Interview – SJ Begonja (Chasing the Donkey)

Chris Boothman
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Interview – SJ Begonja (Chasing the Donkey)

It’s always great meeting new folks from the travel world and today is no different as we would like to introduce Sarah Jane Begonja from her wonderfully acclaimed website, Chasing the Donkey focusing on travel around Croatia.

Please feel free to comment, ask questions and connect with SJ using her various social media fronts listed below.

We would like to give a special THANK YOU to Sarah Jane for taking time to interview with us!

me and donkey

Name: Sarah Jane Begonja (originally from Sydney, Australia now residing in Croatia)

Website: Chasing the Donkey

Social Media: 

What is your favorite aspect of traveling and if you are a travel blogger, why did you decide to create your website? 

Travelling for us is a necessity as staying in place is far too boring and we get ants in our pants. Plus travel means new things to be discover. Both about the places in which we travel & within ourselves.

How many continents have you visited? 

Four

How many countries have you visited? 

21-30

What is your favorite destination in the world and why? 

Picking one destination is far too hard. I tried and tried to narrow it down to just one, but as they all have some kind of special meaning or memories, I found it impossible.

I can narrow down a continent… that’d be Europe, as I love the history, churches, being able to cross boarders in your car.

If money/time was no object and you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you travel to and why? 

The one big place I would love to get to would be Antarctica. I’d love to explore that area (on a ship….nothing too adventurous now) and marvel it all of it’s glory.

Which of the following gadgets do you take on your travels? 

Laptop, Tablet, Phone and Camera

What is your preferred method of transport? 

Car

Complete the following, “Everywhere I go, I visit….” 

The best place to get coffee. I can’t live without my caffeine hit, and I get to people watch at the same time.

Here is your chance to sell yourself and your website! Tell us some more information about yourself, what your travel philosophies & future plans are and anything else that people may find interesting to read about… 

I blog about Croatia. The food, the places to visit and my expat life here. Including our olive garden and plans to build our dream house.

Chasing the Donkey

I’ve been with my Croatian husband for 15 years, and we have a toddler, who we take with us on all of our travels. I am a 5th Generation Aussie, coming from Irish convict stock, yet people still want to know ‘yes, but where are your family from’…

Travelling for us used to be about us, now I want to show my son the world, and inspire him to seek our new adventures and never stop moving.

Dream Destinations – Washington State

Chris Boothman
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14
Dream Destinations – Washington State

Whenever you hear the destination Washington, I would edge my bets that the majority of thoughts would lean to the capital of USA, Washington DC. But for our latest Dream Destination we want to investigate the other, much broader location – the state of Washington, located in the north west portion of USA.

Home to the beautiful city of Seattle and an abundance of natural beauty, Washington has a lot to offer visitors including the following which I have picked out to be imperative must-sees for anyone visiting this state. As we embark on our vision to achieve all 50 US states, this is one of the remaining states we have yet to explore and we are particularly excited about this one for the following reasons along with many more.

Seattle

Image courtesy of Daniel Schwen [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Image courtesy of Daniel Schwen [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Of course the pinnacle of the state of Washington is Seattle for a myriad of reasons. The Emerald City as it is frequently referred to, primarily because it is locked among an abundance of greenery (of course the weather in Seattle is similar to the UK with the amount of rainfall which helps keep everything looking fresh and green!), has so much to offer from the infamous downtown market area to the Space Needle tower for the skyscraper and tall building enthusiasts.

I actually did a feature specifically on Seattle so you can read more about this here.

Olympic National Park

Image courtesy of Michael Gäbler [CC-BY-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Image courtesy of Michael Gäbler [CC-BY-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
At the heart of Washington state is Olympic National Park which is stereotypical of the state as a whole with a variety of gorgeous yet very different ecosystems all within the confines of this national park.

One of the major difficulties for visitors is determining exactly which of these ecosystems they want to explore. Are you interested in subalpine and alpine forest where in winter you can hit the slopes to enhance your skiing skills? Or would you prefer to be more on the lowlands in close proximity to the cliffs of the Pacific shoreline? Whatever you preference, Olympic National Park is a place of iconic beauty that perfectly portrays the state of Washington.

Riverfront Park

Image courtesy of Mark Wagner (User:Carnildo) (Own work) [CC-BY-2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons
Image courtesy of Mark Wagner (User:Carnildo) (Own work) [CC-BY-2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons
Seattle is not the only metropolis in Washington that has plenty to offer locals and tourists. Spokane, Washington is home to a Riverfront Park which is a gorgeous spot to head to if you are looking for a relaxing getaway.

This 100 acre park is located in downtown Spokane along the Spokane River which also allows this park to feature a beautiful set of waterfalls that are always attractive landmarks to encourage visitors to check out the park.

Scenic Byways

Image courtesy of Adam Jones, Ph.D. (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Image courtesy of Adam Jones, Ph.D. (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Rather than specifically highlighting one road or byway to head to in Washington, I would highly recommend renting a car and driving around the state of Washington so that you can see how gorgeous this state really is. In addition to the national park and scenic coastline, there is an abundance of other natural phenomena that make this one of the most attractive states throughout USA.

Cascade Loop for example is one of the most beautiful and spectacular drives according to the National Geographic Traveler. For more details on all of the scenic byways in Washington, check out the official Washington state website.

Mt. St. Helens

Image courtesy of Tequask (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Image courtesy of Tequask (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Washington State is home to the Cascade Mountain Range which hosts a series of dormant volcanoes. The most famous of these is undoubtedly Mt. St. Helens due to the dramatic volcanic explosion in 1980.

Today, there are a number of hiking trails along the foothills and sides of Mt. St. Helens along with a great visitor center that gives you the opportunity to learn in depth knowledge on both this volcano and volcanology in general.

***This post is part of the 2014 A to Z Blogging Challenge (#DreamDestinations #AtoZChallenge)***

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Dream Destinations – Venice

Chris Boothman
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20
Dream Destinations – Venice

By now you will have noticed that we have a strong desire to explore Italy with some of our featured Dream Destination posts focusing on Pompeii and Rome. Keeping in this same tradition, our next location in this series is the romantic city of Venice.

I am sure we all associate this part of Italy with a romantic gondola ride down the Grand Canal but of course there is so much more to do in Venice and hopefully this will give you a few more ideas of attractions worth exploring when you plan your trip there.

Here are some of the top reasons we want to visit Venice.

Grand Canal

Image courtesy of nanosmile (Reinhard Jahn, Mannheim.) (please use this discussion page) (Own work) [CC-BY-2.0-de (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/de/deed.en)], via Wikimedia Commons
Image courtesy of nanosmile (Reinhard Jahn, Mannheim.) (please use this discussion page) (Own work) [CC-BY-2.0-de (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/de/deed.en)], via Wikimedia Commons
Ok so I mentioned that Venice is the stereotypical city of romance especially when you see in all those movies the gondola rides drifting along the river but the reality is that not all of these trips along the Grand Canal are all that romantic. But one thing for sure is that taking a ride along the Grand Canal is quintessential Venice and is an iconic representation of this beautiful city.

Not only is this a must in terms of experiencing a true gondola, but this is actually one of the best methods of public transportation to get around the city and see some of the amazing attractions that Venice has to offer. The myriad of buildings and bridges that ooze architectural genius are all visible on a gondola ride along the Grand Canal, so I would urge anyone visiting Venice to take advantage of this great service.

Piazza San Marco

Image courtesy of Janmad (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons
Image courtesy of Janmad (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons
The Piazza San Marco is the heart of Venice and is where all of the day to day business, relaxation and mingling takes place for locals and tourists. The piazza is lined with local cafes, shops and bistros along with a variety of museums that offer visitors with a perfect hangout spot.  At the heart of the Piazza San Marco is the central focal point – St. Mark’s Basilica which was commissioned in the late 11th century.

Another interesting spectacle in this piazza is that it is a hub for pigeons which is great for capturing a great nature shot as they fly by the gorgeous architecture but of course it is also a problem for maintaining the square. Only recently has Venice passed a law where feeding the pigeons is prohibited and attempts have been made to control the pigeon population though with little success. So for now, it’s a case of nature and humans coinciding together and I personally think this just adds to the beauty of the Piazza San Marco.

Rialto Bridge

Image courtesy of Gary Houston (Own work) [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons
Image courtesy of Gary Houston (Own work) [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons
One of four bridges that cross the Grand Canal, the Rialto Bridge is the most popular of all due its gorgeous design that also makes this the most visited and photographed of all bridges throughout Venice.

The Rialto Bridge connects the districts of San Marco and San Polo and in the past this was a popular spot for local merchants whereas nowadays it is densely populated with tourists flocking to capture a perfect photograph from this iconic landmark!

Venetian Lagoon

Image courtesy of Piero d'Houin dit Inocybe (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Image courtesy of Piero d’Houin dit Inocybe (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
The Venetian Lagoon is an enclosed bay within the Adriatic Sea that Venice is part of. This lagoon comprises of a series of islands, the most popular being Murano which is linked by a series of bridges. These countless numbers of islands are all situated in close proximity but Murano along with Burano and Torcello are the most significant due to their beauty that portrays the Venetian lifestyle.

Murano in particular is famous for being the ‘Glass Island’ as one of the primary industries here is glass making that has taken place in this location for over 700 years.

Bridge of Sighs

Image courtesy of Sean William (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Image courtesy of Sean William (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Another of the infamous bridges in Venice is the Bridge of Sighs which passes over the Rio di Palazzo. Connecting the New Prison to the Doge’s Palace, it was designed and constructed in 1600. The name derives from the thought that prisoners would give a last minute sigh as they took in the gorgeous views of Venice, before being taken down to their cells.

***This post is part of the 2014 A to Z Blogging Challenge (#DreamDestinations #AtoZChallenge)***

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Embassy Suites Cincinnati Northeast – Hotel Review

Chris Boothman
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3
Embassy Suites Cincinnati Northeast – Hotel Review

After staying at a variety of other hotel chains on our recent trips, we decided to return to our favorite chain – Embassy Suites during our road trip that took us through Cincinnati, Ohio.

We have recently made the decision to start pursuing our Hilton Honors (HHonors) points more effectively rather than using Priceline to get great deals, so there were various options available in the Cincinnati area but after our positive experience at other Embassy Suites we decided on the Embassy Suites Cincinnati Northeast location.

Location

Opting for the Embassy Suites Cincinnati Northeast in Blue Ash gave us a great location to visit the ‘Cincy’ region despite us only staying there overnight and leaving relatively early the following morning. Driving to Cincinnati from Indianapolis made this hotel easy to find as it is located just off both I-275 and I-71 if arriving from the north or south.

Driving south from this hotel, it is about 15 minutes to downtown Cincinnati so still a relatively good location if you are planning on exploring the heart of the city.

The Hotel

One of the unique characteristics of the Embassy Suites chain is in the design of the lobby and central area of the hotel. Of course each hotel is designed slightly differently to capture the true uniqueness but there is a generic similarity to all of them as they tend to adopt a very ‘rainforest’ type feel with streams, rocks and other architectural pieces focusing your attention especially during the Manager’s Special and buffet breakfast.

Embassy Suites Lobby

The Northeast Cincinnati location in Blue Ash is no different and offers a very relaxing atmosphere for visitors.

The Room

Embassy Suites Bedroom

All Embassy Suites locations comprise of extremely spacious two room suites with living quarters and a bedroom. Added to this a gorgeous en suite bathroom and you have a perfect residence for a hotel room. This location certainly met our expectations and exceeded them in many respects with cleanliness, overall comfort and a bonus of two bottles of water in the refrigerator.

I know this may seem a little trivial but if you have read any of our other hotel reviews where some hotel chains make you pay for water and/or coffee, you will understand why this is beneficial.

Embassy Suites Bathroom

Wifi was complimentary and high-speed connectivity was available which is always a pro for any hotel. Nowadays it’s expected but many still fail to deliver, so it’s nice to see that Embassy Suites are maintaining a high quality of coverage in this important amenity.

Manager’s Special and Breakfast

The Manager’s Special runs from 5:30 – 7:30PM at most Embassy Suites locations. Essentially this provides visitors with a free bar for the duration of this ‘happy hour’  though there are limited choices to what you can order. This hotel offered two different beers, one a local brew and the other being Molson. Neither Heather nor I had sampled either before so we opted for the Molson which we were not disappointed with.

One of the only disadvantages of being here during the Manager’s Special is that it can get very crowded as most folks staying at the hotel want to take advantage of this great incentive. With limited seating available, I would say that this is the one of the only downsides of our experience but with a variety of drinks and snacks available, it was certainly worth fighting for a seat.

Embassy Suites Cincinnati Northeast

Breakfast at Embassy Suites locations is another huge positive aspect of this hotel chain. However, this was unfortunately the most negative experience we had here because we were left a touch disappointed with the overall quality. The variety of options was excellent but the quality of food left a lot to be desired. The eggs were both cold and a little overcooked which I understand is sometimes difficult to prepare given hotels are producing them in bulk. Added to this the other hot options were slightly disappointing and I was already feeling a little disheartened which is unusual for me when I stay at Embassy Suites.

One positive aspect of this buffet which is a first at any Embassy Suites was the availability of chocolate milk which I am sure is a huge plus for families especially those with children who love to start their day with a glass of chocolate milk!

Summary and Details

Having stayed at numerous Embassy Suites locations throughout the US, I believe my expectations prior to visiting the Embassy Suites Cincinnati Northeast in Blue Ash were particularly high. Fortunately, this hotel didn’t disappoint despite a few hiccups with the breakfast.

Whenever you stay at a hotel and are preparing to write a hotel review, you will always look for the negative aspects and areas of improvement – I have to admit that with the Embassy Suites chain it is very difficult to find much in terms of negativity! I would highly recommend this hotel to anyone visiting the Cincinnati area.

Dates: Saturday, April 19, 2014 – Sunday, April 20, 2014 (1 Night)

Price: $109 per night

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