Vacation - Underwater Grill

Back to blogging... and still covering our vacation in March!

Have you ever eaten dinner surrounded by a shark tank?

We had the awesome opportunity while in Orlando to eat at the Sharks Underwater Grill!  (It's an exclusive restaurant located inside Sea World.)  We weren't sure what to expect when we made the reservations and I must admit it was an experience of a lifetime.  It's not a large restaurant and the way the tables are arranged on 3 different levels everyone can view the sharks & large fish swimming around in the massive tank the entire meal.  There was something serene & very relaxing about it - made me understand why people actually enjoy fish tanks (and ponds).  I was little concerned our 4 yr old might be afraid but luckily we sat in the middle of the restaurant just far enough away from the aquarium she could admire them with ease.  Besides the incredible close up view of unique beasts the food was good, really good.  But to be honest I wasn't there for the food alone, so it was an added plus.  The servers also knew quite a lot about the animals which I found important, and trust me a 4 yr old can come up with a lot of questions!

Other fun things about the evening/restaurant...
- at one point a shark crept up behind one of the servers, looking like it was ready to attack, probably happens often!
- the way the sharks slowly swim up to the glass makes you wonder if they can see you but I doubt it, and seeing them up so close shows just how truly frightening they are
- you can watch people viewing the aquarium through the thick glass because the tunnel at the end of Shark Encounter uses the same tank as the restaurant
- the bar is also a fish tank, how cool!  And of course there are many other tanks in and around the restaurant, with everything from neon tetras to sting rays!

The lighting wasn't optimal for our cameras, and actually our movies turned out much better, but I can at least give you an idea of our incredible evening!

 

 

Bye! Dag! Adios! Namaste!

:) Danica

Vacation - Ripley's Museum

When you plan a vacation to Florida, you think of sun, swimming, & basically anything outdoors.  Well, what happens when it rains, hmmm?  On St. Patrick's Day the weather wasn't ideal, and we had 6 adults & 1 kid to entertain.  My husband and I thought back to the days we were regulars in Orlando and remembered a fun museum we had gone to during the first couple months of our relationship (mentioned this a couple posts ago).  It was a hands-on museum, full of fun science & cool facts.  "Ripley's" one of us blurted out, definite fun for everyone especially our daughter.  We went online to pre-order tickets, sometimes you save money this way, and sure enough we did... there was a Paddy's Day special, 1/2 off normal ticket price!  We all loaded into the minivan we rented (ooh, another good post!) and headed off for a quick lunch before Ripley's Believe or Not Odditorium.  We were barely in the door when my husband & I realized, this wasn't the museum we actually remembered.  The hands-on science museum was actually WonderWorks, that's where we had gone for a date!  We had never been to the Ripley's in Orlando, but we had visited one in Key West, oops!

Luckily, it turned out to be lots of fun, despite it being packed.  (We weren't the only ones avoiding the weather!)  The brain teasers were great, everyone was asking each other questions, seeing who would get it right.  And the slanted room with a pool table messed with your eyes nearly making everyone sick.  There was something for everyone (even my father-in-law who I thought might make a break for it near the entrance, ha-ha), from being startled or caught off guard to passing hands-on challenges.  Plus there is just a lot of unique things to look at, I can't even imagine the life Mr. Ripley led, what a collection!  I think my favorite thing in the entire place was the car covered in instruments, I had a lot of fun playing there with my daughter.  (So glad my Mom & Step-Dad good join in the fun!)

As usual I've tossed in some pics for you, there from 3 different cameras so please ignore the quality difference.

 

 

Bye! Dag! Adios! Namaste!

:) Danica

Vacation - Restaurants (#1)

Hey I'm finally getting around to the first post about our two week vacation in Florida!  Seeing that I am still short on time - the realtor is showing our apartment again today - it's going to be quick but useful.

During our vacation we did our best to moderate how often we ate out at restaurants, besides it being unhealthy & costly, we wanted to enjoy eating on the lanai & grilling at the house we rented.  Being that we live overseas there are definitely restaurants you miss, sure we have access to great European restaurants but sometimes the ones you grew up with just call your name.  For me, while visiting The States I have to squeeze in a meal eat at either Outback and/or Red Lobster.  We luckily enough hit up both!  (No, they aren't Michelin Star restaurants but they're yummy and bring back nice memories.)

For the adults, we had an array of choices, but my daughter was limited.  She's doesn't eat mac & cheese, hamburgers, steak, or shrimp... but luckily she does eat her share of fish sticks, chicken nuggets, & hot dogs which were on most American kids menus.  But after a while we felt bad ordering her those things, and then we started noticing grilled chicken on a lot of menus.  Turns out she is a big fan of grilled chicken at restaurants - now I felt a little less bad that she was eating too many fries during the 2 week vacation.

My 4 yr old enjoyed the grilled chicken at Red Lobster & loved the ice cream at the end.  But it was the grilled chicken at Outback that made her oooh & aaah!  She liked the chicken so much she even told the server, ha-ha!  Now the milkshake she ordered at Outback didn't go over so well, but the chicken completely made up for it.  So if you're stumped what to order you kids the next time you happen to be at an Outback or Red Lobster, go for the grilled chicken, it's highly recommended!

Bye! Dag! Adios! Namaste!

:) Danica

I'm Back!

I'm back... even though you didn't even know I was gone!  Sunday we returned from a 2 week vacation to Florida!  Why Florida?  Well, if you know anything about me (even if you don't and per chance read my profile) you'd know I was born & raised in Florida.  So when it comes time to visit the family I can't really complain that I have to go to one of the biggest tourist traps in the world.  This round we (my husband, me, & our 4 yr old daughter) rented a house in Orlando with the in-laws.  Now that we've gone this route, I can't imagine ever doing anything different (well, other than the costs!)  The house had plenty of space so we weren't stepping on each others toes, it had a heated pool (someone was in the pool 1-5 times a day), it had a game room, and was one exit down from Disney!  It might have been a once in a lifetime trip, and trust me, we saved for a long time to make it happen.  It was great seeing my family again, due to living on different continents we only see each other roughly once a year.  And even squeezed in time to see some old friends!  Obviously there is so much to tell, but I'm not going to overload this post.  Plus I have plenty of stuff to take care of around the house, there's rounding off the unpacking and the realtor scheduled 2 viewings at the end of the week.  Basically this week is going to be a series of working my butt off and naps to get adjusted to the time difference (what a combo)!

Bye! Dag! Adios! Namaste!

:) Danica

Whale Debate

SeaWorld is again receiving a lot of negative attention due to the release of a documentary titled, Blackfish.  (Here's a link to the article on CNN if you're interested.)  Have I seen Blackfish yet, no... do I plan on it, yes.

After reading this article and thinking back to previous debates about SeaWorld and their captive killer whales, I started wondering how other people felt about this topic.  Do you think what Sea World does as far as keeping these creatures captive is wrong?  Do you think having the orcas perform is cruel?  Have you ever been to SeaWorld?

Now for my opinion (and yes, it might be a little bias because I grew up in Florida, not so far from from Orlando)... I have high regards for SeaWorld.  I think what they do there is amazing.  I have such great memories from my childhood of watching the performances and being able to come so close to a creature in my lifetime I would most likely never see or interact with in nature.  (Seeing the trainers dive deep in the tanks and then be shot through the air on the orcas nose was breathtaking and magical.)  I think SeaWorld is the cream of the crop, I have attended other oceanariums and so far, nowhere compares.  They have the money and knowledge to do great research and care for the animals as needed, and I think it is very unfair that they are being scrutinized as cruel or immoral.

 

I am capable of seeing all sides of the debate.  By nature these animals should be free.  And yes, trainers have died in the water (our hearts go out to their families).  But look at science and its history, sacrifices have to be made in order to learn and discover.  I admit, I struggle at zoos, it is hard seeing the animals confined, but I know they are being treated well and it's for a good cause.  I have learned so much by attending zoos and ocenariums, and I know the money I spend while at the parks goes back to the animals, and not only the ones on display. 

I think when SeaWorld sees an issue they make an adjustment.  Did you know they no longer allow the trainers to perform with the orcas since 2010?  But back to the actual debate... its not about the trainers or the money raised, its about the killer whales being confined.  Would the debate end if they stopped with the orcas and focused on other sea life... I doubt it, I think the focus would then just shift to another creature.  What's your opinion?