It's time to go home!!

It was bitter sweet to wake up on our last day of our trip here in Miami. Last night after I'd blogged all the lovely staff from the bar hugged me and wished us well for our trip home. I would have loved to stay in Miami longer but it was time to come home.

We got up and amazingly fit everything into our luggage and went downstairs to check out. The reception staff were always helpful too. And we chatted briefly about our stay and how I'd recommend their hotel. It was a cute boutique one that was warm and welcoming. They offered to organise us some transport when we were ready to go. We had to pick up some travel food cause of my fussy eaters plane food was not always an option. We wandered about for about half an hour collecting drink and snacks for the journey then headed back to the hotel. I thought we'd organised a cab but he'd actually called in a private transfer which cost the same a cab would have. The driver was lovely and friendly and happy to chat about our holiday and adventures. It was amazing to see that there was a beautiful rainbow that farewelled us. 

We arrived at Miami airport in plenty of time, and glad we did. We were flying American Airlines this leg back to NYC. Not the friendliest staff, and really not that helpful. However we still manage to navigate our way through check in and then finally drop off our bags. 

It seems that of all the shopping that's been done mine is 4 pounds (1.8kgs) over, Jamei's is somehow how spot on the required 50 pounds, and Boston has a little bit of space so we open up the the well packed suitcases and did a shuffle till it all matched the 50 pounds or less. We all certainly worked up a sweat in the stuffy airport. We must have looked a sight needing two of us to close each suitcase. 

It's a little while before our flight boards so we take the chance to grab some lunch. We had gotten a great deal on a return flight from Sydney to LA so we take a domestic flight back to NYC to meet our flight home. A long day of traveling ahead of us. 

The flight with American Airlines is short but sadly we weren't sitting together. Originally the seats allocated were spread out amongst the plane with no 2 seats together. I thought if I could get the girls together and I could sit with strangers. Their faces dropped as they saw the boarding passes and staff member helping at the kiosk was unhelpful and uncaring to our situation. The only solution offered was to talk to someone at the gate right before we board. 

We were sent off to a holding pen for wheelchair assisted passengers and waited for my name to be called. It was a weird process in comparison to all the other flights and airports I'd been in. But of course always grateful for the help.

We eventually board, after hearing announcements about being overbooked and needed some volunteers to get a later flight and would compensated. Mmmmmmm. Not putting my hand up for that but wondered why they would book more seats than the flight could take. What happens if no one can switch? I guess it didn't matter to us today cause we weren't affected. 

We get to JFK after a bumpy ride and thankfully my girls were on hand to help out with the luggage.

They are simply awesome and haven't complained once about their tasks to wheel multiple suitcases or bags to help get to our next destination in airports. 

We know that we can check in all our suitcases at the next stop so this is great news, and we don't have to pick them up at LAX so they will go all the way to Sydney. We are met by a cheerful Qantas staff member and while we were getting our boarding passes, a young mum with a bub had run out of hands so I offered my help to hold her which was fine for most of the time. The mum was grateful for the help and to hear an Aussie accent too. 

Once checked in they called in a wheelchair pusher who was by far our favourite. He was a young guy so friendly and happy and made us all laugh. We also got some high fives at the security checkpoint for listening to the officer's directions. We agreed it's because we are Australian and the security guard says "hey, I wanna be an Australian". I tell him we accept everyone down under so he is more than welcome. 

We do a small bit of final souvenir shopping and await the call that it's time for o go! It is here that I realise that the boarding passes for the flight we transfer to had a significantly later boarding time. We do have a changing time zone so maybe it's to do with that. 

We feel finally that the end is drawing closer. We settle into our seats and take a quick shot before we leave. 

The 5 hour flight is manned by a great cabin crew and we land safely and I'm wheeled off to the Qantas Club which after confirming we are stopping for an additional 4 hours, I'm glad we have somewhere comfy to be. 

The girls relax and I get a little bit of sleep but the couches aren't comfy to stay asleep for long. 

I am awoken by a Lounge staff member to be told it's time to board. No one had come with a wheelchair to pick me so I thought I'd take my chances at the walk to the gate. It was a bit of a distance so I was regretting this, but went up to the gate staff who kindly arranged to wheel me down to the plane. 

It was the LAX-SYD leg and we were met by the bestest cabin crew. One even took the time to remember our names and addressed us using them throughout the flight. He even snuck us a couple kit Kats. We all got bouts of sleep and watched as the countdown to Sydney awakes. It happens to be the night of Super Bowl so the captain continues to give score updates. 

We finally hear it's not far to Sydney , and I'd booked tickets to be on the left side of the plane to be able to spot the harbour bridge and city skyline on our descent into Sydney. There was excitement as the iconic bridge and opera house show themselves amidst the harbour and the buildings. 

A simple disembark and easy way through customs and we are out in less than half an hour. We meet our driver who has come with our stretch limo to take us the final leg of the journey. 

We enjoy the sunshine as we travel the familiar sights of the freeway and arrive back on the coast in no time. The girls pose for a quick pic as we arrive home. 

So what an adventure we have had! Thanks for coming along with us for the ride. It's been so nicety hear from many who have enjoyed reading this blog as much as I have enjoyed writing it. 

Can't wait for the next trip!! This was truly incredible. 

Last holiday day!! Noooooooooooooo!!!!

All good things must come to an end. It's our final day here in Miami and also marks the end of our 3 week long holiday of a lifetime. We weren't going to waste the day so I'd asked my tour consultant to arrange a private airboat tour of the Everglades. She called promptly in the morning to say everything had been arranged and a driver would meet us in about 45 mins to take us there. As we got closer we started to spot alligators along the road where the river followed parallel to us. We also saw a couple of turtles thanks to Jamei's eagle eyes.

The drive was about 35 mins away so we got there in plenty of time and were met by our Captain whose name was Jason at the Everglades Safari Park. We saw the massive airboats there with at least 20-25 people on each one. So organising our own private one was definitely worthwhile. 

It was like a dream as we boarded our boat and our captain asked us if it was our first time on an airboat? We said 'yes' and he joked with us by saying "yeah me too!". Boston's face was priceless, until she realised he was joking then laughed and looked more relaxed. 

I'd seen these boats in CSI:Miami, in movies and on National Geographic channel and was surprised at how incredible it was to be aboard one of these. 

We were only on the boat for a very short time before seeing an alligator sunning itself on the banks of the park. Our Captain explained that there was nothing to worry about because they are like the puppies of the Everglades.  I wasn't prepared to test out that theory. 

We are given earplugs and hit top speed. It's truly a magical and surreal experience to be out on the Everglades. You feel like you're driving over land. Our Captain gives us some interesting facts about this incredible space as well as point out the wildlife. Including an endangered bird with only 200 left in the Everglades area. 

We speed up and do what feels like a doughnut in our boat before we come to a complete stop and we chat a bit about the area. He's interested to hear about Boston seeing the saltwater crocs in the NT last year and draws some comparisons between the alligators and crocs we know in Australia. In true Aussie style Jamei has her 'that's not a knife, this is a knife' moment given our saltys in Australia are quite large in comparison by calling the alligators here 'weak'. Fortunately our Captain sees the funny side and offers to take some pics. 

It's now time to hunt for gators. This is super exciting. The girls and I love animals so we've enjoyed all our experiences in getting up close to any animal. Jamei ends up being our best eye to spot them and even gets a comment from the Captain. There were many we saw and one that just swan up in front of us which we were able to see in plain sight. 

We head back and check out the a short alligator show that was truly fascinating as the crocs responded to their names. There was Killer, Bruce Lee and Sonny who were impressive in size. The guy just hung out with them like they were pets. It was incredible to watch. He also introduced us to an albino Python and Snappy, the baby alligator.

Snappy was friendly if held right so we were able to snap some pictures with him. 

It was now time to head back to the hotel. It's amazing how much this trip has taken it out of the girls as they rest the whole way back and ask if they can chill for a bit. Jamei and I head out to grab some lunch as Boston has a lie down. 

After lunch and regrouping I tell the girls we are going to head out for a walk. This includes a stop off inside Miami Ink to see if Jamei can get a permanent reminder of her trip but sadly Ami (the owner) has rules that no one under 18 can be tattooed as his shop. Jamei was upset but these things can't be helped. We head over toward the beach with plans to have a dip, but the girls decide a swim back at the hotel was a better idea so that's what we do. 

While the girls were swimming I did some research on where to have dinner. Being a big fan of the movie The Birdcage I'd heard there was a place a bit like it here (although the actual Birdcage is a fictitious place). I'd found The Palace whose catch line is "Every Queen needs a palace". 

The reviews on TripAdvisor were awesome and realised it was a pumping joint that basically did drag shows on the sidewalk. So I called to check it was ok to bring kids and found out the shows started at 6pm. So when the girls had finished swimming we showered and got ready to head out. 

The atmosphere is wild and the music is pumping louder that the muscle cars passing us. 

Then the show begins. We've ordered some food and enjoy making friends with security and the hostess. The patrons tip the performers as they pass by their tables. It's very cool. The microphone is owned by an extremely tall drag queen who tells everyone just to get the hell out of the way. For good reason as one of them runs down the sidewalk and jumps into the splits.

It's great to people watch here with the Main Street next to the beach on one side and the sidewalk and restaurant on the other. 

We all enjoy the show, but we leave as the "advertisement for the restaurants new bathers" came out to dance as people stuffed dollar bills down his swimmers. I'm not gunna lie, the abs were awesome but Jamei observed that he wasn't a great dancer. We laughed as we realised that wasn't really his job. 

We head home before the rain hits and the girls start the job of packing. I head down to the bar to blog and have a couple of drinks. I'm greeted warmly by the staff I'd met the night before as I snuck into the corner of the bar. It's busy as many people are inside because of the bad weather outside. I'm once again offered free food and all of the staff stop by to say hi. It's a friendly atmosphere and I'd have no hesitation in staying here again, that's for sure. 

Now to plan the trek home tomorrow! I sit here both grinning ear to ear and welling up at the thought of all the incredible memories and experiences since we started our journey 3 weeks ago. What a wild ride!!!!

Have you heard of the Miami dolphins?

It was time to say goodbye to the Mustang. As much fun as it was to drive around Miami beach style it was coming to an end. Our trusty transport for our long journey yesterday was going back to its home. We had noticed that this very cool car also illuminated  the logo on the ground as you got out. It comes from somewhere under the door. Very swish.

We jumped in a cab back to South Beach and walked across the board walk and checked out the beach. Apparently the hotel reserves lounge chairs for their guests but unfortunately the weather is pretty overcast but it's nice to check it out. 

So many familiar views that I feel I've seen so many times on movies and TV shows. We decide it's time for brunch and find a cool organic cafe/restaurant to eat at. They oblige with multiple changes to their menu options. All I felt like was bacon and eggs on toast. Sounds simple but not available as a stock standard any where I've been. Thankfully we have a kind waiter who seems surprised by my request but obliging. The outcome was exactly what I was craving. 

We walk back to the hotel in preparation for our visit to the Miami Seaquarium. This was going to be simply an incredible day. I'd organised for the girls to make some special memories with an experience with swimming with dolphins. 

We'd been connected with a booking agent who had taken care of all our reservations and transport. She was super efficient and even called me when our transport was out the front. 

We arrived and checked in without a hitch. It's safe to say the girls were pretty excited. To be so close with the Dolphins was amazing. There was a moment Jamei nearly lost it because of her nose ring. All jewellery was supposed to be removed but her nose ring wasn't going to budge. The parks concern was that it would come out and the Dolphins would eat it. After being checked out by the supervisor we were good to go. The girls faces were beaming. 

The epitome of the experience was a swim while holding onto the Dolphins dorsal fin. Their smiles said it all. 

I love it when you get to see and feel true gratitude. It was a pretty special experience for the girls and they were truly grateful. They were buzzing. 

We weren't being picked up for a couple of hours so we thought we'd experience some of the other animals and shows. So after a warm shower we headed off to the seal show, the crocodile enclosure and the killer whale show. 

I'm always amazed at the abilities of both the trainers and the animals in their tricks and taking and giving commands. 

There was lots of splashing and craziness at the killer whale show. It's obvious the trainers love their animals. 

We head out of the park while our driver pulls up as soon as he spots us. I'm trying to organise tomorrow's plans while traveling back to South Beach. The girls are exhausted, I think the excitement and adrenaline took it out of them. They make the most of the van to ourselves and they spread out. 

I negotiate with them that the day is not over yet and let them rest for an hour before dragging them out to check out the Miami Ink tattoo shop. 

Jamei desperately wants another tattoo but I'm not sure we will have the time. We walk in to see Darren Brass is working. That will mean nothing to anyone who wasn't a watcher of the show on Foxtel back home. But was pretty cool for us.

We make our way back to a restaurant nearby our hotel and enjoy hearty pasta and also a delicious Nutella pizza for dessert. Because it's February the whole of Miami is loved up. So the pizza comes out in the shape of a love heart and tastes as good as it looks. 

The girls retire to the room for showers and Finding Nemo on Disney Channel and I am here at the hotel bar making friends with all the new staff. They have only just started to have a bar and food and haven't even had an official launch so they're trying out all the dishes complimentary for those considered 'family and friends'. Because I'd been so friendly they said I was a new 'friend' I was included and got to sample some of the upcoming menu. 

I will retire soon and get ready for another exciting day tomorrow. 

Miami..........finally!!

We planned to get going kind of early cause we knew we were picking up our Mustang convertible to drive 4 hours away to Miami. The highways are wide and most of the trip would be spent on this 4-5 lane 'Florida Turnpike'.

We pack up our many bags, jump in a cab and head out to the car rental location. It's inside one of the many Disney resorts so we leave our bags kerbside with the attendants and head inside. I was pretty excited but obviously nervous for my first experience on the other side of the car and road. 

The lady who helped us was awesome, and even changed the settings on the GPS to be in kilometres, and also had the car display degrees and not Celsius on the air con. It's the little things. Just before I signed the contract she asked if for only $5 extra I'd be interested in having roadside assistance. I immediately said yes to that, having worked for NRMA for a time I know important it is to have. Particularly in a foreign country and traveling on my own with the girls. This is a decision I would be very grateful for in less that 15 minutes. 

Before we could leave we had to get our luggage into the car. Now Mustangs aren't known for their spacious boot space and between the 3 of us we had 3 large suitcases, 3 small, 3 backpacks and 2 plastic bags. Playing Tetris with our suitcases and 5 bell hops we eventually got everything in. We were ready to go. At this rate we'd be arriving in Miami about mid afternoon. Perfect to have a bit of a wander and see the sun set. 

It was quite surreal to be driving on the right hand side of the road. But I was up for the challenge. We had the roof down so I was concerned about losing the paper work I'd left on the dash. So as we were driving into the highway I reached for the paper work and lost concentration for just a second and found myself side swiping the construction barricade and immediately the tyre is blown. The car starts to beep its emergency tones letting me know the tyre has no air and we pull into a construction area off the road. I jump out to check the damage.......none but the tyre has seen better days. 

I immediately grab the roadside assistance number but realise I don't have a clue where I am. So I see a construction worker and start walking towards him. He isn't a local so he dials in a friend and I make the call. All good someone will be there in 45 mins. 

Then our knight in shining armour Eddie shows up who offers to change the tyre for us. It's done in less than 10 mins. Simple right? Ahhhhhh.......no. Sports cars don't have the same size tyres as spares, they are much smaller. This meant when we put in the flat it took up half the space of the boot. Our luggage wasn't going to fit in. I called back roadside to let them know we had a new problem and the options they were giving me weren't really possible. 

1. Leave the car there and get a cab to the nearest rental location. 

2. Get towed but they could only take 2 people (so I have to choose a favourite child and leave one behind? 

3. Leave behind the tyre or some luggage on the side of the road? 

None of these seemed viable so it was time for me to put my problem solving skills to the test. I thought if I could get the luggage back in and had the tyre in with the girls we'd be able to go a short distance. The lady on the phone found a location for a replacement vehicle only 4 miles (6.5 kms) away. 

Jamei and Boston were the only reason I didn't completely loose my cool. They were so calm and totally unperturbed by this experience. Jamei was some much needed muscle and Boston was never far for moral support. Serious legends that got me through the most stressful period of our holiday. 

Jamei valiantly held the tyre (while dressed in my flanelette pajamas so as not to get dirt and grease all over her). Boston and I giggled but Jamei did not complain once. 

We arrive and exchange the vehicle as the staff sit and watch us unpack and repack the car with precision, much like Mary Poppins and her carpet bag. And we are finally on our way again. It's not long before Boston very politely asks ' when are we having lunch'? With the time it'd taken for all this to be sorted I'd totally lost track of time and realised it was already nearly 2pm. We find somewhere roadside to stop at a KFC. Funny to see that even this chain was different with no fries only wedges, and all meals served with a biscuit which is actually a scone. It's very confusing but hits the spot. 

It's all smooth sailing till we are closer to Miami and we heard on the radio there was a fatal accident on the I-95. Because I have no clue where that is or whether it was near us, I was soon to find out that Yes-it was near us and Yes-we were going to be affected. 5 lanes of bumper to bumper traffic for miles. I just had to keep reminding myself that everything was ok and we weren't late for anything and it's OK to arrive whenever we get there.  

We drive some of the way with the roof off which is cool and as soon as we hit South Beach it was a city that is fun. There are pedicabs with music pumping out of them, guys on Harley's with no helmets and people everywhere. 

It takes a couple of laps to find our hotel amidst the bright lights and bustle, but as we pull in we are greeted warmly and get help with our bags. The girls are exhausted and reluctant to go out. So we pop down the road to grab some food before they retire into bed. 

While they eat I start to touch base with family which is so cool after such a stressful day. It recharges my batteries and I decide to grab a drink at the bar down stairs as a reward for making it through the day without falling in a heap and bursting into tears. 

The hotel in South Beach is super cute and the bar is quaint. I go to order a drink and as usual someone hears my accent and sparks up a conversation. A couple of guys were obviously drinking together for some time started chatting with me, the usual questions - where are you from etc etc. 

turns out one of their daughters are headed to Sydney in just a couple of days to live while studying. He thought this was good reason to pay for my drink. I attempt to decline but they won't have it, so I accept their kind gesture and head to a quiet corner to write this blog. 

I can't believe it's only a few days before our holiday is over. 

How to fill in a rest day - last day in Orlando

I actually like not having to watch the clock and being able to do whatever I want without wondering if I'll be late for something. Eat when you're hungry, not because you've got a meeting to go to and not having to squeeze dinner in between school and basketball training.

I'd promised the girls there were some cool outlets nearby so after a sleep in I told the girls to get ready. I had to see reception about some charges on my credit card as well as attempt to appeal to Qantas softer side to see if we could be re-routed to fly home from Miami rather than have to take a flight back to NYC to meet our return flight through LAX onto home. The flight had been tough on my knee injury so I was attempting to minimise our time in the air. 

The credit card issue was resolved so simply, the Qantas flight, not so much. They wanted to charge me over $1000 a ticket despite my reasons. Oh well, I'll try again when it's closer and maybe when the flight hasn't filled up. 

We jump in a cab and head 15 mins away to the Premium Outlets. I do wonder how the prices compare to home. It just seems the cabs have never costed us much. So I take a pic for future reference. 

The outlets are out of control. I do wish the exchange rate was better. In saying that, perhaps it was a good thing because we might actually have needed to buy yet another suitcase. You should see a map of this place and the list of shops. 

It's so interesting to see what's the norm here. Some shops we were followed around by sales staff. Others we walked through we were greeted by every single staff member we passed. These experiences often made us giggle. Especially as we'd be talking amongst ourselves and then the shadow staff member would answer. It's so unsettling at times. They're obviously working on sales commission. 

We head into the food court when we'd realised we were hungry. We just wandered around the options and sat down to eat. Everyone was so friendly and helpful. 

After we resist the temptation to buy everything in sight we head back to the hotel with plans to go for a swim because it's quite hot and humid again today. It's been great to have wonderful facilities here at Cabana Bay Beach Resort. We grab the inflatable tubes and head for the lazy pool. 

It's so relaxing and I figure it could double as some hydrotherapy for my knee. The girls also coax me in for swim in the regular pool which is so refreshing. The staff kindly deflate the tubes so we can pack them. 

We have made an executive decision to have dinner on site and spend our final night going bowling. There is a bowling alley inside our hotel so it's pretty cool. We book in for 7.30pm and freshen up for dinner. 

When we arrive at the bowling alley we're surprised to hear they book lanes by the hour. So we can just keep playing till the time runs out. It's actually pretty cool and we have a lot of fun realising that we have completely forgotten how to play. 

When we get started we realise the basketball is playing on the big screens above our pins. Winning!!!! 

We also didn't realise that the iPads on the tables in front of us is to order food and drinks to be delivered to us while we were playing. Pretty cool. 

Jamei claims the title of champion and we head back to the room to settle down for the night. Seems there is a bit of a commotion in the room next door with a mother and two kids outside crying and a couple of security guards hanging about. 

I have no idea what is going on but 15 mins later when I head to do some laundry the security staff have increased and the mum and kids are walking to the car park with the dad outside crying. When I come back from laundry the dad is clearly agitated using all kinds of language. It settled down quickly though. I was intrigued and concerned all at the same time. 

The girls skyped their dad while I waited for the laundry to be done. And eventually all is done and it's time for bed. I'm a little concerned about tomorrow because I'll actually be driving. Hoping all is ok. 

Lights Camera Action - Universal Studios

So much happened today. I really do hope I don't forget anything. People kept telling us about Harry Potter rides and areas in Universal (cause as a guest of a Universal resort you can get early access). Being a family that hasn't seen any of them, it was no interest to us so we took the opportunity to start our day later and head out from our room about 8.30am. The bus ride is short and the walk to the gates was short. I'd pre purchased our tickets online so no waiting in lines. Something else I'd purchased was an Express Pass which basically got us to the head of the queue for every ride. I didn't realise what a God send this would be when I was buying them but definitely my number one tip for Universal. There are a limited amount sold each day and you just need to be organised enough to pick your date ahead of time. Obviously a cost on top of your park entry but in my opinion worth every cent.

There was a life lesson that continues to work for us while we are here and that is being friendly goes a long way. We manage to have stuff bending over backwards to help get us "1st visit badges" and get our Express Passes into lanyards. It was a muggy morning and quite foggy too. 

The girls giggle at me every time I seen characters cause I get so excited. This time it was Woody Woodpecker. I was sad to hear Boston say "who?" When I pointed him out. Different generation. 

We head off for a couple of rides and 4D experiences to really kick off our day. We see 'child swap' on the signs and I wonder whether that means I can switch out my kids for better ones when they get out of hand. Ha ha ha! I discover it's a great initiative that means if you have a smaller child that can't ride and a parent needs to stay behind, they don't have to endure the queue. 

We make our way through so many cool experiences including meeting some Transformers. Very impressive. There is so much I want to tell you about the rides, but then it wouldn't be a surprise if you ever come here. We manage to get into every single ride so quickly thanks to our pass. It even gave you preferential access to live shows.

 The first one we saw was Fear Factor Live. We were approached earlier to be contestants however I declined. They said something about gross food and I immediately feel like being sick. My weak stomach has never afforded my the ability to even watch that segment of the show on tv, let alone participate in it. 

It ends up being a pretty cool show. With real stunts being done by real people. Someone even put their head in one of those cases and had scorpions crawling all over their scalp. Ewwwwwwww. 

The car in the picture below actually was raised up and covered in water wile the contestants had to get the flags off the bonnet by climbing over the windshield. 

We are told about a pre paid Photopass option which is also a great idea giving you access to every photo taken both with characters and on rides. 

It was great as we checked out all the pics throughout the day on the app. Got to love modern technology these days. One thing that did happen on the Men In Black ride was our photo didn't work. So we were chaperoned back to the head of the queue VIP style so we could go again just to get the picture. It's a very awesome and interactive ride. You get to shoot aliens. 

They offer free lockers for those rides that are too crazy to take your belongings. 

Meeting Shrek, Fiona and Donkey was cool. Donkey was a head in the wall but spoke to us at length about our travels and where we were from. I couldn't help but think how Boston could have been the Fiona character with her red hair. Shrek in true form farted right near us and we all laughed. 

We decide to stop for lunch at Moes Tavern in Krustyland. Lots of options for lunch. And yes you can have a Duff beer or a Flaming Moe at the bar. 

I loved the way they ran their food court in here. You go and get your food then the staff work the seating once you've got your food. So no crazy dash to reserve a table while the rest of you grab food. Very impressed. 

Feels like everything is perfectly planned and we very much enjoy the Animal Actors show. It's incredible to see the variety of animals they train. Pigs, skunks, macaws, dogs, cats, otters. There were  a number of superstars in the show. We met Marley (from Marley and Me), Beethoven & the dog from Men In Black. 

I could watch that all day. 

The girls thought they'd hit one of the roller coasters they went on earlier to fill in time before the parade. The girls took the long way back to me before settling in for the parade. There are lots of cool characters and floats. 

We finish off our day by farewelling Universal and go to a sports restaurant called NBC sports Grill & Brew. They have a number of food options and we sit in and enjoy dinner. 

All aboard the shuttle bus with full stomachs and the girls decide they'd like to go for a swim before settling in for the night. 

A very enjoyable day had by all. But once again exhausted and looking forward to hitting the pillow.

Sleep in and sunshine

After being on the go for 2 weeks solid it was nice to have a rest day. Although I was up at 8am the girls didn't stir till 10.30. I'd put up the do not disturb sign on the door so we could have a restful morning. We'd made some loose plans to enjoy the sunshine and lay by the pool. After seeing how easy catching the shuttle bus was we decided to head back down to CityWalk for lunch. We chat about our day ahead and I show the girls the app for Universal Studios. It has all the rides and shows we will experience. They seem pretty excited.

We grab some lunch so I decided to go to a Chinese food chain called Panda Express. I'd remembered it from a previous trip to the USA back in 2001 when I was a young married woman. I recall really enjoying a dish of theirs Orange Chicken. So that's what I got. I felt I was reminiscing happier times as today would have been my 19th wedding anniversary. Days like today are tough but the girls kept me smiling all day. Including hanging ten on a surfboard out the front of the Billabong shop there. 

We decided to also do dessert so hunted down the frozen yoghurt joint and enjoyed a refreshing treat. It was a beautiful day so we jumped back on the bus and headed back with plans to have a dip and hang by the pool. 

As we pull in I am amazed by the hotel's commitment to the theme with a couple of old school Chevvys out the front. 

We decided to check out the pool on the other side of the hotel because it had a lazy river. Basically a big circle that takes you around with its current. Just float. The girls pick a tube each and off we go. I'm impressed by the commitment to safety. Lifeguards are everywhere and the sign on the back of their chair alerts you to the fact that if you need to speak to them they might not make eye contact because they need to watch the pool. When they changeover it's a well choreographed transition to make sure there are still eyes on the pool while the other gets off the chair. 

After a dip I find the pool bar serves cider on tap so ordered a nice big cold cider and sat in the sunshine. It's hard to think that a week ago we were layered up in snow jackets and hoodies. The staff working around the pool are fascinated by us Aussies and ask us lots of questions about our country. They are confused by the car license system "Why are there so many levels?", and jealous of the legal drinking age. 

Tomorrow will be a big day on the knee so I thought I'd rest while the girls decided to enjoy the games room. Which was actually more like Intencity than a hotel games room. 

Off the girls trot for a good hour and a half. I meet up with them before watching them play with their prize loot including ping pong guns. Now off to grab some dinner to take back into our room so we can chill out. 

I had a closer look at the provided toiletries and realise even those are in the theme of the era. Amazing! 

Early night. Love it.