It's been a week since I left for Florida and we've done so much already so I thought I'd fill you in on what I've been up to since I've got a spare minute from our hectic schedule- currently sat with PopTart, hell yeah America! Be warned, this could get long!
The plane journey was pretty long and boring but the sky looked pretty.
Here we are waiting at Washington airport for our second internal flight to Orlando, there was absolutely nothing to do here or any shops to look round so I watched youtube on my iPad- that's right the Best Song Ever music video.
On our first day in Florida we went to IHOP for breakfast, I had blueberry pancakes- they were sooo good but you get a whole stack there's no way I could have finished them. This was one of the things I really wanted to do while we were here and I think people approved of my recommendation because we're going to try and fit in another trip there before we leave!
After IHOP, we went to Walmart to food shop (check out the size of the water melons!) but we managed to have a good look round too. Everyone bought a tonne of American sweets and I found my way quickly to the drugstore make up brands to pick a few things up.
Later on that day we went on a airboat ride which is like a hovercraft that goes across land and water and we did crocodile spotting in the swamps, pretty cool head gear!
This is the car/bus we're renting while we're here. We call it the "swagon", look how long it is! It can seat 15 people even though there's only 8 of us (my mum was taking the picture). Here, we have just arrived at Universal Studios very early in the morning ready for our first day of theme park fun.
Just inside the park
Just after the wettest river rapids I've ever been on
The best part of Universal was definitely the Harry Potter world, complete with Hogwarts castle, lots of shops in Hogs Mead like Olivanders and barrels of butter beer on sale, the experience of being there was just as good as the rides.
The next day, we went to Epcot which is a Disney theme park more about discovery than big rides and they have lots of different countries inside it so we naturally had to try on some sombreros in Mexico.
Right next door to Mexico was Norway and a but further along we found ourselves in sunny Italy!
Seaworld was next on the agenda and this has been the highlight of my trip so far- if you ever get the chance, you must go to Seaworld, the shows are amazing, look how high the dolphins jumped! There were lots of different shows all involving different animals from dogs to walruses to ducks to sealions, all of which left me in complete amazement!
The most famous of all the shows they do is the killer whale aka Shamu show.
They are the cutest, cleverest things I've ever seen! I'm so glad we have an opportunity to return here before it's time to go home, and as well as the shows (which we were pleased for since they were in the shade with fans cooling us down while we were sitting) there a a couple of pretty big rides which I also recommend, and of course lots of aquariums and cool fish to see!
We've also been to Animal Kingdom which is a Disney theme park based around animals. We went on a very realistic safari where we saw lots of African native animals- all happy in the surroundings, not cooped up at all, which I was pleased about as zoos make me feel a bit funny. But all the animals could and did roam around freely when they weren't napping in the shade.
There's also a load of rides in Animal Kingdom, suitable for a range of ages. There aren't any huge, upside down roller coasters but there is a cool time travelling car ride where we go back in time to see dinosaurs and narrowly avoid a meteor shower!
We finished our day in Animal Kingdom off in the Rainforest Cafe.
Complete with real robotic jungle creatures that move and make noises while you eat, not to mention the food portions are twice what you could even imagine and twice as delicious!
Aside from this, we've been to a couple of water parks and to the Florida Mall briefly to shop a bit- it must be said that I found my way into a MAC store ooh how American! We've still got just under 2 weeks here so lots more to pack in and expect a haul when I'm home!
Also, if you've got any recommendations of American products that I should get while I'm out here, let me know and we've been vlogging parts of out holiday too if anyone is interested in seeing that? It might go on youtube.
Hope you're all well and that the weather is still nice (?) back in the UK!
Em x
All photos were taken by either me or Alex using his Canon SX280HS camera.
