Virginia Safari Park

"If we kill off the wild, then we are killing a part of our souls."--Jane Goodall

Ever been to a drive-thru zoo? We have! My boyfriend and I drove from Virginia Beach to West Virginia for a good friend's wedding. On the way back we saw a sign on the highway that said "Virginia Safari Park". After a brief look on our phones to figure out just what the heck it was we decided we absolutely had to make a detour!

The VA Safari Park is exactly what it sounds like. It's an out of this world drive through zoo with tons of exotic animals, and many no one has probably ever heard of much less seen up close. The best part? We were given a bucket of feed and were told we could feed any animals we wanted, but we had to stay in our cars. Driving through a zoo at our leisure with animals surrounding our car sounded amazing by itself, but getting to touch them and feed them!? Even better.

They had TONS of watusi (an African cow) with enormous horns, llamas were scattered everywhere, water buffalo, wildebeest, emus, ostrich, zebras, shaggy cows, camels, bison, and elk! That's not even all of the species. They were scattered throughout the park with lots of free roaming areas and obviously they didn't have a shortage of food!

We drove along with our windows down and we were nothing short of bombarded by beautiful, awkward, and just plain cute and odd animals. The second we stopped for the first time sever wildebeest flocked to Will's window and stuck their heads in our car demanding food. Several bison visited me on my side.


Several animals knew just the right place to stand so they could maximize the amount of food they received instead of having to share it. We encountered the smallest long haired cow we'd ever seen near a clearing in the trees just patiently waiting for someone to drive by. The second we stopped it would meander up to our car and look up at you trying to convince you to feed it. That guy had adorable begging down to an art.

About halfway along our journey we came to a road block. Apparently an ostrich got disgruntled when a car didn't have any food for it. It was prancing around the field in an angry fashion and decided it would take out its anger on several other cars. Luckily the animals are closely monitored, as well as the people driving in the park to insure safety for everyone, human or not. One of the workers had the lovely job of shooing the ostrich away from the cars. It was quite the spectacle to watch!

As our journey slowly came to an end we came upon another road block. This time two different watusi families were trolling the exit hoping to get whatever was leftover from peoples' buckets of feed. They walked casually up to each car in front of us and stuck their heads right in the cars from both sides if the windows were open! They knew how to get what they wanted! Plus when a gigantic cow with horns spanning 8 feet stick its face in your car you listen. Two cows had finished with the car in front of us and wandered over to my car and repeated the process.

This is such a fun detour on our otherwise uneventful 6 hour drive home that we still talk about it over a  year later. The area is known for hiking and of course the famous natural bridge along a hiking trail and the infamous skyline drive. If the hiking along isn't enough to convince everyone you know to head out there, then the safari park should seal the deal!

"Travel is the only thing you can buy that makes you richer."--

Alaska Part 5-Chena Hot Springs

"One thorn of experience is worth a whole wilderness of warning."--James Russell Lowell



Chena Hot Springs is a warm oasis in a very cold Alaskan wilderness. Mid way through my trip with my best friend in Alaska we decided to spend the day exploring museums and spend the afternoon at the hot springs thawing ourselves out.

Chena Hot Springs is located about an hour outside of Fairbanks, AK. There is a very expensive resort attached to it, but it's not the typical resort. They grow their own food in greenhouses and even use geothermal energy to power their buildings, or at least some of them. They even have an ice museum! They sponsor activities that change with the season such as dog sledding, aurora sighting trips, glacier tours, horseback riding, etc.

The indoor swimming pool area and hot tubs are the first stop before the hot springs and the only way to access the outdoor hot springs. The pool area itself is a bit old, but in good condition. It's not an upscale pool by any means, but it's fun! he corridor leading outside is unheated and picturesquely covered in frost, ice, and snow. It was quite pretty besides the fact it was -20F outside and we were in only swimming outfits... after much cursing, running, trying not to trip and fall, and more exclaiming about freezing to death we ran right in to the hot springs!

There a ramp that gradually goes deeper along with a railing. Whatever you do don't touch the railing! I got my hand stuck for half a second and immediately thought of "A Christmas Story" and thought I would have to have my hand pried off. Luckily that didn't happen.

We went to the springs in mid-afternoon, but most people go at night so they can float in the hot water and watch the Aurora Borealis. We enjoyed flopping around and swimming in very very hot, but comfortable water. It was such a surreal experience to be outside in mid winter in Alaska of all places and actually be warm. The contrast in temperatures was so great and there was so much steam that I could barely see anything around me in a few places.


Make sure you bring lots of water! The elements in the water can make you dehydrated and light headed as an effect, so bring and drink lots! Don't wear any jewelry either as it might get tarnished. We stayed in for about 2 hours and enjoyed being warm for the first time in days. It was a really fun experience and would definitely be a phenomenal place to watch the northern lights.



We didn't stay to eat at the resort restaurant because of the prices, but if you have the means I'd give it a go! It definitely smelled delicious! Everything about the resort was very overpriced in my opinion with the exception of the activities and the hot springs. Definitely don't miss taking a dip in the hot springs, especially if you visit Alaska in the dead of winter!










"Wilderness is not a luxury, but a necessity of the human spirit."--Edward Abbey

Alaska Part 4--Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum

"It is not ignorance, but knowledge which is the mother of wonder."--Joseph Wood Crutch

I know most of you are thinking "Oh noooo. Not another car museum story! All car museums are boring unless you're really in to cars!" Think again my friends! While I was in Alaska a few weeks ago my friend Sarah and I had a spontaneous day trip to the museum. Neither of us are car enthusiasts by any means, but we do love older cars and cars that are a bit different from the norm.

That is EXACTLY what this museum was like. Each car in there had something unique about it either in appearance or something innovative and different for its time. Accompanying each car were outfits showcasing the fashion of the decade/year the car was from. I'd never seen this done before and thought it added a very nice touch, especially for women who were dragged in by their significant others. They would at least enjoy looking at odd cars and really gorgeous antique clothing.

Each car had a plaque next to it describing just what was unique and especially interesting about each car, which was extremely helpful for non car enthusiasts like myself! Not only did they have cars, but they also had antique snowmobiles and bicycles. They even had a car you could sit in and take pictures with. Next to that was also clothing you could try on from the different decades represented by the antique cars.




Several of my favorites were cars that had umbrellas instead of roofs, fringe lined roofs, all wooden bicycles, the first steam powered car, very old electric cars, and of course the very first snowmobile. We spent a surprisingly long time in there, about 2.5 hours. There was so much variety that we didn't pass up looking at a single car. The shapes and sizes of cars today have become so streamlined and no car is really all that different from the next. However, this museum had such a crazy amount of variety that I had no idea cars were so different even from one model to the next. Antique cars were truly a work of art. I genuinely wish that there was so much variety today. You can really tell how much fun the engineers had designing these cars.



There's no doubt in my mind how the Fountain Head Antique Auto Museum become the number one attraction in Fairbanks according to yelp. The variety and quality of the cars and antique clothing was nothing short of astonishing. The museum was very fairly priced and the staff were extremely knowledgeable and you could really tell that they cared about their work. While you peruse the museum you can even see through the gigantic windows into the shop where they work on restoring the antique cars. Definitely don't miss out on this, even if you aren't a huge fan of cars. This place will give you a very pleasant surprise.

"It's no wonder that truth is stranger than fiction. Fiction has to make sense."--Mark Twain

Alaska Part 3--Aurora Borealis

"Look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see, and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious."--Stephen Hawking

Seeing the Northern Lights aka Aurora Borealis has been on my bucket list ever since I saw them in a documentary in middle school. I knew my chance was fast approaching as I had recently booked a light to see my best friend, Sarah, in Alaska.

There is a website where you can check the intensity of the Northern Lights each night on a scale out of 10. We saw the forecast for the entire week and knew there was only one good chance of seeing them. That night they were going to be a 5 out of 10. Here's the website if you're interested! http://www.gi.alaska.edu/AuroraForecast

Sarah lives in Fairbanks, which is quite a large city, but not anything like what comes to mind when you think big city. Alaska's population is very sparse. They have lots of people, but everyone is so spread out and environmentally friendly that it is hard to tell that you're in a very large city. There is very little light pollution so spotting the lights when they are out is not too difficult.

We drove to a spot away from all the homes and the school on a little side road where there was a nice clearing and no trees to block out view of the sky. We were one of two cars there and both of us were intent on getting some great photography shots! We had some difficulty in setting my camera on the correct shutter speed and aperture, but after some fiddling and trial and error we were able to get some great shots. They aren't professional by any means, but I'm proud of them.

In every photo or documentary the lights always seemed to burst out of the sky and were so vibrant, however they seem to be dull in color until I edited them in my computer. I'm guessing the location was the reason for this.

Fairbanks isn't the only place to see the Northern Lights. The farther north you go the more likely you are to see more vibrant colors and the lights more often. Norway is well-known for Aurora adventure tours. In addition, any location near to the Arctic Circle will provide lots and lots of opportunities! The winter is also a much better time to go see them.

If you have the chance, definitely take the opportunity to see the Aurora Borealis. There really is nothing quite like it anywhere else on earth.

 "You cannot rob me of free nature's grace, you cannot shut the windows of the sky through which Aurora shows her brightening face. " --James Thomson

Alaska Part 2--To The North Pole!

"The larger the island of wonder, the longer the shore of wonder."--Ralph Sockman

I never thought I would get a chance to go to the North Pole, but somehow we ended up there by chance. I was visiting my best friend who had recently moved to Fairbanks, AK. We had already had some amazing adventures and along the way we learned of an ice sculpting contest that was about to end. We thought it would be a lot of fun to make the short trip from Fairbanks to the North Pole.


When I think of an ice sculpting contest only a few things come to mind, such as really neat ice sculptures on display and maybe lights illuminating the creations. That in itself was reason enough for us to want to visit, especially knowing how much effort and talent goes in to making an ice sculpture. If I ever tried to make an ice sculpture it would look like an amorphous blob, so I have a lot of respect for those who can turn a block of ice into art.

We were 1000% blown away by what we saw there. It was so much more than just ice sculptures in a row lit up my brightly colored lights. The variation of sculptures was amazing. No two were anything alike. We saw a penguin, trains, abominable snowman, Groot, minions, and Christmas themed sculptures. Check out my pictures to get a better idea. Words just don't do that justice.

Not only were there dozens of amazing works of art to look at, but there were sculptures you could interact with. Before you even entered the area with all of the art there was a gigantic ice sleigh with a giant ice santa and reindeer that you could stand in, climb on, and take pictures with. Inside there were 3 ice slides you could go down as much as you wanted and all were varying lengths and heights. There were also sculptures that had a hole where the faces were so you can stick your face in to take funny pictures. They even had a walk in igloo and made it so you could pose with several of the sculptures.

Not only was the outdoor experience much more than we anticipated, the activities inside the main building also exceeded our expectations. The staff were all extremely friendly and more than happy to help. There was an area where kids could sit down and color while their parents relaxed and warmed up after being outside. You could also buy delicious hot chocolate that the staff were kind enough to make us.






The North Pole has a lot more going for it that just the Ice Museum with the ice sculpting contest. They take Christmas seriously there. Christmas decorations and lights adorn the town year round. They even have a gigantic "Santa's House" that you could go in and explore. If you love Christmas and gorgeous lights and a town that has no shortage of Christmas spirit, the North Pole is the place for you.




"Mystery creates wonder and wonder is the basis of man's desire to understand"--Neil Armstrong 

Alaska Part 1--Snowmobiling Tour!

"One way to get the most out of life is to view it as an adventure."--William Feather

One of the first things I booked for my trip to Alaska was a snowmobiling tour. I wanted to knock that off of my list and the Glacier City Snow Mobile Tours out of the shop Great Alaskan Tourist Trap had fantastic reviews and pictures on their website. I gave them a call a few days before my trip and booked 2 spots for my first full day in Alaska.




I originally asked specifically for the Glacier Tour, which they said depended on the weather, but we would see when I got there. They had a Gold Mine Tour as an alternative. However, when we walked into the store to check in we were told they hadn't had the Glacier Tour the whole season because there wasn't enough snow. That would have been fantastic to know ahead of time just in case we wanted to make other arrangements. 



Before you think I'm just spoiled let me explain myself. I am 100% down for adventures no matter what. On their website the glacier pictures were nothing short of phenomenal. They had me chomping at the bit to go to Alaska and I knew I had to do that tour. The gold mine pictures in comparison were mediocre. It wasn't unique. Both my friend and I had been led to believe we could possibly go on the glacier tour so we got our hopes up, unfortunately.
That being said, we did have a fantastic time. 

Snow mobiling is an interesting sensation. It operates like an ATV, but tends to jerk around more. Unless you stay in the path of the person in front of you then it is difficult to maintain the desired direction. There's not really a finesse to it; it's more like you ran out of steering fluid and need to convince it that it should go where you want. That was part of the adventure and I fully embraced it. I was a little nervous and therefore slow at certain points, but we had a fantastic time.

We did runs of around 4 or 5 paths before heading to the top of the trail to take pictures and take in the scenes. The view from the top was breath taking and COLD. We started the tour when it was around -10 degrees F outside and with the wind chill at the top...let's just say that all of us were happy the snowmobiles had hand warmers on the handlebars!

Then we were off on quite a few more trails until we reached the bottom again. We were provided a delicious lunch of reindeer hot dogs and their own specially crafted cider. The food was scrumptious! It was definitely a highlight of the trip. Then we were off again on more and more trails!

After 4 hours of riding with a brief rest with food it was time to make our way back to the shop where we donned our gear. All in all it was a really fun trip and I do recommend snowmobiling in Alaska if you get the chance. There wasn't much time for pictures while you were on the mountain. You were only given the chance to take pictures at the top and during lunch, however some of the best shots came about when we were riding up or down the mountain. I fell behind several times because I stopped for literally 5 seconds to hastily line up a shot, which was slightly frustrating.

On the upside, their guides were very knowledgeable and made sure everyone was listening to the safety briefing and helped anyone who needed it along the way. The company has many great aspects, but there are several things I think they could improve upon for a truly stellar experience.

"We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm, and adventure. There is no end to the adventures that we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open."--Jawaharlal Nehru