Walking in a winter wonderland

As I headed out to explore London my first stop was lunch with Jean. I headed towards her work and found my way on the tube without any hassles.nit was great to see her again and catch up briefly before I left London again.
After catching up with Jean, I wanted to make my way to hyde park, they had there Christmas markets called winter wonderland on. As I arrived i was fairly overwhelmed by the size of the markets . It was cold but beautiful to just look around.
My first stop was a white hot chocolate to warm myself up as I wandered through the variety of markets,  rides,  games and attractions. 
I made my way back to the hotel and relaxed for a while before heading back out for dinner with Jean.
All in all it was a great first day London but I was more than ready for bed before heading off to Paris in the morning.

Treking in a new direction

Christmas day arrived and i was all packed. I had a relaxing morning before heading to sydney, my parents and Nonna decided to come to the airport with me.
The flight went smoothly, the plane was full for the first leg to Dubai and we were delayed due to a storm so I spent most the leg reading or sleeping.
The transit through Dubai was fast and within 30 minutes I was back on the plane which was not as full. I was lucky enough to have a whole row to myself so laid down and slept the remainder of the flight.

Once I arrived in Heathrow it was fairly quick through the process and I was on the tube into London, Earls court to be exact. I checked in and was given a room straight away. So after a quick shower the real adventure was about to begin.

Cake decorating and Broadway

I was up early today having to check out and change rooms at the hotel. My friend Catherine was meant to be joining me from last night but the polar vortex had her stuck on the west coast in San Francisco, we were hoping they would find her a flight and she would be joining me soon.
I had another journey out to New Jersey today, this one was more hands on.

I have a habit of watching the food channel and in particular shows that involve cake; baking, decorating and everything in between. A few years ago now I stumbled on cake boss, a show about an Italian bakery in Hoboken New Jersey. I took a trip to the bakery on my last trip to NYC in 2012, this time however I was doing a cake decorating course.

I made my way to the new factory Carlos bakery owns. Catching the path and waking through the snow, I was a little early but other people were waiting as well. The minute you entered the building you could instantly smell things baking it was delicious.

We were introduced to our instructor for the day she checked us in then we were given a tour of the factory

The other side of the globe

I contemplated starting a new blog all together since I am not heading to the US this time, however having all my travel updates in one spot one out in the end.

The plan for the upcoming trip is as follows:

London
Paris
Switzerland
Florence
Rome
London
Wales
Iceland
Paris

I am going into this trip more blindly so to speak than others, its uncharted territory and I really have no idea what I want to see or do. I usually have plans and ideas that are more than I can possibly fit into my time away. With this trip the price was right and the spur of the moment booking has lead to what will surely be my next adventure.

Iceland was the only mandatory aspect of the trip, I wanted a chance to chase the Northern Lights, I am trying not to focus on them though as I know there is a high chance I won't see them. On the upside if I don't see them I still get to explore Iceland which by all accounts is apparently spectacular.

Only 2 more sleeps till I am on that plane, so ready to go explore new places.

First Date in NYC

After a day in transit and done much needed sleep I had a lazy day, sleeping lots with a little wandering and shopping. Vera was arriving into NYC today and we had tickets to a show on Broadway called first date.
We planned a time to meet at the theatre, I had more luggage issues upon arriving into JFK so I was down a few items and needed to replace them so I wandered through times square hitting up forever 21 making a few purchases. The Disney store was looking less crowded so I though I would go have a proper look as I can out of the Disney store it had starred to snow.

If you know me you know how much I was hoping for snow whilst I was in NYC, what I didn't want was a blizzard that would nearly shutdown the city and throw a spanner into friends travel plans but more on that later. I decided I wanted to grab a bite before the show so found a little pizza place I ate at last time I was in NYC. They are one of a few that do Hawaiian so it was nice to have a touch of home, whilst eating I got chatting to the family next to me they were Blackhawk fans and since I was going to the game the following night we talked hockey a lot.

Vera met me not long before the show started we were able to go straight in. We had debated where to sit when buying the tickets turned out we got the perfect tickets they were second row and positioned directly in front of a take where the majority of the show took place. First Date was funny and witty, it had moments where you cringed with the character and in the end you get the happy ending outcome you know you want.

After the show I said bye to Vera she needed good and sleep (she only arrived from Sydney that afternoon). By now the blizzard had set in the roads were just white now and the snow was falling consistently. Instead of being sensible and going home I stood in the falling snow at the stage door. Zachary Levi the start of the show and also known for his charming antics in the show chuck (which I watched for years) was known for coming out and greeting fans.

We waited a while and Zachary came out, this is when I learnt that he is as lovely and humble as you would hope. He stood out in the falling snow singing and dancing making sure he signed everyone's playbill before taking photos with everyone there. He would have hung around at least an hour or more in freezing conditions to make sure he didn't let his fans down - pure class.

After that it was off to bed with the hopes of another sleep in.

A trip to Orange county and New year's babble eve

I started out with a 4 am start to make my flight to LAX, hoping this time there would be no delays, my luggage would show up with me and things would just go smoothly. I arrived in L.A.with no problems, connected to my shuttle and was soon on my way to Brea. Brea is in Orange county about 20 mins from Disneyland, my only reason for going to Brea was for the new years show I was going to.

I arrived in Brea extremely tired but unable to check in (most places in the US have a check in time of 4 pm) so I asked them to call me a taxi and I headed to Brea mall for some shopping and a bite to eat. I shopped a little bit really was just exhausted, I found a great little good court with fresh food (one reason to love California) I was able to create my own stir fry and it was so nice to have vegetables again.

I heeded back to my hotel ready to check in, checked in made a few calls then had a quick 30 minute nap hoping it would get me through till after midnight. After my very quick nap i had a shower, packed my stuff (I would be getting picked up at 3 am to head back to LAX) then started my walk to the venue.

There was already some people in line when I arrived so I lined up behind them it didn't take long till we got chatting or me entertaining them highlighting the differences between words in our cultures. Ryan, Michelle and Adrian were lovely and asked me to sit with them for dinner and during the show.

To explain Hollywood babble on to those who have no idea, for the past 4 years I have listened to a podcast by Kevin Smith and Ralph Garman on a weekly basis, last time i was in California I made sure I caught the show as well. When I knew I would be in the states for new years there wasn't a question of where I would be spending my night.

We were the first ones in the door so had our pick of table,  We chose the front centre table, this table was connected to the table that Ralph and Kevin would be sitting at. Dinner was included so we got to eat our dinner before the show started, it was nice to have company for the meal and conversation flowed easily.

Once the show started I was in for so many laughs, I was lucky enough to receive the first shout out of the evening and got to hear a great Ed Wynn impression. It was Ryan's birthday and he also received a shout out. Once we got to the email bag section there was a letter from an Australian So Kevin thought it would be a good idea if I read it. Apparently it would be better if it was in an Australian accent, I tried my hardest to not do it but alas Kevin got his way. I do dread having to listen to the podcast when it is released.

After the show ended, I had to jump in line for the next show. This time the line went around the block and I ended up at the back of the venue. The site was different as Ralph had promised lots more laughs and a great way to bring in the new year. After we left the venue a group of people I met in the second line cane and found me to offer me a ride back to my hotel. All I can say is that the people here are beyond nice.

I had a great news year's eve, my shuttle was arriving in 2 hours and i knew the first day of 2014 was going to be long but I wouldn't change it, it was completely worth it.

Bears and wolves.... oh what fun

My last day in West Yellowstone I had a lazy morning before setting out on foot. I had one thing I wanted to do today and that was visit the Wolf and grizzly discovery centre. At the centre they have taken in bears that were at risk or posing a risk to humans the area around them. I could have spent days watching the bears, they switch them over after a couple of hours.

The wolves were interesting especially after learning about some of the packs that live in Yellowstone. I spent most my day just checking out the centre before grabbing a bite to eat and heading to my shuttle back to Bozeman.

Grand canyon of Yellowstone

I woke up feeling pretty sore today mainly across my shoulders, but I was having an easier day today I was heading to the grand canyon of Yellowstone but via Snow coach, basically a bus on skis. We had to be at the meeting point by 8 am, it was nice as I walked in be greeted by a voice other than a US accent, the manager was an expat Brit so we had a great chat.

I met my guide Daya who turned out to be Josh wife. She was lovely and even learnt my name so no being called Australia all day. We set of on our journey which took us past the Madison river as we kept an eye out for any wildlife in the area.

We made our way to the canyon to have lunch and beat the rush. The canyon is so different from old faithful so much quieter we hardly saw another tour group the whole day.
After lunch we headed to the lower falls such a beautiful look out point and it is amazing to see water flowing in amongst all the snow. This stop was also where I became fascinated with snowflakes. I know we always depict snowflakes as these beautiful delicate flakes, never did I ever expect to see then look exactly like this after falling from the sky. The pictures speak for themselves.

We headed to the upper falls before heading back down and it of the canyon on the way out we made a stop at Norris geyser basin which was probably my highlight of the day (behind the snowflakes). The basin was one of the places you could easily see the thermal activity in the park. The colours were spectacular and the sulphur smell nice and strong.

I had such a great day and finished it off with free meal in the three best restaurant.

Off roading snowmobile style

As part of my package I had snowmobile hire included for a day outside the park.The plan originally was for Josh to give a few if us from yesterday's tour a map of some trails to check out and we would go in a small group. Josh did even better he arranged us a guide for the day. We met Amy at 8:30 am, it was less mucking around today we all still had our snowmobiles from the day before.

A day outside the park entails no real plans, Amy was watching the weather and contact with other guides the area. Two top was a place that everyone said was a must see. But as the snow fell two top could not be seen and if it isn't visible from the ground there no way we would be able to see anything from two top. So we decided to go look for some moose, as we were getting closer to the highway Amy stopped asked us to turn around as we did it was clear the view from two top had cleared up, so we turned our snowmobiles around and to two top.

Two top was a beautiful place that overlooked most of west Yellowstone the trails and views were just spectacular. The trails outside the park were much less groomed and looked after so the trails a lot bumpier than the previous day as well as more narrow. There were more locals on the trails who were much more experienced on the snowmobiles.

After two top we made or way through big springs which this beautiful lake with a cute little cabin built into the hillside. We kept making or way eventually cruising into Idaho and ending at a little restaurant in Phillips. Phillips seemed like it was in the middle of nowhere but the did was good portion sizes huge as always.

The trip back was very bumpy, even Amy said the trails were some the worst she had seen. All I wanted when I got home was a warm shower, to do my washing and sleep. Turns out snowmobiling can be exhausting and the muscles in my shoulders were proof of that.

Travel and adventure = New places and experiences

Yellowstone was pretty much the number one reason for me to come back to the USA. I set out with a 4 am alarm hoping that the shuttle would make it to my lodge in time for me to join the snowmobiling tour to old faithful. I was lucky enough to make it with no time to spare, they grabbed my luggage from me got me to sign the necessary paperwork and shoved me into the room to be fitted in my snow clothes. Within 30 mins of arriving my tour guide Josh was showing me the basics of my machine for the next 2 days and off we went.

At first I was really apprehensive trying not to go to fast and making sure I could stop with plenty of room. After about 45 mins I had relaxed into it was going faster and loving the experience. Josh was a great guide he stopped often to point out wildlife the first thing i got to see was the bald eagle. We kept going along at a decent pace taking in the beautiful scenery. The further I got into Yellowstone the more beautiful it became.

We made our first real stop at the Madison stop here there were restrooms and a little hut to warm up in. Hot drinks were available for purchase but I was doing. The warmers on the handles were keeping my hands warm enough and the other 5 layers i had on were doing there job.

We made way around Firehole falls which was more spectacular scenery, though the stream from the geothermal activities was quite thick. As we made or way back to our snowmobiles we saw a coyote moving through the snow. I was apprehensive not sure how dangerous these animals were so I took some photos and started to back away, turns out they aren't to dangerous as Josh started running towards it to get a closer look.

After our stop we continued on our way towards old faithful. Josh had a plan which was for us to arrive beat the lunch rush, eat whilst most groups were watching old faithful in action and then to catch the less popular display of old faithful. By this point in the day I was now use to responding to the name Australia and getting know more of the people who were the tour.

I was shocked to find out that they only allow 318 snowmobiles in the park each day. It seems like a fairly large number but when you take into consideration how big the park is that really isn't a lot. Old faithful is of course the most popular place thus the most crowded.

I had lunch with a lovely family who enjoyed quizzing me on all the different parts of Australia. I in turn quizzed them on lots of us questions until stumbled onto the topic of ice hockey and the conversation flowed quiet freely. After a quick bite to eat it was out to old faithful the next viewing was set for within next 5 to 10 minutes. Josh plan had worked well it was ready to get a great spot.

Watching old faithful splutter to life was pretty impressive, it felt surreal standing there watching something i had seen tv and read about happen front of me. Old faithful puts on quite a show that lasts a couple of minutes. With the cold weather there is a lot of stream surrounding the water spurt but it still made a great height.

It was time to head back to west Yellowstone and wrap up or day but not before a stop on our back via paint pot fountains, there is some more geothermal pools which have some beautiful colouring. There is also mud pots these were fascinating watching the mud plop away listening to the sounds of the activity that shows how alive Yellowstone is.

Once we got back was straight to a warm shower for me, tomorrow was to bring another adventure of exploring west Yellowstone via snowmobile.

It's just one of those days

Ahh transit days always my least favourite days when it comes to travel but it had to be fine do you can only hope it will be pain free.... right?
My day started well my driver was waiting for me, got me to the airport quickly. Curb checked my luggage, cleared security screening, grabbed a bite to eat made my way to the gate and boarded on time.

The plane pulled away from the gate made its way to the runway seatbelts were fastened.....but then one little announcement seemed to change the course of my day. The people servicing the plane had stuffed up so we had to go back to the gate for them to check out the problem. My connection was already tight 45 mins, so a delay was not what I needed.

Add we came into Denver the pilot announced the gate the connecting flight was departing from and asked others to let those with tight connection go first. connection was now 5 mins. Add I ran for my connection gate I arrived to see no plane at the gate and a different flight detailson the screen. I spoke to the United worker at the counter who told me to proceed to customer service. Whilst I was waiting in line for customer service I turned my phone on I had emails from United informing me that my flight I thought I had missed had now been delayed.

Once I tracked down the gate after it changed 3 times in less than 20 mins I had to make some phone calls first to my shuttle to let know i wouldn't make it next call to my to tell them that i wouldn't be it today either. They wanted to know if I would be there for my snowmobiling tour the following morning or they should sell it. At this stage I really had no idea, I was tired, frustrated and a little lost. It was 4 am back home so i couldn't even call anyone to calm down. Instead I found a spot on the airport floor and the tears started.

A lovely lady on the same delayed flight tried help in every possible way she rang companies that might have been able to get me there, angry at companies. just nice knowing I had someone in my corner.

Eventually our flight left, once we landed i had to collect my luggage and then had to my shuttle counter and see what we could work out. Only problem once we arrived i waited and waited but my bag did not show up. So now I had no place to stay, no bag and no idea if i would even get to do the one thing i wanted most this trip.

My shuttle people Karst Stage were fantastic they rebooked me on the 4:40am shuttle, rang motel they recommend booked a room and arranged a way for me  to get there. Next stop sort out my bag, after lots of conversations, particularly about me not having a cell number that has service out here. I had a claim number and a we will deliver it to you when shows up.

As soon add i got into my hotel I Skyped my parents which made me feel better, had a shower ordered room service waited to see if i would get my bag back.

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas

Well Christmas day was finally here, though no snow in sight but I was still in NYC and it was still cold. Cold enough to send my wet hair icy!
My plan for Christmas day was simple sleep in, open the presents my parents packed for me, attend a church service and lunch at the rock cafe.

It was nice not having an alarm to wake up to so I took my time in starting my day, once I was ready I opened my present from my parents it was the passport bead for my Pandora.I added it to my bracelet and finally wore my new bracelet for the first time.

My first stop for the day was St Patrick's, it is currently being restored so it was full of scaffolding inside. I had initially stumbled across St Patrick's when I was trying find some where to attend midnight mass. I was out of luck however since you had to apply for tickets 6 months in advance and have a us address for them send the ticket. So I settled for the 10:15 service. This was the complete musical service which meant hymns were sang in three different languages: Spanish, English and German.

Once the service finished I headed towards the Rockefeller centre as this is where my lunch reservations were for. On my way I discovered the photos by the tree which was set up by Kodak i had seen them a different location the previous night but I much preferred this location. So I lined up had my picture taken then went through the maze to look at my pictures.... i didn't mind them so I purchased some then went to seek out the location of the rock cafe.

I was glad I had made a booking in advance the wait times were in excess of 45 mins and only if there were no shows. It was a pre fix menu but offered a variety of choices. I enjoyed the food whilst overlooking the ice skating rink. Though someone did end up seriously hurt and medical team had to be called to stretcher them off the ice.

I took my time wandering back to my room where I began pack since i had an early flight out the following morning.

I decided to go check out the Macy's window display, it was quieter cause they were closed for the day. The window displays are on both sides of the building and each tell there own story. I really liked the dreaming story it had features that were interactive. You could stand on a step on the walkway wave your hands and control the way snow fell in the window.

After Macy's I walked back into the times square area and discovered the cake boss cafe was still opened i decided I was going to get dessert. I took my number #84 approached the counter to see what was available in the display cases that's when i realised they were only calling numbers in the 20s. I eventually got served and got a delicious lobster tail.

After that it was finish packing and have an early night for my 5 am pick up the following morning.

Christmas eve.... It's the most magical time of year

They rain had finally stopped, I had a goodnight sleep and was getting much more human as I set out on the adventure of Christmas eve.
First stop was the Christmas spectacular at radio city music hall, I had to pick my tickets up using Will call the process turned out to be really easy and much quicker than if I had already got the tickets.

Once I was in I stupid stupid thing in the beauty of the space and how wonderfully decorated it was. I decided that popcorn was a good enough breakfast better than cotton candy or a hot dog. The popcorn came in a flashing container......which how could I resist.
My seats were pretty good first balcony and front row it was nice to have no-one in front of me. The show was spectacular.The highlight for me would have been the toy soldier act. The precision the rockettes have in this act is mind blowing..... try you tubing it might come up.

After the show I hit up the Pandora shop for my Christmas present or presents to myself...A few new beads add my new bracelet and i was on my way.

My amazing friend Kasey had sent me a package before i left with the instructions to take with me and open it some where special. After thought and consideration I decided that needed to be near the Disney store, given how much Kasey loves Disney and that we shopped there together last time in NYC. It was a perfect present for me a beautiful Mary Poppins pendant that I love so much.

After a little more shopping and wandering a bite to eat it was back to room to Skype the family for Christmas day.

That night I headed for the tree i wanted to see it all lit up and it didn't disappoint.... I spent a lot of time looking at the tree from different angles. I had a couple approach me and ask me to take there photo front of the tree,I said i would they would return favour. After all the photos were taken the guy asked me to take one more him as he down on one knee and proposed.

On the way back wandering through times square I went into the visitor centre they had a new years display with a huge bottle of Moet, a replica of ball that is dropped at midnight and coolest part for me was the new year wishes. They had a wall with wishes visitors to the centre had made on confetti, you could then add your own wish on confetti that will be dropped from the ball over times square to bring in the new year.

After my night at the tree I headed back to my room grabbing a slice the way before last family phone call for Christmas then sleep.

The Christmas tree in Rockefeller fuhgettaboudit

As sleepy as I was I knew I wanted to make the most out of my Christmas time in NYC so tonight I had booked a tour to go see the Christmas lights at Dyker Heights. They are the lights you see on the American Christmas light special shows. It started with one person named Lucy she decorated her house one year and when her neighbours complained the next night she added a marching band. The neighbors apparently then joined in, the crazy thing I found was they actually pay professionals to come in out put up all the lights maintain them throughout the holiday period and then take them down and store them.

Anyway before the tour I had to make my way to union square, this was pretty simple just a subway ride I had forgotten how much I enjoyed the subway and the interesting people and sights that come with it. There were also Christmas markets on st union square so I had a wander through those before making my way to the meeting point. Having your streets numbered and going higher or lower depending on the direction makes perfect logically sense.....unless your are me who starts to jumble up numbers and have no idea where I actually am.

I boarded the bus and tried my best to stay awake. We had a reporter on the bus who was interviewing people about why Christmas lights and what made them do the tour.  It was a slow start with traffic heavy to make or way across to Brooklyn but once we got through the main party of traffic things started settling down.

The title of this blog is the first thing they say to you to start the tour. The lights were really pretty they are meticulously put up row upon row it really is impressive. I know I wouldn't have the patience to do it. Not much more I can say except let the pictures speak for themselves.

Next up my Christmas eve adventures...........

Bound for New York

Well the journey has begun,I am currently sitting the floor in Honolulu airport waiting to board the next 10 hour leg of my journey.
I just checked the forecast and it's meant to be snowing in NYC when I arI  ive so that's a little exciting.
My flight over was very full but I still managed to get a few hours sleep though am looking forward to more sleep on this flight and not to mention a shower when I can finally check into my hotel.
So far things I forgot about since last time
* the weird way the toilets flush themselves
* the huge sizes note to self only order small everything
* remember to call it sprite not lemonade

My second leg from Honolulu to NYC was just as fun not much sleep happened i had a 1 year old sitting next me who liked kick and poke me....I less than impressed. Once we arrived at JFK things went smoothly i rugged up but didn't really need to it's been pants and hoodie weather. I arrived at the distrikt where I am staying and the girl got me straight to a room so I could sleep. I didn't sleep though I showered (so good) then went on my merry way exploring.

The first thing I ran straight into was Carlos cafe that he has opened up near Times Square I went in to have a look. Looks ok one of the sisters were there i think Mary the loud one , I didn't bother with getting anything but I will probably go tomorrow and get something.
I was on a mission which was find the nhl store but i had a few stops along way.
Firstly the tree is beyond breathtaking if it wasn't pouring rain i could have stayed there for hours I am excited be having Christmas lunch overlooking it.
I eventually found my way to the nhl store i may have spent nearly an hour just looking at everything. I ended up buying a hoodie since three only one i have is drenched.... did I mention it's raining at some points pouring

I also tracked down five Guys burgers for my first official meal the USA. It was good as always I then named to wander myself lost trusty Google maps helped find way back though.
Tonight I am off to look at the Christmas lights in Brooklyn so stayed tuned for that

USA take two

Well I am just 9 days out from boarding that plane again. I am so excited to be going back to some of the places I fell in love with, exploring some new places, ticking things from the bucket list and getting to experience posts of it with some amazing friends.
I am starting this adventure of with a dream of mine and top of the bucket list Christmas NYC. I have no idea what to expect but I am certain I will love the magical experience. I have planned some Christmas light looking, some ice hockey and a few shows  kick off the trip style

Walmart, cotton candy, bowling and more…

We left Washington on our way to Raleigh, we were heading towards the little southern towns I was super excited about. However our first stop was at a cemetery, not just any but the Arlington National cemetery.

The first thing that stood out about the cemetery was how precise and neat the headstones are placed, in straight lines and the fact that they go on for as far as the eye can see.

There is a feeling you get when you are at the cemetery not only are you at a place where great respect is required but there is a feeling of peace that falls over you. The changing of the guards was like nothing I have ever seen before.

The changing of the guards takes place at the tomb of the unknowns, the tomb guard marches 21 steps along a black map, before pausing and facing north for 21 seconds then east for 21 seconds, this is then repeated throughout the hour. The reason 21 was chosen is that it is the highest military honour for example the 21 gun salute.

We were also very honoured to see a full military funeral in progression, including the coffin being pulled by horse and cart to the final resting place. Our tour guide said in all the visits she had made to the cemetery she had never once seen what we got to see.

The cemetery also is the final resting place of JFK, seeing his final resting place was eerie yet I couldn’t help but be in awe of seeing this place. 

On our way to Raleigh we stopped at a walmart, this was my first experience at a walmart and I have to say it didn’t disappoint. We stopped with the purpose of people finding things to wear for Valentines day the following day, but it didn’t stop us just looking at everything and anything.

One of my favourite and funniest memories happened at this stop, with the girls trying on boots we found on sale, however Carly had hurt her ankle and it was swollen she couldn’t get the boot off, this lead to me dragging her around walmart trying to get the boot off but just laughing way too much.

Raleigh was our first buffet night, I am not a huge fan of buffets and was a little apprehensive, but the buffet offered some food which my US friends had spoken about often such as sweet potato with marshmallows. By far though my favourite part was they offered Smores and Cotton candy as part of the dessert selection in the buffet.

After dinner we headed to a bowling alley for a few games, this was also a good mingle and mixing kind of activity. I have a fairly short attention span so only really played one game before loosing interest, but it was a fun night regardless.

The what house? The White House?

We had two full days to explore Washington after the first evening, so the next day began the exploration of the Smithsonian museums. First up was the air and space museum. We signed up for a free guided tour, which whilst informative was probably a little too informative for my liking, and it took me less than 10 minutes to decide this tour was not for me, and I opted to sight see for myself. 

We also explored Washington by finding the shopping area – the girls were after red clothes for our Valentines day evening that was coming up in Savannah. We ventured into the subway system in DC and managed to make it back to where we were staying, though going into the subway when its sunny and coming out when its snowing was a new experience.

We headed to Georgetown for a night out grabbing dinner then meeting the rest of the group at a bar for some drinks and mingling to get to know people more. By chance we ended up at Serendipity (I didn’t even know they had one in DC). I did walk to explore the DC cupcakes Georgetown Cupcakes, but even in the ridiculously freezing weather and at 8pm at night the line up was still around the block, so I opted to not wait in the snow and thus didn’t get to see inside or try one of the famous cupcakes.

Day 3 was sleep in day, we decided to skip the bus into the city centre and use our street smarts (asking for help) and catch the metro to the white house . This adventure provided much humour after a conversation of being misunderstood when asking how to get to the white house being replied with the “what house” “the white house” “the what house”. Eventually we had our directions and set off, making a stop first for a hot caramel and some food.

The cold ended up being too much for me and I chose to go back to the hotel and warm up this was the -11 day and as much as I love seeing the sights I also enjoy being healthy and knowing I still had 2 months to go I really didn’t want to be sick.