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When we finally determined that the bareboat cruise around the islands of French Polynesia was actually going to happen, we started researching the logistics of the issue. Patti eventually decided to talk to a travel agent (yup, there still is such a thing!) and we hooked up with Uschi at Crossroads Travel. We had several back and forth conversations where we discussed what we were doing (sailing with family & friends) and what the best way to execute would be. At one point Uschi said, “This is a bucket list trip, right? Then you need to spend some time ashore either before or after your sailing.” We gave that the thought process it deserved (about 20 seconds) and responded “OK!” And that is how we found ourselves at the Moorea Pearl Resort for three nights and, holy crap, was it ever the right decision.
Our (very) private pool, The Pearl Resort, Moorea, 9/25/14
One thing needs to be said up front: we are not usually “high end” travelers. It’s not like we scrimp on our comforts, but usually a clean room and decent meals meet our needs. That being the case, we can honestly state that a) the Pearl rocked and b) if we ever find our way to Moorea again we will be staying there again. The staff was exceptional, the facilities beyond comfortable (our room had a private pool!) and the meals delicious. There were enough recreational activities to satisfy the most energetic of guest (which was NOT us) and plenty to do on the island itself. We didn’t begin to touch the extent of the possibilities.
So what did we do with our three days on Moorea? Well, we took a 4×4 tour of the interior (more on this in the next post) during which I took a ton of beautiful shots, had a lovely sunset dinner at the Moorea Beach Cafe (yum!), spent a lazy morning under the big shade tree next to the Pearl’s infinity pool and wandered through the nearby village of Maharepa. A true highlight, not just of our time on Moorea but of the entire trip. was our dinner with Dr. Michael Poole and his lovely wife Mareva.
Before we left Florida we mentioned to some friends that we were going to Moorea. They said, “Oh, we have a friend there.” Turns out that our friend’s college roommate became a marine biologist, moved to Moorea many years before and is now the expert in French Polynesia on humpback whales and spinner dolphins. He offers eco-tours where he takes folks out to actually see the whales and is well known as the premier guy for this type of thing, so much so that Patti had already heard of him before we discovered this “small world” link. Although, due to circumstances out of anybody’s control, we couldn’t take the tour, Michael and Mareva picked us up at the Pearl, took us to the Hilton Resort where he gave a talk, and then we went out for a great meal and excellent conversation. One of my biggest regrets from the trip is that I took zero photos of this wonderful couple. Oh well, yet another reason to return.
After three days we flew to Raiatea and hooked up with our shipmates at the Hawaiki Nui Hotel, where we received an upgrade to an overwater bungalow! It was a beautiful experience to lie in bed and watch the sun rise over the Pacific. We had an interesting dinner with the entire crew, enjoyed a cocktail or two and got ready to board the boat!
Next time: inland on Moorea.
The Pearl Resort poolside, Moorea, 9/25/14
Patti chilling by the pool, The Pearl Resort, Moorea, 9/27/14
An overwater bungalow, The Pearl Resort, Moorea, 9/27/14
Overwater bungalows, The Hawaiki Hotel, Raiatea, 9/28/14
The Admiral & Captain on our bungalow deck, The Hawaiki Nui Hotel, Raiatea, 9/28/14
Poolside at the Hawaiki Hotel, Raiatea, 9/28/14
Sunrise over Huahine (in the distance) from our bungalow, Raiatea, 9/29/14
OK, so we’re back in the states and just now starting to get readjusted. Almost three weeks in the South Pacific, two of them on the 55′ catamaran Curie, combined with a 6-hour time difference, have altered our reality in a way that forces us to take some time to readjust to our “normal” day-to-day existence. We made new friends, saw incredible sights and ate some great food. We visited six islands, did some powerful sailing, and had a few adventures (including removing a flopping fish from our bed after it jumped through a small porthole). Oh, and I took a couple of photos while we were there, too. I have only just started going through them (simply moving them onto the computer and backing them up took a better part of a day), but I’ve got people, including Patti, telling me to start posting. This is just a quick, random selection of the many great shots…you can expect to see many more over the next few weeks.
Relaxing pre-cruise at the Moorea Pearl Resort, Moorea, 9/27/14
Opunohu Bay on the left, Cook’s Bay on the right, Mt. Rotui in the center, Moorea, 9/26/14
One of many paddlers we saw, Taha’a, 9/29/14
Early morning double rainbow, Huahine, 10/2/14
A Marae in the Mata’ire’a Archeological site on Huahine, 10/2/14
Sunset over Bora Bora as seen from Raiatea, 10/10/14
The full moon rises over Mt. Otemanu, Bora Bora, 10/5/14
Preparing to grill fish, Raiatea, 10/10/14
We're docked, packing, and heading towards Florida via Papeete, Los Angeles and Orlando. I have a ton of photos, but not much bandwidth. Here's a couple to show off before we get home.
After dinner activities
Bora Bora
We haven't even left yet and we want to come back to Moorea. We've toured the island in a 4X4, snorkled in the lagoon (my first time in the Pacific!), lay about the pool, shopped and had a wonderful meal with some friends of friends that are now our friends too. I'm going to cut this short since we're off to see a traditional Polynesian dance followed by a rock concert, both about 150' from our bungalow. Tomorrow it's off to Raiatea to meet up with our shipmates. For now I'll let the photos do the talking.
Dinner at the Moorea Beach Cafe, 9/25/14
Opunohu Bay, Moorea, 9/26/14
Opunohu Bay on the left, Cook's Bay on the right, from the Belvedere Lookout, Moorea, 9/26/14
Moorea, 9/27/14
Interior of Moorea, 9/26/14
So we survived the flights from Orlando to LAX and from LAX to Papeete (overnight) and the lengthy (7 minute) flight from Papeete to Moorea and, as I type this, we're in our “transit” room at the Moorea Pearl Resort waiting on either a) our permanent room to be ready or b) 12:00 to roll around so we can eat! We're exhausted, more than a bit punch drunk, and WAY excited to be at this beautiful location. We'll post more, but this will get us started.
Moorea as we came in...our resort is, I think, in the middle distance, 9/25/14
An over water bungalow at the Pearl, 9/25/14
Poolside at the Pearl, 9/25/14
I know, I know, it’s been too long since I posted. The main purpose of this blog is relating our travel adventures and showing some pretty pictures and we just haven’t been doing much of either this summer. That’s about to change, and in a big way. Tomorrow we depart for almost 3 weeks of journeying about the islands of French Polynesia: Tahiti, Bora Bora, Moorea, etc. We’ll be spending a few nights at the Pearl Resort on the island of Moorea seeing the sights before heading to Raiatea where we’ll board a 55′ catamaran for two weeks of sailing with family and friends! To say we’re excited is the understatement of at least the decade.
I will be trying to post when able, but internet access (at least access capable of uploading my posts) will be … spotty. This, of course, is an attraction for me, since three weeks with no work email and no cell coverage is seen as a feature rather than a bug. Although I WILL be monitoring, as best I can, the Orioles path to the World Series.
For some obligatory photos, here are some shots I took the other night of a 2 month old lion cub (and a couple of his future roomies). For background, see here. He’s as cute as a button and still able to be around people. That will change, of course, but before it does I hope to get over there with my “real” camera (these are all from my iPhone in low light, so the quality isn’t very good) and get some better shots. After Tahiti, of course!
Mims, FL, 9/14/14
Mims, FL, 9/14/14
Mims, FL, 9/14/14
Mims, FL, 9/14/14
We drove to Baltimore a couple of weeks ago to attend a wedding. Although we had known when we were going for a long time, it wasn’t until a few weeks beforehand that we realized that, with a tiny bit of planning, we could pull into Annapolis at a perfect time to take Patti’s mom to lunch on Mother’s Day. Knowing this, I planned to drive from Central Florida to Roanoke Rapids, N.C., in one shot. It put us just a few easy hours from our destination and there are a lot of hotels and restaurants in the area. Hoping to find a way to burn some energy after a long day in the cab of the truck, I did a bit of googling and found what seemed like a nice walk to stretch our legs.
If you find yourself traveling I-95 in southern Va. or northern N.C., the Roanoke Canal Trail is perfect. We found the River Road access without a hitch (maybe 10 minutes from the I-95 interchange) and headed up the trail, happy to be out of the truck. The weather was hot and humid, and the skies to the west were threatening. There were a few sign pedestals along the way telling us about the flora and fauna and whatever, but then we came across the one pictured below.
Roanoke Rapids Canal Trail, 5/10/14
In 1949, an F-80 on a training run had crashed close to where we were standing. The widow of the pilot had placed “the marble marker here,” but we didn’t see anything like that in the immediate area. A bit of exploring revealed a new-ish trail of pavers heading into the bushes, leading to the marker.
Memorial Marker, Roanoke Rapids Canal Trail, 5/10/14
Roanoke Rapids Canal Trail, 5/10/14
Apparently they had recently cleaned it up and added the pavers (full story here). We’re glad they did, as it’s an interesting little tidbit that would never have hit our radar. We kept on down the trail for a short ways, but there was thunder in the distance by this time and we had to cut it short. Next time we come this way we’ll know this nice little walk is waiting at the end of the day and plan on more exploring.
Roanoke Rapids Canal Trail, 5/10/14
Roanoke Rapids Canal Trail, 5/10/14
Paynes Prairie State Park, FL, 4/26/14
We recently went to Paynes Prairie, a new (to us) state park located in the middle of Florida immediately south of Gainesville, and man, did we have a good time. The campground was the quietest we’ve ever stayed in. It was half full on a Thursday night and you could have heard a pin drop. Friday and Saturday night were only marginally louder which was certainly refreshing.
The park itself is quite large, with over 60 miles of hiking, biking and equestrian trails. While there we saw turtles, many gators, wild horses and two bald eagles that screamed at the buzzards, chasing them away. We did not see the bison herd that is located there; they were off in the distant parts of the prairie doing their bison thing. As an aside: bison in Florida. Who knew? Turns out they used to be native but were killed off many years ago. The present herd was re-located there a while back and seems to be doing OK. While troubleshooting an electrical problem with the trailer on the first night (which led to me hearing, for the second time in my traveling career, an “expert” say to me: “Huh, I’ve never seen that before,” but I digress) I was outside in the dark when I realized that I was surrounded by thousands and thousands of fireflies. I rushed to get Patti and we both felt like we were kids again, staring into the darkness while the darkness blinked back at us. We normally don’t see them down here. It was surreal and wonderful and a great distraction from the technical gremlins.
We also saw something that falls squarely into the “How Weird Can Florida Get Category.” (BTW, the correct answer to that question is: very.) While biking through the campground I noticed the scene in the below photo. I pause here while you take it in:
Paynes Praire Campground
4/24/14
What we have here is a very large lizard of some kind surrounded by a fence that a toddler could take out, much less a several hundred pound whatever the hell that is. I initially thought that it was a gator, but when I look at it closely, it doesn’t look like one. It’s certainly not something I would want to travel with. Note the ramp so that this thing can get in and out of the RV. Jeez. (If anybody can identify it, please let me know.)
We had a great time here and will be back next year when the weather cools, being careful not to schedule a weekend when the University of Florida Gators, located just a few miles away, are playing football. Then that quiet campground is not so quiet.
Two Bald Eagles, Paynes Prairie State Park, FL 4/25/14
Wild Horses, Paynes Prairie State Park, FL 4/26/14
Sunset, Paynes Prairie State Park, FL 4/25/14
More Weird Florida, Paynes Prairie Campground, 4/27/14
The weather here in East Central Florida, unlike much of the rest of the country, has been extremely pleasant for the last few weeks. Cool evenings, warm days, clear skies. We’ve been trying to take advantage of this while we can since we know the heat is on the way. Now, I understand that for many of you, anticipating heat is a luxury that you can’t begin to think about while snow blowers and shovels are in what must seem like constant use. I’m just here to tell you that although it’s still the midst of a dreary February where you may be, spring will still show up just as the sun rises in the east.
So, with that in mind, here are some shots from our last couple of weeks. Consider them when the snow continues to pile up and know that that too shall pass.
Rich Grissom Memorial Wetlands
Viera, FL 2/9/14
Rich Grissom Memorial Wetlands
Viera, FL 2/9/14
Turkey Creek Preserve
Palm Bay, FL 2/16/14
Turkey Creek Preserve
Palm Bay, FL 2/16/14
Turkey Creek Preserve
Palm Bay, FL 2/16/14
Grills
Melbourne, FL 2/9/14
Last Sunday was another gorgeous winter afternoon in Florida so Patti and I decided to head out to the Viera Wetlands for a walk. The Wetlands is a series of manmade ponds used to naturally treat wastewater prior to its release into the St. Johns River system. These ponds are surrounded by berms topped with gravel roads that can be driven, biked or walked. They are also a huge attraction for gators, otters, raccoons and, primarily, birds. Many, many birds. We go out there a few times a year, but it seems that we always, without intending to, end up taking a walk there on the weekend that the birders descend upon Brevard County.
Each year thousands of birders congregate in Titusville, which is just up the road from us and is considered the gateway to the Kennedy Space Center. This area is a major stopping point for many different species of migratory birds, as well as being the year-round home for many others. These birders come down to spot birds that are not common where they live. It seems that there are three major spots for these folks to wander about with their cameras, binoculars and life lists: the Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge (co-located with the Space Center), the Brevard County dump (who knew!) and the Viera Wetlands (technically the Rich Grissom Memorial Wetlands at Viera). What this all means is that a) we saw lots of birds and b) we saw lots of birders.
Now, my knowledge of birds is, for the most part, confined to the fact that they have wings and tend to crap on you at the beach (ask Patti about this, she’s an expert). I can identify a few species by name but normally it’s just: “Look: a bird!” Faithful readers of this blog may recall that when I needed an identification of a specific bird of prey, I contacted my friend and Audubon member, George, for help. (See here for that story.) So, for the education of all of us, let’s put him to the test.
George: what are the birds below, besides wonderful to watch?
Rich Grissom Memorial Wetlands
Viera, FL 1/26/14
Rich Grissom Memorial Wetlands
Viera, FL 1/26/14
Rich Grissom Memorial Wetlands
Viera, FL 1/26/14
Note the meal in his/her beak
Rich Grissom Memorial Wetlands
Viera, FL 1/26/14
Rich Grissom Memorial Wetlands
Viera, FL 1/26/14
The World as We See It 