** This post is sponsored by Discover Boating but the content and opinions expressed here are my own. I have shared quite frequently that I love being on or near water. Turns out I am not alone in that: 142 million Americans go boating each year, according to the National Marine Manufacturers Association. And summer is the best time to spend on a boat! There's just something so relaxing about ... Read more
Whale Watching Plus Snorkeling With Dolphins and Manta Rays in Hawaii
Somehow we tend to luck out when booking tours on vacation. We have at several times arrived to discover we are the only people with reservations, meaning we essential get a private outing! This is what happened with our whale watching tour through Kona Ocean Adventures. I was expecting a small group of six, including us, but we were pleasantly surprised! In addition to seeing lava, I really ... Read more
Toronto and Niagara Falls Trip Tidbits
I already recapped the highlights of our Canada summer road trip, but I left out three more tidbits I wanted to share about our trip. We found that we needed much more time to really experience Toronto and Niagara Falls, but we are glad we visited when we could! We were starving when we arrived in Toronto, but we had not made any reservations for lunch. Many restaurants around the harborfront ... Read more
Niagara Falls: Day and Night Cruises
Hands down the most fun we had on our Canada trip was on the Hornblower cruises to Niagara Falls. Our 3-year-old hasn't stopped talking about it and I know she will not soon forget the memories we made. I purchased the day and night cruise package, which includes a 40-minute fireworks cruise that started at 9:30 p.m. and a 20-minute Voyage to the Falls day cruise. When I bought the tickets ... Read more
Chicago Summer Goal: Get on the Water
I have always felt a connection to the water and boating. My grandfather was a fishing boat captain in Mexico for many years. I remember visiting him on the boat during summer vacations and loving every minute of it. Now, boat is still accessible to me via Discover Boating's Get on the Water tool, which shows boat classes, charters and rentals in my area, as well as around the ... Read more
Chicago Water Taxi Ride
One of my Chicago bucket list items was to cruise on the water taxi. For native Chicagoans, this is probably a yawn, but I'm a newbie and I want to do everything. Charlsy was still in town after we returned from our weekend in Kentucky for Thunder Over Louisville, so we decided to take a ride to Chinatown to kill some time. To get to the water-taxi stop, go to the Wrigley building and walk down ... Read more
Tortuga Lodge, Tortuguero, Costa Rica
Our first stop in Costa Rica after flying into San Jose was Tortuga Lodge in Tortuguero. It's a village on the Caribbean side of the country that is known for the turtles who nest and hatch on its beaches. The village is only accessible by boat or plane. Our options were to rent a car, drive to a nearby village and take a boat, or we could take a 30-minute $90 flight (for both of us) to ... Read more