Since my mind is always dreaming of ideas for the next adventures, I thought I'd share what some of those might be within the next few months...
1. Tampa, FL - The bro just returned from the war, so my parental desire to go visit him. Additionally, my mom has it in her head that she may want to retire to Tampa, and she's heard that you can dive with the manatees in Crystal River (equi-distant from Orlando or Tampa). Thus, my mom is combining all of these into a week long trip in March. She wants me to come and make it a family reunion, but it will just depend on how much time I can afford to take off of classes and how much money I have after Italy!
2. Chicago, IL - This year the Forte Conference will be held there in June. I'm hoping I get a stipend again (and a day off of Amazon) so I can go out there for the weekend. I'd love to see Wrigley Field, the Bean, the trains, Sears tower (I know it's been renamed, but who cares), etc.
3. Las Vegas - I know I've been a million times, but it's always a good time. My darling friend Holly (who lives there) is getting married there this summer, so it's a great excuse to go. Also, my friend Katie (who is also getting married this summer) is having a bachelorette party there sometime within the next few months!
Showing posts with label vacation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vacation. Show all posts
Friday, February 26, 2010
Monday, February 15, 2010
Sailing off the British Virgin Islands...
My fabulous friend Sally (AKA my partner in crime here in grad. school) and her sister are licensed sailboat captains, and occassionally decide to rent out a boat. This year Sally decided it'd be fun to get a group of our classmates together to go on a week-long boat trip in the British Virgin Islands for a crazy week of tanning, snorkeling, scuba, and leasure. We got together a group of 10 (5 guys, 5 girls) and are headed down to Tortola right after classes end (and we all go our separate ways for our internships) in May.
Since Sally and sis are captains, we don't have to hire any crew members, and we were able to get round-trip flight tickets for only $500 from PIT - score! Plus split 10 ways the boat/food/alcohol was a totally reasonable price.
Here's a picture of the boat we are renting:
I am so excited! Just now have to get in bathing suit shape and figure out how to get a tan!
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Traveling solo for the first time...
I've just decided to go on a trip to Italy over Spring Break. Probably not the greatest idea on a student budget, but a close friend is studying abroad in Florence (where I could stay for free) and the flights are really cheap right now, so I've decided to go for it. It would mean traveling solo and spending a few days by myself, which I admit scares me to death, but it also means 4 days in Rome and 3 days in Florence.
Have you been to either of these cities? Recommendations of restaurants / shops / hostles?
Have you been to either of these cities? Recommendations of restaurants / shops / hostles?
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Thailand Trip - part 1
Monday, Aug. 4
In July Thai Air had decided to cancel all flights on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays due to in July, but had never bothered to tell us until I got an email the day before we were supposed to leave. After hours of frustrating phone calls (and losing all respect for Thai Air) we decided to switch our flights to EVA Air, where we were able to get Elite class (something between Coach and business) for virtually the same cost as our previous tickets. Unfortunately, it did mean we would have a stop in Taipei and I would have to take an extra day off work, but it was the best option we had.
Tuesday, Aug. 5
Since I wasn’t able to go to work on Tuesday, I got to sleep in and have lunch with my Mom before leaving. Brita’s mom picked us up and drove us to LAX where we hoped our last minute tickets wouldn’t cause us any problems. Fortunately they didn’t so we had plenty of time to grab some treats and entertainment for our long flight and for Brita to get a last minute smoke break.
It had been years since I’d flown out of LAX (I try to avoid it by flying out of Burbank or Ontario), but I really couldn’t believe what a crummy, teeny international terminal it had! Everything was filthy and half under construction, there was no sit down restaurants or coffee bars (what, no Starbucks?), I was pretty disgusted. Anyway, I did manage to find myself some juice past security while we waited since our plane took off about an hour late.
Wednesday, Aug. 6
We lost a day due to flying and crossing over the International Date Line! Some time in the wee hours of morning we were rushed through the Taipai airport by people yelling “Bangkok”, who put stickers on us. We didn’t get to check out the airport at all, but honestly we were too rushed to notice anything anyway.
Thursday, Aug. 7
We arrived in BKK around 3 am and called family, changed some money, had problems with Brita’s bank card. We caught a taxi to Kelsey’s Aunt’s house, which only got partially lost. When we finally arrived we got to greet Kelsey and meet Kelsey’s cousins who were still awake and were a bit drunk but very friendly. They gave us a tour of the house then headed off to sleep. The house was really neat – multi-level with a meditation room, and rooftop garden with a great view of the city of Bangkok. From the roof we could see a big mosque, and we were actually able to hear a muslim prayer call at dawn. We weren’t unprepared for the unbearable heat and wretched smells of Bangkok, but it was still a bit surprising.
After we caught a few hours of shut-eye, the whole house woke up and we got ready for the vanpool to Pattaya. Carolynn & Jeremy arrived from their hotel, and we got to meet Kelsey’s mom, and brother, Dominic. We stopped at gas station to grab snacks and go to the bathroom. We got Mama cups (the Thai version of Cup ‘O Noodles but WAY better) and some neat Thai candy, and discovered Thai toilets, which aren’t much more than a hole in the ground.
About an hour later we arrived in Pattaya Beach. We checked into Amari Orchid Towers, they greeted us with big smiles and delicious glasses of lemongrass tea. The people are so very friendly with giant smiles on their faces, and they even had our names on a welcomes sign, though Brita’s name said Mr. Daniels! Kelsey gave Carolynn, Brita and I gifts for coming – individualized beach bags w/ our initials on them filled with goodies – so cute!
While Kelsey and Josh met up with the wedding planner, the rest of us checked into our rooms and decided to take a little walk down to the beach. It reminded us of Mexico – honking taxis, stray dogs everywhere and a horrible sewer stench, which made the beautiful resort and hotel seem so out of place in such an obviously poor country. We decided to head back to our safe haven and Carolynn, Jeremy, Brita, and I headed down to the pool for some veg time and to check out the swim up bar. We had fun out in the sun, but the drinks took forever!
A few hours later we caught up with Dominic (AKA “Domo”), and went in search of dinner. We found a great noodle joint called MK, where we fed 5 for dinner the first night down here for what was approx. 16 dollars - so nice to be in a part of the world where the dollar still holds some value! The food was delicious, and we didn’t seem to have any problems speaking English – though their English is obviously very limited. We quickly picked up how to say "Hello" and "Thank you", and the people all seem genuinely pleased when we try speaking to them.
After dinner we headed out to the Minus 5 Ice Bar with the whole gang. For only XX Thai Baht (approx. $) you get 20 minutes in the ice room, where it is all you can drink vodka. You put on big parkas and gloves, then they send you in the refrigerated room. Everything, including the shot glasses, is made of ice. We quickly discovered that only the first two shots were actually vodka, the rest was different kinds of juices (leechee, watermelon, etc.) – possibly mixed with vodka, but it was really weak. We then decided to mix half juice with half of the honey vodka (which is delicious btw), and everyone got pretty tipsy. We had a great time with the whole bar to ourselves! When we were done Kelsey, Josh, Carolynn and Jeremy took a tuk tuk back to the hotel. My sleep deprivation had started to kick in, plus a heavy buzz, so I didn’t want to stay out, but Brita convinced me that we were on vacation and we should party it up, so we went out with Kelsey’s mom and cousins to a Discotec.
What a crazy place! It had a mix of live bands and a dj, all of which was really good, despite the fact that we couldn’t understand a lot of it. They ordered a hooka (sheesha) and more drinks for the table, and danced. We got our first glimpse into the world of Thai hookers as we had a girl proposition everyone in our party (male and female) and partied until the wee morning.
Friday, Aug. 8
We slept in, and got breakfast at the restaurant at the hotel. The prices were pretty equivalent to American/European prices, but it was convenient and the food was good so it worked. I discovered the most fantastic Pomegranate juice, and sampled all the tropical fruits, though I was sad to discover that most look very pretty but are actually pretty bland.
That afternoon was Kelsey and Josh’s wedding! They had hired a charter bus to take everyone to Jomtien Beach, where the ceremony would be held. It was pretty windy and overcast, but very pretty. Kelsey looked so very beautiful in a mermaid dress, and Josh was dapper and nervous – it was very cute. Unfortunately both my camera and Carolynn’s batteries died within minutes of getting to the wedding site, but at least that gave us a chance to just watch the ceremony. The wedding officiator could barely speak English and he was butchering it so badly noone could understand a thing, and had to exercise some serious restraint to keep from busting out in laughter. It was really lovely though, and we had a lot of fun! They are such a great couple so it is nice to see them finally married! The reception was held at a local place with great little cabins right on the ocean! It had a great buffet of food, and the newlywed Simmons were able to get themselves a cocktail in a coconut, which they’d been looking for everywhere. Sadly the Americans were all so tired we virtually fell asleep at our table towards the end of the night, but it was a really charming reception.
Saturday, Aug. 9
The next morning B and I went to checked out the town, find an Internet Café and try the famous Thai massages. The little internet cafe we found doubled as a laundry mat of sorts and had decrepit 486 type computers trying to run Windows Vista on dial-up. We got quite a kick out of it, but the lack of air conditioning had us out of their fairly quickly. We found a massage parlor that looked legit (not the kind with a happy ending) and went in midly worried but very excited. It turns out Thai massages are like Pilates except you don’t have to do any work. The girl stretches and pulls every muscle in your body (including your face and head) and even lifts you over their head! This is an incredibly impressive, especially considering how teeny most Thai people are, as they use every part of their bodies to wrap you up in knots. As dancers, and thus fairly limber, Brita and I enjoyed it, but it certainly wasn’t relaxing as we had expected (that would be an oil massage instead). We headed back to the hotel for some pool time, but the sun was virtually gone by the time we got out there.
That night we joined Caro and Jeremy to check out the infamous Walking street. It is all lit up like Las Vegas with bars and strip clubs and it is a very crowded street. The prostitution and lewd acts (of horrifying things I won’t put into words) run ramped. We were shocked (I have now seen it all) and disgusted to see how little a human life was valued. We did manage to find a neat bar, named “Hot Tuna”, where there was an incredible rock cover band. We got some drinks and hung out people watching and jamming to the music for an hour or so. We then headed over to Boyz Town, the gay section, and by far the cleanest and friendliest part of town. Jeremy was too afraid to stay there long, but we were able to grab a drink and chat with some beautiful lady boys.
Sunday, Aug. 10
We only got a few hours of sleep before we got up to catch a boat to go Scuba diving. Brita snorkled, but then got seasick and was miserable the whole rest of the day. I had a cute, Dutch dive buddy named Jared and we were able to make two really great dives.
We had planned to go to the famous “Tiffany’s Cabaret Show” that evening, but we were so exhausted we ended up staying in, ordering room service, and trying to watch some of the Olympics.
In July Thai Air had decided to cancel all flights on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays due to in July, but had never bothered to tell us until I got an email the day before we were supposed to leave. After hours of frustrating phone calls (and losing all respect for Thai Air) we decided to switch our flights to EVA Air, where we were able to get Elite class (something between Coach and business) for virtually the same cost as our previous tickets. Unfortunately, it did mean we would have a stop in Taipei and I would have to take an extra day off work, but it was the best option we had.
Tuesday, Aug. 5
Since I wasn’t able to go to work on Tuesday, I got to sleep in and have lunch with my Mom before leaving. Brita’s mom picked us up and drove us to LAX where we hoped our last minute tickets wouldn’t cause us any problems. Fortunately they didn’t so we had plenty of time to grab some treats and entertainment for our long flight and for Brita to get a last minute smoke break.
It had been years since I’d flown out of LAX (I try to avoid it by flying out of Burbank or Ontario), but I really couldn’t believe what a crummy, teeny international terminal it had! Everything was filthy and half under construction, there was no sit down restaurants or coffee bars (what, no Starbucks?), I was pretty disgusted. Anyway, I did manage to find myself some juice past security while we waited since our plane took off about an hour late.Wednesday, Aug. 6
We lost a day due to flying and crossing over the International Date Line! Some time in the wee hours of morning we were rushed through the Taipai airport by people yelling “Bangkok”, who put stickers on us. We didn’t get to check out the airport at all, but honestly we were too rushed to notice anything anyway.
Thursday, Aug. 7
We arrived in BKK around 3 am and called family, changed some money, had problems with Brita’s bank card. We caught a taxi to Kelsey’s Aunt’s house, which only got partially lost. When we finally arrived we got to greet Kelsey and meet Kelsey’s cousins who were still awake and were a bit drunk but very friendly. They gave us a tour of the house then headed off to sleep. The house was really neat – multi-level with a meditation room, and rooftop garden with a great view of the city of Bangkok. From the roof we could see a big mosque, and we were actually able to hear a muslim prayer call at dawn. We weren’t unprepared for the unbearable heat and wretched smells of Bangkok, but it was still a bit surprising.
After we caught a few hours of shut-eye, the whole house woke up and we got ready for the vanpool to Pattaya. Carolynn & Jeremy arrived from their hotel, and we got to meet Kelsey’s mom, and brother, Dominic. We stopped at gas station to grab snacks and go to the bathroom. We got Mama cups (the Thai version of Cup ‘O Noodles but WAY better) and some neat Thai candy, and discovered Thai toilets, which aren’t much more than a hole in the ground.
About an hour later we arrived in Pattaya Beach. We checked into Amari Orchid Towers, they greeted us with big smiles and delicious glasses of lemongrass tea. The people are so very friendly with giant smiles on their faces, and they even had our names on a welcomes sign, though Brita’s name said Mr. Daniels! Kelsey gave Carolynn, Brita and I gifts for coming – individualized beach bags w/ our initials on them filled with goodies – so cute!
While Kelsey and Josh met up with the wedding planner, the rest of us checked into our rooms and decided to take a little walk down to the beach. It reminded us of Mexico – honking taxis, stray dogs everywhere and a horrible sewer stench, which made the beautiful resort and hotel seem so out of place in such an obviously poor country. We decided to head back to our safe haven and Carolynn, Jeremy, Brita, and I headed down to the pool for some veg time and to check out the swim up bar. We had fun out in the sun, but the drinks took forever!
A few hours later we caught up with Dominic (AKA “Domo”), and went in search of dinner. We found a great noodle joint called MK, where we fed 5 for dinner the first night down here for what was approx. 16 dollars - so nice to be in a part of the world where the dollar still holds some value! The food was delicious, and we didn’t seem to have any problems speaking English – though their English is obviously very limited. We quickly picked up how to say "Hello" and "Thank you", and the people all seem genuinely pleased when we try speaking to them.
After dinner we headed out to the Minus 5 Ice Bar with the whole gang. For only XX Thai Baht (approx. $) you get 20 minutes in the ice room, where it is all you can drink vodka. You put on big parkas and gloves, then they send you in the refrigerated room. Everything, including the shot glasses, is made of ice. We quickly discovered that only the first two shots were actually vodka, the rest was different kinds of juices (leechee, watermelon, etc.) – possibly mixed with vodka, but it was really weak. We then decided to mix half juice with half of the honey vodka (which is delicious btw), and everyone got pretty tipsy. We had a great time with the whole bar to ourselves! When we were done Kelsey, Josh, Carolynn and Jeremy took a tuk tuk back to the hotel. My sleep deprivation had started to kick in, plus a heavy buzz, so I didn’t want to stay out, but Brita convinced me that we were on vacation and we should party it up, so we went out with Kelsey’s mom and cousins to a Discotec.
What a crazy place! It had a mix of live bands and a dj, all of which was really good, despite the fact that we couldn’t understand a lot of it. They ordered a hooka (sheesha) and more drinks for the table, and danced. We got our first glimpse into the world of Thai hookers as we had a girl proposition everyone in our party (male and female) and partied until the wee morning.
Friday, Aug. 8
We slept in, and got breakfast at the restaurant at the hotel. The prices were pretty equivalent to American/European prices, but it was convenient and the food was good so it worked. I discovered the most fantastic Pomegranate juice, and sampled all the tropical fruits, though I was sad to discover that most look very pretty but are actually pretty bland.
That afternoon was Kelsey and Josh’s wedding! They had hired a charter bus to take everyone to Jomtien Beach, where the ceremony would be held. It was pretty windy and overcast, but very pretty. Kelsey looked so very beautiful in a mermaid dress, and Josh was dapper and nervous – it was very cute. Unfortunately both my camera and Carolynn’s batteries died within minutes of getting to the wedding site, but at least that gave us a chance to just watch the ceremony. The wedding officiator could barely speak English and he was butchering it so badly noone could understand a thing, and had to exercise some serious restraint to keep from busting out in laughter. It was really lovely though, and we had a lot of fun! They are such a great couple so it is nice to see them finally married! The reception was held at a local place with great little cabins right on the ocean! It had a great buffet of food, and the newlywed Simmons were able to get themselves a cocktail in a coconut, which they’d been looking for everywhere. Sadly the Americans were all so tired we virtually fell asleep at our table towards the end of the night, but it was a really charming reception.
Saturday, Aug. 9
The next morning B and I went to checked out the town, find an Internet Café and try the famous Thai massages. The little internet cafe we found doubled as a laundry mat of sorts and had decrepit 486 type computers trying to run Windows Vista on dial-up. We got quite a kick out of it, but the lack of air conditioning had us out of their fairly quickly. We found a massage parlor that looked legit (not the kind with a happy ending) and went in midly worried but very excited. It turns out Thai massages are like Pilates except you don’t have to do any work. The girl stretches and pulls every muscle in your body (including your face and head) and even lifts you over their head! This is an incredibly impressive, especially considering how teeny most Thai people are, as they use every part of their bodies to wrap you up in knots. As dancers, and thus fairly limber, Brita and I enjoyed it, but it certainly wasn’t relaxing as we had expected (that would be an oil massage instead). We headed back to the hotel for some pool time, but the sun was virtually gone by the time we got out there.
That night we joined Caro and Jeremy to check out the infamous Walking street. It is all lit up like Las Vegas with bars and strip clubs and it is a very crowded street. The prostitution and lewd acts (of horrifying things I won’t put into words) run ramped. We were shocked (I have now seen it all) and disgusted to see how little a human life was valued. We did manage to find a neat bar, named “Hot Tuna”, where there was an incredible rock cover band. We got some drinks and hung out people watching and jamming to the music for an hour or so. We then headed over to Boyz Town, the gay section, and by far the cleanest and friendliest part of town. Jeremy was too afraid to stay there long, but we were able to grab a drink and chat with some beautiful lady boys.
Sunday, Aug. 10We only got a few hours of sleep before we got up to catch a boat to go Scuba diving. Brita snorkled, but then got seasick and was miserable the whole rest of the day. I had a cute, Dutch dive buddy named Jared and we were able to make two really great dives.
We had planned to go to the famous “Tiffany’s Cabaret Show” that evening, but we were so exhausted we ended up staying in, ordering room service, and trying to watch some of the Olympics.
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Orlando, FL - Vacation with Brad
Brad and I decided to go out to Orlando for a vacation the week after Christmas since we both get that time off of work! We didn't want to spend too much money (since we were poor from Christmas presents and such), but since we could stay at his parents house and use one of their cars for FREE (since they are currently living in Mississippi and the Orlando house is empty) and possibly get into some of the theme parks for free, it was a deal we couldn't pass up! The timing was a little awkward though since everyone assumed I was going out to "meet his family", but we decided we didn't care what anyone else thought and went anyway!
I am so glad we did! Despite everything being busy and super expensive (all of the freeways are toll roads), it was such a great time. Everything is beautifully green, and the weather was fantastic (despite the humidity giving me a giant afro)! There are lots of lakes everywhere, and moss hangs from the trees. We got a nice opportunity to check out some of the suburbs when we rented some bikes and rode down the West Orange trail.
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There are some very rich areas with huge homes, but plenty of poor sections too. The swimming pools were all covered (I forgot why), and it just felt so home-y. Brad's parents (and brother, Wesley) ended up coming down to Orlando for the duration of our trip, so it was nice to meet them and they made us feel so welcome!
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We took a day trip out to Kennedy Space Center to check it out since I hadn't been there since I went to Space Camp as a kid (yes, I know I'm a geek). I couldn't believe how much stuff was out there! It took us all day to do everything, and we still didn't cover it all. We got to see some of the neat stuff they are building to send up to the International Space Station, the shuttles, lots of rockets, and of course, enjoy freeze-dried ice cream. =)
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Afterwards, we went out to dinner at a very "Southern" restaurant and Brad convinced me to try Gator tail! Not bad, I thought it tasted a bit like fishy chicken!
We spent several days checking out a bunch of the different theme parks - Universal's Islands of Adventures, MGM, and .
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I wanted to check out Epcott too, but time just didn't allow for it. I got a chance to meet 2 of Brad's friends, Maurice and Andrew. The three of them turned into band geeks all over again, but it was really cute, and the guys were so nice. We really enjoyed all the parks, but did start to get tired of the crowds - esp. at MGM, as everyone had come to see the Million Light display!
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We went to dinner at a BBQ restaurant, and I quickly discovered that any BBQ I've ever eaten in the past was a very poor imitation of the way BBQ should test. It could've had something to do with that fact that I was starving, but it was mezmorizing. I think I could eat BBQ like that every day and not get sick of it (though I'd probably get very fat)! After dinner we stopped and got gas, and I discovered that the gas stations reeked! Apparently Florida doesn't use filters on their gas, and it actually has a higher octane level than the stuff we get in California! Interesting... guess we get used to the things we see all the time and assume everyone else is strange!
On New Year's Eve, Maurice's family invited us to join them for a block party. It was a lot of fun with booze, games, and loads of fireworks! They are legal to buy and set off there! Brad was so sweet, and stopped at a stand and bought me a bunch of them (everything from sparklers to bottle rockets) and showed me how to set them off! He couldn't believe I'd never gotten to them before (always living in fire hazard areas) and was such a good teacher for his little pyro girlfriend. I was giddy like a 5 year old little girl - it was a blast!
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Brad also was a good sport and went with me to some of the cheesier things I wanted to do like go to the Arabian Nights Dinner Theater. We were both a bit bummed though b/c we were expecting the normal show, but got theese corny Christmas show instead. Guess we should've figured, but were suprised it never mentioned it in anything we read!
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We also tried to do an Indoor Skydiving Adventure, but unfortunately the air compressor broke right before we got there, and they were booked solid for the rest of our trip. Oh well, we found out there is one in LA, so we're hoping to make that a fun date night sometime when we get back!
Overall, a delightful trip back to Florida! What a great start to 2008! =)
I am so glad we did! Despite everything being busy and super expensive (all of the freeways are toll roads), it was such a great time. Everything is beautifully green, and the weather was fantastic (despite the humidity giving me a giant afro)! There are lots of lakes everywhere, and moss hangs from the trees. We got a nice opportunity to check out some of the suburbs when we rented some bikes and rode down the West Orange trail.
There are some very rich areas with huge homes, but plenty of poor sections too. The swimming pools were all covered (I forgot why), and it just felt so home-y. Brad's parents (and brother, Wesley) ended up coming down to Orlando for the duration of our trip, so it was nice to meet them and they made us feel so welcome!
We took a day trip out to Kennedy Space Center to check it out since I hadn't been there since I went to Space Camp as a kid (yes, I know I'm a geek). I couldn't believe how much stuff was out there! It took us all day to do everything, and we still didn't cover it all. We got to see some of the neat stuff they are building to send up to the International Space Station, the shuttles, lots of rockets, and of course, enjoy freeze-dried ice cream. =)
Afterwards, we went out to dinner at a very "Southern" restaurant and Brad convinced me to try Gator tail! Not bad, I thought it tasted a bit like fishy chicken!
We spent several days checking out a bunch of the different theme parks - Universal's Islands of Adventures, MGM, and .
I wanted to check out Epcott too, but time just didn't allow for it. I got a chance to meet 2 of Brad's friends, Maurice and Andrew. The three of them turned into band geeks all over again, but it was really cute, and the guys were so nice. We really enjoyed all the parks, but did start to get tired of the crowds - esp. at MGM, as everyone had come to see the Million Light display!
We went to dinner at a BBQ restaurant, and I quickly discovered that any BBQ I've ever eaten in the past was a very poor imitation of the way BBQ should test. It could've had something to do with that fact that I was starving, but it was mezmorizing. I think I could eat BBQ like that every day and not get sick of it (though I'd probably get very fat)! After dinner we stopped and got gas, and I discovered that the gas stations reeked! Apparently Florida doesn't use filters on their gas, and it actually has a higher octane level than the stuff we get in California! Interesting... guess we get used to the things we see all the time and assume everyone else is strange!
On New Year's Eve, Maurice's family invited us to join them for a block party. It was a lot of fun with booze, games, and loads of fireworks! They are legal to buy and set off there! Brad was so sweet, and stopped at a stand and bought me a bunch of them (everything from sparklers to bottle rockets) and showed me how to set them off! He couldn't believe I'd never gotten to them before (always living in fire hazard areas) and was such a good teacher for his little pyro girlfriend. I was giddy like a 5 year old little girl - it was a blast!
Brad also was a good sport and went with me to some of the cheesier things I wanted to do like go to the Arabian Nights Dinner Theater. We were both a bit bummed though b/c we were expecting the normal show, but got theese corny Christmas show instead. Guess we should've figured, but were suprised it never mentioned it in anything we read!
We also tried to do an Indoor Skydiving Adventure, but unfortunately the air compressor broke right before we got there, and they were booked solid for the rest of our trip. Oh well, we found out there is one in LA, so we're hoping to make that a fun date night sometime when we get back!
Overall, a delightful trip back to Florida! What a great start to 2008! =)
Friday, July 7, 2006
Florida Kays - Scuba Vacation w/ the Girls!
Day 1 – June 28, 2006
We arrived in Fort Lauderdale, FL, then took road trip down to Key Largo in the ugliest rental car known to man (a Chevy HHR), our "fugly-mobile".
On the way down we stopped in Miami for lunch and some shopping where seriously, noone speaks english, thank goodness my Spanish is good! Though it didn't matter, I later got nicknamed the "gringa" anyhow -- not my fault as Ammy is 100% Puerto Rican, and Sandra is half, so therefore, I was the white girl.. oh well! The drive down was very pretty and there was lots of singing and "serenading" between Ammy and Sandra, but it didn't stop me from being excited!
Not to mention, I was meant to be there... 
We arrived at Ammy’s friend’s parents house, where we crammed into a small room with a bathroom and a little kitchenette. After getting settled into to our "cozy" house, we decided to head out to dinner. I discovered there was no way to keep my hair from becoming an afro, and I was warned I couldn’t primp, so I decided to just be in vacation mode! We went to this restaurant called Snooks, which was ideal with it’s amazing waterfront view, outdoor dining, and incredible food (though a bit pricey)!
Only problem, the worst service EVER! We entertained ourselves by dancing to the great music, but even on vacation a 3 hour meal (2 and a half waiting for our food) is a bit ridiculous!
Day 2 – June 29, 2006
We got up and decided to explore the gorgeous town of
Day 3 - June 30, 2006
Day 3 began with an early rise, then our first day of diving.
We went to see the Christ of the Abyss, which is a statue donated to the
do I really have to go back to reality?
That night we went down to "the happening place in town", a bar called Hog Heaven. Apparently we weren't smart enough to figure out from the title, but needless to say that was an amusingly interesting evening. Every time I left Ammy alone there was another guy trying to make out with her – quite impressive!
Day 3 began with an early rise, then our first day of diving..
We went to see the Christ of the Abyss, which is a statue donated to the US by Italy of Jesus with his arms outstretched to the skys, sunk in about 25 feet of water. It has a creepy dedication on it, saying to Dr. Michael Kevorkian! Apparently, it isn't the suicide one, but still, whoa, tripped me out! We also went to a dive site called Double North. I almost got attacked by a baracuda - those suckers are everywhere, and discovered why fire coral is so named (ouch!). (Underwater pictures coming later - I don't have these pics yet).. It started to sprinkle before we got in, and the rain was cooler than the water! The water was a warm 82 degrees, with incredible visibility, absolutely to die for...
The inlet to where our boat left from... do I really have to go back to reality?
Day 4 – July 1, 2006
Saturday we slept in, then went and got pedicures and decided to take a road trip down to
It is frozen and covered in dark chocolate – absolutely the most amazing thing in the whole world, or “joy-gasmic”, as Sandra says. Therefore, it was the first thing we went in search of upon arrival.
We took a stroll down Duvall (though didn't get to enjoy an infamous "Duvall Crawl"), and saw a bunch of Drag Queens, and lots of t-shirts and items making me thing Key West is famous for crude boys and pot?
We had to stop in at Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville, and had dinner at a place called Willie T's (I highly recommend it), where the girls even convinced me to buy a t-shirt!
We then headed over to the Southernmost point (yes, as it sounds, that is the southernmost point of the
Yes, we know we are immature... =)
Look, it's the crazy bunny from Monty Python!
Then we headed back up to Key Largo b/c we had another early day of diving on Sunday!
Day 5 – July 2, 2006
We got the chance to dive the USS Speigel Grove (a boat sunk by the Navy off of
After our dive, we went out to lunch with some Ammy's friends from
My goal was to eat seafood for every meal since we were on the water. I even tried fish tacos! This was bacon wrapped scallops - YUM-O!
We spent the rest of the day enjoying the hammock at the house.
Day 6 – July 3, 2006
The next day we got to enjoy another day of diving! We went to Elbow Reef, a site called City Of 
and a big jewfish (AKA grouper) named Bob? Don't be fooled by the picture, as he was bout 15 feet behind me and 10 feet above, this baby is about 300 pounds -- freaking huge, but gentle as a lamb...
We also saw trumpetfish, pufferfish (though tempted as I was, I didn't make one puff up), and lots of gorgeous angelfish.
Our second dive was at another site where there had been hammerhead sightings (a 9 foot, and a 14 foot!), but I'm secretly glad we didn't see either of those...
That afternoon we decided to check out parasailing! I got quite sunburned. 
It was kind of a let down in terms of "thrill" factor (yes, I know I'm an adrenaline junky), but the views were spectacular!
We ended our trip with one last amazing meal with our hosts.
It was one of our host's birthday, check out her "birthday cake"
I got caught enjoying one last piece of Key Lime Pie (hey, when in Rome, but it is so time for me to diet now!)
Day 7 – July 4, 2006
The next morning, we headed back to
So next year the plan is either Cozumel or Hawaii... who knows! Hope you enjoyed my LONG blog!
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