A Trip Report Sure to Win Applesauce. . .TCD's NYE 2011 TR!

[Nicki aka Rebelstand 272]

I'll be back as soon as i read those links....

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Boy, I got sidetracked more that I expected by all that Reedy Creek stuff.

Very interesting.

But, what do you say we get back to our trip report?

It was now Friday afternoon. December 30th.

When I buy our passes for Disney, I always get the Florida Residents Seasonal Pass. That is the only type of pass we have ever had. Those passes have black-out dates. Basically, they are blacked out for the summer, and for the week before and after Christmas, and then again for about two weeks around Easter each year. They are a lot cheaper than a regular annual pass, and they work perfectly for us. This means for the most part that we have never been to the parks when it is crazy busy. The closest that we come is Thanksgiving week, but I hear that is kid stuff compared to the Christmas crowds. So, while we have been to WDW for the last four New Year's Eves, we have not visited any of the theme parks on those trips.

Earlier this year, we visited Sea World. Sea World and Busch Gardens have had a great offer for Florida Residents the last few years- they call it a Fun Pass. If you pay for a regular park admission, you get a pass that is good for the rest of the calendar year. These passes do not include parking. So, when we went to Sea World earlier this year, the girls got fun passes, and for about $30 more, I got an annual pass, which is actually good for 12 months, not just the calendar year, and also includes parking. I figured after a couple of visits, the "free" parking would make up for the extra cost to me.

The girls' Fun Passes would be expiring on 12/31. So that gave us two days to use them. We had taken a quick day trip to Sea World just a week earlier to see some of the Christmas stuff there. It was busy, but not crazy, and we had a good time. Sea World is a nice little park, and it has never been overcrowded when we have visited. So today, we planned to just pop over to Sea World for the afternoon and ride a few rides and see a show or two.

We headed out from the Fort just after noon. I had traveled this way just the day before when we headed over to Orlando for the football game. On Thursday, the traffic on I-4 was very heavy and moved very slow. But it did move. I attributed that to the football game, and didn't expect to see much traffic on this early Friday afternoon. I got that prediction wrong. As soon as we got to I-4, it was bumper to bumper all the way to Sea World. But, at least the traffic moved. It only took us a little over a half an hour to get there. Not too bad considering how heavy the traffic was.

When we pulled up to the parking lanes, things didn't seem too bad. I showed my pass, and we were directed on to the parking lot by the employees on duty. When we got our first look at the parking lot, I was surprised. I have never seen the Sea World parking lot full. But it was today. Totally. But the employees, kept waving us on along through the lot. This was good I thought, maybe they had not parked people in some of the closer parking spaces so they would have parking available later in the day. But, we kept on driving through the parking lot, all the way to the other side, and it was full. I didn't understand where they were directing us. Then we reached the far end of the parking lot, and an employee directed us out of the lot and across the street into a big field. That's where they were having folks park. If you are familiar with Sea World, this is a long, long way from the park entrance, and I saw no signs of a tram coming over here to get us. The whole time we were driving through the parking lot, we talked about how much busier it was than last week, and how crowded it was going to be in the park. When they had us park across the street, I made an executive decision- I kept right on driving and exited the field. The girls were 100% with me on this. There is no way we were going to go into that mess.

So we headed back to the Fort.

That's our Sea World story.

According the news reports and first hand accounts, the Disney parks were crazy busy over the weekend. There were times when the parks had to be closed because of crowding. I guess the nice weather attracted everyone to the theme parks over the weekend. I'm glad that we live here so we can choose not to visit when it is like that.

The drive back to WDW was fine. For whatever reason, there was not much traffic going that way.

And then we were back at the Fort.

On the way in, we ran right into this flock of turkeys:

I haven't seen that many together like that before.

We parked at the site, and got on the cart, and headed down to the Settlement for a drink.

I had been meaning to take some photos of the big wreath they have hanging outside of the Trail's End take-out door. So, I decided to do that now. There are some cool details in that wreath. Like this guy:

You may have noticed that I take a lot of photos.

The TCD twins are pretty tolerant of this. But, sometimes they like to mess with me.

Like here.

Here is Twin #1 photo-bombing my nice photo of a marshmallow guy roasting a hot dog:

Rotten kid.

This is a photo of a marshmallow reindeer. I'm sorry it's blurry, but I had to rush to take it before twin #1 jumped in again:

From here, we headed to the Meadow Trading Post. As I mentioned earlier, I really like the Christmas music that they play there, and I wanted the twins to use an Ap on their phones to see if they could tell me the name of the artist and album that the songs came from. They play this same music on the porch of Crockett's Tavern and in the Settlement Trading Post, but we needed to go someplace quiet so the Ap would have the best chance of working.

On the way to the Meadow Trading Post, we ran into these two Young Men of Genius:

Check them out. One kid had a bike. The other a skate board. They wanted to ride together, so they figured out a way to do it. Way to go boys! Just remember, crack kills!

We hung out for a while on the back porch of the Trading Post, but the phones did not recognize any of the songs.

Bummer.

There were some people hanging out on Bob's dock:

Don't worry, Bob, I chased them away.

This mother and son were enjoying a quiet moment on this beautiful December afternoon:

I like that photo.

On this second to the last day of the year, I'm sure there were people who were in the snow or rain and cold. But, here at the Fort, people were in shorts and t-shirts, and enjoying near 80 degree temps and sunny skies.

From here, we headed over to the pool for a look around. The schedule said Bingo was going to be going on, and we wanted to go and see what the prizes were. We found out that the Bingo was going to be poolside. We didn't see any prizes, so we were sure that it wasn't a Nerf Gun or anything cool like they used to sometimes have. So we headed out of there.

As luck would have it, we ran right into another one of the Real Men of Genius. Like I said, they were everywhere on this trip!

Check out this dude:

If you are familiar with the Fort, you will recognize that this genius had driven his big old motorhome down the road to the pool and parked it right next to the tennis courts.

You aren't supposed to do that.

But he did.

I don't know what he was doing there. I don't think he did either.

Here he is getting back in:

The only way he would be able to get out of there would be to back up.

This I just had to see.

The road is very narrow there, and there is water on either side.

I crossed my fingers and waited.

Here he comes!:

He was backing up pretty good.

If you have never backed up a big RV, let me tell you that it is not easy.

You can't see a thing. A lot of folks have cameras and monitors to help them, but it can get confusing backing up and looking at a monitor.

This guy seemed like he was going to make it:

But, then he made a sudden turn, and rolled right into the canal! You can see the splash here:

Sorry.

I was kidding about him driving in to the canal.

Unfortunately, this guy knew how to back up.

Good for him.

Bad for this report.

There was nothing more to see here.

So we moved along.

Here we are in the 1400 loop.

These folks had two pretty cool electric cars:

Make sure you notice the wheels on the Minnie cart.

I guess these are OK to drive at the Fort.

We ended up right behind the Minnie cart after the NYE fireworks the next night.

We passed several rangers, and none of them said anything about the electric car.

I thought the rules were that these electric cars have to follow the rules for regular vehicles and can't be used as golf carts. But I guess I'm wrong about that.

I liked all of the decorations on this site in the 1400 loop:

From here, I wanted to head up front to the Outpost to ask a question and photograph a couple of things.

The question I wanted to ask was about the play list for the Christmas music. I had asked a castmember in the Trading Post if they had a play list. She said they didn't, but maybe they had one at the front desk. So, I decided to go up there to ask. I asked. They didn't.

Bummer.

When we were at the Fort for Thanksgiving, the Internet Cafe that is located in the middle of the check-in lanes was closed for refurbishment. I didn't think much of it, and didn't take any photos. But, the internet cafe was stil closed on this visit, now a month and a half later. That room is so small that there is no reason for it to have been closed for that long for just a refurbishment. I decided to take a photo to document this:

Nobody could tell me much about this either. I kind of got the feeling that maybe this room is not going to be reopened. But I couldn't get any reliable information about that. I suspect that the Fort is in the process of introducing free wi-fi, like they have at other resorts. But, if they do, I would think they will need to have more than two locations offering it. Time will tell.

The butterfly garden outside of the office looks great. We have not had a frost yet in Florida, so all the plants (and butterflies) are happy:

Also note that there are two rocking chairs up there on the porch. If you ever want to have a little fun, come down here on a busy afternoon and watch the folks checking in. Seriously, you will see some interesting things. I promise.

While in the office, I took some photos of the Christmas decorations there.

I love this Christmas tree. It is the perfect size and in the perfect location:

I also love that old Fort Wilderness poster hanging there. But that is there all year round.

This next photo is very frightening.

I am warning you so you have a chance not to look.

I am going to post it now.

So, if you don't want to be scared, make sure to scroll past it.

If you don't want to see it do your scrolling now.

Because . . .

Here it is:

You looked, didn't you?

Don't say I didn't warn you.

That price list was sitting on a little desk that they have set up in the Lobby. I guess a castmember rents out golf carts there. There wasn't anyone at the desk this afternoon. But there was a sign that said that they were sold out of golf carts. Even at those prices. Wow.

This is the wreath above the fireplace. The stockings say Chip and Dale:

I never noticed a Menorah on display in the lobby, but there was one there this year:

Notice that the checkerboard, which is usually in front of the fire place, has been moved over here.

I hope that the golf cart desk is just temporary.

Because it looks bad.

The checkerboard should be over there.

That's all I have for office photos.

From here, it was back to the site for me to whip up one of my specialties- the TCD version of Pirate Jeff's Macoroni and Cheese. We enjoyed it right there at our picnic table. It smelled so good that this red-eyed bunny hopped up hoping for a taste:

Extra credit if you noticed the spankula in that photo.

We had big plans for the evening.

But, they weren't until later.

So, we spent some time chilling.

And looping.

I got a couple of shots of this site on the 1200 loop. I liked this guy's decorations a lot. He had a big tractor type tow vehicle, with a little cargo area behind the cab. He had that cargo area open and decorated it like a room with a fireplace and Mickey:

I'm pretty sure that this is site 1206. According to Holly/Fort Wilderness Family, this guy won second place in the site decorating contest. I'm OK with that. But there were other sites that were better. Like TiggerInBama's. And Fiesty's. And Hilda's. And Jeannie's. I heard that you had to officially enter the site decorating contest, and I know that some of these sites did not even enter.

We finished our chilling at about 10, and then headed down to the marina for our evening activity.

You may have guessed by the fact that we are going to the marina that we will be taking a boat ride.

And you would be right.

I'll tell you all about it in the next post.

TCD

[stefa70 205]

No Sea World? Tease!!

I can't blame you, I would have changed plans also.

Good ole twin #1 photo bombing... :rofl2:

I will not hold my breath for free wi-fi at the Fort. Free and Disney are very rarely mentioned in the same sentence. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Wow on the golf cart prices! You're right, I shouldn't have looked.

[FtWildernessFamily...Holly 25]

Sitting in my office laughing LOUDLY at your non-trip to Sea World! That made me giggly.

And your tease about the dude rolling his RV into the canal - I almost forwarded that to Hubs.

Then I kept reading.

Your TR's rock but more than that, your attention to detail is amazing.

For the record, the marshmallow ornament on the door at TE.....I have one of those ornaments! But ours has the marshmallow dude with his s'more sticks and a little RV and it has a little sign that says "I love my RV". :-)

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

Nice update!!! I don't blame you, I would have left SeaWorld too!!

Backtracking a bit. Some friends of mine who own a T@B also own a Roadtrek Class B Camper with the Mercedes engine. They LOVE it!! There is just the two of them. It gets GREAT gas mileage and for the long road trip, single night stop trips that they often take, they say it is ideal!! It takes one parking spot. They don't do a lot of hookup, so going for day trips is no big deal, and has enough space in the holding tanks that they only have to dump every few days.

[SCTigerCock 171]

Some friends of mine who own a T@B also own a Roadtrek Class B Camper with the Mercedes engine. They LOVE it!! There is just the two of them. It gets GREAT gas mileage and for the long road trip, single night stop trips that they often take, they say it is ideal!! It takes one parking spot. They don't do a lot of hookup, so going for day trips is no big deal, and has enough space in the holding tanks that they only have to dump every few days.

We looked at these as well, but couldn't find a used one we were happy with. Plus we decided we needed more room with the doberman. So we have the same chasis just with a class C body. I spoke with someone last year at 600 in CLT, and they use thier's for daily commuting/work as well as camping. This guy had over 200K on his and still going strong. And he gets ~18-20 depending on the weight being carried.

Ours in 23 foot long and can fit into a regular parking space without putting the slide out. We use it to commute to the Cooper River Bridge run. We are able to stay inside until right before the race. Otherwise, we would be out in the weather 2 hours prior to the race.

And I too agree about bailing on SeaWorld. Especiall since yall live so close.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

No Sea World? Tease!!

I can't blame you, I would have changed plans also.

Good ole twin #1 photo bombing... :rofl2:

I will not hold my breath for free wi-fi at the Fort. Free and Disney are very rarely mentioned in the same sentence. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Wow on the golf cart prices! You're right, I shouldn't have looked.

I don't know. I used to think like you do about the free wi-fi, but since they are offering at other resorts now, I think we will see it at the Fort. With all of the other options out there, they probably don't have many folks paying for internet anyway. And, if they limit it to just a few public areas, the folks who do pay for internet because they need it will probably still pay for it.

The thing that amazes me about the golf carts is that they cost more than a night at a campsite (during most of the year), yet folks are renting them. That is a little gold mine Disney has going there.

Sitting in my office laughing LOUDLY at your non-trip to Sea World! That made me giggly.

And your tease about the dude rolling his RV into the canal - I almost forwarded that to Hubs.

Then I kept reading.

Your TR's rock but more than that, your attention to detail is amazing.

For the record, the marshmallow ornament on the door at TE.....I have one of those ornaments! But ours has the marshmallow dude with his s'more sticks and a little RV and it has a little sign that says "I love my RV". :-)

Glad to hear that you are being entertained.

I think we have some marshmallow people ornaments too.

I'll bet most folks on here do as well.

It's a camping thing.

Nice update!!! I don't blame you, I would have left SeaWorld too!!

Backtracking a bit. Some friends of mine who own a T@B also own a Roadtrek Class B Camper with the Mercedes engine. They LOVE it!! There is just the two of them. It gets GREAT gas mileage and for the long road trip, single night stop trips that they often take, they say it is ideal!! It takes one parking spot. They don't do a lot of hookup, so going for day trips is no big deal, and has enough space in the holding tanks that they only have to dump every few days.

I totally can see the beauty of a Class B for a couple. But not for a family staying at the Fort.

We looked at these as well, but couldn't find a used one we were happy with. Plus we decided we needed more room with the doberman. So we have the same chasis just with a class C body. I spoke with someone last year at 600 in CLT, and they use thier's for daily commuting/work as well as camping. This guy had over 200K on his and still going strong. And he gets ~18-20 depending on the weight being carried.

Ours in 23 foot long and can fit into a regular parking space without putting the slide out. We use it to commute to the Cooper River Bridge run. We are able to stay inside until right before the race. Otherwise, we would be out in the weather 2 hours prior to the race.

And I too agree about bailing on SeaWorld. Especiall since yall live so close.

That 23 footer sounds nice. Cozy. But nice. There was a time that I dreamed of a Class A, but now I don't. I really could not justify the expense. If I ever move up to a motorhome, it would be to a small Class C. With proper organization, you really don't need a lot of space in a camper.

TCD

[Gots2pitt.. Jeff 64]

Extra credit if you noticed the spankula in that photo.

We had big plans for the evening.

But, they weren't until later.

Why does that sound like something Stef or one of the others would say?

[stefa70 205]

Why does that sound like something Stef or one of the others would say?

Because great minds think alike >:D

IMO, everyone should own a spankula!

What are "one of the others" BTW?

[Gots2pitt.. Jeff 64]

Because great minds think alike >:D

IMO, everyone should own a spankula!

What are "one of the others" BTW?

The other like minded individuals (I don't remember their names but they know who they are).

[shoreline99 137]

Looks like that spankula holder is abusing that poor tree already. Hate to see what happens later.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

It looks like I have time to squeeze in another update today, so you are going to get one.

I'll warn you up front that this one is mostly fireworks photos.

We took a lot of fireworks photos.

I don't know why we do that, because I am not that fond of fireworks photos.

There is no way a photo of fireworks can convey what it is like to be there watching the fireworks.

So, I will spare you, and just post a few of the fireworks photos.

They will all be in this post, and then we will move along.

So, it is Friday night.

The New Year's Eve version of the Magic Kingdom's fireworks will be displayed both tonight and tomorrow night. Tomorrow night, we will watch them from the Fort. Tonight, we will watch them from the beach at the Polynesian Resort. That is a plan we have followed before, and we like it. So that is what we will be doing tonight.

You have probably heard that they changed the times for the Hoop Dee Doo Review. So, we took this in to account when we planned our trip to the Polynesian. You do not want to get to the Fort dock after the HDDR has dumped all of its guests out.

We timed it right.

We got to the dock by 10, and not many people were there, but a resort boat was loading, as was an MK boat. The resort boat was going to WL first, then on to the Contemporary. Judging how things were going, we wouldn't make it on either one of these boats, but we figured that another resort boat would be along soon.

You need to be careful on nights like this. Because of the expanded fireworks, they suspend boat traffic for an hour:

The two boats pulled away.

Then the HDDR let out.

And, the lines for both boats stretched all the way down the dock.

But, we were in front of the line, baby!

We know how to play this game!

The resort boat did come along right away. And this one was going to the Contemporary first. That is what we wanted.

So, we got to the Contemporary in no time.

That leg of our journey could have taken a lot longer.

It only took us about 20 minutes.

We headed up to the monorail.

The twins saw this gingerbread tree last night, but I didn't know that until after I took this photo:

Toward the end of 2011, there was some hubbub at WDW about the decision to shut down the monorails an hour after the MK closes, even on EMH nights. Well, tonight was a 3:30 am EMH at The MK, and they weren't going to shut down the monorails until 4:30 am!:

We had no wait for a monorail, and got to the Polynesian Resort by way before 11 pm.

I thought it was going to take us an hour or more.

Oh well, better to be early than late.

We were going to have Dole Whip after the fireworks, but since we were early we had it now.

I noticed that right after 11, they took down the dinner menus in Captain Cooks, and posted the breakfast menus. This was odd, as I thought this restaurant was open 24 hours. I figured they would serve the dinner menu late into the night. Well, it turns out that even thought the restaurant is open, they don't have the grill part open after 11. That means all you can get is the sandwiches and salads they have in the cases. And Dole Whip. So, it is kind of misleading to say this place is open 24 hours. Technically, that is true, but after 11, all you can get is prepackaged stuff. And Dole Whip. That is a good thing. That's why I said it twice.

We enjoyed our Dole Whip. The twins made it. There are not photos because they really weren't noteworthy. There was a line at the machine, and the girls felt rushed and couldn't create their normal masterpieces. No worries, though, we had plenty.

Then we headed down to the beach.

As many of you read in his trip report, we ran right into fellow Fiend Devores on the beach. And I plopped by self right in front of him.

It is now time for the fireworks photos.

You will be pleased to know that I narrowed it down to just 19 photos.

I can't say that these are any better than those that Devores posted in his report.

But I can say that there is no Jackwagon blocking the view of any of these.

The NYE fireworks begin with Mickey, Minnie and Goofy narrating.

And then there is a countdown from 10.

They shoot of fireworks in the shapes of the numbers.

You can see some of the numbers in these shots ( you can see the 6, 5, 3 and 2 shapes in these next four photos) :

And then all heck breaks loose! :

It is pretty much a non-stop barrage after that:

If you look toward the bottom center of those photos, you can see little old Cinderella castle way over there.

We have never been inside of the MK for the NYE or 4th of July fireworks, but I firmly believe that the view from here across the lake has to be better than what you would see standing someplace like a sardine in the Magic Kingdom. The only thing that might be better is that they shoot off low fireworks inside the MK near the castle. You can see these small fireworks in the next two photos:

It might be cool to see those from inside the MK. But, otherwise, I think you really couldn't appreciate all of the fireworks that are being shot off from all around the park.

Here are some more shots from our spot on the beach:

I love how the firewoks reflect off the Seven Seas Lagoon.

The show concludes with a big finale:

That's all the fireworks photos I have for you.

Until we get to tomorrow night.

We took Devores' advice and headed over to the TTC instead of following the mob through the Polynesian lobby.

We were able to walk on to a monorail there, and then exited at the MK and took the boat back to the Fort.

The MK was a madhouse because it was EMH, and people were just arriving!

We had no problem catching the boat and heading back to the Fort.

We did a little looping and called it a night.

Tomorrow was the last day of the year!

And we were going to sieze it!

TCD

[doodlebug....Cherie 461]

Because great minds think alike >:D

IMO, everyone should own a spankula!

What are "one of the others" BTW?

The other like minded individuals (I don't remember their names but they know who they are).

Hmmm, I'm guessing I am "one of the others". You can mention me by name, I'm ok with it. :rofl2:

Great update Andrew, I'm sorry the that trip to Sea World was a bust but on the bright side you got some great Fort photos. :)

It was much easier sitting still than traveling 70mph. I look forward to more!!

[SCTigerCock 171]

Hmmm, I'm guessing I am "one of the others". You can mention me by name, I'm ok with it. :rofl2:

Why yes Doodle, I think you are "of the others" :hah:

Andrew,

Thanks for the update :jumpforjoy

[doodlebug....Cherie 461]

Why yes Doodle, I think you are "of the others" :hah:

Andrew,

Thanks for the update :jumpforjoy

I am part of an exclusive group!!

Andrew, great fireworks photos, I felt like I was right there with you. Not blocking your view of course.

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

Those are GREAT fireworks photos!!! I can't wait to try with my new camera. My old one was terrible!!!

[SCTigerCock 171]

I am part of an exclusive group!!

Andrew, great fireworks photos, I felt like I was right there with you. Not blocking your view of course.

Doodle,

Really? You are part of a gang? WOW :bugeyes:

I agree great photos! :banana:

[stefa70 205]

Hmmm, I'm guessing I am "one of the others". You can mention me by name, I'm ok with it. :rofl2:

Why yes Doodle, I think you are "of the others" :hah:

Genia, don't giggle too much, I guess he couldn't remember ya'lls names. Welcome to Stef's Pervert Posse. :clint:

Sorry Andrew.

You guys got some really great fireworks shots. Did Twin #1 take them? She told me that you swipe her pics sometimes and claim you took them. I love that kid!!

To be honest though, they weren't as good as devores's.

I'd prefer the "jackwagon family" in front of me.

[SCTigerCock 171]

Genia, don't giggle too much, I guess he couldn't remember ya'lls names. Welcome to Stef's Pervert Posse. :clint: Sorry Andrew. You guys got some really great fireworks shots. Did Twin #1 take them? She told me that you swipe her pics sometimes and claim you took them. I love that kid!! To be honest though, they weren't as good as devores's. I'd prefer the "jackwagon family" in front of me.

If he couldn't remember my user ID or Doodle's as part of the SPP, then I don't think we were meant to be in it. Our names fit right in. Then again he could just be old and senile? :rofl2:

I think twin #1 takes to much heat, I have a suspicion twin #2 flies under the radar. But regardless, they are angels! :jumpforjoy :heart: :rofl2:

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Even though I started it, I am going to ignore the comments on the spankula and "the others," and keep moving along.

Andrew, great fireworks photos, I felt like I was right there with you. Not blocking your view of course.

Thanks, Cherie.

And I wouldn't mind if you blocked my view- it might as well be you instead of someone I don't know.

Those are GREAT fireworks photos!!! I can't wait to try with my new camera. My old one was terrible!!!

Thanks, as I confess below, most of those photos were taken by twin #1. I think your new camera may be similar to or the same as hers.

You guys got some really great fireworks shots. Did Twin #1 take them? She told me that you swipe her pics sometimes and claim you took them. I love that kid!!

To be honest though, they weren't as good as devores's.

I'd prefer the "jackwagon family" in front of me.

Busted!

Yes, most of those photos were taken by twin #1.

I like my photos jackwagon free, so I like mine better than Devores'.

I think twin #1 takes to much heat, I have a suspicion twin #2 flies under the radar. But regardless, they are angels! :jumpforjoy :heart: :rofl2:

You are 100% correct about twin #2. She does fly under the radar. Plus, she is very good at getting twin #1 to do her dirty work. She is actually the one that we really need to keep and eye on.

TCD

[Tweedletent....Julie 0]

So what is this pirate jack's macaroni? :fork:

[FtWildernessFamily...Holly 25]

Oh.My.Goodness.

I do believe that these are the best fireworks pictures I have ever seen (yes, even better than my own). They are all SO good and I especially love how they reflect off the water.

GOOD JOB TCD!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (and TCD Twin #1)

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

So what is this pirate jack's macaroni? :fork:

It is Pirate Jeff.

Not Jack.

Pirate Jeff is a fellow Fiend.

His Mac and Cheese is famous.

And, he's such a swell guy that he shared his recipe with all the Fiends a long time ago.

Here it is:

The Famous Pirate Jeff MAC N' CHEESE!!!

and takes less than 25 minutes to make

1 lbs of beef hot dogs

1 pound box of elbow macaroni

3 tbl spoon of butter or margarine

3 tbl spoons of flour

3 cups milk (I used 2%)

1 tbl spoon ketchup

1 tbl spoon yellow mustard (From a squeeze bottle) not dried or powdered

15 slices of American cheese

4 cups cheddar cheese (grated)

salt and pepper (to your taste)

Bring 1 gallon of water to a boil in large pot

cut 1 pound of beef hot dogs into 3/8" slices

fry in frying pan until browned.

While browning the dogs in separate frying pan add 3 tbl spoons of butter and melt add 3 tbl spoons of flour and fry for about 1-1 1/2 minutes to get the flour/paste taste out add 3 cups of milk and simmer until it begins to thicken.

add 1 box of elbow macaroni to the boiling water for 6 -to 7 minutes.

next add American cheese to the rue from above. (since American cheese comes in sliced in 3" X 3" I add about 1" height about 15 pieces) and melt into the rue next I add 1 tbl spoon of ketchup and 1 tbl spoon of yellow mustard and mix in well. Next add 3 cups of grated cheddar cheese to the rue/sauce add salt and pepper to taste. add drained/fried hot dogs to the mix and stir to mix well

Drain macaroni well and put it back into the dry and empty hot pot you just boiled it in. add cheese sauce and stir well to mix the cheese and dogs with the macaroni. Plate it now (will fill a long casserole dish) sprinkle the remanding 1 cup of cheddar cheese on top. wait 5 minutes and serve.

As you can see, old Pirate Jeff says it takes less than 25 minutes to make. But when I followed his recipe, it took me a bit longer. And it was a lot of work melting all that cheese and stuff. And look how much cheese is in there! Four cups of shredded cheese plus 15 slices of Amercian Cheese. Good Lord that's a lot of cheese! We all think the best part is the browned hot dogs. So I created a new TCD version of Pirate Jeff's Macaroni and Cheese.

Here's the TCD version:

Slice up one or two hot dogs per person and brown them real good (the hot dogs are the best part).

Prepare one box of good old Kraft Macaroni and Cheese for every two people in your party (so for four people make two boxes).

After the macaroni and cheese is ready, stir in the browned hot dogs and serve.

Bam!

It's a winner with the TCD gang on camping trips.

If Pirate Jeff was dead and buried, he would roll over in his grave if he heard about this.

But he's not.

Try both versions.

I'll bet you'll like the TCD version better. It certainly is easier!

TCD

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Oh.My.Goodness.

I do believe that these are the best fireworks pictures I have ever seen (yes, even better than my own). They are all SO good and I especially love how they reflect off the water.

GOOD JOB TCD!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (and TCD Twin #1)

All the good ones are from Twin #1.

She left the photo taking to me for the actual NYE fireworks at the Fort.

You will see a big difference.

And not in a good way.

TCD

[Nicki aka Rebelstand 272]

1. Twin #2 - still water run deep.

2. great pics can't wait to compare

3. For clarification....exactly who is in SPP?

4. are you sure you don't have another update... I am avoiding my own TR right now.