Park City Skiing Makes Top 25 List

Park City made the National Geographic list of top 25 ski resorts in the world. The magazine states “Best for: Cinephile families with a range of abilities.” The article contains information concerning the U.S. Ski Team, and how Park City is home to the Ski Team.  Also, it includes information about Park City’s three world class resorts in one little town!  “A tourist boomtown!” they call it.

“Better snow, dry and fluffy powder, easy access, and good restaurants” Brad Bess (a local) cheerfully reports. “Park City is easily towards the top 5 of the top 25 ski towns in the world.” Brad most frequently skis at Park City Mountain Resort and Deer Valley Resort. Brad loves Park City Mountain Resort for its easy access to Main Street. “Davanzas is my favorite place to eat after skiing at PCMR.” Brad also likes Deer Valley for its amazing food choices on the mountain, and the option of not skiing with snowboarders. “At Deer Valley you can ski without snowboarders around. It’s nice to have that option.” Brad states. 

“Impressively, each of Park City’s areas offer a hundred or more runs, bevies of high-speed lifts, and around 3,000 feet of base-to-summit vertical.” the article confesses. Amazing skiing happens here.

PCMR
http://skiingbusiness.com/12513/newswire/attorney-sheds-light-on-pcmr-talisker-lawsuit/

I mostly ski at the canyons but PCMR is great too! Both of the resorts have their own unique characteristics that are fabulous. 99-90 at the canyons gives you access to some of the best back country/out of bounds skiing ever known to man! PCMR gives you access to Jupiter peak, which services the best blacks and double blacks in the game! I ski frequently every weekend with my friends and I completely love it. Our snow is so dry and fresh, I'm so lucky to ski on it 24/7.  

Canyons Resort
http://www.utah.com/ski/resorts/canyons_map.htm

In conclusion, Park City easily is the best ski town in the world. Whoever has access to any of Park City’s three majestic mountains are pretty darn lucky. 

Lacrosse... and Traveling?

I am currently on the plane flying to Palm Springs California for a lacrosse tournament. I know this blog is about traveling and wonderful destination throughout the globe…but It’s also about me and lacrosse is a big part of my life. 

Me and my friends at the playoffs last year! 

This tourney is called sandstorm and it’s a biggie; teams from all over bring their “A-game” and come to compete and Im pumped! After this hard tedious week of finals, its going to be nice to let lose and play some good lacrosse with my team.

I started playing about a year and a half ago, and I already love the game. Lacrosse originated from the Indians, but recently it started on the east coast. It was more in private schools then expanded from there alway to the west. So, its fairly a new sport to the western side of the U.S. Luckily I picked it up. 

If you have never witnessed a women's lacrosse game, it is pretty interesting. It’s a totally different game from boys. There is not as much contact, but it moves much faster! We wear eye goggles and mouth guards and thats about it. Some girls wear concussion helmets or gloves, but thats not super common. There are four girls on defense, four girls on attack, three midfielders, and one goalie. We have one half time, obviously at the half of the game. Girls lacrosse is really similar to soccer… but better!Any soccer player would make a fabulous lacrosse player, and vice versa. 

The field!
http://www.greenwichyouthlacrosse.org/Page.asp?n=21820

Playing lacrosse at an elite, competitive level requires quite a bit of travel. There are definitely local tournaments, but the level of play is fairly low in Utah. If you want to “step up your game” going to a California tournament or east coast will really do the trick. The amount of contact increases the more east coast or west coast you go. In California the refs allow more contact, and the same for going to the east. The refs aren't very consistent with their calls, so you have to work with the calls they just throw at you. Exciting right?

The funny thing about lacrosse is that you can be on many teams all at once. For example, I'm on four club teams. Some people get worn out, but I like the busyness. 

The furthest I have ever gone for a lacrosse tournament or camp is probably San Francisco. Thats not too far, but I have traveled to California roughly six times for camps and tournaments. Out of all those times, I probably have drove like once or twice. 

I always enjoy tournaments greatly. The playing/lacrosse environment is completely awesome; and the friends/social aspect is almost just as good. I love playing several tough games, and coming back to the hotel, eating good food, swimming in the pool, and bathing in the sun which we don’t see much in the winter. 

If you aren't playing lacrosse now, I highly recommend it. Lots of travel involved! 

Machu Picchu, Peru -Majestic Mountain

My expertise of a mother booked an exciting trip to Machu Picchu this spring break of 2015! I first I wasn't so excited to go, but I'm most definitely coming around! When I heard about taking a 4 day hike on the Inca trail...thats when I got hyped!Machu Picchu is an exotic Inca city on the top of the Andes mountains. The site stretches about five miles across. The little town was a secret that was only known to peasants living in the area. It is made up of about 150 stone building from houses to grand temples. 

The Top!
http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machu_Picchu

My family and I will be hiking for 3-4ish days, sleeping in tents on the side of the trail. Donkeys carry our luggage (which consists of clothes, toiletries, and other stuff) and we hike along with a guide, and chef, and other friends. While on the big mountain, we still get breakfast, lunch, and dinner which is cooked in front of us! Since we will be "intense hiking" with not a lot of time for rest, we have to soak our feet in hot water every night. Sounds crazy right! My mom purchased my family brand new hiking boots for this trip...so it better be a good, tough hike. I find it funny that my family has never camped in a tent together, EVER! This will be interesting. We get thin mattresses so that will be a major plus! 

If you were wondering… Machu Picchu is located in the Cusco Region in Urubamba. We will fly into Lima (the capital of Peru) then explore around there for a bit! That section of the trip will be kinda short because we have to fly in to Cusco early due to "adjusting to the elevation." Lots of people when they hike the Inca trail, they suffer from elevation/mountain sickness; so to prevent that, were flying into Cusco early. I honestly think we will be just fine...we live in Park City, UT anyways. 

Lima
http://www.ccisabroad.org/program.php?link=peru_lima

After our gnarly hike, we are planning on going back to Lima and lounge on the coast. That will be a good time to practice my spanish speaking skills! 

East Coast vs. West

Some People say that "the west coast is the best coast" but is that true? But, is the east coast any better? I feel like it depends on your opinion and what pace you like to "move" and live your life, or what you want to get out of your time on earth. 

The east, is defiantly faster paced way of living. If you like people that are accountable and get their work done quickly, you might blend well on the east. I feel like big cities that are located on the east are a "rat race”, but thats not a bad thing! Straight out of college and maybe even high school, I want a a quicker paced environment to work in, so yeah, the east is great in that aspect! The only problem, (which is a stereotype) might be encountering maybe not the friendliest people in the world. Sailing in the east is very popular, the west lacks people who sail frequently. That may be a bummer for those of you who like sailing.

The Eastern Side of the U.S.
http://www.gopixpic.com/972/east-coast-they-lived-in-baltimore-and-allegany-pennsylvania-now-/http:%7C%7Cwww*1stdibs*com%7Cintrospective%7Cnot_to_be_missed%7Csteins_collect%7Chtml_images%7Csteins_collect_6*jpg/

The west. The west is arguable very laid back and pretty "chill." But, there is still fast paced mindset, just not everyone with that mindset is in sync with all other people residing in the area. The beaches on the west are friendlier to access and are warmer! You see a lot more "water goers" in California per say. The surfing on the west is more popular and maybe the Pacific Ocean stirs up better waves. Skiing is much more populous in the west, and better, dry snow.  

The Western Side of the U.S.
https://www.selectleaders.com/real-estate-jobs-west-coast

Lots of people move from the east to the west, but there are also many people who were born and raised on the east, and continue to live there. 

My family originated on the east, but my parents decided to make the move over to Utah. I sometimes envy the bone chilling cold of New York or Boston. The dry air over here sometimes gets to me. But, I can ski all the time during the winter on "the worlds best powder." During this winter break, Park City is a very big tourist attractions for people who show an interest in skiing. While I was sitting on the chairlifts, I would frequently ask many people where they were visiting from. Almost all of them came to Utah to ski from The New England area, and other places on the east. 

Both sides of the United States have many pros and cons. Don't you wish you could have the best of both? Anyways,  both coasts are incredible for different characteristics, I legitimately can't pick which one I prefer. Their both awe-inspiring! 

P.S. this post was based off of my personal opinion. 

Costa Rica- A True Beauty

In Costa Rica you may encounter some of the prettiest views and the nicest people in the world. Their gracious attitudes need to rub off on my family unit! They don't resort to war or violence. They surprisingly don't have a military. So, that shows how much they love to "spread peace." Just the people there fill my heart up with excitement, just wait till you see the sites! 

Arenal Volcano
http://www.arenal.net/arenal-volcano-overview.htm

The ginormous volcano of Arenal is a super pretty site to see. The green rain forests all around are majestic. The beaches on the coast are sunny and thrilling. Surprisingly, the water stirs up some pretty big waves!

On our trip to Costa Rica, I had a pleasant time looking at all different aspects of the glorious country. First, we flew into San Jose, the capital, which I didn’t really get to examine. Then we drove on up to the Four Seasons Resort in Papagayo; which is just up north. While we stayed there, we enjoyed a nice secluded beach, which we paddle boarded and watched beautiful yet frightening stingrays. After about 3 days spent relaxing or “chillin”there, we drove to the the Springs Resort by Arenal. The Springs Resort, hints the name, is surrounded by hot springs. Different pools everywhere we turn! My brother and I had a good time "pool hopping" around.  One of the bachelor  episodes was filmed there. After all the "commercial" resorts, (don't get me wrong, their supper fun) my family wanted to taste the sweet dirt of Costa Rica's jungles. We took a long night drive up to the high altitude of Mt.Arenal, or as I should say volcano Arenal! Arenal is a volcano that lies on the northern side of Costa Rica. We trekked out on a long hike into the rainforest and our eyes had the pleasure of observing exotic frogs, birds, and much more tropical animals. We stayed about two nights at a hotel that was perched in the jungle. The overall trip to Costa Rica was one well spent. I returned back to Park City with wonderful memories, and not to flatter myself… but a pretty nice, golden tan. The only thing about the trip I regret is not exploring southern Costa Rica, but mothers are hard to persuade. 

Some free time between traveling, we found time to drive out to a beached called Playa Grande which was located up north and over west. Playa Grande means “big beach” in Spanish. We surfed a bit there and just body surfed the rolling waves. They say that "salt water soothes the soul" and that is completely correct. Looking back and thinking, “what a truly splendid time!”

Playa Grande
http://www.costaricastyle.com/2010/11/playa-grande-beach-costa-rica.html

If your thinking about traveling to central America, keep Costa Rica high on your travel priority list, a natural beauty!

Songs to Listen to While Traveling?

Kauai, HI- Adventurous Paradise

"What island or part Hawaii should I plan a trip to?" the famous words of a confused traveler. There is Maui, Oahu, Hawaii, Niihau, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe, or Kauai? I would honestly recommend Kauai in a heartbeat.The cliché activities such as surfing and sunbathing wont disappoint, but also the hippie lifestyle is fun to adjust to. 

Hanalei Bay
http://car-memes.com/kauai-helicopter-hanalei-bay-wallpaper/hdwallpappers.com*images*wallpapers*kauai_helicopter_Hanalei-Bay-Wallpaper.jpg/hdwallpappers.com*kauaihelicopterhanaleibaywallpaper/

In the northern upper most tip of Kauai, you may find a cute little town known as Hanalei. In Hanalei there is a bay that is home to many of world renown surfers such as Laird Hamilton, Bethany Hamilton, Alana Blanchard, and many more. 

One trip my family and I planned in 2013, was to Hanalei Bay. We stayed in a condo with close access to the beach. My brother and I are somewhat experienced surfers, so we gave it a go at the worlds famous bay of waves. I guess you could say we surfed okay. As we were walking out of the water in conclusion of our "surf day" we just happened to run into Rob Hamilton, the man who caught the shark that bit Bethany Hamilton's arm off! Your probably a bit frightened by reading this, but at the time it was super cool. 

We decided to go on a long hike up Hanakapiai's Falls on the Na Pali Coast. On our ascending part of the hike, views our eyes could capture were quite extraordinary. As we kept hiking, we had to cross a few streams which wasn't too bad, then we crossed a bunch of rocks which wasn't completely joyful, until we came across a mini secluded beach. We couldn't swim of course because the rip curls were too strong at the time. We were enjoying our lunch, planning to head forward onto the hike to reach the waterfalls, until a major rainstorm came upon us! We had to leave the site before floods could initiate through the beach and the small trails. As the waves grew larger and started crashing down on our feet, we scurried up to the trail, and quickly out of the beach area. The hike back we didn't worry ourselves that much because, you know... we're troopers! Our shoes were soaked by the time we reached the trailhead, but it was totally worth it! 

Hanakapiai Falls Hike
http://www.alohafrom808.com/2013/01/hanakapiai-falls-na-pali-coast-kauai-trip-2013/

Im completely sure that there are other exciting places to visit in other parts of Kauai, maybe in the southern parts. But, I had the pleasure to visit the lovable community of Hanalei.  The major bonus to Kauai is it's not very touristy compared to the big island. I found my self blending in with the locals. The situation of where I live, I get super annoyed with tourists taking over MY town! So its nice to not run into people from your home town, even though we live in a "small world."  

All the beaches surrounding Kauai are spectacular for all purposes. So if your still conflicted on where to venture off to in Hawaii, take my word and scrutinize Kauai.