My Florida trip - final recap (really)

[(Crazy)Dulce Lady]

thanks for looking for McD's with me Angela and Krista.

Looking for a McD's at 3 am was quite an adventure.

yea but we didn't give up!!! McD's is no challenge for us! we got to Florida, dang it, didn't we? oh, you were already in Florida-my bad.....great pic of DEEN!!!!!

[Lady Luck]

thanks for looking for McD's with me Angela and Krista.

Looking for a McD's at 3 am was quite an adventure.

yea but we didn't give up!!! McD's is no challenge for us! we got to Florida, dang it, didn't we? oh, you were already in Florida-my bad.....great pic of DEEN!!!!!

I was just praying the guy at the convenient store spoke English when we stopped and asked. LOL! I barely understood one word from the guy at the hotel gate.

Thanks! It's one of my faves from Pompano.

[dcvader]

EWWWWW!!!!!!!!

Me toooooooeeeeeeeewwwwwwww, . That other guy should be insulted by the comparison.

Just a joke in good fun. All of us laughed about it for 2 days.

[Ratgirl]

thanks for looking for McD's with me Angela and Krista.

Hey.. it was nice meeting you!
Funny how excited we were when we finally found it.

[AR]

Continuing on:

Saturday morning and a trip through "Alligator Alley":

Remarkably Saturday morning arrived with no one showing any ill effects from the night before. I didn't notice anyone that was hungover, including myself - which is a minor miracle. So we set out on the road early for around a 4 hour drive to Pompano Beach/Ft Lauderdale.

As usual duke22, dcvader and I were on the road pretty quickly in the morning. Our breakfast was usually on the road, with those 2 grabbing coffee, while I opted fort he combination of a Diet Pepsi and power bar. Granny and Co. usually chose a sit down breakfast, so we knew that we would most likely reach our destination first.

Alligator Alley was not nearly as desolate as I expected. There were signs of civilization and we were able to grab a very substandard lunch at a crappy Burger King. After awhile to the left was the massive Lake Okeechobee. The problem is, you can't see it. There is some sort of high hill/earthen wall that prevents observing this body of water from the road. I was half tempted to suggest stopping and taking a look, but that would have been one less beer later.

We made the Best Western in Pompano Beach mid afternoon and were treated to even nicer weather than the west coast (83 degrees and sunny). The hotel wasn't the cleanest ever, but it was ok. It did have a nice swimming pool and tiki bar. Vader noted that it resembled the pool area in the 80's teen sex movie "Spring Break" Haven't seen that one in years, but I had to agree that it did. Who knows maybe the movie was shot there. Might be time to break it out on my next Netflix order.

We hit the tiki bar for some beers and called in a greasy (but good) order from Ft Lauderdale Pizza and drank beer until it was time for the show.

Next up: Pompano Beach tailgate/concert/and a power outage

[zino]

The movie Spring Break was flimed at the resturant I work ( Shooters Waterfront Cafe the place was called Bootleggers it has since been renamed since.The pool still stands too this day. We still hold hot bod contest Sunday's. The movie porkys was flimed up the road behind the restaurant mai-Kai. Just some usuless triva.

[AR]

The movie Spring Break was flimed at the resturant I work ( Shooters Waterfront Cafe the place was called Bootleggers it has since been renamed since.The pool still stands too this day. We still hold hot bod contest Sunday's. The movie porkys was flimed up the road behind the restaurant mai-Kai. Just some usuless triva.

Not useless at all. Answers an important question!

[cyndy!]

i love reading threads like this! fans becoming friends, all going on an adventure to see their favorite band. thanks for sharing your stories & pix!

[Rockindeano]

i love reading threads like this! fans becoming friends, all going on an adventure to see their favorite band. thanks for sharing your stories & pix!

Well have I got news for you.

The Frisco Sisters are coming with to VA. Bet your Asian ass on that Poondoggy.

[cyndy!]

Well have I got news for you.

The Frisco Sisters are coming with to VA. Bet your Asian ass on that Poondoggy.

only if you introduce me to JC, your BFF. do you think i'll get to shake hands with JSS too?

[perryfaithful]

I feel like I am reading a good book and don't want to put it down. PLEASE continue Ed! Great thread!

[Rockindeano]

Well have I got news for you.

The Frisco Sisters are coming with to VA. Bet your Asian ass on that Poondoggy.

only if you introduce me to JC, your BFF. do you think i'll get to shake hands with JSS too?

Shaking hands with Soto is a tough feat to accomplish, but I think I can get you the opportunity. JC? I don't know Christs' number but if you want to meet Mr. Friga? No prob. That dude loves rolling with us while on the road. Consider him done.

You think I am joking Cyndy? You and your 'sister' will be going with.

[donnaplease]

Well have I got news for you.

The Frisco Sisters are coming with to VA. Bet your Asian ass on that Poondoggy.

only if you introduce me to JC, your BFF. do you think i'll get to shake hands with JSS too?

Shaking hands with Soto is a tough feat to accomplish, but I think I can get you the opportunity. JC? I don't know Christs' number but if you want to meet Mr. Friga? No prob. That dude loves rolling with us while on the road. Consider him done.

You think I am joking Cyndy? You and your 'sister' will be going with.

Cyndy,

Please come!!!! Us east-coast peeps would love to meet you!!!!

[AR]

Pompano Beach tailgate/concert/and a power outage

First off, this was the best tailgate of the entire trip. For an Northeasterner such as myself, an outdoor concert in February is absolutely absurd. RocknDeano and Co. were already at the lot when my car arrived. This was the first sighting of jrnyjester on the trip and we eventually gathered everyone up and combined the party at one vehicle.

We got a call from the Frontiers show that was going on concurrently in Wilmington, DE. Spoke with Jeremey and Niggy. Granny's daughter Cindy was also in attendance there as well, so there were Melodicrock/Annex people enjoying Journey related functions over a 1000 miles apart.

The Pompano Beach Ampitheatre is very nice with good sightlines. Not as big as the typical outdoor "sheds" but a mid sized venue that holds around 3,000. The show looked packed and I didn't see any empty seats. Great crowd as well, much livelier than Clearwater. I sat near the board and briefly met Kevin Elson. Say what you want but the guy is a wizard and worked a miracle allowing a crippled band to sound passable before JSS was brought in this summer. We'll leave out the 30th anniversary tour and all that went along with that - still amazing when you think about all that though. The guy is good at what he does.

No need to post the setlist as the major discussion obviously surrounds the additions of "Faith in the Heartland" "Send Her My Love", "Where Where You" & "Opened the Door". All were welcomed changes. When they introduced that they were playing a song off Generations, I expected "Every Generation" again, so when I realized it was Faith - I popped for that BIG time! Opened the Door is a song I wasn't that familiar with (not quite as hardcore as many of you), but I really liked it a lot.

Pompano as a show was a step up from Clearwater. I think all of us in attendance would agree with that.

Post show was quite the experience. We all wanted to get something to eat. We decided on a Denny's because it was right in front of us. Literally the second we walked in, the power blew out. I forget why that happened and maybe one of our crew can remind me. Anyway, we are waiting it out, Dean and I are jawing back and forth in the dark, bored out of our minds, and a little drunk. I finally need to get out of this dark Denny's and announce: "Fuck it you guys, I'm leaving!" So I leave our entire crew and just start walking in a city I've never been in before. I was looking for the hotel, but apparently later found out I was going in the wrong direction.

Anyway, I get a cell phone call and one of our cars pick me up (I would have eventually found a cab guys, but thanks) and we all find an IHOP to eat where the power was actually on.

I wish their electricity would have been out too!!!!! Blech, what shitty food! Still glad we were there actually because it was the last night for Travis and Donna(please) who would be going home the next day.

Next up: An day off, and a decision to make.

[Lady Luck]

Alligator Alley was not nearly as desolate as I expected.

All Angela and I kept hearing was, "I wanna see an alligator! I wanna see an alligator!"

[Rockindeano]

Alligator Alley was not nearly as desolate as I expected.

All Angela and I kept hearing was, "I wanna see an alligator! I wanna see an alligator!"

How would you know, both of you slept the entire trip from Clearwater to Pampano. I can say this now, because we didn't get in an accident, but I dozed off a few times while driving....oops.

[Ratgirl]

Alligator Alley was not nearly as desolate as I expected.

All Angela and I kept hearing was, "I wanna see an alligator! I wanna see an alligator!"

How would you know, both of you slept the entire trip from Clearwater to Pampano. I can say this now, because we didn't get in an accident, but I dozed off a few times while driving....oops.

I didnt sleep the whole trip.. I was too busy looking for aligators for you.

[Lady Luck]

Alligator Alley was not nearly as desolate as I expected.

All Angela and I kept hearing was, "I wanna see an alligator! I wanna see an alligator!"

How would you know, both of you slept the entire trip from Clearwater to Pampano. I can say this now, because we didn't get in an accident, but I dozed off a few times while driving....oops.

I wasn't asleep...I was resting my eyes.

[Melissa]

Next time there's a gator in our yard (yes this happens, even though Dean didn't believe me, lol), I'll take a pic. Our next door neighbors had one in their pool. Our pool is screened in thank goodness, lol.

[ohsherrie]

I feel like I am reading a good book and don't want to put it down. PLEASE continue Ed! Great thread!

PF, You've got to come to the Melee. The best chapter is yet to be written.

[donnaplease]

Well...another side to this day's story...

Travis & I were driving in our caravan with Carol & Norman and Pam. We stopped along the way to get lunch, and as we're leaving, I asked the question, "do we need gas"? "Naw, we're okay" was my reply.

Somewhere along alligator alley, we hear a slight beeping noise. Guess what? Fuel indicator light. We're sucking fumes and not an exit or a gas station for miles! Travis is trying to stay calm, and I'm ever-so-subtly peeking over at the gas gauge every couple of miles. I'm formulating this plan in my head as to what we're gonna do if we run out of gas. "Do I call Carol & Norm?" "The police?" "WTF are we gonna do?"

Luckily, we finally found an exit and were able to get gas and all was fine. It would've been BAAADDD if we would have run out of gas though...

We made it to Pompano in time to join the gang for a few drinks before heading to the venue. The tailgate party was a blast!!! RockinDeano was well-behaved, and STILL showed his ass!!!!

[duke22]

The radiator story will come in detail from me, but as AR isn't there yet I will wait. There is more to the story than even AR or DCVader know. The plot thickened after getting home. Enough for now. I'll just let AR finish.

[Natalie]

Well...another side to this day's story...

Travis & I were driving in our caravan with Carol & Norman and Pam. We stopped along the way to get lunch, and as we're leaving, I asked the question, "do we need gas"? "Naw, we're okay" was my reply.

Somewhere along alligator alley, we hear a slight beeping noise. Guess what? Fuel indicator light. We're sucking fumes and not an exit or a gas station for miles! Travis is trying to stay calm, and I'm ever-so-subtly peeking over at the gas gauge every couple of miles. I'm formulating this plan in my head as to what we're gonna do if we run out of gas. "Do I call Carol & Norm?" "The police?" "WTF are we gonna do?"

Luckily, we finally found an exit and were able to get gas and all was fine. It would've been BAAADDD if we would have run out of gas though...

We made it to Pompano in time to join the gang for a few drinks before heading to the venue. The tailgate party was a blast!!! RockinDeano was well-behaved, and STILL showed his ass!!!!

I didn't even know that you could use "well-behaved" and "showed his ass" in the same sentence!

[SunshineTwilight]

Well...another side to this day's story...

Travis & I were driving in our caravan with Carol & Norman and Pam. We stopped along the way to get lunch, and as we're leaving, I asked the question, "do we need gas"? "Naw, we're okay" was my reply.

Somewhere along alligator alley, we hear a slight beeping noise. Guess what? Fuel indicator light. We're sucking fumes and not an exit or a gas station for miles! Travis is trying to stay calm, and I'm ever-so-subtly peeking over at the gas gauge every couple of miles. I'm formulating this plan in my head as to what we're gonna do if we run out of gas. "Do I call Carol & Norm?" "The police?" "WTF are we gonna do?"

Luckily, we finally found an exit and were able to get gas and all was fine. It would've been BAAADDD if we would have run out of gas though...

We made it to Pompano in time to join the gang for a few drinks before heading to the venue. The tailgate party was a blast!!! RockinDeano was well-behaved, and STILL showed his ass!!!!

I didn't even know that you could use "well-behaved" and "showed his ass" in the same sentence!

Let's just say he was a well-behaved ass!!! LOL

[Natalie]

Well, I guess someone else was in control of the Sharpie!

[Rick]

Well, I guess someone else was in control of the Sharpie!

DOH!!

[donnaplease]

Well, I guess someone else was in control of the Sharpie!

That would be Bublhed!!!!

[Natalie]

Well, I guess someone else was in control of the Sharpie!

That would be Bublhed!!!!

Yeah, I'd heard that but I wasn't going to point any fingers. I didn't want to spread rumors about who's husband was touching Dean's ass!

[donnaplease]

Well, I guess someone else was in control of the Sharpie!

That would be Bublhed!!!!

Yeah, I'd heard that but I wasn't going to point any fingers. I didn't want to spread rumors about who's husband was touching Dean's ass!

Aww...he's ok. He's only 'shameless' by marriage!!

[ohsherrie]

Well, I guess someone else was in control of the Sharpie!

That would be Bublhed!!!!

He has lovely handwriting.