Tag: travel

The Florida Botanical Gardens

It’s often a travel dilemma. What to do when you have a night flight home? Not being a full time traveler, I don’t bring work with me on trips, so a full day keeping busy in an airport lounge isn’t the best option. I didn’t want to choose an activity that either takes all day…
Busch Gardens-Tampa

The scene plays out over and over at Busch Gardens-Tampa. The excited youngster approaches the measuring stick, only to receive crushing disappointment. They are too short to ride the coaster. The youngster passes a longing gaze at the drops and loops and says, “Isn’t there anything here I can ride?” As a former obsessive player…
Staying at Plantation on Crystal River and their Sunset Cruise-Florida

Standing at the edge of Plantation on Crystal River, I watch as the sunset transforms the sky into a cheeky shade of purple. I notice something bobbing in the water. With each bob whatever it is moves closer to where I stand. At first I think it’s a manatee, but it’s a bit too agile.…
Rainbow Springs State Park and Swampy’s-Florida

The Practice of Patience When I was a kid and got impatient, my mom would sing the Have Patience song. It was some high level Manchurian Candidate mind work, because to this day, if I’m waiting in line, and I get impatient, that song pops into my head. We walk up to the entrance window at…
Manatee Festival and The Crab Plant-Crystal River-Florida

While swimming with manatees, we learn that we have inadvertently scheduled our visit during the weekend of Florida’s Annual Manatee Festival. As we didn’t have a strict schedule for the weekend, we join in the fun. I must admit that I’m initially disappointed as we enter the Manatee Festival. In my imagination, I expect the…
Swimming with Manatees – Crystal River, Florida

We are up and out of our hotel room before light touches the sky. At the Plantation Dive Shop, we check in and are placed in a group with two other couples. Per the swimming with manatees regulations, we watch a video about the manatee swim dos and dont’ss. In the outdoor changing area, I…
Relax, Unwind, and Go Back in Time- Salem County, New Jersey

*Some of the activities included were provided by Visit South Jersey, however as always, all opinions are my own As the Obligatory Traveler, I’m not ashamed to visit and have fun at super touristy sites, but I also like to take time to explore off the beaten path places, especially when I need a little…
The Penguin Experience at Two Oceans Aquarium-Cape Town

It is the usual occurrence. I’m sitting on the sofa, laptop in lap, watching an episode of International House Hunters. I’m especially attentive as this particular episode takes place in Cape Town, South Africa, our next destination. A B-roll shot pops on the screen showing the mother and daughter hunting duo petting a penguin. It…
Finding Your Coffee Vibe in Cape Town

After the breathtaking scenery, and the abundant amount of activities, the thing that I miss most about Cape Town, is the coffee. Coffee in Cape Town is serious business. You won’t find hyper sweetened, flavored beverages. You want a latte, you get a latte. It will be one of the most expertly crafted lattes you…