hershey park-anniversary weekend

This post is quite overdue....like two months late.Whoops. But better late than never right?!?

Cam and I took an anniversary trip to Hershey, PA in June. I know it's not quite a glamorous trip, but it's close to our house and we don't have to use up a ton of vacation time from work to go for a long weekend. 

We stayed at the Hershey Lodge, which I normally wouldn't do, but it got us late entry to the park the day before our printed ticket date and they had a shuttle that took you from the front door of the hotel to the front door of the park. That might not sound like much, but after a full day walking around in the park the last thing you want to do is walk ALL THE WAY to your car in the huge parking lot. It was a nice convenience to have and I would do it again if I went back for the weekend. 

There is a zoo connected to the amusement park, so we spent the morning at the zoo while most of the animals were still awake. I love the zoo at Hershey Park even though it's small and only showcases animals of North America. It's a great zoo with a lot of information and they educate the visitors about the animals so everyone can learn something new.

The day after the amusement park, Cam and I decided to stay for a Hershey Bears playoff hockey game. The Bears are and AHL team based in Hershey, and they feed into the Washington Capitals. The game didn't start until 7:00 pm so Cam and I had a whole day to explore the town. We visited the Hershey Museum and the Hershey Gardens-which we had complimentary tickets to from our hotel stay! We loved the gardens and the museum was so interactive and kid friendly. We even got to taste six different hot chocolates from around the world.

Even though the Bear's lost that night and would eventually go on to lose the Calder Cup, Cam and I had a blast on the long weekend trip to Hershey, PA. It was a nice weekend to get away and have some fun at the amusement park!  Happy Anniversary!

st. thomas- a week in paradise

About a month ago I went to St. Thomas for a destination wedding and decided to make a week long vacation out of it. 

I seriously had a blast exploring National Parks, beautiful white sand beaches, and a marine preserve deep in the mangroves. St. Thomas is an interesting place because it was once under Danish rule- so they have hints of the culture throughout the island. The oddest thing is probably that they drive on the left side of the road-like Britain-but the steering column is on the left-like the United States. It is a very strange thing to see, but the locals say it's easier because the island is so hilly and mountainous. If your steering column is on the left, but you are driving on the rleft, the driver is on the edge of the "mountain" therefore can get as close as possible and see perfectly. 

You don't need a passport to go to St. Thomas, so that 30x30 goal will have to wait until another time. There's always Canada :) I couldn't have asked for better weather. The entire week I was there I think it rained once for about 25 minutes. Very similar to Florida style storms that pass quite quickly. 

I was fortunate enough to hike in the St. John National Park-which is made up of about 85% of the entire island. I also snorkeled and kayaked  a marine preserve in St. Thomas through tons of mangroves. The mangroves are there to protect the tiny island from hurricanes and tropical storms. The government allows peoples to tie their boats to the mangrove trees before a hurricane because the roots can sometimes be buried up to 30 feet in the sand. 

Such an amazing experience with lots of old friends and some new ones. Enjoy!

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beach vacation

We are the family that is crazy enough to drive into an oncoming hurricane/nor'easter that hit the East Coast last week. We had been set to go on vacation and the deposits for the condo had been paid, so we didn't want to waste the money. We headed down to South Carolina on Sunday and hit rain every minute of the drive down the coast. Once we arrived to the condo this is what we were met with. 

The water was about ankle high, but luckily it receded by the next afternoon. Because of the weather, there wasn't a whole lot of places open for dinner, but the Krispy Kreme still had the hot light on! We grabbed a dozen doughnuts and had cheeseburgers for dinner. 

On Monday, it was still cloudy/dreary so we hit the shops and spent the day shopping and browsing around the outlets. The next statement I am about to make is going to sound crazy: I am 25 years old and I have never eaten a Big Mac. I finally ordered a Big Mac at the McDonalds across the street from the outlets-and it was DELICIOUS!. Holy cow, I didn't realize what I had been missing. 

The sun finally decided to come out on Tuesday and I was able to sit and relax on the beach. The weather was great Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday and i soaked up every minute of sunshine I could.  

The rest of the week was filled with putt-putt, sunsets, and some amazing meals. As much as I loved being on vacation, I am excited to be back home in my usual routine.

Such a fun vacation to Myrtle Beach this year with the family!

relaxation in bermuda

What an amazing way to spend a week long vacation! I got to sit by the pool and read a book, play trivia, overlook some spectacular turquoise water, and get a small history lesson. I have had a blessed life in that vacation for me ALWAYS happened in some shape or form....seriously always. I know that I may now sound super spoiled for saying that, but I am eternally grateful for my parents and their hard work to make vacations happen. There were times where our vacation would just be a long weekend doing something together as a family, but there was always a "vacation" 

Now that you now all of that information you understand why vacations are such a bug deal to me. My other half doesn't really feel that way about vacations- at all. He thinks that they are expensive and takes a lot of planning, but he is always up for adventure. My type A personality loves the planning aspect of a trip, but my wallet not so much. 

I decided back in January that a cruise would be a great vacation for the two of us! Unlimited food, shows, entertainment and soaking up the sunshine. We decided to cruise on Royal Caribbean to Bermuda for a seven day cruise. I had cruised before, once on Royal Caribbean and once on Carnival, and now that I am older I thoroughly enjoyed Royal Caribbean and the overall experience of a cruise. It was a pleasant surprise to be "disconnected" for a week with no wi-fi or cell service to depend on. (you don't realize how much you use Google in your life until you go without, haha)

We left the East Coast on Friday (June 5) and spent two days cruising down the Atlantic. I spent most of the time finishing up The Astronaut Wives Club  (which you can read about here) by the pool and soaking up the gorgeous sunshine.We were lucky to get seven perfect days of sunny weather!

We docked in Bermuda on Monday evening and hung around King's Wharf and the Royal Naval Dockyard since we didn't want to venture into town late at night. We got some famous Bermuda Rum Cakes and wandered around the Clock-tower Mall until dinner time. We also noticed the Moon Gate Arch in the Royal Naval Dockyard. "Couples who kiss under our moon gates, the wedding band shaped arches found throughout the island- will according to local legend be assured a long and happy life together. Walk through one of or lovely limestone archways, make a wish and look forward to a joyful and prosperous future." ← how adorable!

 The next day we got up bright and early to catch our snorkeling excursion to two of Bermuda's any ship wrecks. Did you know that Bermuda is a the ship wreck capital of the Atlantic?!? Crazy right! Anyhow the snorkeling trip was a BLAST! The water temperature was perfect and the water was so clear I could see 20 feet below me to the bottom. We got some great footage with the GoPro and that will get posted eventually. Our snorkel "guide" was born and raised on the island so it was also a brief Bermuda lesson and Q&A session all rolled into one. The boat also had a slide on the front which dropped riders about five feet above the water! It was one of the coolest things I have done in my life and made the entire vacation well worth the trip. 

After the morning snorkeling trip we took the local bus to Horseshoe Bay beach. I know that Bermuda has a ton of beaches to offer and I know Horseshoe Bay is the busiest and most touristy beach of them all, but I knew how to get there and I knew the bus ride wouldn't take that long. That beach also has the some of the nicest facilities for cleaning and since we were riding the bus I knew we couldn't get on with wet, sandy feet. We climbed up to the top of the rock that surrounds Horseshoe Bay for some spectacular views. I loved that we could swim in water up to our heads, yet still see our feet so easily. If we go back I would be more open to venturing off to a different beach to explore more of what the island has to offer. 

Our third day on the island we decided to catch the ferry to St. George's on the far north end of the island. St. George's is known for being the "old city" of Bermuda. It's where the British first landed when settling the island so there is still a great deal of British influence throughout the city. It was a nice city to walk around and admire the architecture and history of the island. We decided to grab lunch in St. George instead of the ship, and we payed the price-literally. Since practically everything in Bermuda is imported, the import tax is sky high and your wallet can sometimes pay the price. It was only one meal so it didn't break the bank and I was able to get some delicious panko-crusted wahoo fish!

The last few days of the trip were spent at sea and relaxing by the pool. I will admit that by about day five of the trip I was getting cranky and irritated. I missed by bed, my nice big shower, my dog, my mom, and other luxuries of home. Again, I know that I sound like a very spoiled person but I'm just being honest. Overall the trip was absolutely amazing and I had a blast. I loved spending quality time with my other half and relaxing without the phone ringing or emails buzzing.

vacation essentials

Now that the cruise is booked I have been eyeing things that I want for the upcoming vacation. Here is my wish list for all things cruising. 

Mint Eyelet Shorts // iPhone 6 Case // Neutrogena Sunscreen // Ray-Ban Sunglasses // Sandals // Ralph Lauren Fedora

I am loving the floral sandals from Target-which means they are totally affordable-and I will be buying them very soon! They look very comfortable and sturdy enough to walk around the island. I’m a little wary of the way the sandals handle water, but they are way too cute pass up.

The Neutrogena sunscreen is my absolute go-to when it comes to sun protection. This product goes on super smooth and it has a cooling effect, so if you are already sun burnt this sunscreen relieves some of the pain. I will be stocking up on this Neutrogena product not only for the cruise, but for the whole summer.

Last but not least I have asked for the iPhone wallet case as a birthday gift to use while on the cruise. This would be perfect for keeping things like credit cards, room keys, cash, and my phone without having to carrying an entire purse all over the ship. I love that the case looks like a book and is small enough to fit in a pocket if need be. 

Also, our official countdown says that we are 100 days from cruising!

vacation

So vacation started out a tad rocky. This trip had been paid for in full since December, hotel and all, just keep that in mind. It's Saturday night and we are so excited to wake up early Sunday morning and drive to Sandusky, OH to go to Cedar Point. At this point nothing was stopping us...or so I thought. Cam happened to check his fantasy baseball team online and noticed the "Cedar Point Closed" was trending in national news. SERIOUSLY, I could not make this up. Apparently there was a water main break on the causeway that leads you out to the park, so the entire park had no water! We were informed that the park would be closed Saturday and all day Sunday, which included our hotel. I was beyond bummed that my very first vacation that I planned was now shot to hell because we had no place to stay and we had lost a day in the park.

After my miniature meltdown I called central reservations and they told me that they could not refund my money, but I could use my hotel night and park ticket for another day during the season. This was great and all, but we live over six hours away. There was no way we were coming back another time this summer. We made the decision to go up on Sunday night and stay on the mainland part of the state, wake up early Monday and have two full days in the park. It was absolutely worth it! I had a blast and can't wait to get back to Cedar Point.

We took the GoPro with us and got some pretty amazing footage that my brother edited and cut for us. The finished product can be found here- Thanks again little bro :)

Cedar Point Ferris Wheel

Cedar Point Trip-2014

Top Thrill Dragster