Sweet Summer Travels

Traveling is my passion, I love to see how different people and places are just a few miles away or across oceans.

Just a couple of weeks before school ended I spent a few days in St. Augustine which made my urge to travel grow and made me be set on traveling as much as I can this summer. I fell in love with the Old City and made sure to remember every bit of its fascinating history.

The culture up there is so different from what we have here in Broward, it's a different world altogether! But it is beautiful, everyone is extremely nice and helpful, and it gives you a glimpse back into the past and as to how the Spanish used to be. Definitely a place to check out for any history buffs out there. I fell so in love with the city I'm even considering applying for their college.

We're already a few weeks into our summer vacation and I've already started my travels and planned more for the weeks up ahead.

The first week of the summer started with a trip to Orlando and the surrounding area. Everyone loves Orlando because of Disney World, of course, but this time I wanted to see how the city is from a local's point of view. My family and I ate and shopped at local places whose profit doesn't directly come from tourism. The hospitality was still there though, and that's something I really love about Orlando. Whether in the middle of the tourism market, or on the outskirts hanging with the locals, the warm feeling and treatment of the people never changes.

Now I'm getting ready for a trip down to Key West this Sunday. I'm taking a tour of the city with my dad, always fun to travel with him. He is a person who loves traveling close to how much I do. I'm hoping the trip turns out great and I'll be sure to take lots of pictures (another one of my passions)!

Treats and Eats

With the first month of summer coming to a close, I have to say that so far, it's been pretty fun. Not to mention, it's also been relaxing. I mean after all the stress from the SATs and boatloads of school work, I finally get to sleep until 12:00 p.m. in peace.

After going through an extremely boring summer last year, I made sure that this summer would be filled with new experiences that would appeal to my trendy personality. I thought there would be no better way to kick off this summer than go out with my cousin for her sweet 16th birthday, which was exactly two weeks ago.

My cousin decided that she wanted to have a spa day with all her close friends, so we all went to Contour Day Spa in Plantation, FL. I personally never been to a spa before and I absolutely loved it! The staff and service were amazing. After getting a massage, manicure and pedicure, I forgot that it wasn't my birthday (it sure did feel like it).

After the spa, we headed to the Cheesecake Cake Factory in Sawgrass Mills. This was the first time I had been here as well and I have to say, it wasn't at all what I thought it was. I've had the cheesecake there plenty of times before (yum!!), I just never dined and ate there. The service wasn't that great and several orders were messed up, but for the most part, I'm happy that I was able to go to a new place.

Today was another first for me. I finally went shopping at the Shops at Pembroke Gardens. Despite the sudden down pour of rain, it was a treat for me, after all there's nothing I love more than fashion.

While there, I also got to eat at the Asian restaurant, Stir Crazy. Unlike my experience at Cheesecake Factory, the service at Stir Crazy was great and the food was even greater. I personally recommend the Sweet & Spicy chicken and the Teriyaki chicken.

Here's the link to my blog! I'm not constantly updating it, but I wanted to try and make it like tumblr. xo

http://rachelepstein11.blogspot.com/

The Southern Most Point Soothes

The school year is finally over, and the buzz of summer is taking control. I have high expectations for the upcoming two months: I plan on sleeping in as often as I can, but still have a blast.


This past school year I've worked extra hard, and I'm so glad that I finally have a break from all of the pressures of the FCAT, etc. Next week my family and I are going to Key West for a few days just to relax and see the sights once more. Key West is one of my favorite places in the world, and here's why:

It has that New York City vibe, a small island packed with people and shops on every corner. The sights and sounds are a playground for the senses, everywhere you turn there's a guy on stilts or chickens happily strutting around.

There's a lot of cool places to visit, like Ernest Hemingway's House (filled with six toed cats), The Truman Annex, and Duval Street which is filled with awesome shops.

I've been to Key West many times, but I've never been on a haunted tour. Personally, I love learning about the paranormal, so the tour that I'm going to take with my stepdad is definitely going to be one of my highlights of the trip. I want to meet Robert the Doll, who's supposedly possessed.

Ghost Tours aside, Key West is truly a relaxing place. I plan on just chilling on the beach and soaking up some sun.