Departure – It’s hard to believe but we are finally leaving for Florida. Our charter bus picked us up at 2:15am – YES that early –at JFH and after loading our luggage, making sure everyone was there and saying our good buys we hit the road. Mrs. Rhodes and Mrs. Nicholas spent the next 45 min or so going over last minute details, handing our lanyards, getting cell phone numbers and answering questions. The only 2 that took advantage of the two-hour drive were Mr. Baker and Mrs. Bostic – they caught a few Zzzzzz. At the Airport we meet up with the groups from Montevideo and Elkton. Checking in went very smooth, as did security even if it took over an hour. But what can you expect with over 75 of us traveling.
Our plane arrived 30 minutes ahead of schedule. Wow! That’s unheard of. As we entered the baggage are Kristin and Nancy –our World Strides Guides – who got us situated right away met us. Everyone re-packed, changed and got their daypacks ready. After we boarded the bus it was off to EPCOT.
What a spectacular day we have had. High of 72, clear sunny skies, short lines and lots and lots of fun times. We started off with “Spaceship Earth” learning about communication through out times. Everyone was so excited to be inside the Geo sphere a.k.a ‘The Giant Golf Ball”. Next our group walked over to “The Land” where we hade lunch, “decompressed” and planned the rest of the day.
Learning about how to grow fresh fruit and vegetables using hydroponics along with sustainable agriculture was the topic of our next ride. This awesome ride took us through EPCOT’s very own biological laboratory where many of t he fruits and vegetables grown there are served in it’s restaurants.
Ellen DeGeneres and Bill Nye the Science Guy took us on a journey through “The Universe of Energy” where we were reminded of the different types of energy available to us – fossil fuels, hydro, wind and solar power along with fission and fusion and the one power that never runs out – brainpower.
At “Mission Earth” we took part in a space mission to Mars in this very realistic flight simulator ride. At the “Test Track” we reached speeds of nearly 70 miles/hr as we “tested” the cars for safety, durability and speed. Finally “Soaring” took us hang gliding through the breath taking scenery California. The Imax movie in combination with the rocking hang gliding seat, wind and smell effects made it very realistic.
Before free time we visited Norway in “The World Showcase” and road Maelstrom – a Viking ship that took us through the history and traditions of this Nordic country.
Dinner was enjoyed by the adults at Japan, where we watched the food being cooked in front of us. Delicious and entertaining at the same time. At 8:30, after a few hours of exploring on our own, everyone met up again to watch the “Illuminations” fire works show.
It’s almost 11:30pm and everyone is in their rooms hopefully in bed recharging for another exciting day – Magic Kingdom and Hollywood studios watch out, because here we come.
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