The town of Key West is considered to be the southernmost point in Continental USA and a very popular tourist destination due to its numerous white sand beaches, conch- style houses in pastel hues, diving and snorkeling activities. It’s laid- back atmosphere is in contrast with Miami’s active nightlife. The town is 166 miles from Miami, 392 miles from Orlando and 90 miles from the north of Cuba. Some cruise ships also make a stop at this town.
From Orlando, we drove about 8 hours to Key West passing by Miami thru the Overseas Highway. Mind you, this scenic highway is a marvel, imagine driving on a 113 mile road above turquoise waters for 113 miles with the Atlantic Ocean on your right and the Gulf of America on your left. It’s just one of a kind!
We made a stop at Robert is Here Fruit Stand to try their famous smoothies.
And randomly saw a crane at the side of the street. Apparently, big birds casually strolling on the streets is a thing here in Florida.
One of the things you might want to experience is to watch the sunrise in the east (Atlantic Ocean side) and the sunset in the west (Gulf of America side). We missed the sunset since we arrived late and we were kinda confused as where is west. lol
Key West, being a popular tourist destination has tons of hotels to choose from but a bit on the higher range. If you really want to stay at the town center, the cheapest you can get would around 300 usd for 1 night. We stayed at the Pegasus International Hotel.
The night life is vibrant but laid back and there are many bars and restaurants to choose from.
Strolling at Duval St.
The Southernmost Point Bouy is a must see attraction in the town. This concrete, anchored bouy is considered as the southernmost tip of continental USA.
The next day was Easter Sunday, we woke up early to catch the sunrise. Key West is magical in the morning, quiet but with an air of euphoria.
And you see chickens everywhere!
We went to see the Southernmost Point again to take daytime photos but there was a short line already. Apparently, the line for photos gets very long during the day.
Round 2. lol
Spent the rest of the day at the beach.
Fort Zachary Taylor State Park Beach.
We had a late lunch at the El Siboney Restaurant- a local Cuban restaurant in Key West that was highly recommended to us by a local.
We went to Mallory Square, a waterfront plaza where people go to see the sunset. It is bustling with shops, local vendors and artisans. At the dock, you can see cruise ships anchored.
There was much more to explore in Key West but we didn’t have much time. Hopefully we can come back soon! *wink
This city is called the Birthplace of America since this is where the Declaration of Independence was signed 250 years ago. (July 4, 1776). In addition, the city is where the the US constitution was drafted and implemented.
We made the decision to come here a month before our interview/ civics exam for the American citizenship. As we were hitting the books for our civics test, it was hard for us to understand the questions since we’ve only been in the US for 5 years. So we thought, why not learn more about American history from the place where it all started? So we went to Philly.
It was a short drive from NYC (about 2 hours). We decided to spend 2 days in the old city and checked in at the Wyndham Philadelphia- Historic District. The price is very reasonable given that it’s in the historic district. It’s just a walking distance to all famous spots in the city. But there’s a catch! I didn’t know this until we were in the room- the hotel is beside a centuries- old cemetery. *wink
Our room with a view of the cemetery.
We passed by the United States Mint on our way to the hotel.
Started our self- paced walking tour at the Liberty Bell.
This very famous bell was commissioned in 1752 and cast with the phrase “Proclaim LIBERTY Throughout all the Land unto all the Inhabitants”. It was hung in the Independence Hall where it was rung to alert lawmakers for sessions and summon people during public meetings. It has a definitive crack probably a result of age old ringing.
In modern times, every 4th of July, the young descendants of the signers of the Declaration of Independence tap this bell 13 times. A ceremony called Let Freedom Ring.
Independence Hall
Across the street from the Liberty Bell, you will find the Independence Hall- this is where all the action began. Built in 1733, called at first the Pennsylvania State House, this is Pennsylvania’s first capitol and in 1776, this is where the founding fathers gathered to pass and implement the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States.
It is considered a World Heritage Site. And you have to come in groups with designated tour guide assigned. During winter, the entrance is free which we were very glad. hehe.
Coming inside a building that has surpassed time was very surreal, got goosebumps everywhere and my “probinsyana” self can’t believe she’s actually made this far.
This was the courtroom in the 1700’s. Far right you can see bleachers where the jury sits during trials. Just shows how long the jury system in the United Stated have been implemented.
This is where the founding fathers debated and adapted the Declaration of Independence and the constitution.
The chair in the center called the Rising Sun Armchair is where George Washington sat down during the months when the constitution was made.
I love how the tour was very organized and informative and it goes to show how the US is very patriotic with regard to it’s history.
After that transformative tour (we felt like we are very ready for the civics test. lol), we strolled more on and was perplexed by how much history the city has.
The Betsy Ross House.
Benjamin Franklin’s burial ground
We ended the night with a dinner at an Italian resto a little far but walkable from where we stayed. Being a famous city, it was hard for us to dine in without a reservation.
The next day, we visited the National Constitution Center.
And saw the Founding Father’s in their element. lol
We also went to the famous Rocky Steps at the entrance of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The Rocky Steps was a scene from the 70’s film Rocky where the protagonist, Rocky Balboa (played by Sylvester Stallone) practiced for his ride or die boxing match. The scene was so iconic that they have a statue of Rocky at the foot of the steps.
Our last activity before heading back home is to try Philadelphia’s famous Philly cheesesteak. We drove to Geno’s Steaks which according to hubby is one of the best and it didn’t disappoint!
The trip to Philly was a success! We aced our civics test! lol
Vail, Colorado is a mountain town 2 hrs away from Aspen. The town has its own unique vibe. It reminds me of Old Quebec in Quebec, Canada. This quaint little town is what you see in hallmark movies- a place that could lift your spirits up because of it feels like home.
We stayed at Sitzmark Lodge right in the town’s center.
We had dinner at one of their Mexican restaurants- El Segundo.
9 dollar tacos
The next day, we were scheduled for a 4 hour- 4×4 ride to Resolution Mountain just a few miles away from Vail. We got picked up at 9 am. This was my first time to be on a 4×4 jeep.
The kids loved being at the back of the jeep.
We stopped by this small town of Red Cliff where there are only about 200 residents and no school nor police precint.
We were greeted with gorgeous views on our way to the peak.
After an hour, we reached the peak of Resolution Mountain at 11,923 feet and it was breathtaking!
Literally at the top of the world 🙂
This was surely a once in a lifetime experience for us.
Going back, we headed for lunch at the Red Lion and spent the rest of the day strolling around the town.
Everything ablut the town was just surreal.
The kids ended the night with a swim at the hotel’s heated pool. As for us adults, we just talked about how we don’t want to go back to NY just yet. We still got places to see in this beautiful state.
Last month (October), we decided to visit our friends in Colorado and do some sightseeing in the mountain towns of Aspen and Vail. The group planned to stay a night in Aspen and 2 nights in Vail. We were expecting to see the fall foliage that peaks around this time.
From La Guardia Airport in New York, we booked the United Airlines flight to Denver, Colorado. From Denver, we rode for 3 hrs to Aspen. Aspen has an airport too but the fares are much higher than Denver’s. Flight to Denver from New York City is approximately 4 hrs. Just FYI, time difference of New York and Colorado is 2 hrs with NY getting the sunrise first.
Denver Airport
We met our friends in Denver and rented a 15 seater van to accommodate everyone. Denver’s airport is huge and confusing actually, it took us some time to find our meet up point.lol
We stopped by to grab brunch in In-N-Out, a bit excited since it’s our first time to savor their world renowned burger. We were wondering why there’s no branch at all in New York? lol
And it didn’t disappoint 🙂
Loving our In-N-Out 🙂
The drive to Aspen is 3 hrs but the view on our way is a breath of fresh air! Colorado has an average altitude of 6,800 feet compared to New York’s average of 1000 feet. The view of the surrounding mountains is just refreshing to look at. Something we dont see in the city. Also, we were advised by our friends to hydrate since we might have altitude sickness- a term they refer to when one is exposed to low amounts of oxygen on a high altitude area like Colorado. Lucky for us, we did not experience any. But we did hydrate.
The view was just something I havent seen beforePit stop somewhere in Colorado. We just need to have a photo with this beautiful Aspen tree behind us.
The breathtaking mountain town of Aspen got its name due to the abundance of Aspen trees in the area. The town is very popular all year round to locals and tourists. Its a very well known ski town for enthusiasts and celebrities alike.
We checked in to The Inn at Aspen located at the slopes of Buttermilk Mountain.
We explored the area around the hotel with a little hike.
We went for dinner at one of the restaurants in downtown Aspen.
The next day, we are scheduled to hike the famous Maroon Bells.
Maroon Bells are two peaks on Colorado’s Elk Mountains. The view of the Maroon Bells to the southwest from the Maroon Creek valley is very heavily photographed.
To go to Maroon Bells, an online booking reservation must be done days prior. The earlier the better as the slots get full most of the time. An entrance fee of 16 usd for adults and 10 for children and seniors must be paid with the booking. One must choose the time as there will be a shuttle bus assigned to take the hikers to the Maroon Bells. We booked an early time.
From the hotel, we drove to Aspen Highlands for the shuttle bus that will take us to Maroon Bells. No private car is allowed to park near the Maroon Bells since it created environmental problems before, thus the shuttle buses that goes every 15 mins are our only way to go up the peak.
Waiting area for hikers to the Maroon BellsShuttle Bus
Going up, the driver from the shuttle bus gave us a background about the Maroon Bells and he mentioned some famous personalities that has properties in Aspen. Mind you, the houses here are just as pricey as the Hamptons.
The ride going up was approximately 15 minutes and we felt our ears popping already.
Upon reaching the starting point, we hiked for a little and saw the famously photgraphed view of the Maroon Bells. It was absolutely stunning! It’s even covered with snow this time!
We chose to do the scenic trail- one that’s easy since we have children with us. It was easy but it took us some time to finish since we were taking photos after every nice view we see which is all the time!
We just have to do this 😅And this. With the Aspen trees in the background turning yellow.
It was past lunchtime when we finished hiking or should I say taking photos. Lol
Going back, the shuttle buses also come in every 15 minutes to take the tourists back. And for those who wants to know, there is a bathroom right at the entrance to the trail.
We had lunch at Hickory House Ribs in Aspen.
We spent the rest of the day strolling around Aspen. Still in disbelief how beautiful and quaint the town is especially during this time where the leaves are changing colors. All of us wondering how it feels to live here.
Lunch at Hickory HouseGetting hot chocolate in Aspen
Aspen was a dream come true for me. I’ve heard of this place many times before and I thought it’s just for ski enthusiasts but I was wrong, one can enjoy Aspen all year round.
In my previous blog, I wrote how we booked our Disney cruise tickets and some insights for first. time cruisers like us. Believe me, I wish I read more blogs and watched vlogs so we could prepare for what’s coming. lol
DAY 1
This was the day of our arrival. Upon coming inside, you will be greeted by the staff and they will ask for your last name and they will be announcing your presence. We actually weren’t ready for that!lol
We then looked for our room which was located in Deck 2. Upon arriving, you will be asked to log in to the wifi of the ship since during the trip, you won’t be having any signal on your phone. It is also important that you have the Disney Cruise Line app installed in your phone- all the Disney activities, restaurants, your port adventures are all in there. You can also chat with a member of your group using the app.
Our room had the big porthole window which gives us a scenic view of the ocean.
The toilet is separate from the bathroom
Our luggage didn’t arrive yet but we already met our head housekeeper. He is tasked for cleaning our room and preparing it for bedtime during our entire stay.
We were starving so we headed for our first meal on the cruise in Mickey and Friends Festival of Foods at Deck 11- it’s a buffet food court with stalls named after the Fab 5- Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald and Daisy. They are open for lunch, snacks and dinner- good for grab and go hunger pangs.
This is also where the big TV screen and the pools are located.
Before setting sail, all guests were asked to report to their respective assembly stations for safety drill.
Then it’s time to set sail! The Fab Five gave us a sail away party.
The fun was just starting!
We came back to our room and found that our luggages have arrived and our room has been set ready for bedtime 🙂
Our first dinner on the ship was at Arendelle- as the name says, the feel of the restaurant is the movie Frozen, the feel was upbeat as Anna, Elsa, Olaf, Kristoff and the Oaken sings to Nordic renditions of the songs from Frozen. They would go table to table and greet everyone, there was a song where the kids were invited to dance with them around the tables.
Here we first met our head server, server and assistant server. They will be with us during our dinners aboard the ship. We also shared our table with a lovely family.
After dinner, we went to watch the movie Elemental in one of the ship’s theaters.
DAY 2 NASSAU, BAHAMAS
We woke up early to get breakfast at the Marceline Market and get ready for our day at Nassau.
Marceline Market reminds me of Chelsea Market in New York- it features food from all over the world.
After breakfast, we tried the Aquamouse- a thrilling yet fun water ride. No high drops at all which made us love it and go back for more!
We booked the Nassau sightseeing tour. Here, we rode a van and toured almost half of Nassau, the tour guide told us a short history of the island and pointed to to us famous resorts, houses of previous pirates, and lastly we went on a beach just near where our boat was docked. We were very enamored with their beach. It reminded us of our white powdery warm beaches at home.
We were assigned to dine at 1923- this is the year the Walt Disney Company was founded. It’s very nostalgic to know how far along Disney has touched and influenced the lives of people. That’s why you wouldn’t be surprised that aboard the ship, you can see lots of old couples enjoying their time in the ship. Disney is a timeless classic!
After dinner, we watched the show The Little Mermaid and it felt like I was watching a broadway show.
We had so much energy that after watching the show, we went up to Deck 11 and watched the fireworks. Yes Disney has fireworks- this makes it distinct from the other cruise lines.
DAY 3 DISNEY CASTAWAY CAY, NASSAU BAHAMAS
Our trip to Disney’s own private island was one of the highlights of the trip- we really enjoyed our time here, just the perfect vacation for us. We spent the day just basking under the sun. First, we had breakfast at 1923- yes they also do offer sit down breakfast and then got off the ship.
We booked the kayak port adventure in Castaway Cay.
It was fun paddling at first but then when we reached a part farther from the shore, I got scared since the water current was against us. lol
We had barbecue for lunch at the island. Even in the island, I applaud how organized Disney is. We didn’t wait for a long time to line up for lunch, drinks are always available And the seats including the beach chairs is always enough for everyone. Their customer service is just superb.
Showers are also available to wash off sea water.
As the day almost ended, we heavily dragged our feet to the ship as we still didn’t want to go.
We had our dinner at 1923. It was Pirate’s Night (which I am not aware of until we boarderd) and mostly everyone was in their pirate’s costume. There was only a few of us who didn’t come prepared. lol.
Even our stateroom blanket dressed up as a pirate!
We dropped our daughter to Disney’s Oceaneer Club while we went for some couple’s time inside the ship.
Later during the night, deck 11 was full of pirate people ready for the party and fireworks. We actually skipped it as we got tired from the beach.
DAY 4 AT THE SHIP
We spent the whole day exploring the ship, watching movies that we haven’t watched yet, doing the Aquamouse again, swimming and lounging at Deck 11 while watching at the large TV.
For our dinner, we were assigned to dine at Worlds of Marvel. The dinner was interactive with screen appearances of the latest marvel characters and lucky for us, Spiderman made a personal appearance!
After dinner, we went to watch the show Aladdin.
The next day was melancholic since it was time for us to disembark. We had breakfast at the Worlds of Marvel. The night before, we already prepared the luggages. The guests have the option either to carry the luggages to disembarkation or have the staff bring it down for you. Should you choose the latter, you have to place the luggages outside your stateroom with the tags given by Disney.
The disembarkation process went very smooth and organized. Going back to Orlando, we arranged for a transportation thru one of their Disney buses.
The cruise was our first but definitely not our last! Wonder where to book next? West Caribbean perhaps? xoxo
doreen the explorer 