After Action Review-Florida Vacation

DATE: August 2009
DURATION: August 4 to 11
WHO: Rigel, Britta, Brittney, Brent, Mauro
WHAT: Florida Vacation
WHERE: Crystal River, Orlando, Tampa
HOW: By Car
Miles Travelled: 2700 Miles

What went well?
1. No car trouble
2. No accidents or near misses
3. All passengers healthy during the trip
4. Met/spent time with Bless, Alex, Marie, Chynna, Tio Albert, Olivia, Bob, Kyle, GinaP, Balt and the kids, Vicky Duray and Family, Rico
5. Had fun at Busch Garden Tampa
6. Cycling-a total of 100 miles in 6 days
7. Kayaking-a total of 5 hours in the kayak
8. Photography-Took 2260 pictures (2 Nikon cameras, 1 wide and 1 telephoto, no changing of lens)
9. Rotation of drivers in a 1000 mile route is great.  Thanks to Mama and CC
10. Journaling while on vacation, able to study the Bible/Prayer just like at home
11. FBook while in route using FB mobile
12. Pictures organized in Folders by Date/Description/DayNumber ie. 20090804_FLVacation_Day01
13. Uploading pictures to Picasa daily, (not overwhelmed by friend’s request of pictures and updates
14. Bringing a bike while on vacation
15. An extra 1 week vacation after the vacation (I still have 1 more week to go, will be back at work by August 19th, this is a plus for PVS-Post Vacation Syndrome)
16. CC had >100 miles on the wheels for night driving
17. Yukon with 3rd row seating works great with 4 passengers (one person can fully extend legs at the 3rd row seat for a power nap)
18. Microsoft MapPoint Software was a plus for travel documentation (ie. screen capture of GPS location pages, good for post trip analysis)
19. Bringing my own coffee creamer helps out a lot. (ie. gas station coffee with my hazelnut, tasted like my home brewed coffee)
20. 20 pieces of Clif Bar was a plus. Did not have to look for one.
21. Bringing my swim cap and googles (swim anytime when there is an opportunity)

What didn’t go so well?
1. Failed to see Gina Go
2. Failed to see Darlene Go
3. Wasted time looking for a good seafood place in New Orleans
4. Got lost in Orlando I4, missed the exit and then GPS took me into a business area, (>2hours recovery) (Motion Waste)
5. My cardiac diet, been committing food crime every day (ie. big IHOP Colorado Omelet)
6. I gained 3 pounds
7. Startbucks location hard to find

What would you do differently next time?
1. Schedule ahead to meet with Gina and Darlene
2. Setup major stops in the route for great places to dine
3. Have an internet connection in the car using Sprint Mobile
4. See more friends
5. Map Starbucks location
6. Mount a digital camera in the dashboard and install remote trigger device for easy capture

Conclusion:
Overall, my trip preparation works.  Not too many surprises along the way and plans were smoothly executed.  Will I do it again?  Hmmmm… maybe yes.  I will definitely bring my bike whenever I am on vacation.  I’ve seen great places with my bikes but just did not have the opportunity to take pictures. I love the early morning ride especially when I did not know where to go.  This trip was mostly for the kids and when I browse the pictures, it gave me pleasure that they too enjoyed the short vacation.  You should see the farewell pictures, they were so sad… meaning-they don’t want the vacation to end. 

To some who are fascinated by what I do, feel free to ask me if you have any questions.

I have to go, it is 1239h in Round Rock, I have to get back on the bike or else I will have a 3-day rest day.

20090812FLVacationSummary
20090812FLVacationMapPoint
20090811FLVacationDay08_FloridaToAustin
20090809FLVacationDay06_JetSkiing
20090809FLVacationDay06_Kayaking
20090808FLVacationDay05_RestDay
20090807FLVacationDay04_TampaD90
20090807FLVacationDay04_TampaD50
20090806FLVacationDay03_Orlando
20090805FLVacationDay02_RestDay
20090804FLVacationDay01_TripToFlorida
20090803FLVacationDay00_Preparation