Six hundred miles off the coast of Ecuador you’ll find the Galapagos National Park which encompasses 97% of the land mass of the Galapagos Islands and the surrounding waters. This is one of the most bio-diverse places on earth.
We got married on April 13, 2013, and then 3 days later headed to South America for a 4 month honeymoon. This trip began in Ecuador then on to Peru, Chile, Argentina and Uruguay. One of the most fascinating stops we made was in Puno, Peru, on the shores of Lake Titicaca.
The surface of this lake sits at 12,600 feet above sea level. We took a boat tour of a portion of the lake that allowed us to get a close up look at two remarkable indigenous cultures that live here. One group on Isla Taquile and the other on floating islands made from reeds harvested from the lake. Also, at the end of the article is a mention of a steamboat that operated on the lake in the mid-1800’s.
https://coopsecondact.com/2013/06/28/lake-titicaca-puno-peru/
I would also mention that while in Puno we suffered through some gastrointestinal sickness, one of the only such times we encountered this type of sickness while traveling. We had to postpose our boat tour for a couple of days until we were sufficiently recovered.
Since we retired near the end of 2010, our plan has been to travel, well pretty much full time travel. We no longer had a permanent residence or even a rented one so we were mostly forced to keep moving. Sure, in between, we were able to spend time with Valerie’s Mom or visit with friends and family.
We made extensive trips to Central America, South America, Mexico and Europe. We took off on extended road trips, one across the country to the East Coast and one to the great Northwest ending in Vancouver, BC. We did some house and pet sitting at various locations. In 2015, we purchased a motorhome and spent 4 years wandering the US.
But now, well, the nomadic lifestyle doesn’t seem very realistic given the current circumstances. Perhaps one day that will change but for the near term we have to rethink our travel centric approach to life. In the meantime, we’re going to recall some of our favorite travel experiences of the past 9 years. We’ll call these articles, the “Look Back” series. Sometimes it’s fun to reminisce, especially since we may not have any new such experiences for a while. Continue reading
(Click here for more photographs.)
Naples occupies the southern Gulf coast of Florida. While here we parked at the Lake San Marino RV Resort.
The town of Naples is a relatively affluent community with beautiful homes and numerous developed resort communities. The downtown district of Naples has the Naples Bay, which is formed from the Gordon River, on the east side. On the west side are miles of beautiful sandy beaches. Continue reading
(Click here for more photographs.)
Gautier (locally pronounced as “GO-shay”) is near Biloxi, in the small “heel” of Mississippi that reaches to the Gulf coast. This was a 3 night stop for us.
While here we visited a portion of the Gulf Islands National Seashore. Portions of seven barrier islands along the coasts of Mississippi and Florida, as well as mainland regions are included in this National Seashore. The Mississippi District of the seashore features natural beaches, historic sites, wildlife sanctuaries, islands accessible only by boat, bayous, nature trails, picnic areas, and campgrounds. The Davis Bayou Area is the only portion of the National Seashore in Mississippi that is accessible by automobile. This is the area we explored. We’ll be able to see a portion of the Florida District of the seashore at our next stop.
Next stop: Pensacola, FL
Second Act 