Guatape and La Piedra de Peñol

Very few places look exactly as they do in Pinterest photographs, but Guatape (the town) and La Piedra del Peñol (the giant rock) are definitely two of them.  A short hour and a half bus ride from Medellin, this is the perfect day trip.  The 740 step climb is more than worthwhile for the views you'll be rewarded with, and afterwards reward yourself with a bandeja paisa for lunch.  The bandeja paisa is typical for the region and boasts a whopping array of rice, beans, ground meat, fried pork rind, sausage, fried egg, potato salad, avocado, sweet plantain, and an arepa. It may be a lot, but surely you've earned it after those stairs ;)

My Most Beautiful Day in Bocas

Though I normally shop around first, I was sold after talking to the people over at Olas tours (located just around the corner from the police station).  With no time to waste, we jumped on the boat that was just getting ready to leave and headed out to Dolphin Bay, Coral Key, and Zapatillas Island.  The thing I most loved about this tour was that each stop was beautifully different from the others, and our guide, Willy, was happy to adjust the stop times to meet our group´s preferences.  

After leaving around 11:30, we boated through perfectly still, mangrove surrounded waters to reach our first destination- Dolphin Bay.  According to Willy, you have an 80% chance of seeing dolphins on any given day, as this bay is home to a pod year round.  The dolphins are free to roam out into the open ocean, but seem to prefer this secure bay which abounds with jellyfish- one of their favorite foods.

After leaving Dolphin Bay, we grabbed at our cameras once again to capture the insanely beautiful waters surrounding Cayo Coral. To make the most of our time, we ordered lunch at the local restaurant and then headed off to snorkle while it was being prepared. 

 Though the food wasn´t anything to write home about (next time I´ll pack a sandwhich and some fresh fruit), the views made up for it.  And did I mention there were Maccaws?  

The next and final destination was Isla Zapatillas (aka one of the most gorgeous islands in Bocas.)  The aquamarine water and complete lack of development in this national park made it the perfect place to lay back and nap while listening to the gentle waves hit the beach.  

A perfect ending to a perfect day?  I think so.

Cancun: AllTOURnative Adventures

To make things as simple as possible for our travel group, we reserved absolutely everything through CheapCaribbean.com.  Our package included flights, airport transfers, all-inclusive accommodations and food, travel insurance, and an excursion of our choice.  Desiring some adventure for our trip, we chose the Jungle Maya day-trip, hosted by AllTOURnative Adventures.   

Exploring Gettysburg

One of my favorite things about college is the ability to take advantage of frequent (and cheap) student trips.  This past weekend I joined two campus clubs in their trek to Gettysburg, PA.  Seeing as though the town is home to some one of the most important battles in our nation's history, and my college is only a few hours away, it's pretty surprising I hadn't made time for the trip yet. 

The dreariness of the day only added to the sadness that you feel as you think about immesity of the battle that was fought here.  While I love visiting almost anywhere, knowing the history of a location really adds to your experience as a travel, whether that be to the collesuem in Rome or the battlefields of Gettysburg.

Like many other popular destinations, some parts of the town are overrun by tourist traps; However, if you go to the right places, Gettysburg can be a really great day trip.  If you visit, make sure to visit the National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center.  For about $10, you gain access to a really great museum featuring all aspects of the Civil War and the Battle of Gettysburg.  Coming from a non-museum fan, it actually is worth your time.  After that, take a self guided (driving) tour of important places from the battle.  Not only are these locations specified by signage and audio tours, but there are tons of statues and monuments that, in my opinion, really bring things to life.  

For dinner, we ate at the Dobbin House Tavern, which I highly reccommend.  The tavern is styled to be exactly like a tavern in the 1700s, and not in a cheesy way.  Regarding entertainment, a word to those in search of one of the many ghost tours that happen nightly- do a little research beforehand to make sure you really get what you're looking for.  Our group purchased tickets from the first vendor we came across and honestly wasted our time that evening.  

Lastly, if you do visit Gettysburg anytime soon, be sure to visit the National Cemetary and the town center- the two places I regretfully didn't make it to.  

Do you like traveling to historic places?  I need some good cities to put on my travel list!