Though our trip to Paris largely revolved around Disneyland Paris, we did spend time exploring the City of Light. After we had booked both plane and train tickets, we realized that we would be in Paris for Bastille Day, a national holiday in France. Bastille Day, celebrated annually on the fourteenth of July, marks the anniversary of the Storming of the Bastille, which was a turning point in the French Revolution.

As part of the Bastille Day celebrations, we started our day watching an impressive military parade that passed along the Champs-Élysées. There were aircraft flyovers, and the parade procession included both regiments on foot and large tanks.

We were also able to get into the Louvre for free on Bastille Day. Allegedly, it is one of the better times to tour the museum, since the crowds are generally elsewhere. I can’t confirm that claim, because it still seemed very crowded, and we waited in quite a line to go through security and enter. With limited time, we rushed through, taking special note of the parquet flooring and the Mona Lisa.

We ended the day scoping out a spot to watch the fireworks. We knew that we didn’t have a whole day to spend camped out on a blanket reserving a space, so we ventured to Parc de Belleville, in the 20^th arrondissement of Paris, as the sun began to set. The park is the highest in Paris, with incredible views overlooking the city. We went to a nearby market and picked up fresh fruit, cured meats and cheese, and a bottle of wine, and we picnicked while waiting for enveloping darkness. Ultimately, we didn’t see too much of the fireworks since we were so far away, but the entire experience felt serendipitous and special.

Parc de Belleville 

 The neighborhood surrounding the park had some really interesting graffiti.

Other Highlights:

1. Bouillon Pigalle:

This restaurant had a long line of people queued up outside at lunchtime, but the line moved swiftly as patrons were seated efficiently. It definitely felt like a big production: we were served quickly, and the food arrived just as quickly (as I’m sure they have a fast turnaround on tables). But, the prices were very reasonable and the menu was exactly what I envisioned at a French bistro. We tried garlicky escargot, steak frites, and lamb stew.

2. Catacombs of Paris:

When the city’s cemeteries became overfilled in the seventeenth century, the solution was to relocate and bury remains in abandoned, labyrinthine tunnels under the city. The tunnels were originally dug to access quarries for mining limestone, but they now house stacks of femurs and skulls. It’s an eerie, yet hauntingly fascinating, experience.

3. Eiffel Tower | Geocaching:

I know that I would like to go back to France, and I think next time I would allot more time to explore the Eiffel Tower. We didn’t have the time to wait to go to the top, but we had time to look for one of the most popular geocaches in Paris, which was nearby the base of the Eiffel Tower. Named “Eiffel Power,” this geocache was a tiny birdhouse hung from a tree branch. So for at least the second time this year, I climbed a tree in a new city.

4. Our Lovely Airbnb:

Since we planned on spending so much time in Disneyland Paris, which is far from the city center, we tried to pick an Airbnb that would be in between both locations. We ended up in Champigny-sur-Marne, in a cozy second floor apartment with a waterfront view of the nearby river. The neighborhood was very quiet, and, though the apartment was about a mile from the train station, we always enjoyed the walk.

 The view from the front window in our apartment.

The river nearby the apartment!

…

 Couldn’t write about Paris without including at least one picture of the Eiffel Tower!

I will forever be thankful for my Disney College Program experience because it gave me two of my closest friends. It’s very reassuring to know that you can make lifelong friends after college, when it seems like everyone’s friendship rosters are solidified and finite. Our bond was forged over Whirley Pop, laps around Epcot’s World Showcase, ice cream, wanderlust, and a love for all things Disney.

Our career paths after the program spread us out across the United States, but thankfully, we have planned many trips to visit each other and explore new places. In March, we spent a weekend in a very cozy cabin in the Poconos. Normally our trips are jam-packed with activities, so this relaxing weekend of board games and puzzles, paint by sticker books, and slow cooker chili was a definite contrast.

For our one big weekend adventure, we decided to hike to find “The First Pocono Mountain Geocache,” originally placed back in 2001. We trudged through snow along the trails until we reached Tobyhanna Creek, and followed along the bank. I loved listening to the rushing water and looking at the frozen waterfalls. The most exhilarating part of the hike was the military cable bridge that we had to traverse. The cache, an ammo can, was on the other side of the creek, hidden amongst a field of boulders. I have found many geocaches, and this was one of my very favorites to date because it was so challenging.

Geocaching has been a large part of my life since I first discovered it in 2012. I spent one long summer day exploring the parks around my house, and I was hooked. Even though my interest dwindled in college, I found my way back into it. Geocaching has helped me explore secluded beaches, discover overlooked bits of history, and traverse remote hiking trails. With over 800 finds to date, it is hard to narrow down the best geocaches, but I wanted to highlight some of my favorites.

1. Bridges & Arches of Central Park: GC17MX1

This multi-cache guides explorers on an extensive adventure through the 800 acres of land in Central Park. It involves visiting 32 stages in the park to count bricks and read serial numbers on lampposts in order to collect information for a final puzzle. Once variables A through FF are plugged in to a colossal equation, the coordinates to a hidden treasure (a commemorative coin) are revealed. This multi-cache could easily take days to complete, but my mom and I spent eight hours on foot doggedly pursuing the final stage. It is one of the best experiences I have had, and we still talk about it five years later.

2. Raiders of the Lost Cache: GC2HN2H

With over 700 favorite points and a “Geocache of the Week” feature in the Geocaching Official Blog, this notable cache was on my bucket list for quite some time. The cache is about a mile from the ranger’s station at Governor Dick Park, and it’s concealed within a large rock outcrop. The difficulty with this cache is finding a way in, and a way out of, the cave where it is hidden. Oh, and battling the rubber snakes, skulls, and spider webs.

3. At the Pier: GCMKWT

Along with its restaurants, shops, and street performers, Pier 39 in San Francisco is well known for its resident sea lions. They haul out on the floating docks, often territorially vying for space. There is actually a live webcam focused on the sea lions and, in order to get credit for the find, geocachers have to capture a screenshot of the feed while they are in view.

Screenshot from the Sea Lion webcam!

4. Geocaching Headquarters (Groundspeak HQ): GCK25B

Geocaching HQ is a visitor center located within the company’s office in Seattle. Guests can find an enormous chest filled with trackable items to discover and trade, a photo booth, and exclusive Geocaching HQ merchandise. More than 18,000 geocachers have visited the headquarters! Also of note is the nearby HQ GeoTour, a series of nine creative geocaches in the surrounding Fremont neighborhood.

samdelle and vdelle602 @ Geocaching HQ

Enter the correct phone number and a drawer will pop open with the logbook

The “Chairy” Tree with a pulley to bring down the chair/cache

5. Wheriwantago Seeking Nahn-Sea’s Heart: GC3QWMR

“Wherigo” cache types are different in that they require players to follow a certain path, arrive at predetermined stops along the path, and answers questions about the surrounding area in order to keep heading toward the next stop. This Wherigo cache was my first, and it is still my favorite. It is located within Harry P. Leu Gardens in Orlando, FL. The Wherigo trail covers seemingly every acre of the park, and follows a fairytale storyline about a prince trying to prove himself and win the heart of his princess.