Tagging Along

Last week Bryan had to go to another work expo, but since this one didn't require flying (it was in Orlando, we decided to tag along and enjoy the benefits of staying in hotel (swimming pool, maid service, room service). We had a fun time and really enjoyed staying at the fancy hotel, the Peabody, that the conference was at.

 

When we checked in I explained to the desk clerk that I would be staying in the room with my three babies while my husband was in meetings and she graciously upgraded us to a beautiful suite that had a separate bedroom with a door so I could let the babies nap. It was much appreciated and well used.

This hotel is all about ducks. Every day at 11 a.m. that have an official duck march where the mascot ducks march from their rooftop suite down the escalator and to the fountain in the grand lobby where they hand out and be observed all day before doing another official march at 5 p.m. back upstairs. They allow children to be duck master for a day, and Eleanore and her cousin Shep got to do it one evening. It was kind of cute -- although El was a little afraid of the ducks.

If you are interested, the Mallard duck tradition began in the 1930s, Frank Schutt, general manager of The Peabody Memphis, and his life-long friend, Chip Barwick, returned from a weekend hunting trip to Arkansas. The men had had a little too much Tennessee sippin’ whiskey, and thought it would be funny to place some of their live duck decoys (it was legal then for hunters to use live decoys), into the black travertine fountain of the Peabody hotel. Three small English call ducks were selected, and the reaction was nothing short of enthusiastic. Thus began a Peabody tradition that was to become internationally famous. The original ducks have long since gone, but after 75 years, their progeny live on in the graceful, marble fountain in “The South’s Grand Hotel,” The Peabody Memphis, and also at The Peabody Little Rock and The Peabody Orlando.

Besides exploring the hotel campus we spent one afternoon visiting my sister Shay who lives in Mt. Dora (45 minutes outside of Orlando), another day shopping at Ikea and Mall at Milenia (a way-to-fancy, but beautiful, shopping center that had it's Christmas decor out) and the last day Bryan got swim with us (although we were too cold to swim for long) and then go to lunch at the Cheesecake Factory.

It was only a quasi vacation, but we sure had fun tagging along. Eleanore loved sleeping on the hideaway couch and surprisingly wasn't ready to come home when the time came (which is very unusual for her...usually she can't wait to come home).