Florida Vacation Rentals, Information and Travel Articles

Unfortunately, I did not receive my green-inked letter, and to my utter astonishment and very real disappointment, I have never met anyone who has. 

So when the Wizarding World of Harry Potter opened and I heard that Universal was planning on building Hogwarts, I decided I would have to settle for the amusement park experience of our favorite magical school.  A visit to the park is considerably shorter than seven years of Charms, Transfiguration, Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, and History of Magic, so I suppose that’s a plus. 

What I was not expecting was Hogwarts to be presented to the hoards of Potter fans as a ride entitled Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey.

Gee, J.K. Rowling, why didn’t you name one of your seven highly acclaimed books that?  I can’t for the life of me see why. 

Anyway, so Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey;  first you walk through the dungeons, which are pretty artfully done, and then you proceed through a line that meanders about the Herbology greenhouses.  When you finally enter the castle, you find yourself in rooms that incorporate one of the best features of Hogwarts—talking portraits!

The paintings are adorable.  They bring to life several characters that you will surely remember from the books, and the magic starts to come to life.  They are followed by various statues, the entrance to Dumbledore’s office, the Fat Lady, the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, and several other artful touches that will enchant the true fan and the casual movie watcher alike. 

The Trio makes their appearance before the ride begins of course,  and when you board the ride you are hoisted into the air by one of Hermione’s spells—because nothing is complete without the genius witch’s wandwork!

What then follows is an absolutely ingenious conglomeration of the first four Harry Potter books which includes the Chamber of Secrets, a dragon, Aragog, dementors, Quidditch, and the stunning usage of bubbled screens that truly make you feel like you are flying with Harry himself. 

It was unlike any ride I have ever been on, and it was an absolute thrill.  My sister and I described it as crazy amazing—it was a bit crazy in that neither of us really knew what was going on, but amazing in its effects and ability to bring the series and the grounds of Hogwarts into stunning clarity before the awed visitor. 

So, despite my skepticism, it was a bloody brilliant ride.  It avoided all the elements of the series that I disliked (the entirety of the last three books) and rejoiced in the bright and exciting adventures of Harry in his early years.   Is Hogwarts finally accessible at Universal Orlando? Of course not.  But the Forbidden Journey offers us Muggles a superb taste of the magic that will always be just beyond our reach.

Since we bought our villa at Davenport 10 years ago there has been all sorts of development on the US 27, even so, there are still vast open spaces to visit.

Driving along the 27 towards Clermont one day we spotted a sign for Lake Louisa State Park. We stopped to pick up a leaflet and decided to come back another day. There are log cabins in the park so you can actually stay there, there is also an RV park - we were amazed at the size of some of those vehicles but what a fabulous place to stop.

We were just out for the day though to go walking. Obviously being on holiday we didn’t have our walking boots, we were just in trainers but the trails were well defined, flat and easy to walk in trainers. You just need a back pack of some description to carry drinks.

We were there for about 8.30am which was a good move because some parts of the trail were out in the  open and it was very hot as the morning went on. There are a number of routes to choose from depending on how far you want to to go.

We parked at the head of Lake Louisa and walked for a couple of hours from there. The trail takes you through woodland, close to streams and smaller lakes and the scenery is lovely. It was also very quiet and peaceful, we didn’t see another soul all the time we were out.

The trails are clearly signed and easy to follow. When we got back to the car park we went out to the edge of the lake and found that there was a beach and picnic area which would have been really nice, we’ll know for next time. There are also toilets and water fountains there. There are primitive campsites in the park, you can also go horseriding, cycling, fishing and canoeing or just hiking as we did.

Busch Gardens have now opened the new Sesame Street Safari of Fun. It is more for the little ones, which we believe, is needed as there are limited kiddies rides at a lot of the Parks. The height restrictions imposed at the parks can spoil the family day as the great disappointment for the little ones when they are turned away brings the whole family down.

The music filled area with the African dance tunes keeping everyone’s feet tapping while the kids can enjoy the kid size rides, water fun and lots of surprises waiting!!

Elmo’s Tree House is great climbing fun and Grover’s desert ride has the children all screaming with joy. They have now introduced the Dine with the Characters experience, this added with all of the Bigger rides helps keep all of the family well and truly entertained.

Aquatica’s Omaka Rocka ride has brought lots of comments from the guests at our villa and they are all GOOD!! Evidently, you get the same experience of snowboarding and skateboarding as you speed down the water slides into massive funnels, experiencing weightlessness as you can ride the curves up and down and even go backwards. Everyone can join in and enjoy the ride without being professional, even a Granddad has improved his ”Street Cred” with his family!! which he couldn’t help but mention in our guest book.

Larry & I are certainly looking forward to taking our grandchildren ( he needs some “Brownie Points of late!!) 

Have fun

Mary & larry

Do not let your holiday go by without a visit to Fort De Soto Park just south of St Petersburg off the I275.

We were told about this gem of a place by some residents in Florida. It takes about 90 mins to get there from the Disney Area down the I4 and then onto the I275. There are a couple of tolls that you have to pay (50 cents and 35 cents).

When you arrive via Tierra Verde then is the opportunity to visit Fort De Soto itself. There is some history to be had here. Then onto the beach. We headed for North Beach where there is ample parking.

The advantage is that there is shade under the trees as well as the opportunity to top up that tan. When we visited in late July the sea was a mild 88 degrees. The beach is great for kids as the sea is shallow and depending on the breeze not very choppy. For those who want to watch the world go by you can sit in the shade and look out onto the Gulf of Mexico and if there long enough catch the sunset.

Don’t tell everyone and don’t forget to take a picnic. You will not be disappointed with your visit.

Many of these are chains with restaurants along International Drive or the 192 highway – and here are a few of our favourites (as at July 2010)

Italian

It is difficult to match the Olive Garden for value – with a couple of restaurants along the 192, and also at the Florida Mall.  Whilst pitched as a ‘budget’ restaurant, the variety of Italian food, wine and beer is always of a good standard. 

Perhaps equally as good, although maybe a little more pricey, is Carabbas – again with a restaurant along the 192 (at Formosa Gardens) and also elsewhere in the attractions area.  If anywhere can match the Olive Garden for Italian food, this is the one to try…..

Steaks

America has some great offerings for the steak lover.  Most restaurants will have a choice of steaks on the menu – but many consider it worthwhile to try a specialist steak restaurant.  And our favourite is ‘The Outback’ – at Formosa Gardens, but also by the Premium Outlets on International Drive, and at The Florida Mall.  An interesting mix of American and Australian, the steaks at The Outback are of a very high standard, cooked to perfection, without breaking the bank.  And most restaurants within this chain offer a happy hour during early evening, when the value stretches even further

Tex-Mex

Chillis is also a chain restaurant, which can be found at The Loop and Champions Gate.  The focus is on Tex-Mex and value – with many drinks on happy hour throughout the day.  A wide choice of menu includes many steak, fish and chicken options, as well as the traditional ‘tex-mex’ choices, including fajitas, quesadillas and many others.  No visit to Florida is complete without an evening at Chillis!

Sandwiches

Sometimes a lighter meal is enough – and Subway franchises are to be found in many locations.  Always freshly made with quality ingredients, a Subway will often provide an alternative, especially as a ‘take-away’ or ‘carry-out’ option.  A huge choice of sandwiches (or ‘subs’) made to order with your own choice of ingredients – often with great value offers.

Final Shuttle Launch Dates
NASA are reviewing the launch dates of the last two shuttles.
Discovery (STS-133) is due to lift off on September 16, 2010 but this might now may move to October 29.
The final mission by Endeavour (STS-134) due in late November would then slip to February 28, 2011.

Halloween (and Summer is not over!!!)Universal Horror Nights
Universal Orlando have announced the dates of this year’s Halloween Horror Nights. They are planning 24 nights between September 24 and October 31.
They can be really scarey for some children so be warned!! and check it out first.

Petrol Prices
Despite the disaster in the Gulf, petrol prices have dropped again with the average pump prices in Florida going down another 5 cents from $2.75 a gallon to $2.70 a gallon. Just wish the Parking Prices at the Parks would do the same!!

Hope this helps your holiday planning.

Happy Holidays     Mary & Larry

Do Not Miss the opportunity to visit the unspoiled beaches around Fort De Soto - near to St. Petersburg. BUT DO NOT TELL EVERYONE.

On our travels we decided to head south from Clearwater beach to get away from all the weekend crowds. We followed the coast road going through Teasure Island and stopping for a brief while at Pass De Grille. A great place right on the beach to listen to concerts at the weekends and have a bite to eat whilst you watch the sunset go down.

We decided to head further South although we had to travel North to get on the I275 that led us down to Fort De Soto. What a fantastic place. They said it was named the Top Beach in 2009 and they were not wrong.

Ever since James Cameron’s highly acclaimed movie “Avatar” was released, at least a few mentions of floating mountains, Pocahontas, and blue people are going to crop up.

So, naturally, as I was strolling through City Walk at Universal, Orlando on my way to see the Blue Man Group, I had aliens on my mind. 

I was disappointed to find that these blue men do not come from Pandora and are not nine feet (ten feet? eleven feet?) tall.  Instead, their blueness comes from some sort of latex and paint film on their faces and hands while the rest of their bodies are conveniently covered in nondescript black clothing.

The Blue Man Group has been around far longer than Cameron spent filming “Avatar,” which is definitely saying something.  The show is known throughout the States as family friendly and highly amusing entertainment.  The advertisements always show men who are ostentatiously blue-skinned and staring wide-eyed at the viewers as though we should clearly have cobalt skin too. 

So no one really knows what the show is about before going in.  And from what I gather, the routines differ, perhaps not night to night (except when audience volunteers elicit different reactions in certain skits) but definitely from city to city.  This is quite alright, because honestly I don’t think anyone knows what the show is about coming out, either. 

The Blue Man Group involves excellent drumming by the Blue Men, a fantastic rock band playing back-up, strangely baffling stunts involving paint, lots of noise, and incredible lighting.  It appears that in order to be a Blue Man, you must be highly musically inclined, have excellent hand-eye coordination, and be able to perform an entire two hour show without speaking a single word. 

There was definitely something delightfully endearing about the silently sapphire men and their mute appeals for attention.  Their silence was also highly amusing.  The three men interacting in very strange situations without uttering a sound was simple, cute, and funny.  It also brought about lulls in the show where small children (or exhausted adults) probably fell asleep, but the incredibly loud rock music was bound to wake everyone up every once in a while, so that was alright. 

The show was also distinctly unique because all of the situations and comedy centered around very ordinary things that were vaguely scientific and at times simply amazing.  Somehow, the Blue Men managed to make plumbing, ears, eating Twinkies, and the definition of animation both interesting and comical.  Their inclusion of various audience members in their show was both adorable and personal, and usually highlighted by sarcastic, understated, or bizarre humor. 

The lagging bits of the show notwithstanding, the Blue Man Group delivered just what it advertised - a mysterious hodgepodge of colorful paint, lights, comedy and music which was family friendly and at times awe-inspiring.  The actors are no doubt exceedingly talented, managing to elicit delight and laughter from a very diverse crowd with only body language, accented by videos or scrolling words to set up their miming.  Their performance is both one-of-a-kind and breathtaking. 

Although I would have much rather been able to say that I watched looming aliens lope around the stage, I suppose that I can settle for the Blue Man Group being a show that is out of this world. 

Written by my daughter: Gabriella Bensur

There’s almost always something good going on in Kissimmee.  The Silver Spurs Rodeo host to a variety of concerts,  festivals and events all year long, offering fun, excitement, and entertainment for every member of the family. We have seen Hulk Hogan in person at one of the promotions, he is a Fishing fanatic and an expert angler. He signed our autograph book and we had pictures taken along side him, he is MASSIVE.

The Rodeo Show and Funfair weekends are great family entertainment with live music, lots of free give aways and live demonstrations. It’s a real crowd pleaser, offering a taste of the Wild West and you can watch bronco bucking, barrel racing, steer wrestling, team roping, and even those funny little rodeo clowns. It is worth getting the Events Calendar, where you’ll find what’s happening all year round.. 

Also, the three downtown areas, Kissimmee, St. Cloud, and Celebration, host numerous uniquely-themed special events throughout the year. You can also head over to Lake Toho in St. Cloud for a day of free family fun revolving around a beach, a playground, and several lakefront fishing spots including a tranquil fishing pier with a gazebo. Take one day of your holiday to slow down the pace and just see what you can do for free.

It will certainly make a change!!!!!

Happy Holidays

Mary & Larry