Tag: vacation

My wonderful Missouri vacation part 2

Posted on by crazydreamsgirl

Hello, my bucket list, friends! I was very busy in the month of June. I went on two great vacations and even more! I hope to get caught up soon, but for now, here is the second part of my Missouri vacation.

June 11th, 2024 – On this day of vacation, our first activity was taking a ride on the Branson scenic railway. The train had a great gift shop where I got some things including a cute plush squirrel before getting on the train. The train had a few different kinds of seats throughout the cars, and we ended up sitting in some pretty comfortable chairs that had a table in the middle. Just like the name suggests, the ride is a beautiful one. I was happy to be by a window for this ride. You could also buy snacks and drinks on the train we did that too. After a fun train ride, our next adventure was going to an attraction called Beyond the Lenses. This place is hard to explain but it is like a combination of a selfie museum , a regular museum, and an arcade. Before even making it to the main part of the attraction, I played a claw machine, and I won some rubber ducks! There are lots of fun photo opportunities here. My favorite one was the Barbie box. It was fun to pretend to be one of my favorite toys. They also have a really cool ball pit here that was great for taking pictures. They also have a fly ride here it is like a flying simulator. We did the ride and enjoyed it. That night, we went to a very popular show in Branson called the Haygood’s. The Haygood’s are a group of very talented siblings. we all enjoyed this show.

June 12th

We started this day with a tour from the Pink Jeep company. This was a very fun tour that included a few stops. I know that this company has tours in other places as well. I would recommend giving this company a try when looking for a fun tour. I bought a pink rubber duck at the tour store. After the tour, our next activity was going to the Promised Land Zoo. This is a great zoo. There is a drive-through and a walk through section. That allows you to feed a good amount of the animals here. We paid extra to get to pet and hold some of the animals. The baby kangaroo was my favorite. but I also loved holding the snake. I also got to go shopping at a big souvenir store and of course I got some great items there. Branson is a very touristy place so there are lots of fun stores to shop at. We also went to Cold Stone and got ice cream before we headed to our next hotel that was located in Lake of the Ozarks. That night we went to a Walmart where I got a lake of the Ozarks cup. It was a great day.

Thanks for reading – Christina Epperly

My Death Valley adventure

Posted on by crazydreamsgirl

Hello, my bucket list, friends! I recently returned from a wonderful vacation to Death Valley National Park. It was my first time going there, and I highly recommend going if you get the chance.

Death Valley Day one – My mom and I started our vacation with an eight hour drive. On the way there, we stopped in this small town called Trona. They had a really good gas station store with good prices. That is where I got my first souvenirs of this vacation. When we arrived in the park, we made a stop at the sand dunes. The dunes were like being in an endless sandbox with hills. It was an interesting place to explore. After exploring the sand dunes, we went to the visitor center. The visitor center is on the smaller size, but it has a good selection of items for sale as well as some informative displays. After the sand dunes and the visitor center we got to our hotel. We stayed at the ranch in Death Valley. I loved staying there. They have a lot of things to do at the ranch. They have a cute general store, a huge pool , and an outdoor museum, just to name a few. The first night that we were there, I walked to the general store, and I got some postcards. It was a great first day of vacation.

Death Valley day two – Our first adventure of day two was going to Golden Canyon. This is a very beautiful hike, and the canyon is something I think everyone should see if they get the chance. This place is similar to what someone may picture a different planet would look like. This is a great spot for pictures. After that, we went to a spot known as artists Palette. This is also a great place to take pictures. The view here is beautiful. Another place we went to on this day was Harmony Borax works. We learned a lot about the borax industry here, but my favorite part was walking on the crunchy salt. Our last big adventure of this day was going to see Ubehebe crater. It was so windy it was hard to stand up straight, but the crater was truly amazing to see. We didn’t stay long due to the wind but I’m glad we went to see it.

Death Valley day three – Our first adventure of this day was going to visit Bad Water basin. Bad Water Basin is known for having the lowest elevation in North America. The basin has changed due storms, and there is now a lake that is not usually there. This is an interesting place to visit, especially right now, and I’m glad I got to see it. On this day we also went on a tour where we went to see some places that our car could not drive to. One of the things that I saw on the tour that stood out to me was a big tear shaped hole in a rock formation. I got some good pictures of that. After the tour, we explored the outdoor museum at our hotel. I also got ice cream at the ice cream shop at our hotel, and it was amazing. This was the first night that we went swimming in the large pool at the hotel. It was another great day of vacation.

Death Valley day four – This was our last full day of vacation before we went back home. We went to another viewpoint and of course it was beautiful. Another person that was at the same spot took some pictures of my mom and I, and they look great! After that we went to the visitor center again. I got a pressed penny and a bookmark. We had lunch at our hotel and it was really good. later that day we went out again but this time I brought a friend with me my Squishmallow raven named Ronald. Ronald has his own instagram page. ( ronaldtheraven ) I took Ronald with us so that he could get some pictures for his instagram page. We went to some of the places that we had already visited, and Ronald loved taking pictures, and of course, the pictures turned out great. That night we went swimming again. It was the perfect way to wrap up our vacation.

Thanks for reading about this adventure! Love – Christina Epperly

Idaho adventure August 2023

Posted on by crazydreamsgirl

Hello, my bucket list, friends! This month, I went on an adventure to Idaho. I go to Idaho pretty often. However, this was my first time going there this year. I have a good number of family members living there, so that is the main reason I visit Idaho so frequently. This time, we were going to celebrate my grandma’s birthday. Since my birthday is this month I was also a part of the celebration. It was a pretty fun adventure, and I can not wait to tell you more about it, so here we go!

August 9th – This was the day my mom and I flew to Idaho. When we got there we went to lunch with my grandparents. Along with my lunch I had some soft serve ice cream, and of course, I put sprinkles on it. I was happy to see family members that I had not seen in a long time including my grandparents dog.

August 10th – Today was a big shopping day! I went shopping at JC Penny’s , Walmart, and two thrift stores. I got several great items. Some of my favorite things I got are a pair of flipflops with a colorful heart pattern, a new Barbie doll from Walmart, a bunch of Barbie books, a Las Vegas mug, A Build a Bear plush that has a colorful star pattern, a duck plush from Las Vegas, and a rubber duck that looks like a fire fighter from the two thrift stores I went to. It was a good day of shopping and being with family in Idaho.

August 11th – Today’s big highlight was going on a trolley tour of Boise. I did enjoy ridding the trolley and seeing some beautiful things and learning about some of Boise’s history. I also went to another thrift store on this day. I did not get much, but I did get a craft kit, some stickers, and some teeny Beanie Babies. There was also another trip to Walmart that night where I got some of my favorite juice that comes with toys.

August 12th – This day was a really fun one. This was the day we celebrated three family birthdays, including mine. I started the day by getting Starbucks and then going shopping at the Dollar Tree. At the dollar tree, we got some balloons for the birthday party we were having. I also got some stickers, two art kits, a set of two hair accessories, a set of four water balls, and more! To celebrate our birthdays we went to a restaurant for some very good food and they also sang happy birthday to us. I also got some ice cream there. After lunch, some of us went to pick up some desserts to take to my grandparents’ house. I chose a colorful cake that a plastic balloon decoration on it. The night I went on a walk with my mom and my sister. It was a great way to end this wonderful day.

August 13th – On this day, I went with my mom and sister on a day trip. We drove for a while before stopping at a convenience store. Then we went to Kirkham Hot Springs. It was really interesting to visit a natural hot springs. I got some good pictures there. I do recommend visiting this location. We also went to Red Fish Lake and we rented a peddle boat there. I liked that the boat was sparkly. After the lake we went to a restaurant before going back to my grandparents’ house.

August 14th – This was the last full day we had in Idaho before we went back home the next day. It was a pretty lowkey day, but I did go to Burger King, and the one went to had one of those really cool touch screen soda machines.

August 15th – This was that day we went back home. Our flight was not till afternoon so we had time to go to breakfast. We also got to the airport early so I had time to play in the arcade where I won some prizes from the claw machine. I also got two Idaho souvenirs from a store at the airport.

Thanks for reading about my Idaho adventure! – Christina Epperly

Things I love June 2023

Posted on by crazydreamsgirl

Hello, my bucket list friends ! I’m still trying to catch up with my blog post since the summer has been pretty busy but in a good way. Anyways before I can get into the adventures I’ve been having in July, I’m going to do a post about the things I loved in June 2023.

Friend sleepover / swimming – I had a fun sleepover with my friend that included shopping at Walmart and going swimming . ( You can read about it HERE)

Connecticut vacation – I had a wonderful vacation in Connecticut! I did many fun things, including going to the zoo and seeing a waterfall. ( You can read about it HERE,HERE, and HERE)

Crossing two items off my bucket list.- I’m very happy to say that I crossed two items off my bucket list in June! ( You can read about them HERE )

Going on a shopping spree – I had a great time shopping at the Dollar Tree, and the mall the weekend after I got back from Connecticut. ( You can read about it HERE )

Shopping at my favorite local thrift shop and toy store- I did some other fun shopping this month. (You can read about some of it HERE )

winning an American Girl Doll – Towards the beginning of June, I won an American Girl doll in a raffle. ( You can read about it HERE)

making my summer playlist – I made the perfect playlist for my summer. (You can read about it HERE )

Alice Cooper’s new song and album release date – I did add one more song to my summer 2023 playlist. While I was on vacation, Alice Cooper released a new song! He also announced that his new album would be released on August 25th! I love his new song, and I’m very excited for his album to come out later this summer!

Thanks so much for reading about the things I loved in June! – Christina Epperly

Connecticut vacation June 2023 part 3

Posted on by crazydreamsgirl

Hello, my bucket list friends. This is the last part of my Connecticut vacation posts. However, I’m sure I will mention it again. I’m excited to tell you about the last part of this adventure. With that being said, let’s get to it. 

June 19th, 2023 – This was our last full day of vacation before going back home. Our main adventure of the day was going to the submarine force museum and exploring the USS Nautilus. The museum is free to go to and it is very interesting. There is also a gift shop inside the museum. Of course I enjoyed going shopping there. The main highlight was getting to go onto the submarine. My mom took a really good picture of me in the submarine. I liked being on the submarine, but I was happy to be back in the fresh air when we were done exploring. After our adventure, we went to Best Buy because I needed some new headphones. While I was there, I saw a Barbie doll that was on sale for a really good price, so I got her along with my new headphones. After that we went on a hike. It ended up being a pretty long hike, but it was beautiful. I got some truly amazing photos.  I especially love the ones I took where you can see the reflection of the clouds in the water.  It was a good last full day of vacation

June 20th – This was the day we went back home. Our flight was not early so we had some time before it was time to go to the airport. Before going to the airport we got coffee and we went to explore a park. The park had a cute playground and a bridge that had a little path. we did not go on the path, but we did stand on the bridge. Then we went to the airport and dropped off our rental car. We got on our first flight of the day that took us to Charlotte North Carolina. That flight went well, but our 2nd flight got delayed. This airport was probably the most crowded one that I have ever been in it was difficult to walk through, and to make matters worse, our flight got delayed. Also, our gate changed more than once. We went all over the place, trying to get to the right gate. It was very stressful, but we ended up getting on the plane and going home with no problems, and that is how my vacation ended.          

My Connecticut vacation June 2023 part 2

Posted on by crazydreamsgirl

Hello, my bucket list friends! It is time for the 2nd part of my Connecticut vacation! In this part I go to the zoo ,ride some boats and more! I’m excited to tell you more about my adventures in Connecticut! Here we go!

Friday, June 16th – On this day, we went to Connecticut’s Beardsley zoo. I like going to the zoo when I travel, so I am excited to explore another zoo. I loved this zoo for a few reasons, but I was very happy that it was not crowded on the day we went. I had fun exploring the greenhouse that they had. it was filled with many different kinds of plants there were also koi fish. I saw lots of fun animals her including prairie dogs, buffalo, an owl, and a tiger. Another highlight was ridding the carousel. It was affordable and a lot of fun. I love riding carousels, and I was very happy that I got to ride one on this day. Of course, I also made a stop at the giftshop. I got a few things there, including a hat. Another highlight of my day at the zoo was taking pictures in a photo booth. After our zoo adventure, we went to get pizza! The pizza was really good. I loved this day of vacation

Saturday, June 17th – On this day, we did two activities that involved boats! The first one was a tour of the Thimble Islands. All but one of the islands are privately owned. We didn’t get to explore that island since the tour we were on didn’t make any stops. However, I really enjoyed the tour. It was so cool to see all these houses on little islands. It was definitely a unique area, and it was worth the visit. We had some time before our next boat adventure, so we stopped at a Starbucks. The Starbucks was located in a truck stop. While we were there, I bought this bear shaped keychain that said Connecticut on it. We also went into Tj Maxx to pass the time. I had not planned on getting anything there, but I found a pack of hair bows for a great price. Our 2nd boat adventure of the day was a going to sheffield Island. We took a boat to the island. The island has a light house on it, and a tour was offered. We had some time before the tour began, so we explored the island. The island is beautiful and I liked being there. When it was time for the tour, we met at the door to the lighthouse. We had not been on the tour for very long when we were told that there was a storm coming and that we had to leave now. We quickly went back to the boat. On the way back, it began raining. We made it back safely, and I still enjoyed this adventure even though we had to end the tour early.

Sunday, June 18th – On this day, we went on another boat tour, but before the boat, we went on a steam train. We had some time at the train station before it was time to get on the train so we went to the giftshop. At the giftshop, I got a wooden bookmark, and my mom got a Christmas ornament. On the train, we were seated on the first class train car. The seats in there were very comfortable, and they spun around so you could face however you wanted to. On the train ride to the boat, I got a ginger ale. When we got to the boat, my mom found seats on the third floor after staying there a while we went up to the top deck. It was windy up there, but I got some great pictures. After our boat ride, we went back on the train and headed back to the station. After our first adventure of the day, we went to get some lunch. Later one we went to Mystic. Mystic in an area that is popular with tourists. We didn’t really have any plans there, but we ended up getting some really good softserve ice cream. We went on a walk, and there were some interesting things to see around the Mystic seaport museum. We didn’t go to the museum, but I did enjoy seeing the outside displays. I also got a pressed penny at a machine outside of a gift shop. That night we went swimming at our hotel it was a great way to end our busy day.

Thank you for reading about vacation fun! – Christina Epperly

My Connecticut Vacation June 2023 part 1

Posted on by crazydreamsgirl

Hello, my bucket list, friends! I went on a very fun vacation this month. I had a lot of fun exploring this beautiful state. I have a lot to tell you about, including the two bucket list items I crossed off, so here we go!

Tuesday, June 13th – This was the day that my mom and I flew to Connecticut. We stayed at a hotel near the airport the night before to help reduce the stress of travel. When we got through the check-in process and security. I was very excited to see that close to our gate was an Amy’s Drive thru restaurant. It was on my bucket list to eat here. Oh, and just to make things clear, drive thru is the name of the restaurant. Since it was inside of the airport, it was not an actual drive thru.  I had not planned on crossing off a bucket list item on this day, so it was a pleasant surprise. I enjoyed eating here, and I’m really glad that I crossed off my first bucket list item of 2023. It took us two flights to get to Connecticut, and they both went well. When we arrived in Connecticut, I went to a store at the airport and bought some souvenirs. My favorite item that I got at that store was a magnet that said Connecticut in colorful letters. After that we got our luggage and our rental car. Then we headed to our hotel. after checking in to our hotel we went to get some food. The subway was closed, so we ended up getting food at a gas station store, and that was day one!

Wednesday, June 14th – This was our first full day in Connecticut. Our first activity of the day was going to the carousel museum.  This was something that I chose to do because I love carousels. When I walked into the main room of the museum, I was amazed. I was in a room full of beautiful carousel animals. There was so much to look at! Of course, there were plenty of horses, but there were also other animals such as a dog and a pig. I had a fun time taking pictures with the carousel animals. I truly loved exploring this museum. There was also a small gift shop by the entrance to the museum so on the way out I stopped there and bought a few things to help me remember my visit. If you ever get to the opportunity to visit the museum, I highly recommend it. Our second activity of the day was the day was going on a tour of Yale University. As part of the tour, we got stickers with a very cute bulldog on them. I learned that the bulldog’s name is Handsome Dan, and he lives on campus. I was hoping that we would get to see him, but we didn’t. The tour was very interesting and there was a lot to see. Our tour guide was great and I really enjoyed it. After the tour we went to the Yale book store and got some souvenirs. I did want a plush bulldog, but it was out of my price range but I did get a postcard with his picture on it. That evening we went to the beach. It was the perfect time to go to the beach because there was a beautiful sunset. I got some great pictures at the beach. It was the perfect activity to end the day with.

Thursday June 15th – On this day, I crossed another item off my bucket list with the first adventure we did that day. Our first adventure of the day was going to the Pez visitor’s center, and it was on my bucket list to go there. With your admission fee, you get a Pez lanyard and a discount at the store. The center is full of many different kinds of Pez dispensers. There are also activities you can do there like a bingo card scavenge hunt game. I started doing the game, but I decided not to. You can also see the Pez factory through a window in the visitor’s center. Another thing you can do there is to take a quiz on a computer and then you can print out a certificate. I did this, and as silly as it may sound, I’m proud of my certificate. I was excited to go shopping at the Pez visitor’s center store. I got several Pez dispensers, including one shaped like a truck that you can decorate. I also got an elephant and a bee Pez dispenser along with a Pez visitor center’s magnet and postcards. On the way out of the Pez visitor’s center, I used the pressed penny machine. I want to say thank you again to the person who gave me an extra quarter so I could get a PEZ visitor’s center pressed penny. Our second adventure of the day was going to Kent Falls State Park. At the park we went on a walk up to the waterfall. There are many places at the park where you can see the falls so you don’t have to walk very far if you are not able to. I took many pictures of the beautiful falls, including selfies. After the falls, we ended up stopping at a Goodwill store. I love going thrift shopping anytime but there is something special about going thrift shopping when you are traveling. At Goodwill, I got some fun things, including an American Girl travel games book and an art kit. However, my favorite thing that I got was a Hansom Dan plush! I was so happy when I found him because I had wanted to get one the day before. The last highlight of this day was going to the rooftop bar at our hotel. The views were truly beautiful it was a great way to end this day of our vacation.

Thank you for reading about part on of my Connecticut adventure! – Christina Epperly                               

Blogmas day 23 Saying Goodbye to LA and a very busy day

Posted on by crazydreamsgirl

Hello, my bucket list, friends! I’m doing my best to catch up on my Blogmas posts. I love Christmastime, but it is also a very busy time, so it is easy to get behind on blog posts. Anyways, let’s talk about my last day in Los Angeles! On Thursday, I left LA and went back home. Vacation always goes by fast, and when Thursday came, I wasn’t really ready to leave yet. My flight was not until later in the day so I spent a lot of time at the airport that day. The big highlight of the day was getting a cute plush toy that said Los Angeles on it. I also got to eat at the Habit, and I got coffee at Starbucks. I did my best to enjoy my time in the airport since I was still technically still on vacation. My flight back home went well, and then it was time to focus on getting read for Christmas. On Friday there was a lot to do. It is always very busy on the days leading up to Christmas, and I was getting overwhelmed with everything, but there were some highlights, including going to Savers ,Barnes and Nobel, and Kohls. At Saver’s, I got some books and toys to add to my collection, including a big bag of pony toys and a Barbie fashion fever accessories set. At Barnes and Noble, I got two Barbie books, including a sticker book. At Kohls, I got this super cute book that was similar to the Los Angeles book I got when I was on vacation. We also went to Whole Foods, where I got some very yummy food from the hot bar. It turned out to be a good day overall.

Thanks for reading!

Rock On- Christina Epperly

Blogmas day 22 One more bucket list item and more Los Angeles fun

Posted on by crazydreamsgirl

Hello, my bucket list, friends! I’m happy to say that I crossed off three bucket list items during my trip to La. In my previous post, I talked about two of the items that I crossed off. Before I tell you about the item I crossed off, let me tell you about my first adventure of the day. There are so many interesting museums in LA, and there was one museum I had been wanting to visit. It was not a bucket list item, but I was still excited to visit it. The museum that I visited that day was LACMA ( Los Angeles County Museum of Art ) . I started my LACMA adventure by taking a bunch of pictures at the outdoor exhibit known as Urban Lights. This outdoor art exhibit is free to visit, so even if you don’t want to pay to visit LACMA, you can still get some amazing pictures at this outdoor exhibit. I highly recommend checking it out if you have time on your next trip to LA. After my photoshoot outside, I went into the museum. There was so much to see! I took pictures of some of my favorite art pieces. As with most art museums, it would be easy to spend a long time here. Next time I visit an art museum I may bring a sketch book with me. After spending some time at LACMA,I went to a nearby Starbucks to rest and charge my phone, and then it was time to cross off my third bucket list item of the trip. I decided to cross off number 287. Go on a vegan picnic! I went to the veggie grill to get food for my picnic. I got the harvest bowl with tofu on top. I walked around the Grove ( an outdoor mall) for a while before I walked over to a nearby park. At the park , I sat at a picnic table, and I enjoyed the very good vegan food from veggie grill. I didn’t finish the whole bowl in one sitting, but I was full, and I was excited that I would get to finish it for dinner. After crossing this item off my bucket list, I walked back to the Grove. While I was at the grove I went to Barnes and Noble where I got two books. I got a Barbie book and a very cute book about Los Angeles. I also visited the farmers market that is by the Grove. I didn’t want any more food, but I did want to visit the sticker store there that is called Sticker World. I got some fun stickers there, including some Christian themed stickers and some horse stickers. Before I left the farmer’s market, I used the pressed penny so that I would have a fun souvenir from the farmer’s market. After all that adventure, I decided to go to Hollywood Boulevard before I left Los Angeles the next day. I walked around Hollywood Boulevard for a while before going to Walgreens, where I got three souvenir keychains, snacks, and water. Then it was time to go back to the hotel. I decided to use the bathtub at my hotel room since it was one of my last chances to do so. I had brought a lot of bath bombs from home, and I used a bunch of them in this one bath. It was another fun and exciting day of vacation.

Thanks for reading about my vacation.

Rock On – Christina Epperly

Blogmas day 21, two bucket list adventures, and a fun day in Los Angeles!

Posted on by crazydreamsgirl

Hello, my bucket list, friends! I’m here with a post that I’m excited to write! On December 20th, I crossed two more items off my bucket list, plus I enjoyed a day in Los Angeles. Let’s start by talking about the first item I crossed off my bucket list that day. I started my day in Los Angeles by crossing off bucket list number 275. Go on a tour of Warner Brothers Studios. There is something really fun about seeing where TV shows and movies are made. I really enjoyed crossing this item off my list. There was so much to see on the tour, and the guide did a wonderful job of providing us with many interesting facts about many of the things we saw on the tour.There were also many great photo opportunities. I love the photo of me on the couch in front of the Friends fountain. I also enjoyed the display of Christmas items they had. I love the selfie I took with Jack Frost. There was also a gift shop, of course, where I got a few fun items, including a hat that says writer on it. After the tour and the gift shop, I spent some time in the Starbucks that was located in the lobby where the tours started. It was a fun item to cross off my bucket list, and I had one more item to cross off that day. After my tour, I went to Hollywood to cross number 244 go to a blow dry bar off my bucket list. I had made an appointment online, and I was ready for a little relaxion after an already busy day. I really did enjoy having my hair washed and styled. I decided to get curls, and I really liked that way I looked. With another item off my list and a super cute hairstyle, I decided to go to an attraction called the giant’s house. This attraction is just like a selfie museum. There were so many fun props to take photos with. Some of my favorites were the giant high heel, the ball pit, the piece of cake, and the coffee cup. I love the photos that I took there. Oh, the giant lipstick was pretty great, too. After my visit to the Giant’s house, I decided to walk to one of my favorite souvenire stores. On the way to the store, I came across some guys carrying some absolutely beautiful snakes. I fell in love with the yellow snake, and I just had to have a picture of me holding it. The snake’s name was lemonade, and that was a perfect name for this snake because he is a yellow snake. After holding the snake for pictures, I made it to the souvenir store where I found some fun items to add to my collection, including a snow globe. I had one last stop before I went back to my hotel for the day. I accidently left my toothpaste at home, so I needed to get some more. I went to CVS, and I got the toothpaste plus some more souvenirs. It was a great first day of vacation. Thanks for reading about this part of my adventure in Los Angeles.

Rock On- Christina Epperly