I Gotta Travel

Sanibel Island Lighthouse

2010-11-18T13:56:00.000-08:00

The Sanibel Island Light is the first lighthouse on Florida's Gulf coast north of Key West and the Dry Tortugas. It is located on the eastern tip of Sanibel Island, and was built to mark the entrance to San Carlos Bay for ships calling at the port of Punta Rassa, across San Carlos Bay from Sanibel Island.

Residents of Sanibel Island first petitioned for a lighthouse in 1833, but no action was taken. In 1856 the Lighthouse Board recommended a lighthouse on Sanibel Island, but Congress took no action. In 1877 government workers surveyed the eastern end of the island and Congress finally appropriated funds for a lighthouse in 1883. The foundation for the new lighthouse was completed in early 1884, but the ship bringing ironwork for the tower sank two miles (3 km) from Sanibel Island. A crew of hard-hat divers from Key West recovered all but two of the pieces for the tower.

Punta Rassa became an important port in the 1830s and remained so up to the Spanish-American War. It was primarily used to ship cattle from Florida to Cuba until the railroads reached the area in the 1880s.

The lighthouse was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. The Coast Guard leases the light station site to the city of Sanibel, Florida.

Sanibel Lighthouse Research

Atlantis Bahamas

2010-10-20T09:33:00.000-07:00

From water adventures, to casino gambling, upscale dining, and all around fun. Atlantis on Paradise Island the Bahamas has it all.

Guests can snorkel in this unbelievable setting in one of the exciting Sea Keepers Adventurers programs - Aquarist for a Day and Snorkel the Ruins - while viewing over 20,000 deep reef and pelagic fish.

The huge fish tank is visible from inside the hotels huge, never-ending lobby like area.

You can move from room to room and view many different areas of the tank and an amazing number of different fish.

In addition to the excitement of the main casino, Atlantis offers exceptional gaming experiences in tropical outdoor and upscale indoor locations.

You can jump in the pool and then stroll over to a gaming table and try your luck.

The Atlantis waterscape consists of 11 pools spread out across its lush property, each offering unique and refreshing experiences.

The lazy river happens to be my favorite.

The resort has added so many new features since I was first there years ago, it was exciting to see so much new stuff.

Caribbean reef sharks and nurse sharks can be seen from extraordinary vantage points: from an exhilarating ride on a water slide through the middle of the lagoon in a clear tunnel - or from the surrounding deck and panoramic windows, which offer a more leisurely look.

Aquaventure, is a thrilling 141-acre water park that is complimentary for all guests staying at Atlantis.

Featuring over twenty million gallons of water, this non-stop "aqua" adventure offers incredible Atlantean-themed towers with multiple high-speed water slides, a mile-long river ride with rolling rapids and waves, a spectacular kids water-play fort and 11 unique and refreshing pools.

The Current & Rapids offer tubers a mile-long river journey through waves, tunnels, rapids and other surprises.

Climber's Rush is a state of the art climbing facility with 12 climbing surfaces that offer a variety of options and difficulties to choose from.

There's a tour you can take if you're visiting the Atlantis for the day -- on our most recent trip, we were on a Royal Caribbean Cruise and were only in town for a day. I knew my fiance would love the fish and the amazing size of the resort, it's casinos and some of the spectacular chandeliers and water features around the property...so, we had to drop in for a few hours.

We ended up walking around by ourselves; however, you can't go into certain areas without a bracelet indicating you're a guest or on a tour -- but, we still were able to enjoy the casino, the aquarium and of course a cold one at the bar!

This post, nor these pictures can do this resort justice. Check out their website: Atlantis Bahamas.

CocoCay Bahamas

2010-10-19T08:35:00.000-07:00

Surrounded by the gentle, translucent waters of the Bahamas chain lies the secluded island of CocoCay.

Craig and I cruised out of Port Canaveral last year on a long weekend cruise for his birthday in October. The weather was fantastic and it was so great to getaway!

Our first port was CocoCay...actually we tendered into CocoCay -- another adventure if you've never left a ship from a hole in the side of it, walked over a "gang-plank" onto a smaller bobbing and heaving boat that takes you to shore...All part of the fun as far as we were concerned.

With its white-sand beaches and spectacular surroundings, CocoCay is a wonderland of adventure. Reserved exclusively for Royal Caribbean guests, this tropical paradise has recently been updated with new aquatic facilities, nature trails and a ton of great places to just sit back, relax and enjoy a tropical drink.

While you're on CocoCay, don't miss the opportunity to take an exhilarating ride in the skies on a parasailing adventure. Soar 400 feet above the island and take in the spectacular scenery. You'll get a bird's-eye view of CocoCay as well as the surrounding islands. It's definitely a flight worth taking.

Take an adventure down the coast of CocoCay, aboard a waverunner, our most popular activity. Fly past Great Stirrup Cay Lighthouse, Slaughter Harbor and Starfish Alley.

While you're on the island, give snorkeling a try and check out the beautiful coral reefs, colorful tropical fish and sunken wrecks.

This private island doesn't have any restaurants or shops, but our private beach offers mixed and frozen drinks that are out of this world. Order yours from a shady hammock to capture the true spirit of CocoCay.

English is spoken here and everything on the island can be charged to your shipboard account, with the exception of hair braiding, which is paid for in US Currency.

Coco Cay is Royal Caribbean's private island in the Bahamas. White sand beaches and bright blue waters surround this tropical paradise reserved for Royal Caribbean guests. This deserted island was once known as Little Stirrup Cay.

Located within the Berry Island chain of the Bahamas, about 50 miles from Nassau, CocoCay is the perfect setting for a beach adventure. Coco Cay has been recently renovated and now includes updated nature trails and Caylanas Aqua Park. There is an additional charge for entrance to this floating playground, however. There are numerous hammocks scattered in shady enclaves, plenty of lounge chairs line the beach and lots of remote areas to explore.

CocoCay enjoys a subtropical climate with mild winters, seldom dipping below 60°F. Average temperatures range in the low to upper 80’s; with water temperature never below 72°. With that said, however, just like Florida, these are averages and during winter months be prepared for an occasional cold front to cause drastic temperature drops.

If you wish to enjoy a little more restful adventure, rent a floating mat and bask in the calm ocean waters. Relax on the beach, play a game of volleyball, sip on a cool drink, listen to the steel drum band, or enjoy the aqua park.

An island-style seaside barbeque is the fare for the day. Water is free, but sodas and cocktails may be purchased. This is the place to try a “Coco Loco”, CocoCay’s signature drink and one of my favorite tropical cocktails.

The Loretto Chapel in Santa Fe, New Mexico

2010-03-10T14:19:00.000-08:00

The school was started in 1853 and grew from very small beginnings to a school of around 300 students. The campus covered a square block with 10 buildings. Through tuition’s for the girls schooling, donations, and from the sisters own inheritances from their families, they built their school and chapel.

Jean Baptiste Lamy brought architect Antoine Mouly and his son, Projectus Mouly from Paris, France to Santa Fe to be architect – builders for what is now St. Francis Cathedral. It required ten years to build. During the first period of construction, and as an apparent afterthought, Archbishop Lamy advised and encouraged the sisters to utilize the father and son to design and build their dream chapel. The older Mouly had been involved in the renovation of Sainte Chapelle, in Paris, in the early 1800’s. Mouly was encouraged to fashion the Loretto Chapel after the Sainte Chapelle. It was the favorite chapel of the archbishop from his early days in Paris, France. It is reported that the sisters pooled their own inheritances to raise the $30,000 required to build this beautiful Gothic chapel.

It was decided that the school needed a chapel. Property was purchased and in 1873 work began on the Loretto Chapel.

Undoubtedly influenced by the French clergy in Santa Fe, the Gothic Revival-style chapel was patterned after King Louis IX's Sainte-Chapelle in Paris; a striking contrast to the adobe churches already in the area.

Stone for the Chapel was quarried from locations around Santa Fe including Cerro Colorado, about 20 miles from Santa Fe near the town of Lamy. The sandstone for the walls and the porous volcanic stone used for the ceiling were hauled to town by wagon.

The ornate stained glass in the Loretto Chapel also made part of its journey to Santa Fe via wagon. Purchased in 1876 from the DuBois Studio in Paris, the glass was first sent from Paris to New Orleans by sailing ship and then by paddle boat to St. Louis, MO. where it was taken by covered wagon over the Old Santa Fe Trail to the Chapel.

The Chapel was completed in 1878 and has since seen many additions and renovations such as the introduction of the Stations of the Cross, the Gothic altar and the frescos during the 1890s.

The Miraculous Staircase, which legend says was constructed or inspired by St. Joseph the Carpenter, was built sometime between 1877 and 1881. It took at least six months to build, and has two 360 degree turns with no visible means of support.

The Loretto Academy was closed in 1968, and the property was put up for sale. At the time of sale in 1971, Our Lady of Light Chapel was informally deconsecrated as a Catholic Chapel.

Loretto Chapel is now a private museum operated and maintained, in part, for the preservation of the Miraculous Staircase and the Chapel itself.

ICE in Orlando, Florida

2010-01-12T10:51:00.001-08:00

ICE! like you've never seen it - Two million pounds of it - is transformed into every imaginable Christmas icon as the star attraction at the Gaylord Palms, in Orlando Florida, during the Christmas season, beginning in November and and continuing throughout December.

The shaped, cut, illuminated and often colored ice takes over a large portion of the Gaylord Palms exhibition center as you walk through the chilly 9 degrees environment in the winter parkas provided by the Gaylord Palms.

(Although the parkas are provided, close toed shoes are a must and warm jackets, sweaters and gloves/mittens are highly recommended so you can enjoy the experience.) To give you an idea of the size and scope of the attraction, it boasts 1,500 fluorescent tubing lights frozen within the ice and uses three different types of ice: clear "glass-like" crystal ice; white "snow-pack-like" ice and colored ice.

The entire ICE attraction is carved by a team of 40 artisans from Harbin, China. If you are lucky, you will be able to see one of the artisans working on a sculpture during your tour. Harbin is best known for its annual Ice Park and International Ice Festival.

The tour of Ice begins with a very short five minute video that explains how the ICE show came to America and how it is assembled each year; what it takes to make these intricate creations and what it takes to preserve them in Florida's temperate climate.

Back to the actual tour, besides the opportunity to have their photo with a 10-foot tall ice sculpture Santa Claus, complete with red suit made of ice, the highlight for kids will be the slides made of ice. That's right, for youngsters, or the young at heart; ice has been crafted into a large ice slide. There is no sled required; you just glide down sitting on your parka. You can spend as much time as you want on the slides, but the 9 degree temperature will catch up to you very quickly.
Finally, the most dramatic and powerful ice sculpture is the crystal-clear life sized replica of the Nativity scene, which depicts the birth of Jesus Christ in a manger.

Here I am with my Mom. This was one of her Christmas presents this year...

We had a great time...and it was COLD!!

Here's Mom and Sara in the igloo...with the fisherman.

Sara going down the side!!

The pictures of the Nativity don't do it justice - it was breathtaking!

We all had a great time - be sure to wear gloves...they will provide a parka if you need one...but no gloves!

Key West Florida Fishing Trip

2009-12-31T12:05:00.000-08:00

Just about 400 miles away from my home is the Southernmost city of Key West, Florida. Getting there is part of the fun - the first picture is the 7 mile bridge...not for those who don't like bridges...or forget to fill the tank with gas!

I enjoy fishing, especially deep sea fishing, and Key West doesn't disappoint. Plus, not only are the locals full of color, but the city is alive and full of things to do! So, making the 8 hour drive (or flying for free on standby - like I did when I was working for ComAir) is worth the trip.

If you've never been, or don't know too much about Key West, the city features real estate titles that date back to the Kings of Spain. It's palm-lined streets and gingerbread mansions, tin-roofed conch houses, and historic attractions like the John Audubon House and Ernest Hemingway's home keep the history and site-seeing lovers happy. After all, here you can walk in the footsteps of Thomas Edison, Lou Gehrig, Harry Truman, and Tennessee Williams.

As much as I enjoy fishing...I enjoy being on the water or near the water...I'm a Pisces, so it must be in my blood! I saw these really cool house boats -- of all shapes and sizes. Some were done up really nice and others looked like they'd go straight to the bottom with the first blow of the next hurricane.

Arriving in Key West and heading straight to the docks - I discovered several options but settled on Captain John's...it was reasonably priced and the guys were nice...so, I signed up for a trip the next day. Probably in the busy season you'd want to call ahead and make reservations, but there were a couple spaces left when I went, even the day of sailing...

So, once on board, there was this fishing pool...Two bucks a head got you into the pool...

Until the last 5 minutes of fishing, it looked like two of the fish I landed were in the lead...and boy were the guys pissed. The only female on board wasn't going to beat them!

Somehow, at the last second a young kid on the other side of the boat reeled in a grouper...that was almost twice the size of every other fish we had caught! Now, I didn't physically see this fish come out of the water...so, I'm thinking these guys could have fixed this pool just so I wouldn't win! Seriously...it was lots of fun ribbing the guys and then losing "gracefully"... lol

On the plus side, I was able to have the guys filet up my fish, put it in a cooler on ice and bring some home to grill over the next few months...mmmmm, it was good too!

Check out the picture of the biggest fish we all caught - No Joke...I had about a dozen of them...While the captain and first mate cut up the fish, this lucky guy was able to reap the rewards of the castoff pieces!

Exploring downtown Key West -- there are some must sees, must dos...that includes a stop in Fat Tuesday's for a cool drink...and Sloppy Joes, just for the nostalgia.

Here's some of that local color I "warned" you about...have I mentioned that I HATE snakes?

For the finale of a great day - head down to Mallory Square for the Sunset Party. The street performers and local artisans will keep you busy and laughing...

You'll enjoy a beautiful sunset...and might as well grab some Conch Fritters...save some for me...they're my favorite!!

Happy Travels....
Maureen

Port Canaveral Florida

2009-11-02T14:29:00.000-08:00

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

2009-10-16T10:28:00.000-07:00

The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta should be on everyone's "To Do At Least Once Before I Die" list! Usually the Fiesta is held the first week of October in New Mexico every year. Some people may question waking up before the crack of dawn and driving to this huge "balloon field" to arrive at 5am on a crisp October morning to watch a bunch of hot air balloons - but it truly is spectacular.

Not only do you get to see the most hot air balloons up in the air at one time, you get to watch the owners pull them out of the vans, lay them out on the ground, connect the baskets, fire up the tanks, fill the balloon with air and take off. The different forms the balloons take are amazing - from animals, to products (like Jack Daniels bottles), to houses, and even chili peppers. Oh, and did I mention you can be literally inches away from all this action?

Watching it all makes you have one of those moments when it's hard to believe all these people came together to do this one thing at the same time...and how cool is that? There's this nervous excitement in the air as everyone waits for the final weather call and thumbs up to launch. And then before you know it - one after the other they go up - everywhere you look there are balloons. Even as I left the field and drove away, I was still snapping pictures as the balloons spread across the city and off into the hills.

That's me on the bottom left, by the way...

Here's some background on the Fiesta:

Albuquerque, New Mexico is the premier ballooning city due to the crystal skies, perfect October climate and a phenomenon called the "Albuquerque Box." With a combination of weather patterns and geographic landscape, the box allows balloonists to control and even retrace their adventure.

Balloon Fiesta Park covers over 200 acres and is filled with balloons and vendors selling everything from traditional New Mexican food to Balloon memorabilia. Each year balloons come from around the world to participate in the event and news coverage originates from more than 50 countries. It has become the most photographed event in the world.

Since the first Balloon Fiesta in 1972, media representing over 50 nations have covered this newsworthy event. Coverage has included live satellite broadcasts to Japan, television documentaries prepared by Great Britain, West Germany, the Netherlands and France, television specials on ESPN, Arts & Entertainment, the Public Broadcasting Service, and the Travel Channel.

If you decide to go to next years Fiesta - you've got to check out what the area has to offer - other than the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta...

There are winery's where they make local wines including prickly pear wine and hiking and other sites to see like the Acoma Pueblos, also known as Sky City. Sante Fe is also a cool city and is within driving distance. The areas really has lots to offer and you won't be bored! I'll do another post on the other things I discovered in the area (one day...in my spare time).

Lowry Park Zoo, Tampa Florida

2009-10-05T08:49:00.000-07:00

Sara had never been to the zoo, so it was time! She was old enough to remember the trip (she'll be 7 in January) and old enough to not run screaming from the animals in the petting area... So on Saturday, Craig, Sara and I headed south for the hour and a half car ride to Tampa to visit the Lowry Park Zoo.

With more than 2,000 animals, housed in lush natural habitats, the zoo features a diverse collection and is divided into 8 habitat areas.

Safari Africa and Ituri Forest
Ituri Forest is apparently the newest area; however, it was also hard to find. We arrived at the zoo around 10:45 in the morning, so within an hour or so - we were all hungry. We headed for the family dining restaurant in the Safari Africa section, but couldn't find it either. Apparently it was on the back side of the building, as were the rest of the exhibits. We ended up eating in a place that had full dinner size portions of chicken, veggies and potatoes. Later we went back to try to "find" the elephants, zebras giraffes, warthogs, various antelope, crowned cranes, cheetahs, and pygmy hippos and realized our mistake...a narrow path that lead to the back side of the building where we found the other restaurant that overlooks the giraffes, zebras, elephants and the rest of the exhibits!

It was in this area that Sara tried to feed the giraffe a $2 cracker, but when his big head and long, slimy tongue came to get it...she screamed and threw the cracker on the ground! Thanks to Daddy, who helped recover the cracker, we were able to watch the giraffe enjoy his treat up close!

Wallaroo Station

This area of the park was designed especially for families. The zoo wasn't really crowded that day, but by about 2:00, just about every kid was in a bathing suit running through the water play areas as the parent recuperated in the shade! So, remember to bring the kids bathing suits, water shoes and a towel (we forgot the towel). Other than the water area, there are also palm cockatoos, kookaburra, goats, wallabies, kangaroos and the petting zoo. Sara enjoyed petting the goats and brushing their hair and then for the big treat - she got to ride a pony named "Whataboy"...

Asian Gardens and Sulawesi Avary

I don't know if the heat was getting to me by the time we got to the Asian Gardens, but I wasn't overly impressed. Some of the glass windows were so scratched it was difficult for the kids to see the tigers and I guess several of the other animals were "hiding" from the sun - after all it is October and 90 degrees...we should have been so smart! Also, the boardwalk area going through the western part of the zoo (near the alligators) is very smelly (yes, I even gagged once)...it has a very distinct odor combination of swamp water and animal dung... --enough said!

Free Flight Aviaries
This area was pretty cool because you're enclosed with the birds. They can walk across the same path you are on and fly right by your head...however, one warning - there are free flying bats - although none took flight, the idea was enough to give me the shivers. Some of the birds in this area were the Red-legged Honeycreeper, the Purple Swamp hen, the Toucan and the Blue Bellied Roller.

Florida Boardwalk
In Stingray Bay located off the Boardwalk area, you can feed and touch Florida's stingrays. This mental image of doing this shouldn't bring up thoughts of Steve Iwin, because these creatures are about a foot long and are harmless - I've been in the ocean and held ones that were HUGE (see my other post on Stingray City in Grand Cayman).

You stand at the edge of the waist high pool and reach into the waters as the Stingrays glide by...slimy and smelly...Thankfully the zoo has great hand washing and hand sanitizing area at all the appropriate places!

Florida Manatee and Aquatic Center

This was a pretty cool exhibit. Although we see Manatees in the rivers all the time here - we even took Sara to see them last winter at Blue Spring, Florida, but it was still nice to be able to go "under water" and stand next to the glass and watch them swim. There are actually twin observation pools that allow for up-close viewing, above water and under. Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo operates the only non-profit manatee hospital in the world and to date the hospital has cared for more than 200 manatees.

A lot of the other glass viewing windows for the other fish were very scratched from the number of people touching, banging, leaning on them...hopefully the zoo has plans to replace them soon!

Also, at the end of the under ground tunnel part of this exhibit there are snakes...which I quickly walked by - not a big snake fan...

Birds of Prey

Unfortunately we missed the only show of the day - it was apparently at 1:30, but no where on the map was it noted - I guess there probably was a sign out front? And, you'd just have to have seen it...anyway, apparently these birds of prey make pretty amazing debuts in the daily "Spirits of the Sky" show.

Primate World
This actually was the first exhibit we stopped at where we saw a baby orangutan and his mother - so cute! There were also chimpanzees and brilliant-colored mandrills, tiny marmose

ts and tamarins. The majority of these primates are endangered in the world.

All-in-all this is a great zoo - clean, well kept and the animals seemed to be ok...I've been to some zoos and watched the poor animals pace back and forth repeating the same steps for hours - definitely not a good thing. In all the years I lived in Tampa and went to college there, I never visited the zoo. But, I would recommend it; however, one word of caution - the surrounding area is not exactly "upscale". After the zoo, we went north on North Florida Ave to hit the McDonalds and ran into several panhandlers begging for money - which is what they did when we left (quickly)...

As a final note - there are several rides for the kids: the pony ride, the camel ride, the carousel, some kind of spinning cars, rollercoaster, and skytram. Each cost about 4 tokens (tokens are a dollar each). You can buy a unlimited ride armband for $20 per person. We decided to just pay for the pony and the camel ride as we got to them - we did let Sara chose if she wanted to ride the camel or the carousel...she picked the camel.

If you want to take a great day trip for kids and adults - visit the website for tons of information about Lowry Park Zo o, directions and a map of the whole zoo.

Little Saigon, Orlando Florida

2009-09-29T11:56:00.000-07:00

So, I've created a monster. Craig has never been a fan of Chinese food or any other Asian food. Apparently having grown up in a small southern town in Georgia didn't lend itself to him having many "good" Chinese food experiences.

I, on the other hand grew up about 20 minutes out of Manhattan (in New Jersey) and had regular access to China Town and other types of cuisine. Although my parents meat and potatoes upbringing didn't call for my Dad asking my Mom to order Chinese food on a Friday night, I still had friends who enjoyed it. So as a teenager, we'd go to the mall and get eggrolls or stop in Sam's Chinatown on the corner of Beverwyck Road in Lake Hiawatha and eat. Wonder if that place is still around? It reminded me of the movie, A Christmas Story, or as my sister and I called it the "You'll shoot your eye out..." movie. But, I digress...

When Friday night date night came up recently, I decided Craig needed to try Vietnamese food. I mean, he survived PF Changs and loved it, even begged to go back, so I figured how horrible could this be, right?

I hadn't been to Little Saigon on Colonial Drive in Orlando in years. They've upgraded the inside, even cleaned up the main street entrance; however, I was sure I was at the right place when we went around back to park. The back entrance is as it always was, pretty grim. You have to cross a "moat" made from a wooden pallet to get to the door. The "moat" was filled with, well let's say, um...water and the smell of yesterday's food lingering in the hot summer night air is, well...just as I remembered it.

But, once inside you stop wondering about what that "water" really was and start thinking about eating because it smells great. We started out with Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce. I was so excited to eat them, I forgot to take a picture! But, they were, as usual GREAT!

For the main course, I ordered the shrimp and broccoli and Craig got a "soup aside" as the waiter pronounced it. His "soup aside" consisted of a cup of broth, a side plate of jalapenos, bean sprouts, limes, and herbs (pictured), and a big bowl of cooked noodles, pork, crab, shrimp, more bean sprouts and some brown sauce. When you combine them all together, they make what Craig calls "Cup-of-Soup". Both were delicious although we both preferred the dish I ordered. Wash all that down with a nice bottle of White Zin from Barefoot Bay and you've got a great and inexpensive meal.

Surprisingly Craig thought the food was good, but kind of bland...so the next stops on our culinary travels will be Thai and Indian food (mmmm, I can't wait!)

Wally's in Orlando

2009-09-29T11:29:00.000-07:00

When some people travel, they go to the ends of the earth, but sometimes going across town to a dive bar is 1) all you have time for and 2) all you need to have some fun! On Friday, September 25th, 2009, Craig and I decided to venture to one of our local dive bars located right here in Orlando, Florida. I picked him up from work and we drove straight to Wally's Mills Avenue Liquors, I mean, after all, - where else would you go on Friday Night Date Night?

I've been to Wally's a few times in the past, usually very late at night after some concert, show, movie or late dinner. While we were there Friday, I was telling Craig about the story of how one of my friends, who will remain nameless, showed everyone at the bar how she could put both her ankles behind her head - while still sitting on the bar stool...good times...

However, all the times I visited Wally's, there was one thing I never noticed... maybe it was the smokey atmosphere, maybe the dim lights, maybe the crowded single passage isle around the bar area was distracting, who knows - but, Craig was quick to spot it right off the bat. (go figure) So, what was it? Well, apparently there's wall paper on the walls and not just any wall paper, as we soon discovered. You can see it behind me in the second picture and then again behind Craig and I in the third. But, just to be on the safe side, in case you couldn't quite make out what it was, I took a picture of it...see photo 4. You think that was special order, or what?

Aside from coming out smelling like an ashtray...the crowd is always fun to watch and listening to the old drunk guys trying to pick up young chicks never gets old in my book.

Puerto Rico

2009-09-16T13:02:00.000-07:00

Cruising into Puerto Rico offers some great scenery. You're greeted at the ports mouth by the old fort and get almost a 360 degree view of it as your ship turns the corner into the harbor. Escorted by the harbor patrol, in their sporty red boat, you'll sail smoothly into the docking area.

Puerto Rico is 100 long by 35 miles wide and as a result of its geographical position in the center of the arc of the Antilles, Puerto Rico is essentially a crossroads of Hispanic and Anglo cultures. Despite it's very diverse influx of cultures, Puerto Rico has been a part of the United States since 1898 and Puerto Ricans have been U.S. citizens since 1917.

During my visit, I took at trip to the Caribbean National Rain Forest, El Yunque and the Yokahu Observation Tower. From the top of the tower, you're afforded sweeping views of the island. The tower was built in 1962 at an elevation of 1,572 feet above sea level.

On the main route through El Yunque, highway 191, you'll pass La Cocoa Falls. Pictures don't do this waterfall justice. It's an 85-foot rock face and the spray from the falls felt great on this hot, humid day. All around where beautiful tropical flowers and plants. You could watch storms rolling across the rain forest miles away and never get wet. It was quiet an experience.

Close to 4 million people live on the "Island of Enchantment," with more than a million in the greater San Juan metropolitan area alone. It is a vibrant, modern, bilingual, multicultural society, one that has been molded by Spanish, African, Indian and U.S. influences. Residents of Puerto Rico have much in common with their fellow Americans in the continental United States, yet they retain a decidedly Hispanic heritage.

On another trip to Puerto Rico, when I was catching a cruise that departed from the island, I stopped in a small bar in downtown San Juan to get a drink. As I was thinking about adding a snack to my bar bill, I spotted a long shelf that ran the entire length of the bar. The owners had beers from around the world, mostly empty bottles, lined up on the shelf - there were hundreds of them. All good, except for the fact that making its way carefully through the maze of bottles was the biggest rat I ever saw. I quickly finished my beer, paid my tab and went some place else to grab a bite to eat where at least I didn't SEE the vermin crawling around.

Winter Park, Florida

2009-09-14T07:28:00.000-07:00

Friday night date night lead Craig and I to Winter Park, Florida. Winter Park was founded as a resort destination by wealthy New England industrialists before the turn of the 20th century. It is recognized as the first centrally planned community in Florida; its main street includes not only public civic buildings and retail, but also art galleries, a private liberal arts college, museums, a park, a train station, a golf course country club, a historic cemetery, and a beach and boat launch. Winter Park is celebrated for a sense of place and history, uncommon to many parts of Central Florida. Many structures are more than 100 years old. The scenic old Winter Park area is punctuated by small, winding brick streets, and a canopy of old Southern Live Oak and Camphor trees, draped with Spanish Moss.

Over the last few years, there have been many favorite restaurants and bars that we've encountered in the back alleys and main streets of Winter Park. A new one, for Craig, was PF Changs. Having never really learned to like good Chinese food, he was reluctant to even try the restaurant; however, once we placed an order of lettuce wraps and some schezuan chicken, he was all over it! Now he knows, there's Chinese food, and then there is good Chinese food...

After getting our fill at PF Changs, we were going to stop into Houstons for a drink, another favorite; however, the Friday night crowd had more than taken over the beach chairs on the lawn, the dock was full and even the valet and side street parking was packed - so, on we went to Park Avenue. Along the way, Craig remembered The Wine Room.

In The Wine Room, there is a unique combination of wine bar and wine shop, where buying and tasting wine becomes a completely involving experience. They have a state-of-the-art Enomatic dispensing system which allows you to sample up to 150 wines in 1, 2.5 or 5 ounce portions.

To sample the wines, you purchase a $3.00 card and load it up with $$. We decided on $25 to start. Craig was looking for a sweet red, but found two that were rich in tanins, probably too rich! My favorite was the Specific Pacific Riesling. I sampled the 1 oz. first, for $2.00 and then decided just to get 5 ounces more - so, in the end, I paid $10 for a 6 oz. glass of wine, when I could have bought the whole bottle for $14.99...but, sometimes you just gotta go with the flow. I didn't want the whole bottle (at that moment), and I didn't want to wait until I got home to drink some more...Craig finally opted for 5 ounces of the Specific Pacific as well after giving up his hunt for the perfect red wine.

Normally, when you find the "flavor" that you prefer, you can purchase your wine by the bottle, and/or sip your selections in a cozy setting of leather sofas and armchairs. While you’re relaxing, you can complement your wine choices with a selection of hand-crafted meats and cheeses. This trip we were too full to even try the cheese and fruit selections, but I've had them on a previous visit and they're great - so, maybe next time, we still have a $4.30 credit! Whoopie!

Before we headed out, we took a quick tour through the "Locker Room". It's downstairs and is a place for private parties and events. I guess the building was an old bank and they used the safe and safety deposit box rooms to make this private room and the freezing cold "chiller" room next door.

All in all, Winter Park is a great place for date night...we'll have to go again soon...

We Will NEVER Forget!

2009-09-11T01:07:00.000-07:00

Daytona Beach Shores, Florida

2009-09-08T09:42:00.000-07:00

Labor Day weekend always marks the end of the summer for my family; however, living in Florida - summer never really seems to ever end!
(Seriously...when will it end!?!?)

My family has stayed at Perry's Ocean Edge Resort in Daytona Beach Shores, Florida for different vacations over the years and this year we decided to enjoy the 'end of the summer' and my sisters birthday (which happens to fall over Labor Day weekend) there as well.

This year, my boyfriend, Craig, his daughter, Sara and our dog, Darby and I stayed in Perry's sister property called the White Caps. These cottages are GREAT! But, before I go into that...I gotta mention this... Getting there is half the fun, right? We loaded up the car and took off Friday. Although we live only about an hour and a half away, before we had hit the highway, Sara and Darby were asleep! Craig navigated through one light rain storm after the other on the way and we wondered if it would do this all weekend (it didn't). I was using my iPhone Maps application to track our every move and check on the weather for the weekend - what else does a good co-pilot do, right?

So, we get to the beach, check in and were very happy to see not only was the weather perfect, the cottages were too. We literally were steps away from the ocean and all the amenities you could ask for were right there. Not only did our cottage have a HUGE king size bed, it also had a pull out couch in the living room. There was a full kitchen equipped with all the necessities, although we just loaded up the fridge with drinks and didn't cook - we easily could have. We will next time - there's a grocery store right across the street - how convenient!

My whole family did enjoy the traditional hamburger and hotdog bbq right outside our door in the courtyard Saturday afternoon. We hung out on the beach chairs, had a couple drinky-drinks and enjoyed the ocean view and breezes as Darby and Sara ran up and down the hill - three or four thousand times! After pool hopping (they have two outdoor pools and one solar heated indoor pool) and then playing in the waves for hours - you'd think she would have been tired!

After more pool hopping and a long walk on the beach, we all went to Crabby Joe's out on the pier. In a word, YUM. By the time we got back to the room that night, we were all exhausted...but, managed to squeeze in some internet surfing...'cause they have Free Wi-Fi...and who could live without iPhones and the internet?

My family has already booked next Labor Day weekend and Craig and I agreed that we had such a great time, we're planning another weekend getaway SOON...maybe just us (oh, ok...us and Darby...After all, who would keep my feet warm at night if he didn't come?)

Stingray City, Grand Cayman

2009-09-01T07:11:00.000-07:00

Stingray City is not actually a 'city' but rather a sand bar where you can experience an interaction with these beautiful, gentle, yet extremely large, creatures. Many tour operators offer tours to the site. If you arrive from a cruise ship, as I did, it will take a 10-15 minute ride to the marina where you board a boat for a 20-25 minute ride to the actual area where you'll 'meet' the stingrays.

Once you arrive at Stingray City, you can either snorkel with the stingrays or stand on the sandbar and wait for them to glide by. There's no need to be afraid of the gentle rays. They only have one mode of protection, their barb, and unless they feel that it is a life or death situation, they will not 'release' the barb. If they do release their only barb, they will not grow another one, so they will then be defenseless against any predators. Bottom line, their harmless. Scary at times, but harmless.

As you can see from my picture with a stingray, they will glide into your arms; however, this one decided he needed a 'rest' and basically laid down in my arms...he was heavy! --as you can see from my strained neck muscles!

To get the rays to come to you, all you need to do is stand still in the water and allow them to glide by you. Petting the top of the ray feels like wet sandpaper, while the underside is smooth and soft. Follow the tour guides instructions if you decide to 'feed' the stingrays. It isn't dangerous or scary, just a little like have a vacuum take something out of your hand. Again, follow the guidance of your tour guides and you will enjoy an amazing interactive experience.

From my experience, this is a 'must-do' if you visit Grand Cayman.
--Maureen McHale

New York, New York

2009-08-20T11:38:00.000-07:00

Visiting New York City between Thanksgiving and Christmas is one of my favorite things to do for the holidays. When I lived in New Jersey, there were opportunities to go in to the city all the time. But, having moved to Florida 21 years ago, I missed - not New Jersey, but the city. What can I say, "I Love NY".

I've gone back to visit NYC almost every year, twice a year, for the last 20 years. The trips usually contain certain elements such as: seeing my college roommate Maureen, going to a play in the city, seeing the Christmas tree and the ice skaters, and other must see landmarks. To me, there's nothing better than being in the hustle and bustle of the city during that time of year. Going shopping, eating at a great restaurant, and just enjoying the city.

I came across these pictures on, yet another, hot Florida day and figured I'd cool things off with this post. This particular trip was a great one! Maureen and I had tickets to see the play "9" with John Stamos. Little did we know that a blizzard would hit that morning and by the time we got into the city on the train, everyone else was trying to escape back out to Long Island and over to New Jersey! After all, before the sun went down it was only 26 degrees and they were expecting almost a foot of snow. It was truly memorable experience with the snow falling and the cold city air on our faces as we went from place to place. Seriously Good Times!

Our Favorite Restaurant in Orlando

2009-08-18T14:34:00.000-07:00

Since this is my travel blog, who says local travel can't be posted here too? Here's a recent picture (Friday, August 14th, 2009) of Craig Glenn, my boyfriend, and I at a local oyster bar, High Tide Harrys. Gotta love a lot of good, inexpensive seafood to go here -- See ya there soon!
--Maureen McHale

Sitka, Alaska

2009-08-06T08:54:00.000-07:00

Seattle, Washington

2009-08-06T08:20:00.000-07:00

Silver Springs, near Ocala, Florida - 07/23/09

2009-07-24T05:53:00.001-07:00