Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Sun Life Stadium - Miami Dolphins vs. Buccaneers

Last week a friend of mine took my son and me down to Miami to see the Dolphins play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I don't expect that anybody cares about my favorite teams but I thought the experience was worth sharing.
Sun Life Stadium is located just south of Miami right off the Florida Turnpike.  It was built and named after Joe Robbie who founded the Dolphins in 1966.  After his death the stadium was renamed Pro Player and again Sun Life Stadium by the current owner Stephen M. Ross.  The stadium is not very old but there are talks to replace it for something more modern. I noticed it was exceptionally well-staffed and maintained but it could use some upgrades.

We sat on the Club Level which gave us three seats on the 35 yard line, access to bars and restaurants, and lots of room to move around.  It was very comfortable and the employees were very professional and polished.  Service was good and food was excellent but don't look for bargains here.  A beer costs $7.00 and a jersey from the gift shop goes for $155.00. Seats are actually reasonable going from $45.00 to $700.00.  You can buy tickets on line or, if you have money to spend, call for Club Seating and really treat yourself to a fun time.

We enjoyed the day and they do everything to make it fun for all.  Parking is painless and getting to where you need to go is easy.  This is a big stadium. The parking areas hold over 24,00 vehicles and the stadium holds over 76,000. Sun Life Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium hosting Florida Marlins baseball and world-class concerts like the Rolling Stones, U2, Madonna, and more.

Even though Miami lost the game it was the experience of a lifetime. The showmanship and excitement was fantastic.  Nothing went wrong and we will remember it forever.

Monday, August 12, 2013

Walt Disney World Parks Before We Knew Them .........





I wanted to do something different so I found some old photos of Disney under construction.  The one above was a promotional flyer from 1969 when the Preview Center was opened on Buena Vista Drive.  The Preview Center is still there. It is now an AAU headquarters building.
 
                                                   
          Cinderella's Castle


Below is the inside of the Contemporary Hotel.  If you've ever been there you recognize the monorail track just below the windows.




                                                   Expedition Everest - Animal Kingdom



Spaceship Earth - Epcot



EPCOT





Tower of Terror - Disney Hollywood Studios


Jungle Cruise - Magic Kingdom


Typhoon Lagoon

(All photos courtesy of Google and Walt Disney World properties)