Cruise Diaries Day 6-Rome

The next city we visited on our cruise was Rome! This day was going to be another action packed day full of sightseeing, so we woke up bright and early to join our excursion group. On the drive there we stopped at a rest stop for a restroom break, or a wifi break if you were one of the younger people on our bus. I just remember frantically trying to connect to internet in the precious moments we were stopped for, trying to upload Instagram pictures,Snapchat messages and Facebook posts.

Colosseum

The first site we visited on this sunny day was the famous Colosseum. It was incredible to see something so iconic up close and really take in the scale of it all. We went on a quick guided tour with our tour guide, then had about 15 minutes to wander around on our own. This was not NEARLY enough time to see everything there was to see there or read all of the signs, but we did have a lot to see this day so we had to get a move on.

Colosseum

On our way back to the bus, we passed the Roman Forum, but unfortunately did not have a chance to see it this trip. Once back on the bus, we drove through the winding little streets, passing all kinds of ruins and old buildings along the way. There was so much history everywhere we looked.






At our next stop, I got to live my dream of being Lizzie McGuire. This whole day was me living my dream as Lizzie McGuire. We went to the Trevi fountain next and had about 45 minutes to grab lunch. In these 45 minutes, we of course threw some coins (1 to return to Rome, 1 for love and 1 to get married) into the fountain and took pictures, along with getting a gelato while we waited for a pizza we ordered to cook. Even this stop was a little rushed, so we didn't have enough time for our pizza to even fully cook before we had to have the people get it out early to give to us. So yes, it was a little raw, but it is a funny, yet stressful story to look back on.



From here on we walked around the rest of the city. We left the Trevi Fountain and followed our tour guide to the next big site on our tour: The Pantheon! After passing many more historic streets and sites, we rounded a corner and there it was! It was just bang bang bang, one big ticket attraction after the other! The Pantheon was amazing! We took some pictures outside of it, then walked around the inside and gazed up at the hole in its ceiling. This hole, called an oculus, is the center point of the largest unsupported dome in the world.

Vatican City/ The window where the banner is is
where the Pope speaks from

After a walk around the Pantheon, we boarded our tour bus again and headed to Vatican City. What was nice about being on a tour at this point, was that we got to skip the massive line to enter. We walked right up through security and into the walls of the city. At this point we were also handed little headsets to listen to our guide tell us about everything. We walked through the museum first, looking at all the art, with the grand finale being the world famous Sistine Chapel. After this, we headed into St. Peters Square and St. Peters Basilica. Throughout our tour of the Vatican, the immense crowds of wall to wall people caused us to become seperated from our tour guide. At this point we were also only picking up a portuguese tour on our headsets. Fortunetely we were able to catch back up with our group. After touring the Vatican, we had a little bit of free time to grab a nearby chocolate gelato.



A lot of this day felt like walking around Times Square or Disney World, with all of the tour groups everywhere. But I can definitely see how it would be necessary to be organized at such famous sites and little spaces to see it all.

Left-Colosseum, Center-Trevi Fountain, Right-St.Peter's Basilica

This 10 hour excursion day was a whirlwind of sightseeing, but definitely worth it. We got to see all of the main highlights, although it would be nice to return and spend a few days here to really take in this historic city. I was just so in awe at seeing all of these iconic sights in one day, it was like being star struck. Places like the Colosseum, Pantheon and Trevi Fountain have been featured in so many movies and have so much history behind them, it was just so amazing to be able to visit them all first hand.

Yosemite Valley Shuttle + Getting there

Panoramic from 'El Capitan crossover' drop off point on purple shuttle route, El Capitan to the right

During the summer, Yosemite National Park gets VERY busy. It is HIGHLY recommended that you either take public transportation like the YARTS buses, or drive and once you find a spot DO NOT MOVE YOUR CAR. Parking fills up at least by 9:30am-10am so make sure you get there EARLY! Once you park your car you can take a shuttle around the Yosemite Valley.

These shuttles reduce the number of cars on the road as well as allow you to enjoy the views as someone else drives you to your destination. The shuttle encompasses the entire Valley and has stops at all of the major sites you would want to see, all of the campsites and hotels and at all of the major trailheads for your convenience. You can hop on and hop off at any point as well as transfer to another route.

The green route comes about every 20 minutes and takes you around to all of the main stops like the different accommodation areas, places to eat, shops, The Visitor Center, Yosemite Falls, Half Dome, Sentinel Bridge, a few different trail heads and all of the day use parking lots. The purple route, a summer only route, comes about every 30 minutes and takes you to El Capitan and another trailhead.

Some of the main stops we got off at were Yosemite Falls, The Visitor Center, Degnan's Deli, Sentinel Bridge, The Mirror Lake Trailhead and El Capitan Crossover.

El Capitan from 'El Capitan Crossover' stop on purple route

Yosemite Falls from 'Lower Yosemite Fall' stop on the green route

View of Mirror lake after hike from 'Mirror Lake Trailhead' stop on green route

The power of the sun vs photography-Tunnel View Edition!

These photos go to show you that time of day when visiting Tunnel View matters! 1st photo was around 8am, 2nd was around 10am, and 3rd was around 4pm. The same goes for when you are visiting Glacier Point. The angle of the sun makes such a difference! For better photos, visit later in the day!

Cruise Diaries Day 5 - Livorno/Florence/Pisa

Day 5 of our Mediterranean Cruise began as a rainy morning in Livorno, Italy. Our plan for the day was to go on an excursion to Florence and Pisa.

We joined our group for the day and got on our bus that would take us to Florence and Pisa. The drive from the Port of Livorno to Florence was about an hour and a half so we stopped about halfway for a restroom break. Our drive took us through beautiful Tuscany with vineyards on either side and mountains in the distance.

1. 

   The Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore on the left and Giotto's Bell Tower on the right

Florence

Piazza del Duomo

When we got to Florence, the rain had subsided, although there were still clouds in the sky. As soon as we exited the bus, multiple 'sales' people swarmed our group trying to sell us ponchos and umbrellas. To be honest the umbrellas were kind of cool, with pictures of different Italian landmarks on them, but be aware when you go that these will be overpriced and aimed towards getting tourists to buy these items.


Our guide then took us on a walking tour around the city. The first big place we went to was the Piazza del Duomo, the historic center of Florence. The Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore being the centerpiece of the square with its pink and green marble. There were a few armed guards around this area making sure everyone was safe, which I appreciated being in a foreign country at a very popular tourist destination.

Piazza del Duomo

After a stroll through the square, we continued our walking tour to the Piazza della Signoria, which displays many statues from the Renaissance period, including a copy of Michelangelo's David. We did not get a chance to see the real David as it was in a museum we did not have time to explore.

Replica of David

After this, we looped back to behind the Piazza del Duomo and went in a few shops to look at souvenirs, my dad bought a leather jacket and the rest of us wandered around until we ended up sitting under an awning waiting for the rest of our group to be done. In the mean time, there were a few gypsies wandering around looking begging for money, so be aware and keep an eye on your things.

Ponte Vecchio Bridge

Once our group was together, we made our way to the Ponte Vecchio bridge. Built in 1345, it is one of the oldest bridges in Florence. Our scenic walk along the water, brought us to a beautiful restaurant I can not seem to find the name of,where we would be having our lunch. This place had multiple rooms filled with mirrors, grand chandeliers and paintings on every wall and ceiling! Our meal consisted of wine (of course), lasagna, some type of meat, and veggies, along with tiramisu for dessert.

Pisa

The restaurant we ate in

When we were finished, our group was guided back to our bus, and we started our short drive to Pisa. Many in the group took this time for a nap after an early start and a lot of walking. It was a welcome rest, and I did end up falling asleep for a bit, even though I tried my hardest to stay awake, convinced I would miss something if I fell asleep.

#GotTheShot

The small town of Pisa did not seem to have much in it. We were dropped off in the big parking lot for the leaning tower and told what direction to head to see it. We followed the herd of tourists and found it! On the way in we passed more people selling things. There were many people with stands selling all types of souvenirs. They had different masks, miniature leaning towers, umbrellas again, and many other different trinkets to take home.

Leaning tower of Pisa

When we got to the square where the leaning tower was it was very pretty. The contrast between the white buildings and green grass was beautiful. The weather had cleared up by now so we even began to see sun peeking through! It was unreal to finally see such an iconic landmark in person. I could not believe I was see THE leaning tower of pisa.


It was great! We didn't have much time here so we could not dilly dally too much but we made sure to find a spot to get the iconic shot to make it look like you are holding the leaning tower. Check! We did that! After we got the shots, we milled around a bit more, reading signs and looking at the other buildings in the square, the Campo dei Miracoli or "Field of Miracles".

Pisa Baptistry

This seemed a bit rushed as it would have been nice to take a look in the other buildings. We had just enough time to get some gelato at a nearby store as well as try and quickly connect to the internet while we waited for our group. After this adventure, it was time to make our way back to the ship!


We had a long day exploring Florence and Pisa, and although we did many of the highlights, we barely scratched the surface. Up next we explored Rome! Just one bucket list city after another! Stay tuned for my post on my experience in Rome!

Pisa Cathedral 

The Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore

The Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore

Welcome to Pandora-The World of Avatar!

So yeah,I am just getting around to writing about this now. But Disney's new Pandora-The World of Avatar area at Animal Kingdom in Orlando, Florida, is AMAZING!!!

I got to go to cast preview with my friend before the area was open to all guests so I got a more laid back, less crowded feel of everything. It was nice getting to be there before the massive crowds began.
 

Attractions

When we went there we got to ride both of the new attractions, Navi River Journey and Flight of Passage.

Na'vi River Journey is a slow moving boat cruise through the bio luminescent rainforest of Pandora where the Shaman of Songs can be heard singing near the end. The Shaman of Songs figure is very well done, it is like a real 10 foot tall Na'vi is standing in front of you.The bioluminescent effects throughout the ride make it seem like you are immersed into this foreign world. There are also other effects to showcase the wildlife that lives in the rainforest which is very cool.

Whereas Na'vi River Journey is a slow moving family oriented boat ride, Flight of Passage is a more thrilling experience. Let me tell you, Flight of Passage is like no other ride I have ever been on! To simplify it, it is like a version of Star Tours and Soarin' put together. You sit on a seat reminiscent of a bicycle, a "link chair" to link you to your Avatar, and scoot up to the handles in the front. A restraint then lowers, locking your back and legs into place. It is snug but not uncomfortable.

You then put on your "flight goggles" and are set to go! This ride makes it seem like you are soaring and flying on a real banshee! There are even effects to make it feel like an animal is breathing between your legs as it flies! The soaring and swooping motions made me feel like I could even bank and sway into the turns, as if I was controlling my own banshee. With added scents, wind in your hair, this ride is very realistic to what I imagine the experience of riding a banshee would be like.

This ride MUST NOT BE MISSED! I know the wait will probably be long, but it is SO WORTH IT. My friend and I even went back another day once the park was open to all guests and waited 2 hours in the standby line just to ride this ride. But don't worry!

There is much to see and explore in the queue as well while you wait! Why not even do what we did and grab one of the delicious "Night Blossom" drinks from the Pongu Pongu around the corner and bring it in line with you! Which brings us to the next best thing about Pandora....THE FOOD!

Food

Blueberry Cream Cheese Mousse

The food in this new area is amazing. The one new quick service restaurant, the Satu'li Canteen,has many different, and healthier options, then what you would expect to see in a theme park. There are different rice bowls with chicken,beef,fish and tofu which come with your choice of a vegetable slaw and boba balls, along with options for other sides, like sweet potato hash!

The option I chose, was the cheeseburger steamed pods in a bao bun. This was a mixture of ground beef,cheese,ketchup,mustard and pickle stuffed inside a pastry type shell and steamed. It came with a vegetable slaw with boba balls as well as vegetable chips. No french fries on this menu! These cheeseburger pods were delicious and packed with flavor! The vegetable chips were a welcome healthier addition to my meal which I enjoyed.

If you are looking for another vegetarian option, they offer vegetable steamed pods, which are different veggies stuffed inside the same type of pastry shell and steamed. For dessert we chose to share each of the options. There is a chocolate cake with a cookie layer and a banana cream topping, as well as a blueberry cream cheese mousse. These were both good, but neither stood out as much to me as the Night Blossom drink from Pongu Pongu....

Cheeseburger Pods and Pandoran Sunrise

Drinks

For a drink at Satu'li Canteen to drink with my meal, I chose to try the non alcoholic, Pandoran Sunrise, which was "tropical juices blended with powerade melon". It was very good! The drink I would recommend the most though would be the "Night Blossom" from the outside drink stand, 'Pongu Pongu' which in english translates to 'Party Party". The Night Blossom is a purple and green colored slushy type drink flavored with apple,pear and limeade and topped with passion fruit flavored boba balls! This drink is delicious and a great refresher on a hot Florida Day!

Night Blossom in front of the #PandoraMossyWall

Me with a Banshee up for adoption

Overall impression

Overall, Pandora is a very well done new area added to Animal Kingdom. With the fabulous new attractions and delicious food it is not to be missed. Some more welcome things that add to the experience are the new Wilderness Explorers badges you can now earn and there is an adoption rookery where you can adopt your very own banshee to bring home with you.

A new Instagram hotspot has also blown up, the #PandoraMossyWall is THE place for pics while in Pandora. When you are not waiting in one of the long lines for one of the attractions, there are also drummers sometimes out performing, as well as a plant you can touch and steam comes out of its top!

Don't forget to visit Pandora at night in addition to the day time. At night, the whole land has a completely different look as the trees and plants come alive with bioluminescence! My photos DO NOT do the land justice at night at all! So be sure to check it out!

A story of how I almost missed my cross country flight!

When I travel, or go anywhere really, I like to be on time. Obviously. I like to be more then just 'on time', I like to be there early. Really early. As an old marching band instructor used to say "To be early is to be on time, to be on time is to be late and to be late is unacceptable."

Growing up, my mom used to arrive places super early as well. Both of these things have given me the mindset to be early for EVERYTHING. When traveling, especially when trying to make a flight,train,  or bus, a tour group or anything really, it is important to be early. And this isn't even considering trying to be on time for something in another country!

So this story begins with me attempting to fly from Orlando to San Francisco for my recent trip to California. I arrived at the airport my usual 3 hours early. I had breezed through security, taken the airport tram to my terminal and was sitting watching youtube videos on my phone. I was ready to go sitting at my gate.

On my way in I had noticed some dark clouds approaching, not thinking much of it since it is the rainy season in Florida and it rains mostly every day now. However, I had failed to realize that I would be flying out around 6pm, when thunderstorms are usually occurring. It had not dawned on me until the moment the thunder, lighting and torrential downpour started, that this could maybe, possibly delay my flight out.

As I was sitting at my gate watching youtube videos, announcements that some flights were going to be delayed started happening. The previous plane that had boarded at my gate was just sitting on the runway outside. At this point I was still hoping the rain would stop and my flight would be on time. After about an hour or so of this, about an hour and a half before my flight was to leave I decided just to double check my airlines app to make sure my flight was still scheduled to be on time.

Well what do you know. My flight was delayed! I was supposed to have a layover in San Diego, and now looking at my new arrival times it looked like I was going to have 5 minutes to make my flight to San Francisco from San Diego. I frantically grabbed my stuff and started looking around for a gate agent. At first I started speed walking in the wrong direction then turned around and saw a line forming at a desk near my gate. Thankfully that was who I was supposed to talk to, so I got in line.

When it was my turn I approached the desk and explained my situation and with little hassle, I just showed my boarding pass and the woman booked me on new flights. With these new flights, that meant I had to get myself ASAP over to another gate. This flight was already boarding but I had made it on and with an aisle seat too! Phew!

My new flights were to be Orlando->Columbus. Stay on the plane in Columbus, then fly Columbus->Las Vegas, then Las Vegas->San Francisco.

I was still trying to figure out where I was headed as I was scanning my boarding pass to get on my flight to Columbus. But I was on my way! In Columbus, I was able to switch my seat to a window seat, which was great! On our way into Las Vegas, I was beginning to realize I would be cutting it close here. Our plane landed at 9pm and my flight to San Francisco left at 9:20pm. Fortunately I was close to the front of the plane, so as soon I was able, I booked it off of there and sped to my new gate in the Las Vegas airport. I waved at the slot machines in the airport I wasn't able to play and arrived at my new gate breathless. The plane was already boarded but the man scanning my boarding pass said they were expecting me and a few others from my flight to arrive which was a relief. Somehow I lucked out on this flight too and got an aisle seat even though I was close to the last one on board.

Still breathing heavily, I sat in my seat and could finally relax. I had made it on my flights and was finally on my way to the San Francisco airport. None of the nightmares I was imagining on the way happened. I was having visions of me spending the night in the Las Vegas Airport, me flying to SF the next day, not having as much time with my family. But it all worked out. THANK GOD I only had a carry on and had not checked my bag. Who knows where it would have ended up.

This just goes to show you should always check on your flights even if you are sitting at the airport at your gate. If I hadn't notice the change in my flight, I would have been stranded in San Diego over night.

Where to stay in Yosemite Valley

When traveling and staying Yosemite, you have more then a few options. There are the most lodging options in Yosemite Valley. This is also where many of the top attractions people come to see are located, so we will be focusing on lodging in the Valley in this post. There are 2 Lodges, cabins, canvas tents and 4 campgrounds available to stay in in the Valley. Rates for each of these options vary throughout the season so be sure to plan ahead. Reservations are a MUST, especially in the summer. Plan to book up to a year in advance as rooms and campsites go fast in the busy seasons! All of these lodging options are conveniently located on the complimentary Yosemite Valley Shuttle Bus Route. This makes it easy to get around so you won't need to worry about driving your car around the Valley.

The Majestic Yosemite Hotel

The Majestic Yosemite Hotel, formerly known as the Ahwahnee Hotel, is the top place to stay in Yosemite. By far the fanciest. This is a AAA 4 Diamond rated hotel and lives up to its standard with its grand dining rooms and fireplaces, you will experience the luxury the moment you step inside.

• AAA 4 Diamond Hotel
• Open Year Round
• National Historic Landmark
• Advance reservations strongly recommended for dining
• Amenities
• Hair Dryer
• Flat Screen TV
• Refrigerator
• Telephone
• WiFi
• Bathtub
• Pillow-Top Mattress
• Iron and Ironing Board
• Suites available
• Standard, Classic and Featured Cottages

Yosemite Valley Lodge
Yosemite Valley Lodge offers recently remodeled traditional rooms as well as a limited number of family rooms. The proximity to Yosemite Falls makes this a great place if you plan on doing hikes to the Falls. Although there is no air conditioning, fans are provided in each room for convenience. A seasonal swimming pool is also available swim in. In the summer, the outdoor amphitheater hosts ranger and naturalist talks, slide shows and nature movies. Open year round.


Traditional Room amenities

• Private bathroom
• Hair dryer
• Writing table
• Refrigerator
• Coffee maker
• TV
• Select rooms have patio or balcony
• Mountain WiFi (slower connection speeds, no streaming)

Family Room amenities

• 1 king sized bed
• Bunk bed
• Dining table
• large TV with DVD player
• Private bathroom
• Hair dryer
• Refrigerator
• Coffee maker
• Mountain WiFi (slower connection speeds,no streaming)

Half Dome Village
Half Dome Village is a good place to stay if you want more of a rugged experience. The Tent Cabins have wooden frames covered in canvas to get the camping feel without having to set up a tent yourself! Cabins and motel rooms are also available. Open dates vary throughout the year and season.

Canvas Tent Cabins-unheated

• 2-5 guests
• Shared shower/bath
• Wooden frames wrapped and covered in canvas, wooden floors,wooden doors
• Electric lights
• No outlets,TV,phones,plumbing
• Sheets,wool blankets,pillows and towels provided
• Bear proof storage lockers

Canvas Tent Cabins-heated

• Heat turned off Friday before Memorial Day and turned on the Tuesday after Labor Day
• 2-4 guests
• Shared shower/bath
• Available only during winter months (no heated tents in summer)
• Wooden frames wrapped and convered with canvas, wooden floors and doors
• Offer heaters to keep entire tent cabin warm
• Bear proof storage lockers

Cabins with private bath

• Wooden cabins
• Electric wall heaters
• Electrical outlets and lights
• No TVs or phones
• Private deck or patio attached to cabin
• Daily Housekeeping, lines and towels included

Stoneman Standard Motel Rooms

• Simple, rustic motel
• Private baths
• Daily housekeeping 
• Heating
• No TVs or phones
• Linens, blankets and towels provided

Housekeeping Camp

• Open Mid April- Early October
• Nearby sandy beaches
• 3 sided concrete structure with canvas roof and privacy curtain
• Views of Half Dome and Yosemite Falls
• Covered patio
• Bring sleeping bag
• Bear proof locker provided
• Bring padlock for food storage locker and shower shoes for public showers/bathroom

Standard Unit

• Can sleep up to  6
• Bunk bed, double bed, table,chairs,mirror included
• Electrical lights and outlets
• Two additional cots can be added to sleep up to 6
• Can either bring own sleeping bags and pillows or rent blanket,sheet and pillow pack by the night
• No telephones or TVs

River Unit

• Same amenities of Standard Unit with closer proximity to river for enhanced camping stay

Campgrounds

• Each site contains fire ring,picnic table,food locker (sizes vary based on campground and campsite, check online for details), near bathroom with drinking water and flushing toilets
• no hookups, dump station at entrance to Upper Pines
• Wheelchair accessible campsites available
• Wood fires permitted all year
• May-September only allowed between 5pm and 10pm (allowed any time from October-April)
• Charcoal fires allowed any time
• Maximum 6 people per campsite including children
• No limit on number of tents as long as they all fit

Upper Pines

• Open all year
• can be booked online 5 months ahead of time
• $26/night
• 238 sites for tents
• RVs up to 35 ft
• trailers up to 24 ft
• Dec-mid Feb only about 50 campsites open
• Pets must be on a leash

Lower Pines

• Open approx. April-October
• can be booked online 5 months ahead of time
• $26/night
• 60 sites for tents
• RVs up to 40 ft, trailers up to 35 ft
• 3 Double campsites available (7-12 people)- $36/night
• Pets must be on a leash

North Pines

• Open approx. March-October
• can be booked online 5 months ahead of time
• $26/night
• 81 sites for tents, RVs up to 40 ft, trailers up to 35 ft
• Pets must be on a leash

Camp 4

• On the list of National Register of Historic Places due to its significance in developing Rock Climbing as a sport
• first come,first serve
• often full by noon between April and Sept
• $6/person per night
• individual registration per person
• line up early as line usually forms before ranger arrives at 8:30am in the summer
• campground doesn't fill in winter
• 35 shared walk in-sites for tents only
• parking short walk from campsite-free parking permit provided
• dirt road leading to many sites
• pets not permitted

Hopefully these comparisons were helpful in deciding where to stay for your vacation! My family and I stayed in the town of Mariposa, outside of Yosemite due to limited availability of rooms in the Valley. So stay tuned for a post on where to stay outside Yosemite!