Carlton, San Juan; the 382-room El San Juan Resort & Casino; and the 248- room, 235-suite La Concha — A Renais- sance Resort, which is home to one of Condado’s finest dining establishments, Perla. The site of our last dinner on the island, Perla is housed inside a stunning shell surrounded by a pool that casts reflections of the water around guests as they dine. At 110 miles long and just 35 miles
wide, Puerto Rico offers a variety of great activities within easy traveling dis- tance, several of which we got to experi- ence. Hacienda Campo Rico offers ATV and horseback-riding tours, and two bio- luminescent bays on the island light up for nighttime kayakers with blue-green microorganisms. Our tour of the Bacardi distillery included presentations on the spirit company’s history and a lesson on how to make some of Bacardi’s most popular cocktails. A highlight for many in our group
was a “Flavor of San Juan” foodie tour of Old San Juan. A stunning mix of archi- tecture, history, shopping, and dining, Old San Juan makes you feel like you’ve been transported back to the island’s Spanish colonial period. The tour, usu- ally appropriate for groups of four to 12, features visits to popular restaurants for local specialties such as mofongo (a savory dish made from mashed plantains) and, of course, piña coladas. The tour also offers views of historical buildings and a good dose of the island’s colonial and architectural history. It might seem that Puerto Rico
would have a tough time competing for the U.S. market with meeting destina- tions like Miami in such close proxim- ity. But the Puerto Rico experience is something unique — a mix of culture and business, food and attractions that can’t be found anywhere else.
1 Getting into the Sasquatch spirit, kids had their faces painted to resemble Bigfoot.
2 A local artist crafted a near- life-sized replica of Bigfoot for the event.
3 The proof is in the footprint
— such as this preserved Sasquatch print.
4 Sasquatch memorabilia, books, T-shirts, and posters, were sold at the Expo.
5 One young attendee was surprised when a boa was wrapped around him during a Wildlife Services presentation.
5
THERE'S A MEETING FOR THAT? Sasquatch Goes Viral
1st Annual Chautauqua Lake Bigfoot Expo More than 300 attendees trekked out to the We Wan Chu Cottages at Chautauqua Lake in New York state on May 4–6 for the first-ever live-streamed Bigfoot convention in the United States. Beyond those who attended in person, hundreds more tuned in online, witnessing presentations from Bigfoot experts as well as live Bigfoot expeditions.