Andrew had a work conference in Orlando, Florida and of course, I tagged along! Fortunately, two of my friends were in town because their husbands were attending the same conference; therefore, we all got to spend time together.  The three of us girls decided we wanted to go to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter which means we'd be going to Universal Studios- Islands of Adventure. Granted, I would have gone to Universal Studios alone but it was much more fun with friends! 
I'm a huge Harry Potter fan; I've read all of the books and some of them I've read multiple times.  I was so ecstatic to visit the theme park!  Walking through The Wizarding World of Harry Potter was like being in the movies.  We rode all of the rides, tasted Butterbeer (get the frozen kind), and walked in all of the shops.  The architects that design those theme parks are truly artists.  I couldn't believe how well they captured exactly how J.K. Rowling describes these places in the books!  We took time to walk around and ride rides in the rest of the park but found ourselves starting and ending the day in Hogsmeade.  It was a magical day, I would have paid the park entrance fee just to go into Harry Potter World. 

My three favorite things about the day were: 

1. Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey- this ride is a one-of-a-kind experience.  The ride takes place in Hogwarts and the state-of-the-art technology makes you feel like you're actually soaring on your broom through the castle. 
2. Tasting Butterbeer- I was really nervous that I wouldn't like the Butterbeer or that I'd be disappointed but my oh my, I was not!  I opted to get the frozen Butterbeer (recommended by a friend- thanks Kesler) instead of the regular kind.  It was amazing and I could have drank 10 more!  Butterbeer tastes like a butterscotch cream soda if you're wondering. It's scrumptious! 
3. The architecture- There is no doubt a ton of work was put into making this theme park everything the fans could have wanted, desired and imagined.  It required a two-and-a-half-year construction period before the public could witness the recreation of Hogsmeade and the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It is absolutely brilliant!

We chose not to buy the park-to-park pass so we weren't able to ride the Hogwarts Express over to Diagon Alley.  We did get a picture with the conductor and he never broke character once!  The entire experience was magnificent and I'm so glad I was finally able to visit!   

I'm constantly trying to visit new places; as many of you know, it's on my bucket list to visit all 50 states by the age of 50. Since the last time I updated this list, I've added two new states: Kansas and South Dakota. What states are on your bucket list or is it all of them?!