May 8 – June 8, 2016
Some trips are remembered for the places you visit.
Others are remembered for the people you share them with.
This one became both.
What began as a Mother’s Day visit to my parents in Puerto Rico turned into one of the most meaningful journeys I’ve ever taken. My son was 10 years old, my parents had recently retired to Cabo Rojo, and we arrived with two weeks’ worth of plans to explore the island’s history together.
We didn’t know then that the itinerary would only tell part of the story.
This hub is your starting point for our Puerto Rico series. Below you’ll find each day of the adventure in chronological order, with links to the full stories as they’re published.
Take your time.
Puerto Rico certainly taught us to.
🗺️ Trip at a Glance
Trip Dates: May 8 – June 8, 2016
Travelers: Me, my son, and visits with my parents
Home Base: Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico
Trip Style: Family travel, history, lighthouses, natural wonders, reflective storytelling, and unexpected life lessons
Featured Regions:
- Cabo Rojo
- Rincón
- Camuy
- Arecibo
This trip wasn’t about checking landmarks off a list. Before we ever boarded the plane, my son and I mapped out an ambitious route across Puerto Rico. Historic forts, caves, lighthouses, museums, and hidden corners of the island filled our itinerary. As you’ll see throughout this series, we didn’t make it to these stops—but sometimes the journey that unfolds teaches you more than the one you planned.
It became a reminder that sometimes the greatest discoveries aren’t the ones you planned to make.
🚗 The Journey
Day One – Murphy Delays the Adventure
Our journey almost didn’t begin at all.
Severe storms across Florida caused delays and cancellations that turned travel day into a lesson in patience before we ever reached Puerto Rico.
Day Two – Finally Arriving
After a stressful start, we finally landed in Puerto Rico and settled into my parents’ home in Cabo Rojo.
The sightseeing could wait.
The best part of the day was simply being together again.
Day Three – Discovering Cabo Rojo
Our first full day of exploring introduced us to the place my parents had chosen to call home.
Highlights included:
- Cabo Rojo Salt Flats
- Observation Tower
- Los Morrillos Lighthouse
- Playa Sucia
Day Four – Combate Beach
A relaxing day at the beach came with sunshine, laughter…
and the discovery that my son was apparently allergic to our sunscreen.
Travel has a funny way of keeping you humble.
👉 Coming Soon
Day Five – Mother’s Day in Puerto Rico
Instead of sightseeing, we celebrated Mother’s Day together.
Some of my favorite memories from this trip weren’t made at famous landmarks.
They were made around the family table.
👉 Coming Soon
Day Six – Rincón Adventures
One of my favorite days of the trip.
We visited beautiful Rincón, explored the lighthouse grounds, and discovered one of Puerto Rico’s strangest hidden landmarks—a massive nuclear dome that was built but never used.
👉 Coming Soon
Day Seven – An Unexpected Pause
Sometimes travel is about movement.
Sometimes it’s about simply spending time together.
A delayed delivery gave us an unexpected day of rest, conversation, and quiet family moments.
Looking back…
I’m grateful for those.
👉 Coming Soon
Day Eight – When Everything Changed
The plan was simple.
Visit the Arecibo Observatory.
Explore Río Camuy Cave Park.
Continue on to another historic stop.
Instead, one unexpected fall brought the sightseeing portion of our journey to an abrupt end.
Although our travels around Puerto Rico stopped that day, our time together didn’t.
The remaining weeks became less about destinations and more about healing, family, and making the best of circumstances none of us expected.
👉 Coming Soon
- Río Camuy Cave Park
🌴 Places We’ll Explore Together
Throughout this series we’ll visit:
- Cabo Rojo Salt Flats
- Los Morrillos Lighthouse
- Playa Sucia
- Combate Beach
- Rincón Lighthouse
- The abandoned Puerto Rico Nuclear Dome
- Río Camuy Cave Park
- Arecibo Observatory
- …and several unexpected places along the way.
🌅 Reflections from Puerto Rico
When I first planned this trip, I measured success by how many places we’d get to visit.
Ten years later…
I barely think about the places we missed.
I remember watching my son experience Puerto Rico with his grandparents.
I remember learning more about the island they had chosen as home.
I remember laughing through unexpected detours, adapting when plans changed, and realizing that some of the most meaningful travel memories happen between the destinations.
This journey reminded me that travel isn’t measured in miles.
It’s measured in moments.
🧭 Planning Your Own Puerto Rico Adventure?
If you’re considering visiting Puerto Rico, here are a few lessons this trip taught me:
- Build flexibility into your itinerary.
- Leave room for family moments—not just sightseeing.
- Always carry extra camera batteries.
- Don’t let one unexpected setback define the entire journey.
- Some of the best stories begin where the itinerary ends.
Because the goal isn’t simply to see more places.
It’s to come home with stories worth remembering.
One island.
Eight unforgettable days of exploration.
A lifetime of memories that continued long after the sightseeing ended.
Thank you for following along as we revisit Puerto Rico—one story at a time.
History isn’t just found in famous landmarks.
Sometimes it’s waiting at the end of a dusty road, inside a quiet cave, or in the moments you never planned for.
If stories like these are your kind of adventure, join the Travel Made Personal community. You’ll get new travel stories, hidden history, road trip inspiration, and behind-the-scenes reflections delivered straight to your inbox—before the next journey begins.
📬 Sign up below and come explore one story at a time.
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