Travel

Old San Juan echoes with centuries of history, dating back to the arrival of Christopher Columbus on the island in 1493 and the massive 16th-century Spanish forts overlooking the sea.

Steering our canoe around a turn in the river, my wife Fyllis and I suddenly were face-to-face — or, more accurately, face-to-knees — with a massive creature. Lifting its head, shoots of river greens cascading from its mouth, the huge moose stared at us as we stared back, then continued its meal.

Several years ago, when construction began on a housing development overlooking the Gulf of Mexico, an eagle’s nest with eggs was discovered in the forest that was about to be razed. Today, the aptly named Sanctuary community surrounds an island of trees that was preserved so the birds’ habitat would not be destroyed.

We arrived in Juneau on the second day of the cruise. Standing on deck as we pulled into port, we spotted a large American eagle perched on the ship’s gangplank. We weren’t in the “lower 48” anymore. We had arrived in a part of the country where even the best superlatives are inadequate.

A pride of lions feasts on the body of a rhinoceros as dozens of zebra, antelope and other animals look on. Dwellers in simple mud-plastered shelters live much as their ancestors did centuries ago.

Impaling a bright red strawberry on the end of a wooden shish kebab skewer, I held the fruit under a gushing fountain of milk chocolate, then popped it into my eager mouth.

Hear the words “national park,” and you’re likely to picture soaring landscapes and vast vistas.

It took scant minutes after arriving on Martha’s Vineyard to get a fix on what the island is all about.

This is a story about a road less traveled because progress, in the form of major interstate highways, passed it by.

There’s much to be said for traveling to Key West, Florida, in winter. It’s fun and funky, and the sun casts its warming glow on lotion-slathered bodies. However, my recent visit to the Sunshine State had a different goal. I wished to check the claim that other islands in the chain boast hidden corners and enticing attractions that many visitors miss.