I love Colorado. I also love hiking. I’d like to share two of my favorite hikes in Colorado. MAROON BELLS (Aspen, CO) Aspen is gorgeous, so of course, hiking in Aspen is spectacular. The views while hiking the Maroon Bells are simply breathtaking. I took the 6 mile round trip to the pristine Crater Lake. The hike began with ease. However, it quickly became an uphill, rocky climb and proved to be quite difficult. It is not impossible, as … [Read more...]
About Jessica Starkschall
Jessica has been an avid traveler for most of her life. Her passion for visiting new places exploded during college when she studied abroad in London, England. In 5 short months, she not only immersed herself in the British culture, but also visited multiple cities across 8 different countries during every spare weekend. She loves everything about traveling, from interacting with the local people to visiting museums and historic sites to sampling any of the cuisines (within reason).
Jessica's favorite way to see the world is on a cruise. Where else can you visit multiple cities and countries and only have to unpack once?! She has seen the Caribbean, Mexico, North America (Canada and Alaska), Europe (both the Mediterranean and the Baltic) and Cuba via cruise ship.
Jessica currently resides in Houston, TX with her Shih Tzu, Brady. When she isn't traveling, she is working for a national non profit, spending time outdoors or enjoying one of the many things the city of Houston has to offer with her friends.
Part Three: Sweet, Sweet Santiago de Cuba
In between our two ports of call, Havana and Santiago de Cuba, we had another day at sea. This is a great opportunity for passengers to relax and reinvigorate for the next port. We participated in an Introduction to Santiago de Cuba seminar. While I didn’t learn that much about the city, I realized there would be plenty of that the following day in Santiago de Cuba, and instead we simply got an overview of what to expect from the day ahead. … [Read more...]
Part Two: Viva Havana!
On day three of the Fathom Impact + Travel cruise on the Adonia, we excitedly woke up to peer outside our portal window and see the vibrant colors of Havana. Once the astonishment of being there finally set in, we boarded our bus and embarked on my first true introduction to the country of Cuba. Our first stop was to Cemetery Colon. The cemetery is named after Christopher Columbus, who ‘discovered’ Cuba, however he is not buried here. The … [Read more...]
Part One: Introduction to Cuba
For the past 50+ years, the idea of traveling to Cuba on an American cruise line has been unfathomable. Then, in May of 2016, that idea became a reality – it became fathomable. Justifiably so, the first cruise line granted access into Cuba’s mesmerizing culture is named Fathom. Fathom Impact + Travel, a subsidiary company of Carnival Cruise lines, was created in 2012 and been in business since 2014. Fathom Impact + Travel is the answer to the … [Read more...]