[cwgator]

DAY 1:
APRIL 19, 2010
To Tampa and Indian Rocks Beach, FL.


We start out our journey from Gainesville, FL driving down I-75 South. It's about a 2 hour drive to the hotel we stayed at, which was actually in the suburb of Brandon, FL; just east of Tampa. I got a great deal on a La Quinta there and it was a great overall experience. I neglected to take pics @ the hotel, and regret that now...



Along the drive, of course we passed billboards for Busch Gardens Tampa, which we will visit the following day.



Vasectomy anyone??? I swear these billboards were all up and down I-75 and I-4. I think I'll pass tho.



We arrived at the Hotel around 11am and fortunately they had our room ready so we got an early check-in and was able to unpack some before heading out for lunch. After wards, we got back on the road to go to Indian Rocks Beach, which is on the Gulf coast east of St. Petersburg and Clearwater. It's about a 40 mile drive from where we stayed, although it didn't seem like it during the drive there.



Now, for the main reason to come to Indian Rocks Beach: Keegan's Seafood Grille. It was featured on the Food Network show "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives", my friend's favorite FN show.



The signed poster of Guy Fieri, host of The show mentioned above. They even had a little shrine set-up for the show and cookbook, which also features a recipe from the restaurant used in the show.



It's definitely not a 5-star restaurant, but I love the local atmoshpere and nautical decor. I prefer places like this over big corporate joints who overcharge for less than superb service/food. This is definitely a great local's spot.



The food didn't take long to arrive, as we missed the lunch rush. The serious look is just because I was hungry...lol



My friend Key was enjoying and taking in the atmosphere. He finally has one spot to mark off his list of restaurants to try from the show now.



I know this is a Seafood place, but I am pretty picky so I chose my usual "safe-bet" meal...The Ultimate Beach Burger with cheese & bacon. It was great! I don't eat out that often anymore (usually just special occasions), so this was a treat.



Key on the other hand is a semi-vegetarian, tho still eats fish. He got the Crab-In-A-Pocket. It looked good; just not my thing. They unfortunately didn't have what he really wanted tho which is the Amber Jack sandwich. Maybe next time.



After lunch we allowed our food to settle before heading out onto the beach for a bit. This place is great with parking. It's free at all but one beach access. So yet another treat. Here we are at the 21st Avenue Beach Access.



A lonely gull looking for someone to slip up and get their food taken. There were some others playing around and I swear a couple were trying to pro-create near where we set up. Oh well. birds gotta live too. Anyways, this was my first trip to the Gulf Coast and was impressed with how clear the water was compared to the Atlantic Coast beaches I have been to from Maryland south to St. Augustine, FL. The sand was even better. It wasn't those fine grains of sand that stick to everything once you get wet (or not). A nice brush-off did the trick. Finally, a beach where you don't take half the sand back home with you.



A look up the beach. It's more a residential beach, which I prefer over places like Myrtle or Miami. No high-rises here. We stayed for a couple hours just getting about waist deep in the water as it was COLD. Spring was still just getting underway late, as it was only getting up in the upper 70's and low 80's for most of our trip.



On the drive back I snapped a shot of the Tampa Skyline. It was nice seeing buildings taller than the football stadium at UF (Which I hadn't seen in awhile)...lol


Our first day was pretty laid-back as you can see. We had 3 full days coming up at the theme parks, so it was good to take it easy. We even ate in for dinner with food we brought from home. Hotel rooms with micro-fridges (which we had) or kitchenettes are a must on trips for more than one night for me.


Next up: Day 2 @ Busch Gardens Tampa!

[cwgator]

Day 2:
April 20, 2010
Busch Gardens Tampa

After getting 4-5 hours of decent sleep, we got up and headed to my favorite theme park: Busch Gardens Tampa. During this trip, Sea World Parks and Entertainment was offering a special 1 day park admission voucher to those stranded from overseas because of the Iceland Volcano, so there were many people who took advantage of this. It wasn't noticeable when the park opened, but by noon the park was getting pretty crowded. It wasn't summer Saturday crowded, but busier than I was expecting. Anyways...off to the fun!



We arrived at about 9am and the park opened at 9:30. We are both 2 year pass-holders so no need for paying that $12 parking fee. I do however miss being a Platinum Pass member, if nothing else for the free preferred parking closer to the gate. So we got on the tram, which is my first time riding here...lol



We get to the entrance and since this was our first time using the passes, they had to be processed. I swear we went to the slowest employee. It took like 15 minutes to activate and print our passes with absolutely no-one in line before or after us. I think he was in training tho, so I'll let it slide. I just know when I had my last pass processed It took all of 2 minutes max.



This was Key's first visit to BGT since '96 or '97 (also the last time he rode a coaster) so there were plenty of new rides/attractions built since his last visit. First up was Gwazi, currently the only double "dueling" wooden coaster and built by GCI in 1999. As many of you know and perhaps experienced, this is probably one of the roughest of the GCI coasters. There have been sightings of a Millennium Flyer Train on the transfer track, so hopefully this is a good sign for the future of this coaster.



We rode Gwazi Tiger first, then Gwazi Lion. Even though this is my least favorite coaster(s) at the park due to it's roughness, the experience actually wasn't as bad as I remember from previous trips.



This was Key's first experience on a wooden coaster. Needless to say he doesn't like them. Perhaps he should have ridden something smoother elsewhere first. So now he loathes woodies for now. Time will tell...lol



Beside Gwazi are the Gwazi Gliders. A "hang gliding" type ride for the young ones. It was relocated from the defunct Pygmy Village kid's area that was in the Congo section of the park near where Python was located. We didn't ride, but it looks like a safe bet for the younger ones who aren't quite ready for the big rides.



Next up we walked behind the Gwazi area to Eagle Point where they have rescued eagles on display. They usually have more than one, but today they had just this one pictured here.



Next we head back past Gwazi towards the Moroccan Palace and the Alligators to kill some time before lunch started. Here are several alligators and turtles. You can see a turtle hitching a ride on an alligator's back in the pic above.



Now on to the Myombe Reserve, the parks habitat for Chimpanzees and Gorillas.



One of the many chimps in the habitat.



This area has lots of great scenery for picture taking; with or without the animals. I love the waterfalls here.



One of the Gorillas taking a nap, yet hamming it up for us picture takers.



With even more time to kill, we walked over to the former Clydesdale Hamlet where they have the Animal Connections up-charge attraction. Here you can act like Jack Hanna (or your other favorite animal expert) and have a video of you made holding one of the animals. You get to read from a teleprompter in front of a green screen and can take the video home with you. All for about $30. Of course by-standards can watch for free. We passed on this. I miss the Clydesdales. I always made it a point of at least walking through each time I visited.



As posted on other forum and theme park sites, there are a few new topiaries that have shown up in the old Clydesdale Hamlet area. A Cheetah, Kangaroo and Giraffe. I Can't wait to actually see the final product of this area when the new attraction(s) are opened hopefully next year ("project 2011").



Across the way is The Crown Colony House Restaurant. This is one of the better inside dining places in the park. You can even dine out on the terrace with great views of the Serengeti Plain, watching zebra, giraffe, flamingos and various other animals who reside there while you eat. We didn't eat at this spot as they didn't have anything Key could really eat. So we headed back to the Zagora Cafe near the entrance of the park where they had vegetarian selections available.



After lunch we headed back to the Moroccan Palace to watch the first showing of the day of "KaTonga: Musical Tales Of The Jungle".



Here we are standing outside the theater before the show.



I love this show and it happens to be my favorite indoor theme park show. There are rumors that the show will be leaving the park this year so we made sure to watch it in case we didn't get back in case it's true.



After the show, which Key also loved, we went over to Egypt where we got these pics. Our heads look so small on top of that statue....lol



On to Montu now; my favorite inverted coaster and #2 overall. Opened in 1996, it's still the longest inverted coaster in the world.



I actually took this pic the day before while riding down Busch Blvd.



This was Key's first time riding Montu, and first inverted, so he was a bit nervous. The park wasn't very busy when opened, so they were only operating one train. Well, that all changed about 12:30 when we were getting in line. The park was getting real busy with school groups and overseas travelers. So they added a train while we waited in line.



Because of the train adding, this made it the longest ever I had to wait to ride (about 20 min). That's cool tho since we weren't in a hurry. I usually go to BGT in the off-season when it's usually a walk-on everything. Anyways, Key loved it and was pleased at how smooth the ride was; especially after the bumpy ride earlier in the day on Gwazi. This would be the only ride today, but would get more in when we come back in a couple days.



Now it's time to make our way into the Edge Of Africa. Here is where the Lions, Hyenas, Hippos, Lemurs, Meerkats, Nile Crocodiles and more reside.




I wasn't able to get good pics of the hippos as they were sleeping. I have gotten some great one's in the past though, so no big deal.




We then head through the Nairobi section of the park and get some good pics of the giraffes and zebras who reside in the Serengeti Plain.



The Serengeti Express train had went under maintenance the day before and is expected to last about a month, so we didn't get to ride (obviously). Here you can see them digging out the tracks and railroad ties in preparation for re-routing the track path.



When I got through being nosy and taking legal pics of the construction activity, we moved along to a couple of animal attractions that weren't open on my previous visits. First was Curiosity Caverns (formerly Nocturnal Mountain), home to bats, snakes, lizards, tamarins and other nocturnal creatures. Next door was Jambo Junction where you can feed and learn more about some of the animals they take care of here. Key is pictured above feeding flamingos.



New additions: Red Kangaroos. This may be a hint towards new attractions including the rumor of an Australian themed area. We shall see.



We now head to Timbuktu. Themed like an African bizarre, is home to many of the flat rides, games and 2 of the parks coasters.



Scorpion, the Schwarzkopf Silverarrow model coaster which opened in 1980, and is the oldest coaster still operating at the park. It's one of 3 ever made, and the only one still at it's original location. The others are at Loudoun Castle in Scotland, and the 3rd is rumored to be traveling in a fair. As you can see it was closed for refurbishment this week, so we didn't get to ride. We both had ridden this before, and will be back sometime in the near future and will get rides then.



Since Scorpion was closed, we took the opportunity to ride Sandstorm, an orbiter ride. This was my first time riding it (and type period), since I usually skip the flat rides for the coasters. I actually enjoyed it more than the Kaleidoscope, eh...Scrambler @ Carowinds.



One of the other adult-sized flat rides here was The Phoenix. Your standard looping starship. We didn't ride, but I'm sure it's about the same experience as Frenzoid, eh...Southern Star @ Carowinds. I used to could stand these rides, but as I've gotten a little older, I end up with massive chest pain, and slight shortness of breath after riding these. So with that being said, there wasn't much need to ponder riding or not. It was going to be a big NO anyways...



The other coaster in this section is Cheetah Chase, the wild mouse coaster. It was moved here from BGW back in 2004 where it was Wild Maus. We didn't ride. but I have ridden it at both parks before.



New for 2010: "Sesame Street: Lights, Camera, Imagination!". This show opened with the new Sesame Street Safari Of Fun on March 27. Previously played here was Pirates 4-D and the Haunted Lighthouse. Before being converted to an indoor theater, they held dolphin shows at this location.



Upon leaving the Timbuktu section, we come across the Congo and its major coaster: Kumba. Key had also been on this before the last time he was here, so he was wanting to get on it again. Fortunately by the time we got to this area, the lines disappeared. It was a walk-on. We both rode and after getting off, he started getting a headache from the corkscrews so he chose not to re-ride. I however got another ride in since it was a walk-on. Kumba will be down for refurbishment May 1 til Memorial Day weekend. I hope she gets a paint job, as it's way overdue.



Since Key had got a slight headache, we opted to pass on the Ubanga-Banga Bumper cars and headed into Jungala. This area opened in 2008 in the area formerly occupied by Python. It's home to tigers, orangutans and mid-age children attractions.



After I got my fill of seeing the tigers (my favorite animal) we make our way into Stanleyville. Pictured above is the Tanganyika Tidal Wave shoot-the-chutes ride. Not wanting to get completely soaked, we chose not to ride.



We then chose to ride Stanley Falls Flume instead. Normally you don't get very wet on flumes like this, but we got much wetter than expected. It's ok though cause we had one more coaster to get to and help dry off. I hope they keep this ride around for a long time. I miss the Powder Keg Flume @ Carowinds. I will never call it by that Nick-themed name they made it into...lol I know Intimidator is definitely worth the loss tho.



Next to the flume is the dive coaster: Sheikra. Opened in 2005 as North America's first dive coaster, it became floor-less in May 2007. It is currently the tallest coaster in Florida at 200 feet tall. This coaster comes in as my second favorite at the Park. I know many enthusiasts don't get the hype over dive coasters, but I enjoy them.



I would say this is my favorite between it and Griffon. I'm probably biased tho since I only had one ride on Griffon a couple years ago (and the fact this was my first one). Key was a bit intimidated before riding, but saw it looked smooth and was a short ride so he sucked it up and we got in line. The line was the longest I've experienced (about 40 min.). They were running 3 trains fortunately, but they were stacking like crazy because of light staff and only using one of the loading stations. Surprisingly, Key loved it and is tied with Montu as his favorite at the park now.



New for 2010: Sesame Street Safari Of Fun. This area replaced the Land Of The Dragons. It was expanded and now the park has a really great area for the young ones.



I forgot about a coaster...Air Grover. It opened with the newly themed area March 27, 2010. It's about time they added a small family coaster to get future enthusiasts ready for bigger and better. Here I am standing in line. Key chose not to ride.



Here I am on Air Grover. I get a coaster credit this time....lol
# 57



Finishing off our trip around the park we go through the Bird Gardens section. It's the oldest remaining area of the park back when they opened with brewery tours (before removing the brewery). This butterfly topiary is missing it's partner. Looks kind of naked now. I got a pic of the missing one later on the trip.



We then take pics with the flamingos in the Bird Gardens area. It's about 6pm now and the park closes at 7, so we decided to head out before the mad dash to the parking lot so we wouldn't have to sit in traffic. We were coming back in 2 days anyway to re-ride and catch some things we missed this time around.



Our dinner choice this night was Lee Roy Selmon's, a local chain affiliated with Carrabas/Outback parent company. Lee Roy Selmon played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1976-1984) and is in the NFL Hall of Fame.



Our waiter was excellent. He was definitely working for his tip. We ordered our food and got our salads and soups pretty quick. Good thing too, cause we were starving since we ate lunch around 11 and here it was about 7:30-ish.



Key had the Talapia Fillet Sandwich and of course you can see what I had...lol


It was a great day overall and we got quite a bit in. It was nice to take in some of the attractions I normally skip as well. After eating we made our way through town just looking around in the little bit of daylight we had left. We plan on moving to Tampa next year.


Next Up: Day 3 @ Sea World Orlando...

[cwgator]

Here's a video of me riding Air Grover @ BGT on Day 2:

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[cwgator]

Day 3:
April 21, 2010
Sea World Orlando


We got up extra early this day to go to Sea World Orlando. With the business BGT received from the free vouchers to the stranded passengers, we figured Sea World would be more than likely even busier. So, we made sure to arrive before the park opened. We hopped on I-4 East and made the hour trip to the park and made it there by 8:15.





They opened the lot at 8:30 and we were 4th in the l1ne of cars to get in. The park was open 9am-6pm this day. This was Key's first time to Sea World Orlando so he was as excited as I was.



Like the previous day, the park wasn't too crowded at first. However, we were right in the assumptions of a busy day at the Park. It felt like a Saturday by 10:30. There were masses of people from overseas and at least 10 different school groups that were there as well. This wasn't going to dampen my day tho. I was ready to have some fun at my 2nd favorite park in Florida.



Once inside the park and after restroom break, we head towards my main reason for coming to Sea World this time: Manta. They still had the area past the entrance plaza blocked as it was only 8:45, so we took some pics during their test runs. So at 9 they removed the barricade and a mad dash to Florida's only flying coaster.



Once they opened the queue to Manta we made our way through the elaborate path, passing by many aquariums with different species of fish and rays and got to the station itself. This one has a dual station, but were only operating one side. They did have 2 trains running, thank goodness. We waited maybe 10 minutes before boarding. Not bad. I'm glad we arrived first thing, as the line would only get longer later in the day. This was my first time riding Manta since it opened last year, and Key's first time ever riding a flying coaster. He enjoyed it perhaps as much as Montu and Sheikra the previous day. I can't believe I got him on all these rides, since he is not a coaster person like myself...lol



I know many on here and other enthusiasts don't care for flying coasters much. Nonetheless, after my first ride I could already tell you this was much better than Superman:UF and Nighthawk. The scenery really adds to the ride. It really appears that you are going to fly right into the waterfall and trees as well as dive right into the water, which adds a bit of excitement/intensity to the ride experience (especially riding in the far left seat). The seats/restraints too were the most comfortable of the fliers I've ridden too. No headbanging at all. We rode it once for now as we had somewhat a schedule to keep with some shows we wanted to see, but would come around later in the day for more rides. Anyways, I got my credit on this finally.
# 58



After our thrilling ride on Manta, we headed over to Key West @ Sea World to view the stingrays and Dolphin Cove. I have always loved dolphins and no matter what always come to this area, if only to walk through for a pic or two. The pics above are in the underwater viewing area; the best place to take pics @ Dolphin Cove. They also have feeding sessions at specified times (for the cost of food) where you can pet them and perhaps get wet. We passed this trip, but will definitely take part in the future.



Next we arrive at the Manatee Rescue. Here they take care of many of Florida's rescued Manatees.



These creatures are so peaceful and are among my favorites here at Sea World. They underwater viewing area is a great place not just for pics, but a nice place to cool off and relax when it's hot outside.



It's now about 9:45 so we go next door to the Whale and Dolphin Theater for the 10 o'clock showing of "Blue Horizons".



This is my favorite show here at Sea World. It combines bottle-nose dolphins, false killer whales, macaws, acrobats and even a condor. At this performance however, they didn't use the false killer whales. I'm not sure if it was part of the safety concerns over the accident with Tilly a couple months prior, or if they just weren't cooperating to the call to come out. The false killer whales are not much larger than the dolphins in the show, so only SWO could answer this. It definitely changed the feeling of the show and shortened it, but I'll live.



After watching "Blue Horizons", we head over to the Sea Lion and Otter Stadium to watch the 10:45 performance of "Clyde And Seamore Take Pirate Island". I always enjoy the comedic-adventure style show here, as it always has something different among the normal script they use. Once the show was over, we went to Pacific Point Preserve next door to view the Sea Lions and Harbor Seals.



Next up: Penguin Encounter. I swear I can never seem to get great pictures in here, no matter how much I try. Here you have the option of the moving walkway or the stationary area. We chose the mover since the stationary area was full. I got a couple decent ones, but with all the people in here it's hard to get a good spot without shoving them out of your way. Being the nice guy I am, I would never...lol


We had entered the queue line for Journey to Atlantis and noticed the wait time was about 50 minutes, Knowing this and trying to stay on schedule, we opted to try later and go next door.



Now onto the 2nd main reason for me to come here; my current #1 overall favorite coaster: Kraken. The line had about a 45 minute wait. This was due to 1 train operation. As soon as we get in line, they announce the ride is temporarily down and eventually comes back on saying they are adding another train. During this time, about half of those in line exited. This was even better because as soon as they re-opened, it only took about 15 minutes to get on. This was the 2nd floor-less I had ever ridden (after Sheikra), but the first one of this type.



I prefer Kraken over Kumba and The Incredible Hulk due to the absolute smoothness of the ride. The other 2 give me a headache after multiple rides. I have never gotten one on here, even after 10 in a row (or more).



The first half of the ride is similar to Kumba, except the loop doesn't wrap-around the lift hill. The portion after the MCBR is very different as it has has a loop, tunnel and corkscrew (which you could say forms a helix) then the break run and Kumba has the interlocking corkscrews and helix. It will definitely stay in my favorites for a long time. Once I venture north of VA and west of SFOG, I have a feeling it may be moved from my #1, until then it's stays right where it is. Key liked Kraken and preferred it over Kumba, but he still likes Manta, Montu & Sheikra better.


After our ride on Kraken, we made our way to find something for lunch. Since this park is somewhat compact (at least compared to BGT and Universal), most of the major eating spots are right in the middle. We went over to my favorite restaurant, The Seafire Inn. It was closed today for some reason. UGH. We checked a few other places and ended up at The Spice Mill Waterfront Restaurant. The menu was about the same as the fore-mentioned place, and there were selections for Key to enjoy so we ate here. We just made it between lunch rushes, because there was no line when we entered. However after we sat down, a line formed well out the door. Talk about timing....lol



Once we finish up eating, we go to the Shark Encounter next. Like the Penguin Encounter, it's hard to get great pics in here. Probably harder since you have pass through the glass tunnel on a moving walkway as the only option. I was able to get the above picture from a still taken from Key's video.



Upon leaving the sharks, I was anxious to see what was happening over at the old Clydesdale Hamlet. Just like at BGT, they have Animal Connections where you can pay to have a video made while you "act like" Jack Hanna. One big difference here was the fact they did have some replacements for the Clydesdales. They had Percheron horses; a French breed of draft horse. I'm happy they still have horses, but they can never fully replace the Clydes. We also walked through the former Hospitality Center and my how it's changed. It's now called The Terrace Cafe. It looks so different without the A/B shop. They still had an eagle statue by one of the entrances tho.



Next UP: Killer Whale Underwater Viewing! This area is the only place you can view them besides the shows and up-close tours/dining. In the the tank here are one of the calves and it's mother.



We were able to get some great pics and video while we were over here. The crowds must have all been over by the rides because there were only maybe 10 others who came through here while we were enjoying the Killer Whales.



We next head around the corner to the entrance of Shamu Stadium to catch the 2:30 showing of "Believe", the killer whale show.



We arrived about 30 minutes before the show in anticipation for over crowded theater. Fortunately we got pretty decent seats. Man I miss my Platinum pass where I got the best seats tho....lol



Because of the accident a couple months prior with the death of trainer Dawn Brancheau by Tilly, the trainers were still not allowed in the water with the whales. This made the show noticeably more bland and less exciting. The whales did perform more behaviors multiple times but without the full interaction with trainers. They did not use Tilly either in this show, so the splash zone didn't get it's usual massive soaking, but those guests still got a taste of wetness from the others trying to measure up. I hope soon they will be allowed to restore the show back to normal. I do have the DVD so I was able to show it to Key after we came home to get the full aspect.


Once the show was over we went to ride Wild Arctic and view the polar bears, beluga whales and walruses. The line was about a 15 minute wait, so this was good. No pics in this area tho. I got a few, but not worthy of posting anywhere.



Next we head into Shamu's Happy Harbor. I had never ventured into this area since it's really meant for children. However, I was going to get that other credit at this park I had neglected to get from previous visits.



Here I am on Shamu Express. It was about the same as Air Grover the day before (same manufacturer). It's definitely great for the beginners who aren't quite ready for the big-boy (or girl) coasters.
# 59



Being the big kids we are, we just had to pose with the penguin character. Shamu had come out at the same time, but all the kids about ran him down, so we opted for Mr. penguin here. I had a pic taken a couple years ago with Shamu around Christmas so I can add this to my collection now.



Back around to the back of the park again, we got back in line for Journey To Atlantis, the parks water coaster, and only water ride. The wait was about 40 minutes, so we went ahead and waited since Key had never been on it. The only complaint I have about the whole day would be all these school groups. I almost lost my cool with this one group who constantly tried skipping ahead while in line. Even their chaperon had to get on their case a few times to get them in line. I can understand their excitement for getting on the ride, but bumping, stepping on toes and invading my personal space is a bit much to take. These kids acted as if they had never been anywhere before (some probably hadn't). Anyways, I kept my wits and didn't knock any of them out...lol This is one of my favorite water rides since it has a coaster portion. The first drop (pictured above) didn't even get us all that wet. We actually got wetter from the people using the water cannons after the drop, tho still didn't get as wet as Stanley Falls the day before.


Now comes the hard decision of the day. It's just after 5pm now and the park closes at 6pm. Do we ride Kraken or Manta again. Kraken's line wasn't long, however Mantas was about 40 minutes when we passed by prior to riding JTA. We wouldn't have time to ride both before closing. Key didn't want to ride Kraken again, but wanted one more on Manta, so that's where we went. Since I had ridden Kraken so many times on previous trips, I didn't mind missing another one on my favorite coaster (well....lol). We will be back tho. That's what the passes are for.



We had time to go through the Aquarium before entering the queue to get a few pics. This is definitely a nice addition to the park.



We get back on Manta and the wait is about 25 minutes. This ride was even better than the one this morning for me. Key said it seemed a bit rougher than the morning ride, but we were in a different row, and possibly train. He still likes it tho.



Now we get to show off proof that he rode Manta. His family would have never believed us....lol We got this picture free by doing a couple activities on the Sea World site. Only thing is, they only email it to you, so you don't get a hard copy right away. Either way it's still better than forking out the $26.99 (before discount).


After our last ride of the day, we went into some of the shops for some souvenirs for relatives. I hate the park was closing at 6pm. They were setting up for a private event. No details on what kind of event, but it looked like it was park-wide from all the tables and drink stands they had set up along the pathways.



Since we waited to leave at closing, the parking lot was a nightmare to get out of. It was about 7pm when we got back onto I-4 to head back to Tampa. I snapped this pic of the entrance sign to Aquatica across the street. I hadn't been there yet, but perhaps when I move to Tampa, I will have more incentive to go. I'm not much for water parks, but this one is quite different with the animal exhibits merged with the attractions.


Overall it was a great day at Sea World Orlando. I could have done without the crowds, but what can you do. This is usually why I go in the off-season. I absolutely hate waiting in long lines, especially when I've already been on something before. We weren't going to waste $$$ on the Quick Queue either. Once we get back to Tampa, we head to Golden Corral for dinner. I normally don't do buffets, but it had been awhile so we went since there are none here where we live. The food was good, but I swear I ate til I was almost sick. I felt fine later, but in the meantime I remembered why I don't do buffets much- the gluttony of getting your money's worth....lol


Next up: Day 4 Busch Gardens Tampa (revisited)

[Jonathan]

I'm not sure if I like Griffon or Sheikra better; I think it's a tie. Sheikra has a better setting and the tunnel on the second drop, but Griffon has the extra inversion and that nice airtime hop into the water splash.

Manta is so good. It's the only flying coaster I'd have in my top 20; definitely the blueprint for how these things need to be done.

[cwgator]

Day 4:
April 22, 2010
Busch Gardens Tampa

Since we had already spent a full day here on Tuesday, there was no need to get here at opening. We had got something for lunch and ate in our hotel room. After that we headed out around 11am. We stopped at a potential apartment community on the way to BGT just to get a look inside. It was ok, but the appliances were dated. Anyways, on to the park.,,


Here we are back at my favorite park to re-ride our fav's and catch a few attractions we missed a couple days before. Pictured above is the Lion Topiary at the entrance to the park. Fortunately, the free voucher program ended the the day before, so the crowds were not as big.



A lot of construction has taken place since our visit Tuesday. Pictured here is a new construction wall between the Caravan Crossing shop and Gorilla Gallery shop in the Nairobi section.



Making our way along the Nairobi path you could see the stacks of railroad ties and construction vehicles.



Closer to the train station you could really see the progress with the tracks removed.



After getting some more legal pics, we head to Rhino Rally, which we skipped the first visit due to the lines. Even with the lesser crowds, there was still a 20 minute wait. No biggie tho. They did add more vehicles to the ride while we waited, so that sped things up a bit.



I was happy the water section was in operation today. That actually makes the ride worthwhile. They are rumored to be closing the water section permanently soon for "project 2011", so it was good ride it one more time in it's full form. This was Key's first ride and where he sat was the only person to get wet by the waterfall...lol



Next we head back towards the front going back to Egypt. On the way we stop at the parks museum: Busch Gardens Through The Years. They have many pictures and articles of memorabilia from the parks history here. They even have a car from the now defunct Python coaster (which was gone before I got to ride, Key got to tho) on display.



Not the clearest picture I could have taken, but my how the park has expanded since this 1970 Park map.



Next we venture into the King Tut's Tomb replica. I finally got a great pic of the sarcophagus/mummy in here.



Of course we had to ride Montu again. The ride was a walk-on, so we rode twice. WONDERFUL!!!



From Montu we head over to another ride we skipped the previous trip: The Skyride. These guys above were in the station taking measurements for "project 2011".



This was my first ride ever on the Skyride here. It was closed for yearly maintenance the previous trips to the park (had only been here in December prior to this trip). The views were great. I'm glad we got to ride it since it will be going down June 1st for the rest of the year for "nearby construction". Here you can see some of the construction from above.





The rides don't look too bad either. Great views of Gwazi, Shiekra and Kumba seen here.



Here's the checkpoint station along the trip. You used to could get off here to go to the Treetops Restaurant when it was there.




After the checkpoint I got some pics of Cheetah Chase and Scorpion. Scorpion was supposed to be back open today, but I guess they fell behind schedule. The track piece was still missing.


From the skyride, we went to get a ride on Sheikra. The wait was less that Tuesday, but still one loading station in operation with 3 trains getting stacked constantly.




From there we headed clockwise back through Jungala and Congo Sections getting a few more pics of entertainers and the animals in this area.



Key wasn't wanting to ride Kumba again, so he said go ahead and get to it. The ride was a walk-on, so I got in 2 rides. He didn't even realize I got back in line...lol This ride is definitely best on the left-side. It provides less head-banging. The back also gave a great rush too.



We then went through the Timbuktu section and continued through Nairobi getting some pics of the Rhino and elephants.


Key wanted to see Katonga again so we were just killing time until it's 4:30 performance. Jack Hanna was at the park so he had shows there prior to that. We had time to head back over to Montu, where it was still a walk-on. I got 2 more rides in.

Here is the video Key took while I was riding in the back-left seat. I'm in the orange:
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I was actually supposed to separate and get more rides in while Key watched KaTonga, but I was starting to feel worn out, so I watched it again as well. Plus it was the warmest day so far and I needed to cool off a bit.



After the show we went through the Bird Gardens back towards Sheikra to get one more ride before the park closed. I stopped and got this pic of a Scarlett Macaw on the way.



Here's that missing butterfly topiary that used to be paired with the other just further down. It looks okay here, but they looked much better when they were together.



A floating lighthouse in the remote control boats area.



Before making it back to Sheikra, we came across Sesame Street Safari Of Fun and look who we see: Grover. Abby Caddaby was there too, but didn't get a decent pic of her.



We get back to Sheikra and the line was shortest yet on our trip, about 15 minutes. I wish I would have had my camera with me after the ride to take a picture of the ride photo. The look on Key's face was priceless.....lol Here he is in front of the splashdown. Don't worry folks...he didn't get wet.


So that brings an end to the day at BGT. It was definitely less crowded and had a wonderful time catching the rides/attractions we missed prior.

For dinner I had gotten Wendy's and Key had something in the room already. So that's it for today. We did stop by some apartment communities on the way back to the hotel to get a feel for the area.


Next up: Days 5-7 BGT and the trip home with an out of the way trip to Savannah, GA to see my family,

[cwgator]

Days 5-7:
April 23-25, 2010
A quick Trip to BGT and then an excursion to Savannah, GA to see my family.



As our Tampa Bay portion of the trip comes to a close, we stop at BGT one more time to do a little shopping before getting on the road.



Here are the Mystic Sheiks of Morocco playing near the Sultan's Tent. We missed them the previous times this week. We were pressed for time, so we just stopped a moment and kept going.



As we pass the Moroccan Palace, we see Jack Hanna set up for photo-ops just before his show. We got there too late to take pictures with him, but security couldn't stop me from taking this pic...lol



Of course I couldn't resist checking out the construction progress. They were coming along quite nicely as seen above. I can't wait to see and ride the new coaster set to open next year. Hopefully I will be back soon to see the progress.


Of course, no trip to the park, even a brief one, wouldn't be complete to me without riding my favorite coaster here Montu. I was able to get 2 rides in to fulfill my need for thrills for awhile.



Back to the front of the park we stop for a moment over in front of the Marrakesh Theater where they were doing the Rock-A-Doo-Wop Show. Not really for me, but hey, to each his own.





Just a few more pics at the front of the park before exiting.



Now it's time to make our exit as we have a long drive ahead of us...



We already have this covered. Plus we get free parking and discounts...lol


We then get back on I-75 and head north back for a quick stop at home to exchange some clothes and a quick bite before heading up to Savannah.



That 2 hour trip from Tampa to Gainesville was nothing. It's the 3.5 hour drive to Savannah from Gainesville we weren't looking forward too. This is at the FL/GA state line around 7pm.


We made it to my Parents around 9pm. We were supposed to be there by 5 or 6. I guess we shouldn't have stopped by the park on the way...lol No big deal since my mother was running behind with dinner anyways. This part was a surprise as I wasn't aware she was cooking. I found that out on the ride up. She made lasagna. I neglected to tell her that Key was a vegetarian, so we stopped at Captain D's to get him something before we got there. We stayed with my brother and sister-in-law.



Saturday, April 24th:



The next day was an on and off again rainy-gloomy day. I'm glad it waited til the end of our trip to do this. My mom had us over for a big breakfast before we went sightseeing. We did get a break from the rain long enough to see some of downtown Savannah and I took Key over to Paula Deen's place: The Lady & Son's. I've never eaten here before (and didn't this trip either), but I hear it's good. That is, if you can get in. They start taking names for lunch early in the morning and around 3pm for dinner. Since it was a Saturday....yeah right. My mom was planning a cookout anyway that afternoon so we just posed for a couple pics and went onto River Street. I had lived here for 3 years ('06-'09) and this was Key's first visit to the downtown historical district. I always enjoy going down to River Street, even tho It can be quite the tourist trap.

Later in the day...my stepfather was helping my brother fix something with his car so I ended up actually having to get the grill going. Hey now....I'm on vacation...lol It's cool tho as it wasn't much of a chore, plus I needed something to do. In between the cooking out and everything I got to hang out with my 2 nephews, one of which I was seeing in person for the first time (born Oct '09).


Sunday, April 25th

It was great seeing everyone, but man was I ready to go home and sleep in my own bed again. This was the first expended trip I had taken since I moved to Gainesville a year ago. besides a 2 night stay in St. Augustine last July.



The Florida welcome sign never looked so good...