Once we had done ET we headed over to Finnegan`s but first we wandered through what used to be one of the best scare zone areas for HHN. It was always beautifully decorated with lit pumpkins in all the trees, but they haven`t done that for the longest time now and again, it all looks a little lacklustre compared to what it used to be, yes during the day it doesn`t look the same but even so it still used to look so good.
Over by the lagoon there is a fabulous bar area that serves an array of drinks and the zone behind has sadly turned into a selfie opportunity where some SA are on little podiums and you can get pictures with them, not really very HHN in nature, but that`s the way it seems to be going.
I admit to being part of the problem here over the years in wanting pictures with certain SA on past horror nights who were just amazing with make up/costumes, but now I don`t think we`d have the same desire to do so.
The bar at Finnegans was mobbed, with folks waiting to get seats by it, we only ever sit at the bar in there and have a couple of drinks and share their Cobb salad, but since it was so busy we passed on it today and instead headed out trying to decide where to have some lunch and Tom has always liked the HRC so we went there.
My last two meals here were less than special, but Tom`s had been really good, so I told him this was the last chance to impress, he agreed and said if it wasn`t excellent, we`d never go back, sounded good to me.
There are a few places we`ll never eat in again and they are Bubba Gump`s, Toothsome and maybe I`d go back to NBC for burgers but nothing else, every else is either fine or excellent like Vivo which for us is the best restaurant in Citywalk.
Although it wasn`t busy, we opted to sit at the bar which had only one other person sitting here today, Ashley served us and she was excellent, very friendly and chatty and patient while we decided what to have.
Drinks wise we knew, I ordered the Passion fruit Mai Tai and Tom had the Hurricane and we got the souveneir glasses too, we like them and they`re nice to use when friends come round as they hold a decent amount when I make up pitchers of cocktails.
I`m not the biggest fan of this building, I know many love it and the decor, but it doesn`t hit home for me, but as long as the food was good, I`m happy!!
We eventually decided and Tom opted for a special that was on, The Pittsburgh Burger which had bacon, cheese, french fries and some kind of sauce that we forget what it was but he enjoyed it.
I opted for the Diablo burger which had two burgers, I omitted the cheese and it also had chipotle onions, spicy sauce and I asked for extra jalapenos, which it needed for me, not as spicy as promised, but it was lovely, cooked as I asked and the fries were sizzling hot for both of us.
Maybe too much lettuce as it did kind of overtake the picture, but other than that, I think I finally had a meal from here I was happy with and Tom loved his too. We were glad we had visited today.
We paid the check and headed to get our glasses which are already boxed up for us, you pick them up in the store so it`s very handy and takes seconds, you just show your receipt and they offer you the hurricane one or you can get another glass that is more for beer, but we want the Hurricane ones.
Around the back of the HRC is a piece of the Berlin Wall and it has been there forever, some folks don`t know about it and when you do go round the back, if you don`t go far enough you think you may have missed it, but keep going and you`ll see this little piece of history.
We first went round in 2009 and took Kyle`s picture beside it and we did go back again in 2023 when he last visited with us and took an identical picture 14 years apart.
Time to head home but we snapped some pictures of Citywalk, particularly The Lone Palm Bar without the famous plane as it was off to be cleaned, it does look a little bare without that famous landmark.
The walk back home is lovely, it is hot but not searingly hot so we took our time and enjoyed the walking path that has a lot of shade along the way and takes less than 10 minutes today for us to get to the pool.
The pool looks so good today, we never spend time at the pool during the day, but it is tempting and it`s almost deserted, so we head upstairs, quick shower and lathered sunscreen on and headed back down and found some loungers with a couple of shady umbrellas to cover us from the sun as much as possible, so we settled down for an hour or so and enjoyed for once, some daytime pool time.
I settle with my book, I brought my sunglasses down and quickly realise I can`t read with them, they`re not prescription, they are Walmart specials that cost just $12!!! I can`t be bothered to go back up for my glasses so I content myself people watching as Tom decided to head over and order the drinks from the bar, what did I want he asks..... 
I had a Spicy Margarita which was very nice indeed and Tom had a beer which he enjoyed on such a hot day.
There is an 18% service charge added to your check and they, in our experience always tell you this before you pay, some folks don`t apparently don`t notice it`s already added. The staff here are lovely and you can order from your lounger if you wish.
I forget how long we stayed, but it wasn`t too long, we both dipped in the pool and enjoyed our cocktail. It was nice to just sit but without a book I did get a little bored, I`m not really someone who sits by the pool for very long, it`s just not for me or Tom. At night they have the dive in movies and if it`s decent I can sit the length of a movie, other than that once for an hour or so is enough for us.
Now I do know a certain lady who enjoys pool time with her family and keisha does always make it sound so lovely, I wish I could chill out like that!!!
Back upstairs we are showered and get changed to head down to the Club Lounge, we have a cup of tea before we have anything to drink and settle down at a table for a couple of hours.
Many folks may think we spend too long in the lounge, but with the length of stays we can do it and not miss out on anything, it`s a nice way to end the day and start the evening off.
Tonight the dish was jerk chicken and also a rice dish, we did try the chicken and it was gorgeous, very tender and flavoursome and I did like the little pieces of pineapple through it, but we didn`t have much.
Many people do make this their main meal of the day and it is very nice most evenings, but we just prefer to eat offsite or either in the hotel or Citywalk and we like to eat later. However we do enjoy a sample or two!!!
We had some wine as we decided to stay onsite tonight and planned to go down to Orchids for some dinner later, at this point a man said hello to us and him and his wife sat down beside us, they had recognised us from the plane, they had been a couple of seats behind us, it was nice to chat for a time, but they left as soon as they had eaten.
We were delighted at that point when the Canadians appeared and pulled up some chairs to join us which was lovely, they were such fun!!! And of course the finger rubbing was still such a source of fun, again, you probably had to be there for it to even sound remotely funny!!!
And they did like their olives!!!!
It`s always lovely when you meet some people you have a connection with, and althogh we had spoken to them all fairly briefly, we were chatting like old friends and we just laughed so much.
Although we were getting disapproving looks from that same family who did not look happy the whole time they were in the lounge!
The family who were sat to the other side of us had noticed too, we had briefly spoken in the morning, she smiled and said we were getting the stink eye (love that expression) from that family.....I said we had noticed.
I will say, three times I said either good morning or hello to them and they blanked me, so....what can you do!
I forget where the Canadians were going for dinner, but they were setting off and Dawn had said they`d all be in Orchids later so we should join them, I said we`d be there anyway so looked forward to catching them for a time.
We moved the chairs back to where we got them from and popped back into the room before we headed down to Orchids and turndown had been, the rooms were cosy with low lighting and two little bottles of water and a postcard they leave every evening, I do like to come in to the drapes closed.
Orchids wasn`t too busy, we sat at the bar and the lady who was supposed to be serving us swapped with Colby so he could take care of us, number two son is now full time in Orchids and doing really well, he is just so lovely but I`m always on at him to get his hair cut!!! But, it`s so good to see him and have a proper catch up rather than email.
We order miso soup and I get the Chef`s special Tuna Hibachi, Tom orders the Dynamite Roll and some smoked salmon, I think he ordered a beer and I had some tonic water with lime
Miso soup is very good, I think I prefer the onion soup from Nagoya Sushi to this, but it is lovely and you feel very healthy just eating it.
As soon as Colby sat the dish down, he said that`s not right, I said yes, where`s the avocado??
I don`t know if the dish doesn`t normally come with avocado but I`ve always had it in this dish and it does enhance it having them together, the tuna is spicy so they blend well together.
That`s better!!!
Tom`s was beautiful as always, we have a few favourites we usually enjoy and this and the Volcano are Tom`s favourite`s and add in some smoked salmon, hard to beat.
The dishes are lovely and it`s so nice to see some of the staff we have known for a long time too. Last time we were here the manager asked what one of my favourite drinks was and I told her it was a gin we don`t often see over here, Gin Mare, she smiled and appeared with one for me, I hadn`t ever noticed it before and she said yes it was quite new. So tonight, when she saw me she asked if I wanted one, I was quite amazed she remembered!!!! I did decline as I`d had wine and won`t mix the two, but very kind of her. Sadly she is another who is leaving for Helios too, lovely lady.
We wandered over as The Canadians were in the building!!!!
I hope that doesn`t sound rude as it`s not meant to be, but I`d rather call them that as a group than the conference people...lol.....they know it`s a compliment.
We had such fun again, we didn`t have anything to drink and it was getting later, but we had such a nice time with them, they were a group that did enjoy their time together and it was just nice being in their company.
I wonder if Chad took this picture as he`s not in it?
But we had a lovely evening with dinner first and then some lovely company.
We left them partying and headed round to the front desk, our lovely Tory was still doing ovenights, so we were looking forward to seeing her tonight and were delighted when she appeared quickly! We always worry if we`re disturbing them, but she had some time to say hello, lovely, lovely girl who we have known for a few years now. We would see her again a few times before we left.
Now, it was up to bed, it was almost midnight by the time we climbed into that comfy bed and we were exhausted!!! But, we`d had such a good day and evening!!
pics. Seats look so comfortable. Gareth and I swore we are going premium next trip to Europe. Showed him your seats on VA! Very nice.
. Thanks for including the menus …… your chicken dish did look yummy.
) I can drink stuff that`s not what you would class as the best!!! 
along frenchfryseagull
Dawn said she was going to ask Tom if she could rub his fingernail......cue a very worried Tom as this lovely lady approached him and sat down asking for his finger, funnily enough he asked which one instead of why which would be the obvious answer for me!!! He did have a look of why is this woman doing this, lol...but he`s a good egg and went along with it!! 
and I didn`t mean it to be, but when we see something that could be so much better with Universal, it is frustrating, it`s not often I say I could do better, but with the Tribute store I absolutely could!! 
but they have managed to convey that underworld feel really well in a fairly small area. 
