I took my first cruise with my family when I was in high school. We were aboard the now-defunct Big Red Boat. We chose the particularly delightful El Niño season to sail the ocean blue, so suffice to say we never saw the sun. And while larger—much larger—cruise ships continued on their merry way out to sea, the Big Red Boat proved how very small it actually was by staying in port for nearly the whole trip.
So when I was given the opportunity to take another cruise this year—more than ten years later—I was a little hesitant. But I’m happy to report that I recently returned from the International Food, Wine and Travel Writers Association 2010 conference at sea, which was held on Holland America’s ms Eurodam cruise ship, and I actually had a lot of fun. I picked up some tidbits about the travel writing industry, tasted more than my share of wine and met some fascinating people aboard the ship. I also got to spend some time with my sister, who I don’t see nearly often enough, and we had the chance to tour Old San Juan in Puerto Rico, check out the hurricane damage from 2008 on Grand Turk in the Turks and Caicos Islands, kayak in the lagoon on Little San Salvador in the Bahamas and hike in the U.S. Virgin Islands National Park on St. John.
I also learned a lot about what it means to vacation aboard a boat that is actually big enough to move away from shore. So from a *ahem* first-time cruiser, here are seven tips if you, too, are planning on taking a cruise.
Continue Reading
Posted in: Resources
On my first morning in Huatulco, Mexico, I found a hidden pathway leading to Las Brisas Huatulco’s front lobby. As I made my way past a small hidden beach and a wild array of foliage (aloe vera sitting side-by-side with flower of may anyone?), I heard a loud squawk and a rustle in the trees. I stopped and stared, entranced by what appeared to be a half-dozen oversized bluebirds hopping up and down the branches.
I had time to spare, so I climbed a set of stairs to get a better view. I grew up in a birding family, and though I’m not an avid birdwatcher myself (sorry Mom and Dad!), I knew enough about this bird to know it wasn’t a typical bluebird. In fact, it wasn’t a bluebird at all. From head-to-tip of tail, the birds probably measured at least a foot and a half long. The chest was white while the tail was a deep blue. A poof of feathers crowned its head.
This wasn’t the last time I encountered the unusual bird during my stay. In fact, bird watching is popular in this part of the state of Oaxaca because of the diverse and colorful bird population. So popular, in fact, that Las Brisas offers a morning birdwatching excursion. It was then that I put a name to the unusual blue bird: A white-throated magpie jay.
Continue Reading
Posted in: Do
Dirt! Corruption! Sewers! Scandal!
These are the words used to sell Bill Speidel’s Underground Tour in Seattle, Washington. Sidewalks beneath sidewalks. A city on a city, sort of …
Here’s the story:
Though known today as the site of the Space Needle and home of the Seahawks, Seattle had a rough start. It was built on a mud flat. The sewer system had to be built on seven-foot stilts, and needless to say, the daily high tide was also a period of incredible sewage blockage and backup. The rain was so intense there were giant chuck holes in the roads—a child even drowned in one—and the city was frequently underwater.
In 1889, a devastating fire destroyed a good portion of the city, which was a mixed blessing. No one likes a city-wide fire, but it did give Seattle the chance to rebuild the city properly, which it did by filling in the land and lifting it up to a more livable distance above sea level. Many businesses couldn’t wait until the city was rebuilt, however, so they reopened their stores in their original locations while the city raised the roads with retaining walls. When the roads were done, Seattle’s sidewalks were added at road level, thus burying a whole layer of the city underground, which was abandoned altogether in 1907 when rats and disease became rampant. Which takes us to …
Continue Reading
Posted in: Do
Don’t let excuses hold back your travel dreams. Though many Kaleidoscopic Wandering readers are familiar with the travel industry, many others are not. As part of the Why People Don’t Travel series, I’m taking a hard look at five different things that keep people from traveling. In this series, I hope to provide solutions and additional resources for people who would like to travel more.
Today’s travel concern: “I don’t like to travel alone.”
Happy couples walk along the beach in the Caribbean. Families with young children line up for the rides at Disney World. Fathers hike the trails in the national parks with their sons. Mothers and daughters step away for spa retreats.
So what about everyone out there who doesn’t have a travel partner? Can you travel solo?
The short answer is absolutely.
Continue Reading
Posted in: Reasons to Travel, Resources
Authentic Italian cuisine. Countless bottles of wine. Superb customer service.
In a few sentences, that’s how I would describe Terra Verde, one of the finest restaurants located at Green Valley Ranch in Henderson, about a 10-minute drive from the Las Vegas Strip.
My husband and I made reservations to eat at Terra Verde for our sixth anniversary, but there was no reason to. On a Thursday night there were only a few tables with patrons. A couple tables had larger groups of people sitting at them—friends gathered for a drink to celebrate the holiday season, or so I gathered—and there were a few more tables of two or three folks each.
The dining room at Terra Verde is large, and there is an outside veranda overlooking the pedestrian mall at Green Valley Ranch, which they open when it is warm out. To start out our meal, we were given a plate of complimentary appetizers (I’m not sure if this is common practice or something they did for our anniversary), which consisted of three varieties of olives, pickled bell peppers, shaved Parmesan cheese, artichoke hearts and zucchini chips. It was a flavorful selection that wasn’t too dense but did get my appetite stirred up for the main course.
Continue Reading
Posted in: Eat, I Love Las Vegas
I’m on the western end of Lake Quinault, Washington. Standing on the edge of the roadway, I’m separated from the lake by a large swath of trees and bushes that grows on the incline down to the beach. The water is still and clear, reflecting the hills in the national forest that surround it. Fresh snow, which fell on the mountains in Olympic National Park the night before, is stark white and stands out in the distance.
The Olympic Peninsula is a place of conflicting interests amid stunning natural beauty. I’m with a log truck driver, who works the long stretch of road between Hoquiam and Lake Quinault. He’s agreed to show me this area of Washington, much of which is considered old-growth or rainforest.
It’s an area thick with vegetation, a diverse mix of cedar, hemlock and other trees that can withstand the 12 feet of rain that fall here every year. Some of the land is owned by papermill and logging companies, and I find it surprising that it isn’t just clear cut. Rather, the companies clear out trees that are dying or have died from natural causes. Then they replant the trees in what appears to be Christmas-tree farm fashion.
Continue Reading
Posted in: Contemplation
Nik Halik lives life … big. But his story didn’t start out that way.
As a kid, Nik dreamed of living life to its absolute fullest, and he’s been able to do that in the role of a “thrillionaire,” which, according to his blog, encompasses the following:
- Understanding the thrill of giving and a desire to share stories so that others are inspired to become thrillionaires.
- A desire to seek out the thrills of life.
- Motivation to live life to the fullest by seeking adventures that will take them to the edge of the Earth and back.
- Inspiration to give back to society and a desire to leave the Earth a better place than they found it.
As a thrillionaire, Nik wears many hats: scuba diver, astronaut, entrepreneur, global wealth strategist, international speaker, author, high-adrenaline adventurer and world traveler.
His biography, The Thrillionaire, recounts his countless life adventures as well as his philosophy behind the way he lives. Though I haven’t had the chance to read the book, Nik took a few minutes to answer a few questions about his life as a thrillionaire … and what is next on his list of exciting adventures.
Continue Reading
Posted in: Personalities
The platform stands approximately 36 feet above the ground, but I can’t even see it as I wait for my turn to hook into the zip line. Instead, there is a wide canopy of trees above me and below me—which I assume would cushion me should I fall.
But falling isn’t an issue here. This is my first experience with zip lining, and I am blown away by the safety precautions the Monkey Trail Canopy team at Gumbalimba Park takes to ensure I’m going nowhere but right down the line to the next platform.
For the first time since arriving on Roatan—a small island off the coast of Honduras—the sun is threatening to peak its head out from behind the lingering clouds. I’m not complaining; I’m beyond ready to shed my rain jacket.
Continue Reading
Posted in: Do, Go
