by Kelly | Oct 14, 2018 | Central America, Costa Rica, Day Trips, Travel
The summer after college, my parents and I went on a week-long vacation to Costa Rica. Instead of flying into the capital San Jose, we went to the little-known Guanacaste region in the Northwest corner of the country.
At the Resort
The resort we stayed at, the Hotel Riu, was beautiful. Its grounds offered multiple restaurants, at least three pools, and a long private beach. The typical resort activities were available, such as water aerobics in the pool and water sports on the ocean. There was more than enough to keep my family occupied for our entire week’s stay, especially with our off-site day-trips.
Our resort pool with the hotel in the background
These were the circumstances under which I suggested to my parents that we drive to Nicaragua for an afternoon. It was our first full day of vacation: we had spent the morning lounging by the pool soaking up the sun. When the daily tropical rainstorm hit, we headed under cover for lunch. At that time, we discussed what we might do for the afternoon. I had seen on our map that we were only about an hour from the Nicaraguan border. At the rental car company, there had been advertisements for day-trips to a Nicaraguan town just over the border. Given my desire to visit every country in my world, this seemed like my chance to pick up Nicaragua. To my surprise, my parents said “ok” and after lunch we were on our way!
Driving in Costa Rica
For our vacation, my parents rented a car. The roads were what you would expect in a developing country: unpaved, no street lights, and not offering great directions. For example, our resort was on a road off of “Monkey Way”. The rules of the road were no different. Drivers traveled as they pleased and if someone was going too slow in front of you, you drove on the other side of the road to get around them (but not necessarily in designated areas as in the United States). We often found ourselves driving around cattle roaming the streets rather than cars. At one point our GPS sent us down a flooded road in the middle of the rain forest where there was no room to turn around and avoid the deep puddle.
Cattle in the road in front of our car
Giant puddle in the road where our GPS had brought us- luckily we had a 4-wheel-drive that could get through it!
The Drive to Nicaragua
To get to Nicaragua from the Riu, we traveled back through the town of Liberia into which we had flown, then headed North on Route 1, the Inter-American “highway”. This two-lane road is the main through way on the West side of Central America. Therefore, it is filled with 18-wheeler trucks transporting goods between countries. The trucks themselves did not cause any issues while traveling along the road. However, from what we could tell, the customs inspection site at the border took time for trucks to get through and closed early in the evening. This meant that about ten miles from the Nicaraguan border trucks that would not make it through customs that day pulled over to spend the night on the side of the road. The drivers even had hammocks they hung under their trucks to sleep in!
When we approached the first few trucks that had pulled over, we were unsure why there was such traffic. Then we saw a car in front of us pull out of the lane and drive down the opposite lane! Assuming this was the proper thing to do – drive the wrong way towards potentially oncoming traffic – we pulled out and did the same thing. It seemed like a great plan until the car in front of us quickly swerved back towards the trucks parked on our side of the road, unveiling another giant 18-wheeler coming in our direction! We quickly moved back into our lane best we could to let the truck go by, narrowly avoiding being smashed. A few minutes later we made the same maneuver to the other side of the road halfway into a ditch. As I said earlier, there were no real rules of the road in that part of Costa Rica. No one else seemed surprised to find cars driving on the wrong side of the road up the highway.
Costa Rican volcanic landscape on the drive to the border
Experience at the Border
My parents and I finally arrived at the border unscathed. The border area between Costa Rica and Nicaragua is unlike that of Western nations. For example, between the U.S. and Canada there are toll booth-like stations on the road with immigration officers manning them. When you leave the U.S. and enter Canada, you stop at the booth, speak with the Canadian immigration officer, show him your passport, and proceed into Canada. The same occurs on the way back into the U.S.
Between Costa Rica and Nicaragua there are two large buildings about 100 meters apart. You stop first at the Costa Rican building. As soon as we parked our car outside the building, it was surrounded by five Nicaraguan teenagers in brightly-colored Abercrombie t-shirts. At the time, I “spoke” some Spanish, and my parents spoke none. I did not completely understand what the teenagers wanted other than to exchange money with us. I tried to make them go away so we could enter the immigration building. They were rather aggressive in their desire to take our Costa Rican colones and give us Nicaraguan pesos in return. This experience was unsettling to my parents, so my dad and I left my mom with the car as we entered the Costa Rican immigration building with our three family passports.
Inside the building there were a dozen of what looked like bank teller counters. One lone immigration officer sat behind one of the counters. We approached him with our passports, and I managed to convey that we were going to Nicaragua for the day. He did not understand why we were two people but had three passports with us. Finally the officer accepted that my mom was outside with our car and gave us the three “exit” stamps. As we left the building the Nicaraguan teenagers we waiting for us, again trying to exchange money. They also tried to say something in broken English about leaving our car behind, but we definitely weren’t about to do that.
The Big Decision
About 30 meters past the Costa Rican immigration building, we decided that maybe this day trip wasn’t such a good idea after all. At this point, we were in the 100-meter stretch of land between Costa Rica and Nicaragua. We had exited Costa Rica, but had not yet reached the Nicaraguan immigration building to enter Nicaragua. We made our U-turn in this area and started to head back. Then I realized we had exit stamps in our passports. If we did not rectify the situation before returning to our resort, we would raise red flags at the airport later when we tried to leave the country without valid entry stamps. This meant we had to return to the Costa Rican immigration building.
The lone immigration officer sitting behind the counter was not happy to see us back so soon. He said something like “I just let you out, what do you mean you want to come back already?” We were clearly interrupting his alone-time, since his checkpoint was nowhere near busy. Instead of just giving us entry stamps again, the immigration officer made us make copies of our passports in another building before he voided our exit stamps.
The only voided passport stamp I’ve ever seen!
Happy to be Back
After about an hour at the Costa Rican border, we were on our way back to our resort. We were happy to get back and sit by the pool with a few drinks when we returned. Later, we learned that it is illegal to bring a rental car from Costa Rica across country borders. The car could have been impounded and my family and I thrown in jail or fined! It’s a good thing we never made it to Nicaragua: I will have to add it to my list another time.
View of the Costa Rican Pacific Coast on our ride back to the resort
by Kelly | Oct 8, 2018 | Connecticut, Day Trips, Itineraries, North America, Travel, United States
For many people, Fall is one of the best times to visit and explore New England. Many people head north to Vermont or New Hampshire for leaf-peeping. If you are looking for something off-the-beaten-path this year, check out these great activities in Central Connecticut!
Looking for more Fall New England activities? Check out this post about a Fall Weekend in New Hampshire, and this one about what to do in Salem, Massachusetts!
Apple and Pumpkin Picking
Apple and pumpkin picking are two can’t-miss activities in central Connecticut. The season for apples begins around the end of August and continues through the beginning of October. Pumpkin season runs from the end of September through October. Check out either of the orchards below for your farm-fresh apple and pumpkin needs.
Lyman Orchards
Many people visit Lyman Orchards every year for its apples and pumpkins, as well as it’s annual corn maze. Many other people visit just to purchase one of their well-known pies. If you have trouble deciding, go for the Hi-Top Apple Pie, which is perfect when served at Thanksgiving dinner.
32 Reeds Gap Road, Middlefield, CT 06455 * https://www.lymanorchards.com/
Dondero Orchards
Growing up in central Connecticut, Dondero Orchards offered a no-frills fall experience for cheap apple and pumpkin picking. Over the years, its popularity has allowed it to grow into one of the most popular farms in the area. Pumpkins are no longer 10 cents per pound, but instead there are craft fairs, a farmers market, farm stand, and farm-to-table dinners offered by the orchard.
529 Woodland Street, South Glastonbury, CT 06073 * https://www.donderoorchards.com/
Apple Festivals
What do Nutmeggers do after they’ve picked all their apples? We host apple festivals, of course! The two most popular festivals are held annually in Southington and Glastonbury.
Southington Apple Harvest Festival
Grab a fresh apple fritter and listen to the live music provided by the Southington Apple Harvest Festival! Complete with carnival rides, a craft fair, a pie baking contest, fireworks, and a parade this festival embodies central Connecticut in the Fall. You can always expect to see great musical acts: this year’s entertainment was opened by Bowling for Soup! Held the last weekend of September and the first weekend of October, you’ll have to mark this one on your calendar for next year.
75 Main Street, Southington, CT 06489 * 2019 Dates: 9/27-9/29, 10/4-10/6 * http://www.southingtonahf.com/
Glastonbury Apple Festival
The Connecticut River Valley Chamber of Commerce hosts its annual apple festival in Glastonbury every year. As stated on its website, “For the 5th year consecutive year, the Apple Harvest Festival will feature three stages of live music with 30 emerging artists, a full midway of amusement rides, over 100 vendors, 25 food trucks/purveyors, the extremely popular Harvest Pub, the Angry Orchard 5K Road Race and all things fall in New England.” This festival will take place next weekend, so if you want to get the full Fall experience in Connecticut, hop in your car and drive down to Glastonbury for a day!
300 Welles Street, Glastonbury, CT 06033 * 2018 Dates: 10/12-10/14 * https://www.crvchamber.org/events/details/44th-apple-harvest-festival-10-12-2018-5134
Town Fairs
If you prefer fairs that have less of a focus on apples and more on animals, add the following agricultural fairs to your calendar. Although they have both ended for 2018, they are worthwhile to make note of for Fall 2019!
Durham Fair
The Durham Fair is considered Connecticut’s largest agricultural fair. For just four days, you can visit the fair to see prize-winning animals, enjoy fresh or fried fair food, ride the rides at Midway, and see performing acts like Melissa Etheridge and Scott Mccreery, the two 2018 headliners. If the famous Topsfield Fair in Massachusetts is not an option for you, check out the Durham Fair instead for a comparable experience.
24 Town House Road, Durham, CT 06422 * 2019 dates: 9/26-9/29 * https://www.durhamfair.com
Haddam Neck Fair
For a smaller agricultural fair in central Connecticut, spend your Labor Day Weekend at the Haddam Neck Fair. Started by the Haddam Neck Grange in 1910, the fair now spans three days and welcome tens of thousands of guests. It no longer just shows off animals and vegetables, but instead provides carnival rides, a variety of food, Country Western entertainment, a legendary tractor pull, and a recently-added 5K road race. If you want to experience a typical Connecticut agricultural fair without the crowds attracted to Durham, the Haddam Neck Fair is perfect for you.
207 Middle Haddam Road, Middle Haddam, CT 06456 * 2019 dates: 8/30-9/2 * http://haddamneckfair.com
Vineyards and Breweries
Chateau Le Gari
Connecticut has over 35 vineyards and wineries to explore: impressive for a state where little is known about its wine. One of my favorites is Chateau Le Gari. This vineyard was founded last year by the former Vice President of the CT Farm Wine Development Council, Gary Crump. The property is beautiful and the wines are flavorful, with most of the grapes grown right on the property.
One of the best parts about this vineyard is the presence of Gary himself. When you arrive for a tasting you may be greeted by the former-Cajun behind the tasting bar pouring his own wine and telling you stories from his career and life. If you are lucky, you may even get to try some of his local cooking. Every Sunday afternoon, Gary makes and serves pasta with bolognese to his guests! Gary’s knowledge of wine is astounding, so if you can catch him while you’re here for a conversation, be sure to do so.
303 South Main Street, Marlborough, CT 06447 * https://www.chateaulegari.com
Priam Vineyards
Priam Vineyards is located less than five minutes from Chateau Le Gari. In fact, Priam was also founded by Gary Crump! Stop in for a quick tasting, or bring a picnic lunch to enjoy on the back patio with a bottle of local wine.
11 Shailor Hill Road, Colchester, CT 06415 * http://www.priamvineyards.com
Fat Orange Cat Brewery
A few years ago, Mike Klucznik started brewing his own beer for personal consumption, as many Americans do. After winning a number of home brewing competitions, he decided to open his own brewery. Sheila Mullen had ample space on her property in rural Connecticut, so the two built a barn to host the brewing operations and a small bar. The pair still travels with their team to national craft beer competitions, but if you like beer and are in the area, you should travel to the Fat Orange Cat Brewery to try the beer for yourself!
47 Tartia Road, East Hampton, CT 06424 * https://fatorangecatbrewco.com/
Pumpkintown, U.S.A.
If you only do one Fall activity in central Connecticut, you must visit Pumpkintown, U.S.A. In 1990, Sandra Peszynski of Paul’s & Sandy’s Too farm store painted faces on a few pumpkins, added some clothes, and invited the local townspeople to take photos. She had no idea that 28 years later, Pumpkintown would be the top non-scary Halloween attraction in Connecticut! The town now has a Saloon, Bank, Post Office (to mail your Pumpkintown postcards), Firehouse with a firepole to slide down, tires for jumping, a hay bale maze, tractor rides, and so much more! Don’t forget to take pictures!
93 East High Street, East Hampton, CT 06424 * http://www.pumpkintown.com
Old Airline Trail
Fall is the perfect season for hiking! While you won’t find many tall mountains in Connecticut, there are many beautiful trails to walk, run, or bike along. The Old Airline Trail stretches about 25 miles from East Hampton to Thompson. Built in 1873 to connect New York City and Boston, the tracks have long been covered by gravel to provide a recreational area to locals. Ample parking is available every few miles along the trail, and access is free.
Trail head: 69 Smith Street, East Hampton, CT 06424 * https://www.ct.gov/deep/cwp/view.asp?a=2716&q=479336&deepNav_GID=1650
Lady Katherine Cruise
Central Connecticut is often referred to as the Connecticut River Valley due to the Connecticut River running through it. One of the best ways to experience the river is by taking a cruise. The Lady Katherine departs from Middletown and East Haddam, and offers Fall brunch and dinner cruises so you can enjoy the foliage on the water. If you are more of a Halloween person, check out the Halloween Murder Mystery Dinner Cruise!
Multiple Locations * http://ladykatecruises.com
Where to Eat in Central Connecticut
When you’re ready to take a break from all of the activities and grab some food, check out the places below! Central Connecticut has many amazing restaurants, but the three described here are especially fun in the Fall.
Goats N Roses
Goats and Roses provides one of the most authentic farm-to-table experiences in New England. As you pull into the parking lot on the farm, you are greeted by a farmhouse, tavern, general store, and goat yard. Grab a table – outdoor seating only – and pick one of your favorite farm dishes to eat. I recommend the Teriyaki Chicken Salad or Figgy Piggy Sandwich. After your meal, you can explore the property where you are likely to encounter some of the resident animals, like the chickens, peacocks, and of course goats!
86 East Hampton Road, Marlborough, CT 06447 * https://www.goatsnroses.com
Rose’s Berry Farm
Rose’s Berry Farm is open for Sunday breakfast from June through October. Despite its short season, it may be the best Sunday breakfast experience you have. Everything served at Rose’s is farm fresh and farm-to-table, right from the farm it overlooks. Sitting high above the rows of berries and apples, you can enjoy waffles, pancakes, and french toast topped with seasonal fruit. Savory dishes are also available, but even if you are usually a fan of savory breakfasts as I am, this is one time to go the sweet route for the berries!
295 Matson Hill Road, South Glastonbury, CT 06073 * https://www.rosesberryfarm.com/breakfast
Where to Stay in Central Connecticut
Most accommodation options in central Connecticut consist of your typical chain hotels: Marriotts, Holiday Inns, Homewood Suites, etc. These are great choices if are only using your hotel as a place to sleep while you explore the area. However, if you want to try something a little more traditional Connecticut, check out the options below.
The Inn at Middletown
This property was built as a private residence in 1810, and subsequently acquired by the State of Connecticut to be used as an armory. In November 2003, the Town of Middletown opened the Inn as “an upscale full service boutique hotel.” If you are looking for charm and location within walking distance to many businesses and restaurants on Middletown’s Main Street, this is the place for you.
70 Main Street, Middletown, CT 06457 * https://www.innatmiddletown.com/ (Click here to book!)
Griswold Inn
Founded in 1776 during the American Revolution as a tavern and accommodation for shipbuilders who moved to town, the Griswold Inn has been in operation for more than 242 years. Its rich history follows that of America. You can experience what it was like to join fellow revolutionaries in the early years of the country in the tavern, or have a more upscale experience in the full dining room. The Griswold Inn also offers 33 unique bedrooms for rent: some have fireplaces, some provide a view of Main Street, and others overlook the water. If you want to step back in history on your visit to Connecticut, check out the Griswold Inn.
36 Main Street, Essex, CT 06426 * https://griswoldinn.com (Click here to book!)
*Note this page contains affiliate links. This means I may receive compensation for your use of these links, at no additional cost to you.
by Kelly | Oct 1, 2018 | Travel, Travel Advice
On October 1, 2018, Primera Air collapsed, stranding all of their customers. They canceled all of their flights and announced they would be filing for bankruptcy. You can find their official statement on their website here.
On October 17, 2018, Cobalt Air suspended all its operations. It canceled all scheduled flights and told customers not to go to the airport.
In 2010, when Iceland’s Eyjafjallajökull Volcano exploded, my parents and I became stranded in Italy. I was living in France at the time, but my parents were visiting me in Europe. This further stranded them in Europe for a week. Classmates of mine were also stranded around the world, from the UK to the Greek Islands to Bogota, Colombia. We all became very savvy travelers very quickly that week.
Based on my experience and lessons learned, I compiled the following list – in no particular order – of things to do to improve your situation if you are stranded by Primera Air. Accomplish whichever you think is best or easiest first. If you have a travel companion or local contacts, tackle multiple items at once.
Consider Alternate Forms of Transportation
Your original intention was to catch a flight to your final destination. If you have a transatlantic flight, this is probably still your best option. However, flights will be packed over the next week or two with every other Primera Air customer. If your original flight path was within Europe, consider taking a train, a ferry, or renting a car.
Trains are the most efficient way to travel within Europe even if there are flights available. If you want to book your trip ahead of time, do so with the local train website in the country you’re leaving from (you can usually only collect tickets from within the country whose website you use).
Alternatively, it is pretty easy to show up at a train station and buy a ticket on-the-spot. If your schedule is flexible or uncertain, this may be the best solution for you.
If you choose to rent a car, ask about local laws regarding taking the car across country borders if your trip will be international. This includes trips within the European Union or European Economic Area.
Look into Alternative Flight Routes
So you had a direct flight back from Paris to Boston this afternoon. Perhaps every other flight from Paris to Boston is booked solid over the next four days, but there are many flights available from London to Boston (they do have five airports compared to Paris’ two). If you find yourself in this situation, consider taking a train or a quick flight from Paris to London to catch a flight from there. This alternative may prove effective in getting you home faster and cheaper than waiting to re-book your original flight path.
Book a Flight
If you must fly to get to your destination, whether using an alternative route or your original flight plan, book a flight ASAP! Remember, there are hundreds of people around the world with flights canceled over the next couple of weeks. They will all be trying to get the same alternative flights you are getting. The BBC reported today that many other airlines are trying to help out Primera Air passengers by offering discounted flights for their remaining seats, but these will sell out quickly. [UPDATE: Norwegian Air released a statement this morning offering to repatriate Primera Air passengers for a 50% discount]. Book your flight now through the normal methods online, and then speak with the airline about any discounts they may be offering to help out.
When my parents were stranded in Europe, they booked themselves a Friday afternoon flight back home. They called the airline later that day but were told there were no flights available until the following Monday. My dad told the airline my parents about the reservation he had made on the Friday flight. The airline allowed my parents to retain that flight for free, as would have been the case for the Monday flight. Alternatively, my friend in Bogota went to the airport every day for over a week trying to catch a standby flight back to Europe. Everyone is going to be trying to find a new flight, so reserve yours now!
Reserve Accommodations
This is fourth on the list because I think it makes more sense to figure out travel plans first. However, if you know you’ll be spending at least one night in your current location, I would make this the first thing you do. My family and I did not do this when we were stuck in Milan with thousands of other travelers. We had to stay in the last hotel with available rooms, which was probably the worst place I’ve ever stayed (including hostels)! Check in with your AirBNB host to see if you can extend your stay given the circumstances, or look online for available hotels in your current city. I recommend a comprehensive hotel search site like Booking.com* for a task like this because it will show you every possible accommodation available.
Notify Your Employer, School, Family, and/or Friends
If you will be missing work, school, or a group vacation, remember to notify the necessary individuals. It may be stressful to tell your boss you need an extra three unscheduled vacation days, or to tell your professor you have to miss tomorrow’s exam because you are in another country, but I found that most people are very understanding in these circumstances. You did not cause the airline to collapse. You did not choose to get stranded and have to find your way home. As my mom’s boss told her in 2010, there is nothing you can do about your situation, so make your best effort to return and otherwise enjoy the extra few days off!
Look Into Other Reimbursements and Discounts
The extra flight and accommodation costs will unfortunately not be your only additional expenses. Maybe your vacation is now canceled or delayed, but you have a hotel booked for the next week. Maybe you parked your car at the airport and now suddenly will have to pay for an extra three days. Like the people in your life, most companies are understanding in these circumstances and will give you a discount or full reimbursement. This is especially true with hotels that can re-fill the room in which you were supposed to stay. You may even be helping out a fellow stranded passenger by freeing up a hotel room!
Relax and Enjoy your Extra Time
Once you have completed the above steps, take advantage of your extra vacation days! The stressful part is over. You have additional, unexpected days of vacation. Did you try to cram everything you wanted to do into a few short days? Maybe now is the time to pick your favorite attraction and go spend some extra time really getting to know it. If you’ve already seen everything you hoped for in your destination city, this could be the time to try something off the beaten path or spend time living like a local (if you want to try this in Northern Wales, check out my local recommendations in this post). Make the most of the additional time you now have, knowing that everything is in place for your delayed return.
Recovery from Primera Air
After you have safely reached your destination, you may consider pursuing claims against Primera Air for recovery of any travel expenses or losses. The aforementioned BBC article noted that it is unlikely most passengers will be able to recover anything from the airline because of the bankruptcy filing, but offers alternative avenues to pursue like those with the credit card companies. If you are an American citizen or have a flight involving the States, you may have American remedies available to you. You should contact an attorney if you choose to pursue a legal remedy. Bankruptcy law can be tricky and most customers are the last people to get paid in such instances after most of the money has run out.
Good luck to everyone stranded out there, and safe travels home!
Looking for more travel advice? Check out these other related posts!
*Note, this page contains affiliate links. This means I may receive some compensation for your use of the link at no extra cost to you.
by Kelly | Sep 20, 2018 | Europe, Travel, United Kingdom, Wales
A few years ago I spent a weekend visiting extended family in Wales. At that time I wrote about it in my private blog. Now that I want to share the experience with everyone, I realize this is best done with the memories I had immediately after the trip. Below, I’ve updated my original private blog post from 2013 about spending a weekend in Wales.
A Weekend in Wales, 2013
My great-grandparents, Margaret and Edward Roberts, emigrated from Bethesda, Wales, to Chicago in the early 1900s. Most of their siblings stayed behind in Wales, so I have many second-, third-, and fourth-cousins still living there. The town of Bethesda, where my great-, great-great, and great-great-great-grandparents lived, has a population of 4,000. There is just one high street and a few neighborhoods branching off of it. When the slate mines in the area were booming in the 1800s, it was an extremely important town. In recent years its population and importance has declined. Regardless, I still think it is still the cutest village in the northwest corner of Wales. It was while based in this town that I visited the area my ancestors are from and met many relatives for the first or second time.
Bethesda
Heulwen, my second cousin, and her husband Emyr picked me up from the train station in Bangor and brought me home Thursday evening. I arrived just in time to enjoy tea and delicious homemade cake as we discussed the plans for the weekend. Heulwen also explained my relationship to the people I would meet.
Heulwen had made a wonderful homemade steak and ale pie to have after tea for dinner. After we ate it, she told us that she realized while making it that there wasn’t any ale in the house: it was really just a steak pie! It still gave us energy for an evening walk along Bethesda’s High Street afterwards. During our walk, Heulwen pointed out buildings of significance to our family. For example, the current grocery store used to be a bus station that was owned and run by my great-grandfather. There were many apartments that my ancestors had lived in or been born in decades ago as well.
At the end of the road was a pub called the Douglas Arms. The same family had owned the pub for 3 generations. We arrived around 9 PM and the owner opened the pub for us to have a drink. It was the first time I had a pub open just for me! We entered through the foyer and went into the pub room, which really felt like someone’s living room. In fact, at one time it was a living room. The building was originally a house and the bottom floor was converted into a pub without rearranging the rooms.
Douglas Arms Exterior
Photo of the Living Room Pub, from the Douglas Arms website (click for link)
Eventually other local customers arrived and the room filled up. As is typical in small towns, everyone else there knew each other, so they immediately recognized that I was the foreigner in the room. The locals were interested to talk to me about the USA and share their stories if they had traveled overseas themselves.
Snowdonia
The next day Heulwen drove me through Snowdonia, the mountainous region near Bethesda. She told me that every year hikers go into the mountains without the proper equipment, such as maps, compasses, and GPS, and then have to call the rescue service to be saved. This is the same rescue service that Prince William was a member of until 2013. Therefore, people in the area thought that some hikers only called to see if Prince William would come rescue them. Perhaps the number of “lost and stranded” hikers decreased once he left the rescue team!
Mountains of Snowdonia (photo credit: Heulwen Roberts)
Zipline over the quarry: the longest zipline in the Northern Hemisphere in 2013
Betws-y-Coed
On our road trip we stopped at many beautiful towns, including Betws-y-Coed, Bae Colwyn, Rhos-on-Sea, and Llandudno. In Betws-y-Coed we spent some time shopping for typical Welsh souvenirs and had a look at the Royal Oak Hotel.
In the Royal Oak Hotel Lobby
Betws-y-Coed is situated on the A5 expressway. This was the main road used by coaches bringing mail from Dublin to London. The ferry ride from Dublin to the Isle of Anglesey was only about an hour, after which coaches would proceed through the heart of Northern Wales. The Royal Oak Hotel is a grand hotel along the path that many coaches traveling between the two cities would stop at for the night.
Exterior of the Royal Oak Hotel
Bae Colwyn
In Bae Colwyn, Heulwen and I had lunch with my third-cousins Karen. We went to lunch with her specifically because my mom and she were pen-pals when they were children. Unknown to Heulwen, Karen and my mom actually met in Chicago, where my mom grew up, when Karen was 3-years-old. It was nice to spend time with her knowing more about our family connection.
Me, Heulwen, and Karen at lunch
Seaside Rhos and Llandudno
Rhos-on-Sea and Llandudno are both gorgeous seaside towns. Rhos-on-Sea has huge beaches that stretch for miles along the coast and extend many meters before meeting the water. It was a bit cold on the day we visited, but the town looked like it would be a fantastic place to vacation and spend a few days in the summer.
Rhos-on-Sea Beach
Llandudno is one of the more upscale towns in the area. It has a boardwalk with a few grand hotels and restaurants along it. A large town sitting on the side of a mountain overlooks the beach area, and an open-air tram ascends the mountain year-round. Because the weather was brisk, we drove to the top of the mountain to have a view of the town and surrounding area instead of taking the tram.
Llandudno Boardwalk
The areas of Wales Heulwen took me to on Friday were beautiful. They gave me a good sense of the diversity of landscape in the country with the huge mountains and the spacious beaches located so close to each other.
Bangor
Friday night, two of my third-cousins took me out for a night on the town in Bangor! Alice and Sioned were gracious hosts allowing me to unexpectedly join Alice’s birthday party. They brought me to three bars in town and then a club to show me proper Welsh nightlife. It was similar to nightlife in any other European city with a few exceptions:
- Popular locations allowed in large groups of just men, without any women with them. There are very few places in other cities that would permit this, especially with a cover fee.
- The men all had haircuts like American military men, though most of them weren’t actually in the military.
- Many people I met were obsessed with the fact that I was American. There are a few pictures of me out there I will never see again from people who needed a photo with the American in town.
Just as everyone knows each other in Bethesda, we ran into a large number of people my cousins knew at the bars and in the streets walking around. I had to cut the night short to go home while everyone else stayed out dancing since there was a busy day planned for Saturday. Regardless, I had an incredible time and am so thankful to Heulwen for contacting Alice and Sioned to set this up, and for them taking me along for the night.
Alice, Me, and Sioned
Isle of Anglesey
Saturday morning Heulwen and I set out on another sight-seeing adventure, this time to Caernarfon. This was the town in which many of my American family members stayed in during our 2010 family reunion. It is on the water near the Isle of Anglesey and has one of the most well-preserved castles and walled cities from the 1200s that I have seen. The English built the castle to oppress the Welsh, so it’s not a great source of pride, but it still adds a lot of charm to the town.
Caernarfon Castle
Heulwen’s daughter Hannah met us at the hotel in town for lunch and coffee. After lunch, we all went to Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, the town with the longest name in the world. It means “St. Mary’s Church in the Hollow of the White Hazel near to the Rapid Whirlpool of Llantysilio of the Red Cave.” This town became notorious for its name length and specificity. It is also the first town you reach on the Isle of Anglesey when arriving from the mainland.
Sign at the train station for the town
That afternoon we all visited Hannah’s older sister Ceri at her house to have tea with her and her two young daughters, one of whom had just been born. I had heard all weekend from Heulwen and Emyr about how smart the older daughter, Erin, is, and they were completely right. For example, the first language of most people in Wales, including my family, is Welsh. Erin, who is three-years-old, speaks Welsh, but is also starting to learn English. This normally doesn’t happen until age four or five when children start school. Erin was mostly able to understand me and to respond using simple words. Most people I know can’t speak two languages, and certainly not by age three.
Ceri, Megan, Me, Hannah, and Erin
Family Dinner
After spending most of the weekend with my great-grandmother’s side of the family, I went out to dinner on Saturday night with about 20 relatives from my great-grandfather’s side of the family. They were all also from Bethesda. Years ago, one of them researched his family history, then walked down the road to Heulwen’s house with some paperwork and announced that they were related.
Most of my relatives from my great-grandfather’s side of the family had been at the family reunion I attended in Chicago in 2002, so I had briefly met them and vaguely remembered them. They were all excited to see me and to tell me about their lives, as well as hear about how all the American relatives were doing. I hope I sufficiently updated everyone because we only see each other about once every five years. It was difficult to adequately describe who each person was that I was talking about, seeing as I have five aunts and six cousins in Chicago, plus their families, plus a number of second cousins who the Welsh relatives know.
Lyn and me after dinner
Talking with the men
Spending the weekend with my family and meeting them all for either the first or second time made for a fantastic relaxing weekend and was special for me. I enjoyed extending my known family tree. Every person I met was really friendly and welcoming. Although we are distant relatives, I am still glad to be a part of their family. Heulwen and Emyr were fantastic hosts making sure that I was comfortable, well taken-care of, well-fed, and that I got to see everything and everyone that I wanted to without making the weekend seem busy or rushed. I hope to return and to see everyone again soon!
If you’re interested in visiting this area of Wales, I recommend staying at the hotel in Caernarfon where my family stayed for their reunion: The Celtic Royal Hotel. By using this link I receive compensation at no additional cost to you.
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by Kelly | Sep 16, 2018 | Day Trips, Fit Travel, New Hampshire, North America, Travel, United States
This past weekend, I celebrated the New England transition from Summer to Fall in New Hampshire. I stayed with some friends in a cabin near the Vermont border. Throughout the weekend we engaged in both Summer and Fall activities, and enjoyed the beautiful, relaxing weekend that New Hampshire offered. You may not think of Northern New England as the most exciting area to go on vacation, but as the leaves begin to change this month, you should reconsider. There are many fun and adventurous things to do in this area!
Looking for other recommendations for New England Fall activities? Check out the Best Fall Activities in Connecticut post!
Accommodations
If you’re heading to New Hampshire this Fall season, definitely stay in a cabin. It gives you a more authentic nature experience in a very tranquil setting. You will also likely be closer to many of the outdoors activities in which you are probably looking to engage. There are cabins of all sizes and prices available on AirBNB (click here for $40 off your first reservation). If you love the cabin my friends and I stayed in this weekend, contact me for details about how to rent it!
View from above of the spacious, cozy interior of our cabin
Eating
When my friends and I rent a property with a full kitchen, we often cook all our meals “at home.” There are many local grocery and general stores around New England where you can pick up provisions for your own cabin. If you are in the Western part of the state and looking to eat a meal out, check out The Farmer’s Table Café in Grantham. This restaurant provides both a cozy and upscale feel inside. It is located near ski resorts and hiking mountains like Sunapee. Wood-fired pizzas are its specialty – and they are delicious – but all the local options on the menu are amazing. Service was a little slow when I was there for lunch, but if you’re looking for a laid-back weekend this place will fit right into your schedule.
Farmer’s Table Cafe
Local New Hampshire Activities
Don’t miss out on these quintessential New England outdoors activities on your next trip to New Hampshire!
Hiking
New Hampshire has some of the best mountains and trails to hike. If you are an experienced hiker, you can challenge yourself with a 4,000-footer like Mount Tecumseh or Mount Washington. If you want to keep things closer to the ground, there are many trails available that circle lakes and mountains without requiring a strenuous ascent. My friends and I opted for the latter and hiked around Lake Eastham.
While I don’t consider myself to be an expert hiker, I’ve been on many hikes with friends who are experts. My best piece of advice for novice hikers is to look out for the colored paint or symbols along your trail. They will indicate which trail you are following and where your trail leads. You should be able to see the next colored marker from your current location. If you follow this rule, you will never get lost while hiking!
Example of a Marker on our Lake Trail
Swimming
The swimming season in New England is wrapping up but a few exceptionally warm days in September may provide the last good beach days of the season. The lake waters in New Hampshire are pristine. They provide a refreshing dip that is welcome on a hot day or after an activity like hiking. Next time you are in New Hampshire, grab your towel and pick a lake at which you can relax and cool off.
Many lakes also have a variety of boats for visitors to rent
Apple Picking
I really can’t talk about Fall in New Hampshire without mentioning apple picking. This typical New England activity is especially enjoyable in New Hampshire because there are so many orchards to pick from. My friends and I selected the King Blossom Farm. Though we went on a beautiful day in the middle of September, the farm was empty when we arrived! The owners gave us some background about the farm and described the different varieties available, including the heirloom mixes that had developed over many years. We then set off into the orchard to pick all the apples we could want. The trees were abundant with beautiful-looking fruit, and at less than $1/pound we couldn’t resist picking over 10 pounds! Any farm or orchard in New Hampshire would give you a similar experience, but King Blossom Farm is worth a visit if you’re in the area.
Dozens of apples sitting on the trees just waiting to be picked
The farm also had a farm stand with fresh vegetables, homemade fruit butters and local maple syrup
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by Kelly | Sep 9, 2018 | Asia, Day Trips, Travel, Vietnam
Last year, my friend Sarah and I went on a 2-day/1-night Halong Bay Cruise. Halong Bay (sometimes written as Ha Long Bay) in Northern Vietnam is one of the most beautiful places to which I’ve ever been. UNESCO designated the area a World Natural Heritage site in 1994. The Bay, which covers over 600 square miles, is home to 1,969 limestone islands. If you are planning to spend any time in Northern Vietnam, you should add Halong Bay to your itinerary. If you want to learn more about what to do in Hanoi while you’re there, check out my blog post on 48 Hours in Hanoi.
Read on below to learn what your 2-day/1-night Halong Bay cruise experience may be like.
Halong Bay Cruise – Day 1
Trip from Hanoi
The departure port for all of Halong Bay’s junk boats is about three hours from Hanoi. Your driver will pick you up from your hotel in Hanoi and drive you to the port. Along the way, you will probably stop at a rest stop/marketplace in the countryside. The goods in the marketplace are beautiful hand-made Vietnamese items like tapestries, glass bowls, woven fabrics, and lacquered vases. You know everything is authentic because you can see the goods being made right in the marketplace! Note that payment for everything, including food and drink, is cash-only. If you don’t have a chance to buy something on the way to the boat you will likely stop here again on the way back.
Port Arrival and Departure
From what we could tell, all of the junk boats departed from the same port. When we arrived there were hundreds of people waiting to board the myriad junk boats in the harbor. Our guide led us efficiently through the crowds to our dinghy that brought us to our boat. We were on board receiving the safety protocols within an hour of arriving at the port. We then had some time to settle-in and explore the three ship decks before the armada of junk boats made their way into the Bay.
Armada of Halong Bay cruise junk boats
Your visionsof Halong Bay may include a sole junk boat floating along by itself among the islands. In reality, most of the cruises travel the same routes at the same time. The boats are far enough away from each other that you don’t feel as though it is merely a ship caravan, but the only real difference among cruises was probably the accommodation and food quality. Though we were not on the most expensive cruise, we were impressed with everything our boat offered. The one issue was that WiFi was “available” but didn’t really work. Even so, this “problem” added to the secluded nature experience of the weekend.
Lunch
Once our Halong Bay cruise had set sail, we were treated to the most delicious lunch. Dishes were served one at a time, and they just kept coming! There were vegetables, rice, fish, and other meat along with delicious sauces. All the food on the cruise was included, but drinks cost extra at about $5 USD per drink. If you buy drinks, you will keep a tab throughout the trip and pay at the end.
The dining room on our junk boat
Hang Sung Sot Caves
The Hang Sung Sot cave complex was the first stop for our Halong Bay cruise (and many other cruises). Hang Sung Sot means “Cave of Surprises”. Many of the islands have caves in them. The Hang Sung Sot cavern is one of the largest in the Bay. We spent about an hour hiking up to the cave entrance, exploring the cavern, and taking in the sights from a few hundred feet above the Bay. During our visit, we were told about the natural history of the caves and some Vietnamese folklore, like the importance of the dragon and the tortoise to the area.
Hang Sung Sot Cavern
View from the island with Hang Sung Sot Cave
Ti Top Island
Your next stop will be the beaches of Ti Top Island. Ti Top was a Russian cosmonaut who visited Halong Bay in 1962. During his visit to the Bay, Vietnamese President Ho Chi Minh named an island after him. His statue is one of the first things you encounter when you arrive from your junk boat. Just beyond the landing site is a recreational beach with a swimming area, sand to lay on, concessions available for purchase, and even a volleyball net! Our cruise gave us about an hour to enjoy the area on the first day. We sat on the beach enjoying fresh coconut water and fruit, then spent some time swimming in the warm Bay waters. The one downside to the area is the presence of jellyfish, but overall it was a fun experience.
Statue of Ti Top that greets you on Ti Top Island
Ti Top Beach
Evening Activities Onboard
Happy Hour
Upon returning to the junk boat, you have time to shower and enjoy a (complimentary) drink on the roof deck before dinner. With about 20 guests on board, you have plenty of space to spread out and grab a deck chair to watch the islands sail by. You also have the chance to meet some fascinating travelers from around the world. I encourage you to use your downtime on board to learn about the other guests’ experiences.
Roof deck of our junk boat
Dinner
Dinner again consists of many different courses served individually. For this meal, the head chef puts on a show cooking the main dish on the stern of the ship! The V’Spirit Cruise chef put on a show for the guests with lots of fire and theatrics while cooking a fish-and-vegetable stir fry for us all to enjoy.
On-board cooking demonstration
Squid Fishing
You will probably have the option of trying to go squid fishing after dinner. When your junk boat anchors for the night and shuts off its main lights, your guide may hand out long rods with strings attached that you hold over the side of the boat in the hopes of catching squid. If you do manage to catch something, it will be served the next day for lunch. However, none of our guests had any luck fishing, so our boat had extra squid on board to serve us anyway.
Trying to spot squid for fishing over the side of the boat
Halong Bay Cruise – Day 2
You may have the option of an early-morning Tai Chi class on day two. After class, during breakfast, you Halong Bay cruise guide will tell you about the activities for the day ahead. These activities include kayaking among the islands, visiting a floating village, a cooking class during lunch, and a visit to a pearl factory on the way back to Hanoi.
Tai Chi
I am not usually an early-riser or a morning person, but when presented with the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a tai chi class on a junk boat roof deck while floating through Halong Bay, I had to take advantage of it. The boat’s instructor led the guests through a series of gentle exercises to help wake us up, get our blood flowing, and connect with the nature around us. No rooftop or beach yoga class has ever been as peaceful as this was.
Early morning tai chi class
Floating Villages
Halong Bay used to be filled will permanent residents in floating villages. These consisted of rafts tied together with house structures atop them for living and schooling. The residents ate mostly fish caught in the Bay. They made money by selling goods to tourists on the junk boats. Recently, the Vietnamese government provided incentives for the residents to move from the floating villages into land communities. It is considered both safer for the residents and better for the environment for them to live on land.
While controversial in many ways, one downside of this policy for tourists is the lack of floating villages to now visit. Our tour group saw just one in the area in which we went kayaking. There was one resident who pulled up to our boat to try and sell some things, but the village wasn’t as active or bustling as it probably would have been years ago.
Woman from a nearby floating village selling her wares to tourists in the Bay
Kayaking
The majority of day two was spent kayaking in our own little corner of the Bay. Each junk boat has its own space in which to go kayaking: no other boats were in our area. We had the choice to just kayak around the bay or explore the caves and shores of the islands around us. Sarah and I opted for the latter. We had the best time traveling between the islands to see their natural beauty practically untouched by humans.
(photo credit: Sarah)
Cooking Class
On the way back to port you will probably receiving a cooking demonstration and class from the head chef. We saw myriad vegetables transformed into beautiful flowers with a paring knife. Then, we were provided ingredients for spring rolls and taught how to add water to the rice wrapper, choose our fillings, and wrap the rolls. These became the first course in our filling lunch, the last meal on our Halong Bay cruise.
Vegetable flowers prepared by the head chef
Pearl Factory
On the trip back to Hanoi, we first stopped at a local pearl factory. Halong Bay is filled with oysters that the Vietnamese use to create pearls. We were shown how a pearl is initiated in an oyster, how the pearl forms, how it is harvested, and how it is made into jewelry. Of course, part of this tour included the implication that the tourists should purchase some of the final products, but I found the prices outlandish for Vietnam. Luckily, the sellers weren’t too pushy and we could admire the jewelry without buying anything.
Watching pearls pulled from oysters at the pearl factory
My Halong Bay cruise experience was phenomenal; I recommend it to anyone planning to go to Northern Vietnam! If you want to have the same experience as Sarah and I, you can book the cruise we took here: V’Spirit Cruise.*
Our global cruise group and guide!
*Note that if you use this link I receive some compensation at no extra cost to you. Thank you!
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