Travelling Starfish

Loch Ard Gorge

So it’s 2004 and I’m in Australia, I’m staying in my first hostel in Melbourne and I’ve just signed up for a tour to the Great Ocean Road.

The Great Ocean Road trip is one of the two big trips people do from Melbourne.  It’s a full day trip down the coast to see natural formations and beauty.  Even though the alternative, Phillip Island where you can hang out with the penguins, is cooler (in more ways than one) I was more keen on the coastal drives and beautiful views.

Looking back, now nearly 7 years later, I’m glad I made that choice as it was an amazing experience and something special to see. I booked the trip at the hostel and got picked up from there. From memory, it was about AUD 60 and I got taken around in the coach for a full day, including lunch.

As I was staying in a backpackers, I was out the night before so I remember (very clearly) the early start we had at 6:30am.  I was staying in central Melbourne so we headed west down the coast towards Adelaide.  Along the way we stopped in a number of spots including Bells Beach. Not only is it an amazing beach populated by cute surfers (!) it is also where they filmed Point Break with Keanu Reaves and Patrick Swayze.  This is part of what I loved about Australia – the randomness and the unexpected.  This beach was so beautiful, remote but still had that special surprise.  Lovely!

Bells Beach, Great Ocean Road

After this trip down movie lane, we stopped for our quick lunch break.  The next ports of call included Anglesea, Apollo Bay and the 12 Apostles.

The 12 Apostles are probably the most famous site on the Great Ocean Road.  They are a protected series of formations that have been created over thousands of years. These giant rock stacks rise from the Southern Ocean and are the central feature of the rugged Port Campbell National Park.  Their creation is from constant erosion of the limestone cliffs of the mainland that began 10–20 million years ago.  The stormy Southern Ocean and blasting winds gradually eroded the softer limestone, forming caves in the cliffs. The caves eventually became arches and when they collapsed rock stacks up to 45 metres high were left isolated from the shore.

12 Apostles at Sunset

The views here are amazing and our tour waits so we can see the sunset over the 12 Apostles – the sunset produces a change in colour on the limestone from dark shadows to brilliant sandy yellow under the full sun.  It is absolutely gorgeous and so special – especially since this is a natural phenomenon.

Since this site is visited by so many, Parks Victoria has built boardwalks, tracks and viewing areas to ensure visitors get the most spectacular views possible of the 12 Apostles.

Even so many years later, I look back on these photos and smile.

I was told recently that one of the 12 Apostles fell due to weather – I guess I went at the right time.  Wouldn’t that make them the 11 Apostles now?  lol.

Oh – Australia, how I miss you.  It is such a lovely part of the world and I remember looking out onto the Southern Ocean and thinking that I was really (in some ways) on the edge of the world. 

I can’t wait to go back to this country of natural beauty and unlimited surprises!

Just about 6 years ago, I was working like a madwoman in Toronto and jetting off on a plane heading south to Florida.  Just like many “snowbirds” (as they are often called in North America) my company & I were headed down to warmer temperatures to escape the winter for our annual National Sales meeting.

Wow - I look different!

Florida is a popular spot with many Canadians – especially those in the East.  It’s a short 2-3 hour flight to most destinations and is even accessible via car if you have it in you.  As a child, my parents weren’t really into flying so we did the drive down to the US quite frequently.  We mainly used to hit Virginia or the Carolina’s but we did do a Florida stop one year.  It was great.

I’ve had many experiences in various parts of Florida – including Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Daytona Beach and of course Orlando.  Orlando is a kids dream – who doesn’t want to go and spend time in the Magic Kingdom hanging out with Mickey & Minnie?  I have fond memories of that trip taken when I was 6 years old.

This time, my trip to Orlando is extremely different.  The 2 day car journey is thankfully replaced with the 3-hour flight and the endless rides in theme parks are replaced with business meetings (boo) and nightlife (yey).

Grande Lakes Resort, Orlando

For our stay in Orlando, my company booked us in for a week stay at the JW Marriott at Grande Lakes.  Grande Lakes is a resort area that offers two hotels – the JW and the Ritz Carlton.  As you can see from the photo, the whole area is beautiful but obviously the Ritz is a bit more on the pricey side.  The resort hosts a golf course, a top notch pool and all the amenities a girl could ask for.  Many of my female colleagues grabbed a treatment at the spa to escape some of the business talk and do a bit of pampering.  They were well impressed.

Orlando is a lot more than just a place to take the kids to a theme park.  It is very centrally located in the state so a great place to plant yourself and then travel around to the beach towns.  Daytona Beach is only an hour drive away and is quite accessible by buses.  There, you have a nice beach to get a bit sun-kissed and there are loads of other things to keep you occupied (hint, hint, wink, wink) – more on that in another post for sure.

For those who want to burn a whole in their credit card, Orlando is the place to do it!  There are a number of malls but I really like the outlets where you can bag a fantastic deal in nice surroundings.  There are 2 Premium Outlets in Orlando that offer designer labels at discount prices.  It is just a nice place to spend the day as it’s easy to roam around and there is a nice feel versus a shopping mall.

The obvious thing to do in Orlando is hit the theme parks and there are rides that cater to kids of all ages.  Even for “big kids” like me you can have a great day out.  I recommend Universal Studios for the older crowd.  As the name suggests, most of their rides are related to films and they are geared to the slightly older generation.  It is a really great place to spend the day and there are lots of laughs to be had…I know I’ve had a few.

Watching some live music at Pat O'Brien's

For those with families, it’s Walt Disney World all the way.  I have such amazing memories of hanging out with Mickey, Cinderella and Goofy (my favourite) at the Magic Kingdom theme park.

My parents even look fondly back at our trip there as they remember Epcot Center where you visit all of these different pavilion’s of different countries.  My parents to this day always talk about the fish & chips we had in the United Kingdom Pavillion at the Rose & Crown Pub.  You’d think they were sitting in a chippy in England itself.  It’s quite funny but it shows how much the park tries to recreate genuine experiences.  The rides in Epcot are great too and are a lot of fun for kids and adults of all ages.  Bring your wallet though – a 1-day ticket is US$82 for one park + $54 for a hopper ticket to go to all of them – that’s US$136 per person!!!  Look at the ticketing area of the website – the more days you stay, the less you pay so it’s worth considering!

For those going who are looking to have a bit of fun, you are definitely spoiled for choice year round in Orlando.  One place we visited on this particular trip in 2005 was the Universal City Walk.  This is an area that is technically part of the Universal Studios theme park.  However, you don’t have to pay an entrance fee as it’s outside any of the rides.  There are loads of restaurants and bars here – I advise booking a reservation for dinner as it is so busy all year round.  The nightlife is good fun and with bars like Pat O’Brien’s that offer live music, it is a great night out.

I’m going to end off this post saying that, if I’m honest, I’m not a massive fan of Florida BUT I do think it is a great option for families.  It’s also a great place for groups to congregate for special events (like conferences and weddings) as there is so much to do and lots of fun to be had.  I’ve always found that adding a trip to a nearby beach makes it a fairly good holiday for me.  I hope to go back one day when I have a family so I can put some smiles on my child’s face just like my parents did on mine.

For now, enjoy your trip to Orlando and share your thoughts below on where to stay & what to do in this Floridian city!

Even tough I’m Canadian, most people know that I’m not the biggest fan of the snow. I don’t ski or skate and the thought of the white stuff doesn’t do anything for me.

Me at Sun Peaks Resort

Over 5 years ago though, I visited one place that made me feel differently – Sun Peaks Resort in British Columbia.  As I’ve mentioned before, when I lived in Canada I traveled a lot around the country for my job. We were lucky enough to be invited to some unique and exciting venues. On this occasion, in January 2005, we were invited by a customer to present at their national sales meeting. We were only at the resort for a few days but it made a big impression on me, that’s for sure.

We flew Air Canada from Toronto into Kamloops airport via Vancouver (one of my favourite cities – a post for another time). As we descended, I could see all the beauty around me – full of tall trees as far as the eye could see.  It honestly took my breath away.

Sun Peaks is about an hour drive from the Kamloops airport.  We hired a car to make life a little easier.  Our customer told us there were 2 main hotels in Sun Peaks – Nancy Greene’s Chailty Lodge and the Delta Resort Sun Peaks.  After a search on a few travel sites like Expedia, Travelocity and Hotels Combined, we decided on the Delta as it was the most familiar brand and looked like the nicest – if you are away from home for business, you may as well have some comforts. Most importantly, it was where our customer was staying – so it’s always good to be as close as you can to maximize the networking.

Our hotel - Delta Sun Peaks

Over five years later, I still remember this hotel – a mix of luxury and coziness all wrapped into one.  I’ve been fortunate enough to stay at a few hotels in the mountains – Lake Tahoe in California, Banff in Alberta and Whistler in British Columbia.  There is just something special about it – you feel like you are in a big cozy chalet but you’re actually in a first class hotel.  Sitting by the fire with all the snowy mountains surrounding you.  What more could you ask for?  Even for someone who doesn’t like the snow, I have to admit – it’s absolutely breathtaking.

Out of the other resorts I mentioned, Sun Peaks is a much smaller resort town.  First off, it isn’t the most accessible of places.  The fact that you have to fly from Vancouver to Kamloops is the first sign that it isn’t going to draw the likes of skiers & tourists that you would get at Whistler – which is only under a 2-hour drive from Vancouver.  However, that may add some of the appeal to it too.  As I get older, I like more remote, less touristy places and Sun Peaks definitely offers visitors that.

In the area I noticed that there are plenty of condominiums (apartments) up for sale for people who love the area.  This way, they can buy a property to come back time and time again.  They must have a lot of return visitors if that is something they’ve started.

While I was there, I did a lot of wandering around in between meetings and really liked what I saw.  There are a ton of exciting sports you can get involved in at Sun Peaks – including (my fave) snowmobiling.  Forget getting the skiis or skates on, hop on a snowmobile and glide around the mountain for some wintery fun.  Even though I’m not a big fan of snow, this is good fun and a real thrill!

From what I hear, in the summertime, the area is just as beautiful.  All of the snow-filled activities are then filled with outdoor hikes and treks.  I couldn’t think of a more beautiful place to relax in the serene setting.

Not so snowy January

Sun Peaks offers all of this and because it’s so small you can get a lot of attention from the staff there.  What I love about the West coast of Canada is the friendliness of people.  Most people say how nice Canadians are.  I do think most of us are fairly nice but I think on the West coast, especially those from small areas like Sun Peaks, you get a great combination of nice and relaxed.  People enjoy life here to the fullest – whatever time of year you’re there.

It’s been over five years since I visited Sun Peaks but I’m yearning to go back. It’s definitely on my list of top spots to visit again.

If you’re considering a trip out west – whatever the time of year – consider a visit to Sun Peaks.

I’ll meet you at the top of the mountain, Miriam

You know, I haven’t always been this crazy traveller.  Like most people, it took one big trip to infect me with the travel bug.

In 2003, after a crazy year of work, I decided to take a 2 week holiday to Europe – the first one I ever did.  Since I was going on my own, I decided to do an arranged trip with Contiki.  Contiki is a tour group, targeted at people from 18-35.  The tours are a bit more fun and offer an opportunity for singles to book double occupancy rooms for no additional charge.  What happens is that when you arrive on your tour, Contiki pairs you up with someone.

I’ve always been intrigued with Spain so I opted for a 9 night tour that stopped in Madrid, Barcelona and Ibiza.  As most of my friends know, I like to dance and even back then I enjoyed visiting islands.  When the tour operator in Toronto mentioned Ibiza I remembered a scene that I saw from Wild On Ibiza – a popular show at the time.  Everyone was partying at late night clubs and it looked like good fun.

So I said – “sign me up”.  After 6 nights on mainland Spain we headed from Valencia by ferry to Ibiza.  To be honest, at the time I really didn’t know what to expect.  If I was ever to go back to Ibiza now I think it would be a totally different experience especially after living in the UK.

Ibiza is a huge favourite of most Brits – its cheap to get to and most of the nightlife is catered to Westerners.  Ibiza has various areas – San Antonio is known for being where most of the British stay.  On our tour in 2003, I stayed in Ibiza Town.  Ibiza Town is the closest town to the ferry docks and has its own style of nightlife.  The infamous clubs of Ibiza are scattered around the island and there are buses that take you around so you won’t really have an issue partying to your hearts content wherever you end up staying.

Outside Cafe del Mar, Ibiza

I was in Ibiza for 3 nights and they were 3 nights of sunning it up in the day and partying it up in the night.

First night, we hit Es Paradis and Space.  We were fortunate enough to go on “Water Party” night at Es Paradis (or “Fiesta del Agua” in Spanish).  At about midnight I found out that this night is really what it sounds like – water starts shooting out from everywhere.  Luckily I was prepared for the occasion and had my bikini underneath my clothes.  After we dried off we decided to check out the after hours night club, Space.  At the time I hadn’t been to a late night club since I was about 19 but it was a real blast – amazing music and really great atmosphere.  Would definitely go back!

The second night we hit the biggest club in the world, Privilege.  This claim is true – Privilege is the biggest club in the world according to Guinness Book of World Records.  At first I was a bit appalled by the cost to get in – 40 euros – especially since it didn’t include any drinks.  I guess, though, if you’re only in a place for a few nights you need to make the most of it.  I will say Privilege was alright but it wasn’t the best club I had ever been to.  There are pools and acrobats throughout the facility so its more like an entertainment show than a club.  At least I can say that I’ve been to the biggest club in the world – but is it worth the 40 euro? Hmmm…I’m not convinced.

The final night we decided to go to one of the best places on the island – Cafe del Mar.  If I ever go back to Ibiza, I plan to just stay at this place every single night.  Cafe del Mar is notoriously known for having beautiful sunsets and timing music to it.  When I was there, I was fortunate to hear mixed music (produced by Cafe del Mar) but they also had a live saxophone player adding his two sense into the beats.  It was absolutely incredible and I don’t think I’ve ever felt so relaxed.

Looking back now, over 7 years ago, I always look back at that holiday with fond memories.  It was my first exposure to Spain and Europe in general.  It totally started my love affair with travelling and Ibiza added a massive fun element to the trip.

Anyone who is considering a holiday to Spain should think about visiting Ibiza.  If you are looking for some partying and gorgeous sunsets, it’s just the ticket – enjoy!

I’m going back in time to good old 2006!  Right before I moved to the UK from Canada, I went on my final business trip for our annual sales meeting.

I was fortunate enough to work for a company and division that, every year, had a big meeting in a nice destination.  The first year was Lake Tahoe (which I covered last month), the 2nd was Orlando, Florida and the 3rd one (the final one for me) was in San Antonio, Texas.

When I found out that the meeting was going to be in Texas I was really excited.  I had never been to Texas before and have heard so many different things.  The bigger cities I’d heard more about were Houston and Dallas but San Antonio was always on the radar.  Out of all 3 cities, I heard the best things about San Antonio – rumour had it that it had charm (via the River Walk) and history (via the Alamo).

I took a couple of extra days and met some other friends so we could have a bit of fun before the business began!

The River Walk

We stayed at the Marriott River Walk – a lovely property and, like the name says, is right on the River Walk.  The River Walk, or Paseo del Rio, is a man made river and network of walkways on the banks of the San Antonio River.  It has a multitude of bars, shops and restaurants and is a prime tourist attraction for the city.

The River Walk is pedestrianized and even connects the Rivercenter mall to the Alamo.  We were very lucky to be staying on the River Walk as everything we needed – whether it was a bit of retail therapy or a few drinks – was right on our doorstep.

The first night of our business meetings we all went to find the Alamo.  At this stage of my life, I was still intrigued quite heavily with American history and wanted to see it.  The Alamo site is famous for the Battle of the Alamo, which happened in 1836.  This was a pivotal event in the Texas Revolution.

The Alamo

At the Alamo, Texans fought Mexican troops who were headed to the Alamo where approximately 100 Texans were garrisoned.  On March 6th, 1836, the Mexican Army advanced on the Alamo.  The Texans were able to fend off 2 attacks but were unable to fend off the 3rd.

In total, it is said that 180-250 Texans and 400-600 Mexicans were killed or wounded.  The news sparked a panic and the government in Texas fled from the advancing Mexican Army.  Due to this battle, the Alamo complex gradually has become known as a battle site rather than a former mission.

What can I say?  I love a bit of history however, as I stood in front of the Alamo one thing came to mind – it looked really small.  Its sad to say that this was my lasting impression but unfortunately it was .  At least I can say that I visited the Alamo though.  I ticked that box off at least.

The rest of the trip was a bit of a hoot.  I was with people from all over North America – East, Central and West.  I always enjoyed these trips as I got to see people face-to-face who I worked with day-to-day.  You really can’t beat that.

We spent numeous nights going out and doing what most Texans do – EAT!  Texas is known for something special in the US – everything is BIGGER and after visiting, I agree!  Whatever we ordered, all I can remember was that it was bigger than I ever had before.  American portions are big enough as it is but in Texas they are bigger still.  I guess you get good value for money – but a doggie bag or sharing aren’t bad ideas!!

San Antonio at night - I guess there was a STAG!!

Our last night in San Antonio we spent on the River Walk.  We had a nice meal outside (and for January coming from Canada that was a blessing) and then a bunch of us decided to put our dancing shoes on.

We went to a local bar where we had a few drinks and danced.  It was a lot of fun dancing with people on the stage of the club, doing shots and having a bit of a boogie!  It’s amazing how things change on the LAST day of an annual meeting – lol.

I can honestly say that I really enjoyed San Antonio and it’s a place that I would visit on my own again.  There is a particular charm about it that sometimes I find many US cities lack.  The River Walk was one of the smartest investments this city made for tourism.

I’ll definitely be back:). Go for a visit and enjoy!

Travelling Starfish Archives – October 2010