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Hello All, Just a quick note to say that I haven't been blogging here for a while because Peter and I decided to get our own doma...
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Cancun: In Photos
Photos from our Cancun trip!
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| Floating on a cenote |
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| Floating on a cenote part 2 - 40 metres deep! |
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| On the bus, going back to the hotel |
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| Caribbean Sea in front of Westin Lagunamar |
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| Me and the Caribbean Sea |
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| Me, Peter & the Caribbean Sea |
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| Me, Peter & the Caribbean Sea part 2 |
A $450 Luxury Trip to Cancun, Mexico 2015
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| Our Oceanfront Room at Westin Lagunamar |
We just got back from our Cancun, Mexico trip and it was epic!!! We stayed at the Westin Lagunamar Resort and flew American Airlines from Miami. Our total expenses for this trip rounded up to $450 for 5 days, 4 nights for everything!
Here's a summary of how we did it, additional reviews in separate posts later. And let me just say: Once you do luxury for this cheap, you never go back to your old backpacking ways
Total Expenses & Points/Miles Used: *all totals are for 1 person, assuming you are sharing with a second person - this will be more expensive if you are traveling alone*
Flights:
- Miami-Cancun Roundtrip = 9,000 British Airways Points per person.
- $40 taxes and fees per person (managed to reimburse $69 from Arrival+, but not for the other ticket
Flight Total: $40
Accommodation:
- $319 for 5 days 4 nights - it was from a timeshare promo and at this price we'd jump to get it, even if it involves a presentation (we got 12,000 SPG points too - loyal points & milers would jump at hoops to get that much seeing as how valuable they are)
The Westin Lagunamar is a Four Star resort!!!
Accommodation Total: $160
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| A day at Chichen Itza - El Castillo |
Excursions:
- $51 each for Chichen Itza tour (booked with Entertainment Plus, the parent company of USA Transfers). Tour covers entrance fees to the cenote, Chichen Itza, transporation to and from the resort, and a buffet lunch - currently waiting to reimburse using Arrival+
- $5 each as a tip to our guide & driver
Excursion Total: $56
Transportation:
- $55 for roundtrip airport transfers from USA Transfers (They are very good)
- $10 tip for both our drivers to the hotel & back
- $2 tip for the bellboys who helped us load our bags in
- $2 tip to the greeter of USA Transfers
- $50 for gas from Jacksonville to Miami & vice versa
Transportation Total: $59.50
Souvenirs: *sue me, I love my souvenirs*
- $5 - hat from Chichen Itza (did halfsie with Peter)
- $4.50 - skull with a Mexican hat (did halfsies with Peter for our house)
- $6 - fabric/shawl (my own $$$)
- $7 - 3 magnets from Chichen Itza (souvenir for Peter's mum, my mum, and our house)
- $2.50 - Chichen Itza mini statues (souvenirs for my mum & Peter's brother)
- $22 - Milka Chocolates (Peter is European and I love the European chocolate. They're yummy and the price in Mexico's Duty Free is much cheaper than in America!)
Souvenir Total: $26.50
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| Swimming in a cenote |
Food: *Since our room in the Lagunamar had a kitchen, we opted to cook most of the time to save money. *
- $1.50 - sundae from McDonalds
- $11 - Bottled Water & other drinks
- $17 - Lunch from Miami Airport (02/21)
- $8 - Dinner (02/21: Bread & Chorizo)
- $30 - Lunch from Viento (02/22)
- $45 - Dinner from La Madonna (02/22 and 02/23)
- $3 - Drink from Lunch Buffet (02/23)
- $30 - Lunch at Viento (02/24)
- $12 - Dinner (02/24: pasta with jamon serrano) - cooked at the hotel
- $15 - Breakfast for the whole stay (02/22-02/25)
- $23 - Lunch at the airport
Food Total: $97.50
Total Expenses: approximately $440 for 5 days and 4 nights in Mexico, averaging $88 a day
This just proves that anyone can travel on a budget - and the fact that we traveled in style and luxury on this trip has been AMAZING!!!!
2014 Brazil World Cup Adventure, Rio de Janeiro - Day 1
Note from Ruby: Finally! I got Peter to post his trip reviews here on the site! :) I normally travel with him so here goes!!
Day 1: Departure from Orlando, 6 am sharp. Perfect. Only problem is, we don’t live in Orlando, we live in Jacksonville, so we had to drive to the Orlando Airport the previous night, sleep on a hard wooden bench and listen to people’s footsteps all night.
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| Ruby at the GIG airport - posing with Fuleco the mascot |
Day 1: Departure from Orlando, 6 am sharp. Perfect. Only problem is, we don’t live in Orlando, we live in Jacksonville, so we had to drive to the Orlando Airport the previous night, sleep on a hard wooden bench and listen to people’s footsteps all night.
The airport does have a hotel on site, a Hyatt, and it is
impressive, nestled right in the middle of the airport. But it’s a bit pricey, so wooden benches it
is!
Day 1: Arrival in Santo Domingo, the connecting flight. They kicked us off the plane, gave us badges
to wear, and let us mill around the departure gate for a confusing hour before
putting us back on the same plane. I
don’t really know why. The only thing I
remember about that airport besides the bathroom is the outrageous price of
McDonald’s (or Burger King, they’re all the same; maybe). If there’s one thing I will never do in life,
it’s overpay for fast food. And eat blue
cheese. I don’t like blue cheese.
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| Ruby at the Maracana Stadium during the Belgium-Russia game |
Day 1: Arrival in Rio! The sun, the samba, the beach…the
half-empty, depressing international airport?
Not the best first impression of Brazil, but it was early in the morning
and we were tired, so we were not in the spirits to judge everything kindly. Thankfully, the domestic airport we
transferred to in order to find our World Cup tickets was cleaner and cheerier.
Upon exiting the airport, we did the touristy thing and
booked a taxi. When the driver heard our
destination, he grimaced and said, “Santa Teresa?” in a mixture of disgust and
more disgust. We’d very shortly find out
why because since Santa Teresa is in the hills, you need to go up and up and
up, and the car we were in decided, in the middle of one of the climbs, to just
die on us right there in the middle of the street. The guy uttered some Portuguese curse words
and gave us our luggage and there we were, dragging our luggage in the street,
trying to find our AirBnb place, without any idea of where we were or how to
get there. Google Maps helped a little
bit and so did asking some locals and we eventually found the place.
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| At the game, with the token "Guy in Giant Hot Dog Costume" right behind us trying to get more beer. |
Day 1: Our first World Cup game, Belgium vs. Russia! Beer
Drinkers vs. Vodka Drinkers! The EU vs Putin!
Belgian Chocolate vs. Russian…Vodka!
On the way to the game, the subway train was rather crowded. I probably inadvertently smelled 10 different
armpits on that subway ride, and I wish I was kidding. When we finally got to the stadium, it was
packed, but well organized and we found our seats within the hour.
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| Peter at the Copacabana Fan Zone |
The game was decent, with some good chances, and Belgium
ended up winning 1-0 on a late goal. The
Vodka Drinkers were silent after the game, probably as a result of drinking too
much vodka.
Back to the AirBnb apartment and End of Day 1.
[Travel] Savannah, Georgia Itinerary & Photos
My mom wanted me to post more photos of my travels... so, in this blog, I'm gonna post Savannah!
We had a long weekend in April (Good Friday - Easter Sunday) and since we didn't get to book tickets to fly out, it's a staycation of sorts and decided we'll explore Savannah & Tybee Island in Georgia.
It's only two hours away from Jacksonville, FL (we drove) but seems completely far away from the world. We could have done separate day trips but I don't know what compelled us to stay longer.
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| Outside Fort Pulaski |
Hotel: Stayed at La Quinta in Pooler (around 10-15 minute drive from Savannah downtown).
Cost? Less than $100 per day with free breakfast. They have cozy rooms too.
Itinerary:
April 18th (Day 1) - We left Jacksonville late. Arrived in Pooler, checked in the hotel then ate lunch (at Wendy's in front of the hotel). Drove downtown. Went to the Railroad Museum. The museum had a bunch of historic carts & a steam engine train!
Walked around River Street but got drenched. Ate at Huey's for dinner. Not so expensive, and it was good, comfort food. Found the Savannah Bee Company and did a bit of window shopping. Decided to go back to the hotel and dry off. Early night for us.
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| At Fort Pulaski with a volunteer |
April 19th (Day 2)- Drove to Tybee Island. It is a separate island from Savannah, around a 30-45 minute drive. Also went to Fort Pulatski (the boyfriend loves his forts and would always make sure we stop at these historic site). It was free when we went (National Park Week's Opening weekend), but normally it's $5 per person.
In Tybee, we explored the Tybee Island Lighhouse & Museum. Paid a small amount to get to the top.
Ate at North Beach Bar & Grill and walked around the beach for a bit (it was a wee bit cold and balmy, after all) before heading trying to go to the pier. It was so traffic (there was an event on the other end of the island) that we decided to go back to Savannah.
Finally bought something from Savannah Bee Company in West Broughton Street as a souvenir. Then walked around the historic district and managed to go to the City Market and explored 10 squares. It was quite easy to get to the squares as the next one is always within two blocks of the other one. Even checked out the Colonial Park Cemetery.
After the 10th square, it was getting late so we called it a night and drove back to the hotel. How apt that they were showing Forrest Gump! It was my first time to watch that movie (albeit long)
After the 10th square, it was getting late so we called it a night and drove back to the hotel. How apt that they were showing Forrest Gump! It was my first time to watch that movie (albeit long)
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| On top of Tybee Island Lighthouse |
Went back to the historic district - to the Georgia Railroad Museum to ride the steam train and yay! We got a slot. That steam train was cool as hell. Note: if you pay the entrance fee to the museum, it's valid for a few days after your first purchase so you can keep coming back!
Also walked around some more squares and back to Broughton Street. Soon enough, it was time to go home! :(
Also walked around some more squares and back to Broughton Street. Soon enough, it was time to go home! :(
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| Bonaventure Cemetery |
That was our Savannah trip - it was a lot of fun and I recommend anyone to go there. Here's some more photos of me & some other interesting places we've seen in Savannah.
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| From one of Savannah's squares |
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| At the battle of Savannah battlefield |
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| The Nachez |
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| The waving girl statue |
[Travel] Weekend Warrior - September 2014
I am a weekend warrior. I love going out every single weekend and trying
to make the most of it. This is something I was not able to do much
when I was back home in Manila. This will be a monthly series wherein I
will present how much I have spent and where I've been to. I will post
it as soon as the first weekend is up, updating it every single week
until the month is up. Good concept, eh?
This is to show everyone that travel can be cheap and your time can be spent wisely, even if you have a 9-5 job, like I do. You don't need to quit your job and travel the world. With a lot of balance and savings, you can enjoy your life and stability of earning a fixed amount every single month.
Activities below are just for 1 person - I travel with my boyfriend, mostly :)
SEPTEMBER 2014 WEEKEND WARRIOR BREAKDOWN
September 1, 2014, Monday (Labour Day Holiday)
Universal Studios, Orlando, FL
This is to show everyone that travel can be cheap and your time can be spent wisely, even if you have a 9-5 job, like I do. You don't need to quit your job and travel the world. With a lot of balance and savings, you can enjoy your life and stability of earning a fixed amount every single month.
Activities below are just for 1 person - I travel with my boyfriend, mostly :)
SEPTEMBER 2014 WEEKEND WARRIOR BREAKDOWN
| Amount | Activity (all for 1 person) | Location | Date |
| 8.5 | Disney Parking - Animal Kingdom | Orlando, FL | 1-Sep |
| 20 | Dinner for two - Cracker Barrel | Orlando, FL | 1-Sep |
| 4 | Root beer Float - Animal Kingdom | Orlando, FL | 1-Sep |
| 8.5 | Universal Parking | Orlando, FL | 6-Sep |
| 11 | Butterbeer Treats | Orlando, FL | 6-Sep |
| 13 | Dinner at Cracker Barrel | Daytona, FL | 6-Sep |
| 6.25 | Lunch at CiCis | Jacksonville, FL | 7-Sep |
| 10 | Beer School - Budweiser Brewery | Jacksonville, FL | 7-Sep |
| 3 | Entrance to Park | Jekyll Island, GA | 13-Sep |
| 3.825 | Georgia Sea Turtle Center (Groupon) | Jekyll Island, GA | 13-Sep |
| 8.5 | Jekyll Island Tram Tour (LivingSocial) | Jekyll Island, GA | 13-Sep |
| 10 | Lunch at Jekyll Island | Jekyll Island, GA | 13-Sep |
| 29 | Trapeze Lesson (Livingsocial) | Middleburg, FL | 14-Sep |
September 1, 2014, Monday (Labour Day Holiday)
Universal Studios, Orlando, FL
[TRAVEL] Weekend Warrior: August 2014
I am a weekend warrior. I love going out every single weekend and trying to make the most of it. This is something I was not able to do much when I was back home in Manila. This will be a monthly series wherein I will present how much I have spent and where I've been to. I will post it as soon as the first weekend is up, updating it every single week until the month is up. Good concept, eh?
This is to show everyone that travel can be cheap and your time can be spent wisely, even if you have a 9-5 job, like I do. You don't need to quit your job and travel the world. With a lot of balance, you can enjoy your life and stability of earning a fixed amount every single month.
AUGUST 2014 WEEKEND WARRIOR BREAKDOWN
August 2, Saturday
Skydive Palatka, Palatka, Florida - $125 Groupon for a tandem dive.
$85 - Photo & video Package.
One of the best things I've ever done is skydive. I would always, always recommend this to other people!
Those who are brave enough, that is.
Outlet Stores at St Augustine, Florida
Disney Store - $35 (2 plush toys, a shirt, and a mini figure) - what can I say, I love Disney?
VF Outlet - Also bought a hoodie and pajama set for $15
Bath & Body Works - Got my friend a gift (Can't disclose the amount here because he might see!)
August 3, Sunday
Stayed at the pool - did a few grocery shopping but that doesn't count as travel. Spent - travel-wise.
August 9, Saturday & August 10, Sunday
Did not spend much because I mostly stayed at home! Just read, hung out, etc. My boyfriend had to get his car fixed on August 9th so that was the reason why I was not able to go somewhere.
August 16, Saturday
South Florida Aquarium, Bradenton, Florida - $18 for 2 people Groupon deal.
This was sooo worth the money! I got to see Snooty and two of his manatee friends in action! That was really the highlight of my trip. The museum was quite informative too - and I loved the Spanish square.
Bought a souvenir shirt for $12 - not bad! Good thing I can fit in a kid's size shirt :)
August 17, Sunday
Myakka State Park, Sarasota, Florida - $6 entrance for two people in a car.
$6 - a gift for my mum when I go back.
August 23, Saturday
Universal Studios, Florida - Own a year pass which cost us $170, bought in January 2014.
- Around $10 for 2 glasses of Butterbeer (mmm yummy)
- Lunch and dinner for $20 approx (per person) - ate at Moe's Grill and Panda Express
- $17 for Parking for the car
- $20 for an owl souvenir from Diagon Alley
- $38 gas
- $20 arcade games
A full day of fun in Universal Studios. Rode the Men in Black Ride, the Mummy (SO HOT), the Harry Potter train from Kings Cross Platform 9 3/4 to Hogsmeade, and Twister. Was in the queue at the Gringotts ride for an hour only to have the ride break down on us (NOT COOL!)
Nevertheless, i did enjoy the new Diagon Alley - if you're a big fan of the Potter series, this will eat up your hard earned cash. You can buy almost any souvenir that you can think of and spend lots of money on food and beverage within this part of the park. I did also like the Dragon that breathes out fire every 15 minutes though, and the attention to detail that the park did! Knockturn alley, and all the knick knacks at the shop. Production Design at it's finest! I'll definitely be back at least twice more to make the most of my year long pass. I haven't ridden in all the rides yet!
The boyfriend also got me a few Simpsons toys (Lisa) and he paid for the game I played (where I won Maggie and Santa's Little Helper). We make sure to visit the arcade every time to play. We both like the games and I like the toys - makes for a great souvenir.
August 24, Sunday
Paddleboarding - All Wet Sports
Down by the creek in Beach Boulevard, my boyfriend and I went stand up paddleboarding.
- $20 via Groupon
SUP is so much fun! I would definitely recommend it to anyone who would want to try something new.
Best if you can find a groupon to offset your costs a bit. Sometimes groupon gives additional percentage discounts so try to time your booking for that!
That week too, a package arrived - It was a GoPro Hero 3 - an advanced birthday gift from my boyfriend!(my birthday is in a few weeks and he wanted to give me the camera before we went on our Puerto Rico trip) I spent $14 to buy a head mount for the camera so we can use it at the Bio Bay tour.
We tried it in the pool and it's working lovely so far!
August 30, Saturday
Hilton Head, South Carolina
Lunch - Golden Corral $9 per person
Gas - $20 per person
Sea Pines Resort -$6 per car ($3 per person)
Souvenirs - $9 (tshirt from Camp Hilton Head)
Water - $1.50 (was sooo thirsty, it was such a bloody hot day)
Went shopping at the outlet stores in Hilton Head but I'm not gonna say how much we spent ;)
Dinner - Bluffton: Captain Woody's Bar & Grill - $10
Hotel - Country Inn & Suites, Beaufort, SC: Free using points
August 31, Sunday
Beaufort & Hunting Island , South Carolina
Entrance to Hunting Island - $5 (per person)
Water - $1.50
Hunting Island Lighthouse Entrance - $2
Lunch - Plums Restaurant - $15
I made a pretty little excel file for it - below are just travel expenses (no souvenirs or water) for your reference & exact location:
This is to show everyone that travel can be cheap and your time can be spent wisely, even if you have a 9-5 job, like I do. You don't need to quit your job and travel the world. With a lot of balance, you can enjoy your life and stability of earning a fixed amount every single month.
Photo from http://media1.s-nbcnews.com/
AUGUST 2014 WEEKEND WARRIOR BREAKDOWN
August 2, Saturday
Skydive Palatka, Palatka, Florida - $125 Groupon for a tandem dive.
$85 - Photo & video Package.
One of the best things I've ever done is skydive. I would always, always recommend this to other people!
Those who are brave enough, that is.
Outlet Stores at St Augustine, Florida
Disney Store - $35 (2 plush toys, a shirt, and a mini figure) - what can I say, I love Disney?
VF Outlet - Also bought a hoodie and pajama set for $15
Bath & Body Works - Got my friend a gift (Can't disclose the amount here because he might see!)
August 3, Sunday
Stayed at the pool - did a few grocery shopping but that doesn't count as travel. Spent - travel-wise.
August 9, Saturday & August 10, Sunday
Did not spend much because I mostly stayed at home! Just read, hung out, etc. My boyfriend had to get his car fixed on August 9th so that was the reason why I was not able to go somewhere.
August 16, Saturday
South Florida Aquarium, Bradenton, Florida - $18 for 2 people Groupon deal.
This was sooo worth the money! I got to see Snooty and two of his manatee friends in action! That was really the highlight of my trip. The museum was quite informative too - and I loved the Spanish square.
Bought a souvenir shirt for $12 - not bad! Good thing I can fit in a kid's size shirt :)
August 17, Sunday
Myakka State Park, Sarasota, Florida - $6 entrance for two people in a car.
$6 - a gift for my mum when I go back.
August 23, Saturday
Universal Studios, Florida - Own a year pass which cost us $170, bought in January 2014.
- Around $10 for 2 glasses of Butterbeer (mmm yummy)
- Lunch and dinner for $20 approx (per person) - ate at Moe's Grill and Panda Express
- $17 for Parking for the car
- $20 for an owl souvenir from Diagon Alley
- $38 gas
- $20 arcade games
A full day of fun in Universal Studios. Rode the Men in Black Ride, the Mummy (SO HOT), the Harry Potter train from Kings Cross Platform 9 3/4 to Hogsmeade, and Twister. Was in the queue at the Gringotts ride for an hour only to have the ride break down on us (NOT COOL!)
Nevertheless, i did enjoy the new Diagon Alley - if you're a big fan of the Potter series, this will eat up your hard earned cash. You can buy almost any souvenir that you can think of and spend lots of money on food and beverage within this part of the park. I did also like the Dragon that breathes out fire every 15 minutes though, and the attention to detail that the park did! Knockturn alley, and all the knick knacks at the shop. Production Design at it's finest! I'll definitely be back at least twice more to make the most of my year long pass. I haven't ridden in all the rides yet!
The boyfriend also got me a few Simpsons toys (Lisa) and he paid for the game I played (where I won Maggie and Santa's Little Helper). We make sure to visit the arcade every time to play. We both like the games and I like the toys - makes for a great souvenir.
August 24, Sunday
Paddleboarding - All Wet Sports
Down by the creek in Beach Boulevard, my boyfriend and I went stand up paddleboarding.
- $20 via Groupon
SUP is so much fun! I would definitely recommend it to anyone who would want to try something new.
Best if you can find a groupon to offset your costs a bit. Sometimes groupon gives additional percentage discounts so try to time your booking for that!
That week too, a package arrived - It was a GoPro Hero 3 - an advanced birthday gift from my boyfriend!(my birthday is in a few weeks and he wanted to give me the camera before we went on our Puerto Rico trip) I spent $14 to buy a head mount for the camera so we can use it at the Bio Bay tour.
We tried it in the pool and it's working lovely so far!
August 30, Saturday
Hilton Head, South Carolina
Lunch - Golden Corral $9 per person
Gas - $20 per person
Sea Pines Resort -$6 per car ($3 per person)
Souvenirs - $9 (tshirt from Camp Hilton Head)
Water - $1.50 (was sooo thirsty, it was such a bloody hot day)
Went shopping at the outlet stores in Hilton Head but I'm not gonna say how much we spent ;)
Dinner - Bluffton: Captain Woody's Bar & Grill - $10
Hotel - Country Inn & Suites, Beaufort, SC: Free using points
August 31, Sunday
Beaufort & Hunting Island , South Carolina
Entrance to Hunting Island - $5 (per person)
Water - $1.50
Hunting Island Lighthouse Entrance - $2
Lunch - Plums Restaurant - $15
I made a pretty little excel file for it - below are just travel expenses (no souvenirs or water) for your reference & exact location:
| Amount | Activity (all for 1 person) | Location | Date |
| 125 | Groupon - Skydive Palatka | Palatka, FL | 2-Aug |
| 85 | Photo & Video Package - Skydive | Palatka, FL | 2-Aug |
| 9 | South Florida Aquarium | Bradenton, FL | 16-Aug |
| 3 | Myakka State Park Entrance fee | Sarasota, FL | 17-Aug |
| 5 | Butterbeer | Orlando, FL | 23-Aug |
| 20 | Lunch & Dinner (Moe's & Panda Express) | Orlando, FL | 23-Aug |
| 8.5 | Parking - Universal Studios | Orlando, FL | 23-Aug |
| 10 | Universal Studio Games | Orlando, FL | 23-Aug |
| 20 | Gas Share | Orlando, FL | 23-Aug |
| 20 | Groupon - All Wet Sports Groupon | Jacksonville, FL | 24-Aug |
| 9 | Lunch - Golden Corral | Hilton Head, SC | 30-Aug |
| 20 | Gas Share | Hilton Head, SC | 30-Aug |
| 3 | Sea Pines Resort Share | Hilton Head, SC | 30-Aug |
| 5 | Hunting Island Entrance Fee | Hunting Island, SC | 31-Aug |
| 2 | Entrance to Hunting Island Lighthouse | Hunting Island, SC | 31-Aug |
| 15 | Lunch - Plums Restaurant | Beaufort, SC | 31-Aug |
| 359.5 | Total for August |
[Travel] Washington DC: The Washington Monument
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| Look familiar? This is the House of the Temple in DC. It was popularized because of the Lost Symbol by Dan Brown |
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| The Philippine Embassy in DC. I didn't think I'd be giddy to see this but I was! |
Our hotel was a $100/night deal at a placed called the Normandy Hotel (I'll probably post a trip report about the hotel when I'm not lazy)
Since I am very, very particular about trip planning, one of the things I really wanted to do was go up the Washington Monument. It was closed for a few months because of some damage but luckily, it will be open a few days before we got there. Bingo!
It is highly advisable to reserve tickets to the Washington Monument in advance by going to Recreation.gov - the tickets are free but if you buy them in advance, you will have to pay a service charge. No worries for us - my boyfriend and I are lazy louts and would rather do something else with our time than queue up for two hours hoping to get tickets (but what if we don't?) - the service charge is very minimal - for the two of us we only paid like $5 and that includes shipping to my apartment. Score! (Of course, this only works if you live in the US. But fear not if you live outside the US, you can opt to pick up your tickets at the ticket counter on the day that you're supposed to go up). Booked our tickets for May 24th, 10:30 AM and we're all set!The ticket is timed, so you'll have to be there at least 15-30 minutes before your timed ticket and sit down at one of the marble benches and wait for your turn to go inside.
Before you go in, the park ranger will group you in batches (me and my bf along with 8 other people) then you'll have to go through an airport style security check (bags will be X-Rayed), and no food is allowed inside. You'll then wait outside the elevators which will take you up the monument.Since we were the first two inside, I got a chance to get my photo taken with Mr Washington himself. OK, a statue, but that's close enough.
There are two windows in every side of the monument (8 in all) and overall has breathtaking views of the National Mall & surrounding areas (if you went there on a clear day - when we were there it was very clear and sunny. Perfect weather, really).
Do take the time to take photos and marvel in those windows. I myself am a history buff and do love taking on amazing views, we ended up staying much more in the place than we expected to! Check out our photos in the rest of the post below. Please do not take and use them elsewhere without my permission though. You can grab hold of me on the contact me page on the right side of the page if you would want to use them.You should notice that there is a red light blinking up on the top of those two windows/viewing areas. Not sure what it's for though! I theorized it could be for airplanes - they do land quite close to the city center (via Reagan airport) but I could also be wrong!
Once you are done with the viewing area, you'll go down one level into a mini museum showcasing how the Monument was built, various trivia, etc - this is where you'll catch the elevator back down from the top.Watch out while you're elevator though! There are many commemorative stones that were donated by various states, some of them more interesting than the others! I managed to take a photo of some of them but unfortunately I didn't get to upload them! Oh well.
That concludes the Washington Monument trip.
Depending if you're a big history buff or not, it will take around 2-3 hours to do everything (including waiting for your turn to go up the top, waiting for your turn at the windows, taking pictures and then going to the other windows)Enjoy the photos in the blog - my camera is amazing isn't it?
It was a plus that we were there during Memorial Day weekend cos there was so many events going on!
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| WWII Memorial, Reflecting Pool & Lincoln Memorial |
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| MLK Memorial |
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| WWII Memorial |
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| The White House |
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| Me at the Monument |
[Travel] Fort Clinch State Park, Amelia Island, Florida
My boyfriend actually found this place, being a history geek that he is, with the power of Google. He was actually looking for a place where we can stop by and sight see before the sunset cruise in Fernandina Beach.
It was almost winter when we were there, so we didn't bother to bring swimsuits. It was a wee bit chilly walking at the beach but the boyfriend and I had it all to ourselves.
The boardwalk was nice - there were loads of birds in the pristine beach and there was not much people there. Not sure if it was because people didn't want to go because it was winter or that the park was nearly closing when we were in the boardwalk area.Realizing that we only had 40 minutes left before our boat tour was scheduled to leave, we had to leave too.
But you do have a chance to look at some photos I took from the trip! Sheldon says hello!
The Sheldon toy was actually given to me by my boyfriend when we were first going out - I saw it in Barnes & Noble, thought it was cute but didn't buy it. Little did I know he'd surprise me with it a few days later!
[Travel] Cumberland Island, Georgia, United States
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| The beach - although you can't swim there |
In this post, I focus on Cumberland Island National Seashore. I initially learned about this place from a colleague of mine when I first moved to America. However, he did not say there was a tour. My persistent research showed me to this website:
http://www.nps.gov/cuis/index.htm
**More after the jump -- click on the title link to get to the full post**
[Travel] Magnolia Plantation, Charleston, South Carolina, United States
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| In my "winter" outfit |
In this travel blog, I feature Magnolia Plantation - this used to be a plantation in the old times (yes, where the slaves were, farming for their masters) but has now been opened to the public who want to tour the massive grounds.
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| Lovely autumn scenery while hiking - look at those leaves! |
There's three parts to this plantation: the swamp, the grounds, and the house. There's other areas too but those are the ones I went to so far. We got one free entrance ticket by donating a canned item to the plantation, but the swamp we had to pay an extra for, which was fine.
Even though it was freezing that day, I enjoyed the long walks, the nice colours of autumn, and the natural scenery of the place. For someone who came from a place that does not have four seasons, it is a welcome change indeed.
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| The Magnolia plantation house |
Seeing a swamp is amazing too - I have never really seen swamps before. Apparently the swamp in the plantation has alligators living there. Unfortunately for me, no gator sightings this time.
And that pretty much concludes my Magnolia Plantation trip. To be honest, I've forgotten how to get to Magnolia Plantation. I think we just googled the directions from the hotel in Charleston and it's roughly around 30 minutes and we're there. Parking is free within the compound. I've uploaded more photos below that you can peruse while I am out trying to create a new blog post.Have a nice weekend you guys :)
