inspired
It was a few years ago when I went to Russia, so it may be a little difficult to remember some of my experiences and places I visited. A few things have stuck in my head over the years, and some of these photos definitely …
Florence is one of the most amazing cities in the world. It’s hard to believe for it’s size, but it is incredibly rich in history and art. That’s why millions of people visit from all over the world every year. If you find yourself in this beautiful city, I hope you stay long enough to enjoy it and visit some of the amazing places nearby.
Some of these places are right outside Florence, while others are a little further, however, all of them are lovely and can be visited in a single day by bus or train. If you’re interested in reading a bit more on the cities, click the title of each one.
Let’s start off by mentioning the beautiful city of Siena. A place of medieval brick building and a famous square, Piazza del Campo, that hosts many events throughout the year. Try going from Florence on a day when they have one of their events and you won’t be disappointed. I was lucky enough to go during the Chocolate Festival! Also, make sure to visit the Cathedrals while you are there.
Getting There: You can take a bus for less than two hours or a train from the Firenze S.M.N.
Cinque Terre is actually five cities, but they are all small and close together making them easy-ish to visit in a single day. It’s such a beautiful place and perfect if you’re in the mood for something very different from Florence. Plan on leaving early in the morning from the train station so you have enough time to visit them all before the last train leaves in Cinque Terre.
Getting There: Take a train from Firenze to the La Spezia station. From there, get a one-day Cinque Terre Card which allows you to ride the trains from La Spezia to Levanto and stop in between the five different towns.
Fiesole is the closest to Florence as well as the easiest and cheapest to get to. It’s a good town to visit for amazing views and to see something a bit different. The coolest things to visit here, in my opinion, are the Fiesole Archaeological Area and Medici Villa. There are plenty of other things to visit in and around Fiesole depending on your interests.
Getting There: You can take a Florence city bus (Number 7) to Fiesole.
How could we ever forget Pisa? Pisa and Florence seem to go together like tomatoes and mozzarella. If you’re looking up tours to go on in Italy, you’ll see quite a few that combine Florence with Pisa. Some will even visit both in a single day. I personally wouldn’t recommend a tour like this unless you are limited on time and enjoy bus/walking tours. Make sure to read my post on Pisa for more details and lots of photos!
Getting There: You can either take a single train from SMN Florence to Pisa Centrale and walk around once you get there or find a tour bus that will take you (most likely) to Miracle Square and back to Florence after a few hours. If you need help finding tours, I would recommend GetYourGuide which has this exact tour I’m mentioning here.
While in Tuscany, make sure to visit one of the wineries outside of Florence. Even if you are not much of a wine drinker, it is still an excuse to see the beautiful Tuscan Countryside that can be missed when in the city center.
Getting There: Florence has many wineries nearby that you could get to using a bus tour or taxi. You can look through some visitors brochures or ask the staff at your hotel to find one you can go to.
There are other day trips you COULD take from Florence. However, these are my favorites and easiest! Rome is a city you can go to in one day, but one day really isn’t enough. Rome should be at least a weekend. Are there any other day trips you would recommend from Florence? Let us know in the comments!
-Ayla♥
The city of Monterey is a popular weekend getaway for those living in Northern California. However, the famous Monterey Bay Aquarium attracts visitors from all over. Possibly because it’s the best aquarium in the world! And I’ve heard this said by an oceanography professor, so …
The first time I noticed the flower fields was on my way to San Diego. We were driving on highway 5 with fields on one side and the ocean on the other. I desperately wanted to stop and take photos in the fields but we were almost at our destination after a very long drive.
After almost two years of living in Southern California, I finally got the opportunity to visit the fields and take some photographs with friends and family. The photos of me were taken by friends Grace and Eddie. (You may remember I went on my Mediterranean cruise with Grace.)
I was expecting it to be a warm, sunny day on the day we went since we were going in May. I was even worried about the fact that we were going right at the hottest time of day when the sun would be too bright to get good pictures. Boy, was I wrong. It was a cold, very windy day with occasional light rain. I was not expecting this in May. On the positive side, we had overcast the whole time so no harsh sunlight. I was, however, upset that it was so windy and cold. I curled my hair right before we left and as you can tell, it was not curly for long at all. Actually, as soon as we walked to the fields, my hair was completely straight and in knots from the wind. My eyes could barely say open because they were so dry from the wind blowing directly into them. As far as my complexion…purple and red due to my cold, pale skin. These conditions were not ideal for a photoshoot. Although, we were lucky that the fields were not full of people. No one was staying there too long because it was too cold and windy.
On a sunnier day, in the late afternoon, this would be the perfect stop to take some photographs and do a photoshoot. There was actually an engagement the day we were there!
Most of the staff at The Flower Fields were very kind! There was one who watched me like a hawk to make sure I didn’t cross over the green tape. I found out we were being watched by this person when I stepped over to an empty spot to squat next to flowers and that person came full speed on their golf cart within seconds to tell me I’m not allowed. However, we did have a good experience with a different staff member. A group of people were blocking off a whole section of the fields for their engagement and told me not to come into that section. I started walking away disappointed because it was a good spot for pictures. When the staff member heard them say I need to leave, they walked over and said I can stand anywhere I want. No one is allowed to block off parts of the field for their own photos. So if you go and someone kicks you out for their own photos, lay down the rules! It’s unfair for them to hog a spot when we all paid the same amount to get inside and take photos.
Address: 5704 Paseo Del Norte, Carlsbad, CA 92008
Hours: 9am-6pm
Admission: $18 for adults
It was a pleasant surprise to see The Flower Fields wasn’t just flower fields. There were games/activities for children, food, a sweet pea maze, and a few tents with flowers that aren’t in the fields.
I didn’t realize it until after we had left, but the LEGOLAND Resort is behind The Flower Fields. You may want to stop at both if you’re in Carlsbad!
If you’re thinking of going next spring, plan your trip accordingly. The Flower Fields are only open for around 9-10 weeks in spring.
-Ayla♥
Arnold is a small town right at the edge of the Stanislaus National Forest (next to Yosemite). The only reason we ended up going here is because of our timeshare. With the specific timeshare that we have, we can go on one week last minute trips for an extremely affordable price.
