Go See Do Explore

Kayaking in a Bioluminescent Bay

On March 27, 2023

Fajardo Bio Bay Kayking

Some of the links below are affiliate links and as such, I earn a small commission from purchases that allow me to continue telling you my stories without costing you anything extra.

There are five bodies of water in the world where you are able to experience the magic that is bioluminescence year-round. Three of them are in Puerto Rico. The glow-in-the-dark effect known as bioluminescence is caused by microscopic organisms known as dinoflagellates that absorb energy from the sun and then will light up at night when the water is disturbed by a paddle or hand. You are not permitted to swim in these “bio-bays” because sunscreen and other products that we put on our skin will kill these organisms. Some of the bays are noticing a dimming because of this and also pollution from boats.

You are able to experience this bioluminescence in Puerto Rico on kayak tours. We regretted not being able to experience this on our first trip to Puerto Rico so it was one of the first things I booked after we had our flights. For the best experience, it is recommended that you take your tour as close to the new moon as possible. Since we had less than a week in Puerto Rico, we picked a day that fit best in our schedule and the tour organizers covered us up with tarps so we could best experience the glowing.

Since we were staying in Fajardo, we chose a tour of Laguna Grande. We met at a beach near the bio bay where we got a brief safety demonstration and basic kayak instructions before loading into our kayaks and getting a paddle-away picture taken (top). At the beginning of the tour, we paddled along the beach until we came to the opening of the lagoon and we waited for the groups ahead of us to paddle through. The sun was setting at this point, and paddling through the mangroves was unlike anything I had ever experienced before. It is probably silly to compare a real-life experience to a Disney ride, but it made me think of the Jungle Cruise. I kept waiting to see the backside of water.

When we got through the mangroves, we huddled our kayaks together for an explanation of what we were about to see as our guides searched for the best bioluminescent activity. When we re-grouped where the light could be seen the most, the guides passed out tarps for us to huddle around so we could experience the glow-in-the-dark activity without the light from the moon interfering. It was not super comfortable under the tarp, so I didn’t stay under very long. This phenomenon is not easy to photograph so I didn’t even attempt it. I left my phone in the car and just enjoyed the experience. That is why the only picture I have is the one they took for me.

Laguna Grande is not the most active bioluminescent bay in Puerto Rico but it is very convenient if you are staying near San Juan. If you want the best experience, you have to go to the island of Vieques. Honestly, the bioluminescence was not the highlight of this experience for me. I really enjoyed the paddle through the mangroves at dusk. It made me realize that I need to figure out how to go night kayaking at home when the weather warms up.

We chose Yokahu Kayak Tours on Viator and I would recommend them to anyone considering a bio bay tour from Fajardo. One thing to note is that most of these tours only have tandem kayaks. For seasoned tandem kayakers like us, this is not a problem, but my mother-in-law was traveling with us and as an odd number, she got paired off with a teenager she didn’t know and had never kayaked with before. She had more of a challenge with this tour and did not enjoy it as much as we did. In hindsight, one of us probably should’ve stayed with her and one of us stronger kayakers should’ve been paired up with someone else.

Thanks for stopping by! To read more about this trip, check out the Returning to Puerto Rico Trip Report. To read about some of our previous trips, visit my Trips Page. If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page and follow me on Instagram! For my list of gadgets to make your travels easier, click here. To see inside my camera bag, check out my updated Gear Page.

Wordless Wednesday: Love PR

By Ashleigh

On March 23, 2023

In Travel

I heart PR

La Ruta de Lechon: Puerto Rico’s Pork Highway

By Ashleigh

On March 20, 2023

In Travel

Lechonera Los Pinos

After our first visit to Puerto Rico seeing the tourist highlights, this trip we wanted to get off the beaten path and see where the locals hang out. The answer is Guavate and La Ruta de Lechon, AKA The Pork Highway. Guavate is about an hour and a quarter’s drive from Fajardo or an hour from San Juan. The drive was through some of the most scenic parts of the island. Unlike our drive the day before, our rickety rental car made it to the lechoneras just fine.

After much research, we decided to visit Lechonera Los Pinos (above). When you arrive at the open-air lechonera, you get in line and there are signs in both English and Spanish of what food they have. The food is served cafeteria style: You order at the counter and then pay when your name is called. There is a separate bar so if you are traveling with several people, it is a good idea to send one person to order food and another to order drinks. There was live music playing and the vibe was unlike anything I have ever experienced anywhere else.

The food at Los Pinos

Of course, the food was fabulous! The pork, lechon, is a whole suckling pig roasted over an open flame until the skin is nice and crispy. The rice with pigeon peas (or loafers as the English menu said) and pink beans were a great compliment. All of this wonderful food and a mojito to wash it down. Honestly, as simple as this meal was, it is probably one of my favorites of the trip and one I think back to often.

If you have the time during your trip to Puerto Rico, definitely make a stop in Guavate and the Pork Highway. It is a food and cultural experience that you won’t find anywhere else. Of course, I recommend Los Pinos, but I’m sure the other lechoneras along the road are good too. For more information about the Pork Highway, visit Discover Puerto Rico.

Puerto Rico Road Trip

By Ashleigh

On March 13, 2023

In Road Trip, Travel

After a wonderful day in Old San Juan, we slept in the next morning and returned to Cafe Mallorca for breakfast. After enjoying a Cafe con Leche, we went back to the hotel, packed up, and picked up the car. We had a day of driving ahead of us.

We had booked a coffee tour through Airbnb Experiences. Puerto Rico used to be dotted with coffee plantations, but after the U.S gained control of Puerto Rico, sugarcane became the cash crop on the island instead. There are still a few coffee farms operating around the island that offer tours on select days of the week. This one had tours operating most days of the week and it was located in the middle of the island in the mountains of Adjuntas.

Our rental car was a 2022 Mitsubishi Mirage with low miles but the thing had no suspension. You felt every single bump and in Puerto Rico, there are a lot of bumps. For most of the drive, the car handled it fine, but when we got close to the coffee farm the roads turned to dirt and got steeper and we weren’t sure if our regular mid-size car could handle it. We ended up having to turn around and skip our tour. Once we got back to the land of cell signal, I reached out to Airbnb and they didn’t reply for a week. When they did they were very demanding that I talk to them even though I was back at work and not able to talk during work hours. After going back and forth with them for days and then getting lectured about using Google Maps, not Apple Maps (I never use Apple Maps so that lecture wasn’t necessary) they did refund my money, but it made me question booking experiences through Airbnb again. There is a reason this tour wasn’t on Viator or a more reputable site.

After deciding to bail on our coffee tour, we headed to Ponce, the second biggest city in Puerto Rico and the city hit hardest in 2022 by Hurricane Fiona. Many of the attractions in Ponce haven’t opened back up since hurricane Maria in 2017, but the architecture is just as beautiful as Old San Juan. We found a delicious spot for dinner at Rincon Argentino, an Argentinian restaurant. This is when I realized that if you get away from the tourist areas of San Juan, there is a good chance you will interact with someone who only has limited English. Luckily, my husband has been taking Spanish lessons for a while and he got to practice ordering for us.

After driving dinner and a little drive through town, we headed to our Airbnb in Fajardo. It was dark by the time we got in, but we were able to sit out on the balcony and listen to the waves before bed. Even though we didn’t make it to the coffee farm, we got to explore parts of the island that most people don’t get to see. I would say that while I probably wouldn’t attempt it again, I am glad we tried. Maybe on our next trip to the island, we will find a coffee farm that is a little easier to get to. Be sure to check back next week as I detail our experience at La Ruta de Lechon (AKA The Pork Highway).

Wordless Wednesday: Cristobal Bell

By Ashleigh

On March 1, 2023

In Travel, Wordless Wednesday

Bell in Castillo San Crisobal l

Wordless Wednesday: Old San Juan

By Ashleigh

On February 22, 2023

In Wordless Wednesday

Old San Juan

Returning to Old San Juan

By Ashleigh

On February 20, 2023

In Travel

Old San Juan

Some of the links below are affiliate links and as such, I earn a small commission from purchases that allow me to continue telling you my stories without costing you anything extra.

After our white-knuckled TSA experience in Orlando, we had an uneventful flight and landed in the daylight in San Juan. Once on land, we headed to El Colonial Hotel. El Colonial is probably one of my all-time favorite hotels. It has a great location in the heart of Old San Juan and a rooftop patio to hang out and enjoy the beautiful Puerto Rican weather! And of course, you can’t go wrong with their 24-hour open bar.

Once we were checked in, we headed out to see the sights. We saw everything that we saw on our first visit to Old San Juan, both Castillo San Felipe del Morro and Castillo San Cristobal. For lunch, we visited Cafeteria Mallorca, a historic eatery not far from our hotel. I had seen Cafeteria Mallorca on an old episode of Samantha Brown and it had not changed at all since that episode aired. They are known for their mallorcas, traditional Puerto Rican sandwiches dusted with powdered sugar. We enjoyed our meal so much, we came back in the morning for breakfast.

After lunch, we went back to the hotel and caught up on sleep and soaked up the air conditioning. When it had cooled down a bit, we headed back out to explore the city some more. We revisited our favorite popsicle stand from our last trip, Zip Pops. Nearby, Señor Paleta is more well known, but Zip Pops never had a line!

Christmas lights in Paseo de la Princesa

By this point the sun was setting and we noticed Christmas lights in Paseo de la Princesa (above). It was beautiful to walk through and enjoy the breeze without the hot Caribbean sun beating down.

This is about the time that we realized that we should have made reservations in advance for dinner. Every place we stopped had at least a two hour wait. We ended up getting seated at a restaurant and being one of the last tables served for the night. We are from a small town where most restaurants don’t take reservations, but we learned quick that that is not the case these days in cities. While there are some restaurants that book up a month or more in advance, you should probably start making plans a week in advance if you would like to eat before 9 pm.

Cruise ships in Old San Juan

One thing that made a big difference in this visit from the last was that there were three large cruise ships docked in Old San Juan on this day (left). I consider myself a bit of a cruise nerd and I was impressed that I recognized the Odyssey of the Seas from the air, but these large ships left off thousands of people into this historic city. At times, it was hard to get around on the old, narrow sidewalks there were so many people. Heaven help you if you needed to drive on the roads. This experience really made me consider the impact that these large ships have on the places that they visit. Yes, the ships pay to dock at these ports and the people get off the ship and spend money, but with free food and beds on the ship they do not spend as much as a land-based traveler. I’m not saying I am done with cruising, but it makes me want to figure out how to do it in a responsible way. Maybe we need to get away from the enormous mega-ships with all the bells and whistles and back to smaller boats that have less potential to overwhelm the ports they visit.

Thanks for stopping by! To read about some of our previous trips, visit my Trips Page. If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page and follow me on Instagram! For my list of gadgets to make your travels easier, click here. To see inside my camera bag, check out my updated Gear Page.

Returning to Puerto Rico

By Ashleigh

On February 13, 2023

In Travel, Travel Tips

Old San Juan from the fort

Last spring we visited Puerto Rico as the embarkation port for our Southern Caribbean cruise and fell in love with the beautiful island. Ever since we got home we have been watching flight prices just waiting to return. When we started brainstorming ideas for a Christmas trip with my mother-in-law, we were looking at a few warm-weather destinations and we were shocked to find flights to San Juan for less than Florida or New Orleans. I’m not going to lie, the flights were awful. They had overnight layovers in both directions at some of the largest and busiest airports that were made even busier thanks to Southwest’s meltdown before Christmas. But, we made the best of it because we got to return to sunny Puerto Rico!

The first leg of our journey had an overnight layover in Orlando and we left security and slept in the Hyatt Regency at the airport knowing we would have to go through TSA again. There were so many people trying to get to their flights in the morning that the sign advertised a 65-minute wait to get through TSA. I am very glad I checked the airport’s website when I got up because we got ready quickly and got in line. At one point, the line stopped moving completely and we thought we were going to miss our flight, but we got to the gate right as they started boarding. We were told it was a full flight but there were only half of the seats filled. I’m guessing we left some people behind in that TSA line. If you have an early flight (I think this one left at 5:55 am), don’t assume the airport will be empty. Most airport websites will tell you how long the TSA wait currently is and if you’re checking a bag, remember to add on time for that line too. Since this was a layover, we didn’t have to worry about that line.

Sunset from our balcony in Fajardo

This was our first time flying Frontier and overall, it was a pretty good experience. We have flown Spirit many times so we are used to budget airlines, but they are not exactly the same. Frontier has more legroom. It is not as cramped as Spirit is notorious for. Everyone we encountered was friendly and each plane has an animal mascot. We liked flying on Max the Lynx. Frontier does not have wifi on their planes. If you need to work while in the air, look for a different airline. Every single flight we had left 10-15 minutes late and they were not good about communicating the delays. When we got to our departure airport, we got a text saying our flight was delayed but when we got to the gate the board said the plane was on time and that didn’t change until after our departure time passed so there were a lot of confused people standing around. For one of the flights, we got a text saying the flight was delayed after we had already taken off. We got to the airport in San Juan early and there was no one at the Frontier desk for probably an hour. The line got very long but we got to the plane with plenty of time. It wasn’t a perfect experience, but the next cheapest flight to San Juan for the same dates was several hundred dollars per person more expensive. Personally, I will take a little bit of hassle to get where I want to go and save money.

Here is an outline of what is to come on this trip report:

Day 1: Old San Juan (San Juan National Historic Site, Christmas lights at Paseo de la Princesa)

Day 2: Drive to Adjuntas (travel fail story), Ponce, to Fajardo

Day 3: La Ruta de Lechon (the Pork Highway) & Biobay Kayaking

Day 4: El Yunque National Forest

Day 5: Ron del Barillito Distillery Tour

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How to Save Money While Traveling

By Ashleigh

On February 13, 2023

In Travel, Travel Tips

Some of the links below are affiliate links and as such, I earn a small commission from purchases that allow me to continue telling you my stories without costing you anything extra.

Over the next few weeks, you will probably notice some rebranding around the blog. I have a new domain name that I am working on getting connected to the blog and launching in a few weeks. I will be changing the theme of the blog toward travel. Over the past few years, my stories have changed from “how I got the shot” to where I went and what I saw. Along with that, I am going to be posting more travel tips mixed in with trip reports. Some of them will be generic travel tips like this and others will be destination guides. Thanks for joining me on this journey!

One of the questions I get asked the most is how do we afford to travel so much. While we splurge occasionally (Alaksa cruise, anyone?) we really are budget-minded travelers and we look to get the most bang for our buck! Here are some tricks we use to maximize our travel dollars!

Going-to-the-Sun Road

Set a budget: Not the most exciting travel tip, but it really is important. Each January we look at our expected annual income and expenses and figure out how much we have for travel for the year. This allows us to set a budget for each trip, big or small, and figure out where we can go that year. For each trip, we pin down travel expenses (airfare, parking, rental car, lodging, food, tours, souvenirs, etc.) in advance so there are no unexpected bills at the end.
Be flexible with your dates or destination: The best deals can be found if you are open to when you travel AND to where, but obviously that doesn’t work for everyone. As a teacher, I am limited to the busiest times of the year to travel, but I still manage to find deals by being open to the destination. Or, say we have a place we need to be for a cruise or something like that, you can sometimes find better prices if you look at neighboring airports. For example, for our cruise out of New Orleans, we found that it was actually much cheaper to rent a car in New Orleans and fly out of Baton Rouge. Or on a recent trip, we drove four hours and flew out of Chicago instead of Detroit which saved us several hundred dollars per person on the flights.

Marigot Bay, St. Lucia

Be patient and know when to buy: So, you decided where you’re going. Now is the time to start looking for airfare, but it might not be the best time to book. Experts say prices are best 1-3 months in advance for domestic travel and 3-6 months in advance for international travel. If you buy too early you could be spending too much. Both Hopper and Google Flights will tell you if the prices you are seeing are good deals or not and if you should buy now or wait.
Be open to various accommodations: You can save a lot of money by renting a home/apartment with a kitchen instead of staying in a hotel and eating three meals a day out. Rental homes can also be more cost-effective for families who would need multiple rooms. If you choose to stay in a hotel, look for one that offers free breakfast, or better yet free drinks.

Manistee Lighthouse

Factor in Fees: That $99 flight may not be as good of a deal as you thought when you have to pay for every little extra. Are there fees for checking a bag? Carrying on a bag? What is the weight limit for a checked bag (it is often lower on low-cost carriers)? Are you going to want to pick your seat? Are snacks/drinks included? All of these fees add up and sometimes the more expensive flight ends up being more economical. When it comes to rental homes, don’t be fooled by the low per-night cost. Remember to check the fees and taxes.
Skip the rental car: There are many destinations that are easy to get around on foot and by public transportation. Not only is there a fee for a rental car, but parking can also cost extra. In the event you want to take a day trip, you can find plenty of day trips with transportation on Viator or rent a car for the day with Turo.

The view from the top of South Bubble Mountain in Maine

Research cheap or free things to do in your destination: Pinterest is great for this kind of research and so are old-fashioned paper guidebooks. You can save even more money by checking out guidebooks from your local library. I recommend looking for guidebooks published in 2021 or newer because a lot has changed due to the pandemic.
Look into Memberships: Oftentimes, you can get free admission to museums around the world if you become a member of your local museum (make sure you purchase a membership that includes reciprocal admission. It’s not usually included in the cheapest membership option). The North American Reciprocal Museums Program lists their participating museums. If you enjoy botanical gardens, many gardens also offer a reciprocal membership. The American Horiticultural Society has a list of participating gardens. If Nature Centers are your thing, there is also a group of reciprocal Nature Centers. If you’re visiting two or more National Parks on a trip, purchase the America the Beautiful National Park pass at your first park (passes are good for one year from when they are purchased so I don’t recommend buying them in advance). If you are a veteran/Gold Star Family, National Park volunteer, have a permanent disability or have a 4th grader, you are eligible for a free park pass.

Kolb Studio – Grand Canyon National Park

Plan meals strategically: Eat a big breakfast so you don’t need to get a full lunch. Split meals. Bring snacks from home. Search TripAdvisor for restaurants with a single $. You can find really good places that a lot of tourists don’t visit that are also easy on the wallet. If you’re visiting parks, many have grills that allow you to cook even if you’re not staying at a place with a kitchen. These tend to be busy at lunchtime but empty around dinner.
Be open to different brands/chains: If you only stay at Holiday Inn, you can be missing out on better prices at other brands. I recommend TripAdvisor for hotel research and bookings. They allow you to read reviews from real travelers and compare prices on similar hotels.

Wild Horse of Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Wild Horse in Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Pack light: We’ve become masters of packing a personal item for a long weekend. Look for a bag that fits just within the baggage specifications without going over (I have a new backpack I love that works as a personal item on Spirit and Frontier) and you may not need to pay extra for a short trip. I have mastered the art of packing for multiweek trips in only a carry-on bag. If you need a little more room, check out wearable luggage clothing like ScotteVest.
Camp: Do you have camping gear or know someone who would lend your their camping gear? You can find campsites as low as $15/night or even free. Camping can be the cheapest way to travel, especially if you enjoy the outdoors.

Cruise ship in Juneau harbor

Take a cruise: Cruising can be a very extravagant vacation but it can also be a way to see the world on a budget. When you think about the fact that cruise fare includes lodging, dining, entertainment, and transportation, it can really be a very good value. In general, $100/per person per night or less is a good value for a cruise. If you’re able to cruise last minute, after final payment (about 90 days in advance) cruise prices tend to drop to fill unsold cabins. I usually need more notice than that for traveling, so I like to look farther out. I browse a cruise search site for dates that we are available and bookmark ones that look interesting or like a good deal. Then, I revisit those saved cruises until they seem like a price I would want to pay. I recently found a 7-night Pacific Coastal cruise for $400 per person (which works out to $57 per person per night) for an oceanview cabin over spring break on Celebrity, a higher-end cruise line. If the price goes down after you book, you are usually able to get it repriced until the final payment. After final payment, the policy varies by cruise line, but you may be able to get onboard credit for the difference or upgrade to a higher category cabin.

Thanks for stopping by! Do you have any money-saving travel tips? Let me know in the comments! To read about some of our previous trips, visit my Trips Page. If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page and follow me on Instagram! For my list of gadgets to make your travels easier, click here. To see inside my camera bag, check out my updated Gear Page.

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Wordless Wednesday: Leelanau Beach

By Ashleigh

On February 8, 2023

In Wordless Wednesday

Leelanau State Park Beach Word