I recommend that everyone who lives in a cold winter climate do whatever it takes to visit a sunny, warm place during the winter. Even if the winter is mild and you think it's not so bad this year. Really.
We were lucky enough to go to Mexico. (I am such a negligent blogger these days that I don't even think I told you I was going.) Puerto Vallarta, to be exact. It was heaven. Seriously, I actually said to my husband during our trip, "I think heaven is an all-inclusive beach resort."
This was my first all-inclusive experience. We found the place on
Trip Advisor. And despite my hours and hours and days and hours of research (because I am obsessive when planning trips), it really just came down to searching "Puerto Vallarta hotels" and then picking the top-rated place in the family category, which happened to be
Velas Vallarta. I mean, yes, some of the people who give ratings are crazy, of course, but the majority are regular people who leave comments because they want to be helpful. And when a hotel has more than 1500 reviews and still has a 4.5 star rating, I'm in.
My goals for the trip were:
- Sit in sun
- Drink pina colada in sun
- Keep my kids entertained while I do the first two things
I am proud to say that I accomplished all of my goals. The boys are at the perfect age to spend hours in the pool while I read a book. Plus, there were waiters at every turn offering me endless amounts of food and drink.
I will say that the food wasn't stellar. I wish they'd just offer some fabulous, traditional Mexican food rather than trying to recreate Italian and Mediterranean dishes, but there was always steak and shrimp available, so you could never get into too much trouble. Plus, the kids ate without argument, which counts for a lot more than having some molecular gastronomist on staff.
Despite all of the laying around we did, the highlight of the trip was the one day we ventured outside of the resort and went ziplining. Since Aidan is a bit of a wild card when it comes to thrill rides (he gets very excited and then becomes terrified), my husband and I both feared that this adventure had the potential to trump the trauma of
our dune buggy ride last summer, but after some initial nerves, we had an amazing time. Yes, even after spontaneously bursting into tears when I first saw my little Owen flying away through the trees, I loved it.
If you're ever in Puerto Vallarta, I recommend
Vallarta Adventures wholeheartedly. The crew was amazing and always made us feel safe...even when dangling in the treetops.
And now we are refreshed and loving each other, but also a little tired of each other, and it's the perfect state to be in when you have to return to your crazy real life.
It also helps that my husband and I are going to Vegas(!) in less than 8 weeks (without kids) thanks to a fabulous Groupon that has to be used before the end of May. I could get used to this kind of travel schedule.
