Castaway Cay

Our last stop on our Disney Cruise was Castaway Cay, a private island owned by Disney. This island is completely run by the Disney staff on the ship. Once the ship leaves the island there are a few care takers who watch over it. Today, I am going to be talking about the things we did on the island.

Me Biking!

First, my mom and I decided to go bike riding. The bike rental place on the island was about a 20 minute walk from the ship. There is also an option to take the tram over too which is only a 5 minute ride.  Once we got to the bike rental place there was a hut where we pay for our bikes. The rentals were by the hour so we just rode for one. The trail is very easy to bike over and there were frequent places to stop. If you do extreme biking or advanced biking this is not the trail for you. On the trail there is also a lookout point. Once we finished the first trail we went on another trail that took us to a secluded beach. The beach was really nice and peaceful, plus you could see the whole side of the island. We made it back to the hut with about 20 minutes to spare. If you consistantly bike through it you could make it back in 30 minutes.

My mom and I on top of the Tower.

Next we went to sit on the beach and wait for lunch. The beach was completely packed all around. It took us about ten minutes to locate chairs. Luckily, two people were leaving the chairs just as we got there. Still, with all of the people around us it wasn't an ideal location but we just wanted to sit down.

Finally we got to eat a barbaque style lunch on the island. There were ribs, corn, chicken, and more. The meal was really delicious. While we were eating there was a crab race going on so that was also fun to watch.

The last thing we did was go to the teen club on the island. It took us about 10 minutes to find in all and when we got there we realized how small the club was. It really had not much to do and it was really old and run down. My brother and I did up playing one fooseball game but left right after.

From the teens club back to the ship was another 20 minutes but all and all we had a fun time on the island. Thank you so much for reading my blog this week. I hope you learned something and maybe decided to go on a Disney cruise. Leave a comment below for what you want my next weeks blog to be about. As always, have safe travels where ever you go!

Los Angeles, The City of Survival

Los Angeles is one place most people want to go to. There are lights, sights and more. I have been to Los Angeles too many times to count and have been everywhere you can think of in the city. Here, I will be giving you an idea on how to survive in the "City of Angels".

The first thing you should do is plan your day so you will stay off the freeways during rush hour. I have been stuck in traffic for 2 hours going 5 miles!   Rush hour usually lasts 6:00 am to 10:00 am and 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm.   If you find yourself stuck in traffic during rush hour, I recommend getting off at the nearest freeway exit and enjoying some local sights while you wait.

Trafic in Los Angeles. (Photo Courtesy of rtkl.com)

The second insider fact is to always be aware of your surroundings, lock your vehicle and be especially careful at night.

One of my favorite things to do in L.A. is to visit its beaches.  In L.A, there are many beaches, each with its own personality. Depending on where you are staying, I recommend Venice, Malibu, and Marina del Rey Beaches. I will recommend places to eat at each of these beaches in my next post. 

Marina Del Rey. (Photo Courtesy of Destination360 )

Another fun thing to do in Los Angeles is to try its many excellent restaurants.  Some memorable meals I have eaten in Los Angeles include the Apple Pan in West Los Angeles, Paradise Cove in Malibu, and The Counter (a burger chain in many locations).

Finally I would like to talk about hotels.  Remember, getting around in L.A. can be difficult due to the traffic, so if you are traveling all over town, you should stay close to a highway.  I recommend using Trip Advisor  to find good hotels. It will tell you locations, ratings, and it even has menus.  Its really easy to use. My mom uses it where ever we go. It also has restaurant reviews if you want to know about other's experiences.

I hope I gave you a few tips to survive in Los Angeles. My next few blogs are going to be about Los Angeles as well so stay tuned! If you are planning to go to Los Angeles soon, I recommend following my blog so I can help you plan the best travel experiences. If you have any questions feel free to leave them in the comment section below. Thank you for reading and have a safe flight!

Copenhagen Denmark

Last summer I had the pleasure to travel on a cruise to the Baltics. One of my favorite places that I went to is Copenhagen, Denmark. Here are some reasons why you should put Copenhagen at the top of your travel spot list.

Copenhagen is the capital city of Denmark. It is also home to the world's most popular bicycle path with 36,000 people using it every day. There is also one of the longest shopping streets in the world, Strøget.  The Danish are known to be the happiest people on Earth. Copenhagen is also home to the world famous amusement park, Tivoli Gardens.

Tivoli Gardens opened in the 18th century. In 2012 it was the 2nd most popular park in the world and is the 2nd oldest amusement park in the world! There is actually a ride there that has been there for 100 years!  The park opened in 1843. People in Copenhagen are very proud to have Tivoli in their home town. While we were there, we went on some rides including, the Rollercoaster,  The Spinning Tops, The Mine, The Bumper Cars, and The Galley Ships. In my opinion, The Galley Ships is not a fun ride to go on if you are a tween but, if you have a younger brother or sister, he or she would enjoy it. If you are older, I recommend The Spinning Tops and The Mine.

Map of Tivoli Gardens (Curtesy of Themeparkbrochures.net)

My brother and I on The Rollercoaster at Tivoli (Picture by me)

Tivoli Gardens in the Rain (Picture by me)

Copenhagen is home to the world's most popular bicycle path. When Danish people start riding their bikes, they become speed demons. They normally will not stop for pedestrians crossing the street. People in Copenhagen are known to ride fast, so beware when you pass a bike lane.

If you are wondering what to eat in Copenhagen, I recommend "sausage wagon" aka a hot dog. Danish hotdogs are one of the best hotdogs from around the world. They have hotdog carts all around Copenhagen. The market food in Copenhagen is also something you should try. Torvehallerne was Copenhagen's first covered food market. Some great foods you can try there are cheeses, smoked fish, and craft beer.

My brother and I eating Hotdogs in Copenhagen (Picture by me)

With amazing food, great biking, and an amazing amusement park, you think Copenhagen can't get any better? Well, Copenhagen also has one of the longest shopping streets in the world, Strøget. Strøget contains many American shops and many locals too. There is also a Starbucks at the end of the street. At a normal walking speed, Strøget takes about 12-15 minutes to walk through the whole street without stopping.

If you don't have much time, I highly recommend the Copenhagen Free Walking Tour. My family did the Grand Tour of Copenhagen. The tour was three hours. The tour starts at Town Hall Square, one of the centers of activity for Copenhageners. Next, you stroll down the small cobble-stoned streets of medieval Copenhagen. From there, you walk to Nyhavn, the wonderful colorful harbor front, where Copenhageners and visitors gather in the seaside cafes. From Nyhavn, you walk to Amalien Palace, the home of the oldest Royal Family in the world. We arrived just in time to see the changing of the guard. From the Palace, we walked to The Marble Churvh, and then back to Strøget.

Changing of the Guards (Picture by me)

My Mom and I at Nyhavn (Picture by me)

My brother and dad walking on Strøget (Picture by me)

Starbucks in Copenhagen (Picture by me)

I hope I gave you an idea on why you should travel to Copenhagen, Denmark. Most people who live in Copenhagen also speak English. I hoped you liked this week's theme! Hope to talk to you in my next blog!