Disney as an Adult

Spring Break Park Hopping

For as long as I can remember, well maybe not as long as I can remember, but the last 6 years or so, my spring break has consisted of snowboarding.  With starting a new job this fall we decided to forgo the season passes, since we did not know how much time I would really have off.  This decision left us spring break where we could go anywhere. We decided on Disney.  Well David decided on Disney since I was too lazy to think of anything else, and they had a great Florida resident rate of 3 days for $139.  Letting David pick our spring break destination is a decision I am happy with, since we had a fantabulous time.

So I look like my food?  Maybe you are what you eat after all.  

To Pass or Not To Pass: Thoughts on a Theme Park Annual Pass

Universal Orlando

I've always been wary of theme parks.  I have horrid memories of being a child stuck in the intense heat waiting in line forever to go on a ride I was afraid of to being with.  So I was less than enthused when David proposed getting an annual pass for Universal Orlando.  I said no for months, but he kept insisting.  Finally I made the comment that I was sure would prevent him from asking anymore, a most difficult request.  I said I would agree if he could find some friends who would buy an annual pass with us.  A few days later we were on our way to Orlando to buy our passes.  It had only taken David one day to get some friends to agree.  Having that annual pass changed my view on theme parks however, and I enjoyed it so much I would buy another in a heartbeat.  These are my reasons why.

Posing with the famous Earth at the entrance to Universal Studios in Orlando on one of our many visits.

Quirky Colorado

More Reasons to Love the Mile High State

I love Colorado.  I think that is apparent by now with the plethora of posts I’ve written about it.  Colorado has always been a little alternative to the rest of the union; that’s part of why I love it.  Here are just a few of the quirky things I encountered on my last trip to Colorado.

Adventurous souls ride homemade contraptions down this schlittentag course.

Cruise Ship Review: Norwegian Escape

Another Home Run From NCL 

Norwegian has done nothing but impress me with its newest flock of ships, well maybe with the exception of the Norwegian Epic weird bathroom scenario.  My trip on the Escape to the US Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, and Bahamas was another trip where I found a desire to spend my time in port on the ship just so I could try out all the ship had to offer.

I enjoyed this slide on the escape I rode it ten times in a row.

Beaches and Butterflies in St. Thomas

A US Virgin Island

I’ve visited St. Thomas a few times, each time each experience better than the previous.  That is not to say I think St. Thomas is an exceptional island.  It is one of my least favorite spots in the Caribbean, which the links at right show I have a pretty big sample size.  It’s not that St. Thomas isn’t a beautiful Caribbean island with beautiful quartz sand beaches abundant with marine life.  St. Thomas is all of those things.  The problem with St. Thomas is that I am much less one to sit on a beach and soak in the sun.  I’d rather be touring a whiskey distillery, hiking a volcano, or learning a foreign language.  St. Thomas offers none of these options, instead limiting itself to soaking in views and sun.  I think each of my St. Thomas experiences has gotten better, because each time I have relented to accepting what St. Thomas has to offer, and going with the flow instead of making the island something it is not.  

I take in the sun at Magen's Bay in St. Thomas relenting to soak in the sun, with sun screen applied of course.

Santiago De Cuba

Birthplace of Revolutions

Santiago was the last of the seven cities founded by Spain in Cuba, and it bears the namesake of one of Spain’s favorite saints, the apostle James.  Santiago was also the birthplace of both of Cuba’s revolutions, first of independence from Spain and then the ejecting of the US controlled government. We spent the day in Santiago learning about these times in Cuba’s history, while gaining more insight into the daily lives of modern Cubans.

I stand in the fort Castillo de Morro that guards the narrow opening of the bay of Santiago.

City of One Hundred Fires Cienfuegos

Cuba's French Roots

Cienfuegos is located on the south coast of Cuba, only a few hours drive from Havana.  The name of the city translates literally to one hundred fires, and I think most foreigners at hearing this would think some great traumatic event must have occurred for the city to garner this name.  However, the city was named for a Frenchman of the same Surname.  This French heritage is what makes Cienfuegos so unique in Cuba.  It was the only city founded by the French, the influence of which can be seen all over the city.

I stand in the main square of Cienfuegos, surrounded by French architecture and a statue of the ever present Jose Marti.

Two Days in Havana

A Contrast in Old and New

Havana is the capitol of Cuba and one of its largest cities.  Therefore it occupied more of our trip to Cuba than the other cities we visited.  I did not know what to expect from Havana.  So much of what I thought it would look like was influenced about American-made movies that took place in the 1950’s.  What I found was a city not much updated since then.  Many of the cars are American made cars from that era, cars maintained more out of necessity than anything else since new cars are hard to come by in Cuba.  Many of the building were from that area or even dated back to the early days of the city.  These oldest building are located in old Havana where our walking tour occurred on our first day in the city.

These practitioners of Santeria (known as Voo Doo in the US) perform traditionally dances accompanied by narrations.

I Cruised to Cuba

The Deal With Cuba by Cruise Ship

You may have noticed that the Why Travel Why Not homepage has not been updated recently, or maybe you haven’t because you don’t pay that close of attention to my blog.  Most of my lapse in posting has been because I am going through some major life changes (getting a new job and moving to a new city).  This past week however, I spent cruising to Cuba, touring famous cities, eating tasty food, limping through conversations with local with my rusty Spanish, and writing posts in my down time.  In all I visited Havana, Cienfuegos, and Santaigo de Cuba on Fathom’s Adonia.  In the weeks to come (on my regular posting schedule of Thursdays) I will post about each of these cities, but for this post I am going to broach some of the big questions about why Americans can all of the sudden cruise to Cuba and why.  I will also give a few of my first impressions.

 

I watch Cuba pass by as we sail along its east coast.

Wandering Around Reykjavik

Iceland's Cultural Center

After spending almost a week exploring the geologic history and waterfalls of Iceland, we were left with a free day in Reykjavik.  We and no definitive plan, just to wander around the city.  That was all the plan we needed to learn about Iceland's human history.  There were enough monuments and plaques to teach us about Iceland's human past without us having to spend much effort to search it out. 

I pose with a statue of Ingolfur Arnarson, the first settler of Iceland.

Paradise Island. . . More Like Meh Island

Exploring the Most Touristy Island in the Bahamas

While the Bahamas do have some gems of activities, after visiting a few times, I started running out of new things to do and places to explore.  The last time I visited this island nation via Nassau there was one gaping gap in activities I had not yet touched, Paradise Island.  With nothing better to do, we decided to go for a stroll around Paradise Island and see what all the fuss was about.  

The famous pink Atlantis Hotel is the largest attraction on Paradise Island.

Iceland's Waterfalls

All of Iceland's Most Waterfalls

Visiting Iceland I intended to see all of the famous geologic sites.  I paid little attention to visiting its waterfalls ahead of time, but as the trip wore on we stopped to see waterfall after waterfall after waterfall.  Every water fall the the most something.  By the time my trip was nearing, I was bored with waterfalls.  At point when we pulled into another waterfall's parking lot I refused to even leave the car, that was at least until I found out we could walk behind the waterfall.  I begrudgingly got out of the car for the hike.  Here I've made a list of some of the most impressive we saw.

The first waterfall we visited in Iceland Hengifoss was beautiful, but required ascending a steep hike the end of which was more jumping from rock to rock across freezing cold water than hiking.

A Day in Homer, Alaska

Another Day in AK

By now I think it's pretty obvious how much I love to travel to wild and rugged Alaska.  I've been there on four different trips, and I would gladly add another.  With all my AK featured posts though, I've neglected one town that I've passed through a number of times: Homer.  On my last trip to Alaska, I decided to spend a day in Homer and actually explore the town a bit.  

I stand next to an example of a totem pole at the Pratt museum in Homer.

Virgin Gorda's National Park

Hiking at the Baths

I said once upon a time, as in last December, that I would return to the British Virgin Island to visit the Baths National Park.  I hope with this post I prove as I have shown many times to my friends I do what I say I am going to do.  

Hiking in the Baths is a mixture of aquatic trails and volcanic boulders.

Chichen Itza As A Shore Excursion

The Most Famous Mayan Ruins

I am not the biggest fans of taking cruises to Mexico.  I've just always found the activity options on land less than fantastic.  I was however super excited when I found out that cruise lines started offering shore excursions out of Cozumel to the Granddaddy of Mayan ruins: Chichen Itza.  Within a year I was cruising to Mexico anxiously awaiting my excursion to Chichen Itza.

Standing in front of El Castillo, which resembles as much Aztec as Mayan architecture.