My favorite place to go on vacation is nothing special, but it is like home to me. The best vacation that I can go on, is to spend a week at The Anchorage Inn Hotel, in York Beach, Maine. This is nothing fancy, or expensive, but ever since I was a kid that place has been one of the only places in the world where I feel no stress or worries. The trip is cheap, It costs around $100.00 or so a night, for one of the suite rooms. Which is a very resonable price, especially with a view over looking the ocean.
At the Anchorage Inn, there are three pools and three hot tubs right on the property. There is one indoor, heated pool and two outdoor pools. One of the hot tubs is indoors, and the other two are outside as well. There is also two gyms and fitness centers on the property. One is located on the floor below the pool, and the other is located on the third floor of the suite rooms.

There are many activities that are within a 5 minute drive of the Anchorage. First off, the beach is just right across the street. Long Beach, at York was voted one of the nicest, most family friendly beaches in allthe US. Also, just about a 5 minute ride down the street, there is downtown york, filled with shops, restraunts, and even a homemade salt water taffy shop. Just next to the downtown area, is Yorks wild Animal Kindom. A Combination of a zoo, and a great amuesment park


The simplicity of York beach is one of its best qualities. While it is very typical and not out of the ordinary. It is somewhere I can go to always de stress and just have a nice, fun, relaxing week. Spending a week in York beach is honestly the best vacation I could have, even if it is something I do once a year. To me, it is the perfect, dream vacation.


You can book your own stay at their homepage:
www.anchorageinn.com

Blog #4 Kristen Connery

If you could chose a dream vacation to anywhere in the world, where would you go? Well, if you needed help choosing, I would suggest you visit the Virgin Islands. Growing up my father always had to move around for his job, and being that my siblings and I stayed at home with my mother, it was always a mini vacation wherever we went to visit him. However, once my dad moved to St. John, Virgin Islands for his job, it was a real vacation.

                                                                         Above is a photo of the view from the Westin Hotel in St John, where my father works and I've visited many times

There are a lot of great reasons to go to the Virgin Islands. First of all, there are a 3 islands which make up the Virgin Islands. They are- St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix. I would have to tell you that my favorite of all the islands would have to be St. John, for many different reasons. St. John is the smallest of the islands, and it has a very home-y feel. However, if you are more of a "city" person, you would enjoy being on St. Thomas, because it is the capitol of the islands and has the most shopping and commotion of all three islands. St. Croix is the island you would go to if you are looking to relax, because it is the most calm and peaceful of the three islands.

On the islands life is very different. In New England, we often would not be startled to walk outside and see a squirrel run by. On the islands however, it is always common to see large iguanas (pictured on the left) walking around. I found this very startling. Also things on the islands are very expensive, with living expenses averaging at 33% more expensive than in the US.


Flying to the Virgin Islands may also be a bit of a hassle.  There are no direct flights there, and usually you must first take a flight to Florida, or a surrounding state to get on a smaller plane into St. Thomas. This makes the flights a bit more costly, ranging from about $250-$500 seeing as you must take 2 different flights there and back. Also, if you aren't staying on St. Thomas, you must now take a ferry, which averages between $10-$14, to travel to the other islands because there is one airport in St. Thomas.

Even though there may be some down sides of travelling to the Virgin Islands, I highly recommend you do. It will be the vacation of a life time and you will never regret it! If you would like to learn more about the Virgin Islands, this website can give you a lot of helpful information!

Venezuela

A place you would love to go on Vacation is Venezuela! Venezuela, occupies most of the northern coast of South America on the Caribbean Sea. It is bordered by Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south. Venezuela is a country of staggering variety and remains a land that is greatly undervisited by international travelers.

The world’s highest waterfall is in Venezuela, Angel Falls Salto Ángel, plummets 979m from the top of a tepui in "Parque Nacional Canaima". Those seeking adventure will find hiking, snorkeling, scuba diving, kitesurfing, windsurfing, paragliding and more. Even better, most of these attractions lie within a one-day bus trip or a short flight from each other. Those interested in culture can revel in salsa clubs of the nation’s capital, Caracas, explore various regional festivals, look for arts and crafts in the bucolic towns of the interior, or check out some of the world’s best up-and-coming baseball players hit a few innings in a local stadium. Cost to visit Santo Angel depends on where your are planning to stay. But 1000$ is enought for a two day trip.

Venezuela also has many islands off its Caribbean coast, but Isla Margarita is my favorite one, not just because it has perfect beaches but because we have the best food you will ever try in your life :) You need aproximately 3,000 $ to pay for a nice but not so spensive hotel with food inclueded. Also, 300$ for a person that will guide you to the best aquatic parks and beaches around the Isla Margarita!
 READY TO COME VISIT?




http://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g316061-Margarita_Island_Coastal_Islands_Insular_Region-Vacations.html

My Dream Destination

The one place I would like to live when I get older or after I have retired is Jamaica. Jamaica is a small island located in the Caribbean. Although known as a developing country it is still a beautiful country that has a lot to offer and is known around the world for its music, world renound beaches and producing the best sprinters in the world year after year.

                The cost of the flight could range around from anywhere from 130-600 dollars depending on the time and class you decide to fly in.  I would also like to visit the sandals resort in Jamaica. There are several the ones I would like to visit is in Negril and Kingston. I would also like to attend sav, a gathering of the people in savlamar, which is located in burn savanna. This is a popular event for the locals and is attend by almost everyone that lives in savlamar. I would also love to attend a soccer game in the Jamaican league. Although Jamaica is not known for its soccer, I would still love to attend a game and see what the environment is like although the soccer isn’t at the highest level.

                Another reason why I would love to live in Jamaica is the food. Jamaican Delicacy is one of my favorite kinds of foods. You can have anything from Jamaican rum, to beef patties, to manish water (some sort of soup) to curry goat and more. The Jamaica is known for having very hot and spicy food( just country that are located near the equator because hot food opens up pours) which I love.

                One of the main reasons why I would love to visit and retire and live in Jamaica is because I have family there. Both my mother and father are immigrants that hail from Jamaica. Most of my family is still in Jamaica. While a lot of people might have grown up around and near their cousins and aunts and uncles the majority of my family still lives in Jamaica. I have a lot of uncles and aunts and cousins that I have only met once in my life if at all. I would love to meet with all them and see what it was like for my parents growing up in Jamaica. 

California

If there was any place I would ever like to go to live it would definitely be anywhere in California.  I’ve always dreamed of living in sunshine all year round.  California is the ultimate Chay spot to live.  My dream place would definitely have the beach as my backyard so I could go surfing with dolphins whenever I wanted too.  Also it would be pretty sweet to hear the whales call to each other in the middle of the night.  Also California is the ultimate Chay spot because of the girls that they are known for.  If I lived there my days would literally consist of playing soccer on the beach all day.  I decided that California would be the perfect place to live after watching the movie Savages.  This is how I intend to live my life after I move out there.  The best thing about this is that it would be free for me to fly there because I have flight benefits for American Airlines from my mom.  Also like in savages I would probably acquire a license to grow medical marijuana, which is legal to do in California, and from what I’ve heard is the new trend.  My house could literally be a shack around $100,000, as long as I’m on the beach and I’m playing soccer it doesn’t matter what kind of house I live in.  Everyday would be an adventure there.  Some  adventures that caught my eye were Sea World which would be so sweet to visit in San Diego.  My friends and I always think about just picking up and going on a road trip to California and spread the Chay revolution there.  If i were to ever actually move there it would be with our whole Chay group.  Also i would still attend college and look to play soccer there as well.  Also I would definitely get a super cool dog like this one.  As long as I'm still with my family and friends I would love to move to California and stay there for the rest of my life.  However most importantly is not where i live but with who.

Block Island is not a place that many people know about. It’s an island off the coast of Rhode Island and is considered to be a part of Rhode Island.  You usually take a ferry over with a car if you stay the week or a bike for a day trip. Its costs about $126 for a ticket and to have a car on the boat.  Once you get there you need to walk to the Block Island Relater to pick up your key for the house are renting. For a week the price ranges from $750-$3500 depending on the size of the house. Now normally you would go and unpack and set up the house, but our family drops everything off everything and heads straight to the beach.

                The beach is the main thing to do at the block. This isn’t a vacation where there are a lot of things to do. Now there are 4 main beaches that we go to. The first is town beach. The normal beach that everyone goes and its perfect for kids. The next beach is call Mansion beach, because there used to be a huge mansion before it burnt down. This beach is just like town beach but a lot smaller. The third beach called the Bluffs , is my second favorite because not only is it a beach but there are hiking trails and you can look over the entire island. It’s a great place to get away from everything for the day. Now my favorite beach is Coast Guard. This is a kid friendly beach on the out skirts of New Harbor. There are two sections to this beach, the place to swim and the other half where you fish. That just someday things that you can do at the block. Usually after a day at the beach we would go banana boating and this year I plan on going parasailing. Banana boating is $20 per person and you need at least 4 people to go out.

                Now if you want a night out with your family to go eat, I recommend Sharkeys. They have every kind of food you can imagine. They aren’t pricey but it will cost some money for a family of 4. After you go out to dinner you can shop around town and I usually like to go to the movies at the old theater. For lunch there is only one place that you should go, The OAR. Now I couldn’t tell you why, but the food is amazing, the friendly atmosphere, or maybe the fact your right next to the harbor and walk right out on the docks and hang out.

I have a lot of fun when I go to the Block, the whole family is up and we all have fun. Someday we just stay home cook out and play football wiffleball or just do nothing. But that day and night is usually our last night and that is when we set off the fireworks. My uncle and I have a huge fireworks show that I’m pretty sure the whole island can see. I promise you will have fun if you go to Block Island
Block Island

Paris, France

For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to go to Paris, France. My room is decorated floor to ceiling with images of the Eiffel tower and cobblestone streets. Everything about Paris has always interested me, from the historic places to the glamorous shopping. My great aunt and uncle took a trip there over two years ago and said it was the best time of their lives. They ate at the top of the Eiffel Tower and toured through many museums. A few that they suggested I should visit were Cite de l'architecture , the Notre-Dame cathedral and the Eiffel Tower of course. The city is also named the City of Lights and Capital of Fashion, and who wouldnt love to visit a city like that? When I heard about how amazing it was, I decided to look up tickets. They range from around $700 and can climb all the way up to $2000 round trip. Its a little costly, but for an experience like that I believe its worth the money. And then of course you would have to bring some spending money, since its the capital of fashion! Saving for a while would probably be best.I have also heard there is amazing restuarants with gorgeous views of the city while you eat. I want to experience everything that Paris has to offer and fully appreciate its beauty. I thought about maybe going abroad my junior year of college, and studying in France. I think it would be a great opportunity to learn and to live out my dream.  I hope one day my dream can come true and I can take this vacation, with either friends or family. It seems like a wonderful experience and a long trip worth taking!

Hawaii

Going on vacation and traveling the world is my absolute favorite thing to do. I have been on 10 cruises and my favorite one has hands down been my cruise to Hawaii. I was only 6 when I went on it; I don’t remember much from it and would love to go back. I recently looked back on pictures from that trip, Honolulu looks absolutely beautiful. 

I wish I were older when I went on it because all my vacations are starting to blend together. Going back to Hawaii is my next dream vacation. Planning vacations are very time consuming and expensive. One plan ticket to Honolulu Hawaii can be anywhere from 600-800 dollars. The cruise would be roughly $3999, which is a suit style. I’ve gone on every cruise with all my cousins; my sisters, my cousin Amanda and me all share a room together. There is endless of things to do once upon the ship from eating, swimming, drinking to playing games. I love being on the ship finding new places to hangout with new people but I also love seeing new places. I like cruises better then just going to one resort because you get to get taste of at least three different islands. I also like how cruises are all inclusive, room, food and entertainment is all included. Once on the island we always go to the beach, ending up laying on the beach and swimming in the clearest water I’ve ever seen. The last time I went to Hawaii we got to climb a water fall, I would love to do that the next time I go to Hawaii. I would also like to go parasailing; my sister went once and said it was amazing. There is always something new to do everyday on the ship. Being with my cousins and family make the trip so much fun. We have gotten so close over the years and have made so many memories. I hope the next cruise brings as much memories as the previous ones have. 

Sweden

I think most peoples dream vacation would be to a place like Hawaii or Cancun. But, if I could go on vacation anywhere and money was not an issue I would go to Sweden.  The main reason is one of my best friends, who I played junior hockey with, lives there.  His name is Oliver Wong and he is a really cool kid.  I still talk to him through Facebook all the time. He used to always brag about how much fun it is there.  He has a lot of money.  Both of his parents own their own companies and do very well.  They are also very nice people.  I met them when they came to visit Oliver. He actually has two houses, one supposedly right on a lake.  His parents hardly ever go to his house on the lake.  We would be able to use his lake house whenever we wanted and he always throws huge parties there. He also said that he has a really nice boat.  Another thing Oliver used to talk about all the time are the clubs in Sweden.  He always says how wild they are and how crazy him and his friends get.  He says they are so much more fun than the bars and clubs in America.  Even though the drinking age is 18 there, that is not really an issue for me since I am 21. However, my third reason for wanting to go there is that I have never been to Europe and I think that it would be a very cool and unique experience.  Plus I know someone there to show me around and to show me have a good time.  Most people my age that go, or have gone to Europe do not know anybody there.  I think the fact that I have a very good friend there would make my experience that much better.  I won’t have to struggle with a language barrier because he will be there to translate.  Plus I will be able to hang out with him and his friends.  Also I wouldn’t have to pay for anything but a plane ticket there.  Not only would I get to experience Europe, but I would be able to visit a good friend at the same time.

Plane Ticket- Roughly $1,000
All my other expenses- covered.

Minas Gerais

A place I love to vacation is Minas Gerais, Brasil. I love this state because both my parents are from there and I got to see the whole state since they are from very opposite side, one is from the city and one is from the country side. I would love to be in the city and on the weekends go to the country side. A flight to Brasil cost around $800 to $2000. When going you must bring clothes to last you such as shirts, pants, underwear, socks, sweaters, sneakers/shoes and jackets. I have a house in the city and stay there and when I go to the countryside I stay with my grandma in her farm. Since I speak Portuguese I don’t need a translator; however if you don’t speak Portuguese I’d recommend a tour guide and a translator. There is a lot of places to go in Minas. In the city Belo Horizonte the third biggest city in Brasil you can go watch soccer games at the Mineirao stadium or the Independencia. There are many historical sights to be seen such as Ouro Preto known to be the center of the greatest gold and silver rush in the Americas (In 1933 it was declared a national monument and the surrounding region a national park). Also Diamantina which is a diamond mine today. Being and experiencing these places is much different than reading about them and looking at pictures. Theses’ places are truly beautiful. When you travel there you won’t need as much money as you thing because the exchange is 1 to 2, for every one dolor you get two reais. When you want to eat food varies from price but the quality will always be there, from the little pub at the end of the street to the luxurious restaurant you will always get great food. The drinking age is 18 so don’t be surprised when you see baby faced people at the bars. If you could afford it the best thing to do is to ride a taxi everywhere but if you can’t, for sure rent a car to get around.  Well this was a quick overview on how and what you could do when traveling to Minas Gerais, Brasil

Chelsey Mahoney's Vacation

                                      Getting Away

Getting away to the Lonely Plant where the green grass will run for miles and miles. It’s a beautiful get away where you get to enjoy the Irish culture, and appreciation of their country. Dublin Ireland, is where I would want to go on vacation for 2 weeks. Cute pubs, folk music, legal drinking age 18, pretty inspiring views and men with accents what could be better. Flights aren’t cheap to get to the Dublin Airport from Logan Airport, which is where I’m from, Boston. For a plane ticket there and back is $1,121.39, but the flight is one stop, and it’s overnight so you don’t lose a whole a day. Also you get a deal on your hotel if you buy your plane tickets from www.cheapticket.com , you get 15% of your hotel stay.  I want to stay at The Shelbourne Dublin, A Renaissance Hotel which would be $264 a night if I chose a King size bed which I would want to do. The Shelbourne Hotel isn’t cheap by any means, but it’s in the heart of Dublin city where right outside is the famous Grafton Street Shopping area. The Hotel is a historical hotel, and is well known all around the world. To go along with the hotel is it comes with breakfast, a pool, nice fitness center, and quality food. Some popular entertainment right in Dublin city is the Temple Bar, Dublin Castle, Henry Street,etc. I think this vacation to Dublin Ireland would be relaxing, and different. It would allow you to see a different culture, and be a part of that culture for 11 days. I really want to study aboard in Dublin, maybe at Trinity College which is right in the city. One of my favorite bands is from Dublin Ireland, the Script. In their lyrics they say a lot about Dublin, and it really makes you want to see it for yourself. The pubs seem so fun there, they have people always singing, and I would love that. One of my favorite sports is soccer, and soccer is very big in Ireland they have a popular team called the Shamrock Rovers who play in the city of Dublin. This could be another entertaining thing to do if you are a sports fan like I am.

Orlando, Florida

As far as a vacation goes, I would most like to go to Orlando, Florida.  Unlike most people though, I would like to focus my attention on the golf courses in the area, rather than the theme parks.  The parks are great, but the golf courses around Disney World are phenomenal.  Even though the trip to play would be expensive, it would be completely worth the money.
For starters, a flight to Disney world using Southwest Airlines would cost $109, even with the flight not being until June. Furthermore, renting a car for a week will cost over 100 dollars, and that is for a small sized sedan.  Also, a week in a room at the Orlando World Center Marriott will run $169 dollars per night.  All of this does not include the price for dining out for a week straight.  Although the food is delicious, it is not free.
The golf is also not free, but Disney World has some of the best golf courses in the country.  For example, Osprey Ridge is a course located on a Wildlife reserve, which is filled with wildlife and great views on nearly every hole.

Osprey Ridge Golf Club

Also located in Orlando is Marriott Grand Pines, which is conveniently located right down the road from the hotel I would be staying the week in.  Grand Pines is known for its difficult greens, as well as the great views of the bay nearby.  Like many other courses in the area, Grand Pines is home of several professional events, but is also open to the public.

Grand Pines Golf Club

Other courses include Bay Hill, Grand Cyprus, and Orange County.  All of these courses are available to play, but it costs at least a hundred dollars to play each course, and that is with a booking in advance.  The trip I want to take is expensive, but a relaxing week of golf in Orlando with a great hotel and amazing food will make the trip worthwhile.  Also, the fact that all of the Disney theme parks are right in the area will be an added bonus if there is a dreary day, or if it is too hot to play eighteen holes of golf.   

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Tampa Bay, Florida

I would like to live in Tampa Bay, Florida for a few summers. The houses down there are mostly single family homes or townhouses. They range from $70,000 - $330,000 according to standard pacific homes. I would like to live in downtown Tampa Bay somewhere. It was a lot of fun down there, the last time I went. I went to Tampa Bay for the 2012 frozen four ice hockey. When we got there we went strait to our hotel rooms and put our stuff down. Then we went out to lunch at hooters. After that we checked out the city. It was very nice, they had a bunch of small stores. The hockey rink was right in the middle of the city. They had an aquarium beyond the hockey rink. It was a smaller city but a very clean one. It was right on the water but no beaches. You had to drive a little bit to get to the nearest beach from our hotel. The view from our room was unbelievable. We could see everything in the city. At night we would go to the downtown area they had a tone of nightlife.

Which included bowling, pool tables, restaurants, and an outdoor bar that was playing music for the whole area. It was a circle with a bunch of stores and an out bar in the middle. It was really nice, the restaurant inside there had good hamburgers. The beaches were really nice.  One day we went to St. Petersburg to watch the Tampa Bay Rays play the New York Yankees. The stadium was so nice, it seem like a state of art building. The Hockey rink was also really nice, it was warm in there. Everyone was wearing a t-shirt and shorts. I never thought I would were just a t-shirt and shorts to a hockey rink. I thought that was pretty sick. I would like to live there and go the games all the time for a few years in my 20’s maybe.

We took a Jet Blue plain down to Tampa Bay from Logan international airport. The flight cost us $350 for both ways. We got to Tampa Bay 15 minutes early. It was defiantly worth it to go.

http://www.standardpacifichomes.com/new-homes/florida/tampa.aspx?refcd=GO000000516271529s_house_in_tampa&tsacr=GO5687893629&gclid=CJy64byh67MCFYY7OgoduA4A5g

Myrtle Beach Vacation

Myrtle Beach Vacation

Myrtle Beach is located on the coast of South Carolina right off of route 31. Myrtle Beach is split up into two sections, North Myrtle Beach and South Myrthe Beach. The North side is more of a beach side and the south side is more of shopping centers and resturants. This is why I like Myrtle Beach so much because it gives the vacationer the best of both worlds. One of the biggest attractions in Myrtle Beach is the Broadway At The Beach. The Broadway At The Beach is a place where you can shop, eat, go to shows and the do many other fun activities. Click Here to Visit Broadway at the Beach Besides beaches, shopping centers, resturants, and other miscelaneous shows to attend, Myrtle Beach is the golf capital of the United States. Every way you look in Myrtle Beach you will see a beautiful golf courese. You Have to watch which course you go to though because they are so popular it is easy to make it seem like they have a really nice golf course when they really do not. Myrtle Beach is probably one of the best places to go on vacation because all the activities you can do and they are all at a reasonable price. It is a lot cheaper to drive down to Myrtle Beach especially when a plane ticket costs upwards of $400 to get there and back. To stay at a decent condo or hotel in Myrtle Beach could cost a person between $150 and $400 a night.

North Beach Plantation
Myrtle Beach, SC

France, the Provence 

The provence in France is one of the most relaxing vacations places you can spent your vacation. My parents and me when to the provence 3 times back to back every summer. The houses we stayed at were always located in the country side, right out of town. There was nothing else than landscape what meant no sound of cars passing along the house, no neighbors that were yelling at their kids, etc.., all i heard was complete silence. The best thing about it was waking up in the morning and hearing the wind blow through the grass and trees,  a group of crickets making noise. if that doest sound good yet, every morning we would have the biggest breakfast with the best bread I've ever had. Even I am not a big fan of the French people there culture is one of the most interesting one out there. For example; the best types of food they make are bread, Foie gras, cheese, olives, grapes. Thats what France is recognized for in Europe, next to having great food and wine, France is one of the countries that has allot of historical places. For example they have allot of medieval castles and houses that are still around. Those are the main attraction people go to when they visit france. Plus most of the castles have grape gardens because allot of them have wine stores at the castle. That label their wine as the castles their name. and of course we cannot forget the louvre and the eiffel tower, Notre Dames de Paris and Arc de Triomphe. I would say France is defiantly a country you would enjoy spending your vacation or even live. But in my opinion i enjoy going on vacation to Saint Tropez, although it is pretty expensive, it is deffinatly worth going to France and experiencing the culture of france i would say it would be life changing and make you interested into different cultures that are in the world. Bastide du Calavon is great place to spend your vaction its about 7800-23000 euros. To get a flight depends on which season you would go but it mostly ranges from 1000-3000 euros. I hope this information and my experience made you interested.

Rome Italy

If I could travel anywhere in the world it would have to be to Rome, Italy. The reason that this would be my dream vacation is because of all the different things there are to do there. My best friend went two years ago and he said it was the best trip of his entire life. He told me about the different sites he went to see and how delicious the food there was. As soon as he told me about this trip I knew that I wanted to see it all for myself. The ticket price for a flight over to Rome would cost anywhere from $700-$1,100 dollars depending on the airline. Also hotel prices per night there can cost anywhere from $40-$300 dollars per night depending on the hotel. You also 

would need to bring walk around money which could add up to another $500 or $600 dollars. When I’m there I would begin my trip with seeing all the sites Rome has to offer, such as The Colosseum,  ThePantheon, and Piazza Navona. All of these sites would be the first on my list. Besides the sites I would be sure to walk around and see the night life of Rome. There are many restaurants, shops, and maybe even nightclubs that I would like to see. I especially would like to taste the pizza over there. My friend that made the trip two years ago said it was the best pizza he ever tasted. I can only imagine how all the other food tastes. Another thing that I would love to do while I’m there is to see a Professional Soccer game. The team Roma is a very popular team there and has the reputation for being a good competitive team. The rumors are that those games are very exciting and fans there get into the game, some even set off fireworks in the stands! I think that this vacation would be one of the best trips I could ever go on. My dream is to go there one day, so I need to start saving up as soon as possible to make this dream a reality. 

                                       Above is a short video about the Colosseum in Rome.