Accommodations, Carry-On Toiletries, culture, Foodie, health, resources, souvenir, travel tips, voluntourism

Traveling Can Be Green, Too!

April 22, 2016July 6, 2016 Jessica Lippe

Happy Earth Day! Most of what I write here is creative ways to travel that will save you green. But in honor of today’s holiday, I’m going to shift gears a bit and talk about another way to save the green.

Many environmentalists frown upon travel as it causes greenhouse gases and a bigger carbon footprint. True, carbon costs associated with travel can be astronomical, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be cleaned up and greened up. Since Earth Day is celebrated each year on April 22nd, here are 22 ways you can make your travel more green!

(Bonus: In addition to saving the green for the environment, many of these will save the green in your wallet, too!)

Green Accommodation

South Dakota 004 — Share your campsite to make an even lower impact!

Stay in Hostels Staying in a hostel dorm with others requires less square footage and encourages community. Hostels also often tend to buy in bulk and cut out worthless amenities, so you won’t create excess waste with miniature shampoos.
Go Camping Get in touch with nature, and then be encouraged to preserve it! Any kind of camping is probably helpful for the environment, but you can take it a step futher with primitive camping, where you won’t have electricity hookups, WiFi, or possibly even flushing toilets!
Stay with Friends Instead of creating a demand for a temporary place to sleep, go somewhere that’s already being lived in. Your friends will probably equip you with the same shower, dishes, and bedding they always use instead of providing disposible or temporary supplies like a hotel does.
Don’t Request Sheet Changes Unless Absolutely Needed In your own home, you probably realize that washing sheets from just one bed is enough to load an entire washer and dryer. Save the water, soap, gas, and electricity by skipping sheet changes. You don’t replace your sheets at home every day, do you?

Green Packing

Unless you need a Delorean because you’re going on a time-travel vacation, don’t pack enough to fill a truck.

Bring Your Own Toiletries in Reusable Containers I’ve shared some of my favorite travel toiletry containers here before. Whether you use my recommendations or not, siphoning toiletries from bulk containers into smaller, reusable containers is much better than purchasing one-time bottles from the travel section of superstores.
Lighten the Load with Carry-On Only No matter which mode you travel with, you’ll always save fuel if you take a lighter load. I backpacked the Mediterranean for 92 days with just a carry-on! I think going on a weeklong vacation with only a carry-on is a piece of cake.
Borrow or Buy Used Travel Gear There are some items that may be necessary while traveling, but useless in everyday life. If you absolutely cannot go without it, ask your friends, family, and social media followers if you can borrow their tent, or ice chest, or lawn chair, or… you get the picture.
Do Laundry Effectively If you need to do laundry on your trip at all, first see if there is anything you can wear more than once between washes. Bring your own eco-friendly soap instead of the single-serve packets found at the laundromat, and try to line-dry your laundry, even if you have to do so indoors.

Green Transportation

Rafting — You could travel by boat for a really fuel-efficient getaway. But if going by raft, you may get wet!

Carpool If someone else is available to travel with you, going in one car instead of two will cut your emissions in half. Better yet, if you’re both licensed drivers, split the driving time to help keep alert and avoid accidents.
Take the Bus or Train I love both of these options! You get to see so much more of the country, and reap the benefits of extremely low passenger miles per gallon! Trains are often a vacation in themselves, and long-distance buses make travel available to all income levels!
Walk or Bike Everywhere at Your Destination Make a point to do this everywhere you go, even if it means staying closer to the city center. I can’t imagine all that I would have missed out on if I took cars or city transportation everywhere I’ve been.
Don’t Fly First Class I’ve flown first class one time, and it was WAY overrated. Flying in coach means that the seating allows for more passengers to fly (and thus cuts down on emissions per person), plus lowers the waste of beverage cups and snack wrappers.

Green Eating

Laduree — My take-away container was already full when I bought these in Paris. But I could recycle the cardboard and bag!

Pick Restaurants that Serve Local Food You’ll get a better sense of the local cuisine and prevent excess trucking and shipping of food.
Become a Vacation Vegetarian I’m not saying you have to give up meat. (Not everyone can!) But try to select veg options in your travels. Besides the environmental advantages, vegetarian options often cost less, and you will be less exposed to those icky stomach bugs that travelers fear.
Bring Washable Dishes or Stay Somewhere that Offers Them It’s not that time-consuming to wash your dishes after eating instead of throwing them away.
BYOB (Bring Your Own Bottle!) Vacations tend to make me thirsty! Instead of buying drinks everyday, I’m saving my wallet, my waistline, and the Earth with a reusable bottle.

Green Entertainment

Love Locks Paris — See those love locks at practically every major attraction? Skipping this activity will reduce the waste of the lock and packaging, reduce the pollution caused when the key is tossed into the water, and reduce the repairs needed on the structures that are getting vandalized and weighed down!

Recycle Ticket Stubs (or Use an eTicket) These are usually recyclable, but rarely do people think to recycle them!
Visit Local Parks Fresh air, green plants, and a free place to explore the local culture. What’s not to love?
Borrow Books or DVDs for Downtime Sure, you could buy a paperback for those times you need to relax. But many hostels, and now even some hotels, offer lending libraries or book/movie exchanges. Reduce the demand for new materials, and lighten the weight of that carry-on you brought!
Visit Ethical Attractions What you define as “ethical” is ultimately up for you to decide, but consider how workers are treated, how animals are used, how waste is disposed of, and how guests can contribute to the community.

Green Shopping

075 — Arnold Schwarzenegger bought this bear statue as a souvenir of his time as governor, but then left it at the California State Capitol! I guess he couldn’t even fit it into his suitcase.

Avoid It Why do you need a tacky souvenir (that’s probably not even made at your destination), when there are more effective, and more eco-friendly, ways to capture your memories? One of my favorite mementos are my travel journals. Photos are another great option, or if you absolutely want to buy something, send yourself a postcard or letter from your destination.

travel tips, writing

Is Long Distance Bus Travel Right for You?

March 18, 2016March 21, 2016 Jessica Lippe

Is long distance bus travel right for you? Only if you enjoy traveling, like to save money, or want to leave a lighter environmental footprint!

In other words, the answer to that question should be YES!

Overnight Greyhound Bus

But I understand that some people might need some convincing. I know that I needed some encouragement at first! But just one month after my first Greyhound trip, I embarked on a bus journey across the United States! A year later, I was traipsing all over France and Spain by long distance bus.

I recently got my first post on Traveling Mom, a travel resource website for women who want to travel with (or without!) kids. It goes into more detail on why long distance buses should be considered for your next adventure.

Is Long Distance Bus Travel Right for You? Click here to find out!

I appreciate visits and comments on my article at TravelingMom.com. This helps ensure that I can write for them more in the future!

destinations, travel tips

A Tale of Two Parthenons

March 15, 2016March 15, 2016 Jessica Lippe

I have visited two Parthenons. What, you didn’t know there were two of them? You’re probably aware of the most famous Parthenon sitting atop the Acropolis in Athens, Greece. I visited that one a few months ago as part of my three-month Mediterranean Trek.

But this wasn’t the first Parthenon I’ve been to.

Several years ago, I took my first “official” solo trip to Nashville, Tennessee. Like most visitors to this city, I enjoyed the music scene, but I also explored other elements of Nashville, like its history, its Bible belt Christianity, and its parks. Yes, Nashville has some excellent parks that alone may be enough to warrant a trip! There’s the huge Bicentennial Park, the Riverfront Park along the Cumberland, and Centennial Park. The centerpiece of Centennial park is a full-scale replica of Athens’ Parthenon. Seeing this Parthenon is what initially motivated me to visit Greece.

Although Tennessee’s Parthenon is a copy of the one in Greece, each have their own unique characteristics. If you’ve seen one, you may want to plan a trip to go see the other. If you have yet to see either, maybe this comparison will help you decide which to see first!

History

IMG_20150930_191501_117 — The Acropolis in the center of Athens

Athens: Obviously, Athens’ ancient Acropolis and Parthenon has a long, rich history, so I’ll just go over some of the highlights that makes it what it is today. The Parthenon was built in ancient Greece as part of the Acropolis, or “City on High”. However, it wasn’t actually a city, but a mountain in the center of Athens where several temples were erected for various gods. The biggest, the Parthenon, was dedicated to Athena, a goddess who is the virgin patron of her namesake city. After thousands of years, the building is understandably in ruins, but some events, such as thievery and an accidental explosion when it was used for military storage, left it in even further shambles.

2012-09-20 06.05.05 — The Parthenon in the center of Centennial Park

Nashville: The Parthenon’s replica was one of many buildings constructed on a piece of acreage in celebration of the city’s 100th year. The land aptly became known as Centennial Park. If you visit today, the only building you’ll find in the park is the Parthenon. What happened to all the other buildings? All of the exposition buildings were made to be temporary, but Nashville citizens fell in love with their version of the Parthenon. They protested until the city officials decided to make some structural adjustments to the Parthenon so that it would stand the test of time.

Location

IMG_20150926_115039 — Behind me is another temple dedicated to Zeus. If you look in the background, you can see that the Parthenon is visible from most other ruins.

Athens: The Parthenon is located on a hill called the Acropolis, in the center of downtown. Back in the day, it was a convenient reminder for the Greeks to pay respect to their religion, especially since they could only travel by feet or chariot. Today, it makes it conveniently located for travelers, who may not even need to take the subway to reach it! I stayed at two hostels in Athens. Most of my time was spent at Athens Backpackers, but one night was spent in AthenStyle. Both of these hostels had a rooftop lookout where you could see the Parthenon, which was especially beautiful lit-up at night. During the day, it was just a short walk (albeit uphill) from both of these places to reach the entrance.

2012-09-21 05.48.31 — Downtown Nashville in the backdrop of the Parthenon

Nashville: Because this park was created one hundred years after the downtown area was established, it’s a couple of miles away from other city sites. That doesn’t mean that the Parthenon isn’t accessible, though! Since many people drive to Nashville, they will appreciate that it’s much easier to park here than it is in the city center. I did not visit with a car, but there were several days when I would walk both in the downtown and Centennial Park areas. I stayed at Music City Hostel, which was at an ideal location between the Parthenon and other Nashville attractions.

Condition

IMG_20150926_135714_859 — Scaffolding to help preserve the ruins of Athens’ Parthenon

Athens: As mentioned above, the original Parthenon is in disrepair. However, there are people working on its preservation. Many of the original attached pieces of art were taken by the British. (I would love to see a fight break out in this post’s comments about whether or not they were stolen!) Other remaining pieces were moved to the neighboring Acropolis Museum. Regardless, this is in every sense an ancient ruin, and visitors have to stay behind the roped-off area which is several meters away from the Parthenon itself.

2012-09-21 03.58.00 — One of the art pieces inside Nashville’s Parthenon

Nashville: Unlike the Athens version, this replica invites people to come inside! While it’s not made with expensive marble like Greece’s, it is structurally sound and fully intact. In addition, of the original Parthenon’s sculptures were replicated and displayed on this Parthenon’s exterior. In other words, it is not a replica of the Greek Parthenon as we see it today. Other than the material it’s made of, it looks exactly like what the Parthenon would have looked like shortly after its construction.

Features

IMG_20150923_180606_447 — I’m standing on Areopagus with the Acropolis entrance on the hill behind me

Athens: Surrounding the Parthenon are several other ancient Greek temples. Because it’s on a hill, the views of the city are stunning from up here. Although you can’t touch any of the buildings, you can walk among many pieces of original marble lying around. On the side of the hill is also a historic site that includes two theaters. If you’re into art, you will only see replica sculptures at the Acropolis, but visiting the Acropolis Museum down the hill may be worth the admission. My favorite thing to do at the Acropolis was listen to Rick Steves’ audio tour, which you can download for free onto your phone. On this tour, he even mentions the merit of the other Parthenon, located in…

Athena, not-so patron goddess of Nashville

Athena stands tall in the Parthenon

Nashville: Entering through the basement of the Parthenon, you’ll find lockers and a gift shop. You can then walk up through the next several floors, which is a history museum. The displayed history is a combination of Nashville history (particularly pertaining to the Parthenon) and ancient history of the Athens Acropolis. When you reach the top level, you’ll find yourself face-to-face with a 42-foot statue of Athena, the tallest indoor sculpture in the western world. This is a replica of what was originally found in the Athens Parthenon, but no one knows what happened to that one. It’s even painted in the gold and bright colors that all the Acropolis statues were once painted with. (Though they did use fake gold instead of the real thing!)

Cost

IMG_20150922_202326_652 — Athens light up the Parthenon

Athens: Admission to the Acropolis is typically 12 euros, or free for those under 19. I was fortunate enough to be in Athens during European Heritage Days. During this last weekend in September, all visits are free! (A few other Greek holidays also provide free admission.) The ticket also includes admission to other ancient Greek sites around Athens, so this ticket alone may be your only expense in Athens besides, food, accommodations, and transportation. If you don’t want to see the Parthenon up-close (although I don’t see why you wouldn’t want to!), there are several surrounding hills and buildings that offer a great view.

2012-09-29 08.55.24 — Nashville lights up the Parthenon

Nashville: Normal admission is $6 for adults or $4 for children and seniors. There are sometimes events outside of normal museum hours that would involve a different rate. However, if you don’t want to go inside (again, I don’t see why you wouldn’t want to!), no one can stop you from enjoying the exterior, and the rest of Centennial Park, for absolutely free! Unlike the other Parthenon, you can touch, walk on, and get up close to building at no expense. It’s even lit up at night like the original! The only caveat is that it’s not on a hill, so you can’t see it outside of Centennial Park.

Which Parthenon would you like to visit next? Let me know in the comments!

day trip, resources, road trip, saving money, travel tips, Winter

Day Trip on the I-5

March 14, 2016March 14, 2016 Jessica Lippe

Although I am from Oregon, I can’t stand the rain! That makes coming up with day trip ideas complicated. But yesterday, my sister Jen and I took a very fun day trip along the Southern Oregon I-5. Since the majority of what we did involved being either indoors or in the car, the rain didn’t bother me at all!

Stop One: Spider Cars, Wolf Creek

They’re bugs that are also bugs! This wasn’t a stop as much as it was a drive-by photo op, since these art pieces are on private property and meant to be viewed from the road. But it sure was nice to take a break from the interstate for a couple miles and catch unique scenery!

By the way, I found out about these bugs from RoadsideAmerica, which I often use to find fun stops on the way to a bigger destination.

Stop Two: Seven Feathers, Canyonville

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Seven Feathers had five different restaurants! Only one was open for lunch on Sundays, so we enjoyed fried-pickle-topped sandwiches at Cow Creek Restaurant. In front of Seven Feathers is the largest bronze casting of an eagle in the world.

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Although Seven Feathers is a casino resort, we didn’t go there to gamble. When we entered, there was a blue line in the carpet separating the casino area from the restaurant entrance, which minors are not allowed to cross. Because Jen recently turned twenty, I had to tease her by showing off how I could go across the blue line!

Stop Three: Wildlife Safari, Winston

This was the goal of our trip! I had given Jen a Groupon for Wildlife Safari as a Christmas gift (they’re still available on Groupon if you want to snag one!), and she finally had the opportunity to use it! Wildlife Safari in Winston, Oregon, is a drive-thru animal park. I’ve only been to one other animal safari (in Ohio), but Wildlife Safari is definitely unique in its own right. First, it is the only drive-thru safari in Oregon. It also has more unique animals, as opposed to mostly farm animals like at many locations. Best of all, it’s certified by animal welfare groups, so I can go here knowing that my experience won’t be detrimental to the animals.

The drive takes you through three regions: Africa, The Americas, and Asia. I went here a few times as a kid, and I don’t remember being allowed to roll down car windows back then. This time, we were told at the entrance that windows down and seatbelts off were totally okay, as long as we didn’t get out of the car! This meant that some animals (especially the large bird species, like ostriches, emus, and rheas) would come up and poke their heads in to check out my car’s interior. Since there were wild animals, we got to see some of them fighting, and we may have cheered two bison on in their head-butting! No worries, though. Dangerous animals such as bears and big cats were separated from cars with fencing.

After our drive through, we went into the Safari Village. Up to this point, this had been a great rainy day trip (which was good since it was pouring buckets all day!). Safari Village is mostly outdoors, so we got a bit cold and wet, but we made the best of it. There were several animals here that were not part of the safari drive, which were fun to see. For kids (and kids at heart!) there’s a children’s petting zoo which has the standard goats and miniature horses, but it also has a black-tailed deer with a unique coloring: it’s white with brown patches! My favorite area was the Australia section. That wasn’t a continent included on the drive-thru, so it was cool to see the wallaroos, black swans, and kookaburras there. (Speaking of Australia, the late Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin has visited Wildlife Safari and documented it on his show! His wife, Terri Irwin, is from this area.) However, I think the highlight of Safari Village was meeting Pancake the cheetah up-close! While warming up in the gift shop, Pancake and the trainer walked in, followed by Pancake’s companion dog. They were raised together since they were a cub and puppy, and as such treat each other like siblings. (Jen and I also saw this phenomenon at the Colombus Zoo a couple years ago.)

At Wildlife Safari, every ticket is good for two drives through the safari. I think this is a great idea because we got to see and interact with some animals that were hiding during our first drive. Unfortunately, the one animal I was hoping to see that we didn’t see either time was the giraffe. We asked about it, and apparently they really don’t like the rain. I don’t blame them! But I think going on a rainy day ended up being a good idea, because the crowds were minimal and most of the other animals have no problem getting rained on.

Stop Four: Noah’s Ark, Winston

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Wildlife Safari was definitely the highlight, but we had one more place to stop by in Winston. Noah’s Ark is located just across the street. It’s hard to miss since the building is shaped like a big boat and surrounded by wooden animals! They offer a restaurant and tour through Biblical history, which I may take advantage of in the future. But with an all-day excursion, we mostly just wanted to see what it looked like. It had a nice view outside and a decorated bookshop inside. After that, we headed home in the rain!

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day trip, destinations, geography, hike, road trip, saving money, souvenir, travel tips

Glass Float Treasure Hunt

February 29, 2016February 29, 2016 Jessica Lippe

This past weekend, I was finally able to get some real use out of my new car! Sure, I’ve taken it to work and to run errands, but it’s about time that it got to go somewhere fun out of town. And for about sixteen dollars in gas (which was the only expense of this trip), my friend and I were able to spend a fun and adventurous day looking for glass floats in Gold Beach, Oregon.

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Last year, I saw a TV ad from Gold Beach tourism. They announced that every week between February and April, they hide over 100 glass floats along their coast for visitors to find. If you find one, you get to keep it AND enter a drawing for a free weekend trip! I wasn’t able to make it out to Gold Beach last year. However, after deciding to buy my car this month, I began coordinating schedules with friends to find a time to head out to the coast. Steph and I both had time off this past weekend! (She was even the photographer of all these images because I forgot my camera and my cell phone was acting up over the weekend.) We headed out on Saturday morning.

My car’s maiden voyage was a success. I learned a few new things about it, like where to pop the gas door, how to play music through the stereo with an auxiliary cable, and how to spray wiper fluid on the front windshield. The drive to the coast is beautiful. There actually isn’t a direct route west to the coast. Directions to Gold Beach led us into California and through the Redwood Forest before heading back up along the coast, which always makes for a beautiful ride. Along the way, we saw lots of interesting things that we made note of to stop by on the way back.

It was past lunchtime by the time we made it to the coast. We considered the restaurant options, but decided to just eat what we had packed. We parked at the Gold Beach Visitor’s Center, which has a picnic area, bathrooms, and an information building. Inside that building, we were given a map outlining the perimeters for where the floats were placed. After eating, we started traipsing through the tall grass. We figured it was most likely in this area, because the tide covered most of the sand, and floats are not hidden anywhere that would cause them to be swept into the ocean. We looked under driftwood, in holes, and between rocks, to no avail. We saw other people searching, but no one who actually had found a float. After this hunting method resulted in only finding garbage, we decided to walk down to the jetty, which was a boundary on the map. We hoped that the further away we got from the Visitor’s Center, the more likely we would be to find something.

On the walk there, I had to mentally prepare myself for disappointment. I knew the chances of us finding a float were slim, so I considered the alternatives. If we gave up, we could go shopping at some of the stores in town. If we spent at least $25 at certain stores, we just had to bring the receipts in to the Visitor’s Center and get a glass float from there. But that didn’t sound like as much fun as finding one on the beach for free. Fortunately, a glimmer of red caught my eye. It was a glass float!

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Not only did I find a glass float, but we ended up finding several all within a few minutes! The treasure hunt rules ask participants to only take one per person, so we left a few of them for others to find. Steph ended up with a small teal globe. I picked my favorite, a larger blue one. We slowly headed back to the Visitor’s Center (stopping to admire the beach and shoot photos on the lighthouse). The staff at the center told us that they were impressed that we were able to find even one that day as we filled out our contest entry forms.

It hadn’t seem like we walked that far (until the next day when my legs were sore), and it also didn’t seem like we had been beach combing for that long. But we had walked several miles, and were out for about three hours! I didn’t realize this until we hopped back into the car and saw the clock saying it was 4:30. But we still had enough daylight to see the things we wanted to see on the way back.

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We didn’t stop in the nearby coastal town of Brookings, but as we drove through it, we got a good look at the sinkhole that’s slowly taking over the highway. That was pretty scary! We also drove over Oregon’s highest bridge and saw a huge herd of wild elk. Our first actual stop was near the redwoods, on a nature trail with carnivorous plants called Darlingtonia (pictured in the marsh above).

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The second stop was just a couple of miles down the road at a waterfall. I would tell you what this waterfall was named, or really any information about this waterfall, but I can’t. There were no signs or plaques, so it’ll just be called “The Waterfall We Saw On the Way to Gold Beach”.

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There were several other places worth seeing through the comfort of the car window. If you’re visiting from further away, some of them may be worth stopping at, but we’ve grown up with the sights of the giant redwoods and the mountain roads that twist, turn, and tunnel.

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While I’m not sure if we’ll be so fortunate in each finding a glass float in the future, I do hope to do this again and encourage you to try it out, too! Click here for more information on Gold Beach’s annual three-month treasure hunt!

Books, culture, destinations, resources, souvenir, travel tips, writing

What to Expect with a Letter to Juliet

February 11, 2016July 8, 2019 Jessica Lippe

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Before even watching the movie “Letters to Juliet”, I was excited to go to Verona as part of my Mediterranean Trek. So I planned out my visit to this city mainly by borrowing the movie from a friend. The only mistake I made was that I booked a mere two nights in Verona, leaving me with just one full day to experience all that this quaint city has to offer.

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My first night in Verona was spent arriving by a delayed train, then struggling in the dusk to find where my BnB was before finally giving in and taking a cab, so I didn’t see much in the midst of that stress. I started the next day bright and early with a walk to Juliet’s courtyard. This is what you see in “Letters to Juliet“, and it’s the perfect place to write a letter to Juliet! Because I got there early enough, there were only a few other people there. I found a quiet place by the grafitti wall of love to write my letter. In the movie, you can see women sticking their letters into the cracks of a wall. You can still do that, however, to make sure that a secretary of Juliet receives your letter, there are better practices in place now. The best thing to do is stick your letter in the red mailbox. Alternatively, if you go inside the house, you’ll find computer kiosks where you can e-mail her!

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I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go inside the house at the time, so I headed over to the area where you can find Juliet’s tomb. It turns out that you can get a discount by getting a combination ticket to Casa de Giulietta and the museum with her tomb, so I did that. The tomb was the best feature of the museum it’s housed in, but there are other art and artifacts to enjoy as well.

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I eventually went back to the house, Casa de Giulietta. Inside were a lot of artifacts from some of the Romeo and Juliet movies, such as costumes and a prop bed.

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But the best part of the Casa was getting to stand on Juliet’s balcony, and pondering “Wherefore art thou?”

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While foot traffic inside the Casa wasn’t so bad, the courtyard was getting jam-packed with tour groups and other visitors. Here’s a tip: If you want a truly magical and meaningful experience with Juliet, go in the morning before the day trippers roll in!

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I went to the courtyard for a third time in the evening, and it was even more crowded then! But this is when I enjoyed putting my own graffiti on the wall entering the courtyard. I’m not a vandal, it’s actually encouraged!

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In another spot of the courtyard is the only place in Europe where it’s actually encouraged to place a love lock, as it will eventually become a part of an art piece. (But seriously, don’t put a love lock anywhere else! I saw locks on every fence and bridge in every city I went to, and it just looked inconsiderate and trashy.)

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There are a lot of other things to do in Verona, such as go to the Arena, walk by the river, or explore the castles. I did some of these things, but since none of them are directly related to Juliet, I’m going to fast forward to today.

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I had heard it would take a long time to get my letter back from Juliet. I was hoping it would arrive to my house around the time that I came back from the Mediterranean, but such was not the case. I kept it in the back of my mind, and thought about it sometimes when I went to get the mail. But today, I was totally not expecting it!

I opened the mailbox and grabbed the letters out. One had an Italian postmark, and the return address said it was from “Club di Giulietta”! I squealed in excitement. I scared my dog by my squealing. I hope the neighbors didn’t hear me squealing. I raced back to the house so I could carefully open the envelope.

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I don’t remember exactly what I wrote to Juliet, but it was a decent-sized letter that could be summed up as “where is he?” I was honestly just expecting the response to be a canned sentence on an index card. I was surprised at how much thought was put into the letter I received! Here are a few of my favorite quotes from the letter.

“Finding love isn’t easy. In fact, it should be something they teach in school along with how to manage your finance and finding a job that you like.”

“Some people fall in love quickly- others warm to it slowly. But there is one common thing about it- that love doesn’t happen if you don’t take action.”

“Take the plunge- and live it, not dream it.”

By the way, while I would definitely encourage a trip to Verona if you can, you don’t need to go there in order to get a letter from Juliet. Just send your letter to:

Club di Giulietta
Corso Sant’Anastasia, 29
37121 Verona, Italy

In an age where it’s rare to receive a beautifully handwritten letter, it’s even more special to receive one from a fictional character!

Letter from Juliet

culture, day trip, destinations, travel tips

Disney Parks: US vs. France

February 3, 2016 Jessica Lippe

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While in Paris, I took a day trip to Disneyland. I was fortunate that my parents’ favorite family vacation was going to Walt Disney World, so I went there several times when I was young. When I was even younger, we would take day trips to Disneyland while visiting relatives in Southern California. It was pretty much a no-brainer to blow my daily budget for the opportunity to go to a Disney Park while abroad!

Needless to say, I loved the experience and my new goal is to visit the Asian Disney Parks. (And also go to Disneyland’s California Adventure. How have I not been to that park yet?) But when asked if I liked Disneyland Paris more or less than Disneyland in the US, I’m not entirely sure what to say. So today, I’m going to break down the perks of the parks in the United States and France, and you can help me decide which one is better!

Price

US: At Disneyland in Anaheim, California, a one-day ticket is $99 for anyone aged 10 or older. This only lets you into either California Adventure or Disneyland. To get into both, it is an extra $40 for a park hopper ticket. Walt Disney World near Orlando, Florida, has a higher price for their Magic Kingdom at $105, but the other three parks are only $97 for ages ten and up. A park hopper pass at the Magic Kingdom is $64. Note multi-day tickets do lower the cost per day, and these prices were taken January 26th, 2016. Tickets in more tourist seasons do cost more.

France: Disneyland Paris has a drastic seasonal price difference, due to lack of year-round warm weather like California and Florida. Right now a winter ticket starts at $64 for ages 12 and up, but a ticket that can be used any day of the year is $115. These tickets are valid for both of the parks (or, as they say in France, “parcs”), so no park hopper pass is needed. This is the price you get from the US website, but if you use the international website, you’ll find winter tickets starting at 47 euros and year-round tickets at 74. This is usually cheaper, so purchasing from the international version of the website will save you lots.

Winner: Disneyland Paris No matter how you look at it, it’s a lower price!

Transportation

US: I love taking the Walt Disney World Magical Express from the Orlando airport to the resort my family stays at, and then the free bus service between the Disney hotels and parks. It’s probably the only positive part of US Disney’s current transportation situation. I remember when California Adventure was built in Anaheim, and Disneyland had to go from a spacious parking lot to a multi-story garage. Although I’ve only used the bus transportation in Florida (which takes you right to the park entrance), the parking lots did look spacious, although many people have to take the tram because they park so far away.

France: I purchased the Disneyland Paris Express, which picks you up from one of several downtown Paris locations and escorts you to the Disneyland parking lot for 99 euros. (Neither of the US Disney Parks offer a similar service from LA or Orlando.) The parking lot was spacious, but surprisingly far away from the entrance and it took several minutes and moving walkways until I could even see the parks. I liked this service, but if I were to do it again, I would instead take the metro. It costs about the same as the extra cost of the Disneyland Paris Express ticket, but it’s faster and brings you closer to the entrance. You actually pass underneath one of the Disneyland Paris resorts on your walk into the park!

Winner: Disneyland Paris Neither country has perfect transportation. I do wish the buses could get closer to the park entrance, but there are more options to get around and this park seems to be better connected to the city.

Parks

US: The original park, Disneyland, is in California. The turn of the century brought a second park to Disneyland, called California Adventure. Over in Florida, Walt Disney World consists of the Magic Kingdom (similar to the Disneyland park), Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom, plus a couple of water parks and other fun attractions.

France: The first park in Disneyland Paris is Disneyland, which of course is pretty similar to the Magic Kingdom or the original California park. The second and final park is Walt Disney Studios, which, while it has a several unique attractions, is most comparable to Hollywood Studios.

Winner: US Disney Parks It would be harder to determine a winner if I were only comparing Disneyland Paris with Disneyland in California. But with Walt Disney World, it’s no contest. The French Pavilion in Epcot alone had as much French culture as all of Disneyland Paris.

Rides

DSCF2768 — Disneyland Paris’ Small World portrayal of the United States

US: Being the oldest parks, most of the famous Disney rides originated in the United States. Instead of listing all the attractions that can also be found in Europe or Asia, I’ll point out a few of the unique highlights. A longtime favorite ride of mine has been the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. This one is also in France, but the US version offers a longer ride. The Animal Kingdom has completely unique rides, including several with real life animals! And while Epcot is still in my home country, rides like Spaceship Earth, The Seas, Mission: Space, and Ellen’s Energy Adventure have me thinking about the world as a whole.

France: Most rides, especially in the Disneyland Parc, are carbon copies of United States originals. But the French have a few winners of their own. “Moteur, Action”, is a show that was brought to Hollywood Studios as “Lights, Motors, Action”. Unfortunately, that show can now only be seen in France as it was closed in the US for the upcoming Star Wars renovation. An attraction that hasn’t been brought to the States yet is “Ratatouille: The Adventure”. This is a fun 3-D ride around French fine dining from a rat’s perspective. US parks should take note on this ride’s creativity!

Winner: US Disney Parks This one was REALLY hard to decide. In the end, my tiebreaker was that The US copied very little from other nations’ parks, and also that several parks means a wider variety of rides are offered. If I had to take the average ride from each country, I think it would be a tie.

Cleanliness

US: When you ask an adult why they take their family to Disney Parks instead of a competitor, they don’t say it’s because of the rides or the characters or the price. It’s because “it’s clean!” Every other amusement park I’ve ever been to had an undertone of sketchiness to it. I know that they were probably perfectly nice parks, but Disney’s cleanliness standards have just set the bar too high.

France: Disney’s need for clean translates into French, too! Like the US parks, you won’t find messy gum for sale, but you will find a trash can within a few feet of wherever you’re at. Also like the US parks, smoking is only allowed in designated areas. Unfortunately, this is not enforced quite as well as some of my time waiting in the queues involved choking on smoke from people ahead of me.

Winner: US Disney Parks I’ve seen people smoke outside of designated areas in Walt Disney World too, but the reputation of cleanliness is better displayed here.

Castle

US:

France:

DSCF2744

Disneyland Paris, France

Winner: Disneyland Paris For no other reason than I love how the sides have retaining walls, making grass grow halfway up the castle!

Disney Parks

So I guess it is possible to break Disney down into categories and determine a winner for certain elements, but I still don’t know who should win overall. Which park sounds like a winner to you?

travel tips

Dear 2016 Jes

December 31, 2015 Jessica Lippe

Dear 2016 Jes,

You’re about to replace me in a matter of hours. I thought it would only be fair to update you on a few things before you take this position.

The past calendar year has been an interesting one. I was beaten down by many roadblocks, but also accomplished so much. Maybe it all equaled out in the end; I don’t know. I didn’t keep track, and I suggest that you don’t either. Focus on the positives.

Your mission for your one-year term is to make 2016 even better and more memorable than 2015. This may prove difficult, as I also had to one-up 2014 Jes who served a memorable year. There were some weeks and months that I did not carry out all that I had planned to do, but you and all your future replacements will never forget the legendary Mediterranean Trek of 2015. That was 92 days of once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Being once-in-a-lifetime sadly means that you will not be able to enjoy them for yourself, so go and make your own once-in-a-lifetime moments.

I explored seven new countries and two new continents. I climbed to the top of every historic Parisian monument, ate the local food with the local Spaniards, swam in the Mediterranean Sea, visited the two smallest nations in the world, marveled at the art and architecture across Italy, walked through historic Greece, and entered the intercontinental collision known as Istanbul. These things didn’t come easily, and I know you’ll be as proud of this achievement as I am.

Even back in the USA I had adventures. You’ll remember that I got to go Back to the Future (twice, including the official Back to the Future Day) at the site of the most thrilling scene of your favorite movie. I experienced Reno for the first time, played in the snow at Crater Lake, saw a fair share of wondrous waterfalls, went to the ocean for the first time in years, and got one last time to tour the historic Butte Creek Mill before discovering it burned down.

Although most time was spent back at your hometown and it felt strange to adjust to that, I got to see the area in a new way. I hiked the local mountains numerous times, learned the ins and outs of big corporation Harry & David, and had the special opportunity to spend time working at the Magdalene Home. I even got a totally different perspective by riding a hot air balloon for our birthday!

Unfortunately I have to leave you without the most ideal conditions. I’ve started many projects that will be your responsibility to complete. You will need to increase profits, and will be faced with decisions of involving large purchases and investments, such as buying a car. These tasks are intimidating. I’ve been working on them for several months and wish they could have been completed by now, but I suppose that this means you will at least get to reap the initial benefits. These more “normal” challenges may seem mundane compared to all you want to do, but enjoy what you can from it!

You’re coming in with exciting ideas for your year, but neither of us know what you will actually do. Maybe 2017 Jes or another later edition will be the one to actually complete the goals that we have set, but 2016 holds lots of potential for you. While 2014 Jes discovered that we can’t afford to rent a car yet at our age, you will be turning 25 which will allow so many more possibilities with driving, like better insurance and cheaper rentals. I’ve left some ideas for an epic road trip scattered in notebooks throughout your residence, so you can either follow through on that or fine-tune it for a future Jes to carry out. At this point I haven’t set any resolutions for you, but it would be interesting to see if you can actually keep up with any of the normal resolutions for an entire year, like reading through the Bible, exercising daily… you get the picture.

Honestly, neither of us knows what 2016 will hold for you. Take advantage of whatever opportunities present themselves to you. I’m sure you’ll have a highlight of the year, but don’t forget the small stuff too. Make something that you’ll be excited to tell 2017 Jes about!

Sincerely,

2015 Jes

IMG_20150207_104903_459 — February 2015: Chinese New Year

016 — March 2015: Mill Creek and Barr Creek Falls

Birthday 015 — May 2015: Hot Air Balloon Birthday

June 2015: Preparation for the Mediterranean Trek

DSCF2744[1] — July 2015: Disneyland Paris

August 2015: Pueblo Ingles and the La Alberca Pig

September 2015: Seeing the Pope at the Vatican

Istanbul Europe Asia Divide — October 2015: Crossing from Europe to Asia

Ranger — December 2015: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

health, travel tips

In Sickness…

November 23, 2015November 23, 2015 Jessica Lippe

Today I feel sick. Sore throat, stuffy nose, lethargic brain… you’ve felt it before. So while I will continue the story of my Mediterranean Trek later, today I would like to share what to do when illness strikes during travel.

Mediterranean Medicine

1973342_1201200929906958_7559396040635860694_o I was sick twice during my Mediterranean Trek. The first one happened before I was even two weeks into the trip. On my last full day in Paris, I watched Le Tour de France in person! To keep my good viewing spot, I had to stand there all day, no matter what. This also happened to be the only day during my time in Paris that it was cold and rainy instead of hot and muggy. Needless to say, I caught a cold. Even worse, I had to take a 17-hour bus ride the next afternoon. That bus dropped me off in Madrid the next morning several miles away from my hostel, and I walked there. I arrived at UHostels sick and tired, despite wanting to go out and see the city.

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I got sick again about a month later. I had just arrived in Venice earlier that day. For dinner, I went out to get a pizza, and then found a place to eat it. I noticed that I didn’t have much of an appetite, but didn’t reach too much into that. A little bit later, it struck. I had an awful stomach bug, possibly even the flu. I had only booked two nights in Venice, and both of those days were spent either in the bathroom or in bed.

Supplies to Soften the Sickness

Pack a few of these items with you in case you get ill during your travels, or otherwise ask the front desk of your hotel or hostel for nearby places to buy these items.

-Diphenhydramine: Better known as Benadryl, I carried this around mainly for allergic reactions. But it turned out to be very beneficial as it was the only reason I was able to get any sleep when I had my cold. It can cause drowsiness, so it’s usually best to take it at night.

-Tissues and Handkerchief: I had a mini pack of tissues in my backpack. On the bus ride to Madrid, I used almost all of them up. I wanted to save a couple in case I needed more later, so I instead found something I could turn into a handkerchief: my Campack towel! It’s the same size as a handkerchief, and it’s quick-drying too! (Sorry if I grossed you out a bit on this one, but rest assured that thing went straight into the washing machine!)

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–Traditional Medicinals Herbal Tea: A hot beverage usually makes everything better, but this brand of herbals simply cannot be beat. Gypsy Cold Care was a great flavor during my cold, and Ginger Aid helped my stomach during the recovery process. Just add hot water!

-Extra Privacy: My sleeping arrangements during my cold included sharing a bus with fifty other people and a hostel dorm room. Although my stomach bug was even worse, it was nicer to deal with that in the privacy of my own hotel room with ensuite bathroom! It was very coincidental that I happened to have that bug on the only two days that I had booked a private hotel room. But if you can afford it, there’s often the option to upgrade to a private room, or even a private ensuite room.

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-Gatorade: This was one of about four beverages I bought during my entire trip, but it was oh so worth it! Since I was staying just a block away from Venice’s main tourist spot, St. Mark’s Square, there weren’t very many real grocery stores nearby. I was dizzy, overheated, and tired, so I just went to the closest beverage sales I could find and bought an overpriced bottle of Gatorade. The next day, I was feeling better, but still needed to rehydrate and be gentle with my stomach. I walked further and found a real grocery store, where I got a bottle of Gatorade twice the size for half the price!

-Saltine Crackers: I found these in the same grocery store as the Gatorade. (I tried eating rice crackers from a snack shop the day before, and that wasn’t too bad.) For some reason, in Italy, they only sell saltines in packages of extra large or extra extra large. That was fine by me, as I lived off of them for the next week!

-Cipro: I got a prescription for this just out of precaution, but thankfully I did not have to use it. I considered it when I had flu-like symptoms, but in a way, it was motivation to get better. “I may be sick, but at least I’m not so sick that I have to take Cipro!”

11027449_1201785996515118_110808406398825797_o -Rest: This one was hard for me to do all the time, but it’s helpful in both preventing illness and getting better. Sometimes annoying roommates interrupt your sleep. Sometimes there’s something happening that you’ll want to stay up late or wake up early. Sometimes the excitement of being in a new city just makes you want to go out there and get exhausted from a full day of discovery! Do whatever it takes to suppress your urges enough to get some decent sleep every night.

-Flexibility: All travel plans have some degree of flexibility. While going from Paris to Madrid, I couldn’t make changes in travel plans due to my tight schedule and tight budget. But I did have more control once I got to Madrid. I could stop to rest whenever I felt it was necessary. In Venice, I had more flexibility as I hadn’t yet made reservations for my next destination. On my checkout day, I booked two more nights in a downgraded room so I could actually enjoy all the city had to offer.

Just thinking about all the resources I have to help with recovery is making me feel better already! I was able to get better from both illnesses in the Mediterranean in just a couple of days, so here’s to hoping I can heal just as quickly at home!

What’s your secret to recovering from illness?

travel tips

Mediterranean Trek Part I: Getting There

November 8, 2015November 8, 2015 Jessica Lippe

Touchdown. Just one day before, I had left Medford, Oregon, United States, for the biggest journey of my life. (The biggest journey so far, that is!) From there I took a typical flight to Salt Lake City, and then came the big jump all the way to Paris. Now there I was, my feet in Europe for the first time at the Charles de Gaulle airport.

When leaving via the Medford airport, it's almost mandatory to take a picture sitting on this rock. (And yes, that backpack next to me is all my luggage for the trip!) — When leaving via the Medford airport, it’s almost mandatory to take a picture sitting on this rock. (And yes, that backpack next to me is all my luggage for the trip!)

I wove through the maze of hallways and directions, passed customs, and then tried to navigate to the pick-up location of my bus. From my research, I knew most cost-cutting visitors to Paris took the metro into the city, but I had done a bit more research and found a company called EasyBus that would drive me into town for just a fraction of the cost of a metro ticket. The problem was, every sign I passed had an arrow pointing toward the metro, but there was no indication of where the EasyBus pick-up point was! As I continued to walk, I noticed a Visitor’s Center that sold the Paris Museum Pass. I knew I wanted to buy one of those anyway, so I stopped there and got some extra free information, like a city map and, thankfully, directions to EasyBus. The funny thing was, if I had walked just a little bit further, I would have found it! The little bus was there, but the driver wasn’t, so I stood around waiting with others for the official departure time.

The ride into the city wasn’t that interesting; just a typical freeway. Things got interesting once the bus dropped me off. The only downside of using EasyBus was that they only had one drop-off point, which was two miles away from my hostel. That was no problem, since I had plenty of practice walking around my neighborhood with my backpack for this very purpose. Unfortunately, since Paris has a unique layout that allowed me to easily get lost, I ended up walking a whole lot more than two miles! When I pulled out my GPS and tried using the Europe map for the first time, it had some problems adjusting. So I relied on my paper map, but even that got confusing. Cities often have a north-to-south, east-to-west layout, or at least something pretty close to that. Paris has a spiral layout. This made it a bit trickier to get to my hostel, and I walked a lot further than I needed to. But I made the most of it by seeing my first famous European sights: The Louvre, Seine, Eiffel Tower, and Arc de Triomphe!

I hard roundabout to get around: The Arc de Triomphe has twelve different streets shooting out from it! — A hard roundabout to get around: The Arc de Triomphe has twelve different streets shooting out from it!

After about a zillion wrong turns and who-knows-how-many miles (or kilometers), I made it to my hostel, BVJ Champs-Elysees Monceau. While it was difficult to find the hostel, fortunately it wasn’t nearly as difficult to find an ATM and a money changer on my extended walk, so I paid for my bed and then found my room. I shared this room with six other girls, with a connecting room with ten more beds. Way better than my accommodations the night before (sleeping on the airplane)! At this point so early in my trip, I didn’t care how many people I shared a room with. In the past when I’ve gone on a trip that involved staying at hostels, I tired myself out from doing so much during the day, so I would just crash at night regardless of the noise or lights. This would serve true for Paris, but when you travel for 92 days straight, those annoyances do end up affecting your sleep as your body gets accustomed to so much walking. Speaking of walking, that’s exactly what I did next.

The hostel used to be a mansion owned by a Parisian artist. While not quite so uppity anymore, it still has some of its fanciness!

After a quick break of making up my bed and detaching my daypack from the main bag, I set out for Paris once again. I walked through half of the Champs-Elysees to see what stores were there, stopping at a perfume store and several auto showrooms. I then went in search of a crepe. It took awhile, but I found a creperie in front of the Eiffel Tower where I got a concoction of Nutella and banana. I sat down to eat near a water feature that lots of kids were playing in, and realized that I needed to figure out how to change my phone’s clock to make up for the nine hours I lost on the flight over. There would be a lot I would need to figure out on the verge of this three-month journey. I’d need to figure out how to make phone calls using apps and WiFi, and when to call so I wouldn’t wake people up at home in the middle of the night. I’d need to figure out the value of a Euro, and how to get the maximum experience while staying in my budget. I’d need to figure out how to best communicate in places where I may be the only native English speaker. I’d need to figure out how to plan the future legs of my trip while still enjoying the place I was. I’d need to figure out what was really worth keeping, and what extra pack weight I would regret. I’d need to figure out which of my five outfits to wear next, since I was still wearing the same clothes I left the United States in the day before. I’d also need to figure out how to get a lay of the land, not only for Paris, but for all the other cities I would head to later on.

A crepe with a view! At this point in time, I didn't think it was possible to get sick and tired of Nutella. Spoiler Alert: it is! — A crepe with a view! At this point in time, I didn’t think it was possible to get sick and tired of Nutella. Spoiler Alert: it is!

But this was just the first twenty-four hours of my trip. Everything may seem so foreign now, but as I learned more about life, it would become my life.

Rewind and Fast Forward

I can’t even begin to go through all that it took to actually get me to the Mediterranean, although many older blog posts here are dedicated to just that. As I looked back, it seems like these first twenty-four hours, July 16th and 17th, were so long ago. They couldn’t possibly be part of the same trip that ended in Istanbul, could they? And was I the same person back then as I am now?

My plan over the next several weeks is to recount the entire trip. I won’t go as in-depth with the other days. I’ll probably have one or two blog posts for each destination, so most posts will cover up to at least a week instead of just one day. But the first day of a new journey is always memorable, because so many thoughts are going through your head.

A lot of new thoughts are going through my head now, albeit different kinds of thoughts. I gave up a lot in order to pursue the Mediterranean Trek, and now I’m working on rebuilding that. A year before my trip, I gave up my apartment, my car, and my full-time job so I could move in with my parents, borrow their van, and work several part-time jobs. Over that year, I did without a lot of things, like keeping my outdated and literally-falling-apart computer instead of getting a new one. (I’m actually writing this using the same janky laptop, praying it doesn’t crash without saving my work and having to adjust the screen every few minutes since it can’t stand on its own anymore!) Now that my goal of backpacking the Mediterranean has been accomplished, it’s almost as if I have too many options now! I ordered a new computer, and I’m searching for a job, car, and place to live. And while this is what I need to do and want to do for the time being, secretly, I may be dreaming up what my next big adventure will be!