Cap Cana, Our new favorite spot

Hailed as the world's greatest new destination, Cap Cana is now the most important tourist and real estate development in the Caribbean today. The site was founded by international investors and strategic partners such as Ritz-Carlton, Jack Nicklaus, Donald Trump, among many others. The primary focus was to develop the area as the new up and coming destination for luxury, five-star hotels, an array of impeccable amenities all coupled with the breathtaking scenery of the Caribbean.  We truly loved everything about this place, as we liked the secluded feel you got, versus being in touristy Punta Cana (we can only imagine).

Cap Cana is located in the Eastern region of the Dominican Republic, approximately 15 minutes from Punta Cana, an already popular destination among tourists worldwide. However, Cap Cana is setting its sights in the "luxurious tourism" department.

Rich in Five-Star accommodations, the region includes the Secrets Sanctuary Cap Cana resort. We spent a week in this extraordinary resort, and it is fair to say that paradise can be at your doorstep in this incredible locale. We couldn't believe our eyes, and we cannot wait to come back.  Upon arrival, beautiful brick pathways, fountains, palm trees and gardens welcome you inside magnificent spaces inspired by the island’s rich Spanish Colonial style.

*For your pleasure, the resort boasts 175 elegant suites and villas within an adults-only atmosphere, all including separate living areas, elegant tile & marble bathrooms, flat screen TVs, high-speed Internet access, and a mini bar stocked daily with soft drinks, bottled water, juice and beer.

*The exclusive Unlimited-Luxury® privileges brings the All-Inclusive appeal to this resort, with premium meals at 6 gourmet restaurants, premium brand beverages, 24-Hour Room Service, and so much more.

*There are also fun activities just minutes away. Local points of interest include: Saona Island, Santo Domingo, Catalina Island, La Romana, and Higuey. Also, Juanillo Beach stretches on for what seems like miles of white-sand beaches lined with neverending palm trees, perfect fo a wide variety of beach and water activities.

Currently, Cap Cana is home to the Punta Espada Golf Course, designed by Jack Nicklaus and operated by Troon Golf; headquarters to the PGA Tours Champion’s Tour since 2008 and listed by Golfweek as the number one course in the Caribbean and Mexico. Its second golf course, “Las Iguanas” is 70% complete, and is due to open by the end this year. Cap Cana’s Marina is fully operational, and has boat slips available for yachts up to 150 feet, surrounded by elegant shops and gourmet restaurants.

The Big Debate: "Tourist" vs. "Traveler"

I find this topic quite funny actually... So many people like to call themselves "travelers" instead of "tourists", but quite honestly, I find those people to be the snootie types.  I do hate obnoxious tourists as much as the next guy, but let's face it: we're all tourists in one way, shape or form.  When I'm abroad, I do try to blend in, I don't particularly like to stand on a street with a huge map, camera around my neck, and talking loudly and obnoxiously, so yes, that can be the stereotype of a "tourist" and those that gather around the "tourist traps."  They say if you take a walk down the Hollywood boulevard, and talk to people gathering around the Stars on the sidewalk, you will not come across one fellow LA resident - they're all tourists. You could say that about most popular sights, the Eiffel Tower, the Taj Mahal, the Sidney Opera House - but to be quite frank, that's what traveling is all about. 

However, there are certain places that are so extraordinary that we forgive them for being horded by the masses. You could say that about the Pyramids of Giza (I CANNOT wait to go in January), and you could most certainly say that about the places I stated earlier even.  Everyone HAS to experience them, and so it's "forgivable." But it's all silly and artificial, in my opinion.  The same thing can be said about your own town.  So many times you take a place for granted, you live your day to day life there, but you never take the time to truly appreciate it.  Often times it takes a friend to come visit you, and you decide you want to go the "tourist" route in your own city to show your friend the area and voila! You learn so much... and you gain a newfound appreciation all of a sudden... sometimes it's important to go the "tourist" route, and that's actually my favorite thing to do when I go to Puerto Rico now.  Living in Puerto Rico, you take for granted your sorroundings, the beach, the mountains, the rainforest - I mean, Puerto Rico has so much to offer (more on this later! I can't wait to write this blog...) and it wasn't until I brought Jesse, where we experienced Puerto Rico "the touristy way" and now it's my favorite thing to do when I go back to visit...

I think the problem with "touristy" is that it's just a general term for anything relating to "out-of-towners", and with that, it can also carry much negativity. So you know what? I do take tons of touristy pictures when I'm on vacation and I'm proud of it. :) So the lesson here is that being a tourist is not a bad thing.  The truly important thing is that you're immersing yourself in another culture, and the bottom line is that there are sights in this Earth that are a necessity to see, and I applaud any traveler, tourist, or obnoxious American (the stereotypical kind only, no offense to anyone!) who came all this way to see the sights, and to see another part of the world.  Bon Voyage!

“Tourists don’t know where they’ve been, travelers don’t know where they’re going.”
- Paul Theroux

My best attempt at a "touristy" picture :) (Us in Cozumel, Mexico)

**Sidenote: For a great read, read "The Ugly American", it's a great book - albeit about foreign policy but it's a perfect read regarding those stereotypes!

What Happens in Vegas...

...Stays in Vegas... We've all heard it.

For as long as I can remember (prior to going of course) I had the biggest pre-conceived notions of the land known as Sin City, and I never really had the urge to go.  It just didn't appeal to me and simply put, I just wasn't into it.  Jesse shared this opinion too...so we always felt that we could "wait" to go to Vegas, as it certainly wasn't in our top priority list of places to go.  So how did I end up going? Well, it began as follows:

I took a giant leap of faith in this city.  I wanted to surprise Jesse for his birthday, and our 3 year anniversary was coming up that month. Why not kill two birds with one stone? Well three birds actually, as my "urge to get away" was starting to creep in as it so often does when I haven't gone on vacation in a while.  So I started to look into a weekend get-away.  Our vacation time wasn't much and I needed to find a destination within the confinements of the continental U.S of A... so the questions began and this is where the tough decision crept in.  Where can I go in the time span of a weekend, so that we're able to do and get as much in, within such a short time period? I had heard that Vegas was a perfect weekend get-away as there were nonstop flights from Milwaukee, the prices were enticing in July (summer is HOT in Las Vegas, and who wants to be in 110 degree weather in the middle of a desert!?) and quite frankly it just seemed the best option.  NYC came in as a close second, but Jesse has already been there... and I needed to go somewhere NEW (it's my philosophy!). So, my decision was made & with all these factors pointing to Vegas, I threw the dice and crossed my fingers... Jesse knew nothing of this and I already knew how Jesse felt about Vegas...so I was definitely gambling.

While this was SUPPOSED to be a surprise (I wanted to do the whole works - pack his bags, tell him to free up that weekend and have no plans made, and come 5 o'clock on Friday we'd be driving to the airport without his knowledge of it whatsoever)... but who are we kidding, Can I really keep that a secret? Well, not exactly.  I managed... for about 3 weeks. As the time grew nearer, I grew antsier and the surprise just went out the window :). (Hey, it's the thought that counts right?!)  But his reaction was favorable - now we were in business! :)

We arrived in Vegas late Friday night (after taking a nonstop flight from Milwaukee) and we immediately took a taxi to the infamous Strip. Our hotel was the great Caesars Palace.  We were upgraded to a room in the Forum Tower and wow were we pleasantly surprised (the surprise factor came from reading mostly negative reviews of Caesars - read my earlier Blog on "Reviews" for more on that).  But to be quite honest, we fell instantly in love with Vegas, it's "vibe."  In my opinion, what's so great about Vegas is the environment, this is what makes this city shine!  You can't wait to wear your best dress, your best heels (and your feet will be hurting badly afterwards, trust me!), and eat great food at the incredible array of world renowned restaurants. You almost can't help it, it's just THE thing to do! It's exactly that which drew us in, and every minute was an absolute surprise and marvel! We were so wrong, this whole time...

Something I'd like to take the time to note is location.  I had heard it from others, but it wasn't until I experienced it for myself, how important the hotel you choose really is! Location is key... We loved Caesars' location (next to the Bellagio, across from Paris and Planet Hollywood).  It just seems as though you've got the best of the best right there.  Further down the strip you'll find The Venetian, Treasure Island, The Mirage which wouldn't be a bad spot either.  What I DO consider as "further away" hotels would be The MGM, Excalibur, NY NY, Luxor, etc.  Furthermore, while the Palms is extremely popular, it's important to note that it is NOT on the strip - just further down, and not within walking distance to too much - so a cab is certainly needed.  There is a tram however, that does connect some of the hotels further down the strip, but again... Caesars was just CENTRAL so a great option.  But Hello?! If the movie "The Hangover" tells you anything worth noting is that it's THE place to be and Caesar most certainly did NOT live there, people! :) Oh Zach...

We walked the entire strip in the scolding hot weather, but what I did learn is that summer is NOT necessarily something that should stop you from going if you're fearing the heat (We went at the end of July!). Aside from purely walking up and down the strip and maybe laying poolside (Caesar's 5 pools are amazing! Go early, as they fill up FAST), you're really not outside much at all.  Many hotels do connect and the hotels themselves are so large that most of the time you are spending it exploring them INDOORS and in the air conditioning. 

One of the highlights of our Vegas strip was dinner at Mesa Grill.  This is Bobby Flay's restaurant, and Jesse and I absolutely LOVED the food.  It was amazing... and I highly recommend eating here if you're a foodie. Mesa Grill is inside Caesar's Palace and for a complete review of the restaurant check out my TripAdvisor review. (http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g45963-d515192-r35935238-Mesa_Grill_at_Caesars_Palace-Las_Vegas_Nevada.html)

Vegas = Casino haven, right? Ocean's Eleven surely taught us that.  Jesse and I hit the slots after dinner, and drinks are free (and plentiful) while you're at the casinos: The more you drink, the more you gamble. Great logic.

As far as the nightlife, that's WHAT Vegas is all about! Hot clubs, hot people, hot outfits a "wild" time, right!?!

Well, after losing our money (we're not big gamblers, it wasn't much!) :) we got a VIP table for just the two of us in the Red Room at PURE.  We figured we'd go all out... We were there to celebrate after all! What a night that turned out to be... it was such a cool experience, and one we will never forget. Another BIG highlight for us that night: DMX was performing and he and his "entourage" were partying right next to us all night! We had an entire bottle to ourselves with unlimited mixers, and well...we can just say that the flight back home at 6am the next morning wasn't too pleasant (it was miserable actually as we had an entire ginormous bottle of Grey Goose to ourselves and you can only imagine how we felt just a mere few hours later boarding our plane...). :)

So Vegas, I really had you all wrong! And we will be back shortly.  Our opinion was forever changed that weekend and most importantly, what that weekend taught me: Pre-conceived notions on a destination should be thrown out the door until you go and see it for yourself!

Culebra, Puerto Rico

Having been to one of the top 10 beaches in the world today & repeatedly throughout the years, where do I begin with Culebra? It's a small (very small) island off the east coast of Puerto Rico, about an hour and a half ferry ride from the mainland.  While it is still considered Puerto Rico and is a part of PR in its entirety, we felt as though we were in a different place altogether.  I don't know if it's the lack of "mainland" Puerto Rico influence, but somehow, driving our jeep through the streets looking for food and groceries, we felt as though perhaps we were in somewhere else.  A slightly archaic, untouched world - yet amazing. And the beaches? WOW. That's all I have to say about the beaches of Culebra... absolute paradise. The sand was the perfect white-powdered sand that is so soft on your feet you feel as though you're laying on a blanket. To date Flamenco Beach is the best beach I have seen in my travels thus far. The water was crystal clear light blue and perfect for swimming and sunbathing.  Essentially you feel as though you're swimming in a giant salt water pool...truly. I had the best 4 days in this small island and I can't wait to go back.

I'll begin with the ferry ride from Fajardo to Culebra. WHAT A NIGHTMARE (but the end result was so worth it!). The crowds were anxious and they had us in a room like a flock of geese, or what is a more appropriate term? A herd of cow? Idk :)... Nonetheless, everyone was pushing and shoving each other while standing in line, trying to get ahead in line and the wait was excruciating.  We had heard that the earliest you could buy tickets for the ferry was 3am (and that they only sold them at pre-determined times).  To give you a little background, Jesse and I landed in Puerto Rico at around 9pm that night... Drove down to Ponce to my dad's house, which is about an hour and 15 minutes of a drive from the north to the south.  We arrived tired.. but ready to go.  We went to bed for a few hours, only to wake up at 1am to leave for Fajardo, the eastern side of the island (another 2 hour drive from Ponce).  When we got there finally, at precisely 3am, we then found out that we weren't able to buy tickets yet - the ticket counter was closed (even though ticket sales were supposed to start at 3am).  We were ready for an all-nighter though, we brought chairs and just 'camped' it!

After a bit of an uproar at the closing of the "ticket window", they finally opened for those sitting there waiting...  Ok, tickets are purchased (a relief) - NOW we just had to wait until 9am when the ferry was supposed to leave...which is hard to do if you're running on almost no sleep.  But the excitement was enough to keep us awake and going (mostly!). :)

Well... to make a long story short, at about 10am that morning we were finally boarding the ferry and aside from the madness I stated earlier (the crowds, the uproar and the wait), it was just so worth it.  Once we were on the ferry it was smooth sailing and the boat ride to Culebra was great and fairly quick.  You could even see St. Thomas in the distance as you neared Culebra...

Upon arrival we rented a jeep to explore the island with.  We crammed 6 people's bags and bodies into this jeep and off we went!  I think having a means of transportation in this island is crucial, so something to keep in mind! We arrived at our villa and immediately checked out the beach which was fifteen feet away from us... It was incredible. (We rented 2 villas which are considered the best location on the island, as they are right on Flamenco Beach. They are called Culebra Beach Villas) Culebra isn't a place where you find lines of hotels and luxury accomodations so don't expect that... The island is protected by the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources and as a Marine Wildlife Reserve so they intentionally don't want it to become commercialized, which is precisely part of its charm!!! (This explains the archaic, untouched world I mentioned earlier!) In the mornings, since our villa was steps from the water, I'd go for walks on the beach alone, as I was generally the first one up somehow (Excitement, maybe? I can never sleep in while I'm on vacation - what a waste in my opinion you can sleep when you're home!) and it was completely deserted... it was unbelievable.

One of my favorite things that we did by far was the hike off the beaten path to find a beach for snorkeling.  It was hot, and a pretty big hike up hill, but the views were incredible and we came across completely deserted beaches along the way.  We finally found one totally secluded we wanted to try (I believe the beach we found goes by the name of Carlos Rosario Beach) so we set our things down and went in with our marks and snorkels in hand. (The equipment was rented from a store in the small town inland)  The snorkeling was "WOW"... it was unbelievable.  We saw everything down there and the reefs were spectacular and the fish an array of beautiful colors. It even beat the snorkeling we did at the Florida Keys (and we were told that was excellent snorkeling, as it was the third largest barrier reef in the world & it was - but Culebra blew it out of the water).  After spending a few hours snorkeling we decided to go back to Flamenco and sunbathe, as the beach we were in was pretty rocky. 

For dinner we ate the greatest place that had been recommended by http://www.tripadvisor.com/.  I love checking out that website to find out what places are good to go to for dinner, and customer's reviews really help me deciding, if one particular place stands out amongst people.  So as we were driving around the small town looking for a good restaurant,  I remembered a review on a place called "Mamacita's" and how they had huge iguanas laying around and the food was good. After a few wrong turns, we ended up finding the restaurant and went two nights in a row, because it was THAT good! We didn't see any iguanas, but the atmosphere, the music, the food and the pina coladas were amazing. 

To say that the rest of the time was spent with good food, family, beaches and suntans, is a slight understatement. It was an incredibly memorable 4 days and I am still searching for a beach to top this.......;p

Culebra, Puerto Rico made it at #8 to the Top 10 Beaches in the World today by the Traveler's Choice Awards.  For the complete list, please go here:  http://www.tripadvisor.com/TCDestinations-p3345

What's Your Travel Personality?

QUIZZES... Who doesn't love them?! I do... So what kind of a traveler AM I? I'm curious as to these results... I already know I'm a semi control freak when it comes to traveling, I'm always on the "go, go, go" and I usually plan everything out to the tee. Let's see how well this quiz sums this up. (My answers will be highlighted in blue) ENJOY! :)

Top Ten Beaches in the U.S of A...

An interesting article I found on CNN.com ( http://www.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/05/28/best.beaches.list/index.html?hpt=C2) highlights the Top 10 beaches in the U.S. which are evaluated every year by a guy known as Dr. Beach. Maybe I should change my last name too?

The beaches are extensively evaluated, sheesh! He uses 50 criteria to evaluate them including: water quality, sand quality, beach width and environmental management. How cool...

So if you want to stay close to home try checking out these beaches:

THE TOP 10:
1. Coopers Beach in Southampton, NY
2. Siesta Beach in Sarasota, FL
3. Coronado Beach in San Diego, CA
4. Cape Hatteras in the Outer Banks of NC
5. Main Beach in East Hampton, NY
6. Kahanamoku Beach in Waikiki, Oahu, HI
7. Coast Guard Beach in Cape Bod, MA
8. Beachwalker Park in Kiawah Island, SC
9. Hamoa Beach in Maui, HI
10. Cape Florida State Park in Key Biscayne, FL

Surprising... yet interesting. I need to check out more coastal U.S. beaches... I am way too partial to my Caribbean (which in my opinion kicks all of these out of the park... Well except maybe Hawaii)! Anywho, there you have it!!!


Visit the destinations of your dreams. Stop resisting. Take the plunge and GO. Your mind and your life will be enriched by the experience. For now, truly, the world is your oyster.♥

Rome in July...

Why the title to this blog?... Well, Rome in July IS HOT!!! So hot in fact that Jesse and I showered 2 (some days 3) times a day just to feel refreshed and not the sweat pouring down our bodies.  There is a lot of walking required in this city, and if you really want to see the real Rome it's a necessity - so all the walking had us drenched!

To go in July is also one of the most touristy times to visit any country in Europe (July and August mostly - while keeping in mind that many Europeans also like to take their monthlong vacations around this time too).  The best times to visit Rome would be in the springtime or in the fall (as is the case with most European countries).  However, despite the heat, we truly had the best time in the "Eternal City." **(I am really quite excited to be going back in January, despite the cold weather, we will get to experience it in a whole new light!) :)

We booked our Italy trip on a whim.  It was purely by accident that I first discovered one of my favorite sites ever - http://www.europeandestinations.com/. From there, we had a month to plan everything and I decided I wanted to try and teach myself some Italian for our trip. I've always wanted to learn Italian and the similarities to Spanish made it a breeze... We bought self-teaching books and CD's and both Jesse and I started teaching ourselves. In the small amount of time I was exposed to it, I actually learned a lot. So much in fact, that upon arriving at the train, I had an ENTIRE conversation with a little old Italian man on the train ride from the airport into the city. It was WONDERFUL. I can't explain the feeling... and I couldn't quite believe we were conversing back and forth in Italian! He was telling me about his grandfather who was a prisoner in San Francisco (after finding out we were from the States, he got very excited) and boy oh boy did he go on... it was really quite interesting and he was the cutest old man ever. I wouldn't say that it's a requirement to know italian if you go to Rome, but I won't also deny the fact that it didn't hurt. Moreso in southern Italy, my italian was a necessity almost...Naples, Sorrento, buying ferry tickets, ordering food, even at the Naples airport I had a hard time communicating with a clerk, as we were stranded at the Naples airport for a very very long time (*sigh)...but I whipped out my Italian, and voila!

I want to learn more...so I really need to get on that!!! 

We arrived in Rome early in the morning after an 8 hour flight from Chicago and our luggage in tow.  We were blessed to have maps that my mom had given us from when she went a year previously and so instead of taking a cab to reach our hotel room, Jesse decides we should walk, as our hotel was "not far" from the main central train station (Stazione di Roma Termini).  Boy was it a far walk (we learned our lesson and took a taxi on our way back)... When we finally arrived at the hotel, I was so ecstatic and ready to start our adventure. The hotel was so quaint and the room was gigantic for European standards.  The first thing we did was shower though! Although we barely slept on the plane (too many fun movies to watch, greatest thing about flying abroad are the personal TV's they have now - even in Coach! It wasn't like that back in the day...) we were ready to go and sightsee!! We showered and off we went...

We walked a lot in Rome, there is simply too much to explore and we had 4 days to take it all in.  I would say 4 days was enough...we hit most of the major sights early on and spent the last day and a half just enjoying ourselves and living life as a "Roman." :) 

We saw the Trevi Fountain, went inside the Colosseum (Hello, I even watched The Gladiator a few days before we left, LOL), we got a private tour of the Vatican City by an excellent tour guide (HIGHLY recommend this) There is no way you could visit the Vatican City and not experience the wealth of knowledge that goes along with every mural and room, it's much too precious and valuable. (Check out Presto Tours, we used them and adored our tour guide, an American living in Rome and a historian in his own right! It made the experience much more memorable, I have to say - plus they are the best people to get advice from as to what you really need to see and what's completely overrated)

We also saw the Roman Forum, Palatine Hill, Capital Hill Museums, The Spanish Steps, Castel Sant' Angelo, the Pantheon, and so much more. They don't call it the Eternal City for nothing...

The 50 Best Honeymoon Spots for 2010

... Since I'm getting married this year, I figured I'd look into what are some of the best honeymoon spots for 2010!!! I've gotten a few people on facebook who messaged me on honeymoon destination advice so here is an article I found on http://www.theknot.com/ that I thought I would post here.

Here are the Top 50 Honeymoon Spots for 2010:

1. St. Lucia
2. Los Cabos, Mexico

3. Rio de Janiero, Brazil

4. Maui, Hawaii

5. Napa Valley, California

6. Barcelona, Spain

7. Tuscany, Italy

8. Kyoto, Japan

9. Santorini, Greece

10. Paris, France - Plan a picnic in front of the Eiffel Tower at dusk or at night with the flickering lights of the Eiffel Tower, take a romantic boat ride down the Seine River and see the Notre-Dame and the Eiffel Tower lit up at night, people watch while sitting at a cafe, or stroll the Parisien streets with a bottle of wine in tow!

***For more information on the TOP 10 listed above, check out my Examiner page:
http://www.examiner.com/x-54235-Madison-Destinations-Examiner~y2010m6d16-Top-ten-honeymoon-destinations

Reviews: Take them with a grain of salt.

Reading reviews are a must, in my opinion. They are especially important thing to look at before choosing a place to stay at. However, one thing to always keep in mind is that reviews are EXTREMELY subjective (I have to constantly remind myself of this because I rely on them heavily). You can drive yourself mad reading the negative stuff. Take it all with a grain of salt and while they are extremely helpful, just remember that it's incredibly subjective and your expectations, YOUR standards can be completely different than that of someone else's. Also, often times it could just be that their experience was a negative one, for whatever reason (a bad room, bad service, food they didn't like) but the experience might be completely different for you.

People are compelled to write reviews for two reasons: Was the experience awful? If so, they want to write about it. (People like to complain, it's our nature! ESPECIALLY on vacation when you want everything to go smoothly, and it rarely does)
On the other hand, was the experience amazing? If so, more than likely they too want to write something. So you're more than likely going to get both extremes. Again, take it with a grain of salt.

My FAVORITE site and the one I recommend everybody go to is http://www.tripadvisor.com./ It's a fantastic sight. Not only can you review hotels, you can review tours, "activities", "things to do", restaurants, the works... It's a great sight when you're preparing for your trip, because you can type in the city of where you're headed to (or hotel) and then you can browse through the site by clicking on "Restaurants", "Things to Do" (My personal favorite, it gives you ideas on what to do in the area and what people rate them as) etc... the list goes on. Another great thing about it is many travelers post pictures on places or hotels and you can see what they captured. This gives me an idea of what I should expect to capture on film myself... (I'm a little 'photography happy' when I travel, as I'm sure you already know) and all in all, it's a fantastic site. Check it out!

A great example of a review that went wrong was... when I booked Ceasars Palace in Las Vegas as a surprise weekend trip for Jesse. The reviews I read on Ceasars were AWFUL. I was driving myself nuts: "Did I pick the right place?" "What other hotel should I have chosen?" What was worse was that I couldn't discuss it with Jesse really - it was a surprise! So I had to suffer in silence and doubt my choice. I decided to stick with it and see for myself... MAN WAS I HAPPY I DECIDED TO STICK WITH IT. We LOVED everything about Ceasar's... Everything. The room (We were upgraded for free). The location. The restaurants, I could go on... So from that experience, I truly learned my lesson. Read them - it's essential, but do not go mad over them!!! Reviews are our friends, but they can also be your enemy! And that's my two cents on THAT. :)

Visit the destinations of your dreams. Stop resisting. Take the plunge and GO. Your mind and your life will be enriched by the experience. For now, truly, the world is your oyster.♥

Last Minute Vacation Switch

It's kind of a funny story how we ended changing our vacation at the last minute... I'm a big believer in research, careful planning and going with your gut on a vacation! Well... Jesse and I were very undecisive about where to go in April. It's only natural that we're going to go someplace at the end of Jesse's busy tax season... as a retreat and a time to get away from it all! Well, we changed our minds immensely when it came to this trip... First we had Panama planned out. Then we were weighing our option with Costa Rica. While Jesse still has the desire to go back to Yellowstone and out west, somehow the Canadian Rockies got brought up and I compromised... let's do the outdoorsy vacation as long as we go to Banff and that area of the Rockies. Ok, so things were settled. We were excited and it was a done deal. Hotel was booked, things were underway!! We were going to drive up and on the way back hit up Mount Rushmore and the South Dakota Badlands...

Somehow though... I had my doubts. I was craving a beach - badly. So about 2 months prior to the trip, I started bringing up the idea of changing our vacation to go somewhere tropical instead. Canada just hadn't convinced me. (Although I WILL go to Banff someday, we both really want to go - Maybe with the kids? :) Haha) Anyhow... Jesse turned down the idea. We had decided, the hotel had been booked, why did I want to change it? So I dropped it.. and that was that. I was still excited - a vacation is a vacation, and it's a different destination for me, I'm happy regardless.

Now onto the irony. The week before we're due to leave, that Sunday we went to Barnes and Noble to buy a Canadian map. Jesse's car has GPS but we weren't sure if it'd work well in Canada, so just to be on the safe side. We grabbed a map and some Starbucks and we went to browse the magazines. The funniest thing happened... We always venture to the travel magazines (P.S. I'm so lucky Jesse is as enthusiastic for travel as I am!!!) and one in particular caught Jesse's eye. "CARIBBEAN" with the most beautiful beach on the cover from a beach in St. John's. It was then that he suggests, "Why don't we change our vacation and go to the beach?" I was shocked! I'd been trying to convince him for the past 2 months!... I was thrilled. We decided, let's do it and let's do an all-inclusive. Our very first all-inclusive, actually. We bought the magazine and ran home (not literally of course). Did the research and by the next day we had booked the Secrets Sanctuary resort in Cap Cana, Dominican Republic.

We struggled greatly in deciding where to go for an All-Inclusive. As most are aware, the All-Inclusive are limited ... Most are in Mexico and a few in the Caribbean. Jesse refused to go to Mexico so it was basically narrowed down to Jamaica or the Dominican Republic (as budget friendly alternatives). I knew that DR had amazing beaches... so we finally narrowed it down and with the help of my friend Erin, we chose to stay at Secrets Sanctuary Cap Cana as the Secrets resorts all have a great reputation and are known for elegance! We couldn't have been happier with our decision and the VERY last minute switch... and DR led to a proposal to remember for the rest of our lives...Love you dear!

***For great deals on "Beach Type" destinations check out:
http://www.beachdestinations.com/ (This is where we booked our Secrets Sanctuary Cap Cana resort and airfare and the price was $600 cheaper per person rather than Expedia or Orbitz!)
http://www.cheapcaribbean.com/
http://www.bookit.com/ (Make sure to check out their All-Inclusives area)


Visit the destinations of your dreams. Stop resisting. Take the plunge and GO. Your mind and your life will be enriched by the experience. For now, truly, the world is your oyster.♥

Capri, A Little Piece of Heaven

If you were to ask Jesse or myself "What is the favorite place you have been to in your travels so far?" We won't pause to answer... We won't even think it twice. We will both enthusiastically tell you CAPRI.

I don't even know where to begin with Capri... It's a little piece of heaven. Truly. We loved everything about this island. For those of you who are unaware where Capri is located, it's an Italian island on the Tyrrhenean Sea off the coast of Naples in Southern Italy. It's got the charm of an italian villa, with the most amazing views you can imagine. Here is a website that highlights everything you want to know about this paradise: http://www.capri.com/

If you're visiting Italy, I recommend a stay or at the very least a visit to Capri. You could get here from Rome, by taking a train to Naples (about a 2 hour train ride) and then taking a Hydrofoil (it's like a ferry but much bigger) from Naples to Capri (about an hour ferry ride) from Molo Beverello port in Naples. (Cost is 17 euros each way) Once you arrive in Capri, you will see the most quaint Italian fishing village and a must is to grab a map from the tourist shops once you get off the ferry in order to better navigate yourself around the island. Be prepared for LOTS of walking, but it is so worth it!! Once we arrived in Capri, we took the furnicular up the cliff and voila!

We were there... The views were phenomenal just upon arrival, but Jesse and I knew we wanted to venture off the beaten path. We were prepared for lots of walking, and we hiked. And we hiked. And we hiked...We wanted to see the famous cliffs that Capri is so known for, and the famous Faraglioni rocks most of all. So we ventured off, with a few bottles of water and camera in tow. Our first stop was the Arco Naturale which are natural archways in the rock and are simply breathtaking. To get there, we walked through the most narrow streets, they were more like small passageways really through people's homes and it was just so quaint - the people don't drive here, they walk everywhere (Picture on the left!). With all that hiking, I remember doubting... What are we DOING?! But the views were so dramatic, so worth it... and it created such a bonding experience for Jesse and I.

We saw giant caves, beautiful beaches, dramatic coast lines, and dreamt of being aboard the million dollar yachts lining those aforementioned coast lines. This is a celebrity haven, it's just too bad we didn't see Mariah Carey or Elizabeth Taylor (We hear they visit this island a lot!). An interesting tid bit: Giuliana Depandi (anchor for E! News) got married here to her hubby...Who wouldn't!? Look at this place!!

So now you know the answer to the question, and which is our favorite place we've been to. We won't hesitate in telling you.  It's Capri (KAH-pri - this is important, trust me! An italian man at the ticket counter quickly corrected me, as I asked him in my less than perfect italian when the next ferry was due out - I felt stupid, since he kind of laughed... hey, I thought it was "capri" as in "capri pants", but I stood corrected!).  But in all honesty, truly THE most beautiful place I have been to thus far. I can't wait to go back... next time we want to spend a good amount of time here, not just a day's worth, and next time, I think we'll go all out :)

***Visit http://www.europeandestinations.com/ to customize a European getaway and this is how we booked this wonderful vacation to Italy for 9 days! We

highly recommend the site. You can choose between visiting 2 countries and they take care of transportation for you, the hotels in both locations and airfare. It's a great way to experience two countries, by going to one site only. Or different cities within the same country. Our sample itinerary was Rome for 4 nights, and 3 nights in Naples with two days of travel (Total of 9 nights). European Destinations made this EASY and it was our first trip abroad together. But more on this Italian trip in detail later...

Visit the destinations of your dreams. Stop resisting. Take the plunge and GO. Your mind and your life will be enriched by the experience. For now, truly, the world is your oyster.♥

Choosing a Destination

You've decided you need a break from work, from life - you need a VACATION. But where???

This is one of the hardest decisions... picking a vacation destination! Trust me, I know. I have picked places, researched them, decided on them, booked them even, and CHANGED them at the last minute. I can never make up my mind. And once you do, there are many doubts that can creep in. Did I pick the right place? Did I pick the right hotel? Do I prefer to go elsewhere? Do I want a beachy vacation, do I want to sightsee, do I want more culture? The questions are ENDLESS.

Here are some recommendations on how to start picking.

First, one of the easiest decisions can be whether you want to go somewhere tropical, relax on a beach - or whether you want to see more culture, visit museums, experience a different culture all-together. That's the beginning. If you opt the beachy vacation - where to? The Caribbean? Hawaii? Mexico? The Mediterranean?  If you're looking for both beachy AND culture/sightseeing - choose the Mediterrean, you'll get both. Barcelona is a great choice (although they are topless beaches!), or you could visit the South of France (be prepared for rocky beaches, as well). If you're looking for fabulous beaches, I will always recommend the Caribbean. The beaches in the Caribbean can't be beat. Mexico could also be a good combination for worldly places, as you may choose to go to Cancun yet make a trip to Chichen Itza (The Mayan pyramid). A great option for outstanding beaches are the Dominican Republic. Punta Cana will be extremely commercialized and touristy, but the beaches are great and are filled with All-Inclusives. Puerto Rico also offers great beaches and nightlife. More on Puerto Rico later! ;)

Here is a link to the TOP TEN BEACHES rated at the moment (*There's always someone, somewhere publishing a list of the world's best beaches):

http://trifter.com/practical-travel/top-10-best-beaches-in-the-world/

Furthermore, if you're looking for culture/sightseeing, Europe has always that grandeur feeling to it, whether you want to go to the romantic route and visit Paris, or go somewhere where you are able to speak the language easily, London, or the many options in Italy...

Here is another angle: Think of your bucket list? Is there a place you've always wanted to go and swore you'd make it there someday? Why not go now. Too many people wait and say "I'll go eventually" and then 20 years down the line... You realize you never did go. Have you always dreamt of seeing Machu Pichu in Peru? Or seeing the Sydney Opera House? Don't limit yourself. There are always deals - You'd be surprised what a little sweat equity could get you.

Another thing that works... Look at magazines, go to Borders or Barnes and Noble - pick up a travel magazine and start browsing. They help! Browse the internet... Or facebook. Check out other friend's pictures - you have no idea how much of an inspiration that is! I have planned an entire vacation to Panama (later was cancelled and changed to the Dominican Republic) simply because I saw a fabulous picture of some Panamanian beaches... and we went with it. Airline tickets were cheap (You'd be surprised! Same with Costa Rica. They are cheap cheap cheap) and voila... we had it all planned out - and it all came about from a picture that I saw. It only takes a bit of curiosity and a bit of inspiration to strike up the next vacation!! It's the most spontaneous decision you can make... but with careful planning to follow.

Thoughts on Cruising

In my opinion, cruising isn't for everybody. However, it's an extremely popular way to go on a vacation. It's essentially an all-inclusive, a floating hotel, and an airplane/train/car all in one. Whether you choose a Mediterranean cruise, a Caribbean cruise, a Hawaiian cruise, etc... the options are endless. I remember as a kid, I thought a cruise ship was the greatest thing and I was dying to go on a cruise. Living in Puerto Rico I knew so many people who always went on cruises, and I always felt like I needed to go on one badly.

I think the experience will vary greatly, on how enjoyable the cruise is or isn't, based on many factors. The biggest factor in my opinion is the port of calls. Secondly, how many nights and the cruise line itself will change how your cruising experience is. Age, your sense of adventure and other small factors will hinder or better your cruising experience too. Budget is important too. I find cruising to be one of the most budget friendly vacations you can take - however, cruise cabins (Balcony, Ocean View, Inside Cabin, etc) and tours you take at each port of call will affect that. Sometimes it might not be that much more of a cheaper option so always weigh your options.

On our first cruise, we went on a 4-night cruise with only one stop: Cozumel, Mexico. It was a great price and I couldn't resist it so I booked it for Jesse and I as our Christmas presents to one another. There were good things and bad things of going on a cruise, we realized. We had an inside cabin, while they're small and many may feel confined in the small space, there are also pros to being in an inside cabin and that is no light. You literally have no sense of time when you're inside the cabin, as there is no outside light coming through anywhere. You can wake up at 12pm and it'll feel like 2am. For those purposes, it is great - you sleep like a baby. Also, it does have a cozy feel to it, and I do think all cruise cabins are great in that sense.

I can only comment on the cruise we went on, and the fact that it only had one stop is quite possibly the reason we felt so negatively about it. I think if a cruise has a lot of different stops, it's a more enjoyable experience. Jesse didn't particularly care for cruising, and aside from our honeymoon - we will probably limit the amount of cruising we do in our lifetime. Although who knows... enticing port of calls might change that. :) **This is the reason I rate the port of calls as the highest priority on a cruise.

Another thing I think is important to discuss is that the port you leave from is also something to consider.  I cannot comment too much here, as I have only been to one Port, but the Tampa port is extremely narrow and leaving the port and arriving on port takes about 2 hours! Furthermore, we experienced FOG and this delayed our cruise in docking for an entire 8 hours! We were supposed to have arrived back at 8am, however, due to fog, the Tampa port "shuts down" and we didn't get in until 3pm.  Boy were people frustrated.  It was to be somewhat expected however, as boarding the cruise on the first day was ALSO another huge delay due to fog.  I think a port like Miami would experience less of this, so if you can, look for other options!!! While I agree that this is an unforeseeable thing, it's just a little side note.  We were told that this "rarely" happens!... Mmmhmm.

Food: There are lots of food options on a cruise. First of all, you can order room service and it is included at any hour of the day. A great perk. I do believe you might have to tip for room service separately, as it's not included in the general gratuities of the ship. There are always many restaurants on board including buffet style places and sit down places. Most nights you will do the sit-down dining and I love dressing up so this is a great time to do so. One of the things we didn't care for was being seated with strangers. Just something to keep in mind, but you become friendly quickly. But again, there is no shortage of food... Some good, some bad... It just depends. Cruises make everything in bulk so this affects the quality- kind of like an all-inclusive can be...

Entertainment: For a cruise which has a lot of "At Sea" Days, entertainment is important... Aside from laying out by the pools or on the sun decks, you want things to entertain you - especially at night. There are a lot of "Las Vegas" style shows that occur nightly after dinner, and your cruise will let you know of this on their daily itineraries. Otherwise often times they hire comedians and will put on different kinds of shows. There is always something going on. We don't care for many days at seas, as we're adventurous types, but for some, that's the best part (seems odd to me, but to each their own!).

Now onto the port: The port of Cozumel is very pretty, lots of shops and restaurants, however, very touristy. The town of Cozumel is quaint, with lots of shops as well and again, full of tourists. Cozumel is probably one of the most touristy points of Mexico, as there are plenty of All-Inclusive options as well as the obvious popular cruise port. For our tour in Cozumel we rented a speedboat.

For those of you thinking of vacationing in Cozumel, the beach is not as nice. **I believe for nice beaches, the Caribbean is the place to go. While Cozumel is located on the Caribbean Sea side of Mexico, the beaches are darker and the sand is ok. But overall, Cozumel is friendly and very toursity and an enjoyable place. If you have any further questions about Cozumel, feel free to ask.

Here are the best sites to search for cruises:www.cruisesonly.com (My Favorite)www.vacationstogo.com
www.travelzoo.com (Click on Cruises)The best place to go for reviews on cruiselines, cruise ships, or anything related to cruising:

http://www.cruisecritic.com/ (My Favorite)



Visit the destinations of your dreams. Stop resisting. Take the plunge and GO. Your mind and your life will be enriched by the experience. For now, truly, the world is your oyster.♥