Day 1301: Dole Whips in Wisconsin

I may have to drive two hours to get it, but I finally got my Dole Whip outside of Disney! 

I may have mentioned a while back about how there are a couple of locations throughout the country where you can locate a real, authentic dole whip without ever stepping foot on Disney property, but for those like me, these locations are few and far between. The closest Orange Leaf to my home used to be about 20 minutes, but when they still existed in Green Bay and Appleton, I didn't know what was awaiting me there. Now, I have to travel two hours to Waukesha to find the closest store, and that's not exactly worth it...even if I could get all the dole whip I ever wanted. 

Still, when you happen to be passing through the area on your way home from a week and a half long road trip, it makes perfect sense to stop on the way and pick up an extra special treat. Granted, I'll be eating a dole whip at Disney in about week, but the fact that I got it in Wisconsin made the entire experience even more special. 

Will I make the trip all the way to Waukesha just for a dole whip in the future? Probably not. But the next time I'm in the area you'd better believe I'll spend plenty of time at the local Orange Leaf. 

Have a magical day! 

Day 1297: 3500 Miles

Let me tell you, 3500 miles is nothing to sneeze at. 

When we were amidst the planning for our road trip, I don't think I ever really realized just how far we would be going. You can look at a map all day and never realize just how far you've gone until you're actually in another state 16 hours away from your apartment with the realization that you drove yourself there...and that it's another 16 hour drive home. 

Still, Colorado was a great adventure for my family and I. For us, so used to traveling to Disney all the time, and definitely more used to flying than driving, it was a long haul. And yet, we saw so many different things, and to tell the truth, there were more than a few distinct Disney references along the way aside from the big ones that each got their own blog post. For instance, there was Key West Drive and the Fillmore Recreation Area in Iowa, not to mention the real life Filmore garage we found in Crestone, Colorado! Passing through Altoona, we came across an Adventureland Resort...because yes, that was really its name, and in Cripple Creek there was a Cheshire Cat gift shop. In Durango, there was a Guido Italian Restaurant, and we actually found Sir Axelrod in South Fork, Colorado. Oh, and this guy too: 

So yeah, I did really enjoy my trip to Colorado, and I know there are definitely a few more blog posts on the way about all our adventures. After all, it turns out that the second you leave your apartment, Disney references are all around you. To celebrate, here are a few bonus pictures from the trip as well: 

Have a magical day!

758: Where Would You Be?

Over on the WDW Radio blog, young blogger Ruby just wrote a post about a conversation she had with her family at dinner on her birthday, which you can read right HERE (and please do! She's a wonderful writer and I adore her posts and WDW Radio!). The discussion was about, if you were at Walt Disney World, where would you be and what would you be doing, which definitely got me to thinking what I would be doing too!

Since I just returned from my last trip, it's kind of weird to think about what I'm really craving at Walt Disney World. Last night it was a Dole Whip, the night before the delicious raspberry sorbet I had at Boma, and at the moment, it doesn't really even matter if it's food I'm craving. I think, if I could only choose one place to be in all of WDW, right now it would be either strolling around World Showcase at Epcot or making my way through Adventureland at the Magic Kingdom. Yes, I know I cheated a little bit there and included two, but I really can't decide between them. They both sound spectacular at the moment, and maybe that's just because I've been mostly working or in class since noon today.

World Showcase is pretty much always on my list in this case, as is most of Epcot, but Adventureland is a new one, and I really have no idea why a walk through that portion of the Magic Kingdom sounds so appealing at the moment. But just walking through, listening to the wonderful music while eating a Dole Whip and then heading on Jungle Cruise sounds like a great end to my night, even if I'm ridiculously far away and that will never happen (especially when I still have work to do once I finish updating this blog!). So when I get back to my room (I'm on my office computer at the moment, sneaky person I am...but don't worry, I'm not on the clock!) I might just have to pull up the Adventureland track I have saved to my computer and listen to that while finishing up the rest of my work for the night!

The second half of Ruby's article talked about a similar, but different aspect of waiting between trips: things we do to make that waiting seem easier, and I know I've blogged about this before, but I do feel like I need to mention that, at the moment, the best remedy for me is getting the rest of my work done! Since coming back to school, I've just been busy all the time (and I honestly feel like there's not enough time in the day to finish everything I need to), and that, at least, keeps me pretty focused and makes the days go faster. Other than that, planning the next trip is probably my personal favorite remedy for making the time between trips go faster, even if my trip to Disneyland is still roughly 192 days away (we haven't booked the whole thing yet, but I know I'll be there for D23 for sure, so California, I'm coming for you!)

Where at WDW do you want to be right now and what do you do to make the time between trips move a little faster than the speed of a snail? And if you haven't, go check out Ruby's original article on WDW Radio and send her your answer in the comments there too!

Have a magical day!