Walt Disney World in February is delightful. The crowds were very light. The weather was perfect, high 60’s to low 70’s, blue skies, not a cloud in the sky, perfect Chamber of Commerce weather. Of course we don’t know how long the perfect weather and small crowds will last, but this sure beats the fool out of snow and ice and layers of clothing. We and most of the other visitors were in shorts and tee shirts.
The most popular attraction in Walt Disney World is called “Soarin”. “Soarin” is in Epcot. Yesterday the wait was about forty minutes, which is great. Since this is our favorite attraction we have had waits much longer. The smart thing to do is to take the time to plan your day. What attractions would you like to visit today, get your Fastpass and come back at the designated time and walk right in. Beats the fool out of wasting the day standing in line!
We didn’t have reservations for lunch, so we chose to have a salad at the American pavilion in the World Showcase, which is a part of Epcot. Here again it was a very short wait with many tables available to us.
Another of the attractions we visited yesterday was the Land. We’re fascinated by the innovative ways that the folks at Walt Disney World and their partners are growing food. Tomatoes and melons from trees, huge fruit, and growing fruit and vegetables suspended in the air. Hydroponics is where you grow vegetables and fruit, without soil. This is another wonderful possibility to feed the world. There are aquaculture exhibits, growing fish including; sturgeon, bass, and catfish in tanks. The world presently grows thirty percent of our seafood on farms.
During this economic slowdown Walt Disney World is offering terrific bargains on tickets to the four theme parks that make up Orlandos’ Walt Disney World. Best HotelsNow.com is also offering great rates on hotels in and around Walt Disney World. Rental cars are also available a reduced rates.
With the weather being great in the Orlando area, prices reduced, and easy availability why put that long awaited vacation on hold. Now is the time to start making those memories you and your family will cherish forever.
Daytona Beach Fl
The NASCAR racing season officially got rolling Saturday. The smell of gasoline and burning rubber was added to the salty smell of the Daytona Beach area. The ARCA race was run Saturday afternoon. As usual it was a wreck filled show with both veteran and newcomers spinning wildly on the two and a half mile track. The race boiled down to two eighteen year olds driving Joe Gibbs Racing prepared cars prepared in Charlotte, North Carolina.
James Buescher held off the sensational Joey Logano for the win.
The race took longer than was expected, causing Logano to miss the drivers meeting for the Bud shootout, which was run later Saturday evening. This is Logano’s first full year driving in the top NASCAR series. That’s amazing, to think about. Eighteen years old and already a veteran of many years of racing, he’s taking over the driving duties of two time NASCAR champion Tony Stewart. Stewart is a native of Indiana and a past open wheel champion as well as a NASCAR winner.
Twenty eight cars took the field in the shootout, which turned out to be almost as wreck filled as the ARCA race. And these drivers are the elite of stock car drivers. They aren’t a bunch of eighteen year olds full of testosterone. Kevin Harvick, a California native won the race with a last lap move reminiscent of his win in the 2007 Daytona 500 in which he slid by Mark Martin on the last lap to take the victory.
Tony Stewart finished a very respectable third. This was his first race as the owner driver of a team that he started just recently. Stewart showed he has the power, handling, and smarts to win at Daytona.
It was a full weekend of racing at Daytona with qualifying for the Daytona 500 on Sunday afternoon. There are more cars trying to qualify for the Daytona 500 than any other race. To start this race pays two hundred fifty thousand dollars, a handsome amount for some of the cash strapped teams.
Sunday qualifying only sets the top two spots for next Sundays’ Daytona 500. The pole award was taken by New Jersey native Martin Truex Jr. followed closely by longtime Arkansas driver Mark Martin.
Thursday, the other drivers have their opportunity to qualify. This is determined by the finishing position in the dual races. Third through thirty nine will be set, but it’s a bit more complicated than that. There are thirty five drivers from last year that are locked into the race by virtue of their standing at the end of the year. Thursdays’ races are guaranteed to be a fun spectacle.
