited about the adventure, and some of us would have to prepare to overtake our fear of heights to enjoy the gracious gift.
Day 7 started out early with me lacking sleep from my absolute fear of high things. We would be heading to a zip lining park in Tampa. It is a well know and understood fact that I do not do well with heights. My fear entirely takes over my inner soul and leaves me unable to move. I am frequently reminded of our trip to the Grand Canyon a few years back when Pam told me the girls would enjoy the canyon a lot more if I walked ahead of the rest of them so they couldn't see me freak out!
Once we got the girls up, we went and had a quick breakfast and drove over to the mainland. I wanted to spend a few minutes finding where my Aunt Patsy lived when she was in Clearwater. She passed away several years ago, and I never had the chance to see her place. My dad always told me how pretty it was and how white the sand on the beach was the best he had seen. With a little help from my Auntie Cookie, we were able to get the address and do some exploring.
It was soon time to drive to Tampa. We got there early enough to walk around and explore the zip lines. They had a lot of people on the platforms, and it didn't look too scary from the ground. The girls were excited and ready to roll. It was our turn as we got suited up in the harnesses. We had to take a winding spiral staircase to the top of the highest platform. The entire time you are on a platform, zip line or obstacle you are clipped on a line so there is no way you can fall. This did very little to help calm my nerves.
The second tower had four obstacles to complete. Each obstacle was more difficult than the first, and if that wasn't bad enough, the last two required you to go 25 feet higher in the air to compete. My heart was pounding as I was pretty sure I was going to pass on the whole obstacle thing. I lucked out and was able to watch several others in our group go before me. Several were even giving the high five as they passed each other. Little D and AK sprinted across the cross bridge and log. Pam was a little more cautious as she crossed. I was just happy to be able to pass with the guide giving me step-by-step directions to help me over.
The first two obstacles were horrible, but I knew the terrifying stuff was still ahead as we had to climb twenty-five more feet up and cross two more with just some ropes to walk on. Little D and AK couldn't be more thrilled as we went up. I was about to puke, and Pam was still hanging tough. I knew I had to find just enough nerve to cross so the girls had a little pride left when it comes to their daddy. When I got to the top of the platform, I completely froze! To make matters worse, Pam went before me, and she misstepped which caught her off balance.
Pam was able to regain her balance, and I must have looked green because our guide told me right before it was my turn that everything would be okay. He said that all I needed to do was push outward on the rope as hard as I could while I shuffled my feet. This seemed a little counterintuitive when it comes to gravity. With having no choice, I did precisely what he sad, and it worked like a charm. In fact, I don't like to brag, but the guide on the other side said that I had incredible balance. In reality, he was just trying to boost my ego so I could make it through the last and final obstacle. He knew it would be a downer for the group to have to call the fire department out to save me from the high platform and it would probably not favor him with tips either!
I was able to cross the last obstacle without ever looking down or even opening my eyes for that matter. I knew there was no way I could make it across if I looked. I survived the toughest part of the zip line tour and knew the worst was behind me. The girls finished their final two obstacles, and we went through the last zip lines with ease.
We finally arrived at the end of the tour, and I had a massive sense of relief. It was nice to be off the platform and onto solid ground finally. If you find yourself looking for an excellent zip line tour, I recommend you checkout Zip on Tampa and ask for Steven and Cole to be your guides. Not only are they highly entertaining, but they also helped me survive and maintain a little bit of my dignity in the process!
We all enjoyed Grandma's present and were ready to eat some food. We drove around looking for somewhere to dine and settled on a chain restaurant called Bob Evans. There was no doubt that it was a blue-hair hangout as AK pointed out that we were the only ones under eighty in the joint. We celebrated with an average meal but enjoyed the time together as I enjoyed the fact that I did not suffer a heart attack from the heights.
We headed to the hotel and went to bed early so we could get up at 2:00 am Texas time to catch the redeye home. We arrived in Midland on New Year's Eve to find the temperature below freezing with winds over twenty miles an hour.
As we pulled up to our house, the Fitbit said we officially logged 148,168 total steps for 68.77 miles walked during our vacation. We consumed four pizzas and countless goldfish crackers from my trusty backpack. AK tried and fell in love with crab legs while Little D found that jarred alfredo sauce is the best. Pam put her physically fit thumbs from years of playing Candy Crush to good work as she was able to swiftly and efficiently find us Fast Passes on the Disney App and I faced my fear of heights and still enjoyed the zip line tour.
When the final votes were tallied, AK won the award for the Biggest Trooper on the Trip as she spent the majority of the time not feeling well and never complaining once! Little D won the prize for the Most Adventurous as she loved all the exploring she was able to do on Tom Sawyer's Island, on the Beach in Clearwater and not to mention being utterly fearless on the zip line tour. I claimed the top spot for the Grumpiest Kid Award as it has been pointed out to me that my fit at "It's Tough to be a Bug" attraction was legendary and one that will go down in Disney folklore. And Pam, well...it's no surprise that once again she was voted Coolest Parent of the Year for being just that, and It didn't hurt that she also dropped off us off at the gates of the Magic Kingdon so we could make our Fast Pass while she parked the car.
The Fambam will be taking a long break from vacations until this summer. We haven't decided where we will be going, but, we do know that we will have fun when we do!
The Fambam Travel Tips of the Day:
-Do plan a day of nothing on your vacation (it will allow your fambam some much-needed rest and make the remainder of your trip more enjoyable).
-Do go ziplining even if you are scared (it was worth the time and money to see how much the girls enjoyed themselves).
-Don't take the redeye when you head home (it doesn't make a nice ending to your vacation (it only leaves everyone tired and fighting for the grumpy award).
I went out to the terrace that overlooked the ocean to enjoy my cup of joe and seek inspiration from the waves hitting the beach. Pam soon joined me, and I tried to convince her that I need to take a six-month sabbatical to Clear Water Beach to complete my book that I have been working on. She disagreed stating the Gus, our dog, would miss out on me being the only male in the household, and offered up our backyard porch as an alternative.
The girls soon woke up and joined us for the typical Hampton Inn breakfast with the exception that today was Pam's favorite breakfast pairing. The Bagel Topper was put out for Pam's eating pleasure. It's not often that Pam loses her composer, but the Bagel Topper has made her skip the line in front of small kids and the elderly to get her favorite breakfast snack before they run out.
With the Bagel Toppers consumed the girls decided to play a friendly game of Corn Hole. The girls love playing Corn Hole since their Uncle Jeffy taught them the craft of the game a few years ago in his backyard. They quickly fell in love and will play it any chance they get!
With the weather being a little chilly in the morning we decided to walk the island and do some exploring. The exploring allowed us to enjoy all the island has to offer. We enjoyed a plan-free day of nothing.
Little D soon decided colder weather or not; it would be a shame to not go to the private beach. She reasoned that we were in paradise, and it was not nearly as cold as the flat, dusty lands of West Texas as reports back home had freezing weather with the possibility of rare snow in the forecast. We all agreed with Little D's thought process and followed her. Pam and I opted for the much warmer hot tub, and the girls decided the pool would suffice.
Little D's idea proved to be a good one as we were spectators to one of the most incredible sunsets we have witnessed anywhere. Clear Water Beach stood still to watch the fantastic display of lights and reflections taking place off the Gulf of Mexico.
After the sunset, Pam declared we would be staying in and ordering a pizza and eating on the terrace of the hotel under the nice warm space heaters. Nobody argued as everyone was still in chill mode from Disney magic overload and enjoying the relaxation that the "salt life" provides.
We chowed down on the local pizza as AK and Pam got caught up in their bible study, and Little D made sure to get some reading done. Bedtime came early for the entire Fambam as we would be partaking on the Christmas present Grandma from Colorado provided on the trip for the next day. Some of us were excited about the adventure, and some of us would have to prepare to overtake our fear of heights to enjoy the gracious gift.
Day 7 started out early with me lacking sleep from my absolute fear of high things. We would be heading to a zip lining park in Tampa. It is a well know and understood fact that I do not do well with heights. My fear entirely takes over my inner soul and leaves me unable to move. I am frequently reminded of our trip to the Grand Canyon a few years back when Pam told me the girls would enjoy the canyon a lot more if I walked ahead of the rest of them so they couldn't see me freak out!
Once we got the girls up, we went and had a quick breakfast and drove over to the mainland. I wanted to spend a few minutes finding where my Aunt Patsy lived when she was in Clearwater. She passed away several years ago, and I never had the chance to see her place. My dad always told me how pretty it was and how white the sand on the beach was the best he had seen. With a little help from my Auntie Cookie, we were able to get the address and do some exploring.
It was soon time to drive to Tampa. We got there early enough to walk around and explore the zip lines. They had a lot of people on the platforms, and it didn't look too scary from the ground. The girls were excited and ready to roll. It was our turn as we got suited up in the harnesses. We had to take a winding spiral staircase to the top of the highest platform. The entire time you are on a platform, zip line or obstacle you are clipped on a line so there is no way you can fall. This did very little to help calm my nerves.
The girls and Pam had no problems on the first zip line. I was a little slower letting go and jumping off. Little D showed absolutely no fear as she would pose for the pictures and liked the idea of not using her hands!
The second tower had four obstacles to complete. Each obstacle was more difficult than the first, and if that wasn't bad enough, the last two required you to go 25 feet higher in the air to compete. My heart was pounding as I was pretty sure I was going to pass on the whole obstacle thing. I lucked out and was able to watch several others in our group go before me. Several were even giving the high five as they passed each other. Little D and AK sprinted across the cross bridge and log. Pam was a little more cautious as she crossed. I was just happy to be able to pass with the guide giving me step-by-step directions to help me over.
The first two obstacles were horrible, but I knew the terrifying stuff was still ahead as we had to climb twenty-five more feet up and cross two more with just some ropes to walk on. Little D and AK couldn't be more thrilled as we went up. I was about to puke, and Pam was still hanging tough. I knew I had to find just enough nerve to cross so the girls had a little pride left when it comes to their daddy. When I got to the top of the platform, I completely froze! To make matters worse, Pam went before me, and she misstepped which caught her off balance.
Pam was able to regain her balance, and I must have looked green because our guide told me right before it was my turn that everything would be okay. He said that all I needed to do was push outward on the rope as hard as I could while I shuffled my feet. This seemed a little counterintuitive when it comes to gravity. With having no choice, I did precisely what he sad, and it worked like a charm. In fact, I don't like to brag, but the guide on the other side said that I had incredible balance. In reality, he was just trying to boost my ego so I could make it through the last and final obstacle. He knew it would be a downer for the group to have to call the fire department out to save me from the high platform and it would probably not favor him with tips either!
I was able to cross the last obstacle without ever looking down or even opening my eyes for that matter. I knew there was no way I could make it across if I looked. I survived the toughest part of the zip line tour and knew the worst was behind me. The girls finished their final two obstacles, and we went through the last zip lines with ease.
We finally arrived at the end of the tour, and I had a massive sense of relief. It was nice to be off the platform and onto solid ground finally. If you find yourself looking for an excellent zip line tour, I recommend you checkout Zip on Tampa and ask for Steven and Cole to be your guides. Not only are they highly entertaining, but they also helped me survive and maintain a little bit of my dignity in the process!
We all enjoyed Grandma's present and were ready to eat some food. We drove around looking for somewhere to dine and settled on a chain restaurant called Bob Evans. There was no doubt that it was a blue-hair hangout as AK pointed out that we were the only ones under eighty in the joint. We celebrated with an average meal but enjoyed the time together as I enjoyed the fact that I did not suffer a heart attack from the heights.
We headed to the hotel and went to bed early so we could get up at 2:00 am Texas time to catch the redeye home. We arrived in Midland on New Year's Eve to find the temperature below freezing with winds over twenty miles an hour.
As we pulled up to our house, the Fitbit said we officially logged 148,168 total steps for 68.77 miles walked during our vacation. We consumed four pizzas and countless goldfish crackers from my trusty backpack. AK tried and fell in love with crab legs while Little D found that jarred alfredo sauce is the best. Pam put her physically fit thumbs from years of playing Candy Crush to good work as she was able to swiftly and efficiently find us Fast Passes on the Disney App and I faced my fear of heights and still enjoyed the zip line tour.
When the final votes were tallied, AK won the award for the Biggest Trooper on the Trip as she spent the majority of the time not feeling well and never complaining once! Little D won the prize for the Most Adventurous as she loved all the exploring she was able to do on Tom Sawyer's Island, on the Beach in Clearwater and not to mention being utterly fearless on the zip line tour. I claimed the top spot for the Grumpiest Kid Award as it has been pointed out to me that my fit at "It's Tough to be a Bug" attraction was legendary and one that will go down in Disney folklore. And Pam, well...it's no surprise that once again she was voted Coolest Parent of the Year for being just that, and It didn't hurt that she also dropped off us off at the gates of the Magic Kingdon so we could make our Fast Pass while she parked the car.
The Fambam will be taking a long break from vacations until this summer. We haven't decided where we will be going, but, we do know that we will have fun when we do!
The Fambam Travel Tips of the Day:
-Do plan a day of nothing on your vacation (it will allow your fambam some much-needed rest and make the remainder of your trip more enjoyable).
-Do go ziplining even if you are scared (it was worth the time and money to see how much the girls enjoyed themselves).
-Don't take the redeye when you head home (it doesn't make a nice ending to your vacation (it only leaves everyone tired and fighting for the grumpy award).
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