This Could Be the Start of Something Newfeatured
You know, I’ve been meaning to start a travel blog for awhile now. I don’t know what pushed me to do it today, but here I am, and here this is.
I’m Nicole, and I like to travel. A lot. There hasn’t been much time in the past five years that I haven’t been planning a trip. In preparation for these trips, I’ve looked at what seems to be every travel Web site and blog pertinent to my travels. I’ve thought of the elements I like from these sites and the information that was lacking that I wanted to know and hope to incorporate both into this blog. And lots of pictures, too. And unpopular opinions because I have a lot of those (much to the chagrin of my sister Stephanie, who says I complain entirely way too much).
About me? I hate to fly. I don’t touch ocean water because fish gross me out. I start every cruise with an umbrella drink. I love to get glammed up, my favorite color is pink, and my favorite rides at Disney World are Spaceship Earth, Soarin’, and Test Track. If it comes from the sea, it’s not for me so I don’t eat anything that comes from under water, but I love a good steak. I like to visit the historical sites and shop in ports, while the rest of my family would rather be at the beach, and we’re constantly searching for a happy medium.
I guess you could say my love of travel started with choir trips to Disney World and Southern California, or when my mom, sister and I took our first family trip to Disney World in 2001, but it really started in the summer of 2004, when my mom decided we should start traveling more and Stephanie and I pushed her into our first cruise.
It was August 1, 2004 when we embarked the Carnival Paradise in Miami. The ship was a bit older (and it was non-smoking) and it was hurricane season, but it was the start of what could only be called our cruising craze. Since then, we’ve been on at least one cruise every year (in May for mom’s birthday and sometimes in January, too). And I make sure we have a little pre- and post-cruise fun along the way as our unofficial travel agent.
Since 2004, we’ve been on seven cruises (#8 is coming in May) and have visited Nassau (three times), the Dominican Republic, St. Thomas (four times), Grand Cayman, Cozumel, Costa Maya, Belize, St. Maarten (four times), Princess Cays, Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Rico, Antigua, Tortola, St. Kitts, and Grand Turk. Not bad, eh? Before, after and in-between cruises, we’ve also made stops in Beverly Hills, Hollywood, Anaheim, Miami’s South Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa and five trips to Disney (four of them pre- or post-cruise and one trip of six unadulterated days with the mouse). Oh, and two stops to a peach farm in Georgia.
My favorite port? St. Maarten, though Mazatlan, Mexico and St. Kitts come in closely behind. My favorite hotels are the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, the Gaylord Palms in Orlando and Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.
My favorite spot in St. Maarten
The Gaylord Palms
So there’s the history of this blog. I’ll post reviews, pictures, and go through a whole lot of planning here (cruise #8 is coming up in May out of a place we’ve never been…NYC! And, we’re likely going to Disney again this summer, thanks to the wonderful 4-for-3 promo from Disney). But as much as I’m writing this blog for me, I hope others read it and find it useful. And if you do, please comment! If you don’t, comment anyways and I’ll to fix it. But I hope anyone who reads this finds it as enjoyable to read as I find it enjoyable to write.
