bengunn
04-03-2003, 05:02 AM
Day 21 Rain, Shopping and Salvador Dali
Previous episodes:
Prequel (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&postid=2353604#post2353604)
Day 1 The trip to Orlando (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=262518)
Day 2 Animal Kingdom (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=265926)
Day 3 Magic Kingdom (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=271070)
Day 4 Typhoon Lagoon, Shopping and Illuminations Cruise (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=272575)
Day 5 - Islands of Adventure (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=274308)
Day 6 Epcot ( http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=275451)
Day 7 Seaworld ( http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=285796)
Day 8 Universal Studios (http://disboards.com/showthread.php?threadid=294602)
Day 9 Epcot and the Magic Kingdom (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=321907)
Day 10 Discovery Cove (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=322448)
Day 11 Kennedy Space Centre (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=327806)
Day 12 Disney MGM Studios (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=328748)
Day 13 Blizzard Beach (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=329133)
Day 14 Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=329536)
Day 15 - Cypress Gardens and the move to Bradenton (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&postid=3076144)
Day 16 Anna Maria Island (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=332275)
Day 17 Siesta Key (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=334022)
Day 18 Sanibel Island (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=339257)
Day 19 Our Silver Wedding Anniversary (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=341080)
Day 20 Busch Gardens (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=351498)
The Cast:
Richard (bengunn): Chief planner
Kathy : DW, just wants to go on holiday
Josie : DD 20, at Reading University, Assistant Planner, not very good at getting up
Sam : DS 17, just done AS exams, can get up very quickly when he wants to
Thursday 5th September
This was our last day in Bradenton and the last full day of our holiday :( so the plan was to have a relaxing day on the beach as we had all now recovered from the previous excess of sun. Sadly this was the one day of the holiday where the weather changed our plans, as we woke up to rain and grey skies :(. This was the remains of tropical storm Eduarde, which had been hanging around off the east coast of Florida for the last week. It rained on and off all day and was very heavy at times, so definitely not a beach day ;).
We went to the De Souto Mall in Bradenton for a morning of shopping, although I dont remember us buying very much; the mall is not very big and was very quiet. We did not fancy any of the offerings in the food court there so we left to find somewhere to eat lunch. As we walked out, Kathy was accosted by a candidate for district judge and asked if he could rely on her vote! He was quite amused when we explained that we were British as I dont think that many come to Bradenton. We found a Subway and ate in there; the usual excellent sandwiches.
After lunch it was still raining, so we decided to go to the Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg. It was back over the Sunshine Skyway bridge (no sunshine though) and the museum was fairly easy to find as it was well signed. The museum was excellent and highly recommended if you like Salvador Dali; the museum is almost completely dedicated to his works and there are several of his large and well known paintings there; a bonus was that they gave student discount on admission to both Josie and Sam. In the museum shop, we bought a soft clock, modelled on the Dali limp watches, to give to one of my brothers as a Christmas present.
Going back over the Sunshine Skyway bridge, we saw a lot of pelicans flying around. For some reason, which escapes me now, we had to go back to the De Souto Mall for a couple of presents. After this, we went back to the villa to start packing. We had a break to get a Chinese takeaway from the Ming Tong restaurant just up the road ($18.40) and then finished our packing and watched our final US TV of this holiday before getting a reasonably early night.
Tomorrow: Back to Orlando, Mini-golf and the Flight Home
Previous episodes:
Prequel (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&postid=2353604#post2353604)
Day 1 The trip to Orlando (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=262518)
Day 2 Animal Kingdom (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=265926)
Day 3 Magic Kingdom (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=271070)
Day 4 Typhoon Lagoon, Shopping and Illuminations Cruise (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=272575)
Day 5 - Islands of Adventure (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=274308)
Day 6 Epcot ( http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=275451)
Day 7 Seaworld ( http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=285796)
Day 8 Universal Studios (http://disboards.com/showthread.php?threadid=294602)
Day 9 Epcot and the Magic Kingdom (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=321907)
Day 10 Discovery Cove (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=322448)
Day 11 Kennedy Space Centre (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=327806)
Day 12 Disney MGM Studios (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=328748)
Day 13 Blizzard Beach (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=329133)
Day 14 Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=329536)
Day 15 - Cypress Gardens and the move to Bradenton (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&postid=3076144)
Day 16 Anna Maria Island (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=332275)
Day 17 Siesta Key (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=334022)
Day 18 Sanibel Island (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=339257)
Day 19 Our Silver Wedding Anniversary (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=341080)
Day 20 Busch Gardens (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=351498)
The Cast:
Richard (bengunn): Chief planner
Kathy : DW, just wants to go on holiday
Josie : DD 20, at Reading University, Assistant Planner, not very good at getting up
Sam : DS 17, just done AS exams, can get up very quickly when he wants to
Thursday 5th September
This was our last day in Bradenton and the last full day of our holiday :( so the plan was to have a relaxing day on the beach as we had all now recovered from the previous excess of sun. Sadly this was the one day of the holiday where the weather changed our plans, as we woke up to rain and grey skies :(. This was the remains of tropical storm Eduarde, which had been hanging around off the east coast of Florida for the last week. It rained on and off all day and was very heavy at times, so definitely not a beach day ;).
We went to the De Souto Mall in Bradenton for a morning of shopping, although I dont remember us buying very much; the mall is not very big and was very quiet. We did not fancy any of the offerings in the food court there so we left to find somewhere to eat lunch. As we walked out, Kathy was accosted by a candidate for district judge and asked if he could rely on her vote! He was quite amused when we explained that we were British as I dont think that many come to Bradenton. We found a Subway and ate in there; the usual excellent sandwiches.
After lunch it was still raining, so we decided to go to the Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg. It was back over the Sunshine Skyway bridge (no sunshine though) and the museum was fairly easy to find as it was well signed. The museum was excellent and highly recommended if you like Salvador Dali; the museum is almost completely dedicated to his works and there are several of his large and well known paintings there; a bonus was that they gave student discount on admission to both Josie and Sam. In the museum shop, we bought a soft clock, modelled on the Dali limp watches, to give to one of my brothers as a Christmas present.
Going back over the Sunshine Skyway bridge, we saw a lot of pelicans flying around. For some reason, which escapes me now, we had to go back to the De Souto Mall for a couple of presents. After this, we went back to the villa to start packing. We had a break to get a Chinese takeaway from the Ming Tong restaurant just up the road ($18.40) and then finished our packing and watched our final US TV of this holiday before getting a reasonably early night.
Tomorrow: Back to Orlando, Mini-golf and the Flight Home