Puerto Rico has many great "selling points" to attractive visitors to our shores — beaches, forests, adventure, history, food, music and friendly locals. Being an inexpensive vacation destination is not one of the island’s strong points. However, don’t be discouraged. With some careful planning, you can have a fun-filled vacation and still remain within your budget.

On 26 February 2010, the Puerto Rico Department of Health declared that we have a dengue epidemic in Puerto Rico. If you have plans to travel to Puerto Rico in the next couple weeks or months you might be concerned. But, before you get all freaked out and start canceling your trip, do a little research, understand the facts, and make an informed decision.

The Flavors of San Juan Food & Culture Tour is a guided walking tour in Old San Juan. Throughout this tour, you’ll get to sample food & drinks at different restaurants, learn about the history & culture of Puerto Rico, see some of the sites in the city, and learn about some of the local arts & crafts. We thought it was an interesting & enjoyable couple of hours.

Many visitors to Puerto Rico get the bright idea that they want to take their rental car on the ferry from Fajardo to Culebra or Vieques. Not only is that not recommended, it’s difficult to do and doing so may void your rental car contract.

My favorite Puerto Rican dish is Arroz con Habichuelas, or rice and beans. The beans are actually a stew, with potatoes, squash, other veggies, some ham and, of course, beans. Everyone here makes Habichuelas, so it was only a matter of time that I was able to find a good recipe. I got this recipe from a local woman and it’s really easy and delicious. Give it a try and enjoy!

Anyone who visits Puerto Rico can’t help but notice that we have a stray dog problem. These strays, which are usually mixed breed dogs, are locally called satos. There are a number of wonderful, non-profit organizations on the island that help these animals by finding homes for them in the States. They need your help, too. Read this to find out how you can help.

One of my favorite things about going on vacation is the opportunity to try food that is different than I can get at home. Tropical fruit has become somewhat of a passion of mine, and it’s always something I seek out whenever we travel. Luckily for me, we can grow a bunch of different types of tropical fruit right in Puerto Rico. Luckily for you, there are many different places you can get a taste of the tropics!

To really see Puerto Rico, you need to get out and explore. Whether you are in port for the day with a cruise ship or you’ve flown in for a couple weeks, renting a car is a great way to get around. There are loads of agencies that have all types of cars and vans, so even with a large family, you’re sure to find something that suits your needs.

If you are planning a trip to Vieques, you need to plan on renting a car or jeep while you’re there. This may seem odd because it is such a small island, but be forewarned — things you want to do can be spread out across there island. There are limited routes servied by the local public transportation, and many things of interest to tourists are not on these routes.

If you’re embarking on your cruise from San Juan, then you’ll be able to purchase duty free liquor and cigarettes at the pier before you board the ship. We were in Old San Juan the other day and came upon a copy of ad for the duty free store at the cruise pier, which we’ve scanned so that you have some idea of what’s available and how much it will cost.