Machu Picchu - The City in The Sky

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This week we take you the to the mysterious ruins in Peru known as Machu Picchu. Also known as one of the seven wonders of the world, Machu Picchu sits at an elevation of 2,430 meters covering 13 km squared.  This city can be found between the Andean Mountain Range, with the location divided into three areas such as Agricultural, Urban, and Religious. Archaeologists determined this by the foundations of the buildings taking advantages of different land formations.

The agricultural terrain and aqueducts take advantage of the natural slopes with the lower areas occupied by teachers and farmers of the city. The Religious area is one of the most important in Machu Picchu culture with the building overlooking the breath taking Urubamba Valley. In search for one of most known hiking spots in the world? Well Machu Picchu is home to Inca Trail, 45km long taking 3 to 5 days to complete winding through the mountains of the Andes and subtropical forest. Although travel requires a lot of work, but the end result in breathing taking a worth it during every minute. Though because of its altitude, Machu Picchu can drop below freezing temperatures and claim into the high 80's.  Machu Picchu is a wonder of the world to be seen and experienced, making it a recommended location for travel by all walks of life.

View the video and the pictures below to catch a better essence of this exotic location, and don't forget to tell your friends and family about this amazing experience. 

Iceland

Now you may be wondering why we are traveling to Iceland? Is it not a place solely covered in snow? Well, no. It is a great place to visit and we'll tell you why. Many of us already know that Iceland, for the most part, is not completely Ice; despite the name. A mere 10 percent of Iceland is covered in glaciers. It is a place where the summers are warm, green, and breathtaking, and the winters are mildly cold and white, yet filled with color (because of the Northern Lights that are clearly visible). Truly, the country's name makes it sound a lot colder than it is. In actuality, a Norwegian Viking named the country because of the massive glaciers he noticed while standing on top of a mountain. So, as you can imagine, we're not going to show you pictures of snow. We are not going to explore the cliched version of the island, but more of the unnoticed side.


It is an amazing fact that the sun does not completely set in the summers of Iceland. The earth, tilted on its axis, allows the Polar area to face the sun all the time. This means that even at midnight, the sun is up! Iceland is not far from the polar ice cap and so it roughly follows the same trend (now you can say you learned something new). Here is something else you can learn today: the earth's crust is thinner where Iceland exists. What does this mean? The molten rock and lava heat up the land mass and water giving rise to natural hot springs and geysers. The Strokker Geyser produces a high sprout of boiling water about every 15 minutes.

A must visit in Iceland is the Blue lagoon (No, not the movie!). This blue lagoon is a natural pool that is filled with minerals, algae, and many other ingredients that cause great, genuine effects on your skin. The blue pool is actually too hot to enter if left uninterrupted, but by adding cold water it becomes the perfect temperature to relax in. The blue lagoon is also a resort that has incorporated a full spa, gym, and many other items for its visitors. The video below outlines more facts and details about the Blue Lagoon resort. In the video, the comedic Tommy takes you around to learn more about how you can enjoy Blue lagoon on your next trip.

Montenegro

Never heard of it? Now you have. Montenegro is a country! Sandwiched between Albania, Serbia, and Bosnia, this small country in Europe has a lot to show. We begin this trip by visiting the coast of Montenegro. A helpful tip when visiting this amazing place: the main attractions are at the coast, so be sure to visit it! Montenegro's southern side faces the Adriatic Sea, which creates a beautiful host of distinct venues that are definitely worthy of visiting. First, we venture to the Ostrog Monastery, the great church visited by hundreds every day. This monastery was carved and built into a cliff 900 meters above sea level, overlooking the Adriatic Sea. Regardless of your Religion or beliefs, this is a sight you cannot miss. Its beauty causes you to feel synced with the Montenegrins. Even by watching the short YouTube video below, you can experience the vibes; do not hesitate to check it out.

After the great Ostrog Monastery, we visit the Peninsula of Saint Stephen (known to the locals as Peninsula Sveti Stefan). Before you go and look up Peninsula, it is a strip of land that is connected to the main land but it is projected further into an ocean or sea. There is a fascinating story that comes along with Saint Stephen. It is said that a local family with the name of Pastrovici once built this entire peninsula. The interesting part is that they built it using the gold and treasure that they raided from the Turkish. Though this was in the 15th Century, the Saint Stephen Peninsula is an even greater treasure now. It encompasses a range of Villas and apartments that have a spectacular view of the beach and skyline. The beaches on the bridge connecting the land mass is a reddish color that is perfect for spending a relaxing moment.

For the extreme adventurists, Montenegro is filled with national parks comprising lakes, forests, rivers, canyons, and mountains to explore at your will. For others, 240 sunny days a year will create the most peaceful beach time you will ever spend. For everyone, old structures made of bricks and stones tie it all together. Be sure to include Montenegro in your list of upcoming vacations!

Pitons and The Island of Saint Lucia

Inhabited by the Arawak Indians, Spain and France were the two countries to discover and explore the islands of St. Lucia. After years of war for the island as a naval port, St. Lucia had become a British territory in 1814 and became one the country’s Windwards Islands in 1871. The Windward Islands are the southern, generally larger islands of the Lesser Antilles, within the West Indies. They lie south of the Leeward Islands, between latitudes 12 degrees and 16 degrees north and longitudes 60 degrees and 62 degrees west in one definition. Today St. Lucia is an independent colony and received full rights on February 22^nd, 1979. 

So when traveling to St. Lucia be sure to check into Anse Chastanet, one of the few luxury all-inclusive hotel's on the island. Here at this luxurious resort, experience the beauty of the Pitons just a few steps from you’re your room, balcony while you relax like royalty and enjoy the fruits of the island. Looking for something more for the adventurous individual, just drive to the Sulphur Springs and hike to the Botanical Gardens where some of the most breath taking waterfalls and flowers are located on the island. Also, just steps from the resort lies a world class beach known for its crystal clear Caribbean waters and marine life to keep anyone busy for hours. Lastly as mentioned before, the Pitons is an icon of the island and home to a hidden gem seen no where else. The Piton is home to the Jacqout or also known as the St. Lucia Parrot. This bird is native to the island and can not be found anywhere else other then in the tree tops of the Pitons where at age four these birds’ pair up with a mate and forever stay together in the years to come. Sadly the St. Lucia Parrot is endangered and with the efforts of the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust theses birds can have a fighting chance.

Overall, St. Lucia is an island to be explored and visited and we are happy to bring it to the comfort of your own home.

Glass Beach

      Glass beach is located in Fort Bragg, California, USA. Though it is a stunning sight, it is not exactly a natural wonder. The glass on this beach is manmade and it was purposely placed in this area because of ignorance to the effects of global warming humans once had in the past. In the early 1900's, Glass Beach was called "The Dumps" by the local people. They used the cliff, located after the shore, as a dumping site and threw their garbage, appliances, glass, and even their unused cars off the edge. Over many years these waste products were drawn into the ocean and were torn down to nothing. All except pieces of glass and pottery remain.


        These thousands and thousands of pieces have been broken down, polished and have been redistributed back onto the beach creating a spectacle to behold.This beach is now accessible through following a small path down the cliff. In 1998, the private owner of the land decided to sell the land to the state of California. He worked along side the California Coastal Conservancy to clean up the area. Glass Beach was then opened to the public and was made even more accessible to anyone who wanted to catch a glimpse of this occurrence. Although it is frequented by many tourists that wish to take a part of the beach with them home, no one is allowed to remove the glass from the beach. This is because many tourists and artists use the glass to make jewelry and other artistic crafts. As a result, the sea glass is slowly dwindling; which may cause it to be nonexistent in the future. To reinstate, it is now illegal to take the glass from the beach as it is now property of California.Yes, this is our 6th destination! We're half way there so be sure to check back every week to catch the other amazing six posts.

Only in Ontario

We have been all over the place over the past four weeks. Since my partner and I have begun this little assignment, we have introduced to you some of (well in my own words) the sexiest, hottest, highest, deep tropical and European locations in the world. So this week we thought we would take a moment before we entered into the climax to our adventure, my partner and I wanted to introduce to you the beauty of Ontario, Canada. Most of you reading this today may be thinking to yourselves why Ontario, I live here and have seen it all. Truly, that may not be the case. It was not until I progressed into my early twenties, got a car, and grew hair on my chest that I decided to experience the greatest Ontario had to offer. When first traveling to Ontario, the locals of surrounding cities will tell you Niagara Falls is one location to be seen before you leave. The raw power of the falls can be heard from the room of your hotel, and the mist can be felt as you walk Clifton Hill in search of entertainment and fine dining. Also for the more adventurous individuals and families, Maid of the Mist is an experience like no other. Below I have included more information about this great journey as the captain of the Maid takes you up and close to the base of the falls where the true power can be felt. Niagara Falls should be at the top of your list when traveling to Ontario, but just 30 minutes southwest a small town by Fort Erie is host to a hot spot for many university and college students.Crystal Beach a hot spot around the great lakes, and a spot for Americans looking for a clear clean swim. At Crystal Beach the police seemed to be easy going, so you know what that means, beers and more beers on the beach while you enjoy the summer heat between the months of June and August. However, Ontario is not all nature bound. Travel northeast of Niagara Falls and experience culture all in one location. The city of Toronto is home to a wide range of cultures and is known for being the home of the C.N. Tower, making it one of the greatest cities in Canada to visit. From Little Italy to China Town, from Young Street to Bay Street, whatever your needs are from shopping, entertainment, and dining you are sure to be amazed by what is offered in this great city. Once you and your team of travelers have experienced the culture of Toronto, travel 2 hours north of the city to the home for most skiers and snowboarders of Ontario. Blue Mountain, Ontario in the winter months of November to early March, can be seen as its busiest time as skiers and snowboarders enjoy the race down the 42 hills. Once you have gone up and down a couple of times and beat yourself up until you are tired, at the base of the mountain sits the Village. Known for its bars, and awesome restaurants, individuals can unwind and relax in the atmosphere of the Blue Mountain Village. In Ontario, there is so much to be seen and experience it can not be explained by words but by just going out and discovering it from yourself.