Ten Bells Pub

There are a lot of things to be said about London, but I’m not even going to try. When you talk about cities it is impossible to get the true feeling of the city without going. It’s like looking at a picture of Big Ben. In the picture all you see is Big Ben, what you won’t see is the crowd rushing through the streets, the statue of Winston Churchill behind you or Westminster Abby just over your shoulder.

So instead of trying to convey the essence of the city, taking just a bite of the unique little corners is the best way to experience a city without going there.

One of my favorite bites of London was a pub called Ten Bells, also known as the Jack the Ripper pub. One of the required tours to do when you get to London is the Jack the Ripper tour. There are many options for taking the tour, even a free option if you are on a budget. I’m not going to tell you anything about the tour, except that its awesome and you have to go do it for yourself.  At the end of the tour (I took the free one) the tour guide leaves you at a pub called the Ten Bells, named for the church bells next door.



(Christ church next door to Ten Bells pub)

The old world charm of the pub comes from its 1752 origins. It is rumored that at one time or another all of Jack the Rippers victims visited this pub. Moreover, it is speculated that Jack the Ripper himself could have enjoyed a drink in the pub.  Thus, the pub is also called the Jack the Ripper pub.

 

(Ten Bells Pub)



It’s a fun piece of London history, But, don’t worry its not a touristy place. The pub is filled with locals and tourist alike so you don’t lose the flavor of London. Its pretty easy to find the pub. It is right next door to the Spitalfields Market. Try getting off at the Liverpool Street Underground Station. I would give you directions from there but it will be easier on the both of us if you look it up yourself. I will even give you a link to the Transport for London. Have fun.  

Do you have a favorite London pub? One that you have been to or would like to go to? Tell me about it!

Sincerely yours, Lady of Adventure

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June Snow

Driving anywhere in the USA in June you expect to see sunshine, maybe some rain. Not snow.
But snow is exactly what we got. It was raining heavily on the west side of Salt Lake City, Utah by the time we got about an hour east of Salt Lake City it was snowing. From SLC to Rock Springs, Wyoming the snow didn't stop. It's times like that when the Californian in me shines. Every single time we stopped I had to get out and play in the snow. When we stopped to get gas I deliberately did not walk under the awning just so I could be in the snow longer. 

 

Just inside Wyoming we stopped at a rest stop and ran into a park ranger (or something like that). He was amazed at the snow and offered to take our picture in front of the Wyoming sign. Of course we said yes and the ranger wanted his picture taken so he could prove to his friends in the rest of Wyoming that it was snowing...In June.

 

 

Its times like this that I really fall in love with road trips. You never know what you are going to find or what you are going to experience. Even when there is not much time to get out of the car, the road always has a few surprises for you.

 

To top off this odd and wonderful experience, just a few yards away from the rest stop, grazing in the fields was a herd of buffalo. We stayed just long enough to watch the baby buffalo frolic around joyfully.

 

 

Sincerely yours, Lady of Adventure

 

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Train Ride in the Snow

I hadn't been living in Skagway, Alaska long when the local attractions did a "locals" day. Anyone who was a local, at least for the summer,  could get a deal on the local attractions. 
I chose the White Pass & Yukon Train ride. I had heard a lot about the train and how it was THE thing that tourist did when they came to Skagway. I arrived at the train station a few minutes early and got to explore the train station as well as the gift shop. Soon they lead us out to the platform so we could board the train.

 

 It was a crisp day in May with an ever so slight drizzling of rain. The mountains around Skagway were enveloped in delicate gray clouds.
As the train started to move I could feel the thrill of adventure bubble up inside me. I took a window seat and watched as we passed mile after mile of unspoiled Alaskan land. We started up hill slowly working our way up the mountains and into the clouds. After a few minutes I couldn't stand it anymore I had to go outside. I was sitting in one of the passenger cars closer to the front of the train. I made my way to the back of the car and stepped out onto the tiny balcony. The Air took my breath away, crisp and cold. I was freezing, this born and raised Southern California Girl was not used to any type of cold.

As the train climbed the mountain the rain turned to sleet and the sleet turned to snow. When I imagined Alaska, I imagined snow covered forests and as we climbed the mountain, I was not disappointed. I spent most of the ride on the little platform on the outside of the train car. I just couldn't stand to sit inside, freezing or not, the experience was incredible. Diminishing the experience of the Alaskan wilderness even by a sheet of glass was unacceptable.

By the time we had made it to the top of the mountain we were cruising through several feet of snow. It was just a quick turn around, we stopped barely long enough to switch the engines on the train, and we weren't allowed to get off. It took everything I had to stay on the train and not dive into the tempting piles of snow. I had seen snow before, but wow, this was incredible.

 

I took the train very early in the tourist season, which is why I was treated to the delightful weather. If you go later in the season you will probably see more greenery than snow, but make no mistake it is still breathtaking. If you are headed to Skagway, consider the train for your afternoon adventure.

 

There are a lot of options for Train excursions:

 

You could take a turn around trip like I did, just enough to get a little taste of Alaskan beauty. This trip will cost you about $119 for an adult and will take about 3.5 hours.

 

If you feel a little more daring try the overnight camping. Take the train to the campsite spend 1-2 nights out in the wild. This trip starts at around $90 (add and extra $30 if you want to bring your canoe)

 

To check out more of the train tour options explore the White Pass & Yukon Railroad Website: http://wpyr.com/

 

 

Sincerely yours, Lady of Adventure

 

Don't forget to follow me on Twitter (@LadyofAdventure), Instagram (LadyofAdventure) and Facebook (Lady of Adventure) for lots of fun travel stories, tips and pictures. 

 

Almost Home

Twenty eight days, 3 planes, 4 trains, 1 taxi ride and 7 countries later, I am headed home. It's hard for me to truly realize what I have done over this past month. From getting lost in Budapest at 5am to tea at (well, outside) Buckingham Palace the month has been full of adventures. This trip is one I never thought I would take.
There is always that moment, in every trip, that you realize "Wow, I am actually here." That moment didn't hit me until I got to Paris. Early in the morning, wandering the streets of Paris, trying desperately to find the Eiffel Tower. When suddenly,  I turned the corner and peeking through the trees, there it was more beautiful than any picture, the Eiffel Tower. Wow, I am in Paris. Those are the moments that change you, that make you realize how big and how small the world really is.
When I go home I will tell everyone stories of my adventure (whether they want to hear or not), but it's moments like this that words can never really explain. As I look back on this trip I realize that the moments I hold closest to my heart are the ones that are impossible to explain.
28 days, 3 planes, 4 trains, 1 taxi ride and 7 countries later, I am going home a different person.


Sincerely yours, Lady of Adventure



Don't forget to follow me on Twitter (@LadyofAdventure), Instagram (LadyofAdventure) and Facebook (Lady of Adventure) for lots of fun travel stories, tips and pictures.  

Shanghai Boat Ride

We didn’t even want to go. But when we realized that our first night in Shanghai would be spent in the hotel room, we joined the rest of the tour group for the boat tour down the Huangpu River.

                Jannie and I jumped on the bus with the rest of the tour group and drove through the street lamp streets of Shanghai. We arrived at our destination and stepped of the buss to a skeptical looking building. We walked into huge waiting room full of people and joined them in waiting as our tour guide secured the boat tickets. After a few minutes we were lead down a narrow hall and through a back door of the building, just like that we were standing on the docks waiting to board our boat. The chill in the air kept us awake as we watched as passengers slowly filed of a riverboat style vessel. When the boat had been emptied it was our turn to board.

                                                 (Managed to catch one of the crew for a pic)

                Up the gangplank we went, surveying the riverbank views. But it wasn’t until we reached the far, river facing side of the boat that I was glad I had come. The views opened up to the brightly lit riverbank with skyscrapers decorated with lightshows and varying architecture was a unique sight. As we waited for the boat to debark, we explored the two open air decks.  The boat slowly left the bank and the crisp air turned into chilling breeze that took my breath away. I couldn’t take enough pictures of the banks the light displays on the buildings fascinated me. The unmistakable Oriental Pearl Radio & TV Tower was a light show in and of itself constantly changing colors and light patterns. Cruising along the river were boats that were as bright as fireworks decked out in light designs and arrangements. We were passed by boats designed as floating rainbows and dragons.

 

            In every trip there is always a moment when the gravity of the adventure finally hits you. The riverboat ride in shanghai was my moment. Shivering from the cold, breathless from the breeze and entranced by the view I stood at the bow of the boat and realized that I was on the adventure of a lifetime and I may never be here again.

Sincerely yours,
        Lady of Adventure

I don't think of it like that...

I was talking to a friend of mine this afternoon and he started asking me about my upcoming trip to Europe.
"How long are you going for?" He asked
"A month." I replied.
"Wow, I wouldn't know what to do for a month vacation. " he commented.
Then it hit. I never think of travel as a vacation.  It's what I do when I have time off, sure. But to me it's just as important for me to travel as it is for me to work. 
When I travel I rarely relax. I am constantly on the move, exploring every corner of the place I am visiting. I get up early,  go to bed late and don't rest in between. Travel expands your point of view.  When I travel, how I look at the world, changes with every new experience,  every new country and city. A person that doesn't travel limits themselves to their surroundings.  They will never understand what they are missing. I guess a lot of people consider travel a vacation but for me it's a necessity,  a drink to quench the wanderlust in my soul.

Plane ticket

Quick, double and triple check the details.  Date? Good. Price? Good. Destination? Good. And with one more deep breath, I click the submit button. I hold my breath as I wait for the confirmation and...wow... I just bought a plane ticket to Europe. 
A whole month of just me, in europe. It still hasn't really hit me. I'm going. The places I have seen only in pictures I will soon be seeing with my own eyes, touching with my hands and creating memories that will exist only in me. Wow. I'm going to Europe. 
I've traveled away from home before but every new trip is a new adventure a new chance to explore and grow. I can't imagine NOT traveling, it would be hard for me. Seeing the world is something I have always dreamed of and it's amazing to think that it's actually happening. 
Am I worried? Yes. I might even go as far as to say I am afraid. But that won't stop me. I am going,  the ticket is bought, there is no going back.