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Travel – The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

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Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Today is J.K. Rowling’s birthday, she is the world famous author of the Harry Potter series of books, and in her honor I would like to share this Travel post on the Wizarding World of Harry Potter located at the Universal Orlando Resort in Florida.  So, at the beginning of summer we finally left for a one week road trip to Florida.  We had planned stops in Charleston, SC and the Kennedy Space Center before arriving at the Universal Orlando Resort.

The morning after we arrived in Orlando; we woke early, had a quick breakfast at our hotel and then headed to the Universal Island of Adventure Theme Park.  We were lucky that our hotel had a shuttle bus and after a short ride we were dropped off at the entrance to the Universal Orlando Resort.  (This worked out great for us because during our entire stay in Orlando we never had to move our car from the hotel parking lot!)  TRAVEL TIP: We were allowed entrance into the Islands of Adventure Park one hour early; this is available for guests that book their hotel reservations/park tickets through the Universal website.  If you have this opportunity, take advantage of the chance because this area of the park can get very crowded especially during the summer months!

Upon entering the Islands of Adventure Park, we quickly headed to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter to begin our adventure.  This magical area is truly enchanting and once you walk through the arched gates, guests will leave the “muggle” world behind and entered into the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.  The sign above the entrance reads, “Please respect the spell limits” and as guests walk through the entrance the entire village of Hogsmeade appears complete with a light touch of snow.  TRAVEL TIP: After riding all the rides in the Wizarding World, take the time to stroll through the village of Hogsmeade.  Look at the shop window displays and then go into the shops to look around because the attention to all the details is absolutely amazing.

Hogsmeade entrance sign Hogsmeade 1

 

Immediately on the right of the entrance stands a fiberglass replica of the Hogwarts Express sitting at the Hogsmeade train station.  We stopped to take a quick photo in front of this iconic steam train from the Harry Potter books and movies, it makes a great photo!  TRAVEL TIP: If you are lucky and the train conductor is there, ask to see his pocket watch.  This one-of-a-kind item is a golden pocket watch with the crest of Hogwarts on one side and the Hogwarts Express engine numbers on the other side.  The unique watch not only tells the conductor the time but also where the train is located and if the train is on schedule.

Hogwarts Express Train 1

Hogwarts

Our first stop was the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey attraction (with the early admission access we were hoping to limit our wait time, so we wanted to go there first).  The ride is located inside the Hogwarts Castle and as guests walk through the corridors they will see the gallery of talking portraits, the office of Headmaster Dumbledore and the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom with Harry, Hermione and Ron appearing on the balcony.  Before you reach the boarding area of the ride, muggles like me that can’t ride because of motion sickness can exit here (which was fine with me because part of the enjoyment of this ride is walking through the queue area and seeing the interior of Hogwarts).  After boarding the “magical benches”, the braver guests will experience a simulated flight that starts with them feeling like they are flying around the outside of the castle, and then there is an encounter with the Whomping Willow, several dementors, some giant spiders, a Hungarian Horntail Dragon and finally a Quidditch match.  Both my husband and daughter enjoyed this ride and rode it several times during our stay at the Universal Orlando Resort!  TRAVEL TIP:  If you are riding again for the second or more times, consider the single rider line, especially if the regular wait line is too long!

Harry Potter ride exterior - Cassie Harry Potter ride warning sign - Jeff

Harry Potter ride interior 2

Harry Potter ride interior 3 Harry Potter ride interior 4

Next, my husband and daughter went on the Flight of the Hippogriff, of course I passed on this ride, too!  This ride is a steel roller coaster designed for families (OK, please don’t call me a wimp!!).  The story of this ride is that the Hogwart’s Care of Magical Creatures, Professor Hagrid, is teaching young wizards how to fly on a Hippogriff by using a wicker replica of the creature.  My husband and daughter rode this ride twice, but when we returned later in the day the wait time was just too long to ride again!  TRAVEL NOTE:  Look for the nest with a baby Hippogriff and Hagrid’s Hut which can also be seen from the Dragon’s Challenge ride.

Flight of the Hippogriff Flight of the Hippogriff 2

By this time, we had a breakfast reservation at the Three Broomstick restaurant, the design of the building is based on the inn & pub from the Harry Potter series.  After ordering our food, a waitress will conveniently help you to your table by carrying your food tray.  Breakfast was very good, tasted great and the portions were generous and we even ordered a single pumpkin juice so we all could take a taste, it is definitely unusual!  Then, while we were eating our meal, we looked up at the rafters and to our surprise we saw the shadows of owls flying, house elves working and even magical brooms cleaning, it was very cool!  TRAVEL NOTE: The Three Broomsticks serves not only breakfast, but later in the day a full menu of traditional British food such as Shepherd’s pie and fish & chips, in addition you can get a strawberry-peanut butter ice cream which was seen in the “Harry Potter and Chamber of Secrets” movie.

Three Broomsticks Three Broomsticks breakfast menu

TRAVEL NOTE:  Just next door to the Three Broomsticks is the Hog’s Head.  It is based on the pub from the Harry Potter series which is owned by Aberforth Dumbledore, he is the younger brother of Albus Dumbledore who is the Headmaster at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  The featured drink in the pub is the Hog’s Head Brew, a dark amber Scottish ale which is brewed exclusively for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.  Tip the bartender to see the Hog’s Head behind the bar come snorting to life!  TRAVEL TIP: Here is my advice from someone who does not ride the attractions at the Wizarding World, is that just outside the door of the pub is a covered area with very limited seating and it is the best place to wait during a hot summer afternoon or during one of Florida’s sudden rain showers.  Most guests sit and wait at the Owlery across the way, it is a larger area but I found it to be very crowded and after awhile the noise of the clock gets very irritating!!

After breakfast, my husband and daughter went on the Dragon Challenge ride (OK, don’t say it … but I know you are thinking it!!)  The Dragon Challenge ride is the only simultaneous two track inverted roller coaster in the world.  The ride is named for the first task in the Triwizard Tournament from the Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.  As guests enter the queue there are tournament banners, then you pass by the Wesley’s crashed flying Ford Anglia and Hagrid’s hut.  As you enter the Champions Tent, guests will see the Triwizard Cup on a pedestal, then after emerging from several dark tunnels the guests have to decide – the red Chinese Fireball dragon on the left or the blue Hungarian Horntail on the right.  My husband and daughter absolutely loved this ride!!  TRAVEL NOTE:  When you are in the boarding area look up at the ceiling for the projection of the dragons.

Dragon Challenge Flight of the Hippogriff 1

After riding all the rides (or should I say after my husband and daughter road all the rides) we decided to explore the village of Hogsmead.  Each of the shops feature wonderful window displays, so take the time to take a look before going into the shops.

Owl Post windowHoneydukes shop window

Dogweed and Deathcap shop window Gladrag's Wizardwear shop window

Here is a list of some of the shops we visited at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter:

  • Ollivanders Wand Shop – this is the most popular destination for those wishing to purchase a wand.  (Remember this is not only a branch of Ollivanders, the original shop in located in Diagon Alley)  This shop is unlike any other shop in Hogsmead because it admits only small groups of 20 at a time into the shop for a short inactive experience in which the wand keeper will select one special person to test out several different wands.  Just like in the original Harry Potter book, “the wand will choose the wizard”.
  • The Owl Post – this store is adjacent to the Ollivanders Wand shop and where souvenir wands can be purchased as well as stationery, writing pens, stamps and even stuffed owls.  TRAVEL NOTE: At the time of our visit, just outside the door was a small stand that will stamp a postcard or letter with the authentic Hogsmeade postmark.  We had a postcard stamped and it makes a very cool and inexpensive souvenir!

Hogsmeade Owl Post stamp

  • Honeydukes – this store is based on the sweetshop in the Harry Potter series and it sells many of the items mentioned in the books and movies.  Look for an assortment of candies such as: Chocolate Frogs, Bertie Bott’s Every-Flavour Beans, Fizzing Whizzbees and Cauldron Cakes but the Exploding Bonbons are no longer available for purchase.  TRAVEL TIP: This shop is great for taking photos of the family holding all the different crazy selections of candy!
  • Zonko’s Joke Shop – This shop sells toys and joke items and it is also based on a store from the Harry Potter series.  The shop is usually very crowded but if it quiet enough try to listen for the whispering from the Extendable ears hanging from the ceiling near the checkout registers, this unusual item is available for purchase.  Also, available for purchase are the pygmy puffs and if you choose to “adopt” one of these creatures the clerk will ring the bell and announce the pygmy puff’s name to the whole store.
  • Flinch’s Emporium of Confiscated Goods – located at the exit of the Forbidden Journey ride, this store sells a variety of Harry Potter themed merchandise and is also the place where guests can purchase their Forbidden Journey ride photos.  TRAVEL NOTE: In a glass case in the store, look for the Marauder’s Map which actually shows the names the students and their footprints as they wander the corridors of Hogwarts.

Other shops in the village of Hogsmead include: The Dogweed and Deathcap shop which features a potted mandrake in the shop window that comes to life every few minutes.  The Dervish and Banges shop which sells Hogwarts school robes and other items of clothing, copies of Advanced Potion making book and be sure to look for the Monster Book of Monsters in a special locked cage because it comes to life every few minutes.  The Spintwitches shop sells all types of Quidditch and broom merchandise, look for a holographic snitch that has escaped from the Quidditch trunk and flies around. The Tomes and Scrolls bookshop sells Gilderoy Lockhart’s books “Magical Me” and “Travel with Trolls”.

TRAVEL NOTE: Before leaving the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, be sure to try the Butterbeer.  This non-alcoholic beverage is available in several different locations in Hogsmeade, look for it at the Butterbeer carts, the Three Broomsticks restaurant or the Hog’s Head pub.  Butterbeer comes in both a regular and a frozen drink and can be purchased in a souvenir mug which can be refilled for a discounted price.  We thought the drink was delicious!  The first time we tried the drink we only bought one to sample between the three of us, but later when we went back we purchase three individual drinks because it was so good!!

Brief History of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter

On May 3, 2007 Universal (in partnership with Warner Bros.) announced plans that the Islands of Adventure Park area known as the Lost Continent was going to be re-themed into a 20 acre addition that would recreate Hogwarts and Hogsmeade from the popular children’s books, the Harry Potter series.  By this time, five of the seven books had been made into successful Warner Bros. movies. Construction of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter began in January of 2008.  The previous attraction, the Flying Unicorn, took almost two years of refurbishment to transform it into the new ride, the Flight of the Hippogriff.  As the Hogwarts Castle started slowly taking form during construction, and a bridge was built to join the Jurassic Park area of the Islands of Adventure Park.  Inside Hogwarts is the ride attraction, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey.  Also, the previous Dueling Dragons attraction was moved to make room for the construction of the village of Hogsmeade.   By early 2010, the former ride had now been transformed into the Dragon Challenge with theming based on the Harry Potter books and movies.

The private opening of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter took place on June 16, 2010 and was reserved only for the cast and crew of the Harry Potter films, including J.K. Rowling the author of the world famous books.  Then a few days later on June 18, the Wizarding World opened for the public and quickly proved to be a very successful addition to the Islands of Adventure Park.

Recently a second phase was announced on December 6, 2011 which will be constructed in the adjacent Universal Studios Florida in an area previously occupied by the Jaws ride attraction.  This new Harry Potter themed addition will connect the two parks with a train ride on the Hogwarts Express.  There will be a roller coaster themed ride based on the Gringotts Wizarding Bank and the remaining attractions will be themed around London and Diagon Alley. The Diagon Alley will feature the Leaky Cauldron restaurant and the shops will include the original Ollivanders Wand Shop, the Wesleys Wizard Wheezes, Madam Malkin’s Robes for All Occasion shop and the Wiseacre’s Wizarding Equipement store.  This new addition of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is expected to open in 2014.

J.K. Rowling’s Birthday

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Joanne Rowling (born July 31, 1965) is a British writer who writes under the pen name of J.K. Rowling, she is the world famous author of the Harry Potter series.  She was born in Yate, Gloucestershire in England, her parents were Peter and Anne Rowling and she has a younger sister, Dianne.  As a teenager, Rowling’s life was difficult and she was unhappy.  Her mother was ill and she did not have a very good relationship with her father.  She eventually attended the University of Exeter and studied for a BA in French and Classic Literature, she graduated in 1986.

She began working at Amnesty International in London and was now living in Manchester.  When she was delayed for hours on a crowded train trip into London from Manchester she came up with the idea for a story about a young wizard, all the details of the various characters and the story concepts.  When she returned home she immediately began writing the story of the “Philosopher’s Stone”.  Shortly afterwards, her mother died after suffering from multiple sclerosis for the past ten years.  Suddenly her sadness at her mother’s passing affected her writing.

Seeking a change, Rowling had seen an advertisement for a teacher’s position in Portugal; she moved there and taught during the day but still continued to write the Harry Potter story at night.  While in Portugal she meet Jorge Arantes and they quickly married on October 16, 1992 and had a daughter named Jessica, who was born on July 27, 1993.  The marriage proved to be an unhappy one and they separated in November 1993.  Rowling and her daughter moved to be near her sister in Edinburgh, Scotland.  Rowling had returned a very broken women; she felt she was a failure in life with a bad marriage, no job prospects with a small child to raise and support on her own.  By 1994, Rowling was diagnosed with clinical depression and had signed up for welfare benefits. To complicate matters, her estranged husband followed her to Scotland but she obtained a restraining order and finally filed for a divorce.  To set a goal for herself, she returned to college and began a course at Edinburgh University to get a post graduate teaching certificate.  During this time she would take her daughter on walks around Edinburgh and once Jessica fell asleep on daily walks she would stop in cafes to continue to write her Harry Potter story.

By 1995, Rowling had finished Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and submitted the manuscript to twelve publishing houses which all rejected the story.  A year later she finally had a publisher, Bloomsbury a publishing house located in London.  She was advised to keep her day job since there was very little chance to make money writing children’s books.  Within a few months after the book’s release she began receiving awards for her first Harry Potter book, one of the most the prestigious British book award was for Children’s Book of the Year.  By 1998, Scholastic Inc. secured the rights to publish Harry Potter in the United States.  With her large advance of $105,000 Rowling soon moved from a small flat into a large house in Edinburgh.

The worldwide success of the first Harry Potter books led to the publishing of “The Chamber of Secrets” in 1998, “The Prisoner of Azkaban” in 1999, and “The Goblet of Fire” in 2000.  After a three year interval she continued the successful series with “The Order of the Phoenix” in 2003, “The Half-Blood Prince” in 2005 and the final book “The Deathly Hallows” in 2007.  The last four books set publishing records and the series has been translated in 65 languages, Harry Potter was now a global brand worth an estimated $15 billion.

In 1998, Warner Bros. purchased the film rights and Rowling stipulated in her contract that she wanted the films to be shot in Britain with an all-British cast and she also retained creative control and script approval.  The film adaption of “The Philosopher’s Stone” (published in the U.S. as “The Sorcerer’s Stone”) was released in 2001, followed by “The Chamber of Secrets” in 2002, “The Prisoner of Azkaban” in 2004,”The Goblet of Fire” in 2005, “The Order of the Phoenix” in 2007 and “The Half-Blood Prince” in 2009.  The final book was divided into movies, “The Deathly Hallows Part One” released in 2010 and “Part Two” in 2011.

In the years since writing the first Harry Potter book, Rowling’s life has completely changed from relative poverty to wealth and financial security.  She found personal happiness as well, marrying Neil Michael Murray in 2001.  Their son, David, was born on March 24, 2003 and their daughter, Mackenzie, was born on January 23, 2005.

Her professional career has flourished as well and in 2010 at the Universal Resort in Orlando, Florida; the Wizarding World of Harry Potter opened.  The architecture of this unique section of the Island of Adventure Theme Park is truly a visual wonder.  It has proved to be so successful with the park’s visitors that an expansion of the Wizarding World has recently been announced to open in 2014.  In the meantime, Rowling has continued her writing career with the recent publication of the book, “The Casual Vacancy” in 2012 which is a complete departure from the Harry Potter series.  It also has been recently revealed that Rowling, writing under the name of Robert Gailbraith, is the true author of the crime fiction book “The Cuckoo’s Calling” released in 2013.

J.K. Rowling and Harry Potter Trivia

  • Rowling’s publisher suggested she use initials rather than her real name in order to appeal to male readers since they would probably not read an adventure/fantasy book written by a woman author.  She chose the initials J.K., J for Joanne which is her birth name and she selected K for Kathleen which is her grandmother’s name.
  • J.K. Rowling is the first person to become a billionaire by writing books.
  • Harry’s birthday of July 31, 1980 which is the same month and date as Rowling birthday, but she was born in 1966.
  • Rowling has said that she partially based the character of Hermione on herself when she was the same age, 11 years old at the start of the Harry potter series.
  • Rowling has said that the inspiration for the name of Harry Potter’s school, known as “Hogwarts”, came from the name of a plant that she saw in the Kew Gardens in New York City.
  • The headmaster at St. Michael’s Primary School was Alfred Dunn and she has suggested that he was the inspiration for the character of Hogwarts headmaster, Albus Dumbledore.
  • At one point in her life, Rowlings struggled with the disease of depression.  She has said that the Dementors, which are the deadly phantoms that guard Azkaban Prison in the Harry potter series, represent depression and the darkness that it brings to a life.
  • Rowling has said that she considered a small part in the first film playing Lily Potter (Harry’s mother) in the Mirror of Erised scene.  Ultimately, she declined the role stating that that she was not an actress but a writer.

Craft – Seashell embellished mirror

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When I was shopping in a retail store last year I found a great mirror which was framed with pieces of wood that reminded me of driftwood the is found on the beach.  We had just come back from a trip to the North Carolina coast where we had brought back numerous seashells that we found on the beach.  I decided to accent this relatively plain mirror with the seashells to hang in our downstairs bathroom.  Craft Note: The key to this design is to build the layers slowly; test several different arrangements of shells until you are pleased with the result, then secure the shells with hot-glue.

Seashell Mirror 1

Step one –

I started embellishing the mirror with ten large scallop shells.  I placed them evenly along the border, setting the orange ones on the corners and the white ones along the straight edges.  When I decided it was the right arrangement, the shells were hot-glue the seashells into place.

Seashell Mirror 2

Step two –

Next, I added twelve clam shells to the mirror and placed them evenly between each of the scallop shells.  Once again, when I decided it was the right arrangement, the shells were hot-glued the seashells into place.

Seashell Mirror 3

Step three –

This final step involves using several different types of shells, I used smaller scallop shells and a variety of small and large starfish.  The idea is to fill in all the remaining spaces along the border of the mirror.  My design style tends to be symmetrical; this is the most pleasing to my eye.  So, I evenly spaced the seashells around the edges, making sure to match the different varieties of seashells from side to side and top to bottom.  When I decided everything was placed in the right arrangement, the shells were hot-glued.

Seashell Mirror 4

This beautiful seashell embellished mirror now hangs in our downstairs bathroom against a lovely blue wall.

Decor – Beach Memorabilia Display

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Beach bookshelf - finished

There is a bookcase that was moved recently from our basement into our library and it is the place in our home that most of our beach memorabilia is displayed.  We love going to the beach, whether it is on the west coast, east coast and even Hawaii and Mexico.  We’ve collected seashells, sea glass and pieces of driftwood when we were living in California and most recently on our annual trip to North Carolina.  When I am shopping I always look for beach themed picture frames or small decorative pieces. Decorators advise that when you have a collection of items it is best to display them together for the most visual impact.  That is exactly what I did with the beach memorabilia that we have collected over the years.

To start the process of moving the bookcase from the basement to the library, I took a photo of the existing beach bookcase so I could reference the placement of the items.  Next, I cleared the bookcase and carefully boxed all the fragile seashells and picture frames.  Once it was emptied, the bookcase was finally ready to move upstairs.

Now, that the bookcase was in its new place in our library it was time to return the beach memorabilia back to the shelves.  Before doing that, I made sure the shelves were cleaned and ready to go.  To add some visual interest, on the top shelf of the bookcase I hung some fishing netting and attached some starfish.

Beach book shelf netting

I had purchased a large resin seashell “bowl” several years ago from a local retail store and I wanted to position this large piece in the center of the third shelf of the bookcase.  To add more interest I put some pieces of artificial red coral behind the bowl and then I filled the container with small seashells.

Beach book shelf resin shell container

Next, I positioned all the picture frames because I considered them the main focus of each shelf and, generally speaking, these are the items that draw the eyes’ attention.  On the top shelf are three picture frames, two of them are special craft projects.  The first one is a wooden photo frame that resembles driftwood and I glued several seashells that we collected on the beach in North Carolina.  Inside the frame is a photo of our daughter at the lifeguard station at the same beach.  The second one is another wooden frame and I glued seashells at the four corners.  Inside the frame I created a heart shape using several fragments of seashells collected from the same trip.  This is one of my favorite pieces of our beach memorabilia collection.

Beach bookshelf - frames

Beach bookshelf 3Beach bookshelf 2

More beach photos are displayed on the other two shelves.  On the next shelf are two great photos taken almost 20 years apart.  One photo is of my son and I on the beach at Carmel, CA and the other one is of my husband and daughter at the same beach.  I thought it was a great way to remember this very special beach that we loved to visit.  On the next shelf is a fun photo frame that revolves to show two different photos of our daughter at the beach in Santa Barbara, CA and you can see the joy that she had playing on the sand and surf.

Beach bookshelf 4

Beach book shelf rotating frame 1    Beach book shelf rotating frame 2

Once I was pleased with the placement of the picture frames, I added the largest seashells from the collection to the shelves.  To create some interest to a couple of the seashells, I bought unfinished wooden pieces and used the single height for two of them and doubled the height for the other two simply by hot gluing two pieces together.  All four seashells are hot glued into place at the top so they are secure on the wooden pieces.  The other large seashells were placed directly on the shelves.  To finish the beach memorabilia bookcase display I placed other beach accessories on the shelves, I included a piece of driftwood, a small sand sculpture of a mermaid, a resin seahorse and even a Boyds Bear figurine called “Wilson at the Beach”.  (Post Note: the photo of the finished Beach Memorabilia Bookshelf is shown at the top of the page)

Beach Bookshelf - shells    Beach book shelf shells on pedestals

Amelia Earhart’s Birthday

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Amelia Earhart (born: July 24, 1897 presumed dead: July 2, 1937) was an American aviator who was the first female pilot to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.  She was born in Atchison, Kansas, her parents were Samuel “Edwin” and Amelia “Amy” Earhart and she had a younger sister, Grace.  Amelia and her sister were a couple tomboys exploring their neighborhood, climbing trees and catching toads.

Amelia’s father was a claims officer for the Rock Island Railroad and in 1907 he was transferred to Des Moines, Iowa.  Amelia and her sister stayed in Kansas with their maternal grandparents and two years later they were reunited with their parents in Des Moines.  By this time Amelia’s father had become an alcoholic and eventually he was forced to retire from his railroad job.  The family then moved to Minnesota, but Amelia’s father also lost that job.  Amelia’s mother finally left and took her daughters to Chicago where Amelia graduated from Hyde Park High School in 1916.  Throughout her unhappy childhood, Amelia continued to dream about her future career and she greatly admired strong women who were able to have successful careers in predominantly male businesses such as: medicine, law and even mechanical engineering.

After high school she enrolled in a college in Pennsylvania but in 1917 she took a trip to see her sister in Toronto.  At that time World War I was being fought in Europe; Amelia decided to stay in Canada and began working as a volunteer at the local hospital taking care of the wounded soldiers.  When the deadly Spanish Flu epidemic reached Toronto in 1918, Amelia was still working at the hospital and after being exposed to the dreaded illness, she was soon hospitalized with pneumonia and a severe sinus infection.  She recuperated with her sister, now living in Massachusetts and spent her time regaining her strength staying in bed reading poetry and studying mechanics but her severe sinusitis was to significantly affect Amelia later in her life when she began flying airplanes.

By 1919, Amelia was preparing to continue with her college education and had enrolled at Columbia University to study medicine but she eventually quit after a year and moved to be with her parents who had reconciled and were now living in California.  While at a Long Beach airfield, she took a ride on an airplane and from that moment on she was determined to learn how to fly.  She took several different jobs to earn the money for the flying lessons, cut her hair short and began wearing a leather jacket just like the other aviators.  Over the next few years, Amelia gained experience through transcontinental flights; gradually her piloting skills improved and she started setting world records.  Experienced professional pilots that flew with her started to acknowledge that she was one of the best female pilots in the world.

Then, after Charles Lindbergh’s famous solo flight across the Atlantic in 1927, there was increased interest as to who would be the first women to achieve a solo flight.  In 1928, Amelia became the first female to fly solo round trip on a transcontinental flight across North America.  She instantly became a famous international celebrity and with her striking resemblance to Lindberg, she became known as “Lady Lindy”.  She published a book, started a series of lecture tours to promote the book and began endorsing and even actively participating in the advertising of various products, such as Lucky Strike cigarettes, a line of women’s clothing sold through the Macy’s department store and she even endorsed a line of travel luggage.  Through an agreement with her book publisher, George Putnam, their marketing campaign successfully established Amelia as a world famous aviator, even earning the nickname “Queen of the Air”.  Through these “celebrity” endorsements, Amelia was able to finance and continue her aviation career.

In 1929, along with Charles Lindberg, she help to establish and promote a commercial and passenger airline service known as Transcontinental Air Transport which became the first regional shuttle between New York and Washington, D.C., this airline later became known as TWA.  At this time, Amelia became involved with an organization of female pilots that provided support for women in aviation; she became the group’s first president and suggested the name of “The Ninety-Nines” which was the number of the charter members.  In 1930, Amelia became an official of the National Aeronautic Association and she started to promote an establishment separate women records.

Amelia married George Putnam, her book publisher, on February 7, 1931.  She referred to her marriage as a true partnership and believed in equal responsibilities and instead of being referred to as Mrs. Putnam, she kept her own name of Earhart.  George and Amelia had no children of their own, but he had two sons from a previous marriage.

On May 20, 1932, at the age of 34, Amelia left from Newfoundland with the intention of flying to Paris to duplicate Lindberg’s solo flight.  After almost 15 hours with a rough flight of strong winds, icy conditions and mechanical problems, she touched down in Northern Ireland, today there is a small museum at the site.  Amelia received many awards after becoming the first women to fly a solo nonstop transatlantic flight.  The Distinguished Flying Cross from the United States Congress, and the Gold Medal of the National Geographic Society presented to her by President Herbert Hoover.  Between the years of 1930 to 1935, Amelia set seven women’s speed and distance aviation records.

By 1934, Amelia and her husband were now living in California.  George had sold his interest in the New York based publishing company and he took a job as head of the editorial board at Paramount Pictures.  They lived in a small house in Toluca Lake located in the San Fernando Valley near the studio.  Amelia in partnership with Paul Mantz, a former airplane racing and movie stunt pilot, opened up a Flying School at the Burbank Airport.

Finally by 1936, Amelia began preparing for her round-the-world flight; it would be the longest flight to date at 29,000 miles following the difficult equator route.  Amelia was currently on the faculty of Purdue University and a technical adviser of their Department of Aeronautics.  With financing from Purdue, a Lockheed Electra 10E aircraft was built to Amelia’s specifications at the Lockheed Aircraft Company located near the Burbank Airport.  For this complicated flight Amelia hired two navigators, Harry Manning and Fred Noonan.  The original plan was to have Noonan navigate from Hawaii to Howland Island, a very difficult portion of the flight, then Manning would continue with her to Australia and she would complete the remainder of the flight by herself.

In March 1937, Amelia flew with her crew from Oakland, CA to Honolulu, Hawaii.  During this portion of the flight, they had some engine problems and stopped to service the plane.  Three days later, they took off from the U.S. Navy Luke Field in Pearl Harbor and upon take-off the plane either blew a right tire or the right landing gear collapsed.  The flight was cancelled due to the severe damage to the plane and it was shipped back to the Lockheed facility in Burbank for repairs.

Then, in June 1937, after additional funding Amelia attempted the trip once again with only Noonan as her navigator.  This second flight was different from the first and they were traveling west to east, the reason for the change of direction was sue to global weather and wind changes.  The first portion of the flight was from Oakland to Miami.  From there they made numerous stops in South America, Africa, India and Asia.  By July 2, she had completed almost two-thirds of the flight, over 22,000 miles.  They had reached Lae, New Guinea and with only 7,000 remaining, Amelia and Noonan took off heading toward Howland Island in the Pacific Ocean which was only 2,556 miles away.

Tragically something happened and the plane vanished before it reached Howland Island.  Search teams from the Navy and the Coast Guard almost immediately started air and land searches, but they failed to locate the aircraft and were assumed lost at sea.  One theory speculates that the plane simply ran out of fuel and crashed into the Pacific Ocean.  Another theory is that the plane crashed into another smaller island, possibly Garner Island. There are also numerous conspiracy theories; one is that Amelia and Noonan were spies for the Franklin Roosevelt administration, captured by the Japanese, accused of espionage and killed.  Even today, the fate of Amelia Earhart remains as the subject of endless speculation.