Evan's Trip to Disney World

Evan had the opportunity to visit Disney World with his 7th grade class in February.  He was lucky they got this trip before the pandemic ended all travel and school activities.  Evan and his class spent two nights in a hotel and visited three parks.  They did an educational program at each park and then had free time to ride rides.  Since they were not able to obtain fast passes for rides, I stressed the importance to Evan of using his time wisely because the lines would be long. While he did not always listen to me, he had a good time with his friends.  I also knew I would not get good pictures of him if I did not encourage him to get pictures from the Disney photographers around the park and with characters.  Thankfully, I trained him well so we do have some memorable pictures for him to keep.

They rode on a nice tour bus to Florida and arrived after lunch for their first day at Epcot.  Evan and his best pal, Lee, stayed together. 

They had an educational program where they rode the Living with the Land exhibit which talks about innovations related to farming and growing food. 

Evan and his pals headed to Mexico first, and he snapped some pictures of the pyramid and the boat ride. 

Then, he and his friend met Donald. 

The Disney Photopass photographers gave us some nice pictures to keep. 

Evan sent me selfies and pictures of his lunch to show me he ate an egg roll.  Haha! 

They got a nighttime picture in front of the big ball before they left to head to their hotel. 

I loved this one.  I think they were supposed to look like they were holding the ball. 

They started the next day at Magic Kingdom, and Evan got his picture alone in front of the castle.  His friends didn't want to wait in the line and preferred going to get snacks.   I think Evan was the smart one here.  

My favorite.  Disney can add these little props to their pictures.  I don't think Evan knew why they told him to raise his arm in the air.  Haha! 

Evan's selfie in front of Gaston's Tavern in the newer part of Fantasyland.  He also got some pictures with his buddies, Lee and Mason.  

I think this is the Swiss Family Robinson tree house.   

Evan with Scar from Lion King, and his score on the Buzz Lightyear ride. 

Evan's and Mason's picture on the Buzz Lightyear ride.  

Lee rode by himself. 

Evan actually loves the It's a Small World ride, and he also loves the Haunted Mansion. 

He got a few good shots and some videos of the fireworks show at night. 

I was the most disappointed in him for wasting most of his day at Animal Kingdom.  They arrived early in the morning because they only had until 5:00 when they would be leaving to come home.  He had the entire time to do what he wanted, but he and his buddies spent most of the morning just walking around doing nothing.  I had told him he would have to get in line immediately to ride one of the new rides in Avatar land because they did not have fast passes and would have to wait over an hour.  Instead, he finally went on the safari ride and never even went to Avatar land.  He expressed his disappointment about this later. He does love the safari ride though and took most of his pictures there. 

An elephant's rear end and some lazy hippos.  It was cool enough that they were not in the water. 

Some waterfowl and alligators. 

Giraffes and a Baobab tree.  

Zebras, Giraffes, and Impala

The giraffes will come very close to the vehicles. 

Elephants and lots of animals on the savannah. 

He did get some good shots of the elephants.  

We always love the flamingo and ostrich.  I don't think Disney feeds their flamingo increased beta carotene that other zoos do to make them look darker pink.  These look more natural. 

Rhinos and Lions 

Look at all of those gorillas!  Haha!  Evan tried to snap his own selfie at Mount Everest, but Lee did a better job. 

Yep, Evan looked terrified in the ride photo.  I could not even get him to ride this with me and Brody last trip. 

Lee loved it. 

Lee did look a bit uncomfortable hugging Goofy. 

Awe, Evan and Goofy! 

Then, they met Scrooge McDuck who was very interested in their belongings. 

I have introduced Evan to these old cartoons from my childhood and the newer seasons as well. 

I love when the characters really seem to enjoy their jobs and interact with visitors.  I love Evan's and Lee's smiles here. 

I wish Scrooge would give us some of his billions.  Haha! 

Checking out Evan's purchases. 

Since Evan will be moving this year, I was so glad he and Lee got to do this trip together.  Lee has been the best friend Evan has probably ever had.  They are more like brothers/twins than friends.  Since they are older now, I think it will be easier for them to keep in touch.  They both have phones and can use modern technology to stay in touch.  

At the end of their day, I "made" Evan wait in the line to see Mickey and Minnie.  I considered it a necessity for any trip to Disney.  I don't think I was wrong. 

Lee got hugs from Minnie. 

Evan got special hugs too.  Doesn't he look so grown up?  Sigh.  

Just conversing with the famous couple.  I am sure they didn't actually talk, but it is truly amazing how much they can "communicate" with you without speaking.  

Just the perfect way to wrap up their trip. 

Goodbye, Disney!

A Day in St. Augustine, FL

Before "the world stopped" due to the novel Corona Virus, we had the opportunity to explore a little of St. Augustine, Florida in between Evan's soccer tournament games.  Our time was limited so we didn't get to do and see everything we would like, and I still plan to revisit this area and take the boys to see the Space Coast at Cape Canaveral nearby.  For a few hours, we decided the most important historical landmark was the Castillo de San Marcos, the old Spanish fort built in 1695 to protect Spain's interest in the New World.  St. Augustine is known as the oldest city in the United States dating back to 1565.  There are many historical structures and sites in this old city, but the fort is the oldest standing structure.  After we explored the fort, we just enjoyed walking through the old town on our way to Flagler College to eat lunch.

While we waited for Daddy to park the car in the parking garage that was some distance from the fort, we enjoyed the beautiful sights of the water and waterfowl. 

Brody and Mattox really enjoyed running around in the open park beside the fort. 

The bridge in the distance is the "famous" Bridge of Lions built in the early 1900s to connect downtown St. Augustine with Anastasia Island.  I did not get a closer view of the structure, but it has two Carrara marble Medici lion statues modeled after the famous ones in Florence, Italy.  

Evan enjoyed sitting by the water.  It was a lovely day.  The round tower is the most recognizable feature of the fort. 

Evan and Grayson enjoyed chasing the birds.  Well, Evan was chasing Grayson. 

A Spanish flag flies proudly over the fort.  Evan was the only kid who I let climb down the stairs that went to the water's edge. 

The fort is made of a masonry material called coquina which are small shells that are bonded together to form a sedimentary rock like limestone.  It is surprisingly very sturdy and has withstood the tumultuous weather of the Atlantic for hundreds of years.  

The gate of the fortress was its most vulnerable fort and was heavily fortified by two drawbridges.  The original  wooden gate is actually inside in a preservation room along with the original Coat of Arms that hung above the gate.  

A replica of the Coat of Arms now adorns the outside. 

We arrived just in time to see the last cannon presentation of the day so the boys and I climbed to the top of the fort to watch.  Daddy insisted on staying below with Maggie.  Grayson just wanted to run away from me so I had to watch him more than the presentation. 

The rooms of the fort were like a museum of the old artifacts, flags, and replicas of the fort.  

Mattox liked the cannons. 

I thought it was impressive that the original Coat of Arms and wooden doors were so well-preserved.  Those items would obviously be the first things to deteriorate.  

The courtyard of the fort was set up for demonstrations as well.  

Mattox and Grayson thought they could pick up these mini-cannonballs that were permanently affixed to the ground.  Haha!  Man, those things must have been heavy! 

I wanted a picture of Daddy and his boys at the fort.  We have toured many forts in the country, and these boys love their military history.  Yes, Maggie was in it too, and Grayson would not leave the cannonballs for the picture. 

It thought this bronze cannon was beautifully carved. 

Daddy and Brody went back upstairs to explore a little more. 

Brody posed for some cool shots for Daddy.  I often say that Brody is Daddy's favorite although they do have their conflicts.  I say that Daddy loves him so much because he reminds him of Mommy...temper and all!  Haha! 

The Spanish flag waves from the fort while a pirate flag waves from across the road at the Pirate Museum.  I hope we can visit that little museum in the future. 

I loved the Spanish architecture around the town. 

I thought this little walled private courtyard just looked so enchanting like a secret garden. 

We passed through the historic district on the way to Flagler College.  The campus kind of reminded me of my alma mater, Meredith College, as they are both smaller liberal arts colleges with beautiful buildings and grounds.  We ate lunch at their student center which definitely reminded me of Meredith's.  

I loved the beautiful stained glass windows in the campus buildings.  

St. Augustine also has beautiful old churches and cathedrals.  

The boys thought this banana or plantain tree was cool.