4 12, 2017

Travel Missteps: A Bump in the Night

By |December 4th, 2017|Categories: Travel, Travel Missteps|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |0 Comments

On my second trip to St John, USVI I once again stayed in the tree-house like canvas tent cabins of the Maho Bay Camps. It was relatively cheap, eco-conscious, and amazing views! However, the tents were getting a little worse for the ware. Small holes dotted the roof and screens. Doors wouldn't fully close. But, when you are in paradise, these complaints fade away. Iguanas lounged on the deck. Hermit crabs scurried underfoot (after being captured and released by a young child.) Gekkos in your tent became your friend as they would eat the bugs. Rain would lull you to

15 04, 2017

Souvenir Saturday: Larimar, Stone of the Caribbean

By |April 15th, 2017|Categories: Souvenirs, Travel|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |0 Comments

Larimar is a stone only found in the Dominican Republic, but you'll find jewelry made from the stone throughout the Carribean as the "Official" stone of the area. It's beautiful aqua blue color does remind you of the ocean waves. I have 3 pieces of Larimar jewelry, all purchased at various places of the US Virgin Islands. The first piece The first piece, is actually my newest acquisition, as I got it right before leaving the USVIs on St. Thomas in Charlotte Amalie at a market usually serving cruise ship passengers. We had arrived by ferry and right after exiting found

12 11, 2016

Souvenir Saturday: Genuine Sea Glass

By |November 12th, 2016|Categories: Souvenirs, Travel|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |0 Comments

I often look for unique sea shells when I'm on vacation, but natural or genuine Sea Glass is like winning a treasure hunt! Sea Glass comes from broken glassware that are tumbled and grounded against the sandy sea floor and can take anywhere from 20-50 years before it reaches it characteristic weathering of frosted coloration and rounded edges. There are rumors that people use to refer to them as "Mermaid Tears", morning drowned sailors. Sea Glass has become so widely used as "gems of the sea" that they actually have a rating, as well as some colors are rarer than

6 08, 2016

Souvenir Saturday: St John Clay Works

By |August 6th, 2016|Categories: Souvenirs, Travel|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |0 Comments

Hands on experiences are always the best, and I had a chance twice to visit the Maho Bay Clay Works in St John, USVI and make my own pottery. This was my first little bowl I made, and it actually turned out pretty well! It use to be a nice purple color, but an Irish flag once got caught in some water in the bowl and the color changed slightly. I have another pot at this same trip in 2010, but it came out very weirdly so haven't taken a photo of it. My second trip I was more

18 01, 2016

Travel Missteps: Don’t Look Under the Ledge

By |January 18th, 2016|Categories: Travel, Travel Missteps|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |0 Comments

As a young child, my favorite movie was The Little Mermaid. I loved swimming and spent my childhood on the beaches of California and the Great Lakes of Michigan pretending to be a mermaid. On my first trip to St. John USVI, it was my first time snorkeling in years and I was excited to try out my new equipment and underwater camera. I swam out to a rocky outcropping near Little Maho Bay Beach and got a little snap happy as I hadn't expected the water to be so clear or to see so many fish so close to the

14 09, 2015

Travel Missteps: No See Ums

By |September 14th, 2015|Categories: Travel, Travel Missteps, Travel Tips|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |0 Comments

The US Virgin Islands are full of amazingly beautiful sandy beaches. And those beaches are often infested with small biting and blood sucking insects sometimes called No See Ums, Sand Flies, as well as many other names.  They are almost invisible but their bites can swell up and look like mosquito bites.  They can also carry/transmit diseases. They are also not fast, if you are moving quickly into the water, you'll likely not get bit, but its when you walk back through the sand, sit on a towel, or have stand sticking to you or your shoes that they can hitch

2 07, 2015

Tips for Swimming with Sea Turtles

By |July 2nd, 2015|Categories: Activities, Travel, Travel Tips|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |1 Comment

A turtle in Belize Sea Turtles are a majestic sight to see when snorkeling. I’ve had the opportunity to see and swim with turtles in Maui, HI, St. John USVI, and the Belize Barrier Reef. But too often swimmers or snorkelers get too close to Sea Turtles and inadvertently end up harassing them. Here are some tips when swimming with Sea Turtles to make sure the experience is good to everyone. Turtle Town Maui First it is important to note in many areas turtles are protected by law. You should not touch, attempt to feed, or

8 03, 2015

The Sounds that Travel with Us

By |March 8th, 2015|Categories: Travel, Travel Memories|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |0 Comments

BuzzFeed recently had an article about the sounds from Italy that will fill you with Wanderlust. And it reminded me of all the sounds I associate with certain trips. Here are some of my top highlights that will instantly take me back in time: Toronto: Theme from House of Cards Google Play and Amazon had the first episode of House of Cars for free. I figured, sure why not, lets see what the hype is all about. I watched the first episode on my flights out...and got hooked. At night I'd watch House of Card before falling asleep. San Diego:

18 03, 2013

Travel Missteps: Stuck in Paradise

By |March 18th, 2013|Categories: Travel, Travel Missteps|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |0 Comments

View overlooking Trunk Bay, St. John USVI In February 2010 I visited a paradise known as St. John USVI for the first time. Nearly 3/4th of the island is national park land and it is beautiful.  I stayed in an eco cottages (pretty much tents in trees with geckos and frogs as roommates)  and snorkeled every day. I didn't want to ever leave this paradise. But as with all trips the end seem to come too soon and it was time to go home. A day before I was supposed to fly out, I started hearing rumors that flights into the USVI had been cancelled and no