San Francisco Travel Guide
A short guide to the best and commonly visited attractions in San Francisco for tourists and locals.
Tag: travel blogger
Traveling Europe: Hotel vs Hostel vs Cruise
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 …
3 Hours in New York City
There are amazing, incredible, beautiful cities all over the world but no city has as many songs written about it, films based in it or novels written about it. Half of which are practically a love letter to New York City itself. Hello? Sex and the City? It’s more than the city that never sleeps. It’s the Big Apple. It’s the city of everything. And with so much to do, why would you sleep?
My time in New York City was short. Humorously short. 3 hours?? But it was an exciting three hours I will cherish until my next visit. Hopefully longer than 3 hours.
New York City was our last stop on the cruise and something I had been looking forward to. As soon as we were ready the morning of our arrival, we went out on the deck to watch our final docking. I highly recommend sitting out to take some photos of NYC if you are ever leaving or coming to New York by ship. You get some great views of the city and don’t have to go to the top of a skyscraper or ride in a ferry like everyone else.
Since we had an afternoon flight to SFO that same day (my moms decision, not mind), we decided to do a bus tour of the city that would drop us off at the airport after 3 hours. We thought this was the most time effective and easiest way to see the highlights. If we didn’t go with a bus tour, we would have to find a place to store our luggage, figure out transportation to all the places, plus return to our luggage before going to JFK. It was too risky.
9/11 Memorial 
We saw some great things in New York City, but unfortunately we couldn’t see everything. This was due to, of course, time constraints as well as part of the city (where central park is) being closed off due to some international union conference or something. I guess that’s something to keep in mind when traveling to New York. It’s a major city and roads get closed off all the time. I’ll remember to stay longer and use the subway next time. 😉
Have you been to NYC? Did you love it or hate it? I’d love to read your thoughts in the comments.
-Ayla ♥
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Newport
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.
Boston
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.
Sydney, Nova Scotia
Our next stop on the cruise was Sydney, Nova Scotia. I desperately want to visit Scotland one day, so it was exciting to visit some cities in New Scotland (aka Nova Scotia). Sydney was our first stop in Nova Scotia.
When we arrived to the port of Sydney, we were greeted by the world’s largest fiddle. It’s a reminder of the musical heritage and Celtic music that is continuously played on Cape Brenton Island. Side note, Cape Brenton is one of the few places in North America where Gaelic is still spoken!
For our stop in Sydney, we decided to do the Fortress of Louisbourg shore excursion with our cruise line. The journey started by getting on a bus and having an introduction to Sydney as we made our way through the historic north end and back in time to 1744 at the Fortress of Louisbourg.
Louisbourg was once the capital of Cape Brenton Island and a seaport. Looking out at the ocean, I could envision giant ships sailing towards us. The history is still alive and the fortress continues to provide an entertaining experience with costumed actors reenacting the lives of specific individuals from the pre-siege era. Our guide told us we could stop and talk to the actors to ask them anything about daily life in 1744. End of June to the beginning of August is when you’ll see the most costumed interpreters walking around since it’s peak season.
Other Thing To Do Around Sydney: Village of Baddeck, Alexander Graham Bell Museum, Bras d’Or Lakes, Cabot Trail, Whitney Pier, Historical Museum, Pub Crawl
Have you been to Cape Breton Island? What was your favorite thing to see? I’d love to hear about it in the comments. Any advice for planning a trip to Scotland would be nice too!
-Ayla ♥
Charlottetown
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.