First of all, I would just like to say thanks to all of you who have been reading and commenting on my blog. You all have helped me out a lot! :) I thought I would make this last post a little more involved for you guys sooo when you comment fill in this blank!...I can't wait to see what you guys say :)
"If I could only travel to one destination for the rest of my life, I would choose ________."
Also, if you are into traveling and/or photography check THIS out! It's from National Geographic Traveler. :)
Thanks again! I hope you guys enjoyed reading what I had to say!
Every year Travel + Leisure Magazine compiles a list of their best places to spend the holidays. I am providing you with some brief highlights from their article. If you'd like more information check out the magazines website!
In no particular order, these are a few of the world's best places to spend the holiday season....
Taos, New Mexico - this is a prime destination due to its mix of cultural traditions and magical beauty throughout the holiday season
San Miguel de Allende, Mexico - features dancing in the main square, posadas reenactments, and seasonal Christmas foods from the region
Tromso, Norway - for those of you who want to have snow at Christmas, this is a better desitnation for you. you can also view the Northern Lights from here as well as experience dogsledding.
Key West, Florida - warm temperatures and holiday cheer, mixed with a poolside Christmas breakfast in one of the island's historic hotels makes this area a prime holiday destination
the article in Travel + Leisure or the slide show found here provide more information like where to eat and stay for the destinations I mentioned as well of discusses other top holiday destinations! so if you are looking for somewhere to go this holiday season (or next) check it out :)
Anyone have plans for the holidays already?
I was only in St. Louis for two days, but I really enjoyed it...well I enjoyed it as much as I could in like 115 degree weather! It was beyond hot and humid there. If you are going to go, definitely check out when the weather is not like that!! Also, I recommend finding a hotel where you can park your car and they provide you with shuttles into the city. That way you don't have to worry about driving. My ma and I walked everywhere and minus the heat, it wasn't that bad. Nothing is really too far from anything else. We stayed here at the Residence Inn by Marriott. It was a really nice hotel that not only did complementary breakfast they also did a FREE BBQ dinner when we were there!
The picture below is my mom and I at the base of one side of the arch.
I think I enjoyed being there so much because my mom used to live there, so hearing her stories was really cool about stuff she did/saw during her time there was really cool.
Going up in the arch was just a crazy experience. First of all, the people we rode up to the top with ended up being from the same town my mom lives in! That was just unbelievable...meeting them in St. Louis Arch at 8 in the morning. So weird. I'm usually not one for educational type videos, but if you ever go here you have to watch the video on the construction of the arch! It is just beyond fascinating! The next photos are what the car you ride up to the top in are, a view of the arch, and some views from the top of the arch. The top is so weird and the windows are so small...you just have to see it in person.
National Geographic Traveler Magazine is fantastic! I cannot give this magazine's website enough praise. If you are want to start exploring options for a vacation check this site out!
Trip Ideas is a great section that they have. Clicking on this link takes to you a page with ideas for beaches and island getaways, best family trips, ultimate road trips, and the world's best tours. I've never been to Cali so I looked under the ultimate road trip sections and decided to check out the trip along the Pacific Coast Highway. If you are into road trips, National Geographic has a book titled Drives of a Lifetime and includes 500 of the worlds best road trips!
Looks like a pretty fun road trip to me! Driving the Pacific Coast Highway takes about 5 hours to complete going at a steady pace. It's a 123 mile long drive along central California coast. Since there are sharp turns and steep drop offs, this drive is not recommended for RVs or other oversized or large vehicles. Also, be aware of mudslides during the winter months.
For more information on this scenic drive check out this link :)
One of the places I dream about going to is the Greek Isles. I see calendars and pictures with the crystal clear waters and the white buildings with blue roofs and I want to (NEED TO!) see the scenery for myself!
When I was doing some research I found some sites that talk about how great it is to take a yacht charter cruises from island to island....oh if only i was filthy stinkin' rich. :)
There are 1,400 islands that make up the Greek Islands. The most famous group being the Cyclades. This group of islands are closest to Athens and are usually the ones you see in pictures. greeka.com is the website I found most helpful when looking for info about traveling there.
National Geographic Traveler Blog has some postings about the Greek Isles. The author talks about his ordeal trying to find a good beach as well as his personal tips on getting there, Athens, Patmos, Santorini, Crete, and Island Exploration. If you do read it, keep in mind that they are the author's opinions... :)
National Geographic Traveler magazine's 25th anniversary edition was a list of 50 places of a lifetime. Athens and Acropolis both in Greece and the Greek Islands all made the list!
Don't worry...for all of you who are married..your in-laws didn't make this list! :)
This is the TOP 5 THANKSGIVING DAY PARADES brought to you by the travel channel :) So not only can you take a little trip and do some sightseeing, if you go for Thanksgiving you get to see one of the greatest parades as well!
I understand family usually does (and should) come first on holidays, but maybe your family can all go somewhere together. Or you can be like me and just watch the parades on TV :)
So here we go...the top 5 parade destinations are....
5. Houston, TX -- the annual HEB Holiday Parade has been a tradition for over 60 years!
4. Detroit, MI -- i was extremely surprised by this. Detroit is really a destination I would consider worth going to...but hey, you learn something new everyday! America's Thanksgiving Parade is a great way to kick off your day of Detroit football!
3. Plymouth, MA -- I'm so glad this made the list considering this is where Thanksgiving originated! America's Hometown Thanksgiving Day Parade and festivities lasts the entire weekend before the actual holiday. A whole week of celebrating?? YES PLEASE!
2. Chicago, IL -- the McDonald's Thanksgiving Day Parade is one of three that are nationally televised so you can enjoy it from the comfort of your warm home in you jammies :)
1. of course...New York, NY -- no surprise here right? I am sure you have all seen the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade or at least heard of it! They usually get around 3 million spectators on site and another 44 million tune in on tv!
for more information on the parades and their locations check out the Travel Channel article at this link
Oh, Canada! So many things to do there, so little time! Any of you ever been?
From Quebec to Niagara Falls to seeing a little bit of everything by way of train, Canada is a great destination that is close to home. This link shows you some activities you can enjoy by heading up north from polar bear viewing to hiking. Just don't forget you have to have a passport to get in there now!
For this blog, we are just going to stick with Niagara Falls (in Canada!). If you don't have a passport though and still want to see the falls, you can check out the falls on the US side. For more info on that, visit this site
But back to Canada, the land of moose and mounties :)
Of course seeing the falls is a must when going to Ontario. However, I know there is only so long you can look at them. So of course you'll need some other things to do!
Well one thing to do is get up close and personal with the falls on the Maid of the Mist!
Other activities include visiting the Nightmares Fear Factory (if you are in to scary things!), Fallsview Indoor Waterpark, take a helicopter tour, and eat at the Skylon Tower world famous Fallsview Dining (pictured below)
Interested in going to Niagara Falls? Check out http://www.niagarafallstourism.com/
