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Five Favorite Adventures in the Caribbean, Tubing the White River, Jamaica

Another Monday, another foot of snow in Boston. With blustery winds and low temperatures to continue throughout the week. I need warm memories of the Caribbean to cheer me up. This week, I’ll be divulging my favorite adventures in the islands. First up, tubing in Jamaica. High in the hills above Ocho Rios, the water of the mountainous White River is cool and as clear as gin. Guides sing Bob Marley songs as you flow with the slow-moving current. Or listen to the high-pitched call of the yellow banana quit bird and peer out at the green mosaic of ferns, banana trees, and thickets of bamboo that climb the banks of this sinuous waterway like ivy climbs a wall. White River tubing is one of the many adventures offered by the reputable Jamaican outfitter, Chukka Caribbean Adventures. 

 

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Top 25 Bike Sharing Programs

I’ve been a big fan of Hubway, Boston’s bike-sharing program since it started in 2011. I also love the opportunity to jump on a bike in other cities, especially after taking a bike tour with a local. So I was pleased to see Biking Expert’s list of top 25 bike sharing programs, where Boston ranks 4th, the top city in America. Surprised to see Moscow so high at number three. Not surprised to see Montreal on the list since they implemented one of the first bike sharing programs in a city. 

 
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Spring Training Vacations

The Red Sox debuted their new spring training stadium in Fort Myers this week as the baseball season starts up again. Not only does the stadium have its own version of the Green Monster, but the facility can hold up to 11,000 fans. For families who have a passion for our national pastime, spring training is the ideal time to see your favorite players at their pre-season best, willing to sign autographs and meet the fans and not feeling the pressure of a mid-season slump. You can watch players like Derek Jeter take morning batting practice in settings so intimate it feels as if he could just as easily be at your neighborhood ball field. If you’re interested in planning your spring break around spring training, check out my article at FamilyVacationCritic.

 

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Top 5 Wildlife Viewing Experiences, Phillip Island, Australia

There’s nothing quite as magical as watching over 1,000 wild and cute Little Penguins emerge from the water after a day of feeding as the sun sets over Phillip Island, just south of Melbourne. The children wait not-so-patiently on the shores, squawking their heads off and wanting to eat. Then, right around dusk, the mom and dad penguins can start to be seen atop the waves and soon are waddling on the shore. How they find their young in this nightly chaos is miraculous. But they do and they regurgitate their food into the mouths of the hungry children for a nightly meal to remember.
 

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My Rap on Yap

Writing about Palau yesterday reminded me of a story I once wrote for Continental’s inflight magazine on “8 Great Places You’ve Never Heard Of.” The main body of the story was on Yap. Smack dab in the middle of Micronesia, between Palau and Guam, Yap is known only to World War II history buffs and scuba enthusiasts. Large numbers of manta rays live in the crystalline 83-degree water offshore. Anchor at the edge of the M’il Channel and these graceful creatures will soon be hovering above your head, stretching up to 12 feet from wing to wing.

 
What those oxygen-tank junkies fail to notice is that terra firma is just as intriguing as the sea. The 12,000 or so Yapese still use stone money; massive disks with circles through the middle are littered about the island, leaning up against thatched huts. The islanders are also fond of chewing betel nut. Toddlers to grandmothers spit out the red juice, making the roads look like scenes from a gory thriller. For visitors, sliced papaya and coconut is a tastier alternative. 
 
Stone paths weave through jungles of hibiscus, wild taro, and bamboo. If you’re fortunate, you’ll be able to catch a traditional Yapese dance, where locals use bamboo sticks as a form of storytelling. Masks and other hand-carved objects created from hibiscus, coral limestone, and, yes, the spines of manta rays are on display at the Ethnic Art Institute of Micronesia. Ultimately, it is nature that beckons. Whether scuba diving or guiding a kayak through the lush mangrove forest to view fairy terns, this exotic locale nestled deep in the Pacific will leave you enchanted. Just keep it a secret.  
 
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BodyScience at St. Lucia’s BodyHoliday

I had the pleasure of meeting Andrew Barnard last night at an event in Boston. His family has owned the BodyHoliday and Rendezvous resorts on St. Lucia for 50 years. Barnard, an endurance runner, was experiencing gastrointestinal problems on his runs until he consulted a doctor at BodyHoliday who did a detailed analysis of his health, only to discover that he had a severe allergy to eggs. Avoiding eggs these past two years, Barnard told me that he feels better than ever. Now he’s helping his guests. In 2014, BodyHoliday implemented a BodyScience program that combines western medicine with the Indian practices of Ayurveda. Complete a detailed questionnaire at home and send it back to BodyHolday along with DNA samples. Once onsite, each BodyScience guest consults one-on-one with a physician who tests heart rate, blood pressure, body fat, lung capacity, sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system, cardio and arterial fitness, hormone levels, and food allergens. Based on the results, BodyScience doctors will provide a unique nutrition and lifestyle plan to help the body handle stress and reduce the risk of chronic disease. Already a leader in the field of active lifestyle resorts, it seems like BodyHoliday is now setting the bar even higher with this wellness initiative. 

 
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Walk the Freedom Trail in Boston with the Histrionic Academy

May is my favorite month to be in Boston, which is why I just returned from Miami and I’m leaving for Bermuda, DC, and Watch Hill, Rhode Island in the next couple weeks. Go figure? I love the tulips in bloom at the Public Garden and the small of budding flowers and trees after a fresh rain. Several weeks back, my wife’s cousin and her family were in town and we took them on the Freedom Trail, the three-mile walking route that guides you to the most famous historic sites in the city. Toss your map in the garbage and simply follow the red line that takes you the Granary Burying Ground, the final resting spot for Paul Revere, before venturing to Paul Revere’s house in the North End.

This time, however, we booked a tour with the Histrionic Academy and followed a local historian in colonial garb as he taught me a thing or two about a trail I’ve written about ad nauseum. For example, the little hill I always pass in the Boston Common once was home to a large elm tree that was a popular venue for public hangings in mid-17th century. At the Granary, we stopped to salute the great garrison of the colonial era, James Otis, who coined the now famous phrase, “Taxation without Representation is Tyranny.” A brilliant orator, we learned from our guide that he fought passionately against the “writs of assistance,” which allowed the British to enter any colonist’s home without reason. I love learning something new about your hometown, even when you think you know it all.
 

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