Many people rule out a Caribbean vacation during the summer because they don’t want to travel during hurricane season. Hurricane season officially begins June 1 and runs through November 30. Every trip featured here on My Irie Time was taken either the beginning or end of hurricane season, and you would never know it by browsing through our photos. Travel during the “shoulder season” can be a great way to visit the region, when rates are lower than the holidays, and the weather is great. The Caribbean is home to some great festivals during the summer and fall months as well, including Crop Over in Barbados (May through August), Crab…
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Happy 100th birthday to the National Park System! In celebration, we visit Dry Tortugas National Park with this guest post from our friend, Andy Stenz. Andy is a photographer and blogger who I met many years ago when I first became involved in our local community of photographers here in Wisconsin. He has discovered the beauty and warmth of Hawaii, and soon will become a permanent resident on the island of Oahu. He loves to travel – – he’s now exploring Europe with his lovely wife, Jessica – – and was kind enough to share with us his visit to Dry Tortugas. Enjoy! And be sure to follow Andy on Instagram…
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If you have been to Anguilla and relaxed on one of its many peaceful beaches, it is difficult to imagine the thought of a large-scale military operation invading the island, yet that is what happened on March 19, 1969. Yesterday marked the 47th anniversary of the British invasion of the island, “Operation Sheepskin,” intended to put down the rebellion that had brewed over the previous two years. But this invasion was not met with physical violence or bloodshed. The invaders’ failure to understand the Anguillans, and their dispute with St. Kitts, led to what has been known as a public relations disaster, dubbed “The Bay of Piglets.” As described by…
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When you get a new underwater camera, excitement takes over. You want to get it out of the box as soon as possible and put it to work. With the excitement, many of us overlook, and later forget, the care needed to giving your camera a long life. Here are a few reminders to keep in mind when caring for your underwater camera. Read the Manual! Although this is what I recommend for every camera, it is particularly true with underwater cameras which require more care. Carefully read the instructions provided with your camera with respect to cleaning and long-term maintenance. Every camera is different, so don’t presume that what…
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In preparation for each trip, I like to do some research on the history of the area, and sprinkle in some other books related to island life. This year’s trip is to Andros Island, Bahamas, so I picked up a copy of Samuel Charters’ book, “The Day is So Long and the Wages So Small.” Samuel Charters was a highly-regarded music historian, known for capturing some of the great performers of blues and jazz when the music was still unknown to many Americans. He began making recordings for Folkways Records in the 1950’s, including some of legendary performers like Lightnin’ Hopkins, and wrote the influential history of blues music, “The…
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Over the years, I have posted “What’s in My Bag?” about various trips. On the last two trips, I have traveled with both digital and film cameras, and I wanted to do a separate post on traveling for hybrid shooters. As you might expect, it’s easier to travel with digital. Memory cards are small, and you don’t have to worry about the effect of x-ray machines at security checkpoints. I also feel more comfortable experimenting with digital. You can try new techniques, and the only loss is your time. However, I find that there are times when I prefer film over digital, and it’s worth the extra effort. There are…
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It’s been a great year here at My Irie Time. 2015 saw our Instagram account getting going, and here are our top 10 Instagram photos of the year! Happy New Year to all! #10 Fins up! A view of Rendezvous Bay, Anguilla. For more on our trips to Anguilla, read our reports here, including our most recent visit in November of 2014. #9 The “Special” rum punch at Smokey’s at the Cove, Anguilla. #8 Our June 2015 trip to Antigua & Barbuda! Read all about our stays at Jumby Bay, Antigua, and Lighthouse Bay, Barbuda. #7 Our visit to Garvey’s Sunshine Shack on Rendezvous Bay, Anguilla! #6 Our 2016 Antigua & Barbuda Calendar! #5…
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It’s the fourth week in November and I’m not wearing a bikini. Or donning flip flops, or slathering on the sunscreen. In Wisconsin, that would be expected for this time of year, but for us, it’s a bit unusual. It has been ten years since we haven’t traveled to the Caribbean at Thanksgiving. With our oldest now in college, her free time around Thanksgiving is limited to Thanksgiving Day and the few days following. When the calendar ticked over to November, and the temperatures started dropping here in Wisconsin, I couldn’t help but feel a little sad. It was as if our family’s holiday tradition was ending. We would not, at…
