A Getaway To The Gateway City! Exploring St. Louis

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Sometimes, with all of the advice out there to live like a local when you head into a specific destination, you actually want to appreciate the amazing aspects of a chosen place only, not the warts and all parts! Sometimes the option to be a tourist can throw up so many wonderful experiences that you’re better off putting your tourist cap on. St. Louis is one of those places that seems purpose-built for tourism, especially when you really delve deep. So, let’s have a look at what we can really do.

Head Up The Gateway Arch

You can’t talk about St. Louis without mentioning this world famous monument. If you’re feeling particularly brave, you can take a ride up this 630-foot structure and look at St. Louis like a bird in the sky. Naturally, if you’re not so keen on heights, this may not be a big draw, but you can head to the nearby Jefferson National Expansion Memorial and see where Lewis and Clark set off on their cruise down the Mississippi river!

Feeling Sociable?

If you’re looking for a night, as with anywhere, you are spoilt for choice. But what do you really want from the tourist side of things? There are plenty of escape rooms in St. Louis, such as Mastermind Room Escape or Escape The Room, but if you’re looking for a more relaxing evening with music and bars, you can head to the ballpark village St. Louis for some sports-themed entertainment. If food and drink is more your style, there are plenty of restaurants that serve fresh Asian cuisine, like Lonas Lil Eats, or if you’re wanting more traditional Italian fare, you can head to the Hill neighborhood which is famous for Italian cuisine. If you’ve got the delectable sweet tooth, frozen custard at Ted Drewes will provide you with the most exquisite brain freeze!

For The People Craving Some Education…

Being a tourist is about learning a little something about the place. Luckily in St. Louis you’ve got plenty of options. You can head to the Museum Of Contemporary Religious Art which, as the name suggests, provides plenty of religious iconography. If you are keen to ingratiate yourself with the religious side of things, you could head to the National Shrine Of Our Lady Of The Snow and attend mass (as well as get something tasty in your stomach). And if religion isn’t your thing, you can head to the Saint Louis Science Center and experience the planetarium and go through time at the Omnimax theater, as well as seeing up close and personal a life-size tyrannosaurus rex. Be careful, this is animatronic and will move, so if you’ve got children of a sensitive disposition, be careful.

For a luxurious experience of Middle America, St. Louis has more than we can list here. But when you are looking to get a feel for the place, you don’t always have to treat it as if you’re a local. Get some knowledge of the big tourist attractions and you will be surprised as to how much you and your family will enjoy the place, and feel none of those famous “Saint Louis Blues”!

North Carolina

Chicago and Detroit

Fall break and Halloween

October 2013

For fall break we drove from Trenton, New Jersey to Chicago, Illinois. Chicago is so beautiful. I love the city skyline, the buildings are magnificent and glowing on a sunny day. The view of Lake Michigan from the Oak street beach was outstanding, one of my highlights from the trip!

Other highlights from this trip include trying the famous Chicago deep dish pizza, and it does live up to the expectations, it is delicious! A stroll through Oak street to window shop the high end stores and boutiques was stunning. Viewing the Willis tower is a must see, as is a walk through Millennium park, which is so wonderful. We also visited the University of Chicago, and this place is breath taking! Areas of this place really do feel like Harry Potter, it was a magical experience!

On another note, this was my first Halloween in the US. The Chicago Brownstones decorated in Halloween decor is amazing!! The city does Halloween so well!! We were able to experience some of the Halloween parties at the few bars that weekend! This was definitely a treat. Chicago is one of my favorite cities in the US, I would love to go back and explore more.

Suffering from hangovers, it was time for another road trip, next stop Detroit, Michigan. I really did not know what to expect from Detroit, but it did turn out to be a cool city. One of the highlights was the Riverwalk walk, here you can see Canada, pretty cool! One of my favorites places the we visited in Detroit was the trip to the Heidelberg project, an outdoor art exhibit, with the mission to improve the lives of people and the neighborhood through art, I can definitely get behind this.

I really enjoyed seeing both Chicago and Detroit, this was a fun break from the semester.

Pennsylvania and New Jersey

Northeast adventures

August to December 2013

After the midwest it was time to hit the northeast, getting closer to New York! Next state, Pennsylvania! Our first main stop was French creek state park, were we camped and hiked some of the trails. This place is really beautiful, it has a lot to offer too, from swimming, nature walks and canoeing. After a couple of days in nature, next stop was Philadelphia. Philly is a very charming city, with great historical significance. The independence national historical park, the liberty bell center and independence hall is a must see.

A stroll down market street towards the water was a treat, especially with a stop at The Franklin Fountain for the most delicious milkshake! Penns landing at the water front is another must see. We also explored the south street and experience the memorable magic gardens, this place is amazing! It was in Philadelphia where we witnessed out first baseball game, Mets Vs Phillies at the Citizens Bank Park. Another place we visited in Pennsylvania was New Hope. A very charming, historic town located on the Delaware river. A beautiful town to walk around.

Next State, New Jersey. We explored the stunning town of Princeton and walked the grounds of the famous Ivy league Princeton University, the campus grounds are precious. Atlantic city was another place we visited in New Jersey. Not my favorite place but it was nice to be on the beach.

Mountain States

After a beautiful road trip through California and camping in the amazing Joshua Tree national park, it was time to continue the journey towards New York. Next up, the fabulous Las Vegas! Driving through Nevada was amazing, with stunning views of the desert. It is unbelievable to drive through a desert, with not much going on, to hit a hectic city in the middle of a desert! Las vegas is like no other place. It is hard to describe ‘sin city’, you just have to absorb the atmosphere. Time was spent, relaxing under the palm trees in the pool and shopping by day. Night we spent exploring the hotels, casinos and bars. A very different experience, but still very enjoyable.

After Vegas, it was time to get back on the road. Next, Arizona. We stopped by the beautiful Lake Mead and Hoover dam (highlighted in a different post), before moving on to the breathtaking Grand Canyon national park, where we camped and hiked park of the park (also, highlighted in a separate post). The views driving through Arizona are beautiful! After the visit to the Grand Canyon, the next main stop was the four corners. A very remote area, the only place in the United States where four states intersect at one point. The Northeastern corner of Arizona, Southeastern corner of Utah, Northwestern corner of New Mexico and the Southwest Corner of Colorado.

Next, the gorgeous Colorado. Driving through, we saw some of the most scenic views. One of the highlights, was a stop in Sliverton, with its breathtaking mountain views and being one of the highest towns in the United States. Next was camping at Elk creek, which was a great way to relax and enjoy nature. Colorado is a state that I need to visit again, perhaps during winter time, to hit the slopes.

Driving through the desert and mountains was a memorable journey, enjoying the varying environments that the US has to offer.

California dreaming

Road trip down highway 1

We made it to continental USA! First stop, the charming San Fransisco, we spent a few days exploring and absorbing the great food, city vibes, stunning scenery and hiking some beautiful state parks. In amongst exploring, we brought a van, removed the back seats and transformed it into a bedroom ready for the road trip across the country! Starting point, California and to finish in New York City! The first part of this trip was a road trip through California.

From San Fransisco we decided to take the most scenic route to reach Los Angeles, highway 1 (Pacific coast highway). The views along the Pacific coast were breathtaking, California is a beautiful state. Our first stop was Big Sur, and what a surprise we got here…colonies of elephant seals laying out on the beach! Did not expect to witness this, and it only occurs a few months annually for the elephant seals to birth, mate and molt. So grateful to witness. After Big Sur, the next big stop was Santa Barbara. What a gorgeous place!! Ocean and Mountain views. The final destination was Los Angeles, before hitting the city center we ventured first to Malibu, this place is stunning. Next was the famous Beverly Hills and Rodeo Drive, so picturesque and just like in the movies! We spent a couple of days exploring LA, visiting Venice beach, downtown LA, the Hollywood walk of fame and hiked as close to the Hollywood sign as possible. An amazing road trip, visiting some beautiful places.

From LA we drove to Joshua Tree national park, this place is breathtaking and will be featured in a different post. I have loved everything about California that I have seen so far. Cannot wait to visit this dreamy state again, hopefully soon.

Toronto

Vancouver

Rome

Roma

Vibrant in art and culture, and showcasing a creative imagery into the past, Rome is an intriguing and breathtaking city to explore.

Rome is located in the central Italian peninsula on the Tiber river, 24km inland from the Tyrrhenian sea. Rome is the capital city of Italy, and also the capital of the Lazio region. Rome is also the most populated comune in Italy. With twenty eight centuries of history, and as one of the oldest continuously occupied sites in Europe, Rome showcases a rich history in amongst the now cosmopolitan and happening city. Rome is truly, a magnificent city to explore and to absorb the dreamy atmosphere.

The city of love

This was my second visit to this charming city, and I would come back again! As we were based in Dundee Scotland, we found cheap flights from Edinburgh (around $20 USD)! Only a three hour flight. So took the opportunity to travel to Italy and explore.

We found a cheap(ish) backpackers hostel to stay in, which was located in the city center. An ideal location so we could just walk around and explore. We were here for six days and five nights before flying to Venice.

The eternal city

Walking through Rome provides a glimpse into ancient times. I was truly in awe walking around and visiting the ancient ruins. Rome is a very special place where you can feel and view history. Here is a list of the best ancient landmarks to visit when in Rome!

Pantheon: An ancient pagan temple, that has since been converted into a church. This is one of Rome’s best preserved monuments.
Janiculum walk: A beautiful walk through the hills, and when you reach the top an impressive view overlooking the Roman skyline.
Circus Maximus: An open field with ruins. This was once, one of the largest sporting arenas in the world!
Roman forum: A true glimpse into ancient rome. With ancient ruins linked to the former emperors. These ruins illustrate 900 years of history!
Piazza Navona: A breathtaking piazza containing three gorgeous fountains.

Roman Colosseum

In addition to the ancient landmarks highlighted above, a trip to Rome would not be complete without a visit to the impressive Colosseum! A well preserved piece of history, and a major tourist attraction in Rome.

The Colosseum, also known as the Flavian amphitheater, is a huge stone amphitheater built between AD 70-72 by the Vespasian emperor. The Colosseum was used for four centuries! As the site of gladiator combats between men and other animals. The largest amphitheater in the Roman world, the colosseum could seat more than 50,000 spectators! The preservation of this ancient site began in the 19th century.

Highlights and must sees

In addition to the ancient sites must sees, here are recommendations of other points of interest that we enjoyed.

Trevi fountain: A well know landmark. A gorgeous 18th century sculpted fountain.
Spanish steps: 135 steps which are located between the Piazza di Spagna (at the bottom) and the Pizza Trinita dei Monti at the top.
Capitoline museums: A complex of art and archeological museums.
Pincian hill: Wander around the pretty gardens.
Visit the Vatican city: The headquarters of the Holy Roman church and one of the world’s smallest sovereign states. The Vatican city became independent from Rome in 1929. Inside you can visit St.Peters Basilica, the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel.
Get lost. Just rome around Rome and explore your surroundings.
Indulge in Italian food, coffee and wine!

Rome

Rome is a very special city. Rich in history and culture. A beautiful city to explore and a great highlight of a trip to Europe.

Copenhagen

Kobenhavn

Charming waterfront, colorful buildings, stunning decor and a cosmopolitian atmosphere, Copenhagen (Kobenhavn in Danish) is a great introduction to Denmark and an insight into Scandinavia.

Copenhagen is located on the eastern coast of the island Zealand, and a smaller section of the city is located on Amager. Copenhagen is the capital city of Denmark, and also the cultural and geographic link between Scandinavia and mainland Europe. The city was founded in the 10th century and was once a small viking fishing village. Now the city represents a strong urban and cultural modern city. Copenhagen has the buzz of a city and is still small enough to give you an intimate atmosphere. You can easily explore the city by foot or bicycle.

A weekend in Denmark

As were based in the UK we were always on the lookout for cheap deals to travel more of Europe. We found a cheap flight (around $15 usd) to Copenhagen. So we jumped at the chance to visit the capital of Denmark.

The flight was only two hours from London. We arrived around 6pm and checked into our hostel. Generator hostel is located in the city center, just steps away from the Kongen’s Nytrov square. This hostel was so comfortable and the decor was gorgeous, the on site bar made is easier to meet other travelers. This was a standout backpackers hostel from all of my travels. We had two full days and a half day to explore this beautiful city.

Highlights and must sees

Nyhavn: A beautiful neighborhood to walk around. Colorful buildings line the canal of this 17th century waterfront. A great place for a meal and drinks, with many options for bars, cafes and restaurants.
Frederiksberg Palace: A pretty palace that is located on Frederiksberg hill and overlooks the stunning Frederiksberg garden.
The Little Mermaid: A statue of the little mermaid is located on the Langelinje pier. The statue is over 100 years old!
Kronborg castle: A beautiful 16th century castle.
Amalienborg palace: The home of the Danish royal family.
Stroget: One of Europes longest pedestrian streets and the largest shopping district in Copenhagen.
The national museum: A look into Danish history, from the stone age, viking age, middle age to modern day Denmark.
Glyptoteket: A beautiful art museum.
Botanical garden: Walk around the gorgeous gardens located in the city center.

From seeing the major sights of the city, wandering the streets and experiencing the Danish nightlife, our time in Copenhagen was well spent and very enjoyable. I would love to visit Denmark again to explore more of the country.

Our next stop is Malmo, Sweden, only a 40 minute train ride away!