World Tour: Fourth stop South of France

Activity: South of France wedding with stops at Rothschild Mansion and Monte Carlo, Monaco

Rating:  5 of 5 stars

Website: Rothschild Mansion and Monte Carlo

Description:  I was very fortunate to attend a wedding in the Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, France which is approximately half way between Nice and Monaco ( 20-30 minute drive from the Nice airport). The wedding guests stayed at the Hotel Royal Riviera which was walking distance to the Rothschild Mansion. Before the rehearsal dinner we walked over to see the mansion. The house itself was quite nice, but the real selling point is the garden. The garden(s) were gorgeous and included a large fountain with a water show to classical music. The entrance fee was no more than 20 Euros to be generous and I think it was worth the cost of admittance (if you can't tell from the pictures above).

On the night before the wedding we took a taxi to Monte Carlo Casino. I have been to the casino in Vegas and I have always wanted to go to the real thing. Also, Monaco counted as a country I hadn't visited and I am trying to increase the tally over 30. The casino was nice, but much smaller than I expected. I could feel the pressure trying to learn the slot machine strategy without any luck. Fortunately, my friends were luckier and came home with some extra euros.

Two thumbs up for South of France in October!

World Tour: Third stop Berlin

low:Activity: Touring Berlin- Hop on, hop off bus tour. Berlin Wall- Eastside Gallery, and Berlinische Art Gallery

Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Website  Bus Tours,  East Side Gallery, and Berlinische Gallery

Description: Berlin was my favorite city in Germany. It is artistic, fun, and full of things to see. The first day we did another bus tour to make sure we hit all the major sites. We were able to see all of the below: 

Stop 1 - Tauentzienstrasse 16
Stop 2 - KaDeWe
Stop 3 - Potsdamer Platz
Stop 4 - Martin-Gropius-Bau (Mauerreste)
Stop 5 - Checkpoint Charlie
Stop 6 - Gendarmenmarkt
Stop 7 - Mühlendamm
Stop 8 - Alexanderplatz (Park Inn Hotel)
Stop 9 - Alexanderplatz (Alexa)
Stop 10 - Rotes Rathaus / Neptunbrunnen
Stop 11 - Lustgarten/Musemsinsel/Altes Museum
Stop 12 - Brandenburger Tor
Stop 13 - Hauptbahnhof (Washingtonplatz)
Stop 14 - Siegessäule (Großer Stern)

After the bus tour we went to the Eastside Gallery of the Berlin wall. This was one of my favorite sites to see all the famous murals.  

The next day was rainy and chilly so we went to a lovely brunch and then to the art museum (listed above). The museum was in the top 5 of Berlin art. There were more galleries near Checkpoint Charlie that were recommended as well.

We also wanted to go to the top of the Reichstag Building with a glass dome, but the lines for the same day were very long and advance tickets require time to process personal details. After the art museums we went to KaDeWe to shelter the rain and had some snacks at the fish and cheese bars.  For dinner we tried this Asian inspired burger place that was delicious--Shisho Burger.

Overall, Berlin is a must see city to add to the Bucket list!

World Tour: Second stop Hamburg

Activity: hop on, hop off bus tour of Hamburg

Rating 3.5 of 5 stars

Website: http://www.hamburg-travel.com/experience/events/sightseeing-tours-tours/

Description: We chose to go to Hamburg to experience a city in Germany that is not on the traditional tourist route. It is a relatively wealthy city that is on the water with canals running through parts of it. The canals are do not run throughout the city as they do in Venice, so do not expect any gondola rides.

In order to see the majority of the city on our quick trip we did a city bus tour. We also had a quest for the best Hamburger (assuming Hamburg would be the perfect location) but we were unsuccessful. Instead, I did extensive research on the best waffles and found a delicious local spot that allowed you to pick your favorite toppings and flavors! 

Adventure day: Repelling down the moaning caverns

Activity: Repelling down the Moaning Caverns

Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Website: Moaning Caverns

Description: The moaning caverns are located about 2.5 hours from San Francisco. It is an adventure park from limestone caves where you can go on a cave tour, repel down the cave, or go on an all day tour including crawling in the caves with a guide. 

They do not allow reservations in advance unless you have a large group so make sure to arrive on time. Fortunately when I got there I did not have to wait. I paid, watched a short video, then I was instructed to put on the harness and ropes. The guide was there to set me up and answer any last minute questions. I was surprised that you do not go with a guide, instead you can go with a group or alone. The repel could take 15-40 minutes depending on how comfortable you feel going down. As I was going down the cave a group from the walking tour was able to see my shuffle down. At the bottom there is someone to help you with the harness and then you take a long flight of stairs back to the top. The only photos allowed for safety reasons are from a go pro strap to the helmet so make sure to bring any equipment that you may have.

The repel was a little frightening, but it was worth the spectacular view!

Day trip to Santa Cruz: Beach, Mysteries, and Greek Food

Activity: Mystery Spot Tour and Beach day at the Boardwalk

Rating: 4.2 of 5 stars

Website:

 https://www.mysteryspot.com//  

http://beachboardwalk.com/

Description: The first part of the day we went to the Mystery Spot. The Mystery spot is a place of gravitational quirkiness. You can do a short tour where you go to the stop of the area and watch a few demonstrations of gravitational weirdness- meaning that gravity's effect is the opposite of what you would assume. I won't ruin it by telling you the secrets, but I do recommend taking the tour that is only $6. I suggest booking in advance as tickets the day of may require you to wait. Parking is also available for a fee.

After the Mystery Spot my friend and I went to the Santa Cruz Boardwalk and enjoyed a lovely beach day. We even had the chance to see a lot of sea lion's up close which is not a rare occasion for the area as well as kayakers and even a beach wedding. On our way home we went to Greek food that was inexpensive and delicious. The overall vibe of Santa Cruz is very laid back. 

I highly recommend Santa Cruz for a day trip. There are plenty of things to do in this beach town. 

How to sightsee while enjoying delicious food

Chinatown food tour

Temple

delicious noodles!

Activity: Chinatown food tour in San Francisco

Rating: 4.3 of 5 stars

Website: http://www.foodtoursofsanfrancisco.com/

Cost: $60 full price, but discounts can be found on website or online vendors such as Groupon

Details: This food tour was unlike other food tastings I have heard about. Typically, you go to one location and try a variety of dishes and then the night is over. Food tours of San Francisco was unique because the tour incorporated the history of the city. We went to a total of 6 restaurants to try both traditional chinese food as well as a modern day interpretation of some more popular dishes. In between each tasting we  walked around and the tour guide pointed out city landmarks. We managed to have time to stop into a temple and the famous Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory where they hand make fortune cookies and can customize fortunes.

Dishes included but not limited to: green onion buns, spicy (schezwan style) noodles, red bean bun, shrimp dumplings, potstickers, egg custard, and of course fortune cookies.

Check out the website for the Mission tour (not just Mexican food) and North Beach (Italian food) tours in SF. They also host tours in NY and are expanding!

Recommend for: tourists, locals, spicy food eaters, and families