ParaSailing at SoBe 8/8

(My OJ State Vacation .. Part 8 of 8)

ParaSailing at SoBe 

July 26

I'm no stranger to diets - I was on the GFCF diet for the longest time. And I've heard names of other diets in both the medically necessary and cosmetic (aka lose weight fast) categories. So when I went to South Beach in southern Florida, I half expected a sign somewhere that said "South Beach Diet."  

South Beach a.k.a "SoBe" is the southern section of Miami Beach.  Miami Beach is in Miami Beach City, which is not the same as Miami. The City of Miami is on the mainland, while The City of Miami Beach is on a barrier island, off the Florida mainland, with Biscayne Bay seperating them. This caused a lot of initial confusion for my parents, as they could not locate our Hotel on the GPS. Turned out, the city we needed was Miami Beach City, not Miami! Our hotel was right by Miami Beach. (Given the numerous roads connecting the island to the mainland, it hardly felt like an island.)

South Beach has to be one of the best US beaches I've been to. The waters of the Atlantic are warm off the Florida coast, so wading into these warm ocean waters was a pleasure. ( SoBe and adjoining beaches had crisp white sands that crunched under the toes. The slope of the coast was very gradual. In effect, you could walk quite a distance from shore into the ocean water with the water hardly waist deep. 

It was well.... Just delightful to hang out there.

I would love to live in a house right by such a beach with its warm ocean waters. 

I'm all for the nice SF Bay Area weather in northern CA, but do wish the waters are not so freezing cold for most of the year - makes it a challenge to enjoy the beaches.

SoBe  has lots of shopping and boutiques (not my area of interest). There were hordes of girls and women carrying shopping bags filled with merchandise from the colorful stores. SoBe is also a culinary hotspot - the ears perk up - now we're talking. We enjoyed some delicious Thai Food for dinner in an outdoor restuarant and delicious Mexican for lunch.

I tried out parasailing for first time at SoBe. I was actually very very anxious about it. Somehow, the total loss of control, when you are suspended in the air is a scary thought. What if you should crash? What if the rope breaks, and the wind carries you off? What if its too wildy and wild up there? It was a long series of What Ifs..... as I watched others Parasail from the shore.

We were to be the first party to Parasail the next morning, so reached there nice and early at 8am. To our disappointment, we were told it was too windy and not safe. They did not know when they would be able to resume - we were at tne mercy of Mother Nature. We had almost given up hope, when the company called and gave the all clear. It was nearly 11 by then. (Dad and Mom are amazed at my patience that day - waiting isn't one of my strong suits. Same when it comes to handling anxiety.)

Turned out Parasailing is just TOO MUCH FUN and an AMAZING experience. Indeed, I would say parasailing was the highlight of my Miami visit. I felt like a bird soaring over the ocean blue. The 15-20 min ride just seemed to go on forever. The tall buildings on the beach were like toys in the distance. Below us, the tiny boat towed us along. Eventually we were smoothly reeled in back to the boat.

From Parasailing to lunch and to the Airport. That concluded my OJ State (aka Florida) Summer Trip. Saw lots, did lots and had lots of fun. 

1. OJ State Vacation

2. Wizarding World of Harry Potter

3. Islands of Adventure

4. Universal Studios, City Walk, Downtown Disney

5. Typhoon Lagoon and Back to Islands of Adventure

6. NASA - Kennedy Space Center

7. Everglades - River of Grass

8. ParaSailing at SoBe

Everglades - River of Grass 7/8

(My OJ State Vacation .. Part 7 of 8)

The Everglades - River of Grass
July 25

The Everglades are an unique wetlands ecosystem stretching over 100 miles in Southern Florida. This vast 40000 sq. miles of shallow marshy estuary originally served to empty the waters of the Lake Okeechobee (which in turn was fed by the Kissimmee River) into the Gulf of Mexico. This River of Grass is as wide as 60 miles in some places and as shallow as 6 inches in some places. The Seminoles call it pah-hay-okee meaning "Grassy River", given the abundance of grasses (saw grass, wire grass, toothache grass) that grows in the marshland.  Of course, early settlers did a lot of damage by draining vast tracts for use as farmland. This adversely affected the native habitat of its abundant flora and fauna and introduced non-native species. Now a massive conservation effort is underway to restore this ecosystem. Some 14 endangered species of fauna and flora are found there. 

We had talked about this ecosystem in my Oceanography elective last semester in school. So I was looking forward to getting a live glimpse. 

We took a 2 hour airboat ride through this river of grass. Airboats are flat bottomed, which means nothing gets caught - good for the shallow waters.  Raised seats give a good view of the water. Its propeller driven - it looks like a giant enclosed fan at the back of the boat. Good thing the propeller is enclosed, imagine getting your fingers caught in it! The propelled air drives it forward, so airboats can’t go in reverse. It’s really noisy though and I wondered how this noise pollution was affecting the wildlife. 

The mix of salt and freshwater means that both crocs and gators are found in the Everglades. We got to see only alligators though, on our ride - good thing as crocodiles are by nature more aggressive than gators. We must have seen some 40 to 50 of them - from a bunch of babies to a massive 12 footer male, who'd dug out his own private pond. He was soaking up the sun on a shallow grassy mound, and scurried into his pond as soon as our boat neared. There he lay waiting, just under the water, with just his enormous round eyes above the surface. The eyes watched and waited - is this friend, foe or prey. If we hadn’t seen him dive into the water, we would not have made him out - his colors (brown and green) was a great camouflage and blended so well with the colors of the marshy waters. It can hold its breath up to 15 min and stay submerged up to 2 hours.  We came to an area with tiny baby gators - some 20 of them were swimming around. And we saw gators of various sizes in between. Basically there was no dearth of gators on our trip. The Everglades is home to multiple species of large wading birds - we saw several egrets and herons. They took wing and one dived down into the water - food? The saw grass prairie stretched on endlessly on either side of the slightly deeper canal we were traveling in. 

A visit to the Everglades is not exciting like a rushing river (the endless sea of grass seems boring after a while) but it’s awe-inspiring in a different kind of way – an unique experience.

===============

"Here are no lofty peaks seeking the sky, no mighty glaciers or rushing streams wearing away the uplifted land. Here is land, tranquil in its quiet beauty, serving not as the source of water, but as the receiver of it. To its natural abundance we owe the spectacular plant and animal life that distinguishes this place from all others in our country." - President Harry S. Truman (dedicating the Everglades National Park in 1947).

==============

To continue.. More on my OJ Vacation saga....

1. OJ State Vacation

2. Wizarding World of Harry Potter

3. Islands of Adventure

4. Universal Studios, City Walk, Downtown Disney

5. Typhoon Lagoon and Back to Islands of Adventure

6. NASA - Kennedy Space Center

7. Everglades - River of Grass

8. ParaSailing at SoBe

NASA - Kennedy Space Center 6/8

NASA - Kennedy Space Center

July 2

As its three engines reverberated to life and the twin rocket boosters roared like Thor, the Space Shuttle Atlantis took off on its final voyage into space on July 8, 2011. It was headed to the International Space Station, to provide supplies, conduct experiments and further our understanding of our intriguing universe. When it returned on July 21, it marked the end of 30 years of the Space Shuttle Program.

NASA's Kennedy Space Center on Merrit Island in Florida is/was the sole launch facility for all the Shuttle's 135 missions since 1981. And I was fortunate in that I got to visit and see the last Shuttle docked, ready to take off, just a few days before its launch. No more will we witness the Shuttle take off, land or even see it docked. The sheer scope of such endeavours is thrilling. What would it be like to experience weightlessness I wonder, (like Dr Stephen Hawking did) - does it give you freedom from the limitations and vagaries of this human body. When not controlled by gravity and/or friction, what are the possibilities for the physics of motor movement and abilities. The mind and consciousness expand in the vastness of space. Like space itself, the possibilities stretch to infinity. 

Kennedy Space Center has a Shuttle Launch Simulator. The ride tries give you as close an experience to the real Shuttle launch into orbit as possible. You enter the shuttle launch facility (modeled after the real one the astronauts use). As you wait, you hear/see astronauts talk of their own missions and experiences. After a pre-launch briefing, the crew (that's us), enter the module and are strapped in. The launch process begins, guided by a veteran astronaut, with views of the external robotic arms at work. The shuttle takes off and the pressure changes as we approach space. The roof opens up and we get views of our magnificent planet Earth.

In terms of being a "ride", the Universal Studios, Six-flags and Disney's of terra-firma, do a better job of the bumps, jolts and quick thrills. That is to say, the Shuttle Launch ride was tame, if one compares it to an amusement park ride. But one can't compare the Space Shuttle Missions to an amusement park ride. You open your mind's eye, become an astronaut and feel the experience of take off. 

A bus tour took us around the facility. A great deal was not open to the public, which is both understandable (top secret work), yet frustrating - I would have loved to see and learned more. From the Observation Gantry, we got a panaramic view of the docked shuttle. It looked magnificent against the backdrop of the blue skies above and the equally blue ocean nearby. We got to see the absolutely ginormic transport vehicles with caterpillar wheels, that carry the parts to the launch facility. They need their own special road. The main NASA building, when it was built in the 1950s, was considered to be the biggest building in the world. (I guess you have to be an employee or VIP to get in there!). Merrit Island is also a wild life santuary, so we got to see an alligator, an eagle and even an eagle's nest.

The Shuttle Launch Plaza had a full size replica of the Space Shuttle. There were stairs to take you to different levels. Though it is enormous, it must be kinda cramped living quarters for the astronuts, with all their equipment and supplies on board.

There were various exhibits and shows - showcasing the past and future endeavors of NASA. The interactive Explorers Wanted show was interesting, we were right there in the mission control room on the ground.

The grandest exhibit had to be the Saturn V rocket - it was the real deal, not a replica. It is some 36 stories tall, so it was one really looo...oong exhibit hall. The Saturn V rockets launched the Apollo moon missions including Apollo 8 and Apollo 11. It had 3 stages, each a tech marvel in its own right.

The cafeteria features astronaut ice-cream - solid even at warm or room temperatures, as enjoyed by astronauts in space. Its taste was interesting, kind of like candy, yet not at the same time.

It was a super super hot day as well - the outside temperature was in the high 90s - desert like. (Would have loved a water ride in that heat :)). Kennedy Space Center is a very popular destination, judging from the waiting lines outside the visitors center. It took us some 40 minutes in the heat, to buy tickets to get inside.

The trip to NASA was both educational and awe-inspiring. Mankind truly thrives in new discoveries.

1. OJ State Vacation

2. Wizarding World of Harry Potter

3. Islands of Adventure

4. Universal Studios, City Walk, Downtown Disney

5. Typhoon Lagoon and Back to Islands of Adventure

6. NASA - Kennedy Space Center

7. Everglades - River of Grass

8. ParaSailing at SoBe

Typhoon Lagoon 5/8

(My OJ State Vacation .. Part 5 of 8)

Typhoon Lagoon

July 1

July 5/2011

If you had to pick a park to visit, which one would you pick, especially if there are many choices?

Universal has a bunch of parks, Disney has a bunch and Sea World has a bunch. – all in the Orlando area. It was quite the dilemma! But what better way to beat the summer heat than to head to a water park. The question that now remained was - which water park? Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon made the cut or rather the shuffle… 

Typhoon Lagoon apparently has the largest artificial wave pool amongst the theme parks, sending out 6 ft waves every half hour or so. The ever vigilant orange-clad life-guards watched from either side as the excited screaming/shrieking crowd welcomed each giant wave. It was kinda cool as you could decide how deep you really wanted to wade in, before you caught the waves. (The advantage of a man-made pool is the depth making on the sides!!). The waves would continue for some 10 mins or so, before pausing for the next sequence. Another easy-to-do thing was the Castaway Creek, a 3 ft deep lazy river – where you could just float on tubes for some 2000 ft or so. 

In the Crush n Gusher ride, you got to ride in 2 or 3 person tubes as you whiz past hairpin turns and finally land in a pool of water. There were three paths to choose with cute names like Banana, Coconut and Pineapple. Only thing was that you had to carry those tubes some up steps to some 3 stories high prior to each ride. This ride was a keeper and experienced several times over.  

The Gang Plank Falls was a family raft ride with a very long waiting line. I think we spent more time waiting in line than the actual ride itself. The ride really was "Long Time, No See!" Though short, it was however enjoyable.. The Mayday and Keelhaul rides were single person rides, which was a new experience for me. Till the very last minute I did not know if I would be able to hurtle down on a tube by myself.  You have to remember to hold on to the tube the entire time and prop yourself just right on the tubes as well. The ride was supposed to have a “rough-rapids feeling” which does not paint a safe picture for someone with anxiety issues. Turned out to be a lot less “rough-rapids” than the mind had imagined – the end result was 2 fun rides. 

What was cooler still, was that it started to rain – the drizzle during our Gang Plank wait , turning to a heavy shower by Keehaul Ride. So there we were, standing in line in a warm rain, waiting for the rides. We were gonna get wet  in a water ride anyway, so the rain was just a preamble.

Water from below (ride) and water from above (rain) truly make for fantastic water park rides!! 

Eventually the heavy shower turned into a thunderstorm and the rides shut down for safety reasons. There was a veritable mass exodus out of the park – Nature follows its own timetables. 

Back to Islands of Adventure

A closed Water Park meant time to spare, so we went back to Islands of Adventure Theme Park (my favorite) and popped into The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, plus a chance to drink an additional Butterbeer. To my disappointment, the main Harry ride was just shutting down for an unspecified period due to technical difficulties. It was fortunate that I had gone on this ride several times the previous day.  So my disappointment did not quite match those of the hordes of first timers fans who’d been waiting in line.

The Jurassic Park ride was closed too… The  thunderstorm must be messing stuff up big time at the Florida Parks! But Spidey (an indoor ride) was still open, so got another chance to see Spiderman land on our car during the ride and get rescued by him.. Again. 

Amazingly enough, these rain showers did not dampen our vacation at all. Showers were to be expected this time of the year in Florida, but the rainwater was warm and did not result in chills and colds. Most people just waited out the quick bursts (restaurants do good business during showers) and then moved on as though nothing had happened.

To continue.. More on my OJ Vacation saga....

1. OJ State Vacation

2. Wizarding World of Harry Potter

3. Islands of Adventure

4. Universal Studios, City Walk, Downtown Disney

5. Typhoon Lagoon and Back to Islands of Adventure

6. NASA - Kennedy Space Center

7. Everglades - River of Grass

8. ParaSailing at SoBe

Universal Florida and more 4/8

Universal Studios

Jun 30

With just a couple of to spare before dinner, a quick dash was made to the nearby Universal Studios. I’d already visited the Universal Studios in Los Angeles and in many ways both parks were similar. I am sure that since this was newer theme park, many things would be probably been built on a bigger and on a grander scale. But after Islands of Adventure, this was rather tame. 

The best ride and show – the Terminator show and the Simpson’s Ride. 

The disappointment – the 3D Men in Black Ride.  

Shop till you drop….  Universal CityWalk and Downtown Disney

The Universal Citywalk is prominently positioned at the entrance to both their theme parks, so its hard not to miss it. You pretty much have to walk through it to get to the theme parks.

When families and tourists are on a spending spree at theme parks, why not provide them with more opportunities to spend by keeping them there all day. Why not provide them total entertainment, shopping and dining packages all in one place. Universal Citywalk and Downtown Disney in Orlando, both serve this purpose. Evening concerts, movie theatres and of course restaurant after restaurant fill the place. No doubt there is stuff to see and do in these two places but cursory visits were all that the tired mater and pater could muster. 

Ok, so I include moi in the "tired by end of day" as well!, especially as I had been walking all day. 

After walking all day, standing in lines at rides at the theme parks, one (or rather most people) are rather fatigued, so its amazing to see so many people going strong at these places at all hours. 

1. OJ State Vacation

2. Wizarding World of Harry Potter

3. Islands of Adventure

4. Universal Studios, City Walk, Downtown Disney

5. Typhoon Lagoon and Back to Islands of Adventure

6. NASA - Kennedy Space Center

7. Everglades - River of Grass

8. ParaSailing at SoBe

Islands of Adventure 3/8

(My OJ State Vacation Saga  - Part 3 of 8)

Islands of Adventure

A lot is packed into this one theme park at Universal Orlando. While the Harry Potter section definitely hogs the limelight, this park really has a lot of other cool stuff. There are some six different islands or area, each offering a different themed adventure. 

One of the best rides had to be the Amazing Adventures of Spiderman – a 3D Simulation ride. It is amazing how our sensory system can be tricked into thinking that it is free falling from the top of a skyscraper, with the tilt of the car we ride in and visual images that flash before our eyes. Numerous arch-villains of Spiderman turn up with their heinous schemes to do away with us, but Spidey always swings in to the rescue and saves the day. The island that this was in, was of course the “Marvel Super Hero” Island. Much like the comics, the buildings in this area has exaggerated comic-book facades and dialogue snippets enclosed in cloud bubbles. I have to admit, the loud music that bombarded the ears and the exaggerated facades were a bit overwhelming for the sensory system. 

The Jurassic Park River Adventure was the other ride I enjoyed thoroughly. It’s a water ride through Jurassic Park (as shown in the movies). First the visitors are shown the human-friendly animatronics dinosaurs, but then the boat careens off into the predator area with raptors, broken fences and warning flashing lights.  Just as an enormous T-Rex lunges to make a snack out of you, the boat plunges down an 85 ft drop and the ride comes to an end. 

The Poseidon’s Fury show in the Greek themed Lost Continent has some interesting special effects, especially the water tunnel, the prisoners (audience) had to walk through, in the middle of the show. Weapons of flames and water were used and the captives were finally released. 

The Popeye Circular Raft was a nice wet ride, given that it was a hot summer day – everyone got drenched by a waterfall and splashes. It beats me how this ride ties into Popeye the Sailor Man rescuing his girl Olive Oil though. I really did not see the connection. The Ripsaw Falls ride in Toon Lagoon was probably the worst ride there – a violent rush up and down in a log ending with a sudden drop. 

A Great Fun-Packed Theme Park (with Harry Potter being the highlight of course)

To continue.. More on my OJ Vacation saga.... 

1. OJ State Vacation

2. Wizarding World of Harry Potter

3. Islands of Adventure

4. Universal Studios, City Walk, Downtown Disney

5. Typhoon Lagoon and Back to Islands of Adventure

6. NASA - Kennedy Space Center

7. Everglades - River of Grass

8. ParaSailing at SoBe

Wizarding World of Harry Potter 2/8

My OJ State Vacation Part 2 of 8

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Jun 30

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is the newest attraction in Universal’s “Islands of Adventure” theme park in Orlando, Florida.The park is just a year old, with JK Rowling and the HP actors (Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson and Co) opening the attraction. Looking at the crowds heading that way, you would think that was the only attraction in that park. The brochures and billboards everywhere featured a lifesize, broom-riding Daniel Radcliffe clad in his Quidditch robes, with the words “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter,” embossed underneath. Why not just rename that theme park to "Harry Potter and Misc. Attractions?" Eager families were taking advantage of early-entry-to-the-park offers by various Universal hotels nearby, in hopes of beating those very crowds to the rides. In fact on entering the park, most people made a solid mass beeline to the Harry Potter Area.

The Harry Potter Area did not fail to live up to expectations. A towering Hogwarts Castle looked just as one imagined it would look and the way it looked in the movies, with its turrets and towers. Inside were recreations of Dumbledore’s study with a Phoenix in the background, talking portraits, wanted posters of Sirius Black and varied scenes from the books. The main Harry Potter ride (Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey) was a thrilling ride behind Harry, accompanied by Ron at times, both on broomsticks. They zoomed us through the castle grounds, passing a giant Hagrid, through and under the Quidditch field chasing the elusive snitch, a dive over the lake by the castle, past a Basilisk with its forked snake-tongue, giant spiders and flame breathing Dragons. Chilling dementors surround, and Harry comes to the rescue with his dementor-repelling “Expecto Patronum” spell at the end. The ride really encapsulated the best of the magic in the Harry Potter world. The others rides (Dragon Challenge, Flight of the Hippogriff) were more “regular roller-coaster” in nature.

A railway station with a full size replica of the Hogswarts Express stood at the entrance to the village of Hogsmeade, complete with a uniformed conductor who spoke with a British Accent. Though the train puffed, huffed  and whistled (at intervals), as would a stream engine, it would have been cooler if the train had moved and we’d gotten to ride it, inside of remaining stationary. It was more a Photo Stop, but a fine replication nevertheless.

The village of Hogsmeade was recreated complete with snow on the rooftops and a cobblestoned street. Refreshment Carts in the village street sold pumpkin juice and Butterbeer, amongst other things.  The Pumpkin Juice turned out to be apple juice with pumpkin flavor but in a bottle with a pumpkin shaped lid – the novelty was quite taking. Long lines formed in front of the Butterbeer carts. Butterbeer tumed out to be some kind of soda concoction with whipped butternut scotch cream on top – exact formula kept secret of course, but delicious nonetheless. (Dad claims I must have gulped at least 5 Butterbeers while I was there.) The “beer” in Butterbeer confused some visitors not familiar with the stories and vendors had to clarify that it was a non-alcoholic drink.  Hogsmeade was lined  with places like Honeydukes (which stocked Chocolate Frogs), The Three Broomsticks Inn, The Hog's Head Pub and an Owl Post.  Licensed Harry Potter merchandise abounded in the shops from T-shirts, tumblers, mugs, Caps, Rememberballs, Time turners, Snitches, Wands etc. Anything that could have the Harry Potter logo on it was found here. Ollivander’s Wand Shop, Zonko’s Joke Shop, and Dervish and Banges also found a spot in this Hogsmeade village, though in the book, these are in Diagon Alley in London. And of course there was Filch's Emporium of Confiscated Goods.  

Ollivanders had his own show (called a life experience) with the theme being - "A Wand Chooses the Wizard." Of course during the show, wands flew off the shelves and lights flashed as Ollivander tried to select the right wand for one of the small girls in the audience. When he finally handed her a willow wand with a dragonstring heart, sparks flew and a spotlight beamed on her– indicating it was the right wand for her. The show followed a visit to Ollivander’s Wand shop with various wands for sale. There were the wands used by Harry, Ron, Hermoine, Dumbledore, Voldemort, Bellatrix etc on sale. But there were also 6-10 varieties of unnamed wands to be bought by the “emerging wizard” ie: us Muggles visiting the theme park. What a great marketing concept – every Harry Potter fan would want a favorite Character Wand plus a wand that is their very own.ie: buy 2 wands instead of one. 

The visit was a lovely nostalgic plunge into the HP books and world of magic, which abound with hope and possibilities. 

1. OJ State Vacation

2. Wizarding World of Harry Potter

3. Islands of Adventure

4. Universal Studios, City Walk, Downtown Disney

5. Typhoon Lagoon and Back to Islands of Adventure

6. NASA - Kennedy Space Center

7. Everglades - River of Grass

8. ParaSailing at SoBe