My big 30th birthday trip to Key West, Florida!

I have always looked into my birthday as gratitude for another year of being alive, and this time I am super excited to have completed 30 years in this beautiful world. We planned our trip to Key West which was a warm weather getaway from Chicago during the month of December. Just as we imagined, it was surreal to celebrate my day in Key West. We flew to Fort Lauterdale and drove down south to the island of Key West. On our way we stopped at Islamorada to enjoy some delicious sushi from Saki Sushi for lunch.

Once we reached our destination, we checked in into the Casa Marina resort which was an absolute bliss. The back of the resort directly opened to the beach and our room was just perfect with not just view of the beach but also a lanai that connected us to go directly into the beach. I couldn’t ask for more for my special day. We enjoyed most of our meals at the resort by the beach at their restaurant Sun Sun.

White Sand Beach by the resort

Coconut tree backdrop

Writing my gratitude journal

The beach of the resort was very unique. It was a white sand beach with hammocks, beach chairs and string lights with backdrop of giant coconut trees. It was as tropical as it could get. Although the hammock was occupied at most times, we did get to enjoy it a couple of times. I could clearly hear the birds chirping, roosters crowing and the waves crashing at the shore while I relaxed by the hammock. Wild roosters are historical heritage of the island and it was amazing to see them wander freely in the island. We spent a lot of time by the resort beach and it was so enjoyable.

Sunset at the resort

Southernmost Point

Sunset and me

We also wanted to explore the other areas of the island hence we walked towards the main street of the island – Duval Street which was about 15 mins of a walk from our resort. What a lively city we found Key West to be when we reached Duval Street. We discovered that not only it offered us tropical beach life but also a vibrant night life. We enjoyed delicious tacos at Sinz and loved watching the island hustling with visitors. We also visited the southernmost point where we waited in lines for about 30-40 mins to get a picture clicked which was well worth it. Fresh coconut water in the island is a must, it was absolutely perfect to keep hydrated in the warm weather.

The Shell Warehouse

Duval Street Market

Mallory Square Market

Inside the Shell warehouse

Coconut water

As we walked towards the end of Duval Street, we reached Mallory square which was a waterfront main area of the island where sunset is celebrated every evening. What a beautiful way to celebrate the day. I fell in love with the shell warehouse shop in Mallory square and ended up buying a conch shell for home decor. Key West is also known as Conch Republic and is famous for its conch shells. Since we heard so much about the sunsets in Keywest, we decided to experience it on a sunset cruise. The day was partly cloudy yet we could see the yellow red beams of the sun setting. The ocean was calm and the night was beautiful. The air was chilly yet cozy. The shades of the sun setting are still vivid in my memory.

Us <

Back drop of sail boats

Sunset Cruise

Our last day in Key West was my birthday. I started my day with practicing yoga at the beach which was really special. It was a great way to remind myself to be in the present and enjoy the moment. I also enjoyed writing my gratitude journal by the beach. After the breakfast at the resort, I also experienced a massage by the ocean which I wanted to gift myself for a very long time now. It felt just right and I really enjoyed every moment of that one hour massage by staying in the present and not letting my mind wander. I am very grateful for living another year of life and ending it beautifully. I am so ready to make this coming year worthwhile and the best year so far.

Birthday Sunrise

Birthday Yoga

What are you grateful for? Do share! I would love to read!

Year 2016 – Travel and Yoga!

2016 has been a great year for me in terms of travel and yoga. I am so proud to say that I have practiced yoga almost every day throughout the year. I always set some time apart to return to my mat and grace my practice. I also traveled to so many different places through out the year for which I am very grateful. Travel and Yoga are the two things I have been in love with lately and I hope our bond only grows stronger in 2017. Here are a few trips where I tried to make both meet each other.

Santa Barbara, California

I made my first road trip of 2016 in California driving through Pacific Coast Highway from San Fransisco to Los Angeles. Here is a picture of me in Wheel Pose (Chakrasana). The pose is very good for strengthening of the both upper and lower body. It is also a great chest opener.

Wheel Pose( Chakrasana)

Washington, DC

I was in Washington for the Cherry Blossoms in April. Here is a picture of me in Tree pose(Vikrasana) at the Library of Congress. The tree pose is a balancing pose good for both mind and body. Its practice strengthens the body and calms the mind.

Tree Pose(Vikrasana)

Florence, Italy

I traveled to Italy with my family over the summer. On international yoga day I was in Florence. Here is a picture of me trying to do Camel pose (Ustrasana). I am so terrible at it and I hope to improve. This pose is a huge chest and heart opener. It also strengthens the thigh muscles.

Camel Pose(Utkarasana)

Devil’s Lake, Wisconsin

Late summer, I and my friends made a fun road trip to the Devil’s Lake State Park in Wisconsin. Below is a picture of me doing the Reverse Warrior(Viparita Virabhadrasana). The pose strengthens the lower body at the same time stretches the upper body. It is also a very good balancing pose.

Reverse Warrior( Viparita Virabhadrasana)

Palm Springs, California

I spent my birthday at Palm Springs doing an amazing yoga hike by the Santa Rosa mountains.The sun shined through my sun salutations at the top of the hill. Sun Salutation(Surya Namaskar) offers body a complete rejuvenation and gets the blood flowing from head to toe. Below is a picture of me in Cobra pose(Bhujangasana) as a part of sun salutations which is again a great chest opener and arm strengthener.

Cobra Pose(Bhujangasana)

St Pete’s Beach, Florida

My last trip of the year to Florida over Christmas, we stayed at this really nice resort in St Petes Beach. The Don Ceaser resort offered yoga classes in the morning at their private beach and I loved practicing yoga at the beach by the waves. Below is a picture of me doing Boat pose(Navasana). It helps in strengthening of core muscles.

Boat Pose(Navasana)

As the new year begins, new resolutions and opportunities await. Let us all welcome the year and promise each other positivity and gratefulness. No matter what we all should promise ourselves to return to things that we love to do. Blessings and good wishes to you all. Happy 2017 🙂

What are your passions? Please post your comments. I would love to read.

My Wildlife Travel!

I was just reminiscing few of my past travels and what amazes me is how much I have enjoyed being around wildlife. I have loved the experience of going to Wildlife Safaris and getting so close to the Wildlife that you almost start feeling a connection with the innocent animals out there. Here are some of my travel experiences where I got opportunity to get real close with the wildlife and really enjoyed it.

Zebras, Natural Bridge Wild Life Ranch –

A wildlife safari in San Antonio, Texas, Natural Bridge Wildlife ranch allows you to ride in car along the 250 acre forest area which has many different species of animals that get really close to you. I really enjoyed feeding the zebras, they surrounded our car so closely and it was such an great experience. I called them the “Marty” from Madagascar.

Giraffes, Timbavati Wild Life Park – Located in Wisconsin Dells, Timbavati Wild Life Park offers Safari Train which takes you around the wild life and stops occasionally where you can get closer to the animals. The best part was feeding the Giraffes who had such a long tongue which made me nervous at times.

Dolphins, Discovery Cove – Swimming with the Dolphins in Discovery cove was an unforgettable experience. The dolphins are one of the friendliest animals and their expressions are just so adorable. You also get to kiss the dolphin at the end which is one great kiss to remember forever.

Horse Back Riding, Texas – Bandera, Texas is the Cowboy Capital of the world and horse riding in Bandera is one of its own kind. The cowboy horse rider drives you a mile to the horse stables in a vintage van. Riding the horses through the forest trails that go uphill, downhill, narrow creeks and streams of water is a very enjoyable experience. Put on your cowboy hats and boots to absolutely relish the ride. We spotted wild deer and birds on your way to the ranch too.

Birds, Discovery Cove – Another amazing experience in Discovery coves was feeding the birds in the aviary. The birds would fly and sit on your arms, shoulders to eat the food. There were just so many different kind of colorful birds and it was a delight to get so close to them. There were peacocks and owls which were a little scary to feed but the little ones were just so lovable.

Baby Alligator, Everglades National Park –During my recent visit to the Everglades National Park, we enjoyed watching the Alligator show. The show was about a brief introduction about the Alligators followed by the audience getting to hold the alligator baby which was intimidating yet a very joyful experience.

I so wish to go to South Africa next to experience wildlife safari there. Do you love wildlife? Have you had any exceptional experiences with the wild? Is it in your bucket list? Do share, I would love to read.

Happy BlogAnniversary!

Today it has been one full year since I started blogging about my travel adventures. I would like to express my gratitude towards each and everyone of you, big thank to you all for being such a great community and for being a part of my journey. Each and every one of you has inspired me with your stories and I have enjoyed reading all your beautiful blogs. This whole year I have had my ups and downs like any other person. One thing that has kept me going and made me happy throughout the year are my travel adventures. Right from the historical cities of Prague and Budapest to the exotic islands in Michigan and Florida, I have enjoyed every bit of it.  On the occasion of my blog birthday, I wanted to share my most memorable memories so far that I am going to cherish forever. Given a chance I would go back and relive these memories that are so special to me.

Biking along the Coast of Mackinac Island

As a kid, I always imagined island as a fairy tale land away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Mackinac Island actually transformed my childhood imagination into reality. Biking along the turquoise blue water and exploring the colorful neighborhood full of beautiful nature trails was like a dream come true.

See: A Fairy Tale Island, Mackinac Island!

Kayaking in the Caves of Munising

After my incident of toppling from a Kayak in Door County, it was a very challenging experience to make my mind to go kayaking in the caves of Pictured Rocks. It turned out to be the most beautiful experience and taught me such a great lesson of life. Never ever give up, no matter what!

See: Kayaking in the caves!

Exploring the Old City Market in Prague

I still vividly remember, I was in the middle of the Old Town Square in Prague with my hands freezing. I still wanted to go on and on hoping from one street shop to another, watching the artists carve the bohemian art. The colorfully sculpted egg shells in particular were so intriguing to me that I bought six of them and only two could make it and still sit on my dressing table. Souvenirs are just the best.

See: Welcome to Prague!

Enjoying the evening cruise in Budapest

One of the best nights of my life, out shined with warm weather in the month of March, taking the night cruise in Budapest was the best way to explore the city in such a short period of time. The bright strings of light on the Chain bridge, Hungarian Parliament and Fisherman’s bastion kindled the entire city and it was a sight which is encrypted in my mind forever.

See: A beautiful day in Budapest, Hungary!

Snorkeling in Discovery Cove, Orlando

A paradise in earth, Discovery Cove is one of the best theme parks which is worth every penny. Snorkeling in the salt water with the colorful fishes and stingrays and swimming into the fresh water caves that goes into aviary to feed the birds made me feel that I was in the midst of a tropical jungle. It’s a whole another world by itself and my words are just falling short of describing its charm.

See: Florida, The Sunshine State!

Now it’s a new year, new resolutions, new travels and much more to come. Over the past couple of months, I have started focusing more on healthy living. This year I will be sharing my healthy recipes and yoga postures along with my travel journey. I wish you all good luck for the ventures in your life and also thank you again for being a part of my travel adventures.

My Birthday in the tropical forest, Key Largo!

I always tend to find reasons to travel and my birthday was just a perfect reason for another travel adventure. Starting this year I have decided to travel to a new destination every year on my birthday and make some extraordinary memories every year. This time I spent my 27^th Birthday in Key Largo, one of the islands in Florida. It is also called the diving capital of the world because of it numerous diving sites in the Atlantic Ocean.

To name a few, Key Largo, Islamorada, Marathon and Key West are a string of islands that stretch across Southern Florida also called the Florida Keys. After visiting Key West last year, I really wanted to explore the other islands and picked Key Largo since it was just a couple of hours from Miami. John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo is very famous among divers for its shallow coral reefs which makes excellent snorkeling location. So we were really excited to take a snorkeling trip there. We were lucky that our guide decided to take us to the Christ of the abyss location for snorkeling. The bronze statue of Jesus Christ stands underwater and makes one of the favorite spots for snorkeling.

After spending the day snorkeling in the ocean, we then headed to our resort, which to my surprise this was by far the best place I have ever stayed during my travels. We stayed at Hilton Key Largo resort which had its own private hammock beach and huge tropical forest. Our room overlooked the forest area I enjoyed every moment of our stay at this resort. I celebrated my outdoor birthday dinner with live music at one of the local restaurants and it was like a dream come true to sit outside and enjoy the warm weather in the month of December. Now that is why Florida is one of my all time favorite destinations to travel. What’s yours?

Everglades National Park Adventure,Florida!

Among all the US National parks, Everglades has always been on my list of things to do. It is a short drive of about 45 minutes from Miami to get to the Everglades. What makes it different from the other parks is the preserved forest swamps that are natural habitats for endangered species of alligators, snakes and hundreds of other animals. It is a land of sturdy mangrove forests and sawgrass marshes.

Our first stop at the Everglades was the Alligator farm where we enjoyed watching the Alligator show. The show was about a brief introduction about the Alligators followed by the audience getting to hold the alligator baby which was intimidating yet a very joyful experience. We then took an air boat ride into the wild grass swamps where we spotted wild Alligators and birds relaxing in their natural habitat. The boat ride was very exciting and loud and we enjoyed the 360 degree fast spins. We then relaxed for a bit and watched the care taker in the farm feed the alligators.

We also hiked the Ahinga trail in the park to spot few more alligators. However since it was the winter time, the water levels were higher because of the rain and we couldn’t spot as many as we could have done during the summer when it’s drier. Have you recently visited any of the National or State Parks? Please do share. I would love to read.

My tropical getaway to Miami and Fort Lauterdale!

I must admit that my trip to Florida during this winter was one of the best things I did to myself. The warm weather there throughout the year makes it such a go to destination. I have visited Florida in both summer and winter and I will definitely recommend winter time as it is so much more pleasant. We luckily escaped the downpour, it did not rain all 3 days we stayed there.

We arrived at Miami during evening and I was so excited to explore the Ocean Ave which is also called Miami strip right by the South Beach. Full of restaurants, bars, clubs and music, Miami offers a fabulous night life right by the beach. The holiday season being so close, everything was beautifully decorated with lights. Even the coconut tree trunks were wrapped around with glorious little light strings. After enjoying the night, early next morning, we walked along the 17^th street beach walk which was right behind the hotel that we stayed. We came across a guy who was selling fresh coconut water that was the highlight of my trip, I always wanted to drink fresh coconut water in an exotic location. Warm weather, coconut water and beach felt just perfect. We also drove through the villas in Star Island and I was amazed to see private houses of people which looked like palaces. Lucky them.

We then drove to Fort Lauterdale and made our first stop at Las Olas Blvd which is the art center of the city full of art shops and restaurants. We also stopped by the Farmer’s market which to my surprise also had some Indian food stalls. We enjoyed the delicious spinach samosas and then made our way to the Fort Lauderdale beach.  The Fort Lauterdale strip by the beach was quite similar to the Miami strip but more laid back and less crowded. Out of the two, I liked the Fort Lauterdale strip better just because I loved its laid back atmosphere. We enjoyed our early dinner by the beach and watched the lovely sunset.

Overall I fell in love with both Miami and Fort Lauterdale and already missing it now that I am back in Chicago.

Florida, The Sunshine State!

Florida is one of the best destinations in the United States for vacation with family or friends. The best part about Florida is the weather which is sunny and welcoming all year round. Orlando, Miami and Key West are three fun cities in Florida. My visit to Florida last year was incredible. I had a tough time deciding things to do as there is just so much to do.The best times I spent in Orlando was at Discovery Cove which is a theme park ,one of its own kind.

Discovery Cove is an absolute treat in every way and definitely paradise on earth. Start your day with snorkeling in the salt water to explore the sting rays and the wild fishes. Relax in the lazy river that flows through the forest while spotting the monkeys in the Monkey Island and exotic birds in the aviary. Swim into the fresh water caves to catch a glimpse of the mongoose. End your day with the exceptional swim with the dolphins. Enjoy the sister parks Sea World and Aquatica shows and rides in Orlando too which comes as a bonus with the Discovery Cove visit.

Key West is an island at the southern most point of the United States.The Keys are all about fun times in the water, sun and sand. If you love summer and want to spend some quality time enjoying the water sports, Key West is your destination. Plenty of sports such as snorkeling, para-sailing, jet-skiing and kayaking is readily available at multiple spots. The boat takes you out all day into the ocean for the fun sports.

All you can see is large stretches of turquoise blue water in the middle of the ocean. Snorkeling in the ocean midst of the large waves to see the coral and other marine creatures is a terrifying yet very enjoyable experience.Travel for three hours along the most scenic bridge to Miami to surf the lovely beaches.Sunscreen is must!