Adventures in Buenos Aires

Several months ago we realized that timing could work out so that we would be in Buenos Aires, the Paris of South America, around our daughter's birthday. As she loves all things European and especially French, we made it happen! We also opted to have this time be "spring break" from homeschooling for the kids so that we could just enjoy the final few weeks of our travels (more on that later!). So after an overnight bus from Mendoza, we arrived in Buenos Aires to stay in a gorgeous three-bedroom apartment in the San Nicholas neighborhood and spend a week as tourists!

We ended with one of our best, most comfortable bus trips (and a birthday surprise on the bus!) and an amazing apartment!

Birthday celebrations during the week included visits to the stunning Galerias Pacifico shopping mall, the Obelisk, El Ateneo book store, the Caminito in Boca, and the Museo de Arte Latinoamericano. That's what the girl wanted, and that's what she got! It was super hot all week, but we made it all work.

Happy Birthday, kiddo!

Galerias Pacifico, the Obelisk, and El Ateneo bookstore.

The colorful Caminito (and the best choripán we had!).

The Frida Kahlo exhibit was my favorite at the museum.

The birthday surprise she didn't know about until the bus ride to BA was tickets to a Boca Juniors fútbol game! The local team plays in a stadium called "La Bombonera" that is famous for its loud, energetic home crowd! Fun fact--in Argentina there are ONLY home fans at the fútbol games so that there aren't fights and problems. It was CRAZY! The crowd sang and screamed for the entire 90 minutes of play even though the final score was 0-0. Our night also included a stop for choripan and beers before the game and other than the fact that our tickets weren't all together (but we managed to wedge into a spot together) it was an awesome experience! The kids have really gotten into fútbol/soccer and I think we all had a good time. 

¡Vamos Boca! So much energy!

One of our "big" events was to go to a traditional Argentinean asado. Only the adults did it (and I opted to go full meat-eater that day to get the true experience) and it was such an amazing experience. We joined two other couples and our host for a walking tour of the Palermo neighborhood where we learned about its history and street art. We also picked up some meat from the famous Don Julio carneceria and had a tasting of local wines. And all of that was before we did much with asado! We learned about the fire, the parilla (grill), the meats, and we learned how to make chimichurri sauce. And the food! Oh man, every single thing we ate and drank was so delicious. And our companions were so nice...it really made for a very fun day.

There are so many interesting stories behind the street art around Palermo.

Wine, fernet and cola, more wine, and mate!

The food was AMAZING! Provoleta, blood sausage bruschetta, matambrito de credo, chorizo and sweetbreads, chimichurri, steak, salad, and sweet potato with ice cream and candied nuts. Just WOW!

We learned so much and had a great time with our group!

And since we were in Buenos Aires we simply had to go to a tango! We opted to head to Tango Porteño as it was only a 10-minute walk from our apartment. The show included traditional folk dance along with the tango numbers, and the six-man bad was amazing! So glad we did it! But tangos start after 10pm so between the fútbol game and tango we had to get used to late nights.

Tango Porteño was fabulous!

The next night we had another surprise/unplanned event. As were were walking around town early in the week we saw a poster for an Imagine Dragons concert and decided to check out tickets. Well, they were available and we didn't have plans for the day of the show, so we went for it! It was a great show! It was all general admission on the polo grounds so we were just in the crowd out on the grass, but it was so good! Katreina and I were too short to see anything on the stage, but it really didn't matter. And I was a little surprised at how much of the band's music I actually knew!

This show was so good and so much fun!

The day after the concert we had another adventure--a day trip to Uruguay! Our original plan was to spend a week in Uruguay, traveling the tannat vineyards and beaches via car, but with an end date set for our travels we had to scale it down. Lucky for us, a ferry port was a 10-minute walk from our apartment and they ran day trips to Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay! You check out of Argentina and into Uruguay before you even board the ferry, so that was convenient (it's a little more drawn out on the return). We arrived around 2pm on a very hot day, found a place for a lazy lunch, visited the lighthouse, walked the cobblestone streets, and enjoyed some tannat. It was a nice little trip to a new country!

We made it easily! Great spot for a lazy lunch and for Frank to try the local speciality sandwich, chivito.

We explored the little lighthouse and the local wine.

It's a cute little town to wander around, especially as the sun went down.

Our our last full day in BA Katreina and I visited Teatre Colón. It was stunning! It was fascinating to learn about the eclectic design of the building and its use over the years, and it really made us want to see an opera there. 

It was all so beautiful and the tour was very informative.

With the heat we definitely didn't explore as many parks as I would have liked to, but we did have a good time in the city (NOT our normal habitat!). I could definitely visit again. There are so many neighborhoods to explore, so much food to eat, and so much culture to experience in Buenos Aires!

Around Buenos Aires.

~Jo, Nomadic Momma

Punta Arenas--53 South

New city! Punta Arenas is definitely a little bigger than I was prepared for after Puerto Natales, but our place here is within walking distance of the city center and plenty of grocery and restaurant options. Our host offered up some good suggestions of things to check out in the area, too. We spent the first few days in Punta Arenas making sure we were all set for a cozy Christmas and learning more about this immigrant-rich area.

All around Punta Arenas

One of the suggestions we took was to visit Fort Bulnes. We joined a Brazilian couple for a cold, windy tour of this site of strategic importance. On the way there we stopped at the geographic center of Chile, which seems crazy at around 53S latitude until you realize that Chile claims a slice of territory in Antarctica. We also stopped in at the fishing village of Bahía Buena (Good Bay) and passed by and learned about Puerto del Hambre (Port Famine which is where, you guessed it, lots of folks died of famine trying to settle here). We visited the fort, walked through the forest and along the strait, and toured the Museum of the Strait. While the history of the fort and Chile's claim to the area was interesting, the highlight for us was talking to our guide, Eduardo, who shared a lot of information about the general history, people, and politics of the Magallenes region and we appreciate his openness. We also learned a bit about Brazil from our tour mates so that was a bonus!

"Center" of Chile and Bahía Buena

Fort Bulnes

Christmas Eve night is actually when Chileans have their big family gatherings for the holiday, but in the morning and early afternoon, everything was open and bustling! We were up super early to board a boat for a ride in the Strait of Magellan to Magdalena Island to see PENGUINS! This tour did not disappoint. Upon arrival at the island would could see thousands of Magallenic penguins and gulls. Tourists are kept on a very strict walking path, but the birds cross it freely and we were amazed at just how close we were to the birds and their nests. We were there durning a very special time--chicks had been hatching for three weeks and there were a bunch of cute, fluffy baby penguins and gulls! We also saw geese and skuas while we were there. It was awesome. Next we headed for Marta Island for observation of sea lions and cormorants from the boat. It was a little "brisk" and the ride was rough, but the whole experience was really great. I definitely enjoyed this Christmas present!

¡Los pingüinos!

After grabbing some amazing empanadas on our way back home, we had a relaxing Christmas Eve. We played some games, I made a simple cheese/bread/veggies spread, and we watched a movie before the kids gave gifts--I received a beautiful bracelet they'd had tucked away since Peru and Frank got whiskey. Christmas morning we ate pie and cake for breakfast, the kids got to open their gifts from us (snacks, a movie, and some makeup for the girl), and I was surprised with a gift of maté straws. It was simple and wonderful. That afternoon we enjoyed a nice late lunch/early dinner at La Yegua Local with amazing views of the city and the Strait of Magellan. The weather was spectacular so we enjoyed a nice walk through town before returning home. It was indeed a very merry Christmas.

Nothing quite like a relaxing Christmas Eve with my crew.

Gorgeous weather for our relaxing Christmas Day!

We got back to the school grind to finish out our time in Punta Arenas, but also squeezed in a little more culture. We visited Museo Nao Victoria and toured replicas of the Victoria (from Magellan's expedition), the Beagle (from the FitzRoy/Darwin expedition), the Ancud (from when Chile took possession of the Strait of Magellan) and the James Cairn (lifeboat from Shackleton's journey to save his crew in Antarctica). The Uber rides and $5000 pesos per person were definitely worth a visit to that very interesting, educational museum on the shores of the Strait of Magellan! 

On our last day in town Frank and I visited the Museo Naval y Maritimo, the Chilean Navy's museum, while the kids did school. It was a small museum highlighting the Armada's role in exploration and navigation of the area. We loved seeing a plaque from UNITAS in one of the rooms and I especially liked seeing a meteorological room. And being big geeks over the Shackleton expedition, we were really excited to learn more about the ship, Yelcho, and her Captain, Luis Alberto Pardo Villalón, who undertook the journey to rescue the crew of the Endurance. Later we all visited the Museo Maggiorino Borgatello, a diverse museum with exhibits about natural history, indigenous cultures, the southern expeditions and religious missions, regional history, and Antarctica. And on the way home we popped in to the municipal cemetery which is renowned for its beauty. 

Can't keep two Navy veterans out of a naval museum!

And with that (and one more crazy good meal at El Alambrado), our time in Chile has come to an end! A day-long bus ride will see us across the border to Argentina and on to new places, new currency, and new adventures! But there is no doubt that we love Chile (and would return to all of the places we visited) and have so much more to see of this beautiful country.

Vegetarian Pichanga and Meat Chorillana from El Alambrado. It's a ton of food, even with two people sharing the mediano! 

~Jo, Nomadic Momma

Hurry up and wait...and get home!

As military veterans, "hurry up and wait" is something we have known all too well over the years! It transfers well to boat life as we are always at the mercy of Mother Nature and boy does she make us hurry up and wait sometimes!

We hurried out of Charleston after one night with the intent to do an overnight passage to Beaufort, NC. In the middle of the night, thunderstorms offshore and lumpy, short-period seas drove us to head for Wrightsville Beach, NC instead. We arrived just after sunrise and grabbed a prime spot to wait out the clocking winds over the next few days. Shore access is super easy here so we went right in for a big Mexican lunch and some errands!

Passing by the T/S State of Maine at anchor in Charleston; a little bird hopped a ride with us; and we finally had a meal and margaritas ashore!

Winds were pretty strong out of the north for days. We kept looking for a chance to creep along close to shore to Beaufort but seas were still forecast to be uncomfortable (and this is supposed to be fun!). The ICW was an option, but we aren’t huge fans of this section so we waited. We booked some travel (woo hoo!), relaxed, and eventually…I got stir-crazy. We have sooooo much to do this summer and once I was rested, I became restless! So I pitched a plan…a 24-hour run to Florida and back. See, we have some things in storage that we need for travel and school next year, and some things that would be better to have on the boat this summer. With a 1-day rental I could make it there, get stuff out of storage, get our mail, sleep a bit, and get back! I left at 1730 one day and was back 24 hours later with our stuff and a bag of Bojangles biscuits for the boys. Success!

The life of a road warrior. Outside of the boat and our car, this little bit of stuff in storage is all we own.

By the time I got back Frank had also decided that we might as well take the ICW. With just a few long days in the ditch, we could be back to our marina in Maryland. After six nights in Wrightsville Beach we set off on a long, cold, windy transit to Morehead City. It honestly went fine and we had a pretty good rest despite thunderstorms in the area.

I was NOT ready for this wardrobe!

Wind, fog, and thunderstorms would continue to factor into our travels as we went from Morehead City to just south of Dowry Creek Marina. Our transit of the Alligator-Pungo Canal and Albemarle Sound the next day was one of the calmest we’ve ever had, and we had a very peaceful night on the hook in the North River, just south of Coinjock. We were up at sunrise Sunday to make the run to Norfolk, but opted to continue on until sunset and settle into a nice creek up the Poquoson River near York Point, VA to wait out some severe storms the following day.

Scenes along the NC/VA Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway.

We were up at sunrise again today and now here we are, heading north in Chesapeake Bay, just north of the Potomac River. Tonight we will tie up to a dock for the night for the first time since mid-December. 

I really do love sunrise on the water!

This will be our home base for the summer. In two weeks we will begin some travel that will end with our daughter returning to the U.S. after 10 months in France. We won’t spend much time on the water this summer and will instead spend our time visiting friends and family and preparing for the next chapter as this one closes. Lots of changes coming, but it’s good to be home.

~Jo, 1st Mate

SURPRISE staycation in the Shenandoah (and D.C. area)

It all started Sunday with a friend's Facebook post about her trip to the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center...we hadn't been and had lived in the D.C. area for years...we were planning to visit family in the northwest suburbs the next weekend...why not hit the museum on Friday on our way? Oh, and I could surprise the family and just go there! But then I was on AirBnB looking at places for a possible trip this fall when I casually did a search for places near Shenandoah National Park. We were expecting temps in the 90's all week and escaping to the mountains was starting to sound pretty nice! But...I started to think about all the work we need to do here, the cost...but also the fun we could have...so I pulled in an accomplice! Who better to help me plan a fun surprise trip than Katreina??? I did ask Frank if he would mind if we went away for a few days and discussed budget, but after that we were planning! That night we requested a stay at a nice AirBnB that Katreina picked out (pricier than I was looking for, but she insisted we all deserved it!) and had a rough plan of activities that the boys would like. Monday we got our confirmation, planned what to pack for everyone, and told them to rest up because we were heading out bright and early Tuesday morning to...

At this point the boys were clueless! They had seen us pack hiking gear, swimsuits, sweatshirts...

...Front Royal, Virginia! The boys couldn't guess what was up until we were in the car. Frank had a clue given how many days, the fact that I had talked about this location earlier, oh, and because I blurted it out to the marina manager the day before with him standing right there! But he didn't know exactly what we had planned so we filled them in on the drive. We would spend our days hiking, exploring caverns that we hadn't been to before, riding horses in the park, floating down the Shenandoah River, and enjoying some good eats in Front Royal! The house was cozy, the weather PERFECT, and the activities were a great mix of active and relaxing. I'm calling it a success!

So cozy, with all the things boaters long for...a soaking tub, washer and dryer, dishwasher, lots of hot water...

Skyline Caverns was distinctly different from nearby Luray Caverns with curtain flows, rainbow lights (minimizes algae growth), and anthodites (a feature only found in two other caves in the world!).

LOTS of hikes in Shenandoah NP! Fort Windham Rocks, Traces Trail, Rapidan Camp, Compton Peak, and a few little sections of the Appalachian Trial. Loves the scenic views, streams, history, geology, and peace.

Our favorite activity of the trip! This was Trent's first time riding (and my first time since our honeymoon) and we all had a great time with our fabulous guides and sweet horses.

A slooooooow float down the Shenandoah River.

And of course, we visited the Smithsonian's Udvar-Hazy Center on our way from Front Royal to Gaithersburg. It. Was. AWESOME! I can't possibly list it all...Shuttle Discovery, old and new military aircraft, an SR-71, the Enola Gay, the Apollo 11 capsule, "Flak Bait," a Concorde, an X-Wing, and...and...and...AWESOME! And it's big and open so you can just wander around and take it all in. It's free to visit (love the Smithsonian museums!), but $15 to park--worth it.

Smithsonian Udvar-Hazy Center

But wait, there's more! That was the end of the family staycation, but we spent the weekend with extended family to celebrate our niece's birthday and just enjoy the company of the people we love. The ladies headed into the city to visit the National Gallery of Art (and a very quick stop into the Natural History Museum)--this was my first visit to the NGA ever and I was blown away by how many famous works of art that I had read about were right in front of me here!

National Gallery of Art

We ended the girls' day at Duck Duck Goose, a French brasserie, to celebrate family, a birthday, and a farewell. We were treated to champagne and a crazy candle for our celebration, my SIL was able to enjoy here favorite foie gras, and Katreina was able to try ratatouille (and loved it!). It was great to have so much family time ahead of K's departure in a few weeks--it's truly been a highlight of our marina stay this summer!

💕Family💕

~Jo, 1st Mate