Last breakfast in New Orleans and then loaded the car (thankfully the heavy rain and thunder of the night had stopped) and had a quick trip to Louis Armstrong International Airport. Dropped Jessica and all the luggage at the kerb in front of Delta and then Alison and Philip took the car back to the National depot. All good with the hand back including the badly stone chipped windscreen and we were quickly on to a shuttle bus back to the airport terminal. Checked in with help and got our boarding passes for all three flights. 1 hour flight to Atlanta on a MD88 and then approximately a 4 hour flight to Los Angeles on a packed Boeing 757, now waiting for the boarding call for the last and longest section of the homeward journey. What has been good is that we have not had to clear security again since leaving New Orleans and our luggage hopefully will be in Brisbane to meet us.
Sitting in a two seat row at the second last row of the plane - hope the tail of the plane on this flight doesn't jump around from turbulence as the flight from Atlanta.
Jessica left New Orleans before us and is safely in NYC and has been to a stage show and completed a few other things as well.
Signing out now from the USA blog - thank you for those who have followed our trip. We hope that you have maybe inspired to visit some new places or at least have got a laugh out of some of our antics.
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Tuesday 8 January - New Orleans
Our last full day in New Orleans and we planned to just wander some more and browse the shops in the Vieux Carre or French Quarter. Weather forecast was for a good chance of rain and storms but we headed off and managed to wander until mid-afternoon without getting wet.
Started our wandering with a visit to the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Shrine of St Jude) that we had bypassed near the St Louis 1 Cemetery yesterday and then headed back down into Royal and Chartres Streets to browse the jewellery and antique stores. Alison picked up a lovely onyx and diamond pendant supposedly reduced to half price. Jessica "ummed" and "ahhed" about some pendants but even after returning to stores ended up not purchasing. Passed a house where William Faulkner was living when he wrote his first novel in 1925.
We visited the Cathedral of St Louis and listened to part of an organ recital as we took in the beautiful painted ceilings of the nave and sanctuary. Then it was on to the Museum of Louisiana in the old Presbytery building next to the Cathedral. There were basically two displays in the museum - the story of Hurricane Katrina and its impact including the Steinway Grand Piano of Fats Domino displayed as it had been found after the storm and a display on the history of Mardi Gras and the parades and costumes.
Light lunch of beignets and coffee at Cafe du Monde while we were entertained by a trombonist on the footpath - Christopher would have been impressed. After this it was time for more browsing and Philip headed into an art shop where we eventually purchased a framed print by a young local artist, Terrance Osborne. Couldn't resist the colours of the art and also it will be a beautiful reminder of a visit to a magical city.
Alison headed home alone while Philip and Alison kept browsing but the rain started to appear more insistent so they headed home as well. On the way we passed an old house from which had been the home of an early mayor and is now called Napoleon House as it is reported that Napoleon was offered the chance to come to New Orleans as a place of refuge by the mayor.
Refuelled the car for its hand back tomorrow at the local gas station and purchased southern style fried chicken to eat back in our room. Jessica had noted some good reviews of the chicken on Trip Advisor from others who had stayed at our B & B. Whilst we were waiting for the chicken, Philip was approached by a young african american man who recommended the chicken and then asked where we were from. On mentioning Australia, he then said how he had played his trumpet on a stage over the water in Sydney with a famous New Orleans drummer. He and Philip then exchanged a "fist pound" to end the conversation.
Tonight we have watched an excellent documentary DVD from PBS on the history of New Orleans. It was great to watch it at the end of our visit as it meant that we were much better able to understand the various stories of this city. Now listening to intermittent heavy rain showers after having seen flash flood warnings for areas to the west of the city. There is also heavy fog and we pray that things will be clear for us to load our luggage into the car in the morning and head to the airport.
Started our wandering with a visit to the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Shrine of St Jude) that we had bypassed near the St Louis 1 Cemetery yesterday and then headed back down into Royal and Chartres Streets to browse the jewellery and antique stores. Alison picked up a lovely onyx and diamond pendant supposedly reduced to half price. Jessica "ummed" and "ahhed" about some pendants but even after returning to stores ended up not purchasing. Passed a house where William Faulkner was living when he wrote his first novel in 1925.
We visited the Cathedral of St Louis and listened to part of an organ recital as we took in the beautiful painted ceilings of the nave and sanctuary. Then it was on to the Museum of Louisiana in the old Presbytery building next to the Cathedral. There were basically two displays in the museum - the story of Hurricane Katrina and its impact including the Steinway Grand Piano of Fats Domino displayed as it had been found after the storm and a display on the history of Mardi Gras and the parades and costumes.
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| Post Katrina polytarp costumes for Mardi Gras |
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| Mardi Gras parade costume |
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| Mardi Gras masks |
Alison headed home alone while Philip and Alison kept browsing but the rain started to appear more insistent so they headed home as well. On the way we passed an old house from which had been the home of an early mayor and is now called Napoleon House as it is reported that Napoleon was offered the chance to come to New Orleans as a place of refuge by the mayor.
Refuelled the car for its hand back tomorrow at the local gas station and purchased southern style fried chicken to eat back in our room. Jessica had noted some good reviews of the chicken on Trip Advisor from others who had stayed at our B & B. Whilst we were waiting for the chicken, Philip was approached by a young african american man who recommended the chicken and then asked where we were from. On mentioning Australia, he then said how he had played his trumpet on a stage over the water in Sydney with a famous New Orleans drummer. He and Philip then exchanged a "fist pound" to end the conversation.
Tonight we have watched an excellent documentary DVD from PBS on the history of New Orleans. It was great to watch it at the end of our visit as it meant that we were much better able to understand the various stories of this city. Now listening to intermittent heavy rain showers after having seen flash flood warnings for areas to the west of the city. There is also heavy fog and we pray that things will be clear for us to load our luggage into the car in the morning and head to the airport.
Monday, January 7, 2013
Monday 7 January - New Orleans
Today dawned bright and sunny in New Orleans so the trio was keen to get breakfast under their belt and head of to do a tour of St Louis Number 1 Cemetery at 10am. Cindy excelled with our breakfast spread - fresh fruit cocktail, pot of hot coffee, a freshly made quiche of ham and collard greens, fruit juice and sugared scrolls and jam. Certainly just the thing to set one up for a big day walking the city.
A short walk to the old Basin Street railway station where we were to meet our guide from the Save our Cemeteries group. Eventually he organised the taking of money and gathering of the walking tour group and we headed to the cemetery next door. It was interesting to learn of the history of this and other cemeteries in the city and also to hear of the burial practices. Across Basin street is the original mortuary chapel now Our Lady of Guadalupe and also a shrine to St Jude, patron saint of lost causes. Our experiences later in the day with trying to ride the trolley and bus system convinced us all that we had been negligent in not visiting St Jude's shrine first! saw many old graves in the St Louis cemetery including the ones around the edge backing on to the wall which were four body "spots" high but with age the bottom crypts are at least half below ground.
Even saw a new tomb waiting for Nicholas Cage, apparently his financial troubles have required him to sell his two new Orleans homes but he has a spot ready for his final retirement.
Also saw the tomb of Marie Laveau, reputed to be the Queen of New Orleans voodoo.
After a quick escape at the end of the tour, our guide though comprehensive in his narration, was at times easily distracted and a little wordy and so the tour had lasted more than the stated hour! We bought our day pass for the trolley bus system for $3 per person and then realised that two of the trolleys which we wished to ride were in fact suspended for track work. So instead of riding the St Charles Trolley to the Gardens District it was on to a replacement bus. A helpful fellow sitting near us suggested a good street at which we should de-bus and pointed us in the direction of some worthwhile streets to walk and marvel at the houses.
Well in fact we started with another cemetery, this time the La Fayette cemetery which contained tombs for a lot of Germans. Also in both the cemeteries which we visited there were tombs set up by benevolent societies for the burial of those who would be buried in pauper's graves in Australian cemeteries.
We then walked through a number of tree lined streets marvelling at the beautiful homes
and enjoying the wafting aroma from the many osmanthus bushes/trees planted in the neighbourhood. Alison and Philip are once again inclined to try introducing and nurturing some more osmanthus specimens in their garden. They had first been introduced to the fragrance of this bush in China and have had trouble getting their bush to thrive at home.
The intrepid trio caught a bus back to Canal Street and then headed off on foot back into the French Quarter where we all feel at home. Managed to find, with help from the tourist information office, the shop of Johnny's Poboys which we had located on our first day in the city. Bought our poboy lunch and then headed up onto the levee to find a seat and enjoy. Philip was the only one who finished his and that was partly from necessity as he had ordered a roast beef version and not only was it dressed with lettuce, tomato, pickles, mayonnaise but also the roast beef was steeped in gravy!
There was no way that half of it would survive the journey back to Monrose Row to be supper!
After lunching we headed down to catch the Riverside trolley service for a trip along the river - though you actually can't see the river because of the levees! Road first to French Market which is at the end of the line closest to our accommodation but stayed on to ride back into town. While wiating for the return journey to start an old gentleman border the trolley but caught his leg on the steel step and ended up bleeding quite badly. The lady accompanying him took him off the trolley but there was no talk of liability and in fact the trolley driver's major concern was how he could clean up the blood from the man's injury. He asked if we had tissues or napkins which of course we did in abundance and then Alison offered him a Kleenex wet wipe to use and he was so thankful he offered to pay her for the remainder of the packet. We started on the return journey and to the dismay of other passengers waiting to board at the various stops we went express! Left the trolley at Canal Street with a plan to catch the Canal Street Trolley to Rampart Street and then a bus back to our street of Governor Nicholl's Street. Well no trolleys operating on the Canal Street line so onto a replacement bus which picked up more and more passengers as we headed up Canal Street. By the time we needed to exit it was a real effort to get past people and out the bus door. Then into Rampart Street but no buses passed and so it was a walk all the way with a rest room stop at the Best Western for Philip who by this stage was desperate. It should be mentioned that one of the most common signs in New Orleans is - rest rooms for patrons only, one drink purchase minimum!
We are safely at home and settled in for the night.
A short walk to the old Basin Street railway station where we were to meet our guide from the Save our Cemeteries group. Eventually he organised the taking of money and gathering of the walking tour group and we headed to the cemetery next door. It was interesting to learn of the history of this and other cemeteries in the city and also to hear of the burial practices. Across Basin street is the original mortuary chapel now Our Lady of Guadalupe and also a shrine to St Jude, patron saint of lost causes. Our experiences later in the day with trying to ride the trolley and bus system convinced us all that we had been negligent in not visiting St Jude's shrine first! saw many old graves in the St Louis cemetery including the ones around the edge backing on to the wall which were four body "spots" high but with age the bottom crypts are at least half below ground.
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| Note the bottom level disappearing below ground as the tombs sink |
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| Nicholas Cage is prepared! |
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| Voodoo queen Marie Laveau's tomb |
Well in fact we started with another cemetery, this time the La Fayette cemetery which contained tombs for a lot of Germans. Also in both the cemeteries which we visited there were tombs set up by benevolent societies for the burial of those who would be buried in pauper's graves in Australian cemeteries.
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| This one is for sale! |
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| This one is described as a "cottage" |
and enjoying the wafting aroma from the many osmanthus bushes/trees planted in the neighbourhood. Alison and Philip are once again inclined to try introducing and nurturing some more osmanthus specimens in their garden. They had first been introduced to the fragrance of this bush in China and have had trouble getting their bush to thrive at home.
The intrepid trio caught a bus back to Canal Street and then headed off on foot back into the French Quarter where we all feel at home. Managed to find, with help from the tourist information office, the shop of Johnny's Poboys which we had located on our first day in the city. Bought our poboy lunch and then headed up onto the levee to find a seat and enjoy. Philip was the only one who finished his and that was partly from necessity as he had ordered a roast beef version and not only was it dressed with lettuce, tomato, pickles, mayonnaise but also the roast beef was steeped in gravy!
There was no way that half of it would survive the journey back to Monrose Row to be supper!
After lunching we headed down to catch the Riverside trolley service for a trip along the river - though you actually can't see the river because of the levees! Road first to French Market which is at the end of the line closest to our accommodation but stayed on to ride back into town. While wiating for the return journey to start an old gentleman border the trolley but caught his leg on the steel step and ended up bleeding quite badly. The lady accompanying him took him off the trolley but there was no talk of liability and in fact the trolley driver's major concern was how he could clean up the blood from the man's injury. He asked if we had tissues or napkins which of course we did in abundance and then Alison offered him a Kleenex wet wipe to use and he was so thankful he offered to pay her for the remainder of the packet. We started on the return journey and to the dismay of other passengers waiting to board at the various stops we went express! Left the trolley at Canal Street with a plan to catch the Canal Street Trolley to Rampart Street and then a bus back to our street of Governor Nicholl's Street. Well no trolleys operating on the Canal Street line so onto a replacement bus which picked up more and more passengers as we headed up Canal Street. By the time we needed to exit it was a real effort to get past people and out the bus door. Then into Rampart Street but no buses passed and so it was a walk all the way with a rest room stop at the Best Western for Philip who by this stage was desperate. It should be mentioned that one of the most common signs in New Orleans is - rest rooms for patrons only, one drink purchase minimum!
We are safely at home and settled in for the night.
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Sunday 6 January - New Orleans
Woke to rain this morning, not heavy but enough to make a change in plans necessary. Had planned to do an escorted tour of the St Louis Cemetery at 10.00am but instead put Plan B into action and after a very tasty breakfast prepared by our host Cindy headed in the car to the east of New Orleans and across the Mississippi to visit two restored plantations. We had rain most of the way but it lifted when we reached the road beside the Mississippi where we were to visit the plantations. Both had been sugar cane plantations and were still producing cane today. The first plantation, Laura, was a creole (French) plantation and the actual homestead which was built in the early 1800s reminded us of an old Queenslander except for the use of timber and brick in the construction.
It was interesting to hear the history of the family that had built and operated the plantation with the women of the family exercising management responsibilities as President of the plantation. One of these women, Elizabeth, was a real tyrant and had been extremely cruel not only to the slaves but also to her own family members. There are surviving slave cottages on the property as well and these were lived in by descendants of the plantation slaves up to the 1970s.
The home was really like a large office for the running of the plantation and so the family only lived in it for part of the year, retiring to their townhouses in the French Quarter of New Orleans for the Mardi Gras season after harvest.
After the visit to Laura it was then on to Oak Alley Plantation a few miles down the river road. This home was built in the mid-1800s and was in the style of a grand house with large columns and formal rooms and gardens.
The entry of the house is framed by an avenue of Live Oak trees that were planted sometime in the 1700s and lead down to the levee bank of the Mississippi River.
While we stood on the first floor verandah looking out towards the river, a big ship went down sounding its horn and the funnel and bridge of the ship were clearly visible over the levee. The three of us, while impressed with the beauty of this home, all felt the story and authenticity of the Laura Plantation more inspiring.
Back on the road to New Orleans and Jessica went into sleep mode while Philip drove and Alison spent the journey looking for alligators lurking in the swamps on either side of the elevated road. No alligators co-operated in this venture.
On our return to NO we parked the car at Monrose Row and headed off on foot back into the French Quarter and down on to the levee bank to take in the sight of the Mississippi as it flows through the city. Alison and Philip were really pleased to see the river here as they had actually crossed it many days ago in its early stages in the north of the country.
Saw the riverside trolley car which we plan to ride with the other lines tomorrow - $3 for a day of rides.
Lunch in a quirky cafe where Philip and Alison shared a muffaletta sandwich and Jessica opted for spaghetti and meatballs! Too much to eat so we got take out boxes and have enjoyed a second go for dinner tonight. We walked home via the entrance to Louis Armstrong Park which we had planned to traverse but a local suggested that as it was getting dark it might be more advisable not to head through the park to the streets on the other side.
Jessica is planning to finish the evening with some more beignets which she purchased at Cafe du Monde. She has been warned that she will need to eat them in the shower so that the icing sugar, with which they are dusted, or more accurately totally coated, won't go everywhere on the polished floorboards of our suite. The icing sugar can be seen all over over the floor under the tables at Cafe du Monde and even in trails along the footpaths leading away from the establishment.
PS: On the way home we also saw another example of the corruption of the name New Orleans, this time as the name for one of the local taxi companies.
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| The front view of the Laura Plantation home |
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| The view walking along under the side verandah |
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| The pantry with the brick and timber construction exposed where the plaster was damaged in a fire in the 1990s. Construction method is French in origin but the house was built by an African slave from Senegal. |
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| Original slave quarters at Laura Plantation |
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| Philip in one of the rooms of a slave cottage |
After the visit to Laura it was then on to Oak Alley Plantation a few miles down the river road. This home was built in the mid-1800s and was in the style of a grand house with large columns and formal rooms and gardens.
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| The view of the Oak Alley home from the front. |
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| Master bedroom at Oak Alley Plantation |
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| The avenue of Live Oak trees leading down to the Mississippi. The plant growing on the tree branches is called Resurrection Fern. |
Back on the road to New Orleans and Jessica went into sleep mode while Philip drove and Alison spent the journey looking for alligators lurking in the swamps on either side of the elevated road. No alligators co-operated in this venture.
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| No alligators here - at least not showing themselves! |
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| Jessica and Alison on the levee bank taking in the view of the Mississippi |
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| Looking upstream to city centre and cruise terminal |
Lunch in a quirky cafe where Philip and Alison shared a muffaletta sandwich and Jessica opted for spaghetti and meatballs! Too much to eat so we got take out boxes and have enjoyed a second go for dinner tonight. We walked home via the entrance to Louis Armstrong Park which we had planned to traverse but a local suggested that as it was getting dark it might be more advisable not to head through the park to the streets on the other side.
Jessica is planning to finish the evening with some more beignets which she purchased at Cafe du Monde. She has been warned that she will need to eat them in the shower so that the icing sugar, with which they are dusted, or more accurately totally coated, won't go everywhere on the polished floorboards of our suite. The icing sugar can be seen all over over the floor under the tables at Cafe du Monde and even in trails along the footpaths leading away from the establishment.
PS: On the way home we also saw another example of the corruption of the name New Orleans, this time as the name for one of the local taxi companies.
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| Nawlins Taxi Cab Company |
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Saturday 5 November - Daphne Alabama to New Orleans Louisiana
Survived our night at the Best Western Daphne with our door secured only by the night lock as the door lock itself would not hold closed. Jessica also had a very uncomfortable night trying to sleep on a sofa bed that was beyond its use by date.
Drove through Mobile and then out of Alabama and into Mississippi before finally reaching our last state of Louisiana. Chuck, the GPS, navigated well and even took us just past our B & B so that we had parking! We eventually located Monrose Row when Cindy, the owner, came out on to the footpath as she had missed our phone call. Check in was scheduled for 3pm so we opted to leave all our luggage in the car and planned to head off on foot to get a glimpse of the French Quarter. Cindy provided us with a map and suggestions for an authentic place to have some lunch and took us the two heart starting flights of stairs to see our attic rooms. Needless to say the building is beautiful and the rooms fabulous and Jessica should sleep well on a modern style sofa bed tonight.
Off headed the three explorers and walked down Governor Nicholls Street to Decateur Street and then headed along towards the CBD proper. Cindy had recommended Olivier's for some authentic creole food for lunch and when we were about to give up and try somewhere else and Jessica was about to start chewing on her hand, the restaurant was spotted. In we went and perused the lunch menu - Philip and Alison had wanted to try the Gumbo and as we had decided that we would also order an entree (main) we opted for the cup size! We would have been overloaded if we had chosen the bowl size. The Gumbo was not the colour that Alison had expected - Philip didn't know what to expect - but was certainly tasty. Jessica decided that she needed something other than water to drink so was convinced to have one of the house specialities, a Hurricane. Fruit juices and dark rum. Needless to say Philip ended up drinking most of the Hurricane! Along with the soup we were served corn bread soaked with a honey butter sauce. Then along came our mains - Red Fish Fillets for Jessica and catfish jambalaya for Philip and Alison. One of the senior staff came past and asked if we needed more corn bread but we indicated that as good as it was we were fine. Well when he brought our main meals out he provided us with another round of corn bread, a side of buttered okra and a side of turnip greens. What a feast - he told us that we should enjoy and take our time as it was a lazy Saturday afternoon. We have the second round of corn bread back at the B & B to have with a cup of tea.
Walked back to Monrose Row and reversed the car up the one way street to a parking spot right in front of the door and the unloaded all our luggage and with Cindy's help carted it up the stairs to the attic. As this is our last stop we need to re-arrange all the luggage for the flight home. Cindy did offer for us to use the dining room on the ground floor as we are the only guests for the next few days but we opted for the extra aerobic exercise!
Cindy had suggested that we visit Frenchman Street this evening as it has a number of live music venues so we had a rest and then freshened up and put on some "evening clothes" and headed off on foot again. On the way Jessica was able to point out Brad Pitt's New Orleans home which is in our street! No lights on there tonight.
We walked up and down Frenchman Street listening to the music from the outside of the venues. Philip and Alison are not real jazz fans so that sufficed. We visited an artist's market and then wandered along window shopping
on our way back to the famous Cafe du Monde for cafe au laid and beignets.
Apart from the danger of getting icing sugar spilt on our coats and dark clothes, this was a lovely way to finish of the evening and also then gave us some more energy to walk at least half of Bourbon Street where the drinking was in full swing as was the music.
Now we are all safely back at Monrose and had no worries walking the streets to get back - felt totally safe.
Drove through Mobile and then out of Alabama and into Mississippi before finally reaching our last state of Louisiana. Chuck, the GPS, navigated well and even took us just past our B & B so that we had parking! We eventually located Monrose Row when Cindy, the owner, came out on to the footpath as she had missed our phone call. Check in was scheduled for 3pm so we opted to leave all our luggage in the car and planned to head off on foot to get a glimpse of the French Quarter. Cindy provided us with a map and suggestions for an authentic place to have some lunch and took us the two heart starting flights of stairs to see our attic rooms. Needless to say the building is beautiful and the rooms fabulous and Jessica should sleep well on a modern style sofa bed tonight.
Off headed the three explorers and walked down Governor Nicholls Street to Decateur Street and then headed along towards the CBD proper. Cindy had recommended Olivier's for some authentic creole food for lunch and when we were about to give up and try somewhere else and Jessica was about to start chewing on her hand, the restaurant was spotted. In we went and perused the lunch menu - Philip and Alison had wanted to try the Gumbo and as we had decided that we would also order an entree (main) we opted for the cup size! We would have been overloaded if we had chosen the bowl size. The Gumbo was not the colour that Alison had expected - Philip didn't know what to expect - but was certainly tasty. Jessica decided that she needed something other than water to drink so was convinced to have one of the house specialities, a Hurricane. Fruit juices and dark rum. Needless to say Philip ended up drinking most of the Hurricane! Along with the soup we were served corn bread soaked with a honey butter sauce. Then along came our mains - Red Fish Fillets for Jessica and catfish jambalaya for Philip and Alison. One of the senior staff came past and asked if we needed more corn bread but we indicated that as good as it was we were fine. Well when he brought our main meals out he provided us with another round of corn bread, a side of buttered okra and a side of turnip greens. What a feast - he told us that we should enjoy and take our time as it was a lazy Saturday afternoon. We have the second round of corn bread back at the B & B to have with a cup of tea.
Walked back to Monrose Row and reversed the car up the one way street to a parking spot right in front of the door and the unloaded all our luggage and with Cindy's help carted it up the stairs to the attic. As this is our last stop we need to re-arrange all the luggage for the flight home. Cindy did offer for us to use the dining room on the ground floor as we are the only guests for the next few days but we opted for the extra aerobic exercise!
Cindy had suggested that we visit Frenchman Street this evening as it has a number of live music venues so we had a rest and then freshened up and put on some "evening clothes" and headed off on foot again. On the way Jessica was able to point out Brad Pitt's New Orleans home which is in our street! No lights on there tonight.
We walked up and down Frenchman Street listening to the music from the outside of the venues. Philip and Alison are not real jazz fans so that sufficed. We visited an artist's market and then wandered along window shopping
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| This colourful alligator ready for Mardi Gras caught our eyes |
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| Maybe as Cafe du Monde is open 24/7 the staff need to catch a rest when ever possible! |
Now we are all safely back at Monrose and had no worries walking the streets to get back - felt totally safe.
Friday, January 4, 2013
Friday 4 January - Monticello to Daphne, Alabama
Good night's sleep in spite of the full house at John Denham House and fortunately the other guests didn't turn up the central heating to the unbearable level that we had experienced on our first night there back on Christmas Eve. Shared the breakfast table with two other couples - a man who works in the Sheriff's Office in Tampa and his teacher wife and another couple from a town only an hour away from Monticello. The man from nearby wants to visit the Australian outback and loved the movie - "Australia". On the way out of town Philip was amused with the reaction from the young man at the gas station who asked where we were from and when Philip replied Australia was greeted by a 20 something console attendant imitating a kangaroo but he couldn't quite remember the name of the animal but did also manage to throw in a "Crikey!". He then welcomed Philip to the "durrty durrty" apparently an affectionate term for the South!
On the road then for nearly 4 hours with Alison driving and a straight run along the I-10 with only a couple of stops for comfort at roadside rest areas which are extremely well-maintained. Finally left Florida and entered Alabama and arrived at our Best Western to be told that we would not be able to check-in until 3pm as they had experienced a full house the night before and were still getting the rooms cleaned. So it was across the road in the car to a Cracker Barrel shop and restaurant where lunch was enjoyed. Alison had "chickin and dumplins", Philip had cat fish pieces coated in corn meal and fried with the largest longest ranch fires that we have ever seen and Jessica had chicken fried chicken with sides including fried apple. A wander around the store after lunch and Alison purchased a new shirt and Philip and Alison tried the double rocking chair on the front verandah.
Then it was into the main shopping centre and a visit to the Pet Market store to look at dog toys but nothing took our fancy and luckily Alison had bought a range of toys at the Winn Dixie Supermarket in Monticello yesterday so the boys will not be disappointed when we return home. Jessica had her eyes set on some clothing stores and the Build-A-Bear Shop so we circled and the two ladies in the party scored some bargains at Coldwater Creek. Now settled in at the Best Western with a load if washing through the machine and now in the dryer and the only problems we have identified are that our room door won't actually lock closed and Jessica's sofa bed is in need of some re-springing. We can cope for the one night. At least the room is large.
PS: And at least some of the car number plates have - "Sweet Home Alabama" on them!
On the road then for nearly 4 hours with Alison driving and a straight run along the I-10 with only a couple of stops for comfort at roadside rest areas which are extremely well-maintained. Finally left Florida and entered Alabama and arrived at our Best Western to be told that we would not be able to check-in until 3pm as they had experienced a full house the night before and were still getting the rooms cleaned. So it was across the road in the car to a Cracker Barrel shop and restaurant where lunch was enjoyed. Alison had "chickin and dumplins", Philip had cat fish pieces coated in corn meal and fried with the largest longest ranch fires that we have ever seen and Jessica had chicken fried chicken with sides including fried apple. A wander around the store after lunch and Alison purchased a new shirt and Philip and Alison tried the double rocking chair on the front verandah.
Then it was into the main shopping centre and a visit to the Pet Market store to look at dog toys but nothing took our fancy and luckily Alison had bought a range of toys at the Winn Dixie Supermarket in Monticello yesterday so the boys will not be disappointed when we return home. Jessica had her eyes set on some clothing stores and the Build-A-Bear Shop so we circled and the two ladies in the party scored some bargains at Coldwater Creek. Now settled in at the Best Western with a load if washing through the machine and now in the dryer and the only problems we have identified are that our room door won't actually lock closed and Jessica's sofa bed is in need of some re-springing. We can cope for the one night. At least the room is large.
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| Another in my Evita inspired photos - "Another suitcase in another hall." |
PS: And at least some of the car number plates have - "Sweet Home Alabama" on them!
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Thursday 3 January - Orlando to Monticello
Breakfast at Homewood and a challenge to the room account - the rate had been increased by $9 a night from the original internet booking so had to get the Manager to sort that out which was done by the time we checked out around 9.30am. Alison and Philip thought they had worked out the route on Google Maps so headed off with Alison driving and Chuck the GPS on. He would not have a bar of the route that Alison and Philip had planned so eventually he was allowed to take control and we retraced a few kilometres and were on to the well used I-4.
Managed to keep on track to his liking from there on and pulled into four toll plazas to pay cash tolls as the EzyPass toll token that we hired with the car does not work on Florida toll roads. The weather was overcast, at times foggy, at times rainy for the journey but all went well with just one stop at a well-maintained and clean rest area for a comfort stop and we were back in Monticello for a late lunch at Pizza Hut.
Back to John Denham House B & B and a welcome from the owner Pat and we are settled in and have enjoyed an afternoon nanna nap. Philip is now over his head cold but suffering from sinus problems. He probably needs to be taken out and shot. Alison says that this is not an option yet, as we are not home.
Not sure if the ongoing saga with Virgin has been mentioned earlier in the blog but we had been trying to get information from the airline since 9 December about whether we could pay for an upgrade to Premium Economy for the return journey to Australia. Philip ended up emailing the Virgin Executive team and finally received a definitive answer from the Manager of the Velocity Team last week. The answer "no way" due to the fact that we had used points to book the original flight and we hope that you enjoy your trip!!!! Well at least an answer did arrive and an apology that we had not been contacted by the Velocity Team. On checking emails this morning a Velocity team member had finally responded - different answer this time, still no way but the reason being that there were no available seats. To top off the matter there was also a comment that they had attempted to make contact six times to our home and mobile phone in Australia and maybe our contact details needed to be updated. The fact that all Philip's contacts and questions regarding the matter had clearly stated that we were travelling and home contact was not possible and that email should be used seemed to have escaped their attention! Another email was then sent to the Velocity Manager and elicited a short response about improvements being made and a wish for us to have a good flight back. Now we are certainly aware of how unimportant the general traveller is inspite of all the hype that airlines (especially Virgin) make about the customer experience. It would be so nice if when we checked in at LA for the big leg we were told we had been upgraded! do miracles happen? Alison hopes so.
The weather today has changed as mentioned but yesterday being 80 in Orlando makes today feel very cool. Hopefully the weather as the journey across to New Orleans is made will see warmer days before our homeward journey is made.
Managed to keep on track to his liking from there on and pulled into four toll plazas to pay cash tolls as the EzyPass toll token that we hired with the car does not work on Florida toll roads. The weather was overcast, at times foggy, at times rainy for the journey but all went well with just one stop at a well-maintained and clean rest area for a comfort stop and we were back in Monticello for a late lunch at Pizza Hut.
Back to John Denham House B & B and a welcome from the owner Pat and we are settled in and have enjoyed an afternoon nanna nap. Philip is now over his head cold but suffering from sinus problems. He probably needs to be taken out and shot. Alison says that this is not an option yet, as we are not home.
Not sure if the ongoing saga with Virgin has been mentioned earlier in the blog but we had been trying to get information from the airline since 9 December about whether we could pay for an upgrade to Premium Economy for the return journey to Australia. Philip ended up emailing the Virgin Executive team and finally received a definitive answer from the Manager of the Velocity Team last week. The answer "no way" due to the fact that we had used points to book the original flight and we hope that you enjoy your trip!!!! Well at least an answer did arrive and an apology that we had not been contacted by the Velocity Team. On checking emails this morning a Velocity team member had finally responded - different answer this time, still no way but the reason being that there were no available seats. To top off the matter there was also a comment that they had attempted to make contact six times to our home and mobile phone in Australia and maybe our contact details needed to be updated. The fact that all Philip's contacts and questions regarding the matter had clearly stated that we were travelling and home contact was not possible and that email should be used seemed to have escaped their attention! Another email was then sent to the Velocity Manager and elicited a short response about improvements being made and a wish for us to have a good flight back. Now we are certainly aware of how unimportant the general traveller is inspite of all the hype that airlines (especially Virgin) make about the customer experience. It would be so nice if when we checked in at LA for the big leg we were told we had been upgraded! do miracles happen? Alison hopes so.
The weather today has changed as mentioned but yesterday being 80 in Orlando makes today feel very cool. Hopefully the weather as the journey across to New Orleans is made will see warmer days before our homeward journey is made.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Wednesday 2 January - Magic Kingdom (Disney World)
Early start - alarm had Jessica waking us all up at 6am with the plan to be on the road by 7am. Almost made the deadline except for a last minute panic when Jessica could not locate her Disney Park Pass. All well when Alison located it in one of the myriad zippered pockets of Jessica's jacket which had last been worn on the cold day at Epcot.
Traffic heavier on the I-4 route to Disney World - working day for the workers does make a difference to traffic in and out of Orlando. Still arrived at Magic Kingdom in good time and parked in the Heroes Car Park (Simba section) and then walked back up the car park to the free trolley shuttle that takes visitors to and from the car parks. The trolley drops off at a ticketing and transportation area where one then has to take either a monorail or boat to the Magic Kingdom which can be seen across a large lake. Two rides and we still had not entered the park!
We took the boat ride and were dropped off a short walk from the entry gates. Passes worked including our finger print scan and we were inside the wonderful world of dreams that is the Magic Kingdom. Philip was wearing his Jack Sparrow Hat, Alison had on her newly purchased history of Minnie cap and both Jessica and Philip were sporting their Disney lanyards and collector pins. All three members of the party were in summer attire of shorts and t-shirts. Philip and Alison wearing their 2012 Christmas T-shirts from Disneyland in Anaheim.
What ride should be tackled first - Pirates of the Caribbean of course so it was off to Adventureland. The ride did not seem to be as good as our memories of the same ride in Anaheim or Tokyo. Lighting was poor. After the Jack Sparrow treat it was on to the River Adventure cruise with continuous lame jokes from our host on the river boat.
Across the park to Tomorrowland, breakfast of popcorn and a ride on Buzz Lightyear for Jessica and Philip while Alison sat minding bags and trying to shake off a headache. It was a good decision on Alison's part as the wait in the lead up to the ride was lengthy and the noise of continued drum tapping would not have helped her headache. Jessica and Philip both thought that the ride which requires each rider to fire laser guns at targets was not as responsive as it has been at previous parks. Then a visit to the Carousel of Progress ride which Walt Disney had designed for a world fair in the sixties and used a theatre which revolved around four home settings using animatronic characters. It traced the changes that have happened in our homes and lifestyle since 1900. All thought that it was quite well done and entertaining. Of course the fact that there was a dog in every scene had nothing to do with this!
Through then to Fantasyland and by this stage the crowds were truly beginning to build. Looked at a few shops and walked past rides before heading to the steam train which circuits the park. Off the train back in Frontierland to find somewhere to buy something to eat. The food options at Disney World are nowhere near as good as Universal Studios or Epcot. We ended up with turkey sandwiches (hamburger buns again), fried potato crisps, apple wedges and a drink to share in the Diamond Horseshoe Saloon.
A short walk from there to Liberty Square and a visit to the Hall of the American Presidents. Quite an inspiring (if you were American) show in the theatre narrated by Morgan Freeman and using animatronic versions of the presidents including a finale where all the presidents are on stage together and introduced in chronological order with a final speech from Barak Obama. Out of this show and we found a nice shady sitting spot on a wide garden edge where we decided to park ourselves and wait the considerable time until the 3pm street parade. (Jessica had given up her desire to stay for the later parades). Snacked on a Funnel Cake topped with strawberries and cream and thought all was well until we were informed that this area was in fact reserved for those in wheelchairs or EMVs - electric mobility vehicles. So we scooted across the road to another narrower garden edge and sat with the blazing sun beating down on us.
Philip's Jack Sparrow hat does not provide a lot of shade. Managed to move one garden bed down to score some shade from the Liberty tree and there we waited. A little girl sitting behind Philip reached out to feel his Jack Sparrow hair but was spotted by Alison and moved away in embarrassment!
Watched the parade which was not very long and of course being daylight did not have the same impact.
Traffic heavier on the I-4 route to Disney World - working day for the workers does make a difference to traffic in and out of Orlando. Still arrived at Magic Kingdom in good time and parked in the Heroes Car Park (Simba section) and then walked back up the car park to the free trolley shuttle that takes visitors to and from the car parks. The trolley drops off at a ticketing and transportation area where one then has to take either a monorail or boat to the Magic Kingdom which can be seen across a large lake. Two rides and we still had not entered the park!
We took the boat ride and were dropped off a short walk from the entry gates. Passes worked including our finger print scan and we were inside the wonderful world of dreams that is the Magic Kingdom. Philip was wearing his Jack Sparrow Hat, Alison had on her newly purchased history of Minnie cap and both Jessica and Philip were sporting their Disney lanyards and collector pins. All three members of the party were in summer attire of shorts and t-shirts. Philip and Alison wearing their 2012 Christmas T-shirts from Disneyland in Anaheim.
What ride should be tackled first - Pirates of the Caribbean of course so it was off to Adventureland. The ride did not seem to be as good as our memories of the same ride in Anaheim or Tokyo. Lighting was poor. After the Jack Sparrow treat it was on to the River Adventure cruise with continuous lame jokes from our host on the river boat.
Across the park to Tomorrowland, breakfast of popcorn and a ride on Buzz Lightyear for Jessica and Philip while Alison sat minding bags and trying to shake off a headache. It was a good decision on Alison's part as the wait in the lead up to the ride was lengthy and the noise of continued drum tapping would not have helped her headache. Jessica and Philip both thought that the ride which requires each rider to fire laser guns at targets was not as responsive as it has been at previous parks. Then a visit to the Carousel of Progress ride which Walt Disney had designed for a world fair in the sixties and used a theatre which revolved around four home settings using animatronic characters. It traced the changes that have happened in our homes and lifestyle since 1900. All thought that it was quite well done and entertaining. Of course the fact that there was a dog in every scene had nothing to do with this!
Through then to Fantasyland and by this stage the crowds were truly beginning to build. Looked at a few shops and walked past rides before heading to the steam train which circuits the park. Off the train back in Frontierland to find somewhere to buy something to eat. The food options at Disney World are nowhere near as good as Universal Studios or Epcot. We ended up with turkey sandwiches (hamburger buns again), fried potato crisps, apple wedges and a drink to share in the Diamond Horseshoe Saloon.
A short walk from there to Liberty Square and a visit to the Hall of the American Presidents. Quite an inspiring (if you were American) show in the theatre narrated by Morgan Freeman and using animatronic versions of the presidents including a finale where all the presidents are on stage together and introduced in chronological order with a final speech from Barak Obama. Out of this show and we found a nice shady sitting spot on a wide garden edge where we decided to park ourselves and wait the considerable time until the 3pm street parade. (Jessica had given up her desire to stay for the later parades). Snacked on a Funnel Cake topped with strawberries and cream and thought all was well until we were informed that this area was in fact reserved for those in wheelchairs or EMVs - electric mobility vehicles. So we scooted across the road to another narrower garden edge and sat with the blazing sun beating down on us.
Philip's Jack Sparrow hat does not provide a lot of shade. Managed to move one garden bed down to score some shade from the Liberty tree and there we waited. A little girl sitting behind Philip reached out to feel his Jack Sparrow hair but was spotted by Alison and moved away in embarrassment!
Watched the parade which was not very long and of course being daylight did not have the same impact.
Then it was time for last minute shopping along Main Street,
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| We farewell our last theme park in Orlando |
on to the Monorail and back to the car park trolley to find our way back to the car. Home at the Homewood Suites in time for the start of the 5pm welcome home reception of salad, bread rolls, steakettes in gravy with mashed potato and a beer. Nice to be "home" and into the necessary packing for the next stage of our trip.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Tuesday 1 January - Universal Islands of Adventure
Alison and Jessica made such a good team yesterday that Philip was relegated to the back seat for the journey to the Universal Islands of Adventure today. It was a quick trip after an early start and paying for preferred park is a great bonus. The trouble was that the rental car is big and the doors are big and so are most of the other cars. So when Philip went to get out of the back seat it was a great effort almost like surgery to remove him. Consequently instant decision that he rides home on the front seat. Jessica was thrilled with this plan as she could already see herself "zedding" in the back seat.
Entry tickets ready and gates open early here so in the troupadours went. Heading straight for Harry Potter World, Hogsmede and The Forbidden Journey.
The line into the ride was not too bad twisting and turning inside and outside. The best lineup section was the talking portraits who were all busy having a conversation as the crowd moved through. Wished we could have stayed in this section a little longer. And finally the end of the line came........mmmm well these little suspended cars arrived and people scrambled in and a body holder was closed over each person. Philip had an issue with the section of the seat that went between the legs and spent the journey feeling as if he had been emasculated! The ride turned into Harry's adventure with the Hogwarts crew and Dementors battling with each other and the riders were supposedly assisting. At breakneck speed with the car shooting up, dropping down, swerving to the left and right then zooming forward before stopping abruptly. Are you getting clear picture of an exciting but violently jerking ride that does wonders for your eyes and sense of motion and the contents of the stomach getting more and more excited. At one point Alison closed her eyes and kept them shut tight for a number of seconds and prayed that the ride was nearly done. Philip looked white, Alison looked green and Jessica rushed outside looking decidedly dangerous. Alison found her later and shared some motherly love after Jessica's breakfast had left the scene of the crime. Thank heavens for bins. Poor girl!
Philip is now the happy owner of a lovely Hogwarts shirt and looks very good in it. Some wandering was done then through Jurassic Park where the River Adventure flume ride was spotted but the ride had shut until later. Philip was drawn to another bridge with another flume type ride called RipSaw Falls. Jessica decided the time had come and so with a Port Arthur poncho on in she went to line up. The boats were finishing up by hurtling down a steep drop into a dip under some construction boards that moved with added loud noises and huge water explosions. Philip trained the camera on the drop and we watched for the blue poncho to come off the falls. Yep, it was good and the girl came through proudly and with only minor wet clothing.
A climb to the top of Olive Oil's boat and some photo opportunities and a decision was made to check out the wait time for the Spiderman ride. Philip and Alison lined up and for forty-five or more minutes shuffled through the lanes into the final departure point. The car ride was very similar to the Simpsons and Alison began to have misgivings about this ride but it was too late....... four seat across and three rows of folk were all strapped in for the ride, the sides of the car came up and riders were advised to hang on! OH NO! Off the car sped trying to help Spiderman save the city while the baddies sprayed water, hurled fire at everybody, threw things at the car and the wind came up blowing the car this way and that. Alison was beginning to feel sick and was wanting the ride to end when......everything stopped. Seriously the car, just our car, with the riders in the four seats across and three rows was stopped in the dark. No noise, no lights nothing. The man beside Alison asked if this was part of the ride and the people behind began to chat about why it might have stopped. It seems like a long time but was probably minutes, like about 5 minutes when a message said to remain in the car as it could move at any time. There were noises around and under the car like someone was working on it. Another voice said the house lights would be coming up..... and they did....but no explanation. Again the riders were told to remain seated and with hands and arms inside the car as it could move at any time. Finally the car began to move and when each person was helped from the car they were asked if they would like a fast pass to have another ride. All riders declined and left hurriedly......yes well simulation rides and Alison have parted ways. She says that she has had her last one.......maybe until tomorrow.
After this trauma Philip and Alison found a very bored Jessica out the front of the Spiderman ride and the decision was made to return to Jurassic Park for Jess to do the River Adventure thrill flume ride. Donning her blue poncho once more she entered the "zone" while Philip took the camera and with Alison hurrying behind went to take up positions at the end of the ride where the craft plunges down a huge drop into the water at the bottom with an enormous spray of water coming up over the sides and into and over the riders. The photos will speak for themselves. Jessica went into a shocked state of wetness even wearing a poncho, but still not drenched totally like some other participants who were seen leaving a trail of water drops!
Heading back to the Three Broomsticks and entering a lunch line that was quite short decisions were made on what would be eaten and the drinks to be had. Butterbeer was on the list but since it was an unknown only one was purchased and shared. It was yummy but after finishing lunch there was no more room for another drink!! Sadly everybody wished that Butterbeer had been tried earlier in the day!
A little shopping and looking around, taking photos and a trip into the Poseidon ride for a bit of spice. In this ride the group of people is helping the host try to find where to take the trident deep under the sea. The coolest part of this journey in the large group of people was walking through a cylinder of raging water that flowed at high speed up around us with only minimal misting spray. More fire and lightning bolts and water sprays and the whole happy ending was achieved.
Sinbad's stunt show was in an amphitheatre with the obligatory splash zone. There were flying fox wires, crows nests, pools of water and swinging ropes across the set. There was a bit of boy, girl interaction and Sinbad and the princess tried to evade the baddies. More fire, splashing water and jumping and swinging across the stage and out above the audience. A few surprises with actors popping up unexpectedly and jumping into water and at one point the evil woman character was set on fire which was a bit scary until she finally jumped into the water putting the fire out. Philip described the show as "lame".
The journey to Potter's World at the start of the day meant that Dr Suess's Cat in the Hat world had to be passed through and so it was on the return journey that One fish, Two fish, Red fish Blue fish etc etc of bright lovely colours and such imaginary shapes for flowers and fish and shoes were to be seen everywhere and children of all ages were totally engaged here riding and laughing and having fun. Face painting with weird faces was seen.
Finally the exit signs were in sight and the time...... about 4pm.... early really, but a good day was had by all.
So here it is at the end of the day and the car is waiting in the Cat in the Hat section of the carpark. Philip gets into the navigators seat in front and with Alison driving that means that Jessica gets into the back seat. Can you all see what is coming........yes with about five minutes of driving out of the carpark the backseat rider is snoring away happily to be woken up as the car is entering the gas station near the hotel!
The photo below taken in Toon Lagoon comes up how Philip and Alison and even Jessica the recent addition to the touring party are feeling!
Entry tickets ready and gates open early here so in the troupadours went. Heading straight for Harry Potter World, Hogsmede and The Forbidden Journey.
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| Alison and Philip in the main street of Hogsmede |
Philip is now the happy owner of a lovely Hogwarts shirt and looks very good in it. Some wandering was done then through Jurassic Park where the River Adventure flume ride was spotted but the ride had shut until later. Philip was drawn to another bridge with another flume type ride called RipSaw Falls. Jessica decided the time had come and so with a Port Arthur poncho on in she went to line up. The boats were finishing up by hurtling down a steep drop into a dip under some construction boards that moved with added loud noises and huge water explosions. Philip trained the camera on the drop and we watched for the blue poncho to come off the falls. Yep, it was good and the girl came through proudly and with only minor wet clothing.
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| Jessica finishes the Jurassic Ride |
After this trauma Philip and Alison found a very bored Jessica out the front of the Spiderman ride and the decision was made to return to Jurassic Park for Jess to do the River Adventure thrill flume ride. Donning her blue poncho once more she entered the "zone" while Philip took the camera and with Alison hurrying behind went to take up positions at the end of the ride where the craft plunges down a huge drop into the water at the bottom with an enormous spray of water coming up over the sides and into and over the riders. The photos will speak for themselves. Jessica went into a shocked state of wetness even wearing a poncho, but still not drenched totally like some other participants who were seen leaving a trail of water drops!
Heading back to the Three Broomsticks and entering a lunch line that was quite short decisions were made on what would be eaten and the drinks to be had. Butterbeer was on the list but since it was an unknown only one was purchased and shared. It was yummy but after finishing lunch there was no more room for another drink!! Sadly everybody wished that Butterbeer had been tried earlier in the day!
A little shopping and looking around, taking photos and a trip into the Poseidon ride for a bit of spice. In this ride the group of people is helping the host try to find where to take the trident deep under the sea. The coolest part of this journey in the large group of people was walking through a cylinder of raging water that flowed at high speed up around us with only minimal misting spray. More fire and lightning bolts and water sprays and the whole happy ending was achieved.
Sinbad's stunt show was in an amphitheatre with the obligatory splash zone. There were flying fox wires, crows nests, pools of water and swinging ropes across the set. There was a bit of boy, girl interaction and Sinbad and the princess tried to evade the baddies. More fire, splashing water and jumping and swinging across the stage and out above the audience. A few surprises with actors popping up unexpectedly and jumping into water and at one point the evil woman character was set on fire which was a bit scary until she finally jumped into the water putting the fire out. Philip described the show as "lame".
The journey to Potter's World at the start of the day meant that Dr Suess's Cat in the Hat world had to be passed through and so it was on the return journey that One fish, Two fish, Red fish Blue fish etc etc of bright lovely colours and such imaginary shapes for flowers and fish and shoes were to be seen everywhere and children of all ages were totally engaged here riding and laughing and having fun. Face painting with weird faces was seen.
Finally the exit signs were in sight and the time...... about 4pm.... early really, but a good day was had by all.
So here it is at the end of the day and the car is waiting in the Cat in the Hat section of the carpark. Philip gets into the navigators seat in front and with Alison driving that means that Jessica gets into the back seat. Can you all see what is coming........yes with about five minutes of driving out of the carpark the backseat rider is snoring away happily to be woken up as the car is entering the gas station near the hotel!
The photo below taken in Toon Lagoon comes up how Philip and Alison and even Jessica the recent addition to the touring party are feeling!
Monday, December 31, 2012
Monday 31 December - Universal Studios
Philip stayed at home today to rest up a little after feeling a bit run-down and allowed Jessica and Alison to go off to Universal Studios without him. The girls organised themselves the previous night and made an early start to beat the traffic and outdid themselves by arriving at the parking lot within 15 minutes! By paying a little extra they managed to get "preferred parking" which allows the vehicle to be parked much closer to the venue than general parking. Way to go!! However, you MUST remember the name and number of your park. The Ford happened to be in Spiderman and with a quick phone photo it was recorded for later in the day.
After quite bit of a walk and travelling on travelators the front gate appeared before them and THERE WAS NO QUEUE which was a miracle of Christmas. The operator gave a tip about the queues lately in the park and so Fast Passes were purchased for the day. This allowed a shorter lineup time and early entry to rides. The park map had planning marks on it as the day unfolded.
First stop was the Shrek theatre and this was fun with shaking seats, squirting water and some fans blowing until the part in the story that used spiders, LOTS OF SPIDERS, and suddenly there were things touching legs and clothing and the whole theatre erupted in screaming and shrieking! Hearts and pulses were pounding and soon after the ride finished with both girls thankful to make their way into the sunshine. Yesterday was an icy day with a really chill wind blowing at Epcot and today there was little breeze at all and the sun was shining beautifully. Both the girls discussed the possibility of wearing shorts or light clothing tomorrow. Let's hope it works out with excellent weather. Philip could do with a nice day out.
OK back on track for the fun stuff...next on the list to do was the E.T. ride which was just lovely. Of course the public rode bikes, just four in a row and four rows! But out the front was the basket and when the ride began up popped ET to guide the way. No really scary bits just laughter and fun. This is where the day nearly came unstuck. Jessica took her mother to the Simpson's ride. Sideshow Bob was the mean dude trying to disrupt everything and hurt Marge, Homer and their family. The ride consisted of a drive-in style double row of cars that all violently jiggled, swerved, jolted, tipped and banked their occupants as the ride unfolded on the screen before them. Alison needed a break after that ride concluded and she threatened to quit. Jessica then went on the MIB ( Men In Black) ride alone!
The Animal Actors show was a wonderful break and the wide range of animals that did their tricks for treats was great to watch. One golden retriever had seen a squirrel and was not paying attention to the trainer and had to be continually refocussed. Happens to everyone who works with animals and children. The otter made an appearance and a pleasant surprise was a grey persian cat. It was required to do a lengthy run and complete a number of tasks before reaching its reward dish of treats. The pig " hogged the stage" and the pug from MIB was very cute in his little costume. Marley, from Marley and Me, was there as were a number of other dogs that Jessica could rattle off from their respective claims to fame.
The day wouldn't be complete without a trip to the candy store, in the New York section of the park, where Jessica reacquainted herself with her old faithful buddies the gummy bear family. She loves them and has been without any for quite a while. Back on the ride trail it was straight out the candy door and into the Disaster ride. Much like the movie world ride where the audience participates in the making of a short clip that is added to a storyline and then played during the final stage of the ride. While scary it was screaming fun with flames on one side and floods of water on the other plus a semitrailer hurtling towards the carriage before erupting into flames, it all ended well and plenty of chatting and laughing on the way out.
Despicable Me was a happy ride for kids and adults alike. Again the simulation theatre with the jiggling and jolting but not as violent as the Simpsons. From here it was up the road to the Twister ride. The movie intro told of the difficulties of making the movie and then after watching some clips from the movie the audience got the experience the full effect of a Twister. Rain and wind and sparking electrical cords all helped to make the scene very realistic. SO good the girls went straight out and got back in the line to do it all again! The rides ended with another ET trip and then it was outside to find a spot to watch the parade.
The parade was made all the better by the nice young couple who, together with their two year old son, all decked out in his best clothes, sat with Alison and Jessica. Watching this little boy stare at the characters and high five the ones who came up to him made the whole event delightful. A park bench to sit on and the fact that for about five minutes the whole parade stopped in front of our spot while the drummers and dancers and acrobats did their thing was the icing on the cake for the day!
On arrival "home" the Hotel provides a hot meal for in-house guests Monday to Thursday, so Alison and Jessica were able to participate in dinner. Philip had a restful day and all are ready to hit the Universal Islands of Adventure tomorrow.
Sunday 30 December - Epcot at Disney World
Today the three adventurers left their comfy lodgings earlier than usual in an attempt to beat the crowds, firstly to the carpark, and secondly to the entrance gate of EPCOT. With Philip at the wheel again and Jessica acting as navigator, since Alison stepped down to allow Jess to get her NavCert III, the mission was accomplished. The morning temperature was low and the wind was brisk. The girls had themselves sensibly attired but poor Philip left his cap in the car and his big jacket back at the hotel, after a warm day yesterday. So Alison gave over her pink scarf and Jess gave over her spray jacket and the intrepid trio went forth to find warmth.
After choosing the wrong line at the admission gate and finally line hopping entry was theirs. This line dilemma is a bit of a family joke! Jessica had a fine tuned list to help the day "flow"! At a fast walk all headed towards a ride known as Test Track to try to obtain a fast pass which allows fast access to the ride rather than joining the general queue. From here they headed back to look into the huge dome at the front of EPCOT to take in Spaceship Earth. Here they listened to the lovely voice of Judy Dench take them on a journey through time and important developments in our world. Philip and Jessica were a little concerned about some important omissions stemming from the Asian side of the world. During this ride the little cars carrying the journeyers made full use of the inside of the globe, passing by important times in history, through American eyes, with wonderful animatronics and props and lighting.
The crowd was still building and Jessica was working her way through THE LIST with a determination that is well known in this family! The Land centre, which was designed to allow folk to understand better the benefits of greenhouses and aquaculture, was a real eye opener. The inevitable snaking of people through twists and turns in subdued lighting until eventually being directed into a vehicle generally takes about 30 minutes. If a person is VERY lucky the vehicle has no small children in it. This allows the riders in the vehicle to take in all the information clearly and to enjoy the journey. To be able to see the ingenious methods trialled for growing veggies up strings using hydroponic methods and even suspended over fishtanks to allow the plants to absorb nutrients directly from the tank water was truly amazing. White eggplants, huge pumpkins of all kinds, capsicums (known as peppers in the US), lots of different herbs and finally pots of flowers. Philip could be going home to install a greenhouse or plant a tomato tree.
Watching the clock carefully it was noted that the "fast track" time had come and so the three buzzed back over to the Test Track ride. There is a distinct look of annoyance on the faces of the general crowd all waiting politely, or not so politely, as the fast track folk briskly walk past and disappear up the line pathway. Into a test room where plastic cards were then used by each rider to select an attribute that was most important to the test, for them. Philip and Jessica chose "responsiveness" and Alison chose "efficiency". This attribute was then matched to a prototype and at the conclusion the results would be revealed. The ride began tamely enough and Alison was heard to make a comparison to the Lightning McQueen ride at Disney that she and Philip had taken with Jenny. That ride was fast, furious and in a racetrack racing another car and was screaming good fun!! Alison was a bit quick to judge because no sooner had she finished telling Jessica when the whole mood of the ride changed into a speed swerve hook affair! What a blast it was listening to all the girls scream their lungs out while the men in the vehicle remained calm, cool and under control! Well that is what they want the girls to believe anyway! With heart racing and pulse up something calmer was needed in a warm environment.
The park is set out with the globe at the front and the selection of participating countries spread around a large body of water in a semicircular format. So heading off they wandered along in the sunshine, as the temperature inched its way up slightly from very very cold to very cold!! Mexico was first followed by Norway, which had a ride on the list. Vikings are a favourite in this family so the Viking ride was a must. Maelstrom is a journey around Norway in a viking long boat and showed off the history and culture of the country. Philip felt a powerful urge to have some family photos here and Jessica was able to snap him trying to chat up a huge viking and also a troll with a very big nose. It was here in the Kringle Bakeri Og Kafe that one of those quirky things happened and they met a familiar face from home! How improbable is it to be at the centre, in the Kafe, at the same time as another Aussie that you happen to know from where you live and work?? Yep it happened. Sue, from Jessica's school was there with her daughter and the daughter's friend, who then gave tips on what NOT to miss.
While meandering along through China and then Germany a stop was made into a special shop selling caramel popcorn, Werthers Popcorn to be specific! It is very special and the family are hoping that it is sold other places as well with hands dipping into the bag for the rest of the day. On past Italy, Japan and into Morrocco for a bit of lunch. Good decision because all enjoyed the mixed plate of food selected. France was an eye catcher with the line at the pastry shop so long it was hard to believe that people would queue for that long to get a vanilla slice and a drink. Up to 30 minutes or longer. The next country was the United Kingdom and after a brief visit to the Twinings Tea shop the gang headed for Canada, the last country on the route. Now things began to hot up a bit both with sunshine, dropped breeze and a fantastic band playing called Off Kilter. They were a celtic rock group with the lead singer playing bag pipes as well. Poor Jessica had to wait for some time while the oldies got their fill of uptempo music and toe tapping. Boy it was good! Loch Lomond never sounded so good and the audience were encouraged to join in.
Philip soldiered on throughout the day joining in with activities when he felt up to it and holding the bags when he needed a rest. Jessica and Alison survived a journey to Mars in a simulation ride and that concluded an eventful day.
After choosing the wrong line at the admission gate and finally line hopping entry was theirs. This line dilemma is a bit of a family joke! Jessica had a fine tuned list to help the day "flow"! At a fast walk all headed towards a ride known as Test Track to try to obtain a fast pass which allows fast access to the ride rather than joining the general queue. From here they headed back to look into the huge dome at the front of EPCOT to take in Spaceship Earth. Here they listened to the lovely voice of Judy Dench take them on a journey through time and important developments in our world. Philip and Jessica were a little concerned about some important omissions stemming from the Asian side of the world. During this ride the little cars carrying the journeyers made full use of the inside of the globe, passing by important times in history, through American eyes, with wonderful animatronics and props and lighting.
The crowd was still building and Jessica was working her way through THE LIST with a determination that is well known in this family! The Land centre, which was designed to allow folk to understand better the benefits of greenhouses and aquaculture, was a real eye opener. The inevitable snaking of people through twists and turns in subdued lighting until eventually being directed into a vehicle generally takes about 30 minutes. If a person is VERY lucky the vehicle has no small children in it. This allows the riders in the vehicle to take in all the information clearly and to enjoy the journey. To be able to see the ingenious methods trialled for growing veggies up strings using hydroponic methods and even suspended over fishtanks to allow the plants to absorb nutrients directly from the tank water was truly amazing. White eggplants, huge pumpkins of all kinds, capsicums (known as peppers in the US), lots of different herbs and finally pots of flowers. Philip could be going home to install a greenhouse or plant a tomato tree.
Watching the clock carefully it was noted that the "fast track" time had come and so the three buzzed back over to the Test Track ride. There is a distinct look of annoyance on the faces of the general crowd all waiting politely, or not so politely, as the fast track folk briskly walk past and disappear up the line pathway. Into a test room where plastic cards were then used by each rider to select an attribute that was most important to the test, for them. Philip and Jessica chose "responsiveness" and Alison chose "efficiency". This attribute was then matched to a prototype and at the conclusion the results would be revealed. The ride began tamely enough and Alison was heard to make a comparison to the Lightning McQueen ride at Disney that she and Philip had taken with Jenny. That ride was fast, furious and in a racetrack racing another car and was screaming good fun!! Alison was a bit quick to judge because no sooner had she finished telling Jessica when the whole mood of the ride changed into a speed swerve hook affair! What a blast it was listening to all the girls scream their lungs out while the men in the vehicle remained calm, cool and under control! Well that is what they want the girls to believe anyway! With heart racing and pulse up something calmer was needed in a warm environment.
The park is set out with the globe at the front and the selection of participating countries spread around a large body of water in a semicircular format. So heading off they wandered along in the sunshine, as the temperature inched its way up slightly from very very cold to very cold!! Mexico was first followed by Norway, which had a ride on the list. Vikings are a favourite in this family so the Viking ride was a must. Maelstrom is a journey around Norway in a viking long boat and showed off the history and culture of the country. Philip felt a powerful urge to have some family photos here and Jessica was able to snap him trying to chat up a huge viking and also a troll with a very big nose. It was here in the Kringle Bakeri Og Kafe that one of those quirky things happened and they met a familiar face from home! How improbable is it to be at the centre, in the Kafe, at the same time as another Aussie that you happen to know from where you live and work?? Yep it happened. Sue, from Jessica's school was there with her daughter and the daughter's friend, who then gave tips on what NOT to miss.
While meandering along through China and then Germany a stop was made into a special shop selling caramel popcorn, Werthers Popcorn to be specific! It is very special and the family are hoping that it is sold other places as well with hands dipping into the bag for the rest of the day. On past Italy, Japan and into Morrocco for a bit of lunch. Good decision because all enjoyed the mixed plate of food selected. France was an eye catcher with the line at the pastry shop so long it was hard to believe that people would queue for that long to get a vanilla slice and a drink. Up to 30 minutes or longer. The next country was the United Kingdom and after a brief visit to the Twinings Tea shop the gang headed for Canada, the last country on the route. Now things began to hot up a bit both with sunshine, dropped breeze and a fantastic band playing called Off Kilter. They were a celtic rock group with the lead singer playing bag pipes as well. Poor Jessica had to wait for some time while the oldies got their fill of uptempo music and toe tapping. Boy it was good! Loch Lomond never sounded so good and the audience were encouraged to join in.
Philip soldiered on throughout the day joining in with activities when he felt up to it and holding the bags when he needed a rest. Jessica and Alison survived a journey to Mars in a simulation ride and that concluded an eventful day.
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Saturday 29 December - Kennedy Space Center
Breakfast eaten and off to the Kennedy Space Center. Some problems with our navigation resulted in the need to pay some coin only tolls as we left and returned on intermediate ramps - Philip learned that not only are cars left hand drive but that the driver should be left handed to drive as he missed the coin bin with at least one of the coins on each occasion!
Finally reached the visitor centre and paid for parking (we're now used to this) and lined up for our entry tickets.
All the special encounters were listed as sold out on the ticket booth monitors but Philip asked anyhow and we scored a 3.40pm guided bus tour which would take us to the actual launch pad for the manned lunar launches and the space shuttle launches.
The tour also included a stop in the blast pit where the gas, heat and flames at lift off are directed.
Eventually made it back to the visor centre after a stop at the Apollo Mission display which includes a Saturn V rocket suspended in the building.
Thank heavens for this stop as Philip's stomach and other parts were "revolting" and he desperately needed a rest room. The main visitor centre was still 15 minutes away by bus!
Darkness had set in but there was one last ride that needed to be enjoyed. Alison and Jessica lined up for the Shuttle Launch Experience while Philip sat in a room watching the action and their reactions on a closed circuit monitor.
Other highlights of our day at Kennedy had been a very entertaining talk from a shuttle astronaut, seeing American Bald Eagles and their huge nest on the way to the launch pad,
seeing alligators in the wild right near the launch pad,
visiting the astronaut memorial and an iMax film about the Hubble Space telescope which inspired Philip to purchase three beautiful cosmic prints.
Back on the road and some mis-navigation by Jessica (can't blame Chuck the GPS this time) had us make a detour towards Miami which added 20km extra to our journey back to Orlando. Finally got "home" - now that we have mastered the 90B exit from the I-4 East! Alison and Jessica got takeaway from Applebee's again and the sick driver went straight to bed. Hence the one day delay in the posting of this blog entry.
Finally reached the visitor centre and paid for parking (we're now used to this) and lined up for our entry tickets.
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| Alison and Jessica at KSC entry fountain |
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| Alison and Jessica in front of the "Rocket Garden" |
All the special encounters were listed as sold out on the ticket booth monitors but Philip asked anyhow and we scored a 3.40pm guided bus tour which would take us to the actual launch pad for the manned lunar launches and the space shuttle launches.
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| Alison with Jessica's travelling bears - Chris and Noel |
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| Launch Pad 39A and ramp for rocket/shuttle mover |
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| Looking into the blast pit |
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| Lunar landing module |
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| Moon rock |
Darkness had set in but there was one last ride that needed to be enjoyed. Alison and Jessica lined up for the Shuttle Launch Experience while Philip sat in a room watching the action and their reactions on a closed circuit monitor.
Other highlights of our day at Kennedy had been a very entertaining talk from a shuttle astronaut, seeing American Bald Eagles and their huge nest on the way to the launch pad,
 |
| Bald eagle on power pole and nest the size of a Queen Bed in tree to the right |
visiting the astronaut memorial and an iMax film about the Hubble Space telescope which inspired Philip to purchase three beautiful cosmic prints.
Back on the road and some mis-navigation by Jessica (can't blame Chuck the GPS this time) had us make a detour towards Miami which added 20km extra to our journey back to Orlando. Finally got "home" - now that we have mastered the 90B exit from the I-4 East! Alison and Jessica got takeaway from Applebee's again and the sick driver went straight to bed. Hence the one day delay in the posting of this blog entry.
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