El Yunque

Sunday I spent my day in El Yunque rain forest and it was absolutely gorgeous! It really was one of the most amazing places I have ever visited in my life. I think everyone should check it out if they can...you won't be disappointed. It is an INSANE experience. Plus, it is actually one of the seven Natural Wonders of the World, so you can check that off the list of "things to see" in your lifetime (I sure did!).

Anyways, the actual rain forest is at the top of a mountain which summits at about 3000 feet above sea level. My tour drove us all the way up to about 2500 feet and dropped us off at a trail. We hiked for about an hour but I am not sure how far we actually went. All I can say is that it was simply beautiful. Nothing else like it. El Yunque is peaceful with so much green, plush vegetation. The trees are so tall and thick that they make a canopy over the rain forest, creating an intimate vibe. I have never felt so close to nature.

I was enamored by everything I saw, so I think I ended up taking about 100 photos of the rain forest. I did capture some beautiful shots, but again I don't know if they do El Yunque justice. It is something you really need to see with your own eyes.

Puerto Rican Fortress

Next stop was the Fort San Felipe del Morro. I googled the fort to learn more about the history since I didn't take a tour and am a geek when it comes to knowing all of the historical facts. In my research I learned that this is a 16th century citadel which lies on the northwestern most point of the islet of San Juan. It was designed to guard the entrance to the San Juan bay and defend against any seaborne enemies. I wish I had been able to get an aerial shot of the entire fort because my pics hardly do it justice to the full size of the fort. Plus it would have made for a gorgeous photo, but I did my best to capture the essence of the fort.

Also, when we got to the fort they were doing some sort of reenactment of a war with lots of dudes dressed in colonial uniforms, marching with guns. They were even setting of the cannonballs....they were going all out.

Once we were inside they were a bunch of different levels to explore (six total) and unbelievable views. Enjoy!

Puerto Rico

Just got back from my vacation in PR and it was fabulous! I wanted to update my blog while I was there, but unfortunately the wifi was NOT free in the hotel :( So I didn't feel like spending 10.99 per hour for the internet. Anyways it was my first time visiting PR and I fell in love. Such a beautiful country and tons of opportunity to snap photos..and of course I had Mimi in tow.

The first place I visited was old San Juan and it reminded me of the streets of Madrid. All of the streets were cobble stone and narrow with colorful buildings. Plus the entire area is enclosed by the forts walls (well partially, some of the old walls have fallen down). Here are just a few of the many photos I snapped while roaming the streets.

Beach on the Brain

I cannot stop thinking about the beach and warm weather!! I am leaving for Puerto Rico this Friday for vacation and cannot wait. I am counting down the days. I am ready for some sun and fun!! I dug up some old beach pictures I've taken in honor of my trip. Not that many beach shots (actually these are the only ones I have and they are really of the sunset, not specifically the beach), so I will have to take advantage of my vacation time and get some good ones. I have been reading up in some of my photography books for tips on shooting beaches and vacation shots. So hopefully I will get some good ones for you all. And hopefully I will be able to upload and blog while I am out there. Make sure I keep everyone posted on my adventures :)

Duet Karaoke

I spent my night in a Karaoke bar in midtown, celebrating a friend's birthday (Happy Birthday Dee!). It started off a little rough, no one wanted to grab the mic. But as soon as everyone got a few drinks in them, they all got a little bit bolder and braver :) I was in no rush to grab the mic, so I mainly just joined in on the group sing-alongs . Some of my favorites songs from the night included: Madonna's Like a Prayer, Jay Z's Empire State of Mind and Bell Biv Devoe's Poison.

A perfect end to the week!

Cinderella's Castle

OK well not really, but close enough. Actually (random fact alert!) I learned this summer on my first trip to Spain, that the Disney's Cinderella Castle was inspired after one of the Spanish castle's in Segovia. Unfortunately I missed Segovia and the castle on my tour of Spain :( Maybe next time.

Anyways, this is Belvedere Castle in Central Park. I have never really understood why exactly there is a castle in the middle of the park...but who cares it provides more color to NYC and something for the tourists to "oooh" and "aaah" over.

After looking through the pictures, it reminds me more of Rapunzel's castle. Or maybe I'm just thinking of that movie Stepmom with Julia Roberts, where she plays a photographer and they have a Rapunzel photo shoot in the park. I keep picturing the model guy scaling the castle walls.

Full Bloom

I know pictures of flowers are a little bit cliche and I am not a fan of them myself. But I couldn't resist this weekend. It was beautiful out again and there were just so many colors (and you all know how I feel about colors). So here is a mini floral collection.

Side note: I would like to send a BIRTHDAY shout-out to one of my girls. Here's to another year of our twenty-somethings!! :D

Valley Green

This weekend I was busy spending as much time outdoors as I could since it was sooooo beautiful, that I didn't get a chance to post all of my photos. Saturday I spent in Valley Green (for everyone who doesn't know Philly, Valley Green is an amazing park that has a gravel path that follows every bend of the creek) riding bikes with the family and taking in the sites. Of course I had to bring Mimi along for the ride. Here are some of the photos I grabbed along the way.