Today we stayed at Nautilus Villa, right on the water. It was awesome! There were kayaks and paddle boards available which we used to cruise over to Blue Lagoon (formerly Blue Hole). The water was so nice… truly wonderful
“SUP” Jamaica, 2023
Fun fact: when I was maybe 4 years old, I fell into Blue Hole and my father jumped in and rescued me. I don’t really remember falling in, but I do remember playing on the pier right before the incident. Scary!
This time around, I enjoyed myself a lot more, swimming around and enjoying the scenery.
Photo info: Apple iPhone 12 mini, 1.55mm, f/2.4, 1/1500 sec, ISO25 “Caribbean View” Port Antonio, 2023
There were also sea turtles and rays swimming about. So neat to see. I definitely recommend a visit to Blue Lagoon if you are in Port Antonio.
By the way, our group had a nice collection of camera gear… dSLR, mirrorless, GoPro, film p&s. All bases covered!
Photo info: Apple iPhone 12 mini, 4.2mm, f/1.6, 1/200 sec, ISO32 “Camera Gear” Port Antonio, 2023Photo info: Apple iPhone 12 mini, 4.2mm, f/1.6, 1/180 sec, ISO32 “Sunset” Port Antonio, 2023Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E4, 35mm, f/8, 1/105 sec, ISO2000 “Purple Glow” Port Antonio, 2023
Photo info: Apple iPhone 12 mini, 4.2mm, f/1.6, 1/600 sec, ISO32 “Flowers” Port Antonio, 2023
Since our arrival was so late last night, we planned to just hang out at Norse Hill, the property we are staying at. And what a beautiful property it is! It’s actually Norse Hill Estate and Botanical Gardens, so the flora is amazing. There are trails that meander around the grounds with inspirational quotes on plaques scattered along the trail. It’s very cool!
Tomorrow we’ll explore a bit, but today it was nice to just hang out at the pool, walk around the gardens, and chat with friends and family.
Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E4, 27mm, f/16, 1/210 sec, ISO320 “Santa Elena Canyon” Big Bend, 2023
Our last day at Big Bend was spent hiking the iconic Santa Elena Canyon. The canyon is always stunning, and this time there was someone in a canoe enjoying the Rio Grande. It looked so fun!
Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E4, 27mm, f/16, 1/160 sec, ISO320 “Santa Elena Canyon” Big Bend, 2023Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E4, 27mm, f/16, 1/340 sec, ISO320 “Sunburst” Big Bend, 2023Photo info: Apple iPhone 12 mini, 1.55mm, f/2.4, 1/290 sec, ISO25 “Murky Waters” Big Bend, 2023
The canyon was a perfect way to end the trip to Big Bend. But there was one more thing that we were looking forward to: burgers at Pepito’s Cafe. It was so good!
Today is day one of a camping trip to Big Bend National Park. My buddy and I have camped out here a few times before so the itinerary was a mix of our favorite trails and a couple of new ones.
We took my friend’s Jeep which meant we could visit a remote trails and stay any of the backcountry campsites. It really opens up the park to more activities!
Photo info: Apple iPhone 12 mini, 4.2mm, f/1.6, 1/6900 sec, ISO32 “Jeep” Big Bend, 2023
Our first trail was the Grapevine Hills Trail to Balanced Rock. It was my third time hiking this one, and every time has been great. It’s a short trail, but the rock formations at the end are super cool!
Next up was a drive to Ernst Tinaja. On the way we stopped at an old cowboy gravesite. I’d love to know the story behind this person. Or perhaps it’s better left to the imagination. 😃
The tinaja was really interesting, with layered canyon walls and plenty of fossils in the exposed limestone. Another short hike with a big payoff. Recommended if you have a high-clearance vehicle.
We were treated to some awesome skies and storm clouds on the drive to our campsite. Luckily we didn’t get any rain. But the photos were much better because of the clouds.
When we reached the Rio Grande Village campsite we were greeted by a pack of friendly javelina. And by friendly, I mean they weren’t aggressive. The pack of 13 javelina just slowly moved their way through the campground, looking for grubs and other goodies. So cute! 🐗
We set up our tents, had dinner and then settled in for the evening. It was a long day on the road, a couple of nice, short hikes, and wildlife in the campground. Oh, there were also a few wild horses walking around the campground. So funny and unexpected! 🏕
Today was our last day on Maui, but since we were taking the red-eye flight in the late afternoon, we had some time to do a few last-minute things. That included lunch at the Ono Teppanyaki and Seafood truck, followed by a quick visit to Kanaha Beach. The shrimp and ahi were delicious, and the beach was lovely. I wish we had enough time to go for a swim, but we’ll have to do that next time.
Thank you Maui. Mahalo and aloha!
Photo info: Apple iPhone 12 mini, 4.2mm, f/1.6, 1/750 sec, ISO32 “Fish and Shrimp” Kahului, 2023
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I use a Fujifilm X-series camera for most of the photos on this site and my Instagram. Why not pick one up for yourself?
