The most beautiful art that we can admire is made by nature, the best color combination we found it in nature. What do you think about orange and blue?
The most beautiful art that we can admire is made by nature, the best color combination we found it in nature. What do you think about orange and blue?
This series is about my visit to Wyndwood Walls in Miami. Wyndwood Walls is s street art museum, where walls are converted in giant canvas with street art. The art is very colorful and I wanted to give a little twist to my visit there and make it a little surreal experience of my own. … Read more Vibrant Journey
It was the fist time in my life that I traveled, I was 18 years old and it wouldn’t be the last. Twenty five years later I can testify that, that trip to Disney World wasn’t my last.
Back then, I lived in Puerto Rico and I had never traveled before. I used to dream about Disney World, it was like a fantasy to me. The whole concept of traveling to the US it was like a dream. I never imagine back then that eight years later I was going to be living permanently in Orlando Florida. If I never imagine that, less I imagine that I was going to be working everyday on Disney property. Back then was a dream, this day is my every day life thing.
It was my first time traveling and it was my first time at Disney World, and definitely hasn’t been the last. That was just the beginning of Travelmystories I just didn’t know it back then.
In some of the pictures we were at Universal Studios. Actually on that vacation we stayed at Central Florida for 3 weeks and we visited all the parks including Bush Garden in Tampa. My family always took us on vacation, but in Puerto Rico. We visited many places and stayed in different towns during our vacation. But this special one, was our first family vacation in the US. Thank God for cameras, and albums we have now great memories to re-live.
After 4 years of my last visit, I went back to my home paradise. My main reason was to see my grandmother, she just turn 92 and she have Alzheimer. But also it has been more than 20 years that I haven’t spent Thanksgiving in PR with my mom. On top of it I had to meet some of Jorge ‘s family that after almost 4 years together I haven’t met yet. So I had so many reason to go visit my beautiful little Island.
Here I share with you some of my moments in Puerto Rico…
Riding our bikes while listening to birds singing beautiful, coordinated melodies. I can smell the strawberries from the Strawberry field from the distance. We parked our bikes and pick some of the berries… We continue our bike ride, the fresh wind caress my face and hair. Where ever I looked, people are smiling and they look as happy as we are. The sun is shining with glory but not too hot, so our day looks clear and perfect. Families all together playing on the park, a couple having a romantic picnic over the green, emerald grass. The sound of the city disappears with the distraction of nature, the smell of flowers, the glowing pond and lakes… The Castle enchanted the moment, feeling like I was in another era. Perfection is all around us. The shade of the millions of trees is comfortable and the bike track is so smooth and flat that…^&^##$%^&(*&(*&*&^ WAKE UP!!!!!
That was just my day dreaming adventure of what I tought it was going to be biking in Central Park. Now the real story went a little bit different…
I been in Central Park before, about 3 times, but only to the area between the W 59th St. and Bethesda fountain and The Loeb Central Park Boathouse (The Lake).
So, I was guilty of dreaming unrealistic dreams about my next visit to Central Park. Specially…. Number 1, I wanted to see the whole park and number 2, I want to take a tour bike… I thought it was going to be easier to bike, that to walk around so much. The park is huge and there was a lot that I wanted to see and learn about it… besides I love biking (but far from being a professional).
OK!Check this out. First, we got late to the bike tour, so instead we rented the bicycles for 4 hours (it was included with the NY passes that we bought)Central Park Sightseeing Bike Tours & Rentals
Second, there are no strawberries on the Strawberry Field!(This was so funny to me because I thought that I never visited the Strawberry Field before,I thought it was called like that literally because had strawberries. But I did visited before, but didn’t know that the John Lennon Memorial was the Strawberry Field.) O____o
Third, Central Park is Not Flat! I did not know that the park has hills… You know, up and down hills!! I love biking but I do it more recreational not as an exercise event. I am not used to ride going up hills! Did I mention that Orlando is flat! So, if you are not in good shape or at least you are not used to ride bicycle up hills you will have a tremendous work out.
After getting our bikes, I was designated to be the “tour guide” because I had the list of things to see. After studying the map, and get a little lost we found the bike lane. For my disappointment the bike lane runs along a street that goes around the outer part of the park. The park doesn’t have a bike trail through the park where the trees, ponds, lakes, castle and all the pretty scenery is. For us to be able to see anything in our list we supposed to leave the bike lane and walk our bikes through the interior part of the park, is prohibited to ride bicycles on the walking path. Another little detail, we were not able to leave the bicycles unattended because we didn’t get the locks that were provided for us… We tought we were not going to need them. Oops!
We started and there it came the first hill, without breath we decide to take our first break.
Later continuing our bike ride our speed was almost none, many bikers continuously went by passing us. Our second stop was by the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir, by the 5th Ave. It was my first time seen this pretty sight. Jay stayed guarding the bikes while we went to see the reservoir. Remember, we left the locks… we thought we were not going to need them… Hmmmm we were wrong!
As we continued, more hills came along followed by tiredness, sweat, thirst, back pain, leg pain, and all the complaints, and pain list that you can imagine. The fun part was every time we went down the hill… Weeeeeeee! I loved it! The wind, the speed, it was awesome until… the next hill. My son Jay was having a blast, he loved the challenge. He is in great shape and exercise almost every day, so for him was just one more day of exercise. He had to stop many times to wait for us. Jorge and my mom were on a tandem (2 person bike) so when my mom couldn´t do it any more she walk and Jorge kept going on the bike but at Snail speed. My daughter Jadzia and me, we invented a new technic… it’s called riding & walking bike technic. Walk your bike up hill and ride it down hill as simple as that. It was the only way for us to do it. I know! I know!! Its terrible!!
For some reason none of us wanted to stop to see anything, we wanted to finish. We didn’t stop anymore,there were not pretty, inspiring sights, just the street and people passing by us.
At the end we laugh at ourselves and had fun with our funny experience. My mom felt pretty good with herself after riding a bike now that she is 66 years old and haven’t ride a bicycle for a long time. Something I can tell you for sure the “Biking in Central Park” bucket list item is checked mark and have a DONE! in bold letters on the side. 😉
Reality hit me, my expectation of riding a bike in Central Park were different of what we lived, but still I loved the fact that we had own story to tell. It was a great experience because as a family we created memories, we had bonding time and our own unique travel story. Travel is about been real and enjoy the experience no matter if is not a Cinderella setting. Travel with family is about having a great attitude, is about making the decision of enjoying and embracing life with happiness.
Have you ever had a similar experience? Where your expectation were too high? Share your story with me!
Never imagine that we could have so much fun in a wax museum! Madame Tussauds in New York is a fun place to go. Here you can get in character yourself and pretend meeting the famous. Some of them look so real! The good thing is that Madame Taussauds are in many other cities besides NY. It is incredible that I went all the way to NY city to have this way of fun, but now I found out that even they are opening one Madame Taussauds in Orlando, early 2015.
So let’s get started and have play time with the wax! Here you will see some of the famous that my family and I met. You too can have an experience like this. Check out the locations at their website www.madametussauds.com
In the mind time,come have fun with us!
I can’t believe she is with both of them!!!!!
I think they have a problem…. LOL
I guess he is famous! 🙂
My mommy and me drooling… LOL
Can we sing Purple Rain?
Traffic in NY!!!
My boys with Jennifer! -_____-
Oh Jay!!!
What in the world!!
To finish here is a video of my famous meeting with Steven Spielberg!!!!
Finally we are on our way! We left Orlando around 2:30pm, we don’t want to drive today more than 7 hours. At this moment we are close to Jacksonville. Our rest destination today is Florence, South Carolina. After resting, tomorrow, Washington DC!
When planing the trip we were not sure what kind of car to rent, in my desire of not spending too much gas I wanted it a small car. Thanks God that we decided it a mini van! No matter the planning and how much I try to pack smart, we are 5 and everything seems to multiply by 10.
TravelmyStories 