Prague

 

I purchased the Prague Card after assessing the value of what was to offer and the targets on my to-do list. This card was available for pick up at the airport and included the airport shuttle which would lead me to the train station. From there, I took the metro (also covered by my 2-day pass) to the nearest stop of my first stay, Sophie's Hostel. I always pay the upcharge for female only dorms when staying at hostels and here I met a sweet girl from Argentina who took me on a walk to Old Town.

Upon arrival, I was shook to discover that my eagerly anticipated astrological clock was removed for construction and replaced with this (albeit decently depicted) projection. I quickly recovered though because, duh, I'm in PRAGUE and renovation is to be expected on a still-working mechanical masterpiece originated in the 1400s.

Also, the mulled wine and traditional Trdelnik dessert helped.

The don't call it "The City of 100 Spires" for nothin'.

Don't forget to explore the market life. 

Day 2:
Many countries across Europe offer "Free Tours" organized by locals who work on a "Tips Only" basis; oftentimes, they'll even pick you up at your hostel. As I was only staying one night in Prague, I had to stow my luggage for a later pick up (always ensure that your hostel, or any venue for that matter, offers this availability) before joining the group. The tour helped me gather my bearings for the rather small city and following, I grabbed a potato snack before heading off on my own.

 

I made it Prague Castle by foot and boy, was the journey surreal. You can actually follow the Royal Route taken by Czech kings on their way to coronation in medieval times! Prague Castle and Golden Late were, too, covered with my Prague Card and they were more than worthy.

 

I returned across the Vltava River via the famous Charles Bridge but only after stopping at these noted sites in Lesser Town.

Gingerbread Museum

David Cerny Figures

Narrowest Street in the World

Charles Bridge

 

Back in Old Town, I headed to the Jewish Museum and Cemetery.

Franz Kafka

Stolpersteine

Jewish Quarters

With my Prague Card, I gained entry to the top of the astrological clock tower for views of the Old Town square and a tour of the cellar. Then I had my final Czech meal, picked up my luggage, and embarked via overnight train to Krakow, Poland.

Church of Our Lady before Tyn

Beef Goulash & Strawberry Cider

Spring Break in Central Europe



When you've only ever lived along coastal Florida, Spring Break vacay getaways may lead to unconventional destinations. After my life changing month in Europe last summer, I'd been itching to get back and explore off the beaten touristy path, so to speak. Better yet, I yearned to do so SOLO! I've always tended to "march to the beat of my own drum", or so I've been told, and had no reservations in mapping out and executing this trip- on a strict budget, mind you.

First things first, the mission. While carelessly gallivanting across foreign countries sounded blissful, I always strive to enlist a deeply meaningful experience into my travels. For this trip, I decided to try out Angloville- a voluntary native English speaker cultural exchange program that did not disappoint (more on this later). With this 6 day chunk of my 10 day trip, my schedule became as tight as a drum.

The plan: The biggest variable in my trip planning was the train schedules. Sure, you can travel across Europe by plane fairly cheap if your dates are flexible but, alas, none of mine seemed to match up. Since train transportation was the most cost effective mode between my four targets (timeframe considered) I had to arrange my stops based on the days and times of those schedules. I didn't purchase any of my tickets ahead of time online for several reasons. 1- Price inflation. 2- Often, printouts were not available. 3- Ya never know what's going to throw you off schedule and I couldn't bear the thought of wasting money on a train that I couldn't make. Nonetheless, the Euro Rail and Czech Transport sites were imperative to my scheduling as I needed to know what trains were available and when for my itinerary. If Euro Train travel is in your future, I highly suggest consulting The Man in Seat Sixty-One. Also, be sure to note the elapsed time in choosing an appropriate train as some are speed rails and will deliver you hours sooner. Another scheduling consideration is ensuring that the day allotted to each mark has availability in the museum or tour that you have planned.

Finally, I had my trip mapped out. With one wrench: I had booked a roundtrip flight to Budapest, Hungary, as that was where I would be picked up for the Angloville program, but I was arriving Thursday and the program didn't begin until Sunday. I had planned to hit Prague and Krakow in those next days but the train from Budapest to Prague was 8 hours and a flight was less than 1. After outweighing the time/ cost basis, I splurged on the flight and continued my 20 hours of air travel. I should also note that I only packed a carryon for this trip since I had so many connections (Pensacola, Atlanta, Amsterdam, Budapest, Prague- Budapest, Paris, Atlanta, Pensacola) not to mention, I'd be lugging it around by foot and train.

Alas, the plan was set forth, clock changed to 24 hour format, and mental preparation for conflict: initiated.

San Diego

 I had a wonderful opportunity to travel to San Diego, California this summer about a week after I returned from Europe and a week before I embarked on my PNW experience!

1. La Jolla Cove- This place was so beautiful! I was amazed at how flourishing and close the wildlife was. The seals and sea lions were fearless and everyone I encountered was very respectful of their space. It was like an Atlantis encounter, for free!

Walked right up to these buddies!

SO sweet.

 2. The Cave Store is a short walk away. Such a neat spot, I would suggest wearing water shoes though as the descent is a little slippery!

 3. Scripps Pier I hear that the sun sets perfectly aligned with this pier.

 4. Birch Aquarium was pretty basic to my standards but is an option in the area, here's a view from it.

 5. Old Town had some great culture and delicious Mexican food! Wish I'd had time for the short drive to Tijuana.

 6. Pacific Beach had lots to offer. I even had a surf lesson booked with San Diego Surf School but my flight in from Pensacola the evening before got cancelled and I couldn't fly in until the following afternoon.

Straight out of Rocket Power.

Pacific Beach Sunset

 7. GasLamp Quarter was a great lunch spot. I hear the nightlife is fun, too! It was crazy busy at the time with San Diego Comic Con.

 

8. Balboa Park was very laid back and picturesque.

 9. UCSD housed us for our event in great dormitories. The university is also home to the famous Geisel Library.

Dr. Seuss with the Cat in the Hat Sculpture outside the Library

 

There were a plethora of great hiking trail around too, if time allows. Thankful to the Discovery Education Network and DEN Ambassador Program for this trip of a lifetime!

 

La Jolla Beach

Seattle

After a memorable PNW road trip, our last leg to Seattle ended on a beautiful ferry ride. We arrived right downtown where there were plenty of places to grab a bite. Not pictured was our time spent at SAM (Seattle Art Museum). While I'm normally not an art appreciator, it was a nice experience and conveniently located downtown.

SO much to see at Pike Place Market:

Freshest seafood!

THE 1st Starbucks. Line is CRAY. Right across from market.

Cheese-a-licious.

Drop off some pennies in Rachel

The {in}famous Gum Wall kinda/sorta under the market.

 

Storyville Coffee Break

Rachel's Ginger Beer

 

Ellenos

 

Starbucks Reserve- neat stop for coffee lovers. We walked here from the market but it was a hike.



Molly Moon's was a perfect cool down in the fun neighborhood of Capitol Hill.

Space Needle- Considered a "tourist trap" for some but I recall seeing this in an elementary Studies Weekly decades ago and proclaimed (to just myself) that I would find myself there one day. So, check.

My friend had her welcome cocktails at The Thompson and this lovely rooftop bar was a perfect night cap.

The mail event of the trip was my friend's BEAUTIFUL wedding at Westland Distillery, such a fun night!

Back to Florida. :(

If more time allowed, I definitely would have ventured out to the mountains or even Canada (had no idea it was so close!). Would LOVE to come back for some outdoorsy fun.