Blockhouse Beach at PAF Base in Florida

About 20 minutes away from our place, we have few beaches that we can choose to go to. We were trying to explore further down South towards the Satellite Beach. As we drove down the South Atlantic Avenue, we saw quiet a few cars parked on the parking lot so; we decided to go and look at this place.  Blockhouse Beach is clean and a nice beach to hang out. ,

Hubby enjoyed walking along the shoreline barefoot while I was having a comfortable siesta on my beach chair and taking some photos. If you are in Orlando vacationing, come to the Space Coast. The beach is just an hour away.

10 Tips to Make Your Travel Easier and Safer

Are you planning a great vacation outside of the country? Take note of these tips on how to make your travel easier and safer.

1. When traveling abroad, make sure that you have a valid passport; you sign it and fill in the emergency information page.

2. Always leave copies of your itineraries as well as the passport data page and visa to your family and friends so that; if there is an emergency, you can easily be contacted.

3. This is very important that you must comply before you travel abroad. You must check your overseas medical insurance coverage. Make an inquiry whether your policy applies overseas. You can ask them further if your policy covers emergency expenses such as medical evacuation. You MUST consider having a supplemental insurance if in case your medical insurance coverage does not cover it.

4. Do not just travel without learning the important laws and local condition of the country. Make sure that you are well informed because while in a foreign country, you are subject to its laws.

5. At the airport, DO NOT leave unattended luggage in public areas and no matter what, DO NOT accept packages from strangers.

6. Please avoid being a target of crime so; take extra precaution at all times. Do not wear extravagant jewelries and DO NOT carry excessive amounts of money

7. Travel light and if possible, get the handy kick scooters. Scooters are very helpful in maneuvering especially when you are in the airport; it saves time and your baggage will be lighter.

8. Make sure that you are up to date with your gate number. Information changes abruptly so; while at the airport, make sure that you check the flight information board at all times. 

9. Keep your credit cards, passport, money, ID's in a safe place in your purse or carry on.

10. Last but not the least, have fun and make lasting memories. Do not forget to take photographs of the places you visited. Have a wonderful vacation!

By the Beach

We live nearby the beach but, it's been weeks that we have not visited Cocoa. We were very busy for the holiday. On the first week of January, we were caught up with a minor problem with our renter. She moved with no payment for a week and did not give us a notice. We were relieved really. The condo was vacant for 4 days, someone moved on the 13th. Glad that we were done cleaning and re-painting the condo before the viewing. And today, is a movie Monday. Boy, I am so glad! Have you seen the new Les Miserables?

Anyway, we will be heading to the beach any day this week. I miss walking on the sand and enjoying the sea breeze. I have a new DSLR and never tried it. This week is the biggest test for my photography prowess.

With these pictures, I am only using my Blackberry phone and no special feature whatsoever. I still think it was alright. What do you think?

I can't wait to use my DSLR and take some good shots by the beach. Thanks for stopping by and please visit here next time.

Palawan's Hidden Hills Getaway Giveaway

Any plans to travel to the Philippines this year? I have good news for you. You can cut a big chunk of expenses if you join this giveaway. It is easy to join and you might be the big winner. Read the information below and make sure you like the pages and follow all the required links. Good luck!

Welcome to Palawan's Hidden Hills Getaway Giveaway which is hosted by The Travel Bug and in cooperation with What’s Up  |  Henry’s Mom Blogs  |  My Own Travels  |  Sporadic Thoughts  |  It’s My Party  |  Home Is Where The Heart Is  |  Red Lips and Pinky Toes  |  The Bunny’s Review  |  Boracay Resorts Bookings

You can enjoy this free accommodation and relax in the tranquility of Palawan when you win in this amazing getaway sponsored by the generous owner of Hidden Hills Private Resort. The whole prize will total to $400 excluding transportation and yours free when you win the amazing getaway prize!

Hidden Hills is your exotic vacation home in the Philippines, situated in Puerto Princesa, Palawan. The exclusive villa is a lovely rustic chalet which sits on top of the hill with an additional loft built downhill to accommodate additional guests.

The whole villa is a masterpiece and truly a place to enjoy a quiet time, to de-stress and marvel at Mother Nature's best! To get more info about the property and view the gallery, please visit: http://www.flipkey.com/puerto-princesa-villa-rentals/p132853/

The Prize:

1 winner will be chosen to avail the 2 nights/3 days free accommodation. The prize is for 2 persons in one accommodation.

Prize includes:

• Accommodations : Exclusive use of the entire property 
• Welcome Drinks 
• Welcome Pack / Fruit Basket 
• Daily Freshly Picked Flowers From the Garden FREE 
• Unlimited Coffee or Tea&nbsp
• Mineral Drinking Water 
• Eat-All-U-Can Fruits & Veggies in season whatever grows in the farm FREE!!! 
• FREE FRESHLY PICKED BUKO (YOUNG COCONUT JUICE) ON ARRIVAL. 
• Cutleries & beddings / towels/ flip-flops / rain boots / beach mats provided for use 
• ONE BOTTLE OF WINE (Seasonal Welcome Compliments) 
• Cleaning services (daily) 
• Cooking Assistance

NOT INCLUDED: Transport. The winner will shoulder his/her plane/boat/land fare and visa for a foreigner winner must be the sole responsibility of the winner.

Important notes:

• The dates chosen by the winner will have to be discussed with the owner of the Hidden Hills for the availability.

• The prize is NOT convertible to cash and is valid for a year upon winning

• The winner is responsible for his/her plane/boat fare, if applicable. Visa formalities, if required, will be the sole responsibility of the winner.

This will run from 15 January to 15 February 2013 (12:00 a.m. Dubai, UAE local time or +4 GMT and close at 11:59 p.m.), and a single winner will be chosen via rafflecopter.com after all the entries have been verified.

This giveaway is open WORLD WIDE.

Join now and next thing you know, you may just find yourself relaxing in Hidden Hills!

a Rafflecopter giveaway



Disclaimer:

MUSIC and INSPIRATION did not receive any payment from the sponsor to host this event.
The prize will be awarded by the owner of Hidden Hills as soon as the entries are verified.

Chick-Fil-A Visit

Chick-fil-A and Dan Cathy became a household name in the US for the past weeks. I am not a fan of Chick-Fil-A and I do not know Dan Cathy. But, when some politician started bashing on this good business for making a stand on "traditional family", hubby and I made our decision to visit Chick-Fil-A and support them for having the courage to stand for "traditional marriage". If that is their stand, let us respect them.

I have so many gay friends and I love them dearly. I wanted them to be happy too and I respect their choices. As long as they love each other and live in harmony with everyone, I am happy for who they are. They raised good children and they are good parents to their children and I admire them for that.

I just don't understand why some politicians had to jump into conclusion that Chick-Fil-A's stand on " traditional marriage" is hating gay's rights.

Here is Chick-Fil- A's Response to Recent Controversy:

Chick-fil-A is a family-owned and family-led company serving the communities in which it operates. From the day Truett Cathy started the company, he began applying biblically-based principles to managing his business.

The Chick-fil-A culture and service tradition in our restaurants is to treat every person with honor, dignity and respect –regardless of their belief, race, creed, sexual orientation or gender. We will continue this tradition in the over 1,600 Restaurants run by independent Owner/Operators. Going forward, our intent is to leave the policy debate over same-sex marriage to the government and political arena.

Our mission is simple: to serve great food, provide genuine hospitality and have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A.

Bad Weather

How was the weather in your place? Here in Florida, the weather is nasty! We went to Orlando this morning to meet the renters of our condo and made an appointment to the carpet cleaner for tomorrow. We have the final load today and when we went home, the clouds formation started to become dark and heavy. The storm was bad in some areas in Florida in fact, so many trees fell on some houses. Good thing was, nobody was hurt! Yep! We will again travel 40 minutes and meet the carpet cleaner who will do the work in our condo. We are so tired but, we need to prepare the condo for the new tenant. They are so excited to move in.

Farmlands and Hillside Adventure at Pennsylvania

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of PA Tourism for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Who would want that? I can name some of my friends who love camping and thrilled to travel to farmlands. It's an adventure because it's not every day that we can pick and buy watermelons from the farms right? Picking oranges from the orange trees or even the experience of milking the cow is truly out of the ordinary especially for the people who grow up in the city. To get away from the hustle and bustle of city noise, it's always nice to travel to the country and experience the local tradition in the place.

Two days ago, I was browsing visitPA.com and this Website is a good resource site for travelers. If you plan for pa-roadtrips anytime soon, check out Roadtrip-a-Matic because they gather all the information you need to know about the State of Pennsylvania. My husband and I want to have roadtrips down the East Coast and would like to go further to the State of Pennsylvania.Keystone Country is a good place to have an adventure because of the farmlands. My husband is excited to see those farms. It would be an interesting vacation especially when we stay in a Farm Guest House or in a Bed and Breakfast by the Ranch. Roadtrip-a-Matic provides all the details and information as to where to stay, what activities to do, maps, events for certain months and more. This travel Website is one of the most informative sites I saw online for it provides complete information about Pennsylvania. Click the link and check it out now. Did you find an interesting PA trip? Please share your thoughts in the comment section. Enjoy your travel.

Educational Tour for the Family

When I was growing up, my brother and I were not exposed on traveling outside the city except summer time where I spent my whole vacation in the province. I like spending time with my cousins especially when we go swimming in the nearby waterfalls. Picking wild fruits in the forest was pretty exciting for me.On school days, I can't really remember that I attended an educational tour. I only started traveling when I was in college and I learn a lot from it. I believe that acquiring knowledge is not limited in the four corners in the classroom.Last Valentines Day, I treat my brother and his family for a trip to Manila for 5 days. I shouldered the plane ticket, food, entrance fee to some parks and museum, hotel stay and gave my mom some pocket money. All 6 of them deserve to have a bonding vacation. The pictures here were taken at Museo Pambata in Manila, Philippines.My brother made it sure that their itinerary was focused for the kids. It was an educational tour for the kids because they went to the museums, Manila Zoo, and travelled to some of the major attractions in the Manila. Well, the adults enjoyed their vacation too.

Fort Matanzas

Hello Travel Tuesday travelers! How was your Easter Sunday celebration? Fun , I hope! Few weeks ago we travel to Castillo de San Marcos, here's another cool place to visit in Saint Augustine. Let us travel to Fort Matanzas which is less than 2 hours drive from our place. If you are visiting Orlando for Disney or Universal Studio parks, set aside a day and have a road trip to Saint Augustine. You will be enjoying the view of the beach when you travel the scenic route and it's absolutely beautiful.

There are so many things to do while you are in the Sunshine State. Of course, you probably would visit Orlando for the Sea World, Universal Studios and Walt Disney World but, you should visit Saint Augustine because it is the Oldest City in the Nation (USA).

Before you reach the old town, you will arrive Fort Matanzas first.

You will take the ferry ride accross the inlet and it's free of charge.

The picture above is the Fort Matanzas up close.

This is a wooden stairs, the entrance to go up to the observation deck.

That's one room served as the sleeping quarter in the watch tower.

canons on the deck...

Showing you the Fort Matanzas...

Ron and other guests waiting for us to come down from the tower roof.

I was at the tower roof. The view in 360 degrees was beautiful. I wonder what it is like to watch the sunshine and sunset here.

I took this photo while I was on the ferry.

One of the photos that I took at the tower roof. I will be seeing you in your blogs soon. Thanks for traveling with me.

Chester M. McPhearson, Jr. Pier in Ocean Springs Mississippi

Hello Travel Tuesday hoppers. Thanks for the comments last week, I enjoyed reading them. Today, I would like to show you the view of the Gulf Coast. I took these photos while we were at Chester M. McPhearson, Jr. Pier in Ocean Springs Mississippi. According to my husband, he was the mayor in this city at one time and year's ago, he own a hardware store in the middle of the town.
That's me feeding the birds at sunset. Hubby and I love going on the beach which is just 5 minutes or less from the house.

There are so many birds here and people would come by to feed them. Birds and animals are protected so; no one is allowed to hurt them and definitely, no hunting in this area.

This beach is open for public and it is Free.

This is located in Beach Boulevard in the city of Ocean Springs right off the Highway 90. Oh, the beach is few miles long so; if you drive down the Gulf Coast, you would see this amazing view too.

We came here at the Pier to go fishing and crabbing. Sometimes, we move to the harbor.

That's hubby looking on the Bay of Biloxi and that building is the Isle Hotel.

There was a damage on this Pier during Hurricane Katrina so; they build them back that is why, it looks so new.

We pass by here every morning too right after I logged out from work. I work in the casino at night (graveyard shift) and by 7 am we pass here on our way home. A good area to see the sunset, sunrise and just have a picnic.

Planet Hollywood at Downtown Disney

Living in Florida is fun and exciting. Both Disney World and Universal Studios are here and the endless attractions inside are breath taking. Not only that, the newly opened Lego Land is here too. Water parks such as Typhoon Lagoon, Sea World, Aquatica, Discovery Cove are all amazing places where family can enjoy and have fun together. For me, it is more fun if my family back home can come and see all these amazing theme parks.Last Friday, I wanted to eat Turkey Leg and I know that Downtown Disney has it. Hubby is a real Floridian who does not like traffic but, je just go with me anyway just to satisfy my cravings.I was already hungry when I saw the Planet Hollywood so; I told my husband that I will treat him for dinner. But, there were diners on the line and it's long so; we left and head back to the main purpose of buying a turkey leg. By the way, the Planet Hollywood has three levels decorated with movie memorabilia. There are props from some of Hollywood's hottest films and TV shows too.Diners can gaze the display in the iconic planetarium-like ceiling. After you dine, you can enjoy buying movie-themed souvenirs at the merchandise area

Inside Castillo de San Marcos National Monument

Hello everyone! Another week for Tuesday Travels eh? (*v*) This week, I will be showing some of the photos that I took while we were inside Castillo de San Marcos National Monument.This National Monument is the oldest masonry fort in the United States located in the city of St. Augustine, Florida.This place was constructed by the Spanish when Florida was a Spanish territory.During the twenty year period of British possession, the fort was renamed Fort St. Mark then, when Florida became a U.S. territory in 1821, this place was renamed Fort Marion.The name Castillo de San Marcos was restored by Congress in 1942.Here I am with hubby, taking a souvenir shots at the entrance of Castillo de San Marcos.It was in the afternoon, the tourists gathered at the courtyard, waiting for the re-enactment of the staff in costume.The picture below was taken while I was at the Bastion area.The view at the courtyard.Here we are taking another souvenir photo at the courtyard.Yes, this place was featured in the show Ghost Adventures, check it out in You Tube.