Silver Moon Drive-In Theater, Cabana Bay Bowling, & That's All For Florida Folk's!

Thursday night of our Florida Trip, or "Holiday 1960" as it has become known around here, We loaded up and drove an hour from Orlando out to Lakeland Fl to spend an evening at the famous "Silver Moon" Drive-In Theater! This glorious alter of of the silver screen opened April 14, 1948.

This was one of my dream things to do in Florida, come to THIS Drive-In, and for special reason.

  (Concession stand built in 1952)

The Silver Moon is one of the Florida Drive-In's that Larry Baker modeled the fictional setting of "The Flamingo Drive-In" in his book "The Flamingo Rising". In 2011 Hallmark Hall of Fame made a movie based on the book, which in turn sparked my love for Drive-In Theaters at age 11. This was a DREAM COME TRUE to get to take in a movie here!

I just love the two tone colored yellow and blue flashing neon on the marquee!

In 1985 a second screen was added to the Silver Moon so they show two movies at once! We saw "Guardians of the Galaxy" this particular night. NO trip to the movies would be complete without a stop by the concession stand.

And as an added treat, they still have most of the original speakers in the park!

(Cindy & Me! Or Shelly & I.Q. from Hairspray!)

We had a fabulous night under the stars! It was everything we'd hoped it would be!

Cabana Bay Bowling!

Up on the mezzanine of the hotels lobby lies a 10 lane bowling alley the Galaxy Bowl, during our leisure day (and before going to the Drive-In) Our group checked out what the lanes had to offer!

The decor on the lanes was just as nifty as the rest of the resort!

 

We brought our own trophies they complimented the Starburts and Boomerangs that were all over the place!

(Even on the ceiling! I want these in my house!)

(And these turquoise booths in my kitchen!)

The neat thing about the Bowling Alley, is that a person can play per game, or by time. Our group paid $15.00 per person (shoes included) for 90minuets of lane time. There were five of us, so however many games we could bowl in that hour and a half is how many we got to play.  We squeaked in with three games just as we ran out of time. Another neat feature of the bowling alley is you can order sit down food to eat while you play. (vs the food court line style) Patricia had a hot dog and I got a club wrap with fried and avocado ranch dipping sauce BOTH were delicious! Patrica, Cindy, Margaret and Jordan had to keep me under watch so I couldn't suddenly burst out into this...

(Adrian Zmed I am not...quite.)

After bowling, we headed off to the Drive-In, but i've already told you that story!

That's All Folk's

 (Needless to say, I did not go quietly...)

 Check out time on Friday morning was at 11:00A.M. before then I had hit the gift shop, walked the entire hotel snapping last minuet photo, had breakfast, and even managed some pool time with Patricia before we had to leave. The week had come and gone to fast, but it was the trip of a lifetime!

I really do hope I get to take a trip like this, with my amazing friends, again sometime soon!  Maybe in a few years, and definitely with a "park hopper" pass so we can go all over.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and I am glad we stopped to take everyone one of them on this trip.

-Mick-

Disney, Universal, & The Classy Dinner!

Bright and early Tuesday morning Jordan Seigen, and I headed out to Walt Disney World, Magic Kingdom. While Patricia, Cindy and Margaret headed over to Universal Studios.

(Yours truly at the second happiest place on Earth!)

It was a bit overwhelming for the three of of, Jordan cried during the park opening ceremony. I too was over come with joy, as this is the EPITOME of American tourism, and here I was its tourist.

(Swiss Family Tree house.)

(The Enchanted Tiki Room!)

Luckily at the advice, and Disney pro of friend Kelcie, we went against the flow of park traffic and in turn had short lines and got to do everything we wanted! Since the park is a big circle there were quite a few rides that had no line at all, as no one had made their way around yet!

As this was a "vintage themed vacation" we had a few must see rides, they included- Big Thunder Mountain Rail Road (A favorite ride of Mamie Eisenhower's at Disney Land),

(Tom Sawyer Island)

Haunted Mansion, 

The Carousel of Progress and many many more! 

But no trip to Disney World would be complete without...

 (I don't care HOW OLD you are!)

After the Tea cups we wandered over to Dumbo's Big Top gift store to do some shopping.

 (From a set dressers point of view, I was astonished and delighted at each themed store!)

(This was the ONLY souvenir I HAD to get!)

( Worth it!)

We saw two parades, had Ice cream on Main Street (where I nearly got kicked out of the park, haha) We tried to stay a FULL day at Disney, but we got there at 8:00am, and by 4:00pm we were all beat, my feet hurt, I was out voted on staying, and the "happy" was wearing thin at the "Happiest place on Earth". I definitely want to go again though, and with a park hopper pass so we can go all over!

~Wednesday~

Bright and early the group headed out together to spend the day at Universal Studios Adventure Island.  Since we stayed at a Universal Hotel we were granted one hour early entry into Harry Potter World as part of our hotel package.

After we explored and rode all the rides in the Harry Potter world we spent the rest of the day enjoying the park!

(Margaret, Cindy, & Patricia!)

After a full day of theme parking, we headed back to the hotel to freshen up and decided to make Wednesday night the night we would go stepping out for dinner!

(Seigen, Cindy, Patrica, Margaret & Jordan.)

We set out from our hotel room, dressed to the nines, and turned all kinds of heads in the lobby. Miss Casablanca 1960 brought her crown all the way from Texas, It felt like we were in a movie. Hotel staff and guests even said we looked like we were in some kind of 1950's movie, class, class, class. Cabana Bay has four vintage restored cars out in the drive, we posed for pictures on our way to the "City Walk".

I wish we had had the keys to the Plymouth, but we took the complimentary shuttle.

(Jordan, Seigen, Cindy, Myself, Patrica & Margaret.)

While we waited in line, a nice little old lady spied us and said "I was just telling my grand kids that no one dresses up anymore, and here you all are. You all look so sharp!" That made my night!

("Standin' on a corner...")

Once we arrived to Universal's City Walk, the only ones in formal dress, We  daced in the square to the "cha cha slide" and our Casablanca favorite "The cupid shuffel"! We posed for pictures with an Italian guy, who was enamored with my black and white shoes. We all just looked so all around classy, we felt and acted like movie stars. We finally decided on a nice homemade Italian restaurant called "Vivo" to have our memorial dinner in.
You see, Wednesday August the 13th, marked the one year anniversary of the passing of our friend Andrew Duncan. To honor him, we dressed and went to dinner.

We couldn't help but smile, the night was so perfect! We had a very late dinner at 10:00pm, the food was fabulous, It was honestly like a scene out of the original "Oceans Eleven". Since we were in Florida it was a swanky night club, the Coconut Grove, or the Copacabana, and each of us was a star.

(A star studded table!)

 Here we see Mickey Rooney, Sophia Loren, Chita Rivera, Judy Garland, Lauren Bacall, and Sammy Davis Jr!

 (Old meets New)

Once we returned to the hotel, we stopped in the lobby for a few pictures. At this point it was close to midnight, but we never wanted the movie to end.

 (Me and Miss Casablanca 1960!)

It was truly a wonderful Tuesday and Wednesday, so relaxing, and we had each other to lean on during the hard times. I love these people! When we got back to the hotel a couple just checking in stopped and asked us if we were "Part of the hotel, like entertainment or singers" and we said no, we just went to dinner, to which the man said "Well, you guys look like you belong here! You fit right in!" That sealed the deal on an enchanting evening!

Tune in Friday, to see bowling, and our trip to the Silver Moon Drive-In Theater!

Wish you all were here!

-Mick-