For Gooding Sake! » Travel

Bad Luck comes in Three’s: Our Melbourne Visit

ToastRider — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 21:22:25 +0000

Greetings, yes we are back from our short excursion over the ditch to the land of kangaroos and blowflies!

The happy family waiting for our flight to Australia

Can’t say that the trip started well but it did improve and we all had a very enjoyable few days in Melbourne.

As I mentioned, things didn’t start well and then they got worse! We had to rise at 4am Friday morning and we drove to Christine’s business partners house near the top end of Harewood Road before all catching a taxi to the airport.

Got to the airport no problem….but where was our backpack with our camera and some other items in it?.

“It’s your fault, no it’s yours, you were supposed to bring it to the car….but I carried the suitcase!”

So to end the discussion I took the blame and we calculated if I had enough time to get a taxi home to retrieve the missing bag. A speedy trip in the business class line to explain our plight to the attendant who was most helpful and sent me on my way after checking my documents.

Bea and MrsG waiting for me

Luckily a taxi was waiting and we sped home and back with time to spare. It did negate the advantage of driving to Christine’s business partner’s house initially though as the taxi fare cost me $100!!

Bugger. (Bad luck no. 1).

Anyway that was all over bar some of the cold stares still apparent and we boarded the plane without further issues.

We arrived late in Sydney due to our flight being delayed in Christchurch to de-ice the wings (thought it would just make the more slippery so we could fly faster) and we were then informed that we had missed our connecting flight to Melbourne! (Bad luck no. 2)

Not a problem though said the lady at Qantas, we will get you on the next flight which arrives in Melbourne at 6:30pm. Considering our formal function etc was at 7, this wasn’t going to fit at all.

I must confess to thinking this might be enough to get me out of attending (and wearing a suit), but no, that simply wouldn’t do! The lady at Qantas said we could go via Canberra and we would get to Melbourne at 1:30 in the afternoon.

Great stuff , so off we went. I liked the look of Canberra (not that we saw much) but the countryside looked interesting and I don’t think the place was too big.

No time to contemplate the Aussie countryside before we were off again to Melbourne.

Nice flight and even flew over snow fields before landing in Melbourne. In Melbourne we went straight to the baggage carousel and waited for our luggage…………..and waited……..and waited….and waited some more, until were were the only ones waiting.

We did see a lone suitcase handle with a Qantas label still attached going around and around and around (much to our amusement) but no sight of our luggage!

Christine went off to the airline counter and despite the wonderful computer systems and bar coded tags, they had no idea where our luggage was!! (Bad luck no. 3)

By this time I was certain that the gods just didn’t want me to put on a suit and I nearly gave in, but no! we bravely went onwards to our Hotel. As you can imagine, getting up at 4am and then travelling for over 8 hours to get to Melbourne (normally only takes 3) things were starting to get a tad stressful.

On our way to Bourke St. Mall for some emergency shopping!

After arriving at our hotel and phoning Qantas who still had no idea where our luggage was, we set of to beg borrow and but replacement clothes to get us to the ball. Christine had to buy a fancy dress, shoes, and have make up applied in a store, while I had to hire a suit and borrow a pair of shoes (which looked like clown shoes to me).

The fancy dress that we bought for MrsG and the suit I hired in Melbourne

This wasn’t done in 5 minutes, I can tell you and we only got back to our hotel room after 6pm! It took us until 7pm to get ready and just as we walked out of our room, along came a porter with ….you guessed it, our luggage!

This was the frock that MrsG brought from NZ and was able to wear at the formal function

So I hurridly put on my own shoes, Christine changed her dress and finally we went to the ball, albeit a tad late!. What a bloody day!

The Shannon Company do went well although I was pretty much shattered from the start and by the time we got back to our hotel, I must have been awake close to a very stressful 24 hours!

After that, things improved thank god.

The following day Christine was able to return the dress and shoes and the people at the shops were really good and happy to offer a refund. Still had to pay for the suit hire, but better than paying for the lot.

Old Melbourne Gaol

We visited quite a few places around the Melbourne CBD and although its obviously a busy place, it has a nice atmosphere and seemed clean and friendly. We visited the old Gaol where Ned Kelly was hanged which was a fascinating old building in the centre of Melbourne. Well worth a visit.

Also visited Docklands and the shops (I just looked at the shoppers) and Federation Square.

Went up to Eureka Skytower, the tallest building in Melbourne (88 floors) to the observation floor which gave great views all over the City which is very spread out.

Took the free tram several times which was an experience with some parts of the journey being a bit like the trains you see in India with people crammed inside like sardines!

Also visited an exhibition of mainly animals, that had been injected with resin so all their tissues and organs were preserved in a plastic like substance. Really fascinating albeit a bit macabre and well worth a look. Quite a few human organs too but no whole bodies, although they did have cross sections of a human body (3mm thick) which were quite amazing.

The weather was kind to us and a few degrees warmer than in New Zealand which was great. Coolish at times but up to 16C on Sunday with clear skies. Not so nice when we returned with rain, sleet and very icy winds on Sunday night and Monday.

Our family safe and sound back in New Zealand

We got home about 1am, so Bea started school mid morning and I took the day as annual leave and got a few things done around here.

So as you can see, a great long weekend and very eventful Popular Posts:

Days 175 to 178 (24-27.06.10) – Friends + Shopping = Fun in Melbourne!

mrsgooding — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 11:35:30 +0000

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It’s been so long since I went away on a trip overseas with a girlfriend. The last time was a 5-day trip to Singapore in 1999 with my good friend, Kathy. That was before I got married!

Sure, I went away with friends within and around New Zealand in the last 10 years or so but they were mostly sight-seeing trips and while I enjoyed these trips immensely, going overseas with a friend with nothing planned but a few days of shopping can also be heavenly.

No guilt feelings that the hubby and daughter were getting bored out of their minds while I shopped till I dropped during this trip. I had the perfect shopping companion in Arlynn.

As I go to Melbourne a week a month for work, we thought it’d be nice if Arl joined me towards the end of the work week I’d be in Melbourne in June for a few days of shopping, girl talk and shopping.

This girls’ shopping trip is also extra special as Arlynn is a friend I just recently became close to and this recent trip helped cement a new friendship which I hope would last a lifetime

So, what did Arl and I get up to the last few days?

Food galore!

We had lunch at Le Triskel – a French Creperie in Hardware Lane in the Melbourne CBD. The staff were arrogantly French but the crepes were to die for. WIf you plan to go there make sure you have cash as they don’t accept credit card payments.

We also had yummy Bavarian food at Cuckoo Restaurant in Mt Dandenong; brunch at Lindt Cafe, coffee at Starbucks, yum cha dinner at Yum Cha Dragon BBQ Restaurant (the only yum cha dinner service in Melbourne) and a meal at a pizza and pasta restaurant in Docklands. It was great that my friends were also able to join us. We had so much fun!

Arl and I also explored Melbourne’s Crown Casino where I taught her how to play Black Jack and in exchange, Arl shouted me a giant Strawberry Daiquiri. I loved it! I’m not too sure if it’s good for my liver but I’ve been good for so long since my medical misadventure that I thought I deserve this treat

If you’re thinking of where to dine in Melbourne, I highly recommend these restaurants and eateries! I’d have loved to take Arl to other food places in Melbourne but we ran out of time!

Shopping at Australia’s Fashion Capital, the city of Melbourne!

Bourke Street Mall, Melbourne Grand Central, Chadstone Mall, stores in Crown Casino Towers and Collins St. We were going to explore the shops along Chapel Street too but ran out of time so that has to be something I plan to check out on my next trip.

And no, I didn’t buy the iPad. I did visit the Apple Store in Chadstone because I just had to see the iPad in person. It’s not available in NZ yet. How sad is that? My friends were right though, the iPad looked like a giant iPhone!

Girl talk and bonding! – Arl is one of those friends that is so easy to talk to and who’s got lots of stories to share. We spent the whole time chatting about anything and everything under the sun! It was soooo good! Who needs therapists when you’ve got friends like Arlynn you can share your secrets and innermost thoughts with?

A tour of the must-see places around Melbourne CBD

We went to Federation Square, Royal Exhibition Building, Docklands and Flinders train station on our last day in Melbourne.

Melbourne is lucky to have the tram as it made touring the city so much easier.

The trip was also made extra fun with the chance to catch up with my good friends based in Melbourne and meeting new ones too. I love meeting new people!

Thanks for a lovely shopping trip Arl. I enjoyed it and I look forward to our next holiday together! Maybe this time with our lovely hubbies and Bea, of course!

Re-booking my new flights online at the Melbourne Airport

The only downer of this trip? My flight back to Christchurch got cancelled so I had to stay an extra night in Melbourne. Oh well!

I wasn’t happy with the way my airline, Air New Zealand handled the cancellation and the story about that requires a separate blog post.

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Travel Tip: Take a Tram in Christchurch

ToastRider — Sat, 15 May 2010 00:56:02 +0000

If you are visiting Christchurch, or live locally and have friends visiting, why not take a trip back in time and ride the tram around the central city.

Its probably something many locals haven’t done, but it’s a fun way to spend some time and inexpensive too.

We recently hosted friends from windy Wellington and took them on the tram as part of a sightseeing tour of our home town.

Christchurch Cathedral

The complete circuit takes around 30 minutes, but you can take much longer, getting off at the many stops and having a good look around places like Cathedral Square, the Arts Centre, Art Gallery and Canterbury Museum.

On a nice day you can picnic in the Botanic Gardens or in Victoria Square, where you can watch the Edwardian punts floating down the Avon River. Also worth a visit is the Tram Station at Cathedral Junction in New Regent Street, and nearby restored Art Deco pedestrian mall.

The trams are delightfully restored vintage trams which take you back to the quieter days of yesteryear while you meander through some interesting spots amongst the hustle and bustle of modern city life.

The tram drivers are very helpful and friendly and each has a special character to them. An informative commentary is provided during the journey as well, providing interesting facts about the history of various locations on the route.

There’s even a unique Restaurant Tram where you can dine while it follows the 2.5 km inner-city track

So go on, enjoy the ride

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Day 111 (21.04.2010) – An Open Letter to Pacific Blue Airlines

mrsgooding — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 21:04:43 +0000

Dear Pacific Blue Management (DJ61 crew chch-melb flight)

Motion sickness is an incovenient handicap that my selfish body discovered in my mid-30’s.

Oh and did I tell you that nausea and fainting joined that list too?

For someone who’s always prided herself of her ability to find solutions to difficulties (motion sickness? That’s what ginger tablets are for!), there are times when your body fails you and you just need to ask for help.

There I was on 1 March 2010, aboard Pacific Blue’s aircraft with flight no. DJ61 on my way from Christchurch to Melbourne.

The flight was nothing extraordinary. We had the usual turbulence you’d expect when crossing the Tasman sea. I took my usual dosage of ginger pills pre-flight to ensure the blasted motion sickness is kept at bay. I even fell asleep during the first hour of the flight.

Then horror of horrors….I felt it. My ears were ringing. I broke out in cold sweat and I had this sudden urge to spew.

This scenario has happened a few months ago on the same flight to Melbourne……so sitting where I was hoping it’d go away, I knew, would be stupid.

Getting out of my window seat was not that easy. Seated at the aisle barring my hasty exit was an elderly man (Bless his heart) who couldn’t walk or stand up.

I had to do some expert maneouvering in an otherwise tight space to extricate myself from my seat and straight into heaven, that is the loo.

But alas, my symptoms (based from past experience) were such that if I didn’t ask for help, I knew I was going to faint in the toilet and probably harm myself unnecessarily. So, I shyly asked the one of the flight crew standing close to the aircraft toilets to give me a hand.

And they looked after me. They looked after me well. They gave me instructions on what to do plus a wet towel and a drink of water. They let me sit in the aircraft’s jump seat. One of the flight crews was there every so often asking me how I felt. The flight was full but I didn’t feel rushed.

It was just wonderful. To be looked after like that.

And I just had to blog about it.

To say thank you to the wonderful crew of DJ61 from Christchurch to Melbourne on that fateful day of 1 March 2010. I would definitely fly with you again.

I hope this letter of mine reaches the right people.

Yours sincerely

Christine Gooding

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Day 110 (20.04.10) – POLL: Our 10th year, where should we go?

mrsgooding — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 22:23:17 +0000

July 2011 marks our 10th wedding anniversary and since I love “planning” things, MrG and I have started discussing where we could go to celebrate this very important milestone.

I know that a trip somewhere would be a given for this wedding anniversary celebration but to where is definitely undecided.

Every year since MrG and I got married, we’ve gone away somewhere at every wedding anniversary. Just the two of us.

But these trips have mostly been within New Zealand. I thought for our 10th year, we’d go international.

Here are our top picks:

1. Relive our Honeymoon – An island hopping tour of the Philippine Islands which includes visits to Boracay, Shangri-La Mactan and the like.

2. A week in the gorgeous islands of Fiji, Rarotonga or Tahiti

3. A week touring the city of Love – Paris, France (and perhaps a side visit to my Mecca, err, Louis Vuitton’s flagship store in Paris)

4. A Cruise. Somewhere. But haven’t decided where.

So those are my, err, our top choices so far. We haven’t considered doing anything within New Zealand. We will look into that if we find ourselves strapped for cash by the time July 2011 rolls in

Have you got any other suggestions on what we can do for our nth honeymoon? We’d probably only have a week max. Any suggestions are welcome

P.S.

We probably won’t divulge on our family website the actual timing and place of our anniversary trip as we have a team of stalkers here (yes, our “stalkers” are growing!) at For Gooding Sake

We don’t really want to see them booking the same trip as us! That’d be in Bea’s words….an epic fail! LOL

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Travel Review: Universal Fun

ToastRider — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 11:44:39 +0000

Last September, as part of our big trip to the States, we spent several days in Los Angeles, visiting a number of attractions including Universal Studios.

Christine and I had been here once before, but this was Bea, our 12 year old daughter’s first visit and her first time to experience the rides that only somewhere like Universal Studios can give you.

There is so much to do that its all a bit mind boggling at first and you have to decide what attractions and rides you really want to do from the onset and make a basic plan for the day. Some attractions such as the Waterworld show are scheduled for various times throughout the day, so you need to plan a head a little to make sure you will be close to the venue at one of the start times.

As with all attractions of this type in the States, everything is bright and bustling and makes you feel great as soon as you step inside the gate. People are friendly and helpful and everything is clean and tidy.

As I mentioned, this was Bea’s first visit to attractions like this and Christine and I couldn’t wait to see how she handled the fast and scary rides!

The first of these we tried was The Mummy and it was a hoot. The ride is mainly in the dark with excellent special effects making you duck and cringe all the way. The ride is a bit like a roller coaster in the dark gets very exciting with everyone screaming and hanging on for dear life. Just when you think its all over, the cars go backwards, again in the dark and with considerable force. Bea loved every minute of it and couldn’t stop raving about it once we were out again.

With that behind us (we did it twice just to make sure we liked it!) we headed for the Jurassic Park ride. This ride is a real thriller which Christine and I knew, so we carefully guided Bea to the ticket office, bypassing the rides finale, which most people watch before going on the ride. Bea was constantly asking us “what is this ride like” and we told her it was a nice quiet ride in a boat.

For those of you who haven’t seen this one, it involves a slow boat ride through Jurassic Park where dinosaurs can be seen playing and spitting water at boat passengers. All quite relaxing really, until things start to go wrong, with sirens blasting and Dinosaurs apparently playing havoc in the background. It was about this time that I started telling Bea that “something big is gonna happen”, much to her concern.

The boat enters a dark tunnel and starts to be pulled up a slope but still in water. Of course Christine and I knew of the huge near vertical drop that ends the ride, but Bea didn’t, although my comments were certainly making her a little apprehensive. Just as the boat reaches the high point in the tunnel and the open sky can be seen outside, a large dinosaur lurches down from the ceiling causing the passengers to scream and look up, but then the boat suddenly (and I mean suddenly!) lurches forward and shoots down what must be an almost vertical drop into the water below. Its enough to take your breath away if you know it’s coming, but imagine what its like if you don’t!!

Poor Bea was literally terrified and i have never seen anyone in such a state as she was when the boat came to a stop. Her fingers were gripping the safety bar so tight I though we would have to prize them off and she was gazing out into space, shaking uncontrollably while saying “That was Cool Dad!” her little heart must have just about burst as she had no idea what was coming and must have thought the world was coming to an end when we hit the water at the bottom! The trembling voice and shaking body is a sight I will never forget

With that out of the way, we ventured off again and took the Universal Studio Tour in open bus carriages. This is a great ride and takes you through a number of movie sets, many of which have been set up to scare and amase the passengers. The old favourites are there like Jaws and Earthquake, plus newcomers like a drive through Wisteria Lane from Desperate Housewives and a drive through the middle of the chaos following a jet airliner crash in the suburbs. All thoroughly entertaining.

Another attraction we wanted Bea to see was the Waterworld show and again we all enjoyed this one immensely. Just a word of warning here…if you sit on the blue seats (they do warn you), expect to get wet…sometimes VERY wet!. At the commencement of the show, actors with water guns and plastic buckets take great delight in drenching those within reach. If you don’t get wet, don’t make a comment, or you will be next!

The show itself is spectacular and includes jet ski stunts and even the sea plane that flies in low over the iron clad wall and ‘crash lands’ only metres away from wide eyed spectators in the front row.

If you need to warm up after getting a little damp at Waterworld, then Backdraft should be next on your agenda. Again, not for the faint hearted or those afraid of fire, but well worth a visit and it certainly warms you up!

The most surprising rides was The Simpson’s. Now what could be exciting or frightening about the Simpson’s, I thought to myself as we stood in the queue waiting for our turn to enter. This was one ride that I had not done before and I was about to get quite a surprise. i should have known better, as when we visited Universal Studios 9 years ago, this was where the Back to the Future ride was, and I can remember that one quite vividly!

The Simpsons ride is one where you are all strapped into your seats, in groups of a dozen or so and you don’t actually go anywhere, its the scenery that moves! The effects are nothing short of incredible as the ride starts and you are on a giant roller coaster, racing around a track that seems to defy gravity and logic. It’s absolutely hair raising and unfortunately for me it just about raised the food I had consumed earlier in the day.

After a very short period I had to close my eyes and just concentrate on not being sick, until the ride finally stopped and the lights came on. Much to every one’s amusement, I had lost what little colour I had and looked decidedly seedy. It was a shame as the rides special effects are superb, and if you are someone who doesn’t get motion sickness, then I’d thoroughly recommend it. For those of you like me who can get motion sick… forget it! It took me several days to get over it and spoilt a few subsequent rides elsewhere. Bea and Christine were fine and loved it.

So would I recommend Universal Studios as a must do when you visit LA? Most definitely, and make sure you leave a full day free as you will have no trouble keeping yoursleves amused from dawn till dusk.

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Day 94 (04.04.10) – Our Adventurous Easter Holiday

mrsgooding — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 00:44:37 +0000

Happy Easter to each and every one of you from For Gooding Sake!

Since our Easter holiday ‘celebration’ this year was nothing but celebratory given my ‘condition’, I thought I’d share with you our Easter holiday last year (2009)!

***************

My Husband and I are poles apart.

I’m a city girl and he’s a country boy. He prides himself with loving the country life.

Because we are poles apart, the roles we play in parenting our daughter, Bea vary as well.

I provide our daughter all there is to know about shopping and vanity while my darling Husband goes to the extreme. What we call adventure parenting!

The scene of the 4WD mishap!

What better way to show this by getting stuck on Waimakariri River while 4-wheel driving! Pictured above was our truck (or SUV!) that Simon has managed to pull out of the river behind. You’ll know how he did this….read on…

Here’s Simon’s personal account of our little Easter mishap or what we like to call some adventure parenting for Bea that Simon wrote to his parents on one of his weekly emails to them:

The drive over on Friday was eventful as I managed to get the truck full of passengers and holiday gear stuck in the Waimakariri River!! Damned embarrassing for someone who drive off-road for a living for almost 20 years I can tell you, but its possible that I am following in my father’s footsteps by having these little senior moments every now and then.

Someone suggested (Editor’s note: That’s me!) I drive closer to the main river flow which meant driving through a smaller tributary. No problem, engage 4wd and drive in. Was a bit deeper than I though so circled around to make sure all was Ok then drove through again.

Got into the deeper bits and we lost traction when I came up against a couple of rocks. Reversing confirmed the loss of mobility and we were stuck! Bugger (or words to that effect)

I didn’t let the wheels dig in as it would have made matters worse.

Opened my door and we were like a submarine going down as the torrents rushed in, so door was closed immediately!. Embarrassed and very peeved off driver than abandons his passengers by extricating himself through the drivers window onto the roof of the vehicle, leaving the engine running so as not to let water into the exhaust and possibly the engine.

Guess who went 4wheeling and got wet?

Off I trekked to a fisherman I had spotted about 200 yards upstream. Of course the reception I got wasn’t overly friendly as I had expected.

The old guy was a fishing fanatic and a Fish and Game Ranger to boot and he had being trying to catch a certain trout for three days (I got the full story).

So a much humbled driver with many years off road driving experience had to admit he should have known better and felt like a right Wally.

The old fisherman said he was bound to assist as it was part of the Rangers’ code of practice (must be like the junior woodchucks manual that Donald Duck used to quote), but I would have to wait until he tried for the elusive trout yet again.

I did help him thread the fly as his hands shook more than mine, which might have softened him a little, although he wasn’t showing it.

So off I went thanking him for his trouble and wandered back to the partly submerged Holden.

While walking back I started thinking that the truck really shouldn’t be stuck where it was as the bottom wasn’t that soft, and a thought struck me (not s*x this time).

Was it in 4 wheel drive ???

The Holden has an electronic 4wd system and you change from 2wd to 4wd using a button on the dash. I had stopped and pressed it but maybe….. I waded back through the river and again entered the truck via the driver’s window.

My passengers were a little alarmed as there was several inches of water inside the cab as the door seals hadn’t stopped the flow like I thought they would.

Bea had apparently been worried they would all drown after I had abandoned ship (Editor’s Note: I had to calm our daughter down to tell her that we are not going to drown as the part of the river we were in was not deep enough!).

Sure enough on closer inspection, the little (note very small) 4wd indicator light on the dash wasn’t on, so a push of the button and I was able to drive out easily!!!

This was after a van load of people had stopped on the bridge above us and taken photos, double the embarrassment.

Luckily it was a fine warm day and everyone pottered around on the riverbed while I drained as much water as I could from the cab and drying things out the best I could.

MrG explaining to the ranger what happened

The fisherman came over and was surprised to find I had extricated the truck without the need for a tow.

We had a good chat and I explained how embarrassed I was considering my previous experience plus the fact that I hadn’t engaged 4wd properly in the first place!

Mind you its a trap I won’t fall into again and something that wouldn’t happen with the conventional lever system of engaging 4wd. I may write to general Motors and point out the fault.

Apart from a light indicating water in the fuel filter bowl (had to drain it a few times) we suffered no long term ill effects of the event. It was an adventure for my passengers and I guess I could have said it was all part of the real Kiwi Experience

Rest of the trip was less eventful (although I did leave my sun glasses on the bonnet and then had them fall from the truck at speed in the middle of the road, but that’s another story) and as I mentioned we had great weather.

MrsG rummaging for food after the 'incident'

Editor’s additional comments:

You’d think the way I was digging through our stuff that we’ve been stuck here for days!

Chillaxin' while MrG does all the work

So all’s well that ends well eh?

One thing we can give to Bea is excitement! LOL…

We did laugh it off AFTER the event but at the time when the water level was rising inside the truck and the Hubby was nowhere to be found, I was getting scared but I knew I had to keep calm for Bea’s sake.

If she sees me panicking, I knew she’d panic too. I knew though that we were not in any danger because at the worst, we could’ve abandoned the truck and wade our way to dry land.

What about you? How was your Easter break? Did you have any mishaps you’d like to share?

Images: MrsGooding’s Flickr Album

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Day 38 (07.02.10) – From the Edge of the World and Back

mrsgooding — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 08:32:53 +0000

After venturing the “end of the world“, I flew back to the opposite side of the world or should I say the bottom? Come and say Hi to me!

and yes, Tin…i’m doing the pose! LOL Can you see the “pest” behind me?

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Day 30 (30.01.10) – Exploring the Keys

mrsgooding — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 10:38:14 +0000

I am pleased to be able to say that I have finally reached the end of the world. Well….the southernmost point of the United States anyway.

If I squint hard enough I think I could just see the tip of Cuba. LOL I wanted to say Hi to dear ol’ Fidel but we didn’t have time.

I tried to run away but I didn’t fancy swimming 90 miles to reach Cuba!

I suppose I could’ve taken a scooter to Cuba but don’t think it’s amphibious. Check out my ass on this photo! LOL

Key West Florida was awesome. The vibe of the town (city?) rocks.

And have I told you about 7-mile bridge through the Florida Keys? Wow. The bridge, just went on and on and on. It was magic. I am keen to go back there and show MrG and Bea.

Thanks to my high school friends for taking the time to show me around Florida. I really enjoyed it.

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We are ready to jump ship!

mrsgooding — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 23:28:01 +0000

Through the help of my brother and colleague, Mary Jo over at PlanetEye, we’ve sorted our US and Canada itinerary!

We are ready to jump, err fly, folks! We haven’t booked our domestic flights within US and Canada but at least, we’ve decided on the route that we’re going to take. We’re visiting a lot of cities in one month! We may have to cull some off our list. We just have to see!

MrG has given me free rein in designing our itinerary as he will go wherever I decide to do. Either he trusts me completely or he’s just too lazy to pore over the itinerary with me…Hmmm, what do you think? LOL

So here you go….our final (almost) itinerary:

This holiday would predominantly be a family holiday with lots of visits to theme parks (Disneyland, Disneyworld, Universal Studios…any other suggestions?) and of course, a visit to Forks, Washington to see the ‘home’ of Twilight just so Bea can stop pestering us about it!

Hopefully we’ll be able to squeeze in time to visit museums, art galleries and the White House while in Washington, DC and watch a Broadway Show in New York. I’d definitely love to squeeze in some outlet store shopping!

But we will see. It’s recession time. Must be mindful of our budget! I do plan to stay an extra 5 days at the end of our trip for an all girls trip with two of my cousins. Again, we will see

What do you think? Are we covering too much in 4 weeks’ time?

See you real soon!

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