Glass Igloos.

Kakslauttanen Hotel -- ...these lights will inspire you, lets hear it for New York Finland?! The Northern Lights are such a mystery to me and something that I need to experience in my lifetime. I think I have found the place where I would really like to see the lights. Check out Kakslauttanen Hotel in Saariselka, Finland.

"When sleeping in the Glass Igloos the customer is able to marvel the amazing northern lights and the millions of stars in the sky. The experience is also unforgettable when there is a snowstorm. The Glass Igloos have been built from a very special thermo glass. Because of that, the temperature inside the Igloo is always a normal room temperature. It also prevents the glass from not getting white frosted, hence keeping the view clear even when the temperature drops under -30 C. To increase the comfort of the customer, the Igloos have a toilet and luxury beds. Every morning there is also a sauna and a possibility to swim in an ice hole nearby."

What an incredible experience that would be! In addition to the glass igloos, they also offer "regular" snow igloos, log cabins, and an ice restaurant! I have not looked into the pricing of spending an evening in any of these places because I guarantee it will be far above a backpackers budget. Boo.

One day...

Happy Trails (and travels)!

- Becky xo

Have you seen my Frog Prince?

As mentioned in my Cape Cod post (below), I once kissed a frog at Nickerson State Park in hopes of one day meeting my Frog Prince at the secret pond where I left him (tearfully) behind. PHOTO EVIDENCE! How much do you love my popsicle stick frame? Gotta love kindergarten!

Happy Trails (and travels)!
- Becky xo

The Cape.

Cape Cod, Massachusetts -- It may seem like a strange location for me to write about as my first post. You would think I would go for something slightly more exciting? Let me explain. Almost every summer for most of my life (until I hit 16ish and no longer thought it was "cool" to vacation with my parents), I took a road trip to Cape Cod! My parents, my older brother and I spent a decent chunk of our summers camping, swimming in the ocean (and in our secret spot), whale watching, frog catching, theatre-going, sandcastle building, shopping and eating at the same restaurants (tradition!). It was ideal.

The Cape is a peninsula in the eastern most part of the lovely state of Massachusetts and incorporates all of Barnstable County. It is just about a 1.5 hour drive from the city of Boston (great city!) and is well known for its beautiful beaches as it has over 900km of coastline (around 60 public beaches).

Places of note:

• Provincetown (aka P-town...no joke, that is what they call it)
  I remember visiting this place when I was young and thinking it was crazytown (which I secretly loved). It is known as a place for hippies which is booming with artists, galleries, musicians, cafes, theatrics, cute restaurants and a well-known gay/lesbian scene.
  
  Suggestions (from myself & others) =>**Take a stroll down Commercial Street, you won't be dissapointed. **Whale watch with the Dolphin Fleet of Provincetown. **Stop for a delicious cupcake treat at Relish.
  
  
• Hyannis (...known as the "Capital of the Cape")
  Hyannis is the largest village that is a part of the Cape. I have some tasty memories from this place.
  
  Suggestions => **Head over to Cooke's Seafood for lunch or dinner or anything in between. Picture a crazy-busy, family owned, simple, well-priced restaurant that serves nothing but fresh, lightly battered local seafood and hand-cut onion rings (okay okay, they do have hamburgers&fries for the picky kids...I used to be one of them). Expect line ups, it is that good. **Visit the local John F. Kennedy museum (did you know that the Kennedy's spent a lot of their summers in Cape Cod?) but only do so if you have interest in the history of the Kennedy family. **Spend a few minutes on the Cape Cod Chips tour - have you ever tasted these suckers (and their popcorn?). Delicious. Tastes even better when you get them for FREE!

One more thing. I am going to share my family secret.
Do you feel privileged?

If camping is your scene, you must stay at Nickerson State Park in Brewster (another village in the Cape). It is a real gem and the secret swimming ponds are a nice break from the salty Atlantic. If I remember correctly, there are lots of frogs to catch and play with - I even kissed a frog one year in hopes of meeting my prince. If you ever make your way to the Cape, please ask around for "Frog Prince" and bring him home to me!

I could go on and on and on about the beauty of Cape Cod, but I think Patti Page sang it best "...If you are fond of sand dunes and salty air, quaint little villages here and there, you're sure to fall in love with old Cape Cod...".

Happy Trails (and travels)!
- Becky xo