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We can’t deny it, most of us are drawn to the big cities. The lights, the skyscrapers, the people; that big city experience. Cities such as New York City, Los Angelos, Hollywood,  Miami, and more draw millions of tourists from all around the world to their locations every year. If you’re not drawn to those locations then I hope you will especially enjoy this post because there have to be other cities right? Perhaps hidden treasures that get lost amongst the glamour of those famously overcrowded destinations?

With this post, I hope to unveil these mystery cities so that you can potentially travel to them someday and get a taste of something other than “New York: The City That Never Sleeps”!

Here are some of my favorite hidden cities:

• Minneapolis, Minnesota: While Minnesota is infamous for its harsh winters, This city offers a unique solution-the Minneapolis Skyway. This is an indoor pedestrian walkway connecting the cities most popular buildings. It spans 69 blocks and 7 miles making it the longest continuous skyway system in the world! This city is known for its artsy vibe, its international markets, and of course the Mall of America. It is the birthplace of singing icon Prince who pioneered the “Minneapolis sound”, a hybrid of R&B, funk, pop, rock, and new wave!

• Detroit, Michigan: Claiming fame as Michigans largest city, Detroit is the perfect place for anyone interested in things from the arts to cars! The city’s nickname of “Motor City” is fitting because just downtown you can find the home of the Detroit Institute of Arts, famous for their Detroit Industry Murals painted by Diego Rivera. His murals are inspired by the city’s ties to the automobile industry when painting his famous works of art! Not only is this city known for its cars and murals but for music as well! Detroit is the where Motown Records was born!

• Baltimore, Maryland (one of my personal favorites): Baltimore has a deep history and is well known for its seaport! Fort McHenry, the birthplace of the National Anthem, sits right on Baltimore’s inner harbor! Today this harbor offers everything from shops, to the best Maryland crab cakes you’ve ever tasted! For the history buffs out there you can also walk along the harbor and find attractions like the Civil War-era warship, the USS Constellation or The National Aquarium for those of you interested in marine biology, or like me, just interested in sea creatures!

• Cincinatti, Ohio: Not only is this beautiful city home to the University of Cincinatti but it also sits right on the Ohio River. This city is known for its 19th century architecture, its engineering oppurtunities, and Findlay Market, which hosts food and craft vendors. You can also find the Cincinatti Zoo and Botanical Garden here, as well as the The Cincinatti Museum. This museum houses history, science, and lots of childrens activities as well! Just like every great city, Cincinatti is home to an art museum as well. The Cincinnati Art Museum is home to artwork spanning 6,000 years!

• Denver, Colorado: The capital of Colorado dates back to the Old West era. It is home to the Denver Broncos, the Olympic Training Facility, and many world class ski resorts! In Denver’s museums you can find indigenous works and many more famed pieces of art.The coolest thing about this city is that it is home to the famous Titanic survivor Molly Brown!

I have visited 4 out of the 5 of these hidden treasure cities in the United States. I have yet to check Detroit, Michigan off of my list but I am planning on doing so! Although I am one of those people that loves the big city feel, I adore the small city vibe as well! Each city has its own unique chemistry, history, and attractions. Even in a small city like Baltimore the oppurtunities are endless and you just can’t get bored!

Which city are you most interested in going to? Have you been to any of the locations I mentioned above? I can’t wait to read what you share!

Happy travels!

Sun, san, water, music, and thousands of college students packed up and down the coast. Where is this you might be asking? Daytona Beach, Florida; my next destination! Daytona Beach is located on the upper east coast of Florida making it a huge attraction for college students up and down the east coast of the United States. From the University of Michigan to Florida State University you will find students from every walk of life booking flights and loading up their cars to make the trip to Daytona for their spring break each year!

For this trip, we used Home Away, a site where property owners can list their residence to be rented out to vacationers. We are staying in a condo right on the ocean! This is our view from our balcony:

Having never been to Daytona Beach I did a lot of research on the must see and must do attractions. Some of the most popular attractions are of course the beach, the Daytona International Speedway, Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse, the Daytona Lagoon, and more!

The great thing about going to Daytona Beach is the price. It is definitely an affordable option for a getaway. To cut back on costs my roommates and I decided to drive, saving us over $200 on what would have gone towards round-trip airfare! After splitting the condo between the four of us, the cost to go went down to $250 a person. Now, all we have to worry about is food, which can get expensive if you eat out at a tourist destination but we are planning on cooking to save in that aspect of the trip too!

Just like with any other vacation, there are pros and cons to where you go. Here are the pros and cons of visiting Daytona Beach during Spring Break week specifically.

Pros:

• There will be a lot of different activities specifically designed for the college student crowd
• Students from many different schools will be in Daytona for their spring break, this opens up a world of opportunity for making new friends
• The location is ideal and the price is phenomenal for a week-long vacation

Cons:

• If you do not like crowds, Daytona Beach during spring break is probably not for you
• The beach may be overcrowded
• Hotels could be packed and loud at night when you are trying to sleep

Now that I’ve shared my plans for spring break, what are yours? Are you volunteering, vacationing, both? Share with us!

 

 

I have officially submitted my study abroad application for this summer! I am SUPER pumped to have the opportunity to study Spanish language and culture in Ronda, Spain for 6 weeks!

Ronda is a mountaintop city in Spain’s Malaga province that’s set beautifully above a deep gorge. This gorge (El Tajo) separates the city’s circa-15th-century new town from its old town, dating back to the Moorish rule. Puente Nuevo, a stone bridge spanning the gorge, has a lookout offering incredible views.

The summer study abroad program to Ronda is a short-term intensive program taught by Penn State professors! One aspect I am especially looking forward to it the living requirement: we have to live with a host family! For me this will be beneficial because they are only allowed to speak to us in Spanish, forcing me to improve my fluency! Not only will I get real-life verbal practice with the language but we are also required to take 9 credits offered by the university abroad: Span 100, Span 297, Span 200, Span 215/253W, Span 397, Span 410, or Span 497 (Spanish minor here I come)!

Enough of the boring school stuff…where else do I get to travel? GREAT QUESTION! We will get to take several cultural excursions: a one-day trip to Granada (the city of 3 cultures), and Seville, and a more extensive four-day trip to Madrid, Segovia, and Toledo among other stops!

Granada, Spain.     Seville, Spain.

Madrid, Spain.      Segovia, Spain.

Toledo, Spain.

The awesome thing about study abroad is that we are done with classes every day by noon so we have the rest of the day to explore with our classmates! With that being said, if any of you have been to Spain please share your go-to destinations with me!

Why should you study abroad/travel abroad?

Studying abroad not only broadens your understanding of different cultures but I believe it makes you a better, more well-rounded person in general (we are getting that well-rounded Liberal Arts education you know)! Being able to experience a different language, culture, and lifestyle other than the one you live every day is so important! Not only will you see beautiful landmarks and tourist attractions but you will also over the course of your journeys see the not so beautiful areas in other countries which has humbled me beyond belief in the past when I visited Guatemala.

According to Top Universities, there are many benefits to studying abroad:

• It looks good on your resume!
• Discover new and exciting foods. (Food is always good)
• You will gain a new respect for different cultures and people.
• Gain a global mindset.
• You will learn to appreciate the small things.
• You get to use your spare time to explore.
• Gain a new appreciation of home and your family.
• Study and learn differently wherever your study abroad takes you!
• Learn self-reliance and gain independence unlike never before!

 

I hope this blog inspires you to channel that inner travel bug within us all and get out there to explore the amazing places this world has for us to discover!

 

Welcome to my second-semester passion blog! I am so excited to share all of my past, present, and future travel plans with you all. Hopefully, this blog inspires you, informs you, and aids you in planning some great trips near and far for yourself!

I am a firm believer that you should, “Fill your life with adventures, not things. Have stories to tell, not stuff to show.” Whether your adventure is trying out a new restaurant in downtown State College or hopping on a plane across the world to Europe, an adventure is an adventure.

This weekends destination is the 7 Springs Ski Resort in Seven Springs, PA! I am super pumped to be meeting my family halfway between Virginia and here to celebrate my little brother’s 17th birthday!

I love the mountains just as much as I love the beach (so much that they are actually tattooed on my ribcage). The truth is I have never been skiing before but I can’t wait to learn!

The awesome thing about this 4-star resort (yes…FOUR stars) is that not only can you enjoy the outdoor excitement of skiing, tubing, and more but there are so many other things to fill your weekend with unforgettable memories such as a spa, multiple restaurants, shopping, and indoor pool and hot tub, and more!

Stay tuned for how the trip went when I get back on Sunday!

UPDATE:

Plot twist…I decided to go Snowboarding! Having had ACL reconstructive surgery just 6 months ago I figured it might be easier on my knee…I was wrong because you tend to fall forwards…a lot. Nevertheless, I kept trying and was a natural (at sitting) by the end of the weekend as you can see below.

For those of you who have never snowboarded before here are some pros and cons of the activity, according to theguardian.com:

Pros:

• Snowboarding is much safer for leg injuries, although the ankles sometimes suffer. But upper body injuries are frequent. If you stack on the frontside, you may break your wrist or collarbone. If you slam backwards, your coxyx (“tailbone”) could snap. YIKES!
• You can walk! Walking in snowboarding boots is about 10 times easier and 100 times more elegant. This isn’t just more comfortable and more pleasant it also saves a good bit of time getting around.
• You don’t have the possibility of accidentally doing the splits.

Cons:

• On the mountain, a snowboard is not the best-thought-out method of getting around. To ride any lift, you have to remove your back foot. Step-in bindings have made this easier, but most of them still keep clogging up with ice. When you encounter the dreaded flat sections of the moutain, you have four options: take the back foot out and “scoot”; bend down and claw yourself along with your fingernails; hop like a demented frog; or beg your skiing mates for a tow.
• Getting off lifts: Lifts are designed for skiers – and are much trickier for snowboarders especially beginners.

Overall my first snowboarding experience was GREAT! I loved the balancing factor and I actually caught on fairly quickly! I definitely ended the weekend with a ton of bruises and soreness but it was soo worth it! I hope this encourages you to get out there before the end of winter and try it out!