Tuesday, December 08, 2009

12-6-09
Day 80

Epcot, here we come! With days left on the tickets from Richard's visit and time running out before they expire, we decided to visit Epcot. We had a fabulous time!

Curtis, Stu and I met the Beardon Boys around 3. The weather was "iffy" at first, but turned sunny. We carried jackets that were at times too light and at others, too heavy. It never rained while we were there.

I'm so lucky to have a supportive family who understands my love of photography. A few times, Curtis decided to pull up the rear so he'd know when I went off on a tangent. He got tired of turning around to see me walking off, "chasing butterflies."

I used up my battery on videos and borrowed Rob's camera until the fireworks started.

We tried all the rides - Ed was kind enough to watch our jackets because he does not care for the more adventurous rides. He did join us on our little Time Travel Trip - too cute - the way it ended. The Test Track was a little less tame, but nothing like Mission Space.

According to Disney's website: "Mission: SPACE utilizes a multiple-arm centrifuge that spins and tilts to simulate the illusion of speed and gravitational forces. Realistic sounds from overhead and vivid video images only add to the experience of the simulation. As an astronaut in training, you are given the choice to be a part of the Orange Team or the Green Team. The Orange Team is a more intense training session and is the original version of the attraction, where you will experience forces up to 2.4G—more than twice the force of the Earth's gravitational pull. The Green Team has a less intense experience. You do not feel forces up to 2.4G when choosing this option. If you are prone to motion sickness, you should opt for the Green Team."

We chose the Orange Team. By the time we finished that ride, the sun was beginning to set and the Brothertons were beginning to be hungry.

The Beardon Boys wanted to take us to taste Beverly, a drink from Israel, at the Tastes from around the World. Ed told me it tastes just like Heaven. He wasn't far off the mark. A concentrated ginger ale, it was just what my ailing stomach needed after that G Force!

We made our way over to the Country exhibits and watched a few presentations about various holiday traditions. Rob shared some Skool Bread from Norway with us and then Ed and I had our photo taken with the Monkey King before the Double Dragon Acrobats from China held us spellbound.

I saw a duck. We posed beside the largest, most beautiful Christmas Tree I have ever seen and the "boys" bought goodies from a really large Gingerbread house. Between the food booths and the great photo opportunities, we kept distracting ourselves until we finally "arrived in Japan," where we ate dinner. I could have stayed in the garden for hours! We heard the chorus, a waterfall and quiet conversation. Paper lanterns were our only light. We were all tired from walking and just enjoyed each others' company. When we walked out of the garden, we were back in Epcot. It felt like culture-shock to be among the crowds again.

The Japanese gift shop must be the largest shop at Epcot and we remained there quite a while. Curtis found a quiet Zen garden, surrounded by photography that I found inspiring.

Then, we walked over to Morocco and I felt transformed. The music, the aromas, the colors, shapes and history swept into my heart and made me long for Spain. The guys also enjoyed this area and none of us wanted to leave until we realized we needed to start finding an appropriate place to view the fireworks show. As always, it was astounding.

Now, we need to find two more free days for our remaining tickets!

posted by Unknown at 12/08/2009 11:01:00 PM