Orlando - Day 4 Pool, Outlets and Titanic

Ben, Glenn and Adam playing basketball at the pool
and playing in the fountain

and floating down the river!

Going to see the Titanic!

Our first tour guide, a 3rd class passenger

main stairwell

This block of ice is as cold as the water was the night Titanic sank. It was COLD! Ben is styling in his new fedora and Kenneth Cole shoes! He was on his way to the arcade.

After another villa-cooked breakfast on Thursday, we headed out to the pool to meet up with Adam and Gina for some morning sun and swim time. The boys (all three of them) had a blast playing in the water. Glenn and Adam had to start the conference around 1, so we headed back to the villa at lunchtime to eat. Once Glenn was off to his thing, Ben and I showered and (nail bitingly because I wasn't sure about driving Glenn's vehicle...this was only the 2nd time I'd ever driven it) took the Yukon and plugged in the places we wanted to go on the GPS.

We started at the first outlets where, although I found some things I liked, we left with only a pair of Pumas for Ben. Then, we went to the next set of outlets. This time we left empty handed. I just couldn't find any one thing that I most wanted. The outlets here were FABULOUS! Escada, Dior, Nieman-Marcus, Saks, Puma, Ed Hardy and, my very favorite, Burberry.

From the outlets we headed down International Drive to Titanic the Experience. Unless you are a Titanic history nut like me and Ben, this probably wouldn't interest you. But, we loved it. When you get your tickets they give you a passenger to "be" and then at the end of the exhibit/tour you find out the fate of that person. Ben was Thomas Andrews, the ship's designer, who of course went down with the ship. I was a first class woman who lived. Each room takes you to sets replications of the ship starting with the shipyard. There was the docks, the garden dining room, a first class stateroom parlor, the communication room, cargo hold, helm, grand staircase and finally the deck. Along the way were actual Titanic relics (including a $1 a day rental lounge chair from the ship and china) and reproductions. Tour guides (the first a 3rd class passenger, the second was John Jacob Astor's wife) gave historical facts, legends and information as you toured. At the very end were videos, photos and artifacts from the creator's dives to Titanic and the movie. There was also and "iceberg" that was the temperature of the water on the night she sank. It was definitely an interesting and educational experience!

As we were leaving Glenn called and asked if we could be back by seven. The Academy was having a "dinner" (basically light hors d'ourves) on the lawn and he wanted us to go with him. So we did and had a good time meeting his friends and colleagues from his industry. Eventually I headed back to the villa to rest, Ben went off to the arcade (Glenn slipped him some money to play games while we were at the event) and Glenn went on to the next conference event.

It was so hard to believe our week was going by so fast!!