On the Road is a weekday feature spotlighting reader photo submissions.
From the exotic to the familiar, whether you’re traveling or in your own backyard, we would love to see the world through your eyes.
It’s day 9. Let’s give a warm welcome to Salty Sam! What a backstory! Such beautiful surroundings, in any case. Seems like a much better outcome than for those people who went on a 3-hour tour. ~WaterGirl
I have been a Juicer since 2012. In 2017, the boat we lived on in S Texas was destroyed by Hurricane Harvey. We found and purchased a sister-ship in MA, became Massholes for a couple ‘a years while we fixed her up.
<aside> As a born’n’bred Texan, I was blown away with how much I loved living on the North Shore (Noath Shoah). Looking forward to returning someday- I’d kill for a Dirty Lobster Martini from The Lobster Shanty (Salem MA) right now… </aside>
Our family set up a rendezvous in Culebra, Puerto Rico for Christmas 2019. We cruised the coast of Maine for the summer of 2019, and then realized we had to skedaddle for points south if we were gonna make it. It was a grueling, but fun, trip down the east coast, and we arrived Culebra the day before Christmas Eve, just in time to celebrate with the family. It was awesome.
While mulling over plans for “where we go from here”, Mr. Coronavirus came to town and made some decisions for us. As a result, we are “stuck” on this very small tropical island – Culebra, a small island a few miles east of the main island of Puerto Rico. Inter-island travel is shut down “for the duration”. We could not be happier about it.
I have no idea the names of these flowers- they just struck me with the brilliance of their beauty. These pics were taken in the area around our house and on the walk to the produce store a half mile away. I have many more pics if people would be interested.
The view out our front door…
Closeup of Acacia
Plumeria and cactus
My favorite…
Mmmmm, Hibiscus…
Mary G
What an interesting story and beautiful flowers. I love the smell of plumeria. I wouldn’t expect to see it living next to a cactus! Send moar photos! We need the shot of beauty.
Amir Khalid
Because the hibiscus is Malaysia’s national flower, it is known here as bunga raya (the public flower). Had I been consulted on the matter, I would definitely have chosen a less government-sounding name.
These tropical flowers all look familiar, although I too am ignorant of their names.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Amir Khalid: I’ve run across some interesting rose names at the Rose Garden at The Huntington…McCartney, Good Day Sunshine, and from my visit last week Hotel California.
eclare
What an amazing story!
JPL
What a gorgeous island and thank you for sharing your adventures with us.
Dan B
There are some wonderful yellow Hibiscus in Costa Rica, and probably most everywhere in the tropics. A guide informed us that the beautiful tiny yellow vipers are bird eaters. They hide in these Hibiscus and bite the birds that sip on the nectar. Tourists sniff the scentless flowers and die from viper butes to the face – poison goes straight to the brain.
Fortunately there are no red vipers.
Unfortunately there are guides with sadistic bent. The day after we heard this apocryphal cautionary we had to hike through a short forest on the edge of Poas volcano. The shrubs were covered with yellow blossoms. Eeeeee!
J R in WV
Sweet! Thanks for sharing, show us some ocean and boat pics next, please!
LunarG
I’d like more of your pictures, please!
waynel140
Please, some pictures of the boat!
satby
Lovely, thank you! Glad you’re in a safe harbor for the duration.
arrieve
Please do share more pictures. The view outside my apartment is getting a little old, and I love my daily vicarious travel with OTR.
thegage
Lucky you! I grew up on the North Shore and discovered Culebra in the early ‘90s. A very special place that hasn’t really changed much since then.
MelissaM
Great story, and I, too, would love to see more! I’ve spent enough time on a sail boat to fantasize about a long trip on one (so a couple hours time.) I’ve also been to Cape Cod and taken a non-sail boat ride to Cuttyhunk, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket, more fodder for the daydream. So please, give us more stories about traveling around as you do. Plus, other family meeting up in PR for Christmas?!?
Auntie Anne
I’m echoing everyone else – please, more pictures! These are great, and I thank you for sending them.
frosty
As a day sailor I’d like to see more boat pictures, and as a roadtripper, more of the story about the trip. If it won’t fit in one 8 picture post, break it into 2 or more.
PS i also ran into Mr Coronavirus while away from home. Details have been submitted to WG for an upcoming post.
taumaturgo
The tree shown in your Pic is called a Flamboyant. Native to India, they have propagated in Mexico and the Caribbean.
SkyBluePink
I love the sharing of life experiences through the pictures in On The Road.
Thanks, Salty Sam!
(And all who participate)
WaterGirl
@SkyBluePink: And everyone:
I’m really pleased with how First Timers Week(s) has gone.
I’m thinking maybe we could have a special On the Road VIrgins Week (h/t Baud) for a week out of every month, as long as there is interest. We could have a week of On the Road After Dark during the same week, so we wouldn’t build up a backlog while we pause for the new submitters.
I would love to hear how you guys feel about this particular First Timers two weeks and also how you feel about continuing to have a regular “OTR new submitters” week every month. Whatever you think, I’d like to hear it.
edited to make it clear that I was trying to say ONE WEEK out of every month that is especially for new submitters. (Not one day a week.) New submitters could submit any time, of course, but I’m thinking a special week to encourage new folks to send their stuff in. Personally, I’m delighted with all the new submissions we have had these past two weeks.
Auntie Anne
@WaterGirl: I’ve enjoyed the Virgins Week (s) and believe it was a good way to have new posters participate. It takes away some of the anxiety that new posters feel (I remember what it felt like!). So I am all for continuing a virgins post (h/t Baud). I might suggest we just do one day/post a week, rather than a monthly week of new posters – less time to let the anxiety build.
Salty Sam
@WaterGirl: I’ll say this for Virgin Week- I probably would not have posted these pics if you hadn’t made the offer to first-timers. So thanks for that, and yeah, keep ‘em coming.
And thanks for all the nice comments. I’ve heard the requests, and am working up a Salty post on boats and long distance sailing.