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Feb. 17 – (Part II) Old San Juan, PR

By on February 22, 2020 in The Pearl
“The life you have led doesn’t need to be the only life you have.” —Anna Quindlen 

Check in at our apartment in Old San Juan (OSJ) wasn’t until 4:00 PM, so after our tour at the Bacardi Factory we drove over to OSJ and parked near the Coast Guard Station. We left our luggage in the car and explored the city a little, did a little shopping and had lunch at Café Madolin. After checking in we went back and got our bags. We walked from the parking lot along the Paseo de la Princesa to the Puerta de San Juan (San Juan Gate) and up to our apartment.

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Feb. 17 – (Part I) Bacardi Rum Factory

By on February 21, 2020 in The Pearl
“Drinking rum before 10am makes you a pirate, not an alcoholic.” -Unknown 
Our time in Puerto Rico is coming to an end…today we move to Old San Juan, so we will be closer to the airport. We have a condo rented for the next three days, but we couldn’t check in until late in the afternoon, so we decided to spend a little time at the Bacardi Rum Factory. Puerto Rico is called the “rum capital of the world”. Over 70 percent of the rum sold in the U.S. comes from Puerto Rico.

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Feb. 16 – Last Beach Day

By on February 17, 2020 in The Pearl
“A simple life is good with me. I don’t need a whole lot. For me, a T-shirt, a pair of shorts, barefoot on a beach and I’m happy.”  –Yanni

Today was our last day to relax on the beach. It was a Sunday so we had a lot of company. We walked a mile and a half down the beach towards La Zanja and found a little cove where we could be all by ourselves. It was a very relaxing day. On our way home we stopped for lunch at the same little restaurant on the beach. Today we were treated to music along with the wonderful view. 
Hard to get tired of this view, but we move on to a new adventure tomorrow. 
 Our little piece of paradise.
Just a few people on the beach today. 
There was a lot of entertainment going on at Costa Mia today.
This band added to our enjoyment today. 
A short video of the music we got to listen to while we had lunch.

Feb. 15 – Fajardo, PR

By on February 17, 2020 in The Pearl

“You don’t change the world simply by looking at it. You change it through the way you choose to live in it.” –Amelia Wren (The Aeronauts)

Today we drove into Santurce, a neighborhood in San Juan, to check out the La Plaza del Mercado de Santurce. It’s a small produce market surrounded by bars and restaurants. I think the area really comes alive after dark on the weekend. It reminded me of Sixth Street in Austin. We drove over with John and Janice and had a nice lunch at Asere. The restaurant features a Cuban Puerto Rican fusion type menu that was very good. 
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Feb. 14 – Beach Day

By on February 16, 2020 in The Pearl
“A Day At The Beach Restores the Soul.” –Unknown

Today we hiked towards the west on our beach (Seven Seas Beach). The trail wound through the mangrove and along the water to two wonderful secluded beaches. The first one we visited was Playa Colora. It’s a little known beach at the far left of the Seven Seas cove. The beach was wide and dropped sharply into the sea. The waves were rough, but the beach was beautiful and very private. We enjoyed the walk along the water, but it wasn’t a good place for swimming or for a picnic, so we moved on to Playa Escondida.

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Feb. 13 – El Yunque Rainforest

By on February 15, 2020 in The Pearl

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” —Eleanor Roosevelt

We left the beach this morning to explore El Yunque Rainforest. It’s the only tropical rainforest in the U.S. National Forest Service. With an average rainfall of 120 inches a year, it has a very diverse ecosystem, hosting hundreds of unique plant and animal species, including the island’s famous coquí frog.
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Feb. 12 – La Zanja

By on February 14, 2020 in The Pearl
I’d rather look back on my life and say “I can’t believe I did that”, than say “I wish I did that”. –Unknown
Today we hiked to La Zanja (the trench). It’s located in Fajardo, on the northeastern-most tip of Puerto Rico, right along the rugged coast. The little pool is a hidden gem, but was definitely not swimmable today. It’s in Las Cabezas de San Juan nature reserve and not accessible by car. Getting there was a bit of a walk, but La Zanja is so pretty, it is worth the hike.

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Feb. 11 – Fajardo, PR

By on February 13, 2020 in The Pearl

“Beach rules… relax, unwind, enjoy.” –Unknown


We spent most of our first full day in Fajardo relaxing by the pool and exploring the beach across the street. We also made a run to the grocery store just as an afternoon shower moved through the area…at least it didn’t mess up our beach time.

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Feb. 10 – Fajardo, PR

By on February 12, 2020 in The Pearl

“Surround yourself with people who make you hungry for life, touch your heart and nourish your soul” –Unknown

Our adventure east continued today. Our final destination was Fajardo, actually a small little place outside of there called Las Croabas. We’ve rented a condo for the week with our friends from home, John and Janice Bradley. 

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Feb. 9 – Cabo Rojo, PR

By on February 11, 2020 in The Pearl

“Dare to live the life you’ve always wanted.” –Unknown

Our adventure in the Rincón area has come to an end and today we headed east along the southern shore. But before we left town we stopped by the farmers market in the plaza. We did more looking than buying and enjoyed checking out what each vendor offered. 

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