tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872975542633712872024-02-18T23:47:42.760-05:00The World At My Feetaflagelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18331723548286933532noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87297554263371287.post-22702998004064470432015-10-09T09:44:00.000-04:002015-10-14T22:03:49.296-04:00How Peru Stole A Little Piece Of My Heart<em>I never in a million years expected the reaction that I had to Peru. I absolutely fell in love with this beautiful country. And somehow this is how Peru somehow stole a little piece of my heart . . .</em><br />
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<em>I had HUGE culture shock when I first arrived in Cusco (almost to the point of completely hating the city), there were hundreds of homeless dogs urinating and pooping in the streets, sometimes your just not quite sure what your eating (and learn for your stomach's sake to not ask), you may not know if that puddle your stepping in is water or quite possibly dog urine, I (quickly) learned the importance of carrying toilet paper around Peru, I was completely taken aback by how incredibly beautiful the Peruvian countryside is, fell in love with Peruvian coffee (i hate coffee, so this was a big deal!), bartered the price of my Machu Picchu painting down successfully by 25 soles-in broken Spanish. I ate Alpaca which tastes very similar to pork tenderloin, stayed very far away from guinea pig, learned what it was like to be a minority and took a different perspective away with that. </em><br />
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<em>I've learned the importance of staying hydrated at a high altitude, and to just carry aspirin or advil for those headaches. I learned about the burial practices of their culture, attended a Peruvian cooking class- and brought recipes home with me! I visited a 900 year old Inca town that still uses the same irrigation system from 700 years ago, learned the difference between an alpaca and llama, and that Peru has some really woolly donkeys, that in fact are not alpacas. Ooops . . .</em><br />
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<em>I drank Inca tea (mixture of eucalyptus and coca leaves), bought three big bags of Peruvian coffee from a market- surrounded by animal heads, took the most beautiful train ride in my life. And I drank more than one Pisco Sour (an alcoholic drink that contains raw egg)!!</em><br />
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<em>I was charmed by 2, 3, and four year olds we visited at their school, was welcomed into a local Peruvian home for dinner, learned that even though you don't fluently speak each other's language you can still have fun and laugh with each other throughout an entire meal (the highlight of my trip). I took part in a ceremony conducted by a local shaman, learned that complete strangers can become such great friends. I visited Machu Picchu after getting up at 4:30am, taking two buses and a train to get there, realized (as I have with every trip I've taken) how incredibly lucky am for the life I have chosen to live. I saw a glimpse of what abject poverty looks like, I've learned that sometimes we get so caught up in the little things that we steer away from the things that really matter. </em><br />
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<em>I did not want to leave this country and come back home. I was contemplating how I could study abroad in Cusco, but I also understood that even if I did, the moments would never be the same. I came home humbled and grateful. For the very first time I experienced reverse culture shock, and, honestly had a hard time adjusting. I don't know the exact moment it happened, but Peru took a little piece of my heart. I can't wait until I can return and explore more of this beautiful country!</em>aflagelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18331723548286933532noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87297554263371287.post-45099718759519090882015-09-12T12:35:00.000-04:002015-09-12T12:35:37.975-04:00Lolablue Goes To PeruLolablue is a company located in Southwest Florida that creates "eco-lux", all natural products. They use all natural, raw ingredients to handcraft their products ranging from soaps, sugar scrubs, soy-wax candles, lip balm, hydrating crème, bug spray (all natural!!!), essential oils, roll on perfumes, candle tarts, aromatherapy, ect. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1QSveAevJY9Jh5GsxanplIxzW78WZeqcfhGJHjgAo5I8eYDA6-5FFhWluwTlGjUcprFRcPm5zL1STgBH0lqBiwl-H8hPnpjwbN9g0_Q383qWwK94npAOBiqXsBBocmYBaOHoxUvVllj0/s1600/DSC01963.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1QSveAevJY9Jh5GsxanplIxzW78WZeqcfhGJHjgAo5I8eYDA6-5FFhWluwTlGjUcprFRcPm5zL1STgBH0lqBiwl-H8hPnpjwbN9g0_Q383qWwK94npAOBiqXsBBocmYBaOHoxUvVllj0/s320/DSC01963.JPG" width="212" /></a>I'm sharing these products with you because I love them!!! I've been using them non-stop since January and will never use anything else. I love their soaps, lotions and bugspray. Their soaps come in so many scents and smell wonderful! The fall scents have just come out and I've been using my Pumpkin Spice soap. I love how wonderful you (and your bathroom) smell after taking a shower. These products are great for all my fellow travelers. I love that the soap is versatile enough to substitute for my shaving cream! The products are eco friendly, no palm oil, no paraben, paraffin or sulfate or phthalate in any of their products. These products are <strong>never</strong> tested on animals.</div>
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Added bonus for travelers: they make their soaps in travel size!! Some of my favorite scents are Raspberry Patchouli, Sexy Mama, Dirty Pumpkin, Pumpkin Spice and Holiday Peppermint. These products aren't just for the ladies. They create soaps for men, such as, Bark, Irish Mud (beer soap), Valquero, Summer Suds (beer soap), and Summer Coconut. I always take Lolablue soaps and bug-spray on my trips now. You can't beat a great product! My Pumpkin Spice, Rosemary Mint and lip balm made it to Peru with me!!<br />
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Lolablue products are great for your skin and the environment. Take a look at their products for your next trip. They can be bought <a href="http://www.flagelaestheticmedicine.com/Lolablue.html" target="_blank">here</a> or <a href="http://lolablueliving.com/" target="_blank">here.</a> I did receive two free products for this trip, however all opinions are my own!aflagelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18331723548286933532noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87297554263371287.post-12032218370391852692015-09-08T14:36:00.001-04:002015-09-08T14:36:33.863-04:00Feature Friday: Two Drifters<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today we are featuring a post from Amy and Nathan over at <a href="http://www.twodrifters.us/" target="_blank">Two Drifters</a>. I love following along with their blog and adventures. Amy and Nathan bring a unique perspective to travel blogging: traveling as a couple. This is inspirational for me as single traveler. It gives me hope that you can have the best of both worlds: your love of travel and your love of another person. Unfortunately, this has not worked for me in the past, but I have hope thanks to Amy and Nathan!<br />
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We have decided to feature two of their posts about traveling with as a couple. The first post we are featuring is <a href="http://www.twodrifters.us/blog/traveling-as-a-couple-romance-or-ruin.html" target="_blank">Traveling As A Couple: Romance or Ruin</a>. This post discusses the benefits and challenges of traveling as a couple from both Amy and Nathan's perspective. The second post we are featuring is <a href="http://www.twodrifters.us/blog/traveling-the-essential-test-of-true-love.html" target="_blank">Traveling The Essential Test of True Love</a>. In this post they explain why you should travel as a couple and what can be learned from it. I love the interesting perspective that they bring to their blog. Head on over to <a href="http://www.twodrifters.us/" target="_blank">their blog</a> and I would hazard to guess that you may be there a little while. While your at it subscribe to their blog and then visit their <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TwoDriftersPhoto?fref=photo" target="_blank">facebook page.</a> aflagelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18331723548286933532noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87297554263371287.post-41018747603251083812015-08-31T12:52:00.000-04:002015-08-31T12:52:05.761-04:00Giordano's: A Little Slice of Pizza HeavenThe Story: I grew up on Felix and Oscars pizza in Des Moines, IA. I love this pizza. There is nothing in the world that comes close to this deep dish, sauce on the very top, pizza. Every single time I go back to hometown I eat this pizza. I eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner until it's gone (sad face). I have been patiently waiting for the last five years of their promises to start shipping their pizza's across state lines. Unfortunately, I still do not see that happening anytime soon. So I make do in-between visits.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg12XZLea7GcGkHCWM6y4jeDFbtHn6ZYFcg6TrpC1x8WMu8DXvR5c8y8M9scF2BoArCeGWvzKtaihi8VdkPZQextDfEI1CKWYyr0sm-rfELFAiF3VrdSIKYOddtcrph350ARKn6FHNo2Z8/s1600/giordano+menu.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg12XZLea7GcGkHCWM6y4jeDFbtHn6ZYFcg6TrpC1x8WMu8DXvR5c8y8M9scF2BoArCeGWvzKtaihi8VdkPZQextDfEI1CKWYyr0sm-rfELFAiF3VrdSIKYOddtcrph350ARKn6FHNo2Z8/s1600/giordano+menu.JPG" /></a>Plans to meet my best friend from high school in Chicago for a weekend enters the picture. Said friend knows how much I'm obsessed with this pizza, so for my Christmas and birthday presents she sends me two pizza's from her favorite pizzeria in Chicago. I'm at work when I'm delightfully surprised by two freeze-dried pizza's from Giordano's. I had know idea what it was until a co-worker of mine excitedly tells me it's the best deep dish pizza in Chicago. Now I'm sure this point is debatable among people who live/are from Chicago. There are rivalries about everything in that city! Even freeze-dried this pizza was pretty damn good, and the closest thing to Felix and Oscars that I had ate in the last six months.<br />
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This was a must eat place for us while we were visiting. We ate dinner at this lovely pizzeria on our second night in town, which happened to be a Friday night. We made reservations and I'm glad we did. It was a 65 minute wait for people who were walking in the door without reservations! The décor of this pizzeria was funky and fun!<br />
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Can I just take a minute to tell you how much I love brick décor. I love it! Even with our reservation we had just a little bit of a wait, but it was well worth it. The waitress was super nice and friendly, even with how busy she was. We started off with Bruschetta for our appetizer. I have to be honest and tell you, I wasn't really expecting it to be that good. My mom makes the best bruschetta in the world and nothing has ever come close to hers. I was pleasantly surprised and would rate this as the second best bruschetta I have ate.<br />
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The pizza was subperb and well worth the wait. The last time I ate it was 6 months before this trip and I was really looking forward to it. You can get any sort of pizza you want, but we went with the deep dish, cheese pizza. There is just something about the deep dish pizza that I never ever have toppings put on it. <br />
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I would highly recommend Giordano's be given a spot on your "eating" list, while in the city. They are reasonably priced and I just learnt that there are several locations in Orlando! Yay next trip to Orlando (November) I will be eating here! There are several locations in the city of Chicago and it's surrounding suburbs.<br />
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aflagelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18331723548286933532noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87297554263371287.post-68847622820784601062015-08-28T09:14:00.003-04:002015-08-28T09:14:49.280-04:00Feature Friday: A Broken BackpackToday's Feature Friday blog is <strong>A Broken Backpack. </strong>I love this series of feature Fridays. I'm learning about fellow travel bloggers and it's inspiring to see what people do in order to travel! I love all the ideas I get from seeing so many blogs (so many destinations)! Money is a big deterrent for people who want to travel. I won't lie, traveling can get expensive (I'm looking at you flights), however there are ways to budget, to travel cheaply, and reasonably. There is always a way to travel. So today we are helping those of you out. Those of you who want to travel but look at the price and immediately look away, come look at this post! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://abrokenbackpack.com/2015/07/26/travel-without-a-big-budget/" target="_blank">Courtsey of A Broken Backpack</a></td></tr>
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Melissa over at <a href="http://abrokenbackpack.com/" target="_blank">A Broken Backpack</a> wrote this fabulous post about saving money while traveling. <a href="http://abrokenbackpack.com/2015/07/26/travel-without-a-big-budget/" target="_blank">Travel Without A Big Budget</a> gives travelers several options on how to save money while traveling. I highly recommend you pop over to her blog and check this money-saving post out. Also, prepare yourself to stay awhile . . . before you know it you'll be checking all her blog posts out! Melissa is a great writer, who injects humor and real life common sense into her writing! An added bonus: she also writes in FRENCH! While your at it stop on over to her facebook page to keep in touch: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/abrokenbackpack?fref=ts">https://www.facebook.com/abrokenbackpack?fref=ts</a>. You'll thank me later!aflagelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18331723548286933532noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87297554263371287.post-25254040648769921532015-08-23T15:38:00.000-04:002015-08-24T18:42:19.262-04:00Liebster 2015 Award Nomination<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm so excited . . . beyond excited to announce that I have been nominated for the Liebster 2015 Award. Now at this very moment you're probably asking yourself what the Liebster Award is? The Liebster Award is handed out by bloggers to other bloggers. It's a way to promote new or smaller blogs in order to get them more recognition throughout the blogging community.<br />
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The meaning of Liebster in German means " sweetest, kindest, lovely, endearing and sweetheart". I want to give a HUGE thanks to Ryan Webster at <a href="https://abackpackandaboardingpass.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">A Backpack and a Boarding Pass</a> for nominating me!! I was so excited when I heard that <em>The World At My Feet</em> was being nominated and couldn't believe. I had to tell everyone I could!! As part of the nomination I have to ask the following questions that were given to me by Ryan. In return I have to nominated 10 small blogs, who in turn will answer the questions I give them. I hope you guys learn something new about me and without further ado:<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">1. What are 11 fun facts about you?</span></strong><br />
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~ I'm a huge animal lover<br />
~ I'm a homeowner <br />
~ In addition to writing on my blog, I'm a full time worker and a part time student<br />
~ I have moved nine times so far in my life ( 4 of which were cross country)<br />
~ I went to camp as a child and loved every minute of it. It taught me so much and I met people from around the world<br />
~ I have lived in four states and moved back to two of them at one point<br />
~ It took me until my 21st year on this earth to travel internationally<br />
~ I have toe that grows crooked<br />
~ I love DIY projects<br />
~ I love to write stories<br />
~ Reading is my favorite pastime<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>2. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?</strong></span><br />
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This is a really hard question to answer! After I read the question I had three places immediately pop into my head. They were Norway, Ireland and Scotland. Out of those three countries I have only visited Ireland (so far) and I was enchanted with the incredible natural beauty. I would definitely have to live somewhere that has natural beauty and outdoor activities.<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">3. What is your favorite travel destination and why? And what is your least favorite?</span></strong><br />
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So far Ireland was my favorite destination, although London ranks close! I love Ireland because of it's beauty. The natural beauty of the country and the beauty of it's people. It's astonishing how friendly people are and their willingness to go out of their way to help a stranger. That's uncommon here in the states and it was quite refreshing to come across. At the moment I don't have a least favorite destination. I've enjoyed everywhere I have visited.<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">4. Do you have any crazy or scary travel stories?</span></strong><br />
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I'm not sure if this really falls under crazy or scary . . . maybe weird, creepy, or crazy. I recently returned from a trip to Chicago, where I met up with my best friend from high school. We were taking the train from Chicago to the suburb we were staying in. Toward the end of the trip a guy got on and sat across from us. Did I mention that he was tweaking out on some sort of drugs and acting really odd? We decided to move to the stairs to disembark, because we were approaching our stop. While standing on the stairs a ticket collector joined us and stood across from us. He accidently (I'm assuming/ hoping) bumped his arm into me. Which happens . . . except he turns and looks at me, touches my arm and said "It was a pleasure touching you. I'll always remember it". <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>5. What is your favorite dish from abroad? What is your favorite dish from your country?</strong></span><br />
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My favorite dish from abroad at the moment is Filipino pancit and lumpia. So incredibly yummy. My favorite dish from my country is pizza. I could eat pizza all day every day!!<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">6. Which Blog post are you most proud of?</span></strong><br />
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The blog post that I am most proud of is <a href="http://expeditionwanderlust.blogspot.com/2015/07/travel-wishlist.html" target="_blank">My Travel Wishlist.</a> This is a continually changing list of places I want to visit and experiences that I want to have. I think this list helps to keep me grounded and it's something I look forward to doing. The more places you visit and see the more things come into focus for me.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>7. What type of traveler are you </strong><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>(Backpacker/Budget, Luxury, Business, etc.)</strong></span> </span><strong>?</strong></span><br />
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I would say that I'm a mixture between a budget and luxury traveler leaning more towards budget. I'm always looking to save money (hey that's more to go towards another trip), but who wouldn't want some luxury in their life? I will never sacrifice my safety for money though.<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">8. What is the most useful or important thing that you have learned from your travels?</span></strong><br />
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I love this question! I have learned so much from my travels that I can't just list one. Throughout my travels I have learned a lot about myself. I have learned that it's ok to be alone and you don't have to always be surrounded by people. I have learned to have more confidence in myself and to rely on myself. I have learned that while there aren't good people in the world not everyone is out to get you. I discovered that its good for the soul to get outside your comfort zone everyone once in a while!<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">9. What are your favorite third-party sites when planning a trip abroad?</span></strong><br />
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I have several third-party sites I use whenever I'm planning a trip. Believe it or not Pinterest is my first go to site! I can find so much stuff to do by just typing my destination in, and I can organize it on my boards so I always have it. My second site is Tripadvisor. I almost always check their site for reviews on things I want to do and places I'm looking at staying at.<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">10. What are your travel essentials? </span></strong><br />
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I have a list of things that I always have to take with me on a trip. I have to have my passport (international travel)/ id, credit cards (always alert the companies), lotion, hand sanitizer, my ipad mini; a book (or three), chapstick, and sunglasses. Oh and you can't forget a scarf!<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">11. What inspired you to create a blog?</span></strong><br />
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My first international trip. It takes so much work to plan a trip yourself. There is so much that goes into it. Should I stay here? Should I rent a car, take a plane, a ferry, a train? Is this attraction worth my time and money? How can I save money without being too cheap and still have fun? I wanted a place that people could come to and read reviews about places I have been and the answers to all the above questions. It's an overwhelming process that I wanted to help people with. I also wanted to inspire people to travel and prove that you can travel no matter what. I work full time, go to school and travel. I have also have responsibilities like being a homeowner and taking care of my dog . . . and I still travel. <em>If there is a will, there is a way.</em><br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">I nominate the following blogs . . .</span></strong><br />
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~ Cathy Merrifield: <a href="http://roarloud.net/" target="_blank">Roarloud</a><br />
~ Karlie: <a href="http://www.misswanderlust.ca/home/" target="_blank">Miss Wanderlust</a><br />
~ Hannah: <a href="http://postcardsfromhannah.com/" target="_blank">Postcards from Hannah</a><br />
~ Ginger: <a href="http://oneyearmydear.com/blog" target="_blank">One Year, My Dear</a><br />
~ Maggie: <a href="http://www.thewovenwhim.com/" target="_blank">The Woven Whim</a><br />
~ Melissa: <a href="http://abrokenbackpack.com/" target="_blank">A Broken Backpack</a><br />
~ Mimi: <a href="http://theatlasheart.com/" target="_blank">The Atlas Heart</a><br />
~ Melissa: <a href="http://www.kcgirltravels.com/about-this-site/" target="_blank">KC Girl Travels</a><br />
~ Jessica: <a href="https://journeyswithjessica.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Journey's with Jessica</a><br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">Nominees now you need to:</span></strong><br />
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~ Now you need to create a post answering the questions I have for you (listed below).<br />
~In your post make sure to link it back to ME with a thank you!<br />
~ After answering the questions, nominated 11 other blogs with under 200 followers. You will need to provide them with 11 of your own questions, and provide them with the same instructions.<br />
~ You will need to notify your nominees and provide them with the link back to your post, so they know what to do<br />
~ When everything is completed, come back to my blog, comment on this post with a link back your post. I can't wait to see everyone's answers!!<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">Questions for the Nominees:</span></strong><br />
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1. What are 11 random facts about you?<br />
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2. What is your travel style (luxury, business, budget, ect)?<br />
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3. If you had to choose between make-up or shampoo, which would you choose?<br />
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4. What can ruin a good travel person?<br />
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5. Why do you travel?<br />
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6. What inspired you start a blog and how long have you been blogging?<br />
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7. Do you have pets? Tell us about them and how you travel with that responsibility.<br />
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8. How do you deal with culture shock/homesickness?<br />
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9. When and where was your first trip?<br />
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10. What is the most unusual experience you have had while travelling?<br />
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11. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?<br />
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I can't wait to read everyone's posts!!<br />
<br />aflagelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18331723548286933532noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87297554263371287.post-40545209996798548282015-08-21T08:12:00.000-04:002015-08-23T21:01:09.296-04:00Feature Friday: A Backpack and a Boarding Pass<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Welcome to our second week of Friday Features! This week we are featuring <a href="https://abackpackandaboardingpass.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">A Backpack and a Boarding Pass.</a> This blog was created by Ryan and she has some fabulous posts about Italy and travel tips. I highly recommend everyone to stop over to her blog and show it some love. Italy is a country I have yet to visit, but her posts make me want to board the next plane to Italy.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://abackpackandaboardingpass.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">A Backpack and a Bording Pass</a></td></tr>
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The post we are featuring today from <em>A Backpack and a Boarding Pass</em> is <a href="https://abackpackandaboardingpass.wordpress.com/2015/08/07/tips-for-first-time-solo-traveling/" target="_blank">Tips for First Time Solo Traveling</a>. This is a great post for male and females alike who are looking to go on their first solo trip. Ryan provides great advice for first time solo travelers who aren't sure what to expect or nervous/scared about their upcoming trips. I know I was about my first solo trip and then again my first international trip. This is also a great reminder post to those who travel more frequently. Female solo travel has been on the rise in recent years. Yay! I think that every female should travel solo at least once in their lives and keep these tips in mind.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://abackpackandaboardingpass.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/tips-for-first-time-solo-traveling.png?w=471&h=474" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Tips for First Time Solo Traveling" border="0" class="aligncenter wp-image-231" height="400" src="https://abackpackandaboardingpass.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/tips-for-first-time-solo-traveling.png?w=471&h=474" width="396" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://abackpackandaboardingpass.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Tips for first time solo traveling</a></td></tr>
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aflagelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18331723548286933532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87297554263371287.post-54355028344578728912015-08-17T06:50:00.000-04:002015-08-18T12:49:37.063-04:00Potbelly'sThe whole time leading up to our trip my friend kept telling about this place we should eat lunch in the city. I had never heard of this place before and she raved about, so we stepped out of Union station and walked down the street to . . . Potbelly. Potbelly is a sandwich, soup, salad store, similar to Jimmy Johns. Except I didn't know they were hot sandwiches when I ordered. Maybe they have cold sandwiches too, but the one I received was hot.<br />
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Upon entering the store you are immediately entering into the line. A worker comes down the line with a tablet to take your order. I had about 8 seconds to decide what to order in a place I had never been. I was hem hawing between a turkey sandwich (because those are usually a safe bet) and a pizza sandwich (sounded good, but not for a cold sandwich). So I placed my order and after we moved up the line my friends goes "Oh by the way there sandwiches are hot". Oh . . . honestly if I had known that ahead of time I would have gone with the pizza sandwich. So here I am thinking that this hot turkey sandwich was going to be gross and lamenting the fact I didn't order the pizza sandwich. Instead I started staring at the décor and realizing how cool and funky it was.<br />
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Moving along in line I grabbed my drink ( a bottle of water) and then made my way to the counter. This is the counter of add- on (I wasn't expecting that). It was hard to hear what the guy was asking me and I could tell he was getting annoyed (it's very fast paced in Chicago). My friend whispered to me "what do you want on the sandwich". " Oh uh mayo"? Like it was a question. One second later I'm in front of the cashier and paying for my sandwich, chips and water. We decided to eat outside because the weather was so nice. I was pleasantly surprised by my sandwich. I had never had a hot turkey sandwich before and it was actually delicious!!<br />
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Next time I will have to try the pizza sandwich! This entire lunch (sandwich, chips and bottled water) cost $8.84. We had a fantastic view of the river and skyscrapers from where we sat. The location is great for anyone coming into Union Station around lunch time. <br />
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Has anyone ate here or heard of Potbelly's before?aflagelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18331723548286933532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87297554263371287.post-81156086622489720282015-08-14T11:47:00.001-04:002015-08-14T12:21:37.320-04:00Feature Friday: RoarloudWe are introducing a new blog post series called Feature Friday. This series will introduce a post from other travel blogs that I believe will resonate with our readers. It's a way to introduce our readers to blogs that they may enjoy reading.<br />
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Our very first Feature Friday post is to introduce a post written by Cathy of Roarloud. The post I chose to feature is titled <em>How to Make Time</em>. I chose this post because I think this is something that we all need to remember at times. Sometimes we just need to make time to disconnect for a little while. You can check the post out here:<br />
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<a href="http://roarloud.net/2015/06/24/how-to-make-time/">http://roarloud.net/2015/06/24/how-to-make-time/</a><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgchewacXP9zeTc0XtyOwF71MNGNY59jejq8LqupLAUNwU8meYsiug2DvAi_tDuUg-Bs-lPKpcdyrEQ3O96ye86HtWkgKdHDBXCZNYoG-JBzC-6R6G2c6vIMZnU7zwmp6zb4Hvh5Sx4eS8/s1600/11391511_10207389298437217_1251162617445319891_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgchewacXP9zeTc0XtyOwF71MNGNY59jejq8LqupLAUNwU8meYsiug2DvAi_tDuUg-Bs-lPKpcdyrEQ3O96ye86HtWkgKdHDBXCZNYoG-JBzC-6R6G2c6vIMZnU7zwmp6zb4Hvh5Sx4eS8/s320/11391511_10207389298437217_1251162617445319891_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">picture courtesy of Cathy @ <a href="http://roarloud.net/">http://roarloud.net/</a></td></tr>
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Don't forget to check out their facebook page and follow them at:<br />
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/RoarLoud/798552366881677?fref=ts">https://www.facebook.com/pages/RoarLoud/798552366881677?fref=ts</a><br />
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This is a great blog for travelers who love to hike and be out in nature. I love that about this blog! Go check them out!!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6t1vPkQSP69KBfSJru9FacuRNvN_1SBRstsBYfQVfpq9WifvVRWw4UedqDCnszkGrKTACw7wnUd-3cH4YEraRBdn0HkMkoe8gCZoR91n4-nAJM-6VKkvRtcZqI2I_HaKVe73l7j8nmjI/s1600/11665684_10207597213954975_7724910570813819100_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6t1vPkQSP69KBfSJru9FacuRNvN_1SBRstsBYfQVfpq9WifvVRWw4UedqDCnszkGrKTACw7wnUd-3cH4YEraRBdn0HkMkoe8gCZoR91n4-nAJM-6VKkvRtcZqI2I_HaKVe73l7j8nmjI/s320/11665684_10207597213954975_7724910570813819100_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Courtsey of Cathy @ <a href="http://roarloud.net/">http://roarloud.net/</a></td></tr>
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aflagelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18331723548286933532noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87297554263371287.post-71714098169482927942015-08-08T21:21:00.002-04:002015-08-18T12:51:00.764-04:00A Visit to the Windy City I just recently returned from my very first trip to the windy city . . . Chicago. I loved wandering around and exploring this beautiful city and I spent the weekend with my best friend from high school. For this visit I stayed with her in Naperville and we used that as our home base. Every day we took an hour train ride into Chicago. And everyone that knows me knows how much I love trains!!<br />
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We took the train into Union station and walked or grabbed a taxi from there.<br />
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The very first thought I had walking out of union station was "how incredibly massive the buildings were". I now fully understand the term "concrete jungle". They were so big it was hard to see the sky sometimes. However there is a beauty to Chicago. I'm used to natural beauty, but Chicago is beautiful in its own way.<br />
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We technically had just one day to spend in the city, so we packed a lot into. Once we arrived in the city we walked to Potbelly for lunch and then took a taxi straight to the Field Museum. This was on my Chicago bucket list, so I'm glad we were able to do this. After the Field Museum we took a water taxi ride through Chicago. I would highly recommend doing this! It gives you a completely different perspective of the city and it's relaxing. There our "tour" boat taxi's that give you the history of the city and point out landmarks to you as you cruise along the river. We took a regular city water taxi and had a blast. We walked to mag mile and visit some of the shops. There were a lot of shops and I had wanted to visit the American Girl Doll Place ever since I was a little girl. I'm glad I was able to see it, but if your short for time and not really into shopping I would skip Mag Mile and go somewhere else. Like Navy Pier. There was a food festival going on while we were in town, so it was busier and more crowded down by Navy Pier. Our last stop before the train station was visit " the bean", which is really called . . . Cloud Gate.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crowded . . .</td></tr>
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Unfortunately we just didn't have the time to do everything I had wanted to do in Chicago. No worries that just gives me an excuse to visit again! Look for reviews of Potbelly, the Field Museum, water taxi ride, Giordano's, Portillo's, my visit to Wrigley Field and Naperville.<br />
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Train ticket from Naperville - Chicago: $19.00 for two people paying cash on the train<br />
Taxi fare from Union Station- Field Museum: $10.25<br />
Taxi fare from Field Museum- Union Station: $20.09 (more traffic)<br />
Water Taxi: $6.50<br />
Train ticket from Chicago - Naperville: $6.50 (bought from ticket Kiosk in train station)<br />
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What are you favorite places to visit and favorite things to do in Chicago?aflagelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18331723548286933532noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87297554263371287.post-62715300257435524792015-07-28T20:24:00.002-04:002015-10-17T16:10:18.088-04:00Travel Wishlist:Everyone has that one place they always dream of visiting. I was bit with the travel bug when I was young (I think it started with our moves across the country). I have a never ending list of places that I would like to visit. The following is my never-ending, always adding destinations I would like to visit and experience I would like do:<br />
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<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">North America:</span><br />
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- Take a Civil War Road Trip<br />
- Visit British Colombia<br />
- Visit all the Florida State Parks<br />
- Visit Colonial Williamsburg<br />
- Visit Asheville, NC<br />
- Take a railroad trip throughout Canada<br />
- Take a cross country train ride with Amtrak<br />
- Hike in Oregon<br />
- Visit all 50 states<br />
<br />
<a data-ved="0CAcQjRxqFQoTCMq-iP_Y_MYCFcJtHgod-ToJ_g" href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CAcQjRxqFQoTCMq-iP_Y_MYCFcJtHgod-ToJ_g&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgenfringe.com%2F2014%2F04%2Fus-map-distorted-population%2F&ei=qt22VcrBO8Lbefn1pPAP&bvm=bv.98717601,d.dmo&psig=AFQjCNFGUKKbeCP6NjZ6CODaxuub656e3w&ust=1438134047244604" id="irc_mil" jsaction="mousedown:irc.rl;keydown:irc.rlk;irc.il;" style="border: 0px currentColor;"><img src="http://genfringe.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/pop-distort-final2.png" height="208" id="irc_mi" style="margin-top: 0px;" width="320" /></a><br />
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- Stand with the Redwoods<br />
- Gaze into the Grand Canyon<br />
- Go to Yosemite!!<br />
- Visit the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island<br />
- Visit the haunted Alcatraz<br />
- Banff National Park<br />
- Niagara Falls<br />
- Yellowstone Park<br />
- The Fingers Lake, NY<br />
- <strike>Visit Wrigley Field </strike> (July 2015)<br />
- Visit Boston<br />
- Fenway Park<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #c27ba0;">South America:</span><br />
<span style="color: #c27ba0;"></span><br />
- <strike>Visit Machu Picchu </strike> (September 2015)<br />
- Take a Amazon River Cruise<br />
- Iguazu Falls<br />
- Patagonia <br />
- Costa Rica<br />
- Canopy Tour in Costa Rica<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #c27ba0;">Europe:</span><br />
<span style="color: #c27ba0;"></span><br />
- Visit Scotland (Isle of Sky, Edinburgh, the whole country)<br />
- Stonehenge<br />
- Road trip across England<br />
- See the Black Sea<br />
- Count Dracula's Castle<br />
- Petra, Jordan<br />
- Visit Norway<br />
-<strike>Visit Ireland</strike><br />
- Visit Romania<br />
-Chase and see the Northern Lights<br />
<br />
<a data-ved="0CAcQjRxqFQoTCOqsnJDZ-8YCFYa4Hgod0M0M6Q" href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CAcQjRxqFQoTCOqsnJDZ-8YCFYa4Hgod0M0M6Q&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwallpapercave.com%2Fnorthern-lights-background&ei=l1e2VaqFDYbxetCbs8gO&bvm=bv.98717601,d.dmo&psig=AFQjCNHYyiMsHjHL2stdOAU9CpD1cHp0uQ&ust=1438099727372988" id="irc_mil" jsaction="mousedown:irc.rl;keydown:irc.rlk;irc.il;" style="border-image: none; border: 0px currentColor;"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/JNlGoiA.jpg" height="179" id="irc_mi" style="margin-top: 0px;" width="320" /></a><br />
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- Visit Iceland<br />
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<span style="color: #c27ba0;">Middle East:</span><br />
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- Petra<br />
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<span style="color: #c27ba0;">Artic:</span><br />
<span style="color: #c27ba0;"></span><br />
- Visit the Falkland Islands<br />
- See Polar Bears in their natural habitat<br />
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<div class="irc_mutc">
<a class="irc_mutl" data-noload="" data-ved="0CAcQjRxqFQoTCI3btf3Y-8YCFcIWHgodiQQM6g" href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CAcQjRxqFQoTCI3btf3Y-8YCFcIWHgodiQQM6g&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FPolar_bear&ei=b1e2Vc3nL8KteImJsNAO&bvm=bv.98717601,d.dmo&psig=AFQjCNFhjKbYFhHWnwdZY_hiIHDE56JyeA&ust=1438099693892406" jsaction="mousedown:irc.rl;keydown:irc.rlk"><img class="irc_mut" height="213" src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTkTxp7G96FboSf5mRo-jvfPjgGuFtGKWb7wfSS5UScJKzUSbby-Q" style="margin-top: 0px;" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="irc_mutc">
</div>
<br />
<span style="color: #c27ba0;">Asia:</span><br />
<span style="color: #c27ba0;"></span><br />
- Shicheng, China<br />
- Visit a Temple<br />
- Great Wall of China<br />
- Samurai Culture in Japan<br />
- Kyoto Japan<br />
- Mount Fuji<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #c27ba0;">Africa:</span><br />
<span style="color: #c27ba0;"></span><br />
<span style="color: black;">- Visit Kuger National Park</span><br />
- Go on a safari<br />
- Go on a night safari<br />
- Visit Victoria Falls<br />
- Ride Camels in the Sahara Desert<br />
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<span style="color: #c27ba0;">Personal:</span><br />
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- Go to as many UNESCO World Heritage Sites as possible (3)<br />
- See Moose in their natural habitat<br />
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<a data-ved="0CAcQjRxqFQoTCMXJlZ-K_8YCFQWnHgodYWIH8g" href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CAcQjRxqFQoTCMXJlZ-K_8YCFQWnHgodYWIH8g&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dennisflood.com%2Fphotos%2Fget%2F2a67%2Fbull_moose_closeup&ei=vx24VYXuBoXOeuHEnZAP&bvm=bv.98717601,d.dmo&psig=AFQjCNF58dM3glESM3boSqhWQFYR1fyK3A&ust=1438215933060821" id="irc_mil" jsaction="mousedown:irc.rl;keydown:irc.rlk;irc.il;" style="border: 0px currentColor;"><img src="http://www.dennisflood.com/photos/2010/1000/bull_moose_closeup_8277.jpg" height="214" id="irc_mi" style="margin-top: 13px;" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
- Get my scuba diving license<br />
- Cage diving with sharks<br />
- Ride in a Helicopter<br />
- Ride in a hot air balloon<br />
- Step foot on all 7 continents (3/7)<br />
- Whale Watching<br />
- Try a food native to every country I visit<br />
- <strike>Swim with Dolphins</strike> (2013)<br />
- Snorkel with Manatees<br />
- Volunteer at an Elephant Sanctuary<br />
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<br />aflagelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18331723548286933532noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87297554263371287.post-6983612565935441542015-07-18T17:21:00.002-04:002015-07-18T17:21:47.678-04:00Atlantis and Swimming with the DolphinsFor this cruise we didn't have anything planned beyond getting on the ship and enjoying ourselves. After we arrived at our room we had a booklet listing the excursion that were available for the following day at Nassau. When we both saw that swimming with the dolphins were available we agreed that we should do. It was something I had always wanted to do, so I was fine with shelling out the money for it. The option we chose was the shallow swimming with the dolphins and the aqua venture park. This allowed us six hours at Atlantis, swimming with the dolphins and access to their water park and all the rides. It cost us $150 per person.<br />
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The Atlantis property is awe inspiring huge. We had a guide that took our group from the ship to the property and directly to the water park section. It's very easy to get lost and it can very easily take you 30 minutes from one side of the property to the other. We were assigned a time of 10:30am to swim with the dolphins. We had almost two hours before then, so we started riding all the water rides. It was nice being at the property that early, because most of the resort guests were still sleeping or just getting up. This means no lines for the rides, lockers or beach chairs.<br />
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There are six water slides available on the property. They are the Leap of Faith (the one you see on all the commercials), challenger slide, the abyss, the surge, the drop, serpent slide, the falls and the jungle slide. The first ride we went on was the abyss and this is a pretty crazy slide. You are completely inclosed in a tube with rushing water. As soon as you push yourself off there is a drop that puts your heart in your mouth. There is eventually a opening in the tube that I thought meant you were at the end of the ride. This is not the case!!! I opened my mouth and choked on water the rest of the way down. At the end of the ride you are spit out into a cave with aquariums. This is definitely a thrill ride that will give you a rush.<br />
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The challenger slide is two slides side by side and you race someone to the bottom. The serpent slide was and still is my favorite ride. This ride requires a tube, single or two person. This ride is also enclosed and towards the bottom you spit out into a clear container, where you can observe all the sharks and fish swimming around you. We also rode the drop, the surge and the falls. They are all open water slides that require either a single or two person tube. They are very fast slides!! I also went on the leap of faith. Since I was at Atlantis I had to ride it at least once . . . and once was enough. I was scared to ride this and it's terrifying (at least to me) to sit at the top staring straight down the slide wondering how you can possibly survive it and not fall into the shark infested waters below. I had to force myself to push off (with my heart in my stomach) and go down. It was over in a few seconds and you don't really see the sharks as you go by them.<br />
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We walked to the dolphin cay where we were suited up in a tight wetsuit . . . did I mention tight? Then our group (maybe around 6 or 7 people) were shuttled into a room where we watched a short informational video on dolphins and how to interact with them. We were then taken to a section of the pool, with our instructor, and met our dolphin Noah. Noah was at Atlantis with two of his siblings, who were rescued during Hurricane Katrina and brought to Atlantis to recover from their injuries. Noah was such a sweet dolphin!! We spent around a hour with Noah and the instructor will answer any questions that you have about dolphins, in fact they really encourage questions. We were able to feed Noah, have pictures taken with him, and he performed tricks for us. Noah has quite the personality! He was constantly swimming away and stealing brother and sister from other groups and bringing them back to our group. There were multiple times we had 3 dolphins interacting with us and it was a blast!!!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Noah doing tricks</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my favorite pictures from my travels.<br />
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Afterwards we purchased our pictures (the only way to get pictures). You are not allowed to take your camera to swim with the dolphins. If you want any pictures you have to purchase them from Atlantis. They have different package options available and we chose to purchase a cd and split the cost. The rest of the day we spent riding the water slides and lazy river. We unfortunately didn't take a look at the aquariums while we were there, but I hear wonderful things about them. We also had to purchase lunch while we were there. The food and drinks were slightly pricey. Overall, I'm so glad we chose this excursion and were able to swim with the dolphins. It was such a blast and this day was the highlight of our cruise. However you do have to pay for a locker to use during the day, lunch and any drinks and this can add up to be a pricey day. The resort itself is beautiful and there is so much to see and do. I have no doubts I will be back again.aflagelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18331723548286933532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87297554263371287.post-80373981138273621452015-07-05T10:39:00.001-04:002015-07-05T10:39:39.661-04:00Cruisin to the Carribean . . .In December of 2013 I went on my first cruise. This was a girls weekend away with one of my friends. We chose to take carnival cruise line and purchased our four day cruise for $200 each. We had two days at sea, 1 day in Nassau, and one day in Freeport. The nice thing about a cruise is you pay the money and that includes your food, most drinks and your room for four days. However, there are some exceptions as to what is included in the price. If you want to eat at any of the speciality restaurants that will cost extra, all alcoholic and soft drinks will cost you extra, along with any excursion you choose to do. In order to offset the cost of this most cruise lines will offer dinner packages, soda packages and packages for your drinks. <br />
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We were on the Carnival Ecstasy ship, which did offer a alcoholic package. We had looked into purchasing one, but the cost was too much in our opinion. It was $59 a day, every person staying in a stateroom had to get it, and you were cut off at 10 drinks in a 24 hour period. Each cruise line allows each person to bring a limited amount of alcohol on the ship with them. We chose to do that and just purchase whatever drinks we wanted.<br />
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" 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This ship was an older ship and you could see that around the boat. Our state room was pretty spacious as was our bathroom. I really surprised about this after reading reviews about the staterooms being small. We had plenty of space for the two of us. We chose to pay a little bit more for an exterior room with a window. The interior rooms were running about $50 cheaper, but I was afraid of getting claustrophobic.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_RgBIUjUsRAfXW-ftAPgGw2ti6keEUDN1TS0JlSDvjQyg8cToDp0fhqFLN2zmQcmIz1ZovpgGMgH9GYKwFZHHbIzS52_benP87BJtZAZtJj20MFO64wr8LuBv-sd3jCZtqh1w3ZEFKG0/s1600/1486788_10151760611637271_1984234657_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_RgBIUjUsRAfXW-ftAPgGw2ti6keEUDN1TS0JlSDvjQyg8cToDp0fhqFLN2zmQcmIz1ZovpgGMgH9GYKwFZHHbIzS52_benP87BJtZAZtJj20MFO64wr8LuBv-sd3jCZtqh1w3ZEFKG0/s320/1486788_10151760611637271_1984234657_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our stateroom</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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We had our towel animals waiting for us every night. We loved the surprise of a new animal every night. <br />
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The food on the ship was surprisingly good. We ate in the dining room 3 nights and one night we grabbed food from the "cafeteria" and ate outside. I had dessert every single night . . . mainly the hot lava cake.<br />
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We also can't forget those delicious late night drinks that occupied us to the different shows.<br />
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This ship had shows every single night and we took advantage of them. We really enjoyed the Hasbro Game Show and Newlyweds. The pool on the ship was relatively small and always crowded. That was disappointing, but it comes with the territory. They also had a waterworks area on the top of the ship with slides and a waterpark for the children. One thing I really liked about this ship was the serenity adult only area. This was at the back of the ship with lounge chairs, hammocks, hot tubs and a bar for anyone 21 and older. It seems like this is was the place for parents to escape from their children, because of this it was sometimes hard to find a lounge chair open.<br />
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Overall this was a nice weekend getaway for a relatively cheap price. The cruise was $250, our excursion was $150 and about $100 in drinks for a four day vacation. Cruise ships are not my preferred travel style. I like to visit a place and immerse myself into the culture and try and find every nook and cranny wherever I go, and that is impossible to do on a cruise. However, if your looking for a cheap relaxing weekend getaway then I would definitely recommend a cruise. The shorter cruises mainly go to Nassau and somewhere else in the Bahamas and that is nice to do every once in a while. The longer cruises have some fun destinations, but you only get a couple hours at the destination. While this isn't my preferred travel style I can still see myself every once in a while going on a cruise.<br />
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Keep an eye out for our Nassau excursion review!!<br />
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Who prefers cruises as their main vacation style?aflagelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18331723548286933532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87297554263371287.post-38369793198675395292015-06-02T19:31:00.001-04:002015-06-02T19:31:12.899-04:00U.S.S North Carolina BattleshipDriving into Wilmington this is one of the first things that you will see. This huge towering battleship. The second I saw it I knew I had to see it. I didn't do a lot of research for this trip and seeing the battleship was a nice surprise. The U.S.S North Carolina was commissioned on April 9, 1941 and was the first of 10 battleships to join the American fleet in World War II. She is 728 feet long. HUGE! I felt like an ant standing on the deck of this ship. I love visiting pieces of American history and this was my first time visiting a battleship. As a visitor you have almost complete freedom of the ship to roam through. There are some parts, such as, the watch towers that have restricted access or doors that have been welded shut. Unfortunately, the gift shop closes before the ship does and we didn't know this.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Feeling like an ant</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The grandfather of the Kitchenaid mixer</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eating and sleeping quarters (for some)</td></tr>
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This is a great attraction for anyone (families, solo travelers, history buffs). It would also be a great location for a wedding. We were able to see a wedding in progress while we were there. If you plan on seeing most of the ship allow yourself a couple of hours. I believe we spent over two hours and had to leave, because they were closing.During the summer months they are open from 8:00am-8:00-pm (check for their holiday hours!) During the winter months they are open 8:00am-5:00pm.<br />
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Admission Prices:<br />
Children 5 and under: free<br />
Children 6-11: $ 6.00<br />
Military (including spouses and children): $10.00<br />
Seniors (65 and up): $10.00<br />
ages 12 and up: $12.00<br />
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For more information you can visit <a href="http://www.battleshipnc.com/">http://www.battleshipnc.com/</a>aflagelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18331723548286933532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87297554263371287.post-44266787995984328162015-04-18T12:41:00.000-04:002015-04-18T12:41:07.346-04:00Airlie GardensAirlie Gardens are a historic non-profit garden located in Wilmington, North Carolina. They have historic buildings, cemeteries, walking trails, wildlife, formal gardens, a 468 year old Oak Tree and butterfly gardens.<br />
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I love nature and being surrounded by it. After leaving historic downtown Wilmington, my grandmother suggested that this should be our next destination. And so we took off, got lost on the way, but made it to the gates of Airlie Gardens. We paid for our admission and headed in. I was surprised by how vast the gardens really were. We walked through most of it and it was absolutely beautiful.<br />
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This is a relaxing destination for anyone in the Wilmington area. I try to incorporate some sort of nature and or hiking into my trips. I love how different destinations are from one another and being in nature helps to relax me. I was amazed at all the perfect photography opportunities there were for me. This would be a perfect place for a photographer interested in landscape photography.<br />
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This was my first time seeing purple tulips! Which happen to be my favorite flowers!<br />
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We visited the bottle chapel that is onsite. It is a structure that was built with cement and bottles (wine, beer, syrup bottles, ect). This was a very peaceful and soothing part of the gardens. I love how they created designs, such as, the butterfly out of the bottles.<br />
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We were lucky enough to see some wildlife while we were touring the gardens. This was my first time seeing swans in their natural habitat. What beautiful creatures! The male swam around the nest the female was on, but never ventured far from her.<br />
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I would undoubtedly recommend anyone in the area to stop and tour these gardens. The scenery is absolutely stunning. It is recommended that it will take an hour to an hour and a half to tour the complete area. Adult and children tickets are available online or at the gardens. Airlie Gardens offer discounted tickets to military personnel that can only be purchased at the gardens. They are open Monday- Sunday 9am-5pm (last tickets will be sold at 4:30pm). Airlie Gardens host lots of events throughout the year. Perhaps you will have the added bonus of a concert while in the area!<br />
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The following link will take you to their website: <a href="http://airliegardens.org/">http://airliegardens.org/</a><br />
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Do you like to incorporate nature into your trips? If so what type of nature?aflagelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18331723548286933532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87297554263371287.post-30210758532933520982015-04-09T10:14:00.000-04:002015-04-09T11:09:37.021-04:00Wilmington, North CarolinaAmerica is such a beautiful country with so much to see! The other weekend I took a road trip with my brother and his fiancée. We drove through Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina. Our final destination was Wilmington, North Carolina to visit family. We woke up early Saturday morning and hit Wilmington in order to make the most of our only day in the city. We walked through historic downtown Wilmington and River Street looking at all the shops.<br />
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We randomly decided to stop for brunch/early lunch at Dixie Grill. We chose this place because there were so many people standing outside it. That must mean they have good food . . . right? It was a little bit of a wait, but well worth it. The food was absolutely delicious!! We didn't have to wait long on the food once we were seated and the service was great.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And the syrup bottles were old coke bottles!</td></tr>
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We visited the outside of Bellamy Mansion. There was too long of a wait for the tour and we had other things we wanted to see. It was a beautiful historic home.<br />
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We spent the rest of the morning driving around Wilmington looking at all the historic homes. Almost every home is in the historic area is a home with some sort of history to the country or to the city of Wilmington. The historic placards on the home provide you with the history of the home. Some of the homes are open for the public to tour and some are not. Wilmington has a trolley that you can take or horse carriages if you would like for someone to tell you the history of the city. They start on River street, along with the ghost tours. In our next post will be Wilmington: Airlie Gardens and USS North Carolina Battleship.aflagelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18331723548286933532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87297554263371287.post-14044619767817206512015-03-24T12:48:00.002-04:002015-03-24T12:49:15.751-04:00September's Destination . . .It was the morning of March 4, 2015. My brother came into my work and told me that he and his fiancée had decided against going to Dominican Republic for their next trip. I was vaguely interested in this until his next sentence. We decided on Machu Picchu instead. I may have whipped my head around so fast that it caused whiplash. See, Machu Picchu is on my Ultimate Travel Bucket List and I've always wanted to go there. I mean it's Machu Picchu. How could you not want to go to this beautiful New World Wonder?<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Can you really resist this view?</span></div>
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I think he was purposely building up the suspense to see my reaction. It's no secret how much I've wanted to go there. They invited me along to go with them!! The trip was booked by 4pm that afternoon. Woot Woot! This will be my first trip to South America, a whole new continent! I'm so excited. We booked this trip on Groupon through Gate 1. I had researched Gate 1 several months ago when I was putting my feelers out for planning a trip to Machu Picchu. I'm a pretty independent traveler, so I prefer not to travel with a travel groups. I feel like I can see and do more on my own, I can spend as much time as I want at a destination, and I have the flexibility to change my itinerary. Those options aren't necessarily available to you through a tour group, but I'm willing to give it a try.<br />
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It's a five day trip with airfare, hotels and most meals are included. This trip cost me right around $1000 with the additional tours we chose to add on. We will spend a full day at Machu Picchu. We chose to visit several of the markets and we chose to do a Peruvian cooking class with the foods we purchase at the markets. We also chose to eat dinner in a Peruvian home, visit some ancient sites. <br />
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Peru looks like a beautiful and diverse country. I really can't wait, and there is so much more to this country than just Machu Picchu. Unfortantely, we won't have time to visit more of the country. However, I plan to keep Peru on my list and one day visit the rest of the country. aflagelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18331723548286933532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87297554263371287.post-25176072131098483942015-03-03T12:03:00.001-05:002015-04-18T12:44:57.568-04:00Hard Rock Hotel- Orlando, FlI can't tell you how many times I have stayed at this hotel. It is one of the 4 onsite hotels offered for those visiting Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios. <br />
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We have annual passes to the theme parks and make several trips to Orlando a year. Our preferred onsite hotel is the Hard Rock Hotel, and there are several reasons for this:<br />
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- It is the closest onsite hotel in proximity to the theme parks<br />
- They have really comfortable beds<br />
-The rooms are designed for rock stars<br />
-Friendly staff<br />
-Great food options<br />
-Huge Pool<br />
- events are always going on<br />
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There are a transporation options for anyone staying at the onsite hotels:<br />
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- walking (hard rock path is the shortest and you end up right in front of Universal)<br />
- the boat (we don't do this, because there is always a wait and always a line)<br />
-rickshaw (you can pay for a rickshaw to take you to and from your hotel)<br />
- Shuttle buses (we never take these)<br />
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What are the benefits of staying at a onsite hotel?<br />
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- Fl residents and annual pass holders get a discount on the rooms<br />
- Early admission to Islands of Adventure!! (this allows hotel guest to visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at 8am, before it opens to the public. We always take advantage of this as it reduces the wait time for the ride from 45-75 minutes to 15-30 minutes. We leave from Harry Potter and ride the other rides before their lines get long)<br />
-One of the best advantages is your unlimited fast passes that are included for being a hotel guest. This is a huge money saver for families. I have seen the passes at $99 (unlimited rides) per person before and you get them for free! This pass allows everyone staying at the hotel to take advantage of the fast pass line and skip everyone waiting in the regular line. We have seen rides with a wait time of 45-75 minutes and we have waited for maybe 15 minutes in the fast pass line. Well worth it!<br />
-Any purchases made in the theme parks can be delivered directly to your hotel room. You don't have to carry it around the parks with you!<br />
- Hotel guest also get priority seating at selected restaurants throughout the resorts<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Booking Tip: Don't forget to ask about annual pass/ Fl resident discounts! For non-florida residents don't forget to ask about AAA discounts!</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"></span><br />aflagelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18331723548286933532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87297554263371287.post-70647764211067379222015-03-01T15:57:00.001-05:002015-03-01T15:57:47.818-05:00Blarney Vale Bed and BreakfastI have fallen in love with bed and breakfasts since my Europe trip. They are my now preferred choice of accommodation. Blarney Castle was on our list of attractions (and bucket lists) while we were in Ireland. We decided to stay a couple nights in Blarney and use it as a home base. We chose Blarney Vale as our b&b for that leg of the trip. It is an adorable b&b set atop a hill on the edge of town.<br />
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<span id="goog_915965127"></span><span id="goog_915965128">This was one of my favorite bed and breakfasts. Anne was so incredibly nice and welcoming. She is a wealth of information and can give you pointers in any direction. We left our luggage and went straight to Blarney Castle. Blarney Vale is about a 5 minute walk into the center of Blarney Village and Blarney Castle. You are offered coffee and tea on arrival! She recommended dinner options in town for us. The next morning she was kind enough to ask us of plans for the day. She then sat down and gave us directions, advise on where to go and what to do!</span><br />
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I was extremely surprised with the size of our room. It was by far the largest of our stay. We had a full and twin bed, and a ensuite bathroom. For those that are concerned there was a lock on our bedroom door, giving you some piece of mind. <br />
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This b&b offers free wifi, and it works! There a dining room for the guests and a guest lounge. Blarney has a private car park to park your car. This was a huge bonus for us! You do need to notify the hosts of this ahead of time.<br />
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All in all we highly recommend staying at this bed and breakfast if you are in the area. It was centrally located with friendly and fantastic hosts!aflagelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18331723548286933532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87297554263371287.post-84694433760040549772015-01-17T21:14:00.000-05:002015-08-18T12:51:45.365-04:00Move over life, its planning timeIt's seems like such a long time since I have been on a trip, when in reality I went to LA last month. There are so many places we can travel to, does anyone else find it hard to pick a destination? Alas, despite the difficulties we have our travel plans for the year (so far). Here is our travel destinations for 2015:<br />
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February: Orlando<br />
March: Wilmington, NC<br />
May: Bahamas<br />
June: Des Moines, IA<br />
July:Chicago <br />
September: Peru-Machu Picchu <br />
October: Des Moines, IA <br />
November: Belize & Mexico<br />
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My may trip will be a family trip that I'm really looking forward to. I was the only traveler in my family and my brother and parents have followed suit. My parents are even branching out and traveling to St. Croix by themselves in April. Yay for family travels! <br />
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I'm especially looking forward to my trip to Chicago. It's a city I have always wanted to explore and now I'm going to. Making it even better is the fact that my best friend from high school will be meeting me there!!<br />
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I love mountains! I could live in the mountains. Ashville is such a great destination, with a lot to offer. I love outdoor activities and Ashville has it all. From the Blue Ridge Parkway, hiking, horseback riding, ziplining, white water rafting, national parks, and a great night life.<br />
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I look forward to bringing all the advice and tips back that I can for all my readers. Where are you looking at visiting in 2015?<br />
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<br />aflagelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18331723548286933532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87297554263371287.post-86116139727645444072015-01-11T12:02:00.001-05:002015-01-11T12:02:33.854-05:00Belkin Mini Travel Surge ProtectorHAPPY NEW YEAR!! In my last post I gathered items that would make great Christmas gifts for the traveler in your life. I asked for some of those items for myself, because they are so great. I did receive some of the gadgets I asked for and some unique ones for my travel. In this post I will be reviewing the Belkin Mini Travel Surge protector. You can buy it here: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-3-Outlet-Charger-Protector-Charging/dp/B0015DYMVO">http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-3-Outlet-Charger-Protector-Charging/dp/B0015DYMVO</a>.<br />
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<img class="fullScreen" height="1322" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/619npNbFQZL._SL1500_.jpg" style="height: 292px; margin-left: 102px; margin-top: 10px; width: 354px;" width="1500" /><br />
Quite honestly I love this item! We had our family Christmas early as we were leaving for California and would be there over Christmas. This mini surge protector is lightweight, small and compact. It has three plug ins and two usb ports. It has a swivel plug in, making this item more versatile for you. It takes up a very small space in your suitcase or carry on. I used my Belkin Mini Surge Protector to charge all of my electronics while we were in Los Angeles. It is wide enough that I was able to set my iphone on top of it while it was charging. This is great in case it's plugged in where there isn't a table, bed or nightstand available. I think this is a great item for any traveler to add to their gadgets, and it can fit into everyone's budget. This item costs $11.88 on Amazon.com!aflagelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18331723548286933532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87297554263371287.post-14268878113239609852014-11-27T22:12:00.001-05:002014-11-28T10:16:45.852-05:00Holiday Gifts for your TravelersIt's that time of the year . . . we are now less than a month away from Christmas. It's the time when people start their holiday shopping. I have a list of presents for the traveler in your life. Some of the items are incredibly practical and some are things you wouldn't necessarily think of. Without further ado check out the list:<br />
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-Books: every travelers has down time. Whether it's waiting for your train, flight or layovers a good book is a must.<br />
-Journal: I love writing about my travels and being able to look back and relive my adventures.<br />
-Luggage tags: I see these all over the internet. Some websites, such as, <a href="http://www.shutterfly.com/">www.shutterfly.com</a> allow you to personalize your own.<br />
-Guidebooks: Know their next travel destination? Give them a guidebook to help them decide how to spend their time at that destination!<br />
-Scarves: Your mind may not have automatically gone here, but one scarf can change an entire outfit and be multifunctioning. <br />
-Rosetta Stone: Give them the gift of learning another language. This can come quite handy if you are in a country that doesn't speak your native language.<br />
-Tablet/Ipad: I take my mini ipad with me every time I travel. It has now replaced my laptop. I can read books, get on the internet, blog, edit my photos and stay connected with my friends and family. One of my all time travel accessories. <br />
Travel Gear:<br />
-Luggage: For my birthday in 2013 I received a whole luggage set. They have gone on many many travels and are still going strong. My current set is American Tourist brand.<br />
-Weekender Bags: These are great for quick trips. <a href="https://www.etsy.com/">https://www.etsy.com/</a> offers some really nice ones with many different designs and the options to personalize them.<br />
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-Converter/Adapter: It may not seem like a big deal, but all the little things you need for trip add up. This will take care of your traveler's electronics. <br />
-Toiletry Bags: A girl has to keep her make up and everyday items somewhere. I love mine from L.L Bean. I can fit my make up, shampoo/conditioner, razor, shaving cream, ect in it. It also has a mirror on the inside, has a hanger and takes up minimal space in my suitcase.<br />
-Travel Size: toiletries, hair dryer and straightener. Most places have a hair dryer, but some people like to take their own.<br />
-Passport Cover: Keeps their passport safe and most provide slots for credit cards, ect<br />
-Mini Travel Size Surge Protector w/ USB plug: Im asking for one for Christmas this year. It seems like there are never enough plugs in your room. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/619npNbFQZL._SX425_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Belkin 3-Outlet Mini Travel Swivel Charger Surge Protector with Dual USB Ports, 5 Charging Outlets Total (1 AMP / 5 Watt)" border="0" class="a-dynamic-image a-stretch-horizontal" data-a-dynamic-image="{"http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/619npNbFQZL._SX355_.jpg":[355,313],"http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/619npNbFQZL._SX450_.jpg":[450,397],"http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/619npNbFQZL._SX466_.jpg":[466,411],"http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/619npNbFQZL._SX425_.jpg":[425,374],"http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/619npNbFQZL._SX522_.jpg":[522,460]}" data-old-hires="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/619npNbFQZL._SL1500_.jpg" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/619npNbFQZL._SX425_.jpg" height="176" id="landingImage" style="max-height: 325px; max-width: 325px;" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Belkin Mini Travel Size Surge Protector w/ USB Plug</td></tr>
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- External Battery: These are awesome. Charge the night before and take it with you. Your traveler will no longer need to fight for a spot at a charging stations. They come in multiple sizes. <br />
*Expedition Wanderlust Tip: Check out the Jackery Brand *<br />
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<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/71FuxMxCImL._SX466_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Jackery&reg; Bar Premium Aluminum iPhone Charger External Battery 6000mAh Portable Charger Power Bank for Apple iPhone 6 Plus, 6, 5S, 5C, 5, 4S, iPad, Air, Mini, Samsung Galaxy S5, S4, S3, Note, Nexus, LG, HTC. Portable Battery Charger, External Charger, USB Battery Pack, iPad Charger, Travel Charger, Backup Battery (Orange)" border="0" class="a-dynamic-image a-stretch-horizontal" data-a-dynamic-image="{"http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/71FuxMxCImL._SX466_.jpg":[466,319],"http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/71FuxMxCImL._SX342_.jpg":[342,234],"http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/71FuxMxCImL._SX425_.jpg":[425,290],"http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/71FuxMxCImL._SX522_.jpg":[522,357],"http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/71FuxMxCImL._SX385_.jpg":[385,263]}" data-old-hires="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/71FuxMxCImL._SL1500_.jpg" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/71FuxMxCImL._SX466_.jpg" height="136" id="landingImage" style="max-height: 357px; max-width: 345px;" width="200" /></a></div>
-Packing Cubes: These provide more space in your travelers luggage. Check out <a href="http://www.ebags.com/">www.ebags.com</a> (they are currently 20% off.<br />
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Gift Cards:<br />
-Airline Gift Cards: Check with each airline. Delta and American Airlines offer gift cards.<br />
-Hotel Gift Cards: Does your traveler prefer a particular hotel? Get them a gift card. Always check with the hotel chain. Marriott and Hilton both offer gift cards.<br />
-Visa Gift Cards: Can be used on anything from gas, accommodation, food, and other travel expenses.<br />
-If you know the destination you can purchase gift cards to attractions, bed and breakfasts, restaurants, plays, musicals, ect.<br />
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Check out for more ideas:<br />
My pinterest page: <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/exwanderlust/">https://www.pinterest.com/exwanderlust/</a><br />
My facebook page: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/expedwanderlust?ref=hl">https://www.facebook.com/expedwanderlust?ref=hl</a><br />
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What do you buy for the traveler in your life? If your a traveler what would you like for Christmas? As always leave your comments and ideas below!aflagelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18331723548286933532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87297554263371287.post-521830376478397632014-10-29T21:41:00.003-04:002015-01-10T13:11:53.464-05:00Renaissance Tampa International PlazaGirls weekend shopping trip. Sounds great, right? It was a nice shopping trip with my mom. Our itinerary for this trip was to shop at Tampa's International Plaza Mall. For this trip we chose to stay at Marriott's Renaissance Tampa International Plaza Mall. We chose this hotel for it's location and décor. If you want a hotel close to the International Mall you can't beat this hotel. The Renaissance is attached to the mall and a short walk to all the shops and restaurants.<br />
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I was very impressed by our short stay here. From the moment we arrived the staff was friendly and helpful. Our room wasn't ready when we arrived, so we took advantage of their luggage storage and began our shopping trip. Concierge called us when our room was ready (before regular check-in time). The décor for this hotel is very unique from the moment you step into the lobby.<br />
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I was very much charmed by the décor throughout the whole hotel, including our rooms. I was very impressed by this Marriot "boutique" styled hotel. Breakfast is not included in your stay, however they offer an excellent array of breakfast options. </div>
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Amenities:</div>
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- Free high speed wireless internet in rooms</div>
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-Fitness Center</div>
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-Pool </div>
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-4:00pm Check-in</div>
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- Noon Check-out</div>
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- Complimentary parking</div>
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- Valet parking $19 daily</div>
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-Continental Breakfast $11 daily</div>
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- Buffet style Breakfast $18 daily </div>
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Check everything out at their website: <a href="http://www.marriott.com/hotels/hotel-information/travel/tpaim-renaissance-tampa-international-plaza-hotel/">http://www.marriott.com/hotels/hotel-information/travel/tpaim-renaissance-tampa-international-plaza-hotel/</a></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;">Expedition: Wanderlust Tip: *When booking your stay don't forget to ask about a AAA discount (if your a member), and don't forget to use your Marriott Rewards # (this is a category 6 property)*</span></div>
aflagelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18331723548286933532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87297554263371287.post-40721254392102107392014-10-08T21:26:00.000-04:002014-10-08T21:35:05.249-04:00Take Nothing but Pictures, Leave Nothing but FootprintsI have recently decided it's high time I start discovering all my state has to offer. I'm excited to start <em>Take Nothing but Pictures, Leave Nothing but Footprints </em>"campaign". I foresee visits to state parks, theme parks, and state beaches in my future. While I'm unable to travel full time, I'm hoping to travel locally in between my international trips. I chose to refer to my Florida travels as, <em>Take Nothing but Pictures, Leave Nothing but Footprints, </em>because I think it sends an important message. It's important to me that we take care of our surroundings and nature in general. Ecotourism is on the rise and there are so many beautiful places in the world to travel to. However, they wont survive over time if we don't take care of them. I'm always amazed when I hike and experience nature and traveling. <br />
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By traveling around my state I'm hoping to bring a locals perspective to anyone visiting Florida, recommendations and tried and true tips. Keep a look out for upcoming posts for Tampa and Orlando! Anywhere you would like me to visit in Florida? Leave a comment below.aflagelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18331723548286933532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87297554263371287.post-34082004437871200562014-09-28T16:26:00.000-04:002015-08-28T10:47:57.025-04:0020 Facts about Bunratty Medieval Banquet . . .This banquet came highly recommended by my father who used to live in Ireland. I'm so glad we listened to his recommendation and bought tickets for it. We were running late, but there was still a line waiting to get in when we arrived.<br />
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1. You get see a small portion of the castle while they finish setting up dinner<br />
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2. They provide a small performance in the Great Hall before dinner<br />
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3. Free Mead is provided for all the adults during the first performance<br />
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4. For dinner you sit at communal tables like you would in medieval times<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRB6mlTBbLnnMEkpIHVvCb5UEUBbLH2IAkC2KDXOzijgORxihtX6LTdwuoxiE2SnVNCezyULyTpr1NWEtNRUClTueNGyW4KyAkddhjkDPoE6xe5iAjgU7LzzHh08cH1yopzvJoV0Nq3sU/s1600/bunratty+group.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRB6mlTBbLnnMEkpIHVvCb5UEUBbLH2IAkC2KDXOzijgORxihtX6LTdwuoxiE2SnVNCezyULyTpr1NWEtNRUClTueNGyW4KyAkddhjkDPoE6xe5iAjgU7LzzHh08cH1yopzvJoV0Nq3sU/s1600/bunratty+group.jpg" /></a></div>
5. You receive a 3 course meal: appetizer, entrée and dessert<br />
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6. No silverware!!<br />
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7. We had delicious soup, chicken and potatoes, and dessert<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTpEzZ0bYJ_u0u70yQ5mkEdntTooLRWD_nGs-RHwjhZAZZgzAOoyj-o3ASJeQkkQR6g4PrHfG4NLWK3JqLiZSGTRUa0oGBzplJIW-vyZAMI0PChyphenhyphen51r_S5ciBAbNk9iZ24Grk-WPTDMt4/s1600/bunratty+meal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTpEzZ0bYJ_u0u70yQ5mkEdntTooLRWD_nGs-RHwjhZAZZgzAOoyj-o3ASJeQkkQR6g4PrHfG4NLWK3JqLiZSGTRUa0oGBzplJIW-vyZAMI0PChyphenhyphen51r_S5ciBAbNk9iZ24Grk-WPTDMt4/s1600/bunratty+meal.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Main Meal<br />
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbNfmeXRFRdBQiQKdh5pDLikDXatq4971VSJTj-PwvEnz8RyzduWXyx3p-MTAx4QW1F9h9-Q3CzQXVjALysi85eaBOiptF_j6euvXvBIpcSaU_-qZeIrdsdzklw4MS5CXiOZqT1oIMfg4/s1600/bunratty+dessert.jpg" /> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
8. The pottery your meal is served in is available for purchase<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVqGywF4U-J5J2MvVwwf5TaroIvIECThEGfp6ac6xCAoqZR7kMELqhmzpqIJbIPel64aUk5y0zAkyLgjYT3kn1e0UFSoM2ySmjXNqLyOqHXnbuEAr5LvVOAtiBuU-tyN2izA7Rzrm1WfY/s1600/bunratty+soup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVqGywF4U-J5J2MvVwwf5TaroIvIECThEGfp6ac6xCAoqZR7kMELqhmzpqIJbIPel64aUk5y0zAkyLgjYT3kn1e0UFSoM2ySmjXNqLyOqHXnbuEAr5LvVOAtiBuU-tyN2izA7Rzrm1WfY/s1600/bunratty+soup.jpg" /></a></div>
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9. We had the nicest server . . . great local insight.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7gkWym9HR8-h_gCeVeAV2WBQCXcIYIzbMPzCAbZsx1VANM4O8OnXJoeshTC9YFfX95LPbqeKDuxc1Si9SB97ds6JlwYTkG8EDYSwZsFORv0UXUo-pG4wpzOoQrAjZQaOOYXprKaxnLjc/s1600/bunratty+dinner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7gkWym9HR8-h_gCeVeAV2WBQCXcIYIzbMPzCAbZsx1VANM4O8OnXJoeshTC9YFfX95LPbqeKDuxc1Si9SB97ds6JlwYTkG8EDYSwZsFORv0UXUo-pG4wpzOoQrAjZQaOOYXprKaxnLjc/s1600/bunratty+dinner.jpg" /></a></div>
10. Everyone is dressed up for their part<br />
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11. The performance was awesome. A very talented group!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhygNlm6myJqV6_UQBlc8c84PswaY5eO1DGQkSduJgUR7kjBLwmxcfZHhrbDWJo5d3qY_hH2Z4LHUmvVt1cgPWIWgJebvKFjME0_ivxQMR4m6YYLe_0H7fXmsWB-IOAlDqkbgov03lr8As/s1600/bunratty+performance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhygNlm6myJqV6_UQBlc8c84PswaY5eO1DGQkSduJgUR7kjBLwmxcfZHhrbDWJo5d3qY_hH2Z4LHUmvVt1cgPWIWgJebvKFjME0_ivxQMR4m6YYLe_0H7fXmsWB-IOAlDqkbgov03lr8As/s1600/bunratty+performance.jpg" /></a></div>
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12. It is interactive with the crowd: someone gets crowned the Earl and Lady<br />
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13. Someone gets thrown into the Dungeons- Make sure it isn't you!<br />
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14. Shannon Heritage runs this banquet along with the Knappogue Banquet and the Dunguaire Banquet<br />
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15. The whole performance with dinner included is about 2 1/2 hours<br />
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16. There are two performance times 5:30pm and 8:45pm<br />
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17. The Banquet runs yearly<br />
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18. The price for adults is 51.50 euros<br />
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19. Reservations are required: Book ahead of time or their wont be tickets left<br />
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20. Visit their website at <a href="http://www.shannonheritage.com/BookNow/">http://www.shannonheritage.com/BookNow/</a><br />
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Check out our facebook page <a href="https://www.facebook.com/expedwanderlust?ref=aymt_homepage_panel">https://www.facebook.com/expedwanderlust?ref=aymt_homepage_panel</a><br />
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Any questions or comments? Let us know by leaving them below!<br />
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aflagelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18331723548286933532noreply@blogger.com0