Our Trip to Spain

If you know my dad, you know that the man appreciates a good meal.  At the top of his list you’ll find a good steak, lobster, but above all there is paella: the reigning queen.  Naturally, his desire to eat a great paella from Valencia is the reason we booked a trip to Spain.  

We knew we wanted to see more than one place, so when we booked our trip in March we decided that we would split our time between Madrid and Valencia.  There were a few other cities in the running (Barcelona, Ibiza, Mallorca!), but ultimately we wanted an opportunity to experience something different in each city and since Valencia is near the beach, we thought Madrid would offer a different vibe: a city vibe, and it delivered! 

In regard to Covid regulations: They change quickly, so we checked frequently to stay up to date with the most current regulations.  Vaccinated and boosted adults who received their last shot less than 9 months from the date of travel were cleared.  Children under 12 didn’t have to show anything.  Adults who’s last shot occurred more than 9 months from date of travel needed to show a negative rapid or CPR.  Everyone had to complete a Health form with the Spanish embassy prior to the day of travel. These were the circumstances we encountered, but as already stated, things change rapidly, so always check when you plan.

We had a direct flight from JFK to Madrid, which departed at 7pm on Sunday, but with the duration of the flight and the time change, we arrived at 8am Monday morning.  Needless to say, we were exhausted on Monday.  We were thinking only of checking in and resting! However, our check-in time was 4pm, so we had to tough it out.  Our Airbnb allowed us to drop off our bags, so we dropped off bags and explored our neighborhood. (Luckily the cleaning lady allowed for my dad to stay because he was visibly exhausted and at his age they understood and were accommodating, which we appreciated so much.) 

Gotta get through Customs first!

MADRID

Airbnb in Gran Via, living room

Our Airbnb was in Gran Via in the Malasaña neighborhood and we quickly found out that we were close to everything.  It was the perfect location. We could walk to almost everywhere on our list or take a quick taxi.  On our very first day, we walked around and ended up seeing Puerta Del Sol. We also grabbed some tapas in El Mercado de la Reina.  We grocery shopped for the apartment at Dia and in the evening ended up at Mercado De San Miguel. 

A note:  Most, if not all, places accept credit/debit cards (Visa/Mastercard/Amex). No one would accept American cash.  I had exchanged some money through my bank, so that I could have Euro on hand, but in most cases we used our credit/debit cards.  It was nice to have Euro though.  You’ll definitely need to have some on hand, but credit cards were accepted every where, even taxis.

Puerta Del Sol

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The views from our balcony and window.

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Back to Mercado De San Miguel because wow! Our tastebuds were blown away.  Essentially, it is a market with gourmet food all around.  We bought ham, we bought different types of cheeses, olives (the chimichurri ones were to die for!), empanadas, and we even tried some delicious crab cakes.  All while enjoying some Rosé cava from the Bodega located inside the market because you can sip and walk around as you wish.  It was absolutely amazing!

Later that night, as we walked back from Mercado De San Miguel, we ended in Plaza Mayor and we would come back there a few more times to walk around and to shop for hats in La Favorita.

The next day we got coffee and desserts/breakfast from La Mallorquina and made our way to Parque Del Retiro.  This park was often described as their version of NYC’s Central Park and we saw the similarities.  It was beautiful.  In the park you can rent boats, there are fountains, beautiful architecture, restaurants, and lots of places to enjoy nature.  The Palacio de Cristal was beautiful. 

In the evening we had tickets to see flamenco at Cardamomo.  I was torn about where to purchase tickets from, since there are obviously many options, but the taxi driver recommended Cardamomo and since that was actually the place I was thinking of going with I took that as confirmation.  The show was great.  They provide a complimentary glass of wine and juice for the kids.  Not far from Cardamomo there is Plaza De Santa Ana, so we grabbed some tapas and wine before the show because…why not? 

The next day we went to the museum.  It was already on our list, but it was also very hot in Madrid this week (105 degrees on one day!), so it was nice to do something where we would be indoors and in air conditioning.  We decided to visit Museo Nacional Centro De Arte Reina Sofia because they include more contemporary work and they have Pablo Picasso’s work, including Guernica.  What an experience!  It was fabulous.  The gift shop in the museum is fantastic.  

After the museum, we went to La Bodega de Botin for lunch.  It is the oldest restaurant in the world and it is known for their suckling pig.  We had it and honestly weren’t impressed.  We also ordered the white sangria, gambas, the salad, ham, cheese, steak and potatoes.  Nothing was overly impressive, but nothing was bad either. 

Another note:  Be aware of the siesta. Many places including restaurants will close for some hours in the middle of the day.  

The next day we went to Templo de Debod.  This is a temple that was given as a gift to Spain from Egypt.  It is stunning!  We saw it as the sun set and the lights came on, which made it even more beautiful. The temple is in a beautiful park (Parque De La Montana) in which there are many areas to have a picnic on a blanket; there is a playground and you might even run into some performers.  We saw a couple dancing and a man singing.  That night we had dinner at Oven Mozarella, an Italian restaurant.  The kids wanted pizza and we listened.  We were not disappointed.  

On our last day we caught a bullfight in Las Ventas (Plaza de Toros).  We were a bit worried that the kids would be traumatized with the killing of the bull at the end, so we got tickets that weren’t too close and that were in the shade.  We didn’t stay for the full event.  We wanted to experience it, but we weren’t into it and it was personally hard to hear the bull crying and in pain.  When looking into purchasing tickets we read a lot of information about this tradition and we read that people usually love it or hate it.  The people that love it respect the art, respect the tradition, and respect the bravery of the matador.  The people who hate it are usually thinking of the bull’s pain.  We also learned that bullfighting dates back to Mesopotamia as a ritual of sacrifice to the Gods. 

We had dinner at Steakburger.  They serve American food (or their version of it) and so the kids ordered all the wings, mozzarella sticks, and French-fries they could handle.  

We had drinks at numerous places around Gran Via.  El Corte Ingles has a rooftop bar in which we also grabbed a quick glass of wine in on our last day as we shopped.  

Rooftop Vibes at El Corte Ingles

What we missed, but wish we would’ve done in Madrid:

Chinatown: There are many restaurants here that we heard a lot about in this neighbor.  Apparently, the Asian influence and food is poppin’!

Parque de Atracciones:  An amusement park that has rides for the kids. 

VALENCIA

 

The time had arrived to leave Madrid and go to Valencia! We were all so excited to see a new city and get my dad that paella! We also wanted relief from the heat.  It wasn’t as hot in Valencia and if it were, we had the beach!  We had booked a train through Renfe.  My host had said it was quick and reliable, so the week before we left NYC we booked our round trip train tickets from Madrid to Valencia and back to Madrid because our flight to NYC was from Madrid.  The train was on time and comfortable. We got to Valencia in a little less than 2 hours.  Both of the train stops were close to our Airbnb’s, so it was just a quick taxi ride from each.

Our Airbnb was located in a neighborhood called El Mercat. The roads in the neighborhood are tiny and all cobblestone.  I loved it, but we quickly learned that we would have to walk to the main street a few blocks away to get a taxi or call one because there were not many cars just driving around on those streets. There were many restaurants and shops near by and walking tours to see the architecture and to learn the history are very popular.  

On our very first day there we really wanted to have some great paella, so we discovered the neighborhood and got ready for dinner.  Our host had recommended a few places, so we chose La Valenciana Caballeros.  They offered a variety of paellas and we wanted to give my dad options.  We learned that the original paella in Valencia was not seafood but rabbit and chicken. They offered that one too! But my dad went with the seafood one of course.  My dad didn’t love it, but it was ok because we had many other restaurants to keep trying! We also ordered some appetizers but the highlight there was the pulpo! WOW! Insanely delicious.  We went back there for the pulpo again later in our trip.  

On our first night we also discovered Plaza del Negret.  This was actually a block away from our stay.  There we found Cafe Negrito Bar and that was our go-to bar every night.  The agua de Valencia is delicious! And the complimentary nuts are addicting! We could not get enough.  

There’s one strip of 3 beaches, but our waitress recommended La Patacona, which is at the end of the strip.  She said it had lounge chairs we could rent and a bar on the beach, so that’s what we went with.  The beach is amazing.  You can rent a lounge chair and order drinks and food that are brought right to you.  We did the beach on several days of course!

Note: The lounge chairs are near the restaurants and the boardwalk. We rented one for my dad because he would be more comfortable there, but we wanted to be closer to the water. We were planning to lay on our towels, but luckily there were people selling blankets, so we purchased one. DJ rented the lounge chair too because he’s a diva. LOL

Our Airbnb was located near Mercat Central Valencia, which is a public market with lots of vendors.  It was similar to the Mercado de San Miguel in Madrid, but the vendors aren’t selling gourmet products.  However, it’s the same setup and concept. We shopped here for more paella, horchata, octopus salad, and bottles of wine and cava made locally.  

Note: Beware of pickpocketers.  We had read about this prior to our travels in our research and it happened to someone while we were in the mercado.  Carry your money in front pockets or in a front facing bag or fanny pack.

On certain days there are many vendors that set up in front of the Mercado, so we got lots of souvenirs to bring home from there. 

On the remainder of days in Valencia, we walked around the streets, tried tapas from several places, rented bikes, and enjoyed ourselves.  We ate at Escalones de la Lonja, Llagurt, Dempanadas, Alma Libre, The Black Turtle, just to name a few.  

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HIGHLIGHTS

We booked a Catamaran excursion for the whole family.  We love to spend a nice day out in the sea.  We booked through Mundo Marino and we were very pleased! The staff was welcoming and accommodating.  The trip includes paella and a few drinks for each person.  They offered, soda, juice, and of course sangria.  

The aquarium: Oceanografic Valencia was fantastic!  It is located in the Cuidad De Las Artes y Las Ciencias.  We biked in this area, we rented boats, we walked around.  There’s much to see and do.   There are parks and greenery near by.  It’s simply beautiful. 

Rosalia! 

A few weeks after we had booked our trip, Rosalia released her tour dates and we saw that she would be performing in Valencia during the time of our stay, so when tickets went on sale in April we got tickets to see her! She was amazing as expected! 

God Showed Off When He Made Turks and Caicos!

Turks & Caicos has been on my list of islands to visit because of it’s beautiful beaches, but I wasn’t initially planning on visiting this year.  My travel plans are often planned the year before as I think about what I want to experience, and this year K and I had very different plans, but plans don’t always work out the way we think and our original plans for travel didn’t happen, so there we were with nothing planned.  We also had busy summers and separate commitments, so traveling together this summer didn’t seem possible.  He had family obligations and a busy work schedule and I had summer classes and tons of studying to do.  

However, one day after a tedious chemistry lecture, I decided to fly my ass out of the country on the semi-one week break I had between semesters and before I return to teaching after my summer break.  My chemistry final was on August 16th and on August 20th I took the GRE, so I decided to hop on an early morning flight Saturday August 21st and rest my body, mind, and soul for a week even if that meant missing my first day of class for both of my fall semester classes.  I needed this after a year of teaching remotely with my kids at home and one of my son’s in bilateral casts for 6 weeks!  Plus I decided to go back to school for another Masters degree, so needless to say, I was drained!  

I booked a solo trip because Kenny had a work commitment that he couldn’t get out of and since I was going to travel alone for the first time ever I considered many different things:  I didn’t want a long flight because I’m an extremely anxious flyer.  I wanted to feel safe in this country alone, and honestly I didn’t want a busy place with too much to do because I just wanted and needed to relax… so… BEACH vacation!  And since the vacation’s focus was relaxing at the beach, I thought who has the best beaches near by and that’s how I ended up in Turks! Let me tell you, it does not disappoint!   EVERY SINGLE BEACH is spectacular,  the bays are just as beautiful.  It NEVER rained.   It was an everyday paradise.  It was just what my body and spirit needed. 

(Note: Kenny ended up canceling his work commitment and joining me on the trip, which made it that much better! <3) 

Let’s start with the essential information.  First, TCI (Turks and Caicos Islands) has a thorough check in process to visit the islands due to COVID.  You have to be cleared or your airline will not let you board your flight.  

The requirements include: 

1. Getting travel medical insurance for the duration of your stay (even if you have health/medical insurance, which I do, you must still get travel medical insurance).

2. You must get tested for Covid AT LEAST 3 days before your scheduled flight. They accept rapid and PCR. I did both because I like to be safe. You do you. I do me.

3. You must upload your documents on the TCI assured website and you must complete the online form. They will process and email your approval to you, which is what your airline will ask you before you board your flight.

(Note: Starting in September all visitors must be vaccinated to visit the island and show proof of vaccination to be approved.  I’m already vaccinated, but since this begins in September, they didn’t ask for my vaccination status.)

Also, you will need to be tested for Covid before you leave the island and return to the states.  Many resorts offer COVID tests.  Pharmacies and medical offices offer them as well.  We got tested in a small medical office near us for $50.00 each.

Where did we stay?

Again, I thought I would be traveling alone and I wanted peace and relaxation, so I didn’t want a big resort with a lot of people around me.  I looked on many of the popular travel websites (ie. Expedia), but I also checked out Airbnb.  There I found a super cute and new boutique hotel that I really liked, so I booked it.  I liked the modern look, the fact that it only had 20 rooms, and that it was still close to the strip where everything is.  The property wasn’t on the beach, but close enough to walk to it and the hotel offered shuttle service to the beach in a golf cart.  They drive you there and set you up with lounge chairs and umbrella at their area of the beach, which is on Grace Bay.  It was perfect!  

The hotel was amazing.  The staff was helpful and so sweet.  There weren’t a lot of people there, so most times we had the outdoor deck and pool area to ourselves, but the street itself was raw.  There weren’t many other establishments on that street, only a corner store and a few houses, so I don’t think I would’ve felt very comfortable alone.  I was glad Kenny was with me and it made me consider how I plan any future solo trips.  

What did we do?

Beaches 

• Grace Bay Beach (Perfection!)

• Long Bay Beach ( A more private beach. No restaurants near by and lots of kiteboarding. There aren’t any chairs to rent, so you either have to sit on a towel or bring your own. It wasn’t my favorite because there was some seaweed on the sand and so there were flies around you. I hate flies.)

• Sapodilla Bay Beach (Super shallow water. Perfect for kids. They can walk out for a mile and be ok! Lol)

Seriously every beach is gorgeous!!! Turquoise blue crystal clear waters! We like to adventure out and find new beaches, but we quickly realized that they were all equally beautiful. We didn’t have to keep searching because Grace Bay beach was JUST as or more beautiful and we can walk there! 

Restaurants 

• Bay Bistro (OMG! Delicious! My personal favorite. The conch wontons are everything! The grouper and the lamb was superb!)

• Da Conch Shack

• Hemingway’s

• Mango Reef (This place was a disappointment.)

• Coco Bistro (Make a reservation in ADVANCE!)

• Danny Buoy’s (Bar food. Didn’t love it here. We went there after our sunset boat ride for wings and drinks! LOL)

• Shay Cafe (Delicious breakfast! I could go here everyday!)

• Patty Palace (Delicious veggie and chicken Jamaican patties and ice cream!)

• Sweet T’s (Fried chicken and fries. We tried it for a quick snack after we landed, but we didn’t love this place.

Coffee Shops

I’ll start by saying that Kenny and I love good coffee.  That’s our thing:  we like to discover small and independent coffee shops that serve delicious coffee.  Coffee is not the best in Turks and Caicos based on our experience.  We usually ended up at Shay Cafe for breakfast and their coffee was ok, but we tried to find real coffee shops and found the following:

• Lemon 2 Go (I did not like my coffee here at all. I didn’t even finish it.)

• Beans and Leaves (AMAZING!! A real coffee shop!)

Activities

Once again, this trip was about relaxing, so we didn’t do much.  We only wanted to lounge by the beach and eat good food.   However, the island is pretty chill overall.  There seemed to be a crowd at Danny Buoy’s (They’re known for their karaoke nights).  Shisha lounge (hookah bar) was recommended to us.

On the beach you can jet ski, parasail, do some kiteboarding, you name it, you can do it.  Some things you can book right on the beach, other excursions your hotel could book for you.  

We booked a sunset cruise through Island Vibes Tours (They have an office on the main strip, but you can also google their number and call them.) We also scheduled a couple’s massage at Drift Spa located in the Windsong Resort.  

Tips

• Bring cash (They use the American dollar.)

• Bring a collapsable cooler (Stop by IGA (local market) and Wine Cellar (liquor store) to pick up water, fruits, snacks, beer, liquor and bring your own drinks and snacks to the beach). Everything is pretty expensive on the island, so bringing your own drinks and snacks for the beach is a great way to go.

• Rent a Car if you’re planning on exploring the island because cabs are expensive. However, they drive on the opposite side of the road and the steering wheel is on the passenger’s side, so it does take some getting used to.

• HAVE FUN! You’re in paradise!

The family and I went to Colorado and this is how it went…

This past February, during mid-winter break, we decided to pack our bags and trade snowy and cold NY for…snowy and cold Colorado! Ha… We usually go away to somewhere warm in February, but this year we decided to switch things up a bit and I’m glad we did! We had a great time and Colorado was beautiful. Here are all the deets! 

This is our second time traveling as a family during a pandemic.  Although we made the decision to travel, we always want to be as safe as possible.  We wore our masks during the entire duration of our travels and of course I had all the Purell wipes and sanitizers on deck!  We had the rows to ourselves for most of the travel because there are five of us, so that’s a plus. We rented an Airbnb because that always works best for our family size and needs, but I also feel better about having our own space that limits our interaction with others. I’m not sure how I would feel in a hotel with a lot of other guests and staff around us.   The Airbnb was perfect! I loved the location.  It was nice and cozy and the sweet touches and gestures from the owner did not go unnoticed.  They also had disinfecting wipes and sprays everywhere, which helped me get comfortable.  

The Airbnb was in Denver, Santa Fe specifically.  Santa Fe is known as the art district and that was apparent from all of the galleries in the area.  There was also a theater a few blocks away and street art everywhere.  Kenny said it best, “The city is an artist’s canvas.”  There were great coffee shops a short walk away, so we would usually pick a different coffee spot and begin our morning walk to discover the neighborhood.  This was our daily routine before we got the day started.  Some of our favorite coffee shops were Joe Maxx, LaMar’s (old fashioned donut is a must!), The Molecule Effect, and Amethyst Coffee.  (Note:  Always ask for sugar because they do not automatically provide it! ::rolls eyes::)

We were not far from Downtown Denver, so one of our days was spent walking in that area.  We walked down Larimer Square, where there are lots of shops and restaurants.  We did a little shopping in a vintage shop and had a little fun at the Denver Selfie Museum.  One day we drove to Boulder and spent the day shopping in the Pearl Street Mall.  

One of the best days in Denver was spent at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science.  Baby K is currently obsessed with dinosaurs, so we knew we had to visit this place.  Their current exhibits intrigued each of us.  There was an exhibit focused on crystals, so DJ and I were sold.  There was one on ancient Egypt and mummification, which captivated, both, Kenny and me.  Mason and Baby K were interested in the nature and dinosaur exhibits and activities, so the museum did not disappoint there.  The boys even got to see paleontologist cleaning fossils as they explored an exhibit.  

Coming from NY it’s hard to impress us in the food department.  However, we ate tons of good food.  You could find a little bit of everything (lots of Mexican food & lots of Ramen!).  Our favorite places were Steuben’s (OMG SO GOOD!), La Loteria Taqueria (Their fried avocado taco is a MUST!), Voodoo Donuts (Donuts all kids will love!), and of course we had to go to In-N-Out Burger.  There was only one in the area (20 minute drive), and as you can imagine, it is popular.  The drive-thru wait time was over an hour! There was even a police officer there to direct the line.  Listening to his advice, we parked in the lot, walked inside to place our order and were out of there in 15 minutes! Why wasn’t everyone doing that? Not sure… 

Red Rocks Hike 

We went on a sunrise hike through Red Rocks.  It was an absolutely beautiful experience.  We used the app “All Trails” to find the “Trading Post Trail”. It was a pretty easy hike.  We got amazing views of Red Rock and even got to see deer eating near by!  

Road Trips

You can’t visit Colorado and not do winter activities, so we took a few day trips to Dillon, Vail (Ski Town), and to Winter Park for some fun in the snow. 

We visited Dillon and Vail on the same day.  We got tickets to visit the Ice Castle in Dillon, so we paired that with a visit to Vail for some shopping and ice skating.   The Ice Castle was cute! The castle itself is intriguing.  It had cool ice sculptures throughout, nice picture moments, and ice slides for the kids.  Vail is a ski town with restaurants, shops, and snow activities.  The weather didn’t permit ice skating, so we didn’t stay long there.  We ate dinner at the Dillon Dam Brewery.  

Winter park was all about outdoor winter fun:  We purchased, in advance, a couple of hours of snow tubing, and Ice bumper cars.  We thought we would ice skate here too, but still none of that was available due to inclement weather.  The snow tubing was lots of fun.  I was happy we split up the hours throughout the day because the way that cold is set up…it was necessary to go indoors and get some heat, drink some hot cocoa, and eat some snacks.  We had dinner at Hernando’s Pizza Pub.  They’re known for their Colorado pizza.  We enjoyed it and you already know it’s hard to impress New Yorkers with pizza.

(Note: These drives through the Colorado mountains are no easy feat at all! Lord! Thank God for Kenny because that was scary driving.)

And now here are some random moments and shots!

Puerto Rico - West Coast

Hi, everyone!  Thank you for checking out this blog about our most recent travels. We had a fantastic time in Puerto Rico and here I will share where we stayed, where we went, what we did, and everything in between.  I’ll start by saying that traveling during a pandemic doesn’t come easy.  We encourage everyone to research even more than you would in “normal times” and really think about what type of traveling works best for you and your family.  Also, I must stress the importance of being socially responsible.  If you decide to travel, please do so responsibly.  When we decided to travel, we got tested for Covid-19 and quarantined while we waited for our results.  Puerto Rico requests that everyone who lands on the island upload negative Covid results no later than 72 hours from your travel date.  It was important to us to make sure we did that for the safety of all.  

Okay so now lets get to the juicy part…

My family has been to Puerto Rico many times, so it was especially important for us to not go to the usual places that we have been to before.  I grew up taking summer trips to the island, but it was always to Ponce (where my family is from) and San Juan.  There is so much more to this beautiful island and now as I continue to visit with my family we wanted a new experience. We decided to visit the west coast of Puerto Rico.  (This turned out to be better than we expected because we avoided big tourist crowds and felt even safer especially during this time.  Also, the beaches and restaurants were a lot less crowded and were frequented by locals.)  We stayed in Isabela, but also explored Aguadilla and Rincon.

The cities we visited are on the north west part of the island.

“Cara Del Indio” Isabela, Puerto Rico. This marks the entrance to “Porta del sol”, the west coast region of the island.

We booked an Airbnb that we absolutely LOVED.  I will not share the exact posting here, but I will advise everyone to use the filters on Airbnb and think about what will work best for your family and/or your vacation plans.  For us, it’s always important that we have the entire place.  The beaches were said to be closed, so I knew I wanted a pool for the kids in case we couldn’t make it to the beaches.  It was important for us to have a private pool that we weren’t sharing with others because we wanted to be as safe as possible, so once again I used the Airbnb filters to show listings of houses with a private pool.  I searched the entire island and then the specific west coast cities I was interested in visiting.  We found our perfect house in Isabela and we couldn’t have been happier.

After doing some quick google searches on Isabela, Aguadilla, and Rincon tourism and reading information from a few websites, I had a list of activities, experiences, and places that we would want to do.  I called all the places in advance to make sure they were open and just had a few conversations about expectations.  If it was a restaurant, I would always make a reservation if they allowed us to, if it was an activity I asked my questions, and reserved if I needed to.  

What did we do in Isabela?

Paseo Lineal and Tablado de Isabela 

This is such a delightful experience!  We rented bicycles from Pedalea Isabela located in Villa Pesquera and rode bikes through the city of Isabela. We also rode on the paseo lineal.  While riding there you will see beautiful scenery of farmland and of course the beach!  The path does cross several streets with traffic, so be attentive of little ones.  The paseo lineal leads you to the tablado - a boardwalk on the beach that is absolutely beautiful.  You can walk on the boardwalk or ride bikes like we did.  

Jobos Beach

Calle 459 - Isabela, Puerto Rico

Wow!  We loved this beach! First, it’s absolutely gorgeous!  It’s also near lots of restaurants.  I was a bit worried because the beach is known for worldwide surfing events, but the water is calm enough for little ones! We spent the entire day there and even went back there for lunch and a drink on another day. We went on a weekday, in an effort to avoid crowds and we packed super light.  We were told the beaches were only open for swimming and sports, so we didn’t pack coolers or chairs because we figured we’d be in the water for a few hours and then leave when we got tired.  However, the beach wasn’t crowded and the people that were there had their towels spread out on the sand and would rest there, so we followed suit.  We found a tree to sit on and rest our belongings on and when we weren’t in the water, we rested there.  There was a great restaurant right on the beach called Uma’s, so we went there for drinks and snacks, while at the beach.  The boys also took a surfing lesson while there and if you book surfing lessons you get 10% off your bill at Uma’s, so while the kids surfed, we had some Don Q with parcha (aka passion fruit) and some fish empanadas.  All while having front row seats to the boys’ surfing lessons! 

Horseback Riding with Tropical Trail Rides

We called Tropical Trail Rides in advance and made reservations for their morning riding session.  We figured the temperature would be cooler in the morning and that would also allow us to have the rest of the day to do what we wish.  The ride itself is about 2 hours long and you ride through the forest and two beaches (Shacks beach and Survival beach).  We initially thought we would do it as a family, but after arriving there and realizing that Baby K would have to ride with me on my horse, I wasn’t comfortable with the idea.   I’m not an experienced rider, and 2 hours in the sun with a two year old didn’t sound like something my child could do, so baby k stayed back with dad and I rode with the older boys.   

The ranch is beautiful and the horses are known to be gentle and well taken care of.  I LOVED the vibe here.   The horses were so well behaved and excellent with the riders, especially with the children.  I also liked that they pair you up with your horse based on age, size, and personality.  

Our experience was great and it rained (poured actually!) for half of our ride, but honestly the rain made it that much more special.  I would definitely do this again the next time I’m in Isabela.  

Restaurants that we dined at in Isabela: By Cheffs (so good), Sonido del Mar, Uma’s.  We missed El Platanal because they were closed for renovations, but if you’re there check them out because I heard that’s THE BEST restaurant for authentic and fresh Puerto Rican food.  

What did we do in Aguadilla?

Playa Crash Boat 

Another beautiful beach!  This beach is known for its crystal blue waters and people often jump from the piers.  People also bring gear for snorkeling because of the easily visible life in the water.  We saw a ton of different fish swimming around us, a little crab walking around the beach, and 4 big fish (probably the size of tuna!).  The water is calm and we loved our time on this beach.  Once again, we visited the beach during the week to avoid any big crowds.  On this beach there were a couple of vendors selling drinks and piraguas. There is also a restaurant across the parking lot that we visited while we were at the beach.  It was another great day!

Palmas Cafe

Some Cold Drinks @ Palmas Cafe

This restaurant came very highly recommended.  Honestly, it didn’t live to my expectations of it, but what I did like was that it offers healthier and vegetarian options.  After a few days of heavy Puerto Rican food and frituras, we wanted something light and some vegetables and Palmas Cafe offers that. 

Survival Beach 

We were on this beach when we rode horses, but not on the section of the beach known to have picturesque scenery and huge boulders.   For this section, you have go through a very specific route, which we were intended on finding. This is what we did: We parked our car in “Surfer’s beach.”  When you arrive there go down the hill to park on the beach level.  Drive carefully because the road is bumpy.  To the right you will see the sign that begins your hike to the beach and the bridge you cross over. 

The hike isn’t too strenuous, but it definitely isn’t a clear pathway and requires some attention.  There are a couple spots on the trail where you may question where to go, but for the most part it’s pretty clear.  Follow where there is space for your body to fit.  Most of it is made up of deep tree roots, so follow that.  However, there are also rocky outcrops and slippery slopes.  Wear good sneakers (no flip flops or sandals).  Also, wear sneakers you do not care about.  My sneakers were soaked, sandy, and on my hike back got caught in a rock and ripped.  There are also a few parts where you may have to climb over or go under a tree limb. 

Just hiking on through.

There are no signs that you have arrived, but you will know because you will begin to see the beautiful beach and some boulders.  This is just the beginning; continue to walk on the beach, always going to the right.  You will have to climb again at the end of this first part of the beach. 

This is the initial view after we began our hike. From here we walked on the beach...continuing to our right and eventually started hiking up some rocks and ...

Here I am walking on the beach before the second hike to find the caves.

Here is the end of the walk that leads to continue the second part of the hike to the caves.

We went back up rocks and continued our hike in this rocky area that also has some shrubs and greenery. This short hike will lead you to an even more beautiful part of the beach.  This is where the cave is.  

We visited this beach for the experience, to get the view, and to take photos.   It wasn’t our intention to actually swim in the beach.  However, if you’re interested in swimming there are areas where the water is calm and you can swim around.  Expect to see lots of sea life though.  When we went there were a ton of crabs everywhere and I read that there are often sea urchins.  Also, the beach is secluded, so you’ll probably be there alone.  While we were there, we only saw one other couple.  

TIPS

• Wear good sneakers that you don’t care about.

• Travel Light (We had a book bag with 2 water bottles, our phones, and a very light tripod). You don’t need towels.  The heat will have you dry in no time.

• The surf is tough where the cave is.  Arrive early to beat the tide.  We got there at 9:30 am, but I wish we would’ve arrived earlier than that.  I would try to be there between 8am-9am. 

I also want to add that because we aren’t hikers we were a bit apprehensive about going, but once we were there actually hiking through the forest we realized it wasn’t as bad as we thought and the reward is amazing. There are some spots where we almost turned back only because we had never done it before and we were unsure, but trust me, just keep going.  

Now let me make fun of myself and share the bloopers…

Quick stops in Rincon and Loiza

Rincon, the city at the most western tip of the island, is known for their beautiful sunsets, so we wanted to have an outdoor dinner there at least one night.   We ate at The Beach House, which we LOVED. The food is excellent and the view is gorgeous.  Too bad we went on a day that was overcast, but we still enjoyed it very much.  

The town of Loiza, is near San Juan, so we went there on our last day, since we were flying out of San Juan.  Loiza is known for their excellent food, which you can find in the part of the town called Piñones.  We stopped for some frituras and drinks.  In addition, Loiza is rooted in Puerto Rico’s African ancestry, so expect to see a celebration of “everybody black.” ::Issa Rae Voice::

I hope this blog helps you out if you find yourself on the West Coast of Puerto Rico or that it inspires you to book a trip there. Trust me - you wont regret it!

Tulum

Every year Kenny and I go away for a week, without the kids, to explore a new place and enjoy each other. In the five years we have been together, we’ve been to Washington, DC, Cancun, Ocho Rios, New Orleans, Cartagena, Los Angeles, Cabo, and our most recent travels were to Tulum.

As a family we’ve been to Orlando, Ft. Lauderdale, San Juan, St. Maarten, Myrtle Beach, and Los Angeles…Since we always receive a ton of questions from people about our little getaways, in regard to planning, and places we visit, we have decided to blog and vlog about our trips as a couple and as a family, so that we can share our adventure, but more so, so that we can provide travel tips to anyone who wishes to travel to any place we have visited and wants to know some cool places and activities. Here’s our guide to Tulum.  I hope you enjoy it.  

We went to Tulum for 7 days, six nights. We flew to Cancun, which is the closest airport and then drove to Tulum. We rented a car, but there are shuttles, and buses you can take to Tulum. I don’t know much about the bus system (like how long it would take, stops, price), but I know the busses are charter busses, so at least you’re traveling in comfort.  Our car rental was done at the airport, and cost us 130 bucks for the week.

In regard to accommodations, we decided to stay at an AirBnb. Kenny and I love to explore. We like to eat at different places, visit where the locals go, so all inclusive resorts aren’t the best choice when we travel without the kids. We know we don’t spend a lot of time in the hotel, so it’s just not a good option for us. Some people do not feel safe or trust AirBnb, especially out of the country, but we have never had any issue with our Airbnb. With that said, always read reviews when booking Airbnb and know that you get what you pay for! Don’t expect a 5 star experience if you’re paying a 3 star price. That’s my only advice.

Our AirBnb was in Tulum Town. We liked that we got to stay in town because we knew the beach would be full of tourists and again, Kenny and I like to explore. We don’t want to be around tourists only. The Airbnb was pretty close to restaurants and bars that we liked, but we had to drive to the beach. (Most people drive or ride a bike to the beach from town.) It was in a building with a secure locked gate, management office, and workers that would patrol the premises and the gate, so we always felt safe.  It was also very cute and quirky.  I especially loved the art in the apartment and the garden and rooftop pool.  

Day 1

By the time we checked in to our place and settled in it was early evening, so we got ready for dinner and  explored the beach strip a little, since that’s where a lot of the “nicer” restaurants were.  We ate dinner at Gitano, and had drinks at Mur Mur. It was Saturday Night so it was pretty busy everywhere. We recommend making reservations for restaurants on the strip.

In regard to our dining experience, We didn’t really like Gitano. I ordered the fish, which was highly recommended by the waiter, and I did not like it at all. I kept thinking, “Wow, and this is supposed to be one of their best dishes!” It was under seasoned, on the small side, came covered in spinach, no other sides, and cost the equivalent of about 40 American dollars.  The drinks were good, but overall it’s not worth what you’re paying for, in my opinion.

The drinks at Mur Mur were good and we sat on swings by the strip, so it resulted in some good people-watching.

Day 2

Beach Day!

We started our day with breakfast in Don Cafeto (Tulum Town). This was our favorite breakfast place, so we ended up going there more than once. As a starter they give you a complimentary pickled vegetable dish, called escabeche, which we really enjoyed. The food and the coffee were really good too. We ate, had coffee, and juice for 20 American dollars including tip!  

After breakfast we went to Playa Paraiso, a public beach on the strip. You can rent chairs for 200 pesos each and there is food and drinks that you can purchase. We didn’t love their margaritas. It tasted like margarita mix to us, so we started to order tequila and their grapefruit soda (basically our bootleg version of a Paloma) and that turned out to be the best drink we had there.

Other than that we did some more people- watching. We happened to be seated right by the “crooked palm tree”, which is an Instagram photo frenzy, so we had a good time looking at all the people take their pictures there. Lots of funny things happened!

We had dinner at “Antojitos La Chiapaneca”. Lawdddd! Best tacos I’ve ever had! This place was walking distance from our AirBnb. An average sized corner restaurant where locals eat. Their popular taco is the Al Pastor taco, which they cut off right in front. It’s super cheap and delicious. If you find yourself in Tulum you better stop there! We went back a few times to grab tacos during our stay.

Day 3

Breakfast at Ki’bok!  We really enjoyed the coffee there.  Kenny had the chilaquiles and I had avocado toast! Kenny loved the chilaquiles! 

Once we had full bellies, we headed to Laguna Kaan Luum and thank God we did! First off, it’s beautiful, but also it was the only time I actually got in the water!

[Side note - After visiting the beach the day before, Kenny and I were alarmed at the amount of seaweed in the ocean. There was so much of it! Well, we learned that it’s actually an epidemic that began about 4 years ago. I’m not really sure why, but the locals explained that the seaweed showed up to the shore in immense bunches and the government has spent millions of dollars trying to fix the issue because, of course, it’s affecting tourism. Anyhow, I did not get into the beach because of it, so that was a bummer for me because I enjoy bathing in the ocean. Back to Laguna Kaan Luum though…]

Tulum is known for its many cenotes and lagoons. We didn’t visit a cenote this time because we did that when we went to Cancun a few years ago and honestly we didn’t love it. Cenotes are usually very deep and the water is freezing. We are not about that life! So we chose a lagoon this time and Laguna Kaan Luum was perfect.

There is no food or beverages sold there but you can bring your own. We brought some drinks and chips because we ate a good breakfast and figured we could eat when we leave. They also do not allow any sunscreen, which was tough for me. Their rationale is that they are trying to preserve the natural beauty of the place, which I understand, but I’m very serious about my sunscreen, so that wasn’t great for me.

The place itself is a beautiful green shallow body of water, complete with a deck and a few small nooks with wooden benches in the shade. Most people were on the deck sunbathing or in the water.

We spent a few hours there and then we left to visit the Ruins.

The advice we read in regard to visiting the ruins is to get to there either early in the morning or a few hours before they close. This way, you avoid big crowds and aren’t there when it’s super hot, although you could always take a dip in the beach there. However, we knew we would go later in the afternoon whenever we did visit because that made the most sense to us when considering our plans.  

The ruins are amazing.  I just felt connected to the ancestry of the place and in the presence of Gods.  We walked around, stared in amazement, took some pictures, and just enjoyed the magic.  

Since we were on the beach strip, we drove to Mateo’s Mexican Grill and had dinner there. The food was pretty good.  I loved their cucumber margaritas and there was live jazz music that night, so we really enjoyed ourselves.  This place is pretty big.  They have  a sunset rooftop, ping pong tables and other fun things.  We went back to our Airbnb, but first we had gelato from Campanella Cremerie in town.  Overall, it was a great day!

Day 4

New day, new town, and new beach! 

On this day we decided to drive to Akumal, eat breakfast there and go to the beach.  We ate breakfast at Turtle Bay Cafe and Bakery.  All was good there, but this is where it gets interesting.  We had parked the car for the day, so we asked the waitress if the beach was far from the place and she said it was right up the road.  She didn’t mention anything else, but I guess in retrospect, what could she say, but direct us.  She wasn’t aware of our plans or circumstance.  Anyhow, we left the restaurant and began walking to the beach.  After walking for more than 5 minutes (and still no beach), I begin to hear men by the road asking if we want to go to the beach for “100 pesos” and initially I think, “damn, how far are we?  Because they must be charging to drive you there.  So I come up to this security booth and ask the worker, if we were walking in the correct direction for the beach.  He says, the beach is “that way” and points in a different direction.  He said the direction I was walking to would lead me to a restaurant (one that we actually had planned to have dinner in, but I don’t even remember the name now because by the end of the day I just wanted to leave Akumal!) and that there is a beach at the restaurant, but that it’s very rocky and not ideal for swimming.  He then says that I could go with the men for cheaper or walk to the main entrance for double the fee.  SO TRUSTING that the worker wouldn’t lie to little ol’ me, and being tired of walking already, we pay the guy 100 pesos to take us to the beach.  He takes us through this backroad, collects his 100 pesos and leaves us there.  He tells us to keep walking straight and eventually we will get to the beach, so we do so.  We pass a few hotels and find the beach.  The first section was a private section of the beach for guests of that hotel, so we keep walking.  We pass by a small area where people are  laid up on towels on the sand in front of some palm trees and a restaurant, but we keep walking because we want to rent lounge chairs, of course.  Soon after, we arrive at a part with nice lounge chairs so I inquire with a worker about possibly renting.  He tells me that the part I’m in is private property that belongs to another hotel.  At this point I’m getting a bit annoyed because we’ve been walking, trying to find the beach, so we can finally relax in the sun, and we even paid some random guy to get here.  (I can laugh about this now, but I was so annoyed!). And so I ask him, where the public part of the beach is, to which he responds by pointing to the front of the restaurant where people are on towels on the sand, and also points to the shore, literally where the water is.  I wanted to smack someone.  At this point Kenny can tell that I’m upset, so he says, “Lets go to the restaurant, have a drink, and regroup.”  

While sitting there we decided to slum it on the floor in front of the restaurant like the other people, since we had already spent so much time driving there and trying to find it.  (We got lost driving there, so it took longer than it should’ve to get there. Now I think that was God trying to save me.) . We had a couple of cold ones, laid on our towels, and Kenny did some reading, while I did some yoga breathing to relax.  

We didn’t stay there long, but what I can say is that it was a nice ride there and in Akumal we saw amazing street art.  I wish we would’ve taken some photographs, but we were both so annoyed that we didn’t.  

After the beach, we headed back to the AirBnb, enjoyed the rooftop at our place, showered, and then went to dinner a few blocks away at El Camello Jr.  We both had the fried fish and it was delicious! 

Day 5

On this day we started with breakfast at Del Cielo, which we really enjoyed! We had rented bikes from our AirBnb, so we rode there and after breakfast spent the early afternoon riding bikes through town.  

After the bike riding, what else could we do, but end up back at the beach?  Playa Paraiso once more for the win!  

We did some reading by the ocean, one of my favorite things to do on this planet.

Tulum Town

Day 6

Right by our place there was a restaurant called Burrito Amor.  Every time we walked or drove by, this place was crowded with people, so today we decided to try them.  Obviously, by their name, you can imagine they specialize in burritos, and since I’m not a burrito fan, I had the avocado toast, but Kenny had their breakfast burrito and enjoyed it. 

After breakfast, we headed to the jungle side of the beach strip for a couple’s massage at Mayan Clay Spa.  That was amazing! The Mayan clay had our bodies feeling so soft! You have to get fully naked and they will rub clay all over you (even your hair), but it’s worth it.  

Our building manager at the AirBnb had recommended La Zebra beach club, and since it was across from the spa, we went there for lunch, drinks, and more beach time.  We spent the afternoon in La Zebra, had some more gelato, and then went back to the place to get ready for our evening plans. 

Our evening plans consisted of drinks and appetizers at Papaya Playa Project, followed by a sexy Cabaret Pop Up Show called Les Bains on the property.  Then we went back to “Antojitos La Chiapaneca” for some late night tacos (they were even better late night!) and we finished it with drinks at the strip in Tulum town known for their bars and night life.  

Lets Get Naughty, Les Bains @ PPP

Day 7

On this day, we had arrived at our last day, so we had breakfast at Don Cafeto for the last time and did some shopping in town.  That’s all we could do before we had to say goodbye to Tulum and head to the airport to catch our flights back home.

It was a great trip.  I had an amazing time with my love.  On to the next one… 

Oh, yes. of course. “Follow That Dream”