please empty your brain below
You skipped Tower of Terror? You very much missed out - I'm not a big drop tower fan but absolutely adored that ride, as the level of theming and theatre that surrounds it is top notch!

(The Florida version is also a really interesting ride for the technically-minded)

Moogal | 12.08.20 - 7:12 a.m. | #

You really are a dietary conservative aren't you? Biscuits and gravy is a must-have, you missed out there. Americans do excellent salads so there is no excuse for missing out on plant-based stuff and if you must, they now have plant-based faux meat items that are surprisingly good if only you are prepared to make the leap of faith and try them. Cut to picture of you with pancakes and sausage or burger and fries....

Brightside | 12.08.20 - 7:29 a.m. | #

Thanks for confirming my long-held view that visiting the US would be a very bad idea.

Brian | 12.08.20 - 7:32 a.m. | #

I wouldn't draw too many conclusions from a single visit to a single place two decades ago.

diamond geezer | Homepage | 12.08.20 - 7:41 a.m. | #

Lived in the US for 5 years (~25 years ago.) It was a blast and honestly, it felt like some Americans were the best people you'll ever meet.

So many wonderful places to visit, though for a couple, e.g. much of Florida or Las Vegas, once was enough.

Brilliant write-up of the trip DG thanks - super jealous of your day at the Space Center.

Kevin | 12.08.20 - 8:27 a.m. | #

I'm not surprised they gave up the elephant poaching. It must have called for an awfully big saucepan.

Suse | 12.08.20 - 8:51 a.m. | #

IMO the best way to see Disney world is through the eyes of a kid, I took my grandchildren aged 6 and 8.
The wonder in their faces made it all worth while.

Michael | 12.08.20 - 9:27 a.m. | #

My only trip to Florida was for a couple of weeks in the March of 1992 and seems to have been very different from yours.

It had been booked as a fly-drive from the start, so as to provide the mobility to go pretty much anywhere, except the typical tourist attractions. The initial reason for the timing of the trip (as well as coinciding with my birthday) was to see Daytona Bike Week but, despite me being a biker, it became clear the moment we arrived that we could use the time better exploring elsewhere.

It was a great time, criss-crossing the state from St Augustine to Melbourne and from Sanibel Island to Tampa and St Pete. Many of the best parts came from simple things, like seeing a Cardinal bird, or passing an orange grove (I'd never seen oranges actually growing on trees, before), or seeing a real alligator in the wild, as opposed to a captive one.

It was a brilliant two weeks, rarely staying at the same place two nights running. As holidays go it was fantastic although I'd have to admit that, towards the end, I was starting to take the view it wasn't a place I'd want to live in permanently

RogerW | 12.08.20 - 9:31 a.m. | #

(Psst. I think you said your return airport was Gatwick)

dg writes: Fixed, thanks.

RogerW | 12.08.20 - 9:38 a.m. | #

Thanks for doing it so we don't have to writ large.

Sarah | 12.08.20 - 10:11 a.m. | #

Brought back some lovely memories of my teens, thanks.

Cornish Cockney | 12.08.20 - 10:35 a.m. | #

Will you be putting the rest of the pics on Flickr? I'd love to see them all! (even if they are blurry, dark and the back of peoples heads!)

R | 12.08.20 - 10:42 a.m. | #

I made an extremely similar trip to this at the same time, but I was an eight year old boy on a big blowout family holiday. Thank you for describing in such detail the memories I had somewhere in my head but could not express.

Anon | 12.08.20 - 11:33 a.m. | #

One of you must have wanted to visit. It doesn't sound like holiday a younger DG would choose.

Andrew | Homepage | 12.08.20 - 12:10 p.m. | #

I did Florida the way RogerW did. went to more or less the same places as well. St Augustine was a revelation to me in that I had fallen for the old myth that it was the Brits that colonised the States.

St Petersburg has the fantastic Dali museum -- spent a day there. Also, drive the bridges down to Key West (most southerly point in the States!) via the African Queen at Key Largo. The Everglades are different altogther and I swam with dolphins near Everglades City.

A Shuttle was due to launch while I was there and one of my biggest disappointments was that it was cancelled due to the chance of lighning strikes.

Oh, this is your blog not mine. Apologies, but you have bought back some great memories and believe me, you can still do something similar!

Chris | 12.08.20 - 3:52 p.m. | #

This last comment (by Chris) made me think that your blogs consistently have this effect - of reminding us of happy times/places/people in the past. If we still had an NHS, reading your blog should be on every prescription. Well done

Ian J | 12.08.20 - 5:27 p.m. | #

I bought a wallet in that NASA gift shop. About 30 years ago, still using it now.

myrtown | 12.08.20 - 11:10 p.m. | #

Chris. Haha, I'm guessing those comments mean you saw the Castillo de San Marcos... and the information boards referring to Francis Drake as a pirate !!!

(FWIW, the booking I made for the fly-drive included an upgrade on the car, because - if you're going to the USA - it was only right to have something a bit decent. While all our fellow travellers were having their Geos brought round to the front, it was quite fun to hear the calling of my name accompanied by the rumble of a V8. A Chrysler convertible would've been great, but a brand new Camaro wasn't so bad. I wasn't even so bothered when I had to return it due to a defect and was issued with a Cavalier instead.)

RogerW | 13.08.20 - 10:33 a.m. | #

Oh yes! The castle that was never taken by force IIRC. I'm sure it had walls that sort of absorbed and swallowed cannonballs.

I am realy serious when I say that I am sure DG would enjoy a potter around Florida and this is a prime example of what he would enjoy not just blogging about but actually experiencing.

Chris | 13.08.20 - 3:45 p.m. | #











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