Tag: tourist attraction

Tempe Center for the Arts

A friend of mine won tickets for a Production at Tempe Center for the Arts and was kind enough to invite me.  I watched this beautiful facility built several years ago (2007 was just a few years ago, okay) and this was my first visit.TCA_1

Sunday afternoon offered a ChildsPlay production, with shows ideally suited for young people.  This is a great opportunity to introduce children to the arts and etiquette of live performance.  The show included intermission and a Q&A session with the audience after the show.  Such a great event for children!

The center has ample parking and a nice view of Tempe Town Lake.  The refreshment bar offers snacks, drinks (including adult beverages), and outside patio seating.TCA_3The center has ample parking and a nice view of Tempe Town Lake.  The refreshment bar offers snacks, drinks (including adult beverages), and outside patio seating.TCA_2There are multiple auditoriums for shows, gift shop, and gallery.  I am very glad that I have finally been inside Tempe Center for the Arts and I look forward to future events there.

 

 

Mayans in Cancun, Mexico | Exploring Mayan History Steps from the Beach

The most well-known Mayan ruins and archaeological sites are in the interior of Mexico and Central America which can be difficult to visit, often requiring long car or bus rides.  The nearest airport to Chichen Itza is Cancun and then it is still several hours travel by car.  There are two noteworthy Mayan sites located within Cancun.

El Rey
El Rey
El Rey
El Rey

El Rey is located along the Hotel Zone of Cancun, tucked away behind large trees and a small sign.  For 43 pesos (per person) this hidden gem is an old Mayan village for exploration.  The area surrounding the structures is cut back leaving very little shade.  The site opens at 8 AM for the coolest temperatures.  There are plenty of signs in both Spanish and English translation.

View of modern hotel in the distance at the El Rey site
View of modern hotel in the distance at the El Rey site

The entire site takes less than an hour to walk and take a few photos.

2014-08-30 10.54.32
The Mayan Museum, Museo Maya de Cancun, is just down the street from the El Rey site.  The museum opens at 9 am, one hour later than El Rey, allowing for a full morning of Mayan history. At a mere 57 pesos, the entrance fee is one of the best bargains in Cancun!

Continue reading “Mayans in Cancun, Mexico | Exploring Mayan History Steps from the Beach”

Chichen Itza Travel Guide | Explore the Mayan History in Mexico

Explore the incredible ancient Mayan city of Chichen Itza! Travel Guide with transit time, tours, the pyramid, beyond the pyramid, Mayan History in Mexico, and more!

Art, Museums, History, Science, Natural Wonders, and Archaeology are a few of my favorite things!  So what could be better than an archaeological site full of art, culture, science, an ancient pyramid, an astronomical observatory, and more located in a jungle? That was my motivation to spend the day at Chichen Itza Mayan archaeological site.

The Chichen Itza site is located in the Yucatan state of Mexico, the nearest village is Piste (pronounced pis-tay).  Our adventure started in Cancun, Mexico on the far East coast.  The cheapest way from Cancun to Chichen Itza is by tour bus, it is also the slowest and most restrictive.  We skipped that and arranged for a private car through our resort, paying $250 USD for private driver all day including fuel.  Slightly more expensive, but we set the schedule and our little car passed all the buses so we arrived before the crowds.  By car, it is a 2 hour drive using toll roads, or an extra hour to avoid the tolls.  Tolls are charged by type of vehicle, meaning that our private car paid approx $500 pesos for both tolls (approx. $42 USD) but van or bus is more expensive.

Continue reading “Chichen Itza Travel Guide | Explore the Mayan History in Mexico”

The Venetian and Palazzo Resorts | Why These are My Favorite Resorts in Las Vegas

The Venetian and Palazzo Resorts are currently my favorite on the Las Vegas strip! This self-contained resort is my favorite for gambling, shopping, dining, spa, pools, and sleeping accommodations.  This visit, I tried a bit of everything.

Continue reading “The Venetian and Palazzo Resorts | Why These are My Favorite Resorts in Las Vegas”

American Girl Cafe Chicago | Afternoon Tea Review and Tour

The American Girl Dolls are hugely popular with little girls, especially for 2 special girls in my life, ages 4 & 7.  While in Chicago, we visited the American Girl Doll store in the Water Tower Place, a close neighbor to the John Hancock Center.

american-girl-doll

AG_BooksThere is a bookstore, hair salon (for the dolls), photo studio, Hospital (for emergency doll repair), snack shop, and cafe. AG_Hospital

This store is 52,000 square feet split between 2 levels and has everything you never knew you needed for Doll and Doll accessories.

I reserved our table for afternoon tea 3 weeks in advance via the web site.  We arrived early to allow for horrible Chicago traffic, plus nightmare parking, which left us a bit of time to shop before check-in for tea (15 minutes before tea time). Afternoon tea is seated promptly at 4 PM.   Continue reading “American Girl Cafe Chicago | Afternoon Tea Review and Tour”