Category: USA
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‘islands of adventure’ is a very misleading name
I tried using the trick of making a beeline for the Harry Potter ride, like I did back in 2015 when I went to Universal Studios to avoid long wait times. But this time, it failed me. I’m not sure if maybe ‘Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey’ at Islands of Adventure is not as…
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st. augustine
For a quick, weekend trip to get away from the January NYC cold, Ben and I went down to Florida. He had a work conference in Jacksonville, so I decided to meet him there. Our plan was to make the 2.5-hour drive to Orlando for Universal Studios’ Islands of Adventure, since I had never been…
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the best spot to watch the sunset in d.c.
I’m going to just leave you with this photo. And this one. Okay, one more… This is the Tidal Basin. It’s a partially man-made reservoir between the Washington Channel and the Potomac River. Aside from the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, the basin also happens to be home to the best viewing spot for cherry blossoms each…
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dc for free
One of the best parts of visiting DC is that you get to visit all of the Smithsonian museums and the zoo for FREE. They’re open everyday (except for Christmas). With 17 museums to choose from, you’ll have plenty to see. Unfortunately since we were there for just the weekend, we only got the chance…
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washington, d.c. 2016
In honor of President Obama, let’s look back and reminisce on the better times when he was still in office. Ben and I took a trip to Washington DC back in September 2016 during Labor Day Weekend. He had never been to the Capitol before, and the last time I had visited was probably when…
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5 things you should know before ascending the world’s tallest mountain
No, it’s not Mount Everest, contrary to popular belief. But the world’s tallest mountain is actually Mauna Kea on the Big Island, standing at 33,000 feet. Of course, much of it is underwater so only 13,802 feet of it is above sea level. Even so, it’s no easy feat to make it to the summit.…
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exploring the big island
Since I only had a weekend to spend on the Big Island, my time was extremely limited. But even in that short period of time, these are some of the things I got a chance to check out: Hilo’s Farmers Market – open everyday from 6 or 7 am until 4 pm, you’ll find plenty…
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what it’s like to see an active volcano
You know those clips you see on TV of hot, bright orange lava, slowly and viscously seeping through piles of old rocks? Well, sorry to shatter this image but it is nothing like that. At least it wasn’t back in June when I visited Kilauea, the most active of the five volcanoes that form the…
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hiking the westernmost point of o’ahu
Also known as Ka’ena Point State Park, Ka’ena means, “heat” in the Hawaiian language. And not without reason – this 5 mile round trip hike provides no relief from the sun, as there aren’t many trees around for shade. What it does provide is excellent coastal views. There’s also a bird (moli) sanctuary, and some…
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swimming with dolphins
Imagine yourself floating around in the warm, serene Hawaiian waters, basking in the sun. Friendly and playful bottlenose dolphins are swimming all around you. Well, swimming with dolphins is nothing like this. Although that was the picture I had in my head (I can probably thank Flipper for that), it wasn’t what I expected at…
how to be a traveler 