What's New in March and April, 1999
Florida (Miami)
The family spent 10 days in Florida utilizing a part of Toru's sabbatical for 20 years' working in Fuji Xerox. Of course, Takeshi and Haruka were in spring vacation. This photo was taken at the front of Marriott Hotel near Miami international airport. They went to Key West by rental car without seeing Miami.
Florida (Key West)
Key West is the west end of Key Islands connected by the over 40 bridges, in which the famous "7 mile bridge" is included. Left photo was taken in the front of Hemingway's House, who loved Key West much. There were many cats in this house because Hemingway loved them. (It can be seen that a cat is laying at the left column of the front door.) Right photo was taken at the Southernmost Point which shows that here is the most southern point in USA. They took a motel near here.
Like Hemingway, beautiful Emerald Green sea is the best place in Key West. This photo was taken in the Glassbottom Boat from which they could look into the sea with colorful fishes through the glass. Takeshi and Haruka played a famous scene of the film "Titanic" at the head of the boat.
Florida (Cape Kennedy)
From Key West, they moved to Orlando spending one night in Miami. In staying Orlando, they visited Kennedy Space Center first. They couldn't see the launch of Space Shuttle, but could see the launching pad from the observation gantry. At the observation gantry, there was a real scale model of jet engine which looks like Buddhist temple big bell!(Left) Of course, a real scale model of Space Shuttle was displayed(Right). The Appolo Suturn V rocket was so big and impressed also. The slogan "Yesterday the moon, Today the space station, Tomorrow... Mars!" was seen here and there in the center and made us feel American confidence and challenge spirit.
Florida (Orlando)
In Orlando, of course, wide Disney World is famous. The family visited Magic Kingdom equal to the Disney Land of Los Angeles at first. The left photo was taken at the house of Mickey Mouse(The same photo was taken at Disney Land in Los Angeles). The right photo was taken automatically when the boat plunged into a dive with a waterfall in Splash Mountain, when Takeshi and Haruka shout with thrusting up their hands in the last line. So that they say, Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain and this Splash Mountain are best attractions.
The next was MGM Studio. It reproduces Town of Hollywood. Tower of Terror, a dive of an elevator is successive, made Haruka dumb. Parents didn't participate in such an attraction by the way. This photo was taken at the last of the backlot tour to visit a stage back of a movie. Takeshi and Haruka were funny as doing the imitation in front of the robbot appeared in a movie "Terminater 2". In the photo, Haruka wore a cowboy hat that he bought in the attraction of a movie of Indy Jones. The show of Mickey Mouse as a leading actor called "Fantasmic" is interesting attraction to see a movie on a curtain of water.
The 3rd was Epcot Center. World Show Case in this center has famous buildings of the world around the lagoon, so that we can make a world round tour by rotating the lagoon. Left photo is Chinese "Tendan"(sky platform), rightphoto is Japanese "Miyajima". In Japanese area, a castle and a "Goju-no-Tou"(5 storyed tower) were also displayed, and "Matsuri-za" played a "Wa-Daiko"(Japanese dramming) as a performance. The night show which is colored by a fire work and laser light with fountain was impressive. In the attraction, 3D movie " Honey I shrunk the Audience " was also impressive because of its wonderful idea.