Anna

On Friday Grace and Brandon had the day off school because it was Good Friday. We had to get up really early because we hired a boat called a pontoon. We took the boat to an island out from Naples. We went shell collecting, had a picnic and had a swim. We had the boat for 4 hours and we had a really awesome time. After taking the boat back, we drove to Marco Island where we had lunch. After lunch we drove back home and had a swim in the pool.

Today we drove to Fort Lauderdale to see dad's cousin' son called Josh and his soon to be wife. (does that make him my second cousin or dad's second cousin?) We had never met them before but it we had lunch with them. We didn't get back to Naples till about 6pm because it's about an hour and a half drive.

Looking forward to going to Orlando on Monday!

Anna

Anna. Out and about

On Tuesday we tried to get up early to go to the zoo. We didn't end up leaving till 12:00. By the time we got there it was really hot. We watched the Snakes Alive show which was really cool. We saw lots of other animals including African Porcupines, Lions, Florida Black Bears and many others. We went on a camel ride, which was a fun but smelly experience! We also went on a boat which took us around some islands that had monkeys on them. We did watch an alligator feeding show that was kinda cool. By the time we left, the heat had started to die down which was good. We all enjoyed ourselves at the zoo but it was so hot! 

Later on we went to watch Brandons baseball game- they won!

On Wednesday we didn't do much. We had a swim before heading out to the city centre of Naples. Matt wasn't so keen on our idea of shopping though! We wandered along 5th Avenue but didn't really find anything of our interest but then came across an ice-cream store! After eating our ice-creams we kept walking along. We did go to Tin City but it didn't have the most interesting stuff! We went to another of Brandon's baseball games tonight. There was lightning and thunder- that must of put his team off as they didn't win.

Today we went to the Everglades. We went on a airboat tour for an hour and a half. It was really fun. We saw one Alligator but we were lucky because they hadn't seen one in two weeks. After that we went for a walk somewhere and saw 4 Alligators, a Deer, and a few Squirrels. When we got back home we went for a swim- it was very hot.

Going to Disney on Matt's birthday and we are all looking forward to it! 

Having an awesome time so far!!

Anna

Jim. Florida - almost Easter

Jim
Well - we have been travelling for a week and a half -  not a lot of time for Blogging unfortunately. It's hot is Florida! Not yet summer and in the 30's -  had our first lightning storm last night - went around us mostly, so no relief from the heat just stormy clouds and the lightning. This kills more people here than Alligators/Snakes -  they have alarms that go off to tell people to move indoors and to be careful.

Time in Naples has been about life with the Rokela's - Sue's Brother - Paul, his wife Sue and kids, Grace and Brandon -  we have been to a couple of Brandon's Baseball games, Grace's athletics meet to watch her Pole Vault -  Matt and I have been to the golf course with Paul and Brandon and hit a few balls.

We visited a 24 hour walkathon for raising money for cancer, picked B up from school and experienced the lines for kids pick up. We went to the beach to watch the sunset, the Naples Pier and Corkscrew Swamp.

Matt was really keen for a day at the zoo - we saw the 'Snakes Alive' show, Alligator feeding, rode a camel, went on a boat ride,  etc etc -  new experiences for all. Kids enjoyed it all although again it was extremely hot!

We have had treats at the mall -  Ritas -  Italian Ices with custard (a bit like snow freeze ice cream but not really....) "Moes" Mexican restaurant -  "welcome to Moe's" -  all the staff say this as you enter the door! We visited Sports Authority, the Publix supermarkets and more -  we wandered Naples shopping centre and Tin City. Pet shop with Snakes and Taranchillas.

'Moes'

'Ritas'
Ice-Custard-Happiness

Last night Matt had an asthma attack was worse than I had seen before and required his emergency puffer -  seems ok today which is good.

Early start to go to the Everglades -  Airboat ride and hold a baby Alligator -  only saw one Alligator on the air boat ride -  seems as if we have hit at the very end of the dry season so the freshwater is in short supply and therefore the alligators retreat further inland to where the fresh water is.  Was good ride anyway -  we spent about one and a half hours in the mangroves and out on the bay.

Quick look at Everglades City -  not much there -  500 residents.  Drove back towards Naples and stopped at a short Boardwalk walk -  saw 4 Alligators, Deer, Bald Eagle nest, Squirrels and lots more -  nice walk through the bush although everywhere we go it is HOT outside and Matt does not like the walking much.

So on to the next things -  hired a boat for tomorrow for 4 hours, then the beach and possibly a minor league baseball game. Saturday hoping to see Josh and Nikki in Fort Lauderdale. Matt's Birthday Monday so we will celebrate this on Sunday with all of the kids after attending Church on Sunday morning and then Easter Egg hunts!!

Off to Disney for a number of days on Monday - and Universal Studios and maybe Kennedy Space Centre -  there is a launch next Friday so will get to at least see this from afar. Matt's 8th Birthday will see us arriving Disney in the afternoon so I am sure this will be exciting for him.

All sorts of things different here -  who would have known that the tooth fairy would give $5 USD for a manky old tooth -  and then, after this had happened the first time a second child would lose a tooth the next day -  now it seems all the teeth are loose and we are trying to get them all out before we leave America and get back to the NZ tooth fairy!!!

Having a great time -  hopefully a lifetime of memories in the creation -  lots more time to go but am sure it will go quickly.

Anna- a day trip in Florida

Today we went exploring! 

We went to a place called Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. It's a walk along a board walk and it was really cool seeing all these foreign creatures. We saw lots of lizards, a tree frog, a Florida water snake, a few alligators, lots of birds, a squirrel and a few raccoons. It was so hot- 91 degrees F which is about 30 degrees C. 

Corkscrew Swamp, NAPLES

After that we went looking for the fisherman pier in Naples. The GPS sent us to some random place, so we found our own way there. When we got there we wandered along the wharf and there were lots of people fishing. 

Naples Beach

One man flung his line over him and mum screamed really loudly as a fish went flying over her head. The water was 26 degrees C. We saw some dolphins and one turtle. A small fish landed on the pier and mum picked it up. She threw it back in the water but as soon as it landed in the water a seagull swooped down and ate it! 

We all were very tired when we got back home but we had an awesome day!

Anna

Sue - take the bus, then the green line, then the blue line, then the red line.....

I was never one with an ability to absorb and decipher elaborate directions so I was a bit lost on instruction #1. 

But we did it! 

We managed to use the local transport system (bus and metro rail) all the way from LA Airport to Hollywoood and back again. It certainly didn't take us past any LA mansions but it did allow us to see what was perhaps more the real LA. 

All public metro signs are in English and Spanish - and you hear a lot of people speaking Spanish. Having completely missed breakfast and lunch due to a jet lag sleep in, the selection of corn chips were tasting pretty good while we waited on the station for our first metro rail. That was until I saw the sign that said there was a $250 fine for eating on the station or on the rail! Those corn chips were slipped back into our bag pretty quick!

Hollywood Walk of Fame - this one's for you Dad - "Johnny Cash!"

Waiting for a train in the LA Metro Rail

"Where are you aaalllllll from?" asked the LA local. His response to hearing we were from New Zealand was "Get outa here. No waaaaaaaay"! We got off the Metro at Hollywood Vine, which seemed to be the seedier end of Hollywood, but then we followed the 'walk of fame' stars all the way to central Hollywood Boulevard, where there was plenty of action. 

Now seasoned metro rail users, we had an easy journey home (a few interesting characters including someone singing for their children's supper) apart from Holly feeling sick on the bus...with me thinking she was going to vomit! Now that would've been a fun 'mother' experience! 

An early start to catch the flight to Florida.....me such a lover of mornings.....

Sue - The rules of tipping

Well this is a whole new concept and even though we downloaded some tips from the Internet we are still completely confused! I think the man who drove the shuttle from the airport was well tipped by us, but the person who delivered the rollaway bed to our room was completely overlooked! 

When to tip and when not to? It may take us a while to master this one...

Sue - Los Angeles

Well anyone who says they can sleep on the plane isn't telling the truth! 

We arrived in LA exhausted but arrived to the most amazing sunrise. We then felt like we were being VIP fast tracked through LA airport....a very easy experience. Howard at customs gave us a great American welcome. 

After a few hours sleep we decided to tackle the public bus transport system...I always say that you never really get to experience a city until you tackle the local transport system and that certainly was the case in LA. Plenty of interesting people to keep you on your toes, but we never felt unsafe and everyone was helpful. Easy to get on the bus but how the heck do you know where to get off when you don't really know where you are going? 

After traveling through some very mixed areas we got off at Santa Monica. Well, what we thought was Santa Monica! Quite a modern revamped area of LA and a little touristy, being the end of the road for Route 66. Amazing, huge white sand beach..not many people at the beach though - a little cold with strong off shore winds. We were starting to think that we didn't bring enough warm clothes, but of course that has now all changed now that we are in tropical Florida heat!

We ate Churros on the Santa Monica Pier, checked out some of the fitness beach activity at Muscle Beach before taking a walk through the shopping street. Matt wasn't so excited about the shops (until he spotted a toy store), but the girls were in Heaven! Spotted 'Forever 21' which was recommended by a friend of Anna's (thanks Lily!) and it was hard to get them out of the store! 

Went to a great Mexican Restaurant for dinner then tackled the bus home (now dark....help how do we know when to get off). Day 1 was mastered without losing my bag, my husband or any of our children! Day 2 in LA brings a whole new Californian experience....that blog post is still to come, along with some photos.

Anna

We are getting our rental car today. Sorting out accomodation in Orlando and the Keys. Still doing lots of swimming here at the Rokela's house. The temperature has been really hot lately. About 27 degrees celsius but the air is really humid so it feels a lot hotter than that - and its only spring!! 

Yesterday we went out for dinner at Moe's. Moe's is a Mexican restaurant. Then we went to the beach to watch the sunset. It was so cool. After that we went to Rita's for an ice cream. Rita' is an awesome ice cream shop. I had Gelati which is like an Italian ice with custard on it. Their slogan is 'Happiness never tasted so good'. 

Next to Ritas was a giant bookstore with really cheap books. We got a few to read because they were really cheap. On Friday we went to one of Grace's track meets and we watched her pole vault. After that we went to Relay for life which is a big fundraiser for Cancer. We got home late but we had a fun day.

Anna

Jims thoughts

Arrived LA after the flight and arrived tired at the Travelodge LAX with very few expectations but the Hotel was ok. Staff all speak mainly Spanish. Hotel clean and basic as expected but no issues and we were able to get into room early without waiting too long. Decided to bus to Santa Monica and with a minor disagreement about where bus left from we finally left from outside Carls Jnr Restaurant. People on bus (mainly Black and Hispanic) were on the whole friendly - even the drunk and the strange man who insisted on showing me his bible on his phone - who would have thought? Reading after reading! 

Night time at Travelodge was noisy - lots of takeoffs and a bit of people noise but was ok and we slept until 11.30am!! Off to Hollywood via train and again interesting characters on the train- good lessons for the kids -  if you do drugs this is what you end up like!! Late night for the kids and then a 4am wake up for all of us.

Jim

Anna - We're finally here

We flew into LA on Monday - all very tired. We had a lie down in our hotel room before going out to explore Santa Monica. On Tuesday we caught a bus and a few trains to Hollywood. We walked along the Hollywood Boulevard Walk of Fame. We put our hands into the handprints of Harry Potter and many others outside the Chinese Theatre. 

We had breakfast, lunch and dinner all at once because by the time we woke up and arrived in Hollywood it was already afternoon! It was pizza at some Italian restaurant - they were very big meals! I only ate 1q uarter and a bit of my pizza before I was full! We also went to 'Ripley's Believe It Or Not'- it was pretty cool! 

We had to get up at 4:15am to get the shuttle to the airport on Wednesday. We had a 2 hour stop in Dallas on the way to Fort Myers which was where the Rokela's picked us up. It was awesome to see them! Looking forward to hanging out in Florida with them. Today we spent a long time in their pool because it's so hot here! The flights were long but they're over now (for the moment, anyway) and we're finally here!!! 

Anna

Hey,hey,hey it's Holly

We stayed two nights in LA and now we are at Uncle Pauls house in Florida. It's much,much hotter here than it was in LA. In LA the temperature was about the same as it was in Auckland and we were all wearing our jeans! On our first day we caught the bus to Santa Monica and went down to the beach. The sand was very white and there were lots of palm trees. On the second day we all slept in until 11:20. We took a bus and three trains to Hollywood. There we found a place to eat and by that time it was around 3:00. We ordered pizza, but the meals were very big and we could't eat it all! That was our breakfast, lunch and diner all in one! Then we went to this Weird place called Ripley's Believe it or Not museum. It had all these crazy things and weird facts but it was cool! We walked along the Hollywood Boulevard and the walk of fame.

We also went outside the Chinese Theatre where famous people have engraved their names and also their hand and foot prints. I put my hands in Harry Potters hand print! (see above!) It was sooooooo cool!! Then we made our way back to the hotel. It was a fun day!!!

Matthew - Leaving tomorrow to go to LA!! Hope I don't get chased by a bear in Yosemite National Park!!

Countdown madness!

How is it possible to have such a long 'to do list' and actually achieve it in a few days?! Things are a little chaotic in our household...we will relax when we are on the plane! At least we have no pets or pot plants to find a home for! I look out my window at home here in Queenstown and feel blessed to live here....people from all over the world come here to experience what Queenstown has to offer, and here we are heading to the other side of the world! America beckons! With snow already settling on the mountains here, it will be great to enjoy Florida's warmer climate. When I was tidying up at home, I came across a  badge that Jim had kept as a momento from when he visited Disneyland when he was about 5 years old... yes a long time ago! It's a badge that has come from one of those machines where you choose what you want printed on the badge. On Jim's badge it reads 'Jimmy Moore Disnexlaod' A few typos when entering his details, one assumes!!!!!

This is it! Goodbye Queenstown!

Count down.....

Hey, hey, hey it's Holly!!
Maths homework-done, Science homework-done, English homework-done, French project-just about complete, Social Studies project on The Treaty of Waitangi-will be working on this all week before I'm going anywhere!!! I'm on count down mode and I just can't wait !!! xx

Not long now...

Only 4 more days of school, and only 1 week till we fly to Auckland. We can't wait to see Aunt Sue, Uncle Paul, Grace and Brandon!! NOT LONG NOW...

Anna

Yes, it's finally happening!

Well we have been 'thinking' about this trip for a long time and it's hard to believe that we are now actually booked! Booked, but not organised - we are still working on that! Only a week before we fly out and we still need to find some suitable accommodation in LA, accommodation that is preferably in Santa Monica, fits the budget and sleeps 5. A far more difficult task than expected.

We're flying to Auckland on Saturday (Jim is heading up a few days earlier as he has his Cure Kids Great Adventure Race to complete before he's allowed to go anywhere!) and then head to LA on Monday. A few days there, then off to Florida. We are so incredibly excited to be seeing Paul, Sue, Grace and Brandon, and hanging out with them for a few weeks.