Wanderlust Wednesday - Mackinac Island

Okay, so it's a little late, but I'm not about to flake again this week! As promised, I'm actually posting about another beautiful place. I had no idea where I was going to write about up till about an hour ago. It may seem lazy, but I've been thinking about how I could use a vacation and this is one of my favorite places. I figure, since I've never been it counts!


Mackinac Island, Michigan



Mackinac Island is a small island in Lake Huron, located between Michigan's Lower and Upper Peninsulas. The entire island is a National Historic Landmark and almost all motor vehicles are prohibited. The main modes of transportation are bicycles and horse-drawn carriages.



The restoration of historical elements gives the place a feeling of nostalgia, taking you back in time.





The water is so blue here it gives Santorini a run for its money.




Not to mention, it's home to some of the coolest rock formations.

Arch Rock:


The Devil's Kitchen:


Skull Cave:


And Sugar Loaf:


All in all, Mackinac Island is just the place to go if you're in the mood to travel back in time. It's an idyllic escape right here in the US. It's a place soaked in history, from Native American legends to wars between countries. Mackinac played a role in American history, even if it wasn't a major one.

I can't wait till I can take a vacation and witness all this history myself.

Wanderlust Wednesday - Amsterdam

So, it’s Wednesday. Time for my weekly daydream post. This week’s destination: Amsterdam.





Now, before any of you jump to conclusions, I don’t want to visit Amsterdam for the same reasons others might. I’m not interested in legalized marijuana or the red light district. Anyone who knows me would know that’s preposterous – and extremely laughable.



The sole reason why I’ve always wanted to visit Amsterdam is to see this place:



The Anne Frank House. When I was twelve, we read The Diary of Anne Frank in English class and I was astounded by the courage and eloquence this young girl – not much older than me at the time – possessed. Ever since, I’ve had a fascination with her. She has been the subject of many high school and college papers and she has inspired me beyond words.



A friend of mine visited the Anne Frank House a few months ago, and she said that there’s a feeling you get as soon as you walk in, like the spirits of all the people who lived there are still wandering the rooms. I can only imagine that feeling…

To be honest, I don’t know much else about Amsterdam, but it looks beautiful, doesn’t it?








Alright, that's all for tonight. Idol Gives Back is on, so I'm going to watch it and then write a little before bed. Tomorrow: I pass on the award that the super-sweet E. Elle gave me!

Wanderlust Wednesday - Croatia

I was very indecisive when it came to choosing a destination for this week's Wanderlust post. The first two were relatively easy -- I've always wanted to go to Greece and Italy, so choosing places in those countries was a given. And while there are many other places I want to visit someday and would love to write about, I wanted something a little...less predictable for this week. And I think I found it in Croatia.

I admittedly knew next to nothing about Croatia when I started this post. I'd never even thought about visiting this country until I saw these pictures:







How gorgeous is that? I was looking up images for my Santorini post and someone had written a list of a hundred places THEY wanted to visit. Plitvice Lakes was one of those places. And it's easy to see why. Plitvice Lakes National Park lies in the Plitvice plateau which is surrounded by three mountains. The sixteen lakes are separated by natural dams of travertine, which is a form of sedimentary rock, and are divided into upper and lower clusters. Ranging from vivid azure to slate gray to green and a thousand shades in between, the colors of these lakes are magnificent. The colors change constantly, depending on the angle of the sunlight and the quantity of minerals or organisms in the water. Hidden behind the countless waterfalls, there are various crags and limestone caves. This is truly a place of mystery and all-natural, breathtaking beauty.

The country of Croatia lies right across from Italy, separated by the Adriatic Sea, and is a diverse landscape, from lakes and plains to rolling hills. It seems like a guarantee that no matter where you go in this country, you'll find a view to salivate over.



For example, Mljet (pronounced Mil-yet) -- an island on the Southeast side of Croatia -- harbors yet another national park.



As does Paklenica.



And Brijuni.



The landscape of this country is so varied it'd be a challenge to find two similar locations. Mountains and lakes, trees and rivers, waterfalls and rock...Croatia has it all. I think you'd have to take an extended vacation to see everything this country has to offer. Wouldn't you agree?

Oh, and here's an interesting writerly fact: Some of the world's first fountain pens came from Croatia.

That wraps up this week's edition of Wanderlust Wednesday. I hope you guys enjoyed it! Any suggestions for next week?