We went to the JW Marriott Grande Lakes in Orlando, Florida. We absolutely love this hotel. It is beautiful! We got in about 5 on Thursday evening. Knowing we were using reward points, we figured we wouldn't have the greatest view, so we asked if they had any pool views available. They said they did for a small fee, but we decided not to pay that. So, we unpacked and decided to just walk around the grounds a bit. As we were walking we decided it would be worth the small fee to overlook the pool, gardens and lakes instead of the parking lot. We went up to the front desk and spoke to Conner, the same person who checked us in. He said it was no problem to move us up and as a birthday present, he would waive the fees. We were so excited! We went back up to the old room to pack up and when we walked in, we saw this in our room:
While we were out walking and before we asked about upgrading, Conner had sent champagne and chocolate covered strawberries to our room with a note wishing me a happy birthday! I thought that was so kind!We were so glad we ended up with the nicer room (especially for free). Instead of a big parking lot, here was the view from our room:
We overlooked the hotel's lazy river and many pools, gardens, lake and golf course. In the distance are the Disney properties where we could see the firework shows at night. It was an awesome room!On Friday, Ryan got up about 7:30, got dressed and went to Epcot for the day. He had a great time wandering around, people watching, show watching and sampling lots of fare from "around the world." He picked up some great presents too. He found a cute Minnie Mouse doll for Mia, little giggling Charlie and Lola dolls, plus a sticker book for Lily and Twinings iced tea for Liz. He also gave me the most beautiful Sworovski crystal tennis bracelet; I was truly surprised and moved by this gift. What a great husband. Here are just a few of the great pictures he took.
Watching "The British Invasion," a Beatles cover band in England.
I love the way they cut their trees, plants and flowers. Look at Beast and Belle!
A beautiful spot in Japan.
The big golf ball in front.
While Ryan enjoyed his day at Epcot, I had an amazing day at the spa. The Marriott and the Ritz Carlton share their spa facilities and it's awesome. I had a 75 minute hot stone massage which was incredible. After that I was escorted to the ladies lounge where they had these super comfy over sized chairs and blankets; they encourage you to take a nap while the soft music is playing. I stayed there for about 30 minutes, and even though I didn't nap, I was able to spend almost the whole time in prayer which was wonderful. I can't remember the last time I was able to get that kind of time in peace and quiet. After that, I showered and changed into my swimsuit and cover up. I went down to their cafe where I enjoyed a blue crab and asparagus salad; yummy! After that I spent the rest of the day reading magazines by the pool and floating in the pool. I felt like for the first time in a long time, my head was clear. It was wonderful. I stayed there until about 5, and then went back to the spa to shower and clean up for dinner.
At 6, my cousins, Jason and Jill Howell, picked me up and we met Ryan at The Boardwalk for dinner. We went to Cat Cora's Greek restaurant called Kouzzina, and we enjoyed a delicious meal trying lots of new dishes. Jason and Jill are some of our favorite people to hang out with, so we were so glad they were able to get a night out themselves while we were in town!
We went back up in late afternoon to get ready for dinner. We had reservations at Jiko, an African restaurant at The Animal Kingdom Lodge. We wanted to try something different, and this fit the bill. We started out with a cheese plate which had five different cow, goat and sheep's cheeses from around the world. They were delicious and went well with our South African wines. For dinner, Ryan had the highly recommended filet mignon and macaroni and cheese. I had a pork loin that was encrusted with herbs and spices and was served with polenta. It was definitely different, but I'm glad I tried it. We thought about going to Downtown Disney to get dessert, but it was so crowded we just decided to go on back.
On Sunday, we enjoyed the wonderful breakfast buffet again. Since we were still sunburned, we decided to spend the day relaxing inside. We dozed in and out of naps all morning, watched the French Open, read books and magazines and worked on my digital scrapbooks. We decided to go to Giordano's for dinner. This is a famous Chicago pizza restaurant that has a location in Orlando. Ryan got their famous deep dish pizza while I had their thin crust Hawaiian. It was wonderful. We got back and walked down to the pool to enjoy some tropical drinks again. After that, we wanted to get back to the room in time to watch all of the Lost wrap-up, finale and Jimmy Kimmel. It was great!
On Monday, we slept in and took our time packing up our things before heading out. We went to The Grand Floridian Cafe to enjoy one of our favorite sandwiches: turkey and ham on focaccia bread with melted Boursin cheese. Oh my goodness, it's awesome. From there, we went to Downtown Disney to visit their dessert shop. I love their peanut butter cups while Ryan favors their pretzel sticks dipped in white chocolate. Ryan was also kind enough to stop by Wal-Mart so we could pick up a converter for the car, so I could work on our scrapbooks all the way home while he drove. Thankfully, we made it home safe and sound around 10PM; of course, this was after the girls had gone to bed, so it was great to see them this morning. We missed them!
This was such a wonderful trip, and we are so thankful that we had the opportunity to get away for a few days. We just may return next year!
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