Vacationing

My husband and I decided that I would go to London with my sister and mom as a reward for graduating.

But, then, tickets were like 1 trillion dollars, give or take.

Plan B: New York City.  I bought tickets for Wicked on Broadway (I know, I was asking for it).  We had a hotel in Manhattan.  We were going to visit some amazing places.

But, then, my sister had to change her plans so she could launch a rocket.

So, off to Florida we went, we three.  (Cha Cha doesn't do press).

In Orlando, we went to visit a magical wizard (twice, but not in a row).  We bought wands and chocolates that melted in the bag before we could get to the parking lot (and yes, we bought them on our way out).  We rode rides that spun us around and upside down.  We ate in the Three Broomsticks and drank Butterbeer (one person was too afraid to try it, but I won't name names Charlotte).  

 We visited a very strange swamp meet/flea market where it was hot and the stalls were all filled with the same bulk Chinese goods.  (We still managed to find something to buy.) Then, we drove down to Port Charlotte and found a certain somebody watching over us via street sign.

It was hot.

And pretty.

We drove through a rainstorm and found Cocoa Beach awash in shells and surf. 

Charlotte went to work while Mom and I played.  A new place, but just as magical and a lot more real.  We saw rockets and turtles and pieces of the moon.  

We were lucky to get an insider's tour the next day, courtesy of my sister's rocket preparing for launch.  We visited the place where heroes died, and just across the way we could see that pesky rocket which had cancelled our plans waiting on the pad.

And we were awed.

And the next day, we went back to watch that pesky rocket lift off into the sky.  

Nature's evening light show was amazing.

But, then the rocket put on a show of it's own.

The ground shook and the sky was bright with fire.

And, then it seemed like stars were falling (but they were really just engines and it's supposed to happen).  

It's hard to top a rocket launch.

We took a nice boat ride and saw my first ever dolphin, a mother matinee and her babe (sort of).  Birds and boats and a beautiful world.

We went back to Orlando and a fancy hotel where you need to use your card to reach our floor.  We vowed to stay in the Presidential Suite someday.

Then, back to California.  We visited the only battleship with a presidential bathtub.  These crazies came too.  

And Charlotte won a big fancy award.  She hexed the picture I tried to take and it didn't come out.  But, I'm very proud of that sister!
But, magic spells only last so long and we came home again, home again, jiggity jig, with memories as sweet and wild as the sea.  And lot's of gratitude from lucky, lucky me.  Thanks, Charlotte and Mom, for going along.  And even for the pesky rocket.