Cruising with a Toddler. Our Photo Intense Trip Recap of the 9-7-13 Carnival Dream

[TeknikDC2]

 

As I mentioned before our plan today for San Juan was simple. We would just walk around and tour Old Town a bit. We wanted to see the forts for sure. Since we were traveling on our own with a toddler we were pretty limited as to what we could do for excursions anyways. As I researched what to do in San Juan prior to the cruise I read that old town was pretty easy to do on your own as its not very large. So we planned for lots of walking today.

 

 

Dispite all the reasearch done though we still really didn't know our way around. We knew one of the 2 forts was pretty much strait up the hill from where the ship docked so we figured that we would head in that direction. Once you leave the Dock area there as usual were many people trying to offer tours and excursions in San Juan but there were also some people handing out maps of Old Town that turned out to be very helpful. We found the streets on the map that would get us to the first fort and we were on our way. After passing the resorts the line the waterfront by the ship you find yourself in the more quant areas of old town. The building are close together, all the roads are pretty much one way, and they are paved with beautiful blue cobble stone.

 

[TeknikDC2]

 

Eventually we got to an open park area with a large monument built to commemorate Christopher Columbus as Puerto Rico was one of the first places he came to when he discovered the New World. Around this little plaza were also some little booths that were set up with locals selling items. Across from this plaza we could see the fort. We were almost there.

 

 

The only thing left between us and the fort was a hill. A pretty steep hill that made us start to rethink our walking idea as we had to push a stroller up that large hill. We eventually made it though and at the top had a pretty great view of the Ocean ahead of us. To our right would be the entrance to the Fort we were going to. San Cristóbal.

 

[TeknikDC2]

[TeknikDC2]

We walked up to the gates of the fort where you pay. The forts are ran by the US National Park service but are very reasonably priced to visit. It would cost $3 per person to visit one fort or you could get a pass to see both San Cristobal and El Morro for only $5 per person. Daniel was free but I don't recall at what age children would need a ticket. You enter into the forts large courtyard and from there you can ether wait for a guided tour to start or you can tour around the fort on you own. We decided to tour the fort on our own and started with all the rooms to the left. Many of these rooms are empty but one of them was the gift card and others had stuff about the explorers who founded the island.

 

[TeknikDC2]

 

After these rooms we next went up a big tunnel and ramp to the upper leve of the fort. Up top there was another large open area with cut outs in the wall where cannons use to be stationed. We walked around up here and went into one of the guards towers that over looked the ocean and gave the best view of the coast line towards El Morro. Although it kinda saddened me to see how many people had wrote there names on the inside walls of this lookout. I mean do people really not have any respect for history.

 

[TeknikDC2]

 

We walked all around the upper level of the fort and took a look out of many of the lookouts and canon cut outs as you could see pretty much ever part of old San Juan from up here. Look one way and you could see the capital buildings and the newer more modern parts of San Juan, another way you could look down to the fields and lowest levels of the fort, another way you were seeing the city part of Old Town, and a different direction you could see the port and our ship docked.

 

[TeknikDC2]

 

Eventually we made it back down to the lower level courtyard of the fort and took a look around some of the rooms down here. Some of them were set up to resemble how they may have been when the fort was in use. One was a solders quaters room. A few of the rooms were then set up to show the history of the fort.

 

[TeknikDC2]

 

We finished up with San Cristobal by looking at a few other rooms on the lower level. Some still had the original tile work that was really cool and you could see the Spanish influence in the design. After these last few rooms we decided that we were finished with this fort. We stopped in at the Gift shop to browse for a moment and then we exited the way we came. I love history and seeing old forts like this so it was really fun for me to see it and i'm glad we did.

 

[TeknikDC2]

 

But we had to hurry on our way because we still had another fort to visit and much more of San Juan to see. From San Cristobal it would practically be a strait shot walk to our next destination. El Morro.

 

 

 

 

 

And thats all for today. I will be back soon to continue our day in San Juan. Thanks again to all of my followers and for checking out the thread. Please ask any questions that you may have about San Juan or our trip and share any comments as I appreciate the support. Thanks again everyone. See ya again soon.

 

 

 

 

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[JaniceB]

Great pictures of the fort! What a hill you had to climb!

[sasysutler]

we took the free trolley everywhere!

[Rainberry]

Great review! We don't have kids yet, but eventually we hope to have some and would love to take them and so I'm enjoying hearing about your experience bringing Daniel! He seems like such an easy going guy!

 

Thanks sharing your experience!

[fireman935]

I will say you are very thorough.... And wow what great memories you have And may I add if your son ever says I had a bad childhood show him this thread lol !!!!!!!!! GREAT JOB!!! MY CAPT wish I wrote reports this thorough!!!

[KatyAGoGo]

Thank you for this wonderful review, it makes me so more confident about cruising with our son in the future!

 

 

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[TeknikDC2]

we took the free trolley everywhere!

 

Yes I hadn't touched on that yet. We had many oppertunitys to use the free trolley but we decided not to.

 

Great review! We don't have kids yet, but eventually we hope to have some and would love to take them and so I'm enjoying hearing about your experience bringing Daniel! He seems like such an easy going guy!

 

Thanks sharing your experience!

 

Thank you. Yes we traveled much before having a child and i'm glad that hasn't slowed down. In fact since having Daniel we seem to travel more now as we've done 2 vacations each year for the last 2 years instead of 1 like we use to. These are memories that are worth more then any physical gift so we have kept traveling a priority for our little family so long as we can afford to.

 

I will say you are very thorough.... And wow what great memories you have And may I add if your son ever says I had a bad childhood show him this thread lol !!!!!!!!! GREAT JOB!!! MY CAPT wish I wrote reports this thorough!!!

 

Thanks. And isn't that true lol. He already loves seeing the pictures when I post them up on these reports. These thorough reports have just kinda become my thing. It's honestly very difficult for me to not write very thorough reports anymore.

 

Thank you for this wonderful review, it makes me so more confident about cruising with our son in the future!

 

I'm glad I can help. Cruising with a Toddler turned out to be much easier then we originally expected it to be.

[TeknikDC2]

Day 7, Part 2: San Juan (El Morro)

 

As we started our walk towards El Morro one of the San Juan Trolleys pulled up. This Trolley is free to use and will take you all around Old San Juan. There are many stops and you can get on and get off as you please. And since we were the only ship in port this day the trolley wasn't even full. However we decided not to ride it. El Morro didn't seem too far away so it shouldn't be a bad walk. Plus sometimes its a pain to fold up the stroller getting on and off these trolleys. So we bipased it and continued on our way. The road that runs in front of San Cristobal goes strait to El Morro so its easy to find your way.

 

 

We soon started to question our idea of walking to El Morro though. Not because it was scary or anything as we felt comfortable walking between the forts. But because it was so hot and humid this day. Not only that but the walk turned out to be much further then we thought. It was well over a mile walk to make. Maybe we should have took the trolley lol. Oh well. We passed a San Juan elementry school on the way and also some of the museums but we never stopped into them.

 

[TeknikDC2]

 

As you continue the walk you will pass some roads that turn and go into an area of homes and buildings down by the water front. I don't recall the name of this area but from what I read online prior to the trip it is Highly recommend to not wander into that area. I guess its the bad part of San Juan and pretty shady and scary. If you stay on the main road that we were you will travel above the area and never go thru it. I don't know whats so bad about it but we weren't about to find out.

 

[TeknikDC2]

Eventually we got to the end of the road and ahead of us a was a large green field with El Morro at the end of it. There were a few small booths set up selling kits and other local items but I will touch on why a bit later. Before walking across the field to El Morro though we decided to go take a look at the San Juan Cemetery. I saw this Cemetery in photos and had to see it in person. Its just down the hill of this grassy area and sits on a cliff over looking the ocean. To get to it you go down a small road and thru a tunnel then you are there. The Cemetery is pretty large and many of the White Headstones are pretty intrecatly detailed.

 

[TeknikDC2]

 

We walked around the cemetery looking at the ages on the many different headstones and just taking in how amazing the detail was on them. Some of the headstones were as old as the 1700's and as new as last year. There are two parts of the cemetery so we went to the back part as well and this is where we started to see some of the graves that were damaged. Some had headstones knocked over and others had only plywood covering the grave. You could have probably looked into the grave on some of them had you liked. The graveyard is very pretty and worth seeing for how amazing the detail is on the sculptures. And the fact that it sits outside the wall on a cliff is unique too. But keep in mind that there is only 1 way in and out. So when we left we had to go back thru that tunnel and road. Which is still in heavy use so I had to run ahead and let Kiera know when it was ok to push Daniel ahead when no cars were coming.

 

[TeknikDC2]

 

We were now back on the grass area in front of El Morro and started to make our way across it to the next fort. But theres something special about this grassy area. Apparently its one of the best places in the world to fly a kite. Thats why there were little booths set up selling kits (for I think $5). But we came prepaired for this and bought an Ironman Kite from the Dollar Store back home so that we could fly it here with Daniel.

 

 

I got the kite all assembled and then Kiera started to fly it to Daniels excitment. It was doing well as we started to let it get higher and higher. I then took over flying it and was gonna let Daniel hold it when it then crashed to the ground. When we walked over to the kite we found one of the bars had busted so the kite was now damaged and we couldn't really fly it any more. So learn from our mistake and don't buy a cheap dollar store kite to fly here. By one thats actually decent lol. It was fun while it lasted though.

 

Edited October 22, 2013 by TeknikDC2

[TeknikDC2]

 

Wither the Kite was flying or not though Daniel was having a good time just being able to be out of the stroller and running and playing around on the grass. I eventually found some other pieces of a broken kite and rigged them up to kinda work on our kite but it was never able to get very high again.

 

[TeknikDC2]

 

Soon we were walking towards El Morro to check out this fort which is said to be the better of the two. Daniel was finally back in his stroller and I had my rigged kite flying about 3 feet above the ground as we made our way to the enterance. As we were walking up the path to El Morro one of the Trolleys passed us. Yep the Trolley will even take you right to the enterance of El Morro instead of just dropping you off at the end of the path.

 

[TeknikDC2]

 

We entered the fort and came to the area where you pay to enter. Since we bought the 2 fort pass back at the other fort we just had to show our reciept and we were allowed to enter. Just like the other fort once you enter you walk into a large courtyard of sorts. We explored around this level of the fort before heading to the upper levels.

 

[TeknikDC2]

 

On the top level of the fort there is a lighthouse that is still in use today. And you can even go inside that lighthouse. We parked the stroller and then climbed as high as they would allow (you can't go where the actual light is). The views from the lighthouse were some of the best of Old San Juan that you could get.

 

[TeknikDC2]

 

That main level of the fort where you entered is huge and has much to see. We came across a triangle staircase which was very interesting to see. We also took a look around the rooms they had set up. Most of them were set up just like they were at the other fort though. This one at least had some cannons on display though.