Costa Rica, Guanacaste Province - A Family Adventure

We're freshly back from our second trip to Costa Rica.  Although we're not world travelers, after our first trip to Costa Rica, we knew that we had to come back.  It was just a matter of when and where, as life has it's way of getting in the way.  Kids get older, they get social lives and even jobs with schedules to keep.  It really changes the dynamic of just being able to pick up and take off whenever and wherever you want to go.  So several months ago we looked at the calendar, picked some dates, made the reservations and flights and we were booked.  As the time ticked down, we all got more excited for the trip.

The last time we were here it was quite a bit of an eyeopener for all of us, as adults it was really something since you're groomed to be timid or even fearful of what a place in Central America could possible hold.  Before that trip, the Bahamas were the extent of our trip out of the United States.  But that was completely different, everything was handled, tours, flights, hotels, meals, etc.  When we went to CR for the first time, we booked flights and did a timeshare intro package, where we got to stay at their all inclusive and get the "experience" with the hope we'd buy one.  The condo was included, the meals and shuttles, etc., all included.  We did pay out of pocket for a guided excursion, which included zip-lining, going to an amazing waterfall, visiting a rainforest with sloths and a private tour of a plantation.  It was amazing.  We learned so many things and really got an appreciation of the environment.  The people were amazing, the food was nice, the scenery and weather were perfect.  So we set our minds to come back and rent a car and do our own things.

Which leads us to this trip.  We booked the various hotels, rented a car and picked the places we really thought we'd enjoy going to.  We never knew whether we'd be thrilled or disappointed with our decisions, the one thing we knew for sure was the weather would be great.  At the time, where we live in Southeast Pennsylvania, it had been the coldest it's been in forever.  Snow and ice that came in late January had stuck around and was getting old fast, even though I love the cold and snow.  On this trip we stayed in Liberia, Bagaces, Tamarindo and Coco Beach.

Once on the road the culture shock of not having the immense luxuries we have in America came flooding back from our memories.  Most, if not all, buildings are made of concrete and tin roofs.  Many buildings are adorned with bars, barbed wire and various types of fencing.  When we first went down we asked our excursion guide whether it was safe, he explained that there is a lot of small or petty theft, which is why they have so many fences.  What you first see when you see those bars and fences can deter you, but after a little while you notice the beautiful flowers behind many of them, the well kept houses and even a birthday party going on in the front of the property.  It makes me think of that age old theory to not judge a book by it's cover.  Same thing goes for CR, and it was more evident on this trip than before.

When we landed at the airport in Liberia, we got a shuttle to the rental car location.  It was smooth sailing, the people working there were very nice, the cars clean and ready to go.  Our first night was in Liberia, kind of a rest from traveling and ease our way into our trip.  From the outside, it didn't look like much.  But inside, there were beautiful, flowering trees, a well kept pool, clean rooms and very nice staff.  As per the norm, I spoke to the people next to us who spoke English.  They were very nice and had been to CR many times, they had the benefit of speaking the native language fluently as I muddled through with my mighty two years of Spanish from high school.  We had dinner, showered and got to bed early.  A complimentary breakfast awaited us in the morning, we packed up and headed to our next location.

Rinconcito Lodge was our next stop, it was up near one of the volcanos.  We had had forgotten to restart our phones for directions so we quickly downloaded them at the McDonald's and hoped for the best.  Driving there is a very unique experience, there are many motorcyclists, one way roads and traffic patterns that we were not ready for.  It took some doing but we were out of the city and on the road to the lodge.  After about 45 minutes of a combination of dirt and paved roads, we saw our sign and pulled in.  The place was beautiful, lush vegetation, well kept grounds and hammocks on every balcony.  A beautiful bird that we recognized from our last trip was nesting in the area and greeted us with it's very distinct call.  The staff was very friendly and told us about the property and got us checked in.  The room was amazing, large balcony doors opened to an expansive view of the forest outside.  The hammock was the first thing the kids got into and was a highlight for the time we spent there.  The room was clean and well laid out.  The beds were comfortable and the bathroom was clean and with great hot water and water pressure, something I wasn't expecting up in the mountains.  We had a great dinner and wandered around a little by the pool before it was time for bed.  The next morning my wife and son went on a small hike to see a waterfall and a viewpoint on the surrounding property.  It was a great hike and the views were great.

Check out day sent us back down the same road into Liberia, where we again got Wi-Fi and directions.  It was off to Tamarindo for the night before our final destination.  We stayed at a hotel that we almost drove right by because the front really doesn't consist of anything fancy to stand out as a hotel.  We parked and walked down the steps to find a nice bar area and a open air restaurant with a walkway to the beach.  We put our things in our room and beat feet for the beach.  The beach here and touristy establishments were the highlight of this location as the room wasn't anything special.  We were only staying for the night and didn't need much.  The room was sparce, but clean.  It did the job for the night and we spent all day at the beach.  Sunsets are one of the reasons for us to stay at the beach until it's dark out, as we were on the West coast, they are absolutely stunning.  There were several engagement photo shoots going on, waves crashing on rocks in the ocean, horses being ridden down the beach and even a wedding.  We had a very nice dinner, showered and tried to get a good nights sleep.

In the morning we were out the door and down to the beach again for a brief visit.  Once checked out we were on our way to our third and final stop, Coco beach.  Here we splurged and got an Airbnb.  Another learning experience came when we were following directions and Google maps was taking us all over the place.  We stopped at a few beaches on the way and even one from our last trip where we had lunch at a small hotel right on the beach where we stayed a few nights the last trip.  Again, the food was good, people were super nice and the views couldn't be beat.  Once our condo was ready, we headed up there, and up there it was, it sat on the top of a mountain overlooking the ocean.  My wife wasn't comfortable with the incline of the driveway, so her and our kids walked up while I drove up.  It was steep, but it became very familiar after a few times back and forth to town.

We went to the local grocery store, got some supplies and settled in.  The views were again awesome.  The property came with an infinity style pool and a small gym. We went down to the beach and walked around, swam in the tidal pools and watched as the ocean surged in and out with the breeze and tides.  The first day the water wasn't the cleanest, a lot of natural debris was in the waves, but the tidal pools were crystal clear and there were plenty of things to explore with the surrounding rocks.  We had dinner at the restaurant right on the beach, it was a awesome place with a great menu, at the time we went it was mobbed.  We waited about 40 minutes before getting a table and then some more time waiting our turn.  The food was great and when done we headed back to our condo.

We ended the last day with a sunset cruise on a sailboat.  It was a traditional sailboat, of which I've never been on and always wanted to.  There's something about the smell of the cabin of a boat that you will never forget once you smell it.  We booked our trip with Exclusive Tour Costa Rica, they're out of Coco Beach cove.  We met with the nice lady who got us settled in for the tour, then we were off.  It wasn't a very long cruise to the snorkeling arear, but it was very enjoyable.  There were three other guests on the boat, along with three crew members.  There was fresh fruit, cervaza, frozen and mixed drinks plus plenty of bottled water.  The crew couldn't have been nicer.  The snorkeling area was nice, they provided everything and after we were done, on our way to see the sunset, they served us chicken salad wraps.  The feeling of being on a sailboat on a warm summer day, with the ocean breeze hitting just right, is a very special thing.

The last night we packed up, soaked up the remainder of the warmth and got to bed at a decent time.  There were some things that you have to get used to when you're there that I didn't experience before, since we didn't drive ourselves.  For starters, there are motorcycles everywhere, they don't seem to care about many things, it's just their way of getting around.  They're in and out of traffic, and you have to be very attentive about turns or you could clip someone.  Driving in CR is very similar to the USA, you don't need a special license, they drive on the same side of the road as the US and speeds (although in kph) are very similar to our speed zones.  There are a lot of STEEP hills around the beach areas if you have a place up there.  Also a lot of roads can be very curvy, sometimes dirt, sometimes paved, sometime both but always in questionable state of repair.  As for whether or not it's a safe place, in our experience, it's as safe, or even more safe, than any city US.  You need to be smart about your belongings, just like you'd have to be anywhere, be aware of the people around you and be respectful.  Everyone we met was very nice, very helpful and even if they didn't speak English and we didn't speak Spanish, common courtesy goes a long way.

If you end up going, I recommend having a stay at an all inclusive for your first trip.  Let them handle the shuttles and food and the experiences.  They will help you with anything you need or want to do.  Also, when you go to a restaurant, the tip is already on the bill, you don't need to tip more.  In-fact, I have found that the people don't seem to feel comfortable taking more money.  Also, get used to the fact that not everyone lives in a shiny 2000 sq. ft. house with all the amenities.  Most of the places you'll see on the road are small, concrete and metal roofed houses with fences and barbed wire.  And most places that aren't that are in gated communities.  I definitely recommend going in the dry season, but be prepared for seeing brush fires and no one doing anything about them.  It's a wonderful place with limitless natural beauty and wildlife.

First ever experience with a Bear in camp while backpacking

This is a story from back in the Summer that I am just now getting around to writing about.  It's not often that I get to sit and write when I get back and with the hell of a year that 2020 was, it slipped past me.  So here is the highlights.

Well, we're home... It was a hot and humid, a shock for a July 4th weekend. Went to a place I've hiked with my brother in the past, a short downhill hike to a nice open site near a creek on the Thunder Swamp Trail. Only a mile and a half down. Steven was a rock star, was super looking forward to it. Amanda was thrilled to carry her new pack... within 5 minutes, the complaining started. She turned it around in camp and made me a really happy backpacking father my sitting with my wife and going over the map to discuss where we were going the next day.

Not more than a few minutes went by, the dogs went crazy, took off to the edge of the site, to greet a bear. A freaking bear. The dogs didn't seem to phase him/her much. The bear turned and went off. As we were contemplating what to do, the bear showed up again within 10 feet of my hammock. At that moment, it was decided that it could be a troubled bear, habituated to the site, and we did the NASCAR packing pit stop and we were out of there. Was getting very dark and there was a panic in the air. We bolted uphill to the car without a complaint.

We passed one other campsite, there was no one there, an smoldering fire was going and three tents were flat. I don't know if they were collapsed from a bear or they were never set up. I don't know if they were gone cause of the bear, or what. There were no other cars in the parking lot.

Steven was disappointed because he was very happy with our site and to be out camping. He got to use his survival kit to try and saw some wood. Without fail, Amanda had to poo in the woods, she's a trooper. The kids had Ramen and we had Beef Stroganoff. He was happy to stay, which is shocking, Amanda talked about the bear the whole hike back.

Stephanie

blew out her voice making noise the whole way up.

The ride home included tired kids, tired dogs, an amped up Stephanie and various displays of fireworks everywhere. We were a little disappointed to leave, but feel as thought it was the right thing to do. Stephanie's not sure of her future backpacking trips, but she's optimistic.

I thought that was the end of the camping season for my wife, but she knows how much it means to me and she loves the adventure as much as I do. So she picked another place the next day and we were off. This time car camping, but without any luxuries. We found a place that was nice and out in the middle of nowhere for us and we went. Once there we headed off to a swimming hole (Sullivan Falls) that we never knew about and it was amazing. The water was very cold and I was very nervous having the kids just wandering around the slippery rocks, but they were enjoying themselves and to me, it has to be most important thing. No one got hurt and they were having a blast. No electronics, no distractions, just mother nature's playground. It was great. At the end of a dirt road and we were there. Swimming holes, water falls, cool rock features, it had it all. The only downside was we didn't get there early enough and the daylight started to fade. We grabbed takeout at a local bar and headed back to camp. Set up the tent, got a fire going and had a great dinner. Kids were pooped and so were we.

I'm very happy that we didn't let a scary thing ruin the weekend. We got ourselves back on track and headed back out there. The way it should be.

First Solo Overnight trip on the AT and a Wintery Weather Advisory

 I've been wanting to get out of the house and go backpacking since the failed overnight trip we took with the kids where the bear decided to ruin our dinner party.  I love camping in the Winter, the fire's more enjoyable, the skies are clearer, no bugs and less people... in this case, no people.

Last night was the last night where I could do something with my kids in the woods, or apparently myself, during the extended holiday break.  We spent the day doing two small day hikes, which wetted the appetite for more.  The weather was nice and the trails were muddy but we got out and enjoyed ourselves.  Well I wanted to see if my son, 11, wanted to go but it was getting dark and I wasn't going to get to where I wanted to go until well past 10 and he just wasn't up for it.  I decided, I'm just going to go.  My youngest daughter didn't want me to go alone.  She's not much of a camper and as I was heading out the door she was grabbing her coat and when I asked her what she was doing, she merely stated that I'm took old to go alone and she's going with me.  I assured her I'd be fine and that she couldn't go because I hadn't packed anything for her and it was late.  With tears in her eyes I assured her I'd be fine and off I went. 

It's one night, I'm an adult dammit and not scared of shadows in the woods!  An adult maybe but still scared...  

My first choice was going to be the Rausch Gap shelter on the Appalachian Trail but after getting close to the trailhead, the road took me through a military training area that I wasn't even sure I was supposed to be and then the road went to dirt and became steep.  I decided with the Winter Weather Advisory, that I wasn't aware of until I was on the road, that it wasn't going to be a good idea to try that road in any kind of weather.  So I went to plan B... and then C... and then finally decided that it was going to be plan D that was going to do the trick. 

I was already in the area and Peter's Mountain Shelter was nearby, a short walk in, a familiar place and somewhere I could drive out of if there was any kind of weather that amounted to much.  Arriving at the trailhead at 11, not exactly what I wanted to do, I packed up, took a breath and headed into the dark.  The trail, as many in PA do, went mostly straight up the side of the ridge.  The trail crew did an amazing job of building rock stairs for most of the trail.  This side trail was named, Victoria Trail, and was very nice.  With a bright flashlight in tow I plowed on.  With every step I got more and more comfortable with my decision.  I really was looking forward to getting to the shelter.  It's a very nice respite from the weather and a little piece of security.  With in an hour and a half I was there.

I'm not s little guy and was sweating even in the 20's.  Got into my bedtime dry clothes, set up my sleeping bag and tried to get to sleep.  I was still a bit jazzed up from the hike in so sleep wasn't right away on tap, but it came with time.  I was very cozy in my Big Agnes sleeping bag and Sea to Summit Winter pad.  There was no wind so it was very still.  I think I eventually drifted off around 2:30 and was in and out until 8:30 where I found the comfy spot and was out for an hour. 

Reluctantly I got out of the cocoon of a warm sleeping bag and made some breakfast.  Dehydrated Mountain House eggs never tasted so good or felt so good going down.  I took some photos, packed up and started to head out.  We had some stray blasts of ice pellets over the early morning hours so there was some traces of Winter but nothing exciting.  I was walking into a fog as the temps were raising a little.  The rain started intermittently on my way down to the car.  Nothing I needed rain gear for but enough to keep it interesting.  So different going down a trail and actually being able to see where you're going then being in the dark the night before.

Back to the car 20 minutes faster than the way up, which isn't a surprise.  I only slipped once, thought for sure that I was going to throw my back out but it was still good.  The car is always a nice sight to behold, especially when the weather is turning.  It's also a downturn as the main portion of the trip is over.  But I now know I can do it.  I've done it, without issue.  So the next time I want to get out, I can without worrying who will join me.

Maine Family Road Trip

We try to get to Maine every year or every other, but sometimes life gets in the way and other trips get in the way, so it's been a while.  Speaking of life getting in the way, this trip was from July and I just am not getting around to writing about it. 

My children are eight and ten, both have their own mindsets, abilities and things they enjoy.  Rarely do all of those things work together.  But it seems that whenever we get away, away from stuff, tech and comfort, it seems to really blend.  Normally the road trip is what drives me insane because they want to be there "now" and so do I, but you cannot rush through the wonderful New England area, just so much to take in and enjoy.

We ended up stopping on the way up at an off the beaten track hotel, with a pool, wifi and breakfast.  The kids were thrilled, but not greedy, which was a nice change of pace.  They were happy, appreciative and enjoyed being there.  We paid next to nothing for the room considering that we got a suite with two king size beds, one twin in a separate room and the above mentioned amenities.  My wife and I did some work while the kids snacked and played or watched TV.  Everyone got a good nights sleep and we got up and made our way further down the road to Maine.

It was a great drive, kids were happy, weather was nice, scenery was great.  My parents were meeting us in Maine, a first for them, and I was excited but terrified as to what the week would hold in store for us.  I wanted to do certain things with my kids and parents, but wasn't really sure what they had in mind.  They more or less said, whatever you want to do, but we're fine staying put.  We got there later than they did, they had already checked in to Eagle Lodge and Camps, a wonderful sportsman's camp in the fairly remote area of Lincoln, ME.  Weather couldn't be better.  The forecast looked amazing.  Unpacked and settled in, the kids already found the lake, fishing poles and paddle boat.  They were living their dream and so was I, I've always wanted them to enjoy the things I do.



The week involved a lot of baiting hooks and removing blue gills from hooks.  My kids, to my surprise and shock, love to fish, at least they did there.  My daughter said she was going to catch that big bass, every day we were there.  The camp owners have children my children's age and both were more than happy to see each other and have someone new to play with.  It was great to see them bond, they immediately were making plans to return and see their friend's that they've known for all of 20 hours again.

My wife had one goal, relax, and she did just that.

I had relaxation, exploration and photography on my mind.



I never got to do some of the many things I try to pack into a trip, like taking my dad to Baxter State Park, or a wilderness area in the general Lincoln area, but that's ok.  He had a good time.  They spent a lot of time bonding with our kids, we got to explore on the way to the camps places none of us have ever been to, ironically ran into people that grew up near us when they were younger.  I find it always to be a small world when you travel, whether 1000 miles away or 100, you can always run into someone you live close to back home.

The only downside, none of us realized that we were booked for one day earlier.  So when my wife said she wished she had one more day, we actually did, but instead stayed at a hotel.  A lesson for next time.

Really struggling the last few days

I don't know what it is.  If it's me or I'm actually in the right and they're behaving like complete morons.

The past few days has been full of disobedience, back talking, complete disrespect and not a care to do anything.  I don't know how to handle it.  I have always thought of myself as the rational person, someone who could keep a cool head with kids when they were acting up.  That's not the case anymore.  I lose my shit every time they do anything.

My son tells me I act like my father, which drives me insane because my dad flew off the handle like no one's business and yelled before ever knowing what was going on.  The kind of attitude where you yell first, and never apologize.

My wife feels as though they were just having fun.  Being kids.  But my daughter ran through a screen door and the other ones were pounding through the house, stomping feet, slamming doors, etc.  They leave their food everywhere.  Turn a light on in a room and never go back.  I'm miserable.  I'm stressed out.  I have no control of anything.  It's infuriating.

I'm sure thousands of parents feel just like me, some just give up, some fight the same fight day in and out, but I don't want that.  I want it to be fixed, I want the son that would help me do projects.  I want the daughter back who would run to my arms when I came home, screaming "Daddy!".

Yes, they're older, but not by much from when these things happened.  Anymore it's, "I don't care", "I want", "you get to do it, why can't we?"

Something has to change but I don't know what it is.  I've been nice, mean, hard, rewarding, happy, goofy, etc.  Gifts have been given, things taken away.  But nothing seems to work.

Kids, right?

Boy they can be fickle.

Been struggling to figure out my son since he was a baby.  He would sleep on my chest everyday when he was a baby, my daughter wouldn't think of it when she was.  He now hates sleep, and is an early riser, my daughter is a late night machine and would sleep until 1:00 in the afternoon if you let her.  Up until this point neither one of them would want to lift a hand to help around the house without constantly bringing up the topic.  Recently my son went through something that appears to have changed him, for the better.  He had a lot of questions and we were open and as honest as we could be, for his age.  After years of struggling with potty problems, he got a stomach bug and it cleaned him out good.  He was afraid to fart without being on the potty.  But then that came to a close and he was having issues again.  For whatever reason he's back being on the mend.  We upped his ADHD meds per the doctor, not something I'm for but it's still a very small dosage and his attitude is and has been remarkable to say the least.  I don't want him on medicine.  I'm on medicine and hate the fact that I have to take it.  I don't want him to be in the same boat but if it makes him more positive and live a happier life, than so be it.

Tonight, my son didn't want to watch a movie with us, I cannot say I blame him since it was a rerun of Overboard, which was pretty okay in the end for a rerun.  He ended up watching the whole thing, getting hooked in at about a third of the way in.  He wanted to watch the Goonie's for the fifth time, cannot blame him on that either, but we didn't want to rent it.  It was nice to enjoy the movie with him, no fights with his sister, no arguing, just good family time.  After the movie he wanted to find out about earning more money for chores and my wife said he could load the dishwasher and he did without hesitation, and even asked for help on how to load it the right way.

I'm not saying it's the end all be all that he's made the switch, as we speak he's fighting to go to bed, but it's a good day and that's all I can ask and hope for I suppose.

Harriman State Park Overnight - Visitor's Center to Stone Memorial Shelter

Somehow I found a weekend where I could skip out and get in the woods for a short trip.  My brother and I chose a oldie but goodie in Harriman State Park in New York state.  We chose a completely different place to go versus the other time's we've been to the park.  It was a cold, windy and brisk day, much to our surprise it was jammed with people.  It's an easy get away from the nearby metropolis and people flock there on just about every weekend possible.  I'm glad it gets used but at the same time it's a little hard to find parking and it's rare that you're not sharing the trail with dozens of people.  There's tons to see and places to go, trails everywhere, along with views and natural wonders.

We hiked from the visitor center to Pine Meadow Lake and then to the Stone Memorial Shelter.  The lake was frozen over and the sun reflecting off of it was nice and warming.  Eventually we made our way to the shelter, which was built in 1935 and is sadly showing it's age.  Most of the shelters in the area are in need of some attention.  Being as accessible as they are, and as popular of an area as it is, they tend to get used a lot.  They are stone shelters, with wooden floors and built in fireplaces.  They are a great respite from the rain or soaking snow, but we opted to sleep in our tent just behind the shelter.

The day was cold, clear and windy.  As the sun dropped below the horizon the temps were going with it.  The weather forecast in the local town was stated to be in the lower 20's, I'm pretty sure that we got down to the low teens.  Any water in our bottle or cups was freezing up before our eyes.  We made our dinners, had a solid fire (after some work to get it there) and chatted for a bit.  I was in a hurry to get into my sleeping bag since it was a new bag and I really wanted to try it out.  Soaked up the last of the heat, packed up for the night and headed to the tent.  With the exception of some wandering soul in the eight o'clock hour, the night was uneventful.

I was warm and toasty for the first hour or so, minus my toes (which only thawed out after using a heat pack).  I didn't feel like I slept much, although my brother swears I was snoring like mad so I guess I was out at some point.  Woke up for the usual and cold bathroom break around 3am and back in bed.

Woke up around seven or eight, Chris was determined to get a fire going again and we had some breakfast, packed up and hit the trail.  Someone went by our site while we were packing up, he'd already put in eight miles, doing this is a feat in itself, let alone by ten am.

We retraced our steps back to the car the way we came in.  It always amazes me how different things can look when you see them from the opposite direction.  Out of the twenty plus people on the trail we saw, only three were kind enough to return the enthusiastic hello my brother throws out there.

It was much warmer when we arrived at the car versus when we left the day before.  Still crowded, parking lot over flowing with cars.  Packed up quickly and headed to lunch in town.

We sat behind the most rude people ever, I feel bad if this couple represented the state of New York or even any part of it as I've never heard someone complain and be as rude as those people.  Our waitress was great and I'm sure they were terrible tippers.  Outside of that experience, the weekend was exactly what I wanted/needed, I'm always ready to go again.