Seven Natural Wonders of the World: Grand Canyon

I have wanted to visit the Grand Canyon for as long as I can remember, and I was lucky I got the opportunity to share my experience with my partner. We both are nature lovers and enjoy photography, so this trip was filled with awe and a lot of passion.

We decided to do a half day trip to the Grand Canyon because we were in town for the holiday visiting families. Due to winter season the North Rim of the canyon was closed so we only explored the South Rim. I can attest that photos and videos of the Grand Canyon don’t do it justice. There’s no words to describe the feeling of awe when your eyes first take a glance. The color, size, and natural beauty.......it’s truly breathtaking. I was definitely left speechless.

The South Rim of the Grand Canyon is open year-round, and it’s the most popular spots for tourist visiting the Grand Canyon. Our first viewpoint of the Canyon was Mather point. If you are looking for a larger overall view of the the Grand Canyon, Mather point is perfect. Vibrant colored rocks touching painted skies, there isn’t one angle of view that will disappoint. If you prefer less crowds, Mather point is not the viewpoint at the park for you. It’s the most crowded, and busiest but very convenient to parking lots.

Yavapai point, Yaki, and Pike Creek also give you a nice scenic view of the canyon. These three viewpoints are less crowded so if you want to get away from the crowd, I highly recommend these spots. We spent most of our time at Yaki Point. To get a great view of Yaki point, You’ll have to trail at least a mile but it’s worth it.

It’s impossible to truly experience the Grand Canyon in a day. Three or four days trip at the Grand Canyon is highly recommended if you want to make your experience worthwhile especially nature lovers. I definitely plan on doing an extended stay the next time I visit.

My day at the Grand Canyon was very brief but quite an experience of a lifetime. It was also nice to be the person behind the lens for once. It is truly indeed a Natural Wonder of the world.

Lake Cabin Trip

Hey beautiful people it's been a while, but don't worry I am back! I had an amazing mini getaway last weekend, but due to work and being about this adult life, I didn't get the chance to blog about it right away. Anyways, lets get into my awesome weekend story.

So.... my cousin wanted to do something outdoorsy but away from city and noise for her birthday weekend, so she figured getting a lake cabin would be a perfect idea. She got a three-bedroom and one-bathroom cabin on Battle Lake. The location of the cabin was perfect; it was steps away from the lake. Before we got to our cabin, we had to go food shopping for the trip because we were going in the middle of nowhere and wanted to be prepared.

Day One: Gormah (The Birthday girl) and I spent about 2 hours food shopping, but we got all the essentials we needed for the trip. After we got done food shopping, it was time to hit the road! From St. Cloud to Battle Lake, it was a two-hour drive. Now, I am not one of those people who gets excited for road trips (I honestly can't stand being in a car for more than 30 minutes; I start to get carsick), but the ride was actually shorter than I expected due to the fact that everyone in the car had stories to tell.

After our two-hour drive, we (Marshal, Jack, Rundell, Gormah, and myself) finally got to the cabin. Our other friends (Crystal and Ron) were already there before us. As soon as we got there, I made my way to the kitchen because I was starving. After we all settled in, it was time to get into some activities. The cabin had everything we needed for the lake. They had life jackets, paddle boats, kayaks, paddleboards, water guns and other beach toy accessories. After being in the water for a while, it was time to eat.

Rundell (my boyfriend) was our grill man for the evening. So what exactly was on the menu... we had grilled food such as hotdogs and patties we also grilled some chicken and corn. Potato salad, corn bread and rice were also on the menu. After we got done eating, we headed over to the lake dock to take pictures and relax. At nighttime, we made a bond fire, watched the stars and just talked among ourselves.

Day Two: So its day two and we had planned to wake up at 7 am to go hiking, but that plan failed. I set my alarm for 7 but kept turning it off every time it rung. We were all up for good around 9 am. We decided to barbecue early before we started any activities; once again Rundell was in charge of the grill voluntarily. (He really loved being on that grill.) We all went swimming, kayaking and paddle boarding after we got done eating. The girls and I also try to get some tanning. Crystal and Ron had to leave early due to having work the next day. Gormah and Jack were tired so they decided to take a nap. So, Rundell, Marshal and I decided to go for a walk around the town. At nighttime, we did the same thing. We watched the stars and the moon and talked.

Day Three: It's Monday and it was time to check out of the cabin. Before we headed home, we decided to go bike riding. When we got to the bike rental place, it was a little chilly outside, and we figured it wouldn't be a pleasant experience to bike for an hour in that kind of weather. Instead, we decided to check out Glendalough State Park. We didn't even make our way to the park; we stopped at the entrance because we got creeped out. It was in the middle of nowhere and we didn't see people anywhere. It was really creepy, so we decided to head back to St. Cloud.

That pretty much sums up my cabin trip guys. I had a blast and it was a nice getaway. If you ever plan a cabin trip in the summer, please don't forget to take bug spray, sunscreen, and a water bottle with you. Those items are a must!

A Hidden Gem in Minnesota

Have you ever discovered a place so beautiful that has been right under your nose for a long time? Recently I visited a place in my neighborhood and all I could think of was, "why now?" What have I been missing out on? For some of you guys that don't know, I live in a small town in Minnesota called St. Cloud, where I am currently attending school. While there isn't a lot to do in this town during the summer, it does have a hidden gem that makes it very unique: the Quarry Park and Nature Preserve.

St. Cloud is so dead during the summer because everyone leaves for vacation. Looking for a way to make the best of summer, my girlfriends and I decided to take a trip to the Quarry, which we all heard about but never visited. After being there I immediately realized why people love to talk about the Quarry. The park has a lot to offer if you're someone who is into outdoors activities. I came across a bike path, a rock climbing area, hiking trails, scientific areas, and two swimming quarries (one is 116 feet deep and the other is 40 feet deep). There is a panic area as well.

My friends and I didn't really do any activities because we just wanted to tour the park and appreciate the scenery on our first visit. We walked around and took pictures, and I was so impressed by how beautiful and peaceful the park was. While I was disappointed with myself for having never visited this magical place, I will definitely be coming back to Quarry Park more often before my summer comes to an end. I guess you can say I've found my getaway spot for the summer, and I am excited to explore what the Quarry has to offer.

Miami Trip

If you guys were wondering why I have been missing in action that's because I have been on vacation. Six of my girlfriends and I decided to take a trip to Miami. I must say after all the planning we had been doing for months I was ecstatic that the trip was finally here. Why Miami? We picked Miami for this trip because it's the perfect vacation place to start the summer. Good weather, cuisine, music and great vibe. Great way to start the summer!

Day One: The girls and I arrived at our condo early Thursday morning. The condo was located in such a great location because it was about a 10 minute walk from South Beach, yet secluded from all the noise and tourists. Four girls (Crystal, Chanelle, Gormah, Jumet) and I took the same flight so we arrived at the condo at the same time. The ladies and I decided to grab lunch and some drinks on Ocean Drive. After scouting out a few restaurants, we decided to go with Kantina restaurant. The food was delicious. I tried their Shrimp Alfredo and let’s just say it was one of the best Shrimp Alfredo I've ever had! After we got done with lunch, we stopped by a local liquor store to grab a few bottles of Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey and Jose Cuervo Tequila before we made our way back to our condo. When we got back, Cath and Yoyo (two of my girlfriends that had a later flight) were waiting for us. It was great to be reunited. For nightlife, we decided to check out Story Nightclub. The club was pretty huge. The music was great. The club played a lot of Hip-hop and Pop music and everyone was finally together to celebrate. I wasn't really in the mood to party. I was feeling sleepy and so were the rest of the girls so we decided to leave the club around 3:30am.
 

Day Two: Time for some major exploring. The first activity of the day was to head to the beach. We decided to try a different beach instead of South Beach so we got an Uber and headed over to one of Key Biscayne Island Beaches. The closest one we found was Hobie Beach. There were coconut trees on the beach, which was one thing I enjoyed about this beach. It is also dog-friendly, and it was very quiet and peaceful. If you love serenity Hobie Beach is the destination for you. The only downside I had about this beach was that the water wasn't ocean-blue clear. After spending almost two hours at the beach, we made our way back to Ocean Drive to grab something to eat. The girls and I had lunch at Cafe Milano. FYI their chips and guacamole is spectacular! I know I keep bragging about the food at every restaurant, but Miami restaurant cuisines are definitely something to brag about. Everyone was in a great mood for a turn-up after lunch so we decided to check out a pool party at The Clevelander Bar. The turn-up definitely got real. We spent a good three hours at the pool party. The music was great and so was the vibe. After having a great time at the pool party, everyone decided to take a quick nap before we headed out to a club. Well that quick nap turned out to be longer than we expected! We set an alarm to wake up at 11pm to start getting ready for the club but no one heard it. We all slept like babies.
 

Day Three: Remember how I said we slept like babies our second night in Miami and didn't make it out of the condo? Well, day three was here and we were still talking about how we slept for that long. We realized that we had such a great time at the pool party that we didn't regret not going out that night. A new day, new adventures, and everyone was feeling refreshed! The girls and I decided to do a beach day at South Beach. Compared to Hobie Beach, South Beach is ocean-blue clear with the whitest sand. Because there aren't coconut trees on the beach, renting a beach umbrella or a cabana will save you sunburn. For lunch we decided to go local and try something familiar that reminded us of West African cuisine. Being that everyone on the trip was African, we were craving rice and meat. We all agreed to check out this local Jamaican restaurant called Clive's Café, which serves food similar to West African cuisine. Clive's Cafe is located in a neighborhood in Miami called Little Haiti. The neighborhood is called Little Haiti because it's predominately Caribbean especially people from Haitian decent. I must say I had one of the best oxtails and fried plantain at Clive's and the customer service was phenomenal. For nightlife, we partied at a Hip-hop club called Cameo Nightclub. Cameo’s scenery is not luxurious compared to Story Nightclub. Less than 30 minutes in the club and there was already a fight, but security broke it up quickly and the party continued. The DJ was definitely doing his thing. The music was on point and I was surrounded by my girls and drinks so the night was definitely superb.
 

Day Four: Oh my! It’s day four already! It's a Sunday and the ladies and I decided to dedicate our day to more exploring. But this time we wanted a break from the ocean and party life. First stop was the Wynwood Walls. It felt like I was at an exclusive art show when we visited this art district. The huge life sized murals were definitely captivating.  If you're someone that's into art Wynwood Walls should be on your to-do list when you visit Miami. After being mesmerized by amazing arts, our next stop for adventure was Little Havana. Little Havana is a predominantly Cuban neighborhood. First we toured around the neighborhood in a 1957 Chevy Bel Air owned by a guy named Angel. He was born in Cuba but his parents immigrated to the U.S. when he was still a baby. He seems to know a lot about the Cuban culture and Little Havana. Next we stopped at a local bar called Casa Panza and got a few drinks. No one in the bar spoke English. It felt like we were in a foreign land. Luckily we got a customer that was fluent in English and Spanish to help translate to our waitress what we wanted. After a few drinks, we made our way to Top Cigar, a local cigar store. The vibe in the store was so magical. There was live music, and drums and a piano for guests to entertain themselves, and of course Cuban cigars to test out. We didn't really do anything during the night because we left Little Havana really late and I was well pleased with how the day went.

Day Five: Our vacation was finally coming to an end and we decided to go out with a bang! Some of the girls and I decided to do something out of the ordinary. We went for an early morning bike ride on Ocean Drive. I was a little nervous at first because the last I was on a bike was two years ago but honestly, it wasn’t too bad. It was a great feeling to get some workout after all that cocktails. After our Bike ride, we had some refreshing coconut water. I always drink coconut water from the can but this time, I must say, it was authentic! We decided to make our way to Clive’s again for lunch because we just couldn’t get enough of the food. After our nice Lunch, we had to say Goodbye to Yoyo because she was leaving earlier than the rest of us. Later that evening, we headed over to South Beach for some relaxation. I took a nice nap on the beach, I felt rejuvenated when I woke up. Next, we made our way to Colony, a bar located on Ocean Drive for some drinks. We were at Colony for almost two hour’s just talking, laughing and enjoying old-school Hip-hop and R&B music. For Nightlife, we partied at Delano. By far the best club scenery I enjoyed while in Miami. The vibe, atmosphere, and music was just right. It was a mixture of every genre. A little bit of Dancehall, Hip-hop, and Latin music. I guess we saved the best for last.

Well guys this pretty much sums up my Miami trip. A few tips when planning a trip to Miami, I’ll suggest you rent a property. It’s way cheaper than hotels. You’re restricted in hotels and tend to spend more money whereas renting a house you have more space and freedom to enjoy your vacation. Some websites to find affordable properties to rent are homeaway.com and vrbo.com. Also when it comes to transportation Uber is definitely a yes! It's easy to use. It’s affordable than a taxi, besides no one wants to be a designated driver while on a trip. Always remember to travel with your friends during any taxi or Uber rides just to be safe. Next, take cash on your trip instead of using your bank card. That way you can keep track of how much you are spending so you don’t face any troubles with your bank. Lastly, always travel with people that brings nothing but good energy and vibe to the table. Good vibe and energy makes a wonderful trip!