by Missie Hills | Jul 4, 2023 | Central America, International Adventures, Local Adventures, North America
After two thrilling days of exploring Puerto Rico’s old town and jungle, we were due for a relaxing break. I had hoped to find a healing presence on the island to help my intense grief from losing my mother earlier in the year. A local Puerto Rican coworker of mine recommended El Conquistador as a family friendly resort full of luxury. It did disappoint.
This was no average beach resort. It was perched on a steep cliffside overlooking the ocean. It had levels of pools and restaurants accessible by panoramic view elevators and funiculars. We stayed at the lowest level right next to the marina. I never have my hopes up for resort food, but everything we tried was delicious. I fell in love with passion fruit mojitos.
The resort had a water park complete with three large thrilling waterslides and a relaxing lazy river. I thought E might fear the water slides, but nope… he fearlessly conquered each one multiple times. He finally convinced me to try to death drop slide, which I instantly regretted the moment my bottom went over the edge. The lazy river was more my speed. Evey was disappointed he couldn’t ride the big slides, but he loved the toddler slide built just for him.
It is odd having an island resort built on a cliff with no beach access, but this resort thought of everything. Each day, a water taxi ferried guests to their private island just off the coast. The water here boasted a perfect turquoise hue, and the gentle waves allowed us to float effortlessly for hours. The food was amazing, and the drinks kept steadily coming. We did have a small storm hit us on the island, but it was short lived and kept us cooled off. We returned to our resort feeling rejuvenated after a blissful day at the beach.
Leaving the island, we carried a sense of relaxation and excitement in our hearts, ready to embrace the forthcoming summer. We are still grieving. We are still hurting. And at the same time, we are allowing ourselves to feel joy and to love our adventures together… sunburns and all.
Until next time,
by Missie Hills | Jul 4, 2023 | Central America, International Adventures, Local Adventures, North America
Puerto Rico is not a one note island. If you go for only the beaches, you are missing out on a lot of the magic. And after a dark year of losing my mother to a deadly sickness, we needed some magic. So, even though Evey is in a weird age where he is too old to be carried in a hiking backpack and too young to hike much more then a mile, we still reserved one of our weekend days for the Yunque National Park, the only tropical rainforest in our nation.
We left Old San Juan early that morning for a scenic drive eastward, ascending winding roads that led us into the heart of the National Park. We opted for toddler-friendly ways to experience the jungle’s beauty. We stopped at every scenic point we could by car, including the Yokahu observation tower.
The Yunque National Park Visitor Center is a great way to learn about the rainforest. Here, we embarked on a pleasant 1-mile hike and immersed ourselves in informative content tailored to engage young minds. They had an excellent video that showed us the rich history of the park.
We also took a short hike into the jungle to swim in the waterfall. The experience turned slightly nerve-racking as my fearless children dove in without knowing how to swim. A minor hand injury and a surge of caution led me to decide we had our fill of waterfall swimming for the time being. We bribed the boys away with promises of more exploring ahead.
In the foothills of the jungle, we visited the Carabali adventure park. The lunch here was amazing, I really enjoyed the seafood mogonfo. E and I took an hour ride through the jungle on horseback while Jason and Evey enjoyed the park’s cozy bar. Then we all explored the jungle together on a exciting UTV ride winding through the foothills. We stopped at a local hang out spot, one of the many creeks flowing off the jungle mountains. Swimming in this rainwater fed crystal clear creek turned out to be the highlight of the entire trip for everyone.
We were exhausted by the time we made it to our fancy resort, covered head to toe in dirt and grime. The day was so packed with action that it was hard to recognize any other feeling then joy. At the end of the day after a much needed shower and a delicious resort meal, I took a deep breath in and remembered my grief. I pondered on the delicate balance of joy and grief. I let myself feel the bitter-sweetness of both feelings at the same time. And I then I slept… feeling the buzz of the boys’ excitement for the resort days to come.
Until next time,
by Missie Hills | Jul 4, 2023 | Central America, International Adventures, Local Adventures, North America
There is nothing quite like the summertime seen through the eyes of a child. Fond memories of my childhood summers spent on our homestead in Arkansas still bring a warm smile to my face. Sunbathing on our front porch with my sisters, eating watermelon with my dad at dusk, helping my mom make jam and pickles… those carefree days hold a special place in my heart.
This year has been harsh. The loss of my mom, fondly known as the boys’ mema, cast a heavy veil of grief over our family. The grief has been heavy in our family. I wanted to make this summer extra special for them. And for me.
We kicked it off strong. On the last day of school, we whisked E and Evey away and headed to the airport, destined for the breathtaking beauty of Puerto Rico.
We started our extended weekend exploring Old San Juan, a place teeming with history and charm. At an age where they truly appreciate travel, my boys eagerly embraced the opportunity to explore. Our morning began with fancy waffles, which is becoming somewhat of a tradition for our travels ever since we stumbled across Waffle Monkey in Costa Rica. We loaded up on coffee and carbs and then embarked on our adventure.
As we approached Castillo San Felipe del Morro, an enchanting sight greeted our eyes: a dozen colorful kites soaring high in the sky. Our local driver explained the tradition of flying kites in the greenspace. I couldn’t resist. We bought a small kite adorned with a wizard and relaxed in the green grass while the wind did it’s thing. I really enjoy flying kites, and the boys loved helping me.
The castle itself beckoned us with tales of adventure. The boys were captivated by stories of cannons and imagined the thrill of spotting approaching pirates. Their youthful imaginations ran wild within those ancient walls.
We walked the bluestone streets of Old Town all afternoon. We weren’t quite expecting the heat to be as bad as it was, but we managed to stay hydrated. We stopped at a recommended restaurant from a local friend to get our first full meal of Puerto Rican food. By the end of the day, we were exhausted and sun drunk.
The day was long and hot, but our hearts and bellies were full. That night we slept with excitement for what Puerto Rico had in store for us. We had barely scratch the surface.
Until next time,
by Missie Hills | Mar 30, 2022 | Central America, International Adventures, North America, Uncategorized
As we left Monteverde with beautifully clear skies, we had a newfound hope that our beach visit would be rain free. So far, our risk of visiting Costa Rica during the rainy season hadn’t exactly panned out, but we were due for a little good luck. We had a good feeling about Tamarindo.
Playa Tamarindo is known for its laid back culture and gorgeous white sandy beaches. It’s a hot spot for surfers and hippies alike. We fit right in. Our beach bungalow at, Ocho Artisan Bungalows, reminded us more of Thailand then of Costa Rica, but we didn’t mind. We were just ready for some sunshine and relaxation. The kids were ready for some pool time.
It took a lot of convincing to pry the kids away from the pool, but we finally managed to make our way to the beach. The evening glow from the sun was just right. Our good feeling about Playa Tamarindo was becoming a reality.
The next morning, we set out early in search of breakfast. There is a local hotspot on the beach called Waffle Monkey. They have gluten free waffles for those with tummy sensitivities like me! We had a big day ahead of us… We chartered a private sailboat for the day! We spent the day under the sun spotting sea turtles, snorkeling, and enjoying the ocean water.
We capped the night off with a horseback ride through Tamarindo. I wasn’t sure how Ethan would do on his own horse, but turns out he was a pro. I was left to manage a very wiggly toddler on my horse. The ride was exciting though, and the boys loved it.
For our last adventure, we boarded a flat bottomed safari boat and set way into the winding tributaries that lead into the ocean. We were hoping to see a crocodile or two, and our guide told us we might just get lucky! As we ventured deeper and deeper into the maze, we spotted monitor lizards, many birds, and so many different types of crabs, I couldn’t keep count. It took a while, but we finally found one lonely baby crocodile hiding in the branches. We felt accomplished.
We have started a new tradition in the Baltics that we carried here to Costa Rica, a family professional photoshoot. This is a great way to ensure that I get a few amazing photos of us as a family (me included for once). We use a company called Localgraphers to find us the perfect local photographer. These photos were taken by local photographer, Shade Souc.
Our time in Costa Rica was at its end. We had spent 2 weeks travelling the northern part of the country seeing everything from dinosaurs to sloths. The country wasn’t what we had quite expected. Or maybe I should say the trip wasn’t what we quite expected… What started with food poisoning at the Blue River and torrential rain at the cloud forest, ended with a beautiful sunset over the Pacific Ocean. We were often reminded of the number one rule when travelling with children… Be Flexible.
And also of the number 2 rule… Enjoy every moment. Because this stage of life, when our children are little like this, is incredibly special. 2020 smacked me in the face hard. It woke me up and reminded me that time is precious . The Costa Ricans know this to be true, and that is why they have gifted us with the feeling of Pura Vida.
Until next time,
by Missie Hills | Mar 30, 2022 | Central America, International Adventures, North America
Visiting a rainforest during the rainy season may sound interesting. Sure, you’ll avoid the tourists, but there is a reason why the tourist season is when it is… and that reason is, quite obvious to us now, to avoid the rain.
The rain tested us in a way that only parallel parking a manual vehicle on an incline in Casablanca has tested us before. Well, getting lost during the torrential downpour probably had a little more to do with it I suppose. Expert tip: if you are planning on getting rained on during your trip, make sure to allow enough cushion time in between activities for your clothes and shoes to dry out. Our hotel thankfully had portable heaters that we used to turn the bathrooms into mini saunas where our gear could dry. Even so, we still spent the entirety of our time in Monteverde damp.
Rain or no rain, we were hellbent on hiking. After checking into Koora Hotel, we decided to start with their onsite reserve, Reserva Aguti. They gave us a paper map of the trail, we put on all of our rain gear, and set off. We could handle some moderate drizzle right?
The hike started wonderfully. The giant trees covered in vines kept the drizzle at bay. Ethan had suddenly discovered his fear of ants on this trip. So, we kept on watch for leaf cutters and bullet ants along our path. We were really enjoying the beautiful walk when the rain started to pick up. Within a few minutes, the moderate drizzle turned into torrential downpour. We were hiking up a hill. So suddenly, our walking trails turned into streams. We were quickly soaked. We accidently left the paper map in the car and was relying on Jason’s phone for navigation, but we couldn’t risk getting Jason’s phone wet in the downpour and the service wasn’t working anyhow. Before we knew it, we were lost. We stumbled around in the rain for a while climbing over large broken tree branches and sliding down muddy hills all while everyone was crying and generally very miserable. By continuously moving downward, we made it out of the reserve in one piece although soaked to the core. We decided that was enough for one day. We would try again tomorrow.
Well tomorrow came and the rain didn’t leave. But we had plans, exciting ones! I had booked us a morning tour of the local coffee plantation. I love coffee, I wasn’t about to miss it. So, we leveled our expectations for the day with an understanding that we would be wet and headed out to brave the rain.
It rained a lot during the coffee plantation tour, and my camera didn’t like it. I began to worry that I ruined it forever. Everett also didn’t like it. I had to tend to a level five toddler meltdown midway through the tour. Ethan really enjoyed learning about the plantation though, and once I calmed Everett down, I did too.
We were already pretty wet, although not quite as bad as our hike from the day before. So, we decided to continue our day at the Selvatura Adventure Park. I was excited to visit this park’s hanging bridges. They also have one of the most famous ziplines in the world. While I explored the sloth and reptile exhibits with the kids, Jason had a chance to zipline in the cold rain. Our hike on the hanging bridges trail ended up being beautiful. It did downpour at the very end, but by this time we were very used to being soaking wet.
I will say I tested my camera’s waterproofing limits to the extreme on this trip. At one point, the controls started reading out random gibberish. The internal lenses were so full of steam, the autofocus was rendered useless. However, a night in our heated bathroom dried it out, and I haven’t had any problems since. As we left the parking lot of our hotel and started our road trip to the beach, the clouds cleared, the sun came out, and it was a beautiful day in the Monteverde Cloud Forest. We had missed it all by one day.
Until next time,
by Missie Hills | Mar 29, 2022 | Central America, International Adventures, North America
We’ve been near volcanos before, but never like this. There is something phenomenal about seeing a perfectly symmetrical cone plunging out of the ground, a little over a mile high, before you. Arenal has been dormant since 2010, but we still felt a few tremors here and there.
Our risky personalities decided to visit the area during the rainy season. We weren’t sure if we would even get a clear view of the mountain. It did rain a lot, but we had enough good periods to hike the volcano and see the lava fields up close. We didn’t get a perfect view of Arenal, but we still got a beautiful one.
The best part of the 4 mile lava field hike ended up being the coffee shop at the end. It had beautiful views of the volcano and excellent coffee of course. It was a nice resting point where we could watch the storm clouds roll around us.
Our bungalow at the Montana De Fuego Resort, had an even more beautiful view of the countryside along with a good variety of large insects and birds. The hotel’s springs weren’t quite hot, but the boys absolutely loved them. I absolutely loved the hummingbirds. Jason absolutely loved the swim-up bar.
We came for the volcano, but the La Fortuna waterfalls stole our hearts. The La Fortuna waterfalls hike isn’t that bad… that is if you ignore the 500 step staircase to get to the bottom! Every step was worth the stunning view from the bottom.
Between the light rain and the waterfall splatter, we were soaked but still happy all while channeling the Pura Vida. We had good hopes that the rain would hold out for us at our next stop in the Monteverde Cloud Forest. but we were wrong…
Until next time,
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