Travel Archives - Page 10 of 11 - This glorious life

San Diego – a perfect family holiday destination

21/01/2018

by This glorious life with No Comment Travel Uncategorized

When you have young children it can be hard to know the best place to go for a great holiday together.

There are so many options available, from a staycation in the UK to a long haul flight to experience a new culture together.

If you fancy heading somewhere a bit further from home, then San Diego is a great option for a family holiday. Whether you decide to stay in a hotel or choose from the amazing range of vacation rentals in San Diego, there is so much to see and do in this vibrant city.

Here are some of the reasons to add San Diego to your list of perfect family holiday locations.

The beaches

San Diego is in Southern California, on the Pacific coast and is home to miles of stunning coastline and beaches perfect for visiting with children.

There’s moonlight state beach in north San Diego which has all the amenities a family could want, from toilets and showers to places to buy and rent any beach equipment you might need.

If your family fancy giving boogie boarding or surfing a try then mission beach is worth a visit, and after you’ve worn yourselves out in the waves you can head over to Belmont Park where you can ride the rollercoaster and refuel with a classic hotdog. And if you get a second wind you can grab some roller skates and skate along the boardwalk.

For a slightly different beach experience you can head to La Jolla shores, where you can spot seals and sea lions. At the north end of La Jolla shores is La Jolla cove where you can explore rock pools and have a go at snorkelling with snorkels hired from the shop right on the cove.

Whichever beach you end up choosing, a day spent with the sand and the waves is the perfect way to enjoy the California sunshine!

The attractions

Keeping your children entertained is really easy in San Diego, thanks to the variety of attractions in the city.

The first place I would visit with my children would be San Diego zoo.

There is such a variety of animals to see there, it really looks amazing. And on the off chance that your children get bored after seeing the elephants, leopards, snakes, monkeys, penguins and polar bears, there are 4 play areas for them to run wild in too.

Next on my list of places to visit would be SeaWorld San Diego.

There are dolphins, whales, otters, penguins, sea lions and seals to meet and have fun watching. And for the thrill seekers there are 15 different rides around the park to add to the fun. There really does seem to be something for the whole family at SeaWorld and I think you could easily spend a whole day there exploring and saying hello to all the amazing sea creatures!

To balance out the excitement of SeaWorld and the zoo there’s a whole range of museums around San Diego that you can visit when you want to slow the pace down a bit.

For creative types there’s the San Diego museum of art, with over 18,000 works of art on display, and there’s the museum of photographic arts too, with thousands of photographs in their permanent collection.

If museums are more your thing, then you’ll find you’re spoilt for choice in San Diego. From the San Diego natural history museum and the museum of man to the air and space museum and Fleet science center, whatever you and your family are interested in there’s bound to be a few places to visit and learn something new.

The nightlife

Just because you have your children on holiday with you doesn’t mean you can’t have fun after the sun goes down.

If you’ve spent the day at the beach, instead of heading back when it starts to get dark you can carry on the fun by getting a fire going in one of the fire pits on the beach and gathering round to have a go at making s’mores with the children.

For a real all-american experience, hop in the car and go to a drive-in movie at either the Santee drive-in or the South Bay drive in. You can take your own snacks along with you, or buy something from the concession stand when you get there.

For a completely free option, you can head outside and make the most of any clear nights with a spot of star-gazing. If you happen to be in San Diego on the first Wednesday of the month, then head to Balboa park where the San Diego Astronomy Association sets up telescopes for the public to use for free stargazing. Even better, each telescope is manned by an expert who can teach you about the constellations as you gaze at them.

Hopefully after all that you and your children will be ready for a good night’s sleep!

From the gorgeous beaches and the amazing attractions, to the cultural destinations and family-friendly nightlife, there really is so much to see and do in San Diego, for the whole family.

As long as you’re prepared for the long flight from the UK (flights are normally around 11 and a half hours from London), then San Diego really might be the perfect family holiday destination.

Just make sure you stay long enough to fit it all in, and squeeze in some time to just relax and enjoy the sunshine too!

Disclaimer: this is a collaborative post.

My dream winter hideaway

09/01/2018

by This glorious life with No Comment Personal Travel Uncategorized

In yesterday’s Living Arrows post I mentioned that I’m still a bit reluctant to emerge from my cosy festive bubble.

It’s been so lovely over the last two weeks to spend time curled up on the sofa with a pile of warm blankets and a mug of hot coffee, watching Moana on repeat with the children.

With the weather being as cold as it is at the moment I’m finding myself daydreaming a bit about escaping off on a winter getaway, but not on a sunshine break. I imagine fully embracing the season in a dream winter hideaway.

I’m really intrigued by the idea of going and staying in a traditional yurt in Mongolia, or an igloo in Greenland. But, honestly, I’m not sure I’m really that adventurous when it comes to it.

So my dream winter hideaway would probably be a cosy chalet in the Swiss mountains.

There is something so appealing about the idea of a gorgeous wooden chalet, up in the mountains, surrounded by snow.

I would have thick, soft rugs in every room and big cosy armchairs and sofas covered in all sorts of blankets and throws in the living room. Perfect for curling up with a hot drink and watching a film or reading a good book.

I’d be drinking plenty of hot chocolate and coffee, most likely with a good splosh of Merlyn in there for good measure.

As for food, it would be comfort all the way.

Big plates of cottage pie or pasta bake. Fresh bread with lots of butter, alongside steaming bowls of homemade soup.

And chocolatey goodies like brownies and cake.

Perfect.

To really create the perfect cosy atmosphere I would keep the main lights turned off and have table lamps and candles dotted around instead. And of course there would be a roaring fire in the living room to curl up next to.

In the bedroom I would have a huge super-king bed, so that all four of us could snuggle up together in the mornings without feeling squished.

The sheets would be made from beautifully soft cotton, like these from Julian Charles, and the duvet would be big enough to share without any middle of the night games of tug of war.

And of course there would be even more blankets and throws piled on top of the bed, for extra warmth in the night.

I would make sure there were plenty of big, soft towels and dressing gowns to wrap up in after having a soak in the bath. A bath which would be much longer and deeper than normal, so even my 6’4″ husband could enjoy it!

I’m not sure I would ever want to leave this little winter hideaway that I’ve dreamt up, in my mind it just seems so perfect and cosy!

Where would your dream winter hideaway be?

If you’re stuck for inspiration then take a look at this winter e-book from Julian Charles, there are some gorgeous locations and really unique buildings that will have you reaching for your passport and hoping for snow!

Disclaimer: This is a collaborative post.

Exploring Croatia: Europe’s newest tourist hotspot

24/10/2017

by This glorious life with No Comment Travel Uncategorized

When people think about going on holiday to Europe, their minds will often be instantly drawn to well-established tourist destinations like Italy, Greece, Spain and France. But a country that has been experiencing a tourism boom in recent years is Croatia. With miles of coastline to be explored and interesting historical attractions up and down the country, there is plenty to enjoy in Europe’s newest tourist hotspot. Let’s take a look at a few of them here.

Photo credit

Zagreb

The capital of Croatia is nice and small, so you can easily walk around to see many of the top attractions in a single day. As well as the historical churches and statues, one of the main sights that has been drawing people in recent years is the Museum of Broken Relationships, a sometimes sad and sometimes funny look at break-ups of all kind. Overall, it is a friendly place and a good starting point for a Croatian holiday.

Plitvice Lakes National Park

With cascading waterfalls set against green hills, there is a lot to marvel at and enjoy in Plitvice Lakes National Park. There are plenty of easy walking trails that take in much of the scenery, so decide how much time you have and how far you would like to go. There are also boats that ferry you around so you can cover the distance in a quicker and very scenic way.

Split

Croatia’s second city is in a lovely coastal location, and it has a wonderfully Mediterranean feel when you are wandering by the sea. In the heart of the town, the mighty Diocletian’s Palace dominates the area. Rather than just being a historical landmark, it is still a working town where there are plenty of shops, bars and restaurants. Just outside of the centre of town, you can walk up hundreds of steps to get a stunning view over the city and surrounding area.

Hvar Island

Photo credit

While you are in Croatia, you will certainly want to visit at least one of the islands, and you could do so with a company like The Big Sail. And if you are only going to go to a single island, Hvar is the most well-known, though it has become something of a haven for the super-rich. There is still plenty to enjoy on a budget, including sailing out to some of the smaller surrounding islands by water taxi.

Dubrovnik

The setting of King’s Landing in the hugely popular TV series Game of Thrones, Dubrovnik is fast-becoming one of Europe’s most popular tourist towns. And with its historic walled city set against the rocky coastline, it is no wonder it has become so popular. Still, you shouldn’t let this put you off coming and there is still plenty to enjoy, particularly if you visit in the colder months when it is a lot less crowded and you are more likely to find a little corner of the city all to yourself.

There is a whole lot to love in Croatia, and these five places give you a good starting point if you are planning a holiday here.

Disclaimer – this is a collaborative post.

Life in Swansea – a trip to Mumbles on the land train

28/08/2017

by This glorious life with No Comment Parenting Swansea & South Wales

I have lived in Swansea for about 17 years now, and there are still so many places I haven’t been to and things I haven’t done here. One thing that I can cross off that list though is taking a trip on the Swansea Bay rider land train, from Blackpill to Mumbles.

I went on it for the first time last week, with the children and Steve’s family who were over from the Isle of Man. And I can safely say it is as much fun as it looks!

The train runs 6 times a day, from Blackpill all along the front at Swansea bay to Southend gardens in Mumbles.

We decided to catch the first train of the day, at 10.30 from Blackpill.

We got there a few minutes before the train arrived, and so had the fun build up of peering down the prom trying to spot it as it made its way towards us.

By the time the train arrived there were several other families waiting to get on, and I wasn’t sure how much room there would be for everyone. So I was really pleasantly surprised when I realised that the Swansea Bay rider is actually a pretty decent size. According to the council website it has enough seats for 72 people which I thought was great.

I was also really impressed with the two men who were running it that day.

They took the time to chat with us and work out the best deal for us when it came to buying our tickets which we really appreciated.

Then before we knew it, the whistle blew and we were off!

The land train travels all along Swansea promenade to Mumbles, so you get amazing views of Swansea bay the whole way.

I’ve lost count of the amount of times I’ve looked out at that view across the bay, but I don’t think I will ever get tired of it. And if you’re visiting Swansea then taking the land train is a great way to really experience the view for the first time!

One thing I really loved was how everyone walking along the prom reacted as the train went by.

All the children on the train were shouting hello and waving to them as we went along, and pretty much everyone we passed grinned and waved hello back to them. There was just such a lovely atmosphere to the whole thing.

We got off the train at the last stop – Southend gardens in Mumbles. Then walked for a couple of minutes to Mumbles pier.

We ventured out along the pier to visit the Mumbles Lifeboat station, which I’m not sure I had ever done before.

Rhys and Nerys have been a few times before though, with their Nana and with Steve, and Rhys was really excited to tell me all about how the lifeboat launches and splashes out in the water to rescue people.

I was really impressed with the lifeboat station, there was a fair bit to look at and interact with while learning all about how the crew do their jobs. The children even had the chance to try on some of the gear!

After a good nose at the lifeboat we headed back along the pier to the beach hut cafe to refuel with coffee for the adults and lunch for the children. Rhys highly recommends the margarita pizza from the children’s menu, it was delicious!

We just had time after lunch for a quick visit to the amusement arcade.

I think the children could’ve quite happily spent all afternoon there, playing on the different games and trying out the various rides, but luckily for our wallets we were watching the clock to make sure we got back to Southend gardens in time to get the train back to Blackpill.

We did have time for Nerys and her cousin to ride in a rocket ship a few times though, while Rhys challenged his Nana to a few games of air hockey.

We managed to get the little ones away from the arcade without too much drama (luckily!) and then strolled back to meet the train for the journey back home.

We were a few minutes early again, so passed the time taking photos and seeing who could spot the train coming first!

Then it was time to hop aboard and make our way back along the prom to Blackpill.

We had a really great morning out together, riding the land train and spending some time at the pier in Mumbles. I still can’t believe I’d never done it before! And now I’ve seen how much fun it can be I’ll definitely be taking the children for a ride again next summer.

You can get details of ticket prices and the dates and times that the Swansea Bay rider runs here.

family-yoga-cwmdonkin-park-swansea-parklives

Yoga and ducks – fun with ParkLives in Swansea

20/08/2017

by This glorious life with No Comment Parenting Swansea & South Wales Uncategorized

If you live in Swansea you may well have noticed banners and signs for ParkLives up in the local parks. And you might have wondered what they’re all about.

Well, ParkLives is an initiative that was launched by Coca-Cola back in 2014.

They work in partnership with local authorities across the UK to offer all sorts of free activities to encourage people to get out and enjoy their local parks and green spaces.

Swansea is one of 10 cities that is involved with ParkLives and it’s been amazing this summer seeing all the different sessions that are going on in so many of our parks.

We had a great time at the family fun day in Brynmill Park last week and we’ve also been along to a family yoga session and an arts and crafts session that were both so much fun.

The first activity that we tried out was a family yoga session in Cwmdonkin park.

The ParkLives website said that the session was suitable for children aged 5 and over, so Nerys stayed home to do some gardening with Steve and Rhys and I walked over to the park to give yoga a try.

I was really pleased when I first saw that family yoga was available with ParkLives, because it was something I had mentioned to Rhys at the start of the summer holidays that maybe we should try.

He is such a high energy child I thought that yoga might be a great activity to try, to see if it could give him some skills to use to calm himself down and focus when he needs to.

When we got to the session we were given a lovely friendly welcome and then we spread out our blanket and got to it.

I have to admit I was a bit nervous before we went to the session because I’m not the most flexible person and haven’t done that much yoga before. But I really shouldn’t have worried. The session was really relaxed and fun, and it really didn’t matter if we couldn’t quite do the poses as well as some of the other people there.

Part of the session involved the children choosing cards with poses on them for their parents to try out with them.

Rhys chose the down dog card. which is one of the few poses I know so I was pretty happy with that!

The session lasted an hour which felt just about right and I was really proud of Rhys for staying focused on what we were doing the whole time.

I really enjoyed every aspect of the family yoga session, and best of all as we walked home Rhys told me he really enjoyed it and would like to do it again. So I’m pretty sure we’ll be heading back for more sessions, it is just such a lovely thing for us to do together.

The other session we have been along to this summer was a fab arts and crafts activity in the discovery centre in Brynmill park.

The session was listed on the ParkLives website as a ‘design a duck’ activity, and honestly we were a little bit intrigued as to what it would actually involve!

When we got to the park we found that it was a lovely simple craft activity that involved using all sorts of materials to decorate a picture of a duck.

As soon as we sat down we were handed crayons and tinsel and tissue paper and felt in all sorts of colours.

Rhys and Nerys couldn’t wait to get started, and I loved sitting back and watching their different approaches.

Nerys went down the creative route, and made a beautifully bright and colourful duck. It even had 2 googly eyes on its tummy, which added a nice little picasso-like touch of abstractism to her creation!

Rhys, on the other hand, decided straight away that he wanted to design a duck that actually looked like a real duck.

I find it fascinating to see how my children work and think in such different ways!

Rhys worked really hard on his picture, and was so proud of it when he had finished. Especially when the judge came along to choose their favourite duck and his won!

He couldn’t quite believe it to start with, I really don’t think he was expecting his picture to be chosen.

That little toy duck means really quite a lot to him and he was so excited to show it to Steve and then to his grandparents when he saw them the next day.

Our experiences with ParkLives in Swansea have been really positive so far.

The sessions have all been really well organised, and run by lovely welcoming staff. What I really love is the variety of activities that are available.

The options in Swansea include:

Tai Chi
Scooters and skateboard sessions
Dodgeball and endball
Parkour
Walk and talk sessions
Circus skills

There are so many sessions available, there really is something for everyone.

For more information and to see what activities are on in your area pop over to ParkLives.com and put your postcode in the search box.

Then head outside and start having some fun in the park!

Disclosure – this is a sponsored post, but all words and opinions are my own.

Fun for everyone with ParkLives

19/08/2017

by This glorious life with No Comment Parenting Swansea & South Wales

I first heard about ParkLives last summer, when I noticed one of their banners up in Brynmill park. Then I spotted another banner up at Victoria park by Swansea bay, but I didn’t really know what it was all about.

And it was only at the start of the summer this year that I actually looked up ParkLives online and found out quite what I had been missing!

ParkLives is an initiative that was launched back in 2014 and is run in partnership between Coca-Cola and local authorities across the UK.

Their main aim is to get people out and active in the green spaces in their local communities, and they’re working to achieve this by offering all sorts of different fun, and free, activities.

Swansea (including Neath Port Talbot and Bridgend) is one of 10 cities in the UK that is taking part in ParkLives in 2017.

The other cities involved are Birmingham, Dundee, Glasgow, Manchester, Newcastle, Southampton, Stoke-on-Trent, Nottingham and the London Borough of Newham.

If you’re lucky enough to live in one of those areas, then head over to the ParkLives website and see what activities are on offer. There is so much choice, there’s bound to be something that interests you and your children!

If you’re looking for something nice and gentle then there are options, like Tai Chi and walk and talk sessions, that are great for getting some gentle exercise while possibly meeting new friends from the local area. There are also loads of options for the gym bunnies out there, from boot camp sessions to circuits and yoga.

The best part for me though is all the activities that are available for children.

We’ve enjoyed doing the family yoga sessions here in Swansea, and had a great time at a ‘design a duck’ craft session in Brynmill Park.

Some of the other activities for children in Swansea include:

Parkour
Circus skills
Mounting boarding
Scooters and skateboard sessions
Dodgeball and endball
Balance bike sessions
Family fun days
Golf and volleyball sessions

There really is something for everyone and the sessions are an amazing way for children to try out new activities to learn new skills and perhaps find a new interest or hobby.

The sessions generally last for about an hour and are all run by well-trained leaders and volunteers from the local area.

The people running the sessions that we’ve been along to have been really friendly and welcoming, and took the time to make sure we had everything we needed and knew what we were doing.

The emphasis at all the sessions seems to be fun, and you’re free to go at your own pace which is great for making everyone feel welcome and included. So even if you’re a complete beginner you’re encouraged to join in and give things a go.

If you live in one of the towns listed above, head over to ParkLives.com and see what activities are on offer in your local parks.

It’s really easy to do, just put your postcode in the box on the homepage and a list of activities will come up, sorted by date and time. Then just click on the activity that takes your fancy to find out a bit more information about the session.

Make sure you check if you need to book a place or not, then on the day just turn up at the park and get ready to have some fun, all for free.

What’s not to love about that?

Disclaimer – this is a sponsored post.

Cocktails at the Sky Bar, Grape and Olive, Swansea

09/07/2017

by This glorious life with One Comment Reviews Swansea & South Wales

I had a real treat last Thursday – a night out at the launch of the brand new Sky Bar at the Grape and Olive here in Swansea.

I was invited along to celebrate the launch with a group of other bloggers and local businesses, and couldn’t wait to get there and see what they had to offer.

The last time I was at the Grape and Olive was for their Christmas event, which was a really lovely evening. The food we sampled that night was absolutely delicious so I had really quite high expectations for the cocktails and food we would be tasting at the Sky Bar, and honestly I was not disappointed!

The whole evening started well for me, with a walk along the Swansea Bay seafront to the meridian tower. It was a gorgeous warm evening and it was amazing to experience a visit to the top of the tower in such good weather.

The Sky Bar is right at the very top of the tower and the views from up there are stunning. That in itself makes it a great place to visit, before you even get started tasting the food and drink they have to offer!

When I arrived I was greeted once again with a very warm welcome from Ffion, who quickly handed me a glass of fizz and introduced me to the rest of the group. There were several bloggers there that I had met at the Christmas event which was lovely because I do still get quite nervous about the idea of not knowing anyone at these kinds of things.

Then when I went to sit down I realised that sitting opposite me was the gorgeous Georgia from It’s Georgia Eloise, who I met last summer when we both photographed the ‘We are here‘ event for the centenary of the battle of the Somme. It was such a nice surprise to see her, and to have a good catch up chat!

Whilst we chatted and drank our fizz I had a little look over the new Sky Bar menu to see what was on offer.

The menu looks really good, there’s a nice selection of drinks available without it being overwhelming. And I really like the fact that they offer mocktails for anyone who might be driving but still fancy something a bit more interesting than a lemonade!

Once everyone had arrived we were invited over to the bar area for a little demonstration.

A beautiful selection of cocktails was lined up on the bar when we got over there, and then we were shown how a few of them were made.

It was fascinating watching the attention to detail that goes into making these cocktails, it really is quite a craft!

Every step is geared towards getting the most of all the flavours that go into the drinks, from muddling mint leaves and sugar syrup to burning orange peel to release the oil to get more flavour from it.

The impression I got is that a lot of care goes into each drink that is made here, so you really do get a fantastic experience on a night out.

I had a taste of a few of the drinks and they were all delicious, and worryingly easy to drink!

They all looked so beautiful too, you almost don’t want to ruin it by drinking them.

Almost!

After sampling a few different drinks I decided to have an espresso martini, and I was delighted with that decision!

I’m a big coffee drinker so this cocktail was right up my street.

Made with a freshly brewed espresso and cazcabel coffee tequila, it’s a simple cocktail but it’s absolutely delicious.

I had to make a real effort to take my time and sip it because it would’ve been far to easy for it to just disappear in seconds!

Luckily we were brought a selection of nibbles to try which helped me pace myself with the drink. As I expected, everything I tasted was mouthwateringly good. I would honestly go back to the Grape and Olive just for the puddings, as the little chocolate brownies we tried were absolutely perfect.

By the end of the evening I was full of delicious food and cocktails, and had a big smile on my face from a lovely few hours spent in good company.

And the caffeine from the espresso martini powered me along on my walk back home!

If you’re in Swansea, and looking for somewhere a little different to go for drinks, I would highly recommend the Sky Bar at the Grape and Olive. The views over Swansea Bay and the marina are amazing, the staff know their stuff, the drinks are amazing and the food is just delicious if you want something to accompany your cocktails.

What more could you want?!

Thank you to Ffion and the team for putting on another wonderful event, and for inviting me along!

Madeline Littlejohns is a participant in the Amazon EU Associates Programme, an affiliate advertising programme designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.co.uk

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