Orlando, Florida: July 11th - July 15th (Heaven on Earth!!)

On Monday, July 11th, we drove from Miami to Orlando to enjoy a four day vacation away from baseball.  We stayed at the Hyatt Cypress Gardens Resort which was located close to Disney World.  This resort was one of the nicest places that either one of us have ever stayed at.   Upon check-in we were greeted with a glass of champagne - a very classy touch.  (Tina somehow managed to get two additional refills before proceeding to our room!  She even hugged the bellboy, Chris, because she was so overwhelmed with joy!   We never did see Chris again during our stay.  Was this just a coincidence? Hmm...)

For an additional $20.00 per night, we were able to upgrade to a room that had an excellent view of our resort's pool and man-made lake.  We were also able to watch the Disney World and the Magic Kingdom's fireworks display from our private veranda each night.  It was truly a magical experience for both of us.

During our four day stay we took advantage of the 800,000 gallon lagoon which had a series of waterfalls and water slides.  We both got too much sun and ended up with significant sunburns, but it was well worth it.  We also took advantage of the many amenities that this resort had to offer, including paddle boats and pitch and putt golf.  We left the resort daily for lunch and dinner and were able to enjoy many of the fine restaurants that the Orlando area had to offer.  We also spent an afternoon at Pirates Cove to play 36 holes of miniature golf.  Kevin made 6 hole-in-ones and 2 of these holes qualified for a free round of golf the next time that we are in the area.  We will definitely be back in the future.

All in all, the Cypress Gardens has become our new special place to escape to in the future.  It truly was an experience that neither one of us will ever forget.