Isla West Region, Puerto Rico

The Beautiful Plaza of Mayagüez, PR, Interrupted

I have been to Mayagüez several times, but never to the Plaza.

Mayagüez Attractions– The Mayagüez Zoo is the only zoo of its type on the entire island. Worth a stop if you have the time. Then there is the USDA Tropical Agriculture Research Station next to the University of PR.

Alcaldia on the Plaza of Mayagüez, Puerto Rico

A facility with a marvelous garden, free to the public. I’ve covered both of these before. They are not the only things of interest in Mayagüez, but they are probably the most popular.

The busy Port of Mayagüez supports a commercial ferry run to Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic. Something I really want to try. It’s a very popular trip for Puerto Ricans on vacation. You could fly there, but I like riding the ferry. Something I did in Alaska. The Dom. Rep. is a lot closer to PR than most folks realize. Someday…

Water Fountain and Statue of Christopher Columbus on the Plaza Colón of Mayagüez, Puerto Rico

Mayagüez is on the far west end of the island, about as far from San Juan as you can get. After Ponce, it is a very popular destination for visitors looking to get away from the crowded conditions of San Juan. Much more laid back with a real Puerto Rican vibe. During the Dry Season, it’s also a lot more lush than the south side of the island.

As of the 2010 Census, greater Mayagüez, ” City of the Mangos”, has [Read more…] about The Beautiful Plaza of Mayagüez, PR, Interrupted

USDA Tropical Agriculture Gardens of Mayagüez

A ramble through the grounds of the USDA/TARS-
the Tropical Agriculture Research Station of Mayagüez.

This facility was on my original ‘hit list’.

There are lots of references to it on the Net. Here’s a link to the TropAg Research Station. It is an extension of the University of Puerto Rico and the UPR Mayagüez campus is next door. In addition to several other sites in the US, the USDA/ARS also maintains a 120 acre research farm in Isabella. Unfortunately, it’s closed to the public. I tried to set-up a private tour of it, but was turned down because they use heavy equipment there. maybe some other time…

The TropAg Station of Mayagüez was built in 1909, but the program dates back to 1901. Only 3 years after the US took Puerto Rico from the Spanish. It’s been in full service ever since. A beautiful building done in a mission style from the period. Being 100 years old, it’s well maintained, including the surrounding grounds, with only minor exceptions. As always, parking was tight and there was hardly anyone visiting the day we were there. [Read more…] about USDA Tropical Agriculture Gardens of Mayagüez

Surf’n Season on the West Shore

A Beautiful Day in Aguadilla

Though Rincon is known as the ‘Surfing Capital’ of PR, surfing takes place all along the west coast. It simply depends on where the best waves are. It’s a 2 hour drive from Coamo to the little town of Aguadilla. Once you pass Ponce, Hwy 2 is peppered with about 2 dozen stop lights. We breezed through most of them, but coming to a complete stop really extends your travel time.

The plan was to meet the San Juan Photo and Social Club at Crash Boat Beach. I thought it was IN Aguadilla, but it’s actually north of Aguadilla by a couple miles. I never made it TO Crash Boat Beach. We did hook up in Aguadilla for some surfing shots and then on into the Plaza. So Crash Boat Beach is still on my ‘hit list’ I found its location on Google Earth, after the fact. Crash Boat Beach gets it’s name from the military maintaining a rescue boat launch to go retrieve pilots who crashed in the sea while doing exercises. There is a converted military air base up above Aguadilla on the Northwest corner of the island. What was the Ramey Air Force Base is now called the Rafael Hernandez Airport.

A lot of retired US military live in this area of Puerto Rico.

Backtrack to Rincon and Mayaguez

Back on the road in the Rodeo

Water Fountain on the Plaza of Rincon with the Catholic Church in the Background in Puerto Rico

The good news is, auto service is pretty cheap here compared to home. They replaced both rear brake drums, pads and a seal. With labor, it came to $160. Not bad as far as I’m concerned. Plus they turned it around in 24 hours.

Public Beach Area of Rincon, Puerto Rico [Read more…] about Backtrack to Rincon and Mayaguez

Back to Arecibo and Points West…

Because I’m running short of time, weather issues and having to deal with car repairs, I’ve had to zip around the West and South West parts of the island. Yes, my front brake pads have to be replaced so I’m loosing more time. I will have to put off my side trips for later… there WILL be a later. In the past, I’ve had good luck with used cars, but not this time around.

Seems my Karma has finally caught up with me.

So here’s what I got..

On my way back through San Juan, I was able to stop at the grounds of the original Caparra Fort in what eventually became Guaynabo. It would be the oldest Spanish fort on the island, but it was abandoned in favor of what is now, Old San Juan because the Spaniards could not hold off the local natives from there, so they retreated to a defensible position. The grounds were open, but not the museum. So it goes.

BTW, my Mio GPS unit worked great at helping me avoid the small side streets in San Juan. It’s easy to get lost there. You have to keep in mind, 2 million people live their and they all got cars! Well, almost all. [Read more…] about Back to Arecibo and Points West…