Tonight was the 37th Annual Lakeland Christmas Parade. The theme this year was Night at the North Pole. We headed out around 4 pm as they were expecting around 40,000 people to attend. Better leave early to get a parking space. It's amazing how many people bring their chairs and set them up two or three days before the parade.
The night started off with fireworks over Lake Mirror followed by the parade, which lasted about 90 minutes. Food trucks were everywhere so there was no need to leave hungry. Click on the link below to see the fireworks finale short.
Going to a Christmas parade in Florida is a lot different than up north. The temperature at parade time was nice--around 70. It's not too often you see a Christmas float from an air conditioning company, boats and even swans.
There were over 90 floats and 9 marching bands in tonight's parade.
Tonight, we headed to downtown Lakeland, Florida to the Polk Theatre to watch the new movie "The Florida Project". After we parked, we took this picture of chairs lined up for the Christmas Parade---two days before the parade!
We always look forward to going to the Polk Theatre, as it brings back a little history. An organ player plays for about 20 minutes before the show starts.
"The Florida Project" was filmed on US-192 in Kissimmee, Florida near the theme parks---an area well-known for families living in budget hotels. The film, which features Academy Award Nominee for Best Actor Willem Dafoe, has already won several awards. See the movie trailer below.
Today, we met our friend, Sandy, for lunch at Cicis (officially, no apostrophe). We try to do this at least once a year. "Why Cicis?" you ask. We met Sandy in 2007, when we began working at Epcot. We worked a lot of shifts with her at 5 am. Since they offer a discount to Disney Cast, we would go to Cicis for lunch once in a while after work. A few years ago, Sandy moved back to Illinois. Every year when she comes to Florida to visit family we meet up at Cicis. It is always a fun time catching up with her!
Today, we visited the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park located in Mobile, Alabama.
This 155-acre site boasts the WWII battleship USS Alabama, the submarine USS Drum and over 30 aircraft, as well as a collection of military vehicles and memorials.
The battleship USS Alabama (BB-60), a South Dakota-class battleship, was commissioned in 1942, served during World War II and was decommissioned in 1947.
Plans to modernize the ship over the next 15 years proved cost prohibitive, resulting in the ship being stricken from the Naval Vessel Register in 1962.
On September 12, 1963, Alabama Governor George Wallace signed a law which preserved the battleship as a museum ship. The museum opened on January 9, 1965.
Visitors tour the entire battleship. Here's the 1962 version of the radio room.
Doug lines up for chow over 50 years too late.
There's always time for a nap, even over 50 years later.
The USS Alabama was featured in the 2016 war disaster film, USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage, starring Nicolas Cage and directed by Mario Van Peebles.
This is not your childhood shooting gallery.
The museum's Aircraft Pavilion is dedicated to all Alabama's Medal of Honor recipients.
Construction began on the USS Drum (SS-228), a WWII era Gato-Class Diesel-electric submarine, on September 11, 1940. The sub was launched on May 12, 1941 and was initially decommissioned nearly 5 years later on February 16, 1946.
The 312-foot-long sub then served the Naval Reserve in the Potomac River Naval Command from 1947 to 1967.
After two years in the Norfolk, Virginia inactive fleet, the USS Drum was towed to Mobile, dedicated and opened to the public on July 4, 1969.
The USS Drum was featured in the 2012 movie, USS Seaviper,
The tour of the USS Alabama, USS Drum and the rest of the museum racked up 4 miles on our Fitbit.
Today we visited Green Meadows Petting Farm in Kissimmee, Florida with friends, Kasie and Courtney. We got to drive a tractor... feed a parrot... and pet a dwarf cow with a bad underbite. Kasie demonstrates milking a cow. Can you locate any Hidden Mickeys in this picture? The good-natured milking cow pauses for a brief snapshot with Marlon, Kasie and Courtney. Every visitor to Green Meadows gets to wear this fashionable green sticker. The sheep had their full winter coats on. What are you looking at? Kasie listens to her baby chick cry for help. All visitors get to hold a baby chick and a baby duck. Holding these little fellows guarantees a smile on everyone's face. Next, we visited with a pig... and posed with goats. Then we all got to feed the goats by hand. Kasie assures Courtney's chicken that she is a vegetarian. Courtney catches another one. Next, we visited the ostriches which had an obsession with Doug's watch. Next, we went duck-chasing. Doug shows off his catch. Courtney sneaks up on an innocent duck. Kasie couldn't resist grabbing this Donald look-alike. Time for a hayride! Kasie and Courtney show us the dangers of wearing flip-flops. During the fall, visiting school groups get to pick a pumpkin from the pumpkin patch. This guy hopes to make it past Thanksgiving. Next, we took a train ride around the farm. Then we got to ride a horse. Then we took some silly pictures. Kasie wants to know where she can get her own fire truck.
This bench even has its own udders!
Kasie shows off her new parrot necklace.
Next, it was off to Walt Disney World's Epcot Center where we were greeted by the Big Ball - Spaceship Earth.
Closing time at Epcot. For more pictures, click here . To be continued...
There were over 90 floats and 9 marching bands in tonight's parade.
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