My Trip to Mexico, Minus the Passport

Have you eaten at JD's BBQ on State Avenue in Dickinson? If not, you'd betta get yo behind there pronto--it is to die for (um, figuratively speaking, that is). Whilst the girls were at ballet classes this evening, Susan took me to JD's for supper: chicken, pork, brisket, jambalaya, potato salad, corn bread, and--beforehand--buckets of peanuts on every table, the shells of which one throws on the floor. There was even a musician on hand tonight, playing his guitar and singing in the corner as we finished our meal. Great atmosphere, great food . . . and I don't even get kickbacks for saying so!

After eating, we went to a retail chain "super" store to pick up some photos that we had developed from three disposable cameras we'd had around the house--two of them for the girls' use and one for my own use when in FL for a conference recently. Wanna see some more Disney World pics?! (These were better quality, of course, because we were using our digital camera. The best pics from the disposable camera were those taken in lotsa light--thus all the outside shots.) First, orient yourself to the resort's layout with this map. Then, enjoy:

This fountain is situated at the entrance to Disney's Coronado Springs Resort, where the conference was held and where I stayed.

El Centro is the building housing the concierge, the front desk, the bell station, the shop, and the restaurants. Here it is from the entrance driveway . . .

. . . and from the exit driveway.

This is the entrance to the conference center (attached to El Centro) where all the conference sessions were held.

Exiting El Centro to walk to one's room, one sees Lago Dorado (Lake of Gold)--the lake around which Coronado Springs is buit--and several lakeside attractions within yards of El Centro's door, including an outdoor bar and this marina. The circular yellow building at the end of the marina is where one would check out a boat or even a bike for touring the grounds of the resort.

The guest rooms are situated around the lake in three village areas: the casitas, the ranchos, and the cabanas. I stayed in a cabana, and here's an example of one of those buildings.

A beach of white sand and hammocks tied to the palm trees lies just outside the cabanas. Doesn't this look inviting?!

Here's a view of El Centro and the casitas across Lago Dorado from the end of the bridge nearest my cabana.

Another view from the bridge.

Just a few steps away from my room was the Dig Site, a recreation area for the resort featuring sand pits for volleyball, poolside deck chairs for sunbathing, a hot tub, a poolside bar and grill, a playground, a nature trail, and the Lost City of Cibola swimming pool and water slide. The faux Mayan temple is a gigantic water feature with water cascading down the steps. The totem-pole-like structure in the foreground sprays water for rinsing before or after playing in the swimming pool.

The steps to the left would take one to the top of the water slide, which snakes down to the right and ends up in the pool at the foot of the Mayan temple. Notice the jungle cat that glares down at water sliders!