Today we left Orlando for Sarasota, or at least that's what we let the boys believe. We've been looking since New York for a "Build a bear" branch. At Build a bear you can “build” your own teddy bear yourself. You choose a "teddy bear skin", you select some sounds and music for in the bear and all the options you want to add on some more, and you have your custom made bear. We finally found a shop of “build a bear” , is was in Clearwater about 80 miles from Orlando and a bit more south from Sarasota. First we filled up our 8-cylinder with gasoline, and on our way.
It already rained in the morning, but along the way it was raining more and harder. We couldn’t see antything through the windshield. The wipers couldn’t handle so much water. Cars slowed down and turned their alarmlights on. We didn’t have much fun though cause more and more cars got of the road. It was quiet dangerous. We did have luck we drove a big car, it was heavy enough to stay on the road 😊.
When we arrived at our destination the navigation system was a little confused. It let us drive several rounds around the same way each time but we didn’t see any “Build a bear”. Finally we stopped and entered a store to as kif they knew where we could fined the Build a bear, it looked like we missed the giant shopping mall behind the big factory were we stopped. And in the mall there was Build a bear.
When we entered the mall I saw a TV store, I was currious if TV’s were cheaper in the US than they are in Holland. And they are, a 65inch Samsung ultra-hd with curved screen costs about 2000 euros in the US while in Holland you pay 4000 with ease.
Esther and the kids already walked to Buill a bear so I followed them. When I entered the shop I couldn’t resist laughing. There were empy, flat bearskins all over the place. People who ever owned a dog know how that looks, cause dogs love to tear a bear apart and there is fluffy all over the place.
Senna and Sam both picked their favorite, Senna a bear and Sam an minion. After that they have to choose a switchbutton with sounds. Senna recorder his own voice with a funny saying. After that they had to pick a scent, the store laday rubs the bear with the scent and puts a scent-tablet inside of the bear. Senna had bubblegum and Sammie took banana (banan-minion). At last you can give the bear a heart, the heart you had to:
- Rub over your biceps, so the bear get’s as strong as you ar
- Rub it over your forehead, so the bear gets as smart as you
- Finally you give the heart a kiss so the bear knows you love him forever.
It was an very serious ritual 😊 .
Once all the rituals where ready it was time to stuff the bear. The bear was connected to a huge pipe where a soft padding was blown into the bear so he reached his right shape. After that it was time to get some clothes fort he bear and make the finishing touch. You can’t imagine how many clothes you can buy for those bears. Complete Darth vader suits, Nemo suits but also a blues brother suit. Really funny to see. When you finally go to the cassiere , you get a birthcertificate for the bear just like the resturn-and-loss service. In each bear there is a unique code, this code can be scanned and then information of the owner is showed. Not that I ever have scanned a teddybear that I found, but ok.
The boy had selected some fine clothing for the bear. Esther and I we’re laughing just to see those funny bears with their funny clothes…
To get to Sarasota from Clearwater we have to cross the Tampa Bay via the "Sunshine Skyway Bridge".
We had no idea what a bridge this would be. When we drove away from Clearwater it started to rain again, and harder and harder. Adjust speed and drive on. Near the bridge there was a traffic sign with the message "Long bridge ahead, check your gass". Ok, so it was a long bridge and apparently you do not want to be there without petrol. We still had the a full tank, so no worries. Just before we went to the bridge there was a matrix board with flashing lights "High wind on the bridge, caution required" ..Ok, now we were a little worried so we took the last exit and took a sanitary stop, we didn’t want to take any risks. After a while the rain stopped so we took our chances. When we were on the bridge it started raining again, hard. And I can tell you, I don’t think it was funny, a long bridge, loads of water on both sides and a very bad view. The bridge was quite steeply and quiet high, from the mainland a nice view 😊 . After the bridge the weather was turning better, so we drove quite easy to Sarasota.
While driving towards Sarasota we have seen many Camper dealers. And not with the little caravans and campers we know in Holland, with complete trucs and motohomes. Impressive an beautifull. Off course those campers should have a reason, there were many campsides of which some are like real ‘trailer trash’ kind a sides, sorry no offense..
When we arrived at the motel I felt like I was in a Ray Donovan episode, just the motel where his father Mickey lived. I loved it. A little pool, a BBQ, a all american motelroom 😊
We dropped the stuff at the motel and drove towards Siesta Key, which is a 3 mile further to the coast. First went to Siesta Village to look around, what a nice village, really a coastal village with characteristic restaurants and shops.
We went to a beach for a moment, despite the bad weather there were just people with a parasol and towel on the beach. "Die hards". We saw wooden sticks in the ground, a few things written on them. What turns out to be, are screened places where sea turtles have built a nest. Just in the middle of the public beach, the turtles come to build the nest at night, fill it and they come out. People are warned to leave these nests alone and there are serious penalties (which I can appreciate, those little creatures already have enough difficulty). What we have seen so far, and not that much yet, Sarasota looks very promising. Tomorrow we like to go to the Myakka River State Park and of course to the beach, the beaches here are very white and white ...
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You're right in my neighborhood. If you're in town Monday of next week, let me know if you want to take the boys fishing. There's good fishing in Apollo Beach.
Hi Floridadad, thank you for the offer :) unfortunately we are no longer around :) But what a great surrounding compared to the cold Netherlands . Have a great day !!
Nice blog
Yes I love it too. I could never leave. I may be in your country in the future to take a law course at The Hague. I will be sure to go in summer. :)
Ah cool, keep me posted :) maybe we can meet up :)
wah, very good post. by reading it and looking at your picture I like being in your neighborhood. greetings from steemean indonesia
Thank you very much !!