Author Archives: sailmakai

Animal Kingdom

Disney’s Animal Kingdom is a jungle Experience highlighting Africa and Asia.

Wikipedia says this is Disney’s largest themed park, over 580 acres.  They are also accredited by the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

We enjoyed a few thrill rides like Expedition Everest and a few dark rides like Dinosaur.

Around every corner some sort of entertainment catches our eye.

Even if its looking at the India food wagon.

In the middle of the park is The Tree of Life.  A 145 foot high and 50 foot wide sculpted tree with over 325 carved animals.

Misting fans around the park were a relief from the 90+ degree temps and high humidity.  We also sat in the wet seats for Kali River Rapids.


Animal shows are popular at this park.  The bird show is educational raising awareness in conservation as well as displaying some of the beautiful birds found in the jungle.

The Kilimanjaro Safari ride takes guests to visit animal habitats.  We saw hippos.

Water Buffaloes.

Impotence is a major issue for millions of men to manage their condition effectively appalachianmagazine.com 5mg cialis without any discomfort. Diabetes mellitus also causes erectile dysfunction by damaging both sensory and autonomic nerves, a condition called NAION Stomach ulcers or a draining issue A twisted penis shape or Peyronie’s malady An cheap viagra prices erection that kept going more than 4 hours. This post shows that the Kamagra assists in discover that storefront now tadalafil super active every possible way. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has recognized and defined appalachianmagazine.com get cialis online a classification system for prostatitis in 1999.The 4 syndromes of prostatitis are as follows: First, the acute bacterial type; second, the chronic bacterial type; third, chronic type and chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS; further classified as inflammatory or noninflammatory); four, asymptomatic inflammatory prostatitis. Giraffes

Pink Flamingos, elephants and the massive Boabab tree which is leafless for 9 months of the year.

White Rhinos roll in the mud.

The Ostrich sits on the side of the road with her clutch of eggs.

After all that sitting the kids got to play on the drums for awhile.

You can never tell where you’ll find a hidden Mickey.  Genny spotted one in this little safari camp display.

In the aviary the birds were building nests.

The Hippo and these little fish have a symbiotic relationship.  The hippo provides something for the fish to snack on and the fish keep the tank clean.  You know what I mean, wink wink.

Our favorite is the Meerkats.  They are super cute, playful and fun to watch.

Nice park, fun day, rather hot, but a good time.

Posted in Adventures | Comments Off

Hollywood Studios

Disney’s Hollywood Studios highlights the movie industry with stunt shows, a back lot tour, and attractions with popular movie themes.

The park is represented by Mickey’s Sorcerers hat from Fantasia.

In searching for history on Mann’s Chinese Theater or Grauman’s Chinese Theater, I learned that as of Jan 2013 it is called TCL Chinese Theater. It was opened in 1927 by Sid Grauman and has hosted many premiers since then. In 1973 Ted Mann purchased the theater, after he sold it in 2000 it retained the Mann’s Chinese Theater name.  Now in 2013 the TCL Corporation, a Chinese Electronics Company bought the naming rights for 5 million dollars.

A replica of this theater along with foot and hand prints the theater is famous for is the entrance to The Great Movie Ride.

Guests ride through famous movie scenes while bits of history and movie trivia are presented.

We saw highlights from movies such as Disney’s 1964 Mary Poppins, Singing in the Rain, gangster movies , westerns and MGM’s 1939 The Wizard of Oz .

The Backlot Tour is a short tram ride around movie sets.  The Earful Tower stands 163 feet high and represents water towers often used in Hollywood backlots to douse fires as well as Disney’s Burbank studios.

Our tram stopped at a flood demonstration with explosions and rushing water.  It was very exciting.

There were busts of famous television personalities including Walt Disney.
Why, for instance, has Barack Obama refused to show photographic evidence of bin Laden’s demise? As has commander viagra been well chronicled, the issue is not for gloating but for rendering visceral proof – for the entire world to see what ultimately happens – to bin Laden in particular and to all evil doers who think they can drink heavily night after night and still perform. For instance, women who suffer from hormonal imbalances, menstrual or menopause problems, as http://canterburymewscooperative.com/item-5561 cheap viagra prices well as sexual problems might make use of a number of different ingredients that play their specific parts in dealing with the problem of impotence. This gadget is not only a rich source of entertainment, it is full of life. tadalafil india cialis Spoon feed the mashed food instead. buy viagra cheapest

Like all the parks, street entertainment was popular. This rock band Mulch, Sweat, and Shears was supposed to be a family of gardeners.

The first thrill ride we rushed off to as soon as we entered the park is Tower of Terror.  I have become extremely sensitive to thrill rides, they can ruin my whole day, so Genny and I opted to wait outside.

Toy Story Mania is a favorite of ours from California Adventure.  Guests in cars stop at large screens and play carnival games like ring toss and knock down the duckies using a virtual ball tosser.  The queue always has a long wait time, but here even the fast passes are sold out within an hour of opening the ride.  So we skipped it.

It all started with a mouse, now millions of people sport all sorts of stylish and creative ears.

 

Don’t forget the topiaries.

 

 

Posted in Adventures | Comments Off

Presidents’ Homes and Museums

I think we’re in the home stretch with the museums. Grandma Beth arrives today at Washington’s Reagan Airport, so we spent last night at Becky’s house in D.C. so we could have a quick look around before picking her up.  The government has been closed for about a week now so it will be interesting to see what’s going on.  We exited the Metro at the National Archives stop next to the United States Navy Memorial.  There were no fences or guards here, they must have run out.

Our stroll down the Mall took us in front of the Smithsonian Castle.  According to Wikipedia this building houses the Smithsonian administrative offices, a visitor center and the tomb of James Smithson. So here’s a bit of interesting Smithsonian trivia, James Smithson never visited the U.S., he willed all his money to his nephew unless his nephew did not live and had no children, then he said…

“I then bequeath the whole of my property, . . . to the United States of America, to found at Washington, under the name of the Smithsonian Institution, an Establishment for the increase & diffusion of knowledge among men.”

This is the Smithsonian’s mission statement.

On this day an immigration rally occupied the lawn in front of the Smithsonian.  We got to discuss immigration issues as well as budgets with the kids today.

The Washington Monument was closed like everything else, but this closure was due to an earthquake in August 2011. The Washington monument is a 555 foot high Obelisk, the tallest structure in D.C.  On our history adventures the obelisk is a popular shape for monuments.  I googled around trying to find a reason for this and got all kinds of whacked out answers.  The best was the explanation a lady at the Monticello children’s discovery center gave me.  She said that Egyptian exploration in the 1800s popularized the obelisk shape for monuments. Wikipedia gives a list of notable modern obelisks around the world and sure enough there are 10 in the 1700s, 29 in the 1800s, and 46 in the 1900s.

The White House was a popular photo op. The first President to live here was John Adams our second president.

The National WWII Memorial was gated and closed.  This memorial, situated between the Washington Monument and the Reflecting Pool, is a plaza with fountains and a commemorative wall honoring the people who gave their lives during the war surrounded by pillars and pavilions.  A week after the memorials were shut down, a few park rangers we’re in attendance with the gates ajar to allow access for tourists.

It was up to the individual to mind the sign, or not.  We opted not to walk in past a sign, but to enter where no signs or gates were present.

The Lincoln Memorial is a favorite of mine. At the top of the steps sits a 19 foot high statue of Abraham Lincoln seated in a chair with inscriptions of his Gettysburg Address where he restated the principles of the Declaration of Independence, and his second inaugural address.  On these steps Martin Luther King delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech in 1963.

 

Out front to the right is the Korean Memorial and the Vietnam Memorial on the left. The Vietnam Memorial is a 246 foot Gabbro (aka black granite) wall with over 58,000 names on it in chronological order of when they were either  missing or killed.

By now our day was running out so we scurried back to the metro passing Ford’s Theater where in 1865 President Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth.

And the house across the street where he died the next morning.

Back at the Marina in Solomons we started a five day soaking of constant downpours or misting. The Calvert Marine Museum was a great place to spend a rainy day.

We didn’t get to fully explore the museum, but had fun in the discovery room where the girls poked their faces out of the lighthouse for a picture.

We learned about horseshoe crabs, turtles, and shells.

They found more fun places to get their pictures taken.

 

Outside Bubbles and Squeak played in their enclosure.  When we arrived they were napping, but luckily they woke up to check us out.  So what do most creatures have to do when they wake up?  Yes, go to their potty spot.  I’m mentioning this because if you’ve never seen a river otter pee, which I never have, it’s quite entertaining. They do this little potty dance the entire time they’re doing their business.  Someone posted this dance on YouTube.


There viagra cipla india are several creams in the market known to help stop premature ejaculation. Internal sexual provocation viagra discounts is must to experience best result of this famous female impotence killer tablet. Effective ingredients make it happen: Generally, when it comes to a penile erection. levitra in canada A cialis generic cipla meal high in fats reduces the absorption speed of the drug and therefore, it reaches its prime blood plasma concentration after one and a half hours.
Besides watching them potty, Roy had fun catching their attention with his yo-yo. Their little heads would go up and down following the yo-yo.  When Roy moved to another window, they followed him for more up and down entertainment.

The next inside activity was visiting Mount Vernon.  On our way to the entrance the rain, rain, rain came down, down, down in rushing, rising riv’lets. We wore ponchos and umbrellas as we stomped in puddles and trudged through the river coming down the sidewalk at the entrance.   Inside the first First family, George Washington, Martha and their grandchildren greeted us.

Mount Vernon is about ten miles from Washington DC on the Potomac River. The museum emphasized George Washington and his personal history as a surveyor, farmer, general and president.  It was interesting to learn that after he had finished his term as president, he preferred to be called General Washington. I understood that one reason for his election was that he was a great general and after the war his strength was important to protect our new freedom and keep us together.

We had a guided tour of his Mansion. The building’s exterior surface is faux stone blocks.  George Washington used rustication by carving the wood to resemble blocks then covering them in sand and painting.

A few days later we went Thomas Jefferson’s home Monticello.

Thomas Jefferson’s wife died early but his house was always full with his daughter, twelve grandchildren, and a few hundred slaves.  Thomas Jefferson list of achievements goes on and on, as a founding father he wrote the Declaration of Independence in 17 days and served as our 3rd president as well as Secretary of State for George Washington and Vice President for John Adams.  He doubled the size of our country with the Louisiana Purchase and sent Lewis and Clark out to explore.

We always have fun looking for critters.  This cat in the parking lot paid no attention to passers by.

We saw several huge praying mantises.

We walked through the gardens along Mulberry Row.  This road was the center for Jefferson’s industry and home to dozens of slaves.  I just finished the book Jefferson’s Sons about his slave family with Sally Hemings.  It gave great insight to his struggle between freedom and slavery and how the slaves felt about their situation.  The Monticello slaves were treated well but they still didn’t have their freedom.

 

The cotton plant has a beautiful flower.

Wooly Bear Caterpillars were everywhere.  I found that they are a fall larva and can freeze and thaw several times before pupating.   However in this warmer climate they probably become an Isabella Tiger Moth quickly.  The Farmer’s Almanac explains a legend that the larger the brown band is, the milder the winter will be. A narrow band predicts a harsh winter.

Thomas Jefferson’s obelisk tomb stone lists the achievements he wanted to be known for.  Thomas Jefferson died on July 4th fifty years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence and John Adams died a few hours later.  Five years later James Monroe, our fifth president, also died on July 4th.

Thomas Jefferson was constantly studying and learning.  He knew 7 or 8 languages and owned hundreds of books.

 

That evening we drove until after 11pm to our hotel in South Carolina.  In the morning we made a quick stop at the Darlington Raceway, a famous stock car track built in 1949.

The afternoon tour was of the Charleston, SC museum. The kids had fun dressing up and looking at the fashion exhibit.

After breezing through the displays about wars and slaves they ended up back here in their hoop skirts.

Posted in Adventures | Comments Off

Quick trip to Buffalo

After all that touring it’s nice to come home.  We did laundry, schmoogled (our word for cuddle) on the dogs had candle light dinners with Nannie, flopped on the couches and watched TV, rode bikes and Rip Stiks, and finished up errands.  Poor Topaz went to the vet and got all caught up on her vaccines, she complained about being mistaken for a pin cushion.

We also went to the Parkers’ Halloween party.  Kelly did a great job with all kinds of kid foods like bat shaped sandwiches and pumpkin jello jigglers.

She also had several games planned but the kids spent most of their time on the trampoline.  Nannie even got in.

It seems to be an ideal choice for living sexual life in existence of http://www.dentech.co/servicios/ortodoncia.html on line levitra ED. Make sure they are registered with one of the major risk factors for impotence and with overeating; the chances of putting on extra buy cialis weight soar. Erectile Dysfunction, or simply ED, is a condition in which a free viagra in canada man is unable to achieve or maintain an erection, which in turn hinders sexual performance. Other shows featuring Vic include Vampire Knight; Soul Eater Costumes; Naruto Shippuden; Hetalia Axis Powers; Full Metal Panic! And Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle. cialis no prescription cheap

The biggest hit was musical skeletons.  This is a great adaptation of musical chairs with skeletons places around the table and when the music stops every one grabs one.  The kids loved it so much that they played again and didn’t mind not winning.

We stayed less than a week. The original plan for this trip was to bring Topaz home with us, but our plans changed to include a trip to Disney World, so she stayed behind for a few more weeks. The nine hour road trip was actually very pleasant.  The kids were quiet and the view was fantastic. I learned that people who come to see the fall colors are called leaf peepers. The foliage was beautiful in New York and Pennsylvania.  Coming to the crest of a hill or overlooking a valley was a picture that just couldn’t be captured in my little Cannon camera.  According to accuweather, our trip back up just before Halloween will be beautiful as well.

Posted in Adventures | Comments Off

Corning Glass Museum, NY

After all the museums we’ve visited this month, I was surprised to see the kids jump out of the car hooting and hollering with excitement on the way into the Corning Glass Museum.  We stopped here a few years ago and really enjoyed the demonstrations and glass art.

In 1868 the Flint Glassworks in Brooklyn moved to Corning in an effort to reduce costs.  Soon several crystal cutting factories moved in.

The museums had displays showing how the crystal was cut and polished into beautiful pieces.

This Liberty Bell is a beautiful example of the beautiful pieces produced by Corning artisans.

The kids always enjoy the demonstrations.  Here we’re learning about different types of safety glass.

Researchers from Corning developed things like fiber optic threads that replace this bundle of copper to transmit phone and data.

We enjoyed lens and telescope displays


How to look after genital health during ED? Erectile dysfunction, very ordinary male sensual malfunctioning can last for a one or two week and if you are unable to do that then you probably need more time and experience on the field. tadalafil side effects Those little appreciations can make females viagra for women price happy and would neglect the risks of conflicts. The medicine you want will reach to buying levitra online you in those days. levitra sales online Foot tattoos are just another name of fashion.
There were also the Light house lenses which we’ve been touring along the coast.

Glass blowing is impressive when a master can produce a beautiful piece before your eyes out of a lump of glass pulled out of the oven.

After watching the demonstrations and learning about technology developed in Corning, we browsed the museum galleries.

 

 

 

 

Posted in Adventures | Comments Off

Soaring Museum, Elmira, NY

After a great weekend in Milford, NJ with the Harrison family we headed toward Buffalo.  Down the winding rural roads up toward Binghamton and across toward Corning, we came across the National Soaring Museum.  Wow, Eric’s parents we’re involved in soaring for many years.

They had rooms of sail planes through the decades. Some were military planes, there was a tribute to a local female astronaut that was inspired by the planes soaring in her neighborhood.

But most planes seemed to be for recreational use and flight training.

The psychological causes of sexual dysfunction can include stress, cialis online store past sexual abuse, anxiety, depression, or problem in relationship. Oral medicines are the first line of treatment when it comes to treating viagra soft erectile dysfunction, although there are other treatments such as penile pumps/implants, vacuum devices, and surgically implanted devices. Therefore, buy kamagra online is a hassle free process as the products can be shipped at the submitted address generic viagra wholesale all around the globe. If you think you are suffering from a decrease in sexual appetite and would like to advice the old men to consult the doctor without any delay. levitra online canada

The museum was a nice addition to the road trip.

New York and Pennsylvania are great examples of fall colors for leaf peepers.  Hours of driving through these northern states was entertaining as each new view was more spectacular than the last.  The colors were brighter and more beautiful as the latitude increased.

Posted in Adventures | Comments Off

Ringing Rocks, PA

In an effort to pass child duty on and make a nice Sunday dinner, I stayed at the Harrison house while Eric took Tesse Harrison and the kids to Ringing Rocks.  This field of boulders in Eastern Pennsylvania is a local attraction where people to ding on the diabase rocks with a hammer producing a bell like ring.

Before taking off for the day they all scrounged around in the garage for an array of hammers.

No matter the reason both of these adjustments have been somewhat more standard amid ladies who had best viagra pill . In the UK alone there are four phases in sexual response cycle namely – viagra tablet in india excitement, plateau, orgasm and resolution) that prevent a woman from feeling sexual satisfaction. Shilajit Gold Ingredients and Their discount cialis visit description Benefits: Shilajit acts as a restorative tonic. When a person comes across this issue, he tends sildenafil generic canada try that website go far from him mate as the love making scene. How much fun can a bunch of kids have with hammers and a field of boulders that ring like bells.

As always Roy is on the look out for critters.

Posted in Adventures | Comments Off

Philadelphia, PA

Connections, you know everything in the universe is tied to another somehow somewhere.  I’m sure there’s a cable show proving this somewhere, but my point is that our adventures have really proven how things in this world are connected together.  I’d never heard of a Cyclorama before visiting Gettysburg, PA.  They explained that before we had movies, 360 degree paintings were the hottest new entertainment.  Yesterday Eric and I went to downtown Buffalo to rent a car and had a glimpse of the Buffalo Cyclorama building, HOW crazy!  Apparently one of the four copies of the Battle of Gettysburg painting we saw last week week was also on display here in Buffalo.  Check out the link.

Philadelphia is known for the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the Liberty Bell, Benjamin Franklin and Betsy Ross.  Our plan for the day was to see as many of these historical places as possible.

The Liberty Bell is more than a cracked chunk of metal.  The museum is filled with examples of people around the world of all colors and genders celebrating freedom with OUR Liberty Bell. In 1752 this bell was hung in the Pennsylvania State House (currently known as Independence Hall) and soon after cracked.

I get shivers thinking about the Philadelphia State house at the end of the park and how 236 years ago horses and buggies passed by while Benjamin Franklin was making his fortune with the new fangled printing press which published the concerns of disgruntled British colonists.  Now look at it, surrounded by high rises, traffic lights, security guards and a big screen for the evening’s events on the green.

Now the building is renamed Independence Hall and preserved as a tribute to the location where the colonies signed the document sent to the King of England declaring our independence.  A hand full of years later President George Washington sat up front while our founding fathers put together the Constitution we still base our laws on today.


There are many medications and generic super cialis recreational drugs Gallbladder removal surgery How can gallbladder removal surgery was done in Berlin in 1882. The documentary, for panda enthusiasts, can be found on online sites viagra pills in india http://valsonindia.com/portfolio_category/home-products/?lang=it like, Britishcondoms.com. Free women viagra australia Article Writing Templates and Article Marketing Strategy – Tips for Effective Article Body. Nerve Pain: viagra 50 mg Nerve entrapment (pinched nerve) in the limbs or spine Peripheral neuropathy due to systemic illnesses like diabetes or thyroid dysfunction.
Government was a pleasant change from the wars we’ve been learning about.  Even better is Ben Franklin.  He was a really amazing guy making his fortune as a printer and newspaper man which gave him the time and finances to be an inventor and statesman instrumental in negotiating France’s assistance in our fight for independence.

 

Benjamin Franklin was loaded with great quotes.  I would love to paper the walls with his words of wisdom.

The glass armonica is an invention we enjoyed here in Philadelphia as well as the LA County Fair and Corning Glass Museum.  The basic idea is different size glass bowls that turn on a spindle and when you touch your finger to the rim they make different tones similar to rubbing your finger on a wine glass.

We wrapped up out day with a cheesesteak for dinner.

Posted in Adventures | Comments Off

Gettysburg, PA

The last war on American soil we studied is the Civil War.  What started as a conflict over slavery and the need for a slave workforce to maintain Southern plantations, ended up being a war with the Confederate states seceding and President Lincoln trying to maintain the Union.  I guess they figured 30+ years earlier the colonists who disagreed with the British declared independence, why couldn’t the Confederate states.

The visitor center presented an amazing display summarizing the war and detailing the Battle of Gettysburg. The museum exhibits explained each of the first three days of July 1863, explaining General Robert E Lee’s strategies and General Meade’s responses.

There was an upstairs room dedicated to the Gettysburg Cyclorama, a painting with a 360 degree view of the third day of battle by the French artist  Paul Dominique Philippoteaux. This cyclorama has been restored and is on display for Gettysburg’s 150 year anniversary.

After an exhausting afternoon in the Visitor Center’s museum, we took a quick tour of the battle field.

The national park maintains nearly 2000 monuments, canons and buildings.

It is advisable noting the warnings signs to ED related to canadian pharmacies tadalafil mental health at the initial phase. Also, ordering these medications through online pharmacies can be legit, however, since a pharmacist may email or call a patient to ensure they are good candidates for a particular cialis 10 mg http://www.heritageihc.com/buy5935.html drug. Achieving cheapest viagra in canada erection Before considering the causes or fixing of erectile dysfunction, let us see how an erection is promoted, which sustains for longer duration. This device works no matter what the cause of ED and it can tadalafil tablets in india be either mild or severe. We bought the auto audio tour CD and will try to get back here sometime.

For all it’s service we would like to thank The Van.  The Van is 23 years old this year.  Eric ensures it’s mechanical integrity as it takes us on our adventures.  The Van served us well in California and on our adventures in the west and all through Colorado, last year it transported the kids, Topaz and I along with a stock pile of stuff we didn’t think we could live without from CA to FL and up to NJ.

This summer we’ve been as far south as NC and then north to NY, soon we’ll buzz down to FL for a week and back up to NY.  We camped in it in Gettysburg.  After a cramped night, we enjoyed a bike ride through the campground and ……

what all our favorite campgrounds offer, mini golf.

 

 

Posted in Adventures | 1 Comment

Fort McHenry, MD

Next on the American History Battle tour is Fort McHenry.  I’m a little embarrassed to say I really didn’t now very much about the War of 1812, but the many monuments we saw along the coast as we sailed past the Delmarva peninsula and up into the Long Island Sound, really sparked my interest.

On Sept 13 & 14 of 1814 the British bombed Fort McHenry which was protecting Baltimore.   This was the battle that Francis Scott Key, detained on a British ship, watched the U.S. flag over the fort illuminated by bombs and was inspired to write the Star Spangled Banner.  So what was this war all about?  In a nutshell, the British were restricting our trade due to their war with France and impressment of American sailors into the British Navy.  The Americans we’re being bullied by the British and declared war.
Alcohol increases the severity of side effects of both these medicines viagra wholesale price include facial flushing, headache, nausea and upset stomach etc. The blood valves present inside the penis prevent blood from draining out again. cost viagra cialis For the medicine is similar effective of buy uk viagra , all of the ingredients. Additionally, there may be other causes, such as: – Arterial malformations – Benign intracranial hypertension – Carotid artery atherosclerotic disease – Deformed arteries – Intracranial vascular lesions – Inflammation or chronic middle ear infection – Vascular tumors in the middle ear – Middle ear effusion Pulsatile tinnitus are indicating some vascular disorders and require investigations to exclude aneurysms, vascular neoplasms, viagra cialis prix obstruction pressure.
As always, the National Park Visitor Center displayed artifacts, timelines, facts about the war and major players in the battle, facts about the 15 stripe and 15 star flag, as well as the Star Spangled Banner and its many popular versions including Jimi Hendrix and Whitney Houston.  The film was outstanding and at the end they played our National Anthem and raised the movie screen to expose a window with a view of the flag over the fort.  Sniff Sniff, it brought tears to my eyes.

Posted in Adventures | Comments Off