Monday, March 25, 2013

Forks, Maine


The Forks, Maine is where I spent a weekend camping on a school field trip my senior year of high school. This was an unforgettable weekend that I would love to experience again. Going camping is something I never thought I would do. I was in a class called outdoor pursuits. We were fortunate enough to go on plenty of field trips. Our first field trip was actually in the woods at the high school. We had to build debris hut shelters and spend a school night in them. Next we went to an indoor rock climbing facility where we climbed up to 90 feet high. We took a trip to a high ropes course where we had to work as a team to get everyone through. The final field trip was to The Forks, Maine.
We went at the end of April, which was fairly cold to be camping. After about a seven hour bus ride, we arrive and set up our tents, which we learned how to do in class. There were 30 people on the trip. I was 1 of 4 girls. We got there, had lunch, and then went on a four mile hike. A mile of the hike was in the woods through a trail that brought you to a 100 foot waterfall, that you could walk entirely around and over bridges to see at all different angles. There was a fence put up to not go beyond for safety purposes, but our teachers let us climb the fench and sit at the top of the waterfall on the wet rocks pictured above. We must have sat at the waterfall for hours and just listened. Afterwards, we hiked back to our campsite where we grilled up steaks, hotdogs and hamburgers for dinner. We hung out at the fire all night to relax for the day we had planned the next day. We were schedule to go white water rafting on a three mile course with an incredible tour guide. In the calm area of the river, he let us jump out into the river (in April!) and ride with the flow of the river. This was our last night, so when we got back to camp, our teacher let us relax and enjoy it. We left the next day at 1 in the afternoon, but of course nobody wanted to leave.
Because of this fieldtrip I learned that you have to give something a try before you have an opinion. I would never have tried any of these things, but now I love rock climbing, camping, and many outdoor activities. The class tought me that you need to be able to leave your comfort zone and try new things because you never know what you are capable of loving! I would love to take a trip back there and repeat all of the activities and share this experience with others.

Dream Destination

For my dream destination, I've always wanted to take a cruise from Miami, Florida to Nassau, Bahamas. I've been to the Bahamas a bunch of times before to Atlantis when I was younger, but since I'm older I want to actually enjoy it and I've also have never been on a cruise before. I want this vacation to be the best one I've ever had, and my whole family would come plus I would have a couple of friends come too. We would leave a day before the cruise line actually left and spend a night in Miami at the Marriott. The next morning my family and friends will arrive to the cruise line. I would probably unpack all of my belongings in my room and go straight out to the pool with everyone and relax until dinner. The next morning we will arrive in Nassau, Bahamas where I will explore the island and enjoy the resort Atlantis. I would go on the water slides, swim with the fish, go parasailing, maybe try to go scuba diving, and enjoy the lazy river.

After spending two days in the Bahamas doing all the activities and enjoying the Bahamian Island, we then will board the cruise ship to leave to go back to Miami. We will be at sea for a day and arrive in Miami, once we arrive we will check into the Marriott where we will spend two days to enjoy Miami and enjoy the night life and the beaches in Miami and go shopping too. Then after two days we will fly back to NYC

Sunapee, NH


                                        Killer Vacation Spot: Sunapee New Hampshire
Out of all the places in the world for a dream vacation I would choose Sunapee, New Hampshire. This beautiful town is home to Lake Sunapee and Mount Sunapee, two amazing geographic figures that attract tourist from all over the northeast. Just a few hours north from home, a quick 40 dollars in the tank will get you there with no trouble. The reason I visit this area is because Sunapee is a great place to go to escape everyday worries and can find peace. The town and surrounding towns work together to ensure that the area never gets over developed to retain the peace and being careful not to harm the habitat of all the wild animals. Sunapee, being mostly wooded area is home to thousands of critters from geese to woodchuck to bears. Also, the town is able to retain that “Old Fashion” look by not allowing commercial restaurants in the area like McDonalds. The only exception is that there is a Dunkin Donuts but it has a very plain sign and matches the town well. The amounts of things to do on the lake are endless. Being four square miles, the lake is wide and long enough so that there is never a crowded lake. You never have to worry about collisions with other boats. Whether it is tubing, waterskiing, wake boarding, kayaking or what ever makes you happy the lake can provide. The harbor is home to shops that rent or sell anything you really need to have a fun day on the lake so all you need is money. Included with the shops are a few lunch joints that are truly hidden gems to say the least, my favorite is the Anchorage which sits right on the water in the harbor so you can enjoy a nice meal while watching the boats arrive. Even rock star Steven Tyler of Aerosmith has a secluded get away house, which enjoys once a year to get away from it all. The mountain serves both during the winter as a grand ski resort and during the summer it serves as a zip line course and down hill mountain biking. 
For Info on Sunapee Resorts visit the following:
www.mountsunapee.com
www.town.sunapee.nh.us/pages/index


Mike Byrnes- Dream Vacation

Dream Vacation
My dream vacation is to go to Las Vegas. Las Vegas is one of the most action filled places in the country. There are so many great restaurants and clubs in Vegas, and not to mention casinos! The main reason that I want to vacation to Las Vegas is because of the casinos. Some people call Las Vegas the "casino capital of the world."
 I really enjoy going to the casino with friends to win some money. I love playing blackjack, mainly because I am good at it but it is also a lot of fun. Since I am only 19, there isn't many places that I can play blackjack on real tables so I play virtual blackjack at Twin River Casino in Lincoln, Rhode Island.
My real dream vacation is to go to Las Vegas for my 21st birthday. I would bring a couple thousand dollars with me and come back with a couple hundred thousand. I would stay at the Bellagio Towers in Las Vegas, Nevada. Bellagio Towers is one of the nicest and luxury hotels in Las Vegas, as it is a five star rated hotel. The rate for Bellagio Towers is $159 per night. I would like to stay for a week so I would be looking at over $1,100 for the hotel. I found a couple of flights out of Boston to Las Vegas for about $340 round trip. After the flight and hotel, my cost would be at about $1,500 plus food.
While in Las Vegas, I would also like to go to some of their top restaurants. The first place that I would go to is the Golden steer, which is a steakhouse. They are known for their steak and burgers, which are two of my favorite foods. I would also like to eat at barMassa, which is a more fancy and expensive restaurant. I have very expensive taste and also like to go all out when I’m at the casino, so I will be sure to bring loads of cash. As long as I come home with more than I came with, it will be a successful vacation!


BEAUTIFUL NEW ZEALAND       

My dream vacation would be in New  Zealand. New Zealand is the outdoor sports capital of the world and is absolutely amazing. I have always been obsessed with the lifestyle of the area and the weather and it is my absolute ideal vacation spot. Just the air fair to go to there would be about four thousand dollars so i would have to make sure I save up a lot of money for the trip. While there the boarding would actually cost less than the flight, the hotel itself will cost about two hundred dollars a night which is completely reasonable considering i would not be spending much time in the hotel.  While in New Zealand i will be participating in everything the country has to offer. From attending rugby matches to snowboarding and surfing, i will do everything i possibly can. One of my favorite things about the country is the rugby lifestyle. It truly is apart of the heritage and i am obsessed with the sport. I hope to be able to participate in a mens league match and even see an All Blacks match.                                            
Pod of dusky dolphins. Photo copyright: Kim Westerskov (DOC USE ONLY).     I would be honored to see an All Blacks match simply because of how much i love the sport. Ever since i was little i have wanted to be apart of rugby and now that i am here at school my love for the game has only grown. I am completely emersed in the culture and would love to experience it first hand. Another reason  i am in love with New Zealand is the wildlife, i have always been fascinated by animals and New Zealand has a very diverse animal population. From exotic birds to amazing marine animals you are sure to be in aw at every moment. Even the landscape in its own right is an amazing attraction, the rolling hills to snow covered mountains lead down to an almost tropical forest with an amazing coast. There is literally something for everyone and every mood there.        

Dream Vacation



For a dream vacation I would love to Hawaii. I went to Hawaii when I was going into my junior year of high school. I went with my friend and his sister and stayed for 10 days traveling between the islands of Oahu (the island where Honolulu, the capital is) and the island of Hawai'i (the biggest island in Hawaii). The plan was to spend three days on Oahu, four days on Hawai'i, and the last few days back on Oahu. I was only 15 when I went but now that I'm 18 I want to go to clubs and meet people that live in the state. A cheap fight with a layover in another city (I went to Denver) and the layover on the way back (I went to Illinois) costs a total of $2,581.05. A hotel costs about $149 per night. As a plan for excursions and things to do on the islands, we went surfing and climbed up a crater about two miles from the hotel and town. While we were on the big island, we took a full day tour around the island and stayed around the town and shopped and went to the pool. When we came back to the island of Oahu, we went to the crater and surfed some more. Hawaii is a beautiful place to have a vacation and is one of the destinations where almost everyone in the world wants to go to before they die. I loved it the first time. I bet it'll be even better a second time. Here is the tourist home page for Honolulu.

New Smyrna Beach

Dream Vacation 
Ever since I was one year old, my family and I have been going to Florida every summer. My father was born and raised in Florida and his side of the family still currently lives there. My family members live in Orlando, Florida and my great aunt lives in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. New Smyrna Beach is a home away from home, it is easily my favorite place in the world. 


When we first arrive in Florida we spend time in Orlando. We visit my family and hit up the amusement parks. Orlando is a great place for amusement parks, I have been to Universal Studios and Disney World and it is always an absolute blast. After our stay is up in Orlando, we finally take the hour and a half drive to New Smyrna Beach. New Smyrna Beach does not have any amusement parks or anything along those lines, but it has a strip of surf shops, restaurants, and the most amazing beach ever. It is a very small laid back, quiet town located in the Volusia County. When we stay in New Smyrna, we stay at my aunts house which is located on the water. Her backyard has a dock that goes right out to the water, it is the most amazing place ever. Being surrounded by family all week and surrounded by the beach is the best vacation I could ask for. Although I look at New Smyrna Beach as the best spot, others may think different. New Smyrna Beach is known to be the shark attack capital of the world! As crazy as it sounds, I still swim in the ocean. I have never witnessed a shark attack, nor have I seen a shark up close in the waters. It is crazy that since I have been able to swim, I have been swimming in what is known to be the shark attack capital of the world. It is crazy to think that I am not bothered by knowing that the waters are dangerous, I am cautious but the last 18 years of going there and not seeing a shark or a shark attack, I do not get to worried about it. Although this may freak you out a bit, New Smyrna Beach is an all around beautiful and relaxing place to visit, I highly recommend paying a visit and taking a risk and swim in the waters! It is a great vacation spot and it is very relaxing. I will be there in exactly two weeks and I could not be more excited!

                            One of the most beautiful places on the planet is France


One of the most beautiful places on the planet is definitely France. It is also the leader among the European Nations. France is slightly less than the size of Texas. In comparison to the world France is number 43, according to the central intelligence agency. The capital city of France is Paris. The temperatures’ in France vary and are also great with the winter season being cool, while the summers are mild. I would love to visit France because I want to become bilingual in all three languages which are English, Patois and French. Going to France would be a dream come through. The foods there are so amazing especially the Gruyere cheese Gougeres which is fry doe or fried dumplings. http://catcald.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/img_7163.jpgWhile I’m in France, I would love to go visit Paris where there are amazing tourism attractions such as: the Eiffel Tower, Louvre Museum, Centre Pompidou , and the Arc de Triomphe. The Eiffel Tower is the world’s largest monuments and is the most known in Europe. Every year it gets over millions of viewers to go view the beautiful city. Louvre Museum is the world’s most famous art museum. It was built in the 1700’s and it is also the oldest museum in Europe. In the Centre Pompidou are cinemas, concerts that are held daily, and children activities. Last but not least, the Arc de Triomphe is on top of the mountains with a good view but not as high as the Eiffel Tower. Also the city is flat where the vantage point is better. Paris is called the city of light and the city of love. Meaning everyone helps each other and party have fun and just enjoy your selves and have good time. The plane ticket from the Providence RI to France is $1073.00 round fair with one stop. The accommodations in Paris at the Hotel Fouquet’s Barriere includes: American breakfast, gourmet reception room, spa access, free wifi, minibar drinks offered (excluding alcohol), service butler. Offer valid from March 28 to April 2, 2013.Also I would definitely go visits the Frederic Di Meglio Beach and the Baie d'Audierne.  I am an island girl and I love the beach and sunshine. Before leaving Paris I would love to visit the park called Jardin Luxembourg. There are more than 100 fountains and statues, including statues of Georges Sand and Beethoven.

Read more: http://www.moneycrashers.com/fun-cheap-things-do-paris-france/#ixzz2OaWj2iTo

Dream Destination: Carter Moots

                                                                     Palm Beach FL

My dream destination has to be Palm Beach FL.  Even though my father has had a place there for about 30 years, it never gets old.  Since we go there so much, we know exactly where everything is including favorite restaurants, hotels, golf courses, mansions, and car dealerships.  I just got back from Palm Beach about 3 days ago, and i am very depressed to be back here at Nichols.  The air fair for traveling to and from West Palm Beach, nonstop, is around 350 dollars per person.  Depending on the economy and how much gas prices are the ticket prices can vary.
Some of our favorite places to eat are Charleys Crab, John G's, Cafe L' europe, Hamburger Heaven, Key Lime House, Taykeo and Daves Restaurant just to name a few.  The food down in Palm Beach is to die for.  My family usually ends up eating out at least twice a day which is great because i love Florida food, especially seafood.
Not only is Palm Beach relaxing and comfortable, but it holds a very special place in my family's history.  We have had so many great memories down there that will never be forgotten.  I plan on having a place in Palm Beach for as long as i live, and keep this great place in my large family.  Palm Beach is my fathers favorite destination besides St. Thomas, and this is something we have in common.
For as long as i live, Palm Beach will be my dream destination at any time of the year.  Even though you may think it would get old, it does not.  We have a great pool and hot tub where we stay, and even better, it is right on the beach.  I am very spoiled to be able to travel to this destination whenever i have time to, and i will continue traveling there for as long as i am breathing.

Brazil


Brazil
My dream vacation is to go to Rio de Janeiro Brazil. Leaving out of Boston on US Airways the flight would be $1,148.I would like to book an 8-night stay at Royalty Barra Hotel for $ 2,500 located on the sea front of Barra da Tijuca Beach. The 8 night stay with breakfast included in the double master suite. With sea and mountain views the 4- star hotel includes leisure area including sauna, game room, gym, and outdoor swimming pool overlooking the Pedra da Gavea.


While in Brazil I would want to visit the Rios de Historia Cultural and historical tour. I take a Tour trip  visiting the landmark of the Sugar Loaf Mountain (Pao de Acucar). The Pedra da Gavea mountains hike would be a fun sight to explore. The most important place I would go is the Cristo Redentor (Statue of Christ the Redeemer). Teatro Municipal is a theater, garden that would be fun for an evening out. With many beaches and places to see Brazil is filled with endless destinations of things to do and explore. A few of my good friends are from Brazil and live there so I would be visiting good friends and experiencing the culture first hand. Of course the most important factor would be the food and trying the great creations of culinary arts. By having one of my best friends in Brazil I would be able to have the best trip tour guide to see what the culture and people of Brazil are like. I think Brazil is my dream vacation because I am interested in the culture, food, people, and life. While on my trip I would like to go Fishing charter for a day and see what local fish are common in Brazil as apposed to the fish in New England. The trip would be sometime in the summer when the weather in Brazil would be prime summer. My interest with going to Brazil is influenced by many friends who have been and recommended how nice of a place Rio is to visit for vacation. I think that this would be one of my top dream get away locations to spend a week in.





Hyannis MA, Adam Wornham

Really, the best vacation place to go would have to by Hyannis Massachusetts. It is only a two hour drive from here to lovely Cape Cod. A local vacation point so that alone leaves an area with huge tourism factor and a knowledge of how to manage it.

Yet at the same time it is small enough that is only a local vacation point. You will rarely, if ever, deal with over crowding of anywhere. Even the small stores rarely get over crowded. Main street itself extends on forever, including ice cream shops, restaurants, various specialty stores, and various little places to visit.

There is also plenty to do. In one day I myself went whale watching, duck tour of the town, lunch, dinner, and some small shopping at a frankly huge two story mall just away from the center of town. As a major port Hyannis also has dozens of boats for rent or purchase provided you are into that sort of thing. 

The streets are winding and give an old town feel. You can very much tell this town is old and its history. Walking down main street you have a dozen historical landmarks if you are a history buff. If you are a history buff they have the Kennedy Museum, dedicated to the town’s most famous family.

You are also in Cape Cod, the center of it even! You can drive to anywhere else in the cape in under an hour. Providence Town is only 45 minutes away! Plenty of other places to go if you run out of things to do in Hyannis, as unlikely as that is.

Being that this is the cape, you are constantly near some sort of large body of water, commonly known as “The Atlantic Ocean”  were you can go swimming or a general day at the beach with friends and family.

So visit Hyannis in our own lovely scenic and close by, Cape Cod. We can guarantee a good family vacation. Filled with fun and all the lovely jazz.

dream vaction


There are many places I would to go for a dream vacation; the main place I would love to visit it is all of the amazing historical cities of Europe. I’ve always thought out going there one day after I graduate from college.  I’m going to Spain next summer for field hockey and I honestly cannot wait to see the beautiful city of Barcelona. I have been looking in to this vacation for a while and also I’ve been going and researching placing and also tours that are available to people to see ten different cities in Europe such as Paris, London, Venice and Dijon there are also many more and you can also create your trip and pick the countries and cities you wish to visit.  Throughout this tour you visit ten different cities in ten days.   There are so many place and historical cite I would love to see and visit. I could image myself walking through the streets of France and seeing the Eiffel Tower and also seeing Versailles Palace where Louis XIV ruled. While being in London I would love to visit Buckingham Palace where my uncle severed there as a guard for many years I would also of course want to see Big Ben and ride on the huge ferris wheel  known as the London Eye so I can look completely over the wonderful city of London England. In Italy I would really like to see  Venice's main water thoroughfare known as the Grand Canel, it runs through the great Renaissance palaces. Also it is a very  colorful and busy spectacle of gondolas and vaporetti. I would really look forward to taking a little ride in a gondolas, I’ve seen people do it in movies and always thought it was cool and wanted to try it.  Dijon is also located in France there are also many other historical place to visit here as well. Although I haven’t really heard about Dijon, from what I have heard it is a very nice and beautiful place to visit. It is known for having very many churches such as Notre Dame and St. Michel. I would really love to see Porte Guillaume while I visit.  Porte Guillaume  means Place Darcy is in the center of town and is also a historical structure that has been around for many years. Overall there are many place I wish to go and explore I just can not name one of them now and I am sure my list will grow as I grow and want to see more of the world around me that other people many never get to see in their life time.



Sunday, March 24, 2013

Dream Destination

My Dream vacation would definitely be to go back to North Carolina. I spent my spring break down in Wilmington North Carolina, and when the week was over I didn't want to leave at all. The cost to go down there only cost me eighty dollars in gas to drive over six hundred miles. My roommate and I ended up leaving on the first night of break at ten o'clock at night and drove all through the night. Our first stop was in New Jersey, then came Virginia and then we finally arrived in Wilmington at 9:30 in the morning making perfect timing. One of the things that I liked most about Wilmington once we go there was how nice of a city it was. Everyone was very welcoming and the scenery was beautiful, especially the view from our condo. There were palm trees everywhere, and the sun was shining down on the salt water pool which looked like it was 70 degrees, but ended up being too cold to even dip your feet into for too long.
   What is so nice about Wilmington is definitely the ocean, the water is just like it is down in the Caribbean. Its practically clear blue where you can see you feet through the water, even a couple feet out in the deep. When you leave Wrightsville beach with the warm sand between your toes there is a long strip of restaurants you can go to. Just like when you leave the island where the ocean is, there is plenty places to eat in the main part of Wilmington as well. The outlets right by our condo are filled with places to shop too, from sporting stores like New Balance to nice clothes shops like J. Crew and Banana republic.
 The other great thing about Wilmington is the amount of kids our age that are around. Since Wilmington is home to the sea hawks of University of North Carolina Wilmington, there are more than enough people ranged form the age of 18 to 23 roaming around the town. There is always people to hang out with, and plenty of things to do for kids our age because theres so many of us, the town has a lot to do to accommodate to our age group. I cant wait to go back at the end of semester to visit Wilmington. 


Lindsey Stewart

This past spring break I went to North Carolina with my roommate.  I mainly went down because I never have been down South before and I wanted to check out schools down there.  I noticed that down south everything is really flat and its different compared to here because here there are many hills and mountains around here.  I liked it a lot because of the weather the different restaurants they had down there.  I loved waking up to all palm trees in North Carolina.  From Connecticut it took about 11 hours to get there, which was not a bad drive at all.  When I was down there I went to UNC Wilmington and visited the school to see if I liked it there.  They had a great campus and everyone was involved with something.  If I were to live there I would go to school their and play soccer and get a job their in the summer.

Hawaii

My dream vacation is planned for June of this summer. A friend and I will be visiting Honolulu, Hawaii, from the 10th to the 20th. The flight will cost a little under $1000 with two stops from Providence Airport to Detroit/Seattle, Tacoma. We will leave at 7 am and arrive in Hawaii at 9 pm. On arrival we will get a cab to the hotel we will be staying at, which is the Hawaiin Monarch Hotel. It is a beautiful resort located right on the water. The stay will cost $1785 dollars. This seems pricey, and although the trip will cost a lot between the both of us, one look at the pictures of where we will be spending these ten days and it all makes it perfectly worth it.
 
 
 
 
 

                                                                 


 

There is a lot to do when spending time visiting in Honolulu, due to the fact that it is a major tourist attraction. Theres parasailing, surfing, boat rides, shark adventures, snorkeling, and more! As exciting as all of this sounds, I would be perfectly satisfied laying on the beach, soaking up the sun, and enjoying the view. I'd also love to take a tour, either by boat or by car, of the surrounding area. I want to take a lot of pictures of the beaches, the volcanoes, the city- everything. When the sun goes down, there are festivals, shows, and bonfires on the beach. I'm also excited to go out to eat and see if the seafood is as fresh in Hawaii as everyone says it is. As cheezy as it sounds, I also want to see the famous Hawaiin hula dancers. I feel like it isn't really a trip to Hawaii if you don't. Last, but certaintly not least, while in Hawaii I want to knock off one of the higher items on top of my bucket list. I've always been more interested than scared of sharks and Shark Week is the best two weeks on television, in my oppinion, aired on both Animal Planet and Discovery Channel. From watching these shows and movies I decided that before I die I want to go into the deep ocean and jump into a shark cage. Ideally, it would be Great White Sharks. Since Hawaii has some of the most shark infested waters, this trip would be a great oppurtunity to do so. There are a lot of places to go to that offer this activity, but prices can be hundreds of dollars. One of the best places so far seems to be the North Shore Shark Adventures. Like mentioned on the website, "Two-hour tours are scheduled throughout the day from 7 a.m. Dive, swim and view sharks from a secure metal cage. Take home video and pictures of your adventure." The best part, price per adult is only 96 dollars.

 
 
 
Besides the excursions and adventures, I will also have to bring additional spending money for food, shopping, or spur of the moment expenses. I've estimated this cost to be $500.