Shark – Tiffany A White's Ooo Factor

Who loves vacations? White sand, turquoise water, and a soft island breeze with a few pina coladas – that’s our idea of a vacation.

Islamorada Vacation - Cheeca Lodge 2011 — My view from the cabana, now just imagine me holding a pina colada....

Last week’s Friday FabOoolousness blog post listed seven places on my travel bucket list, and not one of them included locations within the United States. What’s ironic about the timing and publishing of the post? I was sitting pretty in a beach chair off the Atlantic Ocean in a tropical paradise – Islamorada, Florida.

The Atlantic and James Patterson — On the beach with my favorite mystery series

Islamorada means “purple island” and is known as a “village of islands” located on multiple islands within the Florida Keys, almost centralized between the cities of Miami and Key West.

The tropical climate in Islamorada resembles that of the Caribbean. While we were there, the temperature never raised above the triple digit figures we’re accustomed to in the state of Texas this time of year, and the humidity wasn’t like walking through a constant cloud of moisture. It was simply beautiful allowing our group to stay outside for hours on end enjoying the sand and beach.

Our group couldn’t resist the urge to take the snorkeling charter out to the Alligator Reef Lighthouse, a coral reef only thirty minutes from the shores of Islamorada. The waters were only about ten to fifteen feet deep at the lighthouse, and crystal clear making for a great snorkeling experience. We saw Surgeonfish, Juvenile Angelfish, a few bright blue wrasse, and a couple of large and beautiful Parrot fish.

I didn't take this picture....but this is a Parrot Fish

Not a seasoned snorkeler, I headed back to the boat after spotting a few barracuda and being instructed to make a fist (they supposedly like to nibble on fingers), missing out on the jellyfish, the Moray eel, and the four-foot baby shark that the rest of the group experienced. I can’t really say that I’m sad.

Another must-do when vacationing at the beach is to order and consume as much fresh fish as possible. Before every dinner, we relished the conch and clam chowder as well the jerk shrimp and conch fritter appetizers. Our main dishes included blackened Mahi Mahi, grilled and whole Yellowtail Snapper, Lobster Schnitzel (shelled, rolled in breadcrumbs and pan-fried with a light butter sauce – yea, it’s pretty tasty), scallops, crab, and mussels to just name a few.

Who can travel to the Florida Keys without eating key lime desserts? We sampled the key lime cheesecakes, the tarts, and the pies. Nothing beats topping off a fine dining experience like a piece of key lime pie and a cup of coffee. Well, maybe a few people prefer Sambuca (tastes like liquid licorice) and bread pudding for dessert.

For those looking for a U.S. tropical paradise, I recommend the Cheeca Lodge and Spa. The resort has a secluded beach, a 525-foot pier, a Jack Nicklaus 9-hole par 3 golf course, a camp for the kids, and of course a spa. The resort also offers kayaking, windsurfing, chartered fishing boats, and sailboat rentals. Once you arrive, you never have to leave again.

Enjoy some of our shots around the resort!

: My view while sipping a cup of morning coffee

What’s your ideal vacation and where do you like to go? Do you know of another tropical paradise in the U.S. that we need to check out? Please leave a comment – I’d love to hear from you!

Who’s the killer in the original Friday the 13^th?

Answering this very question incorrectly cost Drew Barrymore’s character her life in Scream.

It all started in 1980, when innocent camp counselors worked to open an old camp site; a camp that had been closed after a young boy, Jason Voorhees, drowned in the lake. How did Jason drown? Two camp counselors that were supposed to watch him decided to have sex instead. Devastated by her son’s death, Jason’s mother, Mrs. Voorhees took matters into her own hands to ensure the camp didn’t open again — to protect other children from counselors who were more interested in their summer shenanigans than watching the children. One by one, she stalked the unaware teenagers, placing blame on each of them for her son’s death. Mrs. Voorhees managed to brutally murder each counselor — all except for one. Alice managed to escape Mrs. Voorhees’ murderous rampage and turned the tables on the crazed mother. In what began the true Friday the 13^th style, Alice decapitated Mrs. Voorhees’ with a machete.

And then begins the Curse of Camp Crystal Lake.

In Part II, the supposed dead son of Mrs. Voorhees, is actually an adult, and very much alive. Following in his mother’s footsteps, Jason slaughters Alice, his mother’s murderer, and returns to Camp Crystal Lake. He lives in peace, until years later more teenagers arrive to open the camp — BIG mistake.

Part III picks up right where II ended, and is crucial to the series. Why? Jason finds a hockey mask, the hockey mask, to cover his disfigured face. Jason continues to slice through dozens of teenagers over the years, proving he’s invincible along the way.

The series continues with: Part IV: The Final Chapter, Part V: A New Beginning, Part VI: Jason Lives, Part VII: The New Blood, Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan, Part IX: Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday, and Part X: Jason X. With twelve feature films and a television series, Friday the 13^th is considered one of the most successful franchises in movie history.

Twenty-three years later, the franchise continued with a match-up that fans had been talking about for years: Freddy vs. Jason. The battle of the century takes place in both Freddy’s dream world, and Jason’s home, Camp Crystal Lake, with only one victor. Or was there?

In 2009, Friday the 13^thwas reborn again. The newest installment featured popular television stars for the new teenage audience: Jared Padalecki (Sam Winchester, Supernatural), Amanda Righetti (Grace Van Pelt, The Mentalist), and Danielle Panabaker (Julie Stark, Shark). The film didn’t disappoint this Friday fan, and had classic elements of the older versions — most recognizably, Jason’s resurrection after being buried in the water, from which he rises and grabs a survivor before the screen fades to black. Did you jump?

In addition to the machete and the hockey mask, what is the other most famous element of Friday the 13^th and Jason Voorhees?

“Ki ki ki, ma ma ma” – The dreadful, eerie, creepy music. There have been many debates over what the actual sounds of the Jason music are. The ‘ki’ sound comes from the word ‘kill’ and the ‘ma’ sound from “mommy’; a line in the original movie spoken by Mrs. Voorhees in her child’s voice, “Kill her mommy!”

Unknown actors are often cast in slasher films early in their careers. The Friday franchise is no different. Who are two very famous Friday alums today?

Kevin Bacon (I)

Corey Feldman (IV and V)

Jason Voorhees remains one of the most frightening characters today. He’s gigantic, has super strength, obtains supernatural abilities, and isn’t afraid to kill. He always has his machete, but he will also never shy away from bows and arrows, spears, pitchforks or chainsaws: anything that will cut right through his victims.

Despite all the death, someone always manages to escape Jason’s clutches. Wanna know the secret, kids? I’ll give you a hint – the same rules apply from the movie Scream. Don’t believe me? Watch & see!

Do you think of Jason when you go camping? Will you ever send your child to a summer camp on Crystal Lake? Who do you think is stronger and more dangerous – Jason or Michael Myers from the Halloween franchise? Which Friday movie was your favorite & why? I’d love to hear from you!