Downtown

As I mentioned - on Monday we visited Downtown Disney.  I was expecting it to look like a main street in smallville.  Instead we discovered all kinds of delightful stores and things to do and see, scattered with both fast food and sit-down eateries.  How delightful.  On our first walk around we saw this....

....hot air balloon just beginning to rise over the little lake.  Cool!  We kept trudging along in the heat....

...past a sea monster.  We were noticing the heat less as the scenery got more interesting....

.... we saw Cinderella's carriage way up high.....there was......

.... Mickey and Minnie Mouse riding bycicles on a high wire.......also....

.... a seafood restaurant that looked exactly like a riverboat...and....

....... another tropical themed restaurant shaped like a giant pineapple....not to mention.....

.....a bittern in a pond, including a fountain....and one of Poppa's favourites.........where........

........Poppa visited a gigantic dinosaur - which we both thought our little boys would love - except that it roared loudly which might have scared them a little!  Then.....

........we crossed a bridge to take another look at that hot air balloon.  We stopped....

.... in the shade of this umbrella for a closer look.  We looked.....

..........up at it.  And then.....

......we looked down from it.  Yes!  We went up in the hot air balloon.  It goes up 400ft, then stays aloft for a few minutes (tethered to the landing zone) ...long enough for Poppa to snap some pictures for me.  I was holding on for dear life!  Hee!  Actually once you get up there it is a little windy, but quite stable otherwise.  We looked ....

...........through the protective mesh at the floating restaurant from another angle, then......

..... across the water to Disney World Resort, and we could even...........

.......see Epcot off in the distance!  It was a wonderful experience and I'm so glad Poppa suggested it.  All too soon........

.... we were moving downward towards the landing pad........the red circle in the middle of that round area at the top of this picture.  Our young pilot made a perfect landing and we de-balooned (a new word for us!).  Then it was time to head home - Poppa had a sunburn on the top of his head - and Squeegie was waiting at the villa for his supper.  A great day for one of our last in Florida this year!