ultimate earth trip

This Bucket List Trip Includes 5 Continents In 57 Days For The Ultimate Getaway

There are still openings for May and June.

Everyone with wanderlust has a bucket list of places they’d love to travel to. You’ve always imagined you would get to each destination eventually, but why not combine you’re entire bucket list into one adventure-filled getaway? That’s possible with EF Ultimate Break’s Ultimate Earth trip. EF Ultimate Break is known for hosting all-inclusive travel experiences for anyone 18 to 29, and their Ultimate Earth itinerary was made for people looking to explore the entire world. With a jam-packed itinerary that takes you to five continents in under two months, you’ll definitely want to book this once-in-a-lifetime trip before it’s sold out.

Of course, before you book anything, you’ll want to know all the places you’ll be visiting on your Ultimate Earth trip. During the 57-day trip, you’ll stop in countries like Kenya and cities like Paris before relaxing on a beach in Australia. Along the way, you’ll get to hike Machu Picchu and soak up the sun in Santorini, so the Ultimate Earth trip has a nice mix of adventure and relaxation. If this is starting to sound like the trip for you, here’s everything you need to know about EF Ultimate Break’s Ultimate Earth trip.

Where Does The Ultimate Earth Trip Go?

The Ultimate Earth trip takes you around the globe, so you’ll want to make sure you have plenty of storage available on your phone for every Insta-worthy photo you take. Of the five continents you’ll be visiting, here are the places you’ll stop along the way:

• Switzerland
• Islands of Thailand

What’s On The EF Ultimate Break Ultimate Earth Itinerary?

Your first destination is Lima, Peru in South America. While staying there, you’ll get to visit Cuzco, hike around Machu Picchu, and visit some Incan archeological sites. Be on the lookout for some adorable llamas while you’re there as well.

After nine days, you’ll journey across the pond to London, England. Some of the sights you’ll see while in London Town include Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, and of course, Buckingham Palace. After getting the royal treatment, you’ll make your way to Paris, France where you’ll get to live like Emily in Paris. While there, you’ll get to take a scenic boat ride along the River Seine, snap pics in front the sparkling Eiffel Tower, and taste some delicious French cuisine — aka lots of wine and cheese. There’s even an option to take a tour of the Palace of Versailles.

From France, you’ll visit another Insta-worthy location — Switzerland. You’ll definitely want to snap a ton of landscape photos while you’re there. If you’re up for an extra adventure, there’s an option to journey up the Swiss Alps as well, which has tons of fresh air and gorgeous views.

By day 19 of your Ultimate Earth getaway, you’ll be in Italy where you’ll get to see Venice, Florence, and Rome. Some of the highlights of your time in Italy include visiting St. Mark’s Basilica, seeing Michelangelo’s David, checking out the Colosseum. If you’re a Lizzie McGuire fan, this portion of the trip is “what dreams are made of.” Let’s not forget all the pasta and gelato you can eat if you’re a foodie.

After Italy, you’ll love relaxing in Greece. You’ll first visit Athens, home to Greek mythology, before spending time in Santorini where you’ll get to lounge around at your beachside hotel. At the halfway mark of your trip, you’ll travel to the United Arab Emirates — aka Dubai — where you’ll get to do some shopping at a souk and see the tallest building in the world, Burj Khalifa.

Next after Dubai, you’ll travel to your next continent, Africa. In Kenya, you may get to see elephants, lions, and leopards during a safari tour, so have your camera ready. You’ll stay in Kenya for about six days before hopping on a plane to your next continent — Asia. Your first stop there will be Thailand, where you’ll get to ride a longtail boat through Bangkok and try some of the city’s best noodles. While in Thailand, you’ll also get to visit the Islands of Thailand for some much-needed beach time. You’ll get to snorkel and sunbathe in Phuket and relax on the beach where The Beach was filmed. There’s also a chance to treat yourself to a Thai massage during your stay.

You’ll fly out of Thailand to Hong Kong, where you’ll also get to enjoy the beach at Repulse Bay and go shopping at the Stanley Market. Foodies will also enjoy the dim sum lunch provided in the Tsim Sha Tsui neighborhood.

Finally, your last stop is in Sydney, Australia, where you’ll get a guided tour from your Tour Director and enjoy a scenic boat ride of Sydney Harbor. You may even get to see some koalas or kangaroos at the Sydney zoo.

How Much Is The Ultimate Earth Trip?

If this sounds like the perfect way to see the world, you’ll want to start saving. The Ultimate Earth trip starts at $15,249 for the June 11 departure date. For the May 27 trip, you’ll need $15,499. While that seems like a lot, it covers all of your round-trip flights, airport transfers, 53 nights of hotel accommodations, eight breakfasts, five lunches, and nine dinners. You’ll also have your very own expert Tour Director with you on the trip and 24/7 support along the way. For fun, the trip also includes 12 insider tours from local guides, three game drives in Kenya, a desert safari in Dubai, and admission to tons of other tours. It truly is all-inclusive and is almost two months of traveling, which is why it costs as much as it does. It’s definitely worth it if you’re looking to cross off your entire bucket list all at once.

Of course, you will want to save some additional funds for souvenirs, other meals, and any other tours you’d like to take on your own. You will also need a visa for the Ultimate Earth trip if you are a U.S. citizen in addition to keeping an eye on the travel restrictions of each country you’ll be visiting on your journey.

There are still some spots left in both the May and June 2022 trips, but only a few. If you’re still on the fence, one five-star reviewer of the Ultimate Earth trip said, “The ability to travel to all of these amazing countries over the course of a summer is something that should not be taken for granted.” They argued that booking the Ultimate Earth trip will be “one of the best decisions of your life,” so you should definitely take a look at the itinerary if you’re considering this once-in-a-lifetime getaway.

The CDC recommends traveling only after you’re fully vaccinated and your vaccine has become fully effective . If you’re not fully vaccinated and must travel, check the CDC guidelines before you book. Check your destination’s vaccination and testing requirements before you depart.

This article was originally published on 05.09.22

How to Select an EF Ultimate Break Trip: EF Semi-Annual Sale Guide

Disclaimer: This post might contain affiliate links, which means we get a small commission if you make a purchase (at no extra cost to you).

Considering group travel with EF Ultimate Break ? Read more to learn about how to pick the perfect trip for you during their Semi-Annual Sale!

Yay, we’re happy you found this post! Because we’re here to help you decide which EF Ultimate Break trip you should book! With summer rapidly approaching, now is a good time to get your summer travel plans in order! And it’s the best time to book an EF Ultimate Break trip because their semi-annual sale is one of the year’s best sales!

EF Ultimate Break offers a diverse range of tours, from short-term Euro trips to adventuring in Costa Rica to exploring Asia, so there’s certainly a trip for everyone! Throughout the year, EF offers a range of sales and who doesn’t love a good discount on travel!? The semi-annual sale is only here until February 29th!

Having traveled with EF since 2014, we have visited more than a dozen countries and logged months of travel with the company. Our first two trips were through EF College Study, which you can learn more about in this post! We then explored 12 cities and 7 countries in 30 days with EF Ultimate Break’s Grand Tour of Europe trip and loved it. We’ve had nothing but a positive experience traveling with them!

If you’re ready to book your next epic trip with EF Ultimate Break this summer, keep reading to decide which trip is perfect for you!

Pick Your Next EF Ultimate Break Adventure: Everything You Need to Know about the EF Semi-Annual Sale

Why ef ultimate break.

EF is perfect for you if you want to see the world without the hassle of planning. EF Ultimate Break offers young adults aged 18 to 29 an opportunity to travel affordably across the globe. Group travel is a great way to comfortably explore new places and meet new people. Traveling with a group of 30 other young adults and a skilled tour director will give you (and your loved ones!) peace of mind while traveling.

If you’re still on the fence about traveling with EF, read our full review of EF.

All the EF Ultimate Break Semi-Annual Sale Details!

EF Ultimate Break’s semi-annual sale that offers fabulous deals with hundreds of dollars off the regular tour price! EF Ultimate Break offers trips with costs just below $2000! The EF Ultimate Break semi-annual sale runs from February 13th to the 29th. So, if you’re looking to get a great deal on a summer getaway, you should book now because these prices won’t return until after the summer!

Summer is a great time to travel with EF because, in most places, the weather will be beautiful, you probably have off from school or more vacation time, and you’ll have the most flexibility with selecting tour dates. In the summer, most tours are offered multiple times a month.

Best EF Ulitmate Break Semi-Annual Sale Discounts

If you want to get $100 off your first EF Ultimate Break Tour, book with our like here , and the code will be automatically applied at checkout!

Here are some of the best deals going on right now for the EF Ultimate Break Semi Annual Sale! 

Best Europe Trip Discounts 

• Ultimate Europe – Up to $1000 off
• Ultimate Greek Islands – Up to $800 off
• Italy, France, and Spain – Up to $800
• European Summer – Up to $700 off
• England, Scotland, Ireland – Up to $700 off

Best Asia Trip Discounts 

• Ultimate Southeast Asia – Up to $1000 off
• India the Golden Triangle – Up to $600 off
• Thailand: Island Paradise – Up to $1000 off

Best South and Central America Discounts 

• Costa Rica Adventure – Up to $250 off
• Caribbean Adventure: Dominican Republic – Up to $300 off
• Columbia Escape – Up to $250 off

Best Africa Discounts 

• Kenya: Africa Safari – Up to $700 off
• Highlights of Morocco – Up to $400 off
• Eygpt: Cruise the Nile – Up to $550 off

Cheapest EF Ultimate Break Trips during the Semi-Annual Sale – All Less than $2500!

• Costa Rica Adventure
• Caribbean Adventure: Dominican Republic
• Columbia Escape
• Paris City Experience
• Madrid City Experience
• Lisbon City Experience

If you want an additional $100 off your first trip with EF Ultimate Break, book directly with the link here . When you proceed to checkout, the discount code will be automatically applied! You have to use the link to get the code so if you open multiple tabs it will not be applied, if you don’t see the code when you get to the booking page just come back here and link through the link again. 

Trips for Every Travel Style

EF Ultimate Break offers tours in almost every continent (sorry, Antarctica!) and for a range of travel styles. Enjoy going on an adventure? EF will take you trekking through the Swiss Alps. Want to be in Germany during Oktoberfest? Yep, book it here! Spend over a month in Europe? Yeah, we did it with EF. So, needless to say, one of the things we love about EF is the trip diversity. Here are some of the types of trips you can book with EF Ultimate Break!

With trips ranging from 15 to 49 days, you can experience Europe like never before. Take the Grand Tour of Europe like we did and see 12 cities in 7 countries. Highlights of Europe is a slightly shorter version of the Grand Tour, while Ultimate Europe is a slightly longer version that includes Greece and more of Germany. European Summer meanders along the coast of the Mediterranean are great for anyone who loves the sun and sand. Backpacker’s Europe is the longest trip, skipping Greece for Eastern Europe and more of Italy, southern France, and the Iberian Peninsula.

Short Breaks

Want to explore new places but have adulting to do at home? These short breaks are all 9 days and under, perfect for if you work or go to school full time. Escape to Greece, Iceland, and several places in Great Britain. EF offers three trips, including a visit to London and one other destination, including Paris, Dublin, and Scotland.

Essential Europe

Explore some of Europe’s most incredible destinations on these 8 – 12-day trips. You can start by selecting a region you would like to explore, like Great Britain, Scandinavia, Central Europe, or the Iberian Peninsula, and browsing all the exciting trips. You may want to explore the capitals of London, Scotland, and Ireland, take a Spanish road trip, or hop planes between the beautiful cities in Scandinavia. On the o ther hand, you might want to check off a few major cities all at once, so a trip to London, Paris, and Rome may be the perfect fit.

Festivals and Events

Celebrate with the locals on these fun trips. Enjoy Saint Patrick’s Day celebrations across Ireland, party with great food and music at the La Tomatina Festival in Spain, and raise a glass in Munich Biergarten for Oktoberfest. Since these trips are limited to only a few dates a year, book quickly if you want this experience!

Safari and Wildlife

Marvel at the wonders of nature on these exciting wildlife expeditions. In Tanzania and Zanzibar, you will visit Serengeti National Park, the world’s largest crater, travel to tropical islands, and meet members of the Maasai Tribe in their village. In Kenya, you will visit Maasai Mara National Park, hang out with giraffes at a conservation center, explore wilderness areas, and visit the city of Nairobi. On the other side of the world, visit Ecuador and the Galapagos for tropical beaches, mountains, and jungles filled with wildlife, tour a cocoa plantation, and snorkel in island waters.

Sun and Sand

Whether you’re looking for a relaxing beach getaway or an adventure-filled island exploration, there are plenty of seaside trips for you to indulge in. From the historic Greek islands to the action-packed beaches of Australia and New Zealand, from a Croatian cruise to a Caribbean adventure, and the ancient ruins of Belize to the modern cabanas of Bali, there is no shortage of beaches to explore with EF.

Adventure Seekers

Nature lovers and thrill-seekers have no shortage of trips with EF. These trips take you through some of the world’s richest natural landscapes and fascinating manmade destinations. Take breathtaking hikes through the Alps, explore the lost city of the Incas at Macchu Picchu, snorkel and whitewater raft in the Dominican Republic, hike the green ridges and stunning cliffs of Ireland, and explore the waterfalls and glaciers of Iceland.

If you’re feeling really ambitious, take the epic 57-day Ultimate Earth trip, where you will literally go around the world exploring the culture, history, and beauty of five continents.

In-Depth Explorers

Immerse yourself in the culture and history of one country on these in-depth explorations. These trips will give you the chance to learn customs, try foods, practice languages, and broaden your perspective of a place. See wonders of the ancient world in Turkey, explore the “golden triangle” of India, discover the modern cities and timeless traditions of Japan, eat and drink your way through the Italian countryside, and time travel to the Egyptian pyramids. Try longer “ultimate” trips to Italy and the Greek Islands to get the full experience of these incredible places.

EF Ultimate Plus Vs. Essential Trips

EF Ultimate Break recently added two different styles of trips to their catalog. When you’re browsing trips on their website, you’ll see a designation of either plus or essential next to the trip. The essential trips are their standard trips, including everything you would typically get on an EF Ultimate Break tour. The plus trips, on the other hand, offered a premium and luxury experience. The EF Ultimate Break plus trips include a double room with a roommate of your choice, additional meals, and higher star-rated accommodations. Plus trips are great if you’re traveling with a close friend or a partner or if you want more privacy. Because you are paying for a single room and more meals, typically, these trips have a higher cost compared to the essential trips.

Book here and get $100 off your next EF Ultimate Break trip! Code will be applied at checkout automatically!

How to Book a Trip with EF Ultimate Break

Hopefully, by now, you have an idea of where you want to go with EF Ultimate Break! So what now? Booking with EF is suuuupppperrr easy. All you have to do is:

• Make an account on EF Ultimate Break’s website
• Select your trip
• Select your departure location
• If you don’t add the excursions or activities at booking, you can add them later!
• Trip insurance provides you coverage in the event that you can not go on the trip due to serious illness, family emergency, or any other serious event that prevents you from going on the trip. EF’s travel insurance includes coverage if flights are canceled or delayed and if your baggage is damaged or stolen during the trip. It also covers you if you need to visit a doctor during your tour.
• Select the trip date
• Click book!

This will take you to a landing page where you can submit the $150 downpayment and set up automatic monthly payments. Once you submit your payment, your spot is locked in! If you change your mind about the trip, you have 24 hours to cancel for a full refund.

If you book with our referral link , you get $100 off your next EF Ultimate Break trip! You must click this link and proceed to booking or the code will not be applied! Come back to this page and click through the link if you have issues.

What Happens After I Book with EF Ultimate Break?

After booking a trip with EF Ultimate Break, familiarize yourself with your trip portal. You’ll be visiting is often! First, you’ll have a task list on your profile. Before your trip departure, you will want to have all these boxes checked! You can see a sample of what this list looks like below.

Who’s Ready To Book Their Next Adventure with EF Ultimate Break?!

Hopefully, by now, you have a pretty good idea of which EF Ultimate Break trip you want to go on! Don’t forget that the EF semi-annual sale is going on until February 27 , so grab an awesome deal on your trip!

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Here’s How to Get Paid to Eat Your Way Around the World

Dreams of getting paid to eat and travel are becoming a reality through these companies that are currently hiring. Noosa Yoghurt, Moe's Southwest Grill and Ultimate Earth are all currently accepting applications to fulfill their respective positions — and the lucky new hires will get to travel the world for free.

Noosa Yoghurt , the company that makes unique flavors like raspberry habanero and pear & cardamom, revealed it's hiring five "Flavor Finders" to travel around the world in search of its next flavor. Each new hire will get a $2,000 stipend to travel to their flavor destination, as well as an all-expenses-paid trip to the headquarters in Colorado. Apply here or via Twitter to be considered for one of these coveted Flavor Finder positions.

Travel company Ultimate Earth is also on the hunt for 30 people to travel around the globe together with the mission of documenting every experience during their 54-day, nine-country, five-continent world tour. The Ultimate Earth trip will take all 30 people to Brazil, Thailand, Australia, South Africa, France, Italy, Greece, Dubai and Japan.

Finally, Moe's Southwest Grill is looking to fill one of its executive positions: Chief Taco Officer. The CTO will go on a taco tour and will be in charge of introducing fans to the brand's newest menu item — Three Amigos tacos. The taco-enthusiast will ride around in Moe's food truck and travel to several cities around the country and profess their love for tacos.

Starting today through April 20, taco-lovers nationwide can enter for this opportunity of a lifetime . The Moe's CTO will help spread Southwest flavor across the country; plus, there are killer perks. The CTO will travel on the Moe's food truck for the brand's first-ever Taco Tour giving away FREE Three Amigos tacos to fans across the country.

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Travel | A road trip to Oklahoma, the path of totality,…

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Travel | a road trip to oklahoma, the path of totality, and making family memories.

We had expected that seeing a total solar eclipse in the path of totality would be the highlight of our trip. In hindsight, it was also the perfect excuse to be together, three generations on a simple road trip through five states.

On April 6, three of us set out from Lakewood — me, my 23-year-old son Ryan and 85-year-old mother, Mary — toward Oklahoma, near the Texas and Arkansas borders. We hoped to be in the path of totality, but were fully aware that the weather could thwart our goal. We were willing to risk it. We had other reasons for the trip.

Mom grew up in Healdton, Okla., a small town just west of the path that, incidentally, is the birthplace of the late “Golden Girls” TV star Rue McClanahan (who, also incidentally, lost a baby beauty contest to my Aunt Susie in the 1930s). Mom hadn’t been to this part of her home state in 60 years or so and has fond memories of Girl Scout camp near the Red River as a young tomboy nicknamed Missy.

Who knew if we’d ever have this chance again?

En route to the eclipse, we were chasing nostalgia, looking to experience Oklahoma through mom’s eyes, prompting her to reminisce, and determined to have our fill of Arbuckle Mountain’s Original Fried Pies. (They can now be found in Arkansas, Kansas and Texas as well, but we were aiming for the flagship shop in Davis, Okla.)

We were keeping the itinerary “loose,” travel-speak for “we didn’t plan the specifics of our trip well enough in advance.” The only hotel room we had booked was 96 miles west of our eclipse-watching destination of Idabel, Okla. We couldn’t find anything closer, but didn’t much care.

After all, committing to a five-day, 1,900-mile round-trip through Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico for a four-minute experience that won’t happen again within the United States for another 20 years is an act of optimism, and perhaps faith. Especially if the clouds refused to cooperate on April 8.

Let the adventure begin.

High hopes from the get-go

My car — a bright yellow Kia with license plates that by chance begin with the letters ECLP — was stocked with snacks (including four flavors of Moon Pies), our eclipse-viewing sunglasses, and a pack of toilet paper. (I had seen all the doomsday predictions about limited port-o-potties and local restaurants and gas stations running out as the roving millions invaded the path of totality like so many locusts.)

We weren’t even out of Colorado before we stopped, finding a charming coffee shop in Ordway, The Sand Cherry, along Main Street. I went a little tourist crazy, buying pastries, coffee, locally made jars of jam and homemade salsa, and some earrings.

It was starting to feel like a vacation.

Not long after, billboards began to sprout up along US 50 in Kansas: large, hand-written messages with “Jesus” and “God Is Real” on them. Here, the eclipse felt more like a wink from the Creator than an event scientifically studied and brought live to a television audience by NASA cameras and commentators.

Traveling Gen Z-style

Eschewing the finicky Google maps, Ryan brought an oversized Rand McNally road atlas to chart our journey and find routes other than the interstates we feared would be packed with eclipse-chasers and semi-trucks. This throwback approach rewarded us with well-paved but sparsely populated country roads from town to town showcasing gorgeous agricultural vistas and flocks of starlings moving in murmuration.

He also provided the soundtrack of eclectic music from the 1940s to the 1980s, contemporary alt, and upbeat Mexican pop music. Mom and I approved.

The occasional remains of an armadillo or raccoon that failed to make it across the road alive made us sad but also reassured us that those wild creatures are still out there. Ryan longed to see a pronghorn and I hoped to spot a fox or two.

When we reached Dodge City, Kan., we decided to stay at the Best Western North Edge Inn, where metal palm trees adorned a small swimming pool out front. We were delighted to discover the real trees surrounding the parking lot were a bird haven. Ryan’s Merlin Bird ID app recorded the chorus singing outside our room and came up with a list of nine: American goldfinch, blue jay, Eurasian collared-dove, European starling, great-tailed grackle, house finch, Mississippi kite, mourning dove and Western meadowlark.

We later spotted bright red cardinals whistling their distinctive calls, circling vultures, and white cattle-egrets living the dream near a fetching pond in a wildflower-speckled meadow that was spotted with cows.

The next morning, we headed for Oklahoma City and arrived just in time for burgers, beers and big screens streaming the NCAA Women’s College Basketball Finals. Watching Caitlin Clark’s dream of leading Iowa to a win over undefeated South Carolina slip away somehow seemed a bad omen for our hopes of a win over April showers. So irrational.

Nearly there

We arrived in Choctaw Nation on the eve of the eclipse just after sunset, content from a stop for a dozen fried pies with sweet fillings like cherry and pumpkin. A casino lit our way to a rather dismal hotel in Durant, but we toughed it out. We planned to check out early anyway, fearing a traffic jam of eclipse watchers would prevent us from reaching our goal.

The increase in humidity was noticeable the next morning as we rolled onto US-70 East. The slowdown we expected never developed, and we were treated to a lovely sunrise. Ninety minutes later, we found ourselves in Idabel, ahead of schedule and with six hours to kill before the eclipse. Clouds were building; we were willing them to take their time.

To my disappointment, the Museum of the Red River was closed. (I had hoped to see the Acrocanthosaurus exhibit and learn about Oklahoma’s state dinosaur.) We stopped at Accent Coffee Company, where baristas said they had served visitors from as far away as Hawaii in recent days. At a nearby T-shirt stand selling eclipse-themed merchandise, the excited proprietors mentioned meeting a guy from Germany who was a global eclipse chaser.

We looked up at the gray skies and hoped the German knew something we didn’t.

A nature hike seemed a good way to pass the time so off we went to Beavers Bend, a state park that skirts the shores of nearby Broken Bow Lake. I saw my first loblolly pine with its shingled bark; Ryan spotted a dead crayfish in a clear brook, which caused him to slip on a mossy rock into the water; and Mom took a minor tumble on the trail but luckily got back up unscathed.

By 11:30, about an hour before the eclipse would begin, we were feeling antsy so headed back toward Idabel and stopped for a quick lunch at The Oaks Steakhouse in Broken Bow. Several tables were filled with uniformed state police and local sheriffs’ officers. They were in good humor but wearing bulletproof jackets and checking their watches.

With the celestial event near, we decided the field behind the restaurant seemed an ideal place for viewing. As the minutes passed, the clouds thinned and thickened, teasing us with momentary glimpses of blue sky.

Family members in Colorado and Washington state began texting updates from their televised views starting in Mexico and moving up through Texas. We were about three minutes behind Dallas by this measure and the few clusters of people who had also parked and pulled out picnic blankets and unfolded camping chairs nearby began to settle down, don protective glasses and look up.

The big event

I fidgeted with my iPhone and attempted to use a device made to simultaneously look through one lens and take photos and videos through another side-by-side. I couldn’t get it to work and soon abandoned the clumsy thing.

Mercifully, the clouds continued to blow by. Car traffic stopped, a few airplanes buzzed overhead, and all birds but one obnoxious blue jay stopped singing. The temperature dropped and the sunlight dimmed, street lights came on, and we oohed and aahed and felt fortunate and amazed and suddenly so clearly aware of sitting atop the crust of a spinning planet with an orbiting moon that miraculously appears to be the same size as the much larger star beaming at us from 93 million miles away.

Unlike partial solar eclipses where the moon scoops a semicircle out of the sun’s shape like two flat plates, it became visible as a dark, three-dimensional sphere. As it traveled right to left, we marveled at the “diamond ring effect” before the last piece of sunlight beamed outward, and then — BLINK! — a solitary speck of bright light burning at the bottom, possibly a solar flare, was visible. The rest was the sun’s radiant corona framing the dark moon.

Spontaneous applause and shouts went up around us, with one woman repeating “Oh my God!” over and over. We removed our glasses (it was now safe to do so) and observed two tiny red lights race past, one after the other: satellites in Earth’s orbit. We could see Jupiter and Venus glowing in the middle of the afternoon. It was astonishing how dark it became in the moon’s shadow.

We stared at that moon until the diamond ring reappeared, and rather than replacing our glasses and watching the rest of the eclipse, strangely felt that that was enough. We noted the return of the sun’s heat and saw the dimness lift, the street lights blink off, the birds start up again. Car engines signaled our collective pause had passed.

We three looked at each other with mutual awe and happiness and agreed the effect had been better than expected. That full solar eclipse, despite all the anticipation and explanation, was a sight that will live on in our memories.

It also left us with gratitude for each other, and the willingness we each had to give in to the adventure of it all.

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Phaedra Parks: How I maintain friendships with both Andy Cohen and Brandi Glanville after ‘RHUGT’ drama

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Phaedra Parks isn’t letting Andy Cohen and Brandi Glanville’s strife over the doomed season of “Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip” get in the way of her friendships with them.

“It’s never going to be awkward because I’m always going to be honest and truthful,” the “Real Housewives of Atlanta” alum, 50, told Page Six exclusively at the Beverly Hills Rejuvenation Center’s West Hollywood grand opening Thursday.

Parks — who filmed the Morocco-set installment of the Peacock spinoff series with Glanville, 51, in January 2023 after starring alongside her on “RHUGT” Season 2 — went on to say that it was easy to show support for her pal amid allegations of sexual harassment from their castmate Caroline Manzo.

“I wish people would’ve stuck up for me like I’m sticking up for Brandi,” said Park, a beloved NBCUniversal talent who has appeared on “RHOA,” a previous iteration of “RHUGT,” Peacock’s “The Traitors” and currently stars on Bravo’s “Married to Medicine.”

“A lot of times people are so afraid to say what they know is true — like the women on my show, and that happened to me, and they knew the truth,” she elaborated, referring to her time on “Atlanta” for seven consecutive seasons from 2010 until 2017.

Parks — who has vocally supported Glanville throughout the “RHUGT” debacle — asserted that she is “always going to tell [her] truth” without fear of retribution from Cohen, 55, the network or any other entity.

“I’m ride or die, for real. Because at the end of the day, man cannot promote me,” she said. “Only God can promote me.”

Glanville, who also attended the event, told Page Six that she was grateful to Parks for offering a shoulder to lean on throughout the ordeal.

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“She is truly such a goddess, beautiful woman, and she saved me,” the former “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star gushed. “Honestly, she saved me.”

Still, Glanville made it clear to Parks that she would not be hurt if the latter chose not to publicly associate with her given her contentious dynamic with Cohen and Bravo.

“I was saying to Phaedra, like, ‘Listen, we don’t have to take pictures together. We don’t have to do anything.’ She’s like, ‘You’re my friend,’” she said, recalling a recent conversation with the attorney.

“I don’t want Phaedra to get in a bad place with the network because she is on every freaking show and she’s killing it,” she continued. “Bravo needs to pay her more! But she was like, ‘Girl, you’re my friend. That’s it.’”

Parks and Glanville’s comments come weeks after executive producer Lisa Shannon — of Shed Media, the production company at the helm of “RHUGT” — claimed in court documents that “Real Housewives of New Jersey” alum Manzo, 62, had felt “disrespected” by Glanville but was not “sexually violated” by her.

Shannon claimed Manzo told production at the time that Glanville’s alleged “actions that evening had triggered memories” of her past “childhood trauma” but did not mention an assault.

“Our primary concern at that point was making sure that Manzo felt safe,” read the documents, obtained by Page Six. “She told us that she felt safe, that she wanted to continue to film, and that she did not want Glanville to be sent home.”

Glanville — who previously blasted Manzo’s sexual harassment claims as  “absurd” and “false” — told us Thursday that Shannon’s words felt “validating” but pointless after so much time had passed.

“It was validating, sure, but I feel like it’s almost too little too late,” she said, claiming Cohen and the network had “hung [her] out to dry for 15 months” before emphasizing, “It was hard. It’s just been so hard.”

Notably, Glanville accused Cohen of sexual harassment in February, claiming he had invited her to watch him have sex with “Below Deck” alum Kate Chastain.

The “Watch What Happens Live” host  immediately apologized  for making an “inappropriate” joke via social media.

Glanville told us Thursday that she has yet to hear from Cohen himself.

“I think with all the legal stuff, no one’s going to be talking,” she said.

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Glanville assured us that her time on reality TV is far from over.

While the “Brandi Glanville Unfiltered” podcast host quipped that she would enjoy participating in Discovery Channel’s “Naked and Afraid,” she also teased that an unscripted series with Parks in the works.

“We did have a show that we were going to do together, but because of everything that happened, we didn’t get to do it,” she said of how her “RHUGT” drama stalled plans, though she expects cameras to go up eventually.

“I think that, at a point, we’ll do it still. At some point, we’ll do it down the road. But we were set to do it right when we got back from Morocco, so it kind of threw a wrench into everything.”

Parks and Glanville were just two notable names who came out to celebrate the latest Beverly Hills Rejuvenation Center location. Taylor Armstrong, Jon Gosselin, Mary Jo Eustace , Galyna Saltkovska and Ashley Alexiss were also in attendance.

Several stars indulged in noninvasive cosmetic treatments at the bash while DJ Gosselin, 47, took care of the playlist.

Glanville enjoyed a Forma skin-tightening treatment on her neck, while Parks had her thighs contoured during a CellSound session. Meanwhile, Eustace, 61, got lip filler and and Morpheus8 micro-needling.

“I do love noninvasive procedures because I don’t want to have surgery,” Glanville told Page Six. “It’s all about prevention and preventive enhancements.”

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