By Richard Greco – Are you sick and tired of the same old trip to paradise? Well if you are looking for a unique travel experience or just a serene vacation, these four travel destinations are bound to leave you the talk of the town while everyone else wastes their summer away at played out vacation spots.

The Hangout Musical Festival (May 18-20)

Hangout Music Festival

Normally I wouldn’t recommend heading to the heart of Alabama for vacation, but this spectacular music festival has bands varying from Dave Matthews to Jack White and everything in between. The three day festival is located in Gulf Shore, Alabama and is set up literally on the beach. The boardwalk is lined with tents as far as the eye can see and carnival rides to cater to music enthusiasts of all ages. If you’re looking for a little bit more than a relaxing weekend on the beach this May, The Hangout is the place for you to enjoy food, contests and some of the best bands in the country on the sandy shores of the hospitable Gulf Coast.

Cedar Point Amusement Park

Cedar Point

Ohio’s self proclaimed world’s greatest amusement park should without a doubt be at the top of any avid theme park fan’s bucket list. The roller coaster capital has 17 world class coasters and offers six on-site lodging resorts. If you are planning to attend this highly rated amusement park, staying on-site is the best option because although you may be able to find a cheaper motel off-site, Cedar Point offers discounted tickets to anyone staying in one of their own hotels. Cedar Point doesn’t just have roller coasters, the once niche park has added mechanical dinosaurs to take you back to a much simpler as part of their Adventure Island section of the park. If you ever get tired of the acclaimed theme park, you can always kick off your shoes and lay out on one of the on-site hotel’s backyard which just happens to be on the shore of the majestic Lake Erie.

Pacific Coast Bicycle Route

Pacific Coast Bicycle Route

Are you looking for a Jack Kerouac type of adventure this summer? Head up to Vancouver and take on the great Pacific Coast Bicycle Route. Whether you go alone or with a group, this amazing trail will give you ample time to soul search and with stops in Oregon, San Francisco and Santa Barbra you are bound to meet some new friends or at least acquaintances on your trip to Imperial Beach, California. The 1,853.5 mile bike trail is not child’s play and if you decide to take on this Everest you should spend months if not about a year training. With hostels along the trail, lodging should never be a problem and travel groups are always welcome to pick up new comers. During this week long escapade, you will find yourself at one with nature cycling down the divine Pacific Coast.

Lake Placid, New York

Lake Placid

In the serene outskirts of the Adirondack Mountains, the little town of Lake Placid sits quiet in the shadows of true beauty. This isn’t the complete wilderness, but about as far as you can come to it while having a warm bed to recharge at the end of every day in. Whether touring the historic Olympic Stadium that hosted the United States’ monumental win over the heavily favored Soviet Union or heading on one of the dozen trails through the Adirondack Mountains, this calm get-a-way will be the ultimate way to refresh yourself for a weekend or more.

Richard is a student at Rutgers University double majoring in Journalism/Media Studies and English. He has been exploring various areas of journalism, but often finds himself inevitably returning to the subject matter that drew him to writing to begin with, sports. He tries to combine elements from both of his majors to create interesting, vivid articles that exemplify the imagery expressed in poetry.  As a junior in college still trying to find his way, Richard plans to do a lot of soul searching during a summer filled with traveling to music festivals, Bonnaroo in Tennessee, and some adventures that would leave Jack Kerouac impressed.

Photo Credits: Hangout Music Festival by Srt252, Cedar Point by Boris23, Pacific Coast by Hispalois, Lake Placid by Mwanner.

Everyone loves a trip to a good theme park. Whether you are there for the rides, the shows, or just the experience, a theme park is reason enough to travel to a destination. Travelated has rounded up our top 5 favorite theme parks, no particular order.

• Disney World (Orlando, FL) – Quite possibly the most well known park in the world, Disney World is actually a collection of smaller “parks”, including the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Typhoon Lagoon, and Blizzard Beach. At the Magic Kingdom, you can experience all classic attractions and character you have known forever. Epcot allows you to experience the culture and cuisine of nations all over the world, all in one place. The Animal Kingdom is the world’s largest animal-themed park, where you can go on safaris with the animals. Hollywood Studios give you a behind the scenes look at where movies come to life. Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach are both water parks that the whole family can enjoy. There are many ways to purchase tickets, with discounts as you purchase extended length tickets. For example, a one day adult ticket cost $79, while a 10 day adult ticket costs $24.30 per day. The Park Hopper pass, which is extra, allows you to get into any park, any day, with extended hours just for Park Hopper pass holders. There is so much to do, there is no wonder why this is the most famous park in the world.




• Busch Gardens (Tampa, FL) – Offering rides, shows, and animal attractions, Busch Gardens offers the plenty of options to please even the pickiest theme park attendee. The rides include roller coasters, adventure “safaris”, and water themed rides. The shows include animal-based, music-based, and comedy shows. The real attraction at Busch Gardens are the animals.  You can go on a Sunrise Safari, where you will get very personal with giraffes by hand-feeding them. You could even enjoy the Tiger and Orangutan Keeper Experience, where you get to take part in an orangutan training session, and then test your strength against a tiger.
  There are many options to get up close and personal with the animals, and they are opportunities that you will not get anywhere else.
• LegoLand (Carlsbad, CA) – Everyone loves Legos. Imagine going to a place where almost everything is made of Legos. They have rides based on the toy sets that you or your child has probably put together in the past.  It is also filled with miniature version of major landmarks, all built with Legos. What would a Lego theme park be without the opportunity to build your own Legos creation? Of course, building your own Lego masterpiece is available. Obviously, this park is catered to kids, but those of all ages can have fun at LegoLand.
• Sea World (Orlando, FL) – We all know about the world famous killer whales, but Sea World has so much more to offer. They have other famous shows, roller coasters, other rides, and exhibits. For a little extra, you can visit Discovery Cove. This is an all inclusive day-long experience. You can swim with dolphins, and explore tropical reefs and exotic fish. You can also relax on their white sand beaches, and enjoy first class dining.  It is an opportunity that you will not get anywhere else.
• Cedar Point (Sandusky, OH) – Home of the world’s tallest, fastest, longest roller coasters, Cedar Point is a thrill seekers paradise. Located on the shore of Lake Erie, the view achieved while riding the coasters are second to none in world. The have 17 roller coasters, more than any other park in the world. In addition to their famous roller coasters, they have water rides, spinning rides, carousels, and tranquil rides for the less adventurous. If you like roller coasters, or are even just a thrill-seeker in general, you have to go the Cedar Point.