Of theme parks & more…Welcome to Orlando!

The last destination of our US trip was to Orlando, Florida. A trip there was a given for us, as we both wanted to experience the entertainment parks this Floridan city is known for. We traveled from Miami to Orlando by train- Amtrak, which took around 5 hours. We spent a week in this city, exploring around and enjoying at the theme parks and although we were greeted with a rainy, gloomy weather on arrival, the remainder of the days there were just typical Orlando weather- bright and sunny. We stayed on International Drive, Orlando, for all the reviews it had on being the prime location for vacationers. And it sure didn’t let us down! A number of restaurants along the drive to satisfy varied taste buds, a range of hotels with different budgets, free shuttle services to certain entertainment parks offered by hotels here, the I-ride trolley which makes traveling to different areas much simpler, proximity to many amusement parks and numerous souvenir shops are what makes this area famous.

International Drive, Orlando

Entertainment parks 

Orlando is known for its theme parks. The entry tickets to these parks can be booked online on their website or you could get good deals on them from tour agencies, which can be found at every bend around the city.

Universal Studios– This was the first of the attractions we headed to. To get there, we took the I-ride trolley and walked from the final stop to the park, 10 minutes away.

Universal Orlando, as it is commonly referred to, consists of two theme parks (Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure). Universal Studios is a huge, movie theme based park, offering 4D rides, rollercoasters and other attractions based on famous movies like Transformers, the Mummy returns, Harry Potter (which had one of the longest lines- predictably!) and such. Since our time of visit was two weeks before Christmas, the crowd was not as much, but we learnt that it gets worse closer to the holidays. The lines for the rides get longer though many combat this by opting for the express pass (for an additional fee, you get a pass that allows you to skip the regular line). With restaurants, eateries and souvenir shops galore, vacationers spend the whole day exploring the park and enjoying the rides, but even a day may not be sufficient during peak season and people return to continue where they left off at the park the next day!

Universal Studios

Transformers ride

Minions!

The plunge!!

Kiddie ride

Heaven for comic lovers!

Islands of Adventure

Walt Disney World – The four parks at Disney- Epcot, Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios, are definite crowd pullers. The entry to Disney and lines to the attractions were lengthy when we visited. There were security checks of bags at the entrance, and even though the wait and the rush was causing tempers to flare, a happy-go-lucky security guy at bag check managed to make the mood lighter with his witty snippets and smiling face, reminding people that they were entering a happy place! The best part about Disney is that it has something for everyone, not just for kids, as the brand name would probably indicate. Epcot is a future based theme park- very entertaining, informative and interesting. Each ride is based on the future of science and our world.Magic Kingdom was particularly full of families the day we visited, and perhaps always, going by the entertainment it offers. Like the name suggests, Animal Kingdom is a theme park based on animals- games, safaris and viewing of animals. Hollywood studios is a theme park entirely based on the glitz and glamour of Hollywood. Attractions are based on blockbuster movies and top TV shows. A must visit for cine and adventure buffs. Get ready to wait in long lines for the rides at any time of the day, though. We waited for 45 minutes for a turn on an amazing indoor roller coaster and then another half hour to enjoy the ride again! But that ride was worth the wait, and we met many of the previous riders on the way back in for round 2! The evening in Disney ended with fireworks over the lit up Disney castle, which made for a magical goodbye as the ferry carried us out of the park.

Many tourists choose to stay at the resorts close to the parks, or drive down on their own. We traveled to and from Disney by the shuttle offered by our hotel. Incase you want to use public transport, buses are available, which stop close to the park.

Disney Bound!!

Queuing up at the entrance

Disney castle

Train linking the parks

SeaWorld Orlando– We traveled to SeaWorld by I-ride trolley again, as this was also a part of the trolley’s route.

A theme park and a marine zoological park, you get to see penguins, sharks, turtles, stingrays, small fishes of all kinds, a dolphin show, Shamu the whale show, just to name a few. The park also has a number of restaurants, attractions including rollercoaster rides and games. There were injured sea creatures as well, that had been rescued and were being cared for by SeaWorld. We also had fun watching and touching the bottlenose dolphins (few of us got the chance to touch them when they came close enough to allow that). They put on a mini show of jumping out of the water for a treat from their care-takers, much to the delight of the onlookers. The huge park set-up makes for a fun way to spend an entire event-filled day here.

SeaWorld Orlando

Whales at SeaWorld

With a penguin :))

Dolphins anticipating food!

Kennedy Space Center– Located an hour from Orlando, this is another of the major attractions to those visiting Florida. We booked a local tour to travel to and from the place. Visitors can view the space shuttle- Atlantis, the space suits and other memorabilia of the astronauts used on space missions. You can also experience simulation of activities of astronauts in the shuttle, meeting and interacting with an astronaut among other entertainment. We were driven by bus to a distance from the Kennedy Space Center towards Cape Canaveral, and we had a chance to see where the rocket launches take place, although there weren’t any launches scheduled that day. The commentary by the driver about how rockets were transported around in that area back in the day, the upcoming launches and other fast facts were every bit entertaining and informative. Definitely a must visit for anyone interested in science and space.

Kennedy Space Center

Space shuttle- Atlantis

Space suits over the years

Apart from the entertainment parks, there is also a ‘Ripley’s believe it or not’ display, Eagle Creek Golf Club for golf lovers, Orange County Convention center, Old town- shopping mall and amusement park in Kissimmee, just to name a few. Orlando attracts tourists from all over the world, thanks to the entertainment aplenty it offers its visitors.

The pic is straight..it’s the building that is tilted!

Welcome to Miami...

             The beautiful Miami. Known for its beaches, supercars and beach holiday homes of film stars. Continuing our trip, we flew to Miami from Las Vegas and the sunny weather as we got off the plane was quite a welcome change from the rain and cold weather Vegas had been experiencing.

View from our hotel room

We stayed at Sheraton hotel,(www.sheratonmiamiairport.com) an amazing experience that added to the trip! Since we had planned to stay there for just a couple of days, we decided to take the Hop on Hop off bus so that we don't miss out on any of the main attractions. This time though, it was different. Unlike the regular earphones with commentary that these buses are known for, there was a live commentator in the bus, and on purchasing our tickets, we climbed to the top of the double decker bus only to find the commentary to be in Spanish! Now, luckily we do understand a little Spanish, thanks to those Spanish classes at college. But we soon realized that was just not enough to figure out a whole city's history and attractions! Since the bus had started, we had no choice but to sit and wait till we reached the next stop and then make our move. As the commentator announced that we were approaching the next stop and the bus began slowing down, quite a few passengers began to prepare to leave when he then started introducing himself in English. As he was speaking, he couldn't help but giggle at the expression of relief on many of our faces as we all sat back down in our seats! Apparently, it was going to be bilingual commentary, which had been announced before many of us entered. Relieved, we settled down and continued on the same bus.

 Miami, we discovered as we moved around, is way more than just beaches. We came across the Lowe Art Museum and Perez Art Museum for art lovers, Jungle island or Zoo Miami, The Kampong, which is a botanical garden in the Coconut Grove neighborhood of Miami, AmericanAirlines Arena, a sports and entertainment arena located in Downtown Miami along Biscayne Bay and the Venetian pool - a pool with a waterfall, the numerous cruise liners docked at port Miami among other attractions. Little Havana, which is a lovely neighborhood that is acknowledged as the home of Cuban immigrants, will give you the feeling of being in Cuba given its vibrant street life, typical Cuban style restaurants, music and other social and cultural activities. You can enjoy a classic Cuban lunch at any of the restaurants in this area.

AmericanAirlines Arena for sports and entertainment

Little Havana

Cuban shops and restaurants

After a day of getting tanned on the open top bus, we decided to cool off by heading to the Bay for a boat Cruise. We took the cruise which started at 5pm. The cruise covered Star Island, which is home to many celebrities, as well as Fisher Island, which is said to have a per capita income higher than any other place in the Unites States. The commentator pointed out to the houses of Gloria Estefan, Shaquille O'Neal, Will Smith, to name a few, and this had people rushing around with cameras to get a good picture! Basically, it was the sprawling mansions on the island that caught everyone's attention. As we moved on, we came across many boat parties in the middle of the sea. Someone even shouted out that they caught a glimpse of Pitbull on one of the boats there, which had everyone rushing for a pic! It turned out to be a joke anyway! It was probably the best time to be at sea then as we witnessed the beauty of the sunset, giving a brilliant view of downtown Miami.

Hotels:

Majority of those visiting Miami opt to stay closer to the beach. Ocean Drive in South Beach does offer accommodations to all budget ranges- from backpackers to high end hotels. At times, when visiting in a group, people reserve a privately owned condo, which gives privacy and enough room for all. For families on a budget, do check out the converted suite with kitchen facilities. If you are not bent on staying close to the beach in this area, you could always choose an accommodation in the heart of the city. The travel to the beach would need to be accounted for in your planning, but the well connected buses, metros and cabs don't make that much of an issue.

Shopping:

If luxury shopping is what you are looking for, head to Bal Harbour, Design District or Lincoln road mall. Home to brands like Chanel, Gucci, Victoria's secret, Louis Vuitton and such, these malls are few of the exquisite places to shop. Do check out Coco Walk,  a unique outdoor shopping area, located south of Miami in Coconut Grove. Apart from shopping, it has plenty of restaurants and a movie theater as well. The shops along South beach are worth visiting - you find good bargains there. We managed to do a little clothes shopping as well. (what is a holiday really, without shopping?!)

Coco Walk

South Beach:

South Beach is considered to be on the southernmost reaches of Miami Beach. This is the part of Miami Beach where the action is. Whether its lounging around on the white sands of south beach, going for a dip in the cool blue waters, playing beach volleyball, visiting a club or shopping, South beach has something for everyone. Be it day or night, it is regarded as a major entertainment destination with numerous hotels, boutiques and nightclubs. Quite a few television series have been shot here like South Beach, Miami Vice and yes, you may recognize it as the background for Priyanka Chopra's song ft Pitbull- Exotic! And, if you are a gaming enthusiast, you will recall Miami Beach as the setting in Grand Theft Auto- Vice City! While the beach does get crowded during peak seasons, it is well maintained and you will find many tourists enjoying some quiet time relaxing under an umbrella despite the activity around. 

On the whole, Miami did surprise us, what with the numerous attractions and beautiful weather. An interesting trip, this!

We noticed this yacht with Usher's name on it, but didn't manage to catch a glimpse of the star :(

City Skyline at sunset...doesn't it look like New York at first glance?!

Enroute South Beach

The Grand Canyon- an overview

Spreading over 277 miles, the Grand Canyon is a huge tourist attraction, featuring on the bucket list of many. Located in the state of Arizona in the United States of America, the Canyon is an exquisite piece of nature and it is very hard to believe that it was all carved by the forces of nature- the Colorado river being the main hand behind forming it to be the marvelous wonder that it is today.

Getting there:

• By Flight: Many of the visitors to the Grand Canyon take a flight to Las Vegas McCarran International Airport (LAS) or to Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport (PHX). It takes 3-5 hours of driving from here to reach the Canyon, depending on which airport you arrive at and which part of the canyon you intend to visit.
• By car: Incase you opt to travel by car, do keep yourself updated on announcements of road closures/ detours on the route you intend to take and the weather forecast during your travel time. North Rim route is generally snowed in during the winter months and is not accessible.
• Tours: Most visits to the Grand Canyon are through tour agencies. Many hotels offer a selection of day tours via tour agencies to the canyon, which include a drop and pick from the hotel itself. And majority of these do include a visit to the Hoover dam as well, so if that’s on your list, make sure you specify the same at the time of selection. You can book your tour online or directly with tour agencies around. There are a number of types of tours to choose from- the walking tour (most tourists opt for this), the helicopter tour (if a bird’s eye view is what you are looking for), hiking (for the adventurous type) and jeep excursions, just to name a few.

Different viewing options:

Many of those visiting the canyon have this common question: Should we visit the North Rim or the South Rim, the West Rim or the East Rim?

Well, they are not comparable, really. Each of the rims offer spectacular views of the Canyon that are marvelous in their own right. Listed below are what each offers, to help you along your planning and decision. Do factor in your time of visit, duration of your stay, and travel convenience.

The SOUTH RIM sees the maximum number of visitors as it easily accessible to all. It is perfect for those looking for a day trip to the canyon. South Rim provides panoramic views of the Canyon that is ever so often seen in movies and pictures. There are scheduled activities here like helicopter tours, mule riding, biking and so on. Make sure you check and book these in advance. Other facilities like restrooms, restaurants and souvenir shops are available here, which makes it more attractive an option for a visit, especially for those traveling with children. The paved path of the South Rim has the Grand Canyon history timeline along the entire trail, giving detailed information of the Canyon, which enhances the experience- your personal tour guide, if you wish. There are options to hike too, but not as challenging as those that you will find at the North Rim. Easily accessible viewpoints along the South Rim make it simple for all visitors to enjoy this majestic marvel, all year round.

The NORTH RIM, being more remote than the south, has relatively fewer visitors, making the visit a more peaceful one. Hiking and driving to the view points is done from here. Most of those who visit here have their own transportation or travel by the “Trans Canyon Shuttle” from the South Rim. Do check the shuttle schedule, if you intend to employ it as your mode of travel. The North Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park  remains shut during the winter because of heavy snow from late October until May. It is fairly cool during the summer months too, given the high elevation. The enchanting views from the North rim are typically accessed by hiking along the trails, which can be lengthy and sometimes, less accessible. Reserve a campsite or lodge in advance when planning your visit here.

The WEST RIM provides a one of its kind experience to its visitors. West Rim is well-known for its glass bridge, the Skywalk- a structure that juts out into the canyon, providing an amazing walking-on-air experience. This land is privately owned by the Tribal Indian reservation of The Hualapai, so visiting here gives you a chance to meet and interact with them in their homeland. Traveling to the West Rim takes around 2 and a half hours from Las Vegas by car. There are helicopter, airplane and bus tours as well as horseback riding that can included as part of the package. Visitors can opt for a half day visit or add on activities and make it a full day visit to the West Rim of the Grand Canyon. Overnight stay cabins are available too, with prior reservation.

The EAST RIM enjoys moderate and warm temperatures due to lower elevation than the other rims. This area does not attract as many visitors as does the South Rim and is considered as one of the peaceful rims of the Canyon. There are many attractions here like a view of the ‘Horseshoe Bend’, visits to the smaller canyons, boat tours and helicopter tours. When traveling from Las Vegas, the other rims are more easily accessible, unlike the East Rim.

There is also the inner canyon which comprises of everything below the rim and is seen mainly by hikers, mule riders, or those taking a river trip through the Canyon on the Colorado River . Ofcourse, this requires more than just a day trip to the Canyon, so bear this in mind while planning your visit there.

Whichever you decide to finally visit, the beauty of this natural wonder will not fail to enthrall you. Remember to check the weather conditions before visiting so you have the appropriate attire on and the necessary gear while hiking/rafting.

Our Grand Canyon experience:

We visited the Canyon through a day tour booked from our hotel during our stay at Las Vegas. We visited the South Rim (North Rim was closed during our time of visit, being the winter months). The temperature on the day of our visit was between 30 to 40 degrees F, although it wasn’t snowing. The tour we booked also included a view of the Hoover dam on the way. Grand Canyon is nearly 5 hours away from Vegas by road and it was noon by the time we reached there. There were many visitors on the South Rim of the Canyon, who were enthusiastically posing for pictures despite the nip in the air. As we walked along the Trail of time, we learnt a lot about the geology of the Grand Canyon, that acted as a tour guide for those like us who chose to make our way on our own. The unique bird calls around and the tiny view of the trail of the river flowing deep below; the intricately carved canyon and the different hues the sun and shadows created on it as the day progressed, all added to the wonderful experience- truly, nature at its best.

The view from the trail

As the day progressed

Las Vegas- More than just gambling

Las Vegas needs no introduction whatsoever. This populous city in Nevada, is internationally renowned for its nightlife, casinos,shopping and fine dining. A week in this city and we understood first hand why it is the tourist attraction that it is.

We traveled from Los Angeles to Las Vegas by bus (LUX BUS AMERICA). You can also choose to travel by airplane, or to drive down by renting a car. We decided on travelling by bus for the landscape pics along the way, and well, just for the experience of it. We reached Las Vegas in around 5 hours.

Vegas bound!

Commuting within the city:

The city of Las Vegas is well connected by buses and the monorail, which covers the strip. The ‘strip’ is where all the hotels and casinos are located. You could also choose to travel around by cab/ rented car, although we found travelling by the monorail to be very convenient.

Hotels:

The hotels here are reasonably priced and you have a number of them to choose from. Each hotel has a casino and may also have special performances by singers, musicians and magicians. Do check with the hotel for any such performances during your time there. There are some hotels worth visiting for the wonderful design and interiors, like Caesar’s palace, which is a Roman themed casino hotel, Circus Circus, which has circus acts as well as a theme park, Stratosphere, for the rides and the view at the top, just to name a few. You will find tourists walking in and out of different hotels, for a tour of the unique set up and for the casinos there.

Gondola ride at The Venetian

What to do:

Gambling at casinos is the first thought that comes to mind, when in Vegas. We aren’t gamblers in the true sense of the term, although we did try our hand at that too! It is fun, but know when to stop, before you land up spending a good chunk of your travel money! Apart from this, as mentioned, you could also book tickets to a show running during your stay. We visited Little New York, located at New York-New York hotel, the theme being the skyline of New York, as the name suggests. We also visited the chocolate stores- M&M and Hershey’s, which were a real hit with chocolate lovers, who were walking out with huge bags of merchandise and chocolates. The fountain show at the Bellagio is also worth checking out, if you happen to be in that area after dark. We booked a tour to the Grand Canyon from our hotel concierge, which also covered a tour to the Hoover dam site. This is a must-do, the canyon is truly a marvelous sight! The walking tour along the canyon was an interesting way to learn more about it and click pictures.

Little New York at New York New York

M&M store

Fountain show at The Bellagio

Food & Shopping:

You will find a variety of cuisines to satisfy your taste buds here- pizzas, burgers, subways, buffets, steakhouses and diners. We also came across people giving out discount coupons for food and drink at certain restaurants as promotional offers. Numerous fast food joints can be found all along the strip.

For shopping, if you are looking for high end boutiques, you will find a host of such in a number of luxury hotels and also on the strip. If souvenirs are what you want, walk along the strip and you will find many small stores like 10$ souvenirs shops, with a collection of t-shirts, post cards and other such mementos of Vegas.

All in all, Las Vegas proved to be an exciting city, with fun tourist attractions and interesting sights to see.

Paris- Las Vegas: Eiffel tower restaurant

The Grand Canyon

View from the monorail

Los Angeles- The city of dreams

This was our first trip together and we picked the city of dreams- Los Angeles. It lived up to all that we had imagined it to be..and more! With such a vibrant city, you need to plan your schedule ahead, just so that you do not miss out on anything. Of course unplanned days have their own element of surprise, but with a city like L.A, you do not want to have any regrets of that sort.

Landing at L.A after a really long flight (we were travelling from Asia, so flights from here are no less than 15-17 hours long), we were grateful for the hotel pick up from the airport. Most hotels, especially those located closer to the airport, provide shuttle service, so do check for the same before you arrive.

Commuting within the city: 

This was made very simple for us by the hop on hop off buses (HOHO bus) and the Big blue bus. We chose these are our main mode of transport since the bus stops were conveniently located just a stone's throw away from the hotel we stayed at. The HOHO buses in L.A. follow different routes (green, yellow, purple and so on) that gives tourists a choice of famous sites to visit. Always on time and providing audio commentary in a host of languages, these buses are your best bet on your first visit to L.A. You may opt to rent a car or take a cab around too, but we wanted to enjoy touring the city on an open roof-top bus. (It also helped to click pics from a higher view with no obstructions)

 

The upperdeck on the HOHO bus. Love the trees!!Characteristic L.A.

Hollywood sign, as seen from the upperdeck of the bus

What we visited at L.A.:

Los Angeles is a vast city to actually cover in just a few days although, as mentioned, if you plan ahead, you can make the best of your stay here. Although we saw most of the "must see" sites through the hop on and hop off, we did get off at certain places to spend more time there or just to shop and eat!

Hollywood Boulevard: As a tourist, you should definitely visit this place. Hollywood walk of fame, TCL Chinese theatre, Madam Tussaud's, Ripley's believe it or not are just few of the many attractions here. You can also view the Hollywood sign in the distance from here. We landed up staying in this area for around 2-3 hours; lots of entertainment, good place for shopping.

At Madam Tussaud's

Hollywood walk of fame by evening- when the 'superheroes' came out to play!

Santa Monica Bay/ Venice Beach: You can plan a half day or an entire day trip to this beach, depending on the availability of time. There are a lot of restaurants and cafes close to the beach. We rented cycles, hung out at the pier and lounged by the sea side before trying out the choice of fast food available there at the far end of the beach. There are also street performers and small shops, eateries in this area.

Cycling at Santa Monica Beach

Street entertainment with shops and eateries around at the end of the beach

Fisherman's village at Marina Del Rey: Fisherman's Village is a waterfront mall, commercial boat anchorage and tourist attraction located in Marina del Rey. The waterfront offers panoramic views of the harbor and the brightly painted lighthouse and attractive set up catches the eye. Tourist attractions include live music concerts, restaurant and café dining, harbor and fishing cruises, boat and bicycle rentals and souvenir shops. You may also find water sports being done here; it does not hurt to inquire about the same. Do carry swimwear if you intend to go for it. We also loved the place for the lovely background it provided for photos.

Fisherman's Village

Beverly Hills, Rodeo Drive, Sunset Strip, China Town are other places we had a chance to visit with the HOHO bus. Good for shopping/ window-shopping and just enjoying the pulsating atmosphere at these places in general. We also made it a point to go to farmer's market to try out the various yummy eateries there. Must try for foodies!! You get a wide choice of different cuisines from various countries here.

L.A is the place for celebrity spotting, so have your camera handy at all times! We didn't have any such luck, but who knows, you may! We did manage to click a whole lot of photos which contribute to the amazing memories we hold of the beautiful city.

The cityline from the pier

Santa Monica Pier

Sunset

Driving by

What about you? Have you been to Los Angeles? What was your experience like?