Conservation, Historic Preservation, and Sustainability- Disney Style!

Do you ever have days when you know you have plenty to do, but you're just tired and can't seem to focus without a lot of effort? We're having one of those days today. It seems like it took forrr-evvv-errr (Sandlot, anyone?) to get schoolwork done. As a result we decided to take the rest of the day off and just relax at home.

Before we left for our adventure, we knew we'd be spending the largest amount of time here in Central Florida. Many amusement parks and attractions are less than 20 min away, so we knew we'd have the opportunity to visit them often. Unfortunately, it's just to expensive to piece out a day here at one park and another day somewhere else. So we decided as a family to use our budget for Disney season passes and forgo the rest this time.

Having season passes means we can visit any time we like (except black-out dates), which means we can use them like gym memberships. I mean, when was the last time you went to an amusement park and left under 10,000 steps?! We've also discovered that Disney has a lot of educational programs within the attractions. I've got you curious, haven't I? Well, let me tell you about a few things we've experienced.

When driving into the Magic Kingdom parking lot, we drove past rows of solar panels. It was a surprising but welcome sight to see. Apparently Disney is one of the major corporations leading the way for sustainable energy practices and global conservation efforts.

At Epcot we went to "The Land Pavilion" and went on the "Living with the Land" ride. It starts off as a boat ride through different landscapes and then takes you into working labs where scientists are busy developing sustainable growing methods with hydroponics, greenhouses, and innovative growth structures. Much of what's grown there is served at Disney restaurants throughout the parks! I encourage you to visit the links in this post to learn more because it's really interesting! There's a lot of potential for global implementation.

Epcot is also hosting the "International Festival of the Arts" through February, which allows us to try new foods and see art from the artists, themselves! That, along with being able to learn more about different countries, makes Epcot my favorite of all the Disney Parks.

One of the chefs plating a culinary delight!

This example is the Deconstructed Purple Sweet Potato Pie, Salted Caramel, Bourbon-soaked Cake and Marshmallow Whipped Cream. Yum! 

In the Animal Kingdom you'll find the Kilimanjaro Safari ride where you can board one of their vehicles and be taken on a tour through their actual wildlife refuge. You'll drive next to real lions and rhinos, plus a host of other animals, and see what their natural habitats are like. The guide gives you information about each species and what kind of conservation efforts are in place to help protect them in the wild. They also give you information about the main threats to each species, such as poaching. I was surprised to learn that the veterinarian we're seeing here (vaccinations for our dogs) also works with Disney as one of their animal experts. Apparently Disney keeps experts and conservationists on site to make sure their animals have the very best care at all times. She was really proud of the work they do and was able to give us a few tips for educational programs, like the bird show, which our youngest son loved!

The Tree of Life at the Animal Kingdom was built around an old oil platform! Now that's recycling!

Those are just a few examples of things we've discovered so far. So, in addition to being a fun day out, our season passes have turned out to be a great opportunity for exercise and up-close education with actual animals and field experts. Another added benefit is we don't feel obligated to stay there all.day.long. When it gets too hot or we're all tired, we can just go home and come back another day. Believe me, this is not something we'd be able to do normally so we're enjoying every minute while we can.

That takes care of the Conservation and Sustainability parts of the title, now for the Historic Preservation! If you've been following my social media feeds this week, then you've seen my new baby! No, not an actual baby. ;-) I am now the proud owner of a Singer Featherweight 221 sewing machine! It was manufactured in 1955, which makes it over 60 years old and it still purrs like a kitten!

You may be wondering why I'm so excited about "an old sewing machine". Well, I'll tell you. I'm a quilter and love to sew, for one. We had to keep things light on this trip so I only brought a small project with me. When we were in Alaska, though, I met with some quilters and many of them were using Singer Featherweights. I asked them why and they told me it was designed for people who live in remote places or compact quarters (like a trailer) because they are small, lightweight (only 11ish lbs!), easy to maintain yourself, and total reliable workhorses. Well, after a recommendation like that, I was sold and found this one for sale here in Florida.

Just for scale, the blocks are 6 1/2"

Just looking at it makes my heart sing! Now I can work on getting my state flowers quilt top finished before we return home next summer!

- Jen

P.S. If you were wondering about the Fire Ant bites/stings from the launch last week, they are healing nicely. I learned that the bites turn into blisters and then they take a long time to disappear.....education in all forms on this trip! ;-)

Inaguration Day

With a title like that you might think this is a political post. Nope. It's just a marker of what today is here in the United States. This blog is about our adventure after all. I will say this, though; whether you're happy or upset about our new President, I hope all the Americans reading this exercised their right to vote last Fall!

Now that we're in the southeast, we've been adjusting to a new schedule and climate. We've all been a little thrown off with my husband working Pacific hours while we're in the Atlantic time zone. Normally the kids and I start school at 9:30am while my husband is in the throws of conference calls and other work-related activities. That way we can focus and be ready to relax by the time he's finished in the evening. With the new schedule he works in the afternoon/evening so we've been spending time together and running errands in the morning instead, and starting school in the afternoon. It's a little harder to get focused (and get this blog posted on time) after so many other activities, but we're making it work. We knew this adjustment was inevitable, but living it is slightly different than anticipated. Not bad, just different. I suppose you'd say it's teaching us all to stay flexible and focus on what's important.

The temperatures here in central Florida have been consistantly between 70 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit, which is pretty perfect if you ask me! The kids have been swimming every day and we've even been able to visit Disney World.

Our house is pretty close to all the local attractions, which is fun, but it's also not far from orange groves and great farmers markets. Snowbirds, as well as Brits and Canadians, flock to this area every winter. As a result, you can find a pub on just about every corner and tons of British products on the shelves at the local grocery store. So far everyone has been very friendly and interesting.

Because central Florida relies so heavily on tourism, strip malls and souvenir shops line the main roads for miles. If you want to get into the "Real Florida," you have to be deliberate about driving into the smaller towns and surrounding areas. Another result of having so many tourists, is that you can't receive mail at the short-term rental houses. So just like in Sedona, we had to visit the post office to set up a P.O. Box for the duration of our stay. Fortunately, it's not Christmas, so I don't need to visit the Post Office to catch packages on a daily basis.

NASA has a site at Cape Canaveral, which isn't far from us either. We've been keeping an eye on the launch schedule and were excited to see the Atlas 5 rocket was scheduled for this week. So, last night we headed to a spot near Port Canaveral to watch. We showed up early for a good vantage point and were all ready to go. Unfortunately, after waiting through the launch window, it was rescheduled for tonight due to a sensor problem and a plane that got too close to the airspace. So, we're back here to try again. This is how it looks from where we are at the moment. See that tiny white dot? That's the rocket!

This time I'm wearing my boots. Why? Because last night I wore sandals and our primo vantage point ended up being on top of a fire ant colony. Word to the wise: Don't mess with fire ants! OUCH!

- Jen

P.S. UPDATE! We just got back from the Launch and it was a success! It was so cool to be parked at the side of the road by the water with hundreds of other people. We all counted down and watched the rocket launch and fly through the sky. It felt like a minute passed before we heard it and felt the vibrations against the car. We saw it separate and all stood to watch it fade from sight. A-MAZING!

Greetings from the Sunshine State!

We arrived in Florida a week ago and have been busy getting settled. I just can't get over the fact that we're halfway through! How can we already be on our fourth stop?! Here's a map of where we've been according to our GPS tracker. Now that we've driven to the northernmost and westernmost points on the American roads system, we've set our sights set on the Southernmost....

Last week we left Sedona, Arizona, and found ourselves driving through frigid weather with snow on all sides. Since it was the last day before people started returning to school/work after the holidays, many Arizona residents turned up in Flagstaff to go sledding. I wish I had a picture of the road signs because they were all warning people not to block traffic by parking and sledding at the side of the road. I don't think they saw those signs....

Fortunately, our drive went well and we didn't have any problems with the trailer on the icy roads.

Our first night was spent in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The terrain was pretty similar to what we saw in Arizona but we started passing more trains. Another thing we noticed were fields of solar panels. This makes a lot of sense and I'm glad they're taking advantage of their abundant solar energy.

The route we took followed Historic Route 66. As the years have passed, the road has been bypassed by more streamlined roads. The spirit of Route 66 lives on though, and you can even visit one of the many Route 66 museums, like the one in Clinton, Oklahoma. Sadly, because many towns were bypassed by the new roads, many businesses suffered and closed. It's almost eerie to drive past buildings that were clearly important and busy at one time but are now boarded up and faded, reduced to a reminder of an era gone by. This is an example of a typical downtown we saw as we drove along the old road.

If you are a fan of Looney Tunes, then you'll appreciate the fact that we actually took a left at Albuquerque. Before we got there, though, we passed fields of black lava flow. That's something I didn't expect to see!

The second day we drove through the northern tip of Texas and into Oklahoma, where we passed oil wells and thousands of windmills. Please forgive the pics. Most were taken from a moving car (don't worry, my husband was driving....)

We arrived in Oklahoma just in time for Taco Tuesday with my cousins at a great local spot. I always love connecting with family. :-) The next day we escaped the freezing temperatures yet again and drove through the corner of Arkansas to Shreveport, Louisiana.

We visited Sam's Southern Eatery for dinner and let me just tell you, the people of Louisiana CAN COOK! I make fried green tomatoes, and until now, was never able to find them prepared properly at any restaurant. I mean, if I see them on the menu, you can bet your bottom dollar that I'm ordering a plate to see if they're any good. Sam's is the only place I've ever found who know how to do it right. Every single thing we ordered had a mean scald on it (that means it tasted good, for those not from the South). Of course, we ordered sweet tea. I also loved how once we crossed the border, we were suddenly referred to as "darlin'", "sweetheart", and "Y'all". I may be a little smitten....

The next morning we high-tailed it to New Orleans and crossed the Mighty Mississippi. One stop I desperately wish we had time for was the Whitney Plantation. This is one of those places you definitely should learn about. It's just outside of New Orleans and is the only plantation museum in Louisiana with a focus on slavery. Slavery is one of the ugliest chapters in our history that we don't want to look at. But in order to honor the people who lived it and suffered through it, we should learn about it and about them. As you travel though the South, there is still evidence of that history. Some of our most beautiful and treasured American arts sprang from it, like jazz, the blues, soul food, and the quilts of Gee's Bend. You can find descendants of slave owners, abolitionists, and slaves living as friends in the same areas where their ancestors lived. Most are the nicest, most generous people you'd ever hope to meet. While we're here in Florida, I'm making it a priority to find similar places so my kids will be able to have a more personal picture of this horrific chapter and understand clearly why it should never be repeated.

When we got to New Orleans, we arrived at the RV park in the heart of the French Quarter. It was fully walled on all sides and was next door to one of the famous above-ground cemeteries.

I was surprised at how nice it was once you entered the gated area. Outside those gates in other parts of the city it was another story. Evidence of Hurricane Katrina can still be seen everywhere you go. The people are hearty and resilient and are still welcoming, friendly, and vibrant, but the buildings and neighborhoods reveal varying scars and decay from the destruction.

Construction crews are still hard at work repaving streets and breathing new life into some buildings while demolishing others. Mardi Gras Beads drape in celebration from trees and balconies along the main roads in front of beautiful historic homes.

Meanwhile, abandoned hotels on the outskirts of the city stand forlorn with their windows gone, waving bedsheets in the wind as if calling out to someone. Homeless encampments line the streets in some places while street performers charm crowds of tourists in others.

In the French Quarter you can feel the history and the Sothern Charm. It's intoxicating. Intricate wrought iron and flowers adorn balconies. Tourists wander streets while business owners beckon them in to try their tasty offerings. Tantalizing aromas float through the air. If you look closely, though, you'll see buildings with lost bricks alongside windows of shops that still stand empty. The haunting reminder that this is a city still fighting to fully recover its vitality.

We strolled along trying to take it all in. There are a lot of areas that aren't kid-friendly, but there are also many areas that are. We made sure to visit the original location of the Café Du Monde and taste the famous beignets and Chicory Café au lait! They were so good that our kids have been asking when we can make them ourselves. We also enjoyed pralines, freshly made in-shop.

The street performers were fantastic!

And of course, you can't miss the fun oddities like alligator heads and the funeral buggy!

We had a great time in Louisiana but had to hit the road again the next morning if we were going to make it to the house in Florida on time. So on Kings Day, which marks the beginning of Mardi Gras season, we skipped the King Cake and headed further east. We drove through Mississippi, Alabama, and finally into Florida, where we saw the white beaches of the panhandle before reaching our house in Davenport, a suburb of Orlando.

We'll be exploring Florida for the next three months, so get ready for some fun in the sun! Wishing you all a great weekend!

- Jen