May 25 - 28: Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica
[View Photos]This was a Memorial Weekend getaway to visit the Arenal region in Costa Rica. Arenal is an active volcano located about three and a half hours by car from San Jose...closer to four if you rent a two cylinder putz-o-matic that they try to pass off as an SUV. The roads are narrow and winding, so don't attempt to drive it late at night (sunset is at about 5:30pm all year round). I highly recommend the Lost Iguana Resort, Tabaron Hot Springs, Hanging Bridges, kayaking, hiking along the base of the volcano to see the pyroclastic rocks spewed into the air and listen as they rumble down the mountain. And, don't forget to try the local tacos, which are actually more like taquitos...yummmm. They also have canyoning, cable crossing through the trees, mountain biking, horse back riding, white water rafting, waterfalls, hot springs and lots of hiking. If you're lucky to visit the volcano when it's not covered by clouds, which is only about 25% of the time, at night you can see the red hot lava flows trailing down the sides of the volcano. [View Photos]
