10th September 2018
So, Busch Gardens was my pot of luckless. The 1st time we visited, the wildlife park, it rained and everything closed – even the animal exhibits! The 2nd time we visited, a thunderstorm occurred once again and closed everything temporarily again. Was this just our luck? Was it always going to be the case, that we would drive out an hour to Tampa Bay, only to be disappointed a few hours later as our day is cut short by the rain? I had to keep faith.
We were not planning on being at the park for long. We just wanted to pace around each rollercoaster to say we have experienced them. Of course, the rain wasn’t permitting us to ride Cobras Curse & Shiekra, due to them always being turned off by the time we turn up at the attraction. This couldn’t happen again. We headed straight into the park, with nothing on us apart from our hats and shades for protection from the sun.
We got straight in and went straight for Cobras Curse. This is the newest ride at the park and I was gutted on both occasions because the worker told me the ride was “broken down due to inclement weather”. Luckily, the queue time was 5 minutes long, and we entered with the thought of “don’t turn back now”. This ride was really fun, with lots of spinning action increasing the level of enjoyment. The queue time was still on the low, so we just went right back on for a 2nd time.
After Cobras Curse, we went on the rollercoaster right beside it; the 1st attraction at this park I have ever been on actually – Montu. Montu, is an upside-down, twist, turn, dangling legs rollercoaster that jerks, swings and moves in an excellent manner. I forgot how good this ride was, so we even replayed for a 2nd time too.
After Montu, we went to check the wait times for Cheetah Hunt. I got on this hectic ride both times previously at the park, so it wasn’t too much of a big deal when we found out the queue was 45 minutes. It is the best ride in the park after all. We just left it be and stepped right on to the Skyride.
This journey embarks over the top of the safari and brings across some stunning scenery. You see huge horned cattle, to different versions of antelope, to the calm elephants and lanky giraffes. Each animal at peace with their surroundings, it was beautiful to watch from above.
Once our Skyride was complete, we decided to dismiss falcons fury, and my parents were wanting to leave Stanley falls log flumes as well. “Don’t want to get wet” they say. Lauren & I wanted to ride each ride at the park, so we were up for it. It was actually really good and we weren’t that soaked; in comparison to other water rides in Orlando.
After this our destiny with Shiekra awaited. This was the most intense thriller, but I did enjoy. I was surprised by the speed & grace of this coaster and the only bit I wasn’t a fan off was the holding of the drop. This forces you to await your fate at the bottom. Glad I was at the back.
The next ride we went on was Kumba. Insanity.
After this, we went on: the sand serpent; which chucks you around, the carousel; which is obviously the scariest of the bunch and then to end the rollercoaster experience, we went on Scorpion. This had a swift loop. I enjoyed every rollercoaster at Busch Gardens and I am very grateful the clouds padlocked the thunder & lightning for the 1st part of our day.
The next thing we did, was going to an animal show at the Pantopia theatre. It was a show called ‘Critters’ and I was disappointed that I never had my camera on me for this incredible showcase of the rescue dogs, cats, birds, pigs, a Shetland pony, a kangaroo & a mouse. Each animal put a lot of effort into making this show the best. It was really impressive to watch.
After this show, our original plan was to head for cheetah hunt, but the thunderstorm was released and that ended any chances of riding this high-speed coaster. I was also annoyed that it closed the kangaroo enclosure, which I have missed all times at this park. I guess it gives me a reason to return.
After our time at Busch Gardens was over, we headed to a mall in Tampa. They never had much eating options, so our time here wasn’t long. We were all hungry and this was solved when we came across a ‘steak and shake’. This was my 1st time in a proper American diner! That was cool! The food wasn’t that expensive either which made me love the place even more.
I had a double cheeseburger, with onions & ketchup on it. Along with this, I had fries; which I seasoned with the tasty seasoning they had sitting next to us. It was one of the best burgers I have ever tasted and engrossed my tastebuds for the whole meal. We also had drinks, I had a sprite. This was to keep us hydrated which is difficult to do in this humid temperature. Another amazing part of this meal was the ‘shake’ part of the name. I had an MnM milkshake which was delicious with each passing slurp. This place was brilliant, and I would definitely go back!
On our way back to the car, a chubby, old, woman with a cast on her arm walked over to us quite intimidating in nature. We were unsure, what she was going to ask, so we kept on walking. She screamed over to us “Don’t be worried, I won’t hurt you!” I wasn’t sure about that.
Once back at the car, we went on our biggest adventure yet. We travelled to Clearwater. With each passing palm tree, we got closer to our destination. It was a beautiful view from the car window. A nice journey to embark on.
When we made it to Clearwater, I noticed the beauty of the place. The place was covered in palm trees which brought a relaxed atmosphere to the area. The beach was stunning. The sand a clear, creamy white colour and it felt so smooth and comfortable to walk on. It actually soothed at my toes. I don’t think I have ever seen a beach so lovely. The waves were crashing into the pier but were still so peaceful when they swept back into the ocean. I was glad, we did take the time to travel to Clearwater, it was so pretty.
Once we returned to Orlando, we all went late night shopping. I never had much money left, so I had to be careful with what I was using my dollars on. I only got 2 vans shoes, which were on a get one, get the other half price kind of deal. The only item, I am needing now is a new school bag, so I am proud of how much I have achieved on the shopping side of things. After this, we headed back to the hotel and said “night night” to the world.
I hope you enjoyed the blog for day 11. On the next one, we will be going to SeaWorld for the last time. We will be copying & pasting our method at Busch Gardens, which should help us get around the rides at the park. After that, we are going to Disney Springs then heading into the world of Disney for the 1st time. The Magic Kingdom will be hosting ‘Mickey, not so scary’s’ Halloween event and we will be taking part. I hope you will be there to give that a read! Thanks, everyone, and until next time. Goodbye!
Lost in Travel 