ShoreTrips says...

This day will introduce you to the richness of Hispaniola, its heritage and its culture. And you will make new friends with the locals as you get to know them.

Enjoy a full day of experiences that reflect the culture and artistry of the Dominican people. It was Christopher Columbus who renamed this island Hispaniola. It is actually an island in the Caribbean that is part of the Greater Antilles and Hispaniola is the most populous island in the West Indies. Your day begins with some history as you enjoy your drive to La Romana.

Your first site as you enter the city is the Francisco A. Micheli Stadium, a private stadium dedicated primarily to the sport of baseball. If you are tuned into baseball, you might know that many of the players on the U.S. teams come from the Dominican Republic. Growing up playing baseball in the fields with cornstalks as bats - and knowing that the best of the bunch may have a chance to move ahead when the scouts came to watch them as students competing on their school team.

The stadium, located in La Romana, is dedicated to the many famous baseball players from the Dominican Republic that have made names for themselves in this sport, including Sammy Sosa and David 'Big Papi' Ortiz - both of whom played Major League ball. The Dominican team, Toros del Este, uses this stadium but it is also used for other sports and gatherings.

Best occupation for some Dominicans while watching a game can be smoking a cigar. Though you might have watched a cigar roller here and there in the past, it is true that the Dominican cigars rival those of Cuba and the locals say that part of that is the tobacco and the rest is the talented cigar rollers. It is an art to get this right and you will have a first-hand look at the process at a museum that will inform you of the art of the roll.

Following this is another art - that of the artisan crafts people who have studios here or pieces in some of the boutique shops in this bohemian artisan village called Altos de Chavón. Altos de Chavón is a re-creation of a Mediterranean style European village located atop the Chavón River in La Romana. It is the most popular attraction in La Romana and hosts a cultural center, an archeological museum, and an amphitheater. The setting is lovely and the quaint streets lined with shops and places to stop and take in the views are everywhere.

A walk through the gardens of the Regional Archaeological Museum is a perfect way to stretch your legs. As you walk through the village, you will see that the Regional Archeological Museum is there and you can visit on your own.

You can see this now - a beautiful day of several of the highlights in and around La Romana, just a short ride from Punta Cana but with much more depth. As you pass the replica of a Roman amphitheater, you will board a riverboat that will take you along the Chavón River where you will see the tropical growth lining both sides of the banks. A stop for a shrimp and seafood lunch tops the day off perfectly.

But you are not done! Your last stop is the Basilica Cathedral Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia in Higuey. This basilica is the main attraction in Higuey and the locals visit this imposing Catholic shrine frequently. The structure of this Catholic shrine is made of concrete, which quickly brings you back to a more modern world, though it was built in 1954.

On your ride back, you can use your memory to revisit this unusual combination of stops, all of them interesting!