Category Archives: attraction

Back to John Pennekamp Coral Reef Park

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Back to John Pennekamp Coral Reef Park

Back to the Park

The whole purpose of my trip to Key Largo was to see the reef at John Pennekamp Park so it was only reasonable to go back to the park after lunch. My receipt got me right in. I still had all my snorkel gear. When you rent it you rent it for the day so I thought about an afternoon snorkel. My feet were still hurting from the morning adventure on the coral so I decided I’d check out the visitor center first.Back to the Park

Environmental Education and Visitor Center

The Visitor center was refreshingly cool. As I walked in I saw a theater that was running a continuous loop of film. One of the other visitors was just leaving and he told me I had perfect timing. The loop was just starting again. That was good enough for me. I popped into the theater and made myself comfortable.The underwater photography was beautiful but the message was a serious one. The movie was about an hour long and it was about the conservation of the seas. It followed the life cycles of the tiniest creatures  ending with the mammals. It was very worthwhile. Throughout the movie people came and went. Too bad they didn’t sit through to the end.

Back to John Pennekamp Coral Reef Park30,000 Gallon Saltwater Aquarium

The main feature of the visitor center was the 30,000 gal aquarium.  The aquarium was filled with native fish. Kind of a sneak preview of what you could see on the reef.  Smaller aquariums featured different reef animals including my lunch, the Florida (spiny) lobster.

Back to the Park

 

If you go

The park is open daily from 8:00 a.m. until sunset but parking can fill up early. All park buildings including the Concession Building and Visitor Center are open 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

All visitors are required to pay an entrance fee:
$8.00* per vehicle. Limit 2-8 people per vehicle.
$2.00* Pedestrians, bicyclists, extra passengers, passengers in vehicle with holder of Annual Individual Entrance Pass.
$4.00* Single-occupant vehicle or motorcycle.
*Plus $.50 per person Monroe County Surcharge.

 

Last Vacation of 2018

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Last Chance Vacation

Before my hip surgery I planned on a last fling. After all, I had no idea how long I’d be laid up after the hip replacement. So it was off to Virginia to visit Busch Gardens and Colonial Williamsburg. I was joined on this last excursion by my sister Sandy and my friend Joe from Florida. We settled in at Historic Powhatan Resort. 

The accommodations were excellent, well appointed and comfortable. We even had a gas fireplace.

Ambiance with the push of a button!

The First Order of Business- Food!

The first day is always a travel day. Arrive get settled and find a grocery store or restaurant. We were lucky this time. There was a wonderful little grill right on the grounds. We wasted no time in checking out the food selections.

The Powhatan Bar & Grill is a cozy little restaurant geared to casual dining. Typical pub food fills the menu. The staff were so much fun we found ourselves returning regularly throughout our trip as much for the friendly waitstaff as for the food. 

Day Two- Scooter Rental

Recognizing my mobility issues I’d made advance reservations to have an electric scooter delivered to the resort. It was brought out and dropped off with no problems. I was given a thorough briefing on how to use it and how to charge the battery each night. It was small enough to fit in the back of the rental SUV so I figured we were all set. Joe had joined us by now so we were ready to begin exploring. First on our list was Busch Gardens. They were boasting a light display to beat or at least rival Disney World in Orlando. Since Joe works at Disney we had a solid reason to check it out.

Cold Night Ahead

Even though we were south of Massachusetts the weather was cold and to see the lights we would be out after dark. We bundled up but it was much colder than we expected! I was told to expect a lot of hills but if this were a novel that comment would be called foreshadowing of what was to come!

 

 

Fort McClary

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Tough to Say No

Joe is only up from Florida for the summer. He was really anxious to get together but he isn’t one to be satisfied with a quick lunch or dinner. Joe really wanted to DO SOMETHING, or GO SOMEWHERE. I am acutely aware of my limitations these days and was very much afraid that if we headed out for adventure that I’d not be able to keep up.  We finally agreed to meet at his sister’s restaurant in Haverhill; Raff’s Cafe.

Exploring the New Hampshire Coast

After a pleasant breakfast at Raff’s cafe we headed out to see what we could see. I was doing the driving. It wasn’t log before Joe spotted a Wildlife sanctuary that he wanted to explore. I agreed to stop but didn’t get far on the uneven trail. Joe and camera went on ahead while I found a trailside bench to sit and wait. The day was gray and overcast with a brisk wind. It got quite chilly waiting for Joe to return from his explorations. I wonder if I could find this again once I have my new hips?

Fort McClary

We continued our leisurely drive winding through downtown Portsmouth only find ourselves crossing into Maine. In Kittery we saw a turnoff for Fort McClary and decided to stop. https://www.mainetrailfinder.com/trails/trail/fort-mcclary-state-historic-site

The grounds are small but there were some nice views. We wandered around taking pictures of the ocean and the old cannons. The block house stood silently watching. 

As we were wrapping up our bit of exploring we stopped to chat with two men that were at the entrance. One appeared to be Amish based on his clothing and beard the other was dressed in vintage closing and carried a black powder rifle. The gentleman with the rifle offer to give us a demonstration. Since it was very damp he said he hoped his powder was dry. He didn’t need to worry. The shot went off without a hitch. Loud and spitting flames! When it was over he let me hold his rifle. That thing is heavy! And almost as long as I am tall! 

Iao State Park

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Iao Valley State Monument

Before I tell you about Iao Valley I want to say I am sorry this post is a little late.  Here on the East Coast we’re getting hammered with high winds, power outages and coastal flooding. But if my internet manages to stay on I’m going to get this post out to you tonight. 

Maui Mountains

The beautiful rain forest valley of Iao was designated a National Natural Monument in 1972.  The area is steeped in Sacred Traditions and Hawaiian History. I’ve wanted to visit the “Needle” ever since I saw a photo of the unique landscape. But thanks to the rainforest environment the roads were closed due to mud slides on my last 3 visits.

Iao ValleyThe Hawaiian Gods of the Valley

The Hawaiian God Kane is considered to be the procreator and the provider of life. Kāne is one of the four main gods in ka hoʻomana kahiko, traditional Hawaiian religion. The Iao Valley is one of the wettest locations on Maui so it is a perfect home for Kane. Native Hawaiian’s associate Kane with rain, fresh water, streams and springs. As early as the 15th century the valley was a royal burial ground.

The Great BattleIao Stream

The Battle of Kepaniwai took place there, in which Kamehameha the Great defeated Kalanikūpule and the Maui army during his campaign to unify the islands. . The battle was so bloody that dead bodies blocked Iao Stream. That must have been very distressing to the God Kane.

 

 

The Needle

The Nedle

The landmark “Needle” at the mouth of the valley is a volcanic core. In ancient times the Needle was used as an altar to worship the ocean god, Kanaloa.  The Iao Needle is actually the end of a ridge that leads to the West Maui Mountains. It only looks like a like free standing point because of the angle that you see the stone.

If You Go

The park is easy to find. There’s limited parking and a $5.00 entrance fee. there’s a well marked pedestrian path. Rest Rooms are available.