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!
Monday 12th August
Up at 7am, out of the villa by 8am, a quick coffee from the 7eleven, and we’re ready for another day in Aquatica!
We find a shaded spot and relax for about an hour, before we hit the rides for a second day running ~ the lifeguard at the top of the Walhalla Wave remembered us from yesterday!
A bit of shopping and dinner, then back to the villa. We’ve been out for twelve hours; we’ll all sleep soundly tonight.
Sunday 11th August
Today we awake early, pack all our swim gear, sunscreen and sunhats, and head off to Aquatica. We find a group of sunbeds beneath a huge umbrella, and spread out our towels. This is the first summer holiday where I do not sunbathe, but actively seek the shade. I am covered in high factor sunscreen and wear a big floppy hat. We have a great time in Loggerhead Lane, splashing about on big rings, with the current taking us through the park, going under waterfalls and watching the comerson dolphins. Next, we queue up for the Walhalla Wave, a family water flume, tunnel, white water rapids ride. Awesome! We also play in the wave pool, and have fun in the rather vigorous lazy river.By mid afternoon it has become very hot and extremely crowded. Time to shower and make our way back to the car. We notice upon leaving that the park is not allowing any new people in; it has reached capacity!
We have had a great first day in Orlando!
Saturday 10th August
Early breakfast this morning, as we say goodbye to our island home . . . . staying in the Keys has been magical, and so relaxing. The weather has been glorious, and most importantly my left foot has been rested and no longer swollen.
We begin our journey north, and after about an hour and a half, we make a quick stop at Miami; a stretch, morning coffee and some window shopping.
We finally arrive in Orlando mid-afternoon, shop for groceries, have a bite to eat, and eventually check-in to our villa.
Night night x
Friday 9th August
We set off for Key Largo early in the morning, and spend time exploring, shopping and having ice cream!
Most of the afternoon is spent relaxing, lying in the shade, listening to the sea breeze rustle through the palm fronds, and occasionally hear the piped music wafting over from the swimming pool ~ Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville and Katrina and the Waves Walking on Sunshine made me smile.
I was also fascinated by the visits I had from bright green iguanas, a friendly squirrel and a group of four white ibis. All of these creatures passed in front of me, whilst I was lying on my sunchair! I glimpsed pelicans and frigate birds too, soaring into the blue skies.
Half an hour before sunset we walked out to the beach to watch the setting sun, and marvel at the colours in the sky: it was beautiful this evening. A superb end to our stay in the Florida Keys ~ here’s to another visit in the not too distant future!
Thursday 8th August
Brother and his wife arrive early morning for tea and Danish pastries, before driving off to Fort Lauderdale, via Miami, for their flight back to Chicago. It has been great to spend time with them, these past four days.
After they leave we return to the mundane and sort out the laundry! In between using the washer and the drier, we have a leisurely swim in the pool.
Some shopping, frappuccino, and dinner on the porch, ending with a quick rumble of a thunderstorm, sees us relaxing into island life.
