Thread for Smithy~ Coming to America~

lady cop · Post by **lady cop** » Wed May 04, 2005 7:00 am

Smithy is coming to florida for vacation...let's provide some vacation tips! here's one, besides the Space center i already told you about, SeaWorld is very worthwhile! educational and beautiful too!

smithy87 · Post by **smithy87** » Wed May 04, 2005 7:12 am

THANKS LC !!!

Yes on the 20th August I will be gracing America with my presence. I'm staying in my boss's villa about 10mins from Disney. There's me, hubby, 2 kids and hubby's sisters family (8 altogether).

Apart from the parks, we want to do some other sightseeing and as LC suggested there's the NASA Space Centre that I didn't even know was so close (how ignorant am i?)

So as we'll be hiring a car we want to get to see the other side of America (not that there's anything wrong with Disney

)

And just in case anyone missed the Summer Vacation post......................

I'M COMING TO AMERICA LA LA LA LA LA !!!!!!!!!! :guitarist :-6

greydeadhead · Post by **greydeadhead** » Wed May 04, 2005 7:27 am

So great that you are visiting Smithy.. but Florida...?? (Sorry LC.. but I just can't get used to a state that doesn't have mountains..)..... but I must say.. don't miss the Spiderman ride at Universal.. it is freaking incredible..

lady cop · Post by **lady cop** » Wed May 04, 2005 7:31 am

disney is a highway robber...they even charge to park in their 97,000 acre parking lot. you will stand in long lines in the heat. August! i'd rather gouge my eyes out with rusty barbed wire. NASA, for those who didn't read "summer vacation" thread. used to be free, now costs $30. to get in. but it is the most inspiring place on earth, and you HAVE to see the IMAX movie "the dream is alive". the memorial to fallen astronauts will make you cry.

Philadelphia Eagle · Post by **Philadelphia Eagle** » Wed May 04, 2005 9:24 am

LC - Smithy has mentioned that she will use a rentacar during her vacation.

It might be helpful to her if you can advise the documentary requiremets for that exercise in Florida.

Here in Pennsylvania foreigners need an International Drivers Permit AND their own valid drivers license which must contain photoID.

Florida law may differ from PA law - you'll know.

Bothwell · Post by **Bothwell** » Wed May 04, 2005 9:25 am

Second the NASA trip Smithy it is a fantastic day, they even had a real live astronaut to talk to. As LC says the Imax is a real experience. You can wander inside a space shuttle. One tip do not get out of the car on the road to the island, it's gator territory and some people who know better even get unwary tourists to pose with the things!!!.

Try and get up to the coast a bit further North it is very beautiful and you may even see wild dolphins I did and it freaked me out.

I love the part of Florida I travel to, and I have to say that a Magarita drunk on the deck of a waterside bar at sunset is a magical experience. (or maybe it was the company).

smithy87 · Post by **smithy87** » Wed May 04, 2005 9:29 am

Philadelphia Eagle wrote: LC - Smithy has mentioned that she will use a rentacar during her vacation.

It might be helpful to her if you can advise the documentary requiremets for that exercise in Florida.

Here in Pennsylvania foreigners need an International Drivers Permit AND their own valid drivers license which must contain photoID.

Florida law may differ from PA law - you'll know.

The new drivers licences in the UK are all photoID now but it would be good to know if we need anything else.

smithy87 · Post by **smithy87** » Wed May 04, 2005 9:32 am

Bothwell wrote: Second the NASA trip Smithy it is a fantastic day, they even had a real live astronaut to talk to. As LC says the Imax is a real experience. You can wander inside a space shuttle. One tip do not get out of the car on the road to the island, it's gator territory and some people who know better even get unwary tourists to pose with the things!!!.

Try and get up to the coast a bit further North it is very beautiful and you may even see wild dolphins I did and it freaked me out.

I love the part of Florida I travel to, and I have to say that a Magarita drunk on the deck of a waterside bar at sunset is a magical experience. (or maybe it was the company).

Bothwell I've a sneaky feeling you're referring to someone we all know :sneaky:

I would love to see wild dolphins. In fact I've never even seen a 'real' dolphin.

I would also love to go on one of them trips in the Everglades on them jet boat things (?!)

(Smithy's gettin a bit giddy now)

BabyRider · Post by **BabyRider** » Wed May 04, 2005 9:44 am

Hey, Smithy...I've been to Florida only once, but I had a great time. We stayed in Ft Myers Beach, and that is a cool little town. There is a condo complex called Smuggler's Cove about 4 miles north of town that is beautiful. We would sit out in the mornings on the patio and watch the dolphins. On the way into town is a restaurant called The Mucky Duck. Great fillet mignon there. The bars in town are great, if you're into that sort of thing, and there's a boardwalk full of shops. A real pretty place. That's the extent of my experience of Florida. I hope you have a great time!

lady cop · Post by **lady cop** » Wed May 04, 2005 1:54 pm

Bothwell wrote: Second the NASA trip Smithy it is a fantastic day, they even had a real live astronaut to talk to. As LC says the Imax is a real experience. You can wander inside a space shuttle. One tip do not get out of the car on the road to the island, it's gator territory and some people who know better even get unwary tourists to pose with the things!!!.

Try and get up to the coast a bit further North it is very beautiful and you may even see wild dolphins I did and it freaked me out.

I love the part of Florida I travel to, and I have to say that a Magarita drunk on the deck of a waterside bar at sunset is a magical experience. (or maybe it was the company). :yh_kiss :yh_kiss :yh_love and here we are!!~~~~~ Smithy, one warning....while in orlando stay off orange blossom trail, it's a major road but it's drug-dealing haven, prostitution and high crime. tourists are a prime target for robbery. don't mean to scare you, but it's not all mickey mouse here! ~~~near disney there is a great water park, typhoon lagoon, that is really fun for everybody! and don't miss EPCOT if you're doing theme parks, it is a great time for adults as well as kids. oh....better bring wads of cash!! you'll pay a fortune for a lousy coke at any theme park. and WHATEVER YOU DO, STAY OUT OF "PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN" or you'll have the stupid song "it's a small world" stuck in your brain until you die.

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Bothwell · Post by **Bothwell** » Thu May 05, 2005 1:54 am

Smithy, lady Cop doesnt realise (yet) how expensive it is here in the UK. Believe me you will be astounded how cheap it is especially to eat and drink in the US, what will set you back is the quantities served they are humongous. Petrol is cheap and nearly everything else is a lot less than here.

I am sure LC is right about the cost in the theme parks but outside of that it's great value. But the best bits are free, Sun, Sea, Sand and whatever.

smithy87 · Post by **smithy87** » Thu May 05, 2005 2:01 am

lady cop wrote: :yh_kiss :yh_kiss :yh_love and here we are!!~~~~~ Smithy, one warning....while in orlando stay off orange blossom trail, it's a major road but it's drug-dealing haven, prostitution and high crime. tourists are a prime target for robbery. don't mean to scare you, but it's not all mickey mouse here! ~~~near disney there is a great water park, typhoon lagoon, that is really fun for everybody! and don't miss EPCOT if you're doing theme parks, it is a great time for adults as well as kids. oh....better bring wads of cash!! you'll pay a fortune for a lousy coke at any theme park. and WHATEVER YOU DO, STAY OUT OF "PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN" or you'll have the stupid song "it's a small world" stuck in your brain until you die.

LOL!

Thanks for the tips everyone....good and bad. I'd rather know the truth so that I'm not coming back on FG saying 'I've been mugged!'

lady cop · Post by **lady cop** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 4:53 am

time to bump this thread again for Smithy, her trip is coming up in august! anyone with florida experiences please give her some tips! ...here's another one...stay away from daytona, the tackiness sleaze capital of the universe. for something fun you may like treasure island, disney property, but great shops to poke around in...the thing that fascinated me there was china shops that had SUPER expensive sculptures from disney movies, i purchased some "song of the south" things. but i am talking about $2000. replicas of cinderella's castle....lovely things to look at. all people who have grown up on disney lose their cynicism there, and find something to stir their memory. ...oh, you should see it at Christmas! damn, don't tell anyone i am soft!

smithy87 · Post by **smithy87** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 4:59 am

lady cop wrote: time to bump this thread again for Smithy, her trip is coming up in august! anyone with florida experiences please give her some tips! ...here's another one...stay away from daytona, the tackiness sleaze capital of the universe. for something fun you may like treasure island, disney property, but great shops to poke around in...the thing that fascinated me there was china shops that had SUPER expensive sculptures from disney movies, i purchased some "song of the south" things. but i am talking about $2000. replicas of cinderella's castle....lovely things to look at. all people who have grown up on disney lose their cynicism there, and find something to stir their memory. ...oh, you should see it at Christmas! damn, don't tell anyone i am soft!

Hey LC! Yep my jollies are coming up 6 weeks on Saturday. I'm sooooooooo excited and thanks for all the tips :-6