Birthday trip
So now that we're back, I'll give a quick update on our trip to Florida for my birthday.
We left for the sunshine state around 2:30 in the afternoon on Thursday, Kelly driving until we hit Tifton. Once there, I take over for the 4-hour interstate trip. It was fairly uneventful until about 10 miles past the Florida State line... then the bottom decides to fall out of the clouds. Now, I've driven in rain, bad rain too. Ask my sister, I've driven through hurricane rain, but they had just repaved the interstate and it was late in the day, so the water made a mirror. The grey-ass sky was reflected on the wet, now grey-ass road and the white markings were almost invisible. On top of all this, the water was turning to steam from the hos asphalt. Visibility sucked balls.
We make it to the in-laws around 10:00 pm and pretty much rack out.
On Friday, we get to start the day late since Kelly's dad has to work, but we do go meet him for lunch and so he and Kelly can sort out an issue with her bank account that really should have been able to handled on the phone.
After the bank business, Kelly, her step-mom Carol and I headed to MOSI (The Museum of Science and Industry) where we went and saw a mummies of the world exhibit. It was interesting, but I guess I just wasn't into it. After that, we got back to the house and Kelly's sister came over with her boyfriend and we grilled steaks. After this was kinda early bed to be ready for Saturday.
We got up early to head toward Orlando and the Islands of Adventure. There were thunderstorms forecast for the day, but we hoped they would wait for us. They did... mostly.
We got to the park about 45 minutes after they opened, so there was almost no line so we were able to pick up our tickets (her dad, bought them online, so we got to go to the will-call line) and Express passes. I tell you, these things are wonderful!!!
They do add about $50 to the ticket price, and you can only use them once per ride (except Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey) but if you're only going to be there 1 day, it's worth it. I think the longest we had to wait in line with the express pass was 15 minutes. The rain forecast and early arrival may have helped, but again, if you're only gonna go to the park for one day, get them.
Now, the Potter ride is awesome. The line begins in the castle dungeons. You walk past the potions class, the secret entrance to the headmaster's office and many other cool things from Hogwart's (not gonna spoil, but this is a must ride if you go and do this first since it's the most popular ride right now. 45 minute line at the start of the day!) Basically, you ride an enchanted bench, following Harry, Ron and Hermione through several familiar areas from the movie. It's only about 5-8 minutes long, but man, they're intense.
After the ride, I got in line at Ollivanders to get my wand. It was neat to see, but unless you're taking your child, or if the line is extremely short, don't waste the time. They only allow 20-30 people in at a time and the wand master only picks one child to run through the scene from the first movie where Harry picks his wand (or it picks him, if you want to be technical.) After this, the rest get shuffled int Dervish and Banges where you can get your own wand. They determine which is yours using a 13-month Celtic calendar and whatever date you give them (mine actually is the result of my wedding anniversary, not my birthday.)
After this, it was lunch time, so we went to the Three Broomsticks where Kelly and I had shepherd's pie (Hamburger, english peas, carrots in a nice gravy topped with mashed potatoes and it was great!) and cornish pasties (spiced and ground beef in a baked dough dumpling. also good, but too much sage for me.) We also got a pumpkin juice (kinda like liquid pumpkin pie. According to the website, it's apple juice, pumpkin and apricot puree and pumpkin pie spice. I liked it.) and butter beer! (think liquified butterscotch candy. This stuff is really good, but OMG it's SWEET and thick.)
Pumpkin Juice
After the food, they talked me into the Dragon Challenge roller coaster. (I hate coasters) To those who have been to the Islands of Adventure, this coaster used to be the Dueling Dragons, they've just re-branded it to go with the Potter theme. It was fast, only took about 2 minutes tops, but man it was intense.
From here, we hit all the water rides: Jurassic Park, Rip-saw Rapids (a Dudley Do-Right themed ride in Toon Lagoon) and Kelly and I rode Popeye and Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges (basically a Thunder River clone with a Popeye theme. Also in Toon lagoon.) This one thoroughly soaked us even if it hadn't started raining.
Next in the trip was the Superhero Island where we hit the gift shops and looked for Heroes to take pictures with (no luck.) Did get to go on the Spider-Man ride and was really impressed with the 3D.
Most of the rest of they day consisted of going back through the different zones looking at the things we skipped to get to rides (We also went through Poseidon's Fury (Honestly, I would skip it. It's not bad, but after Potter and Spidey, it's just not that great.) The second time in the Superhero section netted a cool pic with the Green Goblin.
Me vs. the Green Goblin
Another attempt to get a pic with Spider-man was a bust when the rain decided to fall (apparently the costumes do not do well in the rain.) When the monsoon opened up, we waited in the comic book shop until we realized it wasn't stopping any time soon, so we headed for the exit... with at least 2 inches of water on the ground.
Soaked socks, shoes, and us (even with rain ponchos)found our way to the car and off to Tia's, a really good tex-mex restaurant in Tampa, then home to dry out and watch This Means War, then bed.
This was a day of Shopping for the ladies. We went to a HUGE outlet mall south of Tampa where Kelly was able to find a few nice additions to her work clothes, the International Mall in Tampa and had a great lunch at Maggiano's Little Italy between the two. (Apparently there is one of these at the Perimeter Mall in Atlanta, so go if you can. A little pricey, but good.) After the International, we called it a day and went home to rest and prepare for the trip home Monday.
The start of the return trip was nice. Sunny, warm, no rain... until we got to Albany. We had switched out by then and Kelly was driving when it decided we hadn't seen enough rain. It was almost just like on the way down. Torrential rain, steam off the road, the whole 9, and she handled it like a champ! I'm proud of her, especially since she doesn't like long car trips.
Anyway, we made it in one piece and have been pretty much lounging and recuperating today. She goes back to work tomorrow and I go back on Monday (after a Braves game Friday night courtesy of David. :))
We left for the sunshine state around 2:30 in the afternoon on Thursday, Kelly driving until we hit Tifton. Once there, I take over for the 4-hour interstate trip. It was fairly uneventful until about 10 miles past the Florida State line... then the bottom decides to fall out of the clouds. Now, I've driven in rain, bad rain too. Ask my sister, I've driven through hurricane rain, but they had just repaved the interstate and it was late in the day, so the water made a mirror. The grey-ass sky was reflected on the wet, now grey-ass road and the white markings were almost invisible. On top of all this, the water was turning to steam from the hos asphalt. Visibility sucked balls.
We make it to the in-laws around 10:00 pm and pretty much rack out.
On Friday, we get to start the day late since Kelly's dad has to work, but we do go meet him for lunch and so he and Kelly can sort out an issue with her bank account that really should have been able to handled on the phone.
After the bank business, Kelly, her step-mom Carol and I headed to MOSI (The Museum of Science and Industry) where we went and saw a mummies of the world exhibit. It was interesting, but I guess I just wasn't into it. After that, we got back to the house and Kelly's sister came over with her boyfriend and we grilled steaks. After this was kinda early bed to be ready for Saturday.
We got up early to head toward Orlando and the Islands of Adventure. There were thunderstorms forecast for the day, but we hoped they would wait for us. They did... mostly.
We got to the park about 45 minutes after they opened, so there was almost no line so we were able to pick up our tickets (her dad, bought them online, so we got to go to the will-call line) and Express passes. I tell you, these things are wonderful!!!
They do add about $50 to the ticket price, and you can only use them once per ride (except Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey) but if you're only going to be there 1 day, it's worth it. I think the longest we had to wait in line with the express pass was 15 minutes. The rain forecast and early arrival may have helped, but again, if you're only gonna go to the park for one day, get them.
Now, the Potter ride is awesome. The line begins in the castle dungeons. You walk past the potions class, the secret entrance to the headmaster's office and many other cool things from Hogwart's (not gonna spoil, but this is a must ride if you go and do this first since it's the most popular ride right now. 45 minute line at the start of the day!) Basically, you ride an enchanted bench, following Harry, Ron and Hermione through several familiar areas from the movie. It's only about 5-8 minutes long, but man, they're intense.
After the ride, I got in line at Ollivanders to get my wand. It was neat to see, but unless you're taking your child, or if the line is extremely short, don't waste the time. They only allow 20-30 people in at a time and the wand master only picks one child to run through the scene from the first movie where Harry picks his wand (or it picks him, if you want to be technical.) After this, the rest get shuffled int Dervish and Banges where you can get your own wand. They determine which is yours using a 13-month Celtic calendar and whatever date you give them (mine actually is the result of my wedding anniversary, not my birthday.)
After this, it was lunch time, so we went to the Three Broomsticks where Kelly and I had shepherd's pie (Hamburger, english peas, carrots in a nice gravy topped with mashed potatoes and it was great!) and cornish pasties (spiced and ground beef in a baked dough dumpling. also good, but too much sage for me.) We also got a pumpkin juice (kinda like liquid pumpkin pie. According to the website, it's apple juice, pumpkin and apricot puree and pumpkin pie spice. I liked it.) and butter beer! (think liquified butterscotch candy. This stuff is really good, but OMG it's SWEET and thick.)
Pumpkin Juice
After the food, they talked me into the Dragon Challenge roller coaster. (I hate coasters) To those who have been to the Islands of Adventure, this coaster used to be the Dueling Dragons, they've just re-branded it to go with the Potter theme. It was fast, only took about 2 minutes tops, but man it was intense.
From here, we hit all the water rides: Jurassic Park, Rip-saw Rapids (a Dudley Do-Right themed ride in Toon Lagoon) and Kelly and I rode Popeye and Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges (basically a Thunder River clone with a Popeye theme. Also in Toon lagoon.) This one thoroughly soaked us even if it hadn't started raining.
Next in the trip was the Superhero Island where we hit the gift shops and looked for Heroes to take pictures with (no luck.) Did get to go on the Spider-Man ride and was really impressed with the 3D.
Most of the rest of they day consisted of going back through the different zones looking at the things we skipped to get to rides (We also went through Poseidon's Fury (Honestly, I would skip it. It's not bad, but after Potter and Spidey, it's just not that great.) The second time in the Superhero section netted a cool pic with the Green Goblin.
Me vs. the Green Goblin
Another attempt to get a pic with Spider-man was a bust when the rain decided to fall (apparently the costumes do not do well in the rain.) When the monsoon opened up, we waited in the comic book shop until we realized it wasn't stopping any time soon, so we headed for the exit... with at least 2 inches of water on the ground.
Soaked socks, shoes, and us (even with rain ponchos)found our way to the car and off to Tia's, a really good tex-mex restaurant in Tampa, then home to dry out and watch This Means War, then bed.
This was a day of Shopping for the ladies. We went to a HUGE outlet mall south of Tampa where Kelly was able to find a few nice additions to her work clothes, the International Mall in Tampa and had a great lunch at Maggiano's Little Italy between the two. (Apparently there is one of these at the Perimeter Mall in Atlanta, so go if you can. A little pricey, but good.) After the International, we called it a day and went home to rest and prepare for the trip home Monday.
The start of the return trip was nice. Sunny, warm, no rain... until we got to Albany. We had switched out by then and Kelly was driving when it decided we hadn't seen enough rain. It was almost just like on the way down. Torrential rain, steam off the road, the whole 9, and she handled it like a champ! I'm proud of her, especially since she doesn't like long car trips.
Anyway, we made it in one piece and have been pretty much lounging and recuperating today. She goes back to work tomorrow and I go back on Monday (after a Braves game Friday night courtesy of David. :))