My Experiences

My Family Vacation Story Map

My Personal Travel Stories

The main reason why I chose to become a Travel Agent is my love of travel and the whole trip planning process.  Planning new and exciting vacation experiences has been a joy to me my entire adult life, passed on from my parents, and hopefully to my children.  This map is in our family room. Every year we choose another place to explore as a family and add to it. This map is a treasure to me and holds so many years of memories.

Now that I've decided to retire from teaching middle school math and science, I want to use my passion for seeing the world to help others do the same---and now I have time to dedicate to it!

I would like to use this page to share with you some places I have personally loved visiting, mainly in the US. Maybe you will see something you like and it will get you ready for your own adventures with your loved ones.

QUEBEC CITY, CANADA

I visited Quebec City in November of 2023.  We stayed in the old city, which, I am told, is the last walled city left in North America. The buildings are centuries old, and as I walked around, I felt the history of the place.  It was quaint, decorated for the holidays, and I had a weird feeling like I had stepped into a Hallmark movie.  We had coffee in a little French pastry and coffee shop, drinking out of bowls while a man played Christmas tunes on a bright red accordion in front of a Christmas tree while large flakes fell behind him through the window.  I'm not making this up, it happened.  Although half of the people had trouble understanding my horrible attempts at French, everyone was kind and helpful and we had no trouble getting around.  I highly recommend it if you want a relaxing weekend.  The hardest part will be getting through Canadian border patrol.  Good luck with that.

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Yosemite National Park

Yosemite National Park

My husband and I went to Yosemite for our 10th anniversary.  As you can tell by our size, it's been a hot minute since then. What I remember most about the trip is being in awe of the beauty.  There are different sections of the park, it takes hours to drive from one side to the other. Each section is unique and beautiful in its own way. The Giant Sequoias are worth going for alone. The second thing I remember is wishing I had more time. We stayed in a quaint little town called June Lake and had to drive what I referred to as "the mountain of death" because it was a scary 9000' climb up a mountain to the entrance from the east with very little guard rails, and I may have a teensy fear of heights. I wish we would have stayed IN the park so as to not have to drive that daily, and it would have been more enjoyable. This is my number one place I want to return to. If you love hiking and nature, this is your happy place.

https://www.nps.gov/yose/index.htm

Rocky Mountain National Park

The Rocky Mountains are something every American needs to see at least once in their lifetime.  It's a pretty big range, so there are so many places to visit. Our first visit we stayed in Estes Park, Colorado and visited RMNP from there. It is a tourist town with lots of shops to see things like glassblowing and candy making. There are also activities for families. The amount of wildlife, like elk, we saw wandering around was interesting and beautiful to see. Another place with a lot of hiking around beautiful creation.

https://www.nps.gov/romo/index.htm

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Discovery Cove at Seaworld Orlando, Florida

For a person from the Midwest who didn't get to the coast often, Discovery Cove was magical.  This is a special part of SeaWorld that is sold separately and done differently.  The park has a limited number of people allowed in each day to make it not crowded and a more special, personal experience. My preteen boys loved it because the snacks and meals were included in the price and all you can eat.  My oldest had more soft pretzels than he could hold. The dolphin encounter, where we could play with, pet, and get a ride from sweet playful dolphins was an unforgettable experience. There is an area that is set up like a coral reef where you can snorkel as if you were in the ocean, only completely safely-- and those are only the highlights. The price seems expensive, but they have package deals that make it worth it. We got tickets to Discovery Cove, Sea World, and Busch Gardens, along with parking passes included in the price.  If you are spending a week in Florida and doing other parks anyway, this is actually a price saver! I couldn't have loved this place more.

Check out the experiences here: https://discoverycove.com/orlando/

Hershey, Pennsylvania

Hershey, PA is well known for their chocolate factory, and they have made the visit an experience.  They have a ride, a 4D movie, gift shop and dining, but my favorite part of the factory itself is the special "make your own candy bar" experience. Everyone in the family can make a special candy bar, put whatever they want in it, watch it actually being made, and then design special packaging to make it one of a kind as the perfect souvenir.  Then, once you have done all of the activities there, you can go to the attached theme park, Hershey Park, and spend another day riding rides and coasters, and visiting Hershey characters walking around the park.  It was clean, happy, and a surprisingly large park with lots to do, see, ride, and eat for everyone in the family from small kid rides to adult thrill seeker rides. If you are heading to Gettysburg, or the Poconos, or driving through Pennsylvania for any other reason, this is a great stop!

https://www.hersheypark.com/

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Cruising The bahamas

My first cruise was on the Carnival Mardigras, the newest, biggest Carnival ship at the time with the first roller coaster at sea.  I was hesitant to cruise because I get motion sickness in vehicles.  I was pleasantly surprised to not have issues (I stayed away from the back of the ship) just taking some Bonine pills the first couple of days.

Some wonderful things about cruises: there is always something good to eat or something to watch, do, or participate in. You don't have to worry about your teenagers because they are on the ship somewhere and safe. Every stop is beautiful.  We went to Grand Turk and Amber Cove--both with stunning beaches and views. The biggest advantage for me personally was the fact that I, as mom, could rest.  No cooking, no driving, no activity planning.  That alone was worth the price of the cruise.

New York, New York

New York City is a place I went to briefly, enjoyed a lot, and want to go back to see more, which is unusual for me because I generally do not enjoy visiting big cities.  My biggest concern before going was losing my kids in a crowd, but it honestly was less busy than some places I've been in Kansas City.  There is something for everyone here.  Food, arts, history, you name it.  I'd definitely return given the chance.

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Smokey Mountan National Park, Gatlinburg, TN

One of the most beautiful places in the country.  I remember driving through the park and stopping here and there and thinking that it looks like one of those places that are made up because it's so perfect it has to be imaginary.  The Lower Pigeon River is great for rafting with small ones, Gatlinburg has the usual touristy attractions and shops, but just a mile away from it feels like you are secluded, so it's a good mix of both worlds.  This is close enough to drive to Dollywood and do things in Pigeon Forge, as well.  One of the favorite trips I've taken.

Cedar Point Sandusky, Ohio

Amusement Park junkie paradise.  The entire peninsula is dedicated to roller coasters, carnival games, and junk food.  This is the roller coaster capital of the world, so if you like coasters, this place is a must visit.  Valravn was my personal favorite, but there are so many other great rides, if you asked me tomorrow it may be a different one.  One of the coolest things you can do if you visit here is stay in Hotel Breakers.  It's only around $200 a night and you can walk outside and straight into the park, no driving, no parking.  If you walk out of the back door of the hotel, you are on great beachfront on Lake Erie, with lounging, music, games and more if you get tired of the park atmosphere. It's the best if you have family members that like coasters and others that would rather lay on the beach and read a book.

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Yellowstone National Park, USA

National Parks are the most beautiful, serene places you can visit.  The Grand Tetons and Yellowstone are two of my favorites.  There are such vast differences in what you can see and experience as you go through these two parks, from forests to plains, volcanoes to beautiful mountain lakes.  There is something amazing around every corner. If you want to experience this, I have a great road trip plan that will take you through it all, for a pretty reasonable price, depending on which accommodations you choose. This picture was taken while rafting the Yellowstone River from Gardiner, MT. They were wonderful with my family, and we felt very safe.

Universal Studios, Florida

Universal Studios is one of the most magical places my family has been to, and each one of us were awed by different parts of the parks.  The rides at the Studios are just as amazing as the rides at the Islands of Adventure.  It's totally immersive and allows you to imagine you are part of another world for a short time.  For a bookworm like me, entering Hogsmeade was like jumping into a page of a book.  My husband, who has always been a Marvel fanatic (way before it was cool) had such a great time in that world.  I could go on and on, but everyone needs to experience this place once in their lifetime.  It's sometimes expensive but there are specials, especially if you stay multiple days--which you will want to have.  It is beyond an amusement park.  It is truly an adventure!

(Don't miss out on the Butterbeer--it's butterscotch heaven.)

 

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CARNIVAL CRUISE LINE

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If you have questions or want more information about somewhere you've read about

Please don't hesitate to contact me.  If you see somewhere on the map that I've visited that I haven't written about yet and you want to know what it's like, feel free to email or call me and I'd love to give you all of the information I have about it.

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