Florida trip - Day 4

We started the morning with a light breakfast at the hotel and then headed to Sea World. In all the times I’ve been to Disney and to Florida, I have never been to Sea World. It was so much fun to share it with my mom and have it be the first time that both of us went.

When we arrived, we headed straight for the Shamu show Believe. We sat in what was called the “Soak Zone”. I thought that it wasn’t meant to be taken literally and more of a little warning. They weren’t kidding…at all! We were completely drenched when we left, but it was worth it. The show was incredible and it amazes what these animals are capable of learning. They share a bond with their trainers and it shows. The trainers rode the killer whales, surfed on them and had them do some fun tricks. I loved seeing the show.

After the show, we walked around exploring and then checked out the Wild Artic exhibit. First there was a ride simulator that made you feel like you were on a helicopter and it was fun. My mom said there was no way she was getting on any rides because that isn’t her thing. I convinced her to go on it and she loved it. After the ride, they had areas that you could walk through to see the animals. We saw a giant polar bear, beluga whales and giant walruses. The polar bear was so funny. He was playing this with giant plastic toy like a dog would play with a toy. I know they’re dangerous, but they’re so cute.

We then did some more walking around and checking out the exhibits. We saw the Anheuser-Busch Clydesdale Horses. You could tell that they were well cared for and were so beautiful. We went to see the sharks and it was so exciting being in the underwater tunnel. I have always wanted to go through it and never knew that it’s the biggest in the world. I remember it from one of the Jaws movies when I was little.
After the shark exhibit, we went to see the Clyde & Seamore show. They were the cutest sea lions and so smart. They put on an entire pirate themed show and it was so adorable. I think the people that work with these animals are so lucky. I am sure that the job has its’ challenges, but it must be so rewarding.

We went and saw the penguins and turtles and then I went on some rides. First, I went on the Journey to Atlantis and it was a blast. I was placed with another single rider in the front of the “boat”. This ride reminded me of Splash Mountain at Magic Kingdom. The hill was very steep and I got soaked. After that, I went right on the Kraken roller coaster and it was also a lot of fun. It was nice being able to mix some rides in with seeing all of the animals. Overall, we had a wonderful day at Sea World.

Day 5 was a travel day and there is nothing exciting to report. We got home safe last night and had a great time on our trip. It was really fun getting to go away with my mom and spend time together. She never treats herself to vacations or anything extravagant. I knew that this would mean a lot and that is why hubby and I did this for her. My mother is very important to me and always looks out for me. It was time to do something extra special for her. I think this trip was just what she needed and it was great for me to get away and relax too!

Florida trip - Day 3

My mom and I got up very early to get to Discovery Cove by 8:30am. We got there, checked in, had a light breakfast and then got settled in. This place is so beautiful and clean. I was pleasantly surprised. I read many reviews on trip advisor and got some great recommendations. I was very confident in my decision to take my mom there.

The first thing we did was go to the bird aviary. There were many different types of birds flying around and they also had a baby deer that roams around. We caught a glimpse of the little deer eating, but it was hidden behind some trees. The birds are so pretty and very tame. They give you a little cup of food and the birds will land on your hand and eat right out of the feeding cup. At one point I had 3 little pink and gray birdies on my hand eating. They were so precious.

After the aviary, we went into the lagoon and lazy river. This was built this to seem very natural. It reminded me of the caves that hubby and I swam through on our honeymoon when we went to Xcaret. Unlike Xcaret, the water was a warm 85 degrees and felt so refreshing at Discovery Cove. The caves in Mexico were 65-70 degrees…brrrrr! After the lagoon and lazy river, we went into the Stingray shallows and got to pet some rays. My mom was super scared, but I talked her into it. I forgot how velvety they felt. Years ago I went on a cruise and one of our stops was in the Cayman Islands. We went to Stingray City and it was an experience that I’ll never forget.

After we checked out the Stingrays, we went to snorkel around the tropical reef. The water was salty and chilly, but there were a ton of different fish and Stingrays. I have seriously never seen a bigger Stingray in my life. I saw several that had a wing span bigger than most adults. They were enormous and quite intimidating. They didn’t bother anyone though. Around the reef, they had what looks like a shipwreck and behind the glass around the ship there are sharks that are sectioned off from the reef. It was fun because it makes you feel like you’re swimming with them even though they’re on the other side.

After snorkeling, it was time to go swimming with the dolphins. This was my third time and my mom’s first. The whole reason we got her this trip to Florida was to do this. She has always loved dolphins and always wanted to do this. We were with a group of 7 (including us), worked with 2 trainers and an adorable 17-year old dolphin named, “CJ”. He was unique because he is half Atlantic bottlenose dolphin and half common dolphin. It was cute, because he had different characteristics from his mother and father, just like a person.

During our dolphin swim, we were able to touch, kiss, feed and do hand gestures to make “CJ” do different tricks for us. Towards the end of the swim, we were able to take a ride on him. It was a ton of fun! I wish I could have done this all day.

After our dolphin swim, we went to grab lunch and it was really good. The wonderful thing about Discovery Cove is that you don’t have to worry about anything. All of your food, snacks, drinks, towels, snorkel and sunscreen are covered. We really didn’t need anything. Everything was so clean and you can tell they really do a lot to keep the park nice.

Once we were done with lunch, we went back to the lagoon, lazy river and tropical reef for some more swimming. We finally finished around 4:00pm and called it a day. It was a wonderful experience and I highly recommend this to anyone considering it.

After Discovery Cove, we went to Houlihan’s for dinner, then came back to our hotel and relaxed.

I apologize for my lack of comments. I should be back to normal by tomorrow!

Florida trip - Day 2

All ready for shopping!

We got up and had a light breakfast at the hotel and then went to the outlets! I love outlet shopping. It is sort of like an adventure and you never know what deals you will find. There are so many different outlets in Florida that it’s hard to choose which one to go to. We ended up going to the Orlando Premium Outlets. They have over 150 stores and it is a little overwhelming.



I got hubby that t-shirt from Polo, the sea horse and sand dollar necklaces at J.Crew, the tote at Coach and the bracelet, pouch and flip flops from J.Crew.

I got some cute tops from Banana Republic and J.Crew also!

After shopping, my mom wanted to check out a buffet for lunch. We went to the Golden Corral and it was disgusting. I don’t know why people think they can serve slop and call it a meal. I picked at a few things but pretty much ate bread. After lunch, we came back to the hotel and I swore I was going to nap for an hour but ended up taking another long 3+ hour nap. There is nothing like being on vacation and sleeping half of it away. I guess my body was trying to tell me something.

After my long nap, we decided to go down to the pool, but it was like an ice cube. Hubby told me that it was 93 degrees at home. It only reached 83 in FL…pretty unbelievable. We went to dinner at Don Pablo’s and it was yummy. I know it’s a silly chain Mexican restaurant, but I love it. We came back to the hotel after dinner and relaxed since we knew we had a long day ahead of us tomorrow.

Florida trip - Day 1

We got up at 4:30am (why did I book such an early flight again?) and got to the airport for our 7:10am flight. We got to Florida around 9:30am, got our rent-a-car and then headed to the hotel. Our room wasn’t ready yet so we went to Cracker Barrel for breakfast and it was good. I love browsing around in the little country store that they have. They always have the cutest things.

After breakfast we drove around and got familiar with the area. There is so much to do in Orlando, but I don’t think I could live here. There are too many tourists and people drive like maniacs (hubby used to live down here and has said that the two main reasons he left were the heat and tourists).

We came to our hotel, got settled in and my mom and I we’re both beat so we took a nap. Let’s just say I didn’t wake up until 8:00pm that night. I was so mad at myself because I knew I’d had trouble sleeping later on. We went to T.G.I.Friday’s for dinner and it was decent. It seems there really isn’t anything but a bunch of chain restaurants down here. I guess it makes sense since it’s such a tourist destination.

After dinner, we came back to the hotel, relaxed and stayed up late watching TV.

A few things

1. A huge thank you goes out to Gwen at Confessions of a Control Freak. I signed up for her snail mail (because I adore her) and she sent me the sweetest card as well as a beautiful cosmetic bag in my favorite colors of pink and green. She even had my name embroidered on it! I love anything customized. This was a very sweet gesture and I appreciate it so much. Gwen – I will be sending you something soon! I encourage others to do this type of thing too. It’s not about getting something, but it really does brighten your day when you check the mailbox and there is something other than bills and junk mail waiting for you. Even if you just send a little note, it can really make someone’s day. I don’t know about you, but I am all about making people smile.

2. Tomorrow I am off to sunny Orlando with my mom. Geof and I bought her this trip for Christmas and it’s finally here. She has always wanted to swim with the dolphins, so that is just what I’m taking her to do. We’re going to Discovery Cove and are so excited. Geof gets to stay home with the dogs (our dogs + my moms dog = chaos).

Hubby and I on our honeymoon

Geof is on dog duty with Happy, Mandy & Chase!

3. Grey’s Anatomy – what a tear jerker last night. I don’t want to spoil anything in case people haven’t seen it yet, but I was a crying mess. I must say that they’ve stepped it up this season.

I hope everyone has a happy Friday and a great weekend. I will probably check here and there from vacation, because I can’t stay away for too long!