Elphick Travel Journal

By Rachel - 5/12/09

2009-05-14T12:40:00.000-07:00

We didn't do much today - mostly driving until we got to the final hotel around 2:30. Until we got unpacked and settled in, it was about 3:15. I went swimming for a little while, but soon we had to get ready for dinner at Boston Cooker. When we got back to Treasure Island (which is where the hotel is), we had to leave immediately to get to the beach so mom could take pictures of the sunset. We then went across the street for ice cream. After we got back to the hotel, I went swimming again.

By Rachel - 5/11/09

2009-05-13T05:36:00.001-07:00

Arriving at St. Joseph Point Lighthouse was our first stop of the day while on our way to Tallahassee. When we got there, we discovered they were reconstructing it so they put the lantern room on a steel structure.

Our next stop was at Cape St. George Lighthouse. It was actually a $575,000 replica of the original which collapsed at 11:45 on Oct. 21, 2005. On March 21, 2008, the replica was completed. All the bricks from the collapsed lighthouse were used to reconstruct the new one. The heart pine stairs were the nicest lighthouse stairs I have climbed. With only 92 stairs and 62 feet up, it is probably the shortest one I have climbed. Instead of walking on the deck, you got to stay in the lantern room which had no lantern.

The last stop before we went to Tallahassee was at St. Marks Lighthouse. we didn't get to climb it or go on the keeper's quarters, so mom just got to take pictures.

After our 45 min. drive from St. Marks Lighthouse to Tallahassee, we drove to Publix to get some food. When we finished eating at the hotel, Mom took me swimming.

By Rachel - 5/10/09

2009-05-12T04:19:00.001-07:00

Instead of going to a gospel/bluegrass festival as we had planned, we decided to go on an Island Time Tour. We went snorkeling near Shell Island and then went out into the Gulf of Mexico to look for dolphins and swim with them but none came close enough. When we got back on land, we went to Winn Dixie to get supper and then back to the hotel to get showers. After we got cleaned up and ate, we went to Coconut Creek Mini-golf. There they had giraffes, alligators, elephants, lions, and gorillas. (all statues...but no zebras which made Stripes very sad!) :o( When we got done there, we went to Sunsation and Alvin's Island. They were both huge gift shops. We soon got back to the hotel to watch the final innings of Boston beating the Tampa Bay Rays.

By Rachel - 5/9/09

2009-05-12T04:15:00.000-07:00

Again this morning we went back to Pensacola Lighthouse. Unlike yesterday, we got to go in and climb the lighthouse. It had 171 steps one way! It only took me about two minutes to walk up, but on the way down, it took longer. The reason it took longer is because just before you got down all the way, there was a side door to see the keeper's "office". The walls at the bottom were 10 feet thick. There was a small gift shop, but it didn't have much so the lady sent us across the street to the National Museum of Naval Aviation. There we found a gift shop as big or bigger than my house! Thee were three old "Blue Angels" which you could climb in! In the biggest one where the bomb would shoot out, you could climb in (if you were small enough). :o) When we finished there, we drove to Panama City.

By Rachel - 5/8/09

2009-05-09T06:02:00.000-07:00

Today we drove down to Pensacola, FL. After going to Publix and checking into the hotel, we went to the Pensacola Naval Airforce Base to see the Pensacola Lighthouse. We didn't get to go up into it, but tomorrow before we head onto Panama City, we are going back to do the tour of it. Once we were done there, we went to Pensacola Beach where we looked around in a few gift shops. The one simply called Beach Shop had a sand covered floor to represent the feeling of being on the beach. Following that, we stopped at a small florist to look at flags and windsocks and then went back to the hotel to have our supper which we had bought at Publix.

After eating supper, we went back to the Pensacola Lighthouse for some pictures. Since we were a little early, we walked a short distance to the beach. Oddly angled, there was a small area where the water up. While waiting for my mom to finish taking pictures, I would get as close tot he water as possible. When the water went out and came back in, I would try to beat it from getting my shoes wet. Once we were done at the beach, we went back to the hotel. While getting out of the car, Grandpa & I decided we would go find a gas station and get ice cream. After walking probably a half mile, we returned to the hotel and went to sleep.

New Adventure

2009-05-09T04:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we began our first traveling adventure for 2009. Actually, we did make a trip to PA in April to visit family & friends AND SEE MY NEW BABY NEPHEW and my cousin's new baby boy too, but this is our first exploration for this year. We are not in the motorhome this time, but are taking a few days to travel around the panhandle of FL, and then into the Orlando area. Brian & Amanda will join Rach, G'pa Jack and me when we get to Kissimmee. Two years ago, we did travel around the perimeter of FL including all of the east coast, and then up the gulf coast as far as St. Petersburg. This time we started in Pensacola, will move onto Panama City, into Tallahassee, then down to Treasure Island near St.Pete/Clearwater. Most of this journey is to mark off some more lighthouses from my list. Yesterday, we saw onto the Pensacola Naval Airforce Base to see the Pensacola Lighthouse - twice, actually. We went during the day, and then went back just before dark to watch the light come on. How beautiful! We also did a little sightseeing in the area of Pensacola Beach. Today, we're going go back to the lighthouse to do the tour & see the museum & gift shop, and then moving onto Panama City. I'll continue to add the lighthouses to the lighthouse gallery on the left. Hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

By Tracy - 8/10/08

2008-08-10T18:13:00.000-07:00

Well, another Elphick Expedition has come to an end. We returned home yesterday (8/9) from our most recent trip. Though the trip was wonderful, it's good to see Brian, good to be home, and good to visit with our friends today at church. We have some missed hugs to make up for (right, Papa?) We also look forward to seeing some of our Family TOUCH "family" in the coming days.

I'd say my favorite stop on this trip was Branson. Could have spent more time there. Did extend the stay by one day and shortened our time in Memphis. Wish we could have done more exploring around TX, but fuel costs kept G'pa from wanting to go south along the Gulf coast or inland to San Antonio. We also did not do a day trip to Biloxi, MS as orig. planned because so much there has not reopened since the Hurricane. So...I didn't add any lighthouses to my list this year. There would have been one in south Texas and also in Biloxi. I really enjoyed our time in New Orleans. It was very eye-opening to see the area first-hand. Seeing the devastation in that area was very impacting. Last year, we toured New York City and saw Ground Zero. Honestly though...and I'm not down-playing the loss of lives in the 9/11 attacks, but for some reason, seeing the area of New Orleans hit me harder. Maybe because it was spread over such a broader area, and the reality that there are still folks displaced or living in extremely poor conditions since the flood...three years after the hurricane. Many are still living in travel trailers in their front yards, and nothing has been done to their homes. It was so sad.

Enjoyed exploring all the new areas and sampling the local foods. Really enjoyed the crawfish and the Po-Boys in New Orleans, and the Beef Brisket in Ft. Worth was fantastic. Could have eaten out every night for several weeks in Branson and not tried everything, but we only had breakfast out one time & dinner one evening. There were several seafood buffets I could have checked out...but honestly, there is no seafood like in the Chesapeake Bay area....not even New England! So I probably would have been disappointed in the buffets and will just have to make my own seafood now that I'm home.

We have now been in every state but Vermont in the continental US. Pretty phenomenal considering this is only our fourth summer (5th "big trip") to travel with G'pa in the motorhome. Usually by the time we return from one excursion, I have tour books in-hand to begin planning our next adventure. This time, however, I'm not sure where we'll be going next time we venture out. We'll probably begin revisiting some states that we didn't have enough opportunity to explore, but our next destination remains unknown. However, wherever the road takes us, we hope you'll join us on the journey!

By Rachel - 8/10/08

2008-08-10T18:03:00.000-07:00

We have been back home for a day now. “Pro’lly” my favorite thing on the trip was Silver Dollar City. My second favorite was Memphis, and my third favorite was the Lake View Campground Clubhouse in Houston.

Silver Dollar City was my favorite because of all the exciting rides. My favorite ride there was Powderkeg. I was tall enough for almost every ride. I also liked Kid Concoctions.

Memphis was my second favorite because o the Elvis stuff, and the Rock ‘N Soul Museum. My neighbor, Caroline, is a huge Elvis fan, so she got me hooked on him.

Last by not least is Lake View Campground. I liked it there because we met some friends, and every evening looked forward to watching and playing pool with them.

I had preferences, but I enjoyed everything on this trip. I collect magnets from the places we visit. When we got back, I counted how many magnets I have. I have 80, and all 80 of them probably cost about $300.

We only have 3 more states left to visit, but we still have a lot of fun left to do in the motorhome. Check out our blog the next time we travel.

By Amanda - 8/10/08

2008-08-10T17:54:00.001-07:00

Well, we’re finally home. That ride from Memphis back here took forever! Some of the highlights for me were:

1) Texas Stadium – The tour was great, to start with. However, I never, in a million years, thought I would play football on the field. And (drum roll, please), I only missed a field goal by 3 feet or so. PS – Uncle Scott, I’ll race you any time you want. I’ll beat you every time, I guarantee it.

2) Memphis – I was never really an Elvis fan, but being in the same city where he and so many legends got their start was really cool. I also enjoyed eating at Neely’s Barbecue, because they’re really good friends with my favorite cook, Paula Deen. They’ve got some good BBQ!

3) New Orleans – The affect that the hurricanes had on the city was incredible, as is the still-evident damage. Hearing our tour guide’s story was really interesting because he was an evacuee. Also, I tried crawfish…and really, really, liked them.

So, that’s my wrap-up of our trip. We had so much fun traveling, and just as much fun reading your comments! Hope you enjoyed the posts, and check out the blog when we go on our next trip. See ya!

By Samuel - 8/8/08

2008-08-09T18:36:00.000-07:00

Today is our last day on this trip. I'm really sad becuz I won't see as many trains at home.

Today wuz slow. We saw a lot of Elvis stuff. You now, people say Elvis wuz so cool. I don't think so. He wore stupid pants. And my sunglasses are waaaaay cooler than his. Actually, I'm way cooler than Elvis was. And I'm alive, not dead.

So, this is my last writ for this trip. I'll be writing on other trips though.

Bye-bye,

Samuel S. Elphick

By Jack - 8/8/08

2008-08-09T18:28:00.000-07:00

On this trip, we went to a lot of places. Stop 1 - we went to Talladega. In Talladega, we saw the race track. Stop 2 - We went to New Orleans and saw the city. Stop 3 - Houston (main stop in Houston was Blue Bell Ice Cream). We ate a lot of ice cream. Tracy got peaches. Stop 4 - Dallas-Ft. Worth. We saw the Rangers and Cowboys stadiums. We went to a rodeo. Stop 5 - Branson, Missouri. We went out for breakfast. We went to Silver Dollar City and went out for ice cream. Had 2 scoops of Blue Bunny ice cream. I played mini-golf and got 3 holes in one, yet Rachel still beat me. Stop 6 - Pulled into the campground and it was pouring rain. I got soggified. What does that mean in the dictionary? Went out and practiced on the banjo. Then went and had supper and ate too much. Came home and took a shower with soap (not like the shower in the rain!). Plus got beat up by youngest granddaughter. Took her for a walk and to get ice cream. Went to bed. Got out of bed this morning. Going to do some sightseeing and I "might" ride the upside down train (monorail). Tomorrow we will go home to SC.

Jack

PS - Some of the best stores on my trip - the candy stores, of course. Only had ice cream twice. (correction by the editor....we have counted 5 times!)

By Samuel - 8/7/08

2008-08-09T18:24:00.000-07:00

Today we came to Memphis, Tennis-see. There are lots of music places here. My family looked at the Gibson Guitar place. My dad is going to be the next big country music star like George Jones. He played the banjo. He also played and sang "Cross Over the Bridge." That's one of his specialities.

They ate at Neely's BBQ. I didn't even get a bone. Then they looked in a lot of shops. I saw trains on the way home.

Thank you.

Samuel S. Elphick

By Samuel - 7/31/08

2008-08-09T18:19:00.000-07:00

Hello readers - I know you have greatly enjoyed my dily published works. I'm hoping to accumulate enough of them in order to publish a book or something.

Anyway, I didn't do anything of interest today. My family left me at home with nothing to do. I was really bored. I watched a bunch of motorhomes go past. That wuz my excitement for the day.

I've just received a report that my family saw four train engines. If you recall from my previous literary endeavors, I am enthralled with trains. Now I'm really mad that I didn't see any trains.

Well, that's all. I hope you all are enjoying my writings.

Bye,
Samuel S. Elphick

Pee-Es - I am an official sheriff. I got a badge today.

By Rachel - 8/8/08

2008-08-08T18:34:00.001-07:00

Today was full of Rock ‘n Roll. First, we went to a bunch of Elvis gift shops. I GOT AN ELVIS T-SHIRT!!! The next rock ‘n roll shop was the Rock ‘N Soul Museum. It is mostly of famous black musicians. Maybe they had just ten exhibits for Elvis Presley. The tour was an audio tour. They had juke boxes which you can listen to a variety of about 120 songs. The artists varied from Hank Williams Sr., to Johnny Cash, to Elvis Presley, to Otis Redding.

After the museum, we went back to Beale St. Once we were done, we went to Desoto Park by the Mississippi River. Here mom took pictures. Then we went to China Inn Buffet for supper. Later, we went back to the motorhome so we could get things packed up and get ready to get up at 3:00 a.m. to drive home.

By Amanda - 8/8/08

2008-08-08T18:29:00.000-07:00

Today was our final day in Memphis, Tennessee, which also makes it the last day of our trip. We spent our day exploring the music that made Memphis famous, and really shaped the rock, soul, R & B, and country music industries.

When you think of Memphis’s music, several names come to mind- Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, and the great Johnny Cash. In fact, one day Elvis decided to visit Sun City Records, where Cash, Perkins, and Lewis were all recording. The four had an unscheduled jam session resulting in one song. They were dubbed “The Million Dollar Quartet.”

Graceland, which is where Elvis lived, sits across from our campground. His two planes, the Lisa Marie (named after his daughter) and the Hound Dog 2, are right across the street. We didn’t do the tour of the grounds, but we went in all of the shops.

We also toured the Rock’n’Soul Museum in downtown Memphis. This museum tells the story of how the music came about, and has exhibits displaying some of the big names.

The music started out in the fields where black and white sharecroppers worked together, and sang while they worked. Sometimes, landlords wouldn’t give the workers their pay. When this happened, the workers would move to the city in search of better jobs, and they brought their music with them.

A few of these people went on to become big name producers, and many were singers or band members. All of the members of the Million Dollar Quarter played concerts here at one time or another, because this is where they got their start.

The tour had little devices that told you about each exhibit, if you didn’t want to read everything. There were also songs sung by artists from certain eras of music that you could play. I didn’t listen to much of the audio tour, but I listened to a lot of the music while I read everything… my kind of tour. I might have to download some Elvis when I get home!

By Amanda - 8/7/08

2008-08-08T06:14:00.001-07:00

Memphis, Tennessee, happens to not only be home to great food and music, but also is the site of Graceland, Elvis Presley’s estate The King of Rock’n’Roll as he is called by his millions of fans, got his start here in Memphis’s own Sun Studio.

However, we’ll learn more about Elvis and the city’s music tomorrow. Today we visited several things in the downtown area of Memphis, starting with the Gibson Guitar Factory.

The tour is about a ½ hour long, and shows you step-by-step how the famous instruments are made. First, the top and bottom panels are cut and bowed. The bowed top has been adapted by almost all instrument companies, and is believed to improve the sound quality of the guitar. Next, the side panels are cut, and a stabilizing piece of wood is set in the middle of the guitar. The pieces are glued together, and then sanded to a smooth finish.

The neck is added to the guitar, and then a coating covers the entire piece, making it ready for painting. The instrument is meticulously painted by hand, and may be painted over and over again until the desired effect is achieved. Next, the paint is shaved off of the edges, and one person shaves off the paint for the signature “Gibson” logo.

From here, all the electronic parts are added. Next, workers test every guitar to make sure that the electronics work well, that there are no defects, and the workers also tune the instrument. The people working in this station are experiences musicians who actually get paid to play guitars all day! Can you believe it?

After the tour, we ate at Neely’s Barbecue (at my suggestion!) The owners have their own shows on my favorite channel… you guessed it- Food Network. (LOL Aunt Trina & Aunt Teri!) They have two locations in Memphis, as well as one in Nashville. I had my third beef brisket sandwich of the trip, which was really good. (So was the Sock-It-To-Me-Cake, a recipe by Gina Neely!) Look them up on http://www.foodnetwork.com/ if you want to learn more, or get the recipe for the cake. (Did I mention it was good?)

P.S. - To both my aunts who read this (Ok, fine, Uncle Scott too), maybe while you’re looking up the Neelys, you could check out Paula Deen! Haha, love you guys! ☺

By Rachel - 8/7/08

2008-08-08T06:13:00.001-07:00

We left Missouri to go to Memphis today. It was almost a 6 hour drive. When we reached the campground, it was raining. Around 2:15, we left for Gibson Guitar. At 3:00 p.m. we had a tour. Before our tour started, we watched grandpa pose for pictures with a banjo. (He shouldn’t quit his day job…if he had one).

After our tour, we went to the famous Neely’s Barbeque. One of the owners and his wife (Pat & Gina Neely) have a show on Food Network called “Down Home with the Neely’s”. Honestly, I wouldn’t recommend the restaurant. At 6:00 p.m., we were looking through gift shops on Beale Street.

If you want something Elvis, this is the place to be. After looking through all the shops, we went back to the motorhome. Tomorrow will be the last day on our trip.

By Rachel - 8/6/08

2008-08-08T06:12:00.001-07:00

Today we went souvenir shopping. We started out in Historic Downtown Branson. All a long the streets there are shops, restaurants and flea markets. Did I mention CANDY SHOPS??? Three of them to be exact. ! We looked, looked, and looked some more.

After shopping in Downtown Branson, we went back to the Strip in Branson. Here we went into about five different shops and bought our souvenirs. Then we went back to the motorhome & mom made Cheddarwurst and twice baked potatoes.

By Amanda - 8/6/08

2008-08-08T06:10:00.000-07:00

For our final day in Missouri, we decided to spend it in historic downtown Branson. This part of the city is made up of shops and candy stores. There are plenty of souvenir shops, two leather stores, and several candy shops (all of which we visited!)

Each shop has something different to offer, so we went in most of them. We also looked in both of the leather stores. Leather is prominent in Branson, we almost every store carries some sort of leather goods, whether it is belts, coats, moccasins, or purses and wallets.

We also visited every candy store in downtown Branson… guess whose idea that was! Between the two shops that we went in, we found so many different taffy flavors, it was unbelievable. We hadn’t seen that much taffy since we were in Michigan two years ago. My favorite flavors (so far!) are caramel corn, cinnamon roll, and pumpkin pie. Believe it or not, all of the flavors taste really good! (They’re also good for talkative children with braces… just give them a few pieces and the candy gets stuck. Then they can’t open their mouths for a few minutes… just a thought.)

By Amanda - 8/5/08

2008-08-06T07:02:00.000-07:00

This was our final day in Branson’s Silver Dollar City, so we spent almost all of today in the park. There were a few rides that we did not do yesterday. We also had to do a little bit of souvenir shopping, as well.

Mom wanted a picture of herself, Rachel and I on a ride, so after looking at which ones featured pictures, we chose the Great American Plunge. This is a log flume type of ride with a large hill at the end…which totally drenches you. The photo turned out pretty well, so we bought one to put up on our game room wall, along with our photos from Disney, Daytona, Sea World, etc.

We rode several of the rides in the newest section of the park. They put 10 new rides for all ages in at one time. We didn’t even find those rides yesterday. We also went in quite a few shops. There was one stand that sold nothing but honey, so we stopped and had a few samples. I think Vanilla Honey was the best. It would have been good on top of ice cream!

After today, we saw everything in the park. Tomorrow, we’re going to Downtown Branson and spending time at the campground in order to get ready to leave for Memphis on Thurs. After Memphis, it’s back to Greenville, SC!

By Rachel - 8/5/08

2008-08-06T06:58:00.000-07:00

Today we went back to Silver Dollar City. We rode four new rides today. The four different ones were Swings, Electro Spin, Racing Regatta, and American Plunge. We rode the Giant Swing, Lost River of the Ozarks, and Thunderation again today also.

We spent more time in Kid Concoctions than we did yesterday. I MADE GOO! We met up with a girl named Brittany. Her grandparents work there and she comes with them every day. We went on all the rides I just named. We didn’t ride Powderkeg today. We went to go on it, but it was broken down. Because of this, Mom told us we weren’t allowed to go on it later.

After leaving the park, we went to Subway for supper, then back to the motorhome.

By Rachel - 8/4/08

2008-08-06T06:56:00.000-07:00

Today we went to Silver Dollar City (sister park of Celebration City). The first ride we rode was Thunderation, which is a roller coaster. We rode it forwards and backwards. The next roller coaster we did was Powderkeg. This was my favorite ride.

We went to Kid Concoctions which has different activities. The first one we did was Floam. The next station had wicki-sticks. We spent at least an hour in there. We rode the Giant Swing, then left to meet up with Mom & Grandpa.

We left to go back and get our showers. We went out to eat at Peppercorns. We then left to go to the show. This show was started by the Presley family and is still run by the Presley’s. The show included humor and singing. We went back to the motorhome and went to bed.

By Amanda - 8/4/08

2008-08-05T17:31:00.000-07:00

Today was our first day in Silver Dollar City, the largest amusement park in Branson. The park not only has rides, it has shops and activities also. We were lucky enough to come to SDC during Kid’s Festival, which means that free activities are stationed all over the park.

We wanted to check out some of the more popular rides before they got too busy, so we went for the nearest roller coaster, Thunderation. After riding that, we decided to get a little wet on “The Last River of the Ozarks”, which actually uses real water from the Ozarks. We had all day to dry off…I don’t think we ever did get completely dry though!

They have quite a few coasters at Silver Dollar City, and we rode all of them except for one because Rachel wasn’t tall enough for it. I think the best of them all was Powderkeg, a high-speed, quick-turning rollercoaster. Rachel really liked it, but she says the Rockin’ Rollercoaster at Disney was better, as if anything could beat that!

We spent quite a few hours in the park, and then went back to the motorhome to get ready for our dinner out, as well as one of Branson’s many shows, Presley’s Country Jubilee.

We ate at a restaurant along “The Strip” in Branson, which was a buffet called Peppercorns. The dinner was really good, especially the cobblers that they had for dessert – blackberry and apple topped with ice cream…YUM!

The show that we went to was really great! It was several different types of music (classic rock, gospel, and country) mixed with hilarious comedy. The Presley family had the first show on the Branson strip, and has been entertaining visitors for 40 years. The shoe features four generations of Presley’s, all of which did a great show!

By Amanda - 8/2/08

2008-08-04T05:38:00.001-07:00

Branson, MO is a diverse city. Country music and a variety of other shows line every street, as do theme parks and restaurants. We visited Celebration City today, a sister park of Silver Dollar City. These parks are some of the most popular in Branson.

We ate breakfast at The Plantation Restaurant, a breakfast buffet. Country music roots run deep here, which is why many of the restaurants feature live entertainment, as ours did. After finishing our meal, we drove down “The Strip”, on which many shows and restaurants have placed themselves. We went in a shopping complex which contained many different shops and craftsmen. To name a few, there were glassblowers, toy makers, and one man made his own instruments.

Once we finished window shopping, we went back to the motorhome to spend a few hours at the campground. Rachel and I played ping-pong for the majority of the time. We’re actually becoming pretty good…just don’t challenge us to a tournament any time soon!

Celebration City opens at 3:00 in the afternoon, so we left early enough to get our tickets and be some of the first ones in the park. Park workers actually let people in early, but only to go in the air-conditioned shops. We waited for the ride openings in Kate’s Cookies ‘n’ Cream, an ice cream shop. Because we were there early, we actually got samples of the fresh ice cream (which was really good), although it hadn’t been frozen.

We decided to ride the two water rides first, that way we would have time to dry off. The first one was a short log flume which didn’t get us very wet. In contrast, however, Racing Falls felt like a torrential down-pour! At the end of the largest hill, I actually thought we were safe…not so! That water went up and came back down…right on top of us!

We rode a few smaller rides, including a go-kart track. I don’t think that I’m going to count that as part of my racing career. I finished last. We also rode the Ozark Wildcat, a wooden rollercoaster. For any of you who have been to Knoebels Amusement Park in Pennsylvania, the Wildcat was a combination of the Phoenix and The Twister. Anything similar to either of those coasters must be nothing short of thrilling, and the Wildcat did not disappoint!
We rode a few more rides such as the classic Tilt-A-Whirl, then grabbed some free ice water and drove back to the RV Park.

By Rachel - 8/2/08

2008-08-04T05:00:00.000-07:00

Today we went out for breakfast and to Celebration City. We went to breakfast at the Plantation Restaurant, which is a buffet. After having breakfast, we looked through a few gift shops.

After that, we went back to the motorhome. During our down time, we played ping-pong at the game room. Celebration City doesn’t open until 3:00 p.m. We got there at 2:30.

The first ride we rode was Shoot-D-Chute which is a log flume. (It didn’t get us wet.) The next ride was Fireball, which takes you upside down. Next we went to Roaring Falls. Unlike Shoot-D-Chute, we got SOAKED! Accelerator was the next ride. Accelerator is one of the rides that goes up and then let’s you fall down. The next ride was Route 66 Go-Carts. I wasn’t tall enough to drive on my own, so I rode with Sis. The Stinger was the next ride we rode. It spins you while you swing back and forth. The first roller coaster we rode was the Jack Rabbit. This was in between a kiddie coaster and a regular roller coaster. For the first time, I was tall enough to drive bumper cars. The name of the bumper cars were Slick’s Slightly Used Bumper Cars. Our second roller coaster was Thunderbolt. (It was FUN!) The Last roller coaster was Ozark Wildcat. This is a wooden coaster and we rode it twice. It was A-MAAA-ZINGLY fun! The last ride we rode was the Tilt-A-Whirl.

We went back to the motorhome, got our showers, ate, and then went to bed.

By Tracy - 7/31/08

2008-08-01T18:31:00.000-07:00

Can y'all tell the girls were drug (almost kicking and screaming) to see the Southfork Ranch? Okay, they weren't kicking and screaming, but they were definitely ready to leave. I'm dating myself...but, yes, several in my family were hooked on Dallas, and I remember being glued to the television every Friday night. It wore off though, and I never watched the last several seasons. But I definitely waited on pins & needles through the summer as we all speculated on "Who shot JR?"

The ranch was really neat to see and "experience". Very cool to stand on the balcony overlooking the pool where JR would have stood, or to walk across the driveway and know that's where Patrick Duffy (Bobby) parked that cool red convertible. Who cares about Jock's Lincoln...Bobby's car was hot (& I didn't think he was too bad either!) :o)

Only the outside scenes from the show were shot at Southfork, but much of the TV set in CA was modeled after the actual rooms inside the ranch house. However, Southfork is about 6000 square feet, and the TV set was 40,000 sq. ft.

Anyway, "I" thought it was fun, and after 24 hours, I think the girls have gotten over the torture. I'm sure they'll survive.

By Rachel - 7/31/08

2008-08-01T18:15:00.000-07:00

For those that were born around 1970, boy are you going to have a flash back. We visited the outdoor set of “Dallas.” Last time I checked I was born in 1997; so I didn’t have much of a interest in it. I guess I didn’t care for much of it because I know nothing about it.

There was a short museum full of newspaper articles, pictures, and all kinds of other memorabilia. At 11:15 we had a tour. Just a short distance from the museum is the house where they filmed the outdoor scenes of Dallas. The house was already there, and a home for a family. Because of that they did not allow them to use the inside of their house. Instead they had a set in California which was five times the size of the real house.

After getting a small introduction to Dallas and the house; we went to explore the house. Some of the rooms had ropes at the doorway, and some didn’t. The house is 6000 square feet. They also have horses and longhorn. My favorite animal was the miniature pony.

Once we left the farm we went to El Paso Tex-Mex Café. I got nachos, rice, and a salad. Before we went back to the motorhome, we went Wal-Mart. At 5:30 we got back to the motorhome.

By Amanda - 7/31/08

2008-08-01T18:08:00.000-07:00

For anyone who watched the TV show “Dallas”, you should know what the South Fork Ranch is. Look at a map of the United States and find Plano, TX, and then look for a town called Parker. The South Fork Ranch is located in Parker

I’ve never seen an episode of Dallas, and I only know Lucy, played by Charlene Tilton. She was a guest on a Food Network show that I watch. Anyway, we visited the ranch today.

The land that the ranch sits on used to occupy 100,000 acres, as opposed to today’s 365. However, the set of the show is still there. A 6,000 sq. ft. house sits toward the front of the property, but nothing was ever filmed inside of this house. Anything shown inside was filmed on a 40,000 sq. ft. set out in California. Everything else such as scenes out by the pool or scenes filmed anywhere on the ranch were filmed at South Fork.

The house on the property was built by the original owners, Mr. and Mrs. Douglass. Both had served in the army, and upon release, they began searching for a place to live. Finally, in the early 1970’s, they bought some land. Mr. Douglass worked for a construction company, and once he earned enough money, they built the house that stands today.

In the early 1980’s, the producers of Dallas were looking for a place to shoot their new show. While searching in a helicopter, they found the Douglass Ranch (as it was named at the time.) They landed the helicopter in the front yard, but immediately their question of, “May we shoot here?” was answered with a stern “No!”

After flying around and finding nothing as beautiful as the Douglass Ranch, the producers returned- this time with money in their hands. Mr. Douglass promptly invited them in for a cup of tea, and after discussing the terms, both parties came to an agreement. Dallas would be filmed there, but they could not shoot anything inside the house. Mr. Douglass didn’t want actors of filming crews in his house, and both Mr. & Mrs. Douglass did not want their 3 boys exposed to that environment. However, the rest is television history. Dallas ran for about 11 seasons, and was one of the most popular shows of its time.

By Stripes - 7/30/08

2008-07-30T16:28:00.000-07:00

I went to the Dr. Pepper Company. I usually am not allowed to have soda because I get hyper. I tried it and I did like it, except then I had to pee. I was kinda bored.

Bye!

Stripes

By Samuel - 7/30/08

2008-07-30T16:25:00.000-07:00

I went to the Dr. Pepper Plant/Bottling Company thingy. I don't drink soda, so I sat out in the car and got really hot because it's really hot in Texas. I was really, really bored.

After my family finished the tour, which was hours and hours, they came out to the car to check on me. They love me and don't want me to have a heat stroke or somethin'.

I saw a train engine. I love trains, so we followed it. I didn't know trains went backwards, even though I went to the 14th grade. It was really cool and I had fun.

Samuel S. (Smart) Elphick

By Amanda - 7/30/08

2008-07-30T16:23:00.000-07:00

There’s not much to do in the one-horse town of Dublin, Texas. However, one of the most trademarked sodas in America has a bottling plant here- Dr. Pepper. This is also the only plant in the United States to make Dublin Dr. Pepper, the original soda manufactured by the company. The difference? Dublin Dr. Pepper is made with imperial pure cane sugar, while today’s soda is made with high fructose corn syrup, a cheaper method of sweetening the soda. In fact, all sodas at this plant are made with sugar, true to their original formulas. They were bottling Dr. Pepper today, so we got to see how it is made.

Glass bottles are inspected for any chips or cracks, and if they pass inspection, they are put through a rigorous washing process. The bottles are cleaned with a detergent 10 times stronger than the average dishwasher’s, and water temperatures top out at 160°. The bottles are then run through water of 95°, in order to make them easier to handle, as well as to reduce the risk of temperature shock as the bottles go from the dishwasher to the outside air.

Plastic tubes fill each bottle with syrup, about 1 ½ inches worth. The rest of the bottle is filled with carbonated water, and then a cap is pushed onto the bottle. Any bottles that are not filled with a proper amount of soda are pulled out. The content of these bottles is poured out, and then they go to the dishwasher to start the process over again. Any remaining bottles are turned upside down 3 times, resulting in a perfectly mixed Dr. Pepper. From here, some bottles are packaged in cases and can either be shipped to individuals who ordered them, or they are bought by convenience stores/small businesses within a 40 mile radius. Bottles may also be put in the Soda Fountain, an old-time soda shop housed in the same building as the manufacturing plant.

After seeing how the soda is made, your tour guide takes you through three rooms full of Dr. Pepper memorabilia. Jumbo vintage bottle caps and numerous advertisements line the walls of these rooms. The last room is full of old Dr. Pepper, 7-Up Big Red, Triple-X Root Beer, and Suncrest Orange Soda bottles. Al of these sodas, except for 7-Up, are made in this manufacturing plant.

Once the tour was over, you go back into the Soda Shop. There are soda fountains here, and you can buy cups of the soda. I shoes Big Red, which our tour guide described as “super sweet liquid bubble gum.” It was the worst soda I’d ever had!

We passed a family-owned cheese shop on the way home called Veldhuizen Cheese. The owner let us sample the available cheeses, and after purchasing a few, we drove home.

By Rachel - 7/30/08

2008-07-30T16:21:00.000-07:00

Dr. Pepper, Dr. Pepper, DR. PEPPER! Yes, we went to the Dr. Pepper Bottling Plant today. The plant is located about 90 miles from Dallas in a little town called Dublin. The old Dr. Pepper was called Dublin Dr. Pepper. Dr. Pepper bottled here today still has the “Dublin Dr. Pepper” logo on the bottles.

On our tour, we got a FREE Dublin Dr. Pepper. Our tour guide reminded us of our Uncle Scott, (only our tour guide was NORMAL!) Dr. Pepper was invented in June of 1891. It is the oldest soda still produced.

Dr. Pepper and its other lines of sodas are sweetened by pure cane sugar. Since the 1970’s, other soda companies sweeten their soda with high fructose corn syrup. My favorite soda is Diet Dr. Pepper. The bottling plant that we visited only produces glass bottles. About 7000 bottles of soda can be produced each day in eight hours of work. After he showed us how Dr. Pepper is produced, we went into a three-room museum. The first room had one of the first vending machines. This one looked more like an old cooler.

One of the most famous stars of Dr. Pepper advertising was Pretty Peggy Pepper. She was a 16-year old girl that advertised Dr. Pepper in the middle of the 1930’s. During World War II, they had soldiers with Dr. Pepper for advertisement. After World War II, they did not hire Pretty Peggy Pepper back, and no one knows what happened to her. She has the whole second room to herself.

The last room was full of memorabilia of old Dr. Pepper and all the other sodas Dr. Pepper has manufactured. After our tour was over, we went to the gift shop/café. The soda that you can buy is made on the spot from a fountain. First she put syrup in the cup, then added carbonated water, and last she added ice. I got Seven-Up, and Sis got Big Red. Big Red tasted like liquid bubble gum/bubble gum flavored medicine with a touch of strawberry. It was NASTY! However, my Seven-Up was the best Seven-Up I’ve had!

Next we went to Veldhuizen Cheese. The cheese was A-maaa-zing! I don’t like blue cheese at all!!!! but his was okay. Mr. Veldhuizen has been making cheese for six years and opened their small family business three years ago. The owners of the business have seven children. The Veldhuizen family is descended from the Netherlands. After tasting the A-maaa-zing cheese, we went back to the motorhome.

By Rosie - 7/29/08

2008-07-29T14:20:00.000-07:00

The summer morning blossoms were blooming. For breakfast, I had steak. I took a little nap, then had lunch. For lunch, I ate a peach.

After having lunch, I enjoyed reading Romeo and Juliet. After reading, my wonderful family returned home.

Oh, how I miss my husband, Russ and our puppies. I guess I should go.

Rosie Ann

By Stripes - 7/29/08

2008-07-29T14:04:00.000-07:00

I sat in da tar, ate, swept, ant pooped.

The end.

By Rachel - 7/29/08

2008-07-29T13:47:00.001-07:00

Today we went to Texas Stadium and a farmer’s market. Texas Stadium is home of the Dallas Cowboys. Texas Stadium is a dome and it was opened in 1971. We waited around in the gift shop for awhile until our tour started.

On our tour, we got to go into a box suite, the Cowboys’ locker room, and on the field. Since the stadium is a dome, they don’t have real grass. Because they don’t have real grass, they don’t need dirt. As a replacement for dirt, they use recycled tire rubber. Our tour guide had footballs that he tossed out to us, and we got to play on the field!

Once we arrived back at the gift shop, we made our purchases and then went to the farmer’s market. At the farmer’s market they gave samples. With all the samples I got of fruit, I could have had lunch Most of the fruits I had were pineapple and mango. On guy gave me almost a whole orange.

After we had “lunch” at the farmer’s market, we went back to the motorhome to enjoy the rest of the day.

By Amanda - 7/29/08

2008-07-29T13:27:00.000-07:00

Irving, Texas may be the home to the most famous team in America, the Dallas Cowboys. They have been Super Bowl Champions five times in years 1971, 1977, 1992, 1993, and 1995. This team, known for its outstanding quarterbacks, has not had a Super Bowl run since the legendary quarterback line came to a halt around 1996.

During the 2006 season, the Cowboys acquired Tony Romo, a QB, and put him in the game instead of their regular starting quarterback, Drew Bledsoe. The legacy continues, as American’s team flew out to California for training camp this week. Dallas fans are hoping this is their year, and it’s looking good as long as Romo continues to practice well. Everyone thinks that it would be nice to send the old Texas Stadium out with a bang.

Texas Stadium has been hosting football games for almost 40 years. Its signature hole in the roof has become a familiar sight to Dallas citizens everywhere, not just football fans. This is its final year because the Cowboys are moving into a $1 billion stadium in the 2009 season. It’s pretty neat that we toured a stadium that will, after this season, be long gone.

We were able to see one of the air conditioned suites which can have catering services provided for parties held there. They have a really good view of the field, making them great seats.

We also got to see the Cowboys’ locker room. There are a few pieces of equipment hanging inside some of the spaces, but all of the team’s equipment is out in California with them. Each player’s locker has his name and number on a plaque above the locker, as well as shelves and hooks to hang up uniforms and equipment.

After the locker room, we went down onto the field. So many great players have walked on the same turf, and not just Cowboys players. Every team in the NFL has played here at least once, which is pretty cool to behold.

Once the tour was over, we spent some time in the Pro Shop, and then drove to a nearby farmer’s market. Mom was dying for some good peaches, so after sampling a few, she bought some. We also bought some other produce which we’ll eat in the coming days.

Oh, and a side note…it was only 102 degrees today!

By Amanda - 7/28/08

2008-07-28T16:45:00.000-07:00

Today we visited two sports complexes, Texas Motor Speedway (where Carl Edwards won in 2005), and Arlington Park (home of the Texas Rangers). We toured both stadiums today, the first of which was Arlington Park.

The park was opened in April of 1994. Its seats hold over 49,000 fans and holds some special pieces. The home run porch (located in right-center field) was built to look like the old Arlington Stadium. The hitter’s eye is fashioned after Camden Yards (the Baltimore Oriole’s park), and the outside brickwork is a semi-replica of the current Yankee Stadium (not the 2009 stadium being built). Also, both foul poles were brought over from Arlington Stadium. All of these come together to give the ballpark a look all its own.

We were able to walk along the main concourse, and from here we went to see the luxury suites and the press box. We then went down beneath the field where both clubhouses are, as well as the batting cages. The players use these to practice their swing or warm up before pinch-hitting. Mirrors are positioned so that the players can watch themselves swing, or they can watch previous swings during a game on the monitors outside the cages.

Our tour guide took us down to the home team dugout. I like when you get to sit on the dugout bench, because who knows, you might be sitting where your favorite player sits during games. My favorite player, Jarred Saltalamacchia (back-up catcher who has the longest name in MLB history) normally sits toward the middle of the dugout, so I had a pretty good chance.

Once the tour was finished, we went in the Rangers’ team store. One of the unique things about this shop was that they have merchandise from when they play different teams. The Braves played the Rangers earlier this year and they have some pins and baseballs with the vintage “a” on them. Very cool stuff!

Texas Motor Speedway is about 35 minutes away from the ballpark and this was our next stop. A 1.5 mile track owned by Bruton Smith & Speedway Motorsports Incorporated (SMI) this is the 3rd largest sporting event facility in the United States. I really enjoyed this track because my favorite driver (Carl Edwards - #99, Office Depot Ford) has won here three times, twice in 2005 and in the spring race earlier this year.

We got to see one of the luxury suites, victory lane, both garage buildings, as well as the dirt track that is located behind the backstretch. TMS also has an infield road course which they can expand by opening up the inner walls. Overall, the track is pretty neat, and hopefully they can add Carl Edwards to their Wall of Champions again this fall.

By Rachel - 7/28/08

2008-07-28T16:29:00.000-07:00

Today we went to Arlington Park, home of the Texas Rangers. Arlington Park opened in April of 1994. It seats 49,200 people. In 1995, they hosted the All-Star game.

On our tour we got to see the new Dallas Cowboy’s stadium being built. In 2009, they are going to have their first home game there. It is already sold out. In 2011, they will host Super Bowl VL.

Arlington Park is a replica of three other ballparks: Yankee Stadium (New York Yankees), Old Arlington Park (Ranger’s old stadium), and Camden Yards (Baltimore Orioles). The outside of it looks much like Yankee Stadium (from the outside brick “shell”). The hitter’s eye in center field is like Camden Yards.

We got to go in the batting cages, the owner’s suite, the press box, and also the media room. The owner of the Ranger’s owns the Rangers, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Mesquite Rodeo, but not the Dallas Cowboys. We got to go in the dugouts, but not on the field or in the clubhouse because they have a day game at home today.

After we were done on our tour, we went to the museum. This museum has over 100 Cooperstown artifacts. They had wooden models of Arlington field. On the second level, they had the top 25 moments in baseball. Number 4 was Hank Aaron’s homerun that passed Babe Ruth on the all time list to make him #1.

The third floor was different. It was a hands-on museum for all ages. This area was my favorite. They had touch-screen computers for baseball quizzes. Everything on the top floor I LOVED! I think Amanda enjoyed it too.

Next we went to the gift shop. They still had merchandise from the Interleague play when the Rangers played the Braves! I actually got a souvenir baseball from that game.

About 35 miles away from Arlington Park is Texas Motor Speedway. Texas Motor Speedway had its first race in 1997. The track is 1.5 miles long.

We took a tour of the track and I think it was the best one. We got to go in the box suites. They host four series of racing: Sprint Nextel Cup, Nationwide, Craftsman Truck, and Indy. The outlining blocks of the victory lane were shaped as the state of Texas.

Once we got back to the gift shop, we looked around a little bit. We then went to Wal-Mart & then back to the motorhome to enjoy our YUMMY! supper (spaghetti).

By Rachel - 7/26/08

2008-07-27T07:35:00.000-07:00

Today we went to Fort Worth for the day. Since today is National Day of the American Cowboy, there were all kinds of activities of cowboys. First we watched a cattle drive, right on Exchange Avenue. They even had a carriage to seat two people, pulled by a miniature pony.

After watching the cattle drive, we watch one activity, a quick draw competition. The next was branding. I got my initials (RE) on a board.

We walked through quite a few gift shops until we headed to the show. The Wild West show was called Pawnee Bill’s Wild West Show. They had stunt riders that would attempt all kinds of stunts.

After watching the show, I rode a mechanical bull. I didn’t fall off, so I guess I did pretty well. We also got shaved ice. I got Mango, and Sis got Cherry Cola.

We walked around at the shops a little more, and then went for some DELICIOUS food. I got Mesquite Barbecued Shrimp, fried okra, and French fries. Yum! We made some final purchases, then went back to the motorhome and watched a movie.

By Amanda - 7/26/08

2008-07-27T07:33:00.000-07:00

Today was the celebration of the American Cowboy in Fort Worth, Texas. Exchange Avenue was packed with people on both sides of the street, all waiting for the daily cattle drive, as well as the western parade. Businesses drove smaller chuck wagons, and many Fort Worth citizens rode horses, while the cattle led the way.

Once the parade went past, we checked out the kid’s activities. Rachel did a branded board with the letters “RE” intertwined. We also stood and watched a 6-and-under shooting match, with cap guns, of course. One little boy went for over 20 minutes without losing a round. Pretty impressive for a six year old!

We walked through most of the shops along Exchange Avenue, as well as the stores lining the Stockyard Train Station. Rachel collected her souvenirs, and both Rachel and I found t-shirts. We also had to stop at the candy store for no apparent reason, other than the fact that Grandpa wanted to… surprise, right?

There was an arena on Exchange Avenue, where they hold rodeo, livestock auctions, and a Wild West show. We bought tickets for the 2:30 show time, and then went to find our seats. The show consisted of trick riding, roping, bullwhip tricks, sharp shooting, and cowboy songs. After watching the show, we sat down for some Texas steaks, which hit the spot after a long day in the Texas heat.

By Amanda - 7/25/08

2008-07-26T18:52:00.000-07:00

We left Houston today and drove the 4 ½ hours to Fort Worth. Because it wasn’t a very long drive, Rachel and I went swimming for a few hours before getting ready for a signature Texas rodeo. We went out to try some Texas barbeque, which turned out to be delicious. Between the four of us, we tried all of the meats – beef, chicken, and pork. I decided on a beef brisket sandwich, and it was one of the best that I had ever tasted. Besides, any place with pickle spears like Spring Creek Barbeque’s can’t be all that bad. I wish we had one of those in Greenville!

After we finished eating, we headed over to the Mesquite Rodeo, which has been entertaining Texans for 51 years. The two-hour long show included PBR (Professional Bull Riders) bull riding, bronco riding, barrel racing, calf roping, and a few other “sports” if that’s what they could be called.

I only recognized one of the bull riders, Cody Hart, who is sitting in the #45 spot for the World Championship PBR. Also only three riders all night stayed on their bulls for 8 seconds. The rest of the competitors lasted about 4 seconds each.

Most of the bronc riders fared better, and the barrel racing competition was varied. The barrel racing winner had a 16.49 time, with second place being 16.59. The rodeo was definitely an enjoyable Texas experience.

By Rachel - 7/25/08

2008-07-26T18:36:00.000-07:00

Today we traveled from Houston to the Dallas-Fort Worth area. After our 5-hour drive, we got settled in at the campground and then went swimming for about two hours. We then had to get showers to go out for the evening.

We ate at Spring Creek Barbeque. This restaurant would be considered “cafeteria style”. After eating, we went to the Mesquite Rodeo. They had bull riding, barrel racing, sheep racing, bronco riding, and a dog-riding monkey.

The sheep racing was for children. The longest time a guy was on a bull was 9.6 seconds. The shortest time for the barrel racing was 16.49 seconds.

My favorite part of the rodeo was the dog-riding monkey. The monkey’s name was Whiplash. The show lasted until 10:00 and it took about an hour to get back to the motorhome. By then, it was time for bed.

By Rachel - 7/24/08

2008-07-26T07:12:00.000-07:00

If you have a love for ice cream, then you would have loved what we did today. We went to the main Blue Bell Ice Cream plant. It is located about 75 miles away from Houston in a town called Brenham.

Blue Bell was started in 1907, so it just celebrated its 100th birthday last year. Blue Bell is the 3rd best selling ice cream in the United States. The catch is that they only distribute to 17 states. The other two that beat out Blue Bell are Breyer’s and Edy’s/Dreyer’s.

On our very first trip is when we found out that Edy’s and Dreyer’s are the same company. Edy’s sells ice cream on the east coast, and Dreyer’s sells ice cream on the west coast. Edy’s/Dreyer’s and Breyer’s are both national companies.

Most of what I just wrote about Blue Bell was what I heard on our tour. On the tour, we got to see the production of Blue Bell Ice Cream. People actually get paid to taste ice cream! Our tour guide said, “Does anybody want a job application after this?” After the tour was done, they treated us to ice cream! The flavor I got then was chocolate chip cookie dough. After that, we went to the gift shop where we got some more ice cream. That time, I got mint chocolate chip and lemon. YUM!

After gaining five pounds, we went to Horseshoe Junction (which is a small amusement park). They have an indoor arcade, go-carts, mini-golf, bumper boats, laser tag, rock climbing, and bungee jumping. I did everything but mini-golf. In the process, I got soaked on the bumper boats.

On our way back to the motorhome, we stopped at a few little road side stands and a sausage company. Once we got back to the motorhome, we went to the clubhouse, ate, and then back to the clubhouse for our last evening here.

By Amanda - 7/24/08

2008-07-26T07:00:00.000-07:00

About 75 miles from Houston sits a little town called Branham. In Brenham is the Blue Bell Ice Cream Factory, the third-best selling ice cream in the United States. Blue Bell actually has three manufacturing plants; one in Oklahoma, one in Alabama, as well as the one in Texas. The largest plant is the one in Brenham, however, and they give tours to show you how ice cream is made.

They showed us the storeroom first, which is where they keep dry ingredients such as flour and sugar. From here, they take you into the mixing room. They pasteurize the milk once, and then break up any milk fat. The milk is then churned, flavoring is added, and then it gets pasteurized a second time.

Now is when workers combine the milk with any additions, such as caramel, fruit, sprinkles, or fudge (my personal favorite!). Nuts and candy pieces may be added here also. Next, the ice cream is packaged and frozen and after being put into boxes, trucks will carry the finished ice cream to any of the 17 Southern states.

Once you complete your our, they take you to a mini ice cream parlor where you get a free scoop of ice cream. There are 16 different flavors here to choose from. Rachel had Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Grandpa had Birthday Cake, Mom chose Blackberry Cobbler, and I picked Moose Tracks. They also sell ice cream in their gift shop, so after walking around the store, we samples a few more flavors. Everything we tried was delicious!

Once we finished at Blue Bell Creamery, we drove to Horseshow Junction, an outdoor/indoor amusement park containing a go-kart track, bumper boats, rock climbing, and bungee jumping, in addition to an indoor arcade and laser tag. We played one game of laser tag, and then went outside. I found out that I was really good at the go-karts, so after taking Rachel around (she wasn’t tall enough to ride them by herself), I went out to win a few races. I finished first when I took Rachel then went on to finish 4th, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, and 7th. That makes my average finish 3.7, better than my favorite NASCAR driver! Maybe instead of covering the sports stories, I could be a NASCAR driver and have someone writing about me beating Jeff Gordon or Tony Stewart. Wouldn’t that be fun?!

By Amanda - 7/23/08

2008-07-23T17:36:00.002-07:00

We toured the city of Houston, TX today. This large city is the home of the Houston Astros and Blue Bell Ice Cream. We started our day with a tour of Minute Maid Park, which is where the Astros play.

This gigantic ballpark is definitely something special because very few franchises have a dome stadium. For those of you who don’t know, a dome is just a roof for a stadium. In this case, it comes in handy on hot summer days. Our tour guide said that if the outside temperature reaches above 85°, or if there is a possibility of rain, that stadium workers will close the roof. It takes approximately 13 minutes for the dome to completely open.

The main entrance to the ballpark was actually built on the site on union Station. The workers restored the columns that support the building, as well as all of the intricate ceiling work. The first floor houses the gift shop/team apparel store and the ticket booths, and both the second and third floors hold offices for stadium employees. It was here that we began our tour.

From Union Station, we entered the main concourse. This is where all the food vendors set up, as well as small team apparel stores. You can also access most of the seats from the concourse.

Our tour guide then took us to the club level seats, the upper deck, the owner’s executive suites, and the television broadcasting booth. Most of the suites were rented out, but the Astro’s owner has two party suites, which we entered. There were about 20 seats outside the room, which sits directly behind home plate. You had a good view of the field, and there is also access to many conveniences.

The broadcasting booth was not much different than in other ballparks. Our tour guide said that sometimes, before games, the sportscasters will be in the booth preparing for the game, and if they’re not very busy, they will sign autographs. However, I wouldn’t know an Astro’s broadcaster if I saw one, because I don’t make a habit of watching Astro’s baseball unless they’re playing my team.

After we finished in the booth, we went own through the Diamond Club (an exclusive club giving patrons access to a full-service restaurant), and out to the field-level seats. Because there was a day game stating at 1:05, some players were beginning to warm up. Also at field level is a marble table with two seats on each side. On the right ride of the table are the seats where the owner and his wife sit, and on the left side are the seats where George and Barbara Bush sit. When we went down to watch the players practice, Rachel sat in George Bush’s seat. How many 11 year olds can say that?

By Rachel - 7/23/08

2008-07-23T17:36:00.001-07:00

Today we went to Minute Maid Park, home of the Houston Astros. Minute Maid Park is a dome like the Minnesota Twins and the Toronto Blue Jays. There is a difference between Minute Maid Park and the two other fields. The Twins and Blue Jays’ domes only have dirt around the bases. Minute Maid Park’s actual field is like any other field.

The Astros old dome, the AstroDome, was the first baseball dome. The AstroDome was the 8th wonder of the world. Instead of grass, the AstroDome had Astroturf. It was built in the early 1980’s.

Minute Maid Park’s main entrance is a restored train station. THE last train ran through Union Station around 1970, but there was no exact date. Minute Maid Park was opened in 2000. It has a seating capacity of 40,976.

We got to go into the owner’s suites. The one suite had a bunch of Astro’s memorabilia. Today, the Astros had a home afternoon game. Because of that, we couldn’t go down on the field or in the dugouts. WE did get to go down to the seats behind home plate. There are four special seats. Obviously, they are going to be some of the best seats possible. These four seats are for the owner of the Astros and his wife, and George H. G. Bush and his wife, Barbara. After finishing our tour we went into the team store (gift shop). We got back to the motorhome and went to the clubhouse, ate, and back up to the clubhouse to play pool.

By Amanda - 7/22/08

2008-07-22T21:47:00.000-07:00

We traveled to the coastal town of Galveston, Texas today. Despite the foreboding storm, we were able to visit the Ocean Star Off-shore Oil Rig, as well as the Kemah Boardwalk.

The Ocean Star Off-shore Oil Rig is a retired oil rig now used as a museum, set out from the Galveston coast by a few hundred feet. A short film explained the different structures used to hold the refining equipment as well as the people harvesting it. It also showed how the oil is formed, and what technology is used to harvest it.

The formation of oil was very surprising to me. Millions of microorganisms are born every day, and die within 2 hours. The remains decompose into oil, and eventually, after long periods of time, come together to form an oil field. These oil fields are then located by many tests, and are examined by scientists. The scientists look at the field and determine whether it is worth drilling. If the answer is yes, these scientists look at the size of the field and estimate the time it will take to harvest all the oil. From here, plans are made to get a structure erected, so that the oil may begin being harvested.

Once we finished at the Ocean Star, we drove through Galveston to get to the Kemah Boardwalk. Here are rides, shops, restaurants, as well as Stingray Reef. We rode two rides first, then went to Stingray Reef. Here, you can feel stingrays in a large, shallow tank much like you can at Sea World. After the stingrays, we walked in several of the shops along the back of the park. We rode one more ride before heading back to the motorhome.

By Rachel - 7/22/08

2008-07-22T21:45:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we left New Orleans to come to Houston, Texas. Today we went to Galveston.

Once we got to Galveston, we went to Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig, which is a museum. First, they start you out with a short movie. This short introduction movie explains to you what offshore oil drilling is, and explains to you how it’s done.

After that, we explored the rest of the museum. Then we headed towards where we were going to take a tour. However, it left earlier than it was supposed to, so we missed it. Instead, we went to Kemah Boardwalk. Kemah Boardwalk is an amusement park.

We rode two rides, and both of them go upside-down! We also went to String Ray Lagoon. Then we went back to the motorhome to eat. After we ate, we went to the clubhouse.

By Amanda - 7/20/08

2008-07-22T21:44:00.000-07:00

We has planned on driving to Biloxi, MS today. However, it seems that almost everything is closed from Hurricane Katrina. However, Biloxi got the worst of Hurricane Rita, New Orleans took the brunt of Katrina, but Biloxi also got some of the storm. Only a few days after Katrina hit the coats, Rita came and desolated Biloxi. Although New Orleans is far from a normal way of life, Biloxi may never fully recuperate.

So we opted for a day at the campground. We swam for several hours, and then we went out to eat. It was our last night in Louisiana, and Mom and I wanted to try both crawfish and seafood gumbo. The restaurant that we had originally chosen was closed on Sunday so after asking the locals, we ended at a little packed-out place called Harbor Seafood. We actually got the last table!

Mom and I shared the Boiled Special. It comes with 2 ears of corn, 6 crabs, new potatoes (which are fabulous when sprinkled with hot sauce!), shrimp, and 3 pounds of crawfish! Everything was boiled in a Cajun seasoning, and we cleaned up the whole thing… even the crawfish.

By Rachel - 7/19-08

2008-07-22T21:41:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we left Alabama, and headed for Louisiana. Today we went to New Orleans. For breakfast, we had beignets, which are fried pieces of dough from Café du Monde. After finishing our delicious breakfast, we headed over to the Gray Line Tour Bus Station. Our tour was of Hurricane Katrina and its destruction.

Our tour was three hours long, with one stop. So that’s to show that there is a lot of damage still 3 years later. Actually, New Orleans is only 60% built up to what it was.

Later, after our tour was done, we looked at all of the shops. Then we walked a good bit to the place we went to eat. After that we walked back to the car to go back to the motorhome.

By Amanda - 7/19/08

2008-07-22T21:38:00.000-07:00

We traveled to Louisiana yesterday, and from here, we’ll visit the city of New Orleans. The home of jazz music and Cajun cooking, this bustling seaport town abounds with diversity. And sadly, it also abounds with remnants of hurricanes Rita and Katrina. After the two storms passed and clean-up restored some order to the city, several bus lines began giving Hurricane Katrina tours. It was with one of these tours that we employed the first half of our day.

Before starting our tour however, we stopped at the Café du Monde for breakfast. This street-side restaurant is famous for its coffee and beignets - a beignet being a French doughnut smothered in powdered sugar (and by smothered, we mean ½ inch of leftover sugar in the bottom of the bag).

After purchasing our tickets, we boarded the tour bus. Our guide/bus driver was one of the thousands who evacuated during the hurricanes, so he was very interesting to listen to. The tour took us through several neighborhoods that stood Katrina’s wake. Many houses still have an “X” spray-painted on their roofs. These X’s helped rescue teams identify what type of situation that house was in (number of people living in the house, any deaths, date the house was flooded, act). Many owners collected their insurance and left to go settle elsewhere.

We also saw some of the levees that broke, releasing the torrents of water onto homes and businesses. Some of these levees had been repaired using 200 pound of bags of sand during the hurricane, but were later repaired completely using cement and reinforced steel posts.

After we finished our tour, we walked through the French Market, a collection of vendors who sell a little bit of everything. We also sampled several of New Orleans symbolic candies, the pecan pralines. I’ve concluded that Southern cook Paula Deen (also known to her younger fans as “the Butter Lady”) had a hand in creating these sweet treats, because they have so much butter in them, it’s unbelievable.

We ate supper at Remoulade’s, one of the favorites in New Orleans. Mom and I went for a local specialty, a Po-Boy sandwich. This is a sandwich stacked with at least one of the following meats: beef, ham, fried shrimp, fried oysters, or fried soft-shell crab, and "dressed" with lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise. They’re excellent, and are definitely a satisfying ending to a day in New Orleans.

By Amanda - 7/16/08

2008-07-22T18:12:00.000-07:00

We left today for a 4-week trip. We’ll visit 9 sates this time, including Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, and Tennessee. Among some of this trip’s highlights are Texas Stadium, Sea World in San Antonio, the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, and New Orleans. We’re also going to see the Gulf of Mexico.

We already arrived at the first of many campsites. After getting ourselves comfortably situated, we drove to Talladega Super Speedway. Talladega is the largest track on the NASCAR circuit, and used to be the fastest. The track is a monstrous 2.66 miles long, and before NASCAR implemented restrictor plates, speeds easily topped 200 miles per hour. Bill Elliott was the first driver to break the 200 mph barrier. However, NASCAR decided to enforce the use of restrictor plates after Rusty Wallace obtained an average lap speed of 228 mph. In today’s races, drivers are lucky to make 195 mph.

Also housed at the track is the International Sports Hall of Fame. Racers from NASCAR, the Indy Racing League (IRL), as well as many famous racing personalities have been worthy of being inducted into the Hall of Fame. Among my favorites were Benny Parsons (racer & TV announcer, died 2 years ago), Dale Earnhardt (racer, died in the 2001 Daytona 500), Darrell Waltrip (former racer and current FOX analyst), and Jack Roush (owner of NASCAR’s largest team). Also in the Hall of Fame was a lady from Greenville, SC. Her name was Louise Smith, and she was one of few women to make a sensation in the world of racing. It is said that she drove her husband’s brand-new car down to Daytona Beach to watch a race. However, the temptation was too great, and she entered the car into the race. Needless to say, she crashed, but she will forever be remembered as one of the great ladies of stock car racing.

After checking out three buildings full of legendary cars, we ended our day in the Dale Earnhardt room. This room abounds with memorabilia from Dale’s racing days. Outside of this room was my favorite car that we saw all day, Darrell Waltrip’s “Bertha.” Waltrip figured out early on that lighter cars ran faster. He would have his car altered so that it would be lighter than the minimum weight. In order to pass pre-qualifying inspection, his crew would make up the remaining weight by filling up a hidden compartment with BBs. Once out on the track, he would pull a lever and let all the BBs out of the compartment, thus giving him a lighter car and faster qualifying time.

After eating supper, we were all ready for bed. After all, we have to rest up for whatever tomorrow brings. ☺

By Rachel - 7/16/08

2008-07-22T18:10:00.000-07:00

Today we set off on our 3-4 week adventure. This trip is going to include the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas.

After we got to the campground, (we will be staying two nights here) we went to Talladega Super Speedway. Talladega is 2.6 miles long; with a 4000 foot backstretch. After wasting a few minutes, we went on our track tour.

Unlike Daytona Super Speedway you couldn’t go on the track because of the 33° banking, in turns 1, 2, 3, and 4. (Daytona’s is 31° banking). Overall I thought the Daytona track tour was better than Talladega’s.

Around five years ago Rusty Wallace did a test at Talladega without a restrictor plate. Without it he reached speeds of 235 miles an hour. However with it you will only reach speeds of around 190 miles a hour.

Later after our tour was done we went and looked at the museum. There are over 100 motor vehicles in three different buildings. They even had separate section for Dale Earnhardt Sr.

After finishing up with the museum; we went to the gift shop. After that we went back to the motorhome to relax for the rest of the day.

The 2008 Journey

2008-07-22T18:03:00.001-07:00

We did travel to New England in the fall of 2007, but never got those posts onto the blog. We toured New York City, and then mostly the coastal areas of New England as far as Acadia National Park in Maine. The only New England state we did not venture into was Vermont. We're now back on the road again to explore the southern states and Gulf Coast. Upon completion of this trip, we will have visited every continental state except for Vermont.

Though Brian was able to do Florida with us last year, since he just spent a week of vacation in Pennsylvania with us in June and will take time to go to the beach in the fall, this trip just includes the girls, Grandpa & me. We love it when Brian can join us, but he just doesn't have enough vacation time to be on the road with us very often. It's also very special time for the girls to spend with their grandpa, and we don't take that for granted.

We hope you'll enjoy the adventure with us. We look forward to hearing from you or seeing you soon!

Grace for the journey,

Tracy

By Tracy - 3/27/07 - "Back home...for now"

2007-04-08T16:13:00.000-07:00

We left Kissimmee about 4 a.m. and arrived back home about 1 p.m. After unloading and unpacking, we rushed out to get Rachel to her first softball practice and from there, Brian went onto work. It's so hard to believe this vacation is over. It was a wonderful opportunity to spend that time together as a family and for the girls to experience Disney with Grandpa there too.

We really enjoyed the touring we did around FL, and we were all glad when Brian joined us for the last half of our trip. The time in Kissimmee/Orlando was far from relaxing though...we were BUSY! But what fun...we had a blast!

I, of course, really enjoyed checking off four more lighthouses from my list and adding the models to my collection. The wildlife we observed at Merritt Island and the Everglades, and the sea life out over the Coral Reef was very cool. And the gulf beaches were beautiful. The resort was fabulous too. The girls & I have already told Daddy that we need to go back to FL, stay at that resort, and actually not do Disney...just do day trips to both coasts and spend the time actually relaxing. It has hit us that, with a rising 10th grader, these family vacations may not happen for very many more years. We want to enjoy all the time together that we can!

It was so much fun to see the kids enjoy each and every aspect of the trip, but especially the Disney parks and Sea World. Amanda was not even four when she was at Disney the last time we were there and it was so "magical" then...but it was still so neat to see her enjoy getting her picture taken with the characters and getting their autographs...and just being a kid. Of course, she and Rachel tackled EVERY thrill ride they came in contact with, so it was very different than being there with a three year old. But ten years ago, Mom ENJOYED the thrill rides....but things have changed...Mama's gotten old! They did drag me on some anyway (almost kicking and screaming)! Daddy still will ride anything with them, and Grandpa even rode the most vicious roller coaster I've ever experienced. But he did say "never again". Me either!

Though we were on the go so much, it was just great to be together and to enjoy doing and seeing everything that we could. But...here we are back home, back to the real world with commitments and responsibilities and not enough hours in the day. However...the New England tour books are beside my chair with some things already highlighted! That trip won't be until the fall, but there should be some shorter excursions in the mean time, so stay tuned!

By Rachel - 3/27/07

2007-04-08T15:59:00.000-07:00

We are done with our trip now. My favorite things we did were were Magic Kingdom (except "It's a Small World"!), MGM Studios, Sea World, Blizzard Beach, and Epcot Center. Magic Kingdom was the one that Grandpa remembered the most from the last time he was there.

If you are going to do Splash Mountain or any ride with a long wait get a FASTPASS if possible. If you go in line for Splash Mountain, make sure there is not a long line because it is not very exciting, but if you have a FASTPASS go ahead. MGM had many things for all ages. They have roller coasters, a play ground, shows that tell you about how they do stunts. Sea World was just a fun interactive place to go to. Blizzard Beach was a great place if you like water slides, which I do! If you have young children it would be great too! Epcot has many different types of things. They have World Showcase which has many different countries. There is also Future World where they have different buildings with rides and attractions such as Nemo and Friends (great for little kids,) Soarin' (family ride), and more intense rides such as Mission Space, (less intense and intense lines), and Test Track. Get FASTPASSSES because they save you the time of waiting in line. If you just enter a park, get them then so that the time to use them is not as late.

I also liked going to Disney's Wide World of Sports for a Brave's Spring Training game, and going to Daytona USA.

I probably wish that we could have spent more time on the beach. My least favorite place was St. Augustine just because it was rainy and pretty cold. The trip was a great experience and I loved that we could do it as a family.

By Amanda - 3/27/07

2007-04-07T20:51:00.000-07:00

We are back home in sunny South Carolina. We must have brought the warm weather with us! We have mostly completed the fun task of unpacking. Yippee!

However, we don’t get to rest just yet. Rachel has her first softball practice tonight, and we will be volunteering for Special Olympics tomorrow. But that’s okay. The great thing is that when we fall asleep tonight, we’ll dream of all of the great places that we visited on our trip.

My personal favorite was Sea World. I have always been drawn to all manner of marine life, no matter what it is. I loved the shows, and also getting to touch and interact with dolphins has always been one of my life-long dreams. I got to watch the birth of a baby orca, and see the mother and baby get acquainted with each other. I was able to touch sting rays and see swordfish swimming above me. It was an incredible experience.

Disney was definitely one of the coolest spots on the trip. Magic Kingdom was the greatest of the four major parks. The rides were so much fun, and I have now seen the parade in both day and night. It was so neat!

MGM Studios was my second favorite. I was able to ride a great roller coaster, and I was dropped from 13 stories! That’s something that you can’t do every day. I watched some popular Disney Characters come to life, and I even got to draw my own.

Well, I need to go. We need to leave shortly to take Rachel to her practice. I hope that you have enjoyed reading about our adventures. I know that I enjoyed having them!

By Rachel - 3/26/07

2007-04-06T19:45:00.002-07:00

Today is our last day in Florida, so we went to Disney Quest, but first we swam in the Windsor Hills pool (the pool at the resort). They have so many things at the pool like an enclosed body slide, sprayers, and dancing waters. We went to the playground and ate dinner, and then we went to Disney Quest located in Downtown Disney. Disney Quest is an arcade, but not just any one. They have FIVE stories. Most of the arcade games are the same, but have a lot of interactive games such as boat rowing, drawing a character, and a Star Wars type thing. We did draw Goofy because it had the closest time. In the boat rowing, you go through time back to the dinosaurs. You even get sprinkled! You go down big waterfalls too. After that, we went to Ghirardelli Chocolate for a free piece of chocolate.

By Amanda - 3/26/07

2007-04-06T19:45:00.001-07:00

It is our last day here in the Orlando area…our last day on vacation. Tomorrow, we will drive from Kissimmee back to Greer, SC. We spent the day packing up and swimming in the pool at the resort and playing at the playground. The pool is really neat with a water slide, and there is also a hot tub. We also went to Disney Quest, a five-story interactive arcade! There are not just arcade games here though. You can also learn how to draw some of Disney’s most famous characters. We learned how to draw Goofy. I did okay for the first time.

There was also a jungle raft ride that you paddle. You sit in the raft, and then you are given paddles. You pilot your way through the rainforest, escaping dinosaurs, earthquakes, and whirlpools. It is definitely not your average video game!

We played many of the unique games, and then we went over to Ghirardelli for one last square of chocolate. It was delicious…and a fabulous way to end a fabulous vacation!

By Rachel - 3/25/07

2007-04-06T19:44:00.001-07:00

We went to Typhoon Lagoon. They have a wave pool with waves as high as 6 feet tall! We did that 4 times. We went to Shark Reef too. Sis and Dad did it, but I didn’t want to. You could swim with animals like barracudas, Dory, Nurse Sharks, and Manta Rays! We did a lot of slides. One was VERY bumpy. We used the Lazy River for transportation. There is even a boat right on top of a mountain. There were a few disappointing slides, but there were also cool ones! Do not ride the big family tube ride if the line is over 10 minutes. There is definitely not as much to do at Typhoon Lagoon as at Blizzard Beach. I basically named all they have except for the gift shop, but you can’t spend one hour, much less five hours in there.

By Amanda - 3/25/07

2007-04-06T19:43:00.001-07:00

Have you ever swum with sharks or stingrays? How about being in a wave pool with five-foot waves? Or, have you eaten a delicious coffee cake with sweet butter on top (for breakfast!)?

Our first stop today was back at Animal Kingdom for our character breakfast. We were able to see Goofy, Pluto, Mickey, and Donald. Mickey informed us that Minnie was sleeping, which is why she was not there. Donald said that Daisy went shopping, which he thinks she does too much! We also had a delicious breakfast buffet. Combine the two, and you have yourself a great beginning to your day!

Mom then took us to Typhoon Lagoon and dropped off Dad, Rachel, and me. This is the other Disney water park which my parents visited when they were here 15 years ago and with me a little over 10 years ago…but I didn’t remember it. It has a wave pool that shoots out 6-foot waves. It also has a place called Shark Reef where you can swim with sharks, stingrays, and all kinds of exotic fish. It was very neat to swim with these creatures, but they stayed near the bottom. Therefore, you couldn’t touch “Dory”, the Blue Tang.

This park also has many different water slides, as well as a water roller coaster. The wave pool was my favorite, however. How many times in the ocean do you catch a 6-foot wave?

When we came back to the townhouse, we relaxed for awhile, and then headed to Downtown Disney to look for souvenirs. Downtown Disney is a large collection of shops and restaurants. I got a really nice Mickey Mouse zip-up sweatshirt. You also don’t have to buy anything in order to have fun there. There are toy stores, free entertainment, and FREE Ghirardelli chocolate, just like at the Ghirardelli shop in San Francisco! That alone is enough to make it a great night for anyone!

By Rachel - 3/24/07

2007-04-06T19:42:00.001-07:00

We have entered the last main park of Disney, and it was the last built. This park is Animal Kingdom. The first thing we did was get Fast Pass for Expedition Everest, and then we went to Kali River Rapids. But it doesn’t open until 9:30, so we waited for 20 minutes. While we were waiting, we looked at the monkeys. There was even a baby! The ride gets you wet for sure while you do stuff like go down the rapid river, go down a small waterfall, and go under a small waterfall! We went to Expedition Everest after that. During it, you go backwards, get attacked by an abominable snow monster, go down an 80 degree drop, and get to the end of the track. We rode it two times! By the way, if you couldn’t tell, it was a roller coaster.

After that, we did Fast Pass for Chester and Hester’s Dino-Rama. While we were waiting to use them, we went to Asia. In Asia, we went on a walking path full of animals. Then we went on the roller coaster. On it, you swirl, go down hills, and get yaaaaannnnnkkkkkkeddddd around! Then we did the African walking path. After that, we got Fast Passes for the Jungle Safari. There is also a show for the “Lion King” but the show was still going on, so we went to Camp Minnie-Mickey. There are many characters there such as Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, and Donald. We got their autographs and their pictures. Then we went to the Lion King show. It starts out with the floats coming out with Timon and Pumba and Simba. During the show, there are some acrobats, and Timon, and more Timon!

Then we went to visit Pooh, Tigger, and Eeyore. There was also going to be a parade, so we were going to watch a little bit of that. We also looked in the gift shop and headed back to the townhouse. We went to Ponderosa and then headed to Downtown Disney. There are so many gift shops and everything! We like to look around in the shops so we visited Ghirardelli, Lego, and regular Disney gift shops, a magnet shop, Pin Trader, and the BEST toy store!

By Amanda - 3/24/07

2007-04-06T19:41:00.000-07:00

We spent the day at the last of the major Disney Parks, Animal Kingdom. This park doesn’t have as many rides as the others do, but it has neat walking trails with animal exhibits. Some of the most interesting animals were the okapi, the gibbons, and the African Buffalo. Okapi are antelope-like animals, but they are taller and more thickly built. They are rich, reddish-brown in color with stripes on their backs and rear legs. They look like a zebra and a large antelope collided! Also, gibbons are a type of primate, about the size of a chimpanzee.

We grabbed a Fast pass for Expedition Everest, the most popular attraction in the park. We actually got to ride it twice because our photo that they take as you’re coming down the hill was lost. It is a ride themed around Mount Everest and the legendary Yeti. You travel through the mountain searching for the legendary creature. Guess what? The Yeti exists, and he switches the tracks so that your car goes backwards! He also tries to eat you, but you escape just in time. It is definitely one of the more unique roller coasters that I have ridden so far.

We rode a few rides in DinoLand, and then walked along the Asian Path. This is where we saw the Okapi. After we finished there, we boarded a safari bus for a two-week safari on the African grasslands. We saw lions, African Buffalo, wildebeest, Thompson’s Gazelles, giraffes, a male lion, saltwater crocodiles, hippopotamus, and vultures. I’ll say that we saw quite a few animals on that ride. Our two weeks on the plains was cut short however, because we helped the Reserve Manager stop some poachers. The poachers were trying to steal a mother elephant and her calf, which we also saw. It was a great experience being able to see animals that roam free, not just from behind walls or in cages.

We rode a few more rides, visited Camp Minnie-Mickey to see the Lion King show and visit with the characters there. We walked the African Path, and then we went for dinner. Tomorrow is the last major day of our vacation. We are also doing a character breakfast tomorrow morning. Yum!

By Rachel - 3/23/07

2007-04-06T19:40:00.002-07:00

We went to one of Disney’s water parks today. The one that we went to was Blizzard Beach. One of the slides has an 80 degree slope. When you go down the steep part and you just barely look down, it looks like you are going straight down! One of the first places we went was Ski Patrol Area which is made for pre-teens. One of the activities there was an ice float walk. The floats were in water and on rope so they’d get away from you but would stop if it got too far. Above you was a rope to hold onto. There were many different slides such as a tunnel slide, body slide, and tube slide.

Another thing that they had was a water zip line. After finished there, we went to Teamboat Springs, a family raft ride. After that, we went on many other slides, but the best one was the one that was a 60 degree slope. There is an area called Tike’s Peak instead of Pike’s Peak, but it was for kids 48 inches and under. So I was finally too tall for something! There were a total of two slides we didn’t ride, and the second one the lady said I was too short, even though I wasn’t. I had measured up all day. If you are over 48 inches without your shoes, you can ride anything, and I am.

That night, we went to Disney Boardwalk, but it really was nothing. There were just a few shops, but mostly restaurants.

By Amanda - 3/23/07

2007-04-06T19:40:00.001-07:00

It was a great day to visit Blizzard Beach, one of two Disney water parks. This is a park full of waterslides, a wave pool, and a recreation area. Also, it has a waterslide with an 80 degree drop. It is the steepest water slide in all of Disney, and rightfully named the “Summit Plummet.”

First, we headed to the Ski Patrol, an area geared for 10-15 year olds. There is a water zip line, a swimming pool, water slides, and an ice floe walk. That is the most fun part in the Ski Patrol. There are tethered ice “floes” and you have to walk across them without falling off. The only thing you have to hold onto is a rope net above you. I only fell off once. Of course, my monkey sister didn’t fall off at all!

We decided to do some of the slides before they became too busy. Our first stop was Teamboat Springs, a family raft ride. This is really fun because your raft goes really high up the sides of the slide. You also make a large splash once you reach the bottom.

We rode a few more slides, and then we went back to the Ski Patrol area for awhile so we could take some pictures. Then we decided to go down Summit Plummet. It was definitely worth the wait. When you reach the bottom, there is a sign that tracks your speed. The slowest speed that I saw was 50 mph. Most people were going about 60!

After riding almost everything in the park, we called it a day. If you ever need to burn off some energy, spend the day at Blizzard Beach. I guarantee that you’ll be tired at the end of the day.

By Rachel - 3/22/07

2007-04-06T19:37:00.000-07:00

Today we went to Daytona US, home of the Daytona 500, the Rolex 24, and the Pepsi 400. The first and last races are NASCAR races. The Daytona 500 is the first race of the season. The Rolex 24 is a 24 hour race that is a road race in the Daytona infield. Last, but not least, the Pepsi 400 is another NASCAR race held in July. In the museum, there is the Daytona 500 winning car for that year. This year, there was the dreaded Kevin Harvick car, #29. The man that made NASCAR and the Daytona Speedway happen was Big Bill France. In 1957, his dreams came true when the first Daytona 500 race happened.

The first two winners of that race were Lee Petty and Junior Johnson. Lee Petty was the first one to win it. He is also the father of Richard Petty, also know as “The King”. He got his name by winning 200 races, 7 Winston Cups, 7 Daytona 500 wins, and 9 most Popular Driver awards. Richard’s son Kyle Petty started Victory Junction Gang Camp, which is a place to go for kids who have serious illnesses. Dale Earnhardt Sr. was another great racer at Daytona. He got the nickname “The Intimidator” from his accomplishments such as these: Winning the Daytona 500 more than once, 1979 Rookie of the Year; 7 Winston Cup Championship titles; Most Popular Driver award; and over 130 wins! But he lost his life in Turn 4 of the 2001 Daytona 500 race. His son is the great Dale Jr. He has many great accomplishments also such as: 17 wins; 110 top-ten finishes; winning the Daytona 500; 6 pole positions; 2000 Rookie of the Year; and finishing as high as 3rd in the points. He is definitely a popular driver with lots of fans (including me!).

As you can see, there are drivers that do well at the track, and some don’t. The museum has things to do in it such as an Imax movie, Dream Laps, NASCAR motion simulator, 16 Second Pit Crew Challenge, and tours. The IMAX theater movie was in 3-D. In the movie, it tells you about many different things about Daytona. After the movie, we looked around some more, and then we went on our tour of the track. Daytona Super Speedway in the turns has 33 degree banking that is really steep. Wow! Our tour guide told us all about the buildings and other stuff. One more thing…if you want to go up on the banking, you will have to go over 100 miles an hour! During the tour, we went to Gatorade Victory Lane! There are small sets of bleachers in it too.

When we got back, we went to Acceleration Alley, which is a NASCAR Simulator. Dad and I were #5, Kyle Busch! But we finished 16th. Then we went to Dream Laps. Dream Laps is also a simulator, but not as intense. We looked in the gift shop and then left.

We went to see a lighthouse near Daytona Beach, and then drove out and parked on the beach for a little while to take some pictures. It was a fun day.

By Amanda - 3/22/07

2007-04-06T08:05:00.000-07:00

Daytona…the greatest of all speedways and home of The Great American Race. We visited this historic track today and saw where some of NASCAR’s closest finishes have occurred, and also some of its lowest moments.

Daytona International Speedway has a large visitor center/museum, which we went to first. It is called Daytona USA. Some of the highlights of this interactive museum are: the most recent Daytona 500 winner’s car, the Wall of Champions, a 1-hour video, Dream Laps, Acceleration Alley, and a track tour.

This year’s Daytona 500 winner was Kevin Harvick, driver of the #29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet. HE edged out veteran Mark Martin by a mere .02 seconds, the second closet victory margin in NASCAR history. The car on display still had the victory lane confetti on it!

The Wall of Champions is a collection of commemorative plaques which celebrate the winners of all major Daytona races such as the Daytona 500, the Pepsi 400, Rolex 24, Gatorade Duels, and the Budweiser Shootout. For those of you who are not racing fans, I’ll explain each of these. Both the Daytona 500 and the Pepsi 400 are major NASCAR Cup Series races. The Rolex 24 is a 24-hour race. Both of the Gatorade Duels are races that determine some of the final Daytona 500 spots. The Budweiser Shootout is a 70-lap race at the beginning of each season which contains all of the drivers from the previous who qualified in the first position (or Pole Position) for a race. All of these and more are races held at Daytona International Speedway.

The video was very neat to watch, because the last half-hour of it was in 3-D. It showed some of the 500’s most legendary winners, some highlights from past races, and the most memorable moments. Names like Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, Darrell Waltrip, and Cale Yarborough popped up all the time. Both Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty won this prestigious race seven times. They had some major bragging rights! Racing also lost one of it’s legends during a last-lap crash during the 2001 Daytona 500. Dale Earnhardt spun after the checkered flat, and took a hard hit into the wall. His neck snapped from the impact. He never emerged from his car.

After we finished at the museum, we took a tour of the track. We saw places like Victory Lane, the start/finish line, and we also got to see the high banks of Daytona. They are banked at 31 degrees! If a car isn’t going 70 miles per hour while entering Turn 1, it will roll over. Yikes!

We then headed to Acceleration Alley, a racing simulator. You sit inside a car and drive it just like a NASCAR driver. You even flip the acceleration switch in order to start the car. It was a fun end to our Speedway visit.

We left Daytona International Speedway and went the short drive out to the coast and visited the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse, and then drove down on the beach. It was neat to drive on & park right on the beach. It’s so flat and compacted. We walked around for a little while and took some pictures, and then made the drive back to the Orlando area. What a fun day!

By Rachel - 3/21/07

2007-04-06T08:03:00.000-07:00

Today we went to the most famous Disney park of all…Magic Kingdom. Magic Kingdom is home of Cinderella’s Castle. Before you enter the park, you have to take the monorail. Well, while we were on it, the one in front of us broke down, so we had to wait about 20 minutes before we could move again. When we finally got in, it was 9:30. In front of Disney, there are all sorts of characters such as Chip and Dale. Can you tell the difference between the two? Well, Dale has a round red nose and Chip’s nose is black. Some more characters were Horris and Clarabelle Cow.

We headed right over to get a Fast Pass for Space Mountain which is a roller coaster, but it was broken. While we were waiting for it to get fixed, we went on Buzz Light year Star Command. That ride is like a moving arcade shooting gallery. Then 1 ½ hours later, Space Mountain was open so we got a Fast pass for it. We did the Country Bear Jamboree (this is one of Grandpa’s favorites), The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Tomorrowland Indy Speedway, and I think that was all until we used our Fast Passes. Space Mountain was a pretty thrilly ride.

After that, we waited in line for a LONG time for a not-so-great ride, Splash Mountain. Then we rode the MOST ANNOYING ride in the history of annoying rides, It’s a Small World. “It’s a small world after all; it’s a small world after all, blah, blah, blah. And on top of that, Mom sang. But this is funny…try to picture this sound in your head…Grandpa singing on that ride. Woo, thank goodness that was over!

There is something called Mickey’s Toon Town Fair, which has a lot of the characters such as Chip and Dale, Pluto, Minnie, Donald, and Mickey. Did I get them all??? I think so. There is also a ride called the Barnstormer, which is a small roller coaster, kind of like the older kid’s version of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, another roller coaster in Magic Kingdom. The Barnstormer stays true to its name. It is a barn stormer…actually in Goofy’s barn. Goofy’s plane crashed into the barn. Of course, what do you expect from a dog who wears his belt buckle upside down? There are two houses…Mickey’s and Minnie’s. Minnie’s is all open and you’re able to touch, but Mickey’s has ropes across the doors of each room. But across from his garden, there is the Judge’s Tent which ahs the judge in it, and the judge is Mickey. There is a gift shop near there, and there are lines that you can get in to see different characters. We went in every line except the princess line. The characters that were in there were Chip, Dale, Pluto, Minnie, and Donald Duck.

When we go their autographs, Pluto and Donald had to put the paper on their noses so they could see. LOL (Laugh Out Loud). Did you know that the princess line was the longest one of all three of the lines? Before we left to go find a place to watch the parade, we went on Pirates of the Caribbean which is based off of that movie. On your ride, you go down a waterfall, through a pirate battle, and more.

Then we went to watch the parade. There were a lot of cool floats and a lot of Disney characters included. After that, we moved across the street for fireworks over Cinderella’s Castle. Before it started, we ran into some homeschooling friends. Those friends are the Browns, and they also run the co-op that Sis goes to. During the fireworks, Tinkerbell flew in the sky coming down from the Castle. After that, all we had to do was find a souvenir penny machine and get back to the townhouse to sleep. It was a long, tiring, but fun day!

By Amanda - 3/21/07

2007-04-06T08:02:00.001-07:00

We spent today touring the most magical of all Disney parks…Magic Kingdom. I was here 10 years ago, and a lot has changed since the last time. Many of the rides and attractions are different…at least from what I remember.

Our attraction strategy was similar to Epcot. We rode some of the more popular rides first, which were Space Mountain and Indy Tomorrowland Speedway. We arrived at Space Mountain first, but it was closed temporarily for repairs. Instead, we opted to ride Buzz Lighyear of Star Command. This is a life-size shooting gallery. You hit enemy invaders as you ride through the sea of targets. We all rode this, even Grandpa. My score was 34,500, only surpassed by Mom’s 43,000.

After we finished at Buzz Lightyear, Space Mountain was still closed. We got in line for Indy Tomorrowland Speedway. This is sort of like the antique cars, except you are able to steer and gas your vehicle.

Finally, Space Mountain was open and we got in the Fastpass line. It wasn’t long before we were zipping through sudden turns in pitch darkness. It is great for younger kids because it doesn’t reach 50 mph.

We then headed to the other side of the park, picking up Pooh Bear and Tigger’s autographs along the way.

We were forced to take a ride on “It’s a Small World,” because Mom and Grandpa like it. Rachel and I can’t stand it because the song gets stuck in your head for the rest of the day. It’s terrible!

Grandpa loves the Country Bears, so we decided to do the Country Bear Jamboree. This is a show where the Country Bears sing, dance, and talk. There are also talking animal heads who comment throughout the show.

We then decided to get a Fastpass for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, a train-style roller coaster. We then spent the next hour waiting in line for Splash Mountain, a water ride. It tells the story of Brer Rabbit being chased by Brer Fox and Brer Bear. It shows how he escapes them, and learns that he belongs in the briar patch.

After getting a little wet, we dried ourselves by riding Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. It is a rollercoaster with cars modeled after trains. You travel through Wild West scenery at 45 miles an hour. What a way to see the desert!

When you ride a bunch of rides, you get hungry! We ate at the Columbia Harbour House and had a great supper of fish, chicken tenders, and French fries. We also had a soft pretzel for a snack.

We then headed to Mickey’s Toontown Fair. This section of the park contains many of the Disney characters, so you can get lots of autographs and pictures. We got Minnie, Mickey, Donald, Pluto, Chip, and Dale here. We missed Daisy; Donald said she was out shopping. When I was here the last time, she was swimming. She is the only major Disney character that I have never seen.

While we were in Toontown, we also went through Minnie and Mickey’s houses. Then we saw what Goofy does in his spare time…crashing planes into the side of water towers. This is the idea behind the Barnstormer rollercoaster. You ride through Goofy’s water tower to see how he wrecked his plane.

After that, we had to get our spots for the parade. It was really neat to watch the parade at night, because Tinkerbell flies down from Cinderella’s Castle. The castle is also illuminated, so it made the parade all the more interesting. It turns out, Suzanne Brown and her family were standing near us during the parade, so we visited with them for a few minutes when it was over.

Soon after the ending of the parade, the fireworks began. There were some really neat bursts. My favorites were blue stars with white dots in the center. The fireworks were the perfect ending to a perfect day.

By Rachel - 3/20/07

2007-04-06T08:00:00.000-07:00

We went to Disney’s MGM Studios today, home of the Tower of Terror. We got a Fast Pass for this ride, and then went to get in line for Rockin’ Rollercoaster. While we were waiting in line to board, we got to see a projection of a famous rock band. When they say go, they mean it! During the ride, you experience VERY sharp turns, speeds as high as 60 mph, and you go upside down three times!!! Now that is a thrill ride! On top of that, Grandpa rode it with us, but he said never again. Mom said the same thing, but Dad didn’t mind it and Sis and I thought it was great! When we came out of the gift shop, it was raining.

We still had about 20 minutes until we could use our Fast Pass for Tower of Terror, so we found a place for Grandpa to stand and wait under roof so he wouldn’t get wet. When it was finally 12:45, we went to Tower of Terror. I would like to thank our “hair lady”, Mrs. Donna, for making Mom go on it! She had made mom promise that if we went to MGM, she would ride it with us. Mom didn’t have a choice. On the ride, you go in a haunted hotel, the Twilight Zone also known as the Hollywood Hotel. While you go up a short distance, it shows you the five people that stepped into the hotel elevator and never returned. You are brought up 13 levels, and then the cable to the elevator snaps. Hee-hee…VERY FUNNY! You are dropped swiftly down four or so levels and then again, and again, and then you are dropped the whole 13 levels. Once we were done with those two rides, we went to Muppet Vision 3-D. On our way there, we saw Herbie (the car) and had or picture taken. After the movie, we went to Honey I shrunk the Kids video set (not really), but it was closed because of rain. Before we left, we met Sorcerer Mickey Mouse and had our pictures taken and got his autograph.

By Amanda - 3/20/07

2007-03-27T19:25:00.002-07:00

Have you ever wondered how Disney makes movies or how Disney animators create the characters that we see in the movies and television shows today? These things and more are what Disney’s MGM Studious is all about.

When we first entered the park, we pinpointed the two most popular rides, the Rockin’ Rollercoaster and the Hollywood Hotel Tower of Terror. Tower of Terror had the longest wait time, so we got a Fast pass for that, and headed over to Disney World’s fastest rollercoaster. Rockin’ Rollercoaster reaches speeds of 60 mpg within the first eight seconds of the ride! Not only is it fast, but it also has sudden turns, as well as three upside-down maneuvers. Here’s the best part, it is almost completely in the dark. That means that you can’t see where you are going to when you go upside down. I actually think that it is easier to go upside down when you can’t see, versus knowing when it happens. It was GREAT...but Mom and Grandpa didn’t think so.

After we finished riding MGM’s biggest attraction, we began walking towards the Tower of Terror. We actually had to wait for a little while because it was raining. Once it stopped, we made our way to the front of the line. Once you are let out of your line, you begin your tour of this deserted hotel. Why is it deserted, you ask? The story goes like this: One stormy night, five customers were in a hotel elevator, going up to their rooms. Lightening struck that section of the hotel, cutting the power. The elevator’s five occupants disappeared, never to be found.

After hearing this story, you begin your trip in that haunted elevator. First, you see a little bit of the hotel, and then you begin your descent. Up you travel, only to be dropped to the ground. Again, you are hauled up, and again, you are dropped. Now comes the climax….you climb 199 feet to the top of the tower, and then you plummet the whole 199 feet to the ground. We’re lucky that Rachel didn’t fly out of the seat!

Once we finished riding the thrill rides, we walked around looking in some of the shops. Then we watched a show depicting the idea of Mushu, the dragon in Mulan. Each Disney character is drawn many times by different artists before reaching the final product. Also, after watching the film, we were able to see progressions of several other Disney characters such as Buzz Lightyear in the Toy Story movies, and Ursula in the Little Mermaid.

When we finished looking at the different characters, we were able to design our own Disney character and we could put our voice into a movie. It was neat to see the different stages that a character goes through before it makes it to a film.

After finishing the animation progression, we went over to the Muppet’s 3-D show. I didn’t know any of them except for Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy. The show is about Kermit, and he is trying to show you the Muppet Studio. Every time he shows you a different area, something gets destroyed, mangled, bumped, or crashed. That’s the Muppets for you!

The last thing that we did in MGM was stop to get Sorcerer Mickey’s autograph. He is one of the only characters in the park, but most of them are in Magic Kingdom. It was a great day of thrills, speed, and charm.

By Rachel - 3/19/07

2007-03-27T19:25:00.001-07:00

We went to Disney’s Wide World of Sports today. The game was the Atlanta Braves vs. the Cleveland Indians. Disney’s Wide World of Sports is the Spring Training field for the Braves. When we got there, we looked at a few things and then entered the baseball stadium. While we were waiting for the game to start, I got an autograph from the Brave’s Manager, Bobby Cox! It wasn’t until the fifth inning that somebody scored, and it was the Braves! The game ended with the Braves winning 6-0. For supper, we went to the Hoop-Dee-Doo-Revue. The Hoop-Dee-Doo is a dinner and show and is located in Fort Wilderness, the Disney Campground. The dinner was family-style. Family-style is basically an all-you-can-eat buffet brought to your table. The theme of the food and show was cowboy-ish, and it lasted about 2 ½ hours. It was funny!

By Amanda - 3/19/07

2007-03-27T19:17:00.000-07:00

The Atlanta Braves have their spring training camp at Disney’s Wide World of Sports. This is where we went today. The Braves played the Cleveland Indians in the game today, and they won 6-0. Rachel got an autograph from Manager Bobby Cox. He is so great, and he really enjoys his job. You can see it in the way he acts and interacts with people, especially children.

We went back to the townhouse for a little ewhile until it was time for the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue. We had to go to Disney’s Fort Wilderness Campground for the show. This is a dinner show attraction with a wild west theme. The performers’ stagecoach “happens” to break down in front of the theater, so they put on their show there. I don’t thinkw e stopped laughing, except to eat our dinner…which was delicious, by the way!

By Rachel - 3/18/07

2007-03-23T19:57:00.000-07:00

We have finally come to Disney World! We started out going to Epcot Center. The first ride we rode was Soarin’. Soarin’ takes you all over California like you’re flying in a hang glider. Then we went to Test Track to get Fast Passes. While we were waiting to use our Fast Passes, we went to Mission Space. When you get in line, they give you slips of paper so they know if you’re riding the intense or less intense ride. At first, Mom got us all intense passes, but then Mom thought Grandpa wouldn’t like it and she didn’t know if she would, so they did the less intense. When we got into the box or whatever you call it, I was the Navigator, Sis was the Pilot, and Dad was the Commander. Grandpa was the Commander too, and Mom was the Engineer. After that, we went to the Advanced Training Lab. There you could send video postcards, play on a small playground, and other things. We went on Test Track. The wait was 70 minutes, but since we had a Fast Pass, we only had to wait ten! In your “unfinished” car, you see and do some of the things that a test dummy goes through. When we were on the ride, we went in heat and ice areas, bumpy roads, mountains, and BLAZING fast speeds with sloped turns. How fast did we really go? How about 100 miles an hour? We went back to the townhouse to eat supper and drop off Grandpa. Then we went back to Epcot. We did a few more rides and then went to some of the countries in World Showcase. The first thing we did was Innoventions, which is in Future World with TONS of stuff to do such as building a rocket. We waited in line for five minutes, and then we got to go build one. But there was a downside to it. Instead of a computer, they used a glass top and I guess they projected it on the glass. Well, they had a step but still I couldn’t see up on the glass. We had to rush to get to “Honey, I shrunk the Audience” which is a 3-D movie and you get shrunk because of one man’s invention. When you exit, you can go right to a slow moving but funny ride. The ride takes you with a projection of the professor of “Imagination Institute”. No, it is not real, but still the professor was the creator of Figment, a little dragon that won’t hurt you. But on your ride, you are at least supposed to learn stuff about the five senses, but you get into Figment’s imagination. Even his house is upside down! You have at least seen a picture of Epcot’s big “golf ball”, right? Did you know that there is a ride in there? The ride is Spaceship Earth. It is a slow ride that takes you through time and tells you when different ways to communicate were made. After that, we went to World Showcase. We didn’t get to see all the countries. We actually went in Germany and Norway. Norway has a cool ride. On your ride, you get chased away from trolls and almost fall down a waterfall. On your way out, you get to watch a short movie about Norway. Then we went to find a place to watch Illuminations, the laser and light show at Epcot. It was really neat!

By Amanda - 3/18/07

2007-03-20T19:25:00.000-07:00

Today, we visited one of Disney’s older parks, the home of the large “golf ball”…Epcot Center. Epcot is divided into two parts, World Showcase and Future World. Despite the park’s age, there are new and exciting attractions in both parts of the park. We spent most of our day in Future World because it contains the most attractions.

We arrived at the park about a half hour after it’s opening, and we decided to do the most popular attractions before they became too busy. Our first stop was Soarin’, a hang-gliding simulator. Once you are fastened in, your seat moves up to a movie theater size screen, and the ride begins. You “fly” over famous California sites such as the Napa Valley, Monterey Bay, and the Golden Gate Bridge. As you glide over and around the scenery, your seat rotates so that it feels like you really are gliding. You also fly over an orange grove and you can smell the orange trees. It’s awesome!

After exiting the ride, we got a Fast pass for Test Track, and then we went to Mission: Space. On this adventure, you and three other people are on a mission to pilot a space shuttle to Mars. Each person is assigned a position; Commander, Pilot, Navigator, and Engineer. I was the Pilot. After you fly yourself to Mars, you get to go to the Advanced Training Lab. Here, you can rescue astronauts, send video postcards, and race a spaceship against another team. It is so much fun!

We walked over to Test Track, one of the fasted attractions at Disney World. It reaches speeds of 100 mph. The name of this attraction comes from what happens on the ride. It is like you are on an automobile test track, and you go through a series of tests. Some of these tests include heat test, cold test, combustion test, off-road test, and speed test. The speed test is where you reach the high speeds. It is really neat to see what your car goes through before it reaches the sales lot.

After riding the major rides, we decided to go back to the townhouse to rest because we were going back to Epcot for the fireworks show in the evening. There, we ate supper and watched the race until it was time to leave.

We arrived at the park around 5:30 p.m., so we still had time to visit some attractions before Future World closed. We stopped by Club Cool to sample some Coca Cola products from around the world. Some of them were good, but most of them were terrible!

Since Future World closes at 7:00, we headed over to World Showcase. We rode some of the attractions in the different countries, and then we got our seats for the fireworks and laser show. There were a few minutes of fireworks, and then there was a salute to all countries. It was a thrilling (and loud!) ending to a great day.

By Rachel - 3/15/07

2007-03-17T06:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we got to Kissimmee, near Walt Disney World. Mom did laundry and we went swimming. Today, we went to Sea World. We got in and wasted about a half an hour, then went to the Clyde and Seamore show. Clyde and Seamore are Sea Lions and there is an otter in the show. We went to see and touch Sting Rays after the show. You just don’t touch the stingers. We also went to go touch the dolphins. Sis fed the dolphins. She touched raw fish. YUCK! The dolphin’s skin is odd…it’s hard. Later, we also went to go see the dolphin nursery, but you couldn’t touch them. It was the same with the baby sting rays. If you have heard of Sea World, then you’ve heard of Shamu and Namu. They have a new showed called “Believe”. Well, another whale gave birth on Monday, 3/12 at 4:42. But there was a slight problem. The baby and mom were in the tank where they usually do “Believe”. Instead, we didn’t get wet from the show and we got to see them swim around in circles. The baby was so CUTE! Then we went to Wild Arctic. To get to the Arctic, you can walk or take a helicopter ride. We took the ride. We waited about 15 minutes, but we didn’t get on a real helicopter; it’s a simulator. Then when that was done, we went to look at Beluga’s. We couldn’t see much of them though. We also went to see polar bears and walruses. The polar bears weren’t very happy looking. The walruses just swam in circles. We could also crawl in a polar bear cave. We also went downstairs to see under the water. We went to Pacific Point Preserve which is supposed to be for sea lions. No, Clyde and Seamore weren’t there, but there were a lot of their friends. We went to a whale and dolphin show. The dolphins started out, and then it was a show with acrobats, and then the whales came out. Sis and I were all ready to go on one of the COOLEST roller coasters, Kraken, but guess who wasn’t tall enough? Me. So then I asked Sis if she would go on Journey to Atlantis with me and she said, “No” because she said it wasn’t warm enough to get that wet. So Mom and I went on it. (Journey to Atlantis is like a log flume but you sit two people side-by-side.) You start out in Egypt – very relaxing and everything, and then you go right down the hill! But we only got a couple sprinkles on us but we were in the front seat. Then you take a right and there was a just a two-foot hill but you got SOAKED! Since we were in the front seat, we got most of the water, and it stayed on the seat. We were SOAKED!!! Mom said that since she rode this ride with me and she got soaked, I owed her and will have to ride It’s a Small World with her at Disney. Blah! We also got to go to the Dolphin nursery, like I said. Then we also went on Shamu Express which is a small rollercoaster that Grandpa got on with us. Sis and I went on what would be any kids’ dream jungle gym. It is called Shamu’s Happy Harbor which is nets to climb, tire swings, tube slides, climbing areas, a sand box, moon walk, boats and monster trucks to remote control, and finally, a ship to play on. But that is just the jungle gym and I didn’t name everything either. Finally, we went to the gift shop and then got pizza for supper and went back to the motor home. Dad will be here on Saturday, we will move from the motor home into a townhouse, and we get to spend the next 10 days doing the stuff at Disney, Daytona and other things.

By Amanda - 3/15/07

2007-03-17T06:18:00.000-07:00

Sea World has changed a lot since I was there 10 years ago! It’s bigger, with more activities, more animals, and bigger shows. We saw all of the shows but one, which was the killer whale show, “Believe.” A baby orca was born at 4:48 p.m. on Monday, 3/12. The female was put in the show tank before her labor so that both her and her calf would have plenty of room to bond once the calf was born. The show tank is where both of the orcas will stay until they are comfortable with being separated. This is why the “Believe” show was cancelled.

Once we walked in the gates, we had about 45 minutes until the Clyde and Seamore show. For those of you who don’t know, Clyde and Seamore are male sea lions. This is a great show for all ages, and it is even fun to wait for the show to start. There is a mime who picks on the people who come in, and if you get there early enough, you get to watch him. We were lucky; we got our seats before he started!

Early in the day, we visited some of the more popular exhibits before they became too busy. Our first stop was the Loggerhead Sea Turtle exhibit. These turtles are the South Carolina state reptile, and they breed on Myrtle Beach. When these animals are in captivity, they can not breed because the turtles will only lay their eggs on the beach where they are born. Even in captivity, they are very cool animals to watch, and if they are taken care of, we can remove them from the endangered species list.

After visiting the sea turtles, we walked over to watch the stingrays. Once we got there, we found out that you can touch them as they swim by. I thought that they would be firm and rough, but they are actually fleshy, soft, and smooth. They ranged in size from about 10 inches to around 4 ½ feet! We touched quite a few rays, which is a really neat experience. Just watch out for the stingers!

From here, we went to watch the sea lion show. After that, we decided to go visit the sharks and eels. When you walk in, there are aquariums which contain smaller sharks, as well as exotic fish. In these tanks, we saw large fish (the types that you catch when you go deep-sea fishing), Green Moray Eels, lionfish, barracudas, and dragons. The eels were a new experience for me, as I had never seen one before. They are long (some reach over 10 feet), with fleshy faces. Their eyes are interesting. They look villainous!

The lionfish were very neat. They are one of the few species of venomous fish, so watch out! They are fairly small, and have white bodies and reddish brown spots all over them. Large eyes look as if they are too big for their small faces. These amazing fish get their name from the numerous tentacles stemming out of the body. If you touch them, you will have a reaction similar to a jellyfish, except with a much more potent poison.

The next tank housed one of the greatest predators of the coral reefs, the Great Barracuda. These are long, silvery animals who are more dangerous than sharks. They have pointed heads, glinting eyes, and full rows of pointed, sharp teeth which allow them to tear into their prey. These features, in addition to their irritable tempers, make them ferocious predators.

The last tank held dragons, some of the most fascinating fish that I have ever seen. They look like pieces of coral. They have thin, branched bodies which is great camouflage from predators. If they attach themselves to coral, they can mimic the waving patterns of its surroundings, hiding them from any passing predators.

After finishing with the smaller tanks, you are able to take a short walk through a museum of shark jaws. Some of them were huge! Have you ever heard that if a shark loses a tooth, a new one grows in its place? Technically, that isn’t true. If a shark loses a tooth, all of the teeth behind it move forward. Then a new tooth grows on the end of the row.

When the museum ended, you walked onto a conveyor belt type floor and you rode through a glass tunnel. On the opposite side of the glass was a large aquarium filled with nurse sharks, leopard sharks, swordfish, stingrays, and other assorted fish. The swordfish was really neat to see, as were the other sharks. It’s sort of weird though, knowing that all that separates you from 50 or more sharks is a three-inch glass wall!

We walked out of the tunnel and decided to do the “Wild Arctic” ride before seeing what we thought was going to be the “Believe” show. The Wild Arctic is a building where you see arctic animals in simulated habitats. Before you get to see the animals though, you go on a “helicopter” ride. Actually, you sit in a seat, which is inside a helicopter-themed room. In front of the seats is a screen which shows you the arctic scenery as you “fly” from Florida to the “Arctic”. The seats vibrate and actually make you feel as if you’re flying. It was really cool!

After you reach the arctic base camp, you walk through a short corridor and into the beluga whale exhibit. These are gentle animals with short flippers, rounded heads, and a graceful, curving body which allows them to glide effortlessly through the icy arctic waters. Mom said that their rounded heads made them look as if they ran into a wall.

Next to the beluga whales were the most popular animals of the arctic, the polar bears. These big, furry animals flourish in the icy climate. But even the polar bears at Sea World couldn’t compare to Magnet, the famous polar bear of the Baltimore Zoo. He is always in the water doing the backstroke. Still, it is neat to see them in a very natural environment.

From the polar bears, we went over to the walruses. These were the animals that I really wanted to see. I never dreamed that they were so big! The one would swim in a circle underneath the walkway, and when he would come around, you could see just how large they really are!

Then, after exiting the Wild Arctic, we went over to the Shamu Stadium where the “Believe” show was to be held. This is when we found out that the show was not running because of the baby being born. Instead, they were letting guests in to watch the mother and calf interact. The park also released a video of Taima during her labor. We saw her in the beginning, while she was having her contractions, through the whole laboring process, and we saw the baby as it was born. The calf was a healthy six-foot, 350 pound orca. This brings Sea World’s total of birthed baby orcas to 23, 15 of those having been born in Orlando. Sea World is the largest orca conservation program in the world, which is obvious by the number of whales that have been born. It was great to see a baby orca, which will grow up to be one of the great Sea World Killer Whales.

Once the baby exhibition was over, we decided to go visit Clyde and Seamore’s friends, the sea lions. There were both sea lions and harbor seals in the exhibit. Some of them were just lying on the rocks, sunning themselves. Others were great picture material! There was one who sat right on top of a large rock, close to the wall. He just sat there and barked, which may not be interesting to some, but it sure made for great pictures!!! There was one sea lion who looked twice as big as some of the others, and he barked the whole time (which is extremely loud!) They are amazing animals that you never tire of seeing.

After the sea lions, we located our seats in the Whale and Dolphin Stadium for the “Blue Horizons” show. This featured both bottle-nosed dolphins and whales in a fantastic show. The dolphins never cease to amaze me because of their speed and athletic ability. They are able to launch themselves high into the air and execute multiple front flips with ease. The whales were almost as impressing. Despite their heavy bodies and square heads, they can rocket themselves into the air, and they make much bigger slashes than the dolphins.

Then the show came to a close, as did our day at Sea World. We stopped by the gift shop to get souvenirs, and then headed to NYPD Pizza for dinner…a delicious conclusion to a wonderful day.

By Rachel - 3/13/07

2007-03-14T18:19:00.001-07:00

Beach, here we come! Yup, that’s right; we went to the beach today. We went to the Gulf of Mexico at St. Petersburg. There aren’t many waves in the Gulf. We never just play in the ocean. We like to dig a “pool” in the sand. We thought that since we were so close to the water that we would reach water soon. Well, I had to dig about two feet until I reached water! When I found that out, I decided to go down a small slope. Once I dug about 4-5 inches, I reached water. There is not much of a tide. It is also hard to dig because there are shells in the sand. When I started digging my second “pool”, the tide started coming in so Sis said to dig a trench for the water to go into and make a small wall. The wall wasn’t tall because the water wasn’t high, but the wall was wide by about a half a foot! Sis kept on digging to get more sand, and she was digging the pool to make it bigger. We always love to fight the tide, but we always lose. By the time that the tide came in, we had to go. We went to the Pier after the beach. They have an art gallery, restaurants, shops, and a candy area. There were five floors. Also, there was an aquarium on the second floor, but we didn’t go in. On the fifth floor was a place to eat, so that is where we ate. Then I got a T-shirt and we left. I was out in the sun the whole time and got some sun tan on my arms and shoulders, but not a tan on my legs.

By Amanda - 3/13/07

2007-03-14T18:18:00.002-07:00

What a beautiful day for a beach outing! We made the trip to St. Petersburg today, one of the many towns situated beside the crystal-clear waters of the Gulf of Mexico. We went to the beach to play for a few hours today, but it was different than your average sand-and-water beach. Soft, white sand makes way to crushed shells, and then you reach the water. It is so clear, you can see to the bottom no matter how far out you go. Also, it is much safer to play in because there is no undercurrent. There are also many shells for all of the shell collectors.

After enjoying the cool waters of the Gulf of Mexico, we decided to go to a place called “The Pier”. It is a glass-fronted building which contains shops, restaurants, an art gallery, and aquariums. Many people come here to buy souvenirs, which is what we did. Rachel collects postcards and magnets, so having all of the shops to look in made her decisions difficult. Once we finished shopping, we decided to try one of the many restaurants that The Pier has to offer. After browsing the menus, we decided on Cha Cha Coconuts, the restaurant on the top level. Mom tried the Mahi-Mahi which almost had a texture like chicken. Also, with our plates, they served fried plantains. I took one bite and decided that I didn’t like them. They were mushy, and the texture was pulpy. Gross!

The Gulf of Mexico is nice, but give me an ocean with waves any day!

By Rachel - 3/11/07

2007-03-14T18:18:00.001-07:00

Today we went to the Strawberry Festival in Plant City. When we got there, we looked in some little shops. Then we went and walked around. Then mom got us tickets to ride some rides. We got on a ride which was sort of like a rollercoaster that goes in a circle. It was also like one of those elephant rides, but on the second half of the ride, it went backwards. If you know me well enough, you can guess that I’m all over a ride that I’m tall enough for, and that is fierce! Then we went on Gravitron, the coolest fair ride. It goes SUPER fast in circles so much that you are like a magnet to the wall! Then your wall place moves up so you are sort of flying. Then we got stuff to eat. I had a corndog, cotton candy, and frozen yogurt. That wasn’t at one time though. Then we walked around some more. We went to a Josh Turner concert that was about an hour long. He sang one of Grandpa’s favorite songs by him – Long Black Train. It was about 85 degrees today!

By Amanda - 3/11/07

2007-03-14T18:17:00.001-07:00

Every year, Plant City, Florida hosts their annual Strawberry Festival. People come from miles around to show their crafts, livestock, and most common, sell strawberries. It runs for 11 days, and each day there is live entertainment, rides, craftsmen, and a lot of food and games.

When we arrived, we went to the ticket office to buy tickets for the Josh Turner concert at 4:00 p.m. Then we walked around, looking at the various stands that were lined up along the street. There were bag-makers, soap-makers, magnet venders, and various other crafts.

Once we finished exploring the outdoor shops, we walked over to the area where most of the rides were. We bought enough tickets to ride two of the fastest rides, including the Gravitron. After that, we went to search for some lunch; which isn’t hard to do with food stands lining every street. I decided on a cheesesteak and some french fries, which were dripping with vinegar. Yum!

Once we were finished eating, we decided to go look at some of the livestock. Then we want to the grandstands to get our seats for the concert, which lasted an hour. We had a great time, but were ready to get out of the heat. Tomorrow, we are going to run some errands and just enjoy the campground.

By Rachel - 3/10/07

2007-03-14T18:16:00.001-07:00

We left Naples and came to East Tampa. On the way here, we stopped at Mixon’s Orange Grove. We had popcorn, fudge, orange slices, and ice cream. It was really good vanilla and you could get it swirled with fresh made orange ice cream. Sis and I didn’t like the orange so we shared vanilla. Then we went to get on a tram ride. On the ride, we went through the orange grove (just like only ¾ of a mile). Then we stopped and the lady showed us the well and how they water their plants. It is pretty basic. All there is is a pipe under ground and then there are sprinklers for each individual tree. Then there are heaters for the plants too. She said that they don’t just grow oranges; they grow other citrus fruits also. She said that they have a wildlife area too.

Once she finished pointing out all the trees, we went to the wildlife area. There was a man who has a small area for animals who have been found or abused. He had about six areas for some animals. Once of the owls has a little cage which is for him. The owl’s favorite thing to do is sit and watch Animal Planet. The keeper said, “He’s worse to get away from the television than I am.” Before that though, we saw all kinds of animals. The first animals that we saw were a pair of raccoons. He said that they have a bad reputation just because they dig in your trash just to find food. The raccoons were quite cute close-up, and the keeper (Matthew) has only been bitten about two times each year. Then we went to see deer, but not your average deer. They were very miniature. Full grown, they only get to be about 17 inches high and about 35 pounds!

Then he got up on stage and showed us a python and a baby alligator. First, he showed us the baby alligator. He showed us how the baby calls his mom and showed us his teeth. The baby has a special call. The baby has little teeth but can still bite hard. Matthew gets bitten about two times a year. Then he let us touch the baby alligator, but I didn’t. Then Matthew said, “If this were 10 feet long, you could still use two fingers to close its mouth.”

Then Matthew got out the python and got back on stage. The python is only about two years old. It is 13 feet long and 56 pounds. That isn’t the length it will stay…it will get much bigger. She isn’t venomous though, she bites and squeezes, but she will only do that if you give her the opportunity to wrap around you. One time, Matthew even had that happen to him before. He had to run up to the store which was closed, so he had to go and flag down a car. The person was scared anyway but called 911. Then the firefighter came out with an ax but Matthew said, “You aren’t going to kill my snake.” Matthew told the firefighter to throw ice water on the snake & she let go of him. Sis actually held the snake!

Then we went and looked at a turtle and the owl that I talked about earlier. Then we got back on the tram and went back to the parking lot. We got back on the road and went to the campground.

By Amanda - 3/10/07

2007-03-14T18:15:00.001-07:00

Today we stopped at Mixon’s Orange Grove. They don’t just have oranges there though, despite the name. They grow oranges, grapefruits, and kumquats, as well as making their own orange juice, grapefruit juice, orange marmalade, and other citrus-related products. They also give tours of their groves and their new wildlife preserve. We took the tour by way of the Orange Blossom Express.

The firs stop was in the orange grove. We learned about the growing process and how Mixon’s protects their trees from the cold and frost. In the early days, they used large logs which gave off a dark, black smoke. This smoke would hover above the trees, keeping them warm. They were outlawed from using these though in the early 1900s because it polluted the air.

The next method of tree protection was called smudge pots. These were large, metal containers that looked similar to a Mexican adobe or “oven”. They too gave off a heavy, hovering smoke which lingered above the trees. These were also more expensive than the logs, because the smudge pots cost $50,000 to run. After a period of time, Mixon’s was outlawed from using these also because it gave off the heavy smoke.

Today in the groves, they use windmills to keep the air around the trees moving. By moving the air, there is not much of a chance for the trees to freeze.

Once we were finished in the groves, we moved onto the new wildlife preserve. The man who runs it takes in animals who are endangered, hurt, or victims of animal abuse. He puts them in this preserve and gives them a good habitat and food. May of the animals are not able to be released back into the wild, so they live on the preserve until they die. So far, there are two miniature deer, a baby alligator and its mom, an owl, a falcon, a hawk, two raccoons, and a Burmese python. We first saw the raccoons. Both of them are not able to be released because they are too used to humans. The larger one was not brought out because he is harder to handle. He stayed in the cage and then paced back and forth until the keeper came back in to give him a cookie.

The next animals that we saw were the miniature deer. They originated in China, but were brought over here to the east coast. They like the warm climate here, which is why reproduction programs have been set up throughout the state. The mature deer grows up to be about 17 inches high, making them the smallest deer in the world.

After seeing the deer, Matthew (the keeper), brought out a 14-foot Burmese python. Grandpa wasn’t very thrilled about that! The python was actually taken out of someone’s back yard. These animals are reproducing rapidly in Florida. People buy them as pets, not realizing that they will get so large. As they grow, people get tired of taking care of them, so they do the humane thing and release them into the wild. Pretty soon, these pythons find mates and begin to reproduce. Now, because of this, the python population is rapidly increasing in Florida which is how the python at Mixon’s got there. She is 56 pounds and 14 feet long. Matthew plans to feed her until she grows to be 28 feet in length. Believe it or not, I held this python!

Then he brought out a baby alligator. The mother was too large to bring out to show, but the baby was obviously small enough to display. The baby had a problem with his mouth, which hinders him from eating normally. This is the reason that he can not be released into his natural habitat. They feed him a special diet of foods that he can swallow. Remember, alligators do not chew their food, so they do not break it down into smaller chunks. A grinding mechanism at the back of their mouth breaks down their food for them. This alligator has something wrong with this mechanism. For this reason, he can never be released.

After the baby alligator, we saw a great horned owl. This owl actually goes home with the preserve keeper and lives with him. The owl likes to watch TV…especially Animal Planet. He sleeps on his own perch in the keeper’s living room.

Once we finished at the preserve, we saw where the fruit is sorted and processed, and where it goes into the store. I enjoyed the tour, and I am definitely looking forward to the Strawberry Festival tomorrow!

By Rachel - 3/9/07

2007-03-11T05:54:00.001-07:00

We went to Sanibel Island today. Before we even got there, we knew about Sanibel from watching Ten Best Beaches in America on the Travel Channel. Before we went to the beach, we went to a shell museum. When we got there, we got a scavenger hunt to work on so that we could find different shells. We got a prize for finishing the scavenger hunt paper. About six minutes later, we went and watched a movie. The movie took eight years to make because the lady had to find different shells and animals. Then before we left the museum we got to choose a shell out of a basket.

Then we went to the beach. We didn’t come prepared with our water shoes, even though we knew that it was full of shells. So we went to step, and we stepped on shells…OUCH! It was so hot that we didn’t stay there for very long. We left and went to some gift shops for souvenirs.

Then we drove back to Naples. We headed or some shops called the Boardwalk and Tin City. We were shopping for about 45 minutes, and then went to a restaurant called Kelly’s Fish House. We went to a shell shop just to look at all kinds of shells. Then we went to the campground. Mom and I jogged up to the front office and back to mail a postcard to my friends.

By Amanda - 3/9/07

2007-03-11T05:53:00.002-07:00

Today we made the trip to Sanibel Island, one of the greatest shell-collecting beaches in the world. The tides coming from the depths of the Gulf drag up the shells of dead hermit crabs and other organisms. Eventually, these shells find their way to the beaches of Sanibel and into the bags of shell collectors.

Before we headed to the beach however, we stopped by a shell museum. It had all sorts of shells from all over the world. And just for visiting, kids get a free shell from the beach. We also watched an informative movie on mollusks, which provide all of the shells. We learned about their methods of locomotion, shell-building, and reproduction. Their reproduction methods are especially interesting. Once the eggs are fertilized, the female starts secreting an egg chain which can grow to be 48 inches long. Several of these can be found on the Sanibel beaches. They are long chains of 1/8 inch disks. Inside of these disks are the eggs. There can be up to 60,000 eggs in one chain!

After beach-combing and a bit of souvenir shopping in Sanibel, we drove to Naples to look in some of the shops in the areas called The Boardwalk and Tin City. We asked around for some recommendations of good places to eat and ended up at Kelly’s Fish House. I had about 10 Stone Crab claws, so I added yet another to my “tasted” list. I haven’t been disappointed yet!

By Rachel - 3/8/07

2007-03-11T05:53:00.001-07:00

We left Miami and headed for Naples. On the way, we stopped at the Everglades National Park. We went on a tour. On our tour, we saw a lot of birds. This is just my opinion, but I don’t really enjoy just looking at birds. I have to see “action” animals. If you know me, you probably guessed that! There were probably 200 birds. But I probably saw 50 alligabors including babies, males, females. Babies are probably six inches long. You would probably guess that the Everglades are very tropical. Well…you guessed wrong! The Everglades are dry-looking and sort of swampish at some times. Whenw e got to the half-way point of our tram tour, there was an observation deck which used to be an oil rig. Then on our way back, we saw most of the alligators. Our tour guide’s name was Bob. Just so you know, we didn’t walk around much when we went on the tram ride. We did get off the tram one time for the guide to talk to us, and then when we went to the observation tower. There are alligators all around you.

When we got back, we got Jr. Ranger booklets to work on. Then we went to the gift shop and turned in our Jr. Ranger booketls. Then we went to the campground in Naples. Mom did our laundry and we got to go swimming. The weather was very nice today. Overall it was a pretty good day today.

By Amanda - 3/8/07

2007-03-11T05:52:00.001-07:00

I have DEFINITELY had my fill of alligators…at least for one day! We took a tram ride in the Everglades National Park today, and we probably saw over 50 alligators in a two-hour time period. We also saw hundreds of birds, and some of them are very rarely seen.

Florida has a very treacherous climate. During the wet season, the state gets about 60 inches of rain from July to December. From January to June, Florida is lucky if it gets six inches of rain. So far this season, barely two inches of rain has fallen. When this happens, the animals will die if they do not find water.

Their problem is solved by one animal: Mama Alligator. She finds a circle of mangrove trees, in which there is a hole about 3-4 feet below the level of the ground. This hole is filled with water year round, but there is a lot of debris in the hole. The female alligators clear out the hole, and this provide a place for the other alligators, fish, turtles, and birds to live during the arid dry season. The tour was interesting, especially when we saw a mother alligator with her tiny babies swimming around her.

Tomorrow we will drive to Sanibel Island which is famous for shell collecting!

By Rachel - 3/7/07

2007-03-11T05:51:00.001-07:00

Today we went to Key Largo, which took about an hour to get there from the campground. When we got there, we went to an aquarium and museum. There was a 32,000 gallon tank with about 5 different kinds of fish and one kind of shark (only about 2 ½ feet long). Then mom asked about the Jr. Ranger Program, and we got books and just started working on them. There was a fish feeding at 11:00 a.m. We finished the activity and turned in the book. We only had to do one activity, then we got a certificate and a badge. If any of you have heard of Samuel (our stuffed dog who travels with us!), we gave the badges to him.

After the fish feeding, we went to get in line for the glass bottom boat ride. The water was quite green at first. It took us about 45 minutes to get out to the reef. When we got out to the reef, we saw all kinds of fish. Did you know that sponges and coral aren’t plants? They are animals! We saw a lot of animals. Some of the fish that we saw were Grunts, Sergeant Majors, and barracudas which are sort of like sharks.

Then we went back to the dock after about an hour at the reef. We went to the gift shop and then went to Winn Dixie. After we ate supper, Sis and I went scootering.

By Amanda - 3/7/07

2007-03-11T05:50:00.000-07:00

It was the perfect day for a glass-bottom boat ride. We drove 45 minutes to a state park where they give tours of a coral ecosystem. We were scheduled for the 12:15 tour, so we decided to explore the Visitor’s Center. Inside are several aquariums, including a 32,000 gallon tank containing the larger fish. Inside this tank were nurse sharks, red grouper, blue grouper, and several other types of large fish. In some of the smaller aquariums were spiny lobsters, gobies, wrasses, shrimp, and a very interesting little fish called a yellow jaw head. This fish only grows to be about 5-7 inches long and builds small tunnels in which to hide from predators. They rarely leave their burrows, and when they do, they don’t go very far.

After we were finished in the Visitor’s Center, we went back to the car for lunch. After that, we headed down to the dock to board our boat. We got a good seat by the window, and we had a direct view down onto the glass panels. Once we got past the 45 minute ride to the reef, we began to see all of the creatures who live and make up the reef. We saw brain coral (one of which was 750 years old), tube coral, and many sea anemones. These and more types of coral create the habitat for over 500 different species of marine animals.

On our boat ride, we saw not only fish, but two nurse sharks and two barracudas. We also saw a Queen Angelfish, several Parrotfish, Sergeant Majors (black and white striped fish), Blue Tangs (Dory!), Red Grouper, and a very large school of Grunts. They get their name from the sound that they make when caught. It startles some children so much that they actually drop their fishing rods or nets in the water.

The only bad thing is the reefs are disappearing rapidly. Through pollution, boat collisions, acid rain, and global warming, the reefs and their inhabitants are dying at an ever-increasing rate. In less than 40-50 years, all of the reefs could be gone. That is why the boat rides today are so valuable, to let people see these wonders before they disappear forever.

By Rachel - 3/6/07

2007-03-11T05:49:00.001-07:00

Today we left Titusville and are headed for Miami. We aren’t at the campground yet, but we’ll be there in about 35 minutes. About 15 minutes after we left a gas station, we turned very hard and all of a sudden the cabinet door came open. Thank goodness nothing but a vitamin container fell out. Then we had to pull over because when we made that hard turn, the brake system on the car caused the brakes to start smoking. We had to unhook the car and go to a service station to get a new pin for the tow bar before we could hook the car back up again.

Then we went to a lighthouse. The lighthouse is in Jupiter. Yes, we went to Jupiter just to see a lighthouse! Then we went up 105 steps to get to the top. Then we went to a museum. It wasn’t very big, but it was nice. Then we went into the gift shop. We got back on the road and about 4:45 we got to the campground. Then, like every family down in the south, we ate later than 5:30 (for you northerners!) LOL (laugh out loud).

PS – We didn’t really go to Jupiter, the planet….it was Jupiter, FL.

By Amanda - 3/6/07

2007-03-11T05:48:00.000-07:00

We have not pulled into Miami yet, but we should in about an hour. We stopped around 11:00 to tour the Jupiter Island Lighthouse. They have been giving tours there since the 1980’s, and the lighthouse itself has been standing since the beginning of World War 2.

It sits on a hill overlooking an inlet containing turquoise waters and white sands. While we were at the top, I saw two manatees swimming along the shoreline. They must have been very young, because they were much smaller than the ones that we saw back in Titusville. They may have lost their mothers.

While we were going over to see the lighthouse, we got stopped on a drawbridge. Rachel and I had never been so close to one. It was really cool to watch, especially when you have a bird’s eye view.

By Rachel - 3/5/07

2007-03-11T05:46:00.000-07:00

Today isn’t nice 70 degree Florida weather. It is windy and only about 65. It feels colder. We went to Kennedy Space Center today. We started out by going to a 3-D IMAX movie that was about 45 minutes long. The movie was about astronauts getting into space, how to build a rocket, and space in general. Kennedy Space Center also goes by KSC. KSC isn’t just space travel and stuff related to space, it is a wild life area that has alligators, birds such as Bald Eagles, fish, and turtles. When we were there, we saw an alligator that was about 10 feet long, two turtles, and later you will find out what other animal we saw.

Before we went to the IMAX movie, we went outside and looked at rockets. Outside there are some things that you can go into such as the caged in walkway that the astronauts use to walk into the shuttle. One of the cockpits that was used in space is approximately 5x6 feet and two people had to stay situated there for 14 days without stretching their legs. Then we went on a tour that lasted a very long time! We got on the bus, then rode for about 15 minutes. While we were riding on the bus, the tour guide pointed out a Bald Eagle’s nest and the Eagle was in the nest. That’s the animal I didn’t tell you about before. I didn’t see it the first time, but I saw it on the way back to the Visitor’s Center. The nest was around six feet around and was in the second row of trees. That is why I didn’t see the nest the first time.

When we got to the first station, we watched a six minute film about the people who actually make the rockets. Then when they finished talking about the space crafts, they talked about wildlife in KSC. Then when the film was over, we went to a room that had stuff about space, and there was a replica of a launch pad. When we were done there, we moved up to an upper deck that had some signs you could read, and it had a door to go outside to look at the view of the launch pads and take some pictures. Then we went back on the bus and went to the next station. There was a large building that had a BIG rocket. There were signs that had information on them that you could read. When we got to the end, there was a restaurant. I’m sure you have heard of “Hard Rock Café”. Well, the restaurant was called “Moon Rock Café”. Once we finished eating, we walked around some more, we touched a moon rock, and then went into a room that looked like a “future” room. Then we got back on the bus and rod back to the Visitor’s Center.

Have you heard of “Dip-N-Dots”? Well, they have “Space Dots”. Then we went to the largest space shop in America. We went on a VERY FUNNY journey that we watched in about five minute segments. We left and went to Walmart (Oh, Boy!), and then we went to Sonny’s BBQ for supper.

By Amanda - 3/5/07

2007-03-08T17:07:00.000-08:00

Today we visited the expansive Kennedy Space Center. This is located near Cape Canaveral, so you can see both of the launch pads from the Center. There was actually a launch scheduled for sometime around the 15th of March, but the crew found hail damage on the shuttle. If everything had gone as planned, there would have been a shuttle on the launch pad when we were viewing it from the top of a tall viewing tower. When they were transporting the shuttle back to the launchpad, the journey took over seven hours from launchpad to repair shop! The reason for the long trip is because the shuttle transporter (rightly called the “Crawler”) only goes ½ mile an hour!

After we arrived, we visited the Rocket Garden. This is a display of about seven rockets, with signs depicting the mission, height, weight, and diameter of each craft. There was also information about who flew or piloted each rocket.

Once we finished in the Rocket Garden, we went to the IMAX Theater and watched a movie on the International Space Station. We saw how it was built, piece by piece. Each mission brings a new addition to the laboratory. Here is where many experiments have been done: Grooves in the roads (giving tires better traction in wet conditions), purer drinking water, and advancements in medicine. Once the Space Station is complete, there will be astronauts living up there for months at a time experimenting and exploring the universe.

After the IMAX movie, we boarded a bus and began our tour of Kennedy Space Center. Our first stop was a viewing tower. From the top, you could see all of the NASA buildings, Cape Canaveral, and both of the launchpads. Launchpad A is the one that NASA is using for all of the Space Station Missions.

From the viewing tower, we headed to a building dedicated entirely to the exploration of the moon. We watched a video of the building of the Apollo rockets (the series of rockets which were sent to the moon.) Finally, with seven tries behind them, the engineers at NASA came up with Apollo VIII. This was the only successful mission to the moon, which brought back a moon rock for all of the visitors to touch. We also got to see the room that all of the staff sat in while they watched the Apollo VIII soar into the sky.

After we finished our tour, we rode back to the Visitor Center. We saw the Memorial Walk, with a very large Memorial Wall. Also, from a viewing point, we saw a nine-foot alligator and three turtles. I greatly enjoyed my day at Kennedy Space Center, and am looking forward to sunny Miami!

By Rachel - 3/4/07

2007-03-04T18:02:00.000-08:00

Today, we left St. Augustine for Titusville. We didn’t have to get up at 4:00 this time because we only had about 100 miles to go. When we got to the campground, we couldn’t check in until 3:00 p.m., so we went to Merritt’s Island Wildlife Preserve. There are alligators, birds, manatees, raccoons, and dolphins. We saw five gators. Four of them were small, but the fifth one was at least 10 feet long! We also saw manatees, which kind of look like an elephant seal. Their closest living relative is an elephant. We saw too many birds to even talk about!

Then we went to the Visitor’s Center which had all kinds of things including fish and small sea turtles. The one turtle had algae on it, and the shell looked detailed. It went between rocks and it looked so much like a rock that we didn’t know it was there until it moved. Then when we were done there, we went to Mays Grove, which had citrus fruits and sea shells and other stuff. I got a lot there because the prices for shells, sand dollars, star fish and more were sooooo low!

Then we came back to the motor home and ate dinner. After we finished washing the dishes, we went scootering with mom while she walked for exercise. Tomorrow, we are going to Kennedy Space Center!

By Amanda - 3/4/07

2007-03-04T17:44:00.000-08:00

Today we left St. Augustine and headed further south to Titusville. Once we pulled into the campground, we found out that we could not pull onto our campsite until 3:00 p.m.

In order to pass the time, we went to a nearby wildlife preserve. There is a crushed shell road which you drive on, with a creek on both sides. There are many types of birds such as cormorants, pelicans, and cranes. There also are alligators! We saw three small alligators (about four feet long), and towards the end of our drive, we saw one that was about 10 feet long! It is best to go when the weather is warm and the sun is shining, because the alligators like to come out of the water and sun themselves. Because they are reptiles, they need to come out and sun themselves for several hours a day in order to maintain their body temperature.

After we finished our scenic drive, we visited a manatee viewing area. It is located on the Banana River, and the section of the river is a manatee rehabilitation habitat. Frequently, manatees are sighted at this observation area. We saw five on our visit to the Banana River today. One of them was a mother, and she had her calf with her. Even as babies, these “gentle giants” probably weigh about 300 pounds. They are gigantic! They are also an endangered species, which is why the park service set up the protected stretch of river. Since then, the Banana River manatee population has slowly risen to 400 (1993 estimate of population).

We then visited the Visitor’s Center and viewed many exhibits and experienced some hands-on activities. I also had the opportunity to talk to one of the Park Rangers about examples of mutualism, which is the topic of a research paper I’m doing for Biology.

By Rachel - 3/3/07

2007-03-04T17:00:00.000-08:00

Today, we went on the boat tour that we were supposed to do yesterday. Again, it was still raining like it did yesterday. While we were waiting to get on the boat, we saw a sting ray! The boat tour was just in a bay so there was not much to see. There was also steam on the windows so that we couldn’t see much. Then we went to “Old Florida Museum.” There were three areas: a 1600’s pioneer homestead, Spanish Fort Mose Era, and Timucua Indian Village. The three areas of time, and living places had hands-on thing s to do, but first let me tell you what “tabby” is. Tabby is like cement which is made out of crushed oyster shells, and it is very strong. It is so strong, that it won’t break even if a cannon ball hits it! So now you know what tabby is.

Now let’s talk about what things you could do in the Pioneer Settlement. There were checkers, writing with a quill pen and ink, plowing a small area, lassoing a cow’s head, and washing clothes.

In the Spanish/Fort Era, you could do things such as making candles, making tabby, fence making, wine pin bowling, toss the rings (which is sort of like horseshoes, only with rope rings), using a pump drill (you wouldn’t get much done with that thing), and corn grinding.

In the Timucua Indian Village you could grind corn (make sure that you don’t need cornmeal anytime soon), corn cob darts, Quest of the Four Rivers (a game where the first person to get his piece back to “home” wins), net making, and weaving.

I’m sure that you have said, “I have a buck” or something like that. Right? Do you know that “buck” became a regular term? One buck (deer) was worth $1.00, and people would use that to pay for things in the Pioneer times. That is where we get the term “buck” for dollar.

By Amanda - 3/3/07

2007-03-04T16:59:00.000-08:00

This is our second day of sightseeing here in Saint Augustine. We started our day with an informative boat tour of the Saint Augustine Bay. We went past the Castillo de San Marcos, a large cross (put there by the Catholics to commemorate 400 years of Christianity), the School for the Deaf & Blind of Florida, and an old hotel. We also saw some of the coastline and some of the wildlife. St. Augustine has a large bird population, mostly composed of pelicans and cormorants. Also, while waiting to board our boat, I saw sea anemones growing on the dock posts and a string ray swimming near the water’s surface.

After our boat ride, we drove out to the Old Florida Museum. There, we saw what life was like in three different settlements and time periods. The first settlement was a colonial village. There were different activities which allowed us to experience life in that time period such as writing with a quill pen, playing with a stick-and-hoop, using a sewing hornbook, and pumping water. There was also a model of a colonial house and a colonial classroom.

In the next section was a model of a Spaniard village. There was a Spanish house, a Spanish garden, and a Spanish kitchen. Among the activities were duck pin bowling (bowling with small balls and pins), grinding corn, weaving, candle making, and building a stick-and-daub fence. The bowling was interesting because the pins were about five inches high, and the balls are about the size of a large jawbreaker. It was really easy to get a strike with that bowling set!

The last section was an Indian settlement. You could see inside of a replica hut that the Indians would take shelter in. Sometimes there would be a whole group of families living together in one hut! You could grind oyster shells with a large stick (used for walkways and house floors), play “darts” with corncob darts, shoot a bow and arrow, and play a game resembling “Trouble” or “Sorry”. (The first person to get their piece home wins.) This was the most unique area of the three because these Indians weren’t the “brave and prairie, savage” type of Indians that you normally hear and learn about. They were actually very civilized, which I found to be very interesting.

After exploring the history museum, we went to a popular street in St. Augustine, located within walking distance of the Castillo de San Marcos. It is filled with souvenir shops, restaurants, and my personal favorite….homemade candy shops! The neat thing about this busting avenue is its old-time look. The buildings look weathered, the signs are hand-painted and rustic, and the roads and sidewalks are made of compressed, crushed seashells. Honestly, you forget to notice these details when you walk by the candy shops and smell the fresh pralines!

By Rachel - 3/2/07

2007-03-02T17:37:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, we left home at 4:30 in the morning!!! We arrived in St. Augustine around 1:00 p.m., and then scootered around the campground and played on the playground. Today, we were supposed to go on a boat ride, but it was raining so that didn’t happen. But we did go to St. Augustine Lighthouse, and then we got to go up to the top of it. We also got to climb the 219 steps. To go up and down, that would be 438 steps!!! Then we went to the Colonial Spanish Quarter. This was based around the time period of 1740. We started out at a normal 1700s Spanish type house. Just about every Spanish house there had two rooms with one bed for the parents only. Children would sleep on what we call today, a sleeping bag. When they eat, the children roll up their sleeping bag and sit on it like a bean bag. If it was nice outside, they would take them outside to sit on the porch and eat out there. Then we went to the carpenter’s shop. When we got to his building, he was working on a handle for a tool that he would use to make a bowl or something rounded. Then we went to the blacksmith. He said that he could make a nail in about 20 seconds. Then we went to the leather shop. The leather man even made a canteen out of leather. He can repair shoes, make canteens, bags for ammunition, and tons more things. Then we went to another much larger Spanish house. There they had lacing lessons yesterday, so we got to see lace that was partially made. These Spanish homes don’t have ovens, so they can just drop off their flour and salt at the bakery and pick it up later. Each house has a courtyard which is used almost like our living rooms. They also have gardens, livestock, and orange trees. Speaking of orange trees, the orange tree is not native to Florida and California. The Spanish brought it from Spain. We also went to a fort called Castillo De San Marcos. This fort was made by a special material made from crushed shells. It was started in 1672 but took 22 years to build. The fort was never taken over by fighting, but only by a treaty. It is now owned by the National Park Service.

By Amanda - 3/2/07

2007-03-02T17:35:00.000-08:00

Yesterday (3/1/07), we drove from home to St. Augustine, FL. Today we went sightseeing in St. Augustine. There is a lot of history here, much more than you would expect for Florida. Saint Augustine has been involved in the French and Indian War, the Civil War, and World War II. Most of the fighting in these wars took place at the Castillo de San Marcos. This is an ancient fort built by the Spaniards in the 1600’s. Until the Civil War, this was the largest fort on the East coast of the United States. In all of its existence, it has never been forcefully penetrated. The British obtained the fort through treaty, but that is the only time that it has belonged in hands other than the Spaniards. It is composed of blocks of Coquina, which is a stone made of crushed seashells; then compressed naturally by forces of nature. It is very strong, and has been known to have stopped cannonballs. For this reason, the fort has resisted most of the attacks that have been launched on it.

The St. Augustine Lighthouse also played a role in the safety of the Florida coast. Especially through WW2, it sighted many enemy ships. But throughout the course of the war, it became more of a hazard than a help. The high light beams would actually give profiles of American ships to German submarines on the surface of the water. The submarines would then send a torpedo in the direction of the ship, and would hit the mark most of the time. Because of these instances, the light power in the tower was reduced by 75 percent. The light keepers had a tough job. They had to lug a five pound oil can up 219 steps to the top of the order every two hours to fuel the light. The filled can weighed approximately 30 pounds.

Our last stop today was at the Spanish Quarter, a historical village located near the Castillo de San Marcos. This was a real village in the 1600’s where the families of the soldiers lived. The soldiers worked 24-48 hour shifts. After they were finished with their shifts, the men were allowed to come home sometimes for a few hours. They didn’t always choose to do this though, so the wives and children were the ones who would tend to the house and gardens. There was normally a two-room house, and a few raised gardens with orange trees. (This time of year, the blossoms on the trees smell amazing!) Chickens and goats were also kept.

Although it rained throughout the day, it was a great day with a sweet ending. On the way back, we passed a candy shop and bought some pecan pralines; a St. Augustine favorite. I’ve eaten half of it, the rest is for tomorrow!

By Tracy - 3/2/07 - The 2007 Adventures Begin!

2007-03-02T17:25:00.000-08:00

We're back on the road again. This year, instead of one longer summer trip, we're taking a shorter spring and possibly a fall trip too. This will allow us to be at home over the summer to have a bit of a garden, to allow Amanda to start a part-time job, and also to be at home during the summer time giving some "northern folks" the opportunity to come visit! (hint, hint!) We left yesterday, 3/1/07 to travel to FL. We arrived in St. Augustine for our first few days of sightseeing. The girls and I will be traveling with Grandpa around the perimeter of FL for about two weeks. Then we'll go into the Orlando area and Brian will fly down to join us for 10 days to do Disney & other attractions in the surrounding area. We are looking forward to this excursion...seeing all that we can see and enjoying the wonderful time together as a family. Check back often...we'd love for you to join us on this adventure!