Florida Vaccation ~ Sea World

 

One of the highlights of our Florida Vacation was Sea World

 

 

The Dolphin show

 

and the Shamu show were spectacular, as always.

 

Clyde and Seymore were quite humorous.  I've never been to Sea World around Christmas time.  The festive touches added to all the excitement.

Florida Vaccation ~ Gatorland

 

Gatorland  is definitely the  place to go, if you want to see some big alligators.

 

Something fascinates me about these dangerous and scary creatures.

 

You wouldn't catch me playing in the alligator pen,  but it is amusing to watch these guys putting on a show.

 

This one even smiled for the camera!

 

Wrestling a gator, definitely wouldn't be my idea of fun either.  I wonder how much they pay this guy?

 

We picked a really chilly day, to spend at Gatorland. We weren't expecting Florida to be so cold. 

 

Most of the rest of the days of our vacation were quite a bit warmer.

Florida Vacation ~ Lake Apopka

 

My sister lives next to this beautiful lake called Lake Apopka. 

 

It's simply beautiful, and I love to go there and try to take in an alligator sighting or two. 

 

The other residing wildlife is pretty spectacular too.

 

Florida Feathery Friends are quite different from those residing in Colorado, so I quite enjoy seeing the variety.

 

I even managed to catch a few, mid flight.

 

Tropical flowers are quite spectacular as well.

 

Bird of Paradise putting on a beautiful display.

Florida Vaccation Continued ~ WonderWorks

 

If you have children who love buttons, touching things, and climbing on things,

 

WonderWorks is the place to go.(I didn't take many pictures, it was dark in there, and most of my pictures turned out blurry)

 

Steve really loved the basket ball hoop.  It measured how high you can jump.

 

Along with the interactive play,  WonderWorks includes laser tag, and a harness ropes obstacle course. 

Definitely a unique experiences.

Florida Vaccation Continued ~ Harry P Leu Gardens

Walking through Harry P Leu gardens was like walking through a tropical paradise.

 

Any flower lovers dream garden.

 

Complete with gazebos,

 

and garden swings.

 

flowers,

 

butterflies,

 

and beautiful houses.

Florida : Excoursions Beyond the Borders of our Beautiful State

 

For quite some time, the girls have been begging us to take them to Florida to experience all the wonders of Disney.  For that reason, I'm going to take a break from Exploring Colorado, and leave our beautiful tourist state, to vacation in another tourist state. 

 

 

First on our list of sightseeing ~ Lake Eola  a beautiful lake right next to my sister's office building. 

 

What a way to see the lake, from the backs of these beautiful swans.

 

The girls thought it was great fun paddling our way around the lake.

Hanging Lake Waterfall Number Two

 

There was plenty to see around the first waterfall and lake.  Charity and Stacie even ventured out to the middle of the lake.

 

Ever the climbers.  They found a great spot for a picture.

 

 

I love this shot.

 

It was nice having grandpa along on this hike.  He was a big help, taking turns carrying Shiloh.

 

Waterfall number two comes right out of  the middle of the rock.   Quite a phenomenon.

 

Peering down from the top of a waterfall is always an eerie  feeing.

Hanging Lake

 

The best hikes are the tough ones. Especially when the view from the top is something truly rewarding, 

 

like a waterfall, or a lake.

 

Hanging lake has two waterfalls, and a lake.

 

The girls found a great place to stop and rest. 

 

 

The lake is a shade of green, I've never seen before.

 

Simply beautiful.