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Things To Do In Dominican Republic

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Many of the things to do in Dominican Republic center around the sun and surf. The Dominican Republic is a Hispanola island that shares its western boarder with Haiti. Flying into Cabarete’s Puerto Plata airport (POP) travelers are greeted at the airport exit by many locals offering transportation into town. Be prepared to pay a $10 tourist tax when entering the country.

Things To Do In Dominican Republic – Visit Cabarete

Driving into the township, one notices the extreme poverty in which many live in this country. Wooden homes that seem to be barely standing house happy children that play out front as their parents sell local goods to make an income. Venturing into Cabarete, more shops spring up and a different picture of the island comes into view.

Things To Do In Dominican Republic – The Epitome Of Beach Life

Frothy white capped waves roll to shore, splashing against the beach. The sound of the water breaking is rhythmic and calming. The fine tan sand glitters in the sunlight. Walking on the edge of the beach, a mixture of sand and water washes over the soles of the feet and swirls between the toes, creating a tickling sensation which breathes life into the soul.

Things To Do In Dominican Republic – Kiteboard

Sun kissed babes in tight and bright bikinis unravel the ropes of their kites anticipating a dance across the ocean as the wind leads. The dudes watch these girls as if hypnotized. The beach is lined with colorful kites in shades of orange, pink and green. On the horizon kiters sail through the sky as if they are weightless.

Things To Do In Dominican Republic

Lush palm trees spread their leaves over the landscape, providing a canopy of shade, welcoming escape from the heat of the Caribbean sun. The bright orange flowers of the Flamboyant tree create a vibrant contrast to the clear blue sky. The large seed pods that dangle from its branches are often used in instruments like the maracas you hear bands play at night.

Small wooden shanties of varying colors line the beach where locals offer surf or kite lessons for a nominal fee. It is the perfect spot to sit on the beach and enjoy a refreshing drink while being entertained by the kiters as they fly through the sky.

Things To Do In Dominican Republic – Punta Cana

As you take the six hour drive from Cabarete to Punta Cana the simplicity of life unfolds before you, revealing a new dimension of the island. Cows roam freely, grazing in grassy fields; the only fences are constructed of trees planted tightly together in rows along the roadside. The flat plains give way to cliffs and mountainous terrain the further inland you drive.

Things To Do In Dominican Republic – Expect The Unexpected

Whilst navigating the roads, one must be aware of their surroundings. Pot holes the size of small children seemingly spring up out of nowhere, grabbing your tires when least expected. Moto concho or motorcycle taxis zip by at record speed as a family of four are seated on the back, all helmet free, wind blowing through their dark hair. On a two lane street, cars drive in either direction while vehicles pass through the middle of traffic and people zig zag in between.

Things To Do In Dominican Republic

A resort town, Punta Cana (PUJ) has a completely different vibe. Here, you will be able to relax on the beach under a palm tree or umbrella, work on your sun tan and sip on fruity tropical drinks. You will also find American hotel chains and restaurants sprinkled in with the local flavor.

Things To Do In Dominican Republic – An Adventurer’s Paradise

Plan your trip well in advance. The island is spread out and sight seeing from one city to the next can take many hours of travel. Cabarete is known for its water sports and all things involving surfing: kitesurfing, windsurfing, bodysurfing. Punta Cana is better known as a resort destination for those that want to relax on the beach. Santo Domingo (SDQ) is where Columbus first landed. Full of history, this bustling metropolis is the capital and largest city in the country. This is where Fort Ozama, the National Pantheon and the Catedral Primada de Americas, is located.

The Dominican Republic has beautiful weather year round as the average temperature is 78°F. Many say that February is the best time to visit because between February and May, the peak season rush dissipates. Snow birds love escaping to the warm weather of the tropics for vacation this time of year.

Things To Do In Dominican Republic – Tips

The D.R., while gorgeous, can be described as rough. It is ill advised to be walking outside after dark. If you choose to take a gamble do so in large groups. Many travelers are mugged yearly.

It is best to drink bottled water over tap water.

Be sure to have plenty of D.R. pesos on hand as many businesses do not take credit cards. Cash is king here.

Driving The Alaska Highway

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Road trip! Join me on the journey of a lifetime as we drive the Alaska Highway

The winding road of the Alaska Highway is legendary and is reserved for the most fanatic travelers.  Making it on the bucket list of travel junkies worldwide, it is for many a once in a lifetime undertaking.

We are on a race against the clock.  We have 4 days to make the 2,826 mile drive from Seattle to Anchorage and there is a lot of ground to cover.

Alaska Highway

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Alaska Highway is nestled in North America’s last frontier.  Billions of trees have rooted their earthy brown trunks in the rich soil below, supporting the branches full of lavish green leaves that reach into a turquoise sky to embrace the sun’s warm rays.  The mountain range in the distance is violet and looks like crushed velvet and capped with snow. The colors appear to be more vibrant in the north, the stark contrasts extenuate an already brightly painted canvas.

In order to see the most breathtaking view, one can image all you must do is open your eyes.

The Alaska Highway starts in Dawson Creek, British Columbia, Canada and travels 1,390 miles (2,237 km) to Delta Junction, Alaska in the United States.

An engineering marvel, the Alaska Highway was built in just 9 months.  In February of 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Canadian Prime Minister Mackenzie Kings agreed to the construction as a means of connecting the U.S. and Canada.  Less then one month later, construction began.  The Alaska Highway is fondly referred to as the “Alcan.”  This stretch of concrete cost the U.S. approximately $140 million dollars.

Many of the towns on the path sprung forth as a result of the building of the highway.  You will not find a large metropolis on the journey; just quaint little pit stops inhibited by only a few hundred people where you can evacuate the vehicle to stretch your legs.

As the odometer clicks by mile after mile, be sure to take time to visit these roadside attractions.

Alaska Highway

Mile 0 of the Alaska Highway is in Dawson Creek.  It is an obligation to stop and take a picture under the sign announcing “You Are Now Entering The World Famous Alaska Highway”.

The next big town on the Alcan is Fort Nelson which is known for the large reserves of oil and gas nearby. On the way to Fort Nelson, you will pass over Pink mountain, which is the highest point of the trip—and if you blink, you will miss it.

The next 300 mile stent is home to Summit Lake and Muncho Lake, which are renowned for there jade color waters.  This unique color is attributed to the copper oxide that has leeched into the the water from the bedrock below.  Stop here for a picturesque picnic lunch.

Pause for a moment at the Laird Hot Springs. It will cost you $10 to get in but you can stay as long as you like; they are open 24 hours a day.  A long wooden boardwalk ushers visitors through the marshes where bear and moose are often spotted. These natural sulfur springs are a nice way to relax after a long day of driving.  The heat will relax your muscles and the fern covered embankment evokes a peaceful abeyance.  There are no public showers, so if you do not have an RV to shower in after your dip, you will smell a little like rotten eggs— but it is well worth it.

In Lake Watson, you have the opportunity for another photo op in front of “The Sign Post Forest”.  72,000 signs are on display. Look for the “Alaska or Bust” sign and snap a photo there.  The sign forest started in 1942 by the homesick layman Carl Lindley who posted a sign for his hometown of Danville, IL. Without knowing it at the time, he created the most famous attraction in Watson Lake.

Alaska Highway

Trucking along, you will come to Whitehorse, a town that boasts 2/3 of the Yukons residents with a population of 36,000.  Here you can see the S.S. Klondike on the banks of the Yukon River, “Log skyscrapers” which are small two or three-story log cabins and the Whitehorse Waterfront Trolley.

When you reach Haines Junction, you are entering Kluane National Park and Reserve, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Keep driving and you will find yourself at the gateway to Alaska, the U.S. Border.  From here, you can continue on the Alaska Highway to its official end in Delta Junction or you can branch off and head south to Anchorage, which is what we did.

If, at any point in the drive you see a sign warning “Rough Road Ahead”, proceed with caution.  “Rough Road Ahead” actually means, beware of the potholes which are the size of small children that are quickly approaching. Unevenly grated roadways, loose gravel and dust storms from speeding semis are in your immediate future.

Expect to see a lot of wildlife on the trip.  Big game like buffalo, elk, bear, moose, reindeer and antelope all call this place home and I noticed that many of their homes were right on the side of the highway. There are plenty of fishing holes where you catch the biggest fish of your life. Take time to hike around one of the many lakes along the road and soak in the 360 degree panoramic views. Remember, you are in bear country, so do not leave food out and be alert to your surroundings.

We made it to Anchorage ahead of schedule, taking 36 hours to make the 1,580 mile drive. If I were to do it all again, these are my three tips to make your journey more enjoyable.

Tips To Navigate The Alaska Highway

1 Take at least a week to complete the drive. You can do the drive in a couple of days; however, you’ll pretty much just be driving and not soaking up all the beauty the landscape has to offer.

2 Take a friend with you that is willing to share in the driving responsibilities.  You can do the drive alone; however, it will be much more enjoyable if you can switch off drivers.

3 Pack a cooler full of food. If you’re looking for fine dining along the drive, you’re not going to find it. If you do not pack some food you will end up eating a lot of gas station snacks.

A camera can not capture the beauty I’ve seen with my eyes. The journey of a lifetime on the Alaska highway showed me things I had never seen before and will probably never experience again. If you are considering taking the drive, go for it, it will be well worth it and the stories you will harvest along the way will bring you lifelong joy.

 

Eating Healthy On a Budget

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Eating healthy on a budget can at times seem daunting.  We may have the idea that it is easy and cheap to eat on the go at fast food restaurants.  It’s not.  It is less expensive to invest in healthy, nutritious food. Chemical laden foods found in fast food restaurants and the highly refined food like substances that take up the entire midsection of the grocery store are poisonous to our bodies.  If we eat like crap, one day we will pay the price for such decisions; in the long run, this makes eating unhealthy more expensive.  We are here to help guide you to items that are both nutritious and wallet friendly.

One of the best things we can do to make sure we are eating healthy on a budget is to shop in the perimeter of the grocery store.  In the perimeter of the store, you will find all the produce, meats and dairy—the real food.  The center isles are typically filled with all the processed crap that is void of any real nutritional value.

Eating healthy on a budget means you will begin eating more home cooked meals.  When we prepare our food, we know exactly what is or is not going into our food.  Numbers from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Consumer Expenditure Survey shows that Americans spend about half of their food dollars away from home. Eat at home and you’ll save a bundle.

Eating Healthy On a Budget

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eating Healthy On a Budget

  1. Eat more vegetarian meals – Meat can be expensive.  There are many options to attaining protein daily that do not require you to eat meat.  Lentils, beans, quinoa, hemp and chia seeds are great sources of protein that leave you feeling full.  Eating more vegetarian meals lightens your bill.
  2. Stock up when there are sales – When organic products go on sale, be sure to stock up. When we buy items on sale, we instantly cut down on the grocery store bill.  Eating healthy on a budget means we look for and take advantage of the sales that happen weekly. Many items can be stored in the freezer for later use. Think frozen fruits and veggies as well as boxed items like quinoa and beans.
  3. Buy in bulk or direct from companies online – The cost per serving goes down when we buy in bulk.  When we buy directly from the company, we get the best deal as we cut out the middle man.
  4. Make bigger batches – Since we are buying in bulk, we can make a double batch of our favorite meal and store the extra as a freezer meal for later.  This always makes serving healthy food easy when we are crunched for time.  We do not have to stress about what is for dinner; simply pull out the freezer meal and reheat it.
  5. Start a small garden – A small garden can produce a large amount of food, saving us money and providing healthy food for our family.  If you do not have a yard for a garden, consider growing a tomato plant near a kitchen window or plant a herb garden that will flourish in the windowsill.
  6. Shop locally at farmers markets – Farmers markets have great prices on produce and you will get the freshest, local food available to you.  It is important to know where our food comes from. Farmers markets allow us the opportunity to talk to the people growing our food so we know exactly what we are getting.
  7. Don’t shop when you are hungry – When we are hungry and go shopping, we often buy items we otherwise would not choose.  Everything looks good so everything ends up in the cart, which can be costly.
  8. Recreate left overs – Instead of tossing out leftovers, recreate the food into another meal and reduce food waste.  If you make a big batch of quinoa and veggies as a side dish one evening, think about making stuffed peppers the next night using the quinoa and veggies.  If you have left over roasted chicken, make soup with the left overs.  There are endless ideas to making leftovers more exciting.

Eating healthy on a budget is an attainable goal with these 8 tips.  We would love for you to share your tips for eating healthy on a budget in the comments below.

Dominate Social Media

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We live in the information age and things move quickly. With the evolution of social media, we have the ability to reach people like never before. The key to dominate social media is to be consistent because people do business with those they know, like and trust. We have but a split second to capture a potential customer’s attention. Here are some tips I have learned along the way to make navigating Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest a little easier. dominate social media

Each platform gives you the opportunity to share your ‘why’ in the form of a brief bio. This is your chance to connect with your audience. Be sure to include who you are, what you do and how it brings value for the other person. Keep your bio short and to the point. Your bio should include a link back to your personal website for more info. Make sure your website lists all of your social media handles so people can easily find you. dominate social media

Social media outlets are the most influential platforms of the century. Having a profile is not enough. Building rapport with other organizations and honing strategic partnerships can explode your business. dominate social media

Dominate Social Media

Target your market. It is important to know your ideal customer and trust me its not everyone. Are you looking to capture organizations, a particular age demographic or a niche market? Targeting your market does not mean excluding people that do not fit your criteria from buying from you. It is a guide to allow you to focus on the people that are mostly likely to buy your product and share it with others, building your customer base. dominate social media

Social networks like Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest have changed the game for search engines. They have introduced additional social search signals that can be used for ranking content to your target audience. Social search refers to search engines using signals such as the number of social media shares of a link to determine how that link ranks for a given keyword.

There demographic of Facebook‘s 1.28 billion monthly users is vast. If you want to reach 15-34 year olds they are most active on Facebook from 9-10pm so post during those times. Keep posts short, 27% more sharing happens when a post is three lines or less. We want people to repost our info to friends so keep on point. One liners typically get the best response rates. People want to be engaged so ask questions that create conversation. If you post outside normal business hours which are considered from 9-4 there is a 20% increase in engagement. Fridays are the highest traffic days on Facebook, so it’s a great day to post. Comment on other pages where your target audience is already having conversations, lay the ground work and build rapport. If you host live events, post lots of photos and encourage your friends/followers to tag themselves. When they tag themselves, they will voluntarily be sharing your content with their friends causing a ripple affect. A great way to increase traffic to your page is by offering a special or exclusive offer; the sky is the limit on this. Ads are becoming more widely used on this platform. Slowly, Facebook will increase advertising including: full-motion video ads and image ads on its Instagram photo-sharing service. dominate social media

Twitter is great as you get up to the minute info; it could be called the ‘real time social networking’ site. A key to Twitter is to tweet in intervals. All tweets have to to be 140 charters or less. Engaging others through replying to their tweets builds your community. While it is great to follow lots of people and hone valuable information on Twitter, you must also grow your own base of followers. This is known as your Twitter reach. To make your tweets as visible as possible, avoid putting @USERNAME in the very beginning of your tweets. Adding the @USERNAME to the very beginning will make your tweet viewable only in the Twitter streams of people who follow you and the user to whom you’re tweeting. Hashtags are widely used on Twitter as well. A ‘#tag’ makes searching key words easy. You can dominate a hashtag so that when people search a key word your brand is the first to be featured. Selecting a hashtag for your own event will be beneficial in a couple of ways: During the event, people often use the hashtag while live-tweeting, i.e. tweeting what they see/hear in real-time. The hashtag will tag and aggregate the event’s tweets, building an online conversation around the event. Make your tweets useful resources so people need you. You are what you tweet. People will want to follow you if they think they will get value from your tweets. Avoid making your Twitter account a purely promotional tool. The goal is to get people to your personal page and viewing your products. Make a decision on how much time you want to devote to this platform as it can be a time-sucking activity.

Twitter is redesigning its profile and soon it will look like a merger of Facebook and Pinterest. Twitter has announced it will be gradually making changes to the timeline, mobile updates and they will have bigger photos. There are also rumors of the imminent death of @-replies and hashtags. Users will be able to pin or highlight key pieces of information to the profile of your newsfeed. We will now be able to add multiple photos to the platform and tag up to 10 people in these photos.

I didn’t know this until recently: Pinterest is the 4th largest traffic driver worldwide. People spend more money on Pinterst then any of the other social media sites. On average people will spend $68 on Twitter, $80 on Facebook and $179 on Pinterest. People use Pinterest to shop and buy online. The difference is that 70% of people on this platform are looking for brands and products. Many think it’s about moms (the average Pinterest user is 35-50) at home finding projects to do, but having a presence on Pinterest can effectively spread the word about your business. In fact, 80% of the content on Pinterest is repinned, which means your message could go viral quickly. The key with Pinterest is to create content unique to the Pinterest platform which will increase brand visibility and get more sales. Info-graphics, checklists, tutorials, teaser text-which drives traffic back to your site and videos are the most shared on Pinterest. Early morning or late at night is the best time to post to your page. The most people are on Pinterest Saturday mornings. dominate social media

I understand this can be a lot to digest and you may be thinking, who has time for all this? If you are doing all of these, an easy way to manage all of your sites in one place is through HooteSuite. They offer a free program to maximize your presence on social media and cut the time you spend daily on each site. It is better to do one thing really well then to do three things in a mediocre fashion. If taking on multiple social media sites feels daunting, start with one and master it; you can always expand your reach. You can see now how important it is to know your customer, what they need and where you can find them to connect. Now let’s share something we learned here with a friend on one of these social media platforms! dominate social media

Resources: dominate social media
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dominate social media