Greater San Juan Metroplex, Old San Juan

Fort San Juan de la Cruz on Isla de Cabras

aka, el Cañuelo- A National Forest Service, Historic Site
Fort San Juan de la Cruz, El Canuelo on San Juan Bay

I’ve had my eye on this location since before I made my 1st trip to Puerto Rico. Why? Because I suspected it would have a great view across the bay of El Morro and Old San Juan.. I was not disappointed!

This has to be one of the best, ‘must see’ spots on the North side of the island.

There is a fee per vehicle to enter the park… cars are $3 and our SUV cost $4. Cars or trucks with trailers are more still. That said, there was probably a hundred or more folks, making a day of it! Bay Side View of Fort San Juan de la Cruz, El Canuelo on San Juan Bay

New Photo Gear.. Woo Hoo!

This was my first trip out with my new camera,
a Sony Alpha NEX-7, which I’m still getting used to.

For the photographers out there, it sports a 24.3 MP imager, an all electronic eye level viewfinder and weighs a whopping 12 oz. (with battery and card). Physically, it’s on a par with my old Olympus OM-4, a small 35mm SLR.

The big draw for me was the fact that via an adapter, I can mount almost every 35mm lens ever made…10’s of 1,000’s of them. Amazon lists at least 18 different NEX-7 Lens Adapters, most are reasonably priced. [Read more…] about Fort San Juan de la Cruz on Isla de Cabras

Vaca Brava, Lunch in Old San Juan

The day we visited the HMS Bounty, we finished by going to lunch at Vaca Brava.

Here’s a link to the
HMS Bounty post.

I had heard friends rave about the Vaca Brava restaurant in Barranquitas so when they opened a second one in Old San Juan, we had to check it out.

Vaca Brava is easy to find.

It’s located on Calle Recinto Sur, directly across the street from the old U.S. Post Office. They are in the space where the Hard Rock Cafe used to be. Vaca Brava is about 3 blocks from the docks. There’s a full size fiberglass bull standing by the front door.

Please note that these first 2 shots are from the same vantage point. [Read more…] about Vaca Brava, Lunch in Old San Juan

A Tall Ship in Old San Juan- The HMS Bounty

Mutiny on the Bounty…

An epic tale of the high seas.. a true story of intrigue. The kind great movies are made of. But more about that, a little later on.

Having discovered the HMS Bounty was to ‘winter-over’ in Old San Juan again, it became a ‘must-see’ for this wannabe pirate. A post on the Caribbean Business Website stated it would be on display through the end of March. It’s open 6 days a week, but is randomly closed on one of the weekdays. That might sound a little flaky, but they do this to accommodate cruse ship schedules and the occasional rainy day. On Wednesday, the day we went, it was open from 11AM to 6PM, but hours can vary. [Read more…] about A Tall Ship in Old San Juan- The HMS Bounty

University of Puerto Rico Botanical Gardens

Another ‘Top 10″ attraction of PR and San Juan in particular.

Yes, the gardens on the grounds of the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) had been on my original ‘hit-list’ of places to see. I’m a little ashamed I had not come to visit before now. The SJ Photo MeetUp Group decided to come back and check it out so that was all the excuse I needed.

Though some tropical plants flower year round, this is the tail end of the summertime flower explosion. There is something in bloom year round, but it was evident that many things had gone to seed or past that. The dry season starts in late December so most things go into a dormant state.

The weather was sunny, balmy and in the the mid-80’s F.

I would normally wear shorts, but I often need to kneel for shots so jeans are a minimum. A hat is a good idea too as well as an umbrella for afternoon showers. [Read more…] about University of Puerto Rico Botanical Gardens

2nd Annual Coffee Expo of PR & Lunch too

Me First Mate and I had been looking very forward to the Coffee Expo.. it did not disappoint. When we got there at 10:30AM, the Expo had only been open a couple hours.

This was also an opportunity to check out the Dr. Pedro Rossello Convention Center of San Juan, built in 2005. It is yet another jewel in the crown of Greater San Juan. A beautifully designed, massive steel and glass structure. The surrounding grounds and reflection pool are also quite impressive. It stands as a grand tribute to artful, but functional architectural design.

It is located very near the Old San Juan district and Condado. We had to cross over the bridge into Old San Juan before doubling back to get to the Convention Center. After the double-back, you will see the new Sheraton Hotel with the Convention Center located behind it. From the front of the Sheraton, you cannot see the Convention Center.. we had to double-back a 2nd time to find parking. Doh!

There is plenty of parking here, which is kind of a novelty for San Juan.

Parking was a flat $6 bucks per car… typical of this venue. There was also a Home Show going on too. Even with both shows, traffic in and out was not bad.

There had been a fair amount of local press about the Coffee Expo, including a large presence on the Web and a bunch of Facebook chatter. [Read more…] about 2nd Annual Coffee Expo of PR & Lunch too