Remember when I talked about planning a trip to Siesta Key? I went! Oftentimes when you plan a trip, you sit around hoping that everything turns out fine. This trip exceeded my expectations in many ways. My 3 gal pals and I had a fantastic time and I can’t believe I waited this long to visit one of Florida’s most pristine beaches.

The Beach
I’ve visited several beaches in Florida and I think Siesta Key takes the cake for being the most attractive. The stunning sandy beaches and crystal clear water made everyday feel like I was living in a dream. I prefer Siesta Key over the beaches down south because as gorgeous as they are, you are surrounded by hundreds of other beach goers. Don’t get me wrong, I never expect for a beach in Florida to be a ghost town, but I don’t like having to fight for parking spaces, beach chairs and spots to lay out in the sand. This was never the case during our visit at Siesta Key. This beach town has such a nicer less “touristy” feel than other beach towns and I can see why it is one of the top beaches in the United States.

The Eats
When driving to my destination, I always like to save money and pack a lot of snacks. We ended up doing this but we also grabbed a lot of food along the way. We ate breakfast at a nice hole in the wall-type restaurant. We each spent no more than $7 each on huge breakfast platters. We ate lunch on the beach and had a few drinks; not exactly budget-friendly, but hey…you do yourself a disservice if you don’t have a strawberry daiquiri while in Siesta Key. Dinner was divine and we ended up eating at a gorgeous spot on the beach. We shared appetizers and desserts and practically had to be rolled out of the restaurant. Everything was just so tasty! Seafood lovers, if you find yourself in Siesta Key, you have to dine at one of their many seafood restaurants.

The Fun
We didn’t get a chance to do as many activities as we wanted and it wasn’t because of lack of options. There are a ton of fun things to do in Siesta Key and my only regret is that we didn’t stay longer. We took a cab to see the Ringling Museum of Art and after that visit and a few visits to local shops, we hit the beach. The city’s wonderfully relaxed vibe and the crashing waves had us in a trance and we didn’t want to HAVE to do anything.

My first trip to Siesta Key did not disappoint and I am already planning my second trip. Have you ever been to Siesta Key?

by: Serita Stevens

Art and history enthusiasts need to consider visiting not only to the Getty Center, but the Getty Villa as well.

When J. Paul Getty wanted a place to house his architecture, he envisioned something that would stand out, so therefore – he created the Getty Villa.   Created by Stephen Garrett, The Getty Villa is located in Malibu and is designed as a country house similar to those destroyed by the Vesuvius eruption in 79 AD.  Graced with frescos and works of art, it’s now used as an educational center devoted to the cultures of ancient Greece, Rome and Etruria.  Celebrating the famed architecture of ancient Rome, antiquities are arranged by themes as the Greek and Roman Gods and Goddesses, Theatre and stories of the Trojan War.

A great place to sit and rest, the gardens are created much as they would have been in an ancient Roman home with open spaces – featuring the same bronze sculptures, fountains, lush trees, herbs and flowers used back then.  Around a narrow reflecting pool, other replicas of items found at the Villa dei Papiri in Herculaneum are displayed. Beyond the herb garden, wander into the mosaic of fragrant fruit trees and other plants used by the ancient Romans in cooking, medicine and ceremony. Plays are performed in the outside theatre – much like they would have been done in ancient times. Getty had clear views of what he wanted to achieve – he wanted the ordinary person to feel what it would have been liked to be a Roman citizen.

The Villa is located at 17985 Pacific Coast Highway, Pacific Palisades, California 90272, (310) 440-7300. Please note that access to the Getty Villa entrance is only from the northbound right-hand lane of Pacific Coast Highway (PCH).

It is possible to get there via public transportation.  Get to the Getty Villa via public transport is possible and indeed practical. The Getty Villa is served by Metro Bus 534, which stops at Coastline Drive and Pacific Coast Highway directly across from the Getty Villa entrance. To find the route that is best for you, call 323-GO-METRO (323-466-3876) or use the Trip Planner on www.metro.net, the Web site of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. (Please note that passengers riding the bus to visit the Getty Villa must have their Villa admission ticket hole-punched by the driver before exiting the bus.)

Please note that visitors to the Getty Villa are not permitted to park anywhere other than the Getty Villa as a condition of the Conditional Use Permit issued by the City of Los Angeles.No pedestrians may enter the Villa except for ticket holders arriving by public transportation. Passengers must have their Villa admission ticket hole-punched by the driver before exiting the bus in order to enter the Villa.

Admission to the site and to all exhibitions is free, and reservations are not required.  But parking is very limited especially at the Sepulveda venue and it’s important to call ahead and get your free ticket on line.

On-site parking is available for all ticket holders and is $15 per car or motorcycle, but $10 per car or motorcycle after 5:00 p.m. for all evening public programming, including theater, music, film, lectures, and other special programs held after 5:00 p.m.  If you go to the museum desk when you enter, you can have your parking ticket stamped so that you can attend the other museum without paying for parking.   (This doesn’t apply on Mondays – when the Getty Center is closed- or Tuesdays when the Getty Villa is closed.)

by: Kimberly Devitt 

One year.

After college graduation, I told myself that I would only live with my parents for one year. I figured 12-months of working a 9 to 5 job would give me plenty of time to save up enough money to get my own place.

Well, here we are – one year later. My 12-month plan didn’t go exactly as I had anticipated.

When it came down to the final days of my one-year plan, I had a decision to make. Instead of getting locked into a lease or taking out a mortgage to purchase a home, I decided to take what little I had in savings and start a new journey with nothing else but me, my Subaru Legacy and the infinite highways of the USA. So, on June 1, I packed up my entire life into my car and hit the road. It’s only been a week, but my trip has already taken me through ten states and several tanks of gas.

Fortunately, I’m no stranger to traveling. I was born in Los Angeles, but my father’s employer (IBM) transferred us to Atlanta, Georgia, in 1992. When I was still in elementary school, my family moved once again – this time to Florida – and I’ve resided in Winter Park ever since that time. During summer breaks from school, we often took family vacations. This time, I’m looking forward to listening to the wind humming past my driver’s side window, as opposed to listening to the shrieks of toddlers bickering in the back seat.

So that’s why I decided to blog about my discoveries and adventures. After one year living at home, I’ve chosen to spend the next year living on the road. I’m yet to decide where I’m going, but I do know that all I’ll need is the open road ahead of me while the months and memories fade away in my rear view mirror.

One of the most beautiful, yet perhaps forgotten, areas of the Northeast has to be the Amish Country of rural Pennsylvania. While you might think of farms and horses and buggies when you think of the Amish, it turns out this area actually has some beautiful countryside and a lot of very interesting sights to see and activities to take part in.

The heart of Amish Country is surrounding a town called Lancaster. Easily accessible by car from local major cities, only an hour and a half from Philadelphia and the same distance from Baltimore, it is a great roadtrip to spend a few hours.

If you are interested in taking in a bit of nature, and learning a little bit about history, then the Lancaster area is a perfect place to spend an afternoon exploring. Here are just a sampling of some of the things to do in and around Lancaster.

Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society: This is a great spot to bring the kids, as there are a bunch of hands on activities for them to explore and learn from. Plus, it gives a great bit of insight on the lifestyle and history of Mennonites.

Intercourse Pretzel Factory: For anyone who loves pretzel’s Lancaster County is the place to be. Tour the famous Intercourse Pretzel Factory and you will even be taught how to make and twist your own pretzel. Of course the samples are well worth the trip.

Yoder’s Family Restaurant: You can’t leave any trip to Amish Country without trying some of the traditional foods in the Lancaster area. One of the most famous has to be Yoder’s which serves heaping quantities of very traditional German Amish style food.

Plain and Fancy Farm: If you really want to see and experience what life is like as an Amish person, a trip to the Plain and Fancy Farm has to be in order. Here you’ll be able to take tours of the farms and really learn about the work that goes into the land. As an added fun fact, this is where the movie Witness with Kelly McGillis and Harrison Ford was filmed.

Image Source: bobafamily.com

Strollers and prams. They’ve been around for years. Chances are your parents’ parents pushed them in strollers. But what about your great-grandparents? Were strollers even around when they were little ones? They weren’t! Babies were strapped to their mothers’ backs, hips and fronts and toted everywhere. Baby wearing has been around for centuries and for whatever reason, it has become “cool” again to wear your baby. As a new mom, I knew that I’d always want a stroller for my daughter but I had no idea how little use it would get. In fact I much prefer to wear my daughter than to push her in a stroller.

Baby wearing is especially useful while traveling. Dealing with a stroller, luggage and all of the extra necessities that come with traveling can be difficult. Add a fussy baby to the mix and that can stress everyone out even more. I’ve found that wrapping my baby up on my hip not only soothes her and keeps her involved with what’s going but it allows you to do what you have to do handsfree. Babywearing through the airport is even more helpful because it helps you keep baby close while navigating airports.

Think babywearing is just a woman’s job? It’s not! There are several comfortable carriers that men can wear. My husband enjoys wearing my daughter because it’s a great bonding experience and he loves being able to comfort her while getting things done. Many parents worry about “spoiling” their children and would rather have them sit along than carry them around. I suppose it’s a personal thing and each baby is different but my child has never seemed to be extraordinarily “needy” due to my wearing her.

I’ve even found that my Mom likes to wear my daughter. When we’re out and about, she doesn’t mind strapping her to her waist and bouncing her along. Our stroller doesn’t get much use. Perhaps when my daughter gets a little heavier, we’ll use it more but for now we love babywearing…especially while traveling.

A Place With Plenty of Variety

The South West of England has a good mix of vibrant cities, quaint villages, stunning landscapes and intriguing history to keep you coming back for more. The South West covers a vast area including Bath, Bristol, Bournemouth, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset. It is certainly a region that deserves numerous visits to really capture all it has to offer.

To help you get around the top spots a family train ticket with South West trains is a great idea. You will often find offers on family days out and get a special combination discount for your tickets and the attraction you are visiting. Check out these select highlights with South West trains.

Head to Hampton Court Palace in July and you can not only see the flower show but you can also explore the wonderful Tudor Palace, a favorite of Henry VIII and the later Baroque redevelopment carried out in the 17th Century by King William III. Check out the famous garden maze and wonder at the purportedly largest grapevine in the world.

Head to Salisbury, Wiltshire and from here take a tour to the prehistoric monument, Stonehenge. This is one of the most famous prehistoric site and burial grounds in the world and an UNESCO World Heritage Site. It comprises nine standing stones set in an area full of Neolithic and Bronze Age Monuments.

Something for the Children to Enjoy Along the South West Trains Route

Chessington World of Adventure is a popular theme park, zoo and hotel just 12 miles from Central London and is a sure fire hit with the kids. Thorpe Park is just 20 miles away in Surrey and is great for thrill seeking older children and adults. Not too far away is Legoland Windsor, which is another favorite for children; it is the most visited theme park in the UK.

If you are heading to Legoland, you can combine it with a trip to Windsor Castle, the largest and oldest occupied castle in the world, dating back to the 11th Century. Visit the State apartments, semi state rooms, St George’s Chapel and The Drawings Gallery to see some of the finest works of art in the Royal Collection.

Bath is a beautiful city with World Heritage site status. Originally a spa town, it is a haven of theatre, museums and various other cultural venues. No trip to Bath is complete without stopping to see No 1 Royal Crescent, an 18th Century Palladian town house which has been painstakingly restored so we can see how the people of Bath lived in its heyday. It is part of the famous Georgian Royal Crescent, a semi-circular row of houses, now an iconic image of Bath that is easily accessible with family train ticket special offers.

AUTHOR BIO:

Jennifer writes regularly on English tourism for a range of travel websites and blogs. She recommends making the most of public transport to get around England with family train ticket special offers.

This week we came across a lot of great articles that focused on traveling with kids. We don’t touch on that topic a lot here on Drive the Nation so we thought it would be fitting to do a Links We Love post on these articles. After all, kids are just little people whose life experiences will determine what kind of person they’ll be. Who wouldn’t want to raise worldly kids?

Thinking about taking your little one to the beach? Before you slip on the swimsuit, floaties and sunscreen, take a look at this Beach Safety with Kids post from DeliciousBaby.com.

How young is too young to be traveling with kids? And should you even take your kids out while traveling? Charu of Butterfly Diary answers these questions and more.

Does it even make sense to travel with younger kids? After all, they may not even remember the experiences or destinations. Family on Bikes answers these questions.

A lover of cruises are you? The Norwegian Breakaway may be perfect for those traveling with kids.

Happy traveling!

Out of the blue you’ll be amazed you as you get to a corner or when climbing a hill. Some of the largely remote out-of-the-way moors, hill ranges and national parks are actually close to pulsating towns, cities and countless large conurbations which hold immense stretches of vegetation and terrain. Britain is known to be a green and pleasant country holding a lot in store for lovers and tourists who take pleasure in a Royal Britain Getaway either on foot or on wheels.

Before traveling to the UK you are required to have a British Passport which is issued to people who hold assorted forms of British nationality. This is a document used as a form of evidence of a holder’s nationality and immigrations status in the United Kingdom or the state or territory of issue.

With a valid British passport you will be allowed to travel from other countries to Britain for a holiday season or for any other type of tour. In other countries you may as well be required to have a visa before entering simply because it enables you to not only enter, but also spend some time within the visiting country to fulfill a given purpose like study.

On the whole, passports are given by the IPS which is found widespread throughout the UK. In case you are out in a neighboring country, you can as well obtain it via the British Embassy Consulate and the High Commission. Also, the Ross Consular can offer the same services for UK passport holders living in the UK with the exception of adults requesting for their first time. A passport for adults and children under the age of sixteen is valid for 10 and 5 years respectively. This is despite the fact that there are other passports that have limited time as a result of other outstanding occasions. There are countries that require you to hold a passport that is valid for not less than 6 months ahead of the date of completing your travel. If you have upcoming travel plans, but not any blank pages in your passport then it is advisable to apply for a second passport as opposed to additional pages. These blank pages must be unstamped and amount to pages figured out by the country of visit.

Ultimately, with a valid passport you can happily travel to your favorite destinations and encounter the magnetic and charming attractions that dazzle every visitor in the UK.

The best thing about traveling is knowing that you don’t really have to go anywhere to experience the thrills. Sometimes fantasizing about trekking up the mountains in Hawaii is all it takes to put a smile across your face. Even if you’ve never seen snow, daydreaming about spending a few wintery nights in a lodge up in Montana is almost as fun as physically being in that lodge. Of course nothing actually beats being in the city you want to be in but when you can’t make it just yet, why not create a travel bucket list? Planning a trip, while exciting, can also be daunting. Planning a trip that you aren’t going to take for years, however, can be more fun because you have the time to draw out where you’d like to go and what you’d like to do.

Make it visual.

Sometimes you really do have to see it to believe it. There’s a big world out there and a lot of times the only way to realize that is by looking at a map or globe. Put one up somewhere in your house and pinpoint the areas that you want to visit. This will help keep your vision of wanting to travel alive. Also, if you’re a lover of Pinterest, create a board for each of the places that you’d like to visit.

Do it with a friend.

Are you the type that enjoys traveling with friends? Get them in on the travel bucket list as well! Spend a weekend or so a month planning out where you’d like to go and what activities you’d like to participate in. Having someone else share the same passion that you do can make maintaining the list fun and exciting.

Blog about it.

Are you a writer at heart? Why not take your travel dreams and wishes to the World Wide Web? Blog about them! Let your friends and family members know how you’re planning your trips, where you plan to go and have them leave suggestions for you. Blogging about your travel bucket list is a great way to create a community of fellow travel lovers.

Do you think you’ll ever start a travel bucket list?

For those who love to travel as much as me – it’s easy to find appreciation in things like architecture, unique coffee shops and…airports. When it comes down to it, if you’re traveling by airplane often, you start to get the feeling of admiration when you come across a beautiful airport. On the flip side, you can tell the difference when you’re in a run down one as well. With a little research and years of traveling around the country via airplane, I gathered a list of 5 of the most beautiful airports in the USA. Does your list match up to mine?

1. San Francisco International Airport (SFO). If you haven’t been to SFO lately, you have yet to experience a new renovation that bow includes the comfort of white leather sofas, modern egg-shaped chairs and a food marketplace that offers organic and healthy food choices.

2. Miami International Airport (MIA). With all modern furniture and technology, MIA also went under a renovation to give it a more modern and trendy look.

3. John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). Between the American Airlines terminal and JetBlue terminal, the JFK airport is among of the the most beautiful for travelers to walk through with state-of-the-art technology and architecture throughout the terminals.

4. Denver International Airport (DEN).  DEN is famous for it’s billowing roofline. The airport looks the most beautiful when you approach by air from the east and see the illuminating peaks silhouette against the Rockies

5. Orlando International Airport (MCO). Aside from being the home of Mickey and Minnie Mouse, MCO has modern technology, great food choices and an easily accessible monorail to transport flyers to their terminal.