Explore the vibrant beauty of the Caribbean and Central America with our expertly curated family travel guides. Whether you’re planning to travel with kids, embark on unforgettable SCUBA diving adventures, or immerse yourself in the rich culture and natural wonders of this tropical paradise, our blog offers insights and tips to make your journey truly extraordinary. Dive into our adventure travel posts and discover the best destinations, activities, and family-friendly experiences that these stunning regions have to offer.
- Exploring the Depths: A Mother-Daughter Scuba Adventure in Roatan
This blog post was created in collaboration with Naked Nutrition. We received compensation and free products to provide an honest review. All opinions expressed are our own. Check out Naked Nutrition’s Kids Chocolate Protein Shake for a nutritious energy boost on your next adventure! Roatan, the largest of Honduras’ Bay Islands, is renowned for its … Read more - The Sea Creatures in Roatán, Honduras
Roatán, nestled in the crystalline waters of the Caribbean Sea, is a diver’s paradise and a haven for marine enthusiasts. This picturesque island, part of Honduras’s Bay Islands, boasts an incredible array of marine life, making it a dream destination for underwater exploration. Whether you’re a seasoned diver or a snorkeling novice, Roatán offers a … Read more - Driving Into Palenque During the Chiapas Revolution
It did briefly occur to me as we pulled out of the driveway on New Years Day 1994, that driving into Palenque might be more adventure than we were really ready for. The Zapatista uprising was making headlines, and my Mom was biting her nails – again. We had been planning the trip for months … Read more - Guatemala’s Unique Tamales
If you’ve traveled through the Americas you know that every region has a variation of tamales. I loved Guatemala’s unique tamales. Check out the recipes I learned in my travels. Every year the Southern California city of Indio has a Tamale Festival. There are several dozen stands with vendors selling every kind of tamale imaginable. … Read more - Steamed Conch in The Bahamas
One of the best parts about living in The Bahamas for 4 years, was all the delicious fresh seafood I got to eat. I acquired a taste for steamed conch, fried Wahoo for breakfast, ceviche any time of day, and sweet coconut bread. Fresh grilled mahi seasoned only with garlic and olive oil, and raw … Read more - Learning to Dive in the Bahamas
Are you looking for someplace to get your SCUBA certification? I got certified in the Bahamas back in 1992, the week before Hurricane Andrew. The reefs are gorgeous and the conditions are excellent for learning to dive in the Bahamas. There are dive sites for every level, from beginner to advanced, the shallow reefs with … Read more - Top Travel Destinations For Yoga in Costa Rica
Costa Rica is a traveler’s paradise and a hot spot for adventure junkies. If you think, this is it then, you are missing out big time. This destination is also perfect for people who love Yoga, spirituality, and uniqueness in every sphere of their lives. Here are our picks for where to do yoga in Costa Rica. There is … Read more - Sharks of The Bahamas
The Bahamas is a popular destination for sport fishermen, fly fishermen, and scuba divers because of the diversity of marine life found in the mangroves, reefs, and deep water around the islands. When you visit, you may get lucky and encounter more than one species of sharks of the Bahamas. Ernest Hemingway spent many years … Read more - Dirt Bike Riding at Luna Negra Pacaya Volcano #travel #Guatemala
For a couple of years while living in Guatemala, X3 and I rode with a rag tag group of guys called Los Biker Knights who I introduced myself to on the now defunct Moti7 Forum. We rode off-road exploratory colazos together to Luna Negra Pacaya, Finca Chichoy for trout fishing, and various other sites where … Read more - Caravana del Zorro – A Unique Motorcycle Experience in Guatemala
During the years I lived in Guatemala I did a lot of exciting dirt bike riding on the volcanos, and one of the more interesting experiences I had on the road was riding in Caravana del Zorro. I had never heard of it, so when X3’s uncle, Tio Paco called to see if we wanted … Read more - One Day at a Time, and Real Stories About Cuba #ttot
Cuba. My emotions about this country are so complicated, and I’ll tell you why in a minute, but what made me want to talk about my experiences with Cuba is the fantastic Netflix sitcom, One Day at a Time. The show is about a single Cuban-American mom who served in the military and is now back home … Read more - The Bermuda Triangle
My daughter and I were recently watching a shark program on NatGeo about the Great Hammerhead and it was filmed off the coast of Bimini, one of my favorite places, and my hair stood on end when the wreck of the Sapona came into view. The Sapona plays a part in one of the many … Read more - The Bahamas Spearfishing Laws
Since they were the first country to establish a Land and Sea Park to protect their sensitive reef and mangrove areas it should be no surprise that The Bahamas’ spearfishing laws are strict too. Their conservation efforts and stringent fishing laws mean that the area is still teeming with fish and lobster. I cooked on … Read more - Ciguatera Info For Travelers to the Caribbean
If you’ve ever been sick while traveling you know what a special hell that is. When you’re sick you want to be at home. You want to puke in your own toilet and have your mom come over and put cool wet cloths on your forehead. I’ve been sick in more countries than I can … Read more - 5 Tips To Get The Most Out Of Your Cruise Ship Vacation
If you’re looking for a fun and stress free way to travel with your family, consider taking a cruise. On a cruise ship vacation everything is done for you, you have very few choices to fret over, and when you do decide how to spend your time ashore, it will all be organized for you. … Read more - You Can Swim With Wild Spotted Dolphins in The Bahamas
There are magical places in The Bahamas where you can swim with wild spotted dolphins. One of the highlights of my life has been the 4 years I spent in The Bahamas cooking on a liveaboard dive boat. Each summer we spent the season up on the Little Bahama Bank doing week long snorkeling trips … Read more - Five Cheap Destinations for Frugal Backpackers
In many cultures, a backpacking trip is a rite of passage between secondary and post-secondary school. Young travelers are always looking for cheap destinations that are also exciting and beautiful. Here are five I’d look at if I had a gap year coming up. I’ve always been a big procrastinator, so it’s no surprise that … Read more - Costa Rica Yoga Retreats and Teacher Training
If you’re searching for a destination yoga retreat or teacher training, consider Costa Rica. Whether you want beach or rain forest, are hoping to add surfing or stand up paddle boarding to your experience, Costa Rica yoga retreats have it all. Going on a retreat means letting go of all your daily routines and allowing … Read more - Nikki Beach Roatan – A White Party in Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras is a sprawling city surrounded by mountains and because of that it is very exciting to fly into, especially in a small prop plane! I did just that when my BFF and I helped produce a Nikki Beach White Party there. Here’s how that went down. After 10 years working … Read more - Traveling With Pets – My Nomadic Cat
I had an awesome nomadic cat who lived in 4 countries with me, and I can’t imagine ever having another that comes close. I found that traveling with pets was challenging at times, but worth it. X2 and I adopted Boca Negra Brown aka “Kitty” on the dock in Cozumel. We lived there full time … Read more - How to Rock a Trip to Tikal
And by rock I mean totally wing it with no itinerary or research done ahead of time (on my part) and have an absolutely fantastic experience anyway. This trip first took us to Rio Dulce, then El Remate on Lake Petén -Itzá before we continued on to Tikal National Park. I had long imagined I would … Read more - Instantly Recharge at a Yoga Retreat in Honduras
At the time I agreed to go on a weekend yoga retreat at Hacienda San Lucas with 4 of my girlfriends, I already had a daily practice and was a believer in the benefits of yoga. I had gone from taking daily anti-inflammatories, muscle relaxers and narcotic pain pills to treat my chronic back pain, … Read more - Why You Should Visit Bimini
Bimini stole my heart in the early 90’s, back when we could still play the ring game at Ernest Hemingway’s old haunt, The Compleat Angler. When we could set our drinks on the bar and run to the other side of the island in the dark to watch a rocket launch at Cape Canaveral, then … Read more - Rescue at Sea – Saving the M/Y Percal
That time we performed a rescue at sea of a multi-million dollar yacht that was foundering off the coast of Cuba and didn’t claim salvage… X2 and I did a couple of extended trips to the boatyard in Florida with the M/Y Aries. Near the end of our first big refit we met a gang … Read more - Milan – The Nikki Beach Trip
When I quit my job on the yacht in Roatan after 11 years, the only plan I had was to conceive a child. I had no idea what I was going to do to make a living. A few months later I found myself in Milan after my friend Ollie invited me to join her on … Read more - Living In The Ring of Fire
I’ve always been intrigued by Volcanoes. As a child I read The 21 Balloons by William Pène du Bois about an oddball misanthrope who after leaving San Francisco in a hot air balloon is rescued at sea 3 weeks later among the wreckage of a platform that had been held aloft by 21 balloons. The story he … Read more - 4 Years in the Bahamas – My Favorite Photos
Photos from the 4 years I spent in the Bahamas and South Beach Miami while cooking on the Sea Fever, a liveaboard dive boat. We spent most of the season running dive charters, but spent the summer months snorkeling with wild Spotted Dolphins on the Little Bahama Bank. It was a magical time. The Bahamas got … Read more - The Ultimate Honeymoon Adventure – Florida to Alaska on a Motorcycle
X2 and I eloped just a few days before we left on our ultimate honeymoon adventure – a 15,000 mile motorcycle trip from Florida to Alaska and back. Our Story Began in The Bahamas I met X2 on a liveaboard dive boat in The Bahamas. I had just returned to my cooking gig after a 5 month … Read more - Avocado – 5 Reasons to Eat it Every Day!
Avocado is something I can eat every single day. A perfectly ripe avocado sliced and fanned out is sublime. Testicle Tree The word avocado comes from the Spanish word aguacate, derived from the Nahuatl word ahuacacuauhiti – meaning testicle tree! Guatemala is the birthplace of the avocado. It was brought from Antigua, Guatemala to California … Read more - On The Edge – of a Volcano in Guatemala!
When I stood on the black crust of the lava flow on Pacaya Volcano in Guatemala, with the soles of my sneakers beginning to melt, my first thought was, “Where are the lawyers?” Where else can you climb without a guide and walk to within a few meters of where the lava is actually spewing … Read more - Hurricanes – Adventures of a Disaster Magnet
Now that I have a child of my own, a daughter, I’m acutely aware of, and somewhat remorseful about the trauma I put my mother through. I’m not talking about being a naughty child or a difficult teenager. I’m talking about being a full on disaster magnet. Earthquakes, hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, revolutions, to name a … Read more - No Regrets – Extreme Sport Injuries
I’ve done a lot of crazy things in my life, maybe more than my share, but do I live with tons of regret? Nope. Not even for the extreme sport injuries I’ve suffered. There are a few situations I wish I had handled differently, there are a few things I haven’t forgiven myself for. The road I’ve … Read more - The Best Drinks to Serve at a Hurricane Party
I’ve been in more than my share of hurricanes. Somehow I’ve never lost any possessions, but I would certainly consider two of my experiences “brushes with death”. My first big storm was Andrew in 1992 which I felt full force on 90′ dive boat tied up in the Miami River. At the time I had … Read more - Puerto Rico, A 5-Star Family Vacation Destination #familytravel #ad
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Puerto Rico, The All-Star Island for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine. Puerto Rico has long been high on my bucket list of places I want to visit. It just hasn’t been in the cards yet. Recently, my cousin Cynthia attended Saborea Puerto Rico: A Culinary Extravaganza and sent back … Read more - Puerto Rico’s Culinary Scene is on Fire! #familytravel #ad
This archipelago has long been high on my list of places I want to visit, especially since Puerto Rico’s culinary scene is so alluring. It just hasn’t been in the cards yet. This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Puerto Rico, The All-Star Island for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine. … Read more - Just Say Yes to Cooking on a Boat in the Bahamas
Of Course I Can … Wait. What? I have a history of exaggerating my abilities on job applications. In 1991, I walked into an interview with an event production company in Vancouver, and when asked if I was familiar with Microsoft Word I told them that I had Word on my computer at home. I … Read more