It is no secret that people in Puerto Rico know how to party, especially around the Christmas holidays. Announce that there will be a parade, music, dancing, libations, food – then add in local artisan crafts for sale – and it all adds up to one crazy celebration! That describes the San Sebastian Street Festival, or Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastian, which will be held in 2012 from January 12th to 15th.

Amazing … That about sums up my feelings about the new Museo del Nino (Children’s Museum) in Carolina. The museum is a fun, hands-on place full of interactive, passive-learning activities. It has over 100 exhibits, each with something to play on, with, in, or around. Kids of all ages are sure to find something interesting and fun to do. I know we did!

We took a cruise recently, and I did all the planning for our excursions in the various ports. For those of you coming into San Juan and trying to plan your day in port — I feel your pain. It is not easy to decide what there is to do in (or around) San Juan, and there are so many questions that need answering. Will I have enough time in port? How will I get there from the ship? Do I need a guide or can I do it on my own?

The Condado Lagoon is a nice, calm body of water in the tourist area of Condado in San Juan. It is a perfect place to spend a few hours enjoying different types of water sports. One that the whole family can enjoy inexpensively is pedal boating. We went pedal boating there recently. It was easy and fun!

Balneario Punta Salinas, in Toa Baja, is a Blue Flag Beach that offers a wide, crescent-shaped beach. Being a Blue Flag Beach means that it has restrooms, showers, life guards, water-quality testing, along with other facilities and amenities. Though it’s not the prettiest beach on the island, it is only about 20 minutes from the San Juan area, so it a just a short drive to get to a beach "out of the city".

If you are at all interested in the workings of the human body, then a trip to Body Worlds: The Cycle of Life & A Trip into the Heart will really intrigue you. This touring exhibition is currently open, for a limited time in Old San Juan. It features a number of whole human bodies, and numerous body parts and organs that have undergone a plastination process. It is an enjoyable experience for everyone.

Spring is in the air, so that means that is is time for Plant Shows here on the island! The Puerto Rico Orchid Society Show will be March 17 to 20 in Hato Rey, and the Zingerberalis Society of Puerto Rico Show will be March 19 in Rio Piedras. Admission to both is free!

What do you get when you cross an ATV with a small boat? You get the ultimate all terrain vehicle — a UTV — that is capable of going where no ATV would dare go … in super deep mud and even into deep water. It’s an amphibious vehicle with the power to go anywhere. Frontier Adventures has brought UTVs to Hacienda Campo Rico (just outside of San Juan), so now everyone can experience the freedom of amphibious travel.

Are you looking for a fun shopping experience in San Juan? On the first Sunday of every month, the Mercado Urbano is set up at La Ventana al Mar in Condado. Under big tents, this market holds about 40 or 50 vendors of local, Puerto Rican made products. Everything is home grown or home made on the island. You’ll be able to find all sorts of things. It is a great stop.

Do you know someone who loves amusement parks or carnivals? Then La Feria – The Park will be right up their alley. This annual carnival runs from mid-November through the end of the first week of January. This family-friendly fair is full of amusement park rides and games, food and refreshments, live music and shows, holiday light displays and even a petting zoo.

MLB Winter League Baseball in Puerto Rico has started! Get out to one of the stadiums in San Juan, Carolina, Caguas, Ponce or Aguadilla and support your favorite team. The action is non-stop and it is a great family-friendly atmosphere!

Right on the grounds of the UPR Botanical Garden in Rio Piedras is a little-known museum all about insects. Called the the Museum of Entomology and Tropical Biodiversity, it houses the largest collection of insects in Puerto Rico. While I am not a big lover of insects, I understand their place in the world. So while we were visiting the botanical garden, we thought we would check out the "bug museum".

Tutankhamen: The Exhibition is now open in Old San Juan. The show contains replicas of objects associated with Cleopatra, Ramses II, Akhenaten, Tutmosis III and King Tut, including recreations of burial tombs, sarcophagi and King Tut’s burial headpiece. The show will run through March 2011.

The Museum of History, Anthropology and Art on Rio Piedras campus of the University of Puerto Rico contains a diverse collection of fine art, sculptures, Egyptian mummies, and pre-Taino archaeological remains. All in all, it was an interesting way to spend a couple of hours on a hot day in August.

Are you looking for a little quiet culture in the heart of San Juan? Maybe something to do on a rainy or super hot day? The Museum of Art of Puerto Rico and the Museum of Contemporary Art of Puerto Rico are just a few blocks apart, and they are full of interesting objects of art.