Ocean View

One of the worst problems with air travel is the risk of getting bumped or a flight being grounded which can just throw a big monkey wrench in your fun vacation or quick weekend trip.  On our recent trip home to South Carolina I knew the weather was a little funky but I had hope if we just made it to Charlotte, somehow we would make it the rest of the way.  Sure enough, our connecting flight never made it but the good news was that they were able to rebook us 30 minutes later on a trip to Myrtle Beach!  Plans diverted, my family changed course and picked us up at our new destination.  And of course we went straight to the beach.  This is one time that I am glad we had an interruption, otherwise we never would have seen the ocean!  

I really am enjoying Colorado life but it's the first time I've lived really far from the beach.  Definitely, I think I've taken it for granted.  Look at that photo Emily snapped above of the Atlantic Ocean on an otherwise dreary beach day, but to two travelers from Colorado, it was simply amazing.

John MacArthur State Park

Went for a swim at the beach this weekend. Dozens of Sandwich Terms soared by and a few Brown Pelicans. The highlight was watching newly arrived Sanderlings chasing each other near the surf.  Emily and I are getting good use of my new Florida State Parks pass!

Goodbye Puerto Rico

This concludes the series of Puerto Rico posts. I want to thank EmilyLark for inspiring me to go on this trip and being an excellent travel partner. Also, I want to thank the people in Puerto Rico. Everyone we met across the island was very kind and generous.  Special thanks to our hosts at Casa de Amistad for giving us a car to explore Vieques, our Couchsurfing hosts while in San Juan, and of course for all the fine accommodations at Casa Cubuy Ecolodge.  I hope to return to Puerto Rico one day and continue my adventures there.

The Horses of Vieques

While at Sun Bay in Vieques we were delighted to have a horse trot along the shoreline.  Behind her a young colt was following behind.  At some point the adult walked ahead and left the colt.  I'm not sure what the colt was doing but once it realized it was left it ran by in a dash.  I could only catch a glimpse at the young horse struggled to keep up with its parent. 

The horses are descendents of earlier European settlers and roam the island freely.  We saw them on the sides of the road, on the beach, and even eating on the small mountain slopes.  I'm sure these feral horses do have a negative environmental impact but I will say it's interesting to see them while traveling around the island.  Even though I am not a big fan of exotic species taking over, I am sure these horses have been around for many generations and somehow they have fit into the landscape.  Plus, the locals do use them for transportation.  Emily and I saw at least 2 or 3 guys riding horses that looked like they must have been wild at some point. 

The small island off of Puerto Rico is a nice place if you're looking for quiet beaches and little commercialization.  The island doesn't have any red lights and only a few traffic laws that we could tell.  I will admit that the roads are a bit bumpy and many of them are unpaved so an adventuresome spirit is needed when driving around.  Maybe one of these days I'll even tell you about how we almost took our vehicle off the side of a little cliff.

Vieques Panorama

Sun Bay Beach, Vieques

On the first full day on Vieques Emily and I hailed a cab, by a sassy lady driver, and headed to the opposite side of the island.  Once in Esperanza we walked to Sun Bay Beach where we enjoyed a day swimming and basking in the perfect hot weather.  Click on the photo above to get a better view of the beach!

Puerto Rico!

Horse on Sun Bay Beach, Vieques

For Spring Break this year Emily and I went to Puerto Rico but after a snafu with the computer/camera I lost over half the photos.  It's been a long time but before the memories fade I'll have full posts up for next week with all our adventures.