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.
Today was a long travel day, with a flight from Austin to Atlanta, a long layover at the airport, then a flight to Kingston, Jamaica. And then we (12 of us) were on a mini-bus for a three-hour ride to Port Antonio, arriving at about midnight. But everything went without a hitch and we had a nice midnight meal of Jamaican patties and saltfish fritters. So good!
Here are a couple of more photos of the cool clouds I saw from the plane. Vacation has started!
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?
