Heart Rock Falls - Valentines Day Adventure
Hey fellas, Valentine’s Day is here and if you have a significant other but haven’t made plans for Valentines Day yet, you’re in luck. Heart Rock Falls is the perfect last minute Valentine’s Day Adventure.
Heart Rock Falls - Crestline California
Southern California is a great place to be if you are someone who enjoys the outdoors. You don’t have to look far to find beautiful landscapes and clear skies. However, living in such a beautiful place of the world you are likely to run into some pretty heavy traffic on some of the more popular hiking trails. Which is why I have the perfect hiking trail for you this Valentine’s Day weekend.
Heart Rock Falls, also known as Seeley Creek Falls, is one of Southern California’s best-kept secrets. Heart Rock Falls got its name because at the end of the trail is a 20 foot waterfall that is next to a large rock that is hollowed out in the shape of a heart.
The hike itself is only about a half mile long and the trail is mostly flat. I recommend this hike for everyone, any age and any level of fitness.
The past few years Southern California has experienced major drought which affect the flow of the streams and the waterfall. However recently the San Bernardino Mountains have gotten quite a lot of rain, which has helped bring this area back to life.
On my hike I had the privilege of meeting Marisa. Marisa works for the San Bernardino County Forestry and her job is to make sure that our parks and trails are protected and maintained. Marisa is passionate about her job, which has inspired her to lead a local hiking group in the area called Hiking With Friends. Hiking With Friends is a growing community group with over 3,800 members who meet regularly to explore hiking trails all over Southern California. Hiking With Friends is leading an event at Heart Rock Falls this Sunday February 14th and she was preparing the site for the Valentine’s Day Weekend. Unfortunately, over the yeas Heat Rock Falls was vandalized with graffiti but thanks to Marisa Heart Rock Falls has been restored to its natural look and ready for the weekend.
I’m so happy I got to visit Heart Rock Falls and I look forward to coming back soon.
5 Reasons Why You Should Travel Croatia
Last spring we decided to pack up the car and travel Croatia for two weeks. We drove more than 2,000 km and visited many cities along the coast. It was one of the most amazing experiences in my life that I will never forget. If you are looking for a place to travel this spring here are 5 reasons why you should travel Croatia.
1. Croatia Is Beautiful
That's me in front of one of tallest waterfalls in Plitvice National Park
We found this cool little bridge in Trogir
The viewpoints of Plitvice National Park are breathtaking
The epic view overlooking the old town of Dubrovnik
The water in Primosten is crystal clear
2. It's Cheap
Gas is cheap for now....
Accommodation in Croatia is cheap and the views are unbelievable
PLUS our place came with a pool :)
3. It's Undiscovered
Karlovac is one of Croatia's best secrets and home to the Karlovaco Brewery
Slunj and Rastoke are less known and offer some of the best hiking in Croatia
Thats me chasing waterfalls at Plitvice National Park
4. The Food Is Delicious
The atmosphere is incredible
The food is delicious
And the beer is refreshing
5. The Locals Are Super Friendly
We were treated to dinner and dessert by two locals
They shared their home made liquor and played a few songs for us
And reminded me that travel is not about all the places you go.
It's about the people you meet and the memories you create with them.
Hope you guys enjoyed the blog. Feel free to leave a comment below and always remember to
Do what you love, do it often
and always travel with an open mind.
Jeremy
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Top 5 Winter Destinations
Whether your goal is to escape the cold or you are traveling into it, winter travel is awesome. Here is a list of my top five winter destinations. (December through February)
Amsterdam
I have been to Amsterdam four times in the past two years and it has always been unforgettable. This time my trip is during the winter, which also happens to be my favorite time of the year to visit. In my opinion the summer months attract way too many tourists and it gets a little too crazy for me. The winter is a much better time to visit if you want to see more of the city. Also, my favorite coffee shop is in Amsterdam and they serve the best hot coco on the planet. NO LIE.
Würzburg
I have been living in Würzburg for the past year and I love it. Aside from my recent trips this year, I have spent most of my time in this amazing city. I have seen two winters and one summer and aside from the occasional below zero temperatures I think the winters are the best. Würzburg is a beautiful city to visit any time of the year but when it snows here the city looks absolutely incredible.
Prague
Prague is one of the most popular cities in the world due to the rich history and well-preserved architecture. The winter months are great for visiting Prague because the city is less crowded and it’s the time luxury hotels offer their biggest discounts. The last time I visited Prague we scored a hotel with a jacuzzi tub for less than 40 bucks a night. After a long cold day of sightseeing it was absolutely amazing to come back and chill in the jacuzzi. 🙂
Sydney
Sydney will always be a major temptation for me during the winter. When pretty much everyone else around the world is wearing jackets and raincoats, the people in Sydney are rocking bikinis and board shorts. Since Australia is geographically located below the equator Sydney experiences their summer from December to February.
Auckland
New Zealand is another country that experiences it’s summer during the months of December, January and February. If you are looking to escape the cold of winter Auckland/Piha is a great choice. The north island of New Zealand has some of the most beautiful landscapes in the whole country. My goal is to buy a van one day and road trip through New Zealand.
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Top 10 Countries To Travel Cheap In 2016
I made a list of my top 10 countries to prove why 2016 is the best year to travel.
Your budget is a major factor when deciding where to go on your next trip. Arguably, one of the most important things to consider in your decision is the Country’s currency exchange rate. World currencies are known to fluctuate often and recently have moved in favor of American travelers. If you want to get the most out of your trip, here are my top 10 countries to visit in 2016.
*The data below shows the exchange rates for my top 10 countries compared to their previous year. The column on the far right calculates the USD increase in buying power compared to the last year.
calculation as of Jan 18, 2016
| Country | 2015 | 2016 | % |
| Argentina | 8.06 Peso | 13.39 Peso | +66.1 % |
| Brazil | 2.62 Real | 4.03 Real | +53.8 % |
| South Africa | 11.55 Rand | 16.78 Rand | +45.3 % |
| Mexico | 14.55 Peso | 18.24 Peso | +25.4 % |
| Canada | 1.19 Canadian Dollar | 1.45 Canadian Doller | +21.8 % |
| Russia | 65.30 Rubel | 79.25 Rubel | +21.4 % |
| New Zealand | 1.28 New Zealand Dollar | 1.55 New Zealand Dollar | +21.1 % |
| Australia | 1.21 Australian Dollar | 1.45 Australian Dollar | +19.8 % |
| Switzerland | 0.86 Swiss Franc | 1.00 Swiss Franc | +16.3 % |
| South Korea | 1079.49 South Korean Won | 1208.46 South Korean Won | +11.9 % |
Some Other Favorites
| Country | 2015 | 2016 | % |
| Thailand | 32.55 Baht | 36.26 Baht | +11.4 % |
| Great Britain | 0.66 British Pound | 0.70 British Pound | +6 % |
| Europe | 0.86 Euro | 0.92 Euro | +7 % |
I Want To Be A Dive Master
My day started out pretty typical considering I'm in Pai. I woke up around 10:30, which would make it the 3rd day in a row that I missed breakfast at the guesthouse. Im renting out a small garden bungalow in Pai for the week where the owner serves free coffee and fresh fruit in the mornings but I haven't been up early enough to try it. It's all good though, I was in the mood for a big meal anyway. So I decided to grab lunch at the Pai Cafe. I grabbed a seat on the patio and checked out the menu. Most of the food that is served here is Western, what I mean by that is it ain't your typical rice and noodle joint. Don't get me wrong, I love rice and noodles but after being in Thailand a few weeks I needed a change in my diet. It was perfect because the Pai Cafe serves burgers, pasta, sandwiches, nachos, you name it.
I ordered myself a coconut before finally deciding on the Chicken Avocado Burger. Coming from California I am pretty loyal to my California Avos and I rarely like to step out of my "Avo Comfort Zone" due to some bad exeriences at places like Yankee Stadium (whatever you do don't add the guac on your nachos) and others but I figured I'd give it a go with trying some Thai grown avocados.
While I was waiting for my order I noticed trucks driving up to the cafe every couple of minutes. They were dropping different things every time. First it was tomatos and lettuce, another time the truck dropped off some meat. The final delivery that I saw was a huge sack of fresh green avocados. I was thinking to myself, "this dude just came in his tiny truck and dropped off the ingredients to my lunch." By the time I saw all of this I was dying to get my order.
When it finally came I was so impressed. The burger was huge. There was a good piece of chicken on the burger and good amount of avocado on the side for me to add. "It comes with fries?" I wasn't expecting that but my order came with freshly made french fries. Today was shaping up to be an other great day in Pai.
After lunch I took a walk down the Pai square and noticed a little massage parlor advertising a 1 hour Thai massage for 150 baht (about $4 US) so I decided to stop in. "Sawadi ka" I heard as I approached the entrance. 'Sawadi ka' is the phrase a female uses to greet others (for men it's 'Sawadi kap'). The Thai language is so difficult but try to learn some and use it, it will earn a couple of extra points when interacting with the locals. I laid down on the massage mat and the nice lady began to work her magic. I don't know what it is but I do some of my best thinking when I'm getting a massage. I know I'm supposed to relax but I sometimes I can't stop my mind from wandering off.
While the nice lady proceeded to make prezil out of my extremities I started to think about what I wanted my next step to be. It's been a year since I quit my job to travel the world and so far I have had the time of my life. One thing I learned throughout my journey is that it's not so much about where you go, it's about who you become that truly makes the journey special. It feels like I've been on this race around the world trying to collect flags to put on my map and I want to change gears for a bit. I want to settle some place and get really good at something. By the end of the hour I had made up my mind. I finally decided what I want to do next. I want to become a Dive Master.
I earned my PADI Open Water Diver Certificate last year on my trip to Koh Phi Phi and from then I knew I wanted to continue further and what better time to start than now? And what better place to train than Koh Tao?
I booked my flight and ferry for the 6th of October that will take me from Chiang Mai, in the north of thailand, to the beautiful, sunny island of Koh Tao.
This is a new journey for me and I haven't figured it all out yet but I'm excited to start something completely different from what I'm used to.
If you have any advice or tips for someone wanting to become a Dive Master please comment below. Thanks for the support and I will update you all soon.
Jeremy
Do what you love,
Do it often,
And always travel with an open mind.