Belize vacation, May 2014

 I am linking up with  Oh, the places I've been @ Tablescaper   and check out  Gemma's  Scenic Weekend   And Friday Postcards


Hubby and I enjoyed a week stay in Belize..The first four days we stayed at the Sleeping Giant Rainforest Lodge near Belmopan and the last three nights were on the coast near the village of Hopkins. The Sleeping Giant was a wonderfully run lodge, with friendly employees and a great tour desk.

Belize is located on the Northeastern Coast of Central America. It is the only country in the area that English is the official language. Belize is bordered by Mexico to the north and Guatemala to the south and west and the Caribbean Sea is on east coast.  From 1862 to 1973 Belize was called the British Honduras and was part of the British Empire.

Our room for 4 nights and yes the air conditioning was running the whole time we were there.  You could choose a garden view room for two people or they have the Casitas (little cottages that stand alone and sleep up to 4 people).

 

 The pool was recently added, it is pretty. A nice hot tub was close by too.

This was our view in the morning for breakfast.. I was always seeing birds moving around the tree with the purple blooms.. It was a treat for me to have fresh squeezed orange juice in the mornings.. There is an orange orchard and farm adjacent to the resort.

The resort was beautifully landscaped with bougainvillea, flamboyant trees and gorgeous exotic plants.  

This walkway led to the river, the resort offered the use of inflatable kayaks and tubes.

The walkway led to this pretty view of the Sibun River and the mountains in the distance.. During each visit to the river we would see one or two Green Kingfishers. 

It was nice to come back to the room after a tour to see our cute towel critters.  This one is a dragonfly. 

The is the garden view outside our room, I was happy just to see the hummingbirds hanging around all the flowers.. 

I would recommend the Sleeping Giant Rainforest Resort for a good time in Belize..

Thanks for stopping by and  I wish everyone a happy day!

I hope you enjoyed my travel and scenic post.  I wish everyone a safe and happy weekend.  

 Thanks for stopping by and I appreciate your comments. Thanks for stopping by to see my post and thanks to Gemma for hosting Scenic Weekends. also thank to Alma the host @ The Tablescaper
And Keryn from Friday Postcards

Cape May and the New Jersey Shore

 

May 4th....Happy 24th Anniversary to my hubby!

Hubby and I celebrated our 24th anniversary a little early, we headed to Cape May & Atlantic City NJ on Thursday for an overnight getaway.. We had a great time walking around the Cape May beach near the lighthouse and on the trails..

A foggy lighthouse scene and some scenic views from the park trails and a Yellow Warbler.

 A pretty male Yellow Warbler singing..

 

Above one of many Yellow Rump Warblers, Brown thrasher, Eastern Kingbird, Mute Swan, turtle, Cardinal, Chipping Sparrow and Mallard Ducks.

 

We saw a lot of the Yellow Rump Warblers in Cape May.

Above is a cute Piping Plover and an American Oystercatcher and some Sanderlings on the beach.

The fog and misty weather was clear before we left the Cape May Lighthouse Park. Hubby and I joke about how the weather always clears up whenever I go on a trip.. Cape May was just the start of our getaway, I will have more photos to share later in the week. Thanks for stopping by and for the comments.

Hashawha Nature Center

 I am linking up with Gemma's  Scenic Weekend

 These are some scenic views from our visit to the local Hashawha Nature Center.. There are lots of trails to hike, a lake and stream. Seeing the beautiful wildflowers and pretty birds made me happy.

 

I am trying to do some post sharing the local parks and state parks  that hubby and I have visited.  I hope you enjoyed my post.  I wish everyone a safe and happy weekend.  

 Thanks for stopping by and I appreciate your comments. Thanks for stopping by to see my post and thanks to Gemma for hosting Scenic Weekends.

HAPPY EASTER

HAPPY EASTER

 

Wishing everyone a very Happy Easter!

Battle Creek Cypress Swamp

 I am linking up with Gemma's  Scenic Weekend

Once in a while I will feature a local Maryland Park or Natural Area used for recreation.
Battle Creek Cypress Swamp in Calvert County, Maryland is one of the most northernmost stands of Bald Cypress trees.

The Bald Cypress is a typical sub-tropical tree in the Blackwater swamps of the southeast.

A snakelike boardwalk takes you thru the Bald Cypress Swamp.

 The Bald Cypress knees.

The knobby knees emerge out of the water. The Battle Creek Bald Cypress consists of 100 acres of Bald Cypress and woodlands. In the spring you can find various birds, frogs and turtles making their home in the swamp. the land was purchased by the Nature Conservancy and is leased and operated by Calvert County Rec & Parks. I have visited many Maryland parks during all my birding outings, another park we visited on this outing was the Flag Ponds Nature Park and Calvert Cliffs State Park.. 


I hope you enjoyed my travel post.  I wish everyone a safe and happy weekend.  

 Thanks for stopping by and I appreciate your comments. Thanks for stopping by to see my post and thanks to Gemma for hosting Scenic Weekends.

Boldt Castle

 I am linking up with Gemma's  Scenic Weekend


Over the years hubby, son and I have been on many roads trips. On this trip I am taking you to the New York-Canada border.  One of the tours we took was a boat ride and walking tour thru the Boldt Castle. The Boldt Castle is located in the Alexandria Bay located in the famous 1,000 Islands.

On the St Lawrence River a boat took us to the Boldt Castle, for an inside tour and a walk around the grounds.

The Boldt Castle was built in 1900's by millionaire hotel magnate George C. Boldt. It was a tribute to his wife Louise who passed away before it was finished.

 

The Arched entry to the Bold Castle.

This stained glass dome overlooks the marble staircase.  Some of the later work was completed by the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority. They have spent millions in repairing and rebuilding portions of the castle and grounds.

Above scenes from our boat ride to the Boldt,  the Boldt Entry Arch, Boldt Yacht house, Ospreys on  tower, 2 nations. What a huge yacht house!

The USA-Canada official border lays directly on the river bed underneath this bridge. The bridge  with the Canadian and US flags is connecting two small islands.



I hope you enjoyed my travel post.  I wish everyone a safe and happy weekend.  

 Thanks for stopping by and I appreciate your comments. Thanks for stopping by to see my post and thanks to Gemma for hosting Scenic Weekends.

Ocean City, Maryland

 I am linking up with Gemma's  Scenic Weekend


 These are some shots of our recent weekend getaway to Ocean City, Maryland..

  Hubby and I, my shadow shot.

A broken pier from the storm Sandy..

The amusement pier will be opening soon..it will not be long till the sounds of summer will be there.

Over a hundred streets of beach, hotels, stores and restaurants.. 

A view at the inlet.

 The view from our room, a little too cloudy for a sunrise..

We a great room on the corner, it had a cool wrap around balcony.. we could see the ocean and the bay.

 The Ocean City inlet..

Sunset at Ocean City's inlet..

I hope you enjoyed the photos and our visit to Ocean City, we like to go before the crowds are there..



I hope you enjoyed my travel post.  I wish everyone a safe and happy weekend.  

 Thanks for stopping by and I appreciate your comments. Thanks for stopping by to see my post and thanks to Gemma for hosting Scenic Weekends.