For this year's 4th of July, I headed over to Downtown Sanford to see the fireworks. I really like the location on Lake Monroe, and the event has definitely grown quite a bit since I last watched the fireworks in Sanford several years ago. It was a good show, although the fireworks over the river in Deland looked much more impressive and went on for several more minutes after Sanford's show had ended.
Out of all of the New Years Eve firework shows that I've seen in Florida, nothing beats this one. Disney definitely does fireworks the best...
Every year, Santa Claus come around on a fire truck through Longwood, FL. In the past, it has always been Santa on the truck, and not much else. This year it seems that Longwood has expanded their Santa procession into a mini parade, with fire trucks, police cars, some candy throwing floats, and Santa. It was nowhere on the scale of the Orlando Christmas Parade, but this was kind of better. The parade comes to your house...
I went to see the Christmas Parade in Orlando on December 14, 2008. Formerly, this was the Orlando Christmas Parade, but it seemed a corporate sponsor bought the parade with the official name being the Mcdonald's Christmas Parade. The parade circled around Lake Eola and was nice and long.
It started out with the police.
Then Ronald Mcdonald's float.
There were several of these antique cars advertising Cabot Cheese. Cheese is tasty, but it doesn't go with antique cars in my opinion.
These horses were behind a float carrying a bubble machine. The bubbles seemed to be making the horses very nervous.
Johnny Martino from the Godfather movies. He was handing out autographed postcards of himself.
This float was driven all the way to Orlando from a high school in Palm Beach.
Juggler...
A pony pulling a person that seemed to big to be pulled by ponies.
The Geico Gecko...
Followed by the Tijuana Flats Iguana.
Apparently people are scared of clowns. There was a group of clowns in the parade, besides from Ronald Mcdonald. This clown in particular actually left the parade route to chase down somebody with coulrophobia across a little park at the intersection of Magnola and Palmetto. It was great.
The Orlando Fire Department.
This is Sir Gus the Kissing Camel. He travels around with the Shriners to events like this. The Shriners stick a carrot in a volunteer's mouth, and Gus reaches down and takes the carrot, thus kissing the volunteer in the process. I was kissed by Sir Gus once in Downtown Longwood.
And finally, Santa Claus at the end of the parade. Unfortunately, there was no Krampus traveling along with Santa. There should be a few of them in every Christmas parade!
Ahoy! For all of you land lubbers out there that aren't aware, September 19 each year is International Talk Like a Pirate Day. You bilge rats know what today is? The following set of photos are of various pirates or pirate themed locations throughout Florida. Arrr...
Here is a pirate carved out of wood on the dock belonging to the Down the Hatch restaurant in Ponce Inlet, FL.
Pirates at the Pirate's Cove Miniature Golf Course on International Drive in Orlando, FL.
The Ghost Pirate Ride at the Seminole County Fair in Sanford, FL.
More pirates at another miniature golf course. I believe this is the Pirate's Island on 192 in Kissimmee.
More pirates carved out of wood. These two are in the Tin City shopping area in Naples, FL.
Perhaps some of Florida's most popular pirates are at Disney.
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