Special Trip #2: Travel to the Uxmal Mayan Ruins in the Yucatan!

Have you ever wanted to go and explore places of ancient times and that of mystery?  If you ever wanted to do so, then head on down to the Yucatan peninsula and see the Uxmal Mayan ruins!  Uxmal is located in the Yucatan, and it is considered one of the largest and oldest of the Mayan ruins to be discovered so far there!  Uxmal can be traveled to by coming from a Carnival cruise ship, arrive at Port Progeso, and then take a tour bus to that location to witness a once in a lifetime experience!  The site around Uxmal has a World Heritage site, dedicated to preserving the discoveries still being found within the city of Uxmal, as well as letting people know how important and mysterious the ancient Mayan culture was at the time.  If you want to go and visit the Mayan ruins of Uxmal, it is suggested that you should wear hiking shoes, as you will have to climb some of the highest locations in the city of Uxmal, which is seen in the picture above.  This picture was taken at the second highest location in Uxmal, and once you are at the top of this magnificent building, you can see several other locations within and around Uxmal where they have not uncovered yet.  This is a breathtaking experience!

If you wish to come see the Mayan city, it would be best if you were to go during the colder seasons of the month, as the temperatures can reach up to that of around one-hundred and twenty degrees, and that is in the shade!  At the Heritage center, there are several places that you can go in and experience, such as different tourist shops, where you can buy authentic Mayan masks and carvings, and a restaurant which serves authentic Mexican and/or Mayan cuisine!  If you want to go on a tour, you can hire a tour guide, who is a Mayan, which will take you into the city of Uxmal.  These tour guides will give you all of the information about the city and Mayan culture that you could wish to hear!  Also, while walking through the city, make sure that you look for different animals that live in that area, such as the Iguana, which there are many different shapes and sizes of these creatures!  So, if you want to have your breath taken away by the mysterious and amazing scenery of a city that has been around from long ago, then go on down to the Yucatan peninsula and visit the Uxmal Mayan ruins!

Special Trip #1: Travel to Port Progreso in Yucatan!

Do you want to experience things outside of Ohio, and even outside that of the United States of America?  Then travel down to the Yucatan peninsula to Port Progreso!  Even though this area is not in the United States, it is still a place where you should go in your life time!  Pictured above is part of the port of Port Progreso.  Port Progreso is located at the edge of Yucatan, and you must travel there by boat, or a Carnival cruise ship such as the Elation, or you would not be able to get to this specific area, unless you would fly by plane further down in Yucatan and then travel by car to Port Progreso.  Port Progreso has several things to experience while you are there, such as having several different bars that you can go to and experience, where all of the bartenders and workers are polite and cater to the needs that you want, alcohol especially!  If you are not interested in the bar scene at Port Progreso, you can also travel through the strip mall and explore many different shops that cater to tourists and natives alike.  Most of the merchandise available is not too expensive, but if you want to go further into Port Progreso, you can find even cheaper deals!

However, if you do not want to buy merchandise or go to the bar scene at the port, you can go on several different tours that are available at the port.  Each tour is different in its own way, where one tour goes to some of the Mayan ruins, such as Chichen Itza, located a couple of hours away from Port Progreso.  There are other places to go to, such as other locations that are available for tourists to go to, such as going to the city of Merida, where you can experience what the peninsula of Yucatan has to truly offer!  Also, if you are a person who likes the warmer/tropical heat instead of the colder areas, then Port Progreso would be good for you!  The temperature at Port Progreso is always at a steady eighty to ninety-five degrees, so you can soak up the heat, the fun, and the sun!  So, if you are up for a little different type of adventure, then cruise down to Port Progreso in Yucatan!

Take a cruise around the American coast and in the United States territories!

Do you want to experience different areas of the United States, but do not want to travel by land or air?  Then you would want to go down south of the United States and ride on a cruise ship particularly that of a Carnival cruise ship from the Carnival Cruise Lines!  Carnival Cruise Lines, founded in 1971 by Ted Arison, is a major cruise ship line that takes passengers down through the coasts of the United States, and to other areas that are either that of United States territory, or areas that belong to the country of Mexico.  Each Carnival cruise ship is unique in its own way, each with its own certain amount of passengers that it can hold, the amount of different types of entertainment that it has within the ship, and the different areas for people to eat at when they are hungry.  Pictured above is the cruise ship Elation, which contains around two-thousand passengers.  Each cruise ship has one or two special dining restaurants, where passengers get to eat in luxury, but they have to dress in formal attire if they wish to go to these restaurants.  Each cruise ship also has different areas for all ages, where there are special areas just for kids, such as arcades, hangout “bar” areas for kids to chat to other kids, and water slides and a pool on the main deck of the ship.  For adults, there are other type of activities, such as the ship having several different bars for drinking activities, as well as a place where adult oriented comedians go to.

When it comes to comedians and other famous people, the Carnival Cruise Lines has many famous people go on a cruise, either performing their specialty, or just going on the cruise ship just to have some fun like the other passengers on board.  There are times where many cruise ships have special events for famous celebrities, such as the Live Concert Series, where there are numerous singers/musicians that travel on the cruise ships during the course of the five to seven day cruises and perform concerts for passengers who want to experience what the Carnival has to fully offer!  So, if you want to experience other areas of the United States that not too many people can go to in their life, or go down to Mexico and experience a change of culture, then get on board one of the cruise ships of Carnival Cruise Lines!

Go down to Kentucky and see the Mammoth Cave National Park!

Did you ever want to go and experience that of caves or underground tunnels?  Did you ever want to go explore the unknown, such as the Deep Ocean or underground caves?  If you answered yes to one of those questions, then Mammoth Cave National Park is the place that you need to go!  The Mammoth Cave National Park, located mostly in Edmonson County, Kentucky, is the world’s longest cave system known, stretching for around four-hundred miles across the county, and several other counties in Kentucky!  The first finding of Mammoth Cave was in the year 1797, where a group of hunters unknowingly came across the large opening to the cave, according to legend.  The large opening can contain that of a building that is several stories tall, making it one of the biggest cave openings!  The park itself was not founded until the 1940’s, when it was decided that the caves needed to be preserved so that future generations can come and explore the cave and it’s mysteriousness and the vastness of the cave once you are inside of it!

If you are interested in learning more about the cave, you can go on guided tours and experience the inside of the cave and how big it is in person.  The cave, once you are inside of it, is pitch black, and once your tour guides remove the light, you cannot even see your hands in front of your face.  If you are afraid of the dark, then brace yourself for when this happens!  The cave has many different types of stalagmites and stalactites.  The one picture above is one of the biggest stalactite collections within the cave.  The stalactite formation resembles that of a waterfall, and tourists wanting to see it can get up close and personal with this amazing formation!  If you plan on spending the entire day or a couple of days at the park, you can purchase a room at the hotel within the park, so that way you can take in the total experience of being on top of the world’s longest cave system!  So, if you are wanting to experience the full beauty of what our planet has to offer, then come on down to Edmonson County, Kentucky and experience the Mammoth Cave National Park for yourself and your friends and/or family!

Travel to Dayton, Ohio and experience the National Museum of the United States Air Force!

If you want to go to a museum, and are interested in the history of the United States Air Force, then you can head over to Dayton, Ohio and visit the National Museum of the United States Air Force!  At this museum, located in Dayton, is a unique type of museum, dedicated to the different years of progression of air planes, jets, space shuttles, and even Air Force One.  This museum holds over three-hundred and fifty different types of aircraft, and it even includes missiles used for certain air planes.  The museum is the oldest and biggest Air Force museum in the entire world, showcasing the years of aircraft advancement, ranging from the Wright bother’s inventions, to the more modern day aircraft, such as the Bird of Prey.   The statue pictured above is a dedication to the world’s first known “flight” of Icarus from Greek Mythology.  The museum holds key information for each individual piece of aircraft that is in the building.  One of the more interesting aircrafts that is in the museum is that of the Boeing Superfortress “Bockscar”, which was used to drop the atomic bomb on Nagasaki in World War II.  The museum holds that aircraft, as well as the shells of some of the bombs that were used back in World War II, for those that are interested in that time period.

There are other types of aircraft there at the museum as well, such as different presidential aircraft, and even Air Force One, depending on if it is available at the time for tourists to go see the aircraft that the president himself flies in!  There are aircraft from the early years of aviation, such as the Wright brother’s wind tunnel and a couple of other inventions that they created.  There is also aircraft in the Space Gallery, which is aircraft that had the purpose of traveling through space, or outside of Earth’s atmosphere.  The museum also contains that of the different missiles, such as the Titan II, which was a ballistic missile, but then was later used for carrying supplies.  If you are interested in learning more about the worst aspect of World War II, the Holocaust, there is an exhibit dedicated to the history of the Holocaust, and has tales from those who managed to survive those horrific times.  Also, if you are in the mood to see a movie, they have an IMAX Theater which shows documentaries/films based on either aircraft or space missions.  If you want to learn more about what made the Air Force so great, then come and visit the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio! 

Go to Mason, Ohio and ride The Beast at Kings Island!

If you are up to riding some more roller coasters other than Cedar Point, then you would love to go on down to that of Kings Island and experience some of the top thrill rides in Ohio!  At Kings Island, you can experience riding some of the thrill rides that cannot be experienced anywhere else, such as the record setting Beast!  The Beast holds the record as the highest and fastest wooden roller coaster.  The Beast was built in 1979 and was considered to be the best roller coaster at the time it was built.  The drop of the roller coaster at the highest point is one-hundred and forty-one feet high, and it travels at around sixty-five miles per hour.  Because of the speed and velocity with which it travels, it is still considered one of the top amusement rides/roller coasters in Ohio, and around the Easter side of the United States of America.  If you do not want to ride this monster, then you can go ride some of the other top thrill rides within the park.  There is the ride called the Firehawk, which is a roller coaster where riders face the ground at all times during the course of the ride.  There is also the indoor coaster called the Flight of Fear, which takes you inside that of a U.F.O. in pure darkness!

There are other rides you can experience, such as that of the Drop Tower, standing at over three-hundred and fifteen feet high, the Invertigo, which takes you on a thrill ride facing other riders, which is an experience like never before!  There is also the Delirium, which takes riders on a circular ride, and swings them back and forth up to a height of one-hundred and thirty-seven feet!  There is also the newest ride to the pack, called the Diamondback, which take riders through speeds of eighty miles per hour, and through many twists and turns like none of the other coasters within the park!  Also, just like Cedar Point, if you want to experience what Kings Island has to fully offer, you can go during Halloween and experience their Halloween Haunt, which has most of the same haunted attractions like that of Cedar Point.  So, if you are up for the experience of riding the Beast and being scared by other beasts and ghouls, then come on to Mason, Ohio to Kings Island!

Visit the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas!

Would you want to travel to a moment in time when the thought of revolution was an important subject within the United States, other than the Revolutionary War?  Then travel on down to San Antonio, Texas, and go see the Alamo!  The Alamo, still standing today, is an important moment in that of the Texas Revolution in 1836, where the last remaining Texans stood their ground to fight off the Mexican army.  Wave after wave of the Mexican Army crashed into the Alamo, only for the Texans to fight them off.  They managed to succeed in fighting off the Mexican Army, commanded by the General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, for two waves of attack.  During this attack, there were a total of one-hundred Texans that were garrisoned here to help fight off the Mexican Army.  Those who commanded the Texans were James Bowie and William B. Travis.  They arrived right before the oncoming Mexican Army threat to add several reinforcements for the cause.  Out of the many soldiers who defended the Alamo against the Mexican Army, those two co-commanders would be known as the most important figures of the Texas Revolution.

After the second wave of attacks were thrown off, the Mexicans arrived for a third wave, and the Texans were not able to successfully hold them off any more.  The soldiers, when the Mexicans were climbing up the walls to overtake the Alamo, decided to hide within the buildings inside the fort.  Only several of the defenders of the fort tried to escape, but were killed by the Mexican Army.  Those that decided to stay and fight against the Mexican Army took many soldiers with them to their graves.  Out of the battle, around two hundred Mexican soldiers had been killed by the Texans and their valiant efforts. Through the efforts of the Texans, they have shown that there can be resistance against the Mexican Army in the southern areas of the United States.  So, if you want to witness the area where all of this took place, then come on down and visit the Alamo down in San Antonio! You do not want to miss out on this once in a  life time opportunity!