July 19 & 20

Yesterday we drove from Forsyth, GA to Cadiz, KY. When we pulled into the campground, Charles biked around and we all swam.

Today we went from Cadiz to Rock Island, IL. (Rock Island is the name of the first song sung in The Music Man- the song sung in the train on the way to Iowa). We stopped at Abraham Lincoln's tomb on the way.

While at a rest stop, we saw a semi truck that was hauling some huge tires.

 Now we are sitting in a stuffy camper with no air conditioning  because the campground electricity is not working.

Good night from Rock Island.
Bailey

July 16, 17, & 18

On the 16th we went to Cocoa Beach and the Atlantic Ocean. The waves were often taller than Charles and we all got more than enough salt water in our noses and mouths but we all had fun. The sun was brutal and we wondered how anyone could survive without an umbrella.

On the 17th we had a big resting day and went swimming at the campground for a few hours. Then we went back into Hollywood Studios and saw the Fantasmic light show. We had to get there over two hours before the show actually started but it was worth it. The show was fantastic. We didn't get as much sleep as we would have liked though, given that we leave tomorrow.

Today, we left Lake Buena Vista and the Disney campground behind us and headed to Forsyth, Georgia. We should be home by Thursday.

Good night from Forsyth.
Bailey

July 13, 14, & 15

On the 13th we had a resting and went swimming at the campground.

The next day we went to the Animal Kingdom where it rained. Hiding under the trees doesn't do much for one's dryness. We gave up and got wet. Then we stood in line for the Expedition Everest roller coaster for an hour. That ride scared the heck out of us though. It is NOT a kids ride, no matter what the workers say. Charles loved it.

One of our favorite parks was Hollywood Studios. It was very well done. There was the Lights, Motors, Action! show that demonstrated many of the stunt techniques used to create movies.There is also a tribute to Walt Disney that shows the making of the entire Disney franchise. It is very cool, really well done. I went on the Star Tours (Star Wars) ride and it was a lot of fun and I absoluutely loved it. Charles really liked the 3D Muppets movie. We had a fantastic day.

Good night from Orlando (correction-I was just informed that we are really in the town of Lake Buena Vista)
Bailey

July 11 & 12

Yesterday we stayed at home. We went swimming and bike riding and also went out to breakfast. The Mickey mouse-shaped waffles were delicious.

Today we went to Epcot and started ay the GM Test Track. The ride was worth the hour wait, see the video of Charles below. We also rode on the Spaceship Earth ride in the geodesic dome (giant golf ball). We made a brief tour of the World showcase and got pastries in France. Then we rode two different monorails and a boat in the rain (interspersed with a very wet bathroom run) to get back to our campground- but it beat the crowded bus ride we took to get there.

Good night from Orlando.
Bailey

July 10

We went to the Magic Kingdom today and did the usual. We met Mickey and Minnie, Pluto, and Tigger and Pooh. Charles had lots of fun getting autographs. The "It's a small world" ride was one of my favorites, as ever, and Charles liked the PeopleMover. Our favorites were the Big Thunder Mountain Railway rollercoaster (it has drops and turns that really make your stomach feel like it's dropping out from under you- it's very awesome) and the Pirates of the Caribbean water ride. Charles demanded that we ride that one twice. Our resort campground, Fort Wilderness has a boat shuttle to the Magic Kingdom and that was fun as well, and a welcome change of pace. The three o' clock parade was fun as well. We had a very good time today.

Good night from Orlando.
Bailey

July 9

We went miniature golfing today for more low key fun. Disney's Fantasia Mini Golf courses are very nice but I'd recommend the more whimsical Gardens course. It's more enjoyable for everyone.

Good night from Orlando.
Bailey

July 8

We woke up at three and went down to for the last shuttle launch. We got on to the Air Force base and had a great view of Atlantis taking off on its final mission. It was amazing. Afterward we got a brief tour of the base and then spent six hours sitting a traffic jam and rain to get home. But it was fun. You'll have to see the pictures though because, as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.

Good night from Orlando.

Bailey

Day 11

We decided on a low key day today so we would be well rested for the launch. We went to Downtown Disney and saw Cars 2. Charles loved it and the rest of us liked it too. We wandered around for a while and just relaxed. Then we got stuck in the rain and there was a lot of wetness and hurrying... but we had fun.

Good night from Orlando.
Bailey

Day 10

Today we went to Sea World. It is absolutely amazing and gorgeous. There is shade everywhere and Universal Studios pales  by comparison. We  saw the dolphin show Blue Horizons, the Shamu show One Ocean, and the sea lion and otter show Clyde and Seamore Take Pirate Island.

They were all equally amazing. You can also feed the dolphins and touch the sting rays. Charles especially loved the kid roller coaster and a giant complex of nets and tunnels that you can climb on and crawl through. We had a wonderful day.

Good night from Orlando.

Bailey

Day 9

Yesterday we drove into the Disney campground in Orlando and discovered that the map online did a terrible job of portraying proportions, as the campground is much bigger than we previously thought. We also learned that golf carts are the way to go. People bring their own souped- up versions. They have radios, all- terrain tires, and even DVD players. Their pools aren't centrally located, but otherwise, it's a very nice campground. There is even a boat ride to the Magic Kingdom and shuttles to all of the Disney parks.

Today, we went to Hollywood Studios and spent most of the day at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. I loved it. Naturally, we tried the butterbeer, and were pleasantly suprised. Think cream soda, maybe a bit sweeter, with lots of froth on top.

There is a nice version of Ollivander's Wand Shop and the staff do have a way of picking out a wand for you, but they also sell many of the characters' wands. The Frog Choir is worth a listen as well. There are 5 people and 2 mechanical frogs who sing some very Harry Potter/ wizardy music- everything from songs from the movie soundtracks to a completely made up tune 'Do the Hippogriff.' The Forbidden Journey ride is not one for queasy people. There are signs everywhere saying that if you get motion sickness, you shouldn't go on the ride. Heed the signs! They aren't kidding. It's awesome. Do plan on getting there with plenty of time, as it takes the whole day. There are lines for the gift shop and the Express Pass is money well spent. The wait for the Flight of the Hippogriff roller coaster (it's supposedly a kids ride, but it's a lot faster and freakier than your average kids roller coaster) was 35 minutes, but we were on it within 2. Unfortunately, the Express pass is no good on the Forbidden Journey ride, so we stood in line for about 90 minutes. And no, I'm not exaggerating.  Bring water and fans and something to do.It is well worth the wait though, and that ride is longer than many of the other rides.

We also went to Seuss Landing where The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride! is short, but fun and the Caro- Seuss- el is also short but worth your time. Many of the animals have levers that make their noses or heads or something else move.

In Toon Lagoon, there is Mat Hoffman's Aggro Circus, which is about 20 minutes long, but very, very cool. There is a metal cage- like ball (which isn't very large) that 3 motorcyclists were all in at once. It was crazy- but worth the walk.

All in all, it was a very fun, very hot (little to no shade in many places), very tiring (lots of walking, few places to sit), very satisfactory day.

Good night from Orlando.
Bailey

Day 7

Today we went to the Kennedy Space Center. It's huge! We started at the rocket garden, where they have real rockets that never were launched, as well as some mock- ups of life size command modules (where the astronauts sat and controlled the rockets). If you go inside the mock- ups, you actually sit as the astronauts did- on your back. They aren't very roomy.

We also got to go on a tour that took us very close to the launch pads- we were only about a mile and a half away! On that tour we also saw the Vehicle Assembly Building where the rockets and space shuttles are put together and the crawler that takes the spacecraft to the launch pads. It can take up to nine hours to go from the VAB to a launch pad.

Good night from Titusville.
Bailey

Day 6

Today we drove through Georgia, stopped to pick up some fresh Georgia peaches at a produce stand, and into the Titusville, Florida campground, very close to the Kennedy Space Center on Cape Canaveral. We are planning a visit to the Kennedy Space Center in the morning to see the Space Shuttle on the launch pad. After arriving at the campground, Charles began riding his bike and he and Dad tried out a different bike in the campground.

Goodnight from Titusville.

Bailey

Day 5

Today we drove from Manchester, Tennessee to Cordele, Georgia. A word of advice: plan on a drive through the Atlanta area taking much longer than you'd think. On the way, we stopped at the Green View lookout point at the University of the South (see picture above). We were on a very big hill overlooking the hills of Tennessee and the valley in between them.We also entered the Eastern time zone.

Good night from Cordele.
Bailey