Same Building – Different Freaky: Ripley’s Believe It or Not!

Reposted from the i.seekissimmee.com website...

Today was a day of fun and freaky as we escaped the heat and toured the Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum in St. Augustine! Here you can find all kinds of oddities that vary from cool to creepy and one in a million to one of a kind. There were ancient “artifact” pieces along the way and newer designs, such as a Tim Tebow pop art created from airsoft balls. We wandered from floor to floor to look at the unique displays and experiment with some of the more interactive areas of the Museum. There was even a miniaturized version of a ferris wheel in the center of the building! As we made our way back down to the bottom, we found ourselves in the FUN part of Ripley’s Museum. Lots of visual exhibits, tricks of the eye… there were giggles and laughs abound! We exited the museum via a vortex tunnel that had us clinging to the handrails in order to escape!

Trying to find a restaurant that will suit a large family can be a bit difficult… also trying to please every palette can be fun! We ended up going to a little beachside restaurant and having chicken and shrimp fritters! Nothing like eating seafood with the scent of the ocean drifting by in the breeze. After dinner, we headed back to Ripley’s to go for a ride on the their black trains and do a Ghost Train Adventure!

The kids were both excited and nervous… not quite sure if they wanted to go to haunted sites within St. Augustine or just sit on the train and take a ride. The Ghost Tours offered by Ripley’s are so neat, and now they are getting techno-spooky! Equipped with personal EMF readers, along with one iPod per group (yep, there’s an app for that)… we were ready to start reading fields and energy and see what we could find! The tour took us to the old Hugenot cemetery and down to the fort.

Words that pop up on the EMF meter!

Our tour guides told the stories that went with the locations, answered questions and helped add a little spookiness to the fun. We even managed to snap a few spooky pictures of our own! Laurel had an apparition of a wound on her arm that wasn’t there in real life! [cue the haunted house music] The train took us back to Ripley’s, which just so happens to be a haunted mansion as well! A few of our group were a bit uneasy about actually exploring the building, so we sat it out while the rest went on ahead. On a funny note, we kept getting text messages sent to us from inside the building about how much scarier it is at night than during the day! All in all, everyone had a good time – and we thank the good folks at Ripley’s for allowing us to visit them in all their creepy and odd fun! Not wanting to drive to St. Augustine? You can always check out the Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum right here in Orlando!

Up Close & Personal: Marineland

reposted from the i.seekissimmee.com website...

Today we started our “2 Days Away Staycation” in beautiful St. Augustine. One more reason I love Kissimmee, is that it’s central to so many other places, and you can do a quick getaway for a day or two to nearly anywhere in Florida. We chose St. Augustine because we love it there. History geeks that we are – what holds greater appeal than the Nation’s Oldest City? To begin our stay, we headed over to Marineland Dolphin Adventure, which recently joined forces with the Georgia Aquarium. Apparently, this fixture has been here since the early 1930’s  – something this Floridian never even knew about! The good folks at Marineland Dolphin Adventure gave us a one-on-one up close and personal tour, and I have to say, I’ve never enjoyed myself more!

Our tour guide, Meredith, who also happens to be the Education liaison [think Summer Camps, School Groups, etc.] led us to the first tank. Here we were able to meet several playful bottlenose dolphins and also learn about them via the many informative signs posted nearby. She told us about Nelly, the world’s oldest [in captivity] dolphin – who at age 59, continues to break records every day. We were able to see her “baby” and in turn, their baby… so it was neat to see the generations! We continued on past the other tanks, stopping to look and observe the many dolphins there at Marineland, before heading down below for a true “Behind the Seas” tour.

Here we were able to see other marine life in their environments, learn about feedings, safety and health of the sea creatures. The kids were particularly fond of the turtles and crabs, while Kevin and I were fascinated by the quarantine tank! Lol. Then we were led into what they call the “Event Room” – a cozy room, with historical paraphernalia that dated back to Marineland’s opening, a comfy couch, and the coolest window ever… looking right into the dolphin tank! After taking a break in the cool air, we headed back up top to really get up close and personal.

Here we met Pebbles… a playful and friendly dolphin. The kids were ecstatic at being able to feed the dolphins, and since they had no idea about the touching aspect of the “touch and feed” program there – we were totally looking forward to their reactions when it came down to the fun part! As Pebbles rolled over onto her back, the kids and I leaned down to rub her belly. All we could hear were murmurs of “coooool” and “she’s so soft” and “this is so neat” – which merely confirmed that this was the right place to go! Then we learned some tricks, like how to signal for a wave, how to ask Pebbles to do flips, and oh yeah, how to make a dolphin splash you!

We finished our tour and took home our disc full of images… did we forget to mention that a photographer will take tons of photos from your experience that you get to take with you? As most of our girls are Girl Scouts, they were all trying to plan a trip back there with their Girl Scout troop next year. For me, I’m trying to figure out a way where we can go again – as I’d never had as much fun as I did at Marineland. For visitors and locals alike – this little hidden gem is definitely my diamond in the rough!

Time for some Crack-a-Lackin’ pool fun!

reposted from the i.seekissimmee.com website...

This morning we checked into the Gaylord Palms Hotel - I could feel myself relaxing already! Luxurious greenery & the sound of rustling water… we got to walk through the caves that made you feel like you were immersed in the Everglades. Thanks to a very “Consider It Done” attitude – we were able to thoroughly enjoy our stay here. We managed to move to a room that had access to a glass elevator & a nearby staircase. Many would wonder why this is an important thing – but one of our girls is afraid of elevators. The staff was excellent & went out of their way to make our experience memorable. After finally settling in to our room (which was gorgeous, we might add!) we headed down to the Cypress Springs Family Fun Park!

This is a pretty new addition to the Gaylord Palms – and it has BUCKETLOADS of fun! Here, you can find a tree house full of water spigots and splash zones you can explore, a large bucket that dumps gallons of water from overhead, a special toddler play area! We had such a good time that the kids didn’t want to leave! We stopped over at the Haggen-Daaz shop for ice creams too! Later that evening, we all went back down for the Crack-A-Lackin’ Pool Party, hosted by the characters from Madagascar! There was dancing, games, a gargantuous beach ball – so much fun in one pool! We stayed for about half of the movie showing at the splash-in theatre… but I think the kids wore themselves out having so much fun.

Our room was … opulent! I loved the gorgeous views from our balcony looking out towards the St. Augustine inspired atrium. I probably slept one of the best nights’ rest in a long time – and I wasn’t sure if I liked our room or the grounds more – lol. All in all, whether you’re visiting from out of town, or you’re a local looking for a stay-cation … I think it’s safe to say that the Gaylord Palms has all the comforts and entertainment you could ask for!

Bright Lights & Nostalgia in Kissimmee

reposted from the i.seekissimmee.com website...

Today was pretty much a day of R&R – with so much to do right at your fingertips, sometimes you just need to take a vacation from vacation, right? It also holds a special, more personal meaning for me, as it’s my anniversary!  Well, our agenda was basically to chill out, have some BBQ with friends, and go watch the fireworks! I feel fortunate to be able to call downtown Kissimmee my home, as there is so much to do, with special events, movie nights, arts & crafts shows – and so much more! This year, they brought out the Monumental 4th of July and we were looking forward to it! We were sooo excited to be able to just walk on down and join in all the fun.

"...a glorious sight, with the harvest moon set low in the sky and the reflections of the fireworks gleaming in the waters of Lake Toho..."

Early afternoon brought us a Naturalization ceremony for many residents who are becoming US Citizens. What better day to commemorate citizenship than on the 4th of July?! Later on, the festivities began… there was a kids zone and music and plenty of food for everyone that went on right up until the buildup for the fireworks. We moseyed on down to the lakefront (you could still hear the band playing patriotic music in the distance) with the kids, spread out our blankets and got ready for the show.

As always, Kissimmee knows how to do their fireworks! What a glorious sight, with the harvest moon set low in the sky and the reflections of the fireworks gleaming in the waters of Lake Tohopekaliga – well, let’s just say it had the kids quiet for the duration of the whistles and booms and oohs and ahhs! That included my husband, who comes from the UK, and has never really seen fireworks done up the way we like to do them. The finale came, with cheers and clapping from the crowd and the last few strains of Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA” – sending us all home with a touch of nostalgia. Hope everyone had a happy & safe 4th of July!

Fun and learning with SCIENCE! And a little bit of MYSTERY too!

Reposted from the i.seekissimmee.com website...

Today was a day for exploring and experimenting! We had the opportunity to spend the day at the Orlando Science Center, and explore four levels of fun. Full of exciting and interactive exhibits, a 360 degree cinedome and a children’s play area… let’s just say we had a lot to keep us busy!

One of my favorite experiences at the Orlando Science Center has always been to visit the dinosaurs… so I dragged the kids upstairs to go see them in all their glory. Mind you, their only experience seeing a dinosaur in the past had been to see ONE bone – so Wow! were they in for a surprise! The ooohs and ahhhs as we walked in and saw the humongous tyrannosaurus rex made it worth all the while. We showed up just in time for one of the staff to make a presentation about what kind of food certain dinosaurs eat, we were able to touch a real triceratops tooth, and pass around petrified dinosaur poop [which was the highlight of the experience]

Currently, the science center offers an exciting exhibit called PLAY! where you immerse yourself in music and art and science! You can ride simulators, play life-size chess, watch sound waves and more! You can also take part in the current films showing, in this case, a series of natural disasters at the Dr. Phillips Cinedome. We decided to watch Tornado! and had a whirlwind experience as we drove into the eye of a storm.

Before we left, we made it a point to stop at the KidsTown exhibit where the kids could really climb, jump and explore! Here you can not only see unique reptiles and amphibians, but also learn about their environment. You can also learn about the Orange Grove Renovations and see what it looks like under the city streets!

All in all, I’d say that there’s a little bit for everyone at the Orlando Science Center! With four levels of interactive fun and learning – you’re sure to never be bored. Add in the great volunteers who show special exhibits and talk about what there is… it makes for an awesome day!

... a mystery is afoot... 

Later in the evening, my husband and I took advantage of a kid free night to celebrate our 1^st anniversary. We headed over to Sleuth’s Mystery Dinner TheatreSleuth's Myster Dinner Theatre – a first for the both of us! We should have known we were going to have a good time when we first walked in to a life size figure of a detective. As people chatted and snacked on hor d'oeuvres, they took turns posing and taking pictures with the great sleuth!

After checking in, we were ushered into a different room – which is, of course, the main dining theatre. You are seated at a table of 8, mixed with other guests from all over! We were the only locals at our table, as we were seated with some guests from North Carolina and a lovely family all the way from Australia. All of us were there in celebration of some sort or another. While we chatted and got to know one another, a frisky maid and a very staid butler meandered through the crowds… we knew this was going to be a fun night! Then they passed out our drinks: your choice of unlimited soda, beer or wine – and that was our cue that we were going to have a WONDERFUL night lol!

The show started in it’s typical manner, with a lot of slapstick and comical clichés – and we were already looking for clues to the mystery. Together we worked with our tablemates to try and discover the murderer, but it was mixed in with eating a scrumptious dinner and talking about where we were from. We had a wonderful time, and even though there were several double entendres, it was still a show I’d feel comfortable taking our 7 year old to. The cast were excellent and hilarious and posed afterwards with the guests for pictures. We didn’t guess the murderer correctly – actually, not many people did – but it was so well done, we’ll definitely make it a point to come back for another murder!