The Holbrook Explorer
Where we travel
Photo of the Month: July 2022
Living most of my life in the South, I am always drawn to the complete opposite landscapes that the West offers. Having the chance to visit two bucket-list places, Yellowstone and Grand Teton, after the COVID shutdown was a dream come true, and I will be forever grateful for that opportunity. Once...
Rainforests: Four Facts about Earth's Oldest Living Ecosystem
Rainforests only occupy 6% of Earth’s land surface, yet their impact extends to every corner and all creatures across the globe. This fragile ecosystem, once covering 14% in land mass, serves as a life force for our planet, providing air, water, medicine, food, and shelter to a host of living...
Photo of the Month: June 2022
I got lucky and found this golden eyelash viper (Bothriechis schlegelii) while out hiking near Cahuita National Park in Costa Rica. It is a venomous snake known locally as an “oropel.” They are a nocturnal small snake which preys mostly on lizards and frogs. This is my favorite animal to see there...
Photo of the Month: May 2022
We were walking at Darwin Bay on Genovesa Island and heading back to our panga as the sun was slowly setting. Lots of sea lions on shore were lounging around, sleeping, enjoying their beach—but then I noticed this little girl looking right at me as she was asking for her photo to be taken. The...
Photo of the Month: April 2022
We weren’t really sure about traveling when we did our Costa Rica Osa Peninsula birding tour. A good friend was leading the trip to the Osa Peninsula for Grand Valley Audubon, and other good friends had joined in. We went back and forth but finally decided to take the risk. As it turned out, Costa...
Photo of the Month: March 2022
My Holbrook group was among the first back into Costa Rica after the pandemic. My eight birders and guide Erick Guzman had the lodges and trip virtually to ourselves. With Costa Rica closed for a year, the birds and other wildlife had rest from people and carried on their natural routine. We found...
Planning International Travel Again? 5 Reasons Why Costa Rica Tops the List
Around the U.S., as Americans are increasingly vaccinated, activities and events are resuming once again. But what’s the outlook for international travel? Certain countries are more prepared for visitors, and Costa Rica is one of them. Costa Rica’s strict safety protocols, growing vaccination rate...
Photo of the Month: February 2022
One of the great things about Kenya is its rich biological diversity in a relatively small country. This gives visitors the ability to see and photograph the “Big Five”: leopard, rhino, buffalo, lion and elephant on one trip. One of the main highlight is the Maasai Mara. Every year the Masaai Mara...
Photo of the Month: January 2022
We stayed on an island in Magdalena Bay where gray whales migrate each year to court, mate, and give birth to their young. The gray whales were really friendly, coming right up to the boat. They would kind of play games where they’d go under the boat, and they’d pop up. Then they would sit there,...
Photo of the Month: December 2021
This photo was taken from the rooftop of a home in Viñales, Cuba, showing a back street and how most locals get around. The home (below) is owned by a local artist, and we were lucky enough to have lunch with him. Cuban people are some of the most friendly and gracious we've ever encountered in our...
Photo of the Month: November 2021
My trip to Alaska with the Texas Association of Biology Teachers was brilliant! I believe people say “everything is bigger in Texas,” but I think Alaska gave them a run for their money. We had such an amazing and diverse travel group filled with teachers not only from Texas, but different parts of...
Photo of the Month: October 2021
Peru had been on my bucket list for a while, so I was thrilled to explore this country with a group of like-minded travelers. Although the Sacred Valley was certainly high on my list of “must-sees,” I was equally enthusiastic about time in the Peruvian Amazon basin. I had read about the amazing...