TV Shows I Recommend

During the summer, most people binge watch TV shows on Netflix, due to the boredom. I actually didn't binge watch a lot, but yes, I watched more than I usually do in the school year :D. 

1) TV Show: Sherlock, TV-14

Why I like it: Sherlock is one of my favorite mystery shows, because you're always on the edge of your seat during every single second of each episode. 

Duration of episode: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Parent's Guide: In my opinion, this series is appropriate for people 13 years old and older. There is a lot of swearing, some sensuality, many uses of drugs and alcohol, and the general topic that wouldn't be understood by children. But it's suitable for young teenagers. 

2) TV Show: Once Upon a Time, TV-PG

Why I like it: OUAT is another one of my favorite fantasy shows, because it has a little bit of each genre and the story line is very gripping and well thought. 

Duration of episode: Approximately 45 minutes

Parent's Guide: I think this show is suitable for kids 11 or 12 years old+. There isn't too much swearing and some sensuality. 

If you know their fairy tails, this is the show for you!

3) TV Show: America's Got Talent, TV-PG

Why I like it: AGT is my second favorite national "talent" search show. (My first is The Voice, but the new season premiers on Sept. 22) It consists of magic shows, comedy, singing, dancing, and everything you could dream of. 

Duration of episode: It varies really, but about an hour to two. Obviously, it's not on Netflix. 

Parent's Guide: This show is appropriate for children of all ages, but the comedy isn't. Because it's a reality show, you never know when people are going to swear. But overall, you will find most talents amazing and it will blow your mind!

Thanks for reading,

CityLover

My Top 15 Special Cruise Tips

To look at my post about my Alaska trip, click HERE.

1. When docked at a destination, purchase 4 or 5 water bottles, each costing about a dollar. In the cruise, yes, you get water, but if you're thirsty in your cabin, water costs $5 a bottle, or you can walk all the way to the cafeteria, just to get some water. 
2. There were only two plugs in my cabin, so pack a outlet extension. 
3. Pack an extra memory card, just in case. I used up a 16 GB in one day, because of the videos I took. I packed another 32 GB.
4. Bring a book, iPad, or something to pass the time. Sometimes, life can get kind of boring on the cruise.
5. MONEY. I guess that's pretty self explanatory...
6. This isn't really a tip, but more like a fact. Internet on a cruise costs about $45 for 30 minutes. So it's not really a great deal. Cell phone service in Alaska isn't that great, either. There is no LTE and barely enough 3G. 
7. Pack about two sets of formal clothes, because there were a couple of nights where we had to dress accordingly. Some people wear formal every night to dinner, but it's not required. Only for two nights. 
8. Bring your own camera and take your own photos, unless you want to pay for the pictures. On the cruise, random workers with a camera offer to take your pictures, either at dinner, in front of a scenic background, or with someone dressed up as an animal. You can later pay for those pictures, just as you would at any theme park, etc. 
9. There is a library onboard, so if you forget a book, or are bored to death, you can find something to do in the library. There are any books there, including one of my favorites, HARRY POTTER!
10. There is no need to bring cards, chess, or checkers, because there is a "Card Room" on the Cruise, and it provides many fun games to play.
11. If you're planning on going to Alaska in the summer, pack long pants or capris because you never know what the weather's like. I wore long pants for most of the trip, because of the temperature. I would advise to pack some shorts, if you're that type of person.
12. Here's another fact: almost all of the cruise workers are Indian, Asian, and few are European. Just a fact :). All of the cruise members are super friendly. 
13. Fact: Deck 13 does not exist on the cruise. Ironically, it's fact #13. 
14. Bring your swimsuit, you might want to visit the hot tub.
15. I get seasick and carsick, but I didn't fall sick on the cruise. It travels so smoothly, that you won't notice. (Unless you look outside)  

My Travels to Alaska

Plane in Juneau, Alaska

I recently went aboard a cruise that takes you to three cities in Alaska and Victoria, B.C. in Canada. The cruise, I'll admit, was a bit boring, as a teenager wouldn't find any time passing activities to do besides watch free on-demand movies, eat, read in the small, but beautiful library, and attend magic and juggler shows. But, from an adult's perspective, the cruise is heaven. There are endless activities for grown ups. I hope you find this post helpful and engaging and that you admire the pictures that were taken on this trip.

P.S. Click HERE for my special cruise tips.

Day 1

An elegant sunset I happened to encounter on my first evening on the cruise.

So, I guess it was pretty rainy and windy on the second day.
Allow me to add cold, as well.

The first day was pretty uneventful. The cruise port was in Seattle, a wonderful city, I might add. The first Starbucks store is located there, along with a wonderful downtown library, many shopping stores, and of course, the space needle. Unfortunately, I only stayed there for about 12 hours, so obviously I did not get to tour as much. The check-in process is just horrible. It takes a couple of hours, but once I got on the ship, I felt a sudden wave of relief. The hard part was over. The room that i had was pretty small, compared to a normal hotel room, but the view from the balcony was grand. The ship also provided free on-demand movies for both children and adults. We were still at sea during the second day.

Day 3

We finally reached Ketchikan, Alaska, a gorgeous city. Getting off the ship isn't too time consuming, nor is getting aboard. We first walked around the city, shopping here and there. Later, we got aboard another small boat, where the marine biology tour was. (I might do another post on that...) If you're a foreigner and cannot speak English, I do not recommend this tour. The tour guides speak English, and many foreigners found this tour boring. But I enjoyed this tour. We saw and touched starfish, crab, and saw the magnificent bald eagles fly past and catch their prey. The eagle watching was probably my favorite part of the tour. 

Welcome to Ketchikan!

Add caption

Here's an octopus I saw during our marine biology tour in Ketchikan. 

Day 4

Well, on the first day in Alaska, I filled up a 16 GB card...obviously something I've never done before. :) On the morning of the fourth day, we were still at sea, but we went through a "scenic route", where the water was bright as the sky and the mountains were super tall and the sight, altogether, was just to die for.

Day 5

On the fifth day, we arrived in Juneau, Alaska. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't so nice that day. It was foggy, misty, and very rainy that day. Because of this, I couldn't get the pictures I were hoping for. We shopped for a while, then we went on a tour bus that took us to see a big glacier. 

Juneau, Alaska.

Day 6

On the sixth day, we docked in Skagway, Alaska, one of my favorite destinations. This day, I believe, was a fairly successful photography shoot, as the weather was just pleasant and the train tour I went on was splendid. Here are some pictures I took.

Skagway, Alaska

Below are pictures taken from our train tour.

Cloud puff, anyone?

Ah, our beautiful ship.

This was later that evening, from my room.

Day 7

On the seventh day, we reached Victoria, Canada, our final destination. We only had about 6 hours there, so we visited the famous garden and roamed in downtown. I highly recommend the garden, it was huge and the flowers were dazzling and exquisite.