San Juan, Puerto Rico (Miramar food & groceries)

Our family visited Puerto Rico for the first time recently. We had several days to enjoy the outdoors as well as the history of this beautiful island that is a territory of the United States.

Many US travellers love Puerto Rico because no passport is required, the dollar is the currency and English is widely spoken.

Our accommodations were in the Miramar section of San Juan, which is just south of Old San Juan and southwest of Condado, the strip of hotels and restaurants.

Upon our arrival, we learned that Ponce De Leon Avenue was just a five-minute walk from where we were staying. If you're staying at the Sheraton or Hyatt, or if you're at the convention center or the Distrito T-Mobile, you'll be within 5-10 minutes of Ponce De Leon avenue.

Some Puerto Rican friends had recommended Los Pinos restaurant to us, so we tried that. Mofongo, a dense food made of plantains, was on the menu there. It can be served with many types of meats or vegetables. It was delicious.

We also found a grocery store two blocks away that allowed us to purchase some breakfast foods, fruits and LOTS of bottled water. The heat index was above 100 several days we were there so we were glad to be able to fill our 36-oz. water bottles with cold water from our refrigerator.

Old Town Scottsdale

Old Town Scottsdale is a vibrant, walkable area that is worth a visit for shopping, eating, entertainment and the arts.

The Scottsdale Fashion Square, home to more than 200 retailers, is at the north end of Old Town. The area continues south for about one mile from Camelback Road on the north to Osborn Road on the south.

Old Town consists of nine neighborhoods, each filled with galleries, restaurants and shops. Several museums are also in the area, including the Museum of the West.

We visited on a Sunday morning when crowds lined up outside numerous restaurants for brunch. The area also has numerous nightclubs for evening entertainment.

At the far southeast corner of Old Town is Scottsdale Stadium, spring training home of the San Francisco Giants.

Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum

A great stop for people of all ages is the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum located about 30 minutes outside of Tucson near Saguaro National Park. The museum is about a two-hour drive from Phoenix.

Located on 21 acres, the museum has more than two miles of walking paths through various habitats with exhibits about a multitude of plants and animals.

We arrived around 9:30 and learned that we were just in time for the raptor show that starts at 10 a.m. (Daily except for Wednesdays, Oct. 30-April 10). The 25-minute show featured four types of birds in free flight with lengthy narratives about each type of bird. The birds land in trees very close to the spectators and sometimes fly just inches above their heads. It's an impressive show.

From there we took the half-mile desert loop trail that highlights numerous desert plants and also includes coyotes and javelinas. The path continued into mountain woodlands where there is a mountain lion, black bear, gray wolves and mule deer.

From there we went underground into a cave that highlights the history of the Earth as well as gems and minerals.

Wandering to the next section of the grounds, we went into the hummingbird aviary where several species of hummingbirds dart around feeding at colorful plants and feeders throughout the building. Further on the trail there is another enclosed aviary with other species of birds. We saw a tanager, cardinal, quail, ducks and more.

Kids will enjoy the opportunity to touch and feed stingray. The final two stops for us as we continued on the trails were Cat Canyon and the Riparian Corridor. Cat Canyon features a bobcat, ocelot and gray fox. In the Riparian Corridor, you can see a river otter and a bighorn sheep.

The museum also has an aquarium and reptile exhibit. There is a gift shop and several options for food.

Adult admission is $24.95.

We spent just under four hours at the museum and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Superstition Mountains (Arizona)

The Superstition Mountains are about 50 minutes from Scottsdale and make for a great day trip. 

Our first stop was Lost Dutchman State Park where there are multiple trails for hiking and mountain biking. Dogs are welcome on some trails but not all. 

We chose to hike the 2.4-mile Treasure Loop Trail. It was rated moderate, but was fairly easy for 90% of the time. There was a short section that was steep and wasn't as smooth as the rest. The hike, which had a 500-foot gain in elevation, took us to the base of the mountain. As we hiked in spring, the terrain was fairly green with plenty of cacti and wild flowers.

Just a few miles away from the state park is Goldfield Ghost Town, the remnants of an 1893 mining town that has been converted into a tourist attraction. You can stroll the main street, visiting shops and businesses to learn about the history of the town and life in the wild west. Attractions include a zip line, train ride, mining for gold, a reptile museum and more. There are several options for food.

On weekends, a group of local volunteers stage a gunfight in the street every hour from 12-4.

Finally, we made a 25-minute drive to Canyon Lake, a recreation area for boaters and beachgoers.

National Museum of the U.S. Air Force

 I've driven along I-70 many times and have seen the signs advertising the National Museum of the United States Air Force but I had never had the opportunity to visit until today.

Located in Dayton, Ohio, the museum is near interstates 70 and 75, offering easy access to travelers from all directions.

Best of all, admission is FREE! That's right, four hangars filled with planes that will take hours (or multiple visits) to fully enjoy, and there is no admission fee.

The exhibit starts with the history of flying, which makes sense since the Wright brothers lived in the Dayton area and perfected their early airplanes nearby.

This is an Air Force museum, so most of the planes and the educational information about them travels through history to the cadence of wars. After the early years of flying, it's less than a decade until planes were used in World War I. Another decade and you're into World War II followed by Korea, Southeast Asia and then the Cold War. It is fascinating how quickly planes developed through the decades to fly higher, faster, further and to deliver more lethal payloads.

While all of the information and exhibits are great, I enjoyed the fourth hangar the best. The fourth hangar is home to the "Presidential Gallery" and includes planes that were used by multiple presidents. And best of all, you can board and walk through most of them. First you can climb aboard the plane that first flew a president - the "Sacred Cow" purpose-built for Franklin D. Roosevelt. Planes that served Presidents Truman and Eisenhower are next before you get to climb the stairs to the plane that served eight presidents, beginning with JFK. You walk through the aisle past the spot where Lyndon Johnson took the oath to serve as president after JFK's assassination.

Ft. Lauderdale on-demand ride share

Fort Lauderdale and other cities in South Florida offer affordable on-demand ride sharing using electric vehicles.

The service is called "Circuit" in Fort Lauderdale and provides transportation to many of the hotels, beaches and the popular Las Olas Boulevard.

During our recent trip to Ft. Lauderdale we wanted a ride back to our hotel after a long morning of walking.

Our electric vehicle, with two row of seats for two, cost only $4.

Upsides: Low cost and decent coverage area

Cons: It's a ride share program so you'll probably wait a bit longer to get picked up than with other services like Uber or Lyft, and you may make a couple of pickups or drop offs en route to your destination.

We weren't pressed for time and enjoyed the ride with a driver who pointed out highlights of the area.

Manuel Antonio National Park

 Manuel Antonio is the smallest national park in Costa Rica, but it is home to a diverse array of plants and animals. 

You'll definitely want to take a guided tour to help you spot the animals and insects. The guides not only know where to look, but they carry high-powered spotting scopes to zoom in on things you would never see on your own. The picture of the crown-nymphed hummingbird below is one such example.

We took a two-hour guided hike down the main trail in the park to the snack area where we were treated to fresh fruits and juices (and later saw a group of white-faced monkeys raiding the trash bins for leftovers). Note: The snack area is the only area in the park where food is available, and no outside food may be brought into the park.

There are two beaches at the park. Changing rooms and restrooms are available.

We spent 5-6 hours in the park, hiking several trails and enjoying the beach.