After living in Australia for almost 2 years, guess which beach is my favorite? If you would have guessed Bondi…you’re wrong! Manly Beach is my absolute favorite beach in Sydney (and actually, Manly is just my favorite place as well)! Not that I need to prove it, but here’s why; Manly has all of the things that make a beach great: stunning water, coves, wormholes, art, nature, incredible views, walking treks…Oh, the things that Manly offers. Let’s get started!
I have been in the Land Down Under for two weeks now and I absolutely love it! In fact, I’ve loved it so much that I’m a week late on my blog post for my first week in Sydney! So here it is, better late than never.
My total flight time from Birmingham to Sydney was 24 hours. I had three different connections, but overall the flight wasn’t too bad! My longest leg (from LAX to Sydney) was supposed to be almost 15 hours, but we ended up landing an hour early! Thankfully, I didn’t feel too bad getting off the plane since I slept in intervals of about 30 minutes (totaling to 3 or 4 hours) and I even got my row to myself (yay, yay!). Continue reading My First Week in Sydney
I heard about the manatee festival on the radio. It was early February and finally starting to feel like winter in Florida. A temperature drop brings the manatees in from the frigid ocean water to the warm waters of the springs. My first trip to see the manatees was at Blue Spring State Park. The park is small, but the trail around the springs is breathtaking. The water is an aqua blue, completely see through.
Visiting the Everglades is a bucket list item that I’ve had in my sights since I moved to Florida. I just couldn’t make up my mind how to see the Everglades: a boat tour, an airboat ride, or simply go for a visit near a park entrance and try my luck. Then I ran across an article on the Shark Valley Tram Tour. A picture of the Shark Valley Observation Tower caught my eye and I knew I had just stumbled upon the inspiration for my trip. Continue reading Everglades Trip
My second trip back to St. Augustine was just as wonderful as the first. I visited a  few new places: the brewery, the winery, and Lightner Museum, but the highlight of the trip was the Flagler College tour!
The first time I went to St. Augustine I was told multiple times to book a tour to visit Flagler College. So, my next visit to St. Augustine was centered around going on the tour and I was not disappointed. Being in St. Augustine already made me feel like I had gone back in time, but when I walked through the gates onto the Flagler campus I felt transported back even further. The architecture is incredible. The orange-red clay used on the college is beautiful, the details intricate. There is a large fountain in the center, with different sculptures posted at each hour. Continue reading Flagler College Tour
The Oldest City in America
St. Augustine is one city that I was told I had  to visit ever since I moved to Florida. Now that I’ve been, I’m one of those people telling others to go! St. Augustine was built by the Spanish and is the oldest city in the U.S.; it was also the capital of Florida for 200 years. I decided to stop in St. Augustine for one day on my trip, but I wish I had planned for two days. The town is on the east coast of Florida and since I was driving up from Orlando, I made a checklist of my St. Augustine bucket list to hit in order on my way up. St. Augustine has so much history to offer and the trip was a nice change from the theme parks. Continue reading St. Augustine Day Trip
