Category Archives: Adventures

A Day in De Haan, Belgium

September 1, 2011

I’m excited to present my first guest post, written by Nicole Basaraba, a lovely Canadian writer living in Europe. I met her via her entertaining travel and book lover’s blog, www.universecityblog.wordpress.com. She kindly offered to share a Belgian beach getaway with us today. In return, I’ll be posting my review of THE HELP on her blog later next week. Please feel free to comment as usual, and enjoy this bonus mini-escape!

A Weekend Getaway in De Haan, Belgium

Guest post by Nicole Basaraba at www.universecityblog.wordpress.com

While the weather isn’t known to be the best in Belgium, ok its not known to even be good, but when the sun decides to make an appearance most people head to the North Sea.

The word, North, automatically makes you think – cold – and its true it can be chilly, but if you want a weekend away in early spring or late summer, De Haan is the place to go on the Belgian coast.

There are quite a few cities to visit along the Belgian coast, but De Haan is the most inviting. It’s smaller than the popular Oostende and I find that every time we are driving away from De Haan into the sunset I’m always wishing that we could stay longer.

De Haan is in the Flemish part of Belgium and the people are always friendly and cheerful. The residents of these coastal cities dress differently than people living in other parts of the Belgium. You will see young and older people alike riding their bicycles wearing white pants, pastel or navy blue shirts, bright red shoes and hats. They have the sailor-look down pat.

The main street in De Haan is narrow, allows cars, and also happens to be one of the cleanest main shopping streets I’ve seen in Belgium. The shops have tall glass windows with an endless display of pristine clothing, shoes, beachwear, perfumes and other toys that are dying for you to buy them.

You can bring a towel or pay a fee to rent a lounging chair to bask in the sun for the afternoon on the longest sandy beach on the Belgian coast. If you want to be closer to the main road with access to bathrooms, restaurants and terraces to enjoy a cool drink and a snack, then the top of the beach is where to set up camp. Or if you plan on getting a great tan, playing Frisbee and splashing in the salty water you can walk down to the lower end of the beach and sit where the real action is at.

Traveler’s tip: There aren’t any lifeguards to be seen scoping out the waters, so make sure that you keep an eye on your children. On the plus side, you don’t have to worry about any sharks or jellyfish.

De Haan is also known for its sand dunnes. So if you’re spending a weekend, you may want to dedicate a full day to sunbathing and frolicking on the beach and another day to enjoying the views of the sand dunnes, the picturesque villas with the endless balconies, window shopping along streets lined with flowers and visiting the two windmills: Hubert Mill and Geerssens Mill.

The best part about De Haan is not only its beauty and charm, but that it has a population of about 12,000 so it doesn’t get overcrowded like some seaside destinations in Europe and you’re sure to find relaxation.

For more information about De Haan tourism, visit this website. http://www.dehaan.be/vertaling_engels/toerisme.htm

For more photos of the De Haan beach, visit Nicole Basaraba’s Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nicole-Basarabas-Uni-verse-city/135767209800581

Nicole Basaraba is a Canadian expat working in print/web publishing in Brussels, Belgium – the land of chocolate. When she’s not eating chocolate and blogging about her European travels, you can find her writing, chatting on various social media, curled up with a good book, watching a movie or hitting the beach.

Chichen Itza or Senor Frogs?

August 15, 2011

I love to travel. To celebrate our twentieth wedding anniversary, my husband and I were fortunate enough to take a Western Carribbean cruise. Strong believers in the mantra, “Work Hard, Play Hard,” we vacationed with gusto. We listened to live bands in Key West, savored local foods and water sports at a Cozumel beach resort, and ziplined through a Belizan rainforest. For our stop in Playa del Carmen, we were tempted to join many of our shipmates at Senor Frogs for a day of partying. Being a history buff, I had signed us up for a tour of a Mayan pyramid instead. I’m so happy I did!

We rise early for our tour. The tender ride to port is short and smooth. We are herded through the busy town to the waiting bus with forty other tourists. As we ride inland for three hours, our Mayan guide, Humberto, makes the time fly–entertaining us with interesting facts about the Yucatan Peninsula.

The grounds at Chichen Itza are tremendous. We only have enough time to focus on three sections of the ruins today, including the main pyramid, known as El Castillo. Humberto tells us the ninety-five foot tall El Castillo has ninety steps on each of four sides, equalling 364 days plus one platform for a total of 365. Nine bump-outs on two sides of it represent the eighteen months on the Mayan calendar and five statues on each of four sides equals twenty, representing the number of days in a Mayan month. There’s more, but all this math is making my head spin. If you want to learn other details about this feat of Mayan architecture, click here.

Humberto explains Chichen Itza’s pyramid is hollow, with a smaller pyramid inside the larger. Like Egyptian pyramids, one purpose of El Castillo was to serve as a burial site for their royalty. The adventurous side of me is disappointed we’re not allowed to see the crypts surrounded by protective stone figures or climb all those steps to the top.

Skulls Etched in the Stone Wall — Skull Etching in Stone Wall

The gruesome aspect of Chichen Itza’s history centers around the ball court, where Mayan teams competed using a rubber ball about the size of a softball. We learn that the “winning” team’s captain would be decapitated as a sign of honor to the Mayan gods. No wonder a game could last for days, no one wanted to win! The captain’s head would then be displayed on a low stone wall etched with skull heads across the many rocks. I’m not creeped out so much as interested in the heiroglyphs located at either end of the ball court walls. They include an etching of Quetzalcoatl, whom Humberto says the Mayan believe to be Jesus Christ.

We have some time to wander around on our own. I’m overwhelmed by the sheer size of everything here. When I approach the base of El Castillo, I realize how steep the steps are and why the rumor we heard about tourists accidentally falling to their deaths while attempting the climb may be true. The official reason Humberto has given us for no one being allowed to climb it is to “prevent the ruins from being ruined.”

The last area we explore is “The Building of One Thousand Columns.” There must be at least one hundred columns, if not more as its name suggests. I’m impressed by the architectural precision. Before we head back to the bus, we experience one of my favorite parts of the trip–bartering with the on-site vendors. We purchase silver items, an embroidered top, and carved figures. The shopping is fun, but chatting with these native people and getting a peek into their daily life is priceless.

On our relaxing bus ride back to port, we realize by traveling a little off the beaten path we experienced more than a place, we experienced its people. We hope to return to the Yucatan for a longer stay and learn more about the Mayan culture. Oh, and we may have to stop at Senor Frogs, too. I hear they make a heck of an ice blue margarita!

Have you ever explored a place, only to find what fascinated you most were the people? I’d love to hear about your experience.

S’more Fun Than Internet?

August 8, 2011

Road to Adirondacks — A World Away From Home

Eleven days ago, my husband and I packed up the family car and loaded in the kids for a 72-hour-break from our busy, tech-connected life in the suburbs.

Embarking on an internet- and cable tv-free weekend, I initially felt as lost as my children acted. I’ve become increasingly attached to my writing schedule, using my laptop for word processing, internet research, and emailing with my phenomenal critique partner. Of course, I also write this weekly blog and am on Facebook and Twitter daily. At night, I generally relax a half hour or so by tuning into HGTV or Travel Channel if there aren’t any ESPN highlights to capture my interest.

Why not pack up the gadgets and bring ’em along for the trip? To be honest, I considered it. A LOT. Facing a five-hour ride, I was pretty tempted to use that time to meet a self-made deadline for my work-in-progress. Yet I’d been inspired by a writer friend’s suggestion. Ashley Cockerill had posted this tip on her blog and I wanted us to take on her challenge as a family:

Take a computer-free day once a week to help reduce stress and eye strain. No cellphones. No e-readers. No computers. No TV. Disconnecting for a day is tough, but worth it.

As mom to an autistic son and very typical college-age daughter, this was easier said than done. To ease their worries, I brainstormed with them all the things we love about the Adirondacks. I wanted our back-to-simple-pleasures weekend to be just that–a pleasure. In addition to seeing loved ones, we agreed that making s’mores was our favorite activity. I promised to make it happen and promptly bought the three simple ingredients. (Could it really be this easy?)

We arrived upstate and enjoyed a lazy summer afternoon in the country. The kids and we picked blackberries, checked out Grandpa’s John Deere lawn mower, ate lunch, and visited with relatives on my dad’s comfy porch under a cool awning.

A rain shower later that day threatened our much-anticipated marshmallow roast. Standing indoors around a microwave, waiting in thirty-second increments for our chocolate and marshmallow to melt, wouldn’t have been quite the same experience. Heck, we could do that at home and play Wii to boot!

Thankfully, the storm passed and the quest was on for dry kindling around the property. Soon a fire blazed in the cement block fireplace used for all our outdoor family gatherings since I was a little kid. Adults and children alike sat around the fire in awe as it licked at the logs to gradually die down, leaving a small flame with glowing embers. Perfect for what we had in mind.

Twirling marshmallow-tipped sticks over the fireplace, my children enjoyed making roasted creations to order. At first, my son was nervous about the fire, its heat intense if he stood a smidge too close. With his dad’s help, he prevailed and proudly made marshmallows for Mom and himself. My daughter giggled as she ate her gooey chocolate concoction. I did, too. S’mores are yummy, and I generally don’t eat such decadent sweets.

We had a wonderful night by the fire, with family and food. I must admit we didn’t make it through our weekend completely tech-free, however, using googled directions (thanks to a nice hotel receptionist) to find our way to my niece’s beautiful wedding the following day (as highly anticipated as the s’mores, I might add).

Was our “computer-free weekend” worth it? I cannot speak for my kids, but I believe it was a success. We returned home relaxed and rejuvenated. I was more productive that week than I’d been the past few. Maybe there’s something to be said for taking a day or two off from my internet-dependency. Once in awhile.

What summer treat do you enjoy with your family? Do you make a concerted effort to “unplug” for a day now and then, or would you consider it?

Paradise Found, Key West Butterfly Conservatory

August 1, 2011

Having grown up in upstate New York’s Adirondack Mountains, I guess it’s only natural I adore jagged landscapes covered by mature evergreens. As a teenager, I traveled with my family to Maine where I had my first glimpse of the Atlantic Ocean, its pounding surf at Pemaquid Point’s mesmerizing. Years later, I fell head-over-heels for palm tree sunsets as I ventured further from my homebase. Oddly enough, another place I consider to be a slice of heaven isn’t out in the wild, but inside a building on Duval Street in Key West, Florida.

One of the many reasons I am drawn back to Old Town each year is the Key West Butterfly & Nature Conservatory. This must-see KW attraction was one we almost overlooked, having toured St. Maarten’s butterfly farm years earlier and wrongly assuming we could cross this activity off our travel to-do list. Thankfully, our B&B’s manager convinced us this conservatory was worth the fee and our time.

The first stop on the self-guided tour is the Learning Center, a smallish room with educational exhibits. Here the guest may view a short butterfly video and look at butterflies in various stages of their life cycle. Wall maps also show worldwide butterfly species distribution. Once a person has had her fill of facts, she enters the main part of the building where the large, glass-domed conservatory serves as a weather-controlled tropical oasis for its lucky residents.

Between forty to fifty exotic species of butterflies rest, fly, or sip nectar, unconcerned about human presence within the conservatory and co-existing with butterfly-friendly birds that control the room’s mosquito and aphid populations. Tranquil, filtered music harmonizes with birds chirping, while a water feature provides a backdrop of soothing white noise. Fragrant tropical flowers scent the space as the guest strolls along the brick walkway. Winding through the leafy, colorful interior, the path crosses over the koi and turtle pond via a wooden bridge. Photography and videotaping within the conservatory is allowed and all guests encouraged to stay as long as they wish.

As for my husband and me, we spent more than two hours in our little Paradise Found, much of our time simply relaxing on butterfly-shaped chairs as we bird watched. When photographing, I was amazed how easy it was to get the ethereal butterflies to pose. Unlike my previous butterfly farm experience, no Zoom or Sport camera setting was needed!

I hope you’ve enjoyed these photos–my little escape from the ordinary. Whether you find beauty in a dew-covered spider web, blooming orchids, an Alaskan glacier, or Saguaro cactus, I wonder: Where on Earth do you find paradise?

Island Hopping at Home

July 11, 2011

Bermuda's Famous Pink Beaches — One of Bermuda’s Famous Pink Beaches

With its world-famous pink sand beaches, golf courses, and rich history as Great Britain’s first colony, Bermuda was also our family’s first island vacation in 1998.

My husband, daughter, and I explored Gibbs Hill Lighthouse, Horseshoe Bay, the Children’s Aquarium, and Fort St. Catherine, all located between Hamilton and St. George on this gem of the Atlantic Ocean, about 700 miles due east of South Carolina.

Having saved our souvenir shopping for the last bittersweet morning, we strolled St. George’s cobblestone streets until we came across an art gallery, the Carole Holding Studio. Little did we know our decision to purchase three of this local artist’s landscape prints was the beginning of a conversion–of the decor kind. At the time, my husband and I were more concerned the souvenirs fit into our budget and our luggage than into our traditional-style home.

Back from our adventure, we bought frames for our lithographs and hung them in our living room. There the island souvenirs hung, more treasured as the years passed. Today, they are complemented by a new shade of wall paint, joined by Key West watercolors and a pretty Hawaiian shell windchime.

Subsequent jaunts to the Bahamas, St. Maarten, St. Thomas, Puerto Rico, and Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula brought even more inexpensive yet whimsical Caribbean art into our lives. Various prints, metal artwork, handpainted plates, photographs, miniature sculptures, and a few touristy plaques flow into the foyer, den, and upstairs into the second-floor hallway. Sure, we could cheat and buy tropical accents online. But they really wouldn’t be souvenirs then, would they?

Dutch Delft Blue — A Dutch Delft – St. Maarten

Last year, we were fortunate to remodel our master bedroom. Instead of selecting a paint color or desired flooring as I have in the past, I requested a theme: Key West. (Thank goodness my husband adores the place as much as I do.)

The resulting room is all I’d imagined. I wake each morning to an airy, casual island ambiance–in my own suburban town! I savor those first few minutes of the day as I transition smoothly from dream world to reality, gazing at blue walls with white trim and plantation shutters. Our old brown nightstands and dressers are now pale yellow, graced by seashell-filled lamps and a few of our favorite getaway photos. We like the effect so much we plan to do the same for our master bath.

KW Themed Bedroom — Key West Themed Bedroom

On cold, winter days, my house’s Caribbean style brings forth memories of warm island breezes, flip-flop days, and life-giving sun. In the summer, it urges me to stop cleaning (“No worries” right?) and to slip into a swimsuit, grab a beach read, and enjoy our backyard pool. If only for a little while.

I’m also a fan of Tuscan-style kitchens, adore spa-inspired bathrooms, and anything by Pottery Barn. How about you? What item, room, or part of your home is your hidden oasis in the midst of a busy life? Is it a particular theme you consciously developed or an environment you created organically? If you don’t have a tranquil place within your home, what do you dream of creating?

Daydreaming

June 27, 2011

Today was one of those days. You know, the kind where you hit the floor running and don’t stop until your body and mind scream for relief. Prone to anxiety, I do my utmost to prevent days like this. I prioritize errands and am a faithful To-Do Lister and Completer. In spite of my best efforts, the occasional, overwhelmingly busy day still catches me by surprise. And, like today, I struggle to squeeze in a little “me” time, if only to curtail internal combustion.

My next-to-last errand today was a mani-pedi. I know, I know, this sounds more like a luxury than a chore, but when a writing deadline is looming, sitting still for two hours without a laptop propped in front of me is tantamount to torture for me. To alleviate the nerve-wrecking experience of watching a ticking clock as my nails are buffed, filed, painted, and dried, I daydream. (Yeah, we writers are good at that.)

If you’ve read earlier posts, you know I’m fond of the Florida Keys, and specifically Key West. What started as a three-night getaway years ago has turned into an annual escape. Among other things, Conch Republic is renowned for its beautiful sunsets. On previous trips, my husband and I reveled in the midst of celebratory crowds at Mallory Square and enjoyed our sunset dinner at a table for two on the Hot Tin Roof patio. For our third trip, we asked the manager of our little B&B his recommendation. Without a moment’s hesitation, he suggested taking the Wind & Wine Sunset Sail. We did, and the evening that followed was the stuff dreams are made of. Or daydreams, as the case may be.

As I sat in the nail salon this afternoon, instead of customers and chairs I saw gently flapping ivory sails above and velvet blue water beyond. Instead of the cash register’s ring and nail dryers’ hum, my mind heard waves lapping against our sailing vessel’s bow, wine glasses clinking, and seagulls calling softly as they flew overhead. I didn’t detect the slightest odor of polish remover or hand creams. No, I inhaled salt-scented sea breezes and my husband’s understated cologne as he leaned close to whisper sweet nothings in my ear.

I felt the rocking to-and-fro as we sailed through the evening waters within sight of Westin Marina and savored the taste of a merlot wine recently poured for me, its smoothly tart notes of black cherry, cinnamon, and oak swirling around on my tongue between bites of gouda cheese and spicy sausage stacked on water table crackers. Mmmm. This is the life.

And then I was asked to pay.

My nails were done, and I’d taken a break from reality. So the moral of the story is, getting a mani-pedi can be relaxing, even for someone who worries about the time-suck like me. I was rejuvenated enough upon returning home to complete my final “to-do” of the day–writing this week’s blog.

Enjoy your daydreams. (But please, for goodness sake, not during activities like cutting people’s hair, operating heavy machinery, or supervising children. That could turn your daydream into a nightmare rather quickly.)

Ahhh, time to go. I hear the whirring of a certain kind of blender and its calling my name.

Enjoy a glimpse into my daydream, if you’d like:

Route 1 to Paradise!

June 20, 2011

Early in our marriage, my husband and I made our daily commute on Route #1, or Boston Post Road as it’s called in Westchester, New York. I had no idea this busy road, should we have chosen to follow it south, led to a place that, years later, would become our favorite getaway destination.

Key West, a small island with nicknames such as Bone Island and Conch Republic, is located at the southwestern tip of US Highway Route 1, one hundred twenty-seven scenic miles and 43 bridges from the Florida mainland.

After many happy years of marriage, we welcomed the arrival of our second child. We were thrilled, but overwhelmed! The baby we had waited for so long and love so dearly was born with special needs. We dug in our heels, advocating tirelessly for him to become his personal best. Unfortunately, with our focus on our son, something had to give. That something was us.

A wise friend advised, “The best gift a parent can give their child is a great marriage.” Now, if a typical couple’s divorce rate is about 5o%, adding in my husband’s line of work and our new family situation, the odds were stacked against us. (I realize it’s not always possible to make a marriage work; all we can do is try our best.)

Sharing my concerns with family, I was grateful when my kind mother-in-law offered to babysit. We hadn’t been on a couple’s vacation in a decade, but we knew what we craved–tropical weather, hammocks, water sports, romantic walks on the beach, fresh seafood, and fine spirits. With a little research and a lot of faith, we took a chance on Key West.

Landing at Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood airport one summer morning, we rent a sexy Mustang convertible and are on our way. You know, like in the movies. Well, those movies lie, people. By the time we reach Key Largo in the upper keys (an hour into our drive), I notice my husband’s forehead is fire-engine red and his shirt’s dripping wet. Laughing, we give in, putting up the top before one of us collapses from heat exhaustion.

Aside from the rental car, our first getaway is memorable in a good way. Overseas Highway locations are found according to mile markers (MM) and whether an establishment is bayside or oceanside. We stop at MM102 to eat lunch at the Fish House, a casual restaurant that features, you guessed it, fish. But these aren’t ordinary fish. They are bought directly off boats, not through distributors. Now, that’s fresh! I become an instant fan of yellowtail snapper.

Back on the road, we cross the famous Seven-Mile Bridge toward paradise. The layers of worry and responsibilities unravel as we listen to the rhythmic steel drums of Caribbean music. Sparkling, turquoise waters beckon on either side of our vehicle, while fishing and sail boats dot the horizon. We even glimpse wildlife at Deer Key when a small, four-legged inhabit skitters along our path, safe behind its nature preserve fencing. At that point we remember, “Life is not the amount of breaths you take, it’s the moments that take your breath away.” (Hitch, 2005)

Reaching Old Town, Key West, we check into our B&B, welcomed by friendly faces and refreshing drinks. It’s only fitting: Happy Hour has begun.

Do you have a special place where you can escape the ordinary?

Key West Butterfly Conservatory — KW Butterfly Conservatory–CLICK photo for Website

Bikes and Bubbles

June 6, 2011

Do you ever find yourself blowing bubbles alone, skipping rope just for fun, or dunking a cookie in milk without counting calories?

Simple pleasures like these can bring you back to a time before you worried about laundry, bills, and work deadlines, when summers lasted a year and Halloween was near the top of your favorite holidays’ list.

As a kid growing up in New York’s rural Adirondacks, my bike was everything. First my Big Wheels, and later, my beloved ten-speed racing bike. I was excited to be independent, breezing along field-lined roads as my skinny legs pedaled to and from my friends’ houses.

Like many childhood toys, I left my bike behind upon entering college. By the time I pulled it out of the backyard shed, the bike was rusted and in need of new tires. Being an impatient twenty-something, I figured I’d buy a new one after my move. The NYC metro-area provided many wonderful opportunities for my husband and me, but traffic and the growing demands of family life convinced this transplanted country girl to switch over to a more conventional vehicle–the minivan.

Bike to the Beach, Baby! — Beautiful Southernmost Beach

Fast-forward twenty years, and my husband and I are on vacation in Key West, Florida. What’s the suggested mode of transportation? Bicycles, of course. Called beach or island cruisers, these bikes are equipped with baskets in front, perfect for carrying a beach bag or souvenirs. They can be ridden at night, too, with strobe lights attached to the wheels’ spokes instead of handlebars.

My eyes light up as I gaze at the bike. In spite of niggling doubts about having enough energy to traverse this five square-mile island, I agree to rent one.

We bike to Smathers and Fort Zachary Taylor beaches, bask in the sun like lizards and float on the warm Atlantic waters.

Key West Banyon Tree — A Banyon Tree, spied on one of our bike excursions (Click photo for KW Bike Trails Info)

Later, we sightsee. In the evenings, I scoop up my flowing skirt to tuck around me as we take a leisurely ride side-by-side to Michael’s or another of our favorite haunts for a romantic dinner, followed by sunset cocktails at Mallory Square.

On our more adventurous nights, we lock up our bikes on Duval Street, and begin an impromptu Duval Crawl. Hours later, we return to our bikes (Sometimes the toughest part is remembering where the bikes are located!), and take the exhilarating two-wheeled trip back to our B & B. We whizz past quiet, side-street houses in the darkness–with nothing but mesmerizing strobe lights guiding us.

I’ve learned it’s never too late to enjoy simple pleasures like the ones I loved as a kid. Key West is my favorite getaway, and the fun we have riding our rented bikes everywhere is definitely a big part of the draw for me, being a kid at heart.

What childhood toy or activity have you left behind that you’d like to revisit, or maybe adapt to your life as an adult?