February 10, 2017 by coloradotravelingducks

It was a Great Vacation for Humans and Colorado Traveling Ducks

So many things to do and so many new places to explore, we don’t want to forget anything. We chatted about our experiences on the flights back to Denver. The first day we ducks met our new friend, Chip, from Hilton Doubletree hotels.

Colorado Traveling Ducks met Chip, Doubletree Hotel’s chocolate chip cookie.

On our cruise ship, Carnival Fascination, Zeb surveys his kingdom.

From ping pong area looking at main pool

Then in St. Thomas, Bucket and his parents ride underwater scooters.

Underwater motor scooters

Barbados provided the shopping highlight.

Maybe this bag is new traveling bag for ducks. Humans get the emeralds.

Also Barbados was where Bucket and his parents snorkeled and saw an underwater wreck.

What you can see snorkeling in Barbados

St. Kitts had us all in mini speedboats.

Ready to drive mini speed boat

Bucket and his parents almost ready to head out. Then Soapy’s mom discovered a monkey and the monkey’s owner discovered Soapy’s mom.

Soapy’s mom and monkey owner

Was fun for everybody here. St. Lucia almost ended the Colorado Traveling Ducks.

Are we swimming alone? Mom!!

Out to sea we went, but Bucket’s mom saved us! In St. Maarten, Bucket, the daredevil that he is, went swimming alone.

Soapy come back here

He said he had fun and needed to get away from all of us. Bucket’s mom saved him, too. Bucket’s mom plays and get ready to do some fancy jumping into the water.

Ready to jump

Puerto Rico displayed the really small house.

Really small house

Narrow streets were fun to explore in Old San Juan.

Narrow streets of Old San Juan. Let’s go down this street.

Of course we visited many beaches, but this one, Isla Verde in Puerto Rico was the last.

Isla Verde Beach, Puerto Rico

Every night we were blessed with beautiful sunsets.

Sun setting on our family vacation

This was a vacation to remember. We saw and did many things, and we were all together. We hope you enjoy family vacations also.

January 27, 2017 by coloradotravelingducks

The Colorado Traveling Ducks Leave the Carnival Fascination

We are back in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Things are different this morning. We are getting off our cruise ship, with our suitcases. Many of our fellow passengers are heading for their homes, but we are staying a few days here in San Juan. Hurrah! Before we disembark, we want to show you some of our ship again. There are so many places to relax and watch the beautiful Caribbean.

Always room to relax, with a Caribbean view

The pool area was so much fun.

Good times at the pool

What great water slides on our ship.

Water slides for everybody

The dining room, available for all three daily meals, was so welcoming.

Sensation Dining Room

Of course, meeting our new friend, Chip was fun.

Colorado Traveling Ducks met Chip, Doubletree Hotel’s chocolate chip cookie.

Lounging on the top deck was great.

Another favorite place

One of our favorite things was the towel animals. This rhino was our last towel.

Our last towel friend

We ducks and humans really enjoyed all the towel art.

Our towel friends

Yes, we were able to keep many them in our room. Our ship, Fascination, was our temporary home.

Our ship. Like an old friend now

While the sunset last night, signaled the end of our cruise, we still have a few more days of vacation.

Sun setting on our cruise

Stay with us as we enjoy some of San Juan, Puerto Rico.

January 25, 2017 by coloradotravelingducks

St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands with the Colorado Traveling Ducks

St. Croix is the last port for our cruise. All the humans and ducks took a Scenic St. Croix tour. We like to be together. Leaving the port and through the tropical rain forest our first stop was this Baobab Tree.

Baobab Tree

The Baobab tree is often called “the tree of life”. Can you believe the history of this tree?

Baobab Tree Burned alive here???

Fruit from the Baobab tree falls to the ground. This feels like velvet.

Fruit of Baobab tree

We ducks did not want to sit on the ground. We don’t know these red bugs, and there were a lot of them. Friendly? Biting bugs? We don’t know. Our next stop was Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve. St. Croix is an island in the U.S. Virgin Islands, so this preserve is part of the National Park Service of the United States. This was the first landing site by Christopher Columbus, in 1493 in the US Territorial waters. The view from the Visitor’s Center was beautiful but it was very windy.

View from Visitor’s Center

We ducks could not sit here alone. Salt River Bay is home to some of the largest mangrove forest and sea grass beds, providing one of the most unique wildlife habitats, in the Virgin Islands. We feel safe with our humans and our friend Chip, the Doubletree Cookie.

Salt River Bay

We love to look at the water.

Salt River Bay

The next and final stop on our tour is Christiansted. The King Christian Hotel is old and well known.

King Christian Hotel in Christiansted, St Croix

We like these streets and buildings. In the early days of St. Croix, sugar cane was grown across the island. This is an old sugar mill.

Old sugar mill building

Looks like a great social place now. We shopped at the Purple Papaya gift shop. We thought you might be curious about the name, Purple Papaya.

Purple Papaya

Walking down another street, we were fascinated by all the vines growing from and around these trees.

So many vines in the trees

Our tour took us back to the cruise area.

Shopping area for cruise passengers

Our shopping area is decorated for Christmas. We watched these dancers by the gazebo.

Dancing performance

The ladies are wearing very fancy hats. Walking along the Caribbean, we had to stop by the canons.

Old canons on Caribbean coast

A few more steps and we would be on this beach.

From cruise ship you can walk to this beach

Rocky first and then soft, warm Caribbean sand. Now it is time for us to return to our ship. We always must be careful to watch the time and not miss the ship. We really liked St Croix and none of us had previously visited this island. We hope to come back soon.

January 18, 2017 by coloradotravelingducks

Snorkeling in St. Kitts with the Colorado Traveling Ducks

Today we are in St. Kitts. And we love it. All of us are going on the same shore excursion today. Let’s go on our Mini Speedboat and Snorkeling Adventure. We are going on these mini speedboats.

Mini Speedboats and snorkeling equipment

Two humans in each boat–ducks going also. You may notice that we have a new friend. Chip, the chocolate chip cookie, from Doubletree Hotels is with us. Bucket’s parents work for Doubletree Hotel, a division of Hilton Hotels. Bucket, Chip and Bucket’s parents are ahead of us.

Bucket’s parents heading to snorkeling area.

We loved driving the mini speedboats. The snorkeling was fun also, but the humans did not take photos of us. Maybe next time. After snorkeling and driving the speedboats, we wanted lunch. We walk along the beach, and Soapy’s mom saw a man with a monkey. Now she has us, Chip, a monkey and the monkey’s doll.

Soapy’s mom with monkey, Colorado Traveling Ducks, Chip and a doll

That is a lot to hold, so the man holds the monkey now. He seems to be holding Soapy’s mom, too.

Soapy’s mom and monkey owner

We loved that cute monkey, but the moms said we could not take it home. Look, here is a place to order food.

We are getting hungry

We are really thirsty.

We were thirsty

What is this? A snowman in the tropical Caribbean.

Snowman–in the Caribbean??

We would like to eat here, looking at the beautiful water.

Let’s eat here

After lunch and a brief swim, a taxi took us back to our ship so we could get dry clothes. Now we head to the shopping area for cruise passengers.

Shopping area for cruise passengers

These wandering dancers and musicians are very colorful.

Wandering dancers and musicians

We like them. There are lots of places here to shop and eat. Sailing away on our cruise ship, we look back at beautiful St. Kitts.

Leaving St. Kitts

When mom and I return to our room, our new towel art makes us laugh.

Towel monkey in our room

We love this monkey towel. We had fun in St. Kitts and are looking forward to tomorrow’s adventure.

January 16, 2017 by coloradotravelingducks

St. Lucia with The Colorado Traveling Ducks

First time for all of us in St. Lucia. Here is the plan for humans and ducks in St. Lucia.

St. Lucia. Beach time.

Add a little shopping, enjoying the scenery and sunshine, and stop for lunch somewhere Caribbean. But, it is a drizzly day. We wait a couple hours, but the sun shows no sign of emerging. OK, no beach, no sunshine, so what now? The humans leave the beach bags, head off the ship and hire a taxi. Peter, our driver, leaves the capital city of Castries.

Passing Derek Walcott Square on our way out of Castries

Then we drive through the hills. That is our ship, Carnival’s Fascination.

Our ship

We love the waterfalls, or fast steam.

Waterfall

Next stop is outside the Residence of the Governor General.

Residence of the Governor General

Behind us we see the venders protecting their merchandise from the light rain.

Vendors protecting merchandise while raining.

Vendors protecting merchandise during rain.

Maybe it will stop raining soon? The calabash tree is fairly common in St Lucia.

Calabash tree

Peter says you cannot eat the fruit, but the hard shell of the fruit is used as a vessel to carry things. Wikipedia says that sometimes the fruit and leaves are used for treating respiratory problems. Here is a salmon tree. It is at least 450 years old.

Salmon tree

The University of the West Indies has a campus in St Lucia.

University of the West Indies

These buildings are now part of the University.

Former fort now part of the University

This was an old fort used during the many fights between the French and British. Both countries ruled St. Lucia, with power changing countries several times. We ducks think the foliage here is beautiful. This was another stop to view the harbor.

Panorama

There is a little shop up here, and it is open. So humans and ducks do some shopping.

Let’s look. Maybe get something to take home?

Continuing through the mountains, we see this steep path to a house.

Steep path to get home

Built on the side of a mountain, the back of the house touches the ground, but the front of the houses have stilts. A very good way to build houses here. Aren’t these cute Christmas decorations?

Christmas decorations

We like them. It is still mostly rainy, but we are in St. Lucia. The humans and ducks really want to see the beach.

Finally on the beach in St. Lucia

We love beaches. After this photo, mom moves to the other side of ducks to take a photo looking the other direction. Hey mom!

Are we swimming alone? Mom!!

We, Zeb, Soapy, and Bucket, are being washed out to sea. Fortunately Bucket’s mom rushes in to save us. Thanks! Peter was right. He told us the waves were rough today.

Rough waves

But, we are all safe and back to the shopping area by the ship.

Safe, dry and hungry in St. Lucia

Now we are just waiting for our snacks.

December 3, 2016 by coloradotravelingducks

Grand Cayman with Chanel the Bear

Chanel, I love the photos of your Caribbean cruise. And I think I love the Caribbean. Today we are sharing your photos from Grand Cayman. The Cayman Islands were also colonized by the British. This guy is pretty big and very scary.

Chanel with a pirate

I am not so sure about that hook for a hand. Be careful Chanel. You are a very cute, little bear. Yep, I do love the Caribbean. And this is exactly why.

Loving the Caribbean

This photo could be the cover for Islands Magazine. Thank you so much for sharing your vacation photos, Chanel. We love them.

November 30, 2016 by coloradotravelingducks

Chanel the Bear Visits Jamaica

Jamaica! Oh Chanel, that is exciting. This duck has never been to Jamaica. Mom said Jamaica, a Caribbean Island was colonized by the British and the island is beautiful. Jamaica has mountains, rainforests, great scuba diving and wonderful snorkeling. Here you are, entering Konoko Falls and Park.

Let’s go to Konoko Falls

This beautiful area is in the Hills of St. Ann, overlooking the tourist area of Ocho Rios. Your photo of this beautiful fountain shows a turtle in the water.

Turtle in the fountain

We love to see turtles. Jamaica’s first people, the Taino Indians settled in this area. Be careful Chanel, that man has something on his shoulder.

Man with huge iguana

A really huge iguana. The tropical landscape is breathtaking. Thank you Chanel for these photos. Jamaica looks beautiful and it seems that you had a great time there.

November 28, 2016 by coloradotravelingducks

Curacao, Nederlands Antilles with Chanel the Bear

My friend, Chanel the Bear, just came home from another cruise. She sent me, Zeb the Duck, some colorful photos from Curacao.

Curacao with Channel the Bear

Mom told me Curacao is in the Caribbean Sea, just 40 miles (65 km) north of Venezuela in South America. Things look so tropical and warm here.

Colorful Willemstad, Curacao

And even a huge sign for Vitamin Water, a common beverage in the United States. Curacao still has strong ties to the Kingdom of the Nederlands. Shopping looks like fun, Chanel.

I love these shirts!

We love these souvenir shirts. Mom told me that Curacao is one of the ABC Islands. The ABC Islands are Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao. Just look at the colorful buildings in Willemstad, the capital of Curacao.

Colorful buildings in Willemstad, a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Willemstad is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Oh Chanel, thank you for sending these photos. How wonderful that you and your mom went on this cruise.

December 15, 2015 by coloradotravelingducks

Channel is Hanging Over the Caribbean

You remember my friend, Channel, the cutest Bear. She went on a Caribbean cruise with her humans. She sent me this photo.

Channel being held over the Caribbean. She is being held from her balcony

I was scared, but Channel said she loved it. Channel knew her mom would protect her and she would not fall. What a great experience Channel. Thanks for sharing this one.

	Carl on Tabernash, Colorado with The C…
	Cindy B on Tree Rock in Wyoming
	coloradotravelingduc… on Cathedral of the Plains in Vic…
	Dwan Newhall on Cathedral of the Plains in Vic…
	beautifulbarbadosblo… on Return to Calhan and the Paint…