Archive for August, 2004

Beach Ball 8 GAY DAY DISNEY 2004

Tuesday, August 17th, 2004

MARK YOUR CALENDAR – The first Saturday of June each year is Gay Day at the Magic Kingdom in World Disney World in Orlando, Florida.  For some, the festivity starts the week before in Pensacola, Fl during Memorial Day weekend.  With over 100,000 GBLT coming from all over the world, Orlando is the gay capital of the world.  Gary and I always spent our time at the Disney World’s park and this year we decided to go to a party.   What a party it was.  Beach Ball 8 was held at Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon water park on the Friday from 8:00 PM to 2:00 AM.  Over 6,000 scantily clad men and women danced, swum, slid, knocked down by waves, floated and soaked in the chlorinated water under a clear and starry sky. 

The late night activity took away all our strength and we barely survived the Gay Day at Magic Kingdom the following Saturday.  Exhausted, we left the park before the nightly fireworks.   On Sunday, we met with Gary’s sister, mom and dad.  They live near Tampa and drove 45 minutes to Orlando and spent the day with us.  We went to Disney’s Epcot and experienced the new ride, Mission: Space.  This ride produces the effect of going out to outer space.  I felt weightlessness with incredible g forces that pushed my cheeks back against my ear, and the pressure on my lungs was so great that it was hard to breathe at times.  Needless to say we all experienced motion sickness (vomit bag available) that we were done for the day and left the park for an early dinner. 

There are many groups of people that attend this event through out the years, and some of them organize big parties. I want my fellow Houstonian to join me.  I am working on gathering a large group of people to go with me next year and hopefully start a new tradition.  SO SAVE your money and next year put on your Mickey hat; I mean Minnie hat.

Tennessee Pride

Tuesday, August 17th, 2004

It has been a while since my last traveling article.  In the last four months, I have been to too many places and will concentrate on Tennessee and Orlando for the next few articles.

It has been a while since my last traveling article.  In the last four months, I have been to too many places and will concentrate on Tennessee and Orlando for the next few articles.

Gary and I managed to do some sightseeing around the Chattanooga area.  From our 2 stars Ramada Inn on Look Out Mountain, we drove a short distant to Chattanooga to see what has to be one of the best aquariums in America.  We also went to Ruby Falls, the world’s tallest cave waterfall.  We also ate enough pork bbq for an army.

On the way back to Houston, we paid our respect to the King of rock and roll, Elvis Presley.  Graceland managed to empty our wallets, but an unscheduled overnight stay in New Orleans proved successful when I won a jackpot on a penny slot.  It was 40, 200 pennies.  Life is sweet!