Busch Gardens

It seems I should have done some research on the gardens before we even went there!  I have since learned that the 335 acre park is African-themed.  Sections of it include the Congo, Nairobi, Jungala, Stanleyville, Edge of Africa, and Serengeti Plain.  We initially took the park's train, which enabled us to see a bit of the latter.

We probably could have seen more of the Serengeti had we chosen to pay the extra fee for a safari ride, but we were quite satisfied with the number of animals we saw from the train.  There were zebras, rhinoceri, a variety of deer and antelope, and birds.  I wrote in the last posting that it seemed to us that there were not many animals in the park, but in reality there are more than 2,700!  We probably needed another day in the park to have seen more than we did.

We found a bit of the exotic in the park at a section called Pantopia.  Originally this area of the park was called "The Dark Continent", then Timbukta in 1980.  It was later called Pantopia after the malls
and bazaars of  Africa.
Several rides were enjoyed by our daughter Melissa and husband Spencer.  Nathan, our four-year old grandson, enjoyed the Stanley Falls Flume- even though he got soaking wet!

The best part of the park for our young children was Sesame Street, where they were able to explore a variety of playground activities.  A large enclosed trampoline area was a big hit with them.

Some of the botanical offerings of the park were fascinating for me.  Fortunately they have identifying signs located near them.  Pictured above is the acacia tree, found in the lowlands of Africa.  It is a fast-growing tree with smooth bark and 3-inch thorns- once thought to cause sleeping sickness.

And of course, as in most parks of Florida because of the tropical-like climate, I found a beautiful displays of orchids. 
For our supper we ate at the Zambia Smokehouse, not very good food as we had expected.  Our dining pleasure was ruined by the noise of the Sheikra Skyride which towered above our table.  As I said in my last posting, it seems that Busch Gardens is for the younger generation.

Last Days in Florida

Yes, it is our last days- and the same holds true for our daughter Melissa, husband Spencer and two little ones.  Spencer finally landed a job in St. Louis Missouri, so John and I are not planning on setting down roots in Florida, at least for now.  And certainly have no set plans as yet for the future.  We do want to follow the sun, especially during the winter months.

It seems that starting in May the colorful foliage here in Florida has really popped out.  Pictured above is the pink hibiscus tree located by our daughter's driveway.  The winds of Hurricane Irma caused it to lean over very precariously and it was necessary to prop it up.  Then in January cold weather stopped it completely from blooming.  I was thrilled then to see it start blooming again in May- in the past it never failed to produce its colorful pink flowers.   We had held Clarissa as a baby under its colorful foliage- she and the tree have an interesting history together!

I thought our daughter and her husband's rental home looked quite beautiful this June.  In the foreground is a white lilac; by the mailbox on the left is a plumbago bush with blue blossoms, and in the background is the pink hibiscus.  Unfortunately it was quite a bright day and the camera was not able to pick up the colors very well.

We made it to Busch Gardens before leaving Florida, thanks to an offering of the park for veterans and their families to visit it for free.  Spencer and John both qualified for that, and it would have been a shame to pass that up as it is quite expensive (about $100.00 a day admission price).  I think that I would have regretted spending that amount of money on a park which mainly caters to the younger generation- I was expecting large gardens and a variety of animals, but surrounding what little there was of the latter were many carnival-type rides-  the immensity and noise of which certainly over whelmed what beauty I found in the park!

There is some natural beauty in the park which I did appreciate, as the two floral butterflies pictured above.  And, as we were leaving the park at sunset a flock of flamingos were a welcome diversion for Clarissa and Nathan who were getting quite cranky and tired.

Despite what I have said regarding the park, we did have a good day; there was enough there to keep us older ones and young ones happy.  The hot and humid days have started here in Florida, most fortunately we went to the park on a day which was overcast and humid.  But not the hot rays of sunshine!  I will have more to show and tell on the park in the next posting.