Mardi Gras In Florida?

Universal Orlando has been transformed into a Mardi Gras celebration every Saturday night through April 19. This is a Party that all ages can enjoy. And includes some hot musical performers such as, Third Eye Blind, Heart, L.L. Cool J and some old-school singers, Frankie Valli, Four Seasons, Smokey Robinson and Kool & The Gang.

From what I have read and heard this is one of the largest Mardi Gras festivals outside of New Orleans. This party presents an elaborate parade that features 13 animated floats covering all the French Quarter Courtyard. There are hundreds of costumed characters, a ton of beads, and authentic Cajun and Creole cuisine, ummm...

In a recent press release, Jim Timon, senior vice president of entertainment at Universal Orlando Resort was quoted as saying, "With our authentic parade floats, musicians direct from New Orleans, and, of course, thousands of beads, guests will be caught up in the fun of this party."

I think this is going to be a good time, so I’m going to take a ride up and make a night of it. My mission is to get as many beads as possible… remember, this is PG guys, so get your head out of the gutter!

You Animal You...

If you’re feeling like an animal then the Caribbean Gardens would be a great place to visit. It’s always a clean fun adventure. Some of their animals include the rare Indochinese tiger along with their cousins the lion and leopard. If you’re feeling a little warm, take a safari boat ride to encounter alligators, pythons, monkeys, lemurs, and many more along side several small islands. Once you are done with that adventure then it’s on to your next with live animal shows where they allow you pet various species. The last time we went, I ended up petting an alligator. I enjoyed asking questions at the “Meet the Keeper Series", rather then petting a nasty carnivore, however the kids love it.

You can easily fill a couple of hours here, unless you have kids with you, then I would suggest dividing the zoo into several days of sightseeing. There is also food on the premises, but packing lunches is nice because they have picnic facilities as well.

The Real Estate Menu Here In Florida

Okay, so we have had a tough time with the real-estate market for the past two years, but tough times are starting to look up. I am personally a real-estate junkie and I have found that prices are great and people are starting to look as well as buy. I’m also seeing pending and sold signs on several homes. I believe that, if the price is right then why the hell not? I’m sure everyone knows how interest rates have gone down immensely and depending on your credit the interest rates are now starting out at about 5% and that's on a 30 year fixed mortgage. This is crazy good!

I remember back in the day when I would say…if I only knew then what I know now I would’ve bought… Well that time is here and I believe it to be one of the reasons people are buying. It is actually exciting to hear from various realtors who have been in the industry for 20 + years that the time is now, today, not a year from now because in a year from now the prices and interest rates are going to go up. So all these signs point to buying, but is it to early to start buying? Or should we wait it out longer, what do you think?

Downtown Disney

The Downtown Disney area is a large village of entertainment within the realm of Walt Disney World. This is an accessible entertainment avenue without the price of an admission ticket. I personally enjoy shopping during the day at all the specialty shops. There are also restaurants and cafe/bars with recorded or live music.

Downtown Disney has three different parts to it which are…The Disney Marketplace, Pleasure Island, and Disney West. You’ll find it easy to see all three parts on an evening out. The Disney Marketplace and Disney West are fun places to go see for free with shopping, restaurants, and nightlife; whereas Pleasure Island is more of nightlife place where you pay one cover charge of $21 and then have access to many different clubs, also some with live music (rock, jazz, etc) and comedy. All three areas are fun and provide a high energy environment.

A few of my favorite things to see besides shopping, are Cirque du Soleil and the House of Blues. Cirque du Soleil is an amazing performance that is an artistic expression of the circus life. No it is not just another circus performance this is a performance like nothing you've ever seen before. It's sort of like a wonderful dream. The tickets prices can go over $100.00 per ticket, so purchasing them in advance would save you money. The House of Blues is another must see, the food is great and there is no admission to eat and watch the live bands play. This is especially nice for a evening out. I have been to Down Town Disney so many of times and it never seems to get old.