Archive | February, 2009
On Thursday, February 19, King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia joined the 450th celebration of Pensacola. This year, Pensacola is celebrating it’s 450th year. Pensacola was actually settled in 1559, as the first settlement. Unfortunately, a hurricane wiped it out so it isn’t considered the longest continuous settlement. King Carlos gave a speech at Plaza Ferdinand. They had a lunch and explored different parts of the city that celebrate the common heritage. I didn’t get to see too much because I was working, but we were able to wave at the motorcade as they drove past! Thanks A for letting me use your pictures from the speech!
King Juan Carlos and his wife, Sofia
Walking by the crowd before their speech
Saying hello
Gathering before the King’s appearance
Check out other great travel photos at Delicious Baby!
I know, I know…it is actually Wednesday night, but I am trying to meet some deadlines for work (you know…that real job that pays the bills!). This week, I would like to introduce you to The Mother of All Trips. Mara is a mother who loves to travel! Every Monday, she writes an article called Mondays are for Dreaming. Here, she writes about the places she dreams about visiting or has visited in the past. This week she was dreaming about Jaipur, India!
Some of my favorites:
Is traveling relevant? This mom says yes. — In this article, Mara talks about how travel is relevant even though the economy is in the state that it is. I agree with everything she said!
The Top 5 Reasons for Traveling with Children — My favorite is number 4!
Big and Little in Boboli Gardens — Great picture of her little one next to a very cool statue!
I just saw that the dates for the Gulf Coast Hot Air Balloon Festival have been announced. They have probably been out for awhile, but I just checked out the website today. The 5th Annual Balloon Festival will take place on June 19-21. I am so excited to take my kids!
Last summer, my friend and I took the hour drive over to Foley, AL with BigS to see the Gulf Coast Hot Air Balloon Festival. We almost didn’t go because it was getting a little late and the weather wasn’t great, but we are so glad we decided to chance it! BigS loved the balloons until he got up close to them and saw how big they actually are. He wouldn’t get in one even though I told him that they didn’t go far up in the sky and he didn’t want me to get in one either. I guess I will have to fulfill that dream another time! We got great pictures and had a fantastic time.
Once it got dark, there were a bunch of people selling these light saber swords. BigS had to have one! There was so much to see and do at the festival. The balloons were amazing to watch as the sun set. When they lit up, everyone was just in awe. Besides taking a tethered balloon ride, there were other kid’s activities and a great list of bands playing all day long! We can’t wait to attend with both children this year!
According to my husband, this is one of the strangest places we have ever visited. I was so excited to see this place…I am still not sure how I feel about it now. We waited at the train station for the shuttle that runs to Crystal World. It is about a 20 minute drive. While in the bus (with lots of other tourists), we listened to soothing music…almost like windchimes (or crystals!) clinking quietly together. When we arrived, we bought our tickets and headed into this strange place! We walked into the “giant’s lair” and checked out all of the art. There is a whole room dedicated to the Giant (see below). It was a bizarre compilation of art pieces. After exploring the many rooms of art, we were able to wander the Swarovski Crystal store. There were pieces that ranged from just a few bucks to a few thousands. Check out other great photos at Delicious Baby, host of Photo Friday.
The giant’s lair
Jewelry display
The “giant’s” ring
Hmmmm…
This week’s travel blogger is SoulTravelers3. This is a family of 3–mom, dad, and little one–traveling the world. They are in their third year of an open-ended world tour. With their daughter in tow, they are experiencing the world and giving her an education unlike any other. I can only imagine the stories that she will be able to tell her own family someday. They can be found on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and their blog. There are amazing pictures and stories from their travels.
Some of my favorite spots on the blog:
Reflecting on Our Family Travel — They recap 2008 and link you to amazing posts throughout the year.
Where in Heaven is Mozart — A video found on Youtube of little Mozart playing violin in many of the countries she has visited.
Photos — Check out all the beautiful photos they have taken on their journey!
Do you like brats and beer? Do you like a loud atmosphere and lots of people? If so, you will love Hofbrauhaus in Munich. This beer hall has a very rich history. The Hofbrauhaus began operation in 1592 and was founded by Wilhelm V, the Duke of Bavaria. The menu consists of typical German fare. The Hofbrauhaus is a fixture at Oktoberfest. You can hear the singing down the street as you walk towards the beer hall. Don’t be alarmed if someone asks to sit with you at your table. The tables are long and hold many! Just make sure that when you get a table, you don’t sit at one marked for the regular patrons. You will know that the table is reserved when you see them marked “Reserviert” or “Stammtisch.” When it gets busy, you might find yourself making new friends! During the day, the Hofbrauhaus is a great place to take the kids if they like pretzels!
A few weeks ago, I wrote about the alien landscape that we saw in Wyoming at Hell’s Half Acre last summer. While we were in Germany, we saw another crazy landscape that looked like it was formed in some other world. The Partnachklamm is a gorge that at some points is 80 meters deep. To get to the Partnachklamm, you start at the 1936 Olympic Ski Jump Stadium.
The 1936 Olympic Ski Jump
It is about a 20 minute walk from here. I imagine the walk is absolutely beautiful in the summertime. We saw it during the winter. There was fresh snow on the ground; there were horse drawn carriages and sleds everywhere. I will admit that with our two children, our walk was a bit longer than 20 minutes!
On our way up to the gorge
Once at the gorge, you pay a small fee of 1,50Euro per person. During the summer, the gorge is full of flowing water and huge waterfalls. During the winter, it is like you have just landed on another planet…a very far-from-the-sun planet! The waterfalls are frozen in time, yet the river is still flowing right under the falling ice. The pathway is an easy walk and you can turn around whenever you like. We saw many children and adults of all ages.
There is a bridge that you can take but it is only open in the summer so unfortunately we missed it.It was an easy walk for our 4yo and he couldn’t believe what he saw!
The family posing for a picture!
On our way into a spooky tunnel!
Our ride back to the car!
When I log on to Nomadic Matt‘s website, the first thing I look at is his Travel Goal list that runs down the left side of the blog.
I. Love. This. List.
It has so many cool goals on it…many of which are the same as my own travel goals! The blog is aesthetically pleasing and I continually drop by to see which new photos he has added. Matt’s photo gallery is absolutely amazing. There are over 4000 photos from all around the world. I love this photo taken in one of my favorite southern cities, Savannah, GA, and this photo makes me want to move Australia up higher on my list! He has some great travel tips and a comprehensive list of travel bloggers from around the world.
Here are a few of my favorite posts:
Choosing the Right Backpack — Had we read this list before shopping for my hubby’s pack to walk the Appalachian Trail with, we would have been saved from countless headaches! The Gregory Baltoro is the first pack on the list…and the last one out of 100 packs my husband tried on. He decided on the Baltoro and would be thrilled to see it on the top of this list!
Best Places to go Scuba Diving — The pictures in this blog post are incredible. The blue of the ocean and the brightly colored fish make me (who is scared to death of sharks) want to get my scuba certification!
Travel Blog Exchange: A Place to Meet Travel Bloggers — An interview with Travel Blog Exchange founder Kim Mance
The Secret to Long Term Traveling — Matt answers the one question travelers often ask…how are you able to continually travel?!?
It is Seville Quarter…not Sevilles like many out-of-towners think…yes, I know there are several bars in one, but there is still only one Seville…for some reason that drives me nuts. You say “I am going to Seville tonight, do you want to come with?” not “I am going to Sevilles tonight, do you want to come with?”….Seville…Seville Quarter. Last night, we celebrated a birthday with a Girl’s Night Out. We started at Global Grill where we had tasty tapas and amazing cocktails. Luckily, we all get along and we were able to share nicely. We had the following:
Mixed Imported Olives in Flavored Oils
Baked Brie with Wild Berries
Fried Green Tomatoes with Bacon and Goat Cheese
Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce
BBQ Gulf Shrimp New Orleans Style
Homestyle Potato Chips with Bleu Cheese
Andouille and Manchego Cheese Empanadas with Cucumber Cream
It was amazing! After that we headed to Seville Quarter to enjoy a little dueling piano. We happily got carded at the door…it makes us very sad when they just wave us in! We were out very early (got those families to take care of) but were entertained nonetheless.
King Juan Carlos and his wife, Sofia
Walking by the crowd before their speech
Saying hello
Gathering before the King’s appearance
