Adventure | Nicole DiGiose

Kayaking through a Lily-Pad-Infested Floridian Lagoon

Posted on May 9, 2016 by Nicole DiGiose

It was a warm April morning during my long weekend in Deerfield Beach, Florida, and I was packing for my flight back home that afternoon. Of course, a last-minute kayaking adventure was in order. But not your ordinary smooth water-gliding adventure, but an experience through a lagoon clogged with lily pads. Challenge accepted.

Along with my brother, Ryan, and his girlfriend, Mallory, I plowed through the vegetation with muscles and laughs and maybe a few “Hell nos!”

So where is this mystical-looking work-out wonder world? Located in Fort Lauderdale, the lagoon is part of the Hugh Taylor Birch State Park. Kayaking aside, the natural community also includes activities such as stand-up paddle-boarding, canoeing, segway tours, hiking, biking, and camping, all at reasonable prices. From what I’ve experienced, the staff is friendly, chatty, and knowledgeable about their surroundings. Read More

My Day-Trip to Raleigh’s State Farmers Market

Posted on January 11, 2016 by Nicole DiGiose

This was originally posted on my new adventure-based website, Sprangled! Check it out for fun times and inspiration, and submit your own experiences, advice, and reviews. We all share this world together!

Appropriately located on Agriculture Street in Raleigh, North Carolina, the Raleigh State Farmers Market stretches across a 30,000 square-foot building and is open year-round. There’s also a strip of market shops filled with homemade treats and crafts. There’s much to explore, but what if all of that food makes you hungry? No worries — there are three restaurants that dish out meals made of locally raised meats and fresh produce right on the market grounds.

The main farmers market building is packed with locally grown fruits and vegetables.

Perfect for a day-trip that will please just about anyone, this North Carolina farmers market is in a category of its own. With an abundance of fresh crops, locally raised meats, wines, cheeses, jellies, jams, and household decor, it’s pretty much an ongoing miniature fair. And the best part is, by purchasing basically anything at all, you’re supporting local business. Read More

Up Close and Purrsonal: Touring the Carolina Tiger Rescue Sanctuary

Posted on October 24, 2015 by Nicole DiGiose

I fell in love yesterday — in love with wild cats of all sizes. From a curious ocelot to a chatty cougar to a pride of majestic lions roaring enough to make the ground rumble, I got to meet these species and more, all in one admirable place, the Carolina Tiger Rescue in Pittsboro, North Carolina.

As a lover of wildlife and putting my weekends to good use, I signed my boyfriend and myself up to tour the big cat sanctuary I’ve read so much about, three weeks ago, and thought about it every day until the afternoon we drove out there for our visit. It was worth the wait and was as exciting as I expected. Read More

Rocking Around Nashville

Posted on October 13, 2015 by Nicole DiGiose

As expected, this place has rhythm — the good kind that keeps you up at night. Decked out in legendary honky-tonks and history, Nashville was a blast. With live music and homey cookin’, this little city has heart.

My group and I made sure to check out plenty of restaurants and bars for some barbecue, original tunes, local beer, party bikes (I call them beer trolleys) karaoke, bull-riding, and line-dancing to get the full experience of Tennessee’s capital. Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge was a great spot for wings, drinks, and music, and the same goes for the Wild Beaver Saloon, which has a mechanical bull that will hate you. And if you’re into multitasking and would like to tour the city while getting your drink on, Nashville Pedal Tavern is the way to go (it’s a “beer trolley”). Read More

Sprangled.com is Open to Submissions

Posted on September 26, 2015 by Nicole DiGiose

Here on Earth, a lifetime isn’t forever, so it’s important to live to the fullest, creating life-growing memories to look back on. Inspire and be inspired — take that chance and don’t wait for the second one. Be proud to share that snippet of your existence, because adventure is the best way to learn.

Hi fellow bloggers! I’ve created a new website, sprangled.com, and it’s open to submissions! It’s all about coloring in life and sharing experiences, no matter if it’s about your hike up a mountain, crafts you’ve designed, or a review on one of your city’s events — I’d like to showcase your awesomeness.

You can read more about submitting here or simply email hey@sprangled.com with your story and images.

As always, thank you for reading!

Nicole

Myrtle Beach Highlights

Posted on September 19, 2015 by Nicole DiGiose

How beautiful are you, Myrtle Beach? This pretty picture was snapped over Labor Day weekend when my boyfriend Tim and I took a mini road trip to South Carolina. Waking up across from the hazy sun floating atop the Atlantic was a wondrous way to greet the day.

But we couldn’t sit there and be mesmerized by the warm waves riding up the soft sand on our first day. We had a flyboarding class to attend, as you may recall from a previous post. Read More

Splash into the Future: Strap on a Jetpack and Soar Above the Water

Posted on September 12, 2015 by Nicole DiGiose

Last week at this time my boyfriend Tim and I were headed to Jetpack Adventures in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina to blast off above the water and take on the sky. We’ve watched flyboarding videos on the Internet, but now we were about to be the ones strapped to a jetpack and swooshed above the glistening lake. It was an exciting and jittery feeling, but it was an experience waiting to be lived.

We were scheduled to go one at a time: I’d fly at 11:00 and Tim would go at 11:30. We arrived a half hour before my flight, as suggested, and watched a man hover through the air, connected to a large hose dragging a jet ski. His family cheered him on and snapped photos, and before I knew it, it was time to sign my life away and strap on the pack. Read More

SUP, Stand-up Paddle-boarding!

Posted on August 16, 2015 by Nicole DiGiose

Stand-up paddle-boarding (SUP) has been surging in popularity, and by now you’ve probably heard of it. If you live near or visited an ocean, lake, or river, you might have planted your feet on a board and hit up the waves already.

Part surfing and part canoeing, this rapidly-growing water sport originated in Hawaii, and packs a punch of a workout, especially for your core. Now pretty much offered at any body of water in the world, I found myself with my toes in the sand as I carried an 11-foot paddle board and its accompanying paddle toward the gentle shore of beautiful Jordan Lake. Read More

Pictures from a European Adventure

Posted on June 7, 2015 by Nicole DiGiose

There’s so much out there in the world, more than one could ever imagine. There are so many different ways of life that are lived everyday; so much breathtaking natural beauty; so much to explore and learn from. Below are some pictures from my first time traveling outside of the States that are from Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Austria, and Italy in December 2010 and January 2011. I’m getting the traveling itch, so posting these pictures (it’s about time!) is soothing. Feel free to suggest your favorite European city in the comments! I’d love to know. Ciao!

Zürich, Switzerland

Prague, Czech Republic

Three Things I Loved About Raleigh

Posted on June 4, 2015 by Nicole DiGiose

At the end of May my boyfriend and I packed up my little Honda and took a road trip down to Raleigh, North Carolina for an extended weekend. Here are three fantastic things I loved most about this small city with a big urban vibe.

The Food

There are plenty of great food options in downtown Raleigh, and I wished I had more time and money and room in my stomach to try more restaurants than we did. Though Raleigh is small, it packs a big city punch, and with the warm, breezy weather, most restaurants had outdoor seating. There were all kinds of cuisines, too: Mexican, Italian, Thai, Chinese, and more, all within walking distance. My boyfriend, Tim, and I stopped at an absolutely delicious restaurant, bu•ku, smack-dab in the middle of downtown Raleigh. This place served global street food, which pretty much consisted of a dish from every different nation in the world. The waitstaff was cheery and attentive, and we had an excellent time, from appetizers to dessert (and the drinks in between!). Read More