Cherry Blossoms and History

I am a secret history nerd! There I said it.  I will almost always choose to watch any show about WWII  over any "chick flick",  in college I was only one of a handful  of girls in a course on the ramifications of the US Civil War, and the only adult nonfiction books I have ever read have been about American war heroes.  So it should be no surprise how much I truly loved spending my weekend in Washington D.C..

I had been to D.C. one time before, but seeing our Nation's Capital during cherry blossom season made it all seem brand new!  I could hardly contain myself as I bounced around from one monument to the other, of course taking a million pictures of cherry blossoms.

Side note:  I missed the actual Cherry Blossom Festival and Parade by a day, however, if this seems like an event in you'd like to attend in the near future,  click here for the official website and dates. I also recommend staying across the river in Arlington, Va rather than downtown D.C.  The money you will save with be worth the extra 15 minute train ride into the National Mall. 

The above picture was taken from Constitution Gardens.  The Gardens is tucked into the National Mall between the WWII and Lincoln Memorial and is a small lake and island.  On the island is a memorial to the signers of the constitution.  It is a great place to sit and relax, as there were not many visitors. I probably would not have found this place had I not taken a quick glance at Things To Do on the website IgoUgo.com that I highlighted in my last post. It is ranked somewhere around #136, but in my opinion it should be closer to the top 20.

Washington D.C. can be an expensive city to visit, but you can save a few dollars by visiting the Smithsonian Institution and Museums, which are FREE.    Because of my short time frame I was only able to visit the American History Museum.  It would take weeks to visit all 19 museums, but I highly suggest picking at least one to visit!

 Below, going clockwise, you will see the ruby slippers from Wizard of Oz, Kermit the Frog, the entrance, and Mrs. Obama's inaugural dress. 

  Did you know that the monuments are all a part of the US National Park System?  If you're new or old to visiting National Parks make sure you look into getting a National Park Passport so you can collect stamps as you travel and visit the parks.  It a fun way to document your travels with your family.  You can get the "passport" at most visitor centers.
 

 

The museums were fascinating, but what I really cherished was visiting the memorials to honor our Nationals Heroes.  I was in awe of the newest memorial, The National WWII Memorial.

See that little guy? That is Kilroy.  I found him hidden in the WWII memorial thanks to a tip from the website geocaching.com.  I had no clue why he was there or what his significance was to WWII.  Being the curious person I am, I did an in-depth and exhaustive Google search...  it lead me to this information on the little dude .... click here  if you too are curious to know.

If feel that the remainder of my post needs few, if any words to describe my experience. I think the pictures say more than I ever could.  My only suggestion for your visit to the National Mall.... wait around until dusk.  That is when you will really appreciate the enormity of what it is you're seeing.

This memorial (pictured above) was constructed 

in honor of those who served in WWII.

Listen below to the men of

 Easy Company of the US Army 101st Airborne division 

as they describe their experiences.

 

Don't Just Dream.... Start Planning

So you have decided to take the plunge and take a trip.  Congratulations! But, where do you begin? In my experience, this is often the step most people get overwhelmed and bogged down by. Not me! I relish this part of travel. Being the planner that I am, I love researching and getting as much information about a place as I can before I set off.  This way I am not stuck caring  around the ever fashionable travel book that screams "look at me, I'm a tourist!"  It also helps relieve any stress of the unknown. Here are a few of my favorite tips and tricks for planning a successful adventure.

First up--  I check in with the website IgoUgo.com


 

 

I really only look at the "Things To Do" section for whatever city I am planning on visiting. It ranks sights and events in order of user reviews and comments.  Another cool feature of this website is the trip planner.  If you sign up for a free account, you can take advantage of a feature that allows you to "bookmark" attractions, hotels, trip journals, etc..  Hit print and you have an outline of your trip ready to take with you.

Once I have a general idea of the things I want to see, I  start looking for a central location to call home for the trip, for this I go to Venere.com.    I describe it as the European version of Expedia.com. I always double check all hotels  by looking at reviews on tripadvisor.com.  I like it because there are smaller hotels to choose from.  I like to stay away from the well known chain hotels.

     Since I usually rely on public metro and city airport trains to get around,      I normally start my search within walking distance of the main train station if possible. This way I am not forced to pay taxi fares or walk a few miles dragging a suitcase behind me. 

By the way, when I travel, I travel light.  One small carry-on. That's it. 

 More on this in a different post, but hence the title of the blog came from.

 

Now I know I am about to contradict my opening statement about never carrying around the "ever fashionable travel book," but once I am on the ground in a city,  I always have "Uncle Rick" tucked into my bag.  Now I don't actually have an uncle named Rick-- I am referring to the one and only travel expert Rick Steves.  I absolutely hate his travel shows on PBS, but I LOVE his travel books.  A good friend introduced me to these books three trips ago. They are a gold mine of practical information, self guided walking tours, and everything else you never knew you would want to know  about the place you are visiting. His humor is also a highlight for me.

Now I challenge you, go off and start planning the trip of your dreams. Even if you have no intention of actually going on a trip, plan it.  You never know.... 

Be brave.... comment below and share your travel dream. 

Up next ... Washington D.C. during cherry blossom season. 

 (See, I  still travel within the USA)

Travel Bucket List - 3 Items, 1 City

 See these men below?

They are the same guys who call out " "Gondola!? Gondola!" to every visitor that steps foot on the island of Venice, Italy.  Does it ruin the magic of gondola ride? Heck, No!  Enter bucket list item #1.  I wanted to do this bucket list item for so long, that even seeing the gondoliers on a break could not ruin my dream. I didn't even let the €80 price tag stop me.  

 My tip for getting a longer gondola ride, for less money is to wander away from the Grand Canal or San Marco Square.  Find a smaller side canal and a Gondolier who looks like he is ready to bargain!

After checking off the gondola ride on my list, I moved on to accomplish my next item. Bucket List Item #2 -
sitting beside the canals of Venice and watching the sun set.

Some of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen have been in Venice.  Each evening  we would settle into the perfect spot with a glass of wine and wait for the lighting magic! 

Shouldn't every day end that way!

Even the night a storm came in was beautiful. 

In researching things to do in and around Venice I came across two  places that were bit  off the beaten path.... the islands of Murano and Burano. After a quick Google image search of these two places I just knew I would have to go there too! Bucket list item #3!

This was my mode of transportation for the day...

 The first stop of the day was the island of Murano.  Although we got their mid-morning, the locals had not yet woken up for the day.  Shops were still closed and the canals were quite.  It felt like we had the place to ourselves.  We were able to peek into a few windows and watch the craftsmen blowing glass and making the famous Murano glass.

We then boarded another boat and went just a bit further to
 the island of Burano. 

Burano is a photographers paradise!   EVERY house on this island is painted in bright, vibrant colors.  I loved how even the laundry hanging outside seemed to complement the colors of the homes.  If I remember correctly, the houses were painted this way so that the fisherman could find their way home after a long day out at sea. There isn't much to do on the island other than shop for the local handmade lace, stop for a quick lunch or in my case --- 
take tons of pictures! 

When I set out to explore a new city I don't always have an agenda in mind or things I want to "check of my bucket list."  Often I go with no plans at all!  Yes- that means no hotel reservations either!  It adds to the adventure.  But visiting Venice was clearly one of those once in a lifetime, bucket list trips for me!

What about you?

Do you plan out every detail of your trip or do you just go with the flow?

Do you have a bucket list? 

 I would love to hear about things you have checked off that list or things you still dream of doing. Maybe I'll be able to add a thing or two to my ever growing list.  

Come back next week to read a few travel tips and  start planning your own dream trip!

Billy Joel Had It Right.... Vienna, Austria

Have you heard the song Vienna by Billy Joel?  It goes a little something like this...

 "Slow down, you crazy child
And take the phone off the hook and disappear for awhile
It's all right, you can afford to lose a day or two
When will you realize, Vienna waits for you." 

Oh, was old Billy Joel right with this one.  Vienna is the prefect place to sit back, relax and enjoy the smaller things in life. How could you not spend an hour or two people watching in the Volksgarden.

 I have spent over twenty days wandering the streets of Vienna and in some ways I feel I know it better than I do my own city of Chicago.  It is almost impossible to cover this city in a single blog post but I'll give it my best shot.  Below I will spot light three or four of the best places in Vienna to sit back and relax and enjoy a minute...or hour...or  day or two....

Schönbrunn Palace

If you have been to similar palaces throughout Europe, my advice is to skip the interior tour, unless looking at old furniture and portraits of royalty is your thing.  The ticket price is also a bit on the high side starting at € 12.  The real treasures of Schonbrunn Palace are its immaculate gardens and stunning gloriette- which just happen to be FREE! ( Enter the gardens through a small gate to the right side of the palace.)   Either take a meandering hike up to the Café Gloriette and enjoy the views of the palace while sipping on cool drink. Or you might wander through the gardens, which include a maze, numerous statues and fountains. For an extra ticket fee, you can also visit the zoo.  

Look here for a more info.--- Schonbrunn.

Vienna Opera House

I am the first to admit I am not a fan of the opera.  I don't think the singing is all that pleasing to the ears, not to mention I don't for one minute understand what they are singing about.  But there is something about being in Vienna that makes a person want to enjoy and appreciate the opera. After all, Vienna is known as the city of music.   One night I happened upon a group of people quickly claiming seats in front of a large screen near the Opera house.  Somehow I found myself sitting down and about to watch a live opera performance being streamed live to the entire plaza.  Once the show began, I was entranced.  It no longer mattered that I didn't understand the words....the singing no longer seemed quite so bad! 

During the summer months, the Vienna (Wein)  State Opera House streams many of its performance live for the general public's viewing pleasure.  Chairs are set up approximately 45 minutes before the start of the show and get grabbed up quickly.  If you would rather see a performance live from inside the Opera House, you can get general standing room only tickets for roughly € 8.

For exact show schedules visit the Vienna State Opera House website.

St. Stephen's Cathedral and St. Peter's Church

If you get a bit warm and are seeking a break from the summer heat, look no futher than St. Stephen's Church (Pictured at left). Even if you are not religious, you can appreciate the beauty and grandeur of a few of Vienna's most well known churches.  Most churches are free to enter, but ask for a small donation.

From the outside St. Peter's Church looks small and unassuming.(Pictured at right)  Walk inside and and be in awe!   Daily at 15:00 (3:00 pm for those of us who don't use military time) St. Peter's Church opens up for a FREE organ concert. The acoustics are heavenly, pun intended!  Photography is allowed, but no flash is appreciated.

It has been hard to pick ONLY a few places to highlight.
 I'll be back in another post with more updates on a few more of Vienna's gems.

Ugg... Not An Other Road Trip!

"We are going on a road trip! Pack your bag" 

Growing up my parents would throw my brothers and I in a car and take off somewhere across the United States. Being the wonderful children we were, we did nothing but complain the whole time.  We wanted nothing to do with breathtaking mountain views, historical monuments, and all the other adventures that come alone with family road trips. 

 By the time I was 15, I had been to almost all 50 states and more National Parks than I could count.  I wasn't until I was older that I began to realize and appreciated the gift my parents had given me. The gift of learning and being able to see the world first hand.

It wasn't until I discovered Paris that I went from appreciating travel to CRAVING it. I feel in love with.... the colorful people...the language difference....the depth of history....the Eiffel Tower....rainy walks down the cobble streets.... the adventure!  Put a camera in my hands and I was more than content.

One trip to this city changed my view on travel. The tables had turned. I was now begging my parents to plan our next trip.  I did not care where it was to. Take me to National Parks! Take me to random small towns! Just let me explore. 

I like to say that my love of travel started in Paris. But as I write this, I realize it was the long, boring road trips my parents unwilling dragged me on that  brought me my greatest pleasure as an adult - Travel.  Thank you Mom and Dad, more than you know....

Follow along as I share the adventures I have been on since that fateful trip to Paris almost ten years ago.  I will offer up tips, suggestions, and my tops sights to see in the places I have traveled.  I will also be throwing in a little bit of my own photography along the way!