Dominica: Nature Island Living Up to Its Name

Of all the Leeward Islands, I was most excited to visit Dominica. We love the outdoors and we couldn’t wait to explore its untouched beauty. Known as Nature Island, Dominica’s green countryside is brightly colored with beautiful exotic flowers. Its mountain peaks reach the clouds and the waterfalls are dramatic in both height and volume. More than once, we were told by locals that Dominica has 365 rivers, “one for every day of the year.” It was time to get our hiking shoes muddy. read more

8 Reasons Your Next Vacation Should Be in Puerto Rico

If you can’t tell, I’m having a love affair with Puerto Rico. We’ve been fortunate enough to spend the last 3 months here and I’m amazed at how much this territory has to offer. The island is only 100 miles by 40 miles, which is one tenth the size of my home state (Indiana), but it has everything from pristine beaches to tropical rainforests. The only thing it’s missing is some snowy peaks. read more

El Yunque National Forest: Jurassic Park Sans Dinosaurs

With the power out all over the island, many Puerto Ricans woke up Thursday (9/22) morning in the smothering heat without air conditioning. Since most businesses were closed, people had the day off and needed to find a way to cool off. So everyone flocked to the beach, but Rob and I had different plans. We’ve been wanting to visit El Yunque National Forest since we arrived in Puerto Rico. What better way to beat the heat than to hike up into the clouds and swim under waterfalls? read more