A series of essays.....
 |
| THE THREE MUSKETEERS BEFORE BOARDING THE ORLANDO EYE |
.....as seen through my eyes!
By: Jacqueline E. Hughes
Note to Self: Must Google name of particular phobia that
describes living near a popular building, monument, or important place of
interest and seldom taking advantage of visiting or seeing it for
yourself.
What am I afraid of? There must be a title for this one, too!
What is it? Laziness? Lack of curiosity? Fear of tourists? More than
likely, it's telling yourself that it will always be there and you will have
unlimited opportunity to make it happen, if and/or when you want it
to. Fear of commitment...?
 |
| GEARING UP FOR THE LATEST SPACE X SATELLITE LAUNCH THIS WEEK ON THE COAST |
Living in Orlando, along with so many surrounding man-made
landmarks representing our imagination and desire for fun and distraction, it's
easy to get caught-up in this irrational fear and, more than likely, opt for a lazy,
uncrowded, sun-filled day by your own pool. From this vantage point, Dan and I
are privy to seeing many of the floating villages with exotic names like Virgin,
Lufthansa, AVIANCA, and Emirates decked-out in multiple colors and insignias
like it was Brazilian Carnival in the sky every day! They are the jumbo-jets,
747's, that fly visitors in and out of the area daily and are so large that
their heft and lofty appearance while gliding downward not far above us offers
the surreal effect that mimics the attractions these 'villagers' from another
land are here to experience!
We're all semi-familiar with the major attractions in and
around the greater Orlando area such as Walt Disney World, Sea World, Universal
Studios, and International Drive. I-Drive, as it is called by the locals, is not
quite as popular to tourists traveling from within the United States to Orlando.
However, tourists from around the world make I-Drive one of their important
destinations. I must admit that when we were coming down for our
week on Sanibel Island for almost thirty years with stops at Walt Disney World
every few years, we did not venture into the Orlando proper enough to
experience International Drive and were unfamiliar with it until becoming
Orlando residents twenty years ago.
I will say that the recent evolution of
I-Drive is bringing it 'up to par' with the many other attractions around us.
It's cleaner and neater with more updates and adventures to experience and see.
The restaurants are top-notch including Café Tu Tu Tango featuring tapas
selections and live painters in eclectic digs, Taverna Opa Orlando with Greek
cuisine and belly dancing, and Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar, to name a
few.
If you've been dreaming about entering a building that
is seemingly upside-down....then WonderWorks is for you! This topsy-turvy
attraction features over one hundred hands-on science exhibits plus laser tag, a
rope course, and a 4-dimensional motion theatre ride. Then there's the dusty
halls and small rooms filled with oddities at Ripley's Believe It Or Not museum,
located just a short walk up I-Drive.
And the shopping!!! Oh, the shopping along this hallowed
drive is phenomenal and the pure justification for every international shopper
looking to bring home super bargains on bluejeans, footwear, and designer
clothing from America. Jackpot! Often these die-hard shoppers will purchase a
large, free-wheeling suitcase and roll it along with them as they proceed to
fill it up while moving from one store to another. It's less expensive to pay
for another checked piece of luggage on the flight home than to pay for standard
shipping prices to send their booty back to the U.K., South America, or
Germany.
I-Drive runs parallel with I-4 and many of the
attractions, restaurants, and hotels are visible from the highway. However,
there is a brand new attraction in town, baby, and it certainly stands-out (up)
from all of the rest. It is one that I vowed I would never participate in, let
alone invest the money on, considering it is the most typical and touristy site you will see in most major cities across the world today!
Located in the heart of the International Drive Resort
Area stands the Coca-Cola Orlando Eye, a four-hundred foot iconic observation
wheel that is the centerpiece of this new and improved, metro-chic
destination.
I will be the first to admit that I've pooh poohed this
huge, white wheel since its completion. I've resisted any urge to climb inside any
of its many identical gondolas siting the fact that I've seen an aerial view of
my city via numerous plane take-offs and landings, as well as flying much lower
over the city in a helicopter a few years ago. This huge, white
wheel of motion held nothing for me until......that is.....until my
brother-in-law, Chris, mentioned how cool it would be to ride high above
Orlando. And, he's the one who's afraid of heights!!
This past Monday, July 3, 2017, we took our maiden
voyage on The Orlando Eye.
And....I really liked it!
It was twenty-two minutes of chronicling our activities
of the past twenty years living along this amazing, sprawled-out space we call
home. By the time our gondola made it up to the top of the wheel, we'd already
reminisced about how young our girls were when we first visited DisneyWorld, off to the southwest. We pinpointed our current neighborhood to the east and viewed the numerous surrounding bodies of water (many springing to life as sinkholes) with a whole
new perspective. Peering out towards the northwest, we pointed out to Chris the Keene's Point Country Club in
Windermere where he remembers his niece, our oldest daughter, was married on a
memorable October's day back in 2002.
Somehow, I believe that locals are able to reap more benefit and insight from this panoramic spin above Orlando than the esteemed tourist can. After living here for years, we already have stories attached to so many of the sights around us.
 |
| 'SPRINKLE CAKE' MEMORIES FROM YEARS GONE BY...... |
Tears? Did I have tears in my eyes by the time our
stable, little car made it back down to earth? Perhaps. Perhaps the sun was a
bit bright even through the protective Low-E coated glass that enveloped us the
entire ride. Blame it on my sweet brother-in-law for, well, just being his
'curiosity motivated' self, and the fact that he will be celebrating a milestone
birthday near the end of this month! No matter what, we would have never done it
without his gentle push and open enthusiasm.
Thank you, Christopher. So happy you were here, kiddo!
Wishing you the Best Birthday celebration, ever!
Copyright © 2017 by Jacqueline E. Hughes
All rights reserved
Photo Copyright © 2017 by Jacqueline E.
Hughes
All rights reserved
