Category: Beach Vacation

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Sleeping with a Bear

This year, for the annual Igoe Family Vacation, we met up with my parents and brothers in Arcadia, Michigan, which is about an hour south of Traverse City and in the general Sleeping Bear Dunes area. Michigan is always a relaxing trip, and there is a lot to do, but it does include a lot of driving. It is worth it though, the temperatures are moderate and there’s a lot to do.

What We Did

Sleeping Bear Dunes: This National Lakeshore offers a plethora of activities. Of places that we have visited recently, this one felt the most like it could or should be a National Park, not just a Lakeshore. There are lots of trails, lots of dunes, lots of lakes and a few associated satellite areas.

The first thing we did was take the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive and stopped at marker #4 and hiked the Cottonwood Trail. This 1.5 mile lollipop loop takes you to the top of the large dune that’s part of the dune challenge without having to hike up it. The view point at the top is great, and it is doable for those less physically able to climb a vertical sand dune. We recommend taking the loop clockwise, and also recommend stopping at markers 3, 9 and 11, if you’ve got the time.

Later on, we walked the Empire Bluffs Trail, which offers great views of Lake Michigan and several surrounding lakes. It is an easy, 1.6 mile out-and-back. Honestly, it is not spectacular, but it was worth the drive.

Our favorite trail was Pyramid Point. This loop is just under 3 miles and offers a great variety of scenery: dunes, woods, meadows and lakes. It is not very strenuous if you go clockwise. That said, the best lake views are at the beginning, but you go down all the steep dunes climbs, instead of up.

Speaking of, we also recommend the Dune Climb. This steep dune is the start to the Dune Challenge, which we did not do, but is a fun trek in and of itself. The kids really enjoyed rolling around and getting all sandy.

Boat Glen Lake: We booked a pontoon boat that could hold 14 from the On the Narrows Marina. We spent four hours cruising around Big Glen and Little Glen, tubing and swimming at several different spots. It made for a really fun day that all the kids loved.

Swim at Crystal Lake: There is a great public beach with amenities in the Beulah area of Crystal Lake. The waters is chilly, but not so much as Lake Michigan. The big lake is almost too cold to swim, but the interior lakes are bit more moderate.

Tube the Platte River: We used Crystal Lake Outfitters to tube the Platte River, and we did the longer version, which took about 3 hours from arrival to leaving. The Platte River is great to float, and the outfitter was competent, but it did feel like it took a long time to get started.

Craig’s Cruisers: On morning, we went south towards Shelby, MI, where some of my family used to attend camp. On the way, the kids, Alyson and I stopped at Craig’s Cruisers. They’ve got go-karts, bumper boats, mini-golf, a zip line, a roller coaster and an arcade. The kids had a blast, and it was a lot less expensive than you expect those activities to be.

Mac Woods Dune Rides: Also south of Aracadia, this dune tour was way more fun than I thought it would be. It opens at 9:30, but we didn’t get there until about 2 pm, which was a mistake. The had to wait over an hour for the 40 minute ride, but it was totally worth it. You might think it’s not that exciting, since your basically in an open-air bus rather than a dune buggy, but the ride is great. There’s lots of up and downs, lots of great views and the guide was really informative.

E-Bike Tour: My son’s favorite activity was riding about 8 miles along the Leelanau Trail north of Traverse City. I was a little unsure as to whether or not I’d enjoy an e-bike, but it was a lot of fun, and it is still good exercise.

Brewery Tours: There are dozens of breweries in the general area, and it feels like we tried to hit them all. We’ll touch base more on this in the section below.

Where We Ate

Storm Cloud Brewing: This was the closest brewery to our house, it was good, but it wasn’t our favorite. The pizza was solid, and the beer was fine, but I didn’t love the atmosphere. It felt really crowded and touristy. It was still certainly worth the visit, and I’d go back, but it wasn’t #1.

Hop Lot Brewing: I think this was my favorite brewery. It has really good beer, solid food and fantastic outdoors space that the kids loved.

Boondocks: This restaurant in Glen Arbor gets really mediocre reviews, but I thought it was just fine. We were able to sit all 13 of us outside, the fried fish sandwich was good and the beer was cold.

Cherry Point Farm Market: This farmers market reportedly has good sandwiches, but I could not disagree more. The entire experience was terrible, including the service and the food. It is basically just a grilled cheese restaurant, but it takes forever, and it costs way too much.

North Channel Brewing: This brewery was a great place to stop on our back north from the dune rides. They were friendly, had good beer and had a pretzel, about which Jr was over the moon.

St. Ambrose Cellars/Brose Brewing: This stop actually started out as place that brews meads but has expanded, including beers and food. The mead was really interesting, and the outdoor space is wonderful. You can even get a close look at a commercial beehive, if so include.

Where We Stayed:

This year, we stayed at an AirBNB in Arcadia, Michigan, which is about half an hour south of Sleeping Bear and an hour south of Traverse City. The house was great, and right on Lake Michigan, but it was a trek to get to just about everywhere. Given the choice, I think we would stay in either Empire or Traverse City itself in the future.

This is the first time in quite some time that we don’t actually have anything planned. We’ll be meeting some friends in Gulf Shores for Labor Day and visiting St. Louis for Thanksgiving, but those are old hat. With Eileen starting at UK in the fall, and JR starting high school, our calendar is in limbo. We might try to take a short weekend to see a ball game, maybe somewhere like Pittsburgh. We also are considering a Christmas break trip, maybe someplace to the south. We’ll keep traveling and will keep you posted; thanks for listening.

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Virgin Islands for Mardi Gras

This year, as the parades came to an end, the family and I decided head out of town and make it to one of the country’s least visited national parks, Virgin Islands National Park. Other than the Alaska parks, Hawai’i park and American Samoa, it is one of the most difficult to reach.

In order to get there, you actually have to fly into St. Thomas and then take a 30 minute ferry across to St. John’s, where the park is actually located. A few things to keep in mind, if you are planning this trip.

First, the Virgin Islands, despite being an American territory, drive on the left side of the road, but with steering wheels also on the left (don’t tell Trump). Two, even though they are an American territory, the VIs very much have the feel of a third world country, so do not expect a whole lot of amenities. Third, there is a National Park there, but if you are going, expect it to really be more of a beach trip than a traditional NP vacation.

What We Did

Ocean Surfari Snorkeling: We booked a tour with this group, who picked us up from St. John’s at around 9:30 am. My only real complaint is that they made us arrive like 45 minutes early to fill out two minutes worth of waivers, so it was a lot of unnecessary down time.

Once we were on the boat, the trip was great. Our first stop was Christmas Cove, which had several great areas to snorkel. The highlights were a family of sea turtles, the youngest of whom would surface on a regular basis, and several large sting rays. We made a second stop and honeymoon beach, which was cool to see but not that great of a snorkel location.

The guides were great, the ride was fun and they served cocktails after the snorkeling was finished. Overall, it was a really great experience.

Virgin Islands National Park: Much of St. John’s is actually part of the NP, so it is hard to identify exactly when we went in and out. The Visitors Center is in Cruz Bay, and looks like it is going to be huge, but isn’t. They only have a small gift shop and aren’t open on weekends, so be prepared. I’ll touch more on what we did in the park as I go on, but in terms of NPs, this one isn’t all that grand and impressive, it more serves to protect the natural beauty of the island.

Tree Limin’ Zip Line: On our second full day in the Virgin Islands, we actually took the ferry back to St. Thomas, the more developed island and went on a zip line tour with a great local group. There were six zips, two ladders, and they let the whole family go. Clara, 4, was technically too young, but they looked the other way and allowed her and I to go tandem. The views were beautiful, and the zips were a lot of fun.

Dockside Dinghy: This was my favorite part of our trip. On Friday morning, we rented a small dinghy from the above company and cruised through the waters, both National and non-National Park. We stopped at Hurricane Hole to swim, cruised around a bird sanctuary island and sidled up to Lime Out for lunch. You have to be willing to drive the boat yourself, but that’s not all the complex. This is also one of the only ways to get to Lime Out, where the food was great.

Paradise Point Skyride: On our way to the airport, back on St. Thomas, we had a few hours to kill, so we took a gondola up to Paradise Point. This area has great views, a gift shop and a decent restaurant. It is not worth going out of your way for, but if you’ve got time to kill, it is a fun experience.

Beaches: One of the main reasons to go to St. John’s is to hang out on the beaches. We visited Honeymoon Beach from the water, but didn’t spend a ton of time there. We spent an afternoon at Trunk Bay Beach, which is really popular and beautiful. It has all sorts of amenities, and there is an underwater snorkeling trail (although it is no different than just snorkeling). This was my son’s favorite beach, as it has the biggest waves.

Later in the week, we hit Cinnamon Beach and Maho Beach. Both offer a lot of amenities, food, drinks, bathrooms, beach rentals, but neither had waves as big as Trunk Bay. Maho was a favorite of Clara and Eileen. My favorite was Salt Pond Beach, on the other side of the island. It offers no amenities and requires a short, but kind of strenuous walk, but it is beautiful and serene

All of these beaches have very limited parking, so you either have to take a shuttle, get there early, or simply wait for something to come available.

Hikes: There are several hiking trails and ruins throughout the NP. We hit a few, but again, this isn’t really a classic hiking area. We did the Francis Bay trail and the Peace Hill trail, both of which are short but have pretty views.

Our two favorite trails were the Cinnamon Bay trail and the Rams Head trail. Both are longer and more strenuous. For Cinnamon Bay, I recommend taking the left fork of the trail up to American Hill, which is a great ruin and beautiful view. There really is no reason to hike all of Cinnamon Bay, as you just dead end at another street, but American Hill is great.

Rams Head starts at the Salt Pond beach and is an arduous walk across windswept hills and rocky beaches. It is great to combine with spending time at Salt Pond beach but should not be done in beach shoes, as we quickly discovered.

Annaberg Plantation is probably the most intact set of ruins and is worth a visit, but the Catherineberg Sugar Mill ruins were by far our favorite. They can be accessed by driving a very treacherous road, but when you reach them, it’ll likely be just you, and there is a lot to see. If you’ve got time and want to see more of the interior of the island, you shouldn’t miss it.

Where We Stayed

We booked an AirBnB in the Fish Bay area, which is on the south side of St. Johns. It had quite a nice view but was pretty rustic. There is a Westin on the island that I believe is quite nice, but it is also quite expensive. There were several AirBnB options, but you really have to pick and choose. We were happy with where we stayed, but I am not sure I would recommend it to someone with particularly high standards.

Where We Ate

Windmill Bar: This location was one of our favorites, right at the apex of the island with a great view of the sunset. That said, the food was our least favorite. It was very bland and uninspired. I should note, we ate there on Ash Wednesday, so ordered slightly different than we otherwise might have, but we definitely didn’t give up salt for lent. I would still recommend going for the views, but the food wasn’t the best.

Sea and Sun: This restaurant is part of a resort on St. Thomas; we ate there the day that we went zip lining. The restaurant primarily offers outdoor seating, right on the water where tarpons and other fishes come right up to the doc. The food was solid, and the experience was great.

Lime Out: This is a floating taco stand on the Cruz Bay side of the island. There are a few ways to get there, but none of them are easy (or cheap). Several tours stop there, and there is a water taxi available, but it won’t take kids Clara’s age. We rented a dinghy and at the end of our boating excursions stopped for lunch. You basically tie off to one of several buoys and swim over. There are seats in the water at the bar and floating lily pads to sit on. It is really unique, but what’s great is that the food is terrific. We got several different tacos and all were great.

St. John’s Brewers: This brewery is located on the island in the Mongoose Junction area. It is hard to find parking, and the area is very touristy, but the brewery is great. They’ve got multiple beer options, and the food is exactly what you’d want in terms of bar food. This was my favorite place we ate, and was a good place to get updates on college basketball tournaments.

What I Wish I’d Known

I was a little unprepared for how difficult it would be to drive on St. John’s. They drive on the left side of the road, but the steering wheels are normal. The lanes are very narrow and once you’re off the main roads, very steep. It was a lot of fun, but not super easy.

I wish I’d known that reef-safe sunscreen is not at all strong enough for the fair Igoe skin. We all burned, despite regular applications, myself by far the worst.

I wish that I’d known I was in for mostly a beach trip. I love the beach, but to me, it can become monotonous. In terms of National Parks, this one would stay low on my list. We had a lot of fun, and I would go back if someone else wanted to, but I doubt I would plan a second trip.

Next up for us is Toronto, Niagara Falls and three state parks in upstate New York. We’ll keep you posted.

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Summertime in Tahoe

This July, we met my parents and three brother on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe, in Stateline, for a week. We stayed in a VRBO on top of a mountain near the Heavenly Ski Resort. It was sold as a ski-in, ski-out, so it is primarily for winter use, but it made for a great summer home. It was basically two different three story units attached to one another, which worked well for our group of fourteen.

Lake Tahoe is quite expansive, so you have to plan what you do, what to see and where to eat based upon how much time you are willing to spend in the car. Getting up and down our mountain took a solid fifteen minutes, so that included, everything we did was at least half an hour away, so we really had to make the most of our time.

Hikes

Cascade Falls: I believe this was my favorite trail that we took on our trip. It is 1.3 miles out-and-back and does include some strenuous uphills and some scrambling. The effort is completely worth it. At the top, you find dozens of small cascades that you can play around in before they become a large waterfall. Not only do you get a great view of Lake Tahoe, but there is another, more secluded lake which is spectacular. Parking can be difficult, but going either early or later in the day can help.

Cave Rock: This is a short, popular hike with extremely limited parking. The initial approach is simple, but the end is a relatively vertical climb. This trail is most popular at sunset, so gets very crowded, but if you are willing to get there early, you can dangle your feet over the lake and watch the sun drop below the mountains.

Horsetail Falls: This is a great hike, but a good distance from where we were staying. It is hard time find exactly where this trail starts, but look for the Pyramid Peak parking lot. When you start up, I strongly suggest using AllTrails, because while the trail is marked, it is over a lot of stones, so it is not always clear where the pathway is. The best thing to do is follow the falls up, where you can find several small pools to swim in. Getting all the way to falls is difficult, and something we did not accomplish, but you get cool views of it all the way up.

Eagle Falls and Eagle Lake: This trail was by far the most difficult to park at. It is on the other side of the road from Emerald Bay, and there are multiple smaller lots, but we had to circle a lot to get a spot around 9:30 am. The hike up is two part, the first going along to Upper Eagle Falls, the second reaching an amazing mountain like. You should definitely go all the way. The trail was too difficult for my parents, but we made it with just a little difficulty.

Excurions

Clear Kayak Lake Tour: Tahoe Paddle Sports offers a really fun tour of Tahoe on the Nevada side. The clear kayaks are great and our guide was fantastic. It is not a super exhilarating, high-energy tour, but it was very relaxing and a nice way to see parts of the lake.

Rafting the American River: This was done through a friend of my brothers but is definitely something you should look into. It took us over an hour to reach the initial launch spot, but it was worth it. We basically did two tours. The older, more adventurous of us started at the top and took on some class 3+ rapids. We met the kids and grandparents halfway down, who joined us for a leisurely float for the rest of the day.

Boat Rental: Out of the Ski Run Marina, we rented two speed boats and a tube, each able to hold seven people. It was a lot of fun tossing the kids around on the tube and exploring the lake. It was also a good way to see Emerald Bay and get a close up look Fannette Island and the Tea House.

Beaches

Emerald Bay: Getting down to the Emerald Bay beach includes a solid 1 mile hike, once you’ve won the battle for parking. The hike is downhill, so super easy on the way down, not so much on the way up. The Vikingsholm House is at the bottom, so that is fun to see, and there are several vendors who rent things like kayaks and SUPs. If you’ve got the stamina for it, this trip is worth the walk.

Round Hill Pines: This is the beach where we spent a solid four or five hours. It doesn’t get nearly as crowded as some of the other options, but it just as impressive. The beach is gritty, but that is normal in the area, and there’s a restaurant and bar. We were also able to rent chairs, an umbrella and two jet skis for an hour.

Where We Ate

South of North Brewing Co: This brewery has decent food and decent beer and absolutely no parking. Our main reason for going was a Wednesday night trivia, which we won.

Artemis Lakefront Cafe: This Mediterranean restaurant is right on the water and kind of expensive. That said, the food was good, the view was great, and it was very convenient.

Riva Grill on the Lake: Riva is in the same Ski Run marina as Artemis. I prefer the former. Riva does have a great view, and the food was fine, but way over-priced with mediocre service.

Base Camp Pizza: This is a cool pizza place in the most popular part of town. It was good, but our favorite part was the large number of great appetizers they offered.

If you’ve never been to a ski town in the summer, you ought to consider it. We went to Breckinridge a few years ago and felt the same way. There is a lot to do and usually all sorts of great hikes. I usually try to offer advice at the end of our posts, things that I would do differently, but I really don’t have much to say. It wasn’t my favorite vacation ever, but it really was a lot of fun.

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Nawiliwili for the Win – Days 7 and 8

On Day 7, we woke up at a port on Kauia called Nawiliwili and stayed there for two days. This was an amazing part of our trip, with lots a cool sites and some of my favorite experiences. We initially planned a hiking excursion through the boat, but they had to cancel it, so we went out on our own.

We rented a car, for two days this time, and headed out onto the island. Our first stop was a bucket list item for Eileen, to take surfing lessons. We found local guides who offered lessons outside of a great beach near a Sheraton, of all places, that guaranteed that the kids would get up on the board.

This was a great experience, and the guides did not disappoint. Both of the kids got up on their first try, and while it was a lot of work, especially for JR, they both had a great time. We tooled around the beach for a while, then headed back the direction that we’d come. We took the scenic route on the way back, and if you have your own car, this is something I highly recommend. The unplanned parts of the adventure are often the best parts of the trip.

That night, we went to a luau put on the by Norwegian Cruise lines. They roasted a whole pig, had all sorts of performers and put on a fine show. That said, this was probably my least favorite part of the whole trip. I get that a luau is something you ‘have to do’ in Hawai’i, and it is interesting, but I feel like our time could have been much better spent doing almost anything else. Oh, and it was expensive as shit…

The next day, we met up with a company called, Smith’s, that offers multiple Hawai’i-specific adventures (including a luau), for a trip upriver to fern grotto. This grotto is pretty remarkable, with overhanging walls that feature ferns that grow upside down. We enjoyed this tour, and I would definitely do it again, but of the things we did, I wouldn’t put it in my top 10.

That afternoon, we drove up to the Napoli Coast, which is a must see along the coast of Kauai. It is beautiful, and extraordinarily unique to this island. If you have the time, don’t skip out on this.

Nawiliwili was our last stop before heading back to Honolulu, so the best part of our trip had unfortunately come to an end. It was a great trip, and I would recommend it. Stay tuned for one more post about Hawai’i, and what you can do to maximize your stay on this specific boat.

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50/50 – Hawai’i or Bust (Days 1 and 2)

One of the goals of my life has to been to visit all 50 of the great United States. My younger brother Jim has already accomplished this feat, and my father and other two brothers have both hit 48/50. This June, I joined Jim by finally making it to the wonderful island paradise of Hawai’i.

The family and I set out at 5 am from New Orleans, stopped in Denver, stopped in Oakland, and finally made it to Honolulu. For the purposes of readability, I am going to break this vacation into several posts so that I don’t leave anything out.

Getting to Honolulu is no small adventure, and our flights got changed around several times. We finally settled on a Southwest journey that was actually three flights, with a 5+ hour layover in Oakland. While this sounds awful, since we had checked all of our bags through to HNL, we were afforded the opportunity to rent a car and take a quick tour of the bay area.

Our first stop was at a breakfast restaurant in view of the bay called Town’s End Brunch. This, evidently, is a local favorite, and for good reason. Alyson and I both felt that we could have eaten there five or six days in a row and eaten five or six different things. It was great for the kids, the service was fantastic, and the food was wonderful. It was a great way to break up the 17 hour trip.

We completed the circle around the bay by stopping at the Golden Gate Bridge National Recreation Area. We actually visited this locale in an RV a few years ago, but failed to stop at the Visitors Center and stamp our books. We easily rectified that this time around, and the drive across the bridge was clear and beautiful.

The flight from Oakland to Hawai’i was a rough one, but only because it had been such a long day. Due to the time changes, we arrived at 5:30 pm local time and made our way to the Hilton Hawaiian Village. I feel like my least favorite parts of this whole trip were Honolulu and this hotel. There’s nothing wrong with either of them, but it felt like we could have been anywhere. The resort was really nice, but given the choice, I’d skip Honolulu again in the future.

Now, the main reason that I would be willing to skip it is because on Day 2, we were able to visit Pearl Harbor National Memorial. We were lucky enough to get to visit the USS Arizona and the Valor Memorial, which requires tickets that, at times, can be hard to get. That said, we were able to book through the hotel, which while more expensive, guaranteed our spots. I am aware that I just trashed the hotel and Honolulu itself, but there are certainly worthwhile things to do and see.

From here, we boarded the Norwegian Cruise Line ship, Pride of America, and set sail for the rest of the islands. This ship is older and a bit small for a major cruise line, but is the only one that hits the four major islands. The amenities are fine, but the reason to take this cruise is for your time off the boat, not to hang out on board. We ate that night at one of the included restaurants, Liberty, and bedded down as we set sail for Kahalui, Maui.

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The Dry Tortugas

This year, we decided to use our Mardi Gras break for a slightly more relaxing experience than an RV trip across the Southwest. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like an RV trip is in our cards for 2023, but we will make the best of what is available to us.

After spending the week prior watching parades and Mardi Gras day in the quarter, we jumped on a plane late Tuesday evening and flew to Fort Lauderdale. We picked up our rental car, a sweet minivan that reminded me of my formative driving years, and stayed at a nearby Hilton Garden.

This ended up being a mistake for two reasons. First, this hotel was garbage. I travel a lot for work, and always stay at one of the Hilton brands, and this was by far the worst at which I have stayed. The room was small, with double beds instead of queens, the parking lot was gated, but the gates didn’t work, and the unintelligent set of nincompoops working the front desk refused us a pack ‘n play. Thankfully, it was just one night of sleeping with my wife and Clara in a double bed, but it was a rough night.

Second, we should have driven further south when we arrived. Heading from FLL to the Keys includes passing through both Fort Lauderdale and Miami, and we failed to take into account the morning traffic. If we were doing the same trip again in the future, I would certainly drive an hour or so further south instead of staying so close to the airport.

Now with that behind us, we headed south to make our first stop at Key Largo. We had originally intended to snorkel with a local company, but got a message the night before that due to high seas, they could not take us out. Instead, we booked a glass bottom boat tour aboard the Key Largo Princess.

This was about a two hour out and back tour to a nearby reef, and was actually a lot of fun. I would say the activity is geared more towards younger kids, but the whole family enjoyed it, and we were able to see a lot of interesting things beneath the boat. That said, if you are a diver, this type of excursion is no substitute for actually being under the water.

We ate lunch that day at the Key Largo Fisheries Backyard Cafe. This is a great local fish market with a restaurant attached to the back of it, so all the food is incredibly fresh. It is a bit pricey, as is everything in the Keys, but sitting by the water, eating something that was caught less than 24 hours prior was quite pleasant.

From there, we drove deeper into the Keys to the Islander Resort on Islamorada. Islamorada is the second of the major Keys, and is relatively centrally located, so where we decided to stay. The Islander Resort was great. The room was clean with a great screened-in porch, and the amenities were wonderful. The resort has a great pool and bar, and private beach access, and contracts with a local company to offer all sorts of excursion. One thing to remember about any beachfront resort is that due to the salt and humidity, nothing stays in mint condition for long, but when it comes to our stay, I have no complaints

We spent that afternoon hanging out in the pool, and hopped two blocks over to the Islamorada Brewery for dinner. This was by far my favorite meal of the trip. The brewery itself offers about 15 different beers for all tastes, and the permanent food truck has a great menu. We spent about two hours hanging out, eating, drinking, playing the bar games and listening to a talented local musician who, evidently, specializes in Bob Seger covers.

The next morning, we had to get up quite early to make the almost two hour drive from Islamorada to Key West in order to catch the boat to the Dry Tortugas. Mostly due to its proximity, Dry Tortugas is one of the country’s least visited National Parks, but also one of the most awe-inspiring.

This island sits right along the jet stream, so was frequented by sailors during the time of colonial expansion. It was so named due to the large number of turtles found, as well as a lack of fresh water. In the mid-1800s, the US began construction of Fort Jefferson as part of a vast coastal defense network. The fort was never completed, however, due to advances in sea warfare technology that made it obsolete.

While it is difficult to get to, it is worth the trek. Aside from seaplane, the only way to get to the island park is by taking the Yankee Freedom Ferry out of Key West. This 2+ hour ferry ride provided us with a bagel and a lot of information about Dry Tortugas along the way. The views throughout the journey are pretty majestic, but it is not for the faint of stomach.

For me, the best part of the whole trip was the arrival at Fort Jefferson. The pictures online don’t do it justice. This stone fortress stuck on top of this tropic paradise is pretty breathtaking. The contrast between the red bricks, the green grass and the jewel-tones of the water is something to behold.

Once we reached the Park, we listened to a ranger-led history, and then set off on our own to explore. There are no hand-rails or banisters to keep one from falling over the edge, so care is needed with little ones, but the view from the top level of the Fort is worth it.

After eating the provided Jersey Mike’s sandwiches from the ferry, we grabbed the provided snorkeling gear and set off to the South Beach. The Dry Tortugas offer several unique snorkeling opportunities, with a myriad of fishes and multiple areas where corals have developed.

Alyson and Clara stayed on the beach while Eileen, JR and I optimistically attempted to snorkel around the Fort from the South Beach to the North Beach. This is an extremely labor-intensive task, and we made it, but it was no small feet, and not for those who don’t consider themselves strong swimmers.

As we primarily stayed along the outer moat wall of the Fort, we were never in any real peril, but at one point, Alyson came along the wall and threw a PFD to JR, which made it a lot less nerve racking. If you have the ability, I strongly recommend this snorkel, and recommend taking special care around the breach in the wall, as this area is really impressive.

Beyond snorkeling and touring Fort Jefferson, there isn’t a ton to do at Dry Tortugas. If you are a camper, you can spend the night, and the starscape appears incredible, but for the average NP-goer, this is a one-day experience. We reloaded the ferry and made the 2+ hour trek back to Key West. Thankfully, starting at 1:30 pm, the ferry bar opens, so the trip back was rather pleasant.

We landed back in Key West and searched around for a place to eat. Some strangers at an airport bar in Indianapolis suggested we try Blue Heaven, and since we had not other options, we figured why not?

When we arrived, we were told it would be a 45 minute wait (actually over an hour), so after putting our name on the list, we walked to down to the Southernmost Point of the continental US for the obligatory picture.

We made our way back to Blue Heaven for dinner, and much of the family really enjoyed it. Personally, I thought the menu was too limited and significantly overpriced, but in the Keys, you don’t have many choices. If we were to ever visit Key West again, I would look for another option.

The next morning, Friday, we grabbed breakfast at Midway Cafe. This is one of the musts on Islamorada. When you go, don’t be daunted by the long line; it moves quite briskly, and they offer a menu full of great options.

After breakfast, we went down to Robbie’s, which is sort of a one-stop shop for everything Keys related. It has souvenirs, a restaurant and bar, you can rent kayaks, jet skis, snorkel, pretty much whatever you are looking for. At this exact moment, we didn’t really know what we were looking for, so we payed a few dollars for a bucket of fish and went to feed the tarpons.

Feed the tarpons? What the hell are you talking about? you may ask. Well, allow me to enlighten you. Somehow, Robbie’s has managed to attract a large school of tarpons that feed at the docks. You can dangle a fish over several dozen of them, and they will jump and take the fish directly from your hand. You have to be sure, however, not to feed the pelicans or manatees, as they will become dependent. Why this doesn’t apply to the tarpons is still unclear to me. If you’re looking for a few minutes of excitement, this is a way to go. It is fun and a little heart-pounding all at the same time.

After this bit of excitement, we decided that renting kayaks was the way to go. We headed back to the Islander and let the kids eat and play in the pools, while I booked a guided eco tour with Key Kayak. This group offers several guided kayak tour options throughout the Keys, including one out of Marathon. We had yet done anything off of this Key, so decided it was the way to go.

We rented two kayaks and stuck Clara in between Eileen and I. The trip was great, and going through the mangrove tunnels was one of my favorite parts of our vacation. That said, I always forget how physically demanding is kayaking until I am about two minutes in. It is a lot of fun, but it sure is a lot of work.

That night, we grabbed dinner at a place on the water in Islamorada called Lazy Days. It is a really cool location, and the food is solid, albeit overpriced of course, but it does have the feeling of an old-person’s restaurant. I’m not sure if it was the old school menu books or all the mounted fish on the wall, but something made Alyson and I both think of place that gets busy at around 4:30 pm. Nonetheless, we enjoyed it, and I would gladly eat there again, especially during sunset.

The next morning, on our way back to Fort Lauderdale, we stopped at a Cuban restaurant called Padrino’s. We were looking for a place with authentic south Florida food, and while the Cubano sandwich I got was fine, it was nothing special. I actually think I have gotten a better Cuban in New Orleans, but we had to eat somewhere.

This was a great, albeit short trip, and Dry Tortugas was awesome. I can’t say that I have any desire to visit the Keys again. If someone else wanted to go, I would, but I do not think

we will ever plan a trip to the southernmost point in the continental US again. Next up, we are still trying to decide if we are going somewhere for Easter. Probably, but if not, our next big adventure will be to Hawaii in June. Talk to y’all then…

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Orange Beach in Turquoise

This is the fourth year in a row that my family has spent the Labor Day weekend in Gulf Shores, Alabama. This area is actually comprised of several different regions, and we have recently stayed in Orange Beach. Each of the past four years, we have gone down with two or three of our friends from college, all of whom have younger kids, and have stayed at a beautiful complex called Turquoise.

The resort is comprised of two high-rise buildings (we were on the 12 floor this year) overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. It also has a gym, a restaurant and bar, indoor and outdoor pools, tennis courts and a lazy river. One member of our group does his best to not leave the Turquoise the entire time, and if that is what you are looking for, it is not difficult.

In the past, we have gone with three other couples, but this year, only two could attend. We booked the condo about two months out, for about $1,200/couple for three nights. Since our families are getting bigger, we went with a four bedroom, but could have squeezed into a three. The condos are fully furnished, with large bedrooms, bathrooms and living spaces. The wrap around balconies have grills and hot tubs, and are just as much a draw as anything else.

One of the main draws for us is that Orange Beach is less than four hours from New Orleans. Prior to leaving, we coordinate with our group on who is bringing what, in terms of food. We load up the car on Friday afternoon and get out of Dodge as fast as possible. Since this is a heavy travel time, we try to leave as early, but the tunnel at Mobile always gets backed up for about half an hour (if you are willing to cut in line, you can drive most of the way at a steady pace in the right lane and cut over in the last mile).

Once we arrive and unpack, we call down to the beach and reserve chairs and umbrellas. These go fast, so you want to book them early, as they are a must in terms of having a place to relax and stay cool by the water.

On Day 1, Friday, we spend a lot of time in the car and a lot time unpacking. We try to eat most of our meals in the condo, and when we do a three night trip with three couples, we try to each take responsibility for one night. On the first night, we ordered pizza, which is easy because every American likes pizza. You have to order early though, because it can sometimes take an hour and a half to get the food delivered.

After that, once it got dark, we took the kids down the boardwalk to the beach to go ghost crab hunting. The kids used to be scared to pick the little crustaceans up themselves, but the older kids, including JR and Eileen, have gotten adventurous enough to go for it themselves. They are fun to catch, and the kids love looking at them in the buckets, but we always let them go after a few minutes of captivity.

One Days 2, we ate breakfast in the condo and headed down to the beach. The sand in Gulf shores is soft and pure white, and really fun to play in. The water is clear, but not as clear as a place like Destin. It was also a bit jellyfish heavy this weekend, which made our kids a bit skittish. Frankly, anytime anything brushes against their leg in the ocean, they think its a jellyfish, but because of this, they usually only last an hour or two in the ocean at any given time.

Once they’d exhausted themselves, we headed up to the pool, where they played until lunch. The pool is great, as it never gets deeper than a few feet, so kids our age require minimal supervision. At noon, we ate a quick lunch in the condo, and then headed out to a nearby boat rental company called Happy Harbor.

One of the coolest features about Gulf Shores is that it features access to both the gulf and the bay. On the bay side, you can participate in all sorts of water sports. We rented a pontoon boat, which we were able to drive ourselves (with almost no experience) that had a slide coming off the back of it. The rental was $350 for four hours and was totally worth it.

We took the boat into the bay from the harbor to a restaurant/bar called Pirate’s Cove. It is only a few miles away by water, but it took us quite a while to get there. The motor on the boat was only 60 horsepower, so it felt like we were crawling, but we eventually made it.

Pirate’s Cove is a restaurant that you can dock at and get drinks, food, use a bathroom or just hang out. When we arrived, it was packed, to the point that we almost didn’t stay, but a boat pulled out right in front of us, so we sneaked in. Once we docked, several people got bushwhackers, a unique, Alabama, alcoholic milkshake, and the kids started using the slide.

The slide attracted a lot of attention, and by the time we left, a half dozen other kids, who were screened only by asking if their parents knew where they were and can they swim, had gone up and down several times. We stayed for about half an hour and then cruised back. This is a great way to add some variety to a beach heavy vacation, especially with the older kids.

That night, we grilled in the condo. We brought a few sausages, cubed cheese and crackers, as well as barbecue seasoning and sauce from the Bar-B-Q Shop in Memphis. For me, this is the best seasoning in the world, and when you grill a sausage, slice it thin, put it on a cracker with cheese, the sauce and the seasoning, there’s little that can go wrong. We also grilled steaks and had twice-baked potatoes. Making these nights in the condo an event helps to make the vacation seem more significant, it makes it seem like it lasts longer.

On Day 3, Sunday, we went down to the beach early again and this time, spent almost three hours playing in the ocean and building sand castles. Prior to coming to the beach, we bought a waterproof sling that allows you to go into the water with the baby, but still have access to both hands. This makes going into the ocean with an infant, and with young kids, a lot more manageable.

On Sunday, we decided to go out for lunch. In the past, we have gone to a place called The Gulf, which offers multiple vendors and great options for everyone, as well as waterfront views. This year we went to Cobalt, which has a big menu, solid food and really cool outdoor patio with views of the bay. While we like to eat most of our meals in the condo, going out once is a nice change of pace.

That afternoon, we went back to the beach and then back to pool. The complex offers sno-balls (or as non-New Orleanians call them, snow cones) poolside, and our kids took full advantage. That night, we had chips, queso and margaritas, and we made ground beef tacos.

We brought several games with us this trip, but never got to playing any, which is a good sign, as we were too busy with other adventures. I personally spent a lot of time reading on the balcony and reading on the beach, and for those of you that enjoy a book, this beach is a great option. In past years, we’ve done several other things, including taking the kids to an arcade or going to Lambert’s.

On the morning of Day 4, we usually get up early and make our way home. If we leave after 9, it can take hours to get out of Gulf Shores and through Mobile. The other option is to vacate the room at checkout time but stay at the pool for several hours. If you don’t leave early or you stay late, you end up spending hours in the car.

As an addendum, less than two week after our trip, Hurricane Sally hit Gulf Shores and devastated much of the area. We are hopeful that they will be able to regroup and rebuild, and that we will be able to go back next year for another amazing Labor Day.