Oh, The Places We’ll Go! From the “stars” to the “sea”: Universal, SeaWorld & beyond - Spring 2016

[bankr63]

and todays words of wisdom.....
Some lions mate over 50 times a day.

The boy lions, or the girl lions? Inquiring minds...

 

[dancin Disney style]

The boy lions, or the girl lions? Inquiring minds...

The boys for sure.

 

[ElenaJane]

You are working' the Dolphin suspense my friend! I'm still not sure what happened to the stuffed giant Dolphin, and now I want to know if there were dolphins on the other side of the bridge! I hateeeeee being late, and I know that panicked feeling. I am so glad you made the boat! In a way, it probably felt extra relaxing with all the rushing and stress you endured to get there!

 

[dancin Disney style]

A jiffy is an actual unit of time. Not just an expression.


@pattyw this one is special, just for you.....
The male Praying Mantis can not mate while it's head is attached to it's body. The female rips it off.

@bankr63 just giving you a 'heads up'

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

I just have to thank you Gina for this trip report. I can't seem to get out of my down mood since the tragedy struck in Orlando. We were still in Orlando when this occurred so our trip ended on a big downer. Just as @pigletto said, this city brings our family so much joy- it's just breaking our hearts to see this. Reading your report has helped-THX!!! and I absolutely LOVE @dancin Disney style's words of wisdom of the day.

@dancin'- you need to keep this going- I look forward to them!

I am so sad for the residents of your beautiful city. And this morning, to wake up to the news of the toddler dragged to his death by the alligator at the GF was almost too much to bear on the heels of everything else. My stomach literally turned over. I hope it helps to know your friends are all thinking of you, and wishing we could do so much more than just offer our prayers.

Look at that water. I would love to be there right now. Can't wait to see your dolphin pictures!!

I was feeling anxious for you as you described the trip there. We've had a few of those days ourselves. I'm glad you made it in time

LOL, I was feeling anxious just typing that entry! I am just not one of those folks who thrive on being "just in the nick of time".

I hope to get the next entry up this aft, assuming nothing more pressing comes up in the interim .

Does that refer to Steve or the other picture !!

I too like to be early and sorted , so can well imagine how you were all feeling with 5 minutes to go. Was it choppy on the boat, I'm not a big water fan. I wear my life jacket on the Disney pontoons and hate the wake from the other boats

Hmmmm....I suppose the dreamy view could equally apply to both!

I didn't find it overly choppy or rough.....I definitely felt no sea-sickness and I'm motion sensitive at the best of times. The gentle rocking was actually quite soothing.

I hope you saw dolphins! I almost did this cruise on my last trip but booked one out of John's Pass instead. I wasn't sure if a sailboat would be too crowded or a lot more rocky than the traditional flat dolphin cruise boats. From your pics, it looks like it wasn't too crowded. How smooth was the ride? Also, not sure what kind of coupon you found on-line but if you have an Entertainment.com membership, they have a buy 1, get 1 free coupon for Dolphin Landings (I think there's one for the regular dolphin cruise and one for the sunset cruise). I find the Entertainment membership is a great deal depending on what you're doing on vacation (ie. I paid $24 for mine and there was a 25% off coupon for Wild Florida that saved me $24 so with just one coupon, the membership was paid for. Plus there's lots of B1G1 coupons for mini golf, restaurants etc. Might be worth checking out if you haven't already).

That is a GREAT coupon! If we get a Tampa trip together for next year like we're hoping (fingers crossed!), we will definitely have to keep the Entertainment Book in mind. There's no way we can squeeze out a St. Pete's road trip in October, but I would LOVE to do the sunset cruise on the next vacation thereafter!

We didn't feel crowded on the boat at all, and we found the waters to be very smooth even on a windy day. None of us felt ill at any point, or even nervous or uncomfortable . It was an awesome sail in every way!

I'm a little late to this party but was happy to find another one of your TR's! I love Sweet Tomatos...always go in South Florida when we are there too - had no idea they had breakfast...I wonder if those ones do too..will have to check it out next time!! That cruise looked like a lot of fun!

KathyM2! You're never too late to join in .... there's still lots of entries left to go.

We are looking forward to visiting Sweet Tomatoes for lunch again in October. When Steve and I travel as just a couple, its become our arrival day tradition.

You are working' the Dolphin suspense my friend! I'm still not sure what happened to the stuffed giant Dolphin, and now I want to know if there were dolphins on the other side of the bridge! I hateeeeee being late, and I know that panicked feeling. I am so glad you made the boat! In a way, it probably felt extra relaxing with all the rushing and stress you endured to get there!

LOL, I had forgotten that you guys were still waiting to learn the fate of the giant Seaworld dolphin stuffie. And that's still a while off yet....literally the last day of the trip!

A jiffy is an actual unit of time. Not just an expression.

@pattyw this one is special, just for you.....
The male Praying Mantis can not mate while it's head is attached to it's body. The female rips it off.

@bankr63 just giving you a 'heads up'

@dancin Disney style , you are making me so smart .

The earliest technical usage for jiffy was defined by Gilbert Newton Lewis (1875–1946). He proposed a unit of time called the "jiffy" which was equal to the time it takes light to travel one centimeter in a vacuum (approximately 33.3564 picoseconds).[2] It has since been redefined for different measurements depending on the field of study.[3]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiffy_(time)

 

[bankr63]

@pattyw this one is special, just for you.....
The male Praying Mantis can not mate while it's head is attached to it's body. The female rips it off.

I think I dated her once...
(and only once)

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Saturday, April 30th: Dolphin Landings Charter Boat Tour, continued


We had just nicely cruised under the bridge and out into the open waters when one of the other passengers excitedly pointed out a dolphin fin peeking out of the water a short distance away. Hooray! We had found them! (or, at least one of them, anyway)





Captain Glenn quickly manoeuvered the sailboat in the direction of the dolphins, and very shortly we were sailing right alongside a small pod of not one, but five .





Each of those little beauties literally swam right alongside us at times. This was quite possibly the coolest thing I had ever seen.





They would poke their heads out of the water from time to time, then briefly disappear below the water and pop out somewhere a short distance away….all the while having no fear of the boats (both small and large) that passed by the Phoenix. They were quite the teases, those adorable little dolphins!





Jake was quick to hop up to enjoy a higher vantage point, and I prayed that his iPhone wouldn’t take an unexpected plunge as the boat bobbed and rocked in the breeze. He did, however, capture some great photos from that spot, in particular this one (which I think is my favourite picture from the sailing .... which is saying something, because I took a hundred or more ):





Captain Glenn radioed his comrade who was sailing the Fantasea, who then sailed that vessel over to watch the dolphins play in the water, much to the delight of their passengers too.





I could have spent all day on that boat. When the captain eventually turned us back around and we began our sail back to the shore, I was truly sad. I could have watched those beautiful dolphins play all day long.





Those folks who live in the waterside homes along the gulf shore have to be the luckiest people on earth: can you imagine being able to see dolphins from your back deck, or your living room window?





The waterway had grown pretty busy on that hot Saturday afternoon, and we a host of different boats cruising along. Some were grand enough to have a very “Lifestyle of the Rich and Famous” vibe.








Not far from shore, this bad boy came roaring by…..and Steve must have read my mind, because he gave me “the look” and said Next trip, Gina…..next trip! .





(First mate Cindy tells us that the dolphins will come along and jump in the wake left behind the speed boat…..can you imagine how fun it would be to see that?)





Approaching the shore, we cruised past a few mansions that left us all a little green with envy. The Captain joked that he just wanted to show us where he lived. I do have to wonder…..what job does one have to have in order to afford that beauty? It had to be worth millions.





There were smiles all around as we pulled into the dock. Despite this tour being booked specifically with me in mind, the guys had also had an amazing time. They both admitted that it not only met, but significantly exceeded, any expectations they may have had .








As Glenn and Cindy lowered the sails and secured us to the dock, they thanked us all sincerely for sailing with them that day, and encouraged us all to return again whenever we vacationed again in the St. Petersburg area. They handed out business cards that entitled us to a lifetime discount on future tours, and encouraged all of us to post a review on TripAdvisor (which I still have to do). As we each disembarked from the boat, there was a place to leave gratuities, which most guests did (including us…..it was certainly earned and much deserved).





The tour itself was a full two hours, so it was just after 2 pm when we were back on dry land. We had decided that we would enjoy a hearty meal in the mid-afternoon before heading to Tropicana Field for the evening baseball game. After all that fresh air, sunshine, and dolphin watching, some home cooking was definitely warranted.


Lunch at Cracker Barrel is next .

 

[pcstang]

Great TR as always! We used to swim with the Dolphins when I lived in Panama City Beach FL. Back then it wasn't illegal to feed the Dolphins so they would just swim right up to you waiting for a treat. Can't do that anymore but it was very cool. Dolphins also like the vibration of the line that raises and lowers the keel on a sailboat. They would always swim by us when we would go out sailing in the gulf.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Great TR as always! We used to swim with the Dolphins when I lived in Panama City Beach FL. Back then it wasn't illegal to feed the Dolphins so they would just swim right up to you waiting for a treat. Can't do that anymore but it was very cool. Dolphins also like the vibration of the line that raises and lowers the keel on a sailboat. They would always swim by us when we would go out sailing in the gulf.

Thank you .

How amazing it must be to live in the state of Florida....you have lived all the things I will only dream about. The experiences you have had are incredible!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Saturday, April 30th: continued


Cracker Barrel was just a short drive from St. Pete’s Beach…..maybe 15 minutes or so at most . It was fairly quiet in the restaurant when we arrived (probably because it was neither the lunch hour nor dinner hour….we hit that lull in between) so we were seated immediately and given a table along the windows.





Having been on the boat for the past two hours, we were extremely thirsty. Steve and I were quick to order two strawberry lemonades (love that they are served in those ice-cold frozen mugs ) while Jake chose to stick with water.





After bringing us our beverages, our server gave us a few minutes to peruse their extensive menu. After she returned and collected our entrée orders, we busied ourselves with the peg game on our table.





This was serious business. Who would the game deduce was the smartest of the three of us?





Shockingly, it was Jake!! I got it down to 4 pegs remaining, Steve whittled it down to 3, but somehow…..Jake only had two left . Clearly, the game is rigged .





The kitchen staff were operating at super-efficiency levels, and our entrees were surprisingly ready so quickly that they were brought out right along with the warm homemade biscuits that normally precede the main course. Perhaps they were able to sense that we were starting to get a little peckish?





The special of the day was chicken and rice, which Steve selected along with mac ‘n cheese and green beans as his sides.


Jake had opted for the bacon cheeseburger platter with a side of steak fries:





I ordered the chicken fried chicken with mashed potatoes and a double order of mac ‘n cheese (for those that worried I had turned into a complete glutton, Jake and I had planned to share the latter ).



Cracker Barrel is consistently good value dining, and today was no exception. BIG quantities, great taste, a varied and family-friendly menu, and crazy low prices. We were all happy with the items that we had ordered, but most especially Jake who said the Cracker Barrel cheeseburger was one of his favourite meals of the entire trip.

All that food (a good portion of which we couldn’t finish), with beverages and tax, came to $36.97 plus tip.


Rolling ourselves out of the car, we decided to head straight to Tropicana Field. We’d be a bit on the early side, but both the guys wanted to get there in time to watch the warm-ups and maybe even get a player autograph or two. Considering we managed to get turned around a couple of times on the way to St. Pete’s Beach, we figured we quite possibly may make a wrong turn along the way to the stadium, too…..so there was no harm in heading there now .





Ironically enough, we found it easily and were there in minutes. Why does a person never face any kind of delays or issues when there’s oodles and zoodles of time to deal with them?





Next at bat: it’s the Rays vs. Jays . Stay tuned.

 

[JaxDad]

How amazing it must be to live in the state of Florida....you have lived all the things I will only dream about. The experiences you have had are incredible!

Awesome report, Gina!

We see dolphins pretty much every time we go to the beach here, sometimes pretty darn close! I also saw six manatees at lunch yesterday, on a walk about three blocks from my office. That was cool!

My best dolphin experience was several years ago on a sailboat off Guadeloupe. We had at least a hundred spinner dolphins swimming along side our boat! It was incredible!

 

[Raeven]

Since I'm frequently running late for things I know that feeling of tension too well Glad you made it though!

It looks like you picked well, it seems like a really nice time!

Oh wow I haven't seen one of those peg games since we had to make them in technology class (more like a shop class) in middle school.

You're mac and cheese looks so good

 

[angryduck71]

We seriously need to get you to Kansas City. I was telling my mom this morning that I had posted this to you. You keep going to restaurants we have here. We don't have dolphins though. LOL.

 

[Callie]

Loving the updates! I haven't eaten at Cracker Barrel in forever...will need to change that soon.

 

[Lynne G]

Great pictures of the dolphins. That maybe what we might do some day. Took the family on a cruise to watch whales when in SD, we saw quite a few and that was amazing. The ride back was so choppy, I was not happy. Thankfully, the rest of my family has no motion issues at all.

Funny, once again, we have a Cracker Barrel near us, and I think I have only been there once, when it first opened. Guess Since we have such much of those chain restaurants, we seek some and not some when on vacation.

Thanks for the update.

 

[Joanna71985]

I'm glad you got to see dolphins! Love the pictures

 

[bankr63]

Took the family on a cruise to watch whales when in SD, we saw quite a few and that was amazing.

You saw quite a few whales in South Dakota?!? Yeah, that's freaking amazing!!!
(sorry folks, I seem to be nothing but one liners these days...)

Did they look like this?
https://cdn.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/000/343/190/large/wei-huai-xu-wei03.jpg?1418028517

 

[juniorbugman]

You ate at my favourite restaurant - the Cracker Barrel - I think I need to schedule a Girl's weekend just to hit that place as it has been a while since I visited it. Judy

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Awesome report, Gina!

We see dolphins pretty much every time we go to the beach here, sometimes pretty darn close! I also saw six manatees at lunch yesterday, on a walk about three blocks from my office. That was cool!

My best dolphin experience was several years ago on a sailboat off Guadeloupe. We had at least a hundred spinner dolphins swimming along side our boat! It was incredible!

I am truly envious......the good kind of envy. I seriously need to work on finding a way to get work Visas so we can relocate and live out our dream. Stories like yours are the best motivator.

Since I'm frequently running late for things I know that feeling of tension too well Glad you made it though!

It looks like you picked well, it seems like a really nice time!

Oh wow I haven't seen one of those peg games since we had to make them in technology class (more like a shop class) in middle school.

You're mac and cheese looks so good

I really should have bought one of those peg games from the gift shop....we always have so much fun with it!

We never made anything that interesting in shop class.....the only useful items I ever created were a wooden candy dish and a (somewhat level) picture frame .

We seriously need to get you to Kansas City. I was telling my mom this morning that I had posted this to you. You keep going to restaurants we have here. We don't have dolphins though. LOL.

Oh, well......the dolphins are a deal breaker, sorry .

Just kidding, I couldn't resist!

You're making a good case for a trip to KC. I seriously will have to give a baseball-centered trip some serious thought! We know we'd enjoy the dining there, for sure .

Loving the updates! I haven't eaten at Cracker Barrel in forever...will need to change that soon.

My Dad used to LOVE it there.....it was one of his favourite stops on the bus trips he and my mom used to take. I always think of him when we go there, knowing he would approve .

Great pictures of the dolphins. That maybe what we might do some day. Took the family on a cruise to watch whales when in SD, we saw quite a few and that was amazing. The ride back was so choppy, I was not happy. Thankfully, the rest of my family has no motion issues at all.

Funny, once again, we have a Cracker Barrel near us, and I think I have only been there once, when it first opened. Guess Since we have such much of those chain restaurants, we seek some and not some when on vacation.

Thanks for the update.

I think you and the fam would really enjoy the Dolphin Landings sailing. It would be a great combination with some beach time either before or after.

I'm glad you got to see dolphins! Love the pictures

We were pretty excited too . They are just the most graceful, magical creatures!

You saw quite a few whales in South Dakota?!? Yeah, that's freaking amazing!!!
(sorry folks, I seem to be nothing but one liners these days...)

Did they look like this?
https://cdn.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/000/343/190/large/wei-huai-xu-wei03.jpg?1418028517

I think someone needs a vacation . Or @dancin Disney style is starting to rub off on you!

You ate at my favourite restaurant - the Cracker Barrel - I think I need to schedule a Girl's weekend just to hit that place as it has been a while since I visited it. Judy

We have heard their breakfast is pretty good, too. We hope to return in October to give that a try for the first time.

I also need to go back for dinner, because I have yet to have tried their Coca-Cola chocolate cake or any of their delicous looking cobblers. We're always so full, we don't have room for dessert! I'll have to skip the biscuits some night to be sure I have room for a sweet treat.

 

[JaxDad]

Looking forward to your reports on Ferg's and the Trop!