I thought the recent events of COVID-19 and the pretty much shutdown of all cruises was a time to reflect and look at what destinations I had visited based on a cruise that I have not posted about (yet).
Cruising has always been an annual highlight for me and I have visited some great destinations based on them. Here are just a few:
Unfortunately, it does look like a cruise will be possible this year, so I wanted to share one of the great stops that I made a few years ago on a Caribbean cruise.
It is a small island, but Aruba is a great place for a day trip. I know it is famous from the disappearance of Natalee Hollaway and all the news around that, but it is much more than hotel resorts and beaches. It actually have some great nature preserves and places to hike!
It is called the Arikok National Park and it is easy to get to and not expensive to visit. It has a few surprises which you may not expect, so continue reading if interested.
Owl
It was kind of funny to see this owl watching me enter the park in the middle of the day and just sit there on the ground watching a creek.
If you love exploring flora and fauna, this is one of the best places to do it on a Caribbean cruise.
One of the unusual and unique attractions in Aruba and this hike is the famous Indian art drawings. It was quite a surprise. There are even caves in Aruba that can explored and there is actually 4,000 years of history here!
In the end, it is not as good as my cruise to Cuba, but it was a great stop to visit for a day and explore a little that was completely unknown to be as an American.
David Cross Travel Blog 
Great post 😁