Monteverde Coffee Farm Tour: Life Monteverde

Well, this post was a long time coming. Life is beginning to settle (a little) with my two kidlets. Avy is almost two and Parker is almost seven months old - I can hardly believe how fast they are growing! I am hoping that 2016 will see a return to our travels as the kids are now accustomed to each other, and both are quite good travelers, other than the fact that Avy gets car sick every now and then. I would relish any advice on car sickness in children, because I'd like to do a road trip this summer with them down into the United States to check out some parks.

Exploring the Monteverde Cloud Forest & Selvatura Adventure Park

For years I have wanted to visit the Monteverde Cloud Forest region in central Costa Rica. The first two times my husband and I traveled to Costa Rica, we explored the western coastal areas of the Guanacaste province, and then had an amazing trip to the Arenal volcano and the town of La Fortuna. Last November, however, my new little family of three was finally able to rent a car and drive up the crazy mountainside to the cloud forest for an unforgettable experience.

What to Expect on a Road Trip Around Costa Rica

Driving in a foreign country can often make travelers a little nervous. There are unspoken rules to the road, local expectations, and unknown laws that drivers need to become aware of before getting behind the wheel, and that can be intimidating. Of course, you can always just wing it and get in the car and drive (what we usually do, to be honest), but it can be helpful to read tips and tricks about foreign driving from other travelers to help guide you. (Or learn from local drivers, like we did on our road trip through Iceland.)

Bucket List Item: Introducing Baby to Costa Rica

Last month, my family ventured to Costa Rica for our first international family vacation. Flying was surprisingly easy, as I discussed in my last post (which was about a month ago - I have been very neglectful of this poor little blog!).  The rest of the trip was just as stress-free, for the most part. We LOVED introducing our beloved Costa Rica to our 10-month-old babe, Avy!

Foodie Bucket List: Costa Rican Cuisine

While I have no immediate travel plans, what with a four-month-old baby at home and my husband working hard to be the sole provider for his family, I will admit that I am secretly hoping we can swing a trip to Costa Rica this year.  My husband's father has a house down there, which is beautiful, and I feel like we are wasting it by not visiting (is that a good enough argument for my hubby, do you think?).

Visit Arenal Volcano in Costa Rica

There aren’t a lot of erupting volcanoes in the world, at least, ones that you can easily travel to without having to hike through a jungle or sail through an ocean for. That’s not to say I wouldn’t do those things: indeed, I’d jump at the chance to propel a boat around the South Pacific Ocean, or swing Tarzan-style on a vine.

However, this November I found a much easier way to cross this item off my bucket list. I traveled to Costa Rica and saw the Arenal Volcano, which wasn’t erupting plumes of ash or spewing steaming snakes of liquid lava, but was resplendent all the same. The volcano was smoking slightly, but for the time being, geologists are predicting Arenal will not be erupting anytime soon.

Go on a Zip Line in my Wedding Dress

Zip lining has always been something I wanted to try. I came close a few years ago when I helped to chaperone some students at their yearly Grade 5/6 Camp. Zip lining was listed as a team-building activity, and I was very excited to try... until I found out that I was required at the school that day and couldn't join the 5/6 students on the zip line. I'm still bitter about missing out on that opportunity. But I was able to make up for this disappointment... on my wedding day!

Get Married in Costa Rica on the Beach

I was never the type of child to dream about her wedding. I never dressed up as a bride, or cut out pictures of flowers and dresses. When I was 25, I worked at a museum that had a lovely viewing space, which was used for weddings.

Since the wedding planner at our building ironically didn't work weekends, I had the lovely job of using her notes to make sure the weddings were pulled off according to plan. After an entire summer of suffering through brides, the mothers of the bride, and drunken grooms and guests, I HATED weddings.