Count me in!
That’s right, kids: we’re headed to the Lake of the Ozarks for year trois of our annual summertime debauchery. This year, 13 of us will pile into the 5 bedroom house on the water and boat that we've rented for the weekend. We have packed literal carloads of every type of artery-clogging, terrible-for-you food imaginable. And of course, 15 30-packs of beer. Hopefully it'll be enough.
In addition to beer consumption, there will no doubt be an embarrassing admission or two during multiple rounds of "I've Never...," plus all manner of dreadful behavior meant to secure the Coding Out Award. I won't even try to explain its name...all you need to know is that it is bestowed upon the most ridiculous vacationer of the weekend. There really is a trophy, with an engraved plaque and everything. And I'll be damned if a dude gets it this year. Maybe drinking some lake water would guarantee me the win?
Fug that. Of all the disgraceful conduct in which I may engage this weekend, I hereby solemnly swear that it will not include dipping so much as a pinky toe into that nasty cesspool they're still calling a lake. I’m seriously baffled by the assertion that at 12 times what is considered a "healthy standard," Lake Ozark's e-coli level this year is still within safe swimming parameters! Ummmm - no thanks!
Hope everyone's enjoying a nice, bacteria-free weekend :) Catch you next week...
Showing posts with label Vacation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vacation. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Monday, June 2, 2008
My Kind of Town, Chicago Is
My family had an awesome Memorial Day Weekend in the Windy City.
My sister Sar and her boyfriend Jon flew in from San Francisco, my sister Jen, her husband Matt and their baby boy Sam came from Philadelphia, and my parents, Matt and I drove up from...well, the obvious.
My brother, Craig, and sister-in-law, Amy, have lived in Chicago for almost 9 years, and just bought a new 4 story single family home in Lincoln Park that they share with Lucy, almost 5, and Teddy, almost 2! We decided that it was the best place to get everyone together and celebrate my Mom's milestone birthday this year.
My sister Sar and her boyfriend Jon flew in from San Francisco, my sister Jen, her husband Matt and their baby boy Sam came from Philadelphia, and my parents, Matt and I drove up from...well, the obvious.
Here are some pictures from the weekend:
The courtyard outside of the gorgeous house:
Happy birthday signs made by the grandkids:
Nana, the Birthday Girl:
Lucy stopping to meet Lily the Bullmastiff on Armitage:
Sar and Jon waiting for the show to start at Second City:
Our walking tour of the Chicago lakefront:
A much needed break at the Field Museum after walking nearly 5 miles in slides. Much to the dismay of my feet, I'm just not a sensible shoes kinda gal :)
Lucy and her new bike! She keeps a water bottle and toothbrush in the basket at all times :)
Teddster:
The Bean at Millenium Park:
Sammy:
Lucy in the fountain:
My darling godson:
The fam at Buckingham Fountain:
Cutie pie cousins:
Me and my silly girl:
...and hanging around with my boys!
I love this city almost as much as love these people :)
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Dream Vacation
Well, we’re home…and what the hell kind of a greeting is this? 60 degrees and rainy? Psssh! While I’m trying to assimilate back into this gringo climate of ours, I’m going to do so slowing by reminiscing via blog for the next few posts. I hope you don’t mind :)
This first one is for anyone who’s curious about/considering (or actually even going…ahem, Mindy!) to Tulum in the near future…yes, there will be photos!
All in all, our trip was wonderful…glorious…spectacular! At the outset of this experience, we were both all-inclusive virgins. Keeping in mind that this was only our first time, we both agree that we are probably not the types for whom an all-inclusive is fundamentally designed. That said, here is my review of Dreams Tulum…
First, here’s what we really enjoyed:
Food and beverages at Dreams were covered in our package, and it was fantastic not having to worry about paying for anything, aside from tips (which we gladly gave, especially since the service was always excellent).
Overall, Dreams is an upscale resort that caters to couples and families. Things were pretty quiet…no spring breakers here. There is also a disco, but we didn’t go.
The resort itself is only about 7-8 years old and is beautiful; the grounds are impeccably kept. The views of the ocean from the restaurants, pools and beach are jaw-droppingly gorgeous:
The location of the resort (a 1.5-2 hour drive from the Cancun airport, depending on traffic) was actually a positive for us. You can see that Tulum is beginning to undergo the level of development that the rest of Riviera Maya has already experienced, but it still maintains a more off-the-beaten-path feel compared to more commercial areas like Cancun or Playa del Carmen. The center of the “town” of Tulum is quaint and authentic, with nothing bigger than a bank and a pharmacy/grocery store in it. This was refreshing after having driven past the Maya Shopping Center, boasting a Sam’s Club, outside of Playa del Carmen. I would definitely recommend renting a car to anyone thinking about it – we were a little wary, but ended up so glad that we went for it. Our car got great mileage, gas was incredibly cheap, and the main road is in surprisingly good shape. Going southbound, it had been freshly paved.
Tulum itself is also a great locale for eco-friendly activities of all kinds. Highlights for us were the Mayan ruins at Tulum (a 5 minute drive from the resort) and swimming in a freshwater cenote just off the main road outside of town. We also took a long drive through a relatively closeby biosphere reserve and saw kilometers of beautiful beaches, and lots of interesting flora and fauna.
Now for the minor downsides:
Quality of food was one of the concerns and stereotypes that we had about all-inclusives, and in this case we were unfortunately spot on. Having our meals and drinks covered was offset somewhat by the fact that…well, it wasn’t very good. Generally speaking, we like good food, but we’re no snobs. Our palates aren’t so sophisticated that we’re incapable of liking a simple cheeseburger or fast food, believe me!
and the sushi at Gohan:
And even these weren’t terrific; they were simply not bad.
In fairness, I will say that we never ate at Bordeaux or Portofino, the French and Italian restaurants, which we read in reviews were the best. The reason for this brings me to another negative about our stay: the dress code. This wouldn’t have been such a big deal, had we been aware of it prior to our check-in. Some of the outdoor beachside restaurants are ok with shorts, cover-ups and flip flops, although none will allow only swimwear, which is fine. The others range from allowing Bermuda-length shorts and sandals with collared shirts to requiring long pants and dress shoes for men and long skirts/dresses for women. Bordeaux and Portofino are both formal, and neither of us were prepared with what we had packed. For Matt, the idea of long pants and dress shoes in 98 degree weather was ludicrous (and I have to say that I agree with him), and the only long “dress” I had brought along was basically a beach cover-up. I understand that this type of a resort would have a certain standard of dress for one or two of the restaurants, but formal on a beach seemed a little over-the-top for me. And again, had we simply known beforehand, it wouldn’t have been an issue.
The drinks were overall ok. We were always able to ask the bartenders to make ours a little stronger, and there was a premium bar available at an extra cost, if we’d wanted it. I had one great margarita at El Patio, the Mexican restaurant, but otherwise they were pretty intolerable. We stuck mostly with Corona and pina coladas:
This first one is for anyone who’s curious about/considering (or actually even going…ahem, Mindy!) to Tulum in the near future…yes, there will be photos!
All in all, our trip was wonderful…glorious…spectacular! At the outset of this experience, we were both all-inclusive virgins. Keeping in mind that this was only our first time, we both agree that we are probably not the types for whom an all-inclusive is fundamentally designed. That said, here is my review of Dreams Tulum…
First, here’s what we really enjoyed:Food and beverages at Dreams were covered in our package, and it was fantastic not having to worry about paying for anything, aside from tips (which we gladly gave, especially since the service was always excellent).
We only spent about $350 USD total during our time in Mexico, and that includes our car rental, gas, tips for resort staff, admission fees for the places we visited, wine (beyond the gratis house selections), and other food/incidentals at airports, etc. That’s less than we would have spent at home during the same amount of time!
There are 7 restaurants/cuisines from which to choose: Mexican, French, Italian, Pan-Asian, Sushi, seafood grill, and World Café (buffet/cafeteria). We also took advantage of 24-hour room service on (way) more than one occasion! There are also 4 bars, including a premium bar, located throughout the property.
There is an itinerary each day of programs to suit every age, from yoga on the beach (which I promised myself I’d do at least once, but always slept through it L) to Spanish lessons to SCUBA and snorkeling training. There is also the Explorer’s Club for kids that people said was great. They offer excursions for which you could pay extra to see nearby ruins, swim with dolphins, go deep sea fishing, etc. Each night, there is an event usually starting around 9p.m. Some of these included a beach party complete with BBQ and limbo, stargazing on the beach with live music and a show performed by Mayan dancers (our favorite):
There is an itinerary each day of programs to suit every age, from yoga on the beach (which I promised myself I’d do at least once, but always slept through it L) to Spanish lessons to SCUBA and snorkeling training. There is also the Explorer’s Club for kids that people said was great. They offer excursions for which you could pay extra to see nearby ruins, swim with dolphins, go deep sea fishing, etc. Each night, there is an event usually starting around 9p.m. Some of these included a beach party complete with BBQ and limbo, stargazing on the beach with live music and a show performed by Mayan dancers (our favorite):
There is also a spa onsite that was offering all kinds of specials for Mother’s Day weekend. I didn’t venture there myself, but I guess I should have because I overheard another woman say that it is hands down the best spa she’s ever been to. Here are some massage tables on the beach...mmmm:
Overall, Dreams is an upscale resort that caters to couples and families. Things were pretty quiet…no spring breakers here. There is also a disco, but we didn’t go.The resort itself is only about 7-8 years old and is beautiful; the grounds are impeccably kept. The views of the ocean from the restaurants, pools and beach are jaw-droppingly gorgeous:
Our room, a Dreams Junior Garden Suite (just below the deluxe Ocean Suite), was perfect. It was spotless, roomy, well air-conditioned, and the bathroom featuring a Jacuzzi was particularly nice:
We stayed in the new section of the resort, which was just completed last year. The service was consistently superb, whether it was offering us champagne upon our arrival, getting our car for us multiple times a day, or bringing us drinks on the beach. Every time we passed one of the hundreds of staff members, he or she would always acknowledge us with a friendly “hola”.
The location of the resort (a 1.5-2 hour drive from the Cancun airport, depending on traffic) was actually a positive for us. You can see that Tulum is beginning to undergo the level of development that the rest of Riviera Maya has already experienced, but it still maintains a more off-the-beaten-path feel compared to more commercial areas like Cancun or Playa del Carmen. The center of the “town” of Tulum is quaint and authentic, with nothing bigger than a bank and a pharmacy/grocery store in it. This was refreshing after having driven past the Maya Shopping Center, boasting a Sam’s Club, outside of Playa del Carmen. I would definitely recommend renting a car to anyone thinking about it – we were a little wary, but ended up so glad that we went for it. Our car got great mileage, gas was incredibly cheap, and the main road is in surprisingly good shape. Going southbound, it had been freshly paved.
Tulum itself is also a great locale for eco-friendly activities of all kinds. Highlights for us were the Mayan ruins at Tulum (a 5 minute drive from the resort) and swimming in a freshwater cenote just off the main road outside of town. We also took a long drive through a relatively closeby biosphere reserve and saw kilometers of beautiful beaches, and lots of interesting flora and fauna.
Now for the minor downsides:
Quality of food was one of the concerns and stereotypes that we had about all-inclusives, and in this case we were unfortunately spot on. Having our meals and drinks covered was offset somewhat by the fact that…well, it wasn’t very good. Generally speaking, we like good food, but we’re no snobs. Our palates aren’t so sophisticated that we’re incapable of liking a simple cheeseburger or fast food, believe me!
The range of choices available was appreciated, and while nothing was inedible, most of what we ate was just extremely bland or overcooked. The few exceptions were the guacamole (which I ate more of than I’d like to admit, thank you), the spring roll appetizer and coconut red snapper that I had for our anniversary dinner at the Asian restaurant, Himitsu:
and the sushi at Gohan:And even these weren’t terrific; they were simply not bad.In fairness, I will say that we never ate at Bordeaux or Portofino, the French and Italian restaurants, which we read in reviews were the best. The reason for this brings me to another negative about our stay: the dress code. This wouldn’t have been such a big deal, had we been aware of it prior to our check-in. Some of the outdoor beachside restaurants are ok with shorts, cover-ups and flip flops, although none will allow only swimwear, which is fine. The others range from allowing Bermuda-length shorts and sandals with collared shirts to requiring long pants and dress shoes for men and long skirts/dresses for women. Bordeaux and Portofino are both formal, and neither of us were prepared with what we had packed. For Matt, the idea of long pants and dress shoes in 98 degree weather was ludicrous (and I have to say that I agree with him), and the only long “dress” I had brought along was basically a beach cover-up. I understand that this type of a resort would have a certain standard of dress for one or two of the restaurants, but formal on a beach seemed a little over-the-top for me. And again, had we simply known beforehand, it wouldn’t have been an issue.
The drinks were overall ok. We were always able to ask the bartenders to make ours a little stronger, and there was a premium bar available at an extra cost, if we’d wanted it. I had one great margarita at El Patio, the Mexican restaurant, but otherwise they were pretty intolerable. We stuck mostly with Corona and pina coladas:
We also had mojitos that weren’t too bad. Basically, it was nice not to give a second thought to paying for our food and drinks, but we also would have gladly shelled out a few pesos for some authentic and flavorful fare from local restaurants.
As I mentioned, the programs available are wide-ranging and some, like the Mayan dancers, we really enjoyed. However, the ones like “Dreams does American Idol”, in which resort guests basically sang karaoke in front of the gathered audience, were lame. I probably could have done without seeing a semi-drunk guy from Alabama who thought pretty highly of himself belting out a Creed song (shudder), but I suppose it did make for a memorable anniversary night :) I made the assumption that most of our fellow travelers were American (and they were), but on the Mayan night they polled the audience and there were indeed guests from all over Europe, the U.S., Canada, and Central and South America. Even so, it felt very homogenous, IMO.
The other snag about the resort is that the beach itself is great for laying around, but swimming is practically impossible except in a tiny area, which is usually crowded. This stretch of ocean is full of coral, which makes it good for snorkeling, but bad for swimming. It’s extremely rocky and seaweed-y. Luckily, there are plenty of other great beaches with public access and the one at the Tulum ruins is one of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen. Just below the main temple is a crystal-clear beach and the views from it are spectacular. They’ve made stairs that are kind of cumbersome and steep, so be careful…but it’s so worth going to the ruins just for this beach!! And parking + admission is only about $8 total!
Ok, so here’s the take-home message: Dreams Tulum is an excellent value for an upscale resort with the service to match, and it’s in a beautiful part of the world. For us, the structure and homogeny that an all-inclusive offers – when there are such cool things to see and do and people to meet off the resort – is unnecessary.
But this was exactly why we rented a car, and it’s not like you’re forced to participate in the activities that the resort offers…they’re simply there if you choose to. We also fully realize that there are plenty of vacationers who just want to lay at the beach, who look at sightseeing as exhausting and who are content to never leave the resort…and that’s cool, too. Different strokes, right?!
We had a fabulous time at Dreams :)
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Oh, Mexico
As if I wasn't excited enough about our first anniversary trip, I stumbled upon our exact destination listed as one of MSNBC's "Top 10 Beaches We Love". Fabulous! Here's what they have to say about it:
10. Tulum Beach
The increasingly popular Mayan Riviera destination of Tulum, 80 miles southeast of Cancun, couldn’t be more unlike its northern resort sibling. With a beach presided over by Mexico’s only waterfront Mayan ruins, the unspoiled white sands that hug the Caribbean here offer visitors the chance to get in touch with their inner chi — not the excuse to party. Indeed, what few beachfront resorts exist here tend to host yoga centers, not all-inclusive nightclubs, along the sand. Meanwhile, on the beach below Tulum’s cliff-top castle, you can bask and swim where the Maya once came ashore, in superb waters protected by the world’s second-longest barrier reef, the Great Maya Reef, which provides countless underwater pleasures among shallow coral reefs, coast-hugging sand banks, and offshore atolls.
2) We're vacationing on someone else's dime; I won the trip for reaching a sales goal at work! There was just one caveat: in order to make the most of the deal, it only made sense to go the all-inclusive route, which has never appealed to us. That said, as the MSNBC description suggests, this will not be a club-til-you-drop, drink-as-many-watered-down-cocktails-as-possible type of resort. We'll also be renting a car so that we'll be able to explore authentic Mexican life when our fellow resort-bound Americans get to be too obnoxious!
3) We just had 10 more inches of snow dumped on us this week, and I am so desperate for warm weather that I could literally hurt someone. People who claim that they like the winter, for instance...if you're one of those, just keep your mouth shut! Dreaming about a beach vacation is like chicken soup for my winter-weary soul right now, and it's about the only thing getting me out of bed.
4) I've been wanting to make a big fuss over our first anniversary. The past year has gone by so fast, and we've both been so busy and stressed out that we really wanted a special way to take time out to celebrate, just the two of us. I'm thinking that 5 days on a beach, away from normal life and responsibilities should do the trick!
Shockingly, I haven't always been into the tropical scene. In fact, I used to bristle at the very idea of beach vacations, having decided that there were simply too many more "important" travel destinations to blow precious vacation time sweating away in the sand.
I blame this unfortunate stereotype on all of the cool kids in high school (a.k.a. my husband)who returned from their spring breaks in Cancun, in all of their tanned, beaded-haired glory, narrating ad nauseum their tales of blacking out and wet t-shirt contests. Not my thing. Ok, fine, maybe I was just a teensy bit jealous too!
Of course, I'd relent and give up a few hours to hang out at the beach while touring Barcelona. I even enjoyed myself (minus the second degree sunburn I sustained) in Cinque Terre, when we were forced to spend nearly 8 hours literally roasting in the Mediterranean because it was the height of the tourist season and the only hostel with any vacancy wouldn't allow us to check in until 5:30p.m, and it was way too hot to do much else!
In fact, I've always loved everything about the ocean. Living in California as a transplant from the Midwest, the coast was always a thrilling novelty, and I never missed a chance to explore a new stretch of beach. That is, if I was lucky enough to succeed in persuading one of my friends to take me after a lot of groaning. Native-born Californians have no CLUE how lucky they are! So, as you see, it's not a matter of disliking the ocean or tropical destinations as a rule, I was simply under the impression that "real" traveling involved museums, sightseeing and jam-packed itineraries.
Our honeymoon changed all of that for good! Each day in St. Barths consisted of lounging on one beach or another, or in our villa's pool with a view of a beach. I wasn't simply content, I was perfectly HAPPY with this situation! Why hadn't anyone let me in on this secret sooner?! I realistically spent half of that week trying to come up with a viable way for us to sell our home and belongings and move to the island...we're not talking just daydreaming here. Sadly, I haven't yet gotten creative enough to come up with a workable plan, so frequent trips to sunny places will have to do for now.
So take it from me: frowning on sultry destinations in favor of hectic tours of every historic monument in the entire city is dumb :) Sometimes, it's ok to just relax. Bring on the Margaritas!
10. Tulum Beach
The increasingly popular Mayan Riviera destination of Tulum, 80 miles southeast of Cancun, couldn’t be more unlike its northern resort sibling. With a beach presided over by Mexico’s only waterfront Mayan ruins, the unspoiled white sands that hug the Caribbean here offer visitors the chance to get in touch with their inner chi — not the excuse to party. Indeed, what few beachfront resorts exist here tend to host yoga centers, not all-inclusive nightclubs, along the sand. Meanwhile, on the beach below Tulum’s cliff-top castle, you can bask and swim where the Maya once came ashore, in superb waters protected by the world’s second-longest barrier reef, the Great Maya Reef, which provides countless underwater pleasures among shallow coral reefs, coast-hugging sand banks, and offshore atolls.
Apart from its status as a Top 10 beach, here are my own reasons for being piss-my-pants (pardon my French!) excited about Tulum:
2) We're vacationing on someone else's dime; I won the trip for reaching a sales goal at work! There was just one caveat: in order to make the most of the deal, it only made sense to go the all-inclusive route, which has never appealed to us. That said, as the MSNBC description suggests, this will not be a club-til-you-drop, drink-as-many-watered-down-cocktails-as-possible type of resort. We'll also be renting a car so that we'll be able to explore authentic Mexican life when our fellow resort-bound Americans get to be too obnoxious!
3) We just had 10 more inches of snow dumped on us this week, and I am so desperate for warm weather that I could literally hurt someone. People who claim that they like the winter, for instance...if you're one of those, just keep your mouth shut! Dreaming about a beach vacation is like chicken soup for my winter-weary soul right now, and it's about the only thing getting me out of bed.
4) I've been wanting to make a big fuss over our first anniversary. The past year has gone by so fast, and we've both been so busy and stressed out that we really wanted a special way to take time out to celebrate, just the two of us. I'm thinking that 5 days on a beach, away from normal life and responsibilities should do the trick!
Shockingly, I haven't always been into the tropical scene. In fact, I used to bristle at the very idea of beach vacations, having decided that there were simply too many more "important" travel destinations to blow precious vacation time sweating away in the sand.
I blame this unfortunate stereotype on all of the cool kids in high school (a.k.a. my husband)who returned from their spring breaks in Cancun, in all of their tanned, beaded-haired glory, narrating ad nauseum their tales of blacking out and wet t-shirt contests. Not my thing. Ok, fine, maybe I was just a teensy bit jealous too!
Of course, I'd relent and give up a few hours to hang out at the beach while touring Barcelona. I even enjoyed myself (minus the second degree sunburn I sustained) in Cinque Terre, when we were forced to spend nearly 8 hours literally roasting in the Mediterranean because it was the height of the tourist season and the only hostel with any vacancy wouldn't allow us to check in until 5:30p.m, and it was way too hot to do much else!
In fact, I've always loved everything about the ocean. Living in California as a transplant from the Midwest, the coast was always a thrilling novelty, and I never missed a chance to explore a new stretch of beach. That is, if I was lucky enough to succeed in persuading one of my friends to take me after a lot of groaning. Native-born Californians have no CLUE how lucky they are! So, as you see, it's not a matter of disliking the ocean or tropical destinations as a rule, I was simply under the impression that "real" traveling involved museums, sightseeing and jam-packed itineraries.
Our honeymoon changed all of that for good! Each day in St. Barths consisted of lounging on one beach or another, or in our villa's pool with a view of a beach. I wasn't simply content, I was perfectly HAPPY with this situation! Why hadn't anyone let me in on this secret sooner?! I realistically spent half of that week trying to come up with a viable way for us to sell our home and belongings and move to the island...we're not talking just daydreaming here. Sadly, I haven't yet gotten creative enough to come up with a workable plan, so frequent trips to sunny places will have to do for now.
So take it from me: frowning on sultry destinations in favor of hectic tours of every historic monument in the entire city is dumb :) Sometimes, it's ok to just relax. Bring on the Margaritas!
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