Floriday Fun

Please click the Flickr badge to see all the new photos I took at Sea World today.

Our day started early. Earlier than either of us might have planned. Bob wasn't feeling well and got up around 5:30. We lay in bed and talked for a while before getting up and showering. As I got ready, I flipped on the TV only to see breaking news of a suicide by traffic death. Some guy apparently jumped onto I-4 and was killed by the fall and several cars in morning rush hour traffic running over him. So sad.

Once we were ready, we went to a breakfast buffet. It was OK, not great, but OK. They did have my all time southern favorite, biscuits and gravy, so that was good. Mmmmm, biscuits and gravy.

After breakfast, we drove to Sea World. We are staying about 5 miles away, so it didn't take long. We were a little bit early and had to line up outside the main gates for about 5 minutes. They let us in, gave us a parking pass for handicapped parking, and we were golden. We parked in the spot closest to the park gate.

We got out Bob's manual wheelchair, our e-pass park tickets, and we were in! We had our photo taken right inside the gate. Last year we did the same thing at Busch Gardens and bought the photo, but this year we decided not to splurge on that. After all, I had a camera and I took about 89 pictures myself.

We decided to rent an electric scooter for Bob while we visited the park. Bob didn't want to at first. He didn't want to shell out the money for it, but I insisted. In the long run, we were both glad he had it. It really gave him (and me) more freedom in the park. The only thing (that seems to be universal) is that people just stop right in front of him or walk directly in his path. It's harder for him to stop than it is for them to reroute or wait. It's sad, but we were very impressed with ONE guy who said "excuse me" and apologized for stepping out in front of Bob. The whole day at the park and only one guy excused himself.

We had packed a lunch but coolers weren't allowed in the park, so we left it in the car. At lunch time, we just went out to the car and had our lunch. It was a nice break in the day and a good way to save cash. Things were super pricey in the park and we didn't pay for anything other than the scooter and a small souvenir. That is the way to do things on a budget. We bought our park passes online about 3 weeks ago, so they were already paid for. Oh! And we had to pay for parking. Other than that, we had a great day at the park on the cheap. AND we were given 2 free passes to come back as much as we want anytime in the next 6 days. We may go again on Friday.

I really liked Sea World. We saw dolphins, manatees, sting rays, sharks, and so many fish. I got to touch a dolphin and sting ray. That was cool. As I said, I took about a million pictures. I got some good ones of the dolphins and of the Shamu show. LOVED the Shamu show. We sat in the Soak Zone but didn't get a drop on us. Thank goodness, it was cool in the shade, where we were sitting and we would have frozen. Thankfully, today was sunny and in the low 70's. It was a beautiful day to be in Florida and tomorrow is supposed to be nicer.

People here drive like maniacs. It is as though everyone is in a race to get where they are going first. People will weave in and out of traffic from one stop light to another. They will cross 3 lanes of traffic to turn left. It is crazy. Another thing we noticed is that there is blown tire rubber all over the roads here. What is up with that? Also, the same stretch of I-4 that was under construction when we were here last year...is still under construction. Every season is road construction season here.

Tomorrow we are going to Cocoa Beach to see the rocket launch from Cape Canaveral. It's supposed to be sunny, breezy, and almost 80. We are going to pack a lunch and take off in time to be there by 11:30. I cannot wait to see the, smell, and hear the ocean again. It's been too long. Tonight is some wine, a book, and an early bedtime.