Arizona

Another vacation spot I love was my home for a short eleven months when I was in 4^th grade. Arizona has beautiful weather all year round and has amazing deserts that are rich in wild life. Even though I only lived there for a short time, I was able to experience a lot. During my time in Arizona I went to the Super Bowl,  the beautiful red mountain of Sedona,  Phoenix Suns games, and much more.

Me and my dad at the 2008 Super Bowl
with the stadium at our back

A big highlight of my entire time there was going to the Super Bowl. I have never had an interest in football but when the opportunity to go to the Super Bowl came up, I couldn’t say no. I had a fun time experiencing all of the crazy Giant’s and Patriot’s fans. I had a great seat and for the first time wasn’t bored watching football. There was so much going on other than just football at the stadium. I loved going to the Super Bowl and would go again if I get the chance.

Me and my family at the Pink Jeep Tour

Another highlight of my time was visiting Sedona. The beautiful red mountains of Sedona were breath taking and interesting to explore. While I was there I went on a pink jeep tour. The drivers drove very close to the edge of the cliffs. At times it felt like they were about to drive off the edge. It was a very fun tour despite the scariness. There was also a small town with many small shops and restaurants. One store that I liked was a candle store. At the store they made their own candles with cool designs on them. The candles weren’t meant for lighting but they were for show. We still have our candles and enjoy looking at them and remembering our time in Sedona.

Me and my sisters in front of our Arizona house

We went to many Phoenix, Suns games. It was very fun to experience the game and stadium with friends and family. No matter where you sit, the basketball game is fun to watch.  In my opinion the real fun starts after the game. Once the players were gone you were allowed on the court to play basketball. It was cool to experience basketball like the pros.

Arizona will always have a special place in my heart. I hope to enjoy many fun vacations there with old friends.

London

London at night

My great-grandfather came to Ellis Island from England.  Recently, I learned about his trip to America at Ellis Island.  Now I want to learn about where he came from. I have seen the beautiful monuments that are in London and would like to experience them for myself.

London 2012 olympics sign 

Now more than ever is a great time to go. With the summer Olympics quickly approaching, London is ready to host the historic games. I think that it would be very cool to see where amazing athletes perform. The stadiums that will be hosting the games are stunning. Here is a video of the construction progress. The buildings are a symbol go british design and will be there long after the games end.

Big Ben with the london eye in the
backround

Another thing that I would like to do is visit Big Ben, the Tower Bridge, and Buckingham Palace. These landmarks are famous around the world and it would be interesting to see what they look like in person. It would also be interesting to learn about how and why they were built. For example, Big Ben was an addition to the new palace of West Minister after the old one was destroyed by fire. It would also be interesting to learn how they built them. The tower bridge was built due to increasing commercial development. There needed to be a new way to get to the east side of London. Many of the landmarks were built a long time ago. It must have been hard to build something so large and ornate without modern machines. Buckingham is a large palace that is home to the queen. There is always something going on there. Recently there was a murder at the palace.

The last thing that I would like to do is to go on the London Eye. The London Eye is a large ferris wheel overlooking the Thames River. The London Eye is one of the most iconic attractions in London and I would love to say that I went on it. While on the Eye I would be able to see the entire city. London has many new and historic landmarks that I would love to visit. I hope to visit them one day soon. 

Disney World

My dad and sister in the Magic Kingdom in 2006

A fictional interview with Mickey Mouse


Me: Thank you for the interview Mickey. I have been to Disney World many times. I have always felt the magic in the air. What do you think makes Disney so magical?

Mickey: I agree that it is very magical at Disney. I think the staff makes the magic here. They are so kind to everyone. They are really different from other hotel and amusement park’s staff.

Me: The staff at Disney is very kind. I like all of the parks. In particular, I like how realistic the countries in Animal Kingdom are. You really feel like you are walking into Africa or Kenya. What is your favorite park? How does it make you feel?

Mickey: My favorite park is the magic kingdom. I love the rides there and the magic behind every corner. It makes me feel special and excited. 

Me: I also like the magic kingdom and the magic surrounding it. There are many rides in all four parks of Disney World. I enjoy the river rapids in Animal Kingdom, Planet Earth in Epcot, and many other rides in Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom. What is your favorite ride or rides?

My dad, sister, and me in the Magic Kingdom in 2004

Mickey: Hmm… This is hard to answer. I like so many rides it is so hard to pick a favorite. If I had to pick one I would probably say… All of the rides that are about me. I know that isn’t one but I just can’t decide. I enjoy seeing myself in a ride.

Me: You must like a lot of rides because you are a part of a lot of them. Ok, one last question. Disney World is sometimes thought of a kid’s only place. I do not agree I think Disney is magical for all ages. My aunt and uncle even recently got married there. Do you think Disney is for kids only?

Mickey: Absolutely not. There is something at Disney for every age. Part of the magic of Disney is that you can be any age to experience it. You can be a newborn or senior citizen and still feel the magic in the air.

Me: Again, thank you so much for the interview. I hope to visit Disney again sometime soon.

Mickey: You’re welcome! See you real soon.

Los Angeles CA

The Hollywood sign 

I have always heard the excitement surrounding Hollywood but have never been able to be experience it. I would love to visit the Hollywood sign and all of the other famous landmarks.

When I was younger I had an interest in the arts. Even though I no longer have that interest, I would still like to see actors and singers. I think it would be cool to see a celebrity in their everyday life.  I have always been awestruck when I would see a semi famous person. It seems unreal that a celebrity could be in Newtown. Recently Taylor Swift was at a pancake house near my shore house. Even though I wasn’t there I was amazed at how someone so famous could eat at a place that I regularly ate at in the summer.

The Hollywood walk of fame

I would also like to walk down the Hollywood walk of fame. It would be cool to see the brass stars on the sidewalk and walk on top of them. I have always seen them when I watch an award show that is on Hollywood or when a new one is made. While I am walking I would like to see the iconic grauman’s Chinese theater and the Kodak Theater. 

Turks and Caicos

 My family and I have visited Turks and Caicos every Thanksgiving week for the past four years.  Next year being my 5^th year, I know where everything is and know much of the staff.  Some of the staff even knows me!  The Turks and Caicos are known for their great beaches and dive spots.  I enjoy both of them while I am there. I have always loved the beach and ocean. The beaches have warm sand and beautiful turquoise water. I love being able to relax in the warm ocean water without being trampled by waves. There are many things that are available to do right at the beach. One of my favorite things is to go out on a big water bike. It looks like a large tricycle, but is much harder to pedal. I also enjoy going out into the ocean on a hobby kat. I like sailing through the water by the power of the wind.

Me and my dad in Turks and Caicos in 2009

I also like the numerous other pools and activities. Aside from the pools there is also a large water park. I enjoy going down the slides and drifting down the lazy river. I also like boogie boarding on the surf simulator. My favorite pool is in the French Village. I like that it is not as crowed as some of the other pools. It is usually a nice temperature. The best thing about most of the pools is that they have a swim up bar!

I also like to go out on the kitty kat. The kitty kat is a large catamaran owned by the resort. In my most recent trip I went out on a night cruise. During the cruise there was a dj. I was able to see how the island looked at night. The cruise was a highlight of the entire trip for me.

Me and my sisters in Turks and Caicos in 2009

I got certified as a scuba diver four years ago during my first visit to Beaches, Turks and Caicos. I have been spoiled by Turks and Caicos amazing diving and will probably be unimpressed at other dive locations. During my dives I am in awe of all of the sea animals and the coral reefs. I recently saw a big sea turtle and shark. I enjoy scuba diving because I can become a part of the under sea creature world. I can really see how they live. Turks and Caicos is by far my favorite tropical vacation so far. I hope to enjoy it in years to come.

Italy

A water way in Italy

One day I would love to visit Italy. Part of my family originated from Sicily and Italian food has held a big part in my life. I have always been inspired about how my grandmother can cook so much and still have a passion for it. My favorite food is made by her. I like Raviolis and meatballs. Her raviolis are famous throughout my family. Every Christmas dinner we have them for dinner. It is fun to make them and they are so good to eat. The recipe is 15 oz of ricotta cheese, 2 pinches of salt, 1 1/2 cups of flour, a little flour on board, and then roll out. I would love to try raviolis in Italy and many other types of Italian food.

Houses on a mountain in Italy

I would also like to learn about Italy’s history and visit famous monuments. I have always been interested in Italy’s history and wanted to see the famous monuments that so many people talk about. It would be so cool to see the leaning tower of Pisa and the Coliseum. It would be interesting to hear about the history of these ancient structures from the locals.

I would also love to see the beautiful beaches and mountains. I would want to see if the Mediterranean Sea is different to swim in than the oceans that I have been to in other places.   I love beaches and would love to visit many around the world. Italy seems like a perfect vacation for relaxation and reconnecting with my families roots. I hope one day to be able to experience it.

Avalon NJ

My beach house in Avalon NJ

The first vacation spot I chose to write about is Avalon NJ. Avalon has brought me many fun summers that I will never forget. One of my favorite things about Avalon is the beach. I love relaxing in the warm sand or going into the ocean to cool of from a hot day. I like to take a walk down to the jetty and look for shells and sea life. There is also a myth that spider monkeys live inside of the jetty. I no longer believe this but it was fun to think about when I was younger.

 I also like going into town. There are so many good restaurants to eat at and fun things to do. I like going into town and getting pizza from Circle Pizza and then going to a frozen yogurt shop called Toppings. Avalon also gives me freedom. Avalon is a place where I can go into town with friends and be myself. I feel free and not constantly constrained by my parents. I like being able to be independent and feel more grown up.

Another thing I like about Avalon is being able to bike wherever you go. We rarely use a car in Avalon. Once you pull into your driveway, bikes will be your new form of transportation. Biking is also a great way to stay on shape. From time to time I wil go on an extreme bike ride with my uncle. We will ride through most of Wildwood. We will go on the boardwalk all the way to the end of Wildwood.

One of my favorite things that I look forward to every summer is Island Water Sports in Stone Harbor. (http://www.iwsnj.com/home.aspx) Island water sports have many fun things to do in the bay like water skiing and water boarding. One thing that we do every year is a large trampoline. It is a large floating trampoline. There are also slides and other fun things to do. They only let you on for 45 minutes and they go very fast. I hope to do this for many summers to come.

My dad in front of my house in Avalon NJ

This summer will be the first summer that we will have a pool at our beach house. I look forward to many days at the pool along with days at the beach. We are also getting an outdoor TV so we can watch TV while in the pool. I have always loved to watch the summer Olympics and can’t wait to watch them in the comfort of my pool. Avalon is my paradise that I will continue to enjoy for the rest of my life.