Caribbean Island Hopping

A few weeks ago we got off Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas, we cruised the Eastern Caribbean with port stops at Nassau, Bahamas; St.Thomas and St.Maarten. All of the islands surpassed what I had expected. The waters were so pristine and such vibrant hues of blues, it was truly gorgeous. 

First Day: at Sea

Second Day:  Nassau, Bahamas

At Nassau, we spent most of our time at the beach. The water was so clear and blue, it seemed surreal...

Third Day: at Sea

Fourth Day: at St.Thomas, U.S.V.I.

...On our Ferry Ride to St. John, U.S.V.I.

At St.John, we were taken around the island on a mini bus. The bus stopped at several scenic spots and gave us time to walk around. Our last stop was at Trunk Bay beach where we had a couple of hours to swim and snorkel.

 Trunk Bay

The roads in St.John were narrow, but nonetheless, lovely enveloped in the canopy of the trees

These are ruins of what used to be a sugar processing plant on the island...

We spent sometime at Trunk Bay snorkeling. I really wish I had brought along an underwater camera, there were so many fish and sea urchins of all colors along the rocks. It was stunning!

Fifth Day: at St.Maarten

I don't have many shots of St.Maarten since we were on a boat most of the time and the water was a bit choppy. I have to say though, St.Maarten was one of my favorite islands. The snorkeling excursion we took was awesome! We went snorkeling with sea turtles and then in two other spots where we saw sea urchins, corals and fish. I can definitely say I'll be back one day... and definitely with an underwater camera!

Sixth & Seventh Day: at Sea

The last two days were spent at sea on the ship. Nonetheless, they were great! We had time to take advantage of all the activities on board such as, the Flo-Rider, Rock Wall, and Zip-line. There's many more, but those were my favorites. 

Can't wait for the next time...

Daytona Beach, FL

After a demanding week of final exams and end of the year projects, I was invited by my grandparents to tag along with them to Daytona Beach. I'm so glad I went with them. It was great to get away for a few days and detach from all the work I had back at home. 

Our hotel, right on the beach, allowed for easy access to the beach; which I definitely took advantage of. I spent most mornings jogging or biking. I found it so fascinating that I could do both on the beach! The beaches I'm used to don't have such compact sand.

During my stay, I also made two new friends, Dale and Eric, who called themselves,"The Ohioans." I had a wonderful time playing beach volleyball and spending some time with them. They are truly some of the nicest and most genuine people I've ever met.

I'm so glad I decided to venture to Daytona. I had the opportunity to spend some time with family and meet some great new people. And of course, take pictures! The weather allowed for some great shots of the beach: some lovely foggy mornings, super bright days and dark stormy nights.