Re: Re: OT: Growing Minds, advice please!

[Guest guest]

Hi Di,

I was in Florida recently and found that

getting about is pretty easy as long as you have a map.

How about downloading some driving

instructions before you go from google maps to give you an

idea of direction etc.  Driving in Florida is pretty easy I would

say.

Also we found a great health food

supermarket called Wild Oats which had everything we needed and

much more choice than over here, I am sure

they are a chain.  Also for general fruit & veg etc the

Publix supermarket was good.  We had a

funny experience in Walmart when we asked where the

Lamb was, the butcher said ‘we don’t

have no call for lamb mame’  we were in fits of giggles and he

couldn’t understand why!!

If I think of anything else I will let you

know. 

Sal x

-----Original

Message-----

From:

Autism-Biomedical-Europe

[mailto:Autism-Biomedical-Europe ] On Behalf Of mbrookh

Sent: 03 January 2008 18:38

To:

Autism-Biomedical-Europe

Subject:

Re: OT: Growing Minds, advice please!

Di,

A couple of summers ago I was N of the Orlando area - Lake . It

was not too difficult to find gfcfsf. Chamberlains is one place I

recall to grocery shop. I don't know of places to eat out though as

we always take food along. Usually we stayed in an apt type setting

with kitchen, baths, washer/dryer etc. It was not much more $ that a

hotel/motel room and so much more convenient. The ones @ Disney

usually required a 5-7day stay. When our children were younger they

liked downtown Disney - free! of course they hawk their stuff so you

have to go with firm resolve not to buy. They have a fun area of

legos and biotics, race cars - and who knows what else as it's been a

couple of years now. If you have a vehicle, there is a welcoming

center up on International Drive not far from the convention center

that has maps, coupons, hotel discounts, etc. We try to stop there.

We were talked into International studios ONCE. It was not worth the

$. Our children were ready to bail out after a couple of hours.

Welcome to the US. Warm sounds good as I'm in Iowa-weary of the snow

and ice and VERY weary of the political drama going on here for the

caususes. Have fun and good luck with treatment.

>

> Hi

>

> I know quite a few of you have been to Florida for Growing Minds,

we

> are going in 4 weeks, OMG!!! Now starting to panic, mainly about

> stupid things like how do you find your way around, yes I know, buy

a

> map! which I have but has anyone used sat nav systems there, do

they

> work if you buy them here!

> Also other main concern is getting decent food, when we went to

Chicago

> it was quite hard to get normal food but we did find one which was

like

> an organic supermarket and was great on the last day!

> Any helpful hints on these things gratefully appreciated. We are

in

> Orlando for a couple of days but not doing Disney so any ideas on

> anything else you have found that was good and then driving down to

> Jupiter.

> We are trying to get some videoing of Sam at the moment and so long

> since we last did any he has gone all shy which in a way is good as

he

> is obviously much more aware of what we are doing.

> Sorry for immensely silly questions, a mixture of excitement and

dread!!

>

> Happy New Year to you all, hope 2008 is a really good one.

> Di x

>

[Guest guest]

--- stephaniesirr wrote:

Thanks Steph. all sounds fantastic!

I realise we are going in high season as we could not

get into the apartments you stayed at, we have ended

up with something more expensive but looks very plush

and 2 minutes from the beach, it sounds like it is

owned by a mafia consortium judging by the names so we

have some friends coming with us now and a really nice

girl who has just started doing some respite/work with

Sam!

I'm sure it will be great and we will make the most of

it, will carry on videoing Sam shouting " NO " at me,

I'm sure they will have some ideas!

I think I am nervous as last time we went to the

States to see Dr Usman in 2004 Sam had the most

massive meltdown ever and brought Chicago airport to a

standstill (well thats how it felt), the experience is

still there in my mind and probably why we dared not

risk the long flight again! Still that was then and

he is older and more in control, LOL sort of, of his

feelings so fingers crossed.

Thanks so much again for all your great advice and

help and wishing you all and Tom a much deserved happy

2008!

Oh yes we go from 6th feb til 16th so weather does

sound good

Di x

> Hi Di

>

> Don't panic - it's all very nice and Florida is

> immensely child

> friendly (let's face it, unlike most of the UK!)

>

> Jupiter is easy to find with a map, the directions

> they send you are

> pretty fool proof. THere is one main road down from

> North to South -

> the Florida Turnpike, you pass various exotically

> named areas and when

> you see Port St Lucie you know you should start

> looking out for signs

> to Jupiter and then it's half an hour so along

> straight and well

> signed roads.

>

> If you're at Jupiter appartments they are pretty

> well equipped. We

> never got Tom in the very nice communal pool sadly

> but it's lovely and

> has a jacuzzi and a bar that sells very reasonably

> priced and lethal

> mojitos.

>

> Gardens Mall (20 mins drive at most, nearer 15) has

> the Whole Foods

> Market. Beware - this place is heaven on earth,

> packed with organic

> produce, fresh nut butters, supplements, skin care,

> locally reared and

> aged meats, god it's fantastic but it aint cheap.

> We spent almost

> $400 there getting enough food for half a week oh

> and some Dr Hauscka

> skin care. Quite a good a gf range. Lots of cinemas

> within an easy

> drive. Wihtin a walk of the appartments is a PUblix

> (has most things)

> and one small block on a multi screen cinema. At

> the Gardens Mall

> there's another big cinema, mostly empty when we

> were there. THe beach

> is fab, very unspoilt, lots of wild life, waves are

> a bit impressive

> but Tom sat quite happily watching them break and

> having his feet

> squeezed. It'll be 80 degrees or so when you go

> (what actual dates

> are you there?) so really nice, not too muggy but

> like a really

> lovely early July day here.

>

> Jupiter is quite upmarket really, full of skinny ex

> New Yorkers in

> their eighties jogging at ungodly hours. Or running

> away from death as

> Mark put it. So you can find yoga, chiropractors on

> every corner,

> it's pretty safe (or feels that way), it's very

> clean, everyone is

> pretty friendly and there are a few children's

> playgrounds. also a

> free wildlife sanctuary a short drive away that is

> incredibly laid

> back and unspoilt. NOt forgetting the world famous

> Burt Reynolds

> museum which we've never got round to visiting for

> some reason!!!

>

> Make hte most of it, go with loads of issues to

> resolve, send them a

> long list. Send your worst video including you

> getting stuff wrong.

> It's not a beauty parade they can help. THey are

> both so lovely - as

> is Kaitryn, 's wife who offers counselling.

> THis time she was

> lumbered with me for 2 and a half hours in total.

> Well, she did ask!!

>

> Orlando is much more full on but still very

> straightforward. It's full

> of people out to enjoy themselves so really it's not

> that stressful,

> the villas tend to be clean, well equipped, a bit

> bland, wipe clean

> (hurrah). Fast food is a no go for diets but you'll

> find a Walmart or

> PUblix somewhere and they sell everything. You can

> stick to diets

> fairly easily although you might want to consider

> taking gf flour with

> you if that's vital. depends how broad his diet is

> - TOm's mostly

> into nuts, fruit etc so that's fairly

> straightforward.

>

> One thing about Jupiter appartments is that it's

> quite busy at this

> time of year, it's actually high season in February.

> When we were

> there in early December it was almost deserted.

> Josie at the

> appartments is pretty good at putting families going

> to GM on the

> ground floor (not that it really matters, they'd

> have a job escaping

> through the mosquito mesh which is everywhere)

>

> You'll enjoy yourselves so much, although it is full

> on, make sure to

> ask and Stefanie any silly questions about

> what to buy wehre

> before you fly. They really don't mind, they told

> Mark how to find the

> nearest guitar shops, about where to buy trainers,

> they lent me a

> juicer... they're lovely

>

> Steph xxx

>

>

> >

> > Hi

> >

> > I know quite a few of you have been to Florida for

> Growing Minds, we

> > are going in 4 weeks, OMG!!! Now starting to

> panic, mainly about

> > stupid things like how do you find your way

> around, yes I know, buy a

> > map! which I have but has anyone used sat nav

> systems there, do they

> > work if you buy them here!

> > Also other main concern is getting decent food,

> when we went to Chicago

> > it was quite hard to get normal food but we did

> find one which was like

> > an organic supermarket and was great on the last

> day!

> > Any helpful hints on these things gratefully

> appreciated. We are in

> > Orlando for a couple of days but not doing Disney

> so any ideas on

> > anything else you have found that was good and

> then driving down to

> > Jupiter.

> > We are trying to get some videoing of Sam at the

> moment and so long

> > since we last did any he has gone all shy which in

> a way is good as he

> > is obviously much more aware of what we are doing.

> > Sorry for immensely silly questions, a mixture of

> excitement and dread!!

> >

> > Happy New Year to you all, hope 2008 is a really

> good one.

> > Di x

> >

>

>

>

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