Things have changed since the days of Columbus. For example, I got lost outside of Des Moines last year: I got yelled at by my wife, screamed at by my kids, beat up by a 12 year old on a dirt bike, and arrested for leaving a personal landmark behind an out of order outhouse at a rest area off route 46.
Christopher Columbus got lost looking for the Far East in 1492, sailed into Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic, missing his target by thousands of miles. Instead of getting yelled at, Chris and his crew established what is now the oldest city in the New World.
Not only did the nautical misdirection provide fame and fortune for Columbus, ten generations of his family lived and governed on the island, including his son Diego, who became Santo Domingo’s first governor. For the Dominican Republic’s best beaches go to GuidetoCaribbean.
Here are some other reasons why ending up in Santo Domingo isn’t such a bad thing (more…)