Orlando = Sunshine!

After having our flight delayed we finally arrived in Orlando, through customs and out to meet Charlie who was picking us up and whisking us away to Lake Nona Country Club, where he is the manager. Into our town house for the next 3 days, sit down, chat, a snack, drink, all of which there was plenty of and next thing you know its 3am. We woke to magnificent sights of the golf course, balcony views and a grateful heart that we get to experience this for the next 3 days.

Saturday we drove golf carts up to the club house and had a look around the beautiful surrounds. The boys went to the driving range and the girls went for a walk. Jackson got to ride in Justin Rose's golf cart he used in the 2014 Ryder Cup,at Gleneagles in Scotland, it was shipped back to Lake Nona after he lost a bet!!!

New Years Eve was lovely, golf in the morning, then spent the day with one of Charlie’s daughter’s Nicole and her husband Josh. We played a board game and enjoyed a nice meal. Charlie also arrived with an interesting gift, not familiar at all to the Aussies – Fireworks. Fireworks are completely banned in Australia unless you are a licensed Pyrotechnic, needless to say we had a lot of fun over the next few hours with them.

The next day was Makalea’s birthday. 15 years old. We enjoyed a beautiful breakfast up at the Country Club, followed by a light stroll around the grounds of Lake Nona. We were then witness to a helicopter touching down on the helipad, where Charlie turned to Makalea and told her it was here to pick her up – WHAT?????….!!!  

An incredibly generous arrangement from Charlie, and Christopher Bull at “The Heli Team” we are so grateful for your generosity and time to do this flight, for such a humble family who don’t take life for granted. The flight went high above Orlando, over the top of Seaworld and the Lake Nona area’s, on the return entry we were granted permission by the flight tower to fly back in ‘directly over the top of the major airport’. To be able to see the big planes taxing in on the run way below us was incredible.

At night fall we went into ‘Downtown Disney’ along with 10,000 of our closest friends (as we forgot it was a public holiday – New Year’s Day)!! We went in to see the talents of Nicole’s sister’s husband -Jordan and his buddy Isaac, who together form the amazing professional rapper duo Free Daps. The performance was engaging and very humorous, employed by Disney to perform each night.

The next day we said thank you and goodbye to the Country Club, after a quick round of golf - rubbing shoulders with the celebrity residence of Lake Nona, a bike ride and cleaning of the ‘Mansion.’ Now I know why we don’t have a big house!!

Our next stop is our Time Share accommodation on International Drive, Orlando – A shorter commute to nearby Theme Parks etc.We enjoyed a beautiful meal with Charlie and all his family on our 1st night there, at Capitol Grille. The next day we were  joined by our buddy Jack for a few days (another person we’d met  years ago at the previously mentioned Driftwood Beach House in Fort Lauderdale, the place that just keeps on giving for our family every time we visit the USA.)

Jack was our tour guide for Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure for an ‘action packed’ day of thrills and rides till we were absolutely exhausted, ‘Fast Passing’ our way onto rides, simulators and roller coasters. We covered both parks doing every “fast pass” ride in record pace, even being granted bathroom breaks this time round by Jack!!! 11 hours after beginning we made our way home to recover, ready to go again the next day, being joined by Charlie’s daughter and son in law, Nicole and Josh. 

We hadn’t done the Harry Potter rides the previous day, so that was our 1^st stop on the 2^nd day. Nicole and Josh were warned about Jacks frantic pace but they were certainly up to the challenge. 2 hours in we had accomplished our goals, so now it was time to relax the pace, explore a little more and stroll leisurely to rides even stopping for a beer or 2 as we did so.Nicole and Josh helped Jackson pick out a wand also. We had lunch out in the City Walk area, filled with restaurants, bars and gift shops, the area you must pass to get into either park. Back into the parks after that for more rides until we all got “that look” – “that look that we are all spent and are ready to go home for a rest!” We said our goodbyes to Nicole and Josh, the last time we would see them, as they were flying back to San Antonio 2 days later, after coming out to Orlando to see family and us for their Xmas/New Year break.

Let it snow, let it snow......

Tubing was awesome! Tubing is travelling down a slippery snow slope at break neck speed on a rubber tube – because you can!! Similar to an Aquaracer back at home in Australia, racing down water slides, but if you fall off the snow ones, it’s gonna hurt!!  We had no idea what to expect, but it was SO much fun. Had a little wait in line to purchase tickets, about 40 mins, but then it was 2 hours of up and down the mountain. It was great to catch up with our other friends Karina and Erica whilst there. Only for a short time but lovely to see them both again.

The next day at Anne & Priscilla’s house, we were treated to a beautiful down pour of snow. An amazing sight for Australian eye’s. Jackson and David made snow angels and had snow ball fights. We were happy to walk around in it, taking pictures, as it didn’t seem that cold.  In the evening, we met some more friends of Anne’s – Michael and Jason. Loads of laughs, wine and appetizers – a fun time had by all.

Our final day in Boston, a Fenway Park baseball field tour (home of the Red Sox) with Kevin. Fenway Park is  the oldest baseball field in the USA and 1 of only 2 baseball parks left, the other being the Chicago Cubs Wrigley Field, all others are classed as stadiums. 

This was followed by a meal at Walburgers, (a franchise started by Mark Wahlburg the actor and his brothers) to say ‘Goodbye’ and ‘Thanks so much for having us. After finishing our late lunch, it was off to the airport, heading  to Orlando tonight to enjoy some warm weather.

Christmas at Boston..!

We left Washington D.C. 5am on Friday morning. Our destination was Boston for Christmas. Our lovely Brazilian friends are taking us in for the week, to celebrate Christmas with their families. 

We had a fairly long lay over in Chicago – 9 hours so we saw this as an opportune time to catch up with our other friends Tom and Carol. As per our Brazilian family and our Orlando families, we too met Tom and Carol 5 years ago on our big trip in Florida, same holiday apartments – Driftwood Beach Club. We caught a train/bus from the airport to Navy Pier on the water front of Chicago looking out over Lake Michigan. We enjoyed a great lunch, chat and a few drinks at Margaritaville, although it was only 11.00 am, it’s 5 o’clock somewhere!

Lake Michigan was starting to freeze over in parts and there was plenty of snow still on the ground from the deluge that had taken place the week before.  Jackson enjoyed making snow balls out of the left over snow and throwing them at us all, before it was time to say goodbye, head back to the airport for the next part of our flight. We took the term planes, trains and automobiles to a new meaning by the end of the day. Our flight slightly delayed due to having to ‘de-ice’ the wings of the plane before take off – a term the Australian’s have NEVER heard before!!

After arriving in Boston safely at 10.30pm, collected by Anne, this was the start of our most enjoyable time with her family and friends. 

Light snow covered the grounds and Christmas lights on almost every house. Christmas Eve we were treated to a Brazilian feast! Welcomed with open arms, an amazing meal, great conversations, a beautifully decorated tree, lights across the mantle piece and a wood fire. The ambience was incredible. Although I couldn’t be home to share this time with my own family, this was certainly the next best thing.

Christmas day was a little slower thankfully, kids waking up to stockings and gifts Santa had left them and eating left overs all day. A great experience to sample a ‘white Christmas’. We took a walk to a lake behind Anne’s Mum’s house and skimmed rocks across the frozen water, we played in the snow and built a snow man.

A longer walk was in order the next day to get rid of some ‘Christmas cheer’. That simple task done so often at home, proved to be a little more difficult here in the snow! Two steps out the front door the sidewalk was iced up, and the sliding started. Snow had been pushed up the street every few houses like speed humps, so it felt like an obstacle course more so than a stroll..!!

Tomorrow we are off to the Snow fields to ride in some tubes. I have no idea what that is…..