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This post is written by Taysha Ham, an agricultural communications student at New Mexico State University who visited London last June, during the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. 

QueenMy adventure in London was last summer. There were posters all over the city for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee; huge pictures of the queen and her family hung on buildings. London had always been a place that appealed to me.  I was interested in the people, the places to see and the history.

London flagsEveryone could see the people were so proud of their queen, wearing the country’s colors and waving the flag!  It was the perfect atmosphere to visit the city.  Everyone was happy and excited to help Queen Elizabeth II celebrate her 60th year as monarch.

Here’s my list of 8 Things You Must Do While in London, England:

RedBus1. Take a red bus tour.  It’s a great way to not only see the biggest attractions of the city, but to also hear some of the history as well.  I recommend riding on the top deck so you are able to freely look around and take pictures.

 

LondonTeaParty2. Have a cup of tea.  There are several little shops that will serve you a pot of tea to share with friends.  A friend and I ordered Chamomile tea that came out in a beautiful teapot with mix-matched tea cups.  There is nothing quite like having your own cup of afternoon tea in London.

 

3. Stroll down Abbey Road.  Follow in the footsteps of the Beatles, literally.  This famous road served as both a photo location and name of the final album recorded by the group.  Recreate a little piece of history as you stroll across the road for a picture.

 

SherlockHolmesMuseum4. Visit 221B Baker Street London.  The home of Sherlock Holmes, see the actual apartment where the main character in the book series was said to have lived.  The tour of the building is truly amazing, having props and scenes set up from the book series.  The candles are lit; fires are going, as though Sherlock and Watson just stepped out of the house for a moment.  The little apartment truly captures a day in their lives.

 

BigBen5. See Big Ben.  The famous clock tower is hard to miss, rising high into the sky. I love the architecture of the building, just I love all European structures.  The detail in the design of the building is mesmerizing, medieval in style.  It was one of my favorite places to see.

 

LondonEye6. The London Eye.  Although I missed out on taking a ride in the London eye, I would recommend you do.  The observation wheel is one of the top tourist destinations in London.  It was built to celebrate the new millennium, and offers a great view of the city.

 

TowerBridge7. See the Tower Bridge.  Built East of the London Bridge, the Tower Bridge was constructed to ease the waiting time it took to cross the bridge.  While crossing over this huge bridge you will immediately notice its bright blue coloring.  Many of the red buses will cross over this bridge, so it will be hard to miss.

Buckingham8. See the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace.  The changing of the guard is the process of the guards changing shifts.  It’s a daily tradition that has become popular to witness.  If you do not have time, at least check out the breathtaking Buckingham Palace itself.

Have you been to London? What was your favorite things to see?

Taysha Ham

 

Taysha Ham knows all about Truth or Consequences, New Mexico.  It’s her home town.

A student at New Mexico State University, Taysha is majoring in agricultural communications with a minor in journalism.

This summer she is completing a social media internship for Venture Time Travel.

To learn more about London, check out these travel guides….

Rick Steves’ Pocket London Lonely Planet London Grandluxe London Monologue Travel Book

Other posts on the United Kingdom you may enjoy…

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Photo Friday: Let the Season of Sun Begin

Summer sunsetCelebrate Summer Solstice

Summer has officially begun.

At exactly 1:04 pm EDT today the Northern Hemisphere of the Earth reached its closest point to the sun.  Summer solstice refers to the exact time, and also the day which has most daylight of the year.

It’s time for summer fun!

Time for enjoying the longer days of light between sunrise and sunset.

Solstice celebrations have a number of names around the world, including Midsommar, Adonia, St. John’s Feast Day, Fíªte St-Jean-BaptisteFestival of San JuanSaint Jonas DaySt John’s Day (Estonia)Ivan Kupala DayGolowan and many more.

Where will you enjoy the longer days of sunshine? 

These are a few of the places we hope to visit during the summer season:

1) The Oregon coast

2) Lake Lanier, Georgia

3) Anchorage, Alaska

4) Ft. Worth, Texas

5) Portland, Maine

6) Portland, Oregon

7) Wellington, Missouri

8) Buenos Aires, Argentina (even though it’s winter there)

9) Mendoza, Argentina (see above)

10) The Tillamook Cheese Factory

Where will you enjoy the longer days of summer this year?

We really are curious so please share in comments below.

See all of this photos from this week’s Photo Friday Challenge: ‘Season of Sun”.

You also may be interested in these Friday Photo posts”; 

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6 Must Have Items for Your Next Bus Trip

This is a guest post by Morgan Large, a graduate student at the University of Arkansas.

Bus tourI am currently packing for a travel bus tour to see the great American West.

What are some must have items when you are traveling on a bus?

This list includes the must haves that I am packing for the trip.

Most of these items is that they can be used again on any travel excursion.

 


1. A reusable Water Bottle
You never know when you are going to get thirsty at a destination or traveling down the road. With this reusable water bottle, you can fill up and take it with you on the road or while hiking the Grand Canyon.

 


2. Neck pillow, blanket and eye mask

With bus trips comes long hours, and sometimes uncomfortable sleeping conditions. This neck pillow will help you sleep better and the blanket is easy to wrap up in when the air conditioner on the bus gets a little too cold.

 


3. Dramamine Motion Sickness Relief
-Long hours on the bus and curvy roads do not always mix for some people so be sure to pack Dramamine and other medicines to try and avoid sickness. You want to have the best experience possible, and you would not want motion sickness to get in the way.


4. Magazines or books

Pack your favorite reading materials. Magazines like this National Geographic Traveler will help you pass the time while on the road between stops.


5.Sanitizing Hand Wipes
You never know when and where your closest restroom will be. After visiting a location, use this hand sanitizer to avoid germs where possible and to stay healthy while traveling.


6. Crossbody purse for ladies and backpack for guys

You need to have your items close to you, easily accessible and compact. For the ladies, pack a cross-body purse to keep your wallet, camera, and other items. The guys are not forgotten either with a sling backpack to keep their travel items and maybe even the reusable water bottle that was packed.  

Have you ever been on a bus tour? What do you always pack?

 

Morgan LargeMorgan Large loves to explore the world. She’s traveled across the United States and to 11 countries.

For her next travel adventure, Morgan will be taking a bus tour with her grandmother, mother and sister.

Originally from Ohio, Morgan currently lives in Arkansas with her Australian Shepherd, Oxley.

A graduate student at the University of Arkansas, Morgan’s studies are focused in agricultural communications.  Her blog,  RazorBuck: A Midwestern girl living in a Southern world highlights her adventures in photography, cooking and travel.

For more travel tips, check out these posts”;.

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Renaissance TorontoSeveral weeks ago when we visited Toronto we choose to stay at the Renaissance Toronto Downtown Hotel.

We were in Toronto to attend the TBEX conference along with more than 1,200 other travel bloggers from around the globe.

The Renaissance Toronto is a short walk to the CN Tower and the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, the location of TBEX.

CN Tower, TorontoThis Renaissance hotel has a unique claim to fame: it’s the world’s only hotel located in a major league sports and entertainment venue. The hotel is built into the Rogers Centre, home to the Toronto Blue Jays.

Toronto Blue Jays

When we were in town, the Blue Jays were on the road.

 

Sensations rave set upBut we witnessed the set up for an entertainment event in the Rogers Centre. It tooks crews of  hundreds of workers three days to set up for the Bud Light Sensation White colossal rave.

 

Arriba Bar and RestaurantThe hotel’s Arriba lounge and restaurant  provided a terrific place to have a beer and watch the action in the Rogers Centre.

 

Room 1151Our Executive Level room was on the top floor of the 11-story hotel.

 

Rm 1151, Renaissance TorontoRoom 1151 is spacious, but it looks out into the city of Toronto.  Some of the hotel rooms look directly into the stadium.

 

Rm 1151, Renaissance TorontoThe hotel room was a bit dated.

 

Rm 1151, Renaissance TorontoHere’s a peek into the bathroom.

 

Our bottom line on the Renaissance Toronto Downtown Hotel:

The Pros:

  • It’s a great location in downtown Toronto, perfect for attending events at the Rogers Centre or the nearby Metro Toronto Convention Centre.
  • The hotel’s unique location within a sports stadium would be awesome for attending a Toronto Blue Jays game.
  • It’s not a bad use of Marriott Rewards points; the hotel is currently a Category 6 Award Level and downtown Toronto hotels tend to be spendy.
  •  The rooms are spacious.

The Cons:

  • The hotel rooms are dated.
  • The hotel staff was overwhelmed by the big event going on and seemed to lack appropriate training. We should have been alerted when we checked it that there would be a big event Saturday night requiring hotel guests to wear bright pink wristbands to get to their rooms.  We were only informed by the security guard  as we tried to get on the elevator to go to our room. He insisted we needed to stand in a line at the front desk to get the wristbands.  This occurred on the  third night of our 3-night stay in the hotel.

Have you stayed in the Toronto Renaissance Downtown Hotel? What was your impression?

For a look inside more hotel rooms, check out these posts….

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