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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!