During my freshman year at college, I was able to go to Dubai for Spring Break!  My sister and her husband were living there at the time so it was the perfect excuse to make a visit.  Besides the surreal architecture, one of the things I found most fascinating about the city is how it is located in the middle of the desert.  Drive 20 minutes out of the city and you will find yourself surrounded by endless desert dunes.  Dubai will do more than live up to your exceptions, I promise!

WHERE TO STAY

While I was there, I stayed with my sister but here are a few wonderful locations that I know of to stay.

WHAT TO DO

• Burj Khalifa: When going to Dubai, it is impossible to not visit the tallest building in the world.  The Burj was completed in 2010 has 163 floors.  When the tower was first built, the highest floor you could go was the observation deck and restaurant on levels 122-124.  However, When Canton Tower in Guangzhou, China surpassed the Burj with an observation deck at a higher level, the Burj opened a new observation deck on floor 148.
  
• Burj Al Arab Hotel: The Al Arab is the 3rd largest luxury hotel in the world.  Burj Al Arab stands on an artificial island off of Jumeirah beach and is connected to the mainland by a private curving bridge. The shape of the structure is designed to mimic the sail of a ship and it has a helipad near the roof.  If you are looking for a fun day time activity, they have afternoon tea and great brunch.
  
• Dubai Mall: Because Dubai refuses to anything small, Dubai Mall is the largest mall in the world.  Not only is the mall for shopping, but there is also an aquarium and underwater zoo, ice skating rink, and many restaurants.  You can even go scuba diving!
• Ski Dubai: Once again, Dubai has an affinity for malls and going all out.  Located in another excessively large mall, Mall of the Emirates, is Ski Dubai, an indoor ski contain, resort, and lodge.  
  
• Jumeirah Beach Walk and Dubai Marina: The marina is an artificial canal city and houses many residential towers, cafes, shops, etc.  It is a great place to walk around during the day and enjoy the wonderful views.  This is also the best place to go for a day on the beach!
  
• The Palm Islands:  Because fake is the way of life in Dubai, The Palm is an artificial archipelago.  There are three different Palm islands, Palm Jumeirah, Palm Jebel Ali, and Palm Deira.  These are great areas to walk around and even better if you can get a view from above.
• Desert safari:  Take a wild ride in a Jeep or Hummer through the desert and cruising over sand dunes.  You also have the opportunity to ride camels, go sand-boarding, campfire dinner, henna tattooing, and belly dancing.
  
  
  

WHERE TO EAT

Because Dubai is such a mix of cultures, their food reflects that.  Dubai has amazing restaurants in many different categories and cuisines so you are guaranteed to find something you enjoy!

• Cocoa Room: One of the best and unique breakfast places.
• Pierchic:  Located at the end of pier on the water, this restaurant as impeccable views of the sunset on the Arabian Gulf.
• At.mosphere: The restaurant located on the 122 floor of the Burj Khalifa, this is must do simply for the views of the city!
  
• Muchachas Mexican Cantina: Great tacos. Great drinks.  Enough said.
• BRUNCH:  Champagne brunch is a Dubai institution.  While alcohol can only be served in the confines of a hotel, with well over 400 hotels ini the city, finding great places that serve alcohol is not an issue.  Friday brunches ring in the weekend and last well into the afternoon and are definitely an extravaganza you cannot miss!

GET AROUND

The easiest way to get around the city is by car or taxi.  There is however public transportation but the carriages are reserved for different people so watch the signs.

EXTRA

If you have time, I would definitely recommend taking a day or two and going to Abu Dhabi.  It is roughly an hour and a half away from Dubai and has quite a few amazing sites as well.  The best thing to do however is visit the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.  The Mosque has beautiful architectural details and the inside is beautifully decorated with the supposed largest carpet in the world and stunning chandeliers.

Cancun, Mexico is best-known for its white sand beaches, perfect weather, and bright blue waters. It is a great destination for a vacation spot, wedding, or honeymoon. 

Where to Stay: 

Hilton Cancun Golf and Spa Resort:

This luxurious hotel is located right on the bright blue ocean of Cancun. It has a beautiful pool and has a big attraction for a vacation spot for families with younger children. This hotel is also known for its 18 hole golf course. Hundreds of world-class golfers come to play here. I have personally stayed at this hotel with my family two times. One time when I was ten, and one time when I was thirteen. My family enjoyed our stay here, and my Dad loved the golf course. This hotel had an amazing beach, tennis courts, pool, and restaurants. 

Dreams Sand Cancun: 

This hotel is on the less expensive side, but is still located right on the beautiful beaches of Cancun. It has many activities such as water sports, tours, and a kids club if you are traveling with children. This hotel would be perfect for families traveling, or even college kids looking for a place to stay for spring break!

Calypso's Mexican Restaurant: 
If you are looking for traditional Mexican food, than Calypso's is the place for you! This restaurant is casual and less pricy than many of the resort restaurants. The environment is very friendly and overall a nice experience! 

How To Get Around: 

Taxi: My family usually stayed in our resort area, but when we wanted to go to a restaurant or try something different, we traveled by taxi. 

Walk: My family loved walking the beaches of Mexico, and there were a ton of resorts right next to ours on the same beach. When we wanted to try a restaurant at one of the resorts nearby, we would walk with a great view of the beach! 

THINGS TO DO:

• Look at Cinderella's Castle with your own two eyes! And take tons of pictures!
• Visit the Enchanted Tiki Room in Adventureland. It's a musical show presented by mechanical parrots that sing! This 10 minute show allows you to sing along to "Tiki Tiki Tiki Room" while being in a room full of color and sound.
• When it's time to take a break from all the rides, get autographs from your favorite characters!

• Try the food! There are so many colorful, delicious, Mickey Mouse shaped goodies everywhere you look.
• To end the night, see the firework show "WISHES" at Cinderella's Castle:

RIDES:

• Space Mountain! This ride is one of my favorites. It is located in Tomorrowland. You are strapped into a rocket-designed cart and zip into the dark. This rollercoaster is full of dips, high speed, and it's all in the dark with the exception of a few lights here and there. The line is usually on the longer side, so I recommend getting a Fast Pass and hopping on then.

• The Haunted Mansion. I have bad memories with this ride. The first time I went on it, I was nine. There is no height or age limit. Located in Liberty Square, this ride takes you through a thrilling, dark, slow tour of The Haunted Mansion with flickering lights, ghosts, and moving pictures on the wall. This one gave me the goose bumps all over.
• Splash Mountain. This water ride is found in Frontierland. You sit in 1 of the 4 rows of the log. You slowly enter the mountain and hear Disney songs such as "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah" playing, you get soaked, you get talked to by mechanical animals, and then you feel the ultimate rush when you go down the big drop!

• Pirates of the Caribbean. This ride is for guests any height and any age and is found in Adventureland. Similar to Splash Mountain, its a water ride. For 9 minutes, you ride along in a small, boat-sized cart and listen to songs and see characters while feeling like you're in the actual movie!

WHAT TO EAT:

• Enjoy breakfast, lunch, or dinner at the Be Our Guest Restaurant. You feel as if you're in Beast's castle while indulging in french toast, crepes, croissants, vegetable quiche, and other delicious French-inspired meals.

• Turkey Legs are everywhere you look. I went into a gift store, and there were t-shirts with Turkey Legs (with no words) on them... for sale! People go NUTS for Turkey Legs. Any food place in Liberty Square is the place for a guaranteed Turkey Leg. Turkey Leg's are Disney's bestselling food; they sell 1.8 million pounds of it a year. 
• Mac & Cheese hot dog from Casey's Corner on Main Street. A classic foot-long hotdog gets topped off with mac and cheese and bacon bites. Yum!

THINGS TO DO: 

• Meet different characters and get their autographs! 
• Go to the live puppet show:Voyage of The Little Mermaid! This show is 17 minutes and is for all ages.  Sit down in a large auditorium and watch characters come to life as they talk and sing songs from the movie!
• In June 2015, one of the funnest attractions closed: The Hollywood Studio's Animation Pavillon. My family drew Donald Duck, Jiminy Cricket, and Grumpy. Each session was taught by a well-trained employee in 30 minutes. The drawing class closed down because Disney plans to use the space to create a Star Wars-themed Land which is scheduled to open in 2019.
• End the night with the water show, Fantasmic! Located next to the Tower of Terror, the water show showcases music, actors, characters, water effects, and lasers that display songs and scenes from Disney movies! It's a great way to finish off the tiring day of rides and walking, while still being entertained! 

RIDES:

• Rock 'n' Rollercoaster. This high-speed rollercoaster is found on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood Studios. The cart is designed to look like a stretched limo. Similar to Space Mountain, this ride is in the dark. This ride is fast, and features 4 songs from Aerosmith that play repeatedly.

• Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. This is another haunted ride, but it's even worse because it's an elevator ride. Eeek! When you fling up to the 13th floor, you'll see images and hear sounds from the movie The Twilight Zone.  When you shoot back down, you're turning left and right, flying back in fourth in your seat. Man, that elevator shaft is creepy!
• Toy Story Mania. You can be any age and any height for this ride! Unfortunately, when I was at Disney last, this ride was under construction so I didn't get a chance to ride it. But, this 4-D shooting ride takes you through a world of Toy Story!

WHAT TO EAT:

• Mickey-shaped pretzel! These salted pretzels are delicious and a great choice for vegans. You can order a side of cheesy dipping sauce (which most do), but that makes it no longer vegan. You can also found the pretzels in Animal Kingdom, Epcot, and Magic Kingdom.
• Mickey-shaped waffle! I swear these waffles are better than any other. Maybe it's the indents from Mickey's face that allows butter and syrup to soak into the waffle, or the satisfaction when the syrup sits perfectly into the indents on Mickey's face. Anyways, you have to try a waffle when you come here. These are also found in Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom.

• Chocolate dipped Disney ear Ice Cream Bar! This dessert is found in Animal Kingdom, Epcot, and Magic Kingdom. You can't go wrong with vanilla ice cream covered in hardened chocolate on a stick.

EPCOT

Magic Kingdom's Park Map

Hollywood Studio's Park Map

Epcot's Park Map

Nantucket is a small island in Massachusetts, isolated off Cape Cod. This island is a popular summer destination in the United States. Nantucket is known to have amazing beaches, restaurants and high end boutiques.

WHERE TO STAY:

The White Elephant:

The White Elephant is one of the most expensive yet luxurious hotels on the Island. This hotel looks right over Children's Beach and the Nantucket Harbor. It is also a five minute walk right to downtown Nantucket.

WHAT TO DO: 

WHERE TO EAT:

HOW TO GET AROUND:

WHERE TO EAT:

If I'm being honest, you really can't go wrong with any restaurant in Door County, I very rarely find myself having a bad meal anywhere but here are a few of my favorites.

• Al Johnsons: Known for its Swedish breakfast, I highly recommend the delicious Swedish pancakes with a side of Swedish meatballs.  Also, Al's has an entirely grass roof and every summer they have goats on the roof! Also as a plus, they serve breakfast all day.
• White Gull Inn: This restaurant won Good Morning America's Best Breakfast in America for their Cherry Stuffed French Toast and it is delicious!  While this is traditionally a breakfast place (served until 2pm) they also have delicious dinners and the traditional Door County fish boil.

• Sister Bay Bowl: Why not get in a round of bowling while you wait for your table?  Sister Bay Bowl has your classic American food and an old school bowling alley attached.
• Coyote Roadhouse: This pub-style restaurant has delicious burgers and the most amazing cheese curds in all of Wisconsin (if I do say so myself!).
• Wickman House: This is the more upscale of restaurants in Door County, while there aren't many, the ones that exist are delicious.  Wickman House has delicious drinks and a superb seasonal menu with fresh local ingredients.

WHAT TO DO:

• Hike: Door County has quite a few trails and hikes to keep you occupied for hours.  Get a day pass to Peninsula Park and you can easily spend a day taking in the beautiful vistas.  One of my personal favorites is Cave Point which has a beautiful overlooks of of cliffs on Lake Michigan.
• Light houses: All along the coastline are numerous light houses to help guide ships into Sturgeon Bay.  One of my favorites is the Cana Island light house

• To the beach: Each of the small towns has their very own public beach so spend a day enjoying sun and sand.
• All things cherry: Door County’s geography, climate and soil make it prime real estate for growing bountiful cherry trees. With 2,500 acres of orchards, people flock here every year to witness the spring blossoms and pick the summer harvest!  Depending on the timing of your trip, you might be able to pick your very own basket of cherries.
• The best cherry pie is at Shartners Farmer's Market!

• Art: Every summer and fall, Door County artists host numerous art galleries and showings that are always fun for the whole family.

HOW TO GET AROUND:

Unfortunately, Door County is pretty spaced out and you definitely need a car to get around.  If you have bikes, that is definitely a great alternative!  There is not public transportation system or large taxi service.  If you are interested in tours however, there is a trolley tour that goes all around the area.

When you think of pasta, pizza, and wine, what comes to mind? Italy! I went to Italy with my family of five in 2010. Italy is beautiful, and the food is even better than it looks. Almost everyone knows English, so ordering at restaurants is no problemo! Their culture, history, food, and language are all aspects that make the country so fascinating. There is so much to do, so many places to go, and so much to see! So pack your bags, grab your passport, and head over to Italia!

WHERE TO STAY

WHAT TO DO

• Check out The Sistine Chapel located just outside of Rome in Vatican City. The Sistine Chapel is the site used during the process of choosing a new pope. Inside you can look up and see the unbelievable ceiling that was painted by Michelangelo between 1508 and 1512. Aside from it's beauty, you can learn from informational pamphlets and tour groups waking around that Michelangelo painted the ceiling from a standing position. In order to reach the ceiling, he created a wooden structure that hung from the ceiling, allowing him to stand straight up with his back against the wooden structure.

WHERE TO EATALY

HOW TO GET AROUND