We are planning to camp for several days so we went back to the CUB store for perishable stuff like milk, meat and cheese. We managed to spend another $57.79 so it had better last for awhile.
CUB appears to be a local chain but we were very impressed. The sort of prices you expect at Costco but in regular quantities and no membership. If you are lucky enough to live in Minnesota and haven’t tried them you should definitely check them out.
We didn’t have far to go so we told Madge (our GPS) to take the scenic route. It’s a lovely day and we have lots of time.
Vicky managed to catch a cold and “pink eye” while at her daughter’s and is coughing quite a bit so we stopped at a Walgreens along the way and got her some cough drops and suppressant. I don’t have it yet but I’m sure it is just a matter of time.
Since we arrived in Sandstone via the scenic route we thought Madge was lost because where she wanted us to turn did not match the directions we had been given. Several miles later we realized that Madge had been right all the time.
Two Creek Campground has over a hundred acres and a very active membership. They even have a community theater group that writes and produces their own plays and skits.
This weekend is their annual open house and they are expecting three or four hundred visitors form all over the USA and Canada. They are also producing a new play they have been rehearsing for weeks.
We pitched our tent in a shaded spot not far from the stage and just a short walk to the showers and restrooms.
Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
June 30 ~Day #51
Budget to date
Spent today
Total to date
Daily average
Total
$5100
$62.24
$6068
$118.98
Miles by Road
Nautical Miles
Miles by Air
Miles by Train
Total Statute Miles
6924+00
3826
000
69
11427.4
Current Location: Green Haven Sun Club, Balgonie, Saskatchewan
Today’s Total Expenses: $62.24
Accommodation: $24.00
Food: $38.24
Mosquitos Everywhere
We knew we were in trouble when we set up the tent last night and a hungry hoard of mosquitos descended on us.
Lots & Lots of Rain Followed by Sunny Weather
That’s what happened here in Saskatchewan. There was so much rain that a portion of the Trans Canada Highway collapsed near Saskatchewan’s boarded with Alberta.
So now there is a lot of standing water and hot, sunny weather – a perfect environment for mosquitos to breed.
No Rest At All
If either of us got any sleep at all last night, I’m sure it wasn’t much.
I guess we expected to be bitten while we were setting up the tent, although the sheer number of mosquitos was totally unexpected.
What we weren’t prepared for was the second onslaught as we tried to settle down for the night.
Lurking in every corner of our tent and Jeep (don’t forget that we actually sleep in the Jeep) were hundreds, if not thousands, of bloodthirsty mosquitos.
We both got up several times through the night to try and kill as many as we could. It wasn’t a pretty sight. Many of them had already bitten us, so when we squished them they spurted blood – OUR BLOOD! There are now blood stains on the tent walls and even on the ceiling of the Jeep. I have no idea how I’m going to clean that up.
But it didn’t matter how many we killed, they just kept coming – wave after wave.
We even tried to bait them. We would each take turns just laying there and letting mosquitos land on us while the other one killed as many as possible.
Nothing worked. Nothing stopped them from biting us, buzzing in our ears or even trying to fly up our noses!
In despair, the only thing we could do was to cover ourselves completely with our sheets and blankets and try to get some fitful sleep while being dive-bombed all night. If an errant piece of flesh poked out, rest assured, a mosquito was on it.
Without a doubt, last night was the worst night we’ve had on this trip. I’d happily put up with freezing water pouring on me again or frosty nights. They’re a piece of cake compared with last night.
Taking Action
From what I saw, I do believe that Geoff suffered more bites than I did. And, that’s unusual. Any biting insects just seem to love me.
The main difference between us, though, is how our bodies react to the such bites.
Geoff says his bites are no longer itchy. I sure wish I could say the same. Mine are horribly itchy, red and welted. I really do try not to scratch. I know it will only make things worse. But, sometimes it is nearly impossible not to give in.
We both decided that we can’t possibly go through another night like that. We may even have to leave this campground.
In an effort to try to control the situation and salvage the days we had planned to spend here, we headed into Regina in search of an anti-itch cream, some insect repellant to prevent more bites and an insect spray, like RAID, to kill the ones still hiding in our tent and car.
Our first stop was Costco, who was totally sold out of both repellant and insecticide spray.
Looks like were weren’t the only ones to be experiencing this problem.
Next stop was Wal-Mart who was ALMOST sold out but we did manage to get a can of RAID and a bottle of Muskol lotion but their shelves were pretty bare.
Wish Us Luck
We have now liberally sprayed both the Jeep and the tent and plan to do so again a couple of hours before bedtime.
I have applied my anti-itch cream, which is helping a bit. We have both slathered ourselves with the Muskol lotion, yes, we even put some in our hair as the little buggers (pun intended) even bite us on the scalp. And, we will do that again before bedtime as well.
Stay or Go?
If we are able to get the situation under control and get a good night’s sleep then we will probably stay a few more days. If not, then we will have no choice but to move on to somewhere with less of a mosquito problem.
Canada Day
Finding an alternate place to stay may be a problem in itself as tomorrow is Canada Day.
Mosquito Post
I’ll bet you weren’t expecting a post all about mosquitos, were you.
I’ll let Geoff tell you tomorrow about how things go tonight.
Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
June 17 ~Day #38
Budget to date
Spent today
Total to date
Daily average
Total
$3800
$6.27
$4906.69
$129.12
Miles by Road
Nautical Miles
Miles by Air
Miles by Train
Total Statute Miles
4917
3826
000
69
9385.9
Current Location: Nanaimo, Vancouver Island, British Columbia (BC)
Today’s Total Expenses: $6.27
Food: $6.27 Costco hot dogs
Vancouver Island is about 300 miles long and 60 miles wide so even though we were driving all day yesterday we have only explored a small section. Vicky’s sister-in-law ‘F’ was a sales rep for grocery products for many years and traveled the island extensively so she knows the area very well. Since Vicky’s brother had to work today, F offered to drive us around to explore some of the communities close to Nanaimo. I think she was trying to sell us on the idea of moving to the island because she made a point of showing us places where we could buy some nice properties.
We drove through Parksville and in Qualicum Beach stopped at an artsy store full of cute carvings, home made jams, jewelry and furniture. You know, the sort of store a man can check out and dismiss in about five minutes and a woman can wander around in for hours.
Since I was outnumbered I found myself a comfortable chair and just dozed a little while waiting for the girls to reappear.
Surprise, ‘F’ actually bought something – a plaque for a friend. Usually the women spend hours browsing – they call it shopping – and then never buy anything.
Cathedral Grove
Our next stop was Cathedral Grove on Hwy ##. This was the highway we took to Tofino yesterday but we didn’t have time to stop.
Cathedral Grove is one of Canada’s oldest pine forests containing trees up to 800 years old. These things are immense, over xxxft high and xxxft in circumference.
A forest fire swept through the area a few hundred years ago so there are not many of the 800 year old giants left but most of the others are over 400 years old and they are pretty big, too.
Little Mountain
On the way back to Nanaimo we took a short detour up to the top of Little Mountain. The road has one of the steepest grades I’ve ever seen. There are some spectacular houses all the way up to the top. I can’t image how they manage in the winter when the area gets some snow.
Goats On The Roof
One of the oddest sights you will ever see is at the Old Country Market in Coombs. This single storey log building has a grass roof and on the roof lives a family of goats.
The property has developed into quite a tourist attraction with various art, trinket and clothing stores taking advantage of the traffic the goats provide.
Canadian Costco
Supper was still several hours away so we stopped at a Costco for their famous Polish Sausage and drink deal. Except this was a Canadian Costco and for some reason they only have hot dogs – oh well it was still good and a good deal.
Banana Cream Pie
One of my favorite desserts is Banana Cream Pie and it just happens to be one of ‘F’s’ specialities. It was well worth the extra belt notch – thank’s ‘F’.
Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
June 11 ~Day #32
Budget to date
Spent today
Total to date
Daily average
Total
$3200
$222.76
$4395.18
$137.34
Miles by Road
Nautical Miles
Miles by Air
Miles by Train
Total Statute Miles
4917
At Sea
000
000
8380.80
Current Location: Juneau, Alaska
Today’s Total Expenses: 222.76 + $28.00
Entertainment: $28.00
It Would Be Beautiful If The Sun Was Shining
Yes the rain is back. If you are planning a trip to Alaska be sure to pack rain gear and umbrellas – you will need them. I guess we have been quite lucky with weather; the only bad days have been in Ketchikan and here in Juneau. Of course the locals don’t notice the rain until it’s falling horizontally but I think that’s because they’re covered in moss.
Juneau, Alaska’s Capital
Juneau is unique as the only state capitol that you cannot drive to. The only way in or out is by sea or air – there are no connecting roads.
Mendenhall Glacier
If you take the highway out of town just past the Costco, Walmart and McDonald’s you will find the Mendenhall Glacier. It really is that close. The tour is advertised for $7 – that’s $7 each way per person for a total of $28 which takes you to the face of the glacier in Tongass National Forest.
We would have liked to have stayed there longer and taken some of the hiking trails but the rain was pretty miserable and we are not equipped for it.
More Jewelry Stores
I hope I don’t get Vicky in trouble with other woman but she is fairly practical when it comes to jewelry. She has a few nice pieces but she doesn’t pester me all the time for new trinkets.
Over the course of the cruise we have been following a kind of a treasure hunt using the coupons in the book we got when we boarded. If you visit each of the stores you get different coins and charms free at each store. It’s just junk but I’m sure the grand kids will like them.
Anyway the collection is now complete so we could get back on the ship, out of the rain and grab a late lunch.
Another Formal Night
Formal nights on a cruise ship are one of the few remaining chances the average person has to dress up. I would probably feel a whole lot better about it if I had a tailored Tux.
I grew out of my last tux many years ago and never bothered to buy a new one. What I really need is a big cumber bun to hide my big tummy.
My current dinner jacket does not fit well and I frankly find ties about the most uncomfortable thing there is to wear. We have clothes for six months traveling packed into one duffel bag – there is not a lot of room for fancy duds.
Dinner and a Show
Except in our case – since we have late sitting – it’s show and dinner.
This was the best show of the cruise. We have never heard of Jeff Trachta but apparently he was on the soap opera The Bold and The Beautiful for several years and appeared on Broadway in Grease. We thought he would just be some pretty boy singer but wow were we wrong.
He has a high tech show that uses pre-recorded video of him playing multiple parts that make up his chorus. He has a great voice plus he is possibly the best impressionist I’ve ever heard. All in all an excellent hour.
This was followed by a surf and turf dinner ~ almost worth getting dressed up for.
I’m glad we pushed through to the west side of Houston last night so we didn’t have to deal with the morning rush hour traffic.
The Free Continental Breakfast at the Day’s Inn was the typical uninspired selection of bagels, cream cheese, sugary cereals, muffins and white toast. I always wonder why these places don’t spend another $1 a guest and make their free breakfast something spectacular.
Every so often you run across a place that does it right. A make it yourself waffle machine, boiled eggs, wheat toast, fresh (not packaged) donuts and big Costco style muffins. Once in a great while you are offered omelets or porridge.
Anyway we had our bagel and cream cheese plus the coffee I need to pry open my eyes in the morning. Vicky is one of those annoying “morning people” that wakes up wide awake and then chatters about the day ahead for the first hour or so. Even after 22 years of marriage she still doesn’t understand that until I’ve had my first coffee I just don’t hear her.
Anyhow today is my birthday so I was serenaded by several chorusses from the Beatles – When I’m 64. Which of course is why we are doing this mega trip. Do it now because if you don’t it’s a crap shoot that you will be able to next year. Not that I plan to give up any time soon but I get a little shiver any time I hear of someone my age checking out early.
The original plan had been to make it to San Antonio yesterday but that was just more driving than we wanted to do and then we would have to put the tent up in the dark which we haven’t done yet. We only had a couple of hundred miles to go so it was going to be an easy day – or so we thought.
About 50 miles outside of San Antonio we came over a small hill and faced an ominous black cloud on the horizon. Within the space of ten miles the temperature dropped from 80ºF to 60ºF and the sky opened up to dump every last drop of rain directly on us. Sure glad we had Madge (our Magellan GPS) to guide us to our destination otherwise we may not have found it.
San Antonio is one of the few places in the US we have not yet visited so the plan is to stay a couple of days before we move on. We are staying in a 25 acre camp right beside the San Antonio river. Two pools, hot tub, club house and high on Vicky’s must have list – a laundromat.
It was still raining when we arrived so we delayed putting up the tent and spent an hour in the hot tub. The sky soon cleared and we got the tent up then learned from a fellow camper that the tree above us was full of caterpillars that were searching for places to build their cocoons. We soon confirmed this by looking at the picnic table and the ones that had already claimed their spot on our tent. So with the help of another couple we picked up the tent and moved it to another spot.
Vicky made and extra special supper of filet steak, cheese and broccoli rice, and vegetable melange. She followed this with fresh whole strawberries. Pretty spectacular for being prepared on a single burner camp stove.
The sky was pretty clear when we crawled into the back of the Jeep and drifted off to sleep but the weather gods had not done with us yet. At about 2 o’clock in the morning………
But this is Vick’s blog day so you will have to wait for tomorrow’s exciting episode.
Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
May 11 ~ Day # 1
Budget to date
Spent today
Total to date
Daily average
Total
$100
$185.15
$185.15
$185.15
Econo Lodge
Current Location: Lake Como Resort
Mileage: 296 Total: 296
Today’s Total Expenses: $185.15
Transportation: Started with full tank
Toll: $2.50
Accommodation: $49.08
Food: $133.57
Entertainment: $0.00
Econo Lodge in Dania Beach
Before embarking on our “official” trip we spent two days in the Econo Lodge in Dania Beach to give us a chance to get organized and get the car serviced. I guess those two days count as T minus 2 and T minus 1.
We got a really good deal on the stay as we have a Choice Privileges card and Econo Lodge is part of the group. We had earned a free night stay with our loyalty card and paid for the other night.
Although older, the motel was clean, the pool was great and the staff were friendly.
All-in-all it was a great deal for the money. Mostly running around and shopping
Even though today is officially the first day of the trip, we still had a lot of running around to do and a lot of things to buy.
We made a final stop at our mail forwarding address to makes sure there wasn’t any more mail for us before we left.
The poor car just looked so packed full of stuff. Truly, we have yet to get organized but hope this process will happen along the way.
Thank goodness for our Magellan GPS. With a few minor exceptions it has guided us accurately to wherever we told it we wanted to go.
Recap of our equipment
So, let’s do a quick recap of what we’ve actually got with us for the trip. In order to save money and try to bring this adventure in on budget we plan to do some camping along the way.
Now, there’s a real leap of faith. I haven’t camped in more years than I care to admit to and the same goes for Geoff. But, we tried to select the equipment we would need logically. We’ll see how that works out.
What we have for the trip:
*Koolatron cooler – that’s the type that can be either hot or cold and plugs into your cigarette lighter or power outlet in your car/RV.
*Sportz SUV Tent – this tent actually attaches to the back of your SUV giving you way more space with the tent and SUV combined. We’re traveling in a 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee, so this kind of tent seemed ideal for us. (More about setting it up later)
*Truckbedz – we opted for an inflatable mattress that was designed to fit the back of the Jeep. It inflates and deflates quickly and this also meant that we wouldn’t have to sleep on the ground – something I particularly didn’t want to do.
*Jetboil Helios cooking system – this was purchased with an eye to both size and convenience. Reviews on this system also seemed pretty good. (More later about cooking our first supper with this system)
These were the main purchases. Other items that were, of course, needed were dishes, cutlery, cooking utensils and the usual stuff like paper towels, etc.
A Car Full of Food
One of the toughest things was keeping down the amount of food we were purchasing. For one thing, food is very expensive in the Bahamas, so everything looked like such a good deal. However, the cooler and car will only hold so much. We had to be really conservative on anything that needed refrigeration.
Our first grocery shopping trip was to Costco. Now that was really difficult because of the sizes normally sold there. We did buy some stuff but not nearly as much as a normal Costco trip. Costco has always been an outing for us and it’s just amazing how much will just jump in the cart. However, we exercised surprising restraint and only bought things like canned chili and packets of soup in a bowl. One of the best things we got were salt and pepper grinders all ready full of sea salt and peppercorns – can’t be without our salt and pepper.
Just before getting to our camping spot for the night we stopped at a Wal-Mart Super Center to pick up just a few more items. We got a set of Coleman dishes and cutlery so we actually had something to eat dinner on, as well as a few utensils like a spatula and the always-essential can opener.
With the car now bulging (and I thought I may have heard a few groans as well), we headed to Lake Como Resort to camp for the night. This meant setting up the tent for the first time, inflating the mattress for the first time and using the Jetboil system for the first time. That’s a lot of firsts for people our age.
After finding our campsite we began the process of figuring out the tent. We opened it up, checked all the parts we had and began to read the instructions. I guess we looked a little perplexed as a neighbor came by to ask if we needed any help. He had noticed us poring over the instruction booklet.
In a bit the methodology became clear and we started to assembly the tent and attach it to the car. As with anything new, once you’ve got it figured out subsequent attempts become easier.
Then our thoughts turned to dinner. Geoff set up the Jetboil, and they sure named this product right. We were having spaghetti and meat sauce for dinner and we began boiling the water for the spaghetti which, amazingly, only took a minute or two to boil. When it was ready we took that off the burned and cooked the ground beef and then added the spaghetti sauce that also cooked in record time.
It was a bit awkward but everything came out great and we enjoyed spaghetti and meat sauce as well as salad and garlic bread for dinner. Not bad for our first camping meal.
It was now time to think about heading off to bed for the night in our new tent. At this point we began to question if we wanted to sleep in the back of the car, which seemed like it would be cramped. Remember, we’re used to sleeping in a king-size bed. So, we decided to inflate the mattress and just lay it on the floor of the tent. Well, as I mentioned earlier, it was specifically made to fit in the back of the car, so it has a rather odd shape. We made a valiant attempt to sleep on this hourglass-shaped mattress on the bottom of the tent, but neither of us could sleep because we kept falling off the edge of the mattress.
About 2am Geoff suggested that we put the mattress in the back of the Jeep where it was meant to be in the first place. So that’s what we did and you know what, because we had the sides of the car to lean against and we weren’t falling off the edges of the mattress, we actually felt like we had more room and were able to get a reasonable amount of sleep.
After our first day of camping I’m pleased to say that we are still married, still talking to each other and both without any major injury. Not bad! Now on to day two …
We had planned to spend a couple of days at the Universal Studios Theme Park during this trip to Orlando but the disappointment of yesterday’s visit to Disney Hollywood Studios has made us re-evaluate our itinerary.
It’s possible that we have seen and done so much that we are more difficult to impress than the average Disney visitor. The kids certainly seem to enjoy themselves and I’m sure we would have enjoy it more had we had the grandkids in tow.
However, we have decided not to spend more money on theme parks until they have caught up with current technology. Movies like Avatar have now set the bar so high that theme parks will have to be completely redesigned if they hope to wow their visitors.
So, for today, it’s off to the Apple Store at Florida Mall on South Orange Blossom Trail to see if we can get Geoff’s Time Capsule fixed. A thunderstorm sent a lightning charge into our local phone system, through our DSL modem and into the Time Capsule. I’m guessing it got fried and we should be thankful we didn’t lose the iMac as well.
As expected the Apple tech told us our only option is replacement as the warranty has expired. We are now the proud owners of a sleek, hi-tech, very expensive doorstop. Good job we picked up the new 1.5 terabyte drive at Costco on Wednesday.
More Timeshare Bribes
The weather report for tomorrow is cold and thundershowers so we took the opportunity to sign up for a tour of the Wyndham Bonnet Creek Resort at the Magic Kingdom. We had to pay the clerk in the little booth a $20 deposit to make sure we show up but that is usual and we will get it back at the resort. Since we didn’t want anymore discounted attraction tickets, we opted for a $100 American Express Card as the bribe. Not much of a bribe for our time but we will get more information for our book.
Another of the little booths at the Florida Mall was demonstrating a tiny, hi-tech, TENS unit called the Mini Massager. If you have ever paid a visit to a chiropractor you may have been hooked up to a TENS machine. It uses a tiny electrical current to stimulate individual muscles. It can also be used to relieve headaches. Since Vicky gets migraines and Geoff has various aches and pains of arthritis, we stopped to get more info.
OK, the justification went something like this. If it works as advertised it’s well worth the money. We may never see it again as it is not a regular store item. We just made $100 by signing up for the timeshare pitch. This tiny unit that looks like an iPod Nano is $160 but felt like it did some good. We’ll keep you posted.
The Serendipity Part
can-am Spyder RT at Daytona Bike Week
When we went to Costco on Wednesday, we drove past a motorcycle dealership that had some trikes out on display. We didn’t have an opportunity to stop then but the Florida Mall is just North of the Costco, so we had to go the same way to get there. We have decided that a trike will be our best option for our travels around Europe because of the stability it offers. Most of the trikes we have seen so far are third party conversions of Honda Goldwings and what we really want is something factory built.
The bikes on display at Central Florida PowerSports in Kissimmee are called the Spyder from BRP. Never heard of them, right? Actually, we discovered that BRP is part of can-am which is a division of Bombardier. These are the folks that invented the Ski-Doo and also build the Sea-Doo, Johnson, Evinrude, etc. They even build subway trains so they certainly have the engineering chops to build a motorcycle.
Pablo Hofle and Brian Fitzpatrick of Central Florida PowerSports spent a lot of time with us demonstrating all the advanced features of this amazing machine. It looks like we have found exactly what we are looking for for our European adventure.
We also met one of the factory reps who is in Florida for Daytona Bike Week. Spyder has a booth at the Daytona Show and it will only be a few miles out of our way on the drive home so we may just check it out.
Our home timeshare unit at Carriage Hills in Barrie, Ontario is a two bedroom that can be divided into a one bedroom and a studio. Our studio is very complete with a decent fridge and cooking surface but unfortunately this is not usually the case.
We exchanged once into The Hammocks Resort at Marathon in the Florida Keys and their “studio” was just a regular hotel room with a microwave. The dishes and cutlery were in a milk crate on the bed and we had to do the dishes in the bathroom sink. We were not happy!
The studio at Celebrity Resort – Orlando, where we are staying for the week, is much better than that but sill not up to the standards of our home unit. The one bedroom we have been upgraded to, however is very nice. This is an older resort but well kept. When it was first built I imagine it was quite spectacular.
The Timeshare Bribe
You are under no obligation to attend a sales presentation when you stay at a timeshare resort but they will always offer you a bribe to do so. This being Orlando, the bribe was for discounted attraction tickets and also included breakfast. Since we had not yet had an opportunity to get any groceries the free breakfast was an irresistible incentive.
I guess the decision to attend a presentation or not depends on how you value your time. The offer was for a $200 discount on tickets we were going to buy anyway and the old style high pressure sales presentations are very rare these days. Generally you spend a pleasant 90 minutes chatting with a resort representative and, in our case, since we are writing a book about vacation ownership it was a chance to gather more information.
We chose the 2 Day Touch of Magic pass for 2 which gave us admission to two major and one minor Disney theme areas. The regular price of the ticket is $404 but we paid $196. This does not include parking which costs another $14 a day.
How can a young family with a couple of kids afford a vacation here? The 5 day Park Hopper pass for four costs $1,132, plus parking, plus food. And the exit of every ride is a gift shop selling overpriced junk. Sure glad all our kids are grown – although it is great to see their faces when they see the Magic Kingdom for the first time.
Off To Costco
We were in no particular rush to see the Mouse and needed to get some groceries for the week. So, it was off to Costco. Other than the new North Eleuthera Shopping Center, there is nothing much larger than a US convenience store on our island so, for us, shopping at Costco is an event in itself. We tried to stick closely to our shopping list so we will not have to throw stuff away at the end of the week.
We tried, but this was Costco. The new 1.5 terabyte hard drive was such a good deal and Vicky always needs wants new shoes. That shirt would look good and only $15 for three LED flashlights – you can’t turn that down.
So we went a little overboard but not nearly as bad as we used to. Probably the thought that we will be leaving for our new adventure soon and have to pare our possessions down to what will fit in a couple of suitcases.
Avatar in Imax 3D
We are both huge science fiction fans and have been looking forward to the opportunity to see the new James Cameron film, Avatar. Fortunately it was still playing for a few more days at the Regal Pointe Imax 3D theater on International Drive in Orlando.
Wow!
The trailer can’t come close to the experience of seeing this movie in Imax 3D
We were totally blown away by Avatar. There is so much hyperbole and hype about most everything these days so it is difficult to express just how good this movie experience is. The story is simple and easy to follow but beautifully told. James Cameron has taken the time (2 hr 40 min) to let you get to know and care about the characters. Just about every scene includes a special effects of some sort but they are so seamless you accept them as part of the world the film creates.
This is another triumph by the Weta Digital group that did the effects for the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Update March 8 – Weta Digital won the 2010 Oscar for best visual effects
As a regular widescreen movie this would be one of the greats, but in 3D you become part of the actions. Thankfully there aren’t any cheap 3D tricks with objects thrust out at the audience, the 3D effect is simply used to make you feel a part of the action.
When you add Imax to this mix with its five story screen the immersive effect is further enhanced and for 2-1/2 hours you are transported to another world.
Do we recommend this move? You bethca! Don’t miss it and if you have opportunity to see it in an Imax theater, it is truly a life-changing experience.
