Cypress Gardens In Berkeley County, SC-Nature And A Movie

When I moved to the Summerville area of South Carolina and first heard the name Cypress Gardens mentioned as a place to visit, Florida automatically came to mind. Little did I know, at the time, there was a Cypress Gardens right here in the surrounding area of Charleston. So, I checked it out. No glass bottom boats will you find there and if you are also thinking the Florida connection, I have come to learn the Cypress Gardens of Florida is now closed, but the Cypress Gardens of South Carolina, is alive and doing great.

Spring is an ideal time to visit Cypress Gardens with its beautiful azaleas in bloom along with a host of other wildflowers common to the area. Birds and butterflies too numerous to mention in a blog also begin to make their presense known as the weather begins to warm in the month of March and continuing on into April when the azaleas are at their peek and the dogwoods abundant with color. Every month from there on out will bring its own steady procession of plants in bloom and new arrivals of the bird kingdom as well as butterflies and a host of other wildlife, including the earth-shaking bellowings of the territorial, breeding alligator in June.

Cypress Gardens is composed of approximately 80 acres of open swamp filled with bald cypress and water tupelo trees and 3.5 miles of beautiful nature trails for you to explore. Flat-bottom boats that hold 4-6 people are provided for your use to be paddled along a marked route through the shallow swamp. You can listen to a guide tell about the swamps history and its aquatic residents. A large greenhouse called the Butterfly House filled with flowering plants, live butterflies, birds, a pond, an arthropod exhibit, and an observation beehive is located on sight along with the Swamparium, an aquarium/reptile center, with tanks and terrariums featuring fish, amphibians, and reptiles (including venomous snakes) native to the swamp and nearby waterways. As you leisurely walk the trails you will find interpretive and plant identification signs all along their route widing around the black water swamp.

Cypress Gardens has been featured in numerous national magazines. It has hosted over 16 major movies and television series. While taking the guided tour through the swamp I learned various swamp scenes in the movie, "The Patriot", were filmed there. Other notable movies were "North and South", "Cold Mountain", and "The Notebook". On the humerous side, who would have thought "Swamp Thing" was also filmed in its swamp. Go figure. Engage yourself in a challenge. Visit Cypress Gardens and then rent the movies out to see if you can identify those particular scenes.

Beautiful Cypress Gardens in Berkeley County, South Carolina is worth your time and be sure to bring your camera. Check upcoming events, admission, and directions. Located at 3030 Cypress Gardens Rd., Moncks Corner, SC 29461. Phone: 843-553-0515.-Vacation Rick Travel

White Beaches On The Florida Gulf-Siesta Key Is Tops

Siesta by definition means a short nap taken in the early afternoon. When you visit the barrier island, Siesta Key, off the shores of Sarasota, napping is the furthest thing on your mind with all the things you can do. Although, laying in the warm Florida sun on some of its whitest beaches, a short nap may catch you off guard as you are surrounded by the soothing sounds and smells of the water.

Siesta Key is eight miles long and connected to the mainland by two bridges, Siesta Drive and Stickney Point Road. Siesta Drive is within the City of Sarasota and provides convenient access to the city, while Stickney Point Road provides access to south Sarasota County and a direct route to Interstate 75. Siesta Key's beaches have the honorary distinction of being one of “America’s Best Beaches", “Third Best Walking Beach in the USA,” by USA Today International Edition, and “The Best of the Best Sand,” by Conde Nast Traveler Magazine.

Great place for enjoying water sports of all kinds, bird watching, golf, dining, shopping, and for the heartier vacationer, plenty of night life after the sun goes down. Check out Gilligan’s Tropical Bar located in the Village. World-class volley ball tournaments, craft shows, art exhibits, and food and wine tastings are just a few of the many scheduled annual events. Florida fishing for the angler is always great.

Plenty of resorts and accommodations are provided for your convenience and relaxation. Top rated attractions and restaurants in the Sarasota and Siesta Key area. Come stick your toes in some of the whitest, softest, coolest sand on the Gulf Coast.-Vacation Rick Travel

Amelia Island-Not Just Another Florida Island

One summer while staying on Jacksonville Beach, we decided to take a drive up the coastline along Florida A1A. At one point of our journey, we had to board a ferry called Saint Johns River Ferry to continue our trek. The scenery was beautiful and the beaches great. There was a stretch of beach in Little Talbot Island State Park onto which we drove our four wheel drive vehicle. Driving along the surf was an exilerating experience. From there, we continued northward on Florida A1A and crossed a bridge that took us to Amelia Island. Up till then, I didn't know Amelia Island existed.

Amelia Island is the southernmost of the barrier islands stretching along the coast from South Carolina to Florida called the Sea Islands. It is south of Cumberland Island, Georgia. It is considered the only community in the United States to have experienced life under eight different flags. The island has a long and illustrious history that goes back 4,000 years. Amelia Island has a natural deep harbor on the north end of the island, which provided easy access for smugglers, pirates, and assorted sea captains.

Today, Amelia Island attracts a wide variety of recreational and commercial activity. For the vacationer, it features activities from golf and tennis at world-class resorts to kayaking, sunset sails and horseback riding on the beach. It has river cruises and charters, fishing, a museum, a community theatre, and walking tours of Historic Fernandina Beach. Or maybe you just want to take a quiet walk to enjoy the unique variety of birds and wildlife. To top it off, there are the 13 miles of beautiful, sandy beaches for taking in the warm Florida sun either to lay out on, walk on, or collect seashells.

Amelia Island offers a 1350 acre beach resort called Amelia Island Plantation. The resort offers four Audubon International certified sanctuary golf courses, 23 Har-Tru tennis courts, holistic spa, shopping village, year around youth programs, Nature Center, and Segway tours. Plenty of other resorts and hotels to choose from.

Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit at Universal Now Open

Universal's new roller coaster that reaches top speeds of 65 mph and towers 17 stories over Universal Studios Florida is now open. It features six near-miss moments and first-ever thrills including a record-breaking loop, the world's first non-inverting loop. A combination of audio and special effects engineering, sophisticated on- and off-board video and one-of-a-kind personalization of the ride itself. You rock out to the song you picked before strapping in. All of the ride is recorded on video and then you can edit your adventure into a music video, then buy a copy to take home or send to your friends. It's true high-tech, customizable, multi-sensory entertainment. Brought to you by Vacation Rick Travel and Rick's NFL Picks.

Naples Beach Hotel and Golf Club-West Coast Florida

Do you enjoy the white powder sand of the Sun Coast of Florida? Check out the Naples area and the Naples Beach Hotel. The 125-acre hotel is located approximately 20 blocks from Naples Pier And two miles from Tin City. Naples Municipal Airport is five miles from the hotel. The 318 guestrooms offer panoramic views of either the Gulf Of Mexico, the golf course or the landscaped grounds. A variety of themed rooms are available. Beach - Adjacent. Area Attractions are Tin City Shops - 2.0 miles, Caribbean Gardens - 2.0 miles, Village on Venetian Bay - 3.0 miles, Waterside Shops - 5.0 miles, Naples Philharmonic Orchestra - 5.0 miles, Naples Museum of Art - 5.0 miles, and Everglades Wonder Gardens - 14.0 miles. Hotel Virtual Tour. More information go to Vacation Rick Travel.

Caribe Royale Orlando-45 Acres of Hospitality

The all-suite Caribe Royale Orlando stands less than two miles from Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla. Seaworld Orlando is located five miles away. This property offers 1,338 suites-1,218 spacious one-bedroom suites with separate living rooms and 120 lakefront two-bedroom villas with fully equipped kitchens, screened patios and master suites with whirlpool tubs. The property is beautifully landscaped with cascading waterfalls and an array of amenities creating a feeling of a tropical paradise. Waterfalls tumble over towering rocks above an outdoor pool that features a 75 foot waterslide. Complimentary transportation serves Walt Disney World And Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores. The Venetian Room is the hotels AAA Four Diamond fine-dining restaurant. Visit Vacation Rick Travel for more information on Orlando travel. Have a great time. Virtual tour of the hotel.

A Must See Epcot Attraction-Disney World, Florida

This is one attraction you do not want to miss if you have children and if you don't, it is still worth your while to see. I thoroughly enjoyed it and tried to figure out how it was done. It is so sophisticated technologically, it seems so true to life. The attraction is at Epcot located inside The Seas with Nemo and Friends Pavilion in Future World.

The sophistacated Turtle Talk with Crush takes place inside a theater featuring a large "window to the ocean world" and amazingly appears that way. The attraction utilizes technolgy advanced in the state-of-the-art, 3D, voice-activated computer animation field. Crush, although an animation, can communicate directly in real time. The children are instructed to sit up front where Crush interacts with them, answering their questions and holding unique, improvised conversations. The parents sit behind them on bench seats.

No two shows are alike because the interaction changes. Turtle Talk with Crush is a 15-minute show presented throughout the day, so you have plenty of opportunuties to catch it. You can check the Times Guide located throughout Epcot's Future World to know exactly when you can catch the show.

Don Cesar Beach Resort Hotel-St. Pete Beach, Florida

The Don Cesar Beach Resort, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, retains its original 1920s Jazz Age style. The Don Cesar Beach Resort faces the Gulf of Mexico's white sand dunes in St. Pete Beach, Fla., known locally as the "Pink Palace". One of the resort's two outdoor pools features an underwater sound system. Outfitters adjacent to the resort rent water-sport equipment. Spa Oceana houses a hair and beauty salon, steam and sauna rooms, 16 massage-treatment rooms and vichy showers. Supervised programs for children ages four to 12 include arts and crafts, movies and beach activities. Popular area attraction is Busch Gardens, the ultimate family adventure park offering an array of fascinating attractions based on exotic encounters with the African continent. A unique blend of thrilling rides, one of the country's premier zoos featuring more than 2,700 animals, live shows, restaurants, shops and games, Busch Gardens provides unrivaled "real" excitement for guests of every age. Just 45 minutes away. St. Pete beach was a memorable trip with the wife and son. Plenty of good pictures and fun family time. Click on vitual tour for an up close look at the resort.

• 277 guest rooms and suites, some with private terraces and panoramic ocean views
• 2 beachfront pools
• Full-service spa and 24-hour fitness center

Space Mountain in the Magic Kingdom Getting Upgraded

Space Mountain is a 34-year-old attraction located in the Tomorrowland section of Disney's Magic Kingdom Florida. The attraction is completely enclosed with a ride dome that is hollow and 300ft in diameter. Space Mountain is the only version that has two roller coaster tracks within the iconic mountain structure. They are mirror images of each other, with only minor variations to allow the tracks to cross one another as needed. The left side track is called Alpha while the right side track is called Omega. Both tracks offer the same experience for guests, with effects equally shared and duplicated, the Alpha track is slightly longer than Omega by about 10 feet. The rockets reach a speed of 28 mph. This is all going to change. Space Mountain is one month into a seven month renovation that will include new track--though the layout will remain the same--and a new ceiling. There is speculation that Space Mountain could be in line for an electronic-game-filled queue similar to the one Disney installed at Epcot's Soarin' in 2007. Stay tuned and see what is in store for Space Mountain as it takes on a new experience for its riders. Visit Vacation Rick Travel for your travel needs.

Experience Expedition Everest-Animal Kingdom Disney World Florida

Expedition Everest in the Asia area of Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park is a high-altitude, high-speed, roller coaster train ride for big kids, teens and adults to the "Roof of the World," home of the inhospitable snarling beast, the Yeti, at the mountain's peak. Expedition Everest is the tallest of the artificial mountains at Walt Disney World Resort, joining Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Mount Gushmore, Space Mountain, Splash Mountain and Mount Mayday on the list of Disney-built peaks. According to Imagineering, it is Disney's 18th mountain-themed attraction. If the Expedition Everest mountain were real, it would be ranked fourth on the list of the highest summits in Florida at 320 feet (98 m) above sea level.
Some of the facts about the roller coaster Expedition Everest:
Ride duration-3-4 minutes
Total length-4424 ft
Total height-199 ft
Forward speed-60 mph
Backward speed-40 mph
Highest drop-80 ft
Max backward G-Force-3
Max forward G-Force-2.2
More information about Disney Parks and accommodations go to Vacation Rick Travel

Cirque du Soleil-La Nouba-Walt Disney World Florida

La Nouba is a mesmerizing and extraordinary avant-garde circus spectacle performed at an exceptional theater built especially for Cirque du Soleil located in Downtown Disney West Side. The show's international cast of acrobats, athletes and performance artists—including more than 65 artists representing 15 countries—delights and mystifies with daring acts of grace. Along with opulent sets, brilliant choreography, theatrical lighting and provocative music, La Nouba features a mix of mesmerizing high wire and flying trapezes, stunning acro-gymnastic performances and other dynamic displays of coordination and strength.
2009 Performance Times:
Tuesday through Saturday, 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.
For more information and tickets go to Vacation Rick Travel Disney World.

A visit to Weston just outside of Fort Lauderdale, FL

Vacation Rick sends his greetings once again. Saturday we left the beautiful white sand beach of Fort Meyers Beach. We had a good time and enjoyed the week at the Lahainna Inn Resort. The water was beautiful, the weather was warm and pleasant, very low key, and a time of reflection and connection. The only complaint was voiced by Wendy, it had to do with my smelly watershoes I used to stand in the water as I surf fished. It was a legitimate complaint. Salty wet shoes have a unique disgusting smell about them. Enough said about that.
The drive across Florida to Weston(declared the best kept secret of South Florida, or at least that is what we were told), just outside of Fort Lauderdale, on the edge of the Everglades, was pleasant. It took about an hour and forty-five minutes. On arriving we looked for a place to eat lunch. We pulled into a beautiful shopping center called The Weston Town Center. Very classy upscale stores. We found this Italian ristorante and pizzeria called Tarantella's. The pizza was very good and Wendy’s salad was excellent. She gave the dressing high marks. The service was equal to the food. If you are ever in the area it is worth a visit.
Time to check into the Vacation Village, a time share resort on Racquet Club Rd. just off of Bonaventure Blvd. Typical check in. Welcome you, explanation of the amenities and offers, solicit an appointment for a free breakfast and time share tour with a gift offering for a down payment of twenty dollars, your choice of either tickets to a restaurant or a dinner cruise or a seventy-five dollar gift card. A few other offers and discounts and enough of this, finally on our way to our condo. Settled in and went to Publix for the weeks groceries. Checked out the pools and where things were located in the resort.
Sunday was a day of relaxation. Warm and sunny, a good day to spend at the pool and surfing the internet. In between caught some quarters of the NFL football games for the day. New England, what a blowout. Great game for the Titans. The Browns, nothing to cheer about there.
Monday morning we went to Everglades Holiday Park for an airboat guided tour of the everglades. Typical tourist trap, the airboat ride was nice and somewhat informative, we did see one alligator and plenty of iguana, which I did think was unusual. The iguana were as big as the alligator. We skipped the alligator show, not interested in seeing someone annoy the alligators. The rest of the day we spent at the pool and played cards.
Tuesday arrived and the dreaded time share tour. The breakfast was okay and then, the torcher began and lasted for over three hours. We wanted to be polite but, wanted the gift card even more. The sales person went on and on. I told Wendy, "It comes to the point where a person can talk themselves out of a deal and that is where this salesperson has arrived." We looked around us, the room was filled with people in agony as their personal salesperson barraged them with their presentations. The moment arrived for the heavy handed representative to move in. We had enough and before they could speak I said, "We have been here for over three hours, we have to go, our answer is no." "You don’t want to hear the excellent offer we have for you, just two thousand dollars?" "No we don’t!" It finally ended and we got the gift card. Lunch at Pineras, played cards, read books, and watched television. It was basically cloudy and cooler so, it wasn’t a good pool day.
Wednesday it rained off and on. We took a drive to Fort Lauderdale Beach. The surf was rough, a lot of wind. We had lunch at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. by the Boardwalk. Beautiful view of the beach. Spent some money at the stores nearby. Returned to the resort and played cards, surfed the net, and whatever else to fill the time. Hopefully tomorrow the rain will clear out.
Thursday the sun finally made its appearance. Played "Spite and Malice" in the morning and then went to the pool for a farewell dip and final rays of sun before seeing the movie "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" around 4:00 pm. Thoroughly enjoyed the movie and we could tell the audience enjoyed it too. An older woman sitting next to me at the end asked me if that was a true story or just story from a book. If it was a true story it certainly would be a curious case. I told her it was a story from a book. Tomorrow we will be leaving early in the morning returning to our home in Charleston, SC.
Have a great day!!!-Vacation Rick

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Lahaina Inn Resort-Fort Meyers Beach, FL

Aloha from Vacation Rick at Fort Meyers Beach, Estero Island, FL. We are staying at the Lahaina Inn Resort for this week. Beautiful location, right on the beach, can see dolphins swimming by right from the porch of the condo. The resort could use some upgrades, but you can't beat the location if you like the sun, the beach, and fishing. Excellent for beach walkers and joggers. The pools are small, just good for a quick dip to cool off from the hot sun.
The first night we were here, Friday, we ate at the Fish House in the Fishtale Marina with the Jones'. The drinks were good, they didn’t skimp on the alcohol like some places do. The food was, read between the lines, very pricy. Although, my wife said her steamed oysters were very good. Wish I could say the same for the grouper. The evening progressed into cards and conversation. Since the Fish House, it has been just good old condo cooked meals and a couple of barbecues.
Saturday and Sunday there were showers off and on. Our check in on Saturday wasn’t until 3:00 in the afternoon so, to kill some time, we took a walk in a new park and saw the local wildlife, aligators and such. On Sunday, we went and saw the movie "The Day the Earth Stood Still". What a mistake. I liked the old movie. They should have stuck with the original story line. The weather has been beautiful since.
Every Monday morning the resort prepares a breakfast for all the guests, nothing big, just scrambled eggs, ham, pastries, and juice. Wednesday we went to The Olive Garden. I always enjoy their Belini peach iced tea. Good service and descent food.
Fishing has been good. I have caught a variety of fish. The tan is well on its way. All in all, it has been mainly sitting in the sun, dips in the pool to cool off, walks in the surf, sudokus, and fishing. Throw in there a couple of rented DVD movies from Blockbuster. Side note, waiting on Wendy hand and foot. Ha! Ha!
That's all for now. Our next stop is Weston, Fl. We will be staying at the Vacation Village at Weston. We will catch you later!
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