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Hershey’s Chocolate World in Las Vegas

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Address: 3790 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas Nevada. 89109

Hershey’s Chocolate World was established in 2014 and is a two-story shop/candy store with a wide variety of merchandise such as personalized chocolate bars, t-shirts, caps, pants, keychains, mugs, magnets, and many more. It is located inside the New York-New York Hotel and Casino. Opens daily from Sunday-Thursday 9 am-12 am, Friday-Saturday 9 am-1 am. There are more than 800 Hershey’s chocolates and candies to choose from.

We were amazed and attracted by the huge, bright, and colorful signs design of the building. My family especially my daughter immediately ran and took a picture in front of the store with the Hershey’s bar, Kisses chocolate, and the flashy Las Vegas sign. It was a good photo opportunity with all the bright, colorful, and attractive designs as a background.

As we walked inside the store, we were surprised, amazed at all the different varieties of Hershey’s chocolates. It’s a chocolate lover’s heaven and I felt like a kid in a candy store. LOL.. On the first floor, the baked goods area, milkshakes bar, and the unique sculpture of “The Statue of Liberty” that is made out of almost 800 pounds of Hershey’s milk chocolate were all located. While on the second floor, all Reese’s chocolates, special one-of-a-kind Hershey’s merchandise such as keychains, mugs, caps, and the other sculpture of “The Statue of Liberty” that is made out of tons of Twizzlers.

Tips: The big chocolate chip cookies at the baked goods area were so delicious and good. The line to the famous milkshake was very long with longer wait times. And we also missed the opportunity to try the Chocolate Martinis at the chocolate bar. But we will ensure that we get to try them on our next visit. The store has a new flavor of Hershey’s bar such as the Strawberries N’ Cream, Cookies N’ Mint, Birthday Cake, which are sold exclusively at the store only.

Let me know if you have any questions, comments or what you think about Hershey’s Chocolate World after your visit in the comments below. And kindly share our family travel blog site with your friends and family. Or even include our travel blog website address when you post your pictures on social media. Have fun and stay safe. Thank you.

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Coca-Cola Store in Las Vegas NV

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Address: 3785 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas Nevada 89109

The Coca-Cola store is in close proximity to both the ABC and the M&M’s store. It’s open daily from 12 pm to 8 pm but their beverage bar is only from 12-4 pm. The store is very organized as the entrance is on the left side while the exit is on the right side of the store. The store is composed of 2 floors and you would see a variety of Coca-Cola’s exclusive merchandise such as mugs, keychains, t-shirts, bottles, accessories, and many more. I liked the wide array of Coca-Cola apparel that is branded in other languages such as Chinese, Japanese, and Italy.

The best part or the main attraction at the Coca-Cola store is located on the 2nd floor which is the Fountain Bar. The fountain bar offers a tasting area with a choice of an International Tray with 16 samples of Coke from other countries for $15, a Float tray with 8 samples for $11, or the best deal which is the combo tray composed of both the international tray and float tray for $20. We ordered the combo tray package since there are a lot of us and would like to try them all. We all sat together at one table, tasted and rated them all together, and had so much fun. Some Coke drinks from other countries tasted bad while the others tasted better.

Listed below are the 16 sample flavors from the different countries. Stoney Tangawizi- Tanzania, Bonaqua Fruit Apple Pear- Germany, Mazoe Blackberry-Malawi, VegitaBeta- Japan, Dell Valley Jamaica and Nada- Mexico, Fanta Koleta- Costa Rica, Kist Strawberry- Panama, Thums Up- India, Beverly- Italy, Sparletta Sparberry- Zimbabwe, Sprite Cucumber- Russia, Aquarius Libre- Spain, Bjare Lingonberry- Sweden, Inca Kola- Peru, Smart Sour Plum-China and lastly Delaware Punch- Honduras.

While the Float Variety Platter is composed of Coca-Cola Float, Sprite Float, Barq’s Red Creme Float, Pibb Xtra Float, Cherry Coke Float, Barq’s Root Beer Float, Fanta Grape Float, and lastly Fanta Orange Float.

Overall, it’s a great place to visit, have fun, and take a break from gambling, eating at buffets, and lots of walking along the Las Vegas Strip. My daughter bought a long sleeve shirt with a Coca-Cola branded design from Japan. And don’t forget to pose with the giant Coca-Cola Polar Bear before you leave the store.

Let me know if you have any questions, comments or what you think about the Coca-Cola Store in Vegas after your visit in the comments below. And kindly share our family travel blog site with your friends and family. Or even include our travel blog website address when you post your pictures on social media. Have fun and stay safe. Thank you.

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Marvel Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N. (Treasure Island Hotel and Casino)

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Address: 3300 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109

The company behind Marvel STATION is Victory Hill Exhibitions and is an exhibition production and distribution company focused on delivering educational interactive and engaging exhibitions for the Global Market. The Marvel STATION exhibit is located inside the Treasure Island Hotel on the 2nd floor near the escalator, Popeyes, small food court, and the CVS store. There were visible signs on the Casino floor that will lead you to the Avengers STATION.

The admission fee onsite is $42 for adults ages 12 years old and up and $32 for children ages 4-11 years old. There was a line to pay for the admission fee and we went in line again to get into the elevator that will lead us to the exhibit floor on the 3rd floor. There’s also an optional photo opportunity either as a group or individual where you pose on a green wall and choose your background that charges $20 for one picture and $25 for 3 pictures. You will pick up and pay for your Marvel pictures after the end of your tour.

Inside the Marvel STATION, you will learn the science, history, profiles, technology, and profiles of Incredible Hulk, Iron man, Captain America, Thor, and other Marvel heroes. We even saw a variety of extensive range of authentic Marvel Avengers operational equipment on display such as Black Widow and Hawkeye’s uniforms, and weapons. Captain America’s shield and uniform. Hydra’s exhibits had an opportunity to try and pick up Thor’s hammer. The exhibit that interests me was Bruce Banner’s (the hulk) laboratory which showed some interesting materials including a huge hand. We also learned about the backstories of some of the Marvel Characters.

The Iron Man station/exhibit was almost the last exhibit and the most fun for me since we get to see a display of all the uniforms of Iron Man. And the last station of our entire self-guided tour is the group interactive game that allows each player to simulate a fight against Ultron using an individual controller.

Overall, the self-guided tour took us about 30-45 minutes and they have sanitizers available throughout the tour. You get to walk through the self-guided tour of the entire 8 exhibits at your own pace. It’s an awesome exhibit with a fun interactive experience for kids and Marvel Fans. It’s literally a museum of Avengers and their artifacts.

Tips: You can get a good discount and save money if you purchase your tickets online on their website. They provide military and local residents discounts and if you stay at Treasure Island it would be 2 for $50 deals. There is also a photo booth available at the store for a fee which my daughter and her cousin had fun with making funny poses. Public restrooms are available onsite and a small food court is available on the first floor after going down the escalator.

Let me know if you have any questions, comments or what you think about the Marvel STATION in Las Vegas after your visit in the comments below. And kindly share our family travel blog site with your friends and family. Or even include our travel blog website address when you post your pictures on social media. Have fun and stay safe. Thank you.

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Matanzas Creek Winery

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Address: 6097 Bennett Valley Road Santa Rosa Ca. 95404.

Matanzas Creek Winery is situated in a remote area of the Bennett Valley region of Sonoma. The winery’s fruit comes from sustainably farmed estate vineyards. Matanzas Creek has a great landscape and lots of picnic tables for rental. It is also famous for its lavender gardens. Some lavender products are available for purchase at their gift shop.

We passed and drove through a narrow winding road in the Bennett Valley to get to the winery. Matanzas is perched up on the hill and it is across the Bennett Valley golf course. There was a sign posted in the entrance and we drove through a long two-way road all the way to the winery. As we arrived, we were greeted by Russell and Nicole which provided us with great customer service. My wife bought their popular bottle of 2017 Sauvignon Blanc. Nicole showed us the picnic areas and it was in a nice location under the old oak tree. We picnicked, open the bottle of wine, and ate our lunch with beautiful scenery of the winery and the lavender garden.

After our lunch, we walked around the property and enjoyed their beautiful landscaping. We took a lot of pictures of their Bocce ball areas and the lavender garden. My wife enjoyed her glass of wine on the Adirondack chairs located in the middle of the garden. The month of July is when the lavender is in full blossom. We also took a picture of their unique water fountain on our way out.

Overall, this is a good winery if you want a secluded place, have kids, and love having a picnic, drink wine and enjoy a lavender garden. They have clean restrooms and friendly staff members.

Tips: We bought some sandwiches at Glen Ellen Market which are so delicious and are only 20 minutes away from Matanzas Creek Winery. We also loved their premium black truffle potato chips and pull apart sourdough bread with olive oil.

Let me know if you have any questions and what you think about Matanzas Creek Winery after your visit in the comments below. And kindly share our family travel blog site with your friends and family. Or even include our travel blog website address when you post your pictures on social media. Have fun and stay safe. Thank you.

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Sea Ranch Chapel (Sea Ranch Community)

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Address: 40033 CA-1 Sea Ranch Ca. 95497 (Northern Sonoma County)

Sea Ranch Chapel is a non-denominated sanctuary for prayer, meditation, and spiritual renewal. Open 7 days a week, 365 days a year from sunrise to sunset, and a gift from a Sea Ranch resident the Buffum family. It was built in December 1985 and is dedicated in memory of Navy Aviator Kirk Ditzler. It is about 3 hours and 117 miles from San Francisco via US 101 North and CA-1 North. The creative artist and architectural designer Mr. James Hubbell is the one responsible for the unique design of the Sea Ranch Chapel. The Chapel was also hand-built by local craftsmen. It is a must-stop place in the Sea Ranch area.

We saw the sign of the Sea Ranch on the right side during our drive from Fort Ross to the town of Gualala. We got lost looking for the place thinking that the Sea Ranch Chapel is inside the Sea Ranch Community which is a private road and no trespassing allowed. The Sea Ranch Chapel is on CA-1 after the Stengel and Shell Beach. There was ample parking when we arrived at the Chapel. Visitors usually just stay in the Chapel for about 15-20 minutes.

The beautiful, well maintained grounds and its unique architectural design was the first thing we noticed. We felt the energy when we went inside the Sea Ranch Chapel. We were in awe at the unconventional architectural design on both the inside and outside of the Chapel. Loved the attention to details on the inside of the Chapel from the ceiling to the floor. We even donated cash in exchange for a simple postcard for the upkeep of the place.

Overall, it is a hidden gem, unique, charming and serene place in the middle of nature to contemplate on life. We didn’t notice if the Chapel have a public restroom on site.

Tips: We also visited Black Point Beach (dark sand beach) and Stengel Beach which are located along CA-1 and before the Sea Ranch Chapel coming from Fort Ross.

Let me know if you have any questions or what you think about the Sea Ranch Chapel after your visit in the comments below. And kindly subscribe, comment, and share our family travel blog site with your friends and family. Or even include our travel blog website address when you post your pictures on social media. Have fun and stay safe. Thank you

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“Stand By Me” Bridge (1986 Movie)

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Address: 111 Bridge Way Burney, Ca. 96013

The famous train scene in the 1986 Movie ‘Stand By Me” where the 4 boys tried to outrun a train going across the bridge is located on the trestle in Burney, California near Lake Britton. It is about 4 hours and 30 minutes (290 miles) from San Francisco, California via I-5 North.

Our drive to the “Stand By Me” bridge was very scenic and relaxing due to the long road and huge trees along the way. Finding the exact location of the bridge is both an adventure and exciting for us. It was a very beautiful sunny warm day driving around on our convertible rental car. After we passed through the Lake Britton bridge, we immediately made a right turn on Eagle Mountain Lane with a visible sign of “Dusty Campground Site”. The narrow backroad was a combination of sand and gravel. We were confused or mixed up as we parked on the first abandoned railroad track before the gate. That was not the famous bridge and my wife saw a long colorful garter snake that crossed in front of her path but managed to escape the scary experience.

We proceeded to drive slowly through the dirt road for about 5 minutes and finally reached our destination. The “Stand By Me” bridge was barricaded with a few graffiti written on the cemented, fenced barricade. It prevents people from crossing or walking across the bridge as it is an old bridge and for safety measures. We just parked our car on the side of the road as we were the only ones there. You would know that you reached your destination as soon as you see the red clay-like dirt area near the bridge. If you drive a little further down the road you would reach the entrance to the Dusty Campground site.

Overall, it’s a good place to relax, enjoy nature and admire the gorgeous view of Lake Britton. And let your friends and family know about the place and maybe even watch the “Stand by Me” movie again on youtube.

Tips: And it’s about 6 minutes away (3.3 miles) via CA-89 from the famous Burney Falls. You can also enjoy and relax at the picnic area in Lake Britton.

Let me know if you have any questions or what you think about the ‘Stand By Me” bridge after your visit in the comments below. And kindly subscribe, comment, and share our family travel blog site with your friends and family. Or even include our travel blog website address when you post your pictures on social media. Have fun and stay safe. Thank you

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Albion River Inn

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Address: 3790 CA-1, Albion, CA 95410

Albion River Inn is a romantic inn with stunning ocean and river view rooms. It is situated on a bluff top with a view from your own private deck. The Albion River Inn has 22 elegant rooms with spectacular cliff views, an onsite restaurant, and a good wedding venue.

It took us about 5-6 hours drive to get to Albion River Inn from CA-1 scenic route. It was a beautiful day as we drove through the coast with our rental convertible car. We already noticed and saw the beautiful Inn from a distance while we were on the Noyo River Bridge. We had to check in to the main office to get our actual room keys and had to park our car in our reserved parking space. After we opened our room door, we were in awe of the picturesque view of the Noyo River and the Ocean views from our private deck area. The room had a classic room theme with a queen bed, a roll-out bed, wood fireplace, wall heater, mini-fridge, wifi access, and no TV. Since the place is catered to romantic couples and promotes tranquil and a peaceful place to relax and unwind.

We only stayed at the Albion Inn in room#6 for one night. The restaurant on site was fully booked since they only have an outside tent due to Covid restrictions. So, we ordered our food to be delivered to our room. We were surprised as our food arrived within 20 minutes with an extra plate included for us to transfer our food. We ordered the famous Like & Ginger Grilled Prawns (6 pcs), Pan-Roasted Pacific Rock cod, Indian Style Chicken Curry, Cheesecake, and Coconut Banana Cream Pie.

We brought out a table outside our private deck and transferred all our food onto a plate that the restaurant had provided us. We ate our delicious and savory dinner outside with gorgeous views of the Noyo River and the ocean while we watched the beautiful sunset.

Overall, it’s a very classic and romantic Inn with a wonderful ocean view, cozy rooms with a wood fireplace, and your own private deck area.

Tips: The Albion Inn provides wifi access but it doesn’t have a TV in our room since it’s supposed to be a tranquil and romantic place. Right across the Inn is a Llama Farm Ranch where we took a picture of a Llama. Book early as the Inn only has 22 rooms and a very popular Inn. Some rooms even have your own private hot tub.

Let me know if you have any questions or what you think about Albion River Inn after your visit in the comments below. And kindly subscribe, share our family travel blog site with your friends and family. Or even include our travel blog website address when you post your pictures on social media. Have fun and stay safe. Thank you

Click here to find a hotel close to Albion River Inn in Mendocino.

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Goat Rock State Park:

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Address: Salmon Creek, Jenner, CA 95450

Goat Rock Beach is located in Jenner California which is about a 2 hours (84 miles) drive from San Francisco, California. A huge arched sea stack connected to the land by a narrow isthmus, the flat-topped rock is said to have derived its name from goat herds that grazed nearby more than a century ago..

From Bodega Bay we drove through a series of narrow, curvy winding roads with a beautiful view of the coast and a lot of smaller beaches to take pictures. While driving on CA-1 North after we passed Shell Beach we and saw the signage stating ‘Goat Rock Beach”. We made a left on the Goat Rock Road and drove for at least 20 minutes through another curvy winding road. As we passed the gate entrance, we drove on a downhill road and took the narrow road to the left towards the parking lot of the Goat Rock State Park. If you take the road to the right it will lead you to Goat Rock Beach where the sea lion sanctuary is located. We were surprised that the road to Goat Rock was narrow and both ways were taking turns or giving way to oncoming cars. The narrow road that led to the parking lot is made up of gravel, sand, and rocks so we drove slowly. There were a lot of parking spaces available and a public restroom on site. We took a lot of pictures along the area and even saw the famous Archstone Rock from a distance with the waves crashing through the rock. There were a lot of people laying or relaxing on the beach and we watched a few surfers riding the waves. But we were cautious as the waves were very strong around the area.

Overall, Goat Rock Beach is a very unique, and a good place to unwind or have a picnic on the beach with a gorgeous view of the Archstone Rock from a distance.

Tips:  Drive slowly as the road going into the parking area is a one-way road only. The parking area and the road are made up of gravel, rocks, and sand. There is a public restroom available near the parking area. You can also see the Archstone Rock from the distance at the parking area. The entrance to the Goat Rock State Park is after the Blind Beach overlook. There is a lot of smaller vista points that are good for a photo opportunity along the way to the Goat Rock.

Let me know if you have any questions or what you think about Goat Rock State Park after your visit in the comments below. And kindly subscribe, share our family travel blog site with your friends and family. Or even include our travel blog website address when you post your pictures on social media. Have fun and stay safe. Thank you.

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Whale Rock at Seaside Beach (Fort Bragg)

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Address: 30000 Shoreline Highway North of Mackerricher State Park Fort Bragg, Ca. 95437.

Seaside Beach is about 4 hours drive from San Francisco via Hwy 101, Hwy 20 and Hwy 1. Seaside Beach is located about 10 miles north of Fort Bragg. Seaside Beach is popular due to its sandy, long beach and huge rock formations.

We passed through the town of Cleone and Inglenook on our way to Seaside Beach from Fort Bragg. It took us about 20-30 minutes from Fort Bragg to Seaside Beach as we navigate through Hwy-1. We parked at a small parking area (about 8 parking spaces available) in front of Seaside Beach.

It was low tide, sunny but windy when we arrived at the beach. It is a very long sandy beach and not overly crowded. We even saw a few dogs running around and playing in the water without a leash.

We then proceeded and walked towards the left side of the beach from the parking lot. During our walk, we saw a few high monolithic rocks, caves, and tidepools.

As we were walking further, we end up seeing the famous Giant Whale Rock with a few smaller cave tunnels which are only accessible during low tide. The Whale Rock shape or outline is more visible if you are walking from the south going back to the parking lot. We even went inside the smaller caves and took pictures but be very careful about the changes of the tide. We took a lot of pictures of the unique, huge rock formations and beautiful homes on the bluff.

Tips: Seaside Beach is also close to the boardwalk at Mackerricher, the 10-mile bridge, and the 10-mile river. It’s a good place to enjoy the sun, bring your dog, and explore the different rock formations and hidden caves. But pay attention to the high tides when going inside the caves. Overall, the Whale Rock was the main highlight of our trip to Seaside Beach.

Let me know if you have any questions or what you think about the Whale Rock at Seaside Beach after your visit in the comments below. And kindly subscribe, share our family travel blog site with your friends and family. Or even include our travel blog website address when you post your pictures on social media. Have fun and stay safe. Thank you

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Black Point Beach (Sonoma County)

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Address: 60 Sea Walk Drive Sea Ranch, Ca. 95497

Black Point Beach is located in Sonoma County. It is a public beach situated in the Sea Ranch Community. The beach is about a mile and a half long with a rugged cliff as a backdrop.

It’s about 2 hours and 40 minutes drive and 113 miles from San Francisco via Ca-1 North. As we arrived at the entrance, the parking area is small and about 15 parking spaces available. We also saw a few dogs on leashed and they also have a public restroom available near the parking lot.

We followed and walked through a short trail that goes straight ahead and that led us to the edge of the cliff. We even stopped and took pictures with some of the beautiful colorful wildflowers blossoming along the trail or bluff.

Once we got to the edge of the cliff, we saw and walked through a huge wooden staircase that led us all the way down to the beautiful beach below. We walked, took pictures, and played with patches of black sand. It is not as black sand as the beach in Hawaii. We saw a few warning signs that indicated that the beach is one of the most dangerous beaches in California due to its strong current. Just a reminder to don’t walk closer to the ocean water or cliffs.

As we reached the top of the wooden stairs, we noticed that the property around the beach and the trails were private. Overall, it’s a good beach to relax, have a lunch picnic, or stroll along with great views of the ocean.

Tips: The Black Sand Beach is a few minutes away from the famous Sea Ranch Lodge and from Pebble Beach.

Let me know if you have any questions or what you think about Black Sand Beach after your visit in the comments below. And kindly subscribe, share our family travel blog site with your friends and family. Or even include our travel blog website address when you post your pictures on social media. Have fun and stay safe. Thank you