Scents of Memories

   Have you ever gotten a whiff of something that brings back fond memories of times past? I get that

from my favorite wax melts at Fandoms and Fairytales. There are scents of my favorite foods and

resort lobbies and attractions at Disney! Everyone knows that I cannot leave the parks without a

caramel apple. Now, I can pretend that I am walking through the Main Street Confectionary and

trying to decide which one I am going to try first.  The Floridian Lobby is by far my favorite resort

scent! It is such a fresh and clean smell. As far as attractions go, you will definitely want to check out

the Soarin' candle with its hint of orange 🍘groves and maybe you will get a sample of "Thank the 

Phoenicians" thrown in. I will let you try to guess the scent of that one on your own! I always get

excited when a new shipment comes in the mail and I know you will, too!  One wax melt in the

burner usually lasts me a full day before I need to change or add another and she adds just the right

amount of scent so they aren't overpowering. Be sure to check out Jeannette and tell her I sent you!

    Also, any A2M Travel followers that use the coupon code MAKEMEMORIES at checkout will

receive 15% of your total order! Here is what I have in stock and some people say I may have a

problem.

Montreux, Switzerland: 2 Girls Traveling

The view from our hotel in Montreux

  Our Switzerland adventure continued in Montreux. I must say, this was by far, my favorite city of the trip. The beauty was immeasurable to any other with the snow capped mountains and golden kissed leaves, the lake town will be sure to take anyone's breath away.  We started our afternoon with a walk along Lake Geneva to hunt down the statue of Freddie Mercury, lead singer of the band Queen, for a quick photo op. 

 This time of year, the town is getting ready for the Christmas markets. It was really interesting watching them get set up. Bucket list is to return to shop at them! We headed to find dinner and shop at some local markets before turning in for another busy day.
   

Chillon Castle

     Day 2 in Montreux was a busy one! We started off at Chillon Castle. So much history from why the beds were shorter to how to escape behind the walls.  Ana even tried to toss me into the moat while we were down in the prison. 

Walkway to courtyard

Headed into the Moat

Where they chained prisoners

Memorial to Lord Byron

    After our visit to Chillon Castle, we headed to  the town of Vevey for a tour of the home and studios of Charlie Chaplin. This is a tour not to be missed if given the opportunity.  Anastasia and I had so much fun taking selfies with the wax figures and reading about the history of Chaplin and his family. Enjoy below:

Hanging out with Charlie

Charlie's friend Albert

Anastasia and Charlie...I am in the background

The Chaplin Bedroom

Ana speaking with the Chaplin's

Enjoying some home movies

Charlie wrote most of the music for his movies

And Ana and I played it

The Chaplin Home

Charlie's famous character the Tramp

original film reels

Anastasia smelling the roses

New job?

 This was such a fun tour! After a yummy dinner of local pizza, we went to another solo outing, Queen The Studio Experience. This is located in their old recording studio. It was so awesome to sit on the same stool, in the same studio as the band!

Freddie's writings

The actual studio of Queen!

 If I ever go back to Switzerland, I will definitely be spending more time in Montreux. We visited it for only 2 days and that was not near enough for me. I am sorry that I started this journey in the middle of my trip but it was my favorite and I wanted to share it first. More pics of the scenery below.

Fog on the lake

This is fog on top of the lake

Christmas Giveaway: Glitter Tumbler and Scents

Check out this great giveaway from our friends at Fandoms and Fairytales and By-you Home. They have both offered up some awesome items that you can keep for yourself or stick in someone's stocking this Christmas! Giveaway Link at the bottom

Giveaway Link

Touring the Phi Phi Islands

   Thailand is an amazing, exotic vacation destination that can be great for families or couples. When visiting the Phuket area, one must do excursion is the Phi Phi Island visit. This is a full day tour so be sure to plan ahead. Bring bug spray and tons of sunscreen, as well as your water proof camera. You can also bring along your own snorkeling gear but a mask and life jacket are provided, flippers are extra charge. 

Beach Relaxation

Depending on the tour you choose, there are a couple of stops  for snorkeling. An underwater camera is a great tool for capturing pictures of yourself, your friends and the beautiful sea life of Thailand. We were only snorkeling, no scuba.

Waterproof camera fun

The boat operators feed the fish to make them more active while you are snorkeling which makes for better pictures as you can see here.

Colorful fishies

A stop near Monkey Beach is also provided by many of the tours. Most of them do not stop on the beach anymore due to liability. These monkeys bite! While we were there we say one drinking a Coke that it yanked from a tourist's hand and a few in the middle of "love making" sessions.  It was one of the most interesting stops on the trip.

These were some odd little creatures

A stop at Monkey Beach

The tours do provide snorkeling gear but its not the best. You are allowed to bring your own if you wish. Just fooling around here. You are not required to wear the life jackets if you don't want to.

Make sure your life jacket is the right size

All of the islands and waters are so beautiful in Phuket, but I must say that Phi Phi just has something magical about it. It is so calm and peaceful. It has gotten somewhat touristy but they to limit the number of people that go in and out at a time so it isn't so crowded at once. Look at the color of that water. These photos are not touched up.

The islands are beautiful

The boat ride around the islands can be pretty choppy and if you are prone to motion sickness, that is something to consider if you are thinking of doing this tour. The front of the boat is worse than the back, as far as bouncing around. If you want to see it all, though and you don't get sick, sit up front, the views are amazing.  If you are ever in Phuket, this is definitely a tour, you don't want to miss! Let me help you plan your next trip to Thailand, it is for sure a trip to remember.

Goodbye until next time

Memphis Zoo: A Family Fun Day

 

Memphis Zoo Entrance

    Memphis, TN has so much to see and do. Being from Tennessee, it is considered a "staycation" for me, but my family still goes every summer. The zoo is one of our favorite things to do.  The Memphis Zoo actually opened in the early 1900's. Many donations, improvements and exhibits have been made since then.
     Polar bears were added in 2006. I love watching them during feeding time! We got to watch this guy put on a little show across from the seals.

Polar Bear Exhibit

    The 4 acre Teton Trek was added in 2009. The Trek is designed to resemble Yellowstone National Park. I love this area as well. It houses the elk, wolves and grizzlies. There are tables and chairs to sit and relax indoors when it's hot, as well as a picnic area at the entrance. I also like the water play for the kids, there are several of these scattered throughout the zoo. 

Teton Trek Splash Area

The zoo also has an aquarium area that was houses rays, different types of turtles, eels, and other fish. There is even a herpetarium with slithery snakes and lizards!
  I love the budgie house, full of colorful birds. The toucan is my favorite.

  Nearby the aquarium is Penguin Rock, home to several African penguins. A short distance away from  the rock is an exhibit featuring American white pelicans.

Penguin Rock  and the African Penguins 

   Cat Country is another of the zoo's fascinating exhibits. Cat country is home to African lions, red pandas, ocelots, and many other cat-like creatures including the beautiful tiger you see below!

 
           The Panda exhibit is great but does cost extra on most days.  There are many more areas and exhibits to explore but I don't want to show it all to you in my blog. Go visit the zoo for yourself. It is an inexpensive day trip in southwest Tennessee. Pack a lunch and load up the family!
   Memphis Zoo  has many free days and events through out the year, so be sure to check their calendar for that. During Halloween and Christmas they host special events as well. This really is a super great zoo and fun place for the whole family. My family enjoys it every year! Have you been to the Memphis Zoo? What was your favorite exhibit?