F-Body Europe

Yip, we are booked to go to Florida in August.

Cluckin great....

Parks I know will be done.

But I want some cruises too - anu info??

Hm ... lucky you! Get ready for some heat What area of FL are you heading to?

got a villa in Kisseme.

Yeah i know it'll be hot and sticky, but it may ne a way fo rme to loose weight!!!!

That's a good, centralized location. You'll be within a 2 hour drive of all the major attractions. I wish I was going with you! I know you'll have fun, but do you honestly believe this post will get THAT much attention?

no - just thought what the hel he ehe ehe

So any advice over the next few weeks would be grear.

I've heard abouth the Richard Petty experience. Also had thought about popping into to see BMR, but my other 1/2 might say otherwise he he.#


Just looking forward to getting over there. Its been 2 years since I said we'd go. Dan (my boy) is 7 so I'm sure he'll enjoy it too.

Yup, Kissemme (not sure about which letters are double in that name ... all I know it's an Indian originated name) is smack dab in the middle of most of the tourist attractions ... Orlando is about half an hour or so north, Kape Canaveral a good hour east, Tampa about 1-2 hours west ... you can probably make it to Key West and back in a day (though you won't have much time to see anything there that way )
Recon you can find at least a race track or two close bye, too ...

KISSIMMEE, 2 SSs, 2 Ms and 2 EEs!

http://kissimmee.com/

right Jack tell'em!

driving the Highway 1 from Homestead to Key West is a must!
ignore the gay and look for Hemingways inspiration.
Sunset is cool at the pier when artists have their shows.

We rented a power boat and went circeling the keys...
fishing and swimming. Lots of fish, but also sharks.
get plenty of sun lotion to safe on burn relief!

Nice for kids: Take the Highway 41 from Naples
to Sweetwater through the Everglades. My daughter (7) enjoyed the
airboat ride and holding a baby alligator (Everglades City).
The Shark Valley Visitor Center provides a Tram Tour to an Observation Tower, interesting tour with good explanation of the wildlife by the tour guide and huge turtles! (besides the alligators)

My daughter really loved all of Sea World and Bush Gardens, but
we skipped Disney. At the west coast also is a manatee park,
where you stand side by side to them animals inside a glass boat.

I liked going shopping after midnight and having Waffles at 300am.

Don't miss Ocala
on a side note the area is the home of Americas best Thouroughbred Racing Horses, many farms
but you may more enjoy Don Garlit's 'Big Daddy' Drag Racing Museum
right on Interstate 75 if I remember right.

TIP: if you are member of ARC Europe or equivalent car club
ask for an AAA discount card and you safe money on most of Hotels/Motels, car rental, and you get rebates (up to 10%) at parks.

I can write you a 3-week round trip tour if you like...

oh, and not to forget to tell your kid: do not walk/play in high gras,
bushes, or any places where poisonous snakes may hide, i.e. under
a piece of wood. Don't know about your area, but in Germany we don't learn to watch out for them, since we do not have any.

I've lived in the south all my life. I never saw any dangerous animals. Just dozens of rattlesnakes and cottonmouths. Plus aligators, wild boars, coyotes, panthers, and bobcats. But nothing dangerous.

Big Daddy I conccur also . Nothing really dangerous for a southern Boy or Girl

Doubt that you'll get to see any manatees living in the wild at that time of the year ... they only come up the rivers in the winter to warm up some - during the summer, they are way out IIRC ... I was out to do some snorkeling with them in March/April two years ago, and we only saw about two or three of 'em ... Already too warm then ... best time is between October and February IIRC

I believe that is called Manatee Springs, and should be VERY nice! I love glass bottom boat rides. There's a place called Wakulla Springs about 30 minutes from my house. The water is ICE cold, but once your body gets used to it, you never want to get out. The funny thing is looking across the water and seeing aliigators swimming around, or sunbathing!

Great stuff - keep it coming.

Thanks Squirel - Dan is 7 and we are ALL looking forward to both parks and seeing the area.

The gaitor visit on the everglades will be good.

I'm going to have to make a list.

It would be nice if you would send me some more detials. I think I'll have to plan the visit to maximise the trip. Either PM me or mail me on richardjag@aol.com

As for snakes and spiders - nothing here in the UK except Adders, which are very rare and only in isolated areas.

Unless you plan to stroll throught the forests, you needn't worry about snakes. They aren't THAT common in Florida. You might see the occasional grass snake, but they are wussies, and don't bite.

In the central Florida area, you will find information centers every 100 feet or so. You shouldn't really be worried about planning it so much. You might find something else that you would prefer to do or see. At these info centers, you will find literally hundreds of pamphlets and brochures on the different attractions. You can't go wrong by visiting Florida! It is really a great place for tourists. Just don't get lost in the wrong neighborhood in Miami!

Disney = $$$
Universal Studios = $$$
They were OK, just pricey. These are all day parks, lots to see and do.
Like stated, make sure you get discounts through AAA or something, Florida residents get big discounts for these theme parks.
In Orlando = Race Rock - 'nuff said
Tampa (wife's hometown) = Busch Gardens-loved it, and they have some of the best rated roller coasters in the world. Make sure you check out the hospitality "tent" for the free beer samples.
Sea World was nice too.
I really enjoyed Cape Canaveral, if there is a launch happening, that is the time to go. Saw a shuttle going up the last time I was there. The sonic booms are something that you need to experience. I know that there won't be a shuttle going up any time soon, but rockets are still being launched.
DAYTONA! I missed out on the Petty Experience. Something for the whole family to enjoy. The tour around the track was cool, you just don't realize how steep the banking is until you're looking at it, it's like a wall in front of you. Driving on the beach was cool. The sand is packed so hard that the tires will actually "squeel". Kinda like on the Dukes of Hazzard...
Start saving your $ and ensure that you'll be there for a while, lots to see and do.
ENJOY!

Yup, Disney et al are all expensive ... try to pick up pre-used multi-day passes to save some $$$ ... there used to be places all over that sold them ... problem is through the summer time that the parks will be pretty loaded ... when I was in Epcot, Seaworld etc. several years back, we were there in January - everything more or less empty, were able to get through a whole park in a day ... during the summer, get ready for some loooong queues at all the attractions ... FWIW, I waited for an hour at the Universal "Back to the Future" ride back then - all the others were less than 20 minutes at the time ...

Yeah, the lines can suck in the Summer. Also, you should definitley hit up Wet 'n Wild! It is probably the best water park in the world! I love Der Stuka. It feels like you're going straight down...