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Becoming Poppy: Stepping in to The Sound Booth at DreamWorks Animation #DWTrollsTV

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Beeb in the recording booth
Travel consideration provided. This is a partnered post.
Not only did I have the chance to enter the world of Trolls: The Beat Goes On! during last month’s trip to DreamWorks Animation Studios – I also had the chance to become a troll! During the event, we had the opportunity to step inside the sound booth and record a special voiceover clip with Trolls Executive Producer, Matt Beans. I recorded a clip for Voltron in this same booth during a press trip 2 years ago, so I was very excited to return – it’s such a rare and fun opportunity!

Our group was ushered into the sound studio and took turns recording lines for a short Trolls clip. The recording process went like this: When you step into the sound booth, you watch the footage on a monitor and listen to the dialogue from the cartoon; then, when it’s time to record, you listen carefully for three beeps, which let you know it’s your cue to start. You hear the original voiceover through headphones while you record and try to match the pace of the dialogue as much as possible – this type of overdubbing is known as ADR, or Automated Dialog Replacement. This process of re-recording dialogue can occur for a number of reasons: For example, I was told during a studio tour in LA a few years ago that Meryl Streep is the unofficial queen of ADR, and often re-records her lines after filming to make them perfect or nail an accent. In this particular instance, ADR was used to give each blogger the chance to create their own special Trolls clip for their blogs!

We were given the choice of which character we wanted to play, Branch or Poppy. Of course, I chose Poppy, the pink troll! This was the same sound studio that Anna Kendrick recorded her lines in for the Trolls movie, so I was in the perfect place to channel Poppy. Each blogger stepped into the booth one by one and read their lines off a sheet, trying to keep up with the timing of the original clip. As you can imagine, ADR can be a little tricky; it’s disorienting to hear the dialogue while simultaneously trying to say the exact same lines and keep the same pacing. Matt Beans did a fantastic job of guiding each person – he’s experienced in animation, previously working on series such as Robot Chicken, and it shows in his approach. He took his time with each person, not only coaching us on the basics of how ADR works, but also having us do multiple takes just so that he could get the best possible performance, even if the previous take was usable. Here’s a video of my recording session, where you can hear his voice instructing me:

This was so much fun, and a fascinating insight into not only the technical process, but how an experienced producer works with their talent to refine a performance and bring out the best in them. I had such a blast! I also felt lucky that my voice held out – I was very sick during the trip thanks to the worst flu season in history and was having terrible coughing fits. I popped a ton of cough drops before I went into the booth and luckily, I didn’t cough my way through all my lines!!

Becoming Poppy

I even look like Poppy with my pink doughnut dress!

Here’s the finished clip of my Poppy voiceover:

So what do you think – am I ready for my closeup, Mr. DeMille? 😉

Trolls: The Beat Goes On! premieres on Netflix on January 19th!

What’s New in Kissimmee for 2018

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What's New in Kissimmee for 2018

You know that Kissimmee, Florida is one of my favorite places to vacation, and every year, there are new attractions and restaurants to enjoy. If you’re planning a trip to Florida in the New Year – psst, this is a great time to escape our cold Pacific Northwest weather! – here’s what you can’t miss in 2018:

Kissimmee, Fla. (January 2018) – After the New Year’s fireworks and celebrations, there’s still plenty of sparkle in Kissimmee with all-new attractions, wow-worthy thrills, and spectacular new restaurants. In 2018, resolve to discover our incredible experiences, where we make vacations, you make memories in real time.
New at Kissimmee’s World-Famous Theme Parks Step into the new year with life-sized versions of your favorite toys at Disney’s
Hollywood Studios™ Toy Story Land. Opening summer 2018, this new land takes guests into Andy’s backyard and imagination. Dip, twist, and dart through this land on the Slinky Dog Dash, a family-style coaster inspired by the toy. Then experience a classic Toy Story scene in Alien Swirling Saucers, where guests will spin on toy-rocket vehicles while the film’s famous little green aliens wait to be chosen by “the claw.” Celebrate Disney’s Animal Kingdom®’s 20th anniversary with Russell and Dug from
Disney•Pixar’s ‘UP’ during a new show at the theme park. Debuting in 2018, the show will feature up-close encounters with bird species from around the world. In the spirit of the new year, Walt Disney World® Resort and Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group will begin development of a brand-new show at Disney Springs®. The new show is inspired by Disney’s historic animation and storytelling. An opening date for the show has not been announced. In the meantime, Disney Springs® visitors can travel deep into the Star Wars™ universe with the Star Wars™: Secrets of the Empire
Hyper-Reality Experience, a multisensory virtual-reality adventure. In spring 2018, race into a new adventure with the Fast & Furious – Supercharged™ ride at Universal Studios Florida™. This new immersive experience brings you face-to-face with the “Fast family,” expands upon the films with an original story, features hits songs from the movies’ soundtracks, and is home to a unique area featuring vehicles from the films. Fast & Furious – Supercharged™ is also the latest attraction to feature a virtual line system where guests select a ride time in advance within the Official Universal Orlando Resort Mobile App or at kiosks located near the attraction. This year, Universal Studios Florida™ will also begin a new nighttime lagoon show featuring characters from Universal attractions, spectacular lighting, and special effects. A new projection mapping experience at Hogwarts castle in The Wizarding
World of Harry Potter™ – Hogsmeade™ will also debut.

Plan for an entire year of awesome at LEGOLAND® Florida Resort with new events, exclusive activities, and new attractions opening every month in 2018. The fun starts on January 20, 2018 with the opening of LEGO® NINJAGO®: Master of the 4th Dimension, an all-new 4D theatrical experience starring the characters of the hit show as they find their way out of a mind-bending dimension. In spring 2018, guests can take a wild ride through an imaginary world made entirely of LEGO bricks during The Great LEGO® Race — the first virtual reality roller coaster experience designed for kids. In summer 2018, take the plunge on the world’s tallest river rapid drop coming to
SeaWorldÂŽ Orlando. Inspired by the lush rainforests of South America, the new Infinity
Falls rapids ride will drop guests into a flowing river, 40 feet below, for a thrilling adventure. Start the new year off with a splash at Aquatica, SeaWorld’s Waterpark™ with a brandnew family raft slide, Ray Rush. This 60-foot-tall, fully-loaded water adventure features water jets that launch rafts 33-feet per second, as well as a colossal translucent sphere that spins rafts around the slide walls then drops them into an open-air halfpipe resembling the shape of a manta ray.
Festivals and Events Fun is in bloom February 28 through May 28 at the 2018 EpcotÂŽ International Flower &
Garden Festival. During this festival, guests can stroll through breathtaking garden spaces, gaze at world-renowned, Disney-themed topiaries, taste delectable bites and libations, enjoy outdoor concerts, and more. The good times will roll during Mardi Gras at Universal Orlando Resort™. On select nights from February 3 through April 7, 2018, see some of the biggest names in music, catch the nightly Mardi Gras parade, and taste some of the finest Cajun food east of the French Quarter. Dust off your boots for the eighth annual Runaway Country Music Fest at Osceola Heritage Park March 23 through 25, 2018. The lineup includes country favorites, such as Darius Rucker, Brantley Gilbert, Cassadee Pope, and Florida Georgia Line.
Accommodations Enjoy a cheeseburger in paradise at the all-new Margaritaville Resort Orlando, opening in 2018. The resort will feature a 187-room Margaritaville hotel, 1,000 Margaritavilleinspired vacation homes, and 300 timeshare units that will provide the perfect getaway. Additional features include 30,000 square feet of function space, 200,000 square feet of retail space, a dining and entertainment district, a 12-acre water park, a wellness center, miles of wooded fitness trails, and a water taxi system.

A new 162-room Holiday Inn Express® and Suites is now open in Kissimmee. Located less than five miles from Central Florida’s world-famous theme parks, this new hotel offers a tour desk to help guests plan the perfect vacation and complimentary transportation to nearby theme parks.
Eateries Fly through the streets with favorite heroes then dine with them at the all-new Marvel
Character Dinner. Located in Cafe 4™ Marvel Super Hero Island® at Universal’s Islands
of Adventure™, this dinner buffet will feature fresh options like roasted rosemary lemon chicken, shrimp scampi, chicken scaloppini, penne bolognese, stuffed jumbo shells and specialty pizzas – perfect for any superhero. Start the year and the day off right with the new breakfast menu at the Hard Rock Cafe
Orlando, located at Universal Citywalk™. Guests can enjoy a variety of traditional offerings, unique options like Hard Rock’s Chicken & Waffles, and a side order of music history. Just in time for the new year, the House of Blues Restaurant & Bar recently launched a new made-from-scratch, southern-inspired menu featuring voodoo shrimp, jambalaya, and sliced brisket. A portion of the sales from each new menu item will be donated to the Music Forward Foundation. Throughout the year, the unique dining and entertainment venue will also host a weekly Gospel Brunch and live performances from The Molly Ringwalds, Dashboard Confessional, and more. Discover delectable flavors with eight new dining concepts debuting at Disney Springsin 2018.
• Pizza Pointe, now open, is dishing out Sicilian pizza by the slice, as well as Italian sandwiches, and pastries.
• The Edison, an industrial gothic-style restaurant and bar, will feature live entertainment paired with classic American delicacies and craft cocktails, now open.
• Terralina Crafted Italian, led by James Beard Award Winner Chef Tony Mantuano, will open early 2018 and serve Italian cuisine in a space inspired by Italy’s lake district.
• Wine Bar George will open spring 2018. Led by Master Sommelier George Miliotes, this will be the only master sommelier-led wine bar in Florida.
• Jaleo, a new concept by world-famous Chef José Andrés, will open summer 2018 and serve Spanish tapas.
• Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill, opening summer 2018, is a new venture featuring a Mediterranean-influenced menu and ambience inspired by California.
• Maria & Enzo’s, offering Sicilian cuisine in a 1930s abandoned airline terminal, will open winter 2018.
Experience Kissimmee Communications I media@experiencekissimmee.com I ExperienceKissimmee.com
• Enzo’s Hideaway Tunnel Bar, inspired by the true Florida history of rum-running, will serve Prohibition-era cocktails and Roman dishes. This concept will open winter 2018.

The 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander SEL Best Features

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Mitsubishi loaned us a vehicle for a week for us to review.

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We spent a week reviewing the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander and found the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander SEL Best Features which is basically what we love about it. The things we love about the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander include things like the fact that it seats 7 people and when you have family in town like we did that’s a life saver. We enjoyed the entertainment system and the ability to drive in the snow. I mean the weather gave us all kinds of driving conditions while we reviewed the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander. We took this car to go out to eat and out shopping. We drove it on the highway and just around the block to my son’s martial arts class.

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We got groceries and took boxes to the shipping store. So here are the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander SEL Best Features that we just love.

 

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The 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander SEL Best Features

1. All Wheel Drive. While we were reviewing the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander SEL it snowed and the roads were a little slick. We found that changing the drive mode was just as simple as hitting a button. The car would automatically move into snow mode, normal, lock and AWC ECO mode. Making it the perfect vehicle for all kinds of various weather conditions. I live on a hill and it wasn’t dicey to drive in the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander SEL. The car has active stability control (ASC) helps keep the vehicle on its intended path as you drive around the corner. 

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2. 7 seats with optional third row. We are only a family of four but for Christmas we were a family of six. We had to take two cars everywhere we went until we were able to start traveling in the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander SEL. Then when we put the optional third row up we had enough seats for me, my husband, my parents and my two kids. With traffic and traveling it’s much easier when you can travel in one car than it is trying to have someone follow you. We had no more nights where someone was left behind at a light. It was fantastic.

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3. Apple Play. I’ve been reviewing cars for so long and I have a good idea when it’s easy to sinc your phone and when it’s not. With this car you can either connect your car over Bluetooth or over a cord. If you have an iPhone and you plug the phone in over USB, your phone will not only charge it will connect your Apple apps that work on the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander SEL. I love how easy it is to use your phone. You have instant access to your music and your contacts and your maps that are downloaded to your phone. Or you can just use the navigation app from your phone. We loved using Apple Play. I would have to say that the Apple Play was our favorite feature of the car.

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4. Heated Seats and Heated Steering Wheel. I hate being cold. hate hate hate being cold so while I’m driving around, even if it’s around the block, I like to be warm. The heated seats and the heated steering wheel were so nice and they heated up so quickly. My back was nice and toasty while my hands were nice and warm. My husband also loved how the steering wheel heated up. He usually wears driving gloves to keep his hands warn, they weren’t needed as we drove 45 minutes for a game of bowling, billiards and dinner at the Cheesecake Factory.

5. Sporty and Fun to Drive and only 23,795. The 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander SEL feels sporty.

imageThe steering wheel is lose, I don’t remember what that’s called. My husband loved that. I prefer it to be a little stiffer but it was super fun to drive anyway. It’s qualified as a sub compact car. The two front seats were comfortable to sit in and like I said before I was happy that we could put more people in this vehicle. It really has me interested in looking for a new bigger car for our family and this one has everything we need because when we don’t need that back row we can pack that 63.3 cubic feet of cargo space.

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A few other things that we used that are features that I’m used to but might be a little improved on this vehicle are things like the adaptive cruise control. The cameras on the car that help me parallel park and back up.

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It was a great family adventure!!!

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Oh and lastly take a look at the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander SEL interrior.

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Photos of A Jumanji Welcome To the Jungle Helicopter Adventure in Hawaii

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Sony paid for my hotel, flights and this helicopter tour while I was staying in Hawaii for the Jumanji Welcome To The Jungle Press Junket.

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Wow, this was my very first time to be in Hawaii and it was just as amazing as I expected. Hawaii is lush, green, and full. It’s colorful and full of varied terrain. The trees are gorgeous, and the volcanoes are amazing, while of course there is still a beach, coves and the majestic ocean. Taking a helicopter tour is the only way to see all of that when you are only in Hawaii for a very short amount of time as we were. And it gives you the opportunity to feel the rush of adrenaline of having a Jumanji size adventure as you weave up and down the beach, the valleys and come face to face with a water fall. To me that was the scariest part. And I love helicopter rides. We had an amazing time taking the Jumanji Welcome To the Jungle Helicopter Adventure in Hawaii.  IMG_6926IMG_6923

Our Helicopter Tour began with Blue Hawaiian Helicopter Rides. We traveled to the beach and over the ocean.

 

 

Then we went right over where Jumanji was filmed. Jumanji was filmed at The Ranch. (LOOK SOME INFO ON RANCH). Talking with the director and producer, if they could do it in the jungle then they filmed it in the jungle. IMG_6993IMG_6992

 

From there we traversed to a waterfall and the pilot made sure that no matter where you were sitting you were able to see the beauty of it. IMG_6998

 

We also flew over the Dole plantationsIMG_7014

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Our final focus was over Pearl Harbor. I can’t describe the feeling of flying over Pearl Harbor and seeing the Arizona still underwater. It’s depressing, humbling and powerful all at the same time.

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Check out all our video and photos.

 

Jumanji is in theaters December 20th.

Developing The Trollhunters Universe: An Interview With Marc Guggenheim, Chad Hammes & Rodrigo Blaas

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Marc Guggenheim, Chad Hammes and Rodrigo Blaas
Travel consideration provided. This is a partnered post.

The highly-anticipated Trollhunters Part 2 made its debut on Netflix today. Picking up where Part 1 left off, we follow Jim’s journey through the Darklands as his friends race against the odds to save him. I had the pleasure of getting an advance look at this season in conjunction with my trip to the DreamWorks Animation Campus last week, and was able to speak with executive producers Marc Guggenheim, Chad Hammes and Rodrigo Blaas about what fans can expect to see.

One of the things I found most compelling about Part 2 was watching the continued evolution of Claire’s character. I asked the executive producers to expound on the process of developing her storyline and what might be in store for her.

“The Shadowstaff is a very powerful weapon – it’s very powerful, but there’s also a dark side to that. Claire’s gonna have to wrestle with that,” Blaas told me. “And we really wanted to see that growth. We always saw this season as the season of Claire. The underlying narrative thrust of this was just seeing how it would culminate. By the end of this season, you’re gonna understand that and how that especially sets off what is to come. This is part of what we always strive [for] with our heroes, is not to give them easy way out.”

“And I think it’s worth saying how it gets set up,” added Hammes. “Jim’s given the Amulet, he finds the armor; Toby’s given his weapon, essentially. Claire finds the Shadowstaff independently and declares, ‘That’s mine. This is my tool, I keep this and I’m gonna learn how to harness the power of it.’ Which is a very strong position to take – she’s been kind of along for the ride and I think when she gets to that point, it’s a very strong moment for her.”

Guggenheim agreed with this, adding, “I think there’s a very good argument here – and I think you’ll see this a lot in season 2 – that between Jim’s Daylight and Toby’s hammer and Claire’s staff, Claire’s arguably the most powerful of the three. But, with that power comes a great cost. Jim can use his sword without facing any negative consequences. Toby, same thing with his hammer but Claire, because it is powered by emotion, it takes a toll on her. Without spoiling too much, particularly the very end of the season, you’ll see that there’s consequences that will set us up for the future stories post season 2 that we’re telling. Rodrigo’s right, it really is the season of Claire. And it’s great to watch the evolution of her character, having to to deal with these primordial forces and all the responsibilities that entails. Also, by the way, I’m tickled by the relationship that she’s developed with NotEnrique. That’s really a story in my mind about a sister and her adopted brother. And I think that it’s a cool story to tell. My wife comes from a blended family and this story’s just always really spoken to me.”

The first season of Trollhunters included an unprecedented 26 episodes, which is a daunting project to take on. I asked the trio about the production process on something of this magnitude, to which Guggenheim jokingly replied, “You ever seen a grown man cry?”

“My understanding is that delivering 26 half hours of content all at one time has been the largest delivery in TV history. That’s what I’ve been told,” noted Hammes. “So it was an accomplishment for everybody on the team. And yes, it takes a tremendous amount of work – it takes people not only all over the studio, but people all over the world, and everybody has to be coordinated and in sync. It’s a massive undertaking. It took years of experience between [us] and our team in putting it all together to make a show that is so complex – it has so much care in terms of writing and the narrative – and able to deliver such a large volume. Thankfully we don’t have that same delivery this year,” he laughed. However, that doesn’t mean that season 2 has been easy by any stretch of the imagination. Hammes explained that, despite Part 2 having 13 episodes versus 26, working on both seasons back to back brought its own unique challenges. “We were [still] standing last year making the delivery but I think what we underestimated was getting to this Christmas and finishing the show – I think that’s even been more taxing. You wouldn’t wanna see the production floor right now, people on their hands and knees, half asleep.”

Guggenheim also noted the additional challenge of working on other projects within the Tales of Arcadia trilogy simultaneously. “Also, we’ve been hard at work on 3 Below, so there’s been no rest for the weary and we just keep going and going and going.”

“It takes a team that is playing at their A game at every step of the process,” agreed Blaas, who also voices Gnome Chompsky in addition to his other work as executive producer. “There is nobody that is dropping the ball. Because it’s Guillermo del Toro’s vision, we all respect how much quality and love and heart he puts in all his projects. We really wanted to make sure that this was a show that could stand the test of time.”

Despite this intense workload, the reception from fans is what keeps everyone going. “Just watching the reaction of the audience fuels the team to give that extra mile. That is an integral part of the process for sure,” Blaas concluded. And with the hard work and care that has been put into telling the story of season 2, the reaction from eager fans will surely bolster Blaas, Guggenheim and Hammes as they continue to develop the Trollhunters universe.

DIY Trollhunters Christmas Ornament

Trollhunters Part 2 is streaming on Netflix now. And when you’re done binge-watching, be sure to check out our DIY Amulet of Daylight craft tutorial and make your own Amulet to fight darkness – or just use as a Christmas ornament!

Reasons To Visit Disneyland For The Holidays In Photos

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We recently had the amazing opportunity to visit Disneyland thanks on our most recent trip to LA provided by the Disney Studio. They also covered transportation and our hotel while we were in LA for the Star Wars press conference. Although Disneyland is very busy on a Saturday night it’s still very beautiful and magical and has many things going on right now that aren’t always happening. I feel with Disneyland, you can always find just the right time to go and when done correctly it’s always so fun and beautiful. True Disney fans know how to have a good time line and all. And I saw lots of cheery people while I was there. So here is a list of our top reasons to visit Disneyland during the holidays.

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1) The Castle is all lit up with beautiful strands of white lights

2) It’s a small world is decked out to the nine. It’s completely covered in lights and every country you visit is celebrating the holidays.

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3) This could be the most important reason to go to Disneyland right now and that’s to ride Star Tours. Star Tours now has footage from the film The Last Jedi.

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4) You can get your picture taken with Kylo Ren. That guy scares the crap out of me, but it’s fun to go visit him and see what he does every single time.

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5) All the rides you always love

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6) Cars land, town, whatever they are calling it now is all decorated for the holidays. You will find Christmas trees and lights everywhere.

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7) The fireworks are fantastic and can be seen and heard from all parts of the park.

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8) It’s just so beautiful to walk around.

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And finally, just having fun with friends.

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The Last Jedi is in theaters December 15th.

Celebration Bike Tour: Truly an Experience to Celebrate! #MyKissimmee #iFlyAlaska

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Celebration Bike Rental
Travel consideration provided.

I have a confession to make: I can’t really ride a bike. I did have a bike for a brief period as a child: At that time, we lived in a not-so-nice neighborhood in Portland, so between that and my parents’ protective natures, I wasn’t allowed to ride around by myself and was limited to biking in circles around the house. I got down the basic concept of balancing on a bike, but you can’t really learn to maneuver around when you’re pedaling a straight line in the driveway. We got rid of the bike when we moved not too long afterwards, and that was the last time I rode a bike until I was an adult. (Fun fact, I visited this neighborhood a few years ago and it has been so gentrified that I barely recognized it! You could definitely ride a bike solo there now. 😉 )

I most recently rode a bike ten years ago during a girls’ trip with my in-laws. We got on bikes to ride from a vacation home we had rented into town, and I thought nothing of it. I learned how to ride a bike when I was a kid, and you never forget! But surprise surprise, biking on actual trails takes a little more finesse than biking around your house, and I may or may not have crashed into a bush during our outing. Smooth!

So when I got my itinerary for my most recent girls’ trip with Carol and Jana to Kissimmee Florida, I was a little intimidated to see that we were scheduled for a bike tour. I had to chuckle at the fact that riding a bike was making me more nervous than the zipline! Fortunately, Celebration Bike Rental are prepared for all levels of experience and comfort, offering everything from tricycle bikes to electric surrey carts. Phew!

 

Besides looking super cool, touring Celebration on a tricycle was such a neat experience! My bike nerves subsided and I got great practice as we enjoyed a long, leisurely ride through the town. If you’re not familiar with Celebration, it is literally the town that Disney built: Walt Disney originally had the idea to build a futuristic “City of tomorrow” alongside Disney World. Unfortunately, he passed away before he had the chance to get started, so the project was put on hold until the company revisited Walt’s dream in the 1990s. They decided to build Celebration as a sort of a classic “Anytown, USA” – a town designed with Americana aesthetics to make you feel at home, representative of the whole country. It’s really a unique place, and a great deal of thought has been put into every single detail of every building and landscape. Celebration was designed to be bike-friendly and has 10 miles of trails, and having a knowledgeable guide take us around was the perfect way to learn the fascinating history of Celebration.

 

#Partner Starting the Celebration Bike Tour! #MyKissimmee #iFlyAlaska #PortlandIsComing #CarolBeebJana

A post shared by Beeb Ashcroft (@beebashcroft) on

Celebration is a beautiful town and such a wonderful setting to enjoy a relaxing ride.

Bike tour through Celebration
Beautiful homes in Celebration

We also had the opportunity to see all kinds of awesome native wildlife: Many lazy alligators could be spotted lounging by the water, and I spotted one little baby gator in a drain a few feet away from where I was biking. (And you know wherever baby is, mama isn’t far behind, so I didn’t bike TOO close. 😉 ) We also got to see an Armadillo, who ran away too fast for me to get a photo. I’d never seen one in person before so it was really neat!

Baby gator
You don’t have to be a daily cyclist to take the Celebration Bike Tour. I had a really great time on my tour and got to see a lot of things I would have missed on foot or in a car. I also had the chance to get more comfortable on a bike, since I was literally riding the grown-up version of a bike with training wheels. 😉 Celebration Bike Rental offers all kinds of options for seeing the town on wheels, from regular and specialty bike rentals to guided tours like the one I took. I definitely recommend checking them out! And if you want a break from our dreary weather this winter, don’t forget that Alaska Airlines now offers direct flights to Orlando from PDX, so a ride in the sunshine is now a quick flight away!

For More Information:

Celebration Bike Rental
700 Bloom Street
Celebration, FL 34747
Phone: (407) 791-2822
CelebrationSurrey.com

Experience Florida Wildlife With The Paddling Center #MyKissimmee #iFlyAlaska

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Visiting The Paddling Center
Travel consideration provided.

One of the things I love about traveling is the chance to see different scenery and animals than I do at home. It’s one of the reasons that I love Florida – its swamps and alligators are quite a change from Oregon’s natural habitat. The last time I visited Kissimmee, Florida, I was fortunate enough to experience this scenery up close and personal by taking a self-guided kayak tour from The Paddling Center!

The Paddling Center at Shingle Creek is located in the headwaters to the Everglades, and is the perfect spot to take in Florida’s signature scenery with a tour on a kayak, canoe, or stand-up paddle board. We were traveling with one of our friends from Experience Kissimmee, so we opted for a self-guided kayak excursion, but The Paddling Center also has a variety of guided tours available, including a Star Gazing Night Kayaking Tour that sounds amazing!

Hope the wildlife won't mistake me for one of their own in my alligator leggings...

Carol and I were paired up to take the tour together, so we put on our life vests, got a quick run-through from one of the staffers, then got into our kayak to begin our adventure. I’ve only been kayaking once before, and my lack of experience was quite apparent as I struggled to get to grips with which direction I was going, making our kayak spin around like a Laurel & Hardy sketch. 😉 When you’re steering your kayak, you essentially want to paddle on the opposite side of where you want to turn – paddle right a few strokes to start turning left, alternate on either side to keep going straight, etc. Well, at one point, our friends Jana and Veronica pointed out that there was a large alligator on the shore, so “Don’t paddle too close to the edge”. My brain does not learn new things very well under pressure, so I immediately began paddling furiously in the wrong direction, sending our kayak crashing right up onto the shore where this alligator had been moments previously. Paddling frantically right towards the thing I am trying to avoid is such an apt metaphor for anxiety, don’t you think? 😉 Fortunately, the alligator was nowhere to been seen – he was probably running away from us! – and Carol, a more experienced kayaker, took over the steering to get us back on track. As our tour continued, I started to get the hang of it and become more comfortable. I won’t win any kayak races anytime soon, but I didn’t steer us into any other gators and that’s all that really matters. 😉

Kayak buddies!

The scenery at Shingle Creek is simply stunning – it’s so serene paddling down the water and looking up at the trees.

Shingle Creek

Aside from the alligator, we also got to see Great Egrets and get up close and personal with a Florida Cooter!

Florida Cooter

To give you a Beeb’s-eye view of my kayaking experience, I thought I’d share some video footage I took during our tour with my Garmin VIRB. It’s extremely shaky, since it was taken by a nervous kayaker while trying to paddle 😉 , but it gives you a little peek of the excursion, both above and below the water:

When we returned from our kayak tour, we were also offered the chance to get a quick stand-up paddle board lesson. We were warned that it can be a bit tricky to balance if you haven’t done it before, so there’s a high chance that you can end up in the water on your first attempt. Jana had brought a change of clothes along and gave it a go – which is a good thing, since she did end up getting dunked in the water! The nice Paddling Center staff let us know that if the paddle board started to feel unsteady, you could drop to your knees and paddle from there to regain balance, which is exactly what I did when it was my turn. I only did the “Stand-up” portion of the paddle board for a few seconds before dropping down, since I did not have a change of clothes with me and I had just gotten my hair done. 😉

Beeb tries stand-up paddle boarding

I prefer sit-down paddle boarding

If you’re planning a trip to Kissimmee, I highly recommend checking out The Paddling Center. It’s such a neat way to experience Florida wildlife and create memories that will last a lifetime! And now that Alaska Airlines is offering daily nonstop flights from Portland to Orlando, it’s the perfect time to get away from the Pacific Northwest rain and have some fun in the Florida sun!

For More Information:

The Paddling Center
4266 W. Vine St.
Kissimmee, FL 34741
Phone: (407) 343-7740

Website – Facebook – Instagram

10 Things to Do at Jean-Michael Cousteau Resort

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Each winter, travelers look to escape the cold and sink their toes into white sandy beaches.  For guests seeking romance, family fun, or those simply looking for an escape-worthy destination this winter, Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort offers something for everyone.   A pioneer in experiential and eco-luxury travel, Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort, Fiji is a spectacular island destination that offers unparalleled adventure, outdoor activities and natural discovery punctuated with relaxation, fine-dining and luxury accommodations.

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The resort offers an exclusive array of activities including:

  • Scuba diving
  • Award-winning Bula Club for Kids program
  • Excursions with the resort’s very own marine biologist
  • Fijian-inspired spa treatments

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  • Intimate dinners on the resort’s secluded beach-side dining decks
  • Paddle boarding, kayaking, snorkeling, sailing
  • Rainforest and waterfall hikes
  • Tennis and volleyball
  • Traditional Fijian storytelling

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  • Trips to a private island

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Now more accessible than ever (with direct overnight flights from the West Coast now available all year-round), Fiji is an emerging destination for US travelers. Offering consistent temperatures year-round (with highs resting in the 80s), better value for money than Hawaii and as a virtually untouched island that offers truly immersive cultural experiences, it’s no wonder this is the destination of choice for families and couples alike.

Visiting Portland? Don’t Miss The Oregon Zoo!

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Can you spot the giraffe?
Zoo admission provided.

Jai and I got married in August, and our wedding was an opportunity to reunite with far-flung family. Relatives from both sides of our families came from around the world to celebrate with us, and we planned to make the most of it! The theme of our whole wedding was centered on family and making the most of every moment with them, so we purposely built in time both before and after the wedding to spend with them. It was a whirlwind, but we packed in as much sightseeing as we could, prioritizing which places each person would enjoy and making the most of that precious quality time. We knew that the Oregon Zoo would be one of these can’t-miss places, and we spent a wonderful day there with our nieces before we left on our honeymoon!

I was fortunate enough to gain three nieces through marriage, all of whom were in my bridal party. My eldest niece drove all the way from Arizona with her family to be my bridesmaid, which meant so much to us, especially as we haven’t gotten to see her in a long time due to the distance. This was also the first time either of us had met her 3-year-old daughter, which is just crazy! We knew they would both love the Oregon Zoo, so we packed into the car the week after the wedding and hit the road for Portland.

I’ve talked many times about how we’re lucky to have such an awesome zoo here, and it was obvious as soon as we arrived. My niece was impressed immediately by how the Oregon Zoo was not only much larger than her local zoo in Arizona, but also by how much lower the admission prices were.

Look, a duck!

Look, a duck!

My baby niece was excited to see the animals – viewing the zoo through a toddler’s eyes is so much fun!

Bat

Making new friends

Giraffe

This little girl loves trains, so the Zoo Train was a must-do on our itinerary! It’s so fun to take a ride around the Zoo and definitely a highlight.

Zoo Train

Riding the Zoo Train with my niece

The Oregon Zoo has so many exhibits – you can make a full day of it, as we did, and still not see everything. But most importantly, the Oregon Zoo is dedicated to conservation and working to save species from extinction.

Pigs in peril

With the holidays upon us, many of us will be hosting out-of-town family – and the Oregon Zoo is a can’t-miss tourist destination and home of holiday season fun! Here are just a few of the special events coming up:

October 28th & 29th: Howloween!

What better way to celebrate the spooky season than by trick-or-treating at the zoo? Bring your little ghouls to collect sustainable candy and treats – Howloween is free with zoo admission!

November 10th & 11th – Veteran’s Day

The Oregon Zoo is honoring Veteran’s Day with free admission for military families on November 10th & 11th.

November 23rd – Turkey Trot

Jog off some of that Thanksgiving turkey with a fun run to raise money for the Zoo!

November 24th – December 31st – ZooLights

ZooLights is one of the most magical experiences you can have at the Oregon Zoo – click here to read my review of last year’s ZooLights experience! The 2017 ZooLights season – it’s 30th year – will kick off with a special members-only preview on November 22nd before it opens to the public on November 24th. This year, ZooLights will run until December 31st, with special bonus days occurring on January 5th and 7th. You can click here to reserve your tickets now!

November 29th – BrewLights

For the first time ever, the Oregon Zoo is introducing BrewLights, a special edition of ZooLights exclusively for adults 21 and over. Admission is $24.95 and includes a commemorative cup and free tastings of beer, wine and cider. This sounds seriously amazing, I’m going to have to see if I can get down to Portland for it! Get your tickets here.

For More Information:

Oregon Zoo
4001 SW Canyon Road
Portland, OR 97221

Phone: (503) 226-1561
Website: OregonZoo.org