Tag: florida

Things To Do During Grinchmas-Universal Orlando

Visitors cheer as The Blues Brothers belt out holiday tunes. They oooh and ahhh as the giantGingerbread Man balloon floats down the street in New York City. People sip warm Butterbeer as they listen to Celestine Warbeck croon, My Baby Gave me a Hippogriff for Christmas. They pass garlands and wreaths decorated with brilliant baubles…
Breakfast with The Grinch-Universal Orlando

Breakfast with The Grinch at Universal Orlando is whimsical chaos. The Grinch walks this way, he walks that way, playfully teasing our group. He rings the bell at the top of my Christmas tree headband and calls me “curly” throughout the interaction. Continuously cracking jokes, he orders us to pose for a picture. Our interaction…
Celebrating Mardi Gras at Universal Orlando

Beads, tossed from floats, rain down on parade watchers. Hands stretch to the sky, ready for the clutch. I learn that an 11-year-old will tackle you like you are a quarterback, in order to catch a string of beads, during Mardi Gras at Universal Orlando. Being on the shorter side, I snatch up most of…
Visiting The Turtle Hospital-Marathon-Florida

Circled around the largest tank, at The Turtle Hospital, in Marathon, Florida, the tour group stands ready. The guide drops a handful of pellets into our palms. We are instructed to toss a few pellets at a time into the water. The turtles glide over to the pellets. They munch. Watching rescue animals munch, brings…
Visiting Dry Tortugas National Park-Florida

Sleepy bodies shuffle into the Dry Tortugas National Park ferry terminal. The Yankee Freedom Boat Tour agency repeats the comment over the loudspeaker. “The waters can be rough. We highly recommend taking medicine for seasickness prior to departure. We sell Dramamine pills for $1.00 if you need them.” I brought my own Dramamine. Getting horribly…
Visiting The Hemingway House-Key West

Tour guide Rob leads the group through the beautifully preserved Hemingway House. He is doing a great job balancing stories and facts, working to give each tourist the information they desire. Some are here for the architecture. Some are literature nerds, and some are here for the cats. I am here for all three.Nestled among…
South Beach Food and Art Deco Tour-Florida

Dany, our South Beach Food and Art Deco Tour guide, is surprised to see us. We inform him that he is such a great tour guide we took his advice to visit Havana 1957’s Mojito Bar. As we sip mojitos, we listen to Dany give a new tour group, a talk on the history of…
Lunch at the Versace Mansion-Miami

It’s the game I play while having lunch at the Versace Mansion in Miami. Fashion or True Crime? As visitors ascend the grand staircase, it’s obvious who is here for the fashion. They are beautiful and impeccably dressed. They are wearing Versace or Versace-inspired ensembles. The True Crime curious are dressed in whatever outfit their…
Disney vs. Universal-Orlando Ice Cream Sundae Showdown

My eyes widen as the server sets my Orlando Ice Cream Sundae on the table. My adoration for ice cream runs deep. I’ve had a love affair with peanut butter, for as long as I can remember. Put them together in a sundae, I am elated. Orlando theme parks appreciate peanut butter lovers. Disney World…