As I sit and write out a bucket list of all the things I want to accomplish before “I kick the bucket”, I remember the trip that I took with my family in the summer of 2011 to the Dominican Republic. During this trip I was only 10 years old and all I cared about was going swimming and playing on the beach. However, I remember the trip very well as if it were yesterday. So, with this being my number one choice on my bucket list, I want to relive the entire trip and be able to appreciate the beauty of the country itself. This list all stems from that trip in 2011.
For my family it was the trip of a lifetime. Two weeks in one of the most beautiful countries in the world, in a house all to ourselves. Although this is my number one choice on my bucket list, there are many more things I would like to accomplish and be able to cross off. The top three places that I would like to visit are, return back to the Dominican Republic and appreciate the country now that I am older, Santorini, Greece to see the Oia Village Walk and do some other sightseeing activities, and finally see the Northern Lights in Anchorage, Alaska.
In the summer of 2011, my family and I took the trip of a lifetime to Cabrera, Dominican Republic. The trip was in celebration of my tenth birthday and sort of a last ‘hurrah’ before school would start that year. For two weeks we sat on the beach, swam, saw the town, and spent time together as a family. At the time I had just turned ten and wasn’t able to appreciate the culture and beauty of the country. That is what this trip is for, to recreate all of the memories, spend time with my family, and appreciate the Dominican Republic for its true beauty.
I knew there would be quite a few things that I would need to do before travelling to the DR such as renewing my passport. I was able to look up steps on how to obtain a passport from the U.S. Department of State – Bureau of Consular Affairs. On the website it read, “Steps to Obtaining a Passport: Fill out the form, make sure you have the proper documents, go to a participating store to have your photo taken, pay the fees, and submit” (www.travel.state.gov). After reading that I was curious as to what the “fees” were so I then researched that from the same website and found that the prices are different depending on age and if you have already had a passport and are looking to renew it. For my case, I am a 17 year old looking to renew my passport book and card. The price for this option is $140.
For my sister who is 13 years old who also needs to renew her passport book and card is $95 plus a $35 acceptance fee (www.travel.state.gov). For my parents, this is not something that they have to worry about because their passports are still valid. The next thing I researched were the flights. To get the DR we will need to take two flights, Phoenix to Ft. Lauderdale, and Ft, Lauderdale to Santo Domingo. For both flights we will be flying JetBlue Airlines. First, we will fly out of Phoenix to Ft. Lauderdale, FL on June 10th, 2019 at 11:20pm and arrive at 6:31am, for four adults and each having one checked bag the tickets are $151 each. This flight is five hours and eleven minutes nonstop.
Then on June 11th, we will fly from Ft. Lauderdale to Santo Domingo at 9:26am and arrive at 12:10pm with an hour and 37 minute layover. Each ticket costing $225 again with one checked bag per person (www.jetblue.com). Airfare alone will cost $1,504. Once we arrive in Ft. Lauderdale there won’t be enough time to get a hotel so we will spend our layover at the airport to be sure we catch our next flight. Once we arrive in the Dominican Republic, we will be staying at Villa Castellamonte in the town of Cabrera, the same house we stayed in in 2011 and it was beautiful. It will cost $2,800 a night totaling $22,400 for eight nights (https://villa-castellamonte.com).
According to Cultures of the World, Dominican Republic by Erin Foley and Leslie Jermyn, “the average temperature is typically around 77 degrees F and May to November is the rainy season with moist trade winds.” They also say that “because it is in the Caribbean there is always a chance for hurricanes” (Foley & Jermyn, pg. 11). For this trip it would be smart to bring proper rain gear but also a swimsuit! The book also talks about the terrain and says “The country’s terrain includes mountain ranges, semidesert lowlands, fertile valleys, tropical rainforests, picturesque beaches, rivers, and even a saltwater lake” (Foley & Jermyn, p. 7). Due to the diverse geography, there is also a diverse climate. One day could be sunny and clear skies and the next is raining and strong winds.
From what my family and I remember the entire two weeks we were there it had only rained twice and we actually liked it because it was a different rain then Arizona rain. Something else that we took into consideration is whether or not we would need to rent a car. Last trip we never really left the house on our own we were always with a driver or someone from the house staff. The nice thing about the house is they include a car with a driver in with the price per night. The only time we would be using the car is if we wanted to see the town.
However, there is a “Wanderlust Tip:’’ that comes from the Wanderlust, Original Travel Magazine that says “The Dominican Republic has an extremely good road network… if you don’t want the hassle of a carhop on a local bus – the public transport system here is extensive and also easy to use.” (Wanderlust, p. 1 ) which is helpful in case we do want to go out on our own one day and see the town ourselves. I can remember all of the things we did back in 2011 and we had a blast, even after two weeks we didn’t want to come home. We will be returning back to the states on June 19th, 2019 which means like last trip we will be in the Dominican Republic for my 18th birthday. This will also be the last big trip my family and I take before I go to college in the fall.
My second place of travel is Santorini, Greece. I have seen nothing but beautiful pictures of Santorini. When I decided that I wanted to visit here I immediately researched the best time to go. According to Travel US News “The best time to visit Santorini is September to October and April to May when the weather is warm and crowds are scarce” (https://travel.usnews.com/santorini_greece/when_to_visit/). So knowing that information we want to go in September. We will fly on American Airlines on September 9th, 2019 out of Phoenix at 11:05 am and arrive in Dallas at 3:33 pm. The flight is two hours and 28 minutes nonstop for $160 per ticket. For four tickets totaling $640.
Then on September 10th, fly from Dallas to Chicago at 11:45 am and arrive in Chicago at 2:07 pm. This flight is two hours and 22 minutes with a three hour and 18 minute connecting flight to then go to Athens, Greece. The flight from Chicago to Athens is ten hours and 20 minutes. We will depart Chicago at 5:25 pm and arrive in Athens at 11:45 am. These tickets are $1,507 each totaling $6,028 for four tickets (www.aa.com). On September 9th, we will have to stay at a hotel for one night. We will stay at the Days Inn by Wyndham near the Dallas Fort Worth Airport for $61 for a two bed standard room (www.expedia.com). Then once we arrive in Santorini, we will stay at Villa Manos for $169 a night from September 11-25th. The room will consist of one double bed and two twin beds. Perfect for a family of four.
The hotel also offers free internet and breakfast each day. For the 14 nights that we are there it will cost $2,366 plus taxes and fees (www.expedia.com). In the book about the Greek Islands, a Travel Guide Book, it states that they speak Greek (Passport to European Travel Guides, p 4). I was able to look on my phone and find a translating app to be able to communicate with the locals. From the same book I also learned that they use Euros as their form of currency. It also said that I could either get the correct currency or most places take major credit cards (Passports to European Travel Guides, p 4). The things that I would like to do in Santorini are mainly seeing major sightseeing attractions such as the Village of Oia preferably as a day trip to be able to see it during the day and see it at sunset when it is supposedly the best time to go (www.lonelyplanet.com).
From our hotel it is about a 22 minute drive and it is on the very edge of the island whereas Santorini is more in the middle of the island. Something else I would like to do is take a helicopter ride over the island. When I looked into rides and prices I found a company that had a lot of great reviews. “What a better way to see Santorini than take a helicopter tour? Highlights: Private Santorini helicopter flight for max of five people, soar above two volcanoes, Caldera and Nea Kameni, and ogle aerial views of dramatic Greek island scenery, with a mix of countryside and sea” (www.tripadvisor.com).
When I looked at the prices I found that it was $1,859.28 for four tickets for a 30 minute flight. After researching the different tour companies I found that this one was by far the cheapest. Finally the last scheduled thing that I want to do is swim over a volcano in an infinity pool. From the Travel and Leisure Magazine I found that you can be over a volcano, watch the sunset, and swim in Santorini’s largest infinity pool all at the same time (Travel and Leisure Magazine, p 1). This trip is not really going to have a set schedule of what we do each day because we want to be able to do what we want when we want.
Lastly, my third destination is Alaska to see the Northern Lights. “The three places in Alaska that you can see the Northern Lights in are, Fairbanks, Anchorage, and Brooks Range”. Since you can only see them at night, you want to want to come when there is the most darkness – from September until about April 20th; that’s when they are 1) frequent displays, 2) clear skies, and 3) generally mild weather” (www.alaska.org/things-to-do/northern-lights-viewing). You also have to make sure that you are out looking for them at the right time. “Start looking about an hour and a half after sunset, but peak auroras activity is between 10 pm and 2 am solar time” (www.alaska.org/things-to-do/northern-lights-viewing).
For the flight to Anchorage from Phoenix for four passengers on November 27th, 2019 at 11:30 am and arrive at 7:08 pm with one stop in Seattle will cost $493 per ticket, totaling $1,972 for airfare (www.aa.com). Once we arrive we will stay at the Lakefront Anchorage for six nights. The price for six nights is $707.20. The room has two queen size beds and the hotel also offers free wifi and breakfast everyday (www.millenniumhotels.com). When we are here, we really only want to see the Northern Lights. We also want to try and take pictures of the Northern Lights if we are able to see any. In order to have clear pictures we have to have the correct camera equipment. “The first issue is, obviously , finding the aurora borealis [Northern Lights]. Not always as easy as it sounds…” (Carl, p 33).
The book also goes into a little detail about the camera equipment you will want to use. “In brief, you want a fast wide angle lens, as well as possibly a midrange zoom; 28-70mm is a great range. You’ll want to be able to shoot higher ISO’s, so whatever camera you can manage that provides a high quality high ISO option is the best choice here” (Carl, p 33). We also wanted to make sure we knew what we were looking for, “The aurora’s most common form is a pale green halo around the northern and southern ends of the Earth” “The immeasurable electrical discharge created by the solar wind’s collisions with reactive atoms clinging to Earth is visible because it is close. Green auroras happen about 60 miles over our heads” (Pederson & Hall, p 2).
Finally, on the day we decide to go out and look at the lights it is recommended that we drive out to a “nearby vantage point and wait for the lights to appear” (Northwest Travel Staff). Another piece of advice given was that you can utilize the concierge at your hotel and schedule a wake up call for when you want to see the lights/or when the “show” starts (Northwest Travel Staff).
I have many more trips and places to see on my bucket list before I “kick the bucket”. I can’t wait to continue to cross things off. If there is one thing I have learned, it is that life is too short to not do what you want to do. You never know what tomorrow will bring, so do what you want while you still can. Seeing the world is one of the most amazing things you can do. Learn different cultures, try new foods, and experience new things. Always be open to try new things even if you think you might not like it. You never know what you will begin to love. When I was ten years old I didn’t know what to expect when my family told me I was going out of the country for the first time, now I am completely in love with the beautiful country of the Dominican Republic and can’t wait to go back.
