The main reason we decided to spend a day on De Palm Island is snorkeling. This unique coral island is the only place in Aruba, where you can swim with the Blue Parrotfish, native only to this area. De Palm Island is an all inclusive private island own by the De Palm Tour Company. There are numerous activities included in the ticket, but we added the Sea Trek tour for an additional fee. It was a beautiful day in Aruba like almost every other day and the island wasn’t crowded at all. Below is a picture of the cute little beach on the island.
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We did enjoy our jeep tour at Arikok National park, but it didn’t include a Natural pool visit, so today we decided to take a ride to this popular Aruba attraction.
It was our 15th Wedding Anniversary and another relaxing day on the beautiful sunny island. We didn’t schedule any big tours for this day besides a romantic dinner at a restaurant on the beach.
We chose a 7 hour open-air Land Rover tour to experience the rugged Aruban outback. The jeep tour covers the Arikok National park, which is home to some of the Island’s hidden treasures. At the end of the tour we were provided snorkeling gear to cool off at Baby Beach. The main tour sights include: Ostrich Farm, Donkey Sanctuary, Black Stone Beach, Fountain Cave at Arikok National Park and Baby Beach.
Our plan for Day 3 in Aruba included climbing the Hooiberg mountain in the morning and exploring various Aruba beaches, specifically snorkeling at Baby Beach. We started our day with this incredible sunrise in our backyard.
The highlight of our second day in Aruba was the Atlantis Submarines Expedition Tour. We checked in at the Atlantis Submarines Adventure Center in downtown Oranjestad at 11 A.M. The tour began with a brief orientation dockside, followed by photographs of every party which were available for $10 when the tour returned.
We are in Aruba! Dave and I are going to enjoy this beautiful sunny island for 10 days starting December 12th, while it is pretty cold at home in DC. Aruba is an island with a steady temperature of 82-86 degrees of Fahrenheit (°F) this time of the year with sunny days and delightful breezes every day. Aruba is the southernmost island located just 15 miles from Venezuela surrounded by breathtaking beaches. I am not exaggerating, the beaches there are the best in the Caribbean, only Megan’s Bay in St. Thomas can compete with them, in my opinion. Part of the island is mostly desert where Arikock National park is situated. Here is one of the two most photographed fofoti trees on the Eagle Beach in Aruba.
Dave and I booked a sushi tasting dinner tonight at Sushi Taro restaurant located at DuPont Circle. I really like DuPont Circle. This is one of the best DC areas. It was crowded at night the day before Thanksgiving, even though weather wasn’t nice at all. It was windy and rainy. At some point of the day it was even snowing a little, but the snow melted as soon as it touched the ground. Despite the rain, it was nice walking the historic streets of DuPont Circle full of the bright leaves on the ground and a few left on the trees.
From the outside, the restaurant does not look like much. It is situated directly above a CVS drugstore, which could be a good land mark to tell people who are meeting you at the restaurant. However, inside the dining room it is warm and inviting. It’s an easy walk from the DuPont Street Metro station and there is a parking garage around the corner on P street (between 16th and 17th, cash only). Sushi Taro will validate your parking, so you can get the parking fee refunded when you pick up your car. Sushi Taro restaurant is a calm, sophisticated and welcoming place.
Category: DC Surroundings
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After spending the morning at the Canadian Niagara Falls, Dave and I took one of the bridges across Niagara River to see the American Niagara Falls. We had a few hours to enjoy the Falls before our flight to Washington. I am glad we did it, because seeing the Falls only from one of the sides doesn’t depict a complete picture.
Comparing the view from both sides, I made a conclusion, that if there is a chance, it is necessary to visit both: Canadian and American Niagara Falls. In my opinion, the panoramic view of the Canadian Falls beats the view from the U.S. side, but you can get much closer to the falls on the U.S. side. Although the view from both sides is different, it is as breathtaking from either side. We were lucky to see a rainbow on the U.S. side and it made our day. 🙂
Category: Travel
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Our third day in Canada we spent enjoying the Niagara Falls from both the Canadian and American side. This part is about the Canadian side. The day was beautiful: sunny and comparatively warm for November in Canada. It seemed like the Falls looked completely different in the sunlight. The morning was crisp and clear with the promise of sunshine.
