11 December 2012 – 9:03 pm
I haven’t posted in a while because I’ve been busy completing another item on my 30 Before 30 list, #8: Visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
Clay and I took a week trip to Orlando to visit Walt Disney World and Universal Studios. We were both so excited to see the Harry Potter themed attractions, and I’m happy to say they did not disappoint. Tucked away in Universal’s Islands of Adventure theme park is the cozy village of Hogsmeade. Take your picture by the Hogwarts Express, delight in the treats at Honeydukes, and experience the wand selection process at Ollivander’s. It really does transport you.
We took some time to rest at the Three Broomsticks pub and had a couple butterbeers. While it was incredibly fun, I didn’t love the flavor: a little too sweet for me!
After riding a hippogriff and taking the Dragon Challenge twice, we came upon the real highlight of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Hogwarts. It’s incredible to look at and even more exciting to walk through. It’s the kind of line you want to wait in, just to take in everything. See the talking paintings, visit Dumbledore in his office, help Harry, Ron, and Hermione in the classroom, and chat with the famous sorting hat. Oh, and the actual ride is awesome too.
Every fan of the movies and/or books should definitely see it. Even non-fans will find the rides exciting and well done. It was really a magical place and I can’t wait to visit again.
17 October 2012 – 8:55 pm
Check out these incredible videos of Paris by Mayeul Akpovi. He used time lapse and stop motion photography. Stunning.
For Mother’s Day, we spent the weekend up north at my parents’ Pinetop-Lakeside home. They’ve been renovating it and it’s been several months since we’ve been there to see it. The weather was incredible and the backyard was a perfectly relaxing atmosphere.
On Saturday, my dad and I visited Little Log Cabin, a tiny antique shop nearby. It was packed to the brim with rustic curiosities and the owner’s dog Radar was so sweet. My dad ended up buying a charming little desk for Clay’s and my room at the house.
While we planned to do some hiking, we ended up being pretty lazy. We enjoyed a board game of Fact or Crap, watched a couple movies, a marathon of Toddlers and Tiaras, and of course, napped on the couch. And you can be sure we had plenty of beer and lambic for the evening.
For Mother’s Day we avoided the typical brunch restaurants and opted for the delicious wings at Moose Henri’s. Yum!
The drive to and from Lakeside isn’t actually that bad. We had fun with the pups in the car, texting back and forth with Steve and Vanessa, and watching the crazy smoke from a nearby fire. With the weather in Phoenix heating up, I’m sure we’ll be heading up there much more often.
A blast from the past. In 2008, Clay and I took a trip to San Francisco. Here’s us narrowly escaping the jaws of death at Fisherman’s Wharf.
