The day dawned clear on the Holland America Line MS Eurodam after the stormy nauseating seas of the past few days. This was a welcome relief visually and for the stomach which has been struggling with all the back and forth rocking. We pulled around the point of the north east part of the island and passed the historical fort. From a distance we could have been pulling into a port in Greece or perhaps the Middle East - the white buildings … [Read more...]
Upcoming Cruise, Holland America Line Caribbean & Sweepstakes Offer
Holland America Line recently reached out to me to join them on their first Caribbean cruise of the season. For whatever reason, the Caribbean is one of the last parts of the world I have not spent much time in. That will change after this trip as I am taking much of October to explore some additional islands with my brother who is flying in from Verona Italy (where he lives). I went on a River Cruise in Europe earlier this year but this will … [Read more...]
This Holiday, Send Your Loved Ones Away
As a huge fan of traveling, I think there’s never a wrong time for travel-themed gifts. But the circle I buy for at this time of year falls into two distinct groups: those who always travel, and those who never do. And this presents a problem. The ones who do it a lot have such a practiced routine that they’re reluctant to disrupt it by trying something new. And the ones who never leave their own zip code are often baffled by the process of … [Read more...]
Old San Juan, Puerto Rico
It was nice to tour Old San Juan. The old part of this city is truly made for walking. At only 1x2 miles you can easily cover most of the old town in 1/2 a day. This is the location to the oldest "western" history in the New World. Buildings date back to the 1520's. The Cristobal Fort is a highlight with fantastic views overlooking the ocean especially when those big tropical billowing white clouds build up in the distance. Construction on this … [Read more...]
Culebra Island, Puerto Rico
Semana Santa can be a crazy time in Latin countries in April - especially on beach destinations or on airplanes where seating sometimes becomes quite limited. Yesterday we experienced the craziness on small Culebra Island, 18 miles off shore from mainland Puerto Rico and only 12 miles from St. Thomas and the US Virgin Islands. Flamenco Beach has been voted one of the top beaches in the Caribbean by several publications. Usually its pure white … [Read more...]
Hacienda Campo Rico – Puerto Rico
We visited Hacienda Campo Rico today minutes from central San Juan in Puerto Rico. This 2000 acre plus "ranch" is home to several companies offering a variety of activities. After hopping on ATV's we ripped through the ranch, screaming through tall grass fields until reaching hills. Rocky, limestone, steep and rough were key components of driving here. We thought we had received our adrenaline boost for the day. Wrong, the Argo Amphibious … [Read more...]