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Harvest Caye: A Day at the Beach

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On May 6, 2019

In Cruise, Travel

With 4 port days in a row on this cruise, we knew we were going to need a day to just sit back and relax. Harvest Caye, Norwegian’s new private island off the coast of Belize, was the perfect port for that!

Like many private islands, Harvest Caye is full of beach chairs. They also rent kayaks, paddle boards, and small boats that you can take around the lagoon. They also have a zip line that is housed in a lighthouse (above). You can see Macaws and Toucans as well as butterflies and Belizean flora in the nature center. I had never seen a Toucan before so that was pretty cool. They also offer a ferry to mainland Belize (Placencia) for guests to do excursions on their own or arranged through the ship. One way that Harvest Caye is different from Great Stirrup Caye, Norwegian’s other private island in the Bahamas, is that the ship docks at the island so you don’t have to take a tender in. Because of this, you can go back to the ship to get food and drinks. Your ship card does not work on Harvest Caye.

One thing I had heard about Harvest Caye before sailing is to be careful in the beach because jellyfish are prevalent. The purple flag in the photo on the right means dangerous marine life is present, so I stayed out of the water. If you want to avoid jellyfish, Harvest Caye also has a pool. The chairs fill up fast though, so if you want a spot around the pool, get there early. Since we had a $50 per port shore excursion credit, on Harvest Caye we were able to rent a clamshell on the beach for free. It was a nice way to have a designated, shady spot on the beach.

Harvest Caye was very much like what a Caribbean cruise port would look like if it was designed by Americans. Everything was very clean. There were no pushy salespeople. The restaurants are all a part of the Margaritaville brand. There’s nothing wrong with this. Its just very inauthentic. Would I seek out another cruise with a stop at Harvest Caye? Probably not. But, I enjoyed our day here as a way to relax and spend time in the tropical sunshine!

Thanks for stopping by! If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page, follow me on Instagram, and Flickr! You can purchase prints on Etsy and Fine Art America. To see inside my camera bag, check out my Gear Page. For information about our new Guided Photography Tours, visit GuidedPhoto.com.

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Wordless Wednesday: Seawall

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On August 29, 2018

In Travel

Wordless Wednesday: Beach Sunset

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On July 4, 2018

In Michigan, Project: State Parks, Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday: Driftwood

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On November 15, 2017

In Michigan, Wordless Wednesday

Driftwood

Whitefish Point

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On November 13, 2017

In Michigan

Beach Teepee

This fall, we took a long weekend trip to Tahquamenon Falls and Whitefish Point. Unfortunately, with our unseasonably warm fall, the colors were late and everything was still pretty green. It was still a relaxing weekend in nature that I definitely needed. We did get to photograph a relatively empty Great Lakes beach, although it was pretty chilly.

Whitefish Point is a landmark on Lake Superior that is known for its lighthouse, Shipwreck Museum and the Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial. One of the reasons it is a popular tourist spot is because it is about an hour from Tahquamenon Falls. It is designated an “Important Bird Area” and the Whitefish Point Bird Observatory runs research and education programs in the park’s marshlands. Its a beautiful place to enjoy a Lake Superior beach too!

Thanks for stopping by! For more information about the Whitefish Point area, visit ShipwreckMuseum.com. If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page, follow me on Instagram, and Flickr! To see inside my camera bag, check out my Gear Page. For information about our new Guided Photography Tours, visit GuidedPhoto.com.

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Wordless Wednesday: Superior Beach

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On November 8, 2017

In Michigan, Wordless Wednesday

Superior Beach B&W

B&B Trip Report: Recap

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On October 16, 2017

In Travel

Pea Island

Four months and fifteen posts later, I have reached the end of my Beaches and Battlefields Trip Report. I have covered six states, four battlefields, two English colonies, six campgrounds, and four barrier islands. It was definitely a busy trip, but it was a great one. I learned some life lessons on this trip too. Like, tent camping on the beach is like sleeping in a tiny greenhouse. I think I will save my beach front camping for cooler times of the year from now on.  Since this trip, we have taken a few short weekend trips around Michigan and I am excited to share those photos with you in the coming weeks. I hope you have enjoyed this trip report and you will continue to check back for my mini “Mitten Trip” reports.

Thanks for stopping by! To revisit the posts from the trip, check out the B&B Trip Report Archives. If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page, follow me on Instagram, and Flickr! To see inside my camera bag, check out my Gear Page. For information about our new Guided Photography Tours, visit GuidedPhoto.com.

Beaches and Battlefields Trip Report

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On July 6, 2017

In Camping, Road Trip, Travel

Cape Hatteras Sunset

We are back from our Outer Banks road trip and I am excited to begin recapping my trip with you! This was another camping road trip visiting 6 different campgrounds in 4 states in 10 days.

  • Night 1: Laurel Hill State Park in Somerset, Pennsylvania
    • Explored Fredricksburg Battlefield
  • Night 2 & 3: Chickahominy Riverfront Park near Williamsburg, Virginia
    • Visited Yorktown and Jamestowne
  • Night 4 & 5: Frisco Campground in Buxton, North Carolina
    • Explored Hatteras Lighthouse and Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge
  • Night 6 & 7: Ocracoke Campground in Ocracoke, North Carolina
    • Explored Ocracoke beach and the Village of Ocracoke
  • Night 8: Oregon Inlet in Nags Head, North Carolina
    • Visited Bodie Island Lighthouse, Wright Brothers National Memorial, and Roanoke Island
  • Night 9: Owen Creek Campground in Thurmont, Maryland
    • Explored Harpers Ferry National Historic Park, Anteitam National Battlefield, and Cuyahoga Valley National Park

In some ways, this trip was the exact opposite of our trip last year. Where last year we headed north, this year we went south. Where it was cold last year, this year I felt like I was on the surface of the sun. Tent camping on the beach is rough because there is no shade and no escape from the relentless southern heat. I love the Outer Banks but next time, I’m staying in the air conditioning.

This photo was taken at the beach at Frisco Campground at sunset. Sunsets on the beach can be tricky because they are often lacking a foreground subject. Being that this is an ORV beach, I found my foreground subject by looking down.

Thanks for stopping by! Come back next Monday to read more about our trip. If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page, follow me on Instagram, and Flickr! To see inside my camera bag, check out my Gear Page.

Wordless Wednesday: Beach at Sunset

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On June 28, 2017

In Michigan, Project: State Parks, Wordless Wednesday

Beach Sunset

Pure Michigan Beach

By

On September 5, 2016

In Camping, Michigan, Project: State Parks

Beach Sunset

For one final summer hurrah, Chris and I took a camping trip to Van Buren State Park in South Haven. While deciding what park to visit, I knew I wanted to be on the water, but other than that I wasn’t too picky as to where we would go (we even considered going back to Straits but the lower campgrounds were already full) after checking a few times, an spot opened up at Van Buren so we jumped on it! I began looking into what to do in South Haven and discovered that our trip coincided with the Blueberry Festival. We always enjoy a good Pure Michigan festival! We explored downtown South Haven and walked out to the lighthouse (since it was a festival, it was impossible to get a shot of it without a million people in it), and got some blueberry jam at one of the festival tents.

This was my first visit to Van Buren State Park. Our site was very sandy, which made our tent very sandy due to the rain, but it seemed like other sites had more grass. The beach at Van Buren was just a short walk from the campground. Once again, the bathroom facilities did not live up to Straits, but at this point I wasn’t surprised. One of the strangest things about the park is that it wrapped around a working nuclear power plant. On the way to the beach you encounter a fence with “no trespassing, violators will be shot” signs posted every few feet. Other than that, it was a pretty quiet park and if I was looking to camp in the area again, I would definitely stay here again.

About the Photo:
After exploring the festival, we headed out to the beach to capture the sunset. I love capturing the sunset over Lake Michigan because you get an unobstructed view but oftentimes it is difficult to find a compelling subject. After taking a few kind of boring sunset shots I pointed the camera down and captured the colors in a reflection of the receding tide. To get the motion of the water, I used a long (1.6 second) shutter speed.

Camera Gear:
Nikon D3100 with 18-55 kit lens, on a tripod

Date Taken:
August 13, 2016

Thanks for stopping by! If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page, follow me on Instagram, and Flickr! To see inside my camera bag, check out my Gear Page. To plan your visit to South Haven check out SouthHaven.org. To book your stay at Van Buren State Park visit the Michigan DNR.

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