White Water Rafting

The sun in shining and the water is getting warm. There's no better time than now to hit the rapids. Recently I got the chance to do just that at Ohiopyle State Park in western Pennsylvania, on the Youghiogheny River.  

White Water Adventurers was the company we chose to rage the rapids with and we definitely made the right choice. They offer guided rafting trips from novice to expert, ranging in Class I-IV rafting. We chose to do the Lower Yough since none of us had any rafting experience. The trip lasts from 3.5 - 5 hours, goes 7 miles down river and includes a lunch. 

We went mid May and with all of the rain the area had received the water was up from a normal 3 feet to 9ft. Because of that, the trip ended up lasting about 2 hours and bumped the trip from a Class 3 ride to a Class 4. The area that's normally reserved for lunch was flooded so they provided the meal before setting off down river. 

We had an amazing time and all of us said we'd do it again. The people at White Water Adventurers were knowledgeable, safety conscious, experienced and most of all fun! Our raft guide Andy, definitely saved us a time or two and made the trip even more enjoyable than we imagined. 

I've been telling everyone how great the experience was and recommending WWA. Now we're just trying to figure out dates for our next trip down the river. Next time... the Upper Yough!

All of the raging the rapids photos were taken by White Water Adventurers. Not only do they give you first class service, they also document your trip for you! 

To book a trip or to get more information check out their site at www.wwaraft.com and tell them I sent you! 

The La Brea Tar Pits

 The La Brea Tar Pits located in Los Angeles, California is home to the world famous Page Museum. The famous Page Museum features the largest and most diverse collection of extinct Ice Age plants and animals in the known world. 

The Museum also features a viewing room where visitors can watch bones being cleaned and repaired of animals that roamed the Los Angeles ares 10-40,000 years ago during the Ice Age. Once outside of the facility patrons are free to observe the open tar pits and enjoy the flowers and plants inside the compound. 

The Tar Pits are open and free to the public. 

The Museum is open 9:30 a.m- 5:00 p.m. daily.

Admission prices range anywhere from $2.00-7.00

The Tar Pits and Museum can be found at 5801 Wilshire Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90036

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, located in Orlando, Florida inside of Islands of Adventure-Universal Studios is a must see! 

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter first opened in the summer of 2010 and has since been flooded with Harry Potter fans day and night. 

When I first started planning my trip to Orlando and the Wizarding World, I was confused on which park that I needed to purchase admittance tickets. To be able to drink butter beer, pumpkin juice and climb the inside of the Hogwarts Castle tickets must be purchased to Universal Studio's Islands of Adventure. Harry Potter is a section of that park and includes everything a Harry Potter fan can love. 

At the Wizarding World you can shop for robes, joke toys, candy and even be matched up with a wand that will choose you. Once you've shopped and tried some butter beer, you can head over to the Hogwarts Castle for an interactive ride that leads you through the castle. 

For anyone who's a Harry Potter fan, visiting the theme park is a definite must. 

The park is open daily and prices vary. 

Stax Museum

The Stax Museum of American Soul, located in Memphis, Tennessee at the original site of Stax Records takes patrons through the history of Stax Records. 

Stax Records began in 1959 and launched the careers or unknown artist into superstars and later into icons. A few of their recording artists included Isaac Hayes, Booker T & the MG's, Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, Aretha Franklin and many more. 

The museum shares the history of Stax through films, artifacts and memorabilia. Museum patrons also walk in the footsteps of where the music was recorded and can view instruments used in the recordings of legendary songs. 

Stax Museum of American Soul is open April-October Monday-Saturday 10:00a.m-5:00p.m. and Sunday 1:00p.m-5:00p.m. November-March Closed Mondays, Tuesday-Saturday 10:00a.m-5:00p.m. and Sunday 1:00p.m-5:00p.m.

General Admission is $12.00 for adults

Discounts vary depending on age and group size

Check their website or inquire at the ticket desk for prices

The Albuquerque Zoo

The ABQ BioPark Zoo located in Albuquerque, New Mexico is home to over 250 exotic and native animals. Founded on 64 acres located beside the Rio Grande, you'll get a chance to see hippos, elephants, lions and many more. They also have a rare bald eagle on site. 

While visiting the Zoo patrons can expect to walk up to almost 3 miles viewing animals and exotic/native birds. At certain times of the day, camel rides are available. 

The ABQ BioPark Zoo is open daily from 9:00a.m.- 5:00p.m. Closing hours due vary depending on the season. Each adult ticket cost 7.00$ but vary depending on package deals and age. Tickets can be purchased at the ticket booth or online. 

Albuquerque Aquarium

The ABQ BioPark Aquarium located in Albuquerque, New Mexico features a 285,000 gallon ocean tank, sea turtles, eels and  deep and open ocean species. 

The Aquarium is open daily from 9:00am-5:00pm, however, hours due vary upon the season. 

The Aquarium is also very reasonable priced. An adult ticket is $7.00. Depending on combo park packages and discount offers the price can be even cheaper. 

One of their sea turtles swimming in the 285,000 gallon tank.

 

One of their many sea reptiles.

If you're visiting New Mexico and in Albuquerque the Bio Park is a great deal for families and individuals. It's also a great way to beat the heat in the summer seeing as how it's indoors. 

The Balloon Museum

The Anderson-Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum 

The Balloon Museum presents the development of balloons through the years by using historical, scientific and artistic objects documenting the achievements made in the field. 

The museum boasts over 50 historic and modern gondolas with many of them complete with the balloon systems. The museum begins with a tour guide giving a brief history and then patrons are left to self guide through the building. Their volunteers are available for questions.

Visiting the museum is definitely worth seeing and you'll never look at balloons in the sky the same way again. 

The Museum is located at 9201 Balloon Museum Drive NE in Albuquerque New Mexico. 

Open Tuesday-Sunday 9:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m.

The Newport Aquarium

The Newport Aquarium houses thousands of animals, sea creatures, tropical birds and penguins. The Aquarium is located in Newport, Kentucky on the Levee and only minutes away from downtown Cincinnati, Ohio. 

At the Aquarium you can feed the birds, walk with the penguins and even pet a shark! Open 365 days a year to the public, the Aquarium is a great place to spend your day. It's great for single travel or with the family. 

No matter what your favorite attractions are they have something for everyone...

They also have daily shows of divers and feeding and the Aquarium boasts a walk thru tunnel where sea animals can swim directly over top and around the public. 

The Aquarium is very affordable at $22.00 per adult ticket and an annual pass is worth purchasing for only a few dollars more. So the next time you're in Newport make sure you check out the Newport Aquarium doors open daily at 10:00am.

A Welcome Note

Hello and Welcome! 

I'm Jennifer Marie Olivia (JMO) and I'll be your guide here on JMO Travels. I've been traveling around the world since I was a child and nothing has ever made me happier. There's just something about being out on the road, visiting new cities and exploring new attractions that's always brought a smile to my face. What else can I say, I love it! 

During all my years of travel, I've visited some great attractions, stayed at some fancy hotels, shopped at chic stores and discovered delicious foods and often at times it was because I went off the beaten path. Yes, there's some great tourist locations everywhere, but sometimes the most special places are only found by word of mouth. Here you'll hear about some of those places.

Along with going of the beaten path in my travels, I've learned that many people hate to travel alone. Yet, they all had one thing in common, they still wanted to travel. I'm here to tell you that you can travel independently. Due to my schedule a lot of my travels have happened when I was alone. I'm living proof that you can be safe, have fun and get to explore major cities. Male or female, in a group or individually travel is for everyone. 

 

Here at JMO Travels, I will be sharing all of my globe trotting ways! Expect to see tons of travel tips ranging from restaurants, attractions, shops, hotels and much more! You'll also be seeing reviews, suggestions and tips on how to make traveling cheaper, simpler and stress free. I hope you'll stick around and come back. 

Till the next travels,

JMO