Florida route: part 1

Bonjorno!

We’re back with a more in dept view into our journey across Florida. During the next three weeks, we’ll give you a more detailed look into the places that we’ll want to visit and the different attracties that we want to check out when we’re there. On the menu today in part 1: Orlando, Crystal Rivers and the Tampa Bay area. Let’s get cracking.

Our holiday will begin in Orlando, the home of a whole lot of amusement parks. We’re not planning anything on our first day there so that we can take our time so get settled in, scurry around the neighbourhood and enjoy the fact that we safely made it over the ocean. The next two to three days will be filled with excitement when we visit the two parks at Universal Orlando Resort. There are a lot of things that I look forward to seeing in both these theme parks but some of my favourites are The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Seuss Landing and the Jurassic Park River Adventure ride (pure nostalgia, people). 

The Harry Potter themed part of the park seems extra interesting since last year we visited the Warner Bros. Studio Tour in London where they keep all the original sets, props and costumes used in the movies. I’m not overdoing it when I say it was absolutely ah-maaaaaaaazing! So it’ll be nice to see how this version holds up to the ‘real thing’. You’ve probably also noticed how we left Disney out or the equation. Well, we chose to leave Disney as is because in all honesty we’re not that into Disney characters and the rides at Disney appealed less to us than the ones at Universal Orlando Resort.

After a couple of adventurous and probably slightly nauseating days of roller coasters and 3/4D-rides, it’s time for something a little more zen. So we’ll move on to Crystal River where we’ll get in touch with mother earth in the best way imaginable: swimming with manatees! It’s no secret that I am very very VERY excited for this but since we’ve already talked about this activity in a previous post, we won’t take you down that road again.  

Moving on down the Florida coastline, our next stop is in the Tampa Bay area. There are a whole lot of things to do in this area. First thing that comes to mind is the Salvador Dalí Museum in St.-Petersburg which holds the largest collection of the painter’s artwork outside Europe. Nothing wrong with soaking up a little culture when on holiday, right? 

Salvador Dalí himself. The internet can never have enough mustaches (Nachtkabarett).

Overall this city is a great place to hang out since you get that urban city feel while still being only minutes away from the beach.

And talk about your beaches... They have a lot of those around Florida but Caladesi Island and Honeymoon Island are definitely on our to-do-list. You know that image you have in your head when someone says the word ‘tropical beach’? Yeah, it’s probably one of these islands. Pleasantly warm ocean water flowing over into an amazing white sandy beach with shells strewn across it as it were stars in the night sky. Just wow. Need I say more? Didn’t think so.

(Hqwallbase)

(En Floride)

On that magnificent note, we’ll leave you for today but no worries, in just two days we’ll be back with our Thursday Tickle! See you then!

R & B