Thursday 22nd August

Well, we’ve spent an awesome three weeks in Florida; the weather has been truly fantastic, we’ve been relaxing in the Keys, and having fun in the theme parks, but now it’s come to an end!

A long drive North through Florida, Georgia and into South Carolina to our next stopping off point at Hilton Head Island. We drive through amazing thunderstorms with almost zero visibility due to the relentless rain, with lightning bolts forking down from the purple-black clouds.

Hilton Head is sunny as we drive down Pope Avenue to our beachfront hotel.

Perfect!

Wednesday 21st August

Our last full day in Orlando, and we head off, first thing for morning coffee, and on to Aquatica! Love this place ~ find a group of sunbeds beneath a shady parasol, and chill out for a few hours, every now and again having a play in the lazy river or the surf pool. A super relaxing place to be.

Tuesday 20th August

We go again to Universal Studios, and our first stop is the new Transformers 3D ride! The queue is not too long, and we have another exciting, thrilling experience!

Our second stop is the Mummy; I’m feeling brave this time, actually enjoy it, and then go round again for a second time!!

Shrek 3D is also fun, and a cooling way to get out of the heat! We also meet up with Shrek, Princess Fiona and Donkey for a photo opportunity.

Men in Black: Alien Attack is also on our list of rides today, and we are also shown a sneaky way to enter the ride again, without queuing!! Excellent.

As we leave, we pick up our photographs, and are given some insider information about all the building work that is going on in the park ~ an extension to Harry Potter Land, with an indoor rollercoaster, and a train ride joining Universal to Islands of Adventure ~ awesome!!!

Monday 19th August

Extra early get-up, and we’re on the road to Tampa just before 8am, in order to visit Busch Gardens. The weather is clear, and the traffic is light.

The park is fairly quiet, and we enjoy many rides with short queuing times. It is really hot, and we find shade and coolness where we can. We all start on the SkyRide, and view the park from above, then we don plastic ponchos and have fun on the Congo River Rapids!

After much enjoyment, we end the day with amazingly tasty ice-cream.

Sunday 18th August

Aquatica again! A great Sunday morning, lying in the shade, going round and round on the lazy river, and today, The Dolphin Plunge! I kept my eyes open all the way down, but still didn’t see the Comerson dolphins through the tubes!

Saturday 17th August

First thing in the morning we drive up to Orlando Fairgrounds, to visit The Gun Show! A very different but interesting few hours. Upon entry we were each asked whether we were carrying any concealed weapons! Ha! I have never seen so many men, women, grannies, even those in mobility scooters, carrying a wide variety of weapons ~ pistols, rifles, shotguns and knives ~ wow!

A storm rolls in late afternoon, and after it passes we go out to dinner.

Friday 16th August

Universal Studios ~ Islands of Adventure.

Spiderman, Bilge Rat Barges, Ripsaw Falls, the Hulk, Dr Doom’s Fear Fall. Too hot to queue for Harry Potter for two hours! Maybe we’ll do it another day!

Thursday 15th August

Aquatica again!

What a perfect place to relax and chill first thing in the morning.

Love it!

Wednesday 14th August

Our 31st anniversary!

We begin our day at SeaWorld. Antartica is the first stop ~ a great, new attraction, with freezing temperatures, real snow and penguins! Numerous rides later, we have had our fill, and are ready to wilt in the afternoon heat.

Our next stop is the Mall of Millennia. Our son has chosen the venue for our anniversary dinner: The Cheesecake Factory! It is outstanding, and we have a superb meal there.

Thunder and lightning crash overhead as we walk through the car park looking for our vehicle. By the time we arrive back at our villa, the storm has passed, and the skies are clear.

Tuesday 13th August

An extra early get-up, morning coffee on the way, and we’re parking in Universal Studios before 9am. The new ride, Transformers 3D was first on our list, and at 9:15am, only fifteen minutes waiting time ~ awesome! Later in the afternoon, the wait had increased to one hundred and twenty minutes!

We also have fun on the Simpson’s ride, Men in Black, and Revenge of the Mummy. Rip Ride Rocket is not for me ~ I don’t do ‘upside down’ ~ but husband and son are flung around and spun in tight turns, and exit the ride with big grins!