Ponderings
 by Paula Bragg

Remember my trip to Disney and my grandiose plans to do 4 parks in 4 days?! I explained my failure but I'm not a quitter and I went back. And I learned some really great things.

First day, we toured Hollywood Studios, saw the stunts of Indiana Jones, sat through the scary dark with Drew Carey, participated in the American Idol Experience, and ended with Fantasmic (so worth waiting for). Then it was back to Epcot!

First time, visited all the countries UNTIL got to Norway and Mexico. Too tired. Big Mistake! Norway has an exhibit called The Maelstrom. It is a boat ride heralding the history of Norway, Vikings and all. Worth taking.

Mexico: You'd never believe walking up the stairs, going past the gift shops and restaurants, that hidden in the back corner is another boat ride. This ride was fun, entertaining, lots of animation and a miniature Mexican Small World. Wow!

The energy exhibit: I would have thought Ellen's participation would have been at the Nemo attraction. Wrong. She's at the energy pavilion. Starting with a short movie setting up the exhibit, continuing through a ride back into prehistoric days (Not only did the dinosaurs look real, Ellen fighting the snake required a double take.), Ellen and Bill Nye the Science Guy made it fun to learn about energy.

Only regret was I forgot about the restaurant at the Nemo exhibit that has tables surrounded by aquariums. Guess I have to go back next year!
 

Florida in Books
   by Diane Dare

Paula’s Ponderings last month was about Key West, nearly always associated with Ernest Hemingway. Here are some of Florida’s other literary connections:

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings’ children’s classic The Yearling takes place about ten miles southeast of Gainesville in Cross Creek (also the title of her autobiography). Anne Morrow Lindbergh’s Gifts From the Sea was partly inspired by her shelling expeditions on Captiva Island where she lived for some time.

Eatonville, just north of Orlando, was home to Zora Neale Hurston (Their Eyes Were Watching God). In All Over But the Shoutin’ Rick Bragg describes his years in the Tampa-St. Petersburg area.

Real life crime reporter Edna Buchanan sets her mystery novels in the Miami area, as does Carl Hiassen. Anne Rice’s vampire Lestat (The Vampire Chronicles) enjoys Miami Beach. Elmore Leonard’s novels are set along the southeast coast. John D. MacDonald lives on Siesta Key but his detective hero. Travis McGee, lives on a houseboat in Fort Lauderdale.

Tennessee Williams wrote several plays while living in Key West (The Rose Tattoo was even filmed there). And movie fans, did you know part of License to Kill starring Timothy Dalton as Agent 007 James Bond was filmed at Hemingway’s Key West home?

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