Hal Peat
Hal Peat is a travel journalist who has lived in southern California, Europe, and points in between that continue to turn up in his articles and reviews. Nowadays his geographic focus in travel related topics also covers the southeastern U.S., the Caribbean and Central America.
Hal Peat's activity
- May 2010
Hal Peat reviewed Kayaking the New River near Fort Lauderdale in Florida, United States
"The Pond Apple is one of Florida's prominent native bromeliad species, and nowhere can you find it on better display than on a kayaking outing at the Pond Apple Slough, a 112-acre wetland preserve in Broward County, a little south of Fort Lauderdale. Yo…"
Hal Peat reviewed Kayaking at Key Biscayne in Florida, United States
Key Biscayne - separate yet connected to the urban sprawl of Miami across the bay, is an easy way to launch into several kayak expeditions that display different sides of the marine, wildlife and topography of this south Florida region. Many water sport…"
- April 2010
Hal Peat reviewed Kayaking at La Jolla in California, United States
Very distinct in atmosphere and shoreline from its neighbors on the southern California coast near San Diego, the town of La Jolla has long attracted both the reclusive and introverted and the outgoing and exuberant. Nothing provides a better metap…"
Hal Peat reviewed Kayaking the Harbor in Santa Barbara in California, United States
While the California coastline north of Los Angeles has long epitomized the surfer lifestyle made famous in the popular imagination since the Sixties, nowadays there is much else to do out in the ocean as you approach the coastal town of Santa Barbara. …"
Hal Peat reviewed Kayaking the Bays at Fajardo in Puerto Rico
If you had to make a list of the 10 most unusual kayaking experiences you can encounter on the planet, you could easily include what you find yourself surrounded by out on the water of the eastern end of the island of Puerto Rico. The coastal commu…"
- March 2010
Hal Peat reviewed Kayaking on Lake Mead in Nevada, United States
You can appreciate the American southwest desert for its natural imprint of soaring red rock, plains of cacti and coyote, peaks that reach to occasional snow cover, and at other times you can appreciate it for the more unusual imprint humans superimpose …"
Hal Peat reviewed Kayaking the Waterways Near Hollywood (Miami) in Miami, United States
When bodies of water intersect with urban build-up, it can create an unusual mix of nature and humanity.. So on the lakes that dot the north end of the Florida coastal town of Hollywood, just north of Miami, you find the skyline and the sounds and …"
Hal Peat reviewed Kayaking the Salt River National Park in U.S. Virgin Islands
Kayaking along the estuaries of the Salt River National Park and Ecological Preserve on the north coast of St. Croix takes you along waters that are the notable site of old and new worlds converging. First of course came the Carib Indians some seve…"
Hal Peat reviewed Kayaking at Deerfield Island in Florida, United States
Seclusion is an attractive quality in many habitats for both man and animal, however the secluded qualities of Deerfield Island, together with its status as the only island park in southern Florida, make it an unusual kayak experience. Once reputedly fa…"
- February 2010
Hal Peat reviewed Kayaking a Marine Sanctuary on St. Thomas, USVI in U.S. Virgin Islands
Travel onwards just a little distance from the pleasure resorts and duty-free meccas on the north side of St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, and you can immerse yourself in the more pristine side of the Virgin Islands with kayaking experiences on one of th…"
Hal Peat reviewed Kayaking on Anguilla’s Caribbean North Coast in Anguilla, St Martin and St Barths
Anguilla means eel in Spanish, aptly named because of its long, thin, stretching physical shape that gives its tiny land mass a lot of variety along its coastline. At 16 miles (or 26 km) in length and just 3 miles (5 km) in width, this flat and cor…"
Hal Peat reviewed Kayaking the Lagoon on Trinidad’s Southwest Peninsula in Trinidad and Tobago
Mention Trinidad, and many travelers might think first of an oil and gas focused economy with a terrain of derricks and refineries. In fact, much of Trinidad’s interior remains home to splendid natural landscapes of mountains and waterways th…"
- January 2010
Hal Peat reviewed Kayaking Inland Waterways Near Fort Lauderdale in Florida, United States
Adjacent to a major south Florida coastal resort city but still in contact with some semi-rural natural environment is the kayaking available in this part of south Florida at the Richardson Historic Park in the Wilton Manors area. Here you can easily la…"
Hal Peat reviewed Kayaking around Bimini in Bahamas
Bimini is the westernmost of the Bahamas, and by night you can also view the distant lights of the Florida coast, but for all that Bimini and its own shorelines retain a very definite sense of individual history, legend and character. Actually composed …"
Hal Peat reviewed Kayaking Roatán in Roatán, Honduras
Roatán, the best known of Honduras’s Bay Islands, is surrounded by a rich living reef which makes it ideal for scuba divers but also provides an inner coastline with relatively calm waters. West Bay, on the island’s northern rim, has …"
Hal Peat reviewed Kayaking at Pointe du Bout on Martinique in Martinique
Martinique is blessed with a coastline that has more than the sought-after white sand beaches – there are also black sand beaches, thanks to the presence of its volcanic Mt.-Pelée, along with numerous coves on both its Atlantic and Caribbean…"
- December 2009
Hal Peat reviewed Kayaking on Choc Bay in Saint Lucia
St. Lucia may well have some of the most varied and dramatic coastline of any island in the southeastern Caribbean. This allows for a range of kayaking that can take you from wide open bays to exploring more secluded, mangrove-covered inlets and coves,…"
Hal Peat reviewed Kayaking near Crystal Cove Beach in California, United States
While the immediate coastal area along the southern California town of Newport Beach is more renowned for its small boat activity and having the "largest small craft harbour in the world", other sections of the coast just a short ways southward…"
Hal Peat reviewed Kayaking in the Pearl Islands in Panama
You can easily imagine how pirates once chose this cluster of some 90 islands and 130 islets that comprise the Archipelago de las Perlas - or Pearl Islands - as their hideaway just off Panama's Pacific coast. While nowadays it might be hard to trace any…"
Hal Peat reviewed Kayaking on Little Cayman in Cayman Islands
For an easy but visually exhilirating kayak experience, an offshore paddle on Little Cayman provides a fine mix of natural ingredients from both below and above the water's surface. This smallest outpost of the Cayman Islands group is remote and still l…"
- November 2009
Hal Peat reviewed Kayaking the Lakes Near Phoenix in Phoenix, United States
It's true, find an inland body on the planet and you will also probably find a kayaker on it sooner or later. What is also true, is you can create an artificial lake and also attract the determined kayaker onto it, even in the middle of the desert. One…"
Hal Peat reviewed Kayaking at Cabarete in Dominican Republic
While it is best known for its explosion of popularity since the Nineties in such extreme water sports as kiteboarding and windsurfing, the Atlantic shore line bordering the mecca town of Cabarete on the Dominican Republic's north coast is also fine for …"
Hal Peat reviewed Kayaking the Pacific off Nayarit in Mexico
The area along Mexico's Pacific coast about 30 miles north from Puerto Vallarta and in the province of Nayarit has a reputation for its waves and unspoilt, unhurried small towns that has attracted the international surfing contingent since the past decad…"
Hal Peat reviewed Kayaking the Lagoon on Dutch St. Maarten in Netherlands Antilles
Simpson Bay Lagoon is an unusual location for a kayak outing in this region of the Caribbean, taking you in a winding circuit around the differing points and waters that this large semi-protected lagoon area encompasses. Simpson Bay Lagoon is the Caribb…"
Hal Peat reviewed Riding Good Hope Estate in Western Jamaica in Jamaica
The sugar barons of eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century western Jamaica resided in solitary splendor on their expansive estates in the hills and interiors behind the north coast. Nowadays you can catch glimpses of some of that period and lifestyle …"
Hal Peat reviewed Plantation to Atlantic Oceanfront Ride in Trinidad and Tobago
Geographically the smaller part of the two island nation of Trinidad and Tobago, the landscape of Tobago still provides a diversity to enjoy whether in its mountainous areas or along its unspoilt shoreline. While many Caribbean horse riding treks either…"
- October 2009
Hal Peat reviewed Riding South Florida’s Inland Trails in Florida, United States
"Not so very distant from the popular beaches and entertainment neighborhoods of coastal magnet towns like Fort Lauderdale are quieter, still rural inland regions to the west that offer much for the rider who is open to exploring what remains a peaceful …"
Hal Peat reviewed St. Kitts - Ocean, Rainforest and Mountain Riding in Saint Kitts and Nevis
Small in miles but geographically diverse, St. Kitts provides plenty to see on horseback along its largely unspoilt landscape. The island is made up of grassy coastal areas, wide beaches, and a mountainous rainforest interior replete with ferns and tall…"
Hal Peat reviewed Santa Fe Riding: Historic and Timeless in New Mexico, United States
Santa Fe, New Mexico and its surrounding region are filled with some of the earliest traces of European presence along with the imprint of its native American inhabitants and then the individual geographic wonders which all make this a favored destinatio…"
- September 2009
Hal Peat reviewed Riding the Sands of Amelia Island in Florida, United States
Lying just off the coast of northeast Florida, Amelia Island retains much of its natural landscape although it is a longtime favored destination for travelers who like to escape from more congested holiday destinations. While the island is less than hal…"
Hal Peat reviewed Guanacaste's Riding Diversity in Costa Rica
A small country that spans a vivid range of ancient history, dramatic land formations and wide open beaches, traditional village life and national parks with different eco-systems, Costa Rica is as much an adventure for visiting equestrians as it is for …"
Hal Peat reviewed High Desert Riding Near Sedona in Arizona, United States
There are different tags given the deserts of the west that allude to their color or surfaces - the redness of the earth and hills in its surroundings make the popular northern Arizona town of Sedona a Red Rock Desert destination. Nonetheless, the ridin…"
- August 2009
Hal Peat reviewed Grand Cayman on Horseback in Cayman Islands
The Cayman Islands seem to be forever tagged as either a place to park your money or just park your bags while you go off shore to scuba dive. Luckily, for those with other occasional equestrian interests, there are a few local riding operators that can…"
Hal Peat reviewed Horseriding on Anguilla in Anguilla, St Martin and St Barths
For novice riders, there is no easier terrain to build experience on than very level and smooth ground. On tiny Anguilla, all riders certainly encounter these easy conditions. However, this being not only a tiny but also very flat one where the quality…"
Hal Peat reviewed South Florida's Rural and Everglades Riding Trails in Miami, United States
One of the frequent consequences of urban growth is the enclosure of open fields and the loss of access to adjoining terrain that are essential for adequate riding trails. In an increasingly crowded part of the U.S., this has been one reason there are f…"
Hal Peat reviewed Riding the Desert Trails and Canyons near Las Vegas in Las Vegas, United States
While many come to this part of Nevada more for the adventure at casino gaming tables and the spectactle of glittering shows and names performing at the huge resorts, there really is another dimension to adventure and genuine spectacle in the nearby outd…"
- July 2009
Hal Peat reviewed St. Martin on Horseback in Caribbean
A little bit of green and a lot of blue are both all along the way in exploring the French side of the island of St. Martin on horseback. The beach at Orient Bay is one of the finest in the eastern Caribbean, and along with that, a nearby mar…"
Hal Peat reviewed Riding South Florida’s Inland Trails in Florida, United States
As with most other outdoor activities in this southernmost region of Florida, riding is best experienced during the cooler months that begin in September and continue into May. And although southern Florida is an almost consistently flat terrain, t…"
Hal Peat reviewed Soufrière Hills on horseback in Montserrat
While many Caribbean islands enjoy stretches of lush tropical terrain that can be explored on horseback, the small but topographically diverse island of Montserrat is more unusual in its range of everything from rainforest to a more dramatic landscape of…"
Hal Peat reviewed Pacific Coast Riding out of Puerto Vallarta in Mexico
Riding along the Pacific coast in the region north of Puerto Vallarta, you notice how the land is so defined by the water, and how different the water is from the other Mexican or Central American coast facing the Caribbean basin. Of course, it is the w…"
- June 2009
Hal Peat reviewed Colorado High Country Riding in Colorado, United States
The American western landscape varies so greatly that you can never tire of landing in a different state and trying out the riding experience to come away with something completely different than what you encountered just an hours flight away. In Colora…"
Hal Peat reviewed Tucson Mountains Riding in
Although fewer than they once were, American "dude ranches" and their riding opportunities in the red rock country of the southwest live on. In Arizona, such guest ranches are open during the fall through spring months, although a handful re…"
Hal Peat reviewed Horseriding on Nevis in Saint Kitts and Nevis
Tiny Nevis is invariably caught up in the legends of its surrounding seas, but while the sea and shoreline do go on providing the backdrop to much of any visit here, they also serve to enhance the island's equestrian opportunities. One example of …"
Hal Peat reviewed Riding Martinique Mountain to Shore in Martinique
Like other islands around the Caribbean where equestrian traditions endure, French Martinique's residents of all ages nowadays remain well connected to the riding experience on this island of interesting landscapes. The result is a choice of riding opti…"
- May 2009
Hal Peat reviewed Riding Western St. Croix in U.S. Virgin Islands
Visit only the urban areas and beach resorts of St. Croix and you might never have more than a glimpse of the existence of its splendid inland lushness. On the other hand, a ride at the western fringe of this largest of the U.S. Virgin Islands reveals a…"
Hal Peat reviewed A North Shore Ride at Chukka Cove in Jamaica
Once upon a time, at the end of a polo match on a more than humid day, riders at Jamaica's landmark equestrian centre of Chukka Cove discovered that their polo horses were very amenable to both a cooling canter along the beach and a dip right into the sh…"
Hal Peat reviewed Riding on Roatán in Roatán, Honduras
Tiny Roatán, probably the most popular destination nowadays among Honduras's Caribbean offshore Bay Islands (Islas de la Bahia), provides its own equestrian pleasures aside from the many aquatic attractions that have made it prominent on the adven…"
