Travels with Tam

Dwarf Minke Whales and Cod Hole in the Great Barrier Reef!

September 23, 2016 By Tam Warner 14 Comments

One of the most exciting events to look forward to on the Great Barrier Reef in July are Dwarf Minke Whales! As the name says, for a baleen whale they are rather small, growing to a maximum of 8 meters, or 24 ft, and on the endangered list, thank you Japan for slaughtering Minkes illegally every year. The ones I saw this year, off of the Spirit of Freedom, were not that large, but it was a thrill to see them. Sadly, I only had a few seconds to enjoy a close, eye to eye encounter. A few times we “snorkeled” (we were hanging onto a rope) in order to see them, and on the day whales came close, an event on board shut the encounter down.

A woman onboard who was also on the rope, had breathing issues. I’m still not sure what happened, whether she had a panic attack or a seizure, but she had a health incident and the crew got us all out of the water. I was the last person on the rope, so I was lucky enough to have a short encounter with two whales, a mum and a calf, but it did not last long enough. I was face to face with them, no more than 6 feet away, but I had to get out of the water so the boat could take off for Lizard Island so she could be airlifted to Cairns. The story had a happy ending, she was stable by the time we got to Lizard Island, thank goodness. But the whale story certainly was cut short! The crew was very professional and dealt with the emergency quickly and well.

whales, cod hole, great barrier reef, scuba — Hanging out, waiting for whales!

After the airlift, the boat headed for famous Cod Hole. The dive site is famous for large (and I mean LARGE) Potato Cods who will come close to divers. The dive master feeds them to get them to hang around. Sadly, I only saw one Potato Cod, but it was a very cool experience being face to face with that big boy (or girl!). All of us thoroughly enjoyed the spectacle!

<br />

Visit Florida’s Crazy Food Festivals

September 12, 2016 By Tam Warner 3 Comments

Visit Florida, Travels with Tam, crazy food festivals — I love Florida! Who doesn’t?

Florida is home to about 20 million people, it has world-famous theme parks and a number of the craziest food festivals on Earth! If you are looking for creative gourmet food, you will find it in the small villages of the state.

Williston, Florida is a small town in central Florida, and has 3,000 inhabitants. What it lacks in size, Williston makes up for with original ideas. The proof: the “Central Florida Peanut Festival” . On October 1, 2016, everything revolves back to the peanut. Whether boiled, baked, roasted or fried – every first Saturday in October, each peanut Gourmet here his personal Mecca. In addition, numerous rides and live music make for the right atmosphere. Not crazy enough? Every year the “Little Peanut Royal Family” is chosen as a highlight, including Queen and King Peanut and of course Little Peanut Baby.

Fellsmere, about 130 kilometers southeast of Orlando, is only slightly larger than Williston. There is the annual “Fellsmere Frog Leg Festival”. And if you don’t like frog legs, you can try the alternative, fried alligator. Over 80,000 visitors are expected from 19 to 22 January 2017. The event is in the Guinness Book of Records – for the largest number of frog legs consumed in a day. Rounding out the event there are numerous competitions such as frog-hopping betting and numerous live bands.

“The Best Stinkin ‘Party in South Florida” – otherwise known as “South Florida Garlic Fest” is in Delray Beach. It takes place Feb 10 – 12, 2017. Even garlic connoisseurs will find many useful tips and tricks for using the “stinking rose”. Garlic ice cream, garlic barbecue, garlic cake, you can have whatever your taste buds desire. The event is organized by volunteers, the proceeds of approximately $ 500,000 goes to educational and arts organizations for young people.

You cannot forget the “Florida Strawberry Festival” which lasts a total of eleven days from 2 to 12 March 2017. The festival dates back to 1930’s. Of course, there are strawberries in every way: raw, pie, wrapped in chocolate, in a salad or as an earring. But beyond that numerous competitions take place. There is a Strawberry Queen, and a fastest pig race.

After so much food is a visit to the “Miami Rum Renaissance Festival” seems just right. Rum producers and experts arrive from 22 to 23 April 2017 from all corners of the earth to sample the rum festival and to talk shop. As a highlight, the RumXP International Rum Expert Panel will award prizes in several categories. Pur, “on the rocks” or as a cocktail – Cheers!

<br />

Written by VisitFlorida. For further information VISITFLORIDA.org and on the blog SunshineMatters.org or via the social media channels: Facebook and Twitter @FloridaTourism.

What it is like diving the Ribbon Reefs, Great Barrier Reef

September 5, 2016 By Tam Warner 24 Comments

I hope you all had a lovely Labor Day Weekend readers in the U S of A!

Today, I continue my journey on the Spirit of Freedom on the Great Barrier Reef! Our dive spots were the Ribbon Reefs at the far northern edge of the Great Barrier Reef, stretching for 50 miles along the continental shelf! These are famous dive sites for any level diver. The best time to dive this area is during the dry season, May to November. October through May is known as “the wet”. Water temps were around 78 degrees Farenheit, very comfortable yet still refreshing. During June/July you may see Dwarf Minke Whales! But that is for another post! For now, enjoy these awesome creatures from the Ribbon Reefs.

Check flights to Australia right now!

<br />

great barrier reef, ribbon reefs, scuba diving — Islands and sea mounts dot the ocean

And

A Funny Thing Happened When I Arrived in Cairns!

August 26, 2016 By Tam Warner 6 Comments

In June and July of 2016, I took an epic trip to Sydney, Australia, Bali and Komodo National Park in Indonesia, then I finished with a fantastic voyage on the Spirit of Freedom, a great dive boat experience in the Great Barrier Reef! But…I had to get from Komodo to the Great Barrier Reef….

Garuda, Bali, Cairns, Fin — The harbour lights at Labuan Bajo, Indonesia.

Taking up where I left off, I had a most wonderful trip to Komodo National Park, and if you missed those blogs and photographs, I highly recommend you take a look at them! After disembarking in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia, most of the dive group and I made our way to the airport to catch a flight to Bali on the airline Garuda. Garuda Airlines is named after the great, mythical bird who served as the mount for the Hindu deity Vishnu. The airline was much nicer than I expected it to be. In fact, at the airport we were ushered into the VIP lounge and served coffee and delicacies. The china was particularly beautiful with its gold markings. (It was British…yes, I looked!)

The flight was calm and uneventful, and at the Bali airport I walked from the domestic terminal to the international to catch my Malaysia Airlines flight to Kuala Lumpur to connect to another Malaysia Airlines flight to Sydney to catch a Qantas flight to Cairns. Yes, a very long trip in a very large area of the planet. And to top it off, I thought my flight to Cairns was on the same day as my flight to Sydney. No such luck. It was for the next day. I’d already been traveling for 24 hours, and I needed to find a hotel near the airport.

Don’t ask me why, I have no earthly idea why, but I booked a cheapie hotel close to the airport. Why I didn’t return to the wonderful Stamford Sydney Airport is beyond me. I thought, oh save some money and stay at a smaller hotel. It was smaller, all right!

It looked okay on the internet. I can only say: do not stay at the Airport Hotel Sydney. It looked a lot better in photos than it did in person. The area was a bit sketchy, it seemed like, and the hotel even more so. There is a single door leading into a lobby which does not deserve to be called a lobby since it is so small and dingy. The guy who checked me in informed me that an American immigration officer told him “Americans are jerks” and he proceeded to tell me not to complain. I wasn’t complaining, just expressing a concern about my luggage because there was no lift in the hotel. He put me on the ground floor, and the first room he gave me was already occupied. Awkward! Seriously, not a good place. I went to bed, and got up hours and hours before my flight so I could go to the Qantas Business Class Lounge to shower and dress. Ah, Qantas has lovely lounges!

I relaxed in the lounge until time to head to Cairns which is in Queensland. My dive boat to the Ribbon Reefs, Spirit of Freedom, would leave from there. I checked into the fabulous Shangri-La Hotel at the Marina in Cairns. Ahhh. Luxury! Find the best deal, compare prices, and read what other travelers have to say at TripAdvisor

The Shangri La was beautiful, and between the marina and the esplanade. It was heaven to sink into the comfy bed and flip on CNN! (I’m a diehard CNN fan, especially Anderson Cooper 360 and Wolf Blitzer’s Situation Room and Erin Burnett Out Front…you get the idea!) I got out my computer and put a status on my Facebook page, that I was in Cairns, finally! The next thing I know, I receive a message from my good friend Fin! Fin Out of Water is also a blogger, check out her Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/finoutofwater/?fref=ts. I met Fin on a Ray of Hope Expedition last year in the Yucatan. She is from New Zealand, a dive instructor and marine biologist.) So Fin, from Auckland, NZ, says she too is in Cairns! We were both so excited and made plans for dinner the next night! Talk about a funny thing…what are the odds that Tam from Dallas, Texas and Fin from NZ would be in Cairns, Australia at the same time?? Oh, how wonderful it was to see her! She is just one of the most wonderful people on the planet. So awesome to see you, Fin! It’s just funny…and serendipitous! Don’t you think so?

Another Fabulous Stay at the Hyatt Regency Austin!

August 23, 2016 By Tam Warner 11 Comments

Austin, Texas, Hyatt — An incredible view from our room!

Last summer my husband and I ventured to Austin, Texas to see the bats…and our son, who lives there. Sadly, the bats didn’t make an appearance, but our stay at the Hyatt Regency Austin was so fabulous we decided to stay there again, and this time, we saw the bats! Any trip to Austin during the summer should include a trip to Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge (Ann Richards was Governor of Texas 1990-1994). Beneath the bridge sleep 1.5 million Mexican Free Tail Bats. At dusk on summer nights, the bats begin to emerge, and what an incredible sight! Just two weeks ago we sat at our hotel room window and watched the bats emerge. Fantastic!

The Hyatt Regency Austin has the best location in the city. Yes, you heard me, the best location in the city for awesome views! At night the city of Austin is lit up across Town Lake (aka Colorado River), at dusk bats fly, and during the day you will find kayakers and paddle boarders happily paddling the lake. I was one of them!

<a href="http://www.jdoqocy.com/click-7321244-10775740?URL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tripadvisor.com%2FHotel_Review-g30196-d98436-Reviews-a_cja.10775740-a_cjp.7321244-m13092-s1-Hyatt_Regency_Austin-Austin_Texas.html" target="_blank">Find the best deal, compare prices, and read what other travelers have to say at TripAdvisor</a> — The fruit buffet

Austin is a fun city to visit. It is rare to find so much outdoor activity in the heart of a city, and it makes Austin unique. It is the state capitol, and home to the University of Texas Austin’s forty thousand plus students! There is never a dull moment! And since Austin is such a great destination, I recommend staying at the Hyatt Regency Austin in order to fully appreciate the city and the glorious views! Be sure and check out Trip Advisor, and read my review!

Find the best deal, compare prices, and read what other travelers have to say at TripAdvisor

These opinions are my own.

Why I Didn’t Get Eaten by a Komodo Dragon While I was in Komodo National Park!

August 15, 2016 By Tam Warner 24 Comments

Why I Didn’t Get Eaten by a Komodo Dragon While I was in Komodo National Park!

Komodo Dragons have a fearsome reputation and stories of their ferocity and venomous bite are legend. Komodo Dragons look extremely formidable, I can attest to that! My trip to Komodo National Park gave me a close up look at the largest of lizards, now vulnerable to extinction.

Travel Adventures!

City Pass is the Best Way to Tour a City