Florida Day 2: Magical Midway and Spence's Birthday!

We woke up late on Thursday, and you probably would have too after the 3am bedtime.  My friend Anna was getting in that day to enjoy some vacation in the sun, so the first thing we did was go pick her up!  Then we headed to a place that J suggested called "Magical Midway".  They have go-karts, some rides, arcade games and a mini golf place next door that has like a million gators running around.  (OK maybe a million is a slight overstatement)

Spencer wasn't a 100% OK with backing up the van just yet, don't worry, by Saturday he was pulling U-Turns like nobodies business!

Spencer and Anna in line for the go-karts

This is the ride we spent the most time on, and the one we saw the shuttle launch from!

view of the go-karts from the swing ride

After a little while we headed next door to the gator mini golf place, we didn't play any mini golf, but we did get to hold a gator!

I think his name is Fred.

Holding a gator is thirsty work, Anna and I with our favorite UK drink, a Strongbow!

Anna is trying to get a picture of the shuttle launch

After the shuttle launch, before they brought us back down

Spence isn't quite sure about this ride!

Probably the coolest thing about this day was that there was a space shuttle launch, we opted not the spend the day stuck in bumper to bumper traffic to get to see it like up close in person, but we did get to watch it from one of the rides at Magical Midway.  This particular space shuttle launch was especially cool because this is the Discovery's last trip into low Earth orbit. Discovery will be traveling to the International Space Station, carrying a module packed with supplies, critical spare parts, as well as a robotic assistant named Robonaut 2. With the entire Space Shuttle program scheduled for mandatory retirement this year, Discovery is the most-flown spacecraft in history, traveling 143 million miles over the course of its 39 missions since 1984, and spending nearly a full year in orbit.(http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2011/02/space-shuttle-discoverys-final-launch/100015/#)

After our day at the park we met up with J and one of her friends in an area of Orlando called Winter Park, it was a great end to our first full vacation day, the area isn't a touristy part of town and it reminded me of Mass Street in Lawrence. 

We all hit the sack early that night, because the next day was DISNEY!