Our Travels – Page 2 – traveling4family

January 7, 2021January 12, 2021

Revisiting Scuba-Stu

Meggie and Liam ready for their first open water dive at Leadbetter Beach, Santa Barbara, CA.

Many times in my life I have had to literally force my mouth to stay closed while my wife’s fingers dig into my arm to prevent me from interfering with something that is not under my control. Never more so than now as a dad watching my kids learn how to negotiate the new skill of scuba diving. This past weekend was the culmination of several months of online training; pool sessions (not easy during a pandemic lockdown, I might add); a successful, if murky beach dive; and now the holy grail for a new diver: The legendary open water checkout dives from a real dive boat. Incredibly, both my 13 and 16 year old kids took on the challenge and became certified with flying colors.

Chuck Schonder, a local veteran scuba instructor for NAUI, risked developing grey hair by taking on the job of turning my swimmers into divers along with 2 friends, and it was with equal measures of excitement and nervousness that we found ourselves gearing up for the first dive of the day aboard the dive boat, Spectre. Thankfully, this make up day out near the east end of Santa Cruz Island, part of the Channel Islands National Park in California, was sunny and calm with just a light wind and better than hoped for visibility (a solid 45-50 feet). Our prior attempt had been cancelled as something akin to a force 10 hurricane had descended on the Santa Barbara Channel creating 11-15 foot wind waves and virtually plucking the very feathers from surprised seagulls. Not so this day. Even better, the anticipated heavy west swell had failed to materialize meaning that my guys wouldn’t have to battle nausea along with the demands of donning and using heavy scuba gear. I was also secretly pleased that due to the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, the Spectre was operating at 50% capacity so I wouldn’t have to worry about anyone in my group turning around awkwardly with their BCD and air tank knocking someone over on a crowded deck. Of course, the offender would most likely be me, but I saw no reason to share this information…

Soon enough, my kids were briefed, dressed for immersion in the chilly 56 degree water, and lined up behind Chuck ready to take the plunge into a completely different world than they’d experienced during their brief time on the planet. They’d done it all with minimal help and progressed through their checklists and prep together as a buddy pair-all I was allowed to do with my years of experience and know-how was to pull up a hard to reach zipper on my daughter’s wetsuit. In fact, soon after my valuable contribution, I discovered that my own arms had shrunk a foot or so in length and that I too needed help reaching my wetsuit zipper. So much for experience. One by one my friend Jason’s kids and my own followed their instructor off the swim step at the stern of the boat into dazzling blue water. Jason and I followed as we were allowed to trail the group serving as an extra pair of eyes and not as co-instructors (I could almost feel my wife’s fingers on my arm as I agreed to the directions). Without any fuss each student signaled the divemaster that they were okay and grouped up by the anchor line. My kids signalled to me more subtly that they were fine, and that I could, well, go now, Dad. Jason and I buddied up and with a short blast of air from our BCD’s swam down to the bottom clearly visible 30 feet or so below to distract ourselves on this momentous occasion and watch the action while satisfying our own desire for exploration.

This dive, and the 2 subsequent ones, were notable for the clear water, thick shady kelp beds attached to large and interesting rock formations looking for all the world like an ancient sunken city lit by laser beams of golden sunlight through the waving fronds, and of course the diversity of wildlife. Sometimes called the Galapagos of North America due to the explosion of creatures thriving in isolation, the CINP boasts clear water teeming with fish, invertebrates, and marine mammals such as seals and sealions. We saw dozens of species of fish including calico bass, wrass, whitefish, opaleye, gobies, the obscenely orange garibaldis that lord it over other duller species while fiercely guarding their territory, and ever-present hopeful sheepshead that have learned divers will sometimes sacrifice an urchin with their knives to tempt fish in front of camera lenses. We saw octopus, nudibranchs, sea cucumbers, lobster, and the largest sea hares I’ve ever encountered clustered together in a colony (or orgy, as Jason succinctly put it).

My kids brought a fresh perception to this old favorite activity of mine and I found myself watching them as they explored the deep as much as the wildlife swirling and lurking around me. I discovered that they had become adults somewhere along the way during their training and was surprised by the depth and complexity of their observations as well as their burgeoning self-reliance. Later, while discussing this change with my wife, we permitted ourselves a pat on the back for providing our kids this opportunity for personal growth as there is truly nowhere to hide when entering this wild and fluid environment: by its very nature, the ocean is a true wilderness and there is no taming it. Divers here at the CINP have to deal with extremes of cold water, weather, tough sea conditions and wearing thick gloves, hoods, booties, and wetsuits to delay exposure to debilitating cold. All of this takes good mental and emotional control and solid skills, and I’m proud to say that my kids demonstrated this and loved every minute of the experience. In fact, we are all excitedly planning our next foray to explore more of the Channel Islands National Park.

Note: The Channel Islands National Park comprises 5 islands located between 11 and 20 miles or so off the Ventura and Santa Barbara coastline. It was formed in 1980 and provides many opportunities for diving, kayaking, snorkeling, hiking, and camping. To find out more visit their website:

CINP

Several dive boats operate in the CINP out of Ventura Harbor. We chose the Spectre and you can book a trip via their website: Dive Boat Spectre

If you would like to spend the day or camp out on the islands themselves, Island Packers runs daily trips as well as whale and bird watching cruises and much more. You can find out more at their website link here: Island Packers

For kayak rentals and kayak tours visit Channel Islands Kayak Center or Santa Barbara Adventure Company

Underwater scene at CINP-Photo: Brook Peterson (waterdogphotography.com)

Dive boat Spectre passing Island Packer’s Island Explorer at Anacapa Island. Photo: Stu

July 11, 2019July 12, 2019

Amsterdam-Robyn

24 years ago, in the summer following my college graduation, I enrolled in a summer course with the experimental theater department through the University of Amsterdam. It was a transformative experience, especially as it was my first time living abroad. A treasured memory was all the time I was able to spend at Vondelpark. I was excited to share this special place within this fascinating city with my family. When we arrived in Amsterdam, I struggled with how much had changed in 24 years. However, I was adamant about taking my family through this beautiful park and once there, the memories from all those years ago came flooding back. Peace

July 10, 2019

Amsterdam, Netherlands-Stu

Saturday evening during the summer in Amsterdam is a fun place to find yourself, especially if you have a somewhat swanky hotel to return to when hot and footsore. We’d decided to book a room at the Doubletree Hotel perched as it is between the train station and the cruise ship terminal and adjacent to the old town of Amsterdam-a short walk everywhere, in other words. The old town area hosts the infamous redlight district which proved to be more understated than I’d thought it would be; nice when you’re traveling with kids. We’d previously explained the accepting nature of Amsterdam to our two, but our tour guide from the Freedamtour did a much better job than we did incorporating much history into the modern day version of the city. As it turned out, the bars and coffee shops were much livelier filled with seemingly every Brit the UK had spare. The aromas of good food, beer, cigarettes, and certain natural ‘herb’ products competed in the hot sun of the lively streets parallel to the tranquil canals and the cool shade of narrow intriguing alleyways. A myriad of boats cruised the miles of canals: tour boats, beer boats, bachelorette parties, and locals enjoying the sights from their own smaller craft.

As the day wore on and the temperature rose to the mid 90’s, we enjoyed the cooler air of indoor cafes and the amazing Anne Frank museum (a must see). The combination of old-world history from medieval times through the ages to the present day life of the city was wonderful to experience. When we finally staggered back to our hotel and enjoyed the free hors d’oeuvres, deserts, and drinks, the banks of Amstel River was teeming with overheated young people doing what they do best when filled with the delights of the city in high summer temperatures-namely hurling themselves off the dock into the questionable yet cool water. What a great day!

Before we left the city, we took a canal tour with the Lover tour group which was excellent; toured several open-air markets; enjoyed a neighborhood summer block party (checked off the pommes-frites with mayonnaise and a welcome Heineken beer); and visited Vondelpark, the last being one of the places Robyn remembered from a summer dance class 24 years previously. We logged many miles in this lovely city and enjoyed every one of them.

July 9, 2019July 10, 2019

Amsterdam-The Netherlands: Liam and Meggie

Holland

On the days before our cruise we spent some time in the very lively city of Amsterdam. In comparison to the very quiet and peaceful way of life that we became used to in Finland, this was quite a shock to us all. There was so much going on and while we sort of hate to admit it, Amsterdam was the perfect place for people watching – don’t lie, we know you do it too. Similar to a lot of cities in Europe, although most weren’t to this extent, Amsterdam’s most common architecture was from hundreds of years ago. We visited many must-to destinations, but nothing was really as important to our family as the Anne Frank museum. Hearing her story as well as visiting the very rooms her family and four others hid in during the Holocaust was very moving and powerful. We both agree that it was overwhelmingly horrible for someone our age, who had she been born in our time period could have easily have been friends with, went through unspeakable events.

July 9, 2019

Norway

Norway

The first thing we want to say was that Norway is extremely beautiful, think of where perhaps a fairy or some other mythical creature would live, we can promise you that you’ve just thought of the gorgeous forests in Norway. It’s probably clear to say that a family favourite activity of ours was to go on hikes outside of each city we briefly visited while on our trip. The crystal clear fjords were surprisingly deep and so magical to see in real life (this is where we came up with the fairy reference). We started our trip by visiting the capital of Norway, Oslo, which while it was crowded had a very calm vibe. In contrast, another town we visited was a seaside town called Eidfjord in the famous Hardanger Fjord with only 1,000 residents. As we worked our way up the country we discovered that we didn’t see ourselves as tourists, rather touring the country instead. It was confusing to understand how we all felt this way – separate from the other “tourists”. Perhaps it’s because we didn’t want to be associated with the loud, overly dressed, fannypack wearing people (whose only interaction with the country are organized excursions) that we went on the cruise with. Although to an outsider, they probably wouldn’t recognize any difference between these tourists and our family.

Cruise

The cruise was an experience we never really pictured our family partaking in. From the all-you-can eat buffets, the fancy pools, the special entertainment, and the fine dining, we couldn’t believe how everything was already planned out and ready for us. A traveler’s dream come true. Even with all the activities available, one of our favourite things to do on the ship was find a comfy place with a beautiful view of the ocean to just sit, relax, and read. Our average day often started with waking up early for a work out in the gym then meeting for breakfast (although it was hard, we made healthy choices so we could have a treat at the end of the day if we so craved). There were plenty of games for our family to play including shuffleboard and ping pong. The cruise was a great way to end our long trip with relaxation, and overall a stress-free and fun environment.

June 18, 2019

St. Petersburg, Russia-Stu

There are times when it is sensible to follow the path of least resistance and make life easy even if it goes against our typical down and dirty rough-style of travel. I’m talking about taking a tour. Our destination: St. Petersburg, Russia. After a lot of research both online and anecdotal from other visitors, we realized that taking an overnight ferry and booking a tour through them provides a 72-hour visa free visit along with all the entry and departure cards provided. Best of all the tour guide waits to collect you the other side of the rather intimidating customs. This sounded good for a first foray.

We booked our trip via Moby/St. Peter Line on on the SS Anastasia, a jauntily painted ferry that boasts 8 decks, entertainment, a great breakfast and dinner buffet with self-serve beer and wine, duty free shop and movies. There was even a wonderful sauna/gym/pool area on the lowest deck. There were many different nationalities represented on board and we were not surprised that many of them have very different expectations regarding waiting in line for tickets or buffets, etc. By this I mean they won’t. Still, Finland has taught me patience and this won through in the end (along with strategic body positioning). We all enjoyed the buffet food and liked to taste local delicacies such as caviar and a multitude of fish dishes.

Entering any country by water is a real treat for me, and I was struck by the amount of lush green foliage that adorned the breakwater of St. Petersburg harbor. This soon gave way to a huge and rather grim industrial area that was impressive in part because of its extent, but also because of the diversity of the vessels being loaded or unloaded in the many broad channels. We’d traded our tour cards for actual tickets on board and were shepherded down several corridors cutting ahead of the rest of the passengers waiting to disembark eventually finding ourselves almost first in line for customs. Although I was expecting stern visages and probing questions as many others have experienced, including a man in front of a friend of mine being suddenly taken away on their visit, my customs officers were quite friendly.

Our tour guide was a teacher and part time employee of the Hermitage Museum and gave us a very good tour of the city on a comfortable, modern coach. She warned us about pickpockets at every stop, but none of us had any difficulties. We did witness a three person hand off of something while returning to the bus at the square in front of Isaac’s Cathedral. The whole situation was a little dodgy and as I was with my family and did not see any police officers anywhere, I decided to keep quiet. Other stops included St. Andrews Church, the Church of the Bloodletting, the good luck sphinxes and griffons by the river, and a tourist trap that sold chachkis after giving out free vodka (it was actually tasty). By far the best part though was the huge Hermitage Museum which is part of and adjacent to Catherine the Great’s Winter Palace. With around 3 million art exhibits, it is a true wonder and a major stop in the city. Get there early though as it is always busy. The city itself was surprising as architecturally it could have been Copenhagen or even Stockholm, not the grim communist block decor I was naively expecting.

Exhausted by the long day, back on board Robyn and I had a celebratory vodka. Later we returned the waves of excited children leaning out of the tall run-down tenement buildings that huddle near the harbor entrance and to the folks fishing along the breakwater as our floating behemoth slid past. It was a strangely moving experience as it provided a human aspect counterpoint to our day filled with the overbearing luxurious indulgence of monarchs. Our guide had told us that there are thousands of communal apartments in St. Petersburg; places where up to half a dozen families share a single kitchen and bathroom. Yet even though the people waving to us appeared happy and content, I wondered what life must be like in this modern Russia.

Note: St. Petersburg has the reputation of being ground zero for identity theft, as well as having a pickpocket problem. It is advisable to take a tour or if out touring alone, to make sure of sticking to main streets. Customs can be a challenge, even without a visa because of the tour, we still needed a landing and departure card as well as another permit. Restaurants and stores take credit cards, but it is advisable to use cash (rubles are the main currency, although fellow passengers said that they used euros and even dollars). One ruble equals about 14 U.S. cents. Cell phones should be on airplane mode and have cellular and data turned off to prevent identity theft.

June 17, 2019June 18, 2019

The Russian Experience-Meggie

My family’s most recent trip was to Russia. It was a very memorable trip filled with interesting and incredible experiences, and some funny moments that I’m sure to never forget.

We were forewarned before our trip that there was an extensive amount of pic-pockets and other small organized crime such as identity theft that we should be aware of. We all had to turn off our cellular data and put our phones on airplane mode. We decided it was safest for us to go on a tour that provided a safe way to travel and learn about the history of the city we went to St. Petersburg. It was especially memorable due to the extravagant beauty of the buildings and the intense history. It was interesting to learn about the place where some of my ancestors came from and what happened in history around the time that they left for the United States.

One funny moment was when I was waiting in line behind this elderly lady. Up came a man who tried to cut her place in line (this was nothing unusual as my family found out throughout the trip). However, this particular elderly lady would have none of it and she very dramatically raised her hand and slapped him on his arm. He surrendered and returned to the back of the line shamefaced.

June 17, 2019June 18, 2019

Trip to Russia-Blog by Liam

As you read in the title, the past few days have been spent in Russia. My mom really wanted to go and just see and come back. We booked a ferry there and a bus tour of the city. By doing this I was able to learn the history of the city and its composition. We do not usually go on tours because as I figured out that it is almost like going to a zoo- just sitting on a bus looking out at the “strange people” exhibits, and getting off to take pictures (which you can find online). We also visited museums (although I can see why people like them). The overnight on the ferry was interesting and a fun experience. I liked walking around the ship and being on a huge structure. The food was very good, and it was nice to have reliable meal times. It was different to be around more outgoing Russians rather than the introverted Finns.

Anyways, I had a lot of fun and it was nice to be near the ocean again.

April 28, 2019

Costa Rica: Chilamate and Sarapique-Rafting Time-Stu

A calmer stretch of the Sarapiqui River-photo courtesy of keywordteam.net

We saw lovely countryside as we wove this way and that along the serpentine 2-lane roads (thankfully paved). It was great to see the difference in the towns and landscape we passed through which became markedly more tropical as we came down from the mountains. There were also smaller villages interspersed with small fields of crops or the occasional grazing horse. We eventually arrived at the delightful Malibu Cabanas Bed and Breakfast in Chilamate just outside Sarapique. The owners spoke very little English which gave me yet more opportunity to mangle Spanish. There was a local soda nearby on the main road that they recommended for al muerzo, and as we were all famished, we decided to take their advice. So glad we did-the food was exceptional and so much of it! We agreed that in future, we would only order two meals to feed us if we splurged at one of these roadside cafes that are universally called Typical Soda.

After eating, we drove a few kilometers to the Sarapique Outdoor Center to check and see if the recommendation made by our B&B host was another hit. When we walked in, the guy behind the counter said, “Stu?” I was surprised for a moment until I realized that our our kind host had called ahead and set up a river rafting tour for us in case we liked the place. We got the basic details from a guy by the name of Miguel who was manning the desk. He offered to show us the Sarapique Rio itself which was a short walk across the tributary out back. It’s a great looking river, the kind that just makes you want to jump in a raft or canoe and start exploring. Miguel pointed to his blue shirt shirt and asked if we wanted to see. I guessed he either wanted to show us the actual blue and red poison arrow frog pictured on his shirt or sell us a shirt. Turns out the frogs live all around, so we started looking. Robyn was the first to locate one. Super cute little guy about an inch long with a bright red top half and blue legs. Miguel pointed and said, “Blue jean frog.” very apt, I thought. As they were poisonous, we had to remind Meg not to touch as she was already maneuvering to pick it up…We agreed to a trip, and then left to go to the supermercado (what a treat: they had lots of choices of food in a real supermarket) to get provisions for the next day of what we hoped would be fun on the river.

Our guide on the Sarapiqui Rio the next day was a guy by the name of Roberto. He was extremely knowledgeable about the abundant local plants and wildlife having grown up the area. He’d traveled abroad, but could not face being away from the jungle. He lives with his brother and travels to work on foot on forest paths having decided to live a more traditional way of life in the jungle. The river was flowing fast enough (class II-III) to give an adrenaline boost down the occasional lively rapids, where we almost lost Liam overboard, yet the stately river had very benevolent feel to it as it flowed calmly through the jungle. There were massive trees overhanging the water at times offering shade and secretive little harbors and inlets begging to be explored. Monkeys, toucans, and diving kingfishers kept us company as our little group floated along. Stopping to jump from a 10 foot bank into a deep eddy was a great diversion for the adventurous, and a confidence boost for the unsure, and our guide gave us the opportunity ahead of a larger group that appeared around the last bend we’d passed a few minutes before. We tried fresh picked monkey guava (you suck the custard like stuff off the hazelnut-like seeds); slimy vanilla-tasting cacao which is nothing like the chocolate you know from the stores; fresh ginger root (the smell of the flower that grows on the edge of the river was intoxicating and resembled a pretty orchid); and sucked a seemingly endless supply of delicious sugar water from fresh sugar cane. All so good!

Our trip proved to be no mere adrenaline fix, rather it was more a journey to the heart and soul of the jungle. Robyn had tears in her eyes with the spiritual essence of the place which was almost tangible in its power. As we regretfully left the river and rode the 4×4 back to the outdoor center, I decided that this was a river I would love to come back and explore over the course of a multi-day trip deeper into the forest as even our brief excursion resembled a trip back to the prehistoric essence of our human beginnings.

Sarapique Outdoor Center is contactable via their website or on tripadvisor. Give them a look see…

https://costaricaraft.com/

Best Costa Rica Whitewater Rafting & Kayak

Kayaks are popular ways to travel the Sarapiqui River-Photo courtesy of www.oregonkayaking.net

April 24, 2019June 18, 2019

Prague Photography-Meggie

This week I went to Prague, Czeck Republic to meet and vacation with some old family friends. It was great catching up and then looking at some photos from the last time we met and how everyone has grown up so much since then:)

Not only was this a fun exciting experience that comes with being in a new country, but it also provided me a chance to take a lot of photos. I’ve always loved photography and for a while now I’ve been thinking of turning it into a profession when I’m older. As well as posting a lot of my photos on this page for a while, I’m now posting on my new Instagram account dedicated to photos I take when traveling.

Prague is a very beautiful city and has been around for a very long time, so naturally, it’s buildings are a mix of old and new. Even from looking down at the ground when your walking, you can tell this city has excellent history. I’ve always been a sucker for stories of kings,queens, empires, etc. so when walking around Prague I tried my best to incorporate as much of the feel and history of the town as much as possible into my pictures.

If anyone is interested, my Instagram is cheye_photography