Azores

This past summer, I planned a trip to the Azores. Many people describe the Azores as the Hawaii of Europe, but it’s more affordable than Hawaii. This collection of islands is for travelers who enjoy immersing themselves into another culture.

There are many activities that I would recommend if you are traveling to the main island Saõ Miguel. First, I would plan your stay in Ponta Delgada. My friend and I booked our stay through Expedia and stayed at Praia deSantos.  The guesthouse had ten rooms and the common areas were fabulous. If you are open to walking twenty to twenty-five minutes to downtown Ponta Delgada, then this is the place for you.

Tours: We booked two tours while we were in the Azores.

1. Seven Natural Wonders: The first tour we did was an all-day excursion and our tour guide took us on a private tour of Saõ Miguel. He took us to the “seven natural wonders” of Saõ Miguel. 

We traveled to the Tea Gorreana and went on a tour of the plantation. After our tour, we were able to enjoy a fresh cup of tea. 

Then we went to the several destinations that had the most incredible views of the island. Our tour guide took us around the island to view the volcanic complexes of Sete Cidades, Lagoa do Fogo, and Furnas. We traveled to Furnas and spent an afternoon in the thermal baths and had a lunch prepared under volcanic ash.

Lagoa de Fogo 

Furnas Thermal Baths

Lunch cooked under volcanic ash. 

In addition to traveling to those breathtaking views of the island, we toured a pineapple plantation. It was really cool to see the process in which pineapples are grown and produced.

Pinneapple Plantation

The best part about this excursion was that we had our own tour guide who was giving us a private tour of the island. He was extremely knowledgeable of the Azores and he made additional stops along the way to the "seven natural wonders". I would highly recommend this tour if you are planning to visit.

2. Swimming with the Dolphins: We also scheduled another half-day excursion on a boat to swim with the dolphins. Before booking the trip, I did not realize that this excursion was going to require you to test your swimming abilities. 

When we arrived to the dock, we were instructed to put on wetsuits, goggles, and a snorkel. We rode on a tiny boat off the shore of Ponta Delgada to search for dolphins. Every time our tour guide spotted dolphins, we were instructed to jump out of the boat and swim with the WILD dolphins. 

There were many ranges of emotions that I was feeling during this excursion because I did not have a life vest on and I was swimming to keep up with the dolphins. There were multiple times when I felt nervous because there were also whales in the open waters too. The waves were gigantic and there were many times where I drifted far away from the boat and I was afraid they were going to leave me. Don't worry, it never happened. 

Overall, I am glad that I stepped out of my comfort zone to try something new and checked off another activity off my bucket list. 

Places to Visit: My favorite part about traveling to the Azores was the ability to explore the island day by day. There were so many hidden treasures around the island that were only a bus or taxi ride away. My friend and I stumbled upon black sand beaches to read and relax. 

Black Sand Beaches 

We also traveled to Lagoa and went to an outdoor pool and area to swim along the coast. We also took a forty minute taxi ride to Ginetes to enjoy the hot springs along the Atlantic Ocean coastline. 

Ginetes

Food: The food in the Azores is amazing! The Azores are known for their dairy and seafood. Every meal we had at a restaurant in the Azores was divine and the servers were so kind. You cannot go wrong indulging in delicious meals in the Azores! 

Long Weekend Trips!

Looking for a long weekend getaway? Here are two cities that are worth visiting!

Nashville, Tennessee

Nashville is becoming a very popular city to visit! The nice part about Nashville is that you don’t have to be a country music fan to have a nice time in Nashville. There is so much to do when visiting Nashville but make sure you bring a big appetite and your dancing shoes!

Broadway: The best part about the bars located on Broadway is that there are talented musicians everywhere! Some bars worth visiting are:

1.     Tootsies

2.     Honky Tonk

3.     Margaritaville

4.     FGL House

5.   Toby Keith's Bar and Grill

Martin’s BBQ Joint: When you are downtown Nashville, be sure to stop at Martin’s BBQ! However, make sure you arrive early because once they run out of food, they will close. For additional locations please visit the website (https://www.martinsbbqjoint.com/). Every time I visit Nashville, I make sure I have lunch at this spot because it was recommended by Guy Fieri from Dives, Drive-ins, and Dines.

Martin's BBQ Joint

Pedal Taverns:

            1. Sprocket Rocket: In Nashville, there are some creative ways to get around the city. If you are interested in having a great time while enjoying some adult beverages, the Sprocket Rocket is the activity for you. The Sprocket Rocket is a really fun way to travel around the city. Make sure you make a reservation for your party at https://sprockettours.com/ and BYOB!

            2. Pedal Tavern: Another fun way to travel around the city is with the Nashville Pedal Tavern. Both times I visited Nashville, I didn’t have the opportunity to experience this but all of the riders had a big smile on their faces as they pedaled their way through the city. For more information visit the following link: https://www.nashvillepedaltavern.com/

 Charleston, South Carolina

 

Welcome to Charleston, is a beautiful town located along the water in South Carolina. I traveled there for a long weekend with two other girl friends and we had a wonderful time exploring the town. The houses and roads were beautifully colored and the architecture was impeccable. There were many cool spots to walk around and take pictures.

We stayed in The Meeting Street Inn and we had a wonderful experience with the staff and hospitality. The hotel was located close to the markets and the waterfront.

Meeting Street Inn 

Folly Beach: We spent a day traveling to Folly Beach where we soaked up some rays and enjoyed the salty waves. The fisherman’s pier had many great views of Folly Beach and you were able to spot a lot of dolphins swimming freely. We went to the Lost Dog Café for breakfast. If you are a dog lover, then this is place for you because there were thousands of pictures of dogs all over the walls. The food and mimosas were delicious too!

Food & Drink: We had delicious ice cream at Jeni's and I would definitely recommend checking out all of the shops on the same street. There is so much to do on this main street!

If you are looking for great places to eat or drink check out the following restaurants:

1.     Beer Garden

2.     Husk

3.     Prohibition

4.     Gin Joint

5.     Five Churches

6.     Church Street

7.     Mangolia

8.     Fig

9.     Rooftop Bar

Tours: 

1. Horse-Drawn Carriage Tours: There were so many people touring the beautiful town sitting on a horse-drawn carriage in Charleston. If we had more time during our stay, we would have booked a tour. 

2. Ghost Tours: Charleston is full of history and...ghosts. If you are someone who enjoys listening to ghost stories, then this is the tour for you!  

Welcome to the West Coast!

                     

When I returned home from studying abroad, I made a promise to myself. The promise I made was that I would travel to somewhere new every year. A few months later, I had a traveling opportunity to take advantage of. My close friend and her fiancé moved to San Francisco and invited me to come visit for five days that June of 2015. As a result, I booked a trip to San Francisco and now I can’t wait to share and recommend places to visit!

Napa Valley: For all of you wine drinkers, Napa Valley is totally worth the day trip to check out all of the gorgeous wineries. We rented a car for the day to visit a plethora of wineries. My favorite wineries that we visited were Black Stallion and Frog’s Leap Winery. A lot of the wineries handed out straw hats because Napa Valley is a bright and hot place.

Frog's Leap Winery

Black Stallion Winery

Golden Gate Bridge: When I arrived in San Francisco, I didn’t realize that weather was dreary. Most days I was there, it was very foggy and gray. The first time I went the Golden Gate Bridge, well, I couldn’t see it! Fortunately, I was able to get pictures in front of the bridge on my third day there.

Jumping for joy because I can finally see the Golden Gate Bridge!

 

Lombard Street: Lombard Street is the most famous street in San Francisco. For more information about the history of Lombard Street, click the link! I really enjoyed walking up this beautiful street to because you got a really nice view of the city. Driving down…a different perspective!

More about Lombard Street! 

Fisherman’s Wharf: You can spend an afternoon walking around Fisherman’s Wharf. There you will find a hilarious colony of sea lions at Pier 39. You will also find a bunch of restaurants with amazing seafood. My favorite place we visited there was the Boudin Bakery because they baked creative loaves of sourdough bread.

I spy some sea lions soaking up the sun!

Ghirardelli’s Chocolate Factory: I am a chocolate lover and I was in chocolate heaven when I arrived at Ghirardelli’s Chocolate Factory. The sweet smell of chocolate made my mouth water as I entered the factory and I had the most scrumptious hot fudge sundae there.

Additional Food Recommendations:

1.     Juice Shop: (locations in San Francisco) 

2.     Bowl'd Acai: (locations in San Francisco)

3.     Philz Coffee: (locations in San Francisco)