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Join our community of destination:unknown
travelers!
Email a photo of yourself using one of our travel journals on your
next trip. We might just put it here (and you'll get 10% off your next purchase).
Along with your photo, be sure to include:
- a brief description of the picture
- travelers' names, ages, and hometowns
- where, when, why you went, and which travel journal you took
along
- and the top 5 experiences of your trip
Send it all to where@destinationunknownjournals.com.
(Note: We might need to edit or reformat your entry to fit our format.)
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Photo: Beside my friend Susan’s pool, Miromar Lakes, Florida
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| Who: Kelly (43) of Shrewsbury, MA (author of
the
triumphant red sox blog) |
| Where: Fort Myers and Marco Island, Florida |
| Why: Annual vacation to Red Sox spring training |
| Journal: bonvoyage |
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| Top 5 experiences on your trip: |
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Attending pre-season Red Sox games. This year I saw six games at the Red
Sox’ spring home, City of Palms Park in Fort Myers, and on the road at Lee County
Stadium, spring home of the Minnesota Twins. The Sox won five of the six games I
attended. In addition to seeing established major leaguers like David Ortiz and
Josh Beckett, I also got to watch some of their top minor leaguer prospects,
including (write down these names) pitcher Justin Masterson, infielder Jed Lowrie,
and outfielder Joe Thurston.
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Meeting up with friends from all over the country who are also Red Sox fans.
Our group this year, which represented Massachusetts, New Hampshire,
Connecticut, Minnesota, and Florida, attended three games together. I also
met other Sox fans from Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Nova Scotia.
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Staying with my friend Patty. The mother of my very first friend from
first grade, Patty spends the winter in Marco Island, just south of Naples. When
I wasn’t attending ball games, Patty and I went to the island’s beautiful
residents’ beach, dined out, shopped at the nearby outlets, and caught up on
another year in our lives.
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Swimming in the Gulf of Mexico. Unlike back home in New England, the Gulf
waters were warm enough – even in March – that I could enjoy an extended swim
without ending up blue and numb! I also did some shell collecting. While the
occasional alligator has been reported on the beach, I’ve never encountered one.
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Getting a much-needed break from Massachusetts winter. High temperatures in
southwest Florida while I was there ranged from mid-60s, which the locals thought
was horribly chilly, to mid-80s. At the same time, six inches of snow fell at
home.
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Photo: In the garden at Gingerbread and Roses B&B
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| Who: Fran (60) and Joe (57) of Natick, MA |
| Where: Niagara-on-the-Lake (NOTL), Ontario, Canada |
| Why: Several friends recommended this area highly |
| Journal: roadtrip |
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| Top 5 experiences on your trip: |
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Touring and tasting in some of the local wineries: Inniskillin; Peller Estates,
where we enjoyed a marvelous lunch on the patio of their chateau-style winery; and a
wonderful wine and cheese seminar at Stratus. Who knew that the cheese equivalent of
a sommelier is a fromager? We also sampled ice wine, a dessert wine produced from
grapes that have been frozen while still on the vine.
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Shaw Festival - NOTL's famed theatre that features the plays of Bernard Shaw and
his contemporaries as well as plays about his era (1856-1950). We saw Jerry Herman's
"Mack and Mabel," the story of silent film greats, Mack Sennett and Mabel Norman.
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Our trip on the Maid of the Mist, Niagara Falls. It was 90 degrees in early
September and we did not mind being soaked despite the lovely blue plastic raincoats.
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An evening at the Irish Harp Pub: pub grub, beer on tap, a great band, and even
step dancers!
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Sunset on the shore of Lake Ontario, watching the lights in Toronto across the
lake twinkle on.
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Photo: On a street near Oasis Backpackers Mansion in Lisbon
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| Who: Stacy (39), Mark (39), AJ (12) and Ella (10) of Elmhurst, IL |
| Where: Portugal -- We drove from Porto to Lisbon, stopping in Aveiro,
Coimbra and Azoia on the way |
| Why: We wanted to take the family somewhere unique for spring break...and
because we had enough frequent flyer miles to get us there for free! |
| Journal: airmail |
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| Top 5 experiences on your trip: |
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Porto. What a great city. We walked for hours at a time just soaking in all
the beautiful old buildings. We were lucky enough to stumble upon a vintage car
rally one night. Very cool old cars lined up for a slalom race around a city street block. Definitely a highlight.
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The food...We ate the most delicious food. We really had no idea what to
expect before we arrived. There aren't too many Portuguese restaurants in the
states. We had very rustic meals with potatoes, lots of very fresh fish and cheese
and olives before each meal. We ate heavenly desserts, too. Drank tons of coffee
(I'm now more addicted than before).
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The ceramics. Beautiful ceramics in Coimbra which is a very old and very
beautiful college town. (This is definitely a personal favorite...my kids weren't
too crazy about the idea of going into the ceramics stores...with breakables
stacked up to the ceiling.)
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Pena Palace. A very old palace in Sintra with amazing architecture and grounds
that are gorgeous. We hadn't planned to see the grounds, actually, but got lost on
our way back to the car and ended up walking around for a while before we found
the exit. It was great!
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Azoia and the surrounding coast. This is the most beautiful stretch of
coastline I think I have ever seen. The western most point of Europe is near (Cabo
da Roca). It was incredible. We stayed at the most amazing bed and breakfast
(Quinta Do Rio Touro)in Azoia and had some of our most fun family moments
exploring the area around it.
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Photo: Wine tasting at Clos Pegase Winery, Calistoga, and
Prager Winery & Port Works, Napa, CA |
| Who: Rick (38) and Kate (30) of Milwaukee, WI |
| Where: San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, Napa and Sonoma, CA |
| Why: We needed a good long vacation in the California sun |
| Journal: étoile |
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| Top 5 experiences on your trip: |
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San Francisco - walking the streets, shopping, fantastic dining (sweet potato
gnocchi at Da Flora), riding on the outside of the streetcars, sharing champagne
mid-day in Union Square, Chinatown
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Wine tasting at many of the amazing Napa and Sonoma area vineyards - always
sunny, always with the convertible top down
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A hot air balloon flight over Napa Valley at sunrise followed by a delicious
brunch
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Our drives through the Sierra Mountains and down the coast on Highway 1
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Our stay in Sonoma/Kenwood at The Kenwood Inn/Spa and swimming in their saline
pool
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Photo: Visiting Theodor Geisel (a.k.a. Dr. Seuss) and the Cat
in the Hat at the Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden in Springfield, MA
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| Who: Emily (36), Mark (37), Joanna (7), and Joel (3) of North Reading, MA
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| Where: In and around New England |
| Why: Our annual family trip to Ohio didn't work out this year, so we
decided to stay home and take daytrips to fun and family-friendly spots in New
England |
| Journal: roadtrip |
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| Top 5 experiences on your trip: |
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Watching the "Dolphins" OmniMax movie, catching the live "Super Cold Science"
demo, experiencing the indoor "Lightning!" show (using the world’s largest Van de
Graaff generator), and being fascinated by the audiokinetic sculpture at the
Museum of Science in Boston |
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Getting free chocolate samples on the (free!) tour of the chocolate factory at
the Hebert Candy Mansion in Shrewsbury, MA, shopping for chocolate bargains in the
retail store, and visiting Hebert’s "Make Your Own Sundae" ice cream buffet
afterward
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Discovering what a delightful zoo the Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence,
RI, is and visiting all of the animals there, especially the giraffes, elephants,
harbor seals, and bison
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Visiting the Christa McAuliffe Planetarium in Concord, NH, and being totally
blown away by its spell-binding "Infinity Express" presentation narrated by
Laurence Fishburne
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Exploring the four sites making up the Springfield Museums in Springfield, MA,
and visiting the fun Seuss-character statues (including the Lorax, Horton, the
Grinch and his dog Max, Sam I Am with his green eggs and ham, and Yertle the
Turtle) at the Dr. Seuss Sculpture Garden on the Museum Quadrangle
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Photo: The Snug Bar in Bantry, Co. Cork, Ireland |
| Who: Pam (39) and Bob (42) |
| Where: Ireland |
| Why: We've wanted to go for years! |
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| Top 5 experiences on your trip: |
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Pubs - for the food, atmosphere, music, and the best places to watch World Cup
and gaelic football matches
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Kinsale - Don Herlihy's walking tour, watching the sunset while sitting
outside the Bulman, and the Tuesday morning farmers' market for an iced dark
chocolate milkshake from O'Conaill Chocolate (to name a few of Kinsale's
pleasures)
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Wexford strawberries
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The Sheep's Head peninsula and the quiet beauty found along the Sheep's Head
Way
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Hayfield Manor Hotel - after 5 days (and 47 miles) of walking, a little bit of
luxury and pampering was well-earned!
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Photo: We just found out that we didn't have a place to stay yet.
Yes! Go to a café! |
| Who: Steve (56) and Cheri (43) of Biddeford, ME |
| Where: Paris, France |
| Why: Our 7th anniversary! |
| Journal: étoile |
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| Top 5 experiences on your trip: |
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Getting to Paris a day early (we flew stand-by) because we didn't want to miss out
on the trip. That was the day for the 2006 Champions League Final (the Super Bowl
of soccer). Not a hotel room in the entire city! We stayed at a hostel with three
young people. It was a new and wonderful experience.
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Sitting at a café drinking café au lait, watching the Parisians as they go about
their daily lives. (Delicious coffee.) We would take that time to write little
bits about what we experienced and what we were feeling. We slipped our tickets
and receipts into the pockets of the journal.
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Seeing the Venus de Milo - right there in person. You read about her;
you see the pictures, but being there was incredible.
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Putting my three semesters of French into good use. We went without any
expectations that anyone would speak English;
and most folks wanted to practice their English with us!
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Walking. Walking a lot; seeing and experiencing Paris. (Learning where the
shortcuts are.) Falling in love with the people and the city. The French are
not rude, and the city is very clean. We cannot wait to go back for our 10th
anniversary.
One more, if I may - watching the synchronized dance with
the pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcyclists and the cars. You have to see it to
believe it.
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Photo: Visiting Nanputuo temple in Xiamen, China |
| Who: Corri (39) of Wellesley, MA and Mia (33) of Cambridge, MA |
| Where: Philippines, Hong Kong and China |
| Why: To celebrate Mia's grandmother's 90th birthday and to explore
cultures not experienced before |
| Journal: silkroad |
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| Top 5 experiences on your trip: |
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Sailing around the island of Boracay in the Philippines with just three
crew members on a tiny boat in strong winds
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Enjoying inexpensive and really good massages in the Philippines
(at spas in Manila and on the beach in Boracay) and the famous
foot massage in Xiamen
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Celebrating Mia's grandmother's birthday with a 10-course meal on
Manila Bay and singing karaoke with Mia's cousins
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Walking through Hong Kong Park - the conservatory, aviary, and all
the paths through the pretty park - and then taking the tram to Victoria
Peak for a lovely view of Hong Kong
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Talking with other visitors at the Buddhist Temple in Xiamen - Chinese
people happy to practice their English language skills with an American
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Photo: Taking a quick break at Bemis Brook, part
of the Arethusa Falls Trail where the Crawford Notch State Park borders
the White Mountain National Forest |
| Who: Alicia (39), with Tom (39), Robert (8), Joe (5) and
Timmy (3) of Boxborough, MA |
| Where: Mt. Washington Valley, NH |
| Why: This trip was our 6th annual family vacation to the Mt.
Washington Valley. It's hard to believe that the first time we did this,
we had a 3 year old and a 6 month old. Each year, it gets better and
better. The kids start asking in May, "Mom, when are we going on vacation
to the mountains?" |
| Journal: roadtrip |
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| Top 5 experiences on your trip: |
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Cannon Mountain - Tram ride to the top, a picnic lunch and hiking at
the summit
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Pancakes at Glenn Jct. Restaurant, riding the Conway Scenic Railroad
and seeing the working model trains at the Hartmann Train Museum
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Storyland - especially the Polar Coaster, Bamboo Shoots, Prof.
Bigglestep's Loopy Lab, Ocean's of Fun Sprayground, and riding all 3
trains (red, blue and green) all the way around park. A day at
Storyland is best followed by jalapeno poppers and margaritas at the
Margarita Grill!
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Hiking the trails (this year we went to to Arethusa Falls via Bemis
Brook) followed by micro-brew and a great dinner at the Moat Mt. Inn and
Restaurant
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Swimming under the stars at night at the Grand Summit, just about every
night
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Photo: On the walking tour of Sterling
Vineyards in Calistoga, Napa Valley, California |
| Who: Chris (39) and Peter (40) of Burlington,
MA |
| Where: Napa and Sonoma Counties, California |
| Why: Because we haven't had a vacation that
required a plane ride in 4 years, nor had we been away
longer than 3 days in that amount of time, and we were
way overdue for both! We enjoy good wine and good food:
had vacationed in Sonoma and Mendocino areas before,
but not Napa. |
| Journal: grandcentral |
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| Top 5 experiences on your trip: |
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Heated stone massage at the Lavender Hill Spa in
Calistoga
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Dinner at Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen in St. Helena
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Lunch at Mustards Grill in Yountville
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Tasting wine from many barrels at August Briggs
winery in Calistoga
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The tram ride and view from Sterling Vineyards winery
in Calistoga
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Photo: A tasty beer at the Hofbräuhaus
in Munich, and Kurgarten in Bad Kissingen, Germany |
| Who: John (69) and Kay (65) of Fort Myers,
FL |
| Where: Vienna, Southern Bavaria, Alsace region,
Paris and Normandy region |
| Why: To see places again and for Kay to see
places she had not seen |
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| Top 5 experiences on your trip: |
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Searching for cousins and finding them on both sides
of the family
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Normandy, especially seeing the American cemetery
and how silent and beautiful it is
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Dachau - it shed more light on what happened during
this period
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Schliersee - Our host took us on a hike to Fischbachau,
a small town near by. We hiked through pastures and
steep hills overlooking the village. And after we
were done he took us to a great sweet tooth shop and
we pigged out on some wonderful pastry.
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Rouen, where we viewed the site where Joan d'Arc
was burnt at the stake and became a martyr. We visited
this town 3 times as there was a lot to see.
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Photo: Phone booth beside 1936
post office at the Museum of Welsh Life, St. Fagan's,
Cardiff, Wales |
| Who: Fran (57) and Joe (54) of Natick, MA |
| Where: Wales and England |
| Why: Why not? Actually, Ellis Peters' "Brother
Cadfael" 22 book series influenced our desire to see
his native country. |
| Journal: bedfordfalls |
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| Top 5 experiences on your trip: |
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Attending three male voice choir events: a choir
concert in Llandudno, choir rehearsal in Cardiff,
and a concert of massed Welsh male choirs at Royal
Albert Hall, London
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Sheepdog demonstration on the Pembrokeshire Coast
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Attending evensong at King's College Chapel, Cambridge,
England; site of the annual "Festival of Nine Lessons
and Carols" broadcast on public radio each Christmas
Eve
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Meeting and talking with everyday Welsh people,
so friendly and hospitable
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Taking two of the Little Trains of Wales through
Snowdonia
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... And take a look at my travel notes for stories from where I went!
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