Walkway to Cocoa Beach

I entered Cocoa Beach by a walkway very much like this one (by hyku on Flickr). In fact, this could be the wooden steps I took toward my favorite day in Florida.

Now, you have to know a couple things about me. First, I’m a Disney girl. I see very little reason to be in the Orlando area without being on a Disney resort spending as much time as possible either in one of the major theme parks or on the monorail between them. I heart Disney. Also, I’m not a fan of hanging out in my swimming suit. Being raised in conservative, land-locked Missouri, it’s just not how I roll. These things combined to equal a sort of “meh” attitude towards discovering what all the fuss was about when it came to Cocoa Beach.

I had a new baby at the time. He was only a few weeks old (obviously, I wasn’t there for spring break), and I quickly thanked heaven he was able to experience the ocean at such a young age.

It’s not like I hadn’t experienced it before, but this time was different. I’d just been through a tumultuous year, having been pregnant and diagnosed with cancer. I’d just finished by final treatment, and the world really seemed brand new. The ocean felt like heaven.

Cocoa Beach is indeed a popular place for spring break trips. But don’t rule it out for families as well. There’s plenty of space for all kinds of vacationers on these miles of Florida coastline. Apparently the waters here are some of the best for surfers on Florida’s east coast. Yet the waves lapping at the shoreline are perfect for children as well. The beach offers several volleyball nets for a favorite sand sport as well as, again, plenty of room for sunbathing, lounging with friends and family, and sandcastles for the kids and kids at heart.

One of my favorite parts of our day at Cocoa Beach was the pier. We browsed souvenir shops and ate at Marlins Good Times Bar & Grill where we could see dolphins out the window as we ate. The Cocoa Beach Pier stretches over 800 feet over the ocean. At least two bars can be found beyond Marlins. They offer live entertainment and a great view of the Florida sunset. Several venues around the Cocoa Beach area fit into the exciting nightlife category, but what could be more exciting than drinks on the Pier?

Cocoa Beach is one of America’s classic seaside destinations. It’s great for families, romantic getaways, and college breaks. You can’t miss with this popular beach and its entertaining pier.

The most I used to know about Bath came from Jane Austen novels. And I have to say, the author didn’t seem all that impressed with the city. Now I know a bit more. The city features in some of our sample itineraries, and it’s a great addition to Europe student travel tours.

Getting There

Bath is about one hundred miles west of London and a perfect day trip if you’re staying in the jolly capital. Day tours to Bath sometimes include a stop at Windsor Castle first and a visit to Stonehenge. Even without a guided tour though, with the price of fuel in the UK you’ll probably find that bus or motor coach is the best way to travel – especially in groups.

The Bath Experience

Bath is built over England’s only natural hot spring. The Romans built their famous bathhouses at the springs, and today’s Bath still embodies the great architecture and ancient luxury of Rome. When visiting the Roman Baths you’ll walk in the same luxurious halls the Romans once frequented for relaxation (all of them but the Christians and philosophers – apparently Bath wasn’t so popular for them). In the Pump Room you can actually sample the spring water. This is a luxurious room with seating for breakfast, lunch, and afternoon tea.

The ancient rooms and treasures don’t end with the famous pools. You’ll find remnants of what used to be some of the most luxurious surroundings the Romans knew, filled with colonnades, vaulted ceilings, marble, and mosaics. Of course, even though Bath is a World Heritage Site for its long and famous history, you can also enjoy it with all the modern luxury of the twenty-first century.

Thermae Bath Spa makes use of the same natural hot spring the ancient Romans used but now in modern style, including a warm, roof-top pool. The visitor’s center here is free, though you can pay for various spa experiences as well – including aroma steam rooms, waterfall showers, and the open-air pool on the roof.

Bath is an amazing natural wonder with a history of man-made pomp and circumstance as well. It’s a great day trip for London tours and can be combined with any number of popular landmarks in the UK.

(Also: Consider Bath for literature tours in Europe. The city featured often in the novels by Jane Austen.)

Photo by Meygun on Flickr.

The upside to the size of our country is how many seaside escapes it has to offer. You can pretty much choose your climate, nightlife, and texture of sand and find the perfect beach destination somewhere in the country. The downside? It would cost some major travel bucks to visit all of them, and it’s almost impossible to even know how many wonderful beaches exist.

If what you’re looking for in a seaside destination is charm, lots of natural beauty, historical sites nearby, and an authentic wooden boardwalk, Ocean City may be just the place.

It’s located along Maryland’s coast and its authentic wooden walkway flanked by games, activities, and classic boardwalk attractions is perfect for spring break trips, family getaways, and group travel of any kind.

Any time you choose a lesser-known beach location, you choose some obvious upfront benefits. The trip is likely to be more cost-effective than destinations with a higher tourist density, and that lower density is something many people consider its own benefit.

A beach in Maryland may not be where you’ll choose for getaways in the dead of winter. But for late spring and summer, Ocean City is the perfect choice. Besides the ten-mile beachfront in the area, the three-mile boardwalk in Ocean City, and tons of old churches, schools, and museums highlighting American history and black history within it, the area also has nature trails, forests, and a nearby island where you may spot actual wild ponies from one of the two herds known to graze there.

It’s a great place to return to the simple life and to travel green as you can spend almost all your time hiking on foot or biking on over one hundred miles of bike trails. This pretty east coast area has definitely rolled out the – well- wooden carpet for all its guests. After just one visit, you’ll certainly add Ocean City to your list of beaches worth escaping to.

Photo by surrfred on Flickr.

Palazzo del Priori, Volterra

There are a couple new cities of interest in Italy. They’ve had a spike in tourists since one featured in a sequel to the breakout novel, Twilight by Stephenie Meyer and the other was used as the location for the film version. Italy is a popular choice for Europe student travel anyway. For some, the added allure of Edward and Bella having met the famous Volturi in its historic streets and underground makes this area completely irresistible. Pictures like this one, though, convince me that with or without vampire fever, these cities would make a romantic addition to any European tour.

Volterra is the city of the sequel, New Moon. In the book, it’s the dark, underground hallways of this very building that the Volturri make their home. The Volturi is the name given to the vampire royalty in the book, and the walled cities that make up a perfect New Moon tour have a touch of royalty about them as well.

Volterra offers a New Moon tour twice a week (only once a week in winter). It includes the dark hallways, actors in robe, a miniature reenactment, and the whole works. You won’t find a fountain as depicted in the book and in the movie, but these narrow streets, historic buildings, and shops have all the aesthetic appeal to stand completely on their own.

I don’t know if diehard fans will be disappointed or not, but Volterra is not where New Moon the movie was filmed. Let’s think of it in the positive, though. It gives tourists (and film and literature fans) yet another Italian city to explore. The movie was filmed in Montepulciano. Its square is almost identical to the one in Volterra, including the clock tower that features in both the book and the film. The all-important fountain doesn’t exist here either, however. An artificial one was built for the movie location. Again, though, fans won’t be disappointed in this locale either. Pure medieval charm.

It’s a dream for most students – the whole backpacking across Europe thing with a stop in Venice, Florence, and the beautiful cities in between. Throw in the location from a favorite film, and the dream gets even bigger. The thing is, now’s your time. Europe may only be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but at least make it that. And the land of the Volturi is just one of the many beautiful places to consider.

Photo by AJanssen on Flickr.

Emerald Coast, Florida

What makes the roads red in Canada? One of my favorite children’s books addresses this question. The main character asks it and then later in the book declares that she finally knows the answer. But the reader isn’t let in on it. Still, I’ve always loved that part. I love the amazing variety in our world – the variety of colors. Why would anyone travel if there wasn’t something new to discover wherever they went?

Beaches are a favorite destination for all kinds of student tours. But it can be difficult to decide which one to choose. Here are three favorites divided by – you guessed it – their variety in color. It’s a figurative jewelry box of beaches, jasmine, emerald, and pearl.

Cancun

For jasmine, I’m choosing one of the many gorgeous destinations that can boast the clear, delightful blue waters of the Caribbean. You may not realize that of Cancun since it’s also known for its Mexican hospitality. But Cancun rests on the Yucatan Peninsula, and its waters are indeed Caribbean. They also offer some of the best snorkeling in the world as part of the Great Mayan Reef (world’s second largest coral system). These blue waters will keep you busy all day with jungle tours, beach lounging and volleyball, cave and wreck diving, and much more. But if you go to the beach for an exciting nightlife, Cancun definitely delivers on that as well, offering some of the most innovative nightclubs in the world.

Emerald Coast

The green to turquoise color of the waters is what gives this Florida coast its name. But technically it’s the sand that’s so unique here. The Emerald Coast stretches along the Gulf of Mexico from Pensacola, Florida, to Port St. Joe. The sand along this brilliant coast has actually worn off of the Appalachian Mountains and traveled through the waterways to the ocean. It’s pure quartz. Each grain is almost perfectly round, and their color is clear. This makes them as a whole appear as white as sugar, amazingly soft and fine. Perhaps its the contrast of this brilliant white that gives the water such striking color. There are many, many destinations to choose from along the Emerald Coast. It’s perfect for families, for students, for romantic getaways – for any kind of getaway at all. The minute you sink your toes in that sand, you’ll be extremely glad that you came.

Cocoa Beach

Other Florida beaches – and let’s face it, this is one of the best U.S. states for beach time – may have slightly less brilliant white sand and not quite such jewel-toned water. We’ll call this off-white, blue-gray blend the pearl of the ocean jewelry box. Cocoa Beach is one of my favorites. It’s not far from Orlando, so there are plenty of on-land activities (can you say Disney and Universal?), but the beach itself is an amazing respite all by itself. You’ll find all the normal activities – volleyball, water sports, sand castles, swimming, and good old-fashioned lounging. The pier offers classic beach-y souvenir shopping and delicious food. Plus, it’s out there that you’re most likely to catch dolphin sightings – always one of the happiest parts of being at the beach.

Anytime’s a good time for the beach

No matter which jewel tone you choose, the beach is always a brilliant choice. There’s no place like the ocean. Many of the destinations here are perfect for spring break trips. Parents should keep that in mind. After all, these beaches are also a great choice for family, but best for little kids on either side of the March madness typical for the spring break season.

Photo by lotopspin on Flickr.

This post is late, except that it’s never too late to celebrate the man who brought us, “I have a dream.” It’s never a bad time to acknowledge his amazing contributions. And his life is always a perfect thing to showcase in black history tours, which are always a great choice for student travel – February or not. In that spirit, here are two great cities for black history tours with special tributes to the King himself and his beautiful inspiration.

Atlanta

It’s the city of his birth and therefore a great place to begin. Here you can visit the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic site and the African-American Heritage Tour, which features many historic sites, including those dedicated to King. See where he was born, where he lived and worked, where he experienced a positive upbringing and a difficult era – each working together to develop the man who helped to change a nation.

Atlanta has plenty of other sites to make it worth your time as well. This southern metropolis offers the CNN Studios, the World of Coca Cola, and Underground Atlanta – a popular shopping district and Atlanta neighborhood. And another good stop for black history tours is the APEX Museum, shining a light on African-American culture, its role, and its prominent  contribution to our society.

Washington D.C.

Perhaps in black-and-white it seems cliche to suggest for black history tours the city where Martin Luther King, Jr., actually marched and gave his famous, inspiring speech that gave us all a dream. But a few steps into the vibrant, educational and fully fascinating city that is our nation’s capital and you will never find it cliche again.

The famous “I have a dream” words were spoken at the Lincoln Memorial, which is just one part of the National Mall and a definite must for D.C. tours. Inspiring day or night, they will leave you truly awestruck when illuminated after dark.

The Frederick Douglas National Historic Site is another great one for black history tours. An escaped slave, Douglas spent the remainder of his life educating Americans on the horrors of slavery. He is known as one of the first great black speakers on American soil. This memorial pays tribute to Douglas as the prominent American he was.

The Mary McLeod Bethune House celebrates another great contributer to the civil rights movement. In 1932 she founded the Council of Negro Women. That’s only one small part of her efforts, and this memorial captures many more.

Other D.C. attractions perfect for black history tours include the Smithsonian’s Museum of African Art, the African-American Civil War Museum, and the Anacostia Museum & Center for African-American History and Culture. Washington D.C. is a city filled with amazing attractions; these are just to name a few. It’s a great city for student tours of any kind and perfect for themes in black history.

Photo by BlatantNews.com on Flickr.

When it comes to student travel, you’re probably looking for a destination that offers a good mix of history and modern thrills. Several US cities will work for that, but how about someplace warm? (Since it’s the first part of 2010 and no matter where you live today, you’re probably cold). And since the east and west coasts are such obvious choices for must-see destinations, let’s go south instead.

I haven’t narrowed it down much, but there’s a beautiful city that fits this criteria and that reveals history, beauty, culture, and thrills in its many varied attractions. The city is San Antonio, and I think you’re going to like what it has to offer.

Group travel to San Antonio should first of all include a stroll and perhaps a cruise along the Rio del Paseo. This San Antonio River Walk still has the classic beauty that’s purely Spanish colonial, and it’s an unforgettable part of any San Antonio tour. Another can’t-miss-it destination is, of course, The Alamo, especially if you’re looking to put a little educational in your tour. Certainly the Mexican-American War and the specific history surrounding the Alamo will come alive for anyone who visits this amazing site. Once a Spanish Colonial mission, the Alamo and the River Walk go hand in hand for a historic tour of San Antonio.

But this city has so much more to offer as well. And the thrills only get bigger from here on out. True to Texas style, bigger seems to be a theme in this city that holds both the largest Sea World and one of the world’s largest water parks.

San Antonio’s Sea World has three parks – one for the shows for which the brand is best known, one for rides, and one with classic water park attractions like a lazy river. Schlitterbahn is the amazing water park that’s over sixty-five acres of wet and wild thrills. And as if that wasn’t enough, Six Flags once anchored here as well, creating Six Flags Fiesta Texas with aggressive rides channeling Tony Hawk, Superman, Goliath, and other worthy legends.

Of course, there are some who need a little shopping to go with their southern experience, and San Antonio can certainly deliver. You’ll find everything from high end designers to authentic flea markets, packed with the culture of Mexico.

Consider San Antonio. It’s a great city for students and groups of any age or size.

Photo by Rafael Resendiz on Flickr.

I’m reading the best book right now. It’s fiction and epistolary, and it weaves through its story surprising details about the World War II German occupation of an island in the English Channel. It reminds me of one of my favorite novels, set during World War I and written by someone who actually lived it. I’ve been known to say books like this are really the only way I know anything about world history. It’s true for most of us that facts, dates, and events from history resonate more thoroughly if presented with a little sugar – like fictional stories in my case or gorgeous travel to the European locations that housed them, if you’re lucky enough to be a part of student travel overseas.

We’ve got a ten-day tour in France for instance that’s sure to seep if not facts than atmosphere from world history deep into your psyche. There’s absolutely no comparison to experiencing these locations for yourself.

The student tour in France begins in beautiful Paris. Your guided tours begin from the moment you leave the airport. Besides a glance at some of the other Paris highlights, you’ll spend the first day at the Eiffel Tower and then have dinner at an authentic Paris restaurant.

Further exploration the next few days in Paris take you to the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Louvre, the highest hill in Paris located in Montmartre and highlighted by the white Sacre-Coeur basilica.

An excursion to Versailles will thrill your group as well. You’ll no longer have to only imagine the extravagance of seventeenth century French royalty. The palace and state apartments here will amaze you.

You’ll also spend time in Basin d’Arcachon, a French, outdoor haven with beaches and pine forests, villages and surf. A nearby water park offers an entire day of fun as well. Its name is Arcachon.

Finally, you’ll visit Normandy and its historical beaches. Your entire tour of France includes amazing basilicas – some of the largest and most amazing of their time, quaint villages, French countryside, and the magnificent sites of Paris. This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and a thrilling way to take in a little history.

Click this link for more ideas for International Student Tours.

Bayeux, Normandy in France, pictured here by caspermoller on Flickr.

Remember learning in school about that first Thanksgiving? The big feast between seventeenth century pilgrims and the native Americans who joined them? Is it just me – or is the actual event really hard to picture?

Our country has changed so dramatically since then. What did they actually eat? How did they prepare it? And what was the interaction really like between the two very different people groups?

There’s an amazing attraction in Plymouth where you can actually experience both a seventeenth century English village and a Native American one. It’s one of the amazing colonial tours available around the country, and this one is perfect for this time of year.

The Native American village introduces you to the Wampanoag people. The men and women you’ll see in traditional dress are not actors here. The Wampanoag people have been in New England for more than twelve thousand years. In their authentic seventeenth century homesite, you’ll be surrounded by soft furs, woven mats, and flickering firelight. You’ll find a Wampanoag stew simmering on the outside fire and your group can help scrape out a boat with original Wampanoag tools and techniques. Most importantly, you’ll see the arrival of the pilgrims through the eyes of an indigenous people.

The English Village is a fascinating look at the first permanent English settlement in 1627, just seven years after the settlers landed on the Mayflower. This village tour is self-guided. You and the other members of the group might stumble onto a Pilgrim supper in one of their timber-framed homes or into the midst of an interesting discussion on the street. You’re encouraged to join in, ask questions, and probably even answer some of your own since your language and vocabulary will vary quite a bit from theirs.

Besides the villages, you’ll find a reproduction of the famous ship itself, the one that brought the English people to the country. It’s called the Mayflower II, and you’ll find costumed actors here as well, anxious to share their amazing stories.

This time of year Plimoth Plantation offers an authentic “Thanksgiving” feast so you can picture what that day might really have been like. Some of the foods you’ll be served may not even sound familiar. For example: Ciderkin, a sallett, and stewed pompion. Don’t worry, though, there’s cheesecake for dessert and plenty of items (like the above) that you’ll love whether they are familiar or not. At the very least, the experience is a fascinating one, as is a visit to this amazing settlement at any time of the year.

Photo by Smart Destinations on Flickr.

It’s fun to take movie tours to Washington D.C. and New York City, because of the bus and walking tours available to actual movie locations around the city. New York, for instance, brings you outdoor settings from several favorite sitcoms plus tons of popular movies. Washington D.C. does as well. But really, if you want to focus on Hollywood, is there really any more natural destination than Los Angeles?

Hollywood itself has all those classic move-land sights that film lovers will enjoy, like the big white letters on the hill, Grauman’s Chinese Theater, and the Kodak Theater, which is sort of a new classic. It was built as a permanent home for the Annual Academy Awards but also holds several other shows throughout the year, including the American Idol Finale. And in 2011, Cirque du Soleil finds yet another permanent U.S. stage when it brings a movie-themed production to the Kodak for regular performances.

The Hollywood Museum is another must-see for movie lovers, with pictures, trivia, exhibitions, and memorabilia from film. You’ll see things here like Rocky’s boxing gloves and that distinguished coat or dress that so-and-so wore in that one amazing film…. Stuff like that.

Studios – Another way to celebrate Hollywood is to go behind the scenes and experience it. Studio tours are popular attractions for Los Angeles tours, especially if you choose the right ones. Some can be kind of on the boring side. You aren’t likely to see actual stars, they’re a little long. And getting led from empty sound stages to locked warehouses and all the alleyways in between can get kind of old. Some, like Paramount above, are far more impressive in just a drive-by in which you can just imagine all the magic that takes place beyond the gated entrance.

But some of the movie studios are beautifully designed for exciting tours. Universal Studios, for instance, is all about entertaining you even as it takes you behind the scenes for special effects, what it’s like to film on location, and all kinds of fun info and memorabilia in their backstage tours. Warner Brothers studios falls somewhere in between the two. It’s hardly a theme park, but it does have some interesting sights.

Stalking Tours – Did I say stalking? I mean walking. Only I don’t, because these tours usually take place on a bus. Gray Line, for instance, offers some fun bus tours in which you’ll drive by the homes of actual celebrities. The tours also include some of the classic Hollywood stuff I talked about above.

Theme Parks – Los Angeles is a world leader for most theme parks within a manageable radius. Disney Land is a popular place for LA tours of course. Plus, Universal – as mentioned – has made itself one of the most exciting destinations for the area. Six Flags Magic Mountain has an X-treme theme in this part of the world, and Knotts Berry Farm rounds out the list for coaster mania.

Together, all these attractions make L.A. an exciting tour, but especially for movie lovers.

Photo by Marcos Santiago on Flickr.