Splurge in Sydney, Australia

Hello lovely travel bugs!

I have traveled to the beautiful city of Sydney, Australia three times. I've done it two ways - luxuriously, and on a budget. Here I will tell you how I traveled Sydney in comfort and style.

Time of year: New Year's

Duration: Five days

Accomodation: Rented condo in Darling One Building, Darling Harbour
If you go during New Year's also, this building had a great view of fireworks from the roof. Only residents were allowed up, so you don't have to go at 6 am and fight with everyone and their mother for a good fireworks spot.

Activities:

Skydiving with Sydney Skydivers
- You meet at their Sydney office and they'll bus you out to go skydiving. As you're skydiving you get wonderful views of the Blue Mountains and the ocean

America's Cup Sail with Sailing Sydney (Darling Harbour)
- They even let you help to work the sailboat if you want to. It's exhilarating and relaxing at the same time.
- Sail under the Sydney Harbour Bridge, past the Opera House, hear about the history of the Sydney Harbour including the submarines that lay at the bottom

See a movie at the world's largest IMAX
- We were lucky enough to be there when Star Wars Episode VII came out. It's located in Darling Harbour

Do the Sydney Bridge Climb
- BridgeClimb Sydney will take you on a walk up the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the tallest steel arch bridge, and back down (of course!). You'll get amazing views of Sydney (including the Sydney Opera House).

Go shopping around Pitt Street
- Pitt Street and the surrounding couple of blocks have great shops, both luxury and regular. It's a fun way to pass some time, even if you're just window shopping. The street performers are pretty amazing here, too.

Visit the Taronga Zoo
- In my post about what to do on the East coast of Australia I write a lot about the Taronga Zoo. It is one of my favorite zoos in the world.

Dress up and have dinner on Circular Quay and see a show at the Sydney Opera House
- There are quite a few good restaurants with great views on Circular Quay. Afterwards you can stroll over to the Sydney Opera House for a show or just to see it lit up at night.

Go to The Rocks
- The Rocks is a famous location in Sydney and has good restaurants and bars. Located on the water there is also a nice breeze.

Hang out at Bondi Beach
- Everyone has heard of Bondi. It has cute surf shops and souvenir shops. You can also get a day pass to the pool that is built out into the ocean so that the waves crash up into it. Bondi is famous for its surfing. There is a walk a lot of people do from Bondi to Bronte that goes along the coast.

16 Things to do in the Twin Cities

"Blessed are the curious for they will have adventures" - Unknown

Hey there, traveler!

Interested in Minnesota? Good choice. But, as a native Minnesotan I might be bias. These are some of the best things the Twin Cities area has to offer, in my opinion.

Best time to go? I would say the Fall. It's not freezing cold yet, but it's not blistering hot either. And the colors are gorgeous.

Where to stay? Depends on your budget. Luxury - The Saint Paul Hotel - it is conveniently located close to downtown St. Paul where you will find Mickey's Diner, the History Museum, the Science Museum, the Landmark Center, lots of good restaurants, and the Children's Museum.
There are plenty of more budget options as well especially close to Downtown Minneapolis and the Mall of America.

Make sure you check out lots of restaurants. They are exceptional.

Top Seasonal Things to Do:
These depend on the time of year you go...
1. Apple and Strawberry Picking
My favorite place for apple picking is Aamodt's Apple Farm. But there are so many good places to do both of these activities you almost can't go wrong. A lot of the places sell other things too like apple crumble crust, honey, and hot air balloon rides. After Aamodt's, take an early dinner at Danny's or happy hour at the Lion's Tavern.

2. Minnesota State Fair
Aahh...the great Minnesota get together. It's the largest state fair in the U.S. by average daily attendance. And with Sweet Martha's Cookies, fried mac and cheese curds, and frozen chocolate covered bananas on a stick...why wouldn't you want to go? There are rides, animals, food, and concerts.

3. Ice skating, sledding, curling, skiing etc.
Winter sports are BIG. Try them all. It might be cold at first, but with all the fun you hardly feel it after a while. Make sure to wear layers. For skiing, snowboarding, and snow tubing check out Buck Hill or Afton Alps. Sledding can be done almost anywhere, but many people go to the Town and Country Club. Most parks and neighborhoods set up outdoor ice skating rinks, but there are some indoor ones, too.

4. Check out a sporting event
They might be famous for having many poorly ranked sports teams...but they'll still show you a good time. If you're not looking to spend a lot of money on tickets, check out the Saint Paul Saints in their new stadium.

5. Check out the fall colors or Christmas lights with a nice drive
Sometimes it can be very fun to take a drive (in the winter) or a walk (any other time) around different areas/lakes to see the scenery. Minnesota is quite beautiful. Take a stroll around Lake of the Isles, Lake Calhoun, or Lake Harriet. Take a fall cruise on a Stillwater river boat down the St. Croix River.

6. Visit Fort Snelling
This historic fort overlooks the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers. There are actors who teach you about what it was like to live in Fort Snelling while it was active. It's educational and very cool.

Top Year Round Things to Do:
1. Visit the Mall of America
With a theme park, tons of shops, a bowling alley, a movie theater, an aquarium, and more there are endless possibilities. I would definitely recommend a few of the rides at Nickelodeon Universe and a visit to Sea Life Minnesota.

2. Go to Minnehaha Falls
Whether you go in the summer or the winter this place is beautiful. There are walking paths, picnic areas, places you can wade into Minnehaha Creek, restaurants, and of course the beautiful waterfall.

3. Take a trip up to Duluth
It's quite the hike, but if you have a car, this is highly recommended. Whether you go for the day or for a couple days, this city is so cute. It is located on Lake Superior's coastline although it looks more like the ocean. There are beautiful lighthouses and breathtaking views of nature.

4. Take a tour of the Guthrie
The Guthrie has beautiful views of Minneapolis and is also an incredibly cool theater. They offer tours to anyone who wants to see it. Minneapolis is home to more theater seats per capita than any other city outside of New York. After seeing the Guthrie you will understand why.

5. Mill City Museum
This is such a cool building with a gorgeous view. You can take a tour to see the period equipment and the iconic mill that was once the world's largest.

6. Take a tour of Paisley Park
Prince's former residence is now officially a museum! You can now take a tour of the legendary Minnesotan's monstrous home. You can also go see his gold star on the side of First Avenue in downtown Minneapolis.

7. Go to the zoo
There are a couple of Zoo's near the Twin Cities. The first is Como Zoo and Conservatory. This is a free zoo although I recommend making a donation when you enter. But, yes, it is absolutely free and home to a variety of animals. Attached to it is also a children's theme park and a conservatory. Don't skip out on the conservatory! It's beautiful and there are some animals (a sloth!) in one of the rooms. The second zoo is the Minnesota Zoo. This one costs money, but is really, really cool. They also do events occasionally that are fun like Adult's Night (hint: there's alcohol and no children).

8. Nelson's Ice Cream
Don't forget to head over to Nelson's for a extra large cone of deliciousness!

9. Stroll through the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden
Most people have at least seen a picture of the big spoon, but see it in person along with a bunch of other really cool art pieces!

10. See the 112 year old St. Paul Cathedral
Located near the mansions of Summit Hill and Downtown St. Paul, the St. Paul Cathedral is a beautiful building. And if you think the outside is beautiful, the inside will take your breath away. It also has a great view of Downtown St. Paul.

Bonus!
Visit a brewery!
Minnesota has so many good beers. One of the more popular breweries is Summit. They have a large beer hall and a good outdoor area. Surly and Bauhaus are my personal favorites. Their atmospheres are so energetic and fun. Bauhaus is not as well known, but definitely caters to a fun loving crowd. They also have a resident food truck that is delicious. And Surly has such a good area to hang out and drink in, especially when the weather is nice. There space is very large and beautiful.

See you soon!
~The Flighty Blonde

Two days in Havana, Cuba

Ahoy Adventurers!

I know there are many questions about Cuba travel, especially for U.S. citizens. I would be happy to try to answer them. But remember, as a U.S. Citizen you still need one of the 12 reasons to travel to Cuba.

I spent two days in Havana during my first Cuba trip and I admit I didn't do my research beforehand. Here's what I did despite not doing my research..

We stayed in an AirBNB in Havana Vieja near the capitol. The nearest hotel to us was the Hotel Parque Central, which is a beautiful hotel. Other people we met stayed in the Valencia. Both are in great locations. Just walking up and down the main streets of Havana Vieja is a good way to pass time and get beautiful pictures.

Make sure to appreciate all the old cars. Take a walk down to the harbor and see the water and the fort. This is good at night for people to go to Malecon - it seems to be the hangout spot. Go to the Cuban Art Museum. Hang out in the Plaza de la Revolucion. The Museum of the Revolution is another cool place to go. It documents Fidel Castro's history. See if you can get a tour of the cigar factory (Partagas). We weren't able to, but it's worth a shot if they are running tours.

We ate dinner at a couple of Italian restaurants that were simple, but delicious. For breakfast, we indulged in the buffet at the Hotel Parque Central. Food in Havana is very cheap, but make sure you bring lots of cash.

For a view and a bit pricier but more interesting food, check out Cafe Laurent. It offers a view of the water and a more creative and adventurous menu.

The Cubans are a very friendly people. Do not be afraid to ask them for suggestions about what you should do or where you should go.

Have Daquiris and go dancing at The Floridita. Salsa dancing is also good at the Florida.

"Jobs fill your pocket, adventures fill your soul."
~The Flighty Blonde

10 Must-Dos in Eastern Australia

Hey, travel superstar!

Eastern Australia is far away, kind of a pain to get to, and the jet lag is so real. Have I sold you, yet? It is a large, bustling, beautiful place regardless of how you get there. And once you get over the jet lag, you will not regret all you went through to get there.

Without further ado, here are 10 must dos while traveling through Eastern Australia (besides go to the beach).

1. Great Ocean Road/Phillip Island Tour
The Great Ocean road runs 243 km along south-eastern Australia. Many people start their tour in Melbourne. You do all or almost all of the road. The tours include zoos, rainforests, animals, lots of pictures, adorable surf towns, good food, good people, the Twelve Apostles, and of course...fairy penguins. Many people know of Phillip Island as home to the Hemsworth brothers (and quite a claim to fame that is). But I don't know if even they are as cute as the fairy penguins. One of the best parts is that you cannot take photos of the fairy penguins. This is great because you can actually watch these adorable creatures and enjoy the time you're spending there. You also don't have to watch them through the screen of the person's phone in front of you. The Twelve Apostles is the other main attraction of the Great Ocean Road. These are rock structures that extend up from the ocean just off the coastline. They make for some amazing photos and have a pretty unique origin. I used Otway tours for my exploration of this part of Australia and had an incredible time.

2. The Blue Mountains
Why are they called the Blue Mountains? How tall are the mountains? How did they form? Why is everyone so obsessed with them? What are the Three Sisters? Why are pictures from there so inspiring? Well you just have to find out the answer to these questions. Thsi beautiful landscape has to be seen to be believed. The clouds of smoke that lie just over the treetops give the valleys a mystical air while the sky seems so close you could reach out and touch it. But, do this for me...take at least five minutes in each part of the Blue Mountains you visit (and there is more than just the Three Sisters) and put your phone in your pocket and just look out at the beauty before you.

3. Dreamworld
Dreamworld is Australia's largest theme park located near Gold Coast. It is sponsored by DreamWorks (Madagascar). There are shows, tigers, and lots of rides. There are water rides, family rides, and my favorite - the Big 9 Thrill Rides. The scariest ride I went on was called the Buzzsaw. Wow. They do a few shows a day with the tigers - just showing some of their tricks and habits, which are pretty fascinating to watch. 

4. Dive the Great Barrier Reef
Obviously this list is not in order. And everyone knows they should dive the GBR. Alternatively, snorkeling works just as well. A lot of the time while I was diving the GBR it was basically snorkeling with SCUBA gear on because it's pretty shallow in many places unless you choose the lower reef (Whitsundays) or the SS Yongala. You can choose to do a day dive trip or a liveaboard. I know people who have done the liveaboards and loved them. I did a day dive trip, which included two dives, and was also fantastic. 


5. Taronga Zoo
The Taronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia was one of my favorite things I did in Australia. It's the only zoo that I have comfortably spent an entire day at. It's definitely a good value. You take a ferry over to it and there is so much to see. It is a zoo on a hill and once you get to the top the view is spectacular. It looks out over the Bridge and the Opera House. You can take a gondola to the top or back down to fully appreciate the view and how large the zoo is. The animals were some of the most active animals I've seen in a zoo. Plus, there are many unique Australian animals like platypus, koalas, and quokkas. On the Australian Walkabout you can get pretty close to kangaroos (close enough for a selfie!) and emus. You can also take a walk through the lemur exhibit. I went to this zoo three times...

6. Australia Zoo
Of course the Australia Zoo...an incredibly famous zoo because of the beloved Crocodile Hunter. This is the "home of Steve Irwin". One of the highlights is the "Crocoseum" that does daily crocodile shows that teach you how to be responsible around a crocodile. You can hold a koala. This is another very large zoo with tons to see and do. We had a blast here. It's especially good for families and children. It is located just outside of Brisbane. 

7. Skydive
For my adventure bunnies...skydiving is so worth it. My friend did skydiving in Byron Bay and I did it in Sydney. We were bused from Sydney to the skydive area where as we were coming down we got great views of the ocean and the Blue Mountains. This was so much fun. I definitely thought I would freak out more than I did and if you feel like this would be too much for you...like I did...maybe it's not and you should seriously consider doing it. If you've skydived before then this is such a great plae to do it again. If you haven't, it's such a great life experience and such a beautiful place to try it out.


8. See a show at the Sydney Opera House
So many people go to see the Sydney Opera House each year. It's an iconic building with its beautiful sails on the harbour. But, why not take it a step further? Tickets for shows are surprisingly cheap. You can also take a backstage tour if you're feeling like it. I saw a ballet here, which may not be my first choice of show, but I was captivated the whole time. And saying that you not only went to the Sydney Opera House but saw a show inside of it? Well that's worth it for sure.

9. Sydney Bridge Climb
Again for my more adventurous friends. This also costs a bit more than most people are willing to spend, but it is icnredible. It's totally safe and laughing at everyone in their jumpsuits is very fun. You get to walk up to the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and see Sydney from a totally different point of view. You also get to learn a lot about the bridge and its history.

10. Go to a rainforest
There is no shortage of rainforests on Australia's east coast. From the tippy top of Queensland to the colder southern edge of Victoria. Any one you choose to explore will be beautiful. A few of my favorites that I visited are Otway, Paluma, and Hinterland (heart pool). 

BONUS
Go on a wine tour!

Three Weeks Backpacking East Coast Australia

Hello, adventure bunnies!

Now I know backpacking nowadays can be kind of daunting and a bit frightening. Let me assure you, it is definitely the best way to see Australia (and save some money doing it!). You get to meet more of the locals as well as other foreigners, make friends, do things you hadn't heard of before, and get discounts on local attractions.

We started our road trip in Queensland and worked our way down. We had previously gone to Cairns, which if you haven't done before this trip, I recommend that as your starting point and then flying to Airlie Beach.

Overview: Airlie Beach (Whitsundays) --> Brisbane --> Gold Coast --> Byron Bay --> Blue Mountains --> Sydney --> Melbourne

Airlie Beach 

We took a bus from Townsville to Airlie Beach. Note: Print bus tickets before!
The group split up here and some stayed at a hostel a block away from ours (but, our hostel was better). Our hostel had it all: beer garden, restaurants, adorable villas in a lush jungle backdrop. It is called Airlie Beach Magnums ($22/night). We stayed here for three nights.
We used Mantaray Bay Charters to explore The Whitsundays. With them we got to do one dive and take time to explore Whitsunday Beach aka one of the best beaches in the world.
The other two days were for going to the pool, shopping, and drinking (which you will find we did a lot of in Australia, as is customary).

There is a $20 airport shuttle that will pick you up from almost anywhere in Airlie and take you to the closest airport.

Brisbane

Hostel: Manly Harbour for three nights ($15/night).
Brizzy is a major city in Australia and as such there is much to do. The airport also has a Krispy Kreme! I had the pleasure of flying through Brisbane a lot. This was the only time I was able to explore there.
There is a gorgeous strip of restaurants, park, shops, art, and a ferris wheel by the river. The ferris wheel is a good thing to do right away as they give you a map to the city and as you go around the ferris wheel they point out all the major landmarks, most of which you can see from your pod.
We also did the XXXX Brewery tour, which is a fairly popular beer in Oz and definitely my favorite one I had from there. It was a really good brewery tour, even if you don't like beer that much. We got to see the packaging facility, which was fascinating to me (although I am easily entertained).
Guess what else is in Brizzy!? The Australia Zoo. That's right...Steve Irwin's Zoo. It was incredible.
Brisbane is where we picked up our rental car to drive down to Gold Coast.

Gold Coast

Gold Coast...ahh the party city. Here's the thing we did wrong and yet kind of right. We stayed at a hostel called Komune for three nights ($30/night), which is also a club at night and has an awesome pool. It's also across the street from the beach. We had a great time exploring the wilderness inland and laying out on the beach. We also went skydiving here. Some of our other friends stayed a little further north and it was hard to meet up with them. Regardless both groups had a great time. On our way to Gold Coast from Brisbane we stopped at Dreamworld, the largest amusement park in Australia, themed for DreamWorks and they have tigers! It was a ton of fun and definitely worth the money.

Byron Bay

Byron Bay!!! Too many people skip out on this adorable beach town. This was honestly one of my favorite things. We had such a great time exploring this little surfer paradise. They had the cutest stores, a great beach, and the most unique people. We stayed here for only three days and I wanted to stay so much longer. I felt so at home. We stayed at Backpacker's Holiday Village ($37/night), which was a short walk to the beach and all the shops. We also took a day trip to Nimbin. I don't think I can really go in to detail about that trip, but maybe another time. Look it up ;)

Blue Mountains

We hooked up with the posse in The Blue Mountains, just outside of Sydney. The drive in was awesome right off the bat. It was like a fairytale driving up and down the windy roads through the mountains and looking out over the expanse of trees that looked so small from above. The magic of the Blue Mountains should definitely be experienced. We went straight to our hostel Blue Mountain Hostel ($28/night), which was a fine place to stay for the one night. There is a hop-on hop-off tour that will take you to any of the sights of the Blue Mountains for a good price, but we opted to load up the car past capacity and drive around so we didn't have to worry about how long we were going to be somewhere. We spent the day at the most incredible places I could never have imagined in my wildest dreams. Of course, the Three Sisters. We also went to some of the cascades and other wonderful spots. I have photos out the wazoo. Beautiful photos.

Sydney

So this was my second of three trips to Sydney while I was in Australia so I will do a separate post on it later. It's a gorgeous city. We spent the night at Nate's Place ($32/night). We went to some awesome places in just that one night. But I will talk more about it another time. Just know for now that Sydney is a lively, modern, and breathtaking metropolis.

Melbourne

Melbourne. The most livable city in the world. And it's not hard to see why. Within the city limits there is a free trolley that anyone can just hop on and off. We stayed at Flinder's Backpackers ($30/night) for part of the time and Nomad's Backpackers the other part. Nomad's was probably a better location, but Flinder's was such a cool hostel. It had recently been updated, there was a travel agency downstairs, and the space was fun and hip. I spent time at the Sea Life Aquarium (Melbourne Aquarium) and the Eureka Tower. Melbourne has an open range zoo that is accessible by train called that Werribee Zoo. It was so cool to go through a zoo where a lot of the animals weren't in enclosures, but had space to roam around and just be animals. Giraffe's came up really close to the bus and we got some awesome pics. The best thing to possibly do in/around Melbourne is the Great Ocean Road tour. We went with Otway for our tour. We were loaded in a van with a few other people and had an awesome tour guide. We all quickly became pretty comfortable with each other. We went to a cold weather rainforest and drove down the Great Ocean Road stopping periodically along the way. The tour lasted two days and one night. We stopped at a zoo and at Phillip Island to see the fairy penguins, the beach, and the sunset. This had to be my favorite thing we did on this whole trip.

Cairns Weekend on a Budget

Hey there, travelers!

Thinking of visiting the land down under? Do it. I have been traveling since birth. A year ago I studied in Australia and found it to be the most amazing place. The people are super friendly and awesome and the land is gorgeous. Thus, begins my tales of traveling that magical land.

My friends and I rented a car (when split between us was surprisingly cheap). We drove up to Cairns and checked into The Jack Backpackers ($22/night). Note: Gilligan's is the most popular hostel in Cairns and for good reason. Think mood lighting, booze, and partying all night for a good price. Gilligan's was all booked up for the weekend we went and The Jack was just around the corner. When we were checking in, some guys were there seeing if we wanted to come to the Gilligan's bar crawl. Of course we said yes. For almost no money we could go over to Gilligan's and party all night, also!

We went to our room and got ready for our night out. We had dinner at the restaurant that is on the first floor of the hostel. We got vouchers for free food and drink. The atmosphere was great and we had a lot of fun. We checked in at Gilligan's and then decided to go back to our hostel to pregame. When we returned to Gilligan's, festivities were in full swing. They started off with some games and then we were bused around to the bars in Cairns and rewarded with free shots and discounted tea cups. (Tea cups are the best invention ever, thanks, Australia). After a great bar crawl, we returned to Jack's where it was quiet, which was perfect because we had to wake up early.

We woke up early and walked down to the marina. We had a full day of diving The Great Barrier Reef with Cairns Dive Centre. While most of us were dive certified, some of our friends only went snorkeling, and some did an intro dive. Divers also got to snorkel after. We went to two dive sites and saw some gorgeous wildlife. We chose Cairns Dive Centre because they seemed to be the highest rated and one of the lowest prices (hello, value!).

We also looked into doing the Barefoot Tour, which one of my friends had done already and really enjoyed. Unfortunately, some people wanted to get back to campus in time for dinner. So, instead two of my friends and I went up to AJ Hackett for bungy jumping before returning the car and going home.

Cairns is home to many dive centers and hostels for the budget traveler (try out hostelworld.com for hotels and hostels in the area). There's sure to be many things for you to explore and love!

Peace out for now, adventure friends!
~The Flighty Blonde