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A year later and the struggle is still real for many of us. We don’t have an exact date for when Covid will release us from her grasp for good, (if we did, I would be marking my calendar and setting Google Flights alerts), but …
Which one should you choose and why? This post is to help those who are planning a trip to Europe and are not sure which would be the best option for them. Perhaps you are traveling with young children and don’t know what would be …
As soon as summer begins, my family drives to our summer mansion settled right on the cliffs of Newport…Alright, that’s not true. But that’s how it was (and still is) for the wealthiest families in America.
Newport is famous for being a city by the sea with large luxury homes and expensive yachts that people flock to during summer. Even though the most famous mansions are now toured by visitors instead of lived in by millionaires, there are people who still have spaces they visit in Newport during summer vacation.
We started off our day by riding in a small boat from our cruise to the Newport Harbor Wharfs. My mother was frantic to make sure we got on a boat to shore before the tour was meeting. We had no reason to rush though. Boats were lined up and waiting to take everyone to shore and would come straight back to collect more people when they were done.
Since we arrived too early for our tour, we decided to walk down Thames Street to checkout the different Wharfs and walk inside some stores. The stores were mostly beach themed (which I love) and the restaurants all wanted you to know they serve chowder and lobster.
Upon arrival, I could tell Newport was an easy place to get around. Especially if you don’t mind walking a few miles. GPS or a map could get you to all the top things to see in Newport. (Even if you have GPS, it’s good to grab a map just so you have a piece of paper with all the Points of Interest highlighted.)
The things we were most excited to see was Newport’s coastal beauty and architectural magnificences. We started off our tour with a stroll along the Cliff Walk trail. It’s a 3 1/2 mile trail that takes you along the rocky coastline and backyards of many Bellevue Avenue’s spectacular mansion sized cottages. We didn’t get to walk the entire trail, but the parts we did see where lovely. It’s a very relaxing place to go, listen to the waves crash and pretend you own one of the giant cottages.
After the Cliff Walk, we visited The Breakers (one of Bellevue Avenue’s most popular mansions.) It was the summer resort to the Vanderbilts, who were among the wealthiest families in America and commissioned the best and most prestigious architectural firms to build a series of homes for them on the East Coast. The Breakers is an Italian Renaissance palace with a Grand Hall and 70 bedrooms. My favorite part, however, is the view of the ocean from the cottage. They just don’t make cottages like this anymore.
Let me know if you’ve been to Newport! Also, do you have a favorite place to visit over the summer? Leave it in the comments!
-Ayla
Our first stop was Boston, Massachusetts. It was my first time in the state of Massachusetts making me excited to experience a new place and add another state to my list of states I’ve visited in the US.
Charlottetown, the birth place of Canada, is the capital of Prince Edward Island. It’s difficult for me to think of a word other than quiet to describe it. I’ve been to tropical islands and rugged islands. P.E.I. felt like a nearly uninhabited small town island. Driving through Charlottetown we saw tiny villages, harbors, rolling farmlands, and stunning seascapes. It felt like I’d been transported a hundred years into the past.
Visiting French Canada had been a dream of mine for some time. The architecture and vibes of small Parisian neighborhoods is what I was most excited for and Quebec City did not disappoint.
The flight to Quebec was one of the easiest flights I had in a while. We took a red eye to Montreal and from Montreal we had a short flight to Quebec City. I usually get anxiety on planes but this time I was okay. Learning my anxiety triggers definitely helped. I need to sleep the night before, eat (which I sometimes don’t do before an international flight because of nerves and time), and avoid caffeine. The flight wasn’t full either so I didn’t feel claustrophobic and was able to lay down. I didn’t sleep much on the plane, so when we got to the hotel I took off my layers of warm clothes and fell asleep for a few hours.
The hotel we stayed in was the Hôtel Marie-Rollet. I found it on Orbitz the month before for a decent price. The photos made it look like a French apartment which I really liked. It was also located in the center of the city near some of the most famous spots. Location is always important when I am looking for a hotel. I like to be able to walk everywhere in a city.
As soon as we stepped out of our hotel there was a view of City Hall Park. At night, we got to witness a light show they had using the fountains. It was like a mini World of Color. If you are unfamiliar, World of Color is a nighttime light show put on by Disney’s Adventure Park.
Our hotel was lovely, but I couldn’t not mention the world-famous hotel in Quebec. The Fairmont Le Château Frontenac is a beautiful old hotel that could be spotted from miles away. In 2018, the hotel celebrated its 125th anniversary.
The hotel had a cool haunted feeling when we saw it. Probably due to the overcast skies and pointy architecture.
I didn’t get the chance to splurge on afternoon tea at the Chateau Frontenac, but I did get to try the famous Canadian poutine at a nearby restaurant. I’ve been to Canada twice without trying poutine. I wasn’t going to not try it a third time.
I ordered La Classique and my mom ordered La Braisée. I would recommend La Braisée only because it’s more unique in taste.
While walking around the port, we came across a market. Markets are always nice to explore because it gives you a chance to practice a foreign language and see the local fresh cuisine. Also, the souvenirs inside markets are usually handmade or unique finds.
If you’ve read some of my other posts, you probably know my favorite thing to do in a new city is simply walk around. I have fond memories of discovering the unexpected beauty behind every turn. Quebec City has a lot of streets and neighborhoods that are perfect for this and not too far from each other. Still make sure to bring a map with you incase you get too lost or want to have the names of what you are photographing.
Once a small village in 1600’s, Quartier Petit-Champlain is now cobblestone streets where mainly tourists go to shop and dine. You’ll see beautifully restored houses that are now galleries, boutiques and bistros. It’s probably my favorite area of Quebec City.
Other great streets to walk down in Quebec City are Rue Saint-Jean, Rue Saint-Joseph and Rue Saint-Louis.
On the very last day of our trip to Quebec, we walked through Battlefield Park towards our cruise. The park was MUCH larger than I was expecting. It was a nice place to stroll, but if running/hiking/biking is a hobby of yours, I would definitely recommend going to this park for a little exercise.
-Ayla♥
