My New DreaMS: Fun n the Sun on Spring Break

There is ALWAYS a story to be told when we decide to go on "Vacation". We chose to go down to St. Petersburg, FL this year for Spring Break. Boy did we pick an amazing week to be down there as the weather was picture perfect with the temps being 80-85 and then sun shining EVERY day and the crowds weren't bad at all. Here is a summary of our Spring Break.
Our plan was to leave around 2-3pm on Wednesday March 22nd, BUT the motor home had different ideas. First Dan was still hanging on to a nasty barky cough even after a round of antibiotics so the day we were leaving he went into to see the Doctor again. They put him on an inhaler and a different family of antibiotics, fun times!
When we were to fill the RV with water we found out the water pump didn't work, so off to find a water pump that would work. We didn't find the correct pump but we did find one that would work, it was just alil bigger. Once the RV was filled with water 3hrs late we were on the road heading to the sunshine state.

Danny is always smiling when getting in the RV ~ he just LOVES the RV

All packed up and ready to GO ~ Ms Emma and Av had her friend Lydia come with us

Getting away from the cold crappy weather for awhile

Well we got about 30 miles south when the generator died. We can NOT travel without electricity to power up Danny's equipment, have the heater on, or god for forbid the tv/movies weren't available. SO back home we went to have Dan install a new fuel pump on the generator...once again NOT the one that was needed for our unit BUT one that would work for the time being. Estimated time to leave was say 2pm, first time we left was around 5:30pm, and then we left for a second time at 9pm. 7hrs later we were on our way ...... I hopes we weren't going to have to turn around again.

Where you will find the girls the majority of the ride down to FL and back home....watching movies.

Awe ~ shhhhhh

Yes I do drive the RV

BUT then Dan holds on....even while he is sleeping ~ LOL

Out walking and stretching their legs at the Flying J gas station....A place we typically stop at as they have a large enough gas pump area for RV's that are gas not diesel

I was wondering if we were going to actually see the sunshine state......Welcome to Florida!!

Starting early on the tan through the windshield.

Danny too !!

The girls would get together and play games

We had to travel over a VERY LONG bridge to get to St Petersburg FL.....Have I told you I Do NOT like bridges. EEEKKK

Seriously are we off yet?!?!

St Petersburg!!

Once at the campground the vent did not open so Av went up on the roof to help me open the vent door

Our Camp site DW27 at the KOA campgrounds in St Petersburg. The gentlemen that helped us to our campsite was so friendly. He noticed our WI plates and when we told him we were from Neenah....his first comment was "The ROCKETS". HA! He was from WI and is now a full time Rv'er

With a beautiful view of the channel from the back window of our RV

How the Wheelchair lift works in the RV

The inside of the RV

How we shower Danny in the RV

The cabin the girls and Ms Emma stayed in while at the campground

Pool life!

Father like son ~ shhhhh

Alil Mimosa by the pool :)

Birds!!

From what the locals were telling me this is a Northern Squeak Owl.....must be lost to be in southern FL

Watch out Lydia, it's going to get you

Relaxing

Double trouble!!

The luck of the G-Tube ~ NOT

After having a brand new G tube in for about 3 weeks (usually they are replace without defect every 3 months) Danny's tube's balloon (what holds the tube in his stomach) popped. We put in our spare that was a size down and within 12 hrs that one too ...... POPPED!!

Seriously!!

We taped the tube in so it wouldn't fall out which would lead to the hole closing

By some luck one of my very good FB friends had a spare gtube in the exact same size I needed. BUT she lives in Seattle....we are in FL. SO she had it shipped priority to us at the campgrounds and 2 days later....We had a new tube. Thankfully the tube didn't cause us any more grief the rest of the vacation

On Saturday we went to John's Pass boardwalk

shopping

Emma found a friend ~ lol

Me and my handsome Lil Man

#mannequinchallenge

Fun pirate dinner cruise that we watched

Bubba Gump for dinner ~ unfortunately the we waited at our table for 1.5hrs before our food came and it wasn't the best. Usually we have great service and food at Bubba Gump

The company and drinks were the best part of our dinner

Dolphin swimming around that we enjoyed watching

Walking on the bridge to get a better photo of the sunset

What beautiful sunsets

On Monday we were headed to Clearwater, FL

First adventure was a Tropical Buffet Cruise

They were so accommodating to get Danny on board

Rum Punch was SOOOO Yummy!!

We were told this was John Travolta's summer home

Tom Cruise's summer home

Very cool sandbar

Yeap another Rum Punch ~ I told you they were good

LOVE

Shark attack ~ another fun tour boat we saw on the water

After the cruise we went to the Clearwater Aquarium where the "DolphinTale" movies were taped and we saw Winter, Hope and Rufus

Sharks

Winter

Winter get some PT to help her spine

A room where some of the scenes of the movie were filmed

Otters

We got to see Nicolas who was rescued when 6 months old when beached with his sick Mom, unfortunately his mom passed away but Nicolas has recovered but scared from the sun burn

Touching Sting Rays's

Frenchie's on Clearwater beach for Dinner

Yeap .... Had to refresh over another rum drink

Can't keep the girls away from the water ~ "text me when the food is at the table"

Dessert!

Toes in the sand

Bright and early Tuesday we were at the pier at 8:30am so the girls could go Parasailing. Danny and Ms Emma hung back at the camp site for the morning.

Getting their instructions ~ .....I have multiple photos of this orb floating around while on our parasailing adventure ~ Can you see the orb? By Lydia's left knee

Our Captain and his family is from WI too

It was Lydia's first time

They got to be approx 400ft above sea level

What a gorgeous Morning to be on the water ~ See the Orb ?

Getting Dipped

Video of them being retracted in and getting dipped.... "Here fishy fishy!"
So Much FUN!! What great memories between friends

See the Orb? Down at the base of the building

After Parasailing we walked across the street over to the beach to just unwind.
Dan reads A LOT when on vacation.

Photo Bombers!!

Ahhhhhhhh

Someone didn't flip and got a nice sun burn/heat rash on her back....a day or two later she was itching like mad!

We brought Emma some Chick-Fil-A. She LOVES this stuff but we don't have any close in WI so when out n about it's her go to food. BUT Lydia is allergic to Chicken and Pork so we were teasing her most of the trip NO CHICK-FIL-A for you!!

Wednesday we hit Tampa and went to Busch Gardens

The girls hit this roller coaster ride right away and it was the biggest one of the park ~ the park wasn't that busy so they got right on

Of course they would be in the first seat

Love me some Penguins......these are South Africa penguins so they like the warm weather

Throughout the park they had this awesome "animals"

We are loaded and ready for the Serengeti Safari into the animals enclosure

We hand fed Giraffe's ~ it was amazing!

Feeding the Giraffe's

It was pretty hot and after being out in the sun on the back of the truck feeding the giraffe's, we decided to go into the restaurant for a wonderful meal and some time to cool off in the air conditioning.

Oh and the frozen drink was Yummy too

After lunch we got on the train that toured the park

Well we know the sunscreen works.....Ms Emma rubbed sunscreen on Danny and then must have touched her shoulders

Whose the biggest kid?

Looking into the tigers home

Another roller coaster under their belt and once again the park wasn't busy so they got right on the ride

Animals

All good things must come to an end....I just wished it would have lasted about 45 minutes more. The last 30 minutes before the park was to close we entered an interactive show, BUT Danny got overwhelmed and the heat got to him. He started to wretch and over heat = HOT MESS. Ms Emma, Danny and Mom didn't make the show as we tended to Danny while the rest of them stayed to watch.

Cold compress and in the shade while we waited

It took us till we got home (in WI) before he fully recovered and was back at a baseline. He stayed in his briefs the majority of the rest of the vacation

When making meds these two girls became our go to med crushers

On Thursday we took an easy day = pool time, the girls rented out a kayak from the campground, and we got everything settled to get ready to leave back to WI on Friday. We did get out for dinner and went to Pinchers back in Tampa. We did learn that once on the island we should stay on the island as the 25 min trip took us 1 hr 45 min....good thing the food was GREAT!

Danny has been crushing on Ms Lydia ~ he's always looking for her and smiling

On the trip I received some devastating news....a very good FB friend of mine Joan's daughter Hannah who was 21 yrs old had passed away very suddenly. Fly HIGH sweet Hannah, know you will be missed deeply!

Friday we were back on the road....once again the weather was great for traveling. The few drops of rain fell while we were sleeping Friday morning but it cleared before we needed to load up. The traffic on the trip back home was CRAZY. Amazingly we didn't get delayed in Atlanta as the day before we left I85 bridge collapsed due to a fire and Atlanta usually a drag to get through in general but the traffic gods were in our favor. We did get stuck on that BIG bridge getting off the island, it would normally take approx 1.5 hrs but 5 hrs later we were on our way and Nashville wasn't that kind this trip to us either.

Vacations are wonderful but it's so nice to see that WI sign.

Boy did we miss these furbabes ~ they house and pups were watched by 2 of Danny's nurses while we were gone. Ms Cori and Ms Sarah were wonderful to my babes and the house is still standing, lol