Tag Archives: travel

Niagara Falls

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I visited Niagara Falls, Canada this summer for the first time, and let me tell you, the experience was more exciting than I ever expected. Despite all the hype surrounding the infamous Niagara Falls, my initial impression before arriving was that the falls would be the only attraction, and even that would be meant to be viewed from afar. I was proven wrong, to say the least. Here are just a few of the fascinating attractions that Niagara Falls has to offer:

Niagara Falls | Quality Hotel Fallsview Cascade

Before heading to the falls themselves, we took a stop at the nearby amusement park in Clifton Hill. The park featured thrilling rides, a fun arcade, and a towering ferris wheel that gives you a jaw-dropping view of both the park and the waterfalls. Other than entertainment, Clifton Hill also had a wide variety of mouthwatering dining options. 

16 Best Things to Do in Niagara Falls, NY Right Now

Our next stop was the long-awaited waterfalls. I was blown away by the picturesque view of the falls, and even more so when discovering that the tour would be given through a boat ride, titled the Maid of the Mist, that travels into the falls themselves. The Maid of the Mist blew me away — almost literally — as the feeling of the wind and water rushing towards you while traversing the falls is like none other. This was by far my favorite part of the visit.

Ziplining – Niagara Falls Canada Attractions | ToNiagara

Other than the tour by boat,  adjacent to the falls is an exhilarating zip line that presents both the thrill and outstanding view of Niagara Falls. Though watching other riders fly past the crystalline falls in front of you is exciting, experiencing the rush of the zipline on your own is an even greater thrill.

Top 10 Souvenirs to Buy in Niagara Falls - Niagara Falls Blog

After experiencing all that Niagara Falls has to offer, the ideal next stop is the souvenir shop on your way out from the boat ride. The Top of the Falls Gift Shop even operates a green screen to take a photograph of your group in front of a background of the waterfalls. I personally love getting souvenirs and taking photos of the places I visit so I can preserve the memories, so this was the perfect conclusion to my visit.

After witnessing the wonders of Niagara Falls, I can confidently say it’s a must-see for anyone planning a trip to Canada. With an endless amount of entertainment and sight-seeing opportunities, Niagara Falls definitely lives up to its name.

Sydney, Australia

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Recently, I went on a two-week-long trip to Australia and New Zealand. I visited many different cities, each having its own unique activities, which made me greatly enjoy the vacation. The first city we went to, which was my personal favorite, was Sydney, Australia.

Sydney is a beautiful place that features a mixture of buildings in the downtown area to an abundance of nature on the outskirts of the city. An example of this is Vivid Sydney. Vivid Sydney is a major event where the city is essentially covered with projections of light. It creates an aesthetic scenery for people to watch and take photographs. There are other ways to view this, such as by cruise. The cruise can take you across the Sydney Harbour to explore the city and view different structures. One important structure includes the Sydney Opera House, which is a performing arts center that is famous around the world. The building has a beautiful and unique design, which is what makes it so special and is the reason it took about 14 years to build. The total cost was also around $102 million in 1973, which is around $670 million today. Both Vivid Sydney and the Sydney Opera House are relatively close to the downtown area. The Blue Mountains, however, are 37 miles west of the city but are still an exceptional place to visit. The location features an outstanding view as it is almost 4000 feet above sea level. There are cable cars, trains, and skyways, which all allow people to look at the mountains from an even greater distance, adding an element of entertainment while also including the view.


All in all, this vacation was very enjoyable. There are many great parts of the city of Sydney that I would recommend. If you are to visit Sydney at any point in your life, make sure to make the most of it.

Fun Weekend Trips in California

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California has an incredible diversity of experiences, from breathtaking natural wonders and great hikes to buzzing urban centers and famous museums. With so much to do and see, planning is the key to utilizing this majestic state, so you don’t feel overwhelmed. But fear not. A short weekend trip to California is still possible. You can take a few days packed with adventure and fun. Here are a few ideas for a quick getaway that will refresh and inspire your senses.

Let’s start with my favorite place Universal Studio. It’s located in Hollywood, an amusement park perfect for all ages, even adults. The park features rip-roaring rides, exciting shows, and attractions based on the most popular movies and TV shows, such as Harry Potter, The Simpsons, and Jurassic World. Everyone will love the adrenaline rush of roller coaster rides like Jurassic World and The Revenge of the Mummy. Growing up reading all the Harry Potter series, my favorite is the Harry Potter attraction.

After a fun morning at the park, head to Santa Monica Pier, a historic landmark that has much entertainment and had been entertained visitors for over 100 years. The attractions include an amusement park, an aquarium, and an arcade. The Ferris wheel or the roller coaster rides are electrifying. If rides are not your thing, try your luck at one of the carnival games. Beware, set a budget, and stop playing if you’re not winning. They tend to hook you in, so you’ll lose more than win.

End your day with a stroll along Venice Beach, a lively and diverse neighborhood famous for its colorful street performers, artists, and vendors. Stop and take a breather while watching the sunset over the Pacific Ocean and enjoy dinner at one of the many restaurants with ocean views in the area.

Another favorite of mine is Legoland. This park is all about kids and fun. It has over 60 rides, shows, attractions, a water park, and an aquarium. Everything is built with Legos. And who doesn’t like Legos.

My favorite ride is Lego Technic, and Lego Mind Storm is my favorite attraction.
If you are still up for traveling north of California. I suggest San Francisco, City by the Bay. This is a must-see destination. The unique culture, history, and natural beauty mix is eye candy for everyone.

You can experience the city’s most well-known and iconic sites like the Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman’s Wharf, and Alcatraz Island. While you’re there, remember to stop by and sample some of the most famous sourdough bread in the city. If you have time, take a scenic ferry ride to Sausalito, a charming town across the Bay with impressive views of San Francisco.

With so many more options and destinations, you will be satisfied if you choose any of the above. But those aren’t your cup of tea; visit your family destination guide online for more quick trips in California.

Here’s to the adventure ahead!

Bella H.

Las Vegas

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I have got to confess here: Every time I go to Las Vegas, I go for two things, food, and shows. Last month, I went to a show in Las Vegas known as “Circus du Solei”. It was very fun!

The plotline (pardon me if I’m wrong, some parts I didn’t get) was about a brother and a sister on a boat. The brother is a prince, and the other a princess. They lived happily together, until bandits raided their ship and captured both prince and the princess. Along the way, the prince falls in love with the head bandit’s daughter, and both escape. At the same time, the sister is stuck on an island with unknown creatures. She, and with the help of the friends she has left, must venture out to find her brother.

The scenes were so cool! The graphics were top-notch, and they had fireworks and everything. My favorite scene was when the prince and princess finally see each other again, but the bandits start shooting at them with wooden arrows. ACTUAL bow and wooden arrows, while the prince and princess were climbing a mountain. The whole time I was wondering how the heck they actually manage to do that without actually shooting the characters on stage??!! But, I guess that’s why we paid over $600 for this show.

Overall, I really enjoyed this experience! If you are thinking about going to Las Vegas anytime soon, this would be a great place to relax and watch a show! (If you can handle the pricing).

Another exciting moment we had in Las Vegas was when my family and I went to the Wynn Buffet. The food was amazing! The only problem was that we had to wait in line for 2 hours! I was starving by the time we finally made it to the front of the line. The food there was unimaginable! There were even people making crepes for you! To be completely honest, none of the food tasted bad there. They had heaps of food, crab legs, sushi, all types of meat, pork chops, turkey, all sorts! In conclusion, I really enjoyed my time here in Las Vegas!

My Time in Pasadena

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Last weekend, I went to a major swimming event called the Spring Junior Olympics. The event was located in Pasadena, so it was a long drive from our home. It was very exciting! It was my first time attending, and it was a lot of fun! My mom, sister and I stayed  at a Marriott hotel called Springhill.

Although I didn’t make it back to the finals, I enjoyed swimming there because it gave me a chance to compete against the best swimmers from around the state. Sure, there were some bumps along the way, such as when my coach (Coach Cho) took us to the hottest lanes for warm up. I thought I was going to have a heat-stroke! It was worse than a sauna turned up at full heat! But overall, it was pretty enjoyable.

One of my favorite parts of this experience was going to the mall and the food we ate there. Our hotel was close to many food places, so every day after we finished swimming our events, we would go to different restaurants to try out different types of cuisine. My all-time favorite place was Ramen Nagi. It was a Japanese noodle restaurant. It was SO good! I ordered the “Luscious Signature Tonkusu Pork Broth”. It had a rich taste of sesame and seaweed, and needless to say, I finished that entire bowl of soup and ramen. So good that I actually asked my mom for another bowl(she said no). After we ate out, we would then walk around the mall. I was awed by the sights around me. My mom did get pretty upset at the fact that I stopped to go into every single toy store I could find, but that wasn’t the point. My mom stopped by a couple of stores to see what type of items they sold. She is really into Chinese and Japanese Ramen, so we bought a couple of instant ramen for her. To wrap it all together in one day, my mom decided to buy my sister and I each a boba. Without a doubt, it was delicious. The point is, I really enjoyed my time at Pasadena and swimming at the Rose Bowl Aquatics.

A Fun Weekend Trip Idea – Death Valley

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If you are looking for a fun weekend trip, look no further than our Nation’s largest National Park – Death Valley! Death Valley is about 270 miles from Mission Viejo and under a 5 hour drive time. There are various ways to get there by car, but I recommend heading out on the 1-15 and going through Baker, CA. In Baker, you can enjoy a quick stop at Alien Fresh Jerky, a really bizarre road side stop that houses a beef jerky shop and all the alien encounters you never wanted to experience. It’s basically just a cool store to look around, stretch your legs and maybe buy a quick snack, but definitely a fun experience. Once you reach Death Valley you’ll want to make sure you have a pass or purchase one there. After that, it’s up to you what to do. There are many interesting parts of the park to experience and all have their own unique features.

Furnace Creek is the main tourist area in the park with 2 different hotels, The Ranch and the Inn. There are very few places to sleep and eat in the park so be prepared to spend a lot of money if you want to do either. I do suggest bringing as much of your own food and drinks as possible. Furnace Creek also has the Visitor Center where you can learn the history of Death Valley and talk to a park ranger to get information on the best places to visit during your trip.

There are many points of interest in Death Valley and you could spend way longer than a weekend there, but I’d recommend starting at the Borax Museum where you can learn about how Death Valley was mined for Borax before it was a National Park and the company and people who pushed for it to become one. From there you can visit Zabriskie Point that overlooks a row of peaks and ridges that are multicolored and the Badwater area deep down in the canyon below. Then you’ll want to drive down into Badwater Basin which is the lowest point in North America at -282 feet below sea level. While there you can take a walk out to the salt polygons which are the result of the bottom of the lake that once was and is now all dried up.

After visiting Badwater Basin, you’ll want to head back North where you can drive through Artists Drive which is a 9 mile scenic one way loop drive through a lot of canyons where the hillsides are all sorts of colors. There are also some fun dips and narrow canyons to drive through on the way. If you are inclined to take a steep hike, you can stop at Artists Palette, named because the mountains look like an Artist just walked away with his empty color palette. They are actually truly amazing and like nothing you’ve probably seen before. On the same drive you can also stop at Golden Canyon or Natural Bridge, both of which are amazing short hikes of 1-4 miles where you can take a deeper look into the canyon walls and experience bridges carved out of rock and ancient petro glyphs.

On the other side of Furnace Creek from Badwater area is Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes which is another area you won’t want to miss. It’s almost like a scene from Star Wars with sand dunes reaching out as far as you can see. You can walk out as far as you want and run, slide and even roll down the dunes if you want to. Near Mesquite Dunes is the turn off towards Scotty’s Castle and a whole lot of other more off road vehicle type roads, many of which are currently closed due to flash floods that washed out roads this past summer.

As a last note, you’ll want to visit all these amazing places when you can actually walk around enjoy them without it being 120+ degrees outside. The weather in Death Valley can change quickly so definitely be prepared for anything that might come by checking the weather ahead of time and always carry lots of water and snacks, just in case. Death Valley is also known as the hottest place on Earth with the all time recorded temperature of 134 degrees Fahrenheit on July 10, 1913, so the best time to visit is now, or any other time between November to March.

My trip to El Salvador

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I had a dream that I went to El Salvador, but I never woke up. When I got back home, my parents told me it was real. El Salvador is an amazing country that I wish I never came back from. To start, here’s some background information about the small tropical country.

 El Salvador is the smallest country in Central America and the capital is San Salvador. El Salvador was originally populated by the Pipil, they called the territory Cuscatlán (Land of the Jewel) and the language they used was made primarily by the -ch- sound. Later they were taken by the Spaniards and they melted their national language and Spanish to create a whole new vocabulary! It’s mostly like Spanish but has more -ch-‘s than in most Spanishes. That’s all the background information I will provide today.

So now I will start with my dream trip, so to start my family and I landed in San Salvador and we got picked up by my fantastic family. We went to their house and had the BEST PUPUSAS ever and a great little soft drink, it’s called Kolashampan. When you say it rhymes with champagne, I think it’s fun to say. Our plane arrived later so we went to sleep almost immediately.

The next day we went to Tacuba to visit my abuela. On the way we stopped by a Catholic Church and the best little farmers market. The ladies carried baskets on their heads and the kids ran around with chickens! My abuela lives in an amazing ranch with so much yard you can get lost. She was so happy we came, we haven’t seen her in years. The ranch was like a ranch from a fairy tale. We spent one day there.

The following day, we went to one of the national parks of El Salvador. On the way we stopped at a volcano filled with a lake in the center. The national park that we went to is named Cerro Verde. The trails there were amazingly beautiful. There is also a giant active volcano on the side where you can see smoke coming out of the top. There was also a really fun park. 

The next morning, we went to see the ruins! There were pyramids buried in the hills. We saw some artifacts and got coconut water there. The artifacts were so pretty and had such fascinating details. The coconut water was in bags with straws poking out of the top.

After that, we went to see downtown San Salvador. We saw more churches that were so, so, so magnificent and learned about the one saint of El Salvador, Saint Óscar Romero. We also fed some pigeons. My cousin and I also went to Dollar City, and got junk food and toys. I got a giant coloring map of the world and my family spent the whole night coloring and drawing. It was perfect. 

The day after that, my parents and my tio went shooting and my tia, cousins, brothers and I went around trying to find a soccer jersey. Once we found it we went to a 16 foot pool with a diving board. We spent the rest of the great day there. Once it was late, my tios, mom and I went grocery shopping and we got delicious street food. 

The next day was our second to last, we went to a beach with pitch black sand. We also got a cabana with hammocks and we all fell asleep in them. The ocean there was warm! It was actually quite nice, not like hot icky warm. A good warm. There were also a couple of pools that were fresh water, no chemicals. It was so nice to get all the sand off. We also spent the next morning in the pool.

The last day we went to the mall to get our souvenirs and Spanish churros. They made the churros fresh in front of our faces and put some sweet sauces on it. There was caramel, Nutella and condensed milk. For dinner , we went to eat at a fancy restaurant our family really likes and we had fantastic rich food. At the end of our trip, we went to get -llao llao-. It tastes like Greek yogurt and you got to put on toppings! I put honey and a sort of almond granola.

That was our last day there and the next morning we went to the airport and went home. We had a layover in Guatemala and got some more cool stuff. And that was all.

My trip was perfect. It was so good I wished that our tickets did not work and we had to stay. Even now I wish I was there. For all those people who read the entire story. CONGRATULATIONS 🥳. You are a star. Overall, the trip was just too perfect. I don’t want to visit anywhere else and I just want to live there for the rest of my life. You should definitely visit the mystical place called El Salvador.

A Trip Around Lake Erie

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Summer has just begun and now that Covid is clearing up many people are taking their long-due vacations. For vacation this summer, my family and I decided to go for a trip around Lake Erie which is one of the 5 great lakes in the northeastern part of the United States. During our time there we drove through 4 different states and a different country.

We decided to start by taking a four hour flight over to Cleveland, Ohio and from there we took a short drive to Cedar Point. Cedar Point is an amusement park in Ohio that my dad has been wanting to go to for years. We spent a couple days there, then went on a ferry to a little island called Put-in-Bay. Put-in-Bay is a village on South Bass Island in the middle of Lake Erie about a mile from Sandusky, Ohio. We spent a day there driving around in a golf cart and exploring the island. While the island is very small, it houses a US National Park called Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial which is a memorial to those who fought in the Battle of Lake Erie in the War of 1812.  After we got back to the mainland, we went to another amusement park called Kings Island in Mason, Ohio, and we spent another 2 days there.

After fully exploring these fun places in Ohio, we packed up and took about an 8 hour car ride towards Toronto, Canada. At the US/Canadian border we were stopped by border agents who asked us many questions about where we had come from and where we were going. They also made sure we had properly completed the ArriveCan app information which is an app required to enter Canada now due to COVID. We stayed in a small suburb of Toronto called Vaughan where Canada’ Wonderland is located.

All 3 of these amusement parks are owned by the same company that owns Knott’s Berry Farm here in Orange County. While the idea is the same, ride rides and eat lots of food, the environments and the experiences at each park were quite different. I enjoyed them all in different ways. When we were done with our amusement park thrills we headed over to Niagara Falls where we went on the Maid of the Mist which is a boat that takes you right up to the bottom of the falls. While they do provide you with ponchos our entire family still ended up getting soaked.  After Niagara Falls, we drove all the way back to the Cleveland airport through Pennsylvania and back to Ohio, then flew all the way back to California. It was a great adventure with a lot of new experiences including the theme parks and multiple thunderstorms unlike anything we have in California. While I enjoyed it greatly, it’s nice to be home.

Summer Adventures

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When it comes to summer vacation, all I can think of is relaxing, traveling, lots of road trips, and just couple of months without having to worry about anything school related. Summer is a time to go out and have fun with family and friends. It’s to go explore and go on some adventures. I am one of those people who can’t just stay in my house during the summer. I love to go on adventures and to explore and see the some of the wonders of the world we live in. And of course with every adventure comes in food. I love to taste different types of food each country has to offer.

One of the best summer vacation that I’ve been to is going to Mexico. Recently for my birthday my parents gifted me a cruise to Mexico. Though the cruise was only there for less than 8 hours. We got to go explore different places and book an excursion in Mexico. It was the BEST! And the excursion that we book involves food. Actually it is all you do all day your Mexico. We get to try different authentic food from Mexico and explore at the same time. And of course we also get to buy souvenirs to bring home to remember the trip. Once back on cruise, again all you mostly do in a cruise is eat! For 4 days straight I had no chores, nothing to worry, other than to eat and have fun by enjoying all the cruise has to offer! Food in the cruise I was in was amazing. Especially “Guys Burger.” And then comes the disembarking process. The process I’m pretty sure a lot of people hate the most. Don’t you just hate it when vacation is over and you get back to normal? Yeah well me too!

Another best vacation that I’ve been to is traveling around Europe for 2 weeks. Me and my mom love to travel. It’s out goal to travel all the countries someday. When we went to Europe first thing we landed on London. There we visited family and we got to go around London. Funny thing is we actually got to see some of the Royal family because it was when HRH Kate and William were visiting a local hospital/charity where my godmother works. We didn’t get to meet then but we saw them. And next to our trip was Paris. It was short one because we tried to fit 5 different places/4 countries in the span of 9 days. We explored the city of Paris and got some yummy croissant and the best hot chocolate for breakfast. Then our next stop Brussels, Belgium. Where again we explored for a days and went to Amsterdam the next day. In Amsterdam we get to explore the city and the history of Anne Frank.

Up next was our trip to Italy. First up was Milan. In Milan we got treated with an amazing homemade Italian pasta. The pasta is made in front of you and it was amazing. Then next to our trip was Lake Como. In Lake Como we got to see the beautiful Lake and its beautiful view by taking a boat around it. Ended the night with an amazing street pizza. Yes it was pizza that they sell on the streets with their little cart. It was delicious. We have a family in Milan that told us about this trick. We spent not even half of the price you pay in a restaurant and the pizza was so much more delicious. And last to out our trip was Rome. We climbed up to the top of the St. Peters Basilica for a total of 551 steps.

Our Europe trip is definitely an adventurous one. I was hoping someday to visit all these places with a little more time than usual. And explore it more. I advised if your an adventures type of person is to go to Europe and explore the cities. Because in every corner especially in Italy you see something different. Most likely something exciting. With awestruck views. And the food. We cannot forget about food. The food that I really enjoyed the most was in Italy and London. And if your a cheese lover Amsterdam has a lot of really great and delicious cheese. It was a really good experience.

“To travel is to take a journey into yourself”-Danny Kaye

-Marielle E.

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

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I thought this was a really cute story and really brought out my love for foreign love stories. Well not to foreign but it does take place in England which is foreign enough! I thought both characters were charming in their own way. Their small quirks and believable thoughts made the book seem relatable enough. Though I do wish a cute a British guy would strike up a conversation with me at an airport. I wasn’t sure how the title of the book was going to match the story, and to be honest I’m still not entirely sure how it does. Maybe it has to do with the probability of finding compatible people in an international airport, being on the same flight, etc. Haha. I find it crazy how odd the parents were. Wanting her to accept and even be happy about the marriage especially after the dad left. The soon to be step-mother, especially her real mother extremely upset me. They seemed very inconsiderate and brash in their decision making. However, the story does take a turn for the good…and bad. But mainly good. I recommend anybody who is into a quick YA read or even in an airport to give this book a glance because who knows when you might meet a cute British person.

-Coralie D.

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Overdrive.