Hi!
It's Raegan and in July I took a Western Mediterranean cruise aboard the Costa Concordia. We flew on Lufthansa into Barcelona, Spain and sailed from there. We visited a different port every day. This is my favorite type of cruise as I like to be on the go. On the first day we visited Marseille, France. We took a half day excursion to Aix en Provence which is a beautiful little city in the Provence region of France. That afternoon we spent in Marseille. We stopped for a crepe with chocolate and bananas - a "must have" on any trip to France! On day two the ship docked at Savona, Italy. We took a full day tour to Monaco. We visited the Palace of Prince Rainier III and watched the changing of the guards and heard stories about his romance with Princess Grace Kelly. We then traveled to Monte Carlo, known for it's casino and the Formula 1 Grand Prix race. The next day we stopped in Naples, Italy and visited the magnificent ruins at Pompeii. Day four found us in Palermo, Sicily. We did not take an excursion here. We walked miles and toured the city on our own. We enjoyed the side streets and the out of the way neighborhoods where the real people live. The next day we went to Tunis, Tunisia in northern Africa. We visited the archaeological site of Carthage with its ruins and aqueducts and then we toured the Medina (old town) and Souks (markets) for some interesting shopping. Thursday we visited Palma De Mallorca, Spain. This is a beautiful island! We walked miles and visited the Palace and shopping areas. Then on Friday morning we arrived back in Barcelona. We then spent two nights at the Barcelona House hotel which was an oddly modern hotel in a perfect location in the La Rambla area. We took the double-decker hop-on-hop-off bus tour of the city. We saw several examples of the famous architect, Antoni Gaudi's work, including the beautiful Sagrada Familia Cathedral and the Park Guell. Barcelona is one of my favorite cities. If you have the chance, definitely spend a few days here. Overall this was a fantastic trip. I can't decide which port was my favorite, I loved them all!
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Australia, 2010
Hi!
It's Raegan and I've just returned from my second familiarization trip to Australia. This time we visited tropical North Queensland, The Great Barrier Reef and Sydney. I flew from Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport to LAX and then flew Qantas Airways from LAX to Brisbane. We then had a connection to Cairns. It was a long trip but definitely worth it. The first evening we arrived at the beautiful Shagri-La resort in Cairns. We went to the Cairns Tropical Night Zoo where we saw lots of native animals and had a BBQ and live entertainment. It was a fun welcome to Australia. On our first full day we took the Skyrail over the treetops of the rainforest to the village of Kuranda. The views were spectacular. That afternoon we visited the Tjapukai Aboriginal Culture Park where we were treated to native dances, food, music and even learned how to properly throw a boomerang! That evening we went to the night market in Cairns which was great for souvenir shopping. The next day was sunny and beautiful and we took the Quicksilver Wavepiercer Catamaran to the Outer Reef Platform where I snorkeled over the Great Barrier Reef. This was an amazing experience! They also offer scuba diving for beginners as well as experienced divers, helicopter tours, an underwater observatory and a semi-submersible boat to tour you around the reef without ever getting wet. The next two nights were spent at Thala Beach Lodge near Port Douglass. This is my favorite resort of all the resorts I have ever stayed! The Bungalows are perched on the cliffs in the rainforest overlooking the ocean. The food was fantastic and the lobby was one of the prettiest I have seen. The next day we went to the Daintree Rainforest which is the oldest rainforest in the world. We saw birds, snakes, crocodiles and kangaroos. We took a cruise on the Daintree River and later crossed the river on the Daintree River Ferry. The next day we had free time to visit the beach at our resort and relax a bit before our flight to Sydney. We spent the last three nights at the Marriott Sydney Harbour. We could walk one block to a pedestrian area with beautiful views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House. The next day we visited the Blue Mountains which is a unique World Heritage Region. We visited a temperate rain forest and enjoyed stunning views. We rode the world's steepest incline railway and saw kangaroos in the wild. On the last day we had a free day in Sydney. I loved Sydney. It is a beautiful, clean and friendly city. It is very easy to walk to all of the main tourist sites. We went up in the Sydney Tower for amazing views of the city and rode the monorail to Darling Harbor where we had lunch and visited the Sydney Aquarium. That afternoon we took the Harbour Express boat all around Sydney Harbour for beautiful views of the city and its beaches. Australia is a country not to be missed. I have been twice this year and hope to return. There is so much more to see!
It's Raegan and I've just returned from my second familiarization trip to Australia. This time we visited tropical North Queensland, The Great Barrier Reef and Sydney. I flew from Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport to LAX and then flew Qantas Airways from LAX to Brisbane. We then had a connection to Cairns. It was a long trip but definitely worth it. The first evening we arrived at the beautiful Shagri-La resort in Cairns. We went to the Cairns Tropical Night Zoo where we saw lots of native animals and had a BBQ and live entertainment. It was a fun welcome to Australia. On our first full day we took the Skyrail over the treetops of the rainforest to the village of Kuranda. The views were spectacular. That afternoon we visited the Tjapukai Aboriginal Culture Park where we were treated to native dances, food, music and even learned how to properly throw a boomerang! That evening we went to the night market in Cairns which was great for souvenir shopping. The next day was sunny and beautiful and we took the Quicksilver Wavepiercer Catamaran to the Outer Reef Platform where I snorkeled over the Great Barrier Reef. This was an amazing experience! They also offer scuba diving for beginners as well as experienced divers, helicopter tours, an underwater observatory and a semi-submersible boat to tour you around the reef without ever getting wet. The next two nights were spent at Thala Beach Lodge near Port Douglass. This is my favorite resort of all the resorts I have ever stayed! The Bungalows are perched on the cliffs in the rainforest overlooking the ocean. The food was fantastic and the lobby was one of the prettiest I have seen. The next day we went to the Daintree Rainforest which is the oldest rainforest in the world. We saw birds, snakes, crocodiles and kangaroos. We took a cruise on the Daintree River and later crossed the river on the Daintree River Ferry. The next day we had free time to visit the beach at our resort and relax a bit before our flight to Sydney. We spent the last three nights at the Marriott Sydney Harbour. We could walk one block to a pedestrian area with beautiful views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House. The next day we visited the Blue Mountains which is a unique World Heritage Region. We visited a temperate rain forest and enjoyed stunning views. We rode the world's steepest incline railway and saw kangaroos in the wild. On the last day we had a free day in Sydney. I loved Sydney. It is a beautiful, clean and friendly city. It is very easy to walk to all of the main tourist sites. We went up in the Sydney Tower for amazing views of the city and rode the monorail to Darling Harbor where we had lunch and visited the Sydney Aquarium. That afternoon we took the Harbour Express boat all around Sydney Harbour for beautiful views of the city and its beaches. Australia is a country not to be missed. I have been twice this year and hope to return. There is so much more to see!
Hilton Head, SC
Hello,
Its Brandi again. In March several of us went to Hilton Head, SC. We drove from here. It was about an 8 hour trip. We stayed at the Marriott Ocean Grand. Hilton Head has lots of activities to offer including golf, spa, beach, outlet shopping, and dining. Plantation tours are available as well as day trips to Savannah. Bicycling is the preferred mode of transportation. The beaches are very wide and not very crowded at this time of year. The weather was 65-70 degrees F each day. Hilton Head is great for family vacations, golf packages, girls' getaways....something for everyone. I enjoyed my trip and hope to return.
Its Brandi again. In March several of us went to Hilton Head, SC. We drove from here. It was about an 8 hour trip. We stayed at the Marriott Ocean Grand. Hilton Head has lots of activities to offer including golf, spa, beach, outlet shopping, and dining. Plantation tours are available as well as day trips to Savannah. Bicycling is the preferred mode of transportation. The beaches are very wide and not very crowded at this time of year. The weather was 65-70 degrees F each day. Hilton Head is great for family vacations, golf packages, girls' getaways....something for everyone. I enjoyed my trip and hope to return.
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