Post #7 "England"

England is somewhere that I have longed to go, ever since I was a kid. My mom and I have always enjoyed watching old English movies together, and the picturesque scenery and life style has given me the desire to travel there and learn more about it. Whether I were to just travel to see London itself, or extend my travels to the country life as well, I would enjoy every second of this adventure. The climate in England is similar to Michigan’s climate, warm summers and mild winters, which is why I would rather travel in the summer. It wouldn’t be much fun to travel to such a beautiful place in the cold weather and it wouldn’t be too hot during the summer months to walk around and enjoy what it has to offer.

The first stop in England that I would make is to Highclere Castle in Newbury. This is the location where many scenes from the popular show, Downton Abbey, were shot. It's an absolutely stunning castle, aren’t they all, and it would be awesome to see where this show was produced. Of course, while in England this would not be the only castle that I would see, but it is defiantly at the top of my list. At this point in the trip I would also take the opportunity to take in the country life. Jump from little town to little town and learn the way of life in the quant communities.

Next stop would be London.  Home of the Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, and the Tower Bridge. I would stay at the Mandarin Oriental hotel, located in the central part of the city, just 0.8 miles away from Buckingham Palace. This hotel offers bed and breakfast, spa treatments, and luxury dinning. In the days that I stay there, I would go site seeing every possible second. I would go to the well-known Big Ben clock tower, the stunning St. Paul’s Cathedral, the historical British Museum, and just journey around the big, beautiful city in the iconic double-decker busses.

This stay would be one that I would never forget. Touring around the country side of England with my mom who would get just as excited as me to see the magnificent castles that were built hundreds of years ago, and the little towns that no one knows about but have so much character. And lastly, there would be no trip to England with out exploring London and witnessing all the great architectural masterpieces that everyone talks about. It would defiantly be a dream come true to be able to take this trip.

Blog #6 "Australia"

From surfing to kangaroos to traveling in the Outback, I can’t imagine there being any spare time when taking a trip to Australia. Surrounded by the Indian and Pacific Oceans, Australia is one unique country. It is best known for the Great Barrier Reef, the Sydney Opera House, and the Blue Mountains National Park. While the climate in this continent changes from season to season it is much more desirable than Michigan’s climate. In the north it stays pretty warm and has a tropical feel, but in the south toward the end of the year it gets cooler and rainy. I would defiantly plan a trip around the winter months, I would be traveling more north and at that time it is warm and dry.  

Australia is one of the wealthiest countries in the world and continues to grow. In comparison to other countries it has some of the highest rankings in quality of life, economic freedom, health, and education.  Australia is the world’s smallest continent, but considered the largest island. What I never knew was that Australia is separated into six states, New South Wales (NSW), Queensland (QLD), South Australia (SA), Tasmania (TAS), Victoria (VIC) and Western Australia (WA). This continent also contains the world’s most beautiful and unique underwater life. Australia is home to The Great Barrier Reef, the world’s largest coral reef, and labeled one of the seven natural wonders of the world. While traveling to Australia you will come across many different landscapes, from rainforest, woodlands, wetlands, to deserts and forests. What I find the most interesting is that although they speak English it is called Australian English, one would have to listen carefully because they have their own slang and dialect that differs from the English language.

If I were to visit Australia I would be sure to see the variety of landscape that it has to offer. One city that I would have to visit would be Sydney. Sydney is home the most famous Sydney Opera House and although I may not be much into opera, I would love to say that I have been there, just witnessing the architecture of the city would be worth it. Next, I would travel north to Queensland. There I would go scuba diving in the grand ocean to explore around the Great Barrier Reef. During this vacation I would defiantly need to learn how to surf, one cannot go to Australia and not surf. Each destination that is on the coast, I would hit the waves because it is a staple on this grand island. Last stop would be Red Centre Way which is located in the Outback of Australia. Taking a tour through the mountainous sand dunes would take about five days. This portion of the trip is where one would see the wild life, go rock climbing, and tour the deserted landscape in the solidarity of you, a friend, and a tour guide.

This trip would revolve around the nature of what Australia has to offer. Although there would be a trip or two into the city to see the architecture and other tourist destinations, the Great Barrier Reef and the Outback are far more intriguing.