There are places I remember vividly from our 2016 trip to Puerto Rico. There are places I photographed because I knew, even then, that there was something special about them. And then there is the nuclear reactor. Apparently, I could stand near an experimental Cold War nuclear facility, take a few pictures of it, jot … Read more
The first time I visited La Parguera, Puerto Rico, was in 2008. When I returned eight years later, I immediately noticed something. La Parguera had changed. There were more businesses. More development. More activity along the waterfront. The quiet coastal community I remembered had grown. At the time, I didn’t think much more about it. … Read more
Sometimes the places that stay with us weren’t part of the plan at all. On the fourth morning of our 2016 trip to Puerto Rico, my son woke me a little after six. I could hear him upstairs playing with Paco, my parents’ dog, so I dragged myself out of bed and joined everyone. For … Read more
Sometimes the destination isn’t the part of a trip you remember most. When my son and I visited Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico, the plan that afternoon was to see Los Morrillos Lighthouse. Playa Sucia was simply part of the journey—a beautiful beach sitting below the cliffs we were actually there to explore. At least, that’s … Read more
Sometimes you don’t realize you’ve witnessed the end of something until years later. When we visited Los Morrillos Lighthouse in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico, in 2016, I certainly didn’t. To me, it was another afternoon exploring the island with my family. My son and Grandpa hiked up to the lighthouse while Mom and I stayed … Read more
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 … Read more
Some field trips teach you something new. Others quietly change the direction of your life. When I decided to homeschool my son, one of the things I looked forward to most was getting out of the classroom. Instead of simply reading about history and science, we could experience them together. That’s exactly how trips like … Read more
Some places become part of your story before you ever learn theirs. For me, Lake Eola has always been one of those places. Long before I knew anything about sinkholes, cattle barons, mysterious names, or iconic fountains, I simply knew it as somewhere my mom liked to take me. We’d walk laps around the lake … Read more
There are some places you visit because they’re famous. There are others you visit because you feel like you should. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum fell into that second category for me. It was our final full day in Washington, D.C. The next morning, my son and I would leave the nation’s capital behind … Read more
There are some places you plan carefully for. And then there are the places that seem determined to make you work for them. Fort Matanzas fell firmly into the second category. A few months before this visit, my son and I were heading north on our Washington D.C. road trip. Fort Matanzas was supposed to … Read more