Visited the Hello Kitty Cafe Las vegas

We were visiting Las Vegas, staying at the New York-New York Hotel and Casino. I heard about the Hello Kitty Cafe located just outside the hotel. We were there too early and so we decided to take photos before they open.  If you are a fan of hello kitty;  finding this cafe was a plus for your trip in Vegas.

 

The Hello Kitty Cafe is a fun little spot in Las Vegas. It’s basically a food truck. You can get hot or cold beverages and a sweet treats. They also sell shirts and other merchandise.  They have an area to seat on and its decorated as well so you can enjoy your treats.

 

Hello Kitty Cafe - a fun little place in the heart of Vegas.

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17 comments Cabin and Hotel Reviews, Cities and Towns, Family Attractions, Las Vegas, Nevada, Places to Eat and Shop, Summer Getaway, United States

Visit Santa Barbara Art Chromatic Gate Installation

Have you ever wanted to just walk under the rainbow?  How about actually touching it?!  Why not when visiting Santa Barbara's beaches. Designed by famed Herbert Bayer, an artist and architect who lived and created around the globe.  This structure is especially fun to look at as you stand at the beach and watch the clouds pass over the mountains to the east of Chromatic Gate.

This massive piece of work with Unicorn colors is very intriguing with the way the arches are in 90 degree angles.  One of my favorite spots for any photo ops since it's literally across the street from the beach, you get an awesome sunset view as well. Enjoy what this piece of art has to offer on a breathtaking beautiful weather of California. There's lots to do here.

The gate looks great from either side for pictures. Some people can really spend a lot of time taking pictures there. It's really quite photogenic on a clear blue sky day.

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21 comments Beaches and Islands, California, Family Attractions, Historic Landmarks, Santa Barbara, United States

Visiting Crater Lake National Park in Oregon | Part 1

I am one of those people who loves National Parks.  That is why I've always wanted to see this magnificent lake in Oregon and we finally made it. Picture perfect lake. No doubt about it. You will be amazed when you see this lake. It's a long drive in the wilderness no matter where you'll come from.

The drive here was scenic and when you get to the lake you'll forget the long drive that you just did.  The lake was still a few miles after the National Park sign there's a ($15/car) entrance fee  to  enter the park .

The road trip to Crater Lake is nothing short of spectacular.  As we approached the rim, the beauty of the lake literally took my breath away. I gasped because it was as they say, picture perfect. The water was so blue and the surrounding mountains were reflecting off making it all more magical. In late May the ground still has snow and the mountains were snow capped -- it added to the beauty of the lake.

If you love photography, this is definitely the place to go.

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39 comments Crater Lake, Crater Lake National Park, Family Attractions, Mountain, Oregon, Oregon State National Park, Outdoor Activities and Adventures, United States, US National Park

Visit Homosassa Springs State Wildlife Park

We like to visit State Parks and  recently we made a trip to Homosassa Springs State Park at Crystal River, Florida.  This park is a true crown jewel in the collection of Florida state parks. Homosassa and Weeki Wachee and Silver Springs are the three parks that are much more than a nature center and playground. Homosassa is a tourist destination and basically a mini theme park for rehabilitative native Florida species.

I am not a big fan of zoo's.  I feel like animals should not be taken from their natural environment to begin with, made it perform, and then confined to a tiny space. Animals deserve to be in their natural habitat.  However, I support sanctuaries and wildlife preserves just like this park.  It is created to rehabilitate and heal animals. Most of them are unable to survive on their own in the wild. So they are given a comfortable and safe environment at Homosassa Springs. Also they have Underwater Observatory, allows visitors to “walk underwater” beneath the spring’s surface and watch the various fish and manatees swim about.

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27 comments Aquarium and Zoo, Crystal River, Family Attractions, Florida, State Parks, United States

Visit the Whispering Winds Covered Bridge and Lost Mine Falls

Everyone is familiar with theme parks or amusement parks, but have you ever heard of an adventure park? Adventure park is a place where family can come to explore and discover the outdoors. The  Foxfire Mountain Adventure Park is famous for that, located 12 miles outside the city limits of Gatlinburg , Sevierville or Pigeon Forge.

It is a family oriented adventure park that has beautiful easy to moderate trails. This trails will lead you across multiple unique bridges from log to covered and cable  bridges, including America’s Longest Swinging Bridge with gorgeous vistas and awesome waterfalls.

"Whispering Winds Covered Bridge",  is home to thousands of wishes where you can hang a wish to blow in the winds of prosperity. 

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30 comments Bridges and Sights, Family Attractions, FoxFire Mountain, Outdoor Activities and Adventures, Sevierville, Tennessee, Theme Parks, United States, Waterfalls

Discover Foxfire Mountain Swinging Bridge

Those visiting to Gatlinburg or Pigeon Forge must check out Foxfire Mountain Adventure Park.  If you and your family are looking for a great place to spend a day; visit Foxfire Mountain located at:  3757 Thomas Ln, Sevierville, TN 37876.   They are a little off the beaten path, but its completely worth it.  This park is perfect for family adventure with a  short hike and  breathtaking waterfalls.

Did you know  that the longest "Swinging Bridge" in United States is located right here in East Tennessee?

From FoxFire Mountain entrance  you can cross The Bridge to Prosperity towards the hiking trail and waterfalls. Heights might not be your thing, but this bridge is safe, sturdy and has amazing views. These bridges are made of steel cable, wood and rock , fun thing about it is that they really do swing.

The park features a rock climbing wall, ATV tours, the longest swinging bridge in America, and two zip line courses -- there’s no shortage of adventures here!

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26 comments Bridges and Sights, Family Attractions, FoxFire Mountain, Outdoor Activities and Adventures, Sevierville, Tennessee, Theme Parks, United States

Visit Wynwood Art Walls in Miami

This is a very unique part of Miami you should visit. Wynwood Walls is located a few minutes away from downtown. Wynwood Walls has been described as an walkable, outdoor museum. It is a fun filled environment with some of the best collections of hand painted art/murals. The entire neighborhood hosts a truly amazing set of public art work. The murals are vivid, striking, and passionate and create great opportunity for taking photos. Sometimes you will even see one under development when the artist is currently working on a wall.

For the record there are over 70 different paintings and murals made by over 50 artists all over the world (over 16 countries). Aside from all the many artistic walls around this area, there is actually a good amount of history and stories behind the Wynwood walls. You can actually take a walking tour of this place if you are interested. You can also read some tidbit information about some of the artists.

When we enter at the gate in Wynwood,  I was not expecting to see so much art everywhere. Amazing work done by talented artists.

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26 comments Family Attractions, Florida, Miami, Museum and Exhibits, United States

Visit the Bass Museum of Art in Miami Beach

On our most recent trip to Miami Beach I recognized this colorful stacked up rocks.  Have you heard  the Seven Magic Mountains art installation in Las Vegas?  It's same , except you will only see one tower. The genius man behind this beautiful art is the Swiss artist  Ugo Rondinone. Ugo Rondinone is an internationally-renowned artist. His works range from neon signs to paintings to eerily realistic life-sized clown figures, sitting slumped over on the floor of a gallery. All of his works mesh everyday experiences and objects with colorful, fantastical, and often-strange elements. Seven Magic Mountains in ( Las Vegas, Nevada) is one of his first forays outside of a gallery and into land art.

It is  such a beautiful part of Miami Beach, where you can relax outside under the palm trees and scenic lawn park, or walk over to the beach.  Located on the corner of 21st Street and Collins Avenue. 

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26 comments Family Attractions, Florida, Miami, Museum and Exhibits, United States

Visit Everglades National Park

One of America's most fascinating national parks,  is the Everglades. This park was created to protect native species of plants, animals and a rare Eco-system that doesn't exist anywhere else on the planet. There are few different endangered animals that call the Everglades home along with many plants.

The moment we drive past the  Everglades entrance gate, we've witness miles of emptiness in every direction, a river of grass stretching to the treeless horizon. Every National Park has something to offer, but this one was so different. Wetlands, as far as your eyes could see and instead of black bears in  Tennessee we had our eyes peeled for alligators.

1. See and learn about Alligator 

Don't let the gators scare you--  it is safe.

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24 comments Aquarium and Zoo, Everglades National Park, Family Attractions, Florida, Florida State National Park, Miami, Outdoor Activities and Adventures, United States

6 Fun Things to Do in Pigeon Forge

Pigeon Forge is a charming town surrounded by the Great Smoky Mountains in eastern Tennessee. There are so many things to do in Pigeon Forge, including some of the best attractions in the entire Smoky Mountain area. From fun attractions to restaurants and relaxing places to stay, there is no shortage of fun things to do here. Bring along your entire family and sure to have the time of their lives while on vacation in Pigeon Forge.

Here are some of my favorite attractions in Pigeon Forge:

1. Visit the Titanic Museum Attraction

If you are a huge Titanic movie fan you will really enjoy this museum. The Titanic Museum is shaped like a replica of the ship. When you first check in you will receive a boarding pass of a real Titanic passenger and experience what it was like to sail on the RMS Titanic while surrounded by more than 400 artifacts. Touch a real iceberg, walk the Grand Staircase and third class hallways, feel it with  your own hands the 28-degree water, and try to stand on the sloping decks. At the end of the tour you can see whether or not the person on your card survived. Give yourself a good 2 hrs to go through this exhibit.  It is definitely a walk through history and very informative.

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26 comments Family Attractions, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, Travel Tips, United States