Some cool things I've seen over the last couple of weeks

This Easter we finally managed the trip to New York and Washington that was originally planned for March 2020. We spent 6 nights in New York, 5 nights in Washington D.C. and travelled by train between the two. It was a brilliant holiday, with lots of walking and sightseeing. I feel like my head is full of all the amazing things that we saw! 

Here are just some of them:

On our first evening in New York we all booked a trial for the Apple Vision Pro at the shop in Grand Central Station. I've written before about how I was interested to see the technology in action, and we weren't disappointed. We each had half an hour or so to run through a quick demo, learning how to use the headset and seeing what it is capable of. We all loved it and I think my husband was very tempted to bring one back home with us, but at $3500 it's a little out of our price range at the moment!

We spent a lot of time in museums on this trip and saw so many things that it's difficult to pick out a few, but one thing I was excited to see was definitely this costume from Hamilton in the National Museum of American History. We spent a lot of time learning about different aspects of US history, we also did a tour of the Capitol building and saw the original Declaration of Independence along with other historical documents.

We were also lucky enough to see not one space shuttle but two! We first saw the Enterprise at the Intrepid Museum in New York. The Enterprise is the only shuttle that didn't actually fly in space, it was used for atmospheric test flights. Then we saw the Discovery at the Udvar-Hazy Center on the outskirts of Washington. It's parked in a huge hanger at the Udvar-Hazy museum, and it's almost close enough to touch which was amazing. This means that we've now seen all of the space shuttles in their various homes across the US!

We saw lots of other space related artefacts as well. At the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C. I was most impressed by Neil Armstrong's actual space suit which he wore when he first walked on the actual moon. I was also interested to see a replica of one of the Voyager probes which I remember learning a lot about as a child. 

Also in Washington I loved spotting this Floral Library on the National Mall. At this time of year the 93 beds are filled with tulips planted with bulbs from Holland. 

On the final day of our holiday we were fortunate to still be in the US for the solar eclipse. Although Washington didn't fall into the path of totality, the sun was 87% covered by the moon and everyone was looking forward to it. We joined crowds of people sitting on the grass to watch from the moment that the shadow first appeared across the sun.

It was all very exciting, and the sky remained mainly clear throughout. Apart from at the actual minute where the eclipse reached its peak and a cloud appeared in front of the sun! It was quite funny because it blocked out the sun completely and everyone cheered because it felt like a total eclipse! 

We had a fantastic trip and although we all came back exhausted from so much walking around we saw things that will stay with us for a long time to come.

The Turtle Hospital, Marathon Key, Florida

Recently I wrote about our trip to the Florida Keys, and our attempts to spot sea turtles from the Old Seven Mile Bridge. Unfortunately our efforts were unsuccessful, but luckily as an alternative we were also able to visit the wonderful Turtle Hospital just down the road!

We visited on the final day of our holiday before driving to Miami for our flight that evening. It's recommended to book tickets in advance, but there seemed to be plenty of availability. We booked the evening before, and lots of people were accommodated without booking. You must visit as part of a guided tour, which lasts around 90 minutes. 

Our visit began with a short presentation in the education centre. We were shown pictures of the different species of marine turtle, and learned to identify them. We were also told about the problems that the turtles face in the ocean, both locally and worldwide, and all about the work of the Turtle Hospital in treatment and rehabilitation. It was really interesting! 

Then we were able to watch a turtle having an operation, which was fascinating to see. Many turtles rescued suffer from FP (fibropapillomatosis), benign tumours that can cause problems with vision, feeding and movement. It can either be the reason for the initial rescue or discovered when they are admitted for something else, like a boat injury. It seems to be caused by toxins ingested by eating weeds in the sea and is very common. These tumours can be removed gradually using laser surgery leaving just a small scar, and that is what they are doing in the photograph below.

In total at the centre we saw forty-three turtles. The turtles which are being treated before release are kept in large tanks. This one has a flipper missing after an injury, but is still able to be released.

There are however some turtles which need to remain at the centre. For example there was a turtle at  that is blind, and many of the turtles suffer from a condition called 'bubble butt'. This is caused when the turtle suffers an injury which traps gases inside the shell and causes it to float. Weights can be attached to help the turtle to swim, but as the turtle grows it's not a practical long term solution for a released turtle. So there is a large outdoor tank at the hospital which houses these turtles and is filled with sea water (and smaller fish that have made their way in through the pipes!)

At the end of the tour you have the opportunity to feed these turtles which was a lot of fun.

I was interested to learn that any turtles that you see in captivity, for example in an aquarium, are all turtles that can't be released back into the wild for whatever reason. The places hosting the turtle are usually proud, and happy to share more information. For example I looked up OD who now lives at Shark Reef Aquarium in Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, who was rescued by the turtle hospital, and Miko at the Frost Museum in Miami that we saw in the museum the previous week.

As you can probably tell I learned a huge amount from our visit to the Turtle Hospital, and we were all really glad that we made the effort to visit. There was such a lot to see and it was so interesting. I would definitely recommend a visit if you are in the area!

The things that I bring back from the US

An important part of my travel to the US is finding time for some shopping! I'm not after designer clothes or trainers, instead I like to visit the supermarkets like Target and Walmart and the large craft stores. I like to browse the homewares, crafts, stationery, pharmacy and snacks. 

On our visit a few weeks ago the first thing that we noticed was how much prices have increased since our last visit pre-Covid in autumn 2019. A trip to the US is definitely no longer a chance to pick up bargains! Most of the prices were comparable to home, and were in many cases more expensive, especially with the current poor exchange rate. 

However it is a chance to get hold of some things which aren't available at home, and these are the things that I always look for:

Craft supplies - I've already blogged about my holiday craft shop purchases so I won't repeat myself, but I always like to look for things which are a bit different to what we can get at home, and also to look for seasonal things and special offers.

Nestle crunch chocolate bars - I've seen them in the UK, but they aren't as easy to find and also tend to just be the larger bars. I like to bring home a multipack bag of the tiny bars, especially if we are visiting around Halloween when they are on offer. 

Ghirardelli Brownie Mix - whenever we go to Costco I pick up a box of Ghirardelli Triple Chocolate brownie mix as it's so delicious and easy to make. But in the US there are so many different flavours available! The only trouble is that they can end up being quite heavy so you have to be restrained. This time I also bought some Betty Crocker mug cake mixes which were very tasty.

Pharmacy things - I like to get some antibiotic cream as we can't buy that over the counter here. I also usually get a bottle of melatonin tablets as they are useful when travelling, to help with jet lag and adjusting to new time zones. There are also a few other things which are much cheaper and available in larger quantities, like hydrocortisone cream and antihistamines. I find that nail varnish is cheaper too!

Chips Ahoy - I love Chips Ahoy cookies! They are much sweeter at first but you soon get used to them. This time I discovered the Red Velvet flavour which were really tasty. 

A jigsaw - I often like to buy a jigsaw as a souvenir, and this time I came back with a jigsaw showing the map of the Magic Kingdom park. The only trouble that I've found is that US jigsaws tend to be a different size to the ones we get here. This one is square, and it won't fit on my jigsaw mat!

A mug - I don't drink many hot drinks but I do like a morning hot chocolate and I love drinking from a mug which reminds me of my travels. We visited a discount gift store near our accommodation and I picked up a Mickey Mouse mug with images from across the years.

Do you visit the US? What are the things you buy that aren't as easy to get hold of here?

Coping with theme parks in the Florida heat

This August we had a brilliant couple of weeks in Florida doing the Disney theme parks. We've not been in August before and I wasn't quite prepared for how intense the heat would be. It was hard work, but we managed, and so I thought I'd share some tips which made it more bearable:

Apply plenty of sun cream and take a bottle with you for top ups.

Drink plenty of water. I found that I was sweating constantly and you need to be drinking almost constantly to keep up with the rate of water lost. There are plenty of water fountains and at Disney World parks you can get free iced water from most of the quick service dining locations.

Likewise eat plenty of snacks. You are allowed to take your own food and drink into the Disney theme parks (with a very few restrictions - check the park websites for the latest guidance). I'm not a nutritional expert but I'm assuming that a snack like crisps might replace some of the salts that you have lost through sweating.

Wear loose and comfortable clothing, avoid dark colours and high necklines. If you feel too body conscious to even think about wearing shorts then there's no need, there are honestly people of all shapes and sizes in the theme parks. But I wouldn't recommend skirts unless you aren't planning on going on any of the faster rides!

Wear comfortable footwear, an important tip for theme parks regardless. I bought a pair of Teva sandals which were really comfy and were great for rides where my feet got wet, as well as during the frequent Florida storms.

Take and use hats and sunglasses. If you are a glasses wearer it can be a pain to keep swapping between normal glasses and prescription sunglasses as you move from indoor to outdoor spaces. My son gets round this by taking a large pair of non-prescription sunglasses that he puts on over the top of his normal glasses!

We bought some cooling towels and they were brilliant, and you can buy a set of four for £10-£15. They are small, light pieces of fabric which you wet under a tap or at a water fountain, wring loosely to dry, and then wrap around your neck. I liked to use mine to dampen my arms, legs and face and make the most of any slight breeze on my wet skin to cool down.

We also saw lots of people with cooling fans which I was quite envious of. Some people even had fans which looped around their necks, and a fan is also great to direct at a child sitting in a pushchair. Some people had umbrellas for shade, which are also useful for the frequent downpours.

There are plenty of indoor, air-conditioned attractions and it's definitely worth saving these for the hottest parts of the day. Even the outdoor theatres are usually undercover with fans, and are a great place to sit and have a snack if you are early for a show. You can also sit down and rest while waiting for a parade or the evening fireworks. You might want to bring a small mat to sit on but I always felt comfortable sitting on the ground. 

You can also duck into one of the shops. When walking down Main Street in the Magic Kingdom we often walked some of the way through the shops on either side which are all connected.

It's also fun to go on a water ride. The wettest ride in all the parks is Kali River Rapids at Animal Kingdom which will leave you soaked. You also get pretty wet on Splash Mountain and Pirates of the Caribbean at the Magic Kingdom. Keep an eye out for fountains - there's a spitting camel next to The Magic Carpets of Aladdin at Magic Kingdom, and the ride itself can be steered through a water spray. At Epcot there are some fantastic jumping fountains that you can use to cool down in.

But by far my biggest tip would be to simply avoid the parks during the hottest part of the day as much as you can. We planned our days to arrive just before the park opened and keep going until lunchtime, often finishing the morning with an ice cream to cool us down before the long walk back to the car. Then we returned to our accommodation for some lunch, a visit to the pool and then a nap or quiet time. We went back to the parks anytime from 4pm and stayed until late in the evening. It was still hot in the evening, but once the sun has gone down it makes a big different to comfort levels.

Finally the most important thing is to keep a careful eye out for the signs of heat exhaustion and heatstroke for all members of your party. If anyone starts to feel unwell then you need to find a cool, shaded spot, have a rest and make sure to drink plenty of water. There are first aid stations throughout the parks and any cast member can help you find medical assistance.

My holiday craft shop purchases

Whenever we visit the US I always make a beeline for a craft shop. It's not quite as exciting as it used to be - thanks to online shopping we now have access to a much wider range of products, and on this trip in particular we found that prices over there have really shot up. But I always enjoy having a good look around and there are always plenty of things that I can't resist bringing home to add to my crafting stash. 

I made trips to three large craft stores - Michaels, JOANN and Hobby Lobby. I also browsed the craft aisles in Target and Walmart and picked up a few bits at Dollar Tree (although thanks to inflation products are now priced at $1.25!) If you are planning a US shopping trip it's well worth downloading the app or looking on the website for each store and looking for coupons, as they are almost always available. I found coupons for 20% off the whole shop, or 40% off the highest priced item. Many of the shops also had rotating offers on specific product categories, with further discounts of 40% or 50%. If you are downloading the app from a non US phone then you might need to change your location settings to download the US version of the apps.

Here are some of the bits that I picked up, and I think that I was very restrained! Firstly fabric. I know I know, I've been writing about working through my fabric stash and trying to use some of it up. But the fabric that I have is all quite similar, mainly pink and flowery, and I wanted some more blues and greens. I found some lovely sea themed fabrics and all of these fat quarters were so cheap, some of them were just $1 each.  

I also found some lovely rolls of ribbon, including some more sea themed patterns and a couple of Christmas ones. 

I love a bargain, and lots of this ribbon came from two discount trolleys which were filled with rolls of ribbon for less than $1 each! I had a good rummage through and I love this photo that Mia snapped of me digging away - I was so engrossed that I didn't even notice her taking it!

I was recently given some beading supplies and that has given me a hankering to try some simple jewellery making. I want to make a simple stretch beaded bracelet with several different strands of coloured beads, mainly blue and green. On the right you can also see some lovely glass beads which look a little bit like sea glass which I'm planning to mix in. I just need to do a bit of research to find the best way to do it!

Finally two projects which I can start on right away. A little cross stitch kit of a colourful cat and a wooden letter shape to decorate - it says 'READ' and I think it would look good on my bookshelf. I've not planned what to do with it yet, I'll definitely paint it and then see if I think it needs something else added.

I'm really pleased with all my purchases and I didn't really spend that much. I'm looking forward to crafting away!