shleighton

Beautiful Teal Lake is one of northern Wisconsin’s “quiet lakes” near the town of Hayward, set deep in the unspoiled wilderness of the Chequamegon National Forest. Teal Lake and Lost Land Lake are connected by a narrow thoroughfare, making it easy to navigate between the two on a boat.

The lakes are known for fishing (some of Hayward’s best), dining (some of the area’s best fish fries), canoeing, kayaking, and golf (including Ross’ Teal Wing Gold Course). The lakes have a 10 MPH speed limit in place to keep them pristine and quiet.

My husband and I recently traveled to Ambergris Caye, Belize in Central America. It was amazing. The flight from MSP to BZE is quite easy – about 2:15hrs to Houston, and another 2:30 from Houston to BZE. The trip is made even easier by the fact that Belize is within the Central Time Zone; no jet lag!

The first highlight of the trip was the Maya Island Air flight from Belize International Airport to San Pedro, Ambergris Caye. The tiny “puddle-jumper” holds about 18 people and only flies about 100 meters above the water, giving travelers a breathtaking introduction to the vast expanse of shallow ocean, coral reefs and tiny islands making up the atoll. We even took photos from the plane which turned out pretty well.

We stayed at a resort 4 miles north of San Pedro; it was right on the beach with a fabulous pool, lush gardens, and quiet relaxation. I don’t think Belize attracts the hoards of drunken spring-breakers.

Another highlight of the trip was a full-day boating excursion that took us all the way south to Goffs Caye for snorkeling and a beach barbecue. Once the crowd of cruise ship passengers left, we had the entire island to ourselves. It is a very tiny island with only room for about 10 palm trees. After this we cruised over to a protected area to look for manatees. The captain turned off the motor and used a long pole to quietly move the boat around, while the gentle sea cows surfaced occasionally for air.

Next we cruised over to Shark Ray Alley for another snorkeling opportunity – this time with Southern Sting Rays and Nurse Sharks. I loved it!! It was amazing to be in the water, hovering at the surface, while sting rays glided silently underneath me. The nurse sharks were about 6-7 feet long and very docile – not at all menacing. Finally we stopped at Caye Caulker to see the quiet, laid-back fishing village and have a cocktail at the Lazy Lizard.

We really enjoyed the food in Belize. We had plenty of seafood – grouper, snapper, conch and shrimp – and both of us are now addicted to seafood ceviche.

We can’t wait to return to Belize again soon. We were only there for 4 nights, but next time we will definitely stay longer. I would love to see the ancient Mayan ruins, the jungle, and the native animals.