Would You Rather Collect Shot Glass or Magnets as Souvenirs?

Would You Rather Wednesday! 

Okay so when you go on a trip and have such an amazing time, you will do anything you can to take a little piece of that trip with you when you go home. Sure we take pictures, we have our experiences, but sometimes that is just not enough. So what do some of us do? Buy souvenirs as reminders of our trip that we will likely never do anything with ever. But rest assured you are not the only traveler out there doing this. According to an article by "First Research", in the U.S alone the revenue form souvenirs and novelty gifts is about $17 billion dollars. So if we know we shouldn't, but we do it anyway which is the lesser of  two evils: shot glasses or magnets?

Shot Glasses

I can hear the arguments for shot glasses right now: "at least I can use them", or "I can display them, and they are conversation starters", etc. Sure, you can use them when you are making cocktails. Sure, they likely are conversation starters. But they take up an awful lot of cupboard or shelf space. The displaying of shot glasses reminds me of a college house or dorm. However, I will never say never because I as well love reminders of my travels.

Magnets

Magnets clearly state the country or location you have visited. They can be smaller and are capable of being stored discreetly. I say capable of being stored discreetly, but most often you will see the multi-colored collection of magnets staring you straight in the face when you enter the kitchen. Richard is a magnet collector, and the truth is I do love that we have them. We always try to pick a magnet with a small image that directly reminds us of an experience we had. However, we just moved to a new home and I refuse to place them all over the fridge. It's unfortunate but they are currently sitting in a zip-loc bag until we find a suitable and low key way to display them. If you have any suggestions please pass them along. 

Our choice:

I would caution travelers to buy neither, but since I already discussed how even the most accomplished travelers purchases novelties, our final choice would be magnets. 

A Day trip To Abu Dhabi

Today we are fortunate enough to have a guest post from blogger Christine of 

tourdelust.com

Read about Christine's travels as she uses the world as her playground: 

Blog - http://tourdelust.com/

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About Christine...

Photo: @tourdelust

Christine is a part time traveler who enjoys touring the world and has a case of wanderlust! Her goal is to inspire others like her who work full time but make an effort to live a life of adventures. Her favorite things to do during her travels include finding beautiful sunsets, panoramic views and eating authentic cuisines!

Photo: @tourdelust

Abu Dhabi, the capital city of the United Arab Emirates is less than two hours from Dubai and has so much to offer. I took a day tour from Dubai to Abu Dhabi and it was well worth it! I had found a deal on groupon that took us to all the top spots in Abu Dhabi. Viator also has great day tours as well. I had a great time and very excited to share with you my day trip to Abu Dhabi!

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

Our tour guide picked us up early in the morning from our hotel in Dubai, first stop was Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. Before your visit, remember to dress appropriately. Women must cover their head, clothing covering the ankles and wrists. Men are not allowed to wear tank tops and shorts. Our tour guide also had “abaya” for anyone who was not dressed appropriately.

The tour allowed us a little over an hour to explore the Grand Mosque. The building is beautifully crafted in great detail. Don’t forget to look up when inside, the 24 carat gold chandeliers are stunning!!

 

 

Heritage Village

We then stopped at Heritage Village for lunch and to explore. The Heritage Village is a reconstruction of a traditional oasis village that provides an interesting glimpse into the emirate’s past.

The Emirates Palace & Etihad Towers

Our third stop was in front of The Emirates Palace and Etihad Towers. If you’ve seen Sex In The City 2, you will recognize Emirates Palace. This hotel is a luxurious 5 star hotel built as a landmark to showcase Arabian culture. If you’re lucky your guide will take you through the gates!

Ferrari World

Our last stop was at Ferrari World. It is an amusement park located on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. It is the first and only Ferrari-branded theme park and has the record for the largest space frame structure ever built. We did not go inside the amusement park, we spend about 20 minutes outside the shopping area and for photos.

Overall my tour was great! I wish I had the tour company name but I’m sure many others are just as good! Have fun and do not miss a day trip to Abu Dhabi!

Would You Rather See Whistler by ATV or White Water Raft?

Would You Rather Wednesday!

Richard and I are off for our August 2016 summer vacation. For a portion of our trip we will be in Whistler, British Columbia. Whistler was first a ski destination but is now also a popular summer destination for those into outdoor activities and gourmet restaurants. As we were planning and researching for our trip we realized there is far too much to see and do than we are going to be able to accomplish in three days. So we spent a lot of time writing lists, then narrowing down those lists. There are numerous outdoor adventure opportunities: biking, hiking, zip lining, rafting, ATVing, etc. We made most bookings and choices with ease, but we had a hard time deciding between seeing the great mountain views by ATV or white water rafting.

ATV's

There is this great company called Canadian Wilderness Adventures that offers many ways to see Whistler. After reading reviews extensively, the ATV trip is one of their most popular. You ride your ATV on Blackcomb mountain, and get to see breathtaking views of Whistler Valley and snowcapped mountains. There are opportunities for the more daring to seek more adventure on the trails if desired. The company also has an option to enjoy a "salmon bake" on a huge mountain top patio to finish it all off.

cost:  $129.00  ATV trip only
cost:  $159.00 with salmon bake

White Water Rafting

Something about spending summer days in the water draws me in. You get a little sun, adventure, adrenaline, and a cool down in the rapids along the way. You get to interact and work with new people as you paddle your raft to safety on each rapid. There are a few companies that offer similar excursions, but Wedge Rafting appears to get the best reviews. This company offers 3 different rafting trips: Cheakamus (for families), Green River (for all abilities, and their most popular), and finally the Elaho- Squamish River (the most exciting trip for serious paddlers). 

cost: $99-$169 per adult

 Our Choice

Well we would appreciate some input here, as once this is posted we have some flexibility in changing our plans. However, we ultimately decided to do the ATV trip. We have been to destinations before that have offered ATV trips, but they basically offered ATV trips just to offer them. In Whistler it seems to be a legit and exciting way to get up a mountain, while enjoying the views around us. We have been white water rafting before on the Ottawa river and although we did love it, we are always pushing ourselves to try something new. Stay tuned....we will post our trip report and let you know how it all turned out.