Friday, May 4th, the ending: all was calm, all was bright.
With the suitcases emptied, we felt settled in and very relaxed. Not at all weary, just calm and extremely chill
. Steve even turned off his phone….which, all on its own, created an aura of peacefulness that we don’t normally get a chance to enjoy. His work tends contact him 24/7 with issues and problems, so being “unplugged” felt like a vacation all on its own
.
We briefly tossed around our options for dinner, and by mutual agreement we decided to head just up the 535 to the Crossroads and keep, at least partly, with day-one tradition: Sweet Tomatoes was calling our name. Neither one of us was craving anything heavy or greasy; instead we were yearning for something more low-key and mellow yet still satisfying. Normally, Sweet Tomatoes is the first meal we enjoy after our arrival, typically for a hearty but healthy lunch after an early morning flight. We had never been there for dinner before, so this would be a first for us.
It was definitely busier at Sweet Tomatoes than we had ever seen it before, enough so that it was almost a challenge to find an empty table. That always cheers me a little at a buffet restaurant. The food tends to be better when the restaurant is busier, as it doesn’t sit for long periods of time
. Lots of food being hauled away on customer plates, and fresh stuff being brought out.
The monthly flavor theme, not surprisingly, was Mexican. With Cinco de Mayo the following day (and seemingly quite a big deal in the southern USA), we rather expected that many of the dishes would have a bit of a spicy flair. I’m not a huge fan of spicy foods, but there were still lots of old standbys for me to enjoy. For the first time, I tried one of their baked potatoes: something that I love but always seems too heavy for our lunch visits, but perfectly fitting for an evening meal. Topped with fresh chili (spicy-flavorful but not spicy-hot) and some shredded cheese, and it was a big YUM.
Since it was vacation and calories don’t count
, I also indulged in a couple (okay, maybe a couple times two
) of their warm mini muffins. These things are my absolute favorite Sweet Tomatoes treat: if I could, I’d pack my purse full of them and smuggle a supply back to the villa. I truly wish they’d offer some sort of ability to purchase a dozen to-go: I’d be first in line to purchase a sack
. Sweet Tomatoes, you’re sitting on a gold mine and don’t even know it.
We both finished off with a frosty treat from their create-your-own sundae bar. I achieved the perfect balance of ice cream and toppings with a base of vanilla soft serve adorned with a crown of both hot fudge and hot caramel sauces. Since I was already going whole hog, I allowed myself to be lavish with the crushed cookie toppings
. As a wise man once said…..YOLO!
(and I totally rationalized that I’d walk off that gluttony over the course of the week)
We used a coupon that we downloaded from the internet, which meant that this delicious meal (which included two unlimited beverages) came to a whopping $25 plus tax. So inexpensive, I honestly almost felt badly using the coupon
.
Almost
.
We moaned and groaned a bit as we shuffled back to the rental vehicle: we were SO full. We decided to walk off a bit of our overindulgences before heading back to the resort, and ran a couple of errands on our way. We stopped at one of the souvenir stores on 535 to pick up matching t-shirts for our Disney day the next morning, and at Walgreens to purchase a supply of necessities that we like to have on hand at the villa: bottled water, laundry soap, a few snack items, and of course, some adult refreshments. The hot tub is always relaxing, but even more so with a cold beverage or two. Gotta keep hydrated in the Florida heat
.
Back at the resort, we tossed the drinks into the fridge and made a quick change into our swimsuits. I was just tying up my hair when my phone jangled, and I noted with a bit of concern that it was our Pet Nanny. We had expected that she would check in at some point….the photos and texts on each visit are some of the things I love about their service……but I was a tad surprised that Morgan was opting to call when we had only left earlier that morning. While I was relieved to learn that all was well with the cats (and texts a few minutes later had their adorable furry faces filling my phone screen), she wanted us to know that our house was apparently out of power
. The bizarre, freakish storm that had ripped through the airport earlier in the afternoon had blown through our neighborhood a short time later, obviously knocking down some power lines as it continued its path northward. She just wanted to make us aware, and asked if there was anything we wanted done for the cats considering the unexpected circumstances. We assured her they’d be fine, and predicted that the electricity would be back on by the time she arrived to give them fresh food and a littler clean-up the following morning.
It’s probably a good thing that I didn’t have any foresight on that first night of how that issue would play out
, otherwise it would have dampened the joy of our inaugural night in Orlando. More on that as this trip report unfolds.
Heading down to the Fountains pool area, we found that they were featuring a dive in movie in honor of “May the 4th"
:
I thought it was a fun touch on the Vistana’s part
.
We headed up behind the waterfall and gratefully sank into the therapeutic heat and bubbles of the upper hot tub. We enjoyed some friendly conversation with two other families…..ironically, one from Ontario and one from Michigan, both of whom were headed home the next day……until our muscles were so relaxed that we feared we wouldn’t be able to walk back up the stairs to our third floor digs. We intentionally turned at a reasonable time – shortly after 11 pm – knowing we were going to meet
@chiamarie at Epcot for park opening. Sleep came quickly and easy for both of us: it had been the most stress-free start of any trip we’d taken this far.
Coming up: topiaries, margaritas, and strapping on my big-girl panties at EPCOT!
. Now we can go full speed ahead with the planning!
, 
.
. Surely you'll be in for an abundance of sunshine once the precipitation finally moves on. 
.
Thank you, Friday is the big day, we're ready to get this show on the road! 
Wait! What!?! I am already behind, just happen to catch this today. Looks like I have some reading this evening! 
. That's so disappointing. I hope you guys recovered quickly from whatever was making you fee icky. Definitely keep Capone's as a possibility for a future trip....its well worth it!
.
. So I totally understand K's mania!! 
and watching the Royal wedding, she wouldn't have missed the beginning of this report 
.
).
