Traveling with the Jones — Sharing Travel Discoveries

A Spring Walk Through Bruges, Belgium

by Janis on March 18, 2013

This post is by Danielle Smith, an agricultural communications student at the University of Arkansas.

Springtime is the perfect time to visit the romantic city of Bruges.

Located located in the northwest part of Belgium, Bruges is the largest city and the capital of the West Flanders province in the Flemish Region of Belgium.

A horse -drawn carriage ride offers great views of the city center’s beautiful architecture.

The historic city center of Bruges was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000.

Visit the famous Choco-Story Museum to learn about the history of Belgium chocolate and have a tasty treat.

Did you know: Belgian chocolate is considered to be the gourmet standard by which all other chocolate confections are measured?

Walk-off your chocolate treat and admire more amazing architecture by strolling along the river.

For an even better view, admire these beautiful scenes by taking a boat tour down the river.

Water and beach lovers can stroll along the beach of the North Sea.

Beer has a long history in Belgium, dating back to the crusades. Both French and Flemish abbeys brewed and sold beer as a method to raise money. Beer was considered a more sanitary option that the drinking water of the time.

End your day by visiting the famous Bruges Beer Wall to enjoy one of hundreds of Belgium beers. There’s said to be 1,100 different bottles of beers at this display by the 2be Beer Wall bar.

Before you head home indulge in a famous Belgium waffle loaded with ice cream, chocolate, and fruit toppings.

I hope you enjoyed this Spring walk through Bruges, Belgium enough to visit yourself.

Have you ever been to Bruges? What was your favorite thing to see or eat or drink?

A native of Stilwell, Kansas, Danielle plans to return to the Kansas City area upon graduation.

Danielle is currently working as a social media intern with VentureTime Travel. When she isn’t working or in classes, Danielle enjoys traveling the world with her fiancée Will.

Learn more about Danielle here.

If you are planning a trip to Bruges, you may want to check out these books:

Historic Walking Guides Bruges

Frommer’s Brussels and Bruges Day By Day

And, consider watching this movie that showcases Bruges sites:
In Bruges

Here’s more Destination Discoveries posts from Europe to check out:

Follow us on Twitter or interact with us on Facebook.

{ 2 comments }

Reading at Sea: Enjoying Holland America’s New York Times Explorations Café

by Janis on March 17, 2013

Reading while at sea on a cruise is one of life’s great pleasures.

There’s something about the gentle rocking of the ship and the quiet solitude of being surrounded by water that allows you to be transported by a good book.

Mr. Jones and I have converted to reading from paper books to electronic versions via the Kindle app on our iPads, mainly because books are heavy to carry when you travel. I like the convenience of electronic books, but I miss paper books.

So I consider it an extra bonus to be sailing on a ship with a well-stocked library, like the one on Holland America’s Amsterdam that I recently sailed on for two weeks.

One of the first places that I visit whenever I’m on a Holland America Line ship is the Explorations Café, powered by The New York Times which features one of the most extensive libraries at sea in a coffee-house-like environment. I love to grab five or six New York Times Best Sellers that peak my interest but that I haven’t previously bought or read.

Here’s what I read during my last cruise from the Explorations Café, powered by The New York Times:

1. Extraordinary, Ordinary People: A Memoir of Family A terrific story of Condoleezza Rice’s parents and how they encouraged and guided their child while she was growing up in racially-charged Birmingham, Alabama during the early 1960’s.
2. The Island: A Novel What’s better to read at sea than a novel about romance and a summer spent on a island trying to come to grips with life’s challenges?

3. Red and Me LP: My Coach, My Lifelong Friend While sailing through the Philippines where basketball is an obsession, this story about friendship taught me about how different the world of college and professional basketball was less than 50 years ago.

4. Blood, Bones & Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef Cruising and food go together, as does this beautiful story written by the owner/chef of Prune in New York City. I couldn’t help but wonder: is a dis-functional childhood a requirement to write this story?

5. Champagne: How the World’s Most Glamorous Wine Triumphed Over War and Hard Times I admit, I didn’t read this book cover to cover; I’m skipped through to the photos and the parts I found most interesting. Still, as a champagne-lover, I can now appreciate the bubbly a little more every time I drink it, which is easy to do while at sea.

Do you like to read while you cruise? What are some of your favorite books read while sailing the high seas? Please share your recommendations in comments below.

Other posts on my Grand World Adventure”;

Follow us on Twitter or interact with us on Facebook.

{ 0 comments }

5 Weekend Getaway Spots To Add To Your Bucket List

by Janis on March 13, 2013

This post is written by Danielle Smith, a student at the University of Arkansas.

I have been working hard on my travel bucket list lately: California, New York, Washington D.C.. As I think about my travel “bucket list” I realized that there are many cities I want to visit that are not “typical” vacation destinations.

These cities probably are not going to appear on any top destination travel list.

Many of us probably travel through them all of the time, but I for one have never really stopped and enjoyed what these cities have to offer.

Here are 5 destinations that I’m adding to my weekend getaway bucket list!

1. Dallas, Texas

Dallas has tons to offer if you are looking for a weekend away. Spots lovers can catch a game at Cowboys Stadium or watch the Texas Rangers or Dallas Mavericks play ball.

Thrill seekers and families can head to Six Flags, the 212-acre amusement park. Adults looking for a night away can check out one of Dallas’s many entertainment districts.

No matter what you are looking for you can almost guarantee Dallas has it. To learn more, check out Visit Dallas.

St. Louis Arch at Night. Photo by Daniel Schwen.

2. St. Louis, Missouri

St. Louis is one place I have never taken the time to visit, but the city has a lot to offer. My first stop would be the St. Louis Arch, a 630-foot stainless steel monument that provides you with the finest view of the Gateway City. This history rich city is full of great museums and memorials like the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial.

Spots fans this is the city for you! Head to Busch Stadium to watch the 11-time World champion St. Louis Cardinals, even if you’re not a fan, you’re guaranteed to see some good baseball. Catch some football as the Rams take the field at the Edward Jones Dome or hockey fans can head to the rink to watch the St. Louis Blues at the Scottrade Center.

St. Louis also has many affordable options for families including the Saint Louis Zoo, one of the city’s many free attractions, the zoo as been recognized as one of the nation’s best zoological parks. To learn more visit Explore St. Louis.

The blue bear holds up the convention center in downtown Denver.

3. Denver, Colorado

Did you know that Denver is America’s #1 beer city? Denver brews more beer than any other city in the county. Head to Denver and visit one of the many winery and breweries, live music and comedy attractions, or museum and art galleries.

Denver is also home to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science where you can encounter some of Earth’s most awe-inspiring mammals and wander over some of the oldest human artifacts in existence.

Sports fans can check out one of the seven professional sports teams including the Denver Broncos and Colorado Rockies. To learn more visit http://www.denver.org

Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts is one of Kansas City’s newest attractions. Photo by Burdettekevin

4. Kansas City, Missouri

Yes this is my home and I do not take enough time to enjoy it, not to mention there are tons of new attractions in KC, so it is going on my list. Plus, I think KC offers a great weekend getaway for everyone in the family!

KC is home to the new SEA LIFE Aquarium, located at Crown Center, this 2-3 hour journey through 260,000 gallons of water is a must see! One of KC’s newest attractions is LEGOLAND Discovery center. Families may also enjoy visiting Worlds of Fun, Oceans of Fun, Schlitterbahn, or the Kansas City Zoo.

Adults looking for a night out should head to the Country Club Plaza, Power & Light District or Westport.

Kansas City is a wonderful place to find Arts and Culture. It is home to many famous museums including the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art or visit the new Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. Learn more at VisitKC.

5. Minneapolis, Minnesota

Maybe I am just a shopaholic, but I am just dying to visit the Mall of America. Then again the Mall of America has a lot more to offer than shopping. Check out the aquarium, many dinning options, or one of their popular events.

Minneapolis is also home to St. Anthony Falls, the only waterfall on the Mississippi River. If you like the outdoors or waterfalls you should also visit Minnehaha Falls, the 53-foot waterfall with limestone bluffs that overlooks Minnehaha Park.

To learn more visit this Minneapolis website.
What is on your travel bucket list? Where is your favorite place to take a weekend getaway? Please share in comments below.

A native of Stilwell, Kansas, Danielle plans to return to the Kansas City area upon graduation.

Danielle is currently working as a social media intern with VentureTime Travel. When she isn’t working or in classes, Danielle enjoys traveling the world with her fiancée Will.

Learn more about Danielle here.

Need Some Inspiration for Your Weekend? Check out these other Weekend Wanderings posts:

Follow us on Twitter or interact with us on Facebook.

{ 1 comment }

Exploring Bali With Nyoman Sulastra

by Janis on March 2, 2013

I’m cruising on Holland America Line’s ms Amsterdam for part of the 115-day Grand World Voyage. I boarded the ship in Fremantle, Australia (near Perth) to surprise some client friends who have been aboard for the complete journey since the ship left Ft. Lauderdale, Florida on January 5th.

Today we visited one of my favorite places — Bali, Indonesia.

Exploring Bali With Nyoman Sulastra

In November, 2011 Mr. Jones and I visited Bali, staying at the amazing Conrad and visiting a friend John P. who was living in Bali at the time. During that visit, John introduced us to Nyoman Sulastra, a terrific driver who showed us many of Bali’s treasures over several days.

Through Facebook, I reconnected with Nyoman and asked if he was available for March 2 to drive me and my friends Tom and Steve around Bali during our day in port. Nyoman confirmed he would pick us up at the Benoa cruise terminal at 9 am. (We were scheduled to arrive at 8 am.)

The Amsterdam Arrives Late Into Bali

One of the things I love about Bali are the incredible sunrises. This photo is from my early morning walk around the deck.

The captain announces that there was a ferry in our cruise berth and we will be arrived late. I send a message to Nyoman, who said “No problem.” As we sailed into port, we passed by the Seabourn Odyssey.

Finally we reached the Port of Benoa around 9:15 am. Everyone wasanxious to get off the ship, including some of the Indonesian crew members from Bali who were spending part of the day with their families.

There are throngs of people are the port gate, including hundreds of drivers trying to get us to tour with them. We located Nyoman and his van and we set off to explore Bali.

Nyoman is a very “zen” driver as he maneuvers through intense Bali traffic.

One of our first stops was at a Hindu temple. Guests are welcome but they must wear “temple sashes” (known as a selendang) around the waist and a sarong (known as as kain kamben) around your legs. Temple attire is “rented” at the entrance for a small donation. Since I’m wearing a sleeveless top, I added my scarf that I carry in my bag around my shoulders.

Walking into the temple complex, different versions of the selendang and kain kamben can be seen on the steady stream of temple guests.

A sample of the offerings in the temple. Later, we asked Nyoman to explain: he said the offerings are usually based on the kinds of food the family is eating.

Our next stop was an art gallery, near the Ubud area of Bali, well-known for its artists. I liked this painting of workers in a rice field.

While U.S. dollars are accepted in some of Bali, having the local currency is preferred. We stopped at a Circle K convenience store to use the ATM. A million Indonesian rupiah (IDR) is the equivelent of about $105 U.S. dollars, making us feel like millionaires.

Besides its ATM, the Circle K was a good place to buy cold drinks, get free internet to check email, and stock up on local snacks (and Mr. Jones’ favorite Tim Tams.)

Local currency in hand, our next stop was the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary. It’s a wooded park and temple that’s home to hundreds of monkeys.

Monkeys are every where throughout the Forest.

The monkeys are cute and like to pose. But, be careful, they also like to steal any food, drink or unattached object from visitors.

Hot and hungry, we were ready for food and a cold beverage. Next stop: the place that Anthony Bourdain is rumored to have said “servers the world’s best martini”: Naughty Nuri’s, home to “wicked ribs and brutal martinis.”

There are two Nuri’s locations; we visited the one in Ubud, getting seated inside just before a major rain storm.