While Sanibel Island, Florida, is perhaps best known for its world-class shelling, it is also the location of the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge Complex — the largest undeveloped mangrove ecosystem in the U.S. Covering over 6,400 acres, it attracts over 245 bird species and is famous worldwide for its spectacular migratory bird populations. …
Category: Birding, Blog, Florida, Home news, Homepage, slider, Tropical Flora and Fauna, Uncategorized, wildlife Tags: alligators, birding, blue herons, Discover Ding Nature App, dolphins, egrets, Florida, J.N. "Ding" Darling, manatees, migratory birds, Nature & Sea Life Cruises, Osprey, pelicans, Rookery Islands, roseate spoonbills, Sanibel Island, Tarpon Bay Explorers, white ibis, Wildlife Drive, wildlife refuge
It’s not every day that you get to walk the beach with a “shellebrity.” Pam Rambo, shelling expert extraordinaire, based on Sanibel Island, Florida, graciously agreed to meet up with me, along with my husband, Stephen, when we were on vacation in Sanibel in early January.
Category: Beachcombing, Beaches, Blog, Home news, Homepage, Sand and shell collecting, slider Tags: beaches, Florida, shell collecting, shelling, shells
An old friend paid me a visit at my Paradise Beach Nevis villa on my first full day in Nevis, June 8. Pas Turner and I go way back—to ’98 or ’99—when I had my first mango daiquiri at Cla-Cha-Del, the restaurant he then operated along with his mom, Claudina.
Category: Blog, Caribbean, Home news, Island Destinations, Island Food and Drink, Nevis, slider Tags: 101 Rum Bar, Four Seasons Resort Nevis, friends, mango daiquiri, mango mojito, Mango restaurant, mangos, Nevis, rum
The travel bug bit Anne McAlpin at age 16, when she spent six weeks cycling through Europe. It was her first experience with overpacking, as she and…
Category: Blog, Europe, Home news, Interviews, Packing, slider Tags: AAA, Anne McAlpin, CNN, HGTV, Oprah, pack light, packing tips, PackitUp.com, Rachael Ray, The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Today Show, The View, travel, travel advice, travel smart, Uniworld
“What is your favorite island?” Because of my experience in traveling to tropical locations, this is a question I’m often asked.
Others are: “I want to go somewhere…
Category: Blog, Home news, Island Destinations, slider Tags: Caribbean, Hawaii, ideal island destination, islands, mexico, South Pacific, tropical travel
I’ll admit it. History and geography weren’t my favorite subjects in school. Memorizing dry, historical facts and trying to make sense of places on a one-dimensional map…
Category: Anguilla, Antigua, Blog, Caribbean, Dominica, Fiji Islands, History and Culture, Home news, Nevis, slider, St. Kitts, U.S. Virgin Islands Tags: Alexander Hamilton, fortresses, heritage sites, history and culture, Horatio Nelson, islands, museums
It’s the most photographed islet in the South Pacific—Motu Tapu—just a five-minute boat ride from the Hilton Bora Bora Nui Resort. It was the private beach of…
Category: Blog, Bora Bora, French Polynesia, Home news, Island Treasures, Islets and Motus, slider Tags: beaches, Bora Bora, French Polynesia, Hilton Bora Bora Nui, islands, islet, lagoon, motu, Motu Tapu, overwater bungalows, South Pacific
I chose this day, March 30th, as the official launch day for my website, not at random, but because it is my dad’s birthday. William R. (Bill)…
Category: Blog, Home news, slider, Uncategorized
Now that you’ve found your way here, I’d like to help you navigate the site and know what’s here.
To learn about me and how I came to…
Category: Blog, Home news, slider, Welcome to Tropical Travel Girl Tags: beaches, Caribbean, europe, islands, mexico, pacific, south america, tropical travel, tropics, U.S.
Do you ever dream about a good meal you had while visiting a faraway destination? Do you ever wish you could return to that restaurant and experience…
Category: Blog, Home news, Island Food and Drink, slider Tags: Anguilla, Bahamas, Canary Islands, Dominica, Fiji, Grand Cayman, Grenadines, island beverages, island food, Jamaica, Nevis, seafood, St. Croix, Tahiti, Tobago, Trinidad, tropical dining, tropical fruits, tropical vegetables, Turks and Caicos
Beachcombing is one of my favorite beach activities. Since childhood vacations in Florida with my family, I have been fascinated with shells. Not long ago, I removed…
Category: Beachcombing, Beaches, Blog, Home news, Sand and shell collecting, slider Tags: beachcombing, fb:app_id, sand collecting, shell collecting
Since the Florida vacations of my childhood, I’ve loved going to the beach. In my younger life, that meant sunbathing, walking up and down the beach, and…
Category: Blog, Home news, Scuba diving and snorkeling, slider Tags: scuba diving, snorkeling