Cruise Diaries:Day 4-Provence,France

Our first port of call on our Mediterranean Cruise was Provence, France. After breakfast we headed off the main auditorium to await our tour to be called. We signed up for a trip to the Sanary-Sur-Mer market as well as a stop at Le Castellet, a medieval fort on top of a mountain.

First we boarded our bus on an overcast morning bound for the Sanary-Sur-Mer market right on the water. There were many different booths set up selling all kinds of street foods, fruits,vegetables,meats, and merchandise. There was even a shark head for sale! Our guide took us into the nearby church and we walked the surrounding streets on our own for a bit before we moved on.

We then headed through the winding hills and wineries and made our way up the mountain to Le Castellet the medieval town. This town reminded me of the 'little town' and 'quiet village' in Beauty and the Beast that Belle walks through in the beginning of the movie. There were criss crossing little side streets all throughout the town with corner stores and houses mixed in throughout. In one of the bigger squares we went into a church and lit a candle. There was also a nice overlook at the top of the town where we had a great view of the surrounding mountains,valleys and wineries. It did seem a little set up for tourists in a few areas but it was a nice town and first stop for our cruise. The weather held out and it ended up not raining even though it was cloudy and overcast all day. 

Cruise Diaries: Day 1/2/3-Philadelphia,PA,USA->Barcelona,Spain + boarding the Ship

Sagrada Familia

View from Park Guell

On May 29,2016 I boarded my first flight to Europe. My family and I were headed to Barcelona,Spain for a 2 week cruise around the Mediterranean! The flight left around 7pm at night so it was an overnight flight. We had our airplane food dinner. I chose the pasta. Nothing too special but it was a hot full meal. During this long flight I watched the movie "Whiskey, Tango, Foxtrot" and listened to my iPod in between trying to sleep. I might have slept for a half hour every now and then, but I didn't get much rest. We arrived around 8am the next day in Barcelona. When we got off the plane we took a bus to the terminal then another coach bus to our hotel. We stowed our bags in their holding area then set out to explore the city. Before we started our trip we found there was a city sightseeing bus hop on hop off bus tour we could take! This showed us a lot of famous sights around the city including Park Guell and the Sagrada Familia, two sights I definitely wanted to see in Barcelona. After driving around the first route we went back to our hotel and brought our bags to our room, relaxed and refreshed for an hour or two then headed to the Hard Rock Cafe to eat our first full meal since our meal on the plane. After dinner we rode the other route on the bus tour which took us closer to the beach and past the old olympic stadium. Once we finished both routes we headed back to our hotel for an early night after our long day.

The next day we woke up fairly early and had a spanish breakfast of fruit and pastries in the hotel. We then sat around in the lobby and played cards until it was time for our shuttle to the cruise terminal where we boarded our cruise ship. Once we boarded we dropped our bags off in our room and then went out to explore the ship where we got drinks by the pool and ate some food at the buffet. For dinner we ate in one of the sit down restaurants.

Overall it was a great time in Barcelona and a great start to our trip! Our adventure was just beginning. We had already seen so much from our first time in Europe and we had so much more still to explore, experience and do!

On the cruise ship before we set off

St. Augustine, Florida

St. Augustine is about 1 hr and 45 minutes away from Orlando. So this city could be done in a day or you could choose to stay a little longer to see more of the city and beaches. When I visited with my family, we went up from Orlando for the day.

We did one of the hop on, hop off trolley tours that conveniently drove us through the city in an open air trolley all while knowledgeable guides told us about the sites. Two trolley companies I saw advertised were the Red Train Trolley Tours and Old Town Trolley Tours. Tickets for one of these tours can be purchased at the St. Augustine Visitor Information Center for around $23. There is a convenient parking garage located next to the visitor center as well.



We got off at a few stops including Castillo de San Marcos and the Fountain of Youth. We visited on a windy,chilly day in January, so even though its Florida I would recommend a jacket as the open air trolleys can be cold.

This national monument has National Park Service Rangers there that give talks multiple times a day. From the top of the fort, there are stunning views of the surrounding inlet and city. There are old cannons to explore as well as old rooms within the walls.                                                                                                                       Entrance fee to Castillo de San Marcos: $10

At Ponche de Leon's Fountain of Youth Geological Park, explore a replica Timucua Village, St. Augustine Watchtower, Timucuan dugout canoe and a cannon firing. There is a theater with an informative video to watch as well as the actual Fountain of Youth itself you can drink from with provided cups. Wandering around the grounds are beautiful peacocks of all colors to admire.


Fountain of Youth entrance fee: $15




You could easily spend more then one afternoon in St. Augustine exploring The Ripley's Believe It or Not! Museum, The Spanish Military Hospital, The Old Jail, the lighthouse, beaches and more!

What is a natural spring and how do they form?

According to wikipedia a natural spring is "any natural situation where water flows from an aquifer to the earth's surface"

Limestone is very common beneath the surface in Florida. When the limestone is closer to the surface, it is easier for the chemical weathering process to occur through acidic rainwater.

Rainwater becomes acidic as it flows through soil and comes into contact with carbon dioxide. This acidic rainwater can then dissolve the limestone when it penetrates beneath the surface.

As this process (dissolution) continues to happen over millions of years, different caves and cavaties form in the limestone.

Sinkholes can then form once these cavaties collapse and allow for water in the aquifers to rise up and fill them in through precipitation or change in sea level.









There are more then 900 freshwater springs in the State of Florida. Some animals that can be found in springs include the west indian manatee, different species of fish, the american alligator, the loggerhead musk turtle, otter, dear and bird species.

Honeymoon Island State Park: Dunedin,Florida

Honeymoon Island State Park is a beachy state park and is located about a 20 minute drive north of Clearwater. This barrier island in Dunedin, Florida serves as a nice romantic getaway or calm beach day for a change of scenery. With its clear, turquoise and green water, snorkeling is a great activity to enjoy!

The entrance fees are as follows:

$8/vehicle with 2-8 people
$4/vehicle for single occupant
$2 pedestrians/bicyles/extra passengers
$4 per vehicle starting one hour prior to sunset for sunset fee

There are also umbrella,chair and picnic pavilion rentals for a fee. Some other amenities at Honeymoon Island State Park are restrooms,changing areas,a restaurant,a nature center as well as a ferry to the neighboring secluded Caladesi Island.

DCP Bucket List: What did I actually complete during my college program with Disney?

So here is my bucket list from one of my previous posts, lets see what I actually accomplished!
Those in red I completed!

1. Do all of these things in Magic Kingdom

picture in front of castle

picture on empty main street

picture with Walt and Mickey on main street

Go during the day

Go at night

Rent a boat to watch fireworks from Seven Seas Lagoon

Rides/Parades/Shows:

Astro Orbiter

The Barnstormer

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin

Casey Jr. Splash 'N' Soak Station

Cinderella Castle

Country Bear Jamboree

Dumbo the Flying Elephant

Enchanted Tales with Belle

Frontierland Shootin' Arcade

The Hall of Presidents

Haunted Mansion (ride with lights on and off)

It's a Small World

Jungle Cruise

Liberty Square Riverboat

Mad Tea Party

The Magic Carpets of Aladdin

Main Street Vehicles-Themed Area

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

Mickey's Philharmagic

Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor

Peter Pan's Flight

A Pirates Adventure-Treasures of the Seven Seas

Pirates of the Caribbean

Prince Charming Regal Carrousel

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom

Space Mountain (ride with lights on and off)

Splash Mountain

Stitch's Great Escape!

Swiss Family Treehouse

Tom Sawyer Island

Tomorrowland Arcade

Tomorrowland Speedway

Tomorrowland Transit Authority People Mover

Under the Sea-Journey of The Little Mermaid

Walt Disney World Railroad-Fantasyland

Walt Disney World Railroad-Frontierland

Walt Disney World Railroad-Main Street,USA

Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress

Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room

Celebrate the Magic

Captain Jack Sparrow Pirate Tutorial

Dapper Dans

Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade

Dream Along with Mickey

Electrial Water Pageant

Flag Retreat

Magic Kingdom Welcome Show

Main Street Electrial Parade

Wishes (from Mainstreet in park,behind castle, Contemporary Resort/other beach resort

See the Kiss Goodnight

Food

Aloha Isle-Dole Whip

Be Our Guest

Cinderella’s Royal Table

Gaston’s Tavern

Main Street Bakery

Pinocchio Village Haus

Plaza Ice Cream Parlour

Events/Tours

Disney’s Family Magic Tour

Disney’s Keys to the Kingdom Tour

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party

New Years Eve

Night of Joy (worked)

Walt Disney: Marceline to Magic Kingdom Tour

2. Do all of these things in Epcot

call/answer Epcot payphone

Get an Epcot passport and have it stamped in every country

Picture in front of ball

Go during the day

Go at night

Food and Wine Festival

Have a drink in as many countries as I want/sound good

Rides/Parades/Shows

Advanced Training Lab

The American Adventure

American Heritage Gallery

Bijutsu-kan Gallery

Captain EO

The Circle of Life

Disney Phineas and Ferb: Agent P's World Showcase Adventure

Ellen's Energy Adventure

Gallery of Arts and History

Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros

House of the Whispering Willows

ImageWorks - the "What If" Labs

Impressions de France

Innoventions East

Innoventions West

Journey into Imagination with Figment

Kidcot Fun Stops

Leave A Legacy

Living with the Land

Maelstrom

Mexico Folk Art Gallery

Mission: SPACE

O Canada! (film)

Project Tomorrow: Inventing the wonder of the future

Reflections of China

SeaBase

The Seas with Nemo & Friends

Soarin' (ride front, middle seat)

Spaceship Earth (Epcot)

Stave Church Gallery

Test Track

Turtle Talk with Crush

Acrobats

Illuminations

Mariache cobre
*Frozen Ever After (added after CP)

    

Food

Akershus Royal Banquet Hall

Biergarten Restaurant

Block and Hans

Chefs de France

Coral Reef Restaurant

Funnel Cake

Gelati

Kringle Bakeri of Kafe

L’artisan des glaces

La cava del tequila

Liberty Inn

Le cellier steakhouse

Refreshments cool post

Rose and Crown Pub

Via Napoli Ristorante e pizzeria

Tours/Events

Backstage Magic

Behind the Seeds

Candlelight processional

Epcot Divequest

Disney’s Dolphins in Depth

Epcot Seas Aqua tour

Holidays of the World

The Undiscovered Future World

3.Do all of these things in Hollywood Studios

picture in front of hat

go during the day

go at night

Rides/Parades/Shows

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame

American Film Institute Showcase

The American Idol Experience

Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage

Block Party Bash

Disney Junior

Fantasmic!

The Great Movie Ride

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: Movie Set Adventure

Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! (Volunteer)

Jedi Training Academy

the legend of captain jack sparrow

Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show

The Magic of Disney Animation

Muppet*Vision 3D

Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith

Star Tours: The Adventures Continue

Studio Backlot Tour (volunteer)

Toy Story Midway Mania

The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror

Voyage of the Little Mermaid

Walt Disney: One Man's Dream

Food

50’s Prime Time Café

Hollywood Scoops

Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano

Pizza Planet and Arcade

Sci-Fi dine in theater Restaurant

4. Do all of these things in Animal Kingdom

picture in front of tree

go during the day

go at night

Rides/Parades/Shows

Affection Section

Boneyard

Conservation Station

Cretaceous Trail

Dinosaur

Dino Sue

Discovery Island Trails

Expedition Everest

Finding Nemo the Musical

Flights of wonder

Habitat Habit!

It's Tough to be a Bug

Kali River Rapids

Kilimanjaro Safaris (ride first safari of day)

Maharajah Jungle Trek

Mickey's Jammin Jungle Parade

The Oasis

Pangani Forest Exploration Trail

Primeval Whirl

Tree of life

TriceraTop Spin

Wild Africa Trek

wilderness explorers

Wildlife Express Train

Festival of the Lion King

Rafikis planet watch

tam tam drummers of harambe

viva gaia street band

Food

Flame Tree Barbecue

Pizzafari

Restaurantosauras

Yak and Yeti

Tours/Events

Backstage Safari

Wild Africa Trek

Wild by Design

5. Go to all 4 parks in 1 day

6. Visit Every Resort

picture in/at every resort

Value:


Disney's All-Star Movies Resort 
Disney's All-Star Music Resort


Disney's All-Star Sports Resort 

Disney's Art of Animation Resort


Disney's Pop Century Resort


The Campsites at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort

Moderate:


Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort


Disney's Coronado Springs Resort


Disney's Port Orleans Resort - French Quarter


Disney's Port Orleans Resort - Riverside


The Cabins at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort

Deluxe:


Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge


Disney's Beach Club Resort


Disney's BoardWalk Inn


Disney's Contemporary Resort


Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa


Disney's Polynesian Resort


Disney's Wilderness Lodge


Disney's Yacht Club Resort

7. Do all of the following things in Downtown Disney

Cirque du Soleil-La Nouba

Disneyquest

Go at night

Lego Store

World of Disney

People watch

Go out to eat

Ghiradelli Ice Cream

Earl of Sandwhiches

House of Blues

8. Visit Blizzard Beach

summit plummit

Ride lazy river around the whole way

9.Visit Typhoon Lagoon

snorkel

ride lazy river around the whole way

10. Meet and get autographs/take pictures with as many characters as possible

Alice in Wonderland

Anna

Elsa

Ariel
Aladdin

Jasmine

Genie

Belle

Beast

Gaston

Cinderella

Prince Charming

Lady Tremaine

Anastasia

Drizella

Fairy Godmother

Merida

Mickey Mouse

Minnie Mouse

Donald Duck

Daisy

Goofy

Pluto

Chip

Dale

Peter Pan

Wendy

Tinkerbell

Tiana

Naveen

Tigger

Winnie the Pooh

Eeyore

Piglet

Buzz Lightyear

Woody

Jessie

Marie

Mary Poppins

Mulan

Princess Aurora

Snow White

Mike

Sulley

Wreck it Ralph

Vanellope

Baloo

Louie

Pocahontas

Rafiki

Russel

Doug

Rapunzel

Flynn

Stitch

Lilo

Special characters:

-Mickey and Minnie in every park and as many outfits as possible

-Talking Mickey

11.meet character I am Disney bounding as and take a picture with them

12. Disney Bound

13. Be first one in a park

14. be last one in a park

15. go to a park by myself

16. go to all 4 park openings/rope drops

17. Watch a custodian paint a water picture

18. go to Boardwalk at night and during the day

19. Roommate picture

20. collect all of the buttons

21. meet or see a celebrity

22. Take monorail through Contemporary Resort

23. Ride the train

24. ride the boats

25. people watch

26. Eat a Kitchen Sink with friends

27. Eat a mickey bar

28. eat a funnel cake

29. Cupcake Crawl

30. Go to park on 4^th of July (MK Fireworks)

31. Go to park on Halloween

32. Go to park on Thanksgiving

33. Go to park on my birthday

34. Go to park on Christmas Eve

35. Go to park on Christmas

36. Go to park on New Years Eve

37. Go to park on New Years Day

38. Make a Magical Moment

39. Work a shift in every park (Magic Kingdom,Epcot,Hollywood Studios only)

40. Buy a picture from a ride that myself and friends are in

41. Watch the following Disney movies before/during DCP

(i couldnt remember which of these we did and didn't watch, probably most of them)

42. Collect a map from each park (every holiday etc..)

43. Go to entertainment audition for fun

44. Go to Mickey’s retreat

45. Buy the following Disney souvenirs

Minnie Ears (more than one?)

Something from where I work

Mug

Vinylmation

Alex and Ani Castle Bracelet

Plain silver stud Mickey ears earrings

Castle throw blanket/other blanket

Some kind of castle souvenir

Disney shirt

Picture frame

Snowglobe

“A dream is a wish your heart makes” pillow/ “once upon a time…” pillow

Disney Name tag

Other discounted items

Castle ring?-->other ring from ring carver

Disney sweatshirt?/hoodie?

Various pins?

Hat?

Photo album?

Mickey Mouse Oven mit?

46. other souvenirs

wooden surfboard for wall/picture frame/beachy sign if I go to the beach

Harry Potter World souvenir? chocolate frog and butterbeer at least

47. Go to Sea World

48. Go to Universal (Harry Potter World)

49. Universal Halloween Nights of Horror

50. Watch Disney movies with friends

51. game night with friends

52. visit friends at work

53. go to CP graduation/ pic with Mickey/Minnie

54.Go to housing events

55. go to every apartment complex

56. Embroider graduation ears

57. go to the beach

58. go to Miami

59. go to the pool at the apartment complex

60. take Environmentality and Sustainability Pilot

61. take Disney Heritage

62. Earn a 4 keys card

63. Go to Gatorland

64. VoluntEAR/get shirt

65. Kennedy Space Center

66. Keep a blog/journal of DCP (at least write down important/stand out moments)
67. Keep a ride count


Wow looking back at this list I have accomplished most of this! Of course once my college program ended, I started an entirely new Florida bucket list which I am currently working on. Let me know if you would like to see a list of those things! Its weird seeing how much of the stuff at Hollywood studios especially isn't there anymore and to see what other stuff has opened since making this such as Frozen Ever After, the new Soarin' overlay and all of the new nighttime Animal Kingdom entertainment things!

Blue Springs State Park: Orange City, Florida

One of the top items on my Florida bucket list was to see a manatee in the wild. Ask any of my friends and they will tell you JUST HOW EXCITED manatees make me haha. But really, manatees are one of my favorite animals now after moving to Florida. Just look at their little noses!!! They are so majestic!


One of the locations you can have a chance of seeing wild manatees in Florida is at Blue Springs State Park in Orange City, Florida; located about 45 minutes from Orlando. Your highest chance of spotting some manatees is usually in the winter months between November and March when the manatees migrate to the inland warmer rivers and springs. I went in May and I still saw 3 manatees; 2 adults and a baby.

Also be aware of alligators at all times when swimming and just hanging around near the water. This is Florida and this is their territory.

There are very fine guidelines when swimming or snorkeling with manatees to be aware of. When I was at Blue Springs, the park rangers were continuously yelling at people to get out of the water and out of the manatees way and to not go near them. I have heard at some other state parks you are allowed to swim with them closer but I have not personally been to any of those yet.




Along with swimming and snorkeling, there are also opportunities to rent tubes and tube down the spring to the beginning of it. The spring gets deeper the further down you swim. At the end there is a large crevice where scuba divers,snorkelers and tubers alike can explore and enjoy.

If dry land is more your thing, just a short walk down a boardwalk through the trees there are boat,kayak and canoe rentals to go out on the St. John's River. The change in water clarity as you get closer to the river is a very interesting thing as well. The closer to the river you get the more opaque the water gets and as you work your way back to the spring, the clearer. There are also multiple viewing areas along the pathway to spot wildlife such as manatees,turtles,fish or alligators.

Cocoa Beach Highlights

Cocoa Beach, only about a 50 minute drive from nearby Walt Disney World and Orlando, is a great day trip to get away from the busy theme parks. There are some tolls along the way so be prepared and have quarters or a Sunpass ready!

Once you arrive, there are many different areas you could park. There is street parking with meters, the Cocoa Beach Pier with meters or pay cash to park in a lot, or there are a few hidden free spots including Ron John Surf Shop or Lori Wilson Park; any of these have quick beach access.

The Atlantic Ocean is quite a contrast to the warmer Gulf Coast beaches in that it offers both colder water and bigger waves for surfing and other water sports. The nearby pier includes a restaurant, stores,fishing and restrooms, while the beach right outside has volleyball courts, chair and umbrella rentals and many photo opportunities!

Another spot I recommend checking out is Lori Wilson Park. This park hosts many varieties of flora and fauna. During my time there I spotted a turtle and a raccoon. There is a nice boardwalk nature walkway through the trees that leads up to a nice overlook of the ocean. Lori Wilson Park also is also a well known pop culture stop for those “I dream of Jeannie” fans. This show, set in and around Cocoa Beach has its on roadway in Lori Wilson Park named after it: I Dream of Jeannie Lane. So stop by for a quick photo op!

Whether you prefer water sports or just lounging on the beach with toes in the sand. Cocoa Beach has it all for a quick trip away from the city!