Salty & Sweet - A Winter's Worth of Beach Vacations

Good morning boys and girls! I'm realizing that it's becoming more and more difficult to keep up with this page and I've been slacking big time, but every now and then, I'll go back and read through my posts and it makes me eager to maintain it for my own sake. I know that it's super cheesy sounding, but I really have the most beautiful life full of amazing experiences that I'm so grateful for and I'm so glad that I've documented them as much as possible. I love reading back on the little stories with details that I've since forgotten. That being said, we've taken three trips since my last post...and though they weren't long, epic expeditions, they deserve a post nonetheless, so I'm going to combine them all into one. 

Let's begin with Turks and Caicos! 

As you've probably noticed, we take trips each year for our birthdays and, since they both fall in the wintertime, we usually opt to head to a warm beach and lots of sunshine. This year, I found a decent deal to Providenciales and, combined with credit card rewards, we scored tickets for pennies on the dollar. Since we got the tickets for next to nothing, I decided to splurge a little on a place to stay, so I booked a beautiful beachfront room at the Royal West Indies Resort and boy, was it amazing. 

Once we landed, we picked up our rental car and made our way to the resort. We checked in and opted to eat at the restaurant on site and then changed and ventured through the expansive grounds and out to the beach for sunset. 

The next morning, we found a little coffee shop for croissants and cappuccinos and quickly realized that food and drinks on the island were NOT cheap. So, we found a grocery store and picked up some essentials that would be super convenient and save us a fortune. Our room was like a little apartment and had coffee, a microwave, a hot water kettle and toaster. We ended up with blueberry Eggo's, ramen, and everything we'd need for Moscow Mules...all for about $20. That's as much as one cocktail at our resort, so it was a win! Then we headed out in our rental car to find a secluded little cove to swim in. 

We found the perfect spot nestled between houses and set up for the day. There was one little family there...parents and 2 little kids that kind of stayed on one side of the beach so we nestled in on the other side and took off to explore. 

I've never been on a beach with giant Conch shells just laying around!

Hours later, the family left and we dried off in our spot and discovered that they had stolen Brian's t-shirt! We couldn't believe it! There was no one else around, no wind, no birds...everything was left untouched, but his t-shirt was gone. We stopped back at the resort to change and then found a little Airstream food-truck for wings and burgers. 

We spent the rest of the afternoon sunning ourselves by the pool (I especially love eavesdropping on wealthy New Yorkers - they have the funniest and most ridiculous drama in their lives - which there were several of at our resort) and then made ramen in our room and walked a few miles down the Grace Bay beach while the sun set. Some of the guests that had been there for 2 weeks said that the water is usually as smooth as glass and that there isn't any sea weed at all, so the conditions were unusual, but we still thought it was absolutely beautiful and had zero complaints. The weather was perfect.

After a breakfast of Eggo's and coffee (Brian set off the fire alarm because the toaster was broken and burned the first set of waffles), we ventured off around the island to explore. We stopped at a few different beaches and Brian snorkeled while I layed out. We found a Conch Shack for lunch on the beach and then stayed and swam with Turtles! Once again, we spent the last few hours of the afternoon on sun loungers in front of our resort and then went into town for Turkish Kebab at a local spot. 

The final 2 days were spent pretty much the same: swimming in Grace Bay; eating Thai food from a little hidden gem with great portions, great prices, and Thai iced tea (my favorite); and walking up and down the beach. It was heaven. There was a storm way off the coast that caused the clouds to be especially dark grey and purple (which is so stunning contrasted with the glowing green of the water there) and made some waves which we didn't mind at all. The water was so warm and Brian joined some of the locals in playing in the waves until it got dark.  The coolest thing to me though, was how the reflection of the water on the clouds on the east side of the island made the clouds glow turquoise while there was a rainbow to the west and I've never seen anything like it. My camera couldn't do it justice. 

We had a pretty late departure on Tuesday which allowed us to enjoy the resort for a while before having to change and make our way to the airport. 

Trip #2 (for my birthday) was just our usual all-inclusive resort in Puerto Vallarta. 

There isn't much to report because an all-inclusive means that we just eat, drink, sleep, people-watch, walk along the water, get couples massages on the beach, and sun ourselves. When we first arrived, they left champagne and chocolate covered strawberries in our room. We grabbed lunch, switched into our swim suits, hit the beach, and got a massage. We usually get our daily massages after lunch, but one day 2, we decided to go in the morning and then layed out in the sun covered in massage oil and got SOOOO sunburned. I haven't been sunburned in a very long time. 

It was odd but our daily massages gradually became more intrusive for both of us (if you catch my drift), but hey, they're $20 for an hour and I'm never going to see those people again so it didn't bother me. I've just never experienced anything quite like it. 

Brian got a hold of a boogie board and had the time of his life. It was perfect and so relaxing and it was so wonderful not having to rent a car or figure out where to eat or have to be anywhere or do anything. Plus the sunsets are hard to beat <3

Our final trip of the winter was to Aruba! 

This was an unplanned little adventure and we had the best time! Basically, I got a notification for $243 really good round trip tickets and texted Brian that I was going to go. I'd figured that, with it being exactly 2 weeks after Mexico, he wouldn't want to take any more time off before work starts getting busy, so I just decided I'd go by myself. But to my surprise, he asked me to get him a ticket too because he was going to come along AND he was going to pay for the tickets as my birthday present <3

We've really grown to love the Carribean...it really is very different from anywhere else we've ever been. The water is just unbelievably blue and everyone is so friendly. I think we'll be going down there and visiting different islands as often as we can afford in the future. 

Figuring out where to stay was a total gamble and I totally made the right call! I knew that we didn't want to stay right in the capital since they had cruise ships in port while we were there, but there are so many beautiful areas, it was just a shot in the dark. We landed at 5:00 pm, picked up our rental car, and then headed to our Airbnb in Savaneta...it was absolutely perfect! 

It was a stunning 1-bedroom condo with a couple of the sweetest resident kitties and the friendliest street dogs that we snuck leftovers to each night, right across the street from the most beautiful little beach and mangroves. There were swings, lounge chairs, umbrellas, steps into the water and even a huge floating sun deck. We quickly got settled and then made our way over for sunset. 

After the sun went down, we took off on foot to explore the neighborhood and find somewhere to eat. After scoring with groceries in Turks and Caicos, we opted to just find a market and grab goodies (waffles, drinks, yogurt, ice cream, ramen, etc) for the stay so we didn't have to constantly eat out...though it's much more affordable in Aruba (I'm guessing because it isn't as isolated as some of the other islands I've been to (St Thomas, Exumas, and Turks and Caicos)). We stumbled upon a strange Chinese restaurant looking dive bar but decided to just get some roman and go back to the apartment. 

The first morning, we went into Oranjestad for breakfast at the Dutch Pancake House. There were about 20 people in line so we knew it had to be good. It was :) Then we drove back to the beach in Savaneta where we had our own private little cubby in the mangroves with access right into the water and epic snorkeling. Within about 3 minutes of getting in the water, I saw a big Moray Eel right beneath me and flew out of the water so fast! I may be more creeped out by eels than snakes even (and they had rattlesnakes there too, though I only saw them squished in the road)...especially since they hold such an advantage over me in the water. After several minutes, I gradually got back in...it just took some mind-over-matter talk, concentrated breathing, and a Google search of whether Morey Eels are aggressive (the answer is, they can be. Very reassuring). The rest of the day, Brian snorkeled and I explored and a wonderful time was had by all.

It was a Sunday and nothing is open on Sundays there...plus, it was Carnival and there was a big parade, so we ventured south, away from everybody, to see if we could find a place to eat. About 15 minutes later, we stumbled upon San Nicolas and it's incredible street art, and what a find!

We couldn't find a single place that was open...not even fast food, so we started back toward Savaneta and stumbled upon a jerk chicken place that had literally the best chicken and rice I've ever tasted in my life. It was so good we went back a couple of days later and got it again! We got it to go and ate it back at the apartment and watched a movie before spending the evening in beach chairs on the beach, enjoying the view. 

Monday we ate breakfast at a tiny little Venezuelan restaurant we found in the alley behind our Airbnb. It had 4 tables and french doors that opened onto a patio with a giant tree and string lights and was just the cutest little place ever. We walked in and they asked us if we had any limitations for food and then brought us cappuccinos, fresh pineapple/mango/mint smoothies (with unlimited refills) and then plates with scrambled eggs and veggies, black beans, corn cake, and grilled cheese...literally cheese that had been grilled. I guess it's kind of a traditional Venezuelan dish but it was really good! I kind liked not having a menu and just winging it! 

From breakfast we relaxed on the beach and then drove north for Cuban tacos (probably the best tacos I've ever had, ever) and then to get ice cream and explore some different beaches. 

We absolutely loved the beaches on the north end of the island...they weren't crowded at all and reminded me a lot of the Mediterranean with the crystal clear water and rocky outcroppings. 

After a couple of hours, we got to the California Lighthouse and climbed to the top. Then, like the boring old folks we are, we went back to the beach chairs and watched the sun set. I wouldn't have had it any other way :)

Tuesday was back to the beaches of Noord where we procured a little thatch-roofed umbrella for shade and Brian snorkeled while I floated in the water, explored, watched lizards and pelicans, and worked on my tan. Then we stopped at the Donkey Sanctuary and fed the Donkeys seed pods!  

We had such a great time in Aruba...it was the perfect mix of fun, exploring, and relaxing. It's so beautiful there and we look forward to going back someday. We didn't even make a dent in what the island has to offer and we still have to check out some of the more famous areas, but for now, it was wonderful just exploring off the beaten path and feeling like a local for a few days. 

So now we just buckle down for Spring Break and then I just bought a ticket to Luxembourg for 10 days in May! I'll be flying solo on that one, so I'm nervous and anxious and excited. I'll stay in touch :)