Penobscot Narrows Bridge, Observatory & Fort Knox Maine Review By Jessica Marie Where the Penobscot river meets the Penobscot Bay and eventually the Atlantic Ocean, sits the Penobscot Narrows Bridge and Observatory as well as Fort Knox in Maine. We hear of Fort Knox, Tennessee but there is another just off the coast of Maine. It is packed with history and views. Penobscot Narrows Bridge and Observatory The bridge crosses the Penobscot river and joins Verona Island to the mainland. It is a striking and unique bridge that flits into and out of vision through the surrounding forest as one approaches. It is a relatively narrow, two-lane bridge with towers that stretch high into the sky. The observatory is taller than the Statue of Liberty! The views from the observatory allow you to tower over the forests of Maine to see the Penobscot river, where it diverges into the eastern channel, and the Penobscot bay. You can also see the town of Bucksport nearby. There are multiple parking lots and parking is included with admission. Parking any vehicle is easily accommodated for your visit. There are bathrooms in the parking lot but none at the bridge or in the observatory. There is one elevator to the top of the observatory and the group limit in the elevator is 8. Covid-19 rules require all elevator occupants be from the same party. You won’t be in the elevator with those outside your party. The top can comfortably hold maybe 15-20 people. There are a few small stair wells with a wall to one side and windows on the other. These lead from the elevator to the observatory. There is another elevator for the disabled to reach the observation deck. Once at the observation deck you have a full 360 view of the area. We saw a large school of fish swim through the river being chased by a seal. There are stairs down to the bottom of the observation tower that can be used in an emergency. There are employees present at the base and the top to guide visitors. Parties are given about 15 minutes before they are encouraged to return so the next group can come up. Fort Knox Fort Knox began construction in 1844. It is very close to the bridge and one admission fee grants each person access to both the Penobscot Narrows Bridge, Observatory and Fort Knox. Most visitors park at the bridge, then drive over to the Fort to park in that lot. There are bathrooms, a drink vending machine, and gift shop upon starting the trail to the Fort. Once inside the fort there are no amenities. There is a trail down to the Penobscot River and the cannons along the river. The trail is steep in places, but there is plenty of space to pause and rest if needed. There is a covered stairwell from the area by the river up towards the fort. The stairs and rooms are very cool and are a great place to head if you get too hot. The stairs are very steep, so watch your step. On the walk up to the Fort you are impressed by the size of the Fort and how well fortified it was. Inside there are many signs explaining the area as well as free guides that can answer questions, give tours, and more. Once inside the fort, you have free run of the place. There are back halls that are very dark and completely unlit save for sun streaming in through the rifle slits. Be sure to bring a flashlight or use the one on your phone. These back areas are very cool both in temperature and for adventuring. But watch your step as much of the floor is uneven and steps can crop up anywhere. Do not navigate these halls without use of a flashlight. You can ascend the stone, spiral staircase to the upper level. You can see the Penobscot Narrows Bridge and Observatory from the upper level. Under the main level are small cavern like areas that can be explored. However, you will need to duck or crawl to fully explore them. If you play the flute or other such instrument, you can find some fantastic, highly acoustic areas where music can be heard through much of the Fort. Conclusion This is an incredibly fun place for people of all ages. Families with small children had a great time exploring the Fort, just be sure to watch their step as the floor is uneven, unlit, and can be slippery in places. I spent most of my time finding as many tunnels and back halls as I could. I spoke to a guide at the end of the day and was told I had found every hidden area. I felt very accomplished! Strollers and wheelchairs could see the main level, but little else. These could, however, see the Bridge and Observatory. If you love history, views, and exploring old forts these two attractions are perfect for you. The plan your trip to either attraction click here. This is not an affiliate link. https://www.maine.gov/mdot/pnbo/ You can pay for and visit only the observatory or the fort, or pay one fee to see both. The bridge itself is free to drive across. Happy exploring!
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In the mountain town of Bailey, Colorado lies an unassuming white building just one turn off the main highway. On its side in big, bold, black letters reads “Sasquatch Outpost”. Inside is a fantastic little gift shop with everything Sasquatch and Bigfoot you can imagine, and a museum dedicated to the cryptid itself. I heard about this place when watching a Bigfoot documentary (yes, I admit to watching these types of shows) and knew I had to go there. So, for my 28th birthday I loaded up with my brother and friend and we drove up to the mountains to visit this fascinating place. After the drive up through the Rocky Mountains you are happy to find there is free parking out front of the building. Once you step out of your car you are greeted by the crisp mountain air, surrounded by evergreen forest, and the quaint little town of Bailey. Once inside the Outpost they have fashioned the gift shop like a forest with faux trees and other décor, it even smells like a forest too. From Bigfoot Legos to coffee mugs, signs, magnets, sweaters, books, and so much more, it feels like a bigfoot lovers dream. Bring your love, or skepticism, of bigfoot and your stories and you will feel right at home here. For a small fee you can enter the museum and continue this dive into the elusive sasquatch. The museum is very well done, I was fully expecting a very low-budget, hokey, uncomfortable experience and they blew me right out of the water. It’s a high-quality and thought-out museum. Walking you through the timeline of bigfoot for European settlers, Native American tales, evidence, and stories from some rather credible sources. They have a map of Colorado and pins of sightings or other evidence of the bigfoot in-state. Ending with a perfect photo op and a chance for you to vote on how real you think the Bigfoot is. Then you lead back to the gift shop. I have always been completely fascinated by all things supernatural, cryptid, and unexplained so I left the same as I entered, anything is possible. And supported this place with a few pieces of Bigfoot memorabilia to grace my home. My friend left the same skeptic she came as. She’s Scully and I’m Mulder. But we all had a great afternoon with memories and a unique experience. Can you say you’ve been to a Bigfoot museum? Whether you’re a believer or a skeptic or anywhere in-between you can have a fun time at the Sasquatch Outpost in Bailey, Colorado. If you live in Colorado and are looking for in-state places to go add this one to your list! And if you are traveling to Colorado in the future, see if you can squeeze this in, it’s fun, affordable for everyone, and family friendly. This could also be a great visit if you are looking for Halloween destinations. Much Love, Jessica PS: If you are looking for other Halloween destinations, check out my other blog post on The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park I didn’t know there was a Dinosaur National Monument until I drove through Dinosaur, Colorado on my way to Utah to do my check-in dive. My obsession with Dinosaurs kicked into full gear and I knew I needed to go. The following summer I finally made it to the land of Dinosaurs, and it did not disappoint! It’s not a huge park like Rocky Mountain National Park or Yellowstone, but it still has a lot to offer. Dinosaur National Monument has a bit of everything. It has camping, rafting, swimming, hiking, dinosaur fossils, petroglyphs, a museum, and more. We stayed in the on-site campground. It’s what is called dry-camping, which means no facilities at each camp site, such as water, sewer, or electricity. The bathrooms do have running water, but no shower facilities. If you have a camper you would need to fill your tanks and empty them at the dump station and run a generator or solar for power. We stayed in a tent, made use of their nearby water spikets, the public bathroom, and just lounged in the Green River at the end of every day. The campground had lots of trees, a good amount of space and privacy between each camp site, and friendly staff. We went in the middle of summer so it was extremely hot. Bring as much water as you can, I used a camel back and two water bottles on every hike. You’ll either want shorts, tank tops, and a ton of sunscreen, or very light and breathable long sleeves and pants to protect you from the sun without overheating you. Don’t forget a hat! We lived in baseball caps the entire time we were there. We also took water breaks under trees or behind large rock faces. There is a museum in the Park as well as fossil hikes and petroglyph hikes. It isn’t far from Dinosaur, Colorado and Vernal, Utah where there are grocery stores, more museums, restaurants and just civilization things. We elected to visit the museums before we did a lot of hiking. Since we knew we wouldn’t have access to a shower for about a week, we didn’t want our lovely odors to disturb the other visitors. However, towards the end we went to the King Tut & Dinosaur Café (yes, this is a real place and it was pretty good too!) in Vernal, Utah. The poor waitress stood quite far away from our table, we felt bad for her poor nose. We ended every day with a dip in the Green River, which runs right beside the campground. It was the perfect temperature and the perfect place to watch the sun set. Then we would then walk back to camp, hang our clothes to dry, and start up a campfire to cook dinner on. If you’re looking for a fun summer camping spot to explore, I would highly recommend Dinosaur National Monument. With paleontology, archaeology, natural science and history museums, hiking, biking, rafting, fishing, swimming, horseback riding, stargazing, and more, this is the perfect place to go. Since it isn’t one of the huge national parks it isn’t as crowded with tourists. There were times when we were out hiking that we didn’t see or hear any sounds of humanity or civilization for the entire hike, save for a plane that may fly overhead. I’ve been dying to go back ever since I left. Here is a link to their site so you can plan your visit! https://www.nps.gov/dino/index.htm Much Love, Jess For October 31st’s Halloween celebration this year I decided to stay in Estes Park, Colorado. My first choice was Salem, MA buuut I decided to book the trip too last minute and there weren’t any hotels or AirBnB’s available in the area. Sad and disappointed I was forced to nix that plan and come up with something different. It dawned on me that I live less than an hour from the infamous Stanley Hotel, yes the one that inspired Stephen King to write the Shining, and I had never been inside before. I booked a room for Halloween Night and all my sorrows were gone! The Stanley is on the expensive side, I paid about $250 a night, but it is a historic hotel with a lot of history and conveniently placed close to town and all the major attractions of Estes Park, Colorado. Not far from Rocky Mountain National Park, a mere 5 minute drive to downtown, and the hotel itself having several attractions, I would certainly recommend it. The Stanley has a historic tour and a ghost tour, a restaurant, a café, a bar, in-house performances, two mazes on the front lawn, and more. The Stanley Hotel’s main building opened in 1909 but is in great condition, mixing its history with the modern necessities of your everyday hotel needs. I stayed in a single Queen room. It had a large closet, a dresser, a bathroom with all the amenities (the shower was certainly made for shorter people however), free cable and Wi-Fi, a Keurig and complementary coffee. I found the room to be very nice and spacious and exactly what I needed. I was only one person, more than 1 or even 2 would feel a bit crowded. For instance, you wouldn’t have space for a roll-away bed in that size room. I found the room and the hotel to be absolutely beautiful, charming, historic and would gladly stay there again! I took The Stanley’s Ghost Tour and found it to be a wonderful mixture of history and spooks. The ghosts at The Stanley are friendly and not malicious or creepy, just quirky, playful, and unique. We were shown the infamous room 217 that Stephen King stayed in, as well as given a tour of one of the larger rooms in The Stanley. This tour would be fine for kids or adults, there are only so many spaces available each night so be sure to book your tickets in advance. What else is there to do in Estes Park for Halloween? Well, all the downtown shops stay open until 5pm so you can browse and shop the day away! There are also lots of candy shops, restaurants, café’s and more. In the Old Church Shops there is a fantastic coffee shop called Raven’s Roast and I simply adore this place! It has a lovely atmosphere and aesthetic that you don’t want to miss! I went there twice while in Estes Park, the second time I sat on the couch and read while drinking my latte and was happy as could be. At 5pm on Halloween night all the shops on main street close down and Halloween begins! All the shops put out bowls of candy and decorations as people and animals come dressed for trick-or-treating. People of all ages are encouraged to participate and to get in on the treats. Several times the shop owners insisted that we take some candy. And at least one candy shop was handing out caramel apples! Afterwards you could grab some dinner, catch a show at the Stanley, or get a drink at a local bar or pub. It’s a great family-friendly place to spend Halloween! Review and Tips for Estes on Halloween?
I hope you get a chance to see Estes Park, Colorado someday! Better yet, try to visit during Halloween to have a fun and memorable experience at this unexpected but noteworthy Halloween destination. Much Love, Jess In this post I’m going to talk about Cuchara, Colorado and The Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado. I took this trip in May of 2019 with 2 friends, but this trip had just about every set-back that the travel gods could throw at it. However, we preserved, made some major adjustments and detours and made it to Cuchara! We planned to take two cars down (as one member of the group was staying longer than the other two then coming back with their S.O.), stay in the dry camping area off Urraca Road in our tent with our dogs, then spend a few days in the National Park, in the surrounding area, and maybe shoot down to Cuchara for a day. This, however, is not what happened. We made it about an hour south when one of the cars gave out. As it was a holiday weekend, most of the mechanics shops were closed. We managed to limp the car back to a nearby city and (luckily) spend the night with one of the trekkers mom’s. We tossed all but the bare bones of our gear and managed to fit all of our gear, food, 3 people and 2 dogs into 1 car and then proceeded to go to our camping location. Upon arrival the wind was a constant 7ish MPH with 10-15 MPH gusts. No matter how hard we tried, we could not manage to set up our tent as it was a large multi-person tent that simply acted as a sail in the wind. After 2+ hours of trying we admitted defeat, the wind claiming its victory as it continued to batter us in mockery. The member that was staying in Cuchara was able to contact their AirBnB host, who was luckily available, and let us extend our stay. So, we packed the CR-V once again and drove another couple of hours south to Cuchara. We spent one night in the Cuchara Inn and the remaining time in an AirBnB. From there things finally smoothed out. Tips and reviews from this trip?
Thank you for reading and for sticking around through the crazy long hiatus! Hope this review was helpful. Add any tips or experiences you’ve had at Cuchara, Colorado or The Great Sand Dunes National Park below! Much Love, Jess Alas, we have come to the last post in my 2018-2019 Mexico City trip review. This post will be a little shorter than the last few because I will just do a simple overview of the few museums we went to while on our trip. While many of the sites I reviewed in the past posts are historic and an educational experience in and of themselves. We also stumbled upon some really neat museums that I would also recommend. The first museum we went to was the National Museum, it was not far from Zócalo. The same street as the Cathedral and Temple Mayor followed down a short ways (past the street vendors) has a free museum. There is a no bag or water bottle policy, but they have security that gives you a marker for your items. They did allow me to bring my camera. There were some exhibits that were in both Spanish and English, but some were only in Spanish. There was quite a lot to see and it was much larger than I expected it to be. There were also random rooms and hallways that were empty and it took some walking around to find the next exhibition. Overall, it was a good place to get away from the crowded Zócalo streets and learn a little about a variety of topics as each room had a different theme from art to Dia de los Muertos to archaeology to China. You can also see it during the middle of the day to have a safe place to store your bag (giving your shoulders a break) while also learning at the museum. We also saw Temple Mayor, which was a fascinating place! It was another location I had learned about in my archaeology class and was excited to go see. It is in Zócalo and right beside the cathedral. Admission was not very expensive (you can keep your bags) and if you have a credit card you can pay at the self-pay kiosk and skip the long lines to pay at the counter. Once you walk through the gate there are artifacts and diagrams of the history of the Temple (all signs were in both Spanish and English). Then you were able to walk through parts of the temple. It is not covered (for visitors) in most places so if it is extremely hot or other inclement weather you may want to go on a different day. What has been preserved is well done and well explained so you can have an understanding of the religion that was practiced and their values and beliefs. To see such important features in person was really amazing. After the temple there is a very large museum that explains even more of the religion, the area, and houses more artifacts. Between the temple and the museum you could easily spend the entire day visiting Temple Mayor. We also visited the Museo Nacional de Antropologia (The National Museum of Anthropology) which I will tell you is a beautiful and *extremely* large museum. They had a free exhibit on the right side of the museum that we saw the first time we went there (as the museum was only open for another 2 hours when we arrived) that was very interesting and educational. It was on classical Greek and Roman art. The next day we came back - with a full day to spend in the museum. We again paid at a self-serve ticket kiosk and skipped the line to pay, you must have a card as cash is not accepted at the kiosks but they are far faster and easier to use. They also have a security area where you can leave all your belongings so as to not carry them around all day. Once inside we then realized how big this museum actually was. It is shaped like a horse-shoe/square with the classic pillar and waterfall near the middle. Each entrance leads to a different era of Mexico's history, which is as vast and in-depth as any European country! We only spent about 6 hours in the museum and really only saw or took in a very small portion of what the museum has to offer. To truly see it all would take close to a week. There are life-sized recreations of important archaeological finds both inside and outside (on the backside of the horse-shoe/square) and many artifacts, diagrams, life-style recreations and more. It was an absolutely stunning museum with so much to offer anyone who wants to learn more about the history, religion, way of life, and more throughout the area's past. I did see at least one restaurant within the museum, so you do not need to leave to find food. But I did not look at the prices to see how much it cost. Admission was not very expensive (for a Westerner) so I don't imagine the food would be either. Overall, it was an absolutely beautiful museum with so much to offer. If you have a day...or two...or more to kill and want to learn more about Mexico I would highly recommend this museum. That concludes the museum reviews and my reviews of our trip to Mexico City! I hope you were able to glean something useful from these blog posts and are inspired to visit Mexico someday! The country is beautiful, has put some major effort into becoming a coveted vacation place on peoples lists. There are many wonderful places in the country to explore and I hope you can cross one off your list someday. Tourism is an important life-line for many places in the world and can fuel the local economy (if done correctly and the local government also takes proper care of its resources). My next review will be of an all girls trip taken to the Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado that was taken in May this year. I also have 2 big trips coming up this year that I can't wait to share with you all! Much Love, Jess Good day to you! It is time for yet another review of one of my travels to Mexico City. In this post I will cover Chapultepec, Castillo de Chapultepec, and Zócalo. All of these areas are relatively close to each other and fit into a similar vein as far as type of attraction. Chapultepec is a very large park in Mexico City, to give people a visual I compare it to Central Park in NYC. However, Chapultepec is much, much bigger. In the past it was not well maintained, but in recent years CDMX has spent a lot of time and money pouring resources into attractions around Mexico to clean, remodel, and make Mexico City a thriving tourist attraction. All of their hard work has paid off as Chapultepec is a beautiful park that felt very clean, well maintained, and safe. We were only there during the day, but I believe it is locked at night. We walked past several lakes, through a few museums (all free), and saw many street vendors as well as other historical sites dotted within the park. Within the park is Castillo de Chapultepec, there was a bit of a wait to get to the ticket counter, but not as long as I was imagining by the length of the line. They had an efficient system inside that moved people quickly. Once past the ticket counter you walk up a long steep hill (a very important feature to the areas history) to get to the castle. The castle and grounds are very well maintained and a beautiful sight to see! Inside are pieces from the history of the castle, art (modern and historic), and a detailed history of the area and the castle. Signs are again in both Spanish and English, which was much appreciated on our part. I found it fascinating to read about history from another culture's perspective. In the US our history almost always paints us as the heroes, but in cases where the US was in conflict with Mexico we were described as the adversary, which of course makes sense, but was also interesting to see my own country from another perspective. We spent several hours in the castle and on it's grounds. The views from the balconies are stunning! To see the surrounding park and Mexico City in the distance, it makes it apparent the importance of this geological feature to the history of the area, as well as providing lovely views you would otherwise miss. We went to Zócalo at least 3 or 4 times as there are many attractions near it as well as shopping, restaurants, and large events held there. Fun fact, the square has been in use since the time of the Aztecs! The largest Mexican flag in the country is in Zócalo. I got to see the largest and second largest Mexican flags in the same year (the second largest is in Ensenada, see blog post below for that trip review)! There are currency exchange shops all around the Zócalo square. There is also lots of shopping, street vendors, malls, and restaurants surrounding the square. Temple Mayor, The National Museum (both of which I will cover in my next blog post), and the beautiful Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral, are all on the perimeter of Zócalo square. The cathedral was the largest I have ever been inside, and the most beautiful I have yet seen in person (I haven't been to Europe yet, so I'll let you know how I feel when I get there). Inside there are several separate areas dedicated to prayer, an organ the size of most people's homes, and much more. When you approach the very front of the cathedral there is a beautiful carving of a biblical scene, as you approach Police are there to ensure you remove any and all head-wear (in respect) and to protect it. Taking a walk through this cathedral is a beautiful sight even if you are not Christian or Catholic. Just outside the church grounds were ceremonies and blessings from the Aztec religion. It was fascinating to see such religious contrasts only feet apart. But the cathedral was built from pieces of the Aztec temple site next door. Overall, I would recommend visiting Chapultepec, Castillo de Chapultepec, Zócalo, and its surrounding attractions. These attractions are very well kept, are stunning pieces of history that are interesting as well as give you a feel for how times have changed and how they have not. These are places that pictures alone cannot do them justice (though I would argue that to be the case for everywhere I visited in Mexico), to truly have a feel for the spacial layout of these areas and to be able to touch and see the details of their history is something you need to experience in person. Have you been to Chapultepec, Castillo de Chapultepec, or Zócalo? What was your favorite part? Much Love, Jess Hello Again! I know, it isn't Tuesdsy. I'm preparing to move again and it's summer - my busiest time of year for going on adventures - so I'm a few days behind. But, still getting at least one blog post in this week! So, Teotihuacan is actually what inspired me to pick Mexico City as a vacation spot in the first place. When I was getting my bachelors degree at Colorado State University I had to take an entry and advanced level archaeology course. In my ANTH 141 course my professor (Dr. Fisher) studied/worked in Mexico and had been to this area many times. He recommended it to his entire class (over 100 students) as a great and safe out-of-country place to visit. We learned about Temple Mayor and Teotihuacan in class. Ever since then (2016) I kept this area in my mind. Our AirBnB host was very helpful in helping us get to Teotihuacan. He told us which bus transit center we needed to go to and where in the transit center to go. We went to Terminal Central de Autobuses del Norte, and the the desk for the bus to Teotihuacan is *the last* desk on the left side (if you are facing the entrance of the transit center). I'm serious, go all the way to far left wall and that's where it is. The tickets were about $100 Mexican dollars round-trip (so about $5 USD). The bus rise is about an hour or so long and they drop you off right in front of the entrance and pick you up at the same spot. Buying tickets for Teotihuacan feels really informal. As you walk up there is a booth for vehicles that are parking to pay at, that is also where you pay. There were a couple people standing nearby this booth who also had the ability to pay at (we paid in cash) and receive tickets from. You then take that ticket all the way across the grassy parking lot to the metal fencing entrance and show your ticket to the guard. Our host also gave us another piece of advice that I'll pass along, go in the morning. It is far less busy and you can actually enjoy the pyramids and the sights. By 11am it is pretty much completely full (even on a week day) and the pyramids are so crowded with people you would not be able to take pictures or enjoy the moment/sights at all. There is the Temple of the Sun (the big one you see walking up) and the Temple of the Moon (to the left) and the Avenue of the Dead which has many more smaller, less restored pyramids along it. However, walking up the pyramids and along the Avenue is an incredible experience. To know that this was a mecca for people as a city and for their religion, that is was always this bustling and busy (just for a slightly different reason) is amazing. Most all of the signs are in both Spanish and English. It is incredibly hot and there is no shade, so be sure to lather on the sunscreen and wear a hat! They don't have sunscreen there (at least I don't remember seeing any) but they do have hats, even ones that are made in Mexico. So it can dual as a souvenir. At the opposite end of the Avenue of the Dead there is a white, completely unmarked building that is completely open to the public. It has restrooms on the bottom level and on the upper level is a restaurant. We ate lunch there, it was pretty pricey - and by pricey I mean equivalent to US restaurant pricing, about $15-$20 USD a plate - but also tasty. In the courtyard of the Temple of the Moon there is a separate gated area that has more "underground" things to see. They have paintings on the walls that have been saved, and smaller rooms you can see. It is free to go in, and I would suggest going in and having a look around. Beside this there are a few more booths for souvenirs, some also sell bottled water (a requirement as it is *not* safe to drink the water or even ice in Mexico). This is where we filled up before hiking to the other end of the Avenue. And hiking isn't a term too far off for what it takes to get from one end to the other, there are lots of stairs, hills, and random exploring you can do along the Avenue. On our way out we stopped at a few of the stalls to grab some souvenirs, then caught our bus back to Mexico City. Overall, I would completely recommend going to Teotihuacan! It is an incredible historic site and is beautiful to be able to see and touch it. It's very affordable, can be done in a day, and is great for individuals, couples, or families. Standing in the courtyard of the Temple of the Moon is an amazing feeling, something everyone should experience. If you have any more advice or exciting experiences from Teotihuacan, leave them below! I'd love to hear about it! Much Love, Jess So, discipline is not something I am good at when it comes to blogging. Many areas of my life? Hellz yeah, but blogging seems to be an area I fail in. After a break-up, life and identity crisis and just life being life, I made a thousand excuses to not blog. So, instead of empty promises I'll simply say I'll do my best to do better in the future. On to part II of my Mexico City trip review! Xochimilco was a lot of fun! It certainly felt like a little piece of history...that had been turned into a major tourist activity. Not going to lie, it was very crowded, a bit like bumper boats, but a fun experience! We took an Uber to get from our AirBnB to the attraction. It was like a 30ish minute Uber ride. They dropped us off at one of the many local business that do the boat tours. Melanie was able to find out the price (which wasn't the one we saw online...so maybe we went to the wrong place?) and we were off. I used my credit card to pay, which I think ended up being about $50 USD a person. We had the entire boat to ourselves which was really nice. I'm so used to the US where they pack anyone and everyone into a space. Once they take you out you get to ride past homes and wildlife and then the thousands of other boats. There was a huge boat jam that we tried to navigate through, but after about 15 minutes of getting absolutely nowhere, our "Captain" decided to take a different route. They took us to a small 'reptile zoo' - I use the term very loosely as they were definitely not a real zoo nor were they up to code in any way) We didn't realize this until after we had paid and walked inside. The animals were well kept in good conditions, it simply just wasn't a certified zoo in any manner. They let us hold a baby crocodile and pet some snakes, then it was back to the boat. They also had us stop at a place that I believe some famous Mexican movie had been filmed, and they had pieces from the film onsite. Depending on how long you rent the boat for, depends on how far out they take you. I feel like most people only go for 1-2 hours so that's why it was so busy. A longer ride might be less crowded. Two cool things you can do is buy a ton of food beforehand and bring it on the boat and have a party/picnic, or buy souvenirs/food while on the water. Lots of people were celebrating birthdays or anniversaries, etc. with food and drinks from their coolers. This could be such a fun way to spend the afternoon for a special occasion. Out on the water, eating and drinking with friends on a historic route. If you're a little more brave you can buy food from little boats floating about, they also have souvenir boats scattered about. It's very busy but upbeat and fun. The city itself is dirty and impoverished, I felt really bad and wished I could have done something to make it better. But we ate lunch at a little family run Chinese restaurant in the city as city dogs roamed the streets past the shop. The dogs knew to look for traffic and waited to cross only when it was safe. Oh, and bathrooms, they aren't free! Make sure you carry some small change on you if you might need to use a "public" bathroom while away from your house/hotel/AirBnB/etc. Overall, I would suggest Xochimilco as a fun way to celebrate a special occasion. I wouldn't suggest going for shopping or meals. Honestly, if I went back I'd bring food, snacks, drinks and just spend a half day out on the boats, taking it all in. Long time no blog! I know, I know! Life has a way of doing unexpected things at unexpected times so my one blog post a week is at least two and a half months late. That's just how life rolls, however, I am in no way complaining! The last few months have been some of the best of my life, the downside is simply less time for blogging. But the boyfriend is on an emergency work call so that means blogging! Making the most of my time.
So, Mexico City. It is familiar in many ways and so completely foreign in others. If you've been to Los Angeles or parts of California it will will and feel very similar, but it is the capital of Mexico so it has all the flair and culture of Mexico. Sure there is a lot of tourism and tourist traps but there is also history, architecture, authenticity, and beauty, if you know where to look. My first day I was in complete culture shock, even having just been to Ensenada just over a month prior did not prepare me for Mexico City. In Ensenada, most people spoke a fair bit of English, this is not the case in Mexico City or the surrounding areas. Thank the maker my best friend, Melanie, who went with me, has been learning Spanish on her Duolingo app as well as with a private instructor for over a year. She is by no means fluent, but she is knowledgeable enough to order at restaurants, talk to Uber drivers, and generally communicate on a basic level to get us by. I would highly suggest either traveling to Mexico with someone who speaks a fair bit of Spanish or learn it yourself, not very many people speak English and you will need to be able to speak at least the basics to get around. You can download the Google Translate app and download the English to Spanish conversion so it will work even offline. This would get you by, but will take far more time and be more cumbersome, but could work if knowing Spanish is simply not going to happen before your trip. To have an idea of language as an issue I offer you the following scenario. Think of all the little interactions you have while traveling, now imagine not being able to understand or participate in any of them. That's what it felt like for me. I could read Spanish ever so slightly more than I could speak it, so I could read a menu or a sign and use that to order, beyond that I was lingually lost. In the midst of this is when I truly understood what Gloria meant when she said she is very intelligent in Spanish even when she has her moments of struggling in English (from Modern Family). I am a successful and intelligent person in English and in America, I am none of those things in Spanish or another culture. Once I realized this I began to embrace it and the feeling and simply accept this fact while still enjoying everything that Mexico was, while also thanking the universe Melanie was there to get us through. Phones. Verizon doesn't exist in Mexico (which is my phone service provider) and since I didn't have an unlocked phone I was unable to use mine for the entire trip. I could connect to the Wi-Fi at the AirBnB but that was it. We only had Melanie's phone for the entire trip. Only AT&T and Telcel exist in Mexico, so you will need a phone that can accept a sim card from one of those providers. You could also purchase a phone in Mexico if you needed, but Melanie's worked so we didn't feel the need to buy another phone 'just in case'. The sim card and plan are relatively inexpensive and lasted us the entire trip, we were able to purchase both at the airport before we got our Uber ride to our AirBnB. Money. The exhcnage at the Mexican airport was a good exchange rate, over 18 to 1. So I had $100 USD cash that I brought from the USA and exchanged it into Mexican pesos in Mexico. This is the best way to do it, at the airport or at a place beside Zocalo. They will need a copy of your passport, your money and then they can compete the exchange. When you are returning home make sure you exchange any leftover money while still in country! Once you come back to the states they will charge you a very high exchange fee at a bank. So, your best option is to do all exchanges in the country you are visiting. I reserved using my credit card for big ticket items or places where a line for cash (museums, etc.) was very long as there is a fee applied to every purchase made on a credit card. The fee cost is based on the cost of the purchase, so I think I paid less than $5 in fees, but I only used my card maybe 6 times. However, you can see how if every purchase was made on a card you would pay a lot of money in foreign transaction fees. Plus, most street vendors only accept cash. How did we get around? Uber. Uber works great in Mexico and is very, very cheap. When we went the exchange rate was nearly 20 Mexican pesos to 1 US Dollar, so the cost of anything was divided by 20. Our most expensive Uber ride was $16USD and it was nearly a 30 minute car ride. Once we found that we could carpool with Uber it was only a few dollars to go anywhere. We avoided taxis because we heard they can be dangerous, not only for tourist safety, but they are often bad drivers too. We saw many taxis that has been in car accidents, never repaired and still driving people around. We even saw a taxi that was so badly damaged the car alarm was permanently on, but it was still ferrying passengers! We took one bus to Teotihuacan and it was only $104 pesos round-trip. Long story short, everything is cheap in Mexico, use Uber, don't use taxis, you'll be fine! What did we see? Xochimilco, Teotihuancan, Chapultepec, Castillo de Chapultepec, Temple Mayor, Zocalo, The National Museum, The National Museum of Anthropology, the Angel of Independence and more. Our AirBnB was very close to the center of the city and we took full advantage of this. It was a 10 minute walk to the Angel, 10 minute ride to Zocalo, Chapultepec, and more. Our host was very knowledgeable of the city (and spoke English!) and was able to give us advice when we needed it. His home was very well kept, absolutely adorable, and extremely affordable, here is a link to his profile and place! If you are planning a trip to Mexico City I absolutely recommend this host! www.airbnb.com/users/show/62320045 One of my favorite things about the city is the history and architecture, living in Colorado and the western United States, our European influenced history only goes back about 200 years. In Mexico they can trace it back thousands of years, see and take pride in the ruins and remnants, and see architecture several hundred years old. These historic places are right beside brand new buildings. It is just a unique thing to behold. Sure the eastern United States looks this way (NYC comes to mind), but it is different to see this in another culture. To see how they treat and view these pieces of history. How is New Years in Mexico City? Since we were there from December 28th to January 5th. Not a huge deal. They set up a large party in the park on the main street at the Angel of Independence, but of course the entire celebration is in Spanish. We weren't entirely sure what was going on and since we aren't from the culture nor spoke enough of the language, a lot of context was lost on us. However, they had live music from what appeared to be famous singers in Mexico, and lots of celebrity and crowd interaction close to the stage. But Melanie was feeling sick that day so we hung out at a nearby mall until close to midnight, walked past the street vendors to see their wares, then came back to the festivities at about 11:30, counted down to midnight with the diverse crowd that was there from locals to Americans to Germans. If Melanie had been feeling better we would have gone to a bar, but we called it a night and went out the next night instead. Speaking of drinking, if you are into micro-brews, local brews, or fancy type drinks being available at every bar (maybe this is just a spoiled Coloradoan thing?) you won't find it in Mexico. They only really serve about 2 or 3 beers, since I'm not a big beer drinker that left me with Corona and nothing else. We tried a local margarita, it was made in a way we had never seen before with fresh fruit and pulp in the drink, but it was tasty! If not also having an extremely low alcohol content, which was disappointing. So, I was left with getting drunk off Corona, which, drunk is drunk and fun is fun so it all evens out in the end! In an attempt to not have this post go on for forever I will end this it here. I am in the middle of my TEFL certification class so that has taken up a lot of my time and reduced my blogging time. However, I'll be finishing this class in about 6 or so weeks and then I can get back into my one blog post a week and more Instagram posts. I'll also make a post about each of the places we went to with a review and some insight into the location, and if it is worthwhile. Honestly though, everywhere we went was worthwhile and I would certainly suggest! Thank you for your patience, I'll write again as soon as I am able and in the meantime, if you have any questions about Mexico, Mexico City, Spanish, or any of the places we went, leave them in the comments and I'll be happy to address them in my next post! Much Love, Jess |
AuthorJessica Marie Cunningham - Intentional lifestyle blogger, aspiring author, and podcast host. All things Slow Living, Books, Writing, Art, creativity, Christianity, and personal stories. Archives
March 2022
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