How to Tour the Berlin Wall

Thinking about planning your next trip to Germany? Berlin is the capital of Germany and is a must see when vacationing in the country of Germany. Countries that border Germany include Denmark, Austria, Switzerland, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands, making it so many travelers who visit Germany will also choose to visit one or more of these other western European countries. Read More

Plitvice Lake National Park, Croatia

Planning your next trip to Europe? Adding Croatia to your itinerary is a must as it has so much to offer. One of its best offerings is Plitvice Lake National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site that makes this park one of Croatia’s most popular tourist attractions.

Croatia

This Mediterranean country is perfectly situated along the eastern side of the Adriatic Sea. It is a geographically diverse country due to its flatlands, highlands, and islands. While the main language spoken here is Croatian, many people who live here also speak German and Italian, with a little English on the side. There are many options for traveling within Croatia, with choices simply being dependent on each travelers preference, i.e. plane, train, car, bus, boat.
Plitvice Lake National Park

The Plitvice Lake National Park is not only the largest park in Croatia, it is also the oldest. Its claim to fame is its absolute beauty. A total of 16 different turquoise colored lakes are to be enjoyed here, of which all are linked together via spectacular waterfalls. The park covers about 5 square miles of green, lush forest, and includes plenty of wildlife, including deer, bears, wolves, and boars. Bird lovers will enjoy the fact that there are a few different species of rare bird that can be found here. Guided tours of the park are available.

 

Summertime is a popular time for visiting the park due to the warm weather. This is a time when many families choose to visit as everyone can enjoy relaxing by the lake, as well as enjoy swimming in them. But spring, fall, and even winter are not to be forgotten. Springtime weather is nice and cool and offers visitors the chance to see all of the plants and flowers start to come into bloom. Fall weather is chilly and allows visitors to enjoy views of the changing colors of trees from summer to fall. Wintertime is a magical time for the park. The snowfall and icy lakes are a wonderful sight to behold!

 

While the park is open every day of the year, it can get crowded during certain times of the year making it a good idea to make traveling plans in advance so one knows what to expect. Visitors often choose to stay 1 or 2 days as there are three nearby hotels that allow for convenient accommodations. There are also private accommodations available in the area, i.e. guesthouses, rooms for rent, local apartments for rent.

Travel Makers 

Plitvice Lake National Park, Croatia

Philadelphia Flower Market

Thinking about taking your next vacation in the City of Brotherly Love? Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is a top vacation destination, especially for travelers who enjoy history. Philly is one of America’s most visited cities, mainly due to the city itself as well as surrounding counties that offer plenty of rich historical heritage. People come from all over to see some of the best national historic sites to be seen in the United States, including the Liberty Bell.

Other popular attractions include must-see museums like the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Rittenhouse Square, the Morris Arboretum, Franklin Square, Spruce Street Harbor Park, and the Philadelphia Flower Market.

 

Philadelphia Flower Market

The Philadelphia Flower Market in Center City is a definite must visit when in Philadelphia. Situated right in the heart of Philadelphia, only the freshest of flowers and juiciest succulent plants can be found here. This family owned business offers premier floral arrangements and spectacular plant gardens for their customers, all while also offering them the friendliest service possible, and all within the local Philly area. The busy flower shop is underground near the subway, making it easy to access for commuters to stop and shop.

Flower arrangements and plant gardens can be made for any occasion, with birthdays and anniversaries being two of the more popular requests. Both premade flower arrangements and plant gardens can be purchased and given as a gift or kept for one’s office or home. A few premade options that are more commonly chosen include their dozen long stem red roses, any of their spring bouquets, and the assorted tulips. The opportunity to create one’s own custom arrangement or garden is also available, and can be quite fun to do.

 

For those who need a little advice on how to take care of their flowers or succulents, all they need to do is ask. The customer service team is one that goes above and beyond what their duties call for, which means they are more than happy to offer their advice or to help their customers with any requests they may have.

 

All flowers and gardens are hand delivered, making for a personal touch. Same day delivery is available, a great option for those who tend to wait until the last minute.

 

Visitors should keep in mind that Philadelphia hosts an annual flower show – The Philadelphia Flower Show. This extremely popular event is the world’s oldest and largest indoor event of its kind, with more than a quarter of a million people attending every year.

Travel Makers

Philadelphia Flower Market

Wai’anapanapa Black Sand Beach

Thinking about taking your next vacation to Hawaii? Hawaii is a top vacation destination, which makes complete and perfect sense. The eight unique islands that make up Hawaii all offer different experiences, as Hawaii is considered to be one of the most diverse states due to the melting pot of cultures. The scenery is spectacular as paradise is everywhere – majestic mountainsides, lush green forests, spectacular waterfalls, gorgeous beaches – of which all are must-see’s when visiting the Aloha State.

 

Wai’anapanapa Black Sand Beach

Wai’anapanapa Black Sand Beach is located within Wai’anapanapa State Park. For those visiting the island of Maui, visiting their black sand beach is a side trip most people take when traveling along the road to Hana, as it’s a perfect location to spend a day relaxing on the beach. A beach that has black sand is a definite attraction as there aren’t as many black sand beaches as there are white sand beaches. The reason for the black sand? Black sand beaches are made up of a variety of volcanic minerals as well as lava fragments, of which all tend to be dark colored.

 

Upon arrival, visitors will first be welcomed by the spectacular views of the black sand beach. The combination of black sand, blue ocean and lush greenery all come together to create one of the more beautiful views to be seen in Hawaii.

 

Checking out the Seaside Lava Tubes, also called Sea Caves, are a truly impressive sight and a must see for those who enjoy exploring. The Blowhole is also a must see and is located in a partially submerged ocean cave. The shape of the cave is positioned in a way that allows the ocean waters to be forced through the hole, creating jets of water that shoot upwards of 30 feet in the air.

 

Visitors can also choose to take a nature walk on the path located nearby, which not only allows them to enjoy all the beautiful scenery, it also allows them to enjoy all of the many bird species that live in the area. There’s also a natural lava arch that makes for some really great picture taking!

 

For visitors who would like to stay longer than one day, the Park offers accommodations in the form of cabin rentals. There’s plenty of green grass in the area as well as picnic facilities for all to enjoy.

 

Once you’ve visited a black sand beach, you just may be tempted to visit other colored beaches, like pink sand beaches, green sand beaches and red sand beaches!

 

Travel Makers

Mystic Hot Springs Monroe Utah

Enjoy being at one with nature? Enjoy different types of art? Then you’ll likely enjoy taking a trip to Mystic Hot Springs, located in the beautiful state of Utah. The main focus here is on raising one’s self-awareness, which allows them to be their true authentic self. And it all started with one person’s idea, Mike Ginsberg, who simply saw a vision and made it come to life. A work in progress since 1996, the special energy found in Mystic Hot Springs is truly unlike any other place.

The History of Mystic Hot Springs

Many people say the scene here reminds them of days past, which can most likely be attributed to the fact that it has been used as a Hot Spring location for more than a hundred years. Before Ginsberg bought the property in 1996, the former owners made a large pooling of the bottom of a hill and promoted this Hot Springs location to everyone in the area. Mystic Hot Springs soon became known as a place where people could go soak away their troubles and relax.

Word quickly spread, and now that many people were coming to experience all the benefits that a Hot Springs soaking offered, they decided that a dance floor needed to be added for some additional fun. The Home of Mirth and Merriment soon became their motto, which is still appropriate today.

Mystic Hot Springs Today

To add uniqueness, Ginsberg found and bought pioneer caverns to place on the property, of which now there are a total of 15 cabins, aka Pioneer Village. They’re all in different stages of being restored, and only recycled materials are used. There are also many mobile home sites where residents live year round.

Visitors have many choices when it comes to accommodations – tent camping, car camping, renting one of the many cabins, staying in a nature bus, a camp bus or a farm bus, and staying in their own recreational vehicle at one of the many RV site locations.

Soaking areas are also many and include soaking at The Source, soaking in The Channel in bathtubs (there are many bathtub choices!), soaking in The Shallow Pool, and soaking in The Deep Pool.

Concerts and festivals are held throughout the year. Some of the bands that have already played at Mystic Hot Springs includes Jerry Joseph, The Zen Tricksters, The Animal Liberation Orchestra, Don Conoscenti, and the David Nelson Band.

Visitors are welcome to stay for a few days, or many years!

Travel Makers MD

Cog Railway to Pikes Peak

The Pikes Peak Cog Railway has been in business for more than 100 years! Upon their opening in 1891, this mountainside railway company has allowed thousands of people to enjoy the many spectacular views that come with taking this guided mountain tour. Whether it’s an entire family taking their yearly vacation, a small group of friends, or a large group of travelers, the railway at Pikes Peak offers all vacationers a super fun and exciting adventure that they will not soon forget.

Pikes Peak

Pikes Peak is also known as the Big Hill. What makes this mountaintop stand out from the rest is that it contains some of the oldest living things on the planet. This includes the bristlecone pine trees, which are estimated to be over 2000 years old. All of the views from this mountaintop are truly spectacular, with trees, grasses, wildflowers and more being just part of the natural views that vacationers come here to see. The wildlife here includes yellow-bellied marmots and bighorn sheep.

Cog Railway

The entire railway tour takes a little more than 3 hours to complete the almost 9 miles of train tracks. Passengers are able to enjoy the many views that come when taking this mountainside tour, including the beautiful Ponderosa pine and Colorado blue spruce trees, the boulder fields, the Minnehaha Falls, Hell’s Gate, Deer Park, and the final destination Pikes Peak. Once Pike Peak is reached, vacationers are allowed to spend about 30 minutes in the area before it’s time to head back down the mountain. Because this adventure takes place on a mountainside, it’s really important for visitors to be mindful so they can be safe.

Good to Know

Pikes Peak is located in the sub alpine desert, which means that the air is more dry than humid. Because the temperatures in Pikes Peak can vary it’s important to bring a variety of clothing to wear. Because the elevation is a little over 6000 feet above sea level, it’s recommended that vacationers take it easy for the first day are so in order to adjust to the high altitude.

This railway journey is one that any adventure seeker or nature lover will truly enjoy!

NOTE: The railway has been going through some major renovations during the 2018 season. Because it has been determined that there is a need to reevaluate the current infrastructure as well as the current equipment, the railway is currently figuring out what their next steps are going to be for future railway trips to Pikes Peak.

Travel Makers MD

 

Most Instagramed Cities

Most travelers enjoy taking lots of pictures when visiting various cities all over the world, as this is one of the best ways for them to create long lasting memories. Instagram is a photo uploading app that more and more travelers are using nowadays as it offers them an easy way to upload and share their pictures during their travels. Since many travelers are now using Instagram to tell a story, those who are looking to plan their next vacation destination are now using this social media platform as a way to choose their next vacation choice.

Social Media

Social Media is being used more than ever nowadays, especially by travelers. When someone is interested in traveling to a particular location, they can use Social Media to find out more information about that location. While there’s plenty of general traveling information available, there’s also plenty of detailed traveling information available on various Social Media platforms. This allows potential travelers the ability to access all of the information they feel they need so they can choose where they want to go on their next vacation.

Most Instagramed Cities

According to Guinness World Records, New York City was the most popular city on Instagram as of December 2017. The Big Apple is visited by more than 60 million people every year and is still one of the most iconic cities photographed today!

 

The following is a list of the most Instagramed cities to date:

 

  • Moscow, Russia – The fantastic architecture, historical monuments and impressive cathedrals are some of the more popular Instagram pictures taken by those visiting Moscow.
  • London, United Kingdom – The Tower Bridge, the Gates of Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park, the Palace of Westminster, Brick Land and the London Eye are all on the list of attractions when taking Instagram pictures in London.
  • Sao Paulo, Brazil – The stunning sunsets, the art deco architecture, Ibirapuera Park, the Alto de Pinheiros hillside, Terraco Italia, and Sao Paulo’s Municipal Market can all be found on Instagram.
  • Paris, France – The Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, The Louvre, the Arc De Triomphe and bridges over the River Seine are all included in Paris’ top scenic Instagram pictures.
  • Los Angeles, California – The Griffith Observatory, the Santa Monica Pier, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Hollywood Walk of Fame are all part of the reason why Los Angeles is one of the most Instagramed cities.
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    Garden of the Gods Colorado

    Planning a trip to Colorado? Colorado Springs is home to Garden of the Gods Park, a definite must see! The geological rock formations found here are not only impressive, there are also plenty of outdoor activities for visitors to partake in when visiting this free outdoor attraction.

    Garden of the Gods Park in Colorado

    Garden of the Gods Park has been registered as a national natural landmark since 1971. Scenic views include snowcapped mountains and sparkling blue skies. There are more than 1300 acres that make up the Garden of the Gods Park, which includes a total of 12 main hiking trails and 19 different rock formations. Visitors can choose to explore the park on their own by driving their car on specially designated roads, leisurely biking, mountain biking, hiking and walking.

    Visitors can also choose to sign up for free 30 minute guided nature walks. A knowledgeable naturalist is ready to guide visitors through the Park every day, weather permitting. The naturalist will not only guide them through the Park, they will also educate them on some of the more popular topics brought up by people visiting this area – weather, nature, wildflowers, rattlesnakes, gold mining and more.

    Visitor Center, Nature Center

    There’s always something new and exciting going on at the Garden of the Gods Visitor and Nature Center! Various themes and special series are continually being offered to visitors for educational reasons. Visitors can listen to special presentations, review interesting demonstrations, sign up for hikes led by top naturalists, and even listen to historians speak on a number of relevance subject matters.

    Largest Trading Post in Colorado!

    The Garden of the Gods Trading Post is the largest in Colorado and includes an art gallery, a gift store, a coffee shop and a café. The Balanced Rock Café offers visitors a variety of rustic food choices, including buffalo burgers. The Colorado City Creamery makes their own ice cream, making it a must stop for ice cream lovers.

    Annual Events

    The following is a list of annual event celebrations held in Garden of the Gods Park.

    • Earth Day
    • Bighorn Sheep Day
    • The Garden of the Gods 10-Mile Run Marathon
    • The Grand Prix of Running Marathon
    • The Starlight Spectacular Bike Ride

     

    Things to do Nearby

    The following is a short list of some of the nearby things to do when visiting Garden of the Gods Park in Colorado Springs.

  • Old Colorado City
  • Manitou Springs
  • Manitou Cliff Dwellings
  • Space Foundation discovery Center
  • Cave of the Winds Mountain Park
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    Cave of the Winds

    Planning a trip to Colorado? Enjoy exploring caves? Then visiting the Cave of the Winds is a definite must! Cave of the Winds Mountain Park is located in Manitou Springs, Colorado, where these impressive caves were only discovered about 150 years ago. The Park is now a leader when it comes to preserving caves, and spends a lot of time educating others in everything there is to know about caves.

    Because there are many things to do when visiting this popular cave system in Colorado, all ages are welcome.

    Cave of the Winds

    Cave of the Winds is the perfect place to visit for those who love adventure. Whether someone is simply interested in learning more about the underground world of caves or is already an experienced caver, the opportunity to participate in one or more of the tours available is available to all. When signing up for a cave tour, all participants are well informed on what to expect, as safety is definitely a top focus. Respecting the caves is also important as it allows the underground ecosystem to continue as it should.

    Below Ground Cave Tours

    There are different types of cave tours available. From educational walking tours that are perfect for families, to a deeper exploration that requires lanterns and includes folklore stories, to climbing and crawling through undeveloped caves sections, there’s a perfect cave tour available for every visitor.

     

    • Discovery Tour
    • Lantern Tour
    • Caving 101

     

    Above Ground Fun!

    There’s a variety of packages that can be purchased for families or individuals that allow for an entire day of fun when visiting the Cave of the Winds – Pioneer Package, Explorer Package, Mountain Man Package. Each activity can be purchased and enjoyed separately, too. Visitors can choose to climb up the mountainside, participate in a 3-story obstacle course, pan for gemstones, visit the nature center to learn more about caves, figure out how to get out of an escape room, and shop for some really cool cave souvenirs.

    A list of above ground activities to do when visiting the Cave of the Winds.

    Via Ferrata Canyon Tours

    Panning for Gemstones

    Josephine Snider Nature Center

    Magic Lantern Virtual Reality Theatre

    Bat-a-Pult

    Wind Walker Challenge Course

    Cliff Hanger Climbing Wall

    Terror-Dactyl

    Escape Rooms

    Accommodations

    Visitors who are wanting to spend more time at Cave of the Winds Mountain Park can choose to stay at one of the many local hotels or campgrounds located near the Park.

    Travel Makers MD

     

    Travel Tips for Visiting the Vatican

    The majority of people who travel to Rome make it a point to visit the Vatican. Whether it’s for religious reasons or to view a cultural and highly global influence up close, taking a day to explore the wonders of the Vatican is highly suggested when in Rome. The fact that this historical structure has 9 miles of rooms and galleries makes it a good idea to plan an early trip in order see everything, as well as to avoid the crowds.

    The Vatican

    The Vatican is located in Vatican City, Rome, and is the official residence of the Pope. Vatican City is the smallest country in the world at just over 100 acres. The Vatican makes its own money, makes its own stamps, has its own flag, and even created its own anthem, making it a monarchy led by the elected Pope. Roughly 600 people claim Vatican citizenship, which includes cardinals, clergy members, Swiss Guard members and nuns.

    Travel Tips for Visiting the Vatican

    The following are some of the absolute best travel tips for visiting the Vatican.

     

  • Preplan the day. Preplanning the day to visit the Vatican is suggested as it does close on certain days throughout the year.
  • Leave large bags at the hotel. No one is allowed to bring in any large bags, purses, backpacks, or any sharp objects. If large items are brought, cloakroom services are available. Small bags, etc. are allowed.
  • Dress for the day. Wearing comfortable clothing and shoes is suggested. Visitors are asked to wear modest clothing that covers at a minimum most of their body.
  • Avoid peak crowds. The Vatican is more likely to be crowded on the last Sunday of the month due to free entrance. The Vatican is also more likely to be busier between the months of March and November.
  • Buy tickets in advance online. Buying tickets online is going to save time as there’s no need to stand in a long line to buy the tickets.
  • Sign up for very early morning tours. Vacationers who sign up for early morning tours will not only get private tours of the Vatican, they will also get to stay after the tour is over to further explore all the wonders of the Vatican.
  • Sign up for a walking tour of the Vatican museums. Tours start about an hour before the crowds begin to arrive, allowing visitors time to explore and learn about the museum’s while it’s still empty and thus quiet.
  • Pay extra for ‘skip the line’ Vatican admission tickets. When ‘skip the line’ Vatican admission tickets are purchased visitors are able to enjoy exclusive access through a reserved entranceway, which means not having to wait in long lines.
  • Waiting tour guides. Being wary of any waiting ‘tour guides’ approaching people when they are already at the Vatican is highly suggested.
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