Daniel's Take: Downtown Disney Marketplace, Orlando, FL

Marketplace Facts:
Located near Disney World in Orlando, FL. Full-size outdoor shopping and dining experience.

We spent Joseph's 10th birthday there, and boy was it fun! We went to the Lego Store with some friends, and spent about an hour there. We had lunch at one of our favorite resturants, the Rainforest Cafe.

The Lego Store has a huge selection of the newest Lego sets and themes, such as the all-new Mars-Mission and Castle sets. Inside it has many life-sized Lego sets, which Lego designers have built. Another cool thing about the Lego Store is that up front it has a huge robot made out of Lego bricks! On the side of the building is a full-size T-rex, also made out of Lego bricks. In the lake is another brick made creature, this one a sea serpent with his mouth open. Built in to the side of the building are little "windows", which contain detailed creations by Lego designers. You really should go there, especially you Lego fans.
Daniel

Joe's Take: Downtown Disney Marketplace, Orlando, FL

On my 10th birthday we went with some friends to the Lego Store in Downtown Disney Marketplace. We had a lot of fun there. I sure hope I get to go again! We also went to Rainforest Cafe. The food was great! We had a awesome time!
Joe

Daniel's Take: Lake Nantahala, Aquone, NC

Lake Facts:
In 1941 Duke power company flooded the town Aquone and displaced the cemetaries, homes, and businesses. Aquone now lies underneath the waters of Natahala Lake. The lake is located near Andrews, NC and is 3,100 feet above sea level. The lake is drained for use by the Duke power company and the water used to create power is then sent downriver for white water rafting. The lake is used for recreational activities such as boating, swimming, and jetskiing.

There is a lot of room to swim and the lake is great for boating. The people around there are friendly and the lake is in a great area. I like to dive down as deep as I can and swim around down there. The water can be FREEZING in late fall and winter, even for avid swimmers like us. There are also awesome mountain veiws at the lake.
Daniel
(The dates on the pictures are wrong. They were actually taken in July, 2007.)

Joe's Take: Lake Nantahala, Aquone, NC

I love Lake Nantahala. The water is cool but not too cold. It has a rocky bottom and if it's at least 6 feet deep it is safe to dive. It's worth the 5 minute drive over there, though you're not allowed to be on the dock when the boats are around. Lake Nantahala was a small town called Aquone. Duke power company dammed up the river and filled the valley with water. The lake is at 3,100 feet above sea level. It is always nice and cool, NOT like Florida which is very hot.
Joe

Daniel's Take: Queen's Creek Lake, Nantahala, NC

Lake Facts:
Queen's Lake is a Duke power company created lake. It is located in Topton, NC. It is one of our favorite places because of the fifteen-foot high jumping dock. The lake has steep red clay sides with only one way back up to the dock.

I don't know how many times we've been to Queen's Lake, but I just can't get enough of it! Joe and I just have buckets of fun jumping off the fifteen-foot high dock! The first time you go, it seems almost impossible to jump off, but once you do, you can't do it enough. The water feels great in the summer, but in early spring and late fall it might be a tad bit cold for adults. The lake may be too large for six year olds and under too swim across, but anyone above that age should have no trouble. But be careful! The natural track that runs up the side to get back to the dock can be really slippery when it gets wet!

Joe's Take: Queen's Creek Lake, Nantahala, NC

Queen's Lake has a high dock, about fifteen feet high. On one end of the lake there is a dock and at the other end is a dam. It's about 100 feet deep at its middle. I like going there to jump off the dock. I also like to swim across the lake to the other side.
Joe

Daniel's Take: Wekiwa Springs Park, Florida

Spring Facts:
Hrs: All Florida State Parks are open from 8AM to sundown, 365 days a year. Full-facility camping, canoeing, and swimming. There is 7,000 acres of wild scenery of how central Florida looked when the Timucuan Indians lived there. The spring pumps an amazing 42,000,000 gallons per day. The Indian word "Wekiwa" means "spring of water" or "bubbling water." Springs most commonly occur along each side of the Florida central ridge.

The first time we went to Wekiwa Springs (We-ki-va), it was my birthday. We came to try out my new snorkeling kit which I received from my grandparents. I was pretty excited when I got in the water! After a while of snorkeling I decided to go over to the spring head with Joseph, my brother. There we met some people who found fossilized sharks' teeth at the bottom. Believe it or not, there is a fossil "graveyard" for sharks and sting-rays down there.

I went down about ten feet and got a handful of silt at the bottom. I searched through it and found a sting-ray's jawbone, a fossilized Indian bead (Indians were buried with their bracelets and necklaces, which contained beads) and a medium-sized shark tooth. I was pretty proud of my first pile!

That was when we realized that a wild raccoon was rummaging through our beach bag! We got a few pictures before he went back into the forest, the bold little creature!
The second time we went to the spring was with my 7 year-old cousin, Connor. Joe had just turned 10 and our grandparents had given him a green version of the snokeling kit they had given me, and he was eager to try it out. This time I was able to go down to the very bottom of the spring head! At first I couldn't go to the very bottom because my ears were pounding and they couldn't acclimate. So I tried clicking my ears (the same thing that you do when riding on an airplane at high altitude). I heard a high-pitched whine in my ears and immediatelly felt normal.

It was pretty creepy down there with all the reflections underwater. Once, I was returning to the surface with a double-handful of silt to look through, I hit my head, HARD, on an overhanging ledge! Bubbles exploded from my mouth. I was genuinely scared that I was going to black out, for I was seeing little black spots pop around in my vision. But somehow I made it. Mommy made me take a break for 5 minutes, but as soon as the time was up I was right back in there!

Joe's Take: Wekiwa Springs, Seminole County, Fl

It feels a little scary when you first dive down toward the spring head. When you get within 10 feet, you can really feel the current pushing you away! I enjoyed swimming down as far as I could and pushing hard against the current.

There is a lot of wildlife at this park. I saw a raccoon even come right out and it looked like it would take something from our beach bag!

We walked out on the boardwalk to see where they launch the canoes and we saw alligators in the water plants.

Til next time,
Joe

http://www.abfla.com/parks/WekiwaSprings/wekiwa.html