The Meltdown
March 2012Three days in Granada, Nicaragua showed our kids real poverty up close. The morning after we got home to Costa Rica, they all let it go. Erin’s take.… Read the story
Looking into the mouth of Hell
March 2012Our day tour to Masaya with Berman, a guide who once worked on Survivor. A crater lake, Masaya Volcano and an eye-opening look at life in Nicaragua.… Read the story
Time to Renew the Visas
March 2012Our 2012 border run from Tamarindo to Nicaragua to renew our visas, and the day tour we said yes to. Visa rules have changed, so see the 2026 update.… Read the story
The quiet surfer
February 2012I catch maybe half the waves that come my way. Erin, it turns out, is a natural. Four favorite photos from the thousand I took of her surfing in Tamarindo.… Read the story
Half way mark
February 2012At the halfway mark of our stay in Tamarindo, Erin reflects on time together, what the kids might be missing, and learning daily life as a family.… Read the story
The Farmacia
February 2012Erin’s first trip to a Tamarindo pharmacy back in 2012, armed with a note from Google Translate. The rules have changed, so read the 2026 update first.… Read the story
Time Lapse of the view over Playa Grande
February 2012Ben was studying tides for school, so we shot a time lapse of the tide going out over Playa Grande from the patio of our Tamarindo rental house.… Read the story
New View, New Casa
February 2012After two and a half months in 500 square feet, we moved up the hill to a Tamarindo rental with a pool and a huge view. Plus our old van and that hill.… Read the story
Skype with Meiklejohn
February 2012Jacob and Abby got to see and talk with their classes back home over Skype. Abby clammed up on center stage, then talked about it nonstop afterward.… Read the story
Video of Jacob Surfing
February 2012The first clip we shot of Jacob with a GoPro surf mount on his board, in front of the Diria Hotel on Playa Tamarindo. How fun is it to watch him surf?… Read the story
Video of Ben Surfing
February 2012Our first GoPro video with the camera mounted right on Ben’s surfboard, shot near the river mouth at Playa Tamarindo, plus a few photos from the session.… Read the story
Graduation Day from CSI
February 2012After 404 hours of classes at the Coastal Spanish Institute, our family graduated. A homemade piñata, plus my thank-you speech in Spanish and English.… Read the story
Around Monte Verde
February 2012Monteverde reminded us of a Colorado mountain town, small, clean and community minded. A few photos from town and a word on our hotel, the Poco a Poco.… Read the story
Selvatura Park – Butterfly, Insect & Humming Bird Gardens
February 2012Butterflies hatching in front of us, a room of bugs we were glad weren’t alive, and hummingbirds buzzing past our heads. Our afternoon at Selvatura.… Read the story
Selvatura Park – The Hanging Bridges
February 2012Our walk across the hanging bridges at Selvatura Park in the Monteverde cloud forest, with a guide so excited about one bird we waited 30 minutes for it.… Read the story
The Monte Verde Cloud Forest Train
February 2012The Monteverde Cloud Forest train, Costa Rica: a cool, green change from Tamarindo’s dry season, and what the mini train tour into the forest is like.… Read the story
The “Jeep – Boat – Jeep” Ride
February 2012The Jeep Boat Jeep from La Fortuna and Arenal across Lake Arenal to Monteverde, Costa Rica: what the ride is really like and the long drive it saves.… Read the story
Tabacon Hot Springs – Heaven on Earth
February 2012A river warmed by Arenal Volcano, turned into dozens of natural pools, waterfalls and hidden paths. Why Tabacon Hot Springs belongs on your list.… Read the story
La Fortuna / Arenal Pix
February 2012Photos from our family’s first day in La Fortuna and around Arenal Volcano in 2012, a very different side of Costa Rica from the beaches of Tamarindo.… Read the story
Quick Update from Monte Verde and Arenal Volcano
February 2012From Tamarindo to La Fortuna and Monteverde: waterfall rappelling, Tabacon hot springs, a cloud forest train and sky bridges. Our quick 2012 recap.… Read the story