Tropical Travel Girl
The word is out about Sarasota, Florida, and other communities within Sarasota County! Its 40 miles of gorgeous Gulf of Mexico coastline and barrier islands or “keys” — Siesta Key, Longboat Key, Lido Key, Bird Key, Casey Key and Manasota Key — have been recognized again and again. Recent Honors and Accolades: Sarasota was chosen …
Every part of the Florida Gulf Coast has its own personality, its own vibe. After recently visiting the Bradenton area with a small group of travel writers, I can wholeheartedly embrace the tourism bureau’s tagline. “Real. Authentic. Florida.” Very few resorts have more than three stories; many are small and family owned. Rental homes and …
In a previous post, “Why I love islands: beachcombing (sand and shell collecting),” I shared how I became fascinated with combing the beaches for shells. Although I grew up in southern Indiana, far from an ocean, I became exposed to turquoise ocean waters and white, sandy beaches during multiple childhood vacations in Florida with my …
When you travel to a tropical island, do you drink the local beer or ask for a Bud Light? Do you make a beeline for the KFC or other American chain (on islands that have them) or ask where the locals go for lunch? Do you do as the islanders do, or avoid any deviation …
Ah, Bora Bora! Tales of the South Pacific author James Michener called Bora Bora “the most beautiful island in the world,” and I heartily agree. It had been seven years since my first visit to this small island (less than 12 square miles) dominated by two volcanic peaks — Mount Otemanu and Mount Pahia — …
After a day at sea, we reached our first port within the Society Islands group — Taha’a, the Vanilla Island. Following an island tour, we spent the afternoon on on Motu Mahaea, a private island where we could swim, snorkel and relax…
Rangiroa, the largest atoll in the Tuamotus chain and one of the largest in the world, had been on my radar for more than two decades…and now we had arrived!
Fakarava was the first port of call on our Windstar 10-day Tahiti-Tuamotus cruise. It is the second largest atoll in the Tuamotus and has been designated a Biosphere reserve by UNESCO.
Yes, my home state of Indiana has beaches! My article on the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and State Park entitled “Beaches and Beyond,” which showcases the beauty of Lake Michigan’s shoreline, was published in the Hoosier edition of AAA Home & Away magazine’s July/August 2017 issue. In the future, I’ll be adding a Destination Page …
Wide beaches and wild horses await visitors to North Carolina’s Cape Lookout National Seashore, covering more than 50 miles on three undeveloped barrier islands off its central shore.
For those of us who love to travel, looking back at the memories we’ve made in places outside our home territory is a way to extend the pleasure of the experiences we’ve had. It also helps to reinvigorate the sense of wanderlust we feel for seeking out new destinations to explore in the year to come. I hope you’ll enjoy this retrospective of my travels in the past year.
It’s not every day that you get to walk the beach with a “shellebrity.” Pam Rambo, shelling expert extraordinaire, based on Sanibel Island, Florida, graciously agreed to meet up with me, along with my husband, Stephen, when we were on vacation in Sanibel in early January.
Beachcombing is one of my favorite beach activities. Since childhood vacations in Florida with my family, I have been fascinated with shells. Not long ago, I removed…