My Favorite Rides at Disney World

There are so many blogs out there about Disney World. You can find what to wear, see, do, and eat with a basic search. Information about the rides is readily available, but when my friends & family come to town they ask me which rides I recommend. So I decided to list my favorite rides at Disney World by each park! Here are my picks & why:

Animal Kingdom

Kilimanjaro Safaris:
Kilimanjaro Safaris ride at Disney World
Kilimanjaro Safaris ride at Disney World

Since I’m an animal lover this shouldn’t be a surprise, and of course, there are giraffes! On this ride you get into safari bus and go on a tour of the savannah. You can see Okapi, various birds, hippos, rhinos, giraffes, gazelle, monkeys, elephants, and more! Even once you’ve been on the safari no ride is the same, the next trip you may see an animal you haven’t seen before. I recommend going first thing in the morning or around dusk since the animals are more active. Animal Kingdom now has a night ride for the safari, but if you go after dark you aren’t going to see much! Continue reading My Favorite Rides at Disney World

Devil’s Den

Florida’s Best Kept Secret

My friend and I were more than eager to check out Devil’s Den Prehistoric Springs, an underwater springs inside a cave. There had been a lot of hype about it and I was dying to check it off my Florida list. Pictures online portrayed translucent cobalt waters surrounded by rock with a hole in the middle that let sunshine through. The underwater cave sounded incredible, but until I was actually inside I couldn’t comprehend how wonderful it was. Continue reading Devil’s Den

Canoeing Wekiva Island

Mirrored Waters

A dark brown shape protruded from the left side of the bank ahead. My gaze focused on it, trying to figure out if it was a branch or an alligator. I relaxed as we moved closer, it was a branch. But my defenses would soon be up again, there were all sorts of things in these waters.

Canoeing the Wekiva River
Canoeing the Wekiva River

The fourth of July weekend brought my parents in town. We didn’t want to go to the overcrowded theme parks or beaches so we decided to go to Wekiva Island and spend the day canoeing. The beginning of the trip was peaceful and beautiful, not a lot of people were on the water yet. Continue reading Canoeing Wekiva Island

St. Augustine Day Trip

The Oldest City in America

Sunset at the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument
Sunset at the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument
St. Augustine

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

Airboat Ride in Kissimmee

Searching for Gators

Airboat ride on Lake Toho

Airboat rides are an iconic Florida activity. Gliding through swampy, alligator infested waters is the first image that comes to mind, but our guide told us differently. The alligators usually hide since they can hear the airboats coming, so getting a close look at one is difficult. Luckily for us it was August, which is nesting season for alligators. The mother gators would stay near their nests, even when they sensed intruders drawing near. Continue reading Airboat Ride in Kissimmee

Bioluminescent Kayak Tour

Drifting Through Glowing Waters

Florida’s Indian River hosts a magnificent natural occurrence during the warm summer months: bioluminescence. I came across a picture of bioluminescence one day and with a quick search I discovered that this spectacular display is only 45 minutes away from me.  I could go on a bioluminescent kayak tour in Titusville, Florida. A scene from the movie Life of Pi came to mind, the one where Pi wakes up and finds that the sea is glowing around him and all the creatures are illuminated. This phenomenon is real; bioluminescence causes the surrounding water to light up, or glow, when movement is present.

Kayaks lined up for the bioluminescent kayak tour

Continue reading Bioluminescent Kayak Tour

Hello world & welcome!

imageWell hello & welcome to my blog! My name is Kristen Howell and I’m excited to share my adventures with you! Let me introduce myself a little: I love travelling, the outdoors, animals {especially giraffes}, reading, mac & cheese, waterfalls, and anything purple. I am also somewhat of a thrill seeker. I moved around growing up, but I call Alabama home. Three years ago I moved from my ‘home’ state to Orlando, Florida leaving behind family & great friends. I love sharing my experiences with them, so I’m creating this blog not only as a diary of my travels and adventures, but also so my family & friends can keep up with me. I plan on travelling more in the upcoming future and want to record all of my adventures here. Hopefully others will be inspired by my travels and add some things to their bucket lists! Continue reading Hello world & welcome!

A Life of Adventures