Disneyland’s Main Street Electrical Parade

This iconic parade has fascinated thousands of people over many decades. Read more about this million-light parade and hum along with the catchy tune!

Tulum Ruins, Mexico

Looking for more information on what an excursion from a cruise ship to the Tulum Ruins might be like? Check out this post!

Disneyland vs Disney World

Interested in my take on which park is better? Check out my guide, all about how rides compare to their counterpart across the coast from each other.

What to do in Monterey, California

There are endless beautiful sights in Monterey, California – from the beautiful beaches and hiking to the world-famous Monterey Bay Aquarium. See what else there is to do!

Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island

One of the most iconic statues in the world, see what it’s like with this complete tour of the Statue of Liberty in New York.

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Welcome!

Welcome to "Ground Travel", a blog about travel that involves primarily land and sea travel.

A little bit about myself:
I am a 27 year old college graduate with a degree in Wildlife and Wildlands Conservation, with a passion for travel and photography.  I have a brown and white border collie/Australian cattle dog/Australian kelpie mix who enjoys traveling with me to the places closer to home (and where our four legged friends are allowed).  I am a native of California, and I still live in the San Fransisco Bay Area.

I started this blog because I realized that there are lots of people out there looking for trips they can do that don't involve flying.  Whether it's because you have a large family, enjoy driving yourself around, want to save money and see the sights, or don't like flying, this blog is here to give you some insights on various forms of ground travel.  Me personally, I do not like to fly.  I avoid it when possible.  There are certain places you can't (at least not very reasonably) get to without flying, Hawaii being one of them.  As much as I hate flying, that is one of the only places in the world I am willing to suffer a 5ish hour flight to, because it is totally worth it.  Hawaii is gorgeous!  I visited there a few years ago, and when I get this blog rolling, I'll share some pictures and things I did while there.
Some places I have been, and how I got there/traveled around:
Pacific Northwest - This includes Northern California, Oregon and Washington, we drove ourselves
Southwest - This includes Utah, Nevada and Arizona, we drove ourselves
Alaska - Flew to Anchorage, drove a rental car for a week, southbound cruise home (Princess)
Alaska - Round-trip 9 day cruise out of Vancouver (Disney) (we drove to Vancouver, so no flying involved)
Mexican Riviera - Flew to San Diego, cruised (Princess several times and Carnival)
Western Caribbean - Flew to Texas, cruised 
Washington D.C. - Flew several times to visit the capital as well as the surrounding area
Hawaii - Flew and stayed for a couple weeks, split between the Big Island and Oahu

Upcoming planned trips:
Florida & Caribbean Cruise - Visiting Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Jamaica and Castaway Cay as well as Disney World for 1 week.  I am taking the train from California to Florida...which will be a first for me!

Now you might be wondering, for someone who doesn't like flying why do you fly so many places?  Good question :)  My dislike for flying probably stems from a terrifying flight I took around 10 years old to Mississippi.  It was literally like a roller coaster in the sky.  I have since that day flown to various places, but each time I do, my dislike for flying grows.  I am also afraid of heights, which doesn't help at all when flying.  They say you shouldn't avoid doing something you are afraid of or it turns it into a bigger fear, so I promise myself that when necessary, I will fly.  Otherwise, I'm sticking to land!  The last few trips I have taken all were driving tours, and my upcoming Florida trip will be a train, car and cruise ship.

So I hope this blog is a happy balance of traveling on the ground and flying when needed.  

Thanks for reading, and I look forward to comments from my followers :)

Monday, July 28, 2014

About Me



Name: Heather Knightson
Age: 30
Location: San Fransisco Bay Area

Hobbies:  Travel, photography, photomanipulation, reading, writing, going places with my family and dog, Disneyland, cruising, playing games such as Settlers of Catan, exploring nature, horses, and many other things I am probably forgetting.

For some examples of photomanipulation, see my DeviantArt account:  plutoplus1.deviantart.com

YouTube Channel: Ground Travel





Sunday, July 27, 2014

Contact Information

Please email or comment on my blog with specific questions or comments you might have.  It might take me longer to respond to an email than to a comment made directly on the post you have a question about, so I suggest you comment before you email.

I love to hear from people reading my blog!  It makes me happy to know that others are enjoying what I post and possibly benefiting from it as well.  I also love ideas/suggestions for future trips and excursions to do on those trips.  Who knows, your idea might just make it into a post with a shout out to you :)

So please don't hesitate to comment/email me your thoughts.



Thanks!



Email: 
heather.knightson@gmail.com


Friday, July 25, 2014

Posts by Location

Alaska
Skagway, Alaska - White Pass Summit Train Excursion


Bahamas
Castaway Cay


California
Monterey, California
Moaning Cavern
Great Wolf Lodge, Los Angeles - Candy Company Tour
Legoland Castle Hotel Room Tour
Knott's Scary Farm: Is it suitable for children?


Caribbean
Tulum Ruins, Mexico (via Cozumel)
Tulum Photograph Guide
Falmouth, Jamaica (Ocho Rios Dunn's Falls, Bobsled and Chairlift)
Georgetown, Grand Cayman
Belize City, Belize
Costa Maya Flyers: Danza de los Voladores
Grand Cayman - Island Tour (perfect for the whole family!)
Photo Guide to: Santo Tomás de Castilla, Guatemala (Family Tour!) 


Cruising
Review: Disney Fantasy - Ship & Stateroom Review (with pictures!)
Disney Fantasy - Ship Horn
Norwegian Cruise Line - NCL Dawn cabin 5530 Room Tour
How to: Get a Refund on NCL Cruises Service Charges
Complete Room Tour: Star Princess C526 Cabin Tour
Sea World San Diego - Orca Encounter!

Disneyland
Disneyland vs Disney World
California Adventure's Frozen Fun
Festival of Holidays 2016
Food and Wine Festival 2022 - Opening Day!
Main Street Electrical Parade 2017
4th of July Fireworks
Halloween in California Adventure 
Pirates of the Caribbean: Complete Overview! New ride with updated Redhead scene!
Disneyland's 63rd birthday celebration parade - with 63 different characters!! PHOTOS included!
FULL Fantasmic Show at Disneyland! Front row POV!
Magic Happens - First new parade at Disneyland in 10 years!
Mickey's Halloween Party 2018 - Toon Town Edition
Disneyland's Frightfully Fun Parade + Fireworks
Mickey's Soundsational Parade - VIP Reserved Section View!  
Anaheim Ducks Day at Disney California Adventure
Food and Wine Festival 2019 
Star Wars Land - Complete Tour at Night 
Star Wars Land - Best View for Fireworks 
Star Wars Land - Rise of the Resistance MEDIA DAY full ride/queue!
Villainous! Oogie Boogie Bash World of Color FULL SHOW!
Wondrous Journeys - Celebrating 100 Years of Disney Fireworks Show

Disney World
Disneyland vs Disney World
Festival of the Lion King
Finding Nemo the Musical


Driving Trips
Driving Across America
How to entertain 5 kids for 4.5 days


Great Wolf Lodge
Candy Explosion! Now Open: Candy Company at Great Wolf Lodge


Hawaii
-Links to come


Movie Reviews
COCO: Why you might not want to take your family to see this Disney/Pixar movie
Incredibles 2: What to expect and a warning for parents
Review: The House with a Clock in its Walls - Must See or Skip?

New York
Statue of Liberty - Tour Overview 


Nevada
Seven Magic Mountains - Las Vegas


Ohio
Brandywine Falls


Preplanned Itineraries 
Southern/Mid-Atlantic
San Francisco in 4 Days


Texas
ICE! at the Gaylord Texan


Train (Amtrak)
First Cross Country Train Ride
What to eat on long train trips
8 Days on a Train: Report on the Western Side of the Tracks
Photo Review: Amtrak Travel Experiences 
Short Amtrak Travel Journal
Amtrak Primer: Newsletter


Washington, DC
Old Post Office


Western United States
Goblin Valley State Park, Utah
Arches National Park, Utah
Vallecito, California / Natural Bridges