Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico offers a captivating mix of culture, cuisine, history, ecotourism, and tropical hedonism--all within the convenient U.S. of A. Strolling the winding streets of Old San Juan, you take in beautiful colonial architecture, sea views over the fortress walls, and delicious dining (mofongo!). We particularly liked Parrot Club, and Tantra had an innovative Indo-Puerto Rican fusion menu. Grab a rum drink while you relax on one of the wide, beautiful beaches just outside of the old city, and the more adventurous can night-kayak through a bioluminescent bay, zip line through the jungle, swim in a waterfall, or explore an underground river in a giant bat-filled cave (yes, we did all of those things--thanks hubby!)

Wine Tasting in Sonoma Valley

We finally decided to take my Aunt Kathy up on her longstanding offer to show us the best that California Wine Country has to offer. Sonoma certainly did not disappoint. We made the most of a full Monday of wine tasting and had all the tasting rooms to ourselves. The small, intimate wineries were a fantastic backdrop for consistently delicious wines (as a local, Kathy knows all the best spots--and everyone knows her!) We especially enjoyed Soda Rock and Hawkes, but Williamson was the best of all--they had a great selection of small plates to complement the wines and friendly Australian winemaker/owners who joined us for lunch. 

Adventures Down Under Part 7 - New South Wales

Our final Australian adventure was a road trip through New South Wales. We spent a day wine tasting in the Hunter Valley, which is famous for its wonderful Semillon. The Sebel Kirketon Park served as an elegant home base in the Hunter, and we had one of the best meals of our entire trip in the hotel restaurant. We especially loved Ivanhoe vineyards and the very knowledgeable sommelier there. For a break from the wine, we sampled the delicious wares at an olive oil shop. From the Hunter we moved on to gorgeous, mystical Katoomba and the Seven Sisters rock formation (only three are still standing!)