Adventures at Busch Gardens

The Captain and I went to Busch Gardens today, where they were busily working toward next Friday's opening of their newest attraction, Cheetah Hunt.  It is unbelievable how fast these projects progress.  We last visited a few months ago and couldn't believe it is almost ready to open.

It was a hot and humid day in Central Florida where we kept going back to take a break around the Sheikra attraction where you can get wet just by being close to the water portion of the ride.  The little kids hanging out and getting drenched over and over again were so entertaining.

It was fun to hang out in "Stanleyville" today.  We really enjoyed our lunch at the Zambia Smokehouse where we were served a huge portion of pork ribs and french fries . . . well worth the $12.49 they charge for the platter.  We decided to eat outdoors so we could take in the sights and sounds of Stanleyville, goof on the people around us and be amused by the birds who would descend on the area after a table was cleared.  It is pretty cool that they stay away from the people who are still eating at the tables . . . at least they are polite :)

The disappointment of the day is when the camera batteries died and we had to stop taking photos.

Here are some photos we took of Cheetah Hunt . . . I'm working on a new video of today's visit.  We took lots of landscape photos and The Captain got some awesome shots of turtles riding on the back of the gators.  

The landscapers were putting the finishing touches at the base of the new ride.

Looking up from the base of one section of the ride.

More views of the ride, which stretches through a large part of the park.

Click here for my blog post on the introduction of Cheetah Hunt which includes videos from Busch Gardens.  

We are tentatively planning to be there for the opening of the new attraction and will take lots of photos of the completed ride.

What an awesome and beautiful day!

My home town . . . Tampa

Tampa is such a cool place to live with so much to do and see.

It is where I have lived most of my life . . . it is home!

Rather than write another post, I thought I would post videos

that I have gathered from YouTube to show Tampa from

the perspective of others.

A tourist's video view of Tampa

 

 Visit Tampa/St Petersburg video

 


Destination . . . Tampa Bay

 

 Travel Guide - Tampa Bay

 

 Tampa Bay, The Movie ~ History in Tampa
 

Tampa Video and Audio Tour
 

Space Shuttle Program 30th Anniversary @ Kennedy Space Center

The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, located on the east coast of Florida in the Orlando area, marked the 30th anniversary of the space shuttle program this week. NASA officials and astronauts featured the accomplishments of the shuttle fleet and Kennedy Space Center workers.  A shuttle-themed cake was presented by Buddy Valastro, a baker featured on the Food Network's “Cake Boss.”  

NASA's launch headquarters is the only place on Earth where you can tour launch areas, meet a veteran astronaut, see giant rockets, train in spaceflight simulators, and even view a launch.  The following is an excerpt from the Kennedy Space Center website, detailing a typical tour . . .

"Your exploration starts with one of our world-renowned tours, where you depart Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex to see NASA’s awesome facilities, including the massive launch pads, gigantic Vehicle Assembly Building, and the awe-inspiring Apollo/Saturn V Center.

There is so much to do at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex – from live-action theatrical shows like “Star Trek Live,” to the Astronaut Encounter where you can meet a veteran NASA Astronaut. During your Kennedy Space Center tour, you’ll see 10-story-high rockets from all eras of space exploration in the Rocket Garden, walk through a full-size Space Shuttle mock-up, see IMAX^® space films on gigantic five-story screens, and see an actual Gemini program capsule on display in the Early Space Exploration exhibit."

For information on Kennedy Space Center events, click here or call 877-313-2610.