Month: September 2019

Charleston, South Carolina is a charming city filled with history ready for you to explore.  Charleston founded in 1670 includes beautiful historical houses. There is even the famous rainbow row which features charming houses in a variety of colors.  These iconic homes can make for very creative Instagram posts so I highly recommend having a little photo shoot in front of the row. This is a must see when visiting Charleston find the location using this link to Google Maps.

The next place that I highly recommend in Charleston is the Charleston City Market.  The market features one of a kind items made by locals. One of the most famous souvenirs that can be purchased there are the sweetgrass baskets.  Originally made by slaves on plantations, the tradition of basket making continues in Charleston and these baskets are not only a form of art but also are very useful in people’s everyday lives.  For more information about the markets hours and location check out the link here.

Charleston is a gorgeous city to walk in, but at a certain point everyone gets tired of walking. Take on the town by horse carriage! Enjoy a historical tour of the town while relaxing in a horse drawn carriage, the ride can give you a glimpse into the life of citizens of Charleston in the 1700’s and times before automobiles were easily assessable.  Check out this link  for more information about scheduling a carriage tour.

Need another place to relax?  Waterfront Park supplies great views and a relaxing atmosphere.  When I came last time a group of people were playing around on a slack line and they even let me give the line a try! Although not horribly large the park is a beautiful place to walk around and provides the city with a nice green space.

Although I have never had the opportunity to I have heard that Charleston candle light tours are a great experience.  Only available seasonally these tours allow tourists to explore private homes in the evening by the light of candles.  The tours are only available September 19th through the 26th, for information about them visit this link.

Charleston simple charm and historical engagement gives the city a unique draw that is unmatched by other cities on the east coast.  I encourage you to schedule a trip to Charleston soon, and as always Happy Travels!

Picture a gorgeous pier with a lovely river where National Harbor and Washington D.C. are all in view.  This one of a kind view does exist, let me introduce Old Town Alexandria. Lined with beautiful cobblestone streets and small shops Old Town exudes a charm unmatched in other cities throughout the hectic DC, Maryland, Virginia area (DMV).

When you come to Old Town, be sure to check out the Torpedo Factory.  The building was a Torpedo Factory during World War I and II, but after World War II was converted into an art center.  The center now displays one of a kind art from a plethora of artists. Each artist has their own room and are free to set up their display how they please.  It is amazing to see how creative some people are and how much of the art is so unique. This art center allows people to see all kinds of art, even art that may not traditionally be displayed in a museum.

Of course after viewing art for hours you will probably get hungry. There are yummy restaurants everywhere in Old Town Alexandria!  My sister an Alexandria resident highly recommends the fish market.  The restaurant offers a large menu where I’m sure everyone can find something to eat.  

For after dinner dessert I recommend Pop’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream Co.  The shop offers a large variety of flavors that are all made at the shop.  Pop’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream Co. is also conveniently located right off of King Street, which is one of the most popular streets in Old Town.

Are you an avid instagramer, always searching for the perfect place to take pictures?  Let me recommend the pier at Old Town, Alexandria. Last year for homecoming, my friends and I came and took pictures off of the pier.  The view features a beautiful sunset and in some pictures the bright yellow river taxi is even present.  Not only do I see people taking pictures for school dances here, but I have seen many weddings photographed here also.

Before you plan your visit to Old Town Alexandria always be sure to check out what kind of special events the city has going on.  Last year my friends and I attempted to come to a holiday themed boat parade and although we came too late to see the boats, the spirit around us was still amazing.  We even got a picture with Santa! Old Town has events nearly every weekend so I urge you to check out what festivals or parades are going on before your visit.  Don’t be afraid to walk around and explore the city also, there are fun things to do around every corner in Old Town.  Happy Travels!

Hilton Head Island is a dream vacation destination located off of the Southern coastal corner of South Carolina.  My family likes to travel here because during our trip we have the opportunity to visit nearby cities such as Savannah and Charleston, Georgia.  With gorgeous beaches and bike trails throughout the island Hilton Head there are fun activities for whatever you are in the mood for!

One aspect of Hilton Head that I found strange and honestly wasn’t a fan of is that Hilton Head’s lodging options mostly consist of condos and cabins in gated communities.  In Hilton Head these gated communities are referred to as plantations.  I found this off putting and it can be annoying when biking around how visitors could not enter parts of trails that entered these “plantations”. Of course, although this aspect of Hilton Head is distasteful Hilton Head still has many other activities and attractions that can make your visit extremely enjoyable.

To start when visiting Hilton Head it is a great idea to bring bikes because the island has bike trails all over.  If you do not own bikes or it is a large burden for you to transport your bikes to Hilton Head there are many companies on the island that give out bike rentals.  Although my family always brings our own bikes Bicycle Billy’s rents bikes for about $35 per week and will deliver it to and pick it up from wherever you are staying with free delivery!  Biking around the island is a fun and easy way to get exercise and allows you to experience all that the island has to offer.  I know that when I biked around Hilton Head I even spotted an alligator (from a safe distance of course!).  

Hilton Head has a variety of amazing restaurants.  I highly recommend the Old Oyster Factory.  I personally don’t like oysters, but the hushpuppies were amazing and my parents really loved the Oyster Rockefeller.  I also love Java Burrito a burrito restaurant that my family always bikes to that has the best burritos.  I look forward to Java Burrito every time I visit Hilton Head because of the fresh and bold flavors.

Hilton is a very family friendly place.  When not hanging out on the beach the island has cute shops and restaurants to explore.  Biking around the island gives your vacation a real feeling of freedom. Overall come to Hilton Head if you want many options for how to enjoy your vacation!

New York!  This summer I spent some time in Europe and every European that I talked to said that when they visit the United States they definitely want to go to New York City.  Because I have family living in New Jersey I have visited NYC many times throughout my life so I will be combining my knowledge from my trips to give you the best advice for what to do in New York.  I’ll start with some advice for how to actually get into the city.

My mother grew up on Staten Island so usually when my family drives to New York we park on Staten Island where parking is cheaper and take the Staten Island ferry over to the city.  The fare is free and the ferry runs very frequently, but if you are concerned about run times you can always check out the schedule here.  I especially like taking the ferry ride because the trip over allows passengers to see the Statue of Liberty and the dazzling New York City skyline.  

Because my family travels to NYC pretty frequently we usually skip the major tourist attractions such as visiting the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, not to say what we do isn’t touristy, but I’ll give you an idea of what a day in New York looks like for us. After getting off of the ferry my family and I love to walk along the New York high line.  Located in the West Side the park was created on old freight train tracks and displays lovely art, gardens and a variety of different foods. On a hot day it can be difficult to walk the whole high line, but even just a short segment of the trail is very enjoyable. Look here for more information about the high line like where it is located and special events.

For lunch I recommend Chelsea’s Market because it has a plethora of different restaurants for tourists to eat at.  On my last visit to NYC, my family and I ate at Saxelbey Cheesemongers, a cheese shop that serves gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches.  My only complaint is that the shop does not serve tomato soup, which is kinda a must for grilled cheese, but the sandwiches still tasted good.  Chelsea’s Market is also home to thousands of shops where customers can browse and purchase one-of-a-kind items. You can enter Chelsea’s Market at 75 9th Avenue and it is open Monday-Saturday 7am-2am and Sundays 8am-10pm (Chelsea Market).

Of course time square is always a huge attraction in NYC.  The dazzling bright signs and billboards make time square unique and magical.  Personally I don’t love the bustle of Time Square and sometimes find it a little overwhelming although it can be fun to walk through.  I do enjoy going to Broadway shows in theaters surrounding Time Square. I especially recommend the broadway play To Kill a Mockingbird.  The play is written by Aaron Sorkin, which if you are a fan of the television program The West Wing you should know he was the programs writer.  The acting at least with the original cast was phenomenal and the story (originally written by Harper Lee) is fantastically altered to fit the play.  Show dates and tickets are available can be found here, but To Kill a Mockingbird is not the only amazing Broadway show New York City has to offer, if you are interested search around and see what is playing during your trip!

New York City is amazing and like no other, so don’t be afraid to explore it.  There is so much to do and feel free to comment with more fun activities to do in NYC!  Happy Travels!

Sources

“Chelsea Market.” Chelsea Market, www.chelseamarket.com/.