Wanderlust motivation

Hot spots around the world

The world is filled to the brim with beautiful places. There’s incredible landscapes in every country, some of which seem to come from a different planet completely. Lights and colors in the sky that people flock to year round in the hopes to see. There’s rock formations and rivers and caves all hiding their own amazing secrets; if you’re an adventurer, you’ll never want to miss out on snapping a few shots of them at least!

So in your quest to indulge in all of the incredible flora and fauna the world has to offer, here’s a couple of natural hotspots you should start with. Travelling is always so enriching , so make sure you’re using the chance to go abroad to the max!

The Grand Canyon is truly breathtaking and my hiking adventures here always bring back fond memories. I think that the Grand Canyon deserves a spot on everyone’s list! (Source)

Hill Country, Sri Lanka

I am starting to plan where I should travel to next and Sir Lanka is high up on my list – If I do get the chance to visit, Hill Country will be one of my destinations. Below is why everyone should visit!

To the south of the Island of Sri Lanka you can find the Hill Country, a beautiful landscape coated in green trees and vibrant leaves, as well as plenty of hiking trails to get yourself working out on. If you go here, you’re going to find plenty of Places to Visit Sri Lanka,

You can take the train (which goes from Nuwara Eliya to Ella) around all the most famous slopes and sights if walking just isn’t a holiday activity for you. And then you can stop off at the famous tea plantations, and even book a night in one the rooms for true luxury.

Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico

Mexico is another country that I would love to visit! The Yucatan Peninsula sounds so divine.

This area of Mexico makes up one huge coast, and there’s a lot to see and do whilst you’re here! Both a place of cultural and natural heritage alike, you can really feel like you’re going on an enriching journey if you head here. So what are some of the best sights?

Well, you’ve got the Cenotes that the Peninsula is very famous for, large and beautiful, and very able to go swimming in. These are natural sinkholes that form underground, with fossils and plenty of plant life to snap; not to mention, it’s going to be a lot cooler down one of these than it is on the surface!

Yellowstone National Park, USA

One of my favorite National Parks!! So much to explore.

The USA. One big country filled to the brim with natural wonders. And Yellowstone National Park is one of the best places to visit, seeing as you can camp out in the great outdoors, surrounded by Bison and Bears (if that’s your thing!).

Yellowstone is huge, and there’s so much for you to do; you’ll never be bored, even a month later! There’s plenty of hiking trails here as well, and a lot of native flora and fauna for you to get up close and personal with. A lot of the animals that can be found here can come off as quite tame as well, so now’s the time for those fun holiday snaps!

There’s lots of hotspots in the world, seek out the best!

Rocky Mountain National Park

Washington D.C

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.

The Midwest

Moving on from the mountain states, it was time to travel through part of the Midwest region of the US. We didn’t spend much time in each place, lots of just driving through. First state, Nebraska. Here we found a nice lake to camp at. Next, Iowa, followed by Illinois. Next state was Indiana, here we spent a day exploring the capital city, Indianapolis. Last state, Ohio.

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.

Niagara falls

Niagara falls is as magical as expected. Whilst I was staying in Toronto for 10 days, I took the opportunity to visit Niagara falls for a day trip. A highlight of my visit to Canada. The views are breathtaking. Niagara falls is the collective name for three waterfalls that serve as the international border between Canada and the United States of America. These three water falls are named Horseshoe falls (The largest), American falls and Bridal viel falls (the smallest of the three). These waterfalls are located on the Niagara river. Niagara falls formed, when the glaciers receded at the end of the Wisconsin glaciation about 10,000 years ago (the last ice age). It is well worth the trip to visit this magnificent place.

Highlights and must sees

Canada side:

Maid of mist: Breathtaking, close up views of the falls. This 20 minute tour departs every 15 minutes.
Niagara falls history museum.
Skylon tower: Provides indoor and outdoor observation of the falls.
Niagara IMAX theatre: Showcasing true stories about Niagara.
Bird kingdom: The worlds largest free-flying indoor aviary.
Niagara parks butterfly conservatory.
Niagara skywheel.
Niagara parks botanical gardens.
Rainbow bridge: Stunning views of Niagara falls.
Floral clock.
Journey behind the falls. Close up view behind the horseshoe falls.

USA side:

Maid of mist tour.
Cave of the winds. Takes you close to the falls via the hurricane deck.
Niagara falls state park. Visit the discovery center. Take a hike along the trails through the Niagara gorge.
Old fort Niagara.
Aquarium of Niagara.

As I was based in Toronto, I took a day trip tour from the city to Niagara falls. The bus ride is about one and half hours. The first stop is Niagara falls. Here we where given a few hours to explore the falls and town. From the Canadian side, you can see panoramic views of the three falls, which are amazingly beautiful. I was also able to get close to the horseshoe falls. After visiting Niagara falls, we traveled to the historic town of Niagara on the lake. A very pretty town to walk through, with its boutique shops, historic streets and victorian era charm. The final stop on the tour was visiting a vineyard with free wine samples. We had a tour walking through the beautiful vineyard. Here was my first time tasting ‘ice wine’ which was delicious! Ice wine is a dessert wine that is produced from grapes that have been frozen while still on the wine. I Would recommend a day trip (or longer) to Niagara falls!

Toronto Islands

Escape the city for a relaxing and care free experience at the Toronto Islands. Only a 15 minute ferry ride, the gem of the Islands is must do. The Toronto Islands consists of a small chain of small islands located on the stunning Lake Ontario, south of mainland Toronto. The largest Island is Centre Island. Algonquin (Sunfish Island) and Olympic Island are the other major Islands. The Islands attractions are open from May to October, with the summer months being the most popular. The ferry leaves approximately every 15 minutes during the summer months and less frequently during winter. A round trip (for adults) costs $7 and is a perfect day trip from mainland Toronto.

Where to stay:

Looking for somewhere to stay in Toronto? All The Rooms have various accommodation for all budgets and traveling parties from families to solo travelers! Visit this link to view the range of accommodation options: Toronto accommodation

Highlights and must sees

I would recommend biking around the Islands to get the most out of the day. You can either bring your own bike on the ferry, or rent a bike once you arrive on the Islands. You can go from each Island by bike (or by walking).
A visit to the 200 year old lighthouse is a must see! Gibraltar point lighthouse is the oldest landmark in Toronto!
The centerville amusement park.
Far enough farm. A petting zoo on Centre Island.
Franklins children’s garden. This park is inspired by the popular children’s book.
Have fun on the water, with opportunities to canoe, kayak and paddle board on the lake!
BBQ or picnic either on one of the beaches or the lawns.
Explore the beaches across the Islands. Hanlan’s point beach. Ward’s Island beach and the Centre Island beach.
Photograph the Toronto skyline from the ferry.

I spent one summers day exploring the Toronto Islands. It was a cloudy day with periods of light rain. I left mainland Toronto around 9am to make the most of my time on the Islands. I took the ferry to the Centre Island ferry dock and walked the Islands, departing from the Hanlan’s point ferry dock around 6pm. Centre Island is the most crowded and buzzing of the Islands. After exploring Centre Island I started my journey towards Ward’s Island. I made my way back through Center Island towards Hanlan’s point beach, spending the afternoon here. Stopping to see the Gibraltar point lighthouse. The atmosphere of the Islands is very calm and relaxing, a must see if you are in Toronto for a few days. A highlight for me was the views of mainland Toronto from the ferry. Also, a fun fact; the Islands are car free making the Islands very pedestrian, cyclist and eco friendly!!