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17 Jan 16, 01:34 AM |
#1
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VIP Dibber
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SpectroMagically, Taking on the Worlds in 2015! Day Eight-More Paradise! Anna Maria Island.
Back by popular demand -or maybe that should be the demands of the Scarborough Dibber we met on our way to the airport - If I mention her enough I will hopefully get her to stop lurking and reading and actually create a user name and make her first post. So as requested - I'm getting on with it!
(Was good to bump into you in Town on Friday )) For all who have read so far, welcome back - I'm glad you keep posting, really appreciate your comments and questions For anyone reading for the first time - Welcome -the whole index is here if you want to read more For anyone who missed it - Day Seven is here Wednesday 5th August - Paradise Again! I think we all awoke to the almighty need for a huge drink of water! The after effects of pizza and some high levels of sun yesterday- we were all glowing and feeling a little pink – except the boys who had enjoyed their factor 50 experience yet were now showing many more freckles than seen yesterday! Alison and I were a little bit more in need of some factor 50 as the beach - as it always does caught us out a bit yesterday. Whilst not burned we were aware that we had a few pink bits that could do without too much sunshine. Maybe the beach was not a good idea today! So , We started in the pool and gave the boys the underwater camera too( yes I know I am going to regret my bravery at trusting them several leagues under the swimming pool- 300 + pics later these are the only ones worth showing! or we could have hundreds like this... Having hydrated and feeling suitably peckish we then headed for a Ginny and Jane E’s breakfast – delicious eggs and bacon and again the camera left in the car so I did not get a decent pic of the food - one day I will get better at this! We looked at the map If you are reading this and would like a copy of the 2015 AMI fun map then please PM me and I would be glad to send you a paper copy( I only have 5 though!) We decided to head a few miles further afield and headed for a drive into Bradenton, more for the aircon than anything else. We relied on our rather aging Sat Nav to find us a mall to visit and it found a mall which has to be the biggest waste of time you will ever encounter - DeSoto Mall – make a note now and don’t believe any of the online reviews saying it is on the up – it isn’t, it is on its uppers – deserted of customers and the shops inside resembled more of your local market than a mall you would ever expect to see over here or even at home. We should have known when the car park was a barren concreted desert, when we found the JC Penney entrance we were nearly in the shop we got a parking space so close! This was for a reason! There was simply nothing worth seeing in there - I tried to explain the fact that it still had JC Penney and Sears because they had signed lost rental agreements to the boys - they just could not believe how few shops were actually in use. The huge area that houses the car parks and mall would be better used for something else. We felt alone - simply because we were the only customers in sight! It did at least highlight the yearning for next week - both of the boys were desperate to take these two with us... They were huge - I'm not sure we could fit them in the car , let alone get them on a flight home. It was a stark reminder of what was to come and indeed what I think the boys were looking forward to most. We did however manage to spend at JC Penney the grand total of $8 as we cashed in the $20 voucher we received only days ago on our previous bargain stop at a different JC Penney store – so on top of all the previous discounts we had a $20 gift receipt stating we had $20 off our next shop (no minimum spend! ) – burning a hole, is the only description! Joe got some shorts, Alison a couple of tops and we left having pointed out that one of the items was wrongly priced and we had been overcharged by $3! Cashier made hard work of sorting that out though, you would have thought it was her own money that we wanted off her We made no excuses – we simply left – this is a place to not waste any more time at – we dropped into a nearby Walmart to get some more supplies of aftersun and ended up with loads of other exciting things - as you do after a visit to Walmart. Essential things like Gherkin flavoured crisps and Ghiradellis chocolate as well as washing powder and dishwasher tabs. Josh, also picked up the new Middle School book which is not due for UK release until October. So obviously the journey was a now a highly worthwhile one - not only had he 'found' Gherkin crisps but had a book to read whilst eating them! We avoided the temptation of buying guns , tires and drugs in the shop though and decided that our avoidance of the fun or should that be sun? Was over and we really could do with being on AMI and relaxing. We returned to AMI and had another swim with the camera again - and the afternoon session brought about a selfie session Oh and the Gherkin crisps were photographed too! They taste a bit like picked onion to me but the Gherkin fan in the family was happy! We had a shower and changed before heading to the Rod and Reel pier for Dinner, Sunset and Dolphins - possibly not in that order! As we waited for a table we met a couple from Ohio who were on their own as the kids had gone/ been sent to Summer Camp for a week whilst they had a holiday on their own! They were enjoying it Both of our boys were hoping we were not taking notes and considering such an experience for them! We did not wait too long and were soon seated in the outdoor seating – which was great as not only could we continue to dolphin watch, but we were also in prime position for sunset pics should the clouds afford us the chance. We once again made the mistake of ordering the fish and chips – the portions were massive, even the kids versions. Alison looked on enviously at our choices as she went for the Philly Steak Sandwich (without Cheese) it just didn’t match up to the Fish and Chip feeling though - although I did manage to get a photo of it! and the wonderful Fish and Chips I do have to admit the dolphin once again took up most of our attention and amid a rather stunning sunset – I did find myself urging the thing to leap from the water in order to give me a pic never to be forgotten. I didn’t and it remained playful all evening obvioiusly sensing when I was pressing the button on my camera! People watching from the restaurant - As we left the Pier we were flagging – darkness had fallen The baseball tonight was a solo watch as we headed for a needed early sleep and mine followed soon after the end of the ball game See you soon for Day Nine Click here for day 9
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I'm a Great British Mickey Waffle Podcast presenter. Hope you are a Listener Going out in a Blaze of Glory- Our Summer of Sorcery 2019 - COMPLETE! 4 Weeks, from The Yacht Club for 10 nights onto much more Florida fun too All of our previous Trip reports and escapades can be read here. Edited at 11:50 PM. |
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17 Jan 16, 05:22 AM |
#2
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Very Serious Dibber
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Gorgeous sunset pictures. We've not tried Rod n Reel for dinner, must give it a go, fish n chips look great.
I can recommend the Ringling circus museum (not the house or art gallery personally), the circus part has a model of a working circus & info/props on the history of the circus, it's really good fun. Enjoying your trip report |
17 Jan 16, 11:24 AM |
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Imagineer
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Those pics of the boys having dinner are just lovely...and what a sunset, that place is just gorgeous... Want to be there now instead of rainy n. Ireland! ( it's actually beautiful here at times also!) 😄😄
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18 Jan 16, 01:13 AM |
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Imagineer
Join Date: Dec 12
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Shame about the lack of shopping opportunity but it gave your pink bits a rest 😂😁
Loving the underwater shots, lovely boys having fun 👍🏻 Keep those sunset shots coming...beautiful. More please 😁 |
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18 Jan 16, 11:27 AM |
#5
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Apprentice Imagineer
Join Date: Oct 10
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Sunset and dolphin in one shot, impressive! Fish and chips look yummy oh to be on AMI now...
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19 Jan 16, 05:52 PM |
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VIP Dibber
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Good day apart from the shopping we went to the Lakeland Mall in November it was very much the same
Joan
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22 Jan 16, 12:40 AM |
#7
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Thread Starter
VIP Dibber
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Thank you - glad you are enjoying it- that Museum sounds good
Thank you - would love to be there now too Will do and the pink bits were well covered today Fish and Chips were great , glad you like the photos, it took ages trying to track where the dolphin(s) was and it had a sixth sense to appear just after I had pressed the button! :angry: Glad I got this one Thanks Joan , that is another one on the list then
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I'm a Great British Mickey Waffle Podcast presenter. Hope you are a Listener Going out in a Blaze of Glory- Our Summer of Sorcery 2019 - COMPLETE! 4 Weeks, from The Yacht Club for 10 nights onto much more Florida fun too All of our previous Trip reports and escapades can be read here. |
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24 Jan 16, 11:53 PM |
#8
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Thread Starter
VIP Dibber
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I'm a Great British Mickey Waffle Podcast presenter. Hope you are a Listener Going out in a Blaze of Glory- Our Summer of Sorcery 2019 - COMPLETE! 4 Weeks, from The Yacht Club for 10 nights onto much more Florida fun too All of our previous Trip reports and escapades can be read here. |
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25 Jan 16, 08:25 PM |
#9
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VIP Dibber
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Beautiful pictures and apart from the mall a good day
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29 Mar 16, 09:24 PM |
#10
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Imagineer
Join Date: Dec 07
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I wonder if that mall is owned by the Glazers
Great result to get another day with no rain! I've got to say the Fish and chips look and sound a lot better than those crisps I said on yesterdays post that the picture with the big sun was superb! Scratch that! The one today with the boat, people and bird silhouettes is the one!
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