Top Places to see Nature and Wildlife in Central Florida

So it just wouldn't be me without adventures. And adventures can take many shapes and forms. Lately, it's been a hiking kind of adventure approach so I thought I'd share a few of my favorite locations. These are great locations because they are free and easily accessible.

Check them out and let me know what you see on your adventures.

Let's start with a stop in Gainesville.

I love day trips up there and there is so much to do. Be sure that you take a stop to see Lake Alice, walk across the street to see the bats come out at sunset, and check out the gardens next door. An easy outing and completely free! I've seen gators and wild birds every time I've visited. Sometimes there are even hawks that swoop out after the bats if you watch closely. It's often a date night for UF students!

Resources:
https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/bats/
https://soils.ifas.ufl.edu/campuswaterquality/water/lake-alice.shtml
https://fieldandfork.ufl.edu/
https://communitygarden.org/find-a-garden/gardens/university-of-florida-organic-garden-cooperative/

Next up, Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive.

This is an awesome adventure, especially for those that don't want to or can't take a hike. It's a drive-thru trail that starts in Apopka and ends in Mount Dora. Plan accordingly and you can end your day exploring Mount Dora. This trail is only open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday so that's important to note as well.

Looking for gators. You're more than likely to see them. Looking for birds? Yep, there more than 360 species of birds that have been recorded here. They even have a website that plays a tour as you drive through with lots of facts about the area and what you're seeing. There are observation stops along the way to get out and stretch or take a closer look. 

Resources: 

https://www.sjrwmd.com/lands/recreation/lake-apopka/wildlife-drive/

Time for a drive over to Lakeland for Circle B Bar Reserve. 

This may be my new go-to spot for checking out Wildlife. Gators, birds, and turtles! Oh My! 

Seriously, what a beautiful spot for hiking or biking. Expect to see lots of wildlife photographers with their big lenses taking shots of the birds in the air. There are many varieties to see from the water to the sky. No shortage of sightings of the American Alligator or different turtle species either. You want bugs? Those are there, too! And it's free! Do it! Send me an invite when you go and I'll tour guide you through Alligator Alley on Lake Hancock. For real. 

Resources:

http://polknature.com/explore/circle-b-bar-reserve

Oakland Nature Preserve is a great spot to visit to see natural Florida and take the boardwalk out to see Lake Apopka. You can also access this spot from the West Orange Trail and it's super close to Downtown Winter Garden, so again, plan accordingly. This location is generally where I spot the baby American Alligators in the marshes at the end of the boardwalk. The butterfly garden area is nicely done and there is a bird watching blind and spot in the scrub oaks that is not to be missed. You may even catch a glimpse of the zebras and other African wildlife along the fence line next to the preserve. We saw the cutest little family of trash pandas (raccoons) the last visit. Log onto their Facebook account or their website to see some of their wildlife cameras. 

Resources:
http://www.oaklandnaturepreserve.org/


I love to get out and about but it leaves less time to tell you about the adventures. Follow me on Instagram and you'll see more photos.  https://www.instagram.com/adventuresbyjen/

Have a place I should check out? Do tell!!!

Review for 20,000 mAh Universal Power Bank from Aukey

Whoo-hoo!! I've been invited to be a part of Aukey's #TeamTECHKey and they've sent me a few products to review. Being a virtual teacher and a traveler, technology is my friend and I'm always looking for solutions for power and charging camera, phones, GoPros and other devices.

Have a look at what the 20,000 mAh Universal Power Bank has to offer.

Gardening is Always an Adventure

In the last year or so I've become the crazy plant lady. Yes, crazy plant lady is the new cat lady and there is even a hashtag for it : #plantladyisthenewcatlady

I'm in the learning and experimenting phase and really, I'm trying to go low maintenance and pretty much with natives for the plants. I've joined a local plant swap. Yes, me. I pick up nearly dead plants at a discount and try to revive them. I'll drive to someone's house when they say they're thinning out their flowerbeds. Yep. I've done that a few times.

So what is growing well in the Florida Winter months? A few different things. Take a look.

Yep, the green leaf lettuce is doing nicely and we've had a few salads with it. That broccoli was delicious when I roasted it for lunch one day. I'm watching a few strawberries to see how that goes as well. The arugula is ready to plant as well so wish me luck there. My daughter especially picked that out and says she will eat it! We'll see.

What are your go-to winter veggies in Florida? Any tips to help a newbie out?

First I was afraid...

I was petrified. Yep, that's how the song goes.

With a new mirrorless camera in hand for a trip overseas, I only had the thin wrist strap that came with the camera. Since it was cold and I had on gloves and a heavy jacket I was fearful that I'd drop my camera, oh, I don't know - about a hundred or so times.

When we returned I decided I needed a strap. I was looking at some nice vintage straps and then came across rope straps. Awe, even better, climbing rope. It's been a while since I climbed regularly but still, those are great memories. Okay, sold, a rope strap it is.

And then I got it. I was afraid, yes, petrified. I thought it was wayyyyy tooo big and bulky to work for this tiny camera, but I loved the look of it. "Let me just try it," I thought. I took it to my daughter's next sporting event and I fell in love. It gives the dainty little camera some weight and really is comfortable. I'm glad I went with the slightly longer length since this isn't a viewfinder camera. The 37.5 inches works perfectly for over the neck or over the arm.

Have a look for yourself.

They'll even add these little rubber covers over the metal for no cost. 

There are tons of different rope colors and designs available, and yes, even choices for your next dog leash. Check out Just Pet Products on Etsy on directly on their site at Just Pet Products. Let me know what you get. 

Scandinavian Adventures!

One day in October we were sitting in the home office talking about a trip up to Virginia and we just weren't feeling it. We started exploring options and used the Kayak Explore feature to see what flight costs were looking like for our dates.

Dublin? Maybe.

London? That could be fun.

Sweden? What? Really? In our price range? Okay. Let's do it.

So we did. We bought round trip tickets and started planning.

Going to Scandinavia was a huge opportunity to get in a few different countries. Obviously, Sweden was on the list, but what about Denmark, Norway, and Finland? Let's see what we can fit in with just 8 days to do it and the holidays right in the middle of that.

The itinerary was set finally after some back and forths.



Stockholm > Copenhagen > Oslo > Bergen > Oslo > Stockholm

We so wanted to fit in Helsinki and Tromso but there just wasn't enough time. I'm already dreaming of going back just to see the Northern Lights and walking on a glacier. I think just exploring the fjords of Norway would be an amazing 2-week trip. One day.

Accommodations are always challenging since they take such a large part of the budget and planning around the transportation and holidays sometimes can be challenging. We slept on a boat one night for a mini-cruise to Oslo and one night in a sleeper compartment on a train. (That's always been a bucket list thing so, yay!!!  Got that one done.) As I've mentioned in previous posts, hostels do have family rooms which have been one of our wins as well. That and every 3rd night or so we try to pick something a little more comfortable for us all. Little splurges work well.

So back to what you really want to know, what to see!!

Here are a few highlights from our trip.

Changing of the Guard: Going to countries that still have ruling royalty means that the changing of the guard happens daily. Check the schedules when you get there, but it's usually between noon and 1pm and is about an hour long process where the crowd gathers to see it all happen. Some countries, like in Sweden, also have a band that plays a concert. It's worth seeing so plan your day around this tradition.

Norway in a Nutshell: Amazing travel through the Norwegian countryside by train, including the Flam Railway. There's also a cruise through the amazing fjords and a bus ride that brings you to Voss for another train ride. I will say we went in the winter and you're only going to get sunlight from about 8:30 - 3:30 during the day so be aware of that. Also, there are fewer train options during this time of year. You can book it separately or book through Norway in a Nutshell. I did lots of research to see what the best options were and saw many posts that said it was cheaper to plan your own travel. That wasn't our own experience so be sure to run it through both ways for you. Also, we nearly didn't realize that we had to pick up the tickets the day before due to opening hours. Yikes. Nice save for us all looking over the info.

Biking around Copenhagen: Copenhagen is a super bike-friendly city and you'd benefit from renting some to get around town. We covered lots of ground this way and were able to see nearly everything we had on our list. Donkey Republic was the way to go. Get the app ahead of time and find locations to pick up a bike. It really was super simple and worth it! We were able to see the barracks and The Little Mermaid Statute, the Nyhaven district, Amalienborg Palace, Christiansborg Palace, Christiana and the canals of Copenhagen. We even made it to the Christmas market in Nyhaven and had some delicious glog.

Subway Art in Stockholm: Many of the subway stations have been turned into art spaces and they're super fun to explore. We spent a few hours riding and exploring and it was an amazing experience. Bring your camera and try to hit it at a non-busy time. During a weekday, between rush hours would be ideal.

Frogner Park / Vigeland Park: One word: Go! Seriously, this is an amazing and beautiful park no matter what time of year you visit. I had no idea that there were over 200 sculptures by Gustav Vigeland and that he designed the park as well. The attention to detail is everywhere. Take your time and enjoy exploring the park and all that it offers.

Bergen: Known as The Gateway to the Fjords, Bergen has lots to offer. If you can spend some time here and take some trips out to the fjords, do it. This is the second largest city in Norway behind Oslo but it has a much smaller, old-world feel. The Bryggen district is on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list and is worth a visit. You'll also have the chance to ride the funicular, Floibanen, to see the view from the top of Bergen.

So those are just a few of the things we did while in Scandinavia but there really are many more choices. If you go, let me know what you decide to see!

Helpful Links:
Visit Copenhagen
Visit Denmark
Visit Oslo
Visit Bergen
Visit Norway
Visit Stockholm
Visit Sweden

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Please contact me for permission to repost or use photos/videos.

All Around Europe

Thinking back to our European Adventure last year, it was the first big trip that we planned from start to finish. We planned it for about 6 months. Planning was a HUGE undertaking but we learned a lot from the process. We ended up visiting Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, Hamburg, Berlin, Rothenburg, Munich, Chur, Tirano and Zurich. 

Google Maps are a MUST

To start the planning process we watched airfare for our dates. What made sense at the time was to go round trip in and out of Paris via Iceland Air. This wasn't a bad decision in hindsight but the biggest thing worth mentioning here is that coming and going from the same airport really isn't necessary anymore. You may find great round trip prices but if you are going to multiple locations you should look at different departure locations. Hacker fares on Kayak are a great place to start the search although my wife uses Expedia through and through. Don't forget, you will waste some travel time and accommodations getting back to where you began. Just make sure you check your options.

Tracking our progress

That's just the beginning of the travel process. Don't forget you're going to have to figure out what to pack, where to stay, how to get there and what to see. Let's start with the planning piece.

For us, planning meant going through Rick Steves' books, Pinterest searches and watching many YouTube vlogs to come up with a master list of what we wanted to see, where to stay, and what to eat. Basically, a shared Google Sheet let us all add things for each city that we wanted to visit. For example, we would focus in on Berlin, Germany and then come up with the list of things we wanted to do. We did this basically for each city and it was handy when we got to the cities as well.to double up on this you can also use your Google Maps and save the locations so that you can get there easily as well.

Snapshot of our planning sheet

Once all of our planning was done we had to make some decisions. We couldn't see everything and we couldn't get to every city. Cuts started to happen. We started to route the trip and at that point we were able to figure out the transportation and accommodations.

Booking.com, Kayak, and Expedia helped with planning the accommodations. Since we were traveling on a tight budget we stayed in a lot of family rooms in hostels and low budget hotels. Since we were gone for about 15 days we did splurge a little every 4 or 5 days just to have a few more minute he's and maybe, you know, or washcloth or something. Seriously, washcloths are not a thing in Europe. Don't expect them. Bring your own.

Budget Accommodations for three in Amsterdam

Once those locations and the route were finalized we were able to start with transportation. For us, we decided train travel would be the way to go. We booked our train trips ahead of time and printed out our tickets to have on hand. The Bernina Express was a MUST for me. It's also a UNESCO World Heritage site. 

View of the train while on the train

Windows that go down are awesome on the Bernina Express

The highest point in Switzerland that we visited

And then the challenge. 

Packing. 

What do you bring for 15 days in Europe that you can easily travel with? I started off with asking a dear friend for some advice and she gave me her packing list and I was able to modify it and make it my own. Again, Google Sheets is the way to go because you can access it from your phone or from anywhere. we were going in the winter so we knew it would be cold. Added challenge: the bulk of winter clothes. We scored some great Osprey packs from REI so we knew the space that we were working with. It was important for us to have carry-on size but yet be able to pack everything. These packs have served as well time and time again.

Three of us and that's all we took!

The trick to packing? Layers. You're going to wear most things more than once and most of your pictures will have your outer jacket showing and no one will know what you wore. So what if you wore those pants three times and that shirt four? The bonus is staying somewhere for two nights so you can do some light laundry. Washing in the sink is do-able but some of the hostels and hotels will have laundry service. I do have vivid memories of underwear and socks draped across the hotel room in Munich for drying.

Every picture has us in these jackets, even in front of the Berlin Wall

Yep, same jackets in Munich

Oh, look! Same jackets in Hamburg!

There a few other things to take into consideration when you're traveling.

Money: Don't forget to check the currency and make sure you have a little on hand. Most banks will turn around a currency order within a week. Let your credit cards companies know that you're traveling just so they can keep an eye out and you won't run into any problems with them thinking it's fraud. Be sure to check and make sure that you don't have any international fees and if you do, know how much those are. Credit cards are easily used in Europe But be sure to know your PIN as well since their security is a little bit more advanced. I usually found buying public transportation tickets would require the pin number. You'll want currency and coins to pay to use the restrooms (yes, that's a thing) and to get water and small snacks. 

Cell phones: Be sure to check with your provider for international plans. At the time that we traveled you could turn on Verizon Travel Pass for 24 hours for around $10. The nice thing was we didn't all have to turn it on, only one person in our group would really need it. You can download maps on Google Maps ahead of time so that they are available offline. I can't recommend that enough, especially if you add your places of interest and hotel to the map. You also want that cell phone if you need to rent a bike or pay for parking with an app. We tried a TEP Wireless device but actually had many problems with it and the charger they provided. Their customer service wasn't helpful either.

Plugs: Keeping cell phones and cameras charged is always a priority traveling. Most of the trains do have plugs but you never know which ones will and which ones won't. Make sure you have a European plug and I would actually recommend getting one with two USB slots so you can charge two things at the same time. You will also want a power bank for those times when plugging in isn't an option. Belkin and Aukey both make great versions that can charge multiple devices at the same time through USB cords. another recommendation would be to keep all of those cords and plugs together in a small bag for easy access.

Shoes: Do not, I repeat, DO NOT bring only one pair of shoes. If your feet aren't happy you won't be happy and no one else you ate traveling with will be happy either. Wear your bulkiest pair on planes and trains and keep the lighter pair in your pack. Waterproof shoes are always a good idea.

We're still working out some kinks with our traveling do's and don'ts, but we also get asked questions quite often on how to start the planning process. Hopefully, this information will be helpful to you in your planning and if you have any questions or suggestions, just reach out. We would love to hear from you.