In the last six months, so much has happened: slightly different job, new house and lots of insanity in the middle. Staging a house and buying a house is quite the adventure, but now that we are happily moved in to our new place, it was worth it.

With the slightly different job came no an annual leave balance of exactly zero (oomph) and, due to events/incidents out of my control, a lot of overtime. Plus, I’ve kept up with my triathlon schedule. Which means I usually go to work, train, and sleep. My husband literally force feeds me a plate of food somewhere in the middle of all that.

Yes, I know these are all choices, and I’m grateful to be able to have the ability and support system to work, race, and also…move.

But.

Blogging just hasn’t had a place and I’m not sure if it will in the future. BUT, I do have a super post about the National Arboretum over at The Commoner Magazine, which I’m super excited about since it is one of my favorite places in Washington DC. Please head over and check it out! (here)

We are planning another trip this fall, as well. Until then, catch me on Instagram where I tend to post more and ghost less.

Despite the huge popularity of Joshua Tree, there are not a ton of places to stay within close driving distance to the park. We were not planning to camp, so needed a place to stay, ideally close to the park since our visit was short (in other words, we weren’t going to drive from Palm Desert or Palm Springs which have a plethora of both nice and ridiculously priced accomodations).

Initially, my husband wasn’t planning to come with me to Joshua Tree, so I was just planning to stay at either the Holiday Inn Express or the Fairfield Inn by Marriott that were reasonably close by. But after we decided to fly in at the same time, I looked a bit more closely at some of the other lodging options that were close to the park.

That weren’t $$$. If I’m spending a ton of time at a hotel, I’m willing to spend more money on the room. But when we were spending all day in the park, and coming back to the room just to sleep, I didn’t want to spend money on amenities that we weren’t going to be using! That’s silliness. So out were the (albeit stunning) expensive boutique lodgings. But I stumbled on Desert Lilly, and with mostly good reviews, decided to give it a shot! I’m not much of a B&B person to be honest–I actually really like the impersonal nature of hotels where I feel like I can be “unseen” as much or as little as I want (I know, I’m weird). But it was super close to the park (like just a few miles…one of the closest options available), the price was reasonable, and DH really, really needs breakfast to start the day. Heh.

All in all it was a really good experience. It is a B&B, but each of the three main rooms (there is also a small guest house accommodation) has its own full bathroom and opens to a central courtyard. Breakfast is served every morning (this was not clear to me at all from the website, but it really is), and is excellent and so much food.

The décor is rustic with a touch of kitsch, but not distasteful or weird. Definitely a desert theme, you are in the desert after all! They are small rooms with just a bed and a bathroom–but again, you are there to sleep and that is about it. The sheets and towels were clean as was the bathroom…critically important!

There is a beautiful patio to enjoy as well as a living room area, complete with cookies and wine! There is also tea and coffee available. We brought dinner back to the B&B and had a lovely conversation with someone else that was staying there – and another nice conversation with some of the other guests one morning at breakfast. Because there are only three rooms, you never feel crowded or like there is a lack of space.

Now, the owner/proprietor of the B&B does have some very specific rules. And from what I can tell, all the bad reviews on TripAdvisor and elsewhere are due to someone 1) not reading, 2) not following directions, or 3) not caring.  I get that some of the rules seem a bit over the top (such as do not touch anything in the kitchen). However, it is her home, and even though she is running a business, it seems like respecting other peoples’ wishes is just the right thing to do. No?

All in all, we would certainly recommend the Desert Lily for a stay near Joshua Tree. It is not a luxury hotel, it is a B&B.  As long as you remember that, you will have a very delightful stay and enjoy the wonderful scenery. Its location to Joshua Tree National Park is about as good as it gets! And adorable rabbits that are running all over, all the time. We also saw a Gambel’s quail on our drive out. That’s part of the charm of the property and of the desert – so much to explore and enjoy.

Desert Lily. www.desertlily.com. $159/night inc breakfast and wine. Review the cancellation policy and arrival policy before booking.

As I mentioned in the last Seychelles post (here), I did try to book with them prior to leaving the States and received a very cursory email that essentially was like “email me your credit card number”. For a company that large, I was not impressed with that response–nor willing to send them a credit card number. There was a Mason’s rep at our hotel, and she quickly signed us up to do what we wanted. Of course she tried to see us additional tours in the process, but that is par for the course of a salesperson I suppose. It was about $120 per person, but will vary based on the current exchange rate.

In general, Mason’s was organized and on-time. The head ‘guide’ of the boat was kind and helpful. But don’t over-expect…you are getting a bulk tour and a real mixed bag of people. On pickup from our hotel, we had to backtrack to another resort because those people were not ready on time (which was very nice of Mason’s to do); people freaked on the boat when it was discovered that there were soft drinks–but no beer–available for purchase for a 5 hour excursion. I mean, lost it. There was one couple that seriously looked as if they were about to leave the entire tour, and ran off the boat to a local convenience store to buy the beer they so desperately needed. For the record, they were 60+ and not American…So, PSA: bring your own alcohol if you want some on the boat. Water is included.

The tour has 3 main parts, not including the ride out to the Marine National Park & Ile Moyenne (the snorkeling location and Ile Moyenne are virtually five minutes apart). First, you go on an underwater submersible to look at the coral (more on this in a second). Second, you have a long time to snorkel in the Marine National Park – likely a good two hours. Third, you get to hike around Ile Moyenne, swim around the island, and lounge on the beach. Lunch is thrown in here, I think we ate after the submersible on our way to the snorkeling site, which was a short cruise away.

Let’s start with the underwater submersible. Let’s start by saying: I will NEVER go on one of these again. First, and most importantly, if you plan to snorkel, you do not see anything on this thing that you don’t see when snorkeling. Second, it is super claustrophobic…and I am NOT claustrophobic. Like, ugh. I wanted off that thing the second I got on. Third, they do hit the coral occasionally. They only do it in one area, so they hit the same coral every day, and 90 percent is already pretty bleached in the area you go, but still…really unfortunate. They don’t try to hit it, mind you, but it is what happens when you take a boat with a large hull into areas with lots of coral. Lastly, a bunch of people got sick. I had my prescription medicine since I get sick on anything that moves, but even my husband was feeling it by the time we were done. Verdict: skip.

With that fun out of the way, lunch was far better than expected–great roasted chicken and good veggie options, too. And snorkeling was fantastic. While we didn’t see any large marine life, the quantity and different types of fish were worth the trip out to the Marine National Park, no doubt. They give you plenty of time to snorkel, so enjoy! You are in a pretty generous area, so you are not swimming on top of other people either, and there were not a bunch of other boats there. Some of the area is relatively deep, while parts of it are quite shallow. There are not guides in the water with you, but the boat is close by, and if you are uncomfortable in the water, it is easy to just swim right around the boat. They also put the small dingy (panga) into the water with you, and they do keep a good eye on where everyone is. Verdict: Worth the trip if you like to snorkel.

There are so many beautiful fish in the Indian Ocean, most of which we had never seen before, since our snorkeling as been in the Pacific and in the Caribbean. And these guys get big! We had so much fun taking photos, me flinching at the little sea-horse related things that looked too much like a sea snake, and then arguing over who took the better photos (obviously me).

Now Ile Moyenne is just special. There is a small entrance fee (I believe $12) if you aren’t part of the group–the cost of the tour with Mason’s includes this fee. It is a teensy tiny island that you can hike around–flip flops ok, better if they have some type of heel strap, just beware that there are slippery paths and lots of roots (I have these Havianas, which I adore and are perfect for the beach or for a dinner out when on a tropical vacation). There were a few places where I wished I had shoes (my husband has these from Adidas and LOVES them). It takes about 30 minutes to hike the whole way, and take the time to check out the little views here and there. There are also some secluded beaches that are just gorgeous.  Right out front where you get dropped off by the dingy (panga), there is a long sandbar you can swim out to and just take in the Seychelles for what they are – teensy islands in the middle of a very, very big ocean.

One of the biggest highlights of Ile Moyenne is the wild population of giant tortoises which still inhabit the island.  A lot of them gather around the ranger station, where they have some cut plants (from the island) that you can feed to them (they are usually over eating out of the pile anyhow). But when you are hiking through the tropical landscape, all of a sudden, you just come up on a giant tortoise in the forest. Such a neat experience! These guys aren’t shy, either, and will approach you — mainly out of curiosity. Verdict: must see!

Overall, I don’t regret going with Mason’s, though I hated the submersible and wished they’d stop running that portion of the tour anyway. I know that people who don’t snorkel or swim want to see the underwater environment, but coral damage doesn’t need any help from boats, and it was a wretched experience (there were multiple people vomiting when we came back up). However, St. Anne Marine National Park and Ile Moyenne were probably two highlights of our trip to the Seychelles. The amazing fish and the incredible tortoises, coupled with the perfect views and beautiful ocean really made these places special.

Tips: As I mentioned, water is included, but you can bring alcohol on board if needed. Lunch is good, but if you require a specific diet, please check in advance to make sure you can be accommodated. It is a full day by the time you get picked up and dropped off from your hotel in Mahe, so be prepared with lots of sunscreen and a change of clothes if you want. We had swimsuits and coverups, and that was plenty to get through the day. The bugs weren’t bad on the boat, but we did notice some on Ile Moyenne, so packing some spray/wipes isn’t a bad idea.

We had so much fun in Joshua Tree; here are a few hints on how to make the most of a short visit to this renowned National Park.

1. Consider alternate airports. There is not an airport super close to Joshua Tree, so prepare to rent a car unless you own a private jet and can fly into Palm Springs. Heh. We flew in to Ontario, which I would highly recommend as an alternative for both Temecula and Joshua Tree. The traffic wasn’t bad, and it is a very, very straight and easy shot down I-10 east to get to Joshua Tree. Much better than either John Wayne or LAX…on both the arriving and the departing.

2. Take advantage of partial days. The great thing about Joshua Tree is how accessible it is regardless of how much time you have. You could easily spend 4-5 days exploring; but you can also see a ton in just an afternoon. When you arrive, drive right in! Your entrance fee is good for a week, so there is no point in not enjoying the time you have in the area. And, frankly, there isn’t a ton to see outside of the park itself without going to Palm Spring/Palm Desert.

3. Be prepared. Joshua Tree is a wilderness area. It was busy but not crowded when we visited (April); however, there are long stretches of road where you may not see any other people. Because it is a desert, the most critical item here is to bring water. Lots of water. More water than you think you will need. There is water available at the park entrance, but there aren’t that many locations with water throughout the park. Don’t be an idiot and hike without water. It’s dumb and irresponsible. We may return to this soapbox later…

4. Ask a ranger. I know government employees get a bad rap, but most of the National Park Service employees truly love Joshua Tree and it shows. In addition to being able to tell you what you can see in X amount of time, they also know if there are animals hanging out in certain locations, where the best foliage is for the time of year, etc. Stop at the visitor center and ask (or, since I love chatting with people, send your husband in to ask…).

5. Plan your visit but enjoy the unexpected. There were certain things that “seemed” highly recommended, like skeleton rock. But when we drove up and saw literally 50 children scaling the rock….we just kept on driving. And then we found a very large and very close chuckwalla and spent a long time watching him and taking photos. You don’t have to see things just because others say you should or must; there is so much to explore–find what interests you! Note: Hey you roadrunners, you avoided us the entire trip and we searched for you long and hard. We’ll be baccckkkk.

We’ve been traveling more internationally than in the United States as of late (I accidentally typed Untied States and then it took everything I had not to make a joke about that…); there are so many lovely national parks here (including Yellowstone, of course, in my home state). April was a beautiful time to go; the cactus was in bloom, the weather was hot but cooled off nicely at night, and the park was not incredibly crowded. Note, though, if you are going to camp, make reservations FAR in advance! All the campgrounds were totally full while we were there. Joshua Tree is beautiful, and like nowhere we had ever been before.

Word to the wise–the no see ums can be really awful in Sanibel, and particularly in the refuge as it is protected from the wind more than say, the beach. Take bug spray. I was literally running from the car to the overlooks back to the car as fast as I could; I still have the bites on my legs to prove it. 

There are a couple of ways you can enjoy Ding Darling–walking, biking, car, and in their tram. You can also canoe, kayak, or stand up paddle board in certain areas of the refuge.  Fishing is also allowed in specific locations. We decided to take the 5-ish mile drive in our car as we had already gone on a run and played at least an hour of tennis. The speed limit is slow and strictly enforced; everyone is courteous as you can stop anywhere along the road to hop out and look around, which is pretty neat. I think next time we would definitely try to bike. Much of Sanibel has beautiful biking paths, and drivers are typically very very conscientious. It would be a great way to spend the morning by biking around the refuge.

Entrance to the park is $5 per car, $1 bike, or $1 for pedestrians, cash only. One of the trails also has a $1 entrance fee; the visitor center is free. The wildlife drive is open every day, except for Fridays, and is also open on all holidays. For updated hours, you can see their schedule here.

Gators are pretty common in the refuge, but we didn’t encounter any the day we went. I think they are more commonly seen in the morning, when they are basking in the sun to warm up for the day. But we did see a ton of birds, as well as some crabs and a cute little mangrove snake (nope, not poisonous). Fish are constantly jumping way, way out of the water. And there were so many birds, including the snowy egret, roseate spoonbill (the only naturally pink bird), as well as tons and tons of brown pelicans and cormorants. I had never seen the roseate spoonbills before–they are pretty cool birds, both in color and in beak. I wish we had a super duper very long zoom lens to catch one of them up close!

We were playing with DH’s brand new DSLR, the Canon Rebel EOS T5i. After the Galapagos, he was really interested in getting a better camera and splurged on a great Amazon deal. Yep, he had to go get a shmancy fancy camera that was better than mine! And then we had fun arguing over who took which photos, per usual, including some of those below.

In any case, if you are visiting Sanibel or Captiva Islands, or even southwest Florida, I would absolutely suggest going into the refuge.

If you are interested in birds, pick up a quick bird guide before you go. There are great waterproof versions with just Sanibel and Captiva birds.

Brown Pelican

Mostly Dunlin, with a Sandpiper, Red Knot and maybe a Cormorant in the back

Roseate Spoonbill

Tricolored Heron

Snowy Egret

Mangrove Watersnake

I think that I expected that they might save the best for last, but Seymour Island was probably my favorite island of the whole bunch. Maybe it was just the thrill of seeing all the cool Galapagos creatures for the first time, the beautiful waves, or the sunset, but I loved Seymour Island.

Landings on islands in the Galapagos are tightly controlled. There are only so many people allowed on an island at one time (the exception being the inhabited islands); we were never on an island with another group for more than say 15 minutes. If we were landing, another group was just finishing. If we were leaving, usually another group was just landing. Props to their pretty fantastic conservation/tourism plans–it makes the islands that much more special.

We had 12 people in our group, with 2 guides. Usually one guide went ahead and one behind, and you could wander between them or with one of them. This allowed you to ask plenty of questions, hear lots of information, but also enjoy the spectacular animals and scenery on your own when and if you wanted. I can’t say enough about our guides or that set up–it was absolutely wonderful.

Back to Seymour Island…Seymour Island has an incredibly large population of Blue Footed Boobies. These birds…these birds are simply my favorite. They are peculiar, full of curious expressions, adorable behaviors, and, well have BLUE feet. In addition to Blue Footed Boobies, we saw lots of little and big sea lions (adorable, though I find they don’t photograph as well as they appear in person; this little fella was waiting for us right when we landed, basking in the afternoon sun), land iguanas, and Frigatebirds.

Land iguanas are often bright colored and extremely, extremely large. They are pretty nonplussed by activity, and more concerned about eating. And eating some more. But don’t let them fool you, they actually can run super quick when inspired!

Frigatebirds are another strange, strange bird. There are two types–the Magnificent Frigatebird and the Great Frigatebird. The Magnificent Frigate has more metallic, purple plumage, and the Great Frigatebird’s plumage is more greenish. They are very, very difficult to tell apart. They have pouches under their necks that they can inflate (and deflate) to attract mates. These pouches take about 15 minutes or so to inflate, and look like they could be popped like a balloon. They also have super weird feathers on the side that kind of creep me out–they look like feathers on an arrow, sharp and hard.

We saw the mating rituals of both the Frigatebirds and the Blue Footed Boobies on Seymour Island, which was fantastic. We watched the birds until we were forced off the island at sunset, as people aren’t allowed on the islands after dark. They have such fascinating behavior.

Next up? Isla San Cristobal, and tales of Heather’s seasickness. And don’t worry, the Blue Footed Boobies (and my 200 pictures of a single bird) deserve a post all of their own too!

Parrots were always the exception. Penguins are pretty cool too. But all the other bajillion species? Meh.

But then something embarrassing happened on my first safari to Tanzania…I call the Lilac Breasted Roller my gateway bird, because that’s exactly what it was. It was the bird that was pretty enough to make me interested in other birds that didn’t start with a p (parrots and penguins). It was the bird that convinced me that birds deserved another chance. It was the bird that made me stop in the bird section in my Wildlife of East Africa book, and actual look at the photos instead of skipping the pages entirely.

I guess I like birds now? After so many years it’s hard to write. I like birds.

So in an ode to the animals I now find interesting, I decided to post some of my very favorite bird pictures from Kenya. Because these birds are interesting, incredible, intricate, and exciting.  They are all the reasons why I gave birds another chance.

The Crested Crane (Grey Crowned Crane)

We saw so many of these birds in Kenya. They also happen to be the national bird of Uganda. They are almost always found in pairs.

The Egyptian Goose

Regal, and always look much cleaner than the ducks I had when I was growing up.

The African Fish Eagle

One of multiple eagles we were fortunate enough to see–looks quite similar to a bald eagle. And equally large.

The Superb Starling

Superbly common, but no less pretty. This bird evaded any flying picture that dear husband was trying to capture the entire trip. Pretty impressive, for a bird.

The Lilac Breasted Roller

I’d tweet at this bird like Tweety Bird…it’s a pweettyy little bird. Ok, so not funny. But LOOK at this bird!! No wonder it was my gateway bird.

This is but just a part of all the different species; we also spotted a Pygmy Kingfisher, the infamously large Secretary Bird, a vulture (and a dead vulture), an African Darter, a Sacred Ibis, a Black-Winged Kite, and many more. In fact, I may need to do Kenya birds, part 2. Who ever thought I’d be doing multiple blog posts on birds. I certainly would have laughed.

But I still hate binoculars. They make me dizzy. So you can’t call me a birdwatcher just yet….

Oh, and snakes. The only time someone we were with saw a black mamba was in Uganda, so no worries. Heh.

Not only is Namibia visitor-friendly, its gorgeous and unlike anywhere I’ve ever been. I’ve already posted photos of the Skeleton Coast and the Caprivi Strip, but one of the biggest you-just-can’t-miss-it spots in Namibia is Deadvlei (the salt pan with the infamous dead trees) and Sossusvlei (the general area with the dunes). I think most people have seen photos of these iconic locations, but visiting them and hiking the sand dunes is really a ton of fun and one of the biggest reasons we headed to Namibia.

A word of serious advice–start early. It may seems so cool, but it gets very very hot when the sun comes up.  Especially if you are planning to hike up any of the dunes. Which of course you should! The sand on one side of the dune, in the shade, will be freezing to the touch. The sand on the other side of the dune, in the sun, will be burning to the touch. And take water. Obviously. I think that goes without saying when sand dunes are involved, no?

The white salt pan (or ecru, perhaps), the rust colored sand, and the blue sky=perfect contrasts.

Have you been to Namibia? What did you think of Sossusvlei?

And when I was making our photo book of Kenya, I had to sort through like 800 lion mating photos. Mostly my husbands. You can draw your own conclusions–maybe he was just so excited during his first safari? Yea, I think so.

We saw two different pairs of lions on two different days mating in the Masai Mara. Lions have extremely peculiar mating patterns. Apparently leopards have similar patterns (but who ever is lucky enough to see mating leopards?!). Lions mate about every 15 minutes (range is between 5-20 minutes typically) for 3-5 days. You can do the math, but this means that lions can mate easily between 300-500 times, depending on how long the male can last. We were told that the males don’t eat while mating, so they become extremely fatigued and eventually have to find something to chow on. Lion mating isn’t always successful (typically 1 in 5 female estrus cycles results in a live cub)–and scientists are still working to better understand the reasons why.

Waiting…

Only 200 Times to Go?

Check Out that Tooth

You Know, I’m Still Hungry

Relaxing…Momentarily

The second pair we saw was definitely interesting–while it is not uncommon for females to mate with more than one male, in this case, there was a young male who was tailing the older male and “his” female. The female was obviously more interested in the younger male, and in addition to mating, the older male was wasting a ton of energy trying to herd off the younger male and control the female. The female wasn’t having much of it, and the older male was getting pretty frustrated. The younger male was staying just close enough to be annoying and be an opportunist, and just far enough to not make the older male lion too mad. We didn’t see her mate with the younger male, but given how tired the older male seemed, I’m guessing that it happened relatively soon. Usually there is no fighting–when one male gets exhausted, he will leave to eat/hunt and the other male swoops in to pick up where the other left off.

The Distinguished (err OLD) Lion

So Amazing

The Young One Keeping an Eye on Things

I Am Tired of Herding You! Can We Go to the Shade??

Though I’ve been to Africa and on safari a number of times, animal behavior just fascinates me and I had never seen mating lions. And this, to me, is one of the most wonderful things about a safari: no matter how many times you’ve been, you always see something fascinating and new. It’s when I fantasize secretly–oh, who am I kidding, I totally fantasize out loud–about moving to Africa and studying animal behavior. Or just going on safari once a month.

Except this year. When it didn’t. Because of the rains, the animals hadn’t felt the need to move yet and we could see them through binoculars (herds of them) on the other side of the Kenyan border, making their way from the Tanzanian Serengeti into the Masai Mara. We were just days off.

There is both an upside and a downside to these events. On the upside, the Mara is simply beautiful when empty. Vast, expansive, and incredible. There aren’t herds of vehicles as well as animals (though there are definitely some). And we saw lots of amazing Hartebeest and Topi (and babies), both of which I love. On the downside, it is truly empty. And it’s enormous. With more drivers in the Mara, companies will communicate about where to find things, like rhinos and such, but without more communication, it’s possible to drive forever and not see much.

Expansive Plains & Topi!

Because it’s the Mara, when you don’t see the migration, I think you get the advantage of enjoying the flora, the fauna, and a lot of other things that you’d probably just drive by quickly to see if you could see a river crossing during the high season. For example, we saw lions mating (totally bizarre and curious mating patterns that I didn’t know about), my husband tried literally for an hour to get a picture of superb starling that buzzed near his head and taunted his photographic skills, watched lots of Agama lizards, and I could stare at baby Hartebeest all day long. Who knew antelope could be so adorable?!

I Think Lion Mating Rituals Might Deserve Their Own Post…

Tell Me These Little Ones Aren’t Just Perfect

The Male Agama Lizard Strikes a Pose

It’s not as if you can control when the migration happens, and travel plans set months in advance aren’t flexible to last minute change (a downside of being a part-time traveler, I’d guess). I would definitely go back and spend some time in a mobile Mara camp (Leleshwa, where we stayed, has a mobile camp during the migration that I’d love to return to!). But that’s not to say the Mara wasn’t incredible anyway. It was. And I don’t regret going to the Mara when we did, at all.