The Land of Temples & Elephants

China & Hong Kong

We arrived in Hong Kong Sunday night via a direct flight from Dallas. Exhausted (16 hours on a plane and a 13 hour time difference will do that to you) we were pleasantly surprised how fast and easy customs was; we waited longer for our bag than in line with the immigration officer! With our luggage in tow, K's colleague -- who spoke Chinese -- led us to our waiting taxi. Half way through the drive to Shenzhen, China we stopped at the border and went through customs a second time (even though Hong Kong's sovereignty is under the People's Republic of China, the city has enough autonomy to retain its border crossing). Again, it was quick and easy! Once at the hotel, we ordered dinner via room service; hungry and even more tired, we fell asleep as soon as our heads hit the pillow.

The next two days, while K met with customers, I struggled with the time change; Monday I only left the hotel room to eat. The second day, I was feeling a little braver and headed out to "Window of the World," a theme park with rides and replicas of some of the world's most iconic structures (thus our view of the Eiffel tower from our hotel balcony; the replica of Columbus’s Santa Maria, however, was courtesy of our Spanish themed hotel). Unfortunately, the park only accepted cash, and I did not have enough. So, after a mile of walking and standing in line at the ticket counter, I turned around and went back to the hotel. There I wandered the garden and koi pond before showering and indulging in more Netflix, reading The Girl on the Train, and napping.

Wednesday, I was more awake and more confident to explore on my own. After our daily breakfast buffet at the hotel, K went to his conference to give his presentation and I journeyed to the Metro station across the street to begin the 2.5 hour trek to Hong Kong. The metro stations on either side of Shenzhen & Hong Kong also serve as customs & immigration, but unlike the airport and the drive across the border, walking between the two cities was slow and confusing; the lines were long & hectic, and the fluorescent bulbs & scuffed tile floors did not make the experience any better.
Once in Hong Kong, I took the metro to Lantau Island and took a cable car to Ngong Ping village. There, I wandered around the Po Lin Monastery and up the 268 steps to Tian Tan Buddha, aka Big Buddha. From Lantau Island, I ventured across Victoria Harbor to Hong Kong Island where I roamed the business center of the city. The Northern part of the island is filled with tall high rise buildings that look as if they've been squeezed together and the sidewalks are barely wide enough for a single person. With the hilly terrain, the city streets are steep and narrow -- enough so that the Central and Western districts are linked by the Central–Mid-Level escalator system to ease the commute of pedestrians. Located down an unmarked street (Hong Kong has a habit of forgetting to post street signs), I stopped for lunch at Ding Dim 1968 for dim sum. My FIRST time having dim sum was a meal to remember; I feasted on BBQ pork bun (my favorite!), pork & vegetables in tofu, & Chinese yams in rice paper with a mango-papaya juice to drink. Stuffed, I walked to Man Mo Temple where I roamed under the cloud of burning incense before starting the 2.5 hours commute back to the hotel.

Thailand
Chiang Mai
Thursday morning we left early for the airport to fly to Thailand. In Chiang Mai we checked in at our AirBnB apartment, but not without a bit of confusion. Unfortunately, the building sign is hidden from the main road and difficult to spot, but luckily K has international data & calling and we were able to be retrieved by the owner. After cooling off a bit, we explored the neighborhood where we stopped at an authentic Thai restaurant (an open air garage set up with picnic tables and kitchen stove for the chef) for a late lunch: stir fry noodles and chicken over rice with two Cokes, all for a whopping 84 baht -- or $2.40 USD! From there, we walked around the block and snacked on fresh watermelon and Thai ice cream (sticky rice topped with vanilla ice cream and sweetened condensed milk) before heading back to the apartment for the night.

Friday we woke up early -- thanks to the 14 hours of sleep the night before, I was finally feeling adjusted to the time zone-- and explored the streets for food vendors that would sell us breakfast. K opted for meat on a stick and rice. I ended up at a coffee house where I shared a Thai fried rice with sausage (basically a hot dog) with K before we went back to the apartment to be picked up for our elephant day! Getting picked up ended up being quite the ordeal; we ultimately had the building security guard give the van driver directions in Thai. It seems our airport taxi driver wasn't the only one who has trouble finding the building! We were grateful, nonetheless, for the van's third and final attempt to retrieve us and arrived at the Elephant Nature Preserve where we started the day feeding the elephants chopped watermelon and pineapple. Next, we walked around the park, where our guide told us the name of each elephant, where they were rescued from, and how long they'd been residents at ENP while we posed for photos and pet the elephants trusting enough of people. Back at the main building, we had a buffet style lunch before heading down to the river to bathe the elephants. Really, we waded into the river and threw buckets of water over them, but they were loving it! After a snack, we returned to the city where K and I had a much needed shower before grabbing dinner and falling into bed.
We started our last day in Chiang Mai by heading to the "old city" (the former capital of the Lan Na kingdom) to explore it's Buddhist Temples. On our walk we stopped for lunch -- another tasty Thai meal! To say we visited SO MANY TEMPLES would be an understatement; our pre-decided list of "must see" temples barely scratched the surfaces of the those that dotted the city streets. Periodically, we would step into a temple not on our list, only to pass 3 or 4 more on the way to the next. We finished exploring the city at its East side, where we exited the Thapae Gate before taking a songthaew (a red pick-up truck converted into a shared taxi) back to the apartment. After showering, resting, and cooling down from our Temple trek, we were picked up for a cooking class; and for once, there were no issues finding the apartment building!
At the Asia Scenic Thai Cooking School, we walked through the local market and the school's garden before starting our first dish: stir fry. K opted to make Pad See Ew and I chose Pad Thai. To be honest, I was really impressed with our final product! Next, we made spring rolls (K was one of two volunteers who made the filling in front of the rest of the class; he was so brave and composed at the wok!) and curry paste from scratch; we then used our curry paste to make a curry of choice -- K and I both chose the Panang Curry, aka baby curry, since it was the least spicy. We finished our meal with a dessert; bananas in coconut milk for me and mango & sticky rice for K. Such a delicious way to end our time in Northern Thailand!
Phuket
We arrived in Phuket (get your head out of the gutter, it's pronounced "poo-ket"... ok, maybe that's not 100% better) Sunday afternoon and drove down the island coast to our AirBnB. The room we rented turned out to be part of the Mustsea hotel, but somehow was privately owned by the manager of the neighboring Fin Hostel. The only non-apartment AirBnB that we've chosen since using the website during last year's Euro-trip, it was also the worst to date. That being said, it wasn't bad and having the owner located just downstairs was convenient. After settling in, we grabbed a late lunch/early dinner (it had become our vacation routine) at a restaurant down the block before taking a short walk to the beach where we splashed around in the Andaman Sea.

Monday morning we woke to the sound of our alarm clock encouraging us out of bed before the sun had come up. As the sun was rising, we headed to the Royal Marina on the East side of the island where we would start our island boat tour. The first stop on our excursion was Koh Phanak, where we explored a small cave before eating breakfast on our ride to Koh Hong for sea canoeing. Our next stop was Koh Phing Kan & Koh Tapu, aka James Bond Island (named for to its appearance in The Man with the Golden Gun), which has become the most famous spot in Phang Nga Bay. Just a few minutes from James Bond Island, our boat brought us to a hidden cove, where we swam, floated, and snacked before heading to Koh Yao Noi for lunch. We arrived at the dock of the Koh Yao Noi where two trucks were waiting to take us to lunch at Hook, a small open-air restaurant right on the beach. To the sound of the waves and rustling leaves, we dined on spring rolls, chicken coconut curry, chicken & vegetables, and Thai iced tea. With fully bellies, we rode back to the dock, past the rubber tree plantations, where we headed out for our last stop. The remainder of our afternoon was spent on a secluded island beach; K and I alternated our time between wading into the crystal water, snacking on tropical fruits, and laying in the shade of the seashore. After our return to Phuket, we spent the night at a local flea market, where we browsed various stalls for clothes, souvenirs, and dinner -- BBQ, Stir fry noodles, Somosas, Fruit, Kebabs, & rice.
Our last day in Phuket also happened to be the only day of rain during our vacation. In the morning, it was light and sporadic, so we opted for a visit to Tiger Kingdom. There, we spent 20 minutes with small (this is a misnomer, those small tigers were the size of a large dog) and big tigers. The small tigers were still young and playful; they seemed less interested in us -- unless we were rubbing their bellies -- and more interested in stalking and rolling around with each other. Our experience with the big tigers was less exciting, though; much like domestic house cats, the adults seemed bored with people. Overall, the experience at Tiger Kingdom was questionably ethical for both me and K. Although it was truly the experience of a lifetime, big cat tourism is based on breeding programs that are focused on producing cute baby tigers for tourists to spend time with. The big tigers, as shown in one of our encounters, are sometimes fearful of handlers (an obvious sign of some mistreatment) and are in less demand. So, it begs the question, what happens to these majestic cats when they grow from adorable kittens to giant predators? K and I left Tiger Kingdom feeling uneasy about our experience... even though spending time with tigers is something you don't get to do every day, it was not something we would do again, and not something we would ever recommend.
As we left Tiger Kingdom, the light rain became a downpour, and our first Thai monsoon experience flooded the streets during our drive back to the AirBnB. As a result of the weather, we spent our last afternoon holed-up inside watching movies. That night, we had dinner at a local restaurant before heading to the airport for the first leg on the journey home; our trip back to the States had two separate layovers -- the first in Bangkok and the second in Tokyo. We arrived in Bangkok at 11:30PM where we spent the night at Boxtel, a pop-up hotel hidden in the lower level of the airport. Surprisingly, it was the most comfortable bed of our entire trip! With only 5 hours of sleep, we checked out and headed to the gate for our 6:30AM flight to Tokyo. From Japan, we began our final haul to Dallas -- another 12 hours before finally returning home.

The Land of Swans & Beer

Lucky for us, K didn’t do much work related travel his first year at Texas Instruments; he’d only spent a week in Taiwan and one night in Atlanta, Georgia. But, when the chance came to attend a conference in Germany, we were happy to take the opportunity for a European vacation together.

SUNDAY: I arrived Sunday at the Munich Airport after the conference had ended, my first solo trans-Atlantic flight in the books, to a confusing and super slow (what Germany efficiency?) customs line. Even the native Germans were confused! When I emerged from the baggage claim, K was waiting for me, and we headed off to buy tickets for the train. Standing in front of the ticket machine, we were overwhelmed by the S bahn and U bahn lines, the rings and zones, and the poorly translated English instructions, but we were lucky to have two tickets gifted to us from someone who didn’t need theirs anymore. Happy to avoid the ticket machine for now, we made our way to the platform and headed into Munich.

In the heart of the city, we arrived to a gray, biting cold. The rain was light & steady, and the streets were almost completely empty – quite the change from Dallas in the spring. We checked into our AirBnB apartment, conveniently located just a 5 minute walk from the central train station, and went to Marienplatz. With apple strudel in hand, K and I walked the streets of Munich, feeling as if we had the entire city almost completely to ourselves. We stopped for lunch at Katzentemple, a cat cafe, before heading back to the apartment for the evening. We grabbed dinner from a counter at the train station: currywurst (K’s personal favorite) and rotisserie chicken, before turning in for the evening.
13,703 Steps
5.77 Miles

MONDAY: Day two in Munich had a late start; despite taking an Ambien on my flight to try and adjust to the time change, I was exhausted. I even managed to sleep well past the 7:30AM construction directly outside our window.
The first stop of the day was breakfast lunch at Görreshof, and it was arguable our FAVORITE meal during our stay in Munich. Surrounded by wood paneled walls adorned with deer antlers and burning candles, we feasted on the traditional Bavarian breakfast of white sausage with a soft pretzel (topped with an amazing sweet mustard) and split a plate of pork and potato soup. The entire experience was very German, right down to the lederhosen-wearing-waiter that served us.

With very full bellies, we embarked on our garden day. First stop: Schloss Nymphenburg. Nymphenburg Palace was once the birthplace of German royals, and current home to numerous swans that roam the grounds. Among the hedges and statues, K and I meandered through the garden until we were ready for a change in scenery.

The next stop of the day was The Englischer Garten, one of the largest urban parks in the world. We wandered around the Chinese Tower, next to one of the most well-known beer Gardens in the city, and people watched atop a hill. On our way out of the park, we took a moment to enjoy the infamous Eisbach river surfers before stopping at Der Verruckte Eismacherfor some unique ice cream flavors. That night, we watched Bayern Munich play Atletico Madrid in the semi-finals of the Champions League at a local bar; unfortunately, despite winning the game, Bayern was eliminated and we missed out on the chance to celebrate, German-style.
15,444 Steps
6.32 Miles

TUESDAY: To be honest, Germany has never been at the top of my “must see” list of countries, but I had made-up my mind long ago that if I ever managed to visit, it was important to go to a concentration camp. Today was the day. A train and bus ride out of the city, we arrived to rain. Even though the dreary weather wasn't new, today it had meaning – fitting for the somber mood.

As we learned during our stay in Germany, Munich was the birthplace of the Nazi Party. It makes sense then that the first concentration camp, Dachau, is located just outside the city. Aside from being the first, Dachau was also the only camp to have existed for all 12 years the Nazi party was in power, and was used as the model for all subsequent internment and extermination camps. Nowadays, Dachau is a museum and memorial to those who lost their lives during one of history’s darkest hours. Standing on the soil that once housed enemies of the third Reich, the emotions were humbling and gut wrenching, to say the least.

Upon our return to the city, we braved the heavy rain for gluten free pizza and tiramisu at Pizzesco, before turning in for the night.
14,714 Steps
6.07 Miles

WEDNESDAY: Located about an hour and a half outside of Munich, Schwangau a.k.a. “town of the swans” is the home of Nueschwanstein, which served as the inspiration for Walt Disney’s logo and Sleeping Beauty’s castle. To learn as much as we could about the castle during our visit, we signed up for a tour with Sandeman’s and headed out of the city towards the German-Austrian border and the Alpine foothills. We arrived in Hohenschawngau, the village below Nueschwanstein, and journeyed up the rugged terrain with our tour guide as he told stories of Mad King Ludwig, his mysterious death, and the significance of the castle in his demise. On our way down, we passed Hohenschwangau Castle, King Ludwig’s childhood home, and lunched on Currywurst (of course) before taking the train back to Munich for the night.
14,677 Steps
6.06 Miles

THURSDAY: Our fifth day in Munich also happened to be K’s birthday, and we decided to spend it in Salzburg, Austria – only a 2 hour train ride from Munich. Unbeknownst to us, Thursday also happened to be a German holiday, so we were not the only ones traveling out of the city. We were also unaware that ticket prices go down on holidays and, per the ticket checker on the train, we WAY over paid for ours. A little frustrated that we were beaten again by the ticket machine, all that truly mattered was that we were on the right train and heading to the sights and sounds that were the setting for The Sound of Music!

We arrived in Salzburg to our first sunny day of the vacation, and headed out on foot towards Hohensalzburg Castle, one of the largest medieval castles in Europe. En route, we passed Mozart’s childhood home before stumbling upon the Mirabell Gardens, where we walked hand-in-hand past the Pegasus Fountain and gnomes. From there, we reached St. Peter’s Abbey, the Residenzplatz, and Salzburg Cathedral. When we finally arrived at the bottom of Festungsberg Hill, we took the Mönchsberg Lift up to the castle where we wandered the fortress walls, enjoying the panoramic view of Salzburg and the Salzbach River from above.

As the morning turned to afternoon, we hiked down to the city below where we joined in the Salzburg Festival and had lunch, courtesy of local street vendors, in Mozartplatz as a brass band played. With full bellies and rested feet, we explored Petersfriedhof, Salzburg’s oldest cemetery, before heading back to the train station. We returned to Munich tired (and a little sunburnt) and decided to have dinner at the tapas restaurant around the corner from our apartment before turning in for the night. Two cities, a new Fitbit record, and one year older, hopefully K enjoyed his European birthday!
26,329 Steps
10.23 Miles

FRIDAY: Our last day in Munich we were happy to see the sun again. Two consecutive days without clouds and rain was a nice way to end our trip! We started our day back in Marienplatz for a free Sandeman’s walking tour of Munich – even though we’d seen the sights on Sunday and Monday, K wasn’t the most knowledgeable guide. So, we decided that our last day would be well spent learning a thing or two about the city that had been such a good host for the last 5 days.

We started our tour finally getting to watch the Glockenspeil (regularly voted the second most disappointing tourist attraction in the world), then with wursts in hand, we explored the Neus Rathaus, Atles Rathaus, Peterskirche, Frauenkirche, the infamous Hofbrauhaus, and the Munich Opera House. Walking through the city streets, we heard about how Munich became an important city through the salt trade, how the Glockenspiel tower was used as a reference point during the bombing of the city in World War II, and just how rowdy things used to be at the Hofbrauhaus. The tour ended at the top of the stairs overlooking Odeonsplatz, where we took a moment to enjoy the 19th century square from between the lion statues.
From the heart of Munich, we then headed to its outskirts for our last German meal at Gasthof Obermaier. It was under the trees of the outdoor patio that we stuffed ourselves on gluten free beer, gluten free schnitzel, and gluten free Kaiserschmarrn until we could barely move.
9,875 Steps
4.03 Miles

Girls' Getaway: Tips for Universal Studios

In April, my best friend and I took a girls’ getaway weekend to the sunshine state with the intent of visiting Universal Studios for the FIRST time. Growing up with family in Florida, my parents and I were frequent visitors when I was a kid, but after devoting our time to Walt’s enchanted kingdom, Universal never had quite the same allure. With the recent addition of a second Harry Potter world, though, I was more inclined to visit. Not that I’m a big Harry Potter nerd (I’ve never read a single book in the series), but there is a certain appeal to stepping into a world of magic you’ve seen played out on the silver screen. I suppose that’s what draws people to Universal Studios in general.

A and I did a fair amount of research in preparation for our vacation, and we didn’t limit our day to just the Wizarding Worlds of Harry Potter. With our “cannot miss” list of rides and food, we had an amazing time together, even as adults! In a bit of an homage to Mr. Harry James Potter himself, I’m going to share the 9 ¾ recommendations that A and I have to make the most of your next [or first] visit to Universal Studios Orlando as incredible as ours was!

1. Buy tickets online [with a park-to-park pass] & Arrive Early

The first suggestion(s) are done in preparation for your day at Universal, and they should be at the top of your “Universal Studios To-Do List.” Buying tickets online won’t just save you money (they’re about 20% less than gates prices), it will also save you time. There is nothing worse than watching everyone walk past you to the gates while you spend your valuable vacation time standing in line to buy tickets …At least I would imagine. We bought our tickets in advance. It is also imperative that you buy the park-to-park pass if you have any intention of going to see both Harry Potter worlds; Diagon Alley is located in the Universal Studios side (with the more laid back attractions), while Hogsmeade is in Islands of Adventure (with the more intense thrill rides). Even if you’re not at universal for Harry Potter, there are great rides and attractions spread out between both parks and you’ll likely want to split your time between them both.

Part 2 of this recommendation is arriving early. Specifically 30-45 minutes if you want the true insider tip. Any one staying at a Universal hotel gets early admission into the park, and you can bet they are going to be there taking advantage of it. To beat everyone ELSE, it’s best to start your day promptly, especially since they tend to open the gates for general admission 10-15 minutes before the official listed park opening time.

2. Start with Diagon Alley in Universal Studios

I’m not entirely certain why this is true, but almost every blog and “secret insider” list that we read recommended you start your day at Universal, not Islands of Adventure. Even if you do choose Islands of Adventure first, you should still start your day in the Wizarding World at Hogsmeade; The Wizarding Worlds tend to be less crowded at the beginning of the day and the last 3 hours before the park closes (aka 9AM or after 4PM).
En route to Diagon Alley, be sure to find Kreacher in the second floor window on Grimmauld Place, and check out the night bus parked at the London Waterfront. If you have a moment outside of King’s Cross Station, you should also place a call to the Ministry of Magic from the iconic British phone booth (simply dial “MAGIC” for a special message). Once inside Diagon Alley, be sure to step inside the shops. It is incredible how much detail went into each one! There’s Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes, the Magical Menagerie, Madam Malkin’s Robes for all Occasions, Wiseracre’s Wizarding Equipment, and Quality Quidditch Supplies. You can even take a quick walk through Borgin & Burke’s in Knockturn Alley if you are feeling a little dark magic in your veins.

3. Gringotts Bank

You’re first stop in Diagon Alley should be Gringotts Bank. With its fire breathing dragon, grandiose chandeliers, and hard-working goblins, the building itself is a “can’t miss experience,” but the real gem is the Gringotts ride. Escape from Gingotts is a combination of indoor rollercoaster and 3D experience, and was easily our FAVORITE ride of the day, and that’s saying something since A is a rollercoaster fanatic and I am a total scaredy cat. It’s arguably the best Harry Potter ride overall. Plus, every 15 minutes the dragon perched on top of the roof will breathe fire (he makes quite a bit of noise to warn you, so get those cameras phones out), so be sure to take a moment and watch him after you ride Escape from Gringotts! I stress that you should check out the dragon AFTER the ride, only because the ride is so amazing! Really, it’s no wonder the line is always long, so be sure to make it your first stop. You won’t be disappointed!


4. Do the Men in Black Ride

After all the detail and modern marvels of Diagon Alley, the rest of Universal seems a little dated. The Men in Black ride is a prime example of this. Given the fact that the movie was released in1997, it really is no surprise. Nonetheless, I thoroughly enjoyed this ride. I don’t think A was as big of a fan as I was, but it is essentially laser tag on a moving track and I love laser tag. As an MIB trainee, your training session is interrupted by an alien invasion and you get to fly around turns, shoot aliens, and compete for points with the other people in your car. I had a blast, and even the one moment of spinning was mild enough for me to handle. This one really stood out for me; it is interactive and just plain fun for all ages.

5. Enjoy [and Share] the food

Not only did A and I research what to do and when, we also made sure to know what food we HAD to try as we made our way through the park. There was so much we wanted to sample, that the only way it was possible was to split everything we had: a Big Pink Donut from The Simpson’s Lard Lad Donuts, Toad in a Hole from The Leaky Cauldron, Butterbeer (frozen – and ONLY available in Orlando), Butterbeer (cold), the Mythos Lamb Burger, Fishy Green Ale (our least favorite item we tried), and Florean’s Ice cream. A quick side note about Florean’s, you can get TWO flavors in one cup! The top recommended ice cream flavors are Apple crumble, Salted Caramel Blondie, and Sticky Toffee Pudding. The number one soft serve flavor is, what else, Butterbeer. We each ordered the Salted Caramel Blondie and then tried the other person’s second flavor – my personal favorite was the Sticky Toffee Pudding, especially in combination with the Salted Caramel.
In reality, we had hoped to try more food during our day, but we were SO full! No surprise given the list above. Next time, I hope to try the Chicken & Waffle Sandwich and Korean Beef Tacos or Carne Asada Tacos from The Simpson’s Spingfield, Butterbeer ice cream from Florean’s, and the Pumpkin fizz & Pumpkin juice from Hogs Head Pub (tip, it has shorter lines than three broomsticks). Maybe you can try it all for me and let me know what you think?

6. Ride Hogwarts Express BOTH ways

This next tip REQUIRES the park-to-park pass… When you’ve had your fill of one park, the easiest way to travel to the other is via the Hogwarts express. The slow moving train will take you from King’s Cross Station (via platform 9 ¾, of course) to Hogsmeade and back. The train is like a ride in-of-itself, and the experience is different based on the direction you travel. Not a bad way to get off your feet for a moment. I recommend taking the Hogwarts express from King’s Cross Station to Hogsmeade first; there is something wonderful about emerging from the train station to snow-capped buildings that you can’t get simply by walking into Hogsmeade from Islands of Adventure. We rode the train about mid-day after exploring Universal Studios and then back at the end of the evening when we had finished with Islands of Adventure, and it made the journey much more exciting than if we had simply walked.
7. Escape the Heat with a Water ride

Depending on the time of year, Universal in the Florida sun can get a bit warm. We were lucky that the weather was really nice during our trip, but by the afternoon we were ready for a cool down. There are 3 water rides at Islands of Adventure, but we only did 2: Jurassic park (you leave the least wet) and Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges. Reviews said you leave Popeye’s wet, but I’d argue we were soaked. That being said, we did NOT do Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls, which is supposed to leave you actually soaked. So, I guess we have no true comparison for what “soaked” really means by Universal standards. Either way, the water ride(s) that fit your intensity level will be a nice escape from the heat and humidity.



8. Ride Revenge of the Mummy

Islands of Adventure is the more “grown up” side of Universal, and the rides are more intense. During my research, Revenge of the Mummy was one that I was constantly on the fence about, but I managed to let A convince me to do it (given the fact she convinced me to climb out a first floor window when we were toddlers, it’s really no surprise). Revenge of the Mummy is an indoor roller coaster, mostly in the dark. It goes very fast and occasionally backwards, but it’s a relatively short ride, so it didn’t trigger my vertigo. It was by far the SCARIEST ride that I did, and pretty much the most I could handle. Nonetheless, it was one of best rides of the day! That being said, now that I know what to expect, I maybe could be convinced bribed to do it again. Maybe.

9. Be prepared for ANY weather

During the morning of our trip, the weather was mostly sunny and humid, but not too hot. As the day went on, the temperature climbed a bit, but was still within a bearable range that didn’t leave you drenched in sweat. Even though it was manageable, we were ready with sunscreen and refillable water bottles (yes, you can bring your own into the park!) to keep ourselves hydrated and protected from UVs. At the end of the day, though, we were surprised by a heavy torrential rain accompanied by thunder and lightning. We took shelter in Florean’s Ice Cream parlor during the worst of it, but luckily we had a travel umbrella to squeeze under as we ran through puddles to the park exit. Moral of the story, check the weather forecast the day of your trip, but be prepared for anything! It is Florida, after all.

9 ¾. Get a Souvenir

There’s nothing better to remember your trip than by bringing a piece of it home with you. I’m partial to souvenirs that can be consumed (and therefore shared), so I purchased a Chocolate Frog from Honeydukes. It's a bit on the pricey side, but the frog is 5 oz of solid chocolate and comes in a cool box and with a Famous Witch or Wizard Card (I got Salazar Slytherin, to which Kevin responded “of course you did” when I opened it – take that as you will). 

No matter what you prefer, though, be sure you get something to relive the memories when you get home.