About 20 miles southeast of Sarasota, the T. Mabry Carlton Reserve is a wonderful midweek wilderness escape. The reserve has over 90 miles of trails and is nearly 40 square miles. We only hiked about 5 miles in the small black rectangle pictured below, following the red and then green trails. Upon arrival, we hiked… Continue reading T. Mabry Carlton Reserve
Rothenbach Park
About 10 miles from our house is a waste management landfill that was converted into Rothenbach Park. This community park at the end of Bee Ridge Road has about five miles of paved trails, playgrounds, and picnic areas. Since this old landfill is the highest point of the county, about 90 feet above sea level,… Continue reading Rothenbach Park
Local hiking: no need to travel far when there is so much to see nearby.
Hello, Everyone. Much has happened since I last posted. Last fall, I took several trips cruising the Caribbean and even visited the Panama Canal. Since I had previously toured many of the islands, I chose not to write about them again. And then the pandemic arrived and I canceled all travel plans. Though I do… Continue reading Local hiking: no need to travel far when there is so much to see nearby.
Day 5: St. Kitts
St Kitts and Nevis are volcanic islands in the West Indies that constitute one country: the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis. The west side borders the Caribbean Sea and the east coast faces the Atlantic. About 98% of the residents are literate and the residents call themselves Kittitians. As we arrived Basseterre, there was… Continue reading Day 5: St. Kitts
Day 4: St. John’s Antigua
Happy Thanksgiving! It seems strange celebrating this day of gratitude without friends and family. Though our gathering this year is small, we each have many reasons to give thanks. We docked at 8 am. From a distance, we could see the white baroque towers of St. John’s Cathedral. Instead of admiring the city’s skyline, Dennis… Continue reading Day 4: St. John’s Antigua
Day 3: Sea Day
Day 3 was a sea day and for us a day of relaxation and recuperation. Mom especially enjoys sitting in the hot tub and sunning herself. After months of working on houses with little downtime, Dennis and I are having a difficult time to adjusting to the change of pace. Out of sheer exhaustion, we… Continue reading Day 3: Sea Day
Day 2: Curacao
When we awoke, the ship was docked in Willemstad, Curacao. Since both mom and Dennis have colds, we did not plan any excursion. While Dennis slept, mom and I sat in the Jacuzzi and enjoyed the Caribbean sunshine. Because Dennis and I have been working indoors for the last year, neither of us are tanned… Continue reading Day 2: Curacao
Day 1 (actually Day 4): Aruba
I was very anxious as we boarded the plane for Aruba. Once out of customs, we took a taxi to the port. As we saw the ship in the distance, I pinched myself to be sure that this was finally happening. As I looked around Oranjestad, the capital of this tiny Dutch island, I could… Continue reading Day 1 (actually Day 4): Aruba
Perhaps this time…
After working for about a year on fixing and selling houses, Dennis, Aurela (mom) and I decided it was time for a well-earned Caribbean vacation. It was to start last Friday but, when we got to the port, we discovered that mom’s suitcase with her medications was left at the house. The NCL port supervisor Dayron… Continue reading Perhaps this time…
Day 7: Final Day in LA
We started our busy day exploring LA at the La Brea Tar Pits. Dennis had wanted to see this ever since he had first learned about it as a child. As we watched the pit bubbled and rippled. At this world famous fossil site, more than one million bones have been recovered representing over 231… Continue reading Day 7: Final Day in LA