Destination: Orlando

In early 1987, while trying to figure out what kind of trip we could do to continue to build excitement and enthusiasm for our Springfield Friends Meeting youth ministry, I came across a travel company called Destination: Orlando.  They were offering package deals that included Walt Disney World, Sea World and accommodations in Orlando.  Marilyn and I had spent part of our honeymoon at Disney and thought it would be a great place to take a youth group.  After much soul searching we decided this was the trip we needed.  It was a good choice.  (Pictured above, L-R:  Traci, Denise, Carl, Jim and Amy at Sea World.)

The group that travelled to Orlando that June was an interesting bunch.  Marilyn and I, Butch and Barbara Moran and Brenda Whitaker were the adults.  Denise May, at that time the youth worker at Asheboro Friends Meeting, joined us as "trip pastor."  Erin Moran, Ben Moran, Natalie Whitaker and Justin Whitaker all joined us even though they were not of youth group age yet.  I am very foggy on which youth actually made the trip.  I remember Amy Simmons, Traci Whitaker, Jon Moran, Jim Farlow, Mike Mercadante, Jennifer Welch and Deara Sue Hart.  It seems like there were others, but I am not sure who (I hope to get some help from readers on this one)!  In any case, we headed to sunny Florida and a great adventure. 

We stayed at a Travel Lodge on Orange Blossom Trail in Orlando.  There are two things I remember about the motel.  First, every morning around 6 AM a crew would begin cutting grass and trimming bushes. Since we stayed at the parks until midnight each day, we were not happy about the early noise.  It kept everyone a little grumpy, and Barbara (who never slept well away from home) VERY grumpy!  Secondly (and this revelation came much later), we were not in a very good part of O-town.  Once we moved to Kissimmee we discovered that the OBT was a haven for strip clubs and prostitutes. We not only stayed there in '87, but we returned to same area three years later!  In the end, were not at the motel enough for it to matter.  We headed to the parks first thing after breakfast and devotions and didn't come back until very late.  EPCOT and the Magic Kingdom were the only Disney parks at the time, and we saw it all. We had a blast!  On the last night at Disney we saw more than we bargained for, more than most tourists will ever experience.  But that's tomorrow's story...

Because of Jesus,