Seattle, Washington. We’ve all heard how much it rains there, who in their right mind would want to visit there? Returning from an Alaskan cruise a couple of years ago, we decided to stay in Seattle for a few extra days, because we knew it would never likely make it ON the travel wish list and we figured we might as well check it out while we were there. I LOVED IT, and now I can’t wait to go back! If you ever get close to or have the chance to pass through Seattle, or just want a neat place to go, plan on spending a few days there.
We stayed in the Warwick Hotel, which is just blocks away from Pike Place Market. Since we had just disembarked from a cruise and it was early morning, they did not have a room ready for us. So, I picked up a Seattle CityPASS using my smartphone
Oddly enough, we were there during a “drought” and it didn’t rain while we were there which meant we walked ALL OVER the place. The Seattle CityPASS allowed us to visit 5 of 7 Seattle attractions, and allowed us 9 days in which to use it. We were only going to be there 3 days, so we made the most of our time. We could use the pass to visit the Space Needle twice (a must!) during day and night, the Seattle Aquarium, take an Argosy Harbor Tour, check out the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP) or the Woodland Park Zoo, and visit Chihuly Garden or the Pacific Science Center for $79/person. This was a bargain for all we got to do.
The first thing we did was go up in the Space Needle. You cannot visit Seattle without checking out the Space Needle. You ride an elevator up 605 feet to the observation deck, which allows you incredible 360 degree views of Seattle. It’s pretty breathtaking up there. There was also a restaurant you could eat in once at the top.
After that we ventured over to the Pacific Science Center that was very educational yet fun. The added benefit is a most beautiful butterfly exhibit that was worth every minute we spent there.
From there, we headed back to check into our hotel. The Warwick Hotel was located right in the heart of most Seattle attractions and we had a most comfortable, awesome room with a small balcony that looked out into downtown.
Once we were settled in, we ventured back out–this time headed to Pike Place Market, which is a huge, Farmers/Crafts/Specialty Foods Market. I LOVED Pike Place. You could walk/shop/people watch for hours and there was a lot to take in.
We stopped at Pike Place Fish Co. OMG, I couldn’t believe the varieties of seafood they were selling and the quirkiness of their presentation. The guys would also sing a song every time they made a sale, which was non-stop.
We bought some Salmon Candy
Once we got down to the waterfront below Pike Place, we made our way over to Pier 57. We had a tasty late lunch at a place called The Fisherman’s Restaurant–incredible clam chowder–and then made our way to ride the Great Wheel.
We wrapped up our day by grabbing some dinner at a place called Cutter’s Crabhouse. I had the most wonderful Cutter’s Signature Louie Salad and have vowed I will return to this restaurant someday for dinner again! The rest of the dinner menu looked awesome!
Since I just realized how long this post has gotten, Seattle will be continued. For more Fun And Interesting Things To Do In Seattle Washington, click here
Travel Music Tuesday–Don Omar
Don Omar-Danza Kuduro ft. Lucenzo
I first heard this song while vacationing in Mexico, so of course it reminds me of being at a beach party!
Download the song by clicking below:
I'm no Wanderer, Nomad, or Expeditioner
I don’t do never-ending trips, living out of my backpack, forgoing my home address, staying at hostels. I don’t choose to travel to obscure places, with nothing but a carry-on, working along the way to pay my way, or seek out particularly adventurous activities. You will never find me sky-diving in Singapore, or extreme hiking a volcano in Hawaii. Those are great endeavors for those younger, with fewer responsibilities, or fewer restraints who have higher aspirations in their lives. I don’t knock them for it. I admire them for it, and more power to them for doing it.
That type of travelling is not for me. Maybe a long time ago I would have done some of those things, but I guess I’m just at a point in life where I just like to go places. I like to go nice, pretty places–typically with a beach. I am a scuba diver, so I frequently will go somewhere that has good diving. (I guess I WOULD consider diving with sharks someday, but that’s because most sea creatures don’t even realize you are there.)
I really prefer a nice resort, in a nice locale, with good food, cocktails and company. I like to take trips that I consider relaxing. While I do like to get out and experience the culture and architecture, I do like to come back to my nice resort at the end of the day, have a cocktail or two, eat a nice dinner (especially if there is seafood involved), watch the sunset, and maybe catch an entertaining show.
I like to meet and mingle with the other guests at my resort, whether it’s Don and Stephanie who live a couple of hours away from us back home, or Jeff and Terri from New Jersey, or Paul and Silvia who live in another country.
I’m not a fan of “roughing” it, which means I like air-conditioned (or heated) rooms when necessary. Sometimes, I just like to have a day to sit in my chair on the beach and read a mindless novel. Maybe I want to go up to the resort spa and get a massage. There may even be an evening where I don’t even want to go to dinner. I like a resort that will let me order room service. Sometimes, I’m happy when the resort brings local vendors in to peddle their wares. I’m not big on shopping, but this allows me to pick up the few necessary souvenirs without finding a driver to take me on a shopping trip.
I always try to take a couple of excursions when in a new locale, however, I don’t really feel zip-lining, parasailing, or horseback riding in the ocean are activities I need to do in every, single country I visit. Been there, done that. I will go out on a boat almost anywhere. It’s a good way to see some of the natural scenery. Now, if it includes a pirate show, lobster dinner, or snorkeling stops during the ride–BONUS! I like tours that include history of the area or cultural information. Sometimes, I may even join in on volunteer excursions. Or, I can just park it at the beach or pool and be perfectly content.
Maybe that makes me a boring person, or selfish, or whatever. I think I’m just a typical person who likes to use vacation time away to re-charge while not completely being a beach bum. I try to experience all aspects of my trip and just BE in the moment and creating memories. Feel free to comment below on how you like to vacation. I’d like to hear if there are others like me.
Cottage In Negril by Tyrone Terry
This is one of my all time favorite travel songs. I first heard it in Jamaica a few years ago and it has been a favorite of mine ever since. It’s a classic reggae song that sings of places in Jamaica that I have been. I love the beachy, reggae vibe–it just SOUNDS like Jamaica.
You can buy and download the song by clicking the pic below:
Tragedy in Huatulco
Well, not really a tragedy, but definitely a small scare. After our mountain excursion which included hiking to the Llano Grande waterfall, I got to experience Mexican Medico care. I remember on the ride back to the resort, having an achy feeling on my face right on my jawline. I didn’t really think much of it, I figured I was about to have a break-out from using so much sunblock on my face.
I woke around 2 am to excruciating pain on my jawline. When I reached up to touch my face, I realized something was really wrong. In the dark of our room, I could feel a knot on my jaw that was burning hot and about the size of an egg. I quietly laid in bed until about 5 am, but when I realized it was getting bigger and probably wasn’t going to go away without some antibiotics, I woke hubby. I wouldn’t let him turn on the lights to look at the assumably freakish-looking growth on my face. Instead, I told him he was going to have to get me to a doctor–and soon!
We knew there was a Medico on resort, and called the front desk to find out where he was located and what were his hours. Apparently, the front office agent thought my 6 am call was serious enough and he patched me on through to the Medico, whom I obviously woke up. He said he would be on resort by 9 am and could see me then. I was in so much pain by then, we were waiting at his office an hour early.
The doctor was dressed in a pink shirt, white pants, and pink shoes and had two assistants who’s combined age probably wasn’t even 40. (Really, they looked like tweens.) He took a look at my face and said he believed I had been bitten by “something” and said he would need to give me a shot in the cheek (he clarified big cheek, not little cheek) and write me 2 prescriptions, which I could then fill conveniently right in his office. He said it would require $450 USD in order to get treatment.
I was in the habit of charging resort services to the room and presumed I could do that with the medico visit. Nope! No credit cards either. He said $450, cash, US dinero. I was rooting through my small purse (it’s really only big enough to carry a little cash and a cell phone) trying to count up my cash on hand. The tweens, who were now on either side of me intently looking down into my purse as I was sorting the cash, now felt like thugs. I was sure if I balked at giving them every last dollar I had in my little purse, they would take it anyway. We had only brought about half of the requested amount up from the room with us (thinking certainly it wouldn’t cost THAT much), but the good doctor said he would be leaving the office soon and we could put the rest in an envelope and slip it under his door before noon that day.
After my shot, and 2 filled prescriptions for medicines I’ve never heard of, we left the Medico’s office. We returned before noon and slipped the rest of the money under his office door. It really felt like we were committing some type of crime instead of paying the doctor’s bill. Thankfully, within a couple of days, the swelling in my face had subsided and I was starting to feel better.
This was one of the incidents that made me see the value in travel insurance (see my post on Why You MUST Buy Travel Insurance). While this small claim probably wouldn’t have even met the deductible I likely would have chosen, and I still would have had to pay cash, what if it had been worse or cost even more? Or what if I didn’t have the cash on hand? I don’t even want to think about that.
Coral Reef Seafood
This is just a brief public service announcement, my own opinion really. The past weekend was one of the hottest on recent record. We didn’t really have any plans, except to stay cool, so we headed to the Lake of the Ozarks for the weekend. What could be cooler than staying in the water most of the weekend? Since “The Lake” is only an hour drive from home, we don’t really consider it a trip. But, it is just far enough that with different activities, shopping, and scenery they have down there, it is like a mini-vacay.
The weekend’s best discovery goes to Coral Reef Seafood. If you like seafood, fresh seafood, that can remind you of being on vacation and you know how to cook it, this is a place you have to find. I’ve known they were at the Lake for years, but when they moved to their current location, I lost track of them. Sunday, before we headed back home, I found them. They are located at 5370 Osage Beach Parkway at the Case Rd exit.
I went through that entire store, TWICE! Their prices were pretty reasonable for seafood, and I ended up picking up some Crab and Shrimp stuffed Orange Roughy to take home for dinner that night. It was easy enough to bake for 30 minutes at 375 degrees and needed nothing added to it to make it scrumptious!
I also picked up a pound of large, raw shrimp which looks like it will be for dinner tonight. Steamed until they turn pink, they should go well with a nice, big salad, which is all I have appetite for in this heat!
My last favorite find was that they carry some of Jamaica’s Island Spice –specifically the Fish Spice. Now, the next time our friend Paul comes to visit from Jamaica, I will have the Island Spice Fish Seasoninghe uses in many of his recipes.
At any rate, I urge you, if you like to cook fresh seafood and you are anywhere in the Lake area, you MUST stop at Coral Reef Seafood. I’m already making my list for the next time we go back.
Huatulco, Mexico
Until the 1980s, Huatulco, (Oaxaca) Mexico was little more than a small coffee-growing area. In 1984, the National Fund of Tourism decided to begin development of the area to develop a tourist development similar to Cancun, but on the Pacific coast of Mexico. So far, I would have to say they are succeeding. Thankfully, Huatulco is a bit more spread out than Cancun giving the resorts a more secluded, laid back feel than in Cancun.
We found a bargain on FunJet–non-stop from St. Louis to Huatulco for an entire week. Having never heard of Huatulco, we did minimal research on the place and decided the price was right for a week. What a great decision!
We stayed at Secrets, which is considered an Unlimited Luxury All Inclusive Resort and was adult-only. At first I was a little bummed–we were planning to book a swim out suite–and I literally watched the last one sell out on FunJet. We ended up in a regular room that was beautifully decorated and overlooked the pool and beach, but my next trip to Secrets will be in a swim out. They looked incredibly fun and the pool waiters served drinks to the private pools which were connected to each room.
This resort is more compact because it’s set into the hills, so it’s more up and down than sprawled out. We loved riding the glass elevator up to the sky bar each evening and hanging out there until we decided where to go for dinner.
Usually at an AI resort, hubby and I go to the spa at least once for a couples massage. Secrets had a Pevonia spa that had a hydrotherapy circuit–which we had never experienced before. If you ever get the chance for a hydrotherapy massage, go for it. This was one of the best massages we had ever had and we now search out resort spas that have hydrotherapy.
There were lots of very reasonably priced excursions to take in Huatulco as well. Because it’s a relatively “young” tourist area, the tour companies basically give the excursions away. We took a mountain excursion that lasted all day, took us up in the mountains, hiking to the Llano Grande waterfall, providing a wonderful lunch, and stopping at local shops on our way back to the resort.
Another excursion we went on was a boat tour/snorkeling excursion of five local bays and coastline of Huatulco. The snorkeling was decent even though the currents were pretty strong and we got to see some neat rock formations and smaller towns along the coast.
Luckily we were there during the “dry” season. Apparently, during the rainy season, which is June through September, it rains non-stop for most of every day. The locals we talked with in the mountains were telling us about how during the last rainy season, which had just ended, they had been trapped in the mountains for days because most of the roads were too waterlogged or completely washed out and they couldn’t drive them. It’s a little more rustic way of life than I’m accustomed to.
Back at the resort, we had some incredibly good restaurants. We found a seafood restaurant that was so good, we went to it twice. I enjoyed some delicious salmon one night, after some seafood soup. Thank goodness there was a little walk back to the resort from the seafood restaurant because I definitely ate too much.
We also enjoyed that we had a Japanese/Sushi restaurant at the resort. My favorite part of that dinner was that they served sake. (I know most people don’t like the stuff, but for some reason, I love it.) I liked it so much, our waiter gave me a small carafe to take with me back to the lobby.
The best thing of all about this particular trip was that we met some really awesome people, Meg and Jason were a lot of fun, and Jacki and Josh were like our oldest besties straight out of the gate. We hung out with them for a lot of the trip, relaxing at the pool bar and going to dinner together a couple of evenings. I sure hope we get to see them soon on another fun vacation!
Grenada–Sandals La Source
Spring 2015, after a long winter, I had a case of spring fever. Yes, I know some people love all four seasons and insist that they love experiencing each one. I am not one of those people. I love the warmth and sun of summer and the outdoor activities. I like fall, seeing the beautiful colors of the changing leaves and the cool, crisp weather that comes in. And I enjoy spring, seeing all of nature re-emerging and the days growing longer. Winter? I’m not a fan. I actually despise it. Shorter days, with darkness coming early, send me into hibernation mode. Those are the days that since it’s dark when I get home from work, it’s all I can do not to just crawl in bed and wait for brighter days to return. Literally, winter saps me and makes me a lazier human. I could easily skip winter, every year. Sure, snow is pretty, but only if I don’t have to get out in it and can stay in my bed all day. Summer? I’m up early and can’t wait to get outside in the sun. I know I really should have moved somewhere warmer, years ago. But, I digress.
Spring fever, 2015, I was longing for a touch of sun to re-energize me. Luckily, I stumbled across a sale going on by Sandals Resorts. Up until our honeymoon at Sandals Grande St. Lucia the year before, I had been a skeptic of the price tag Sandals carries. However, that trip converted me into a fan–see my post Honeymooning in St. Lucia. So, you can imagine my excitement of finding a Sandals sale. It was called a fill-the-rooms sale. This equated to a lower price on less popular days of Sunday through Thursday.
As they say in Jamaica, no problem mon! We flew out on a Sunday planning to stay until Friday. There are no non-stops from Missouri to Grenada, so with a lay-over in Atlanta, it took most of the day to get there. We arrived around 10:00 pm. One of the best things about Sandals La Source Grenada? The resort is just around the corner from the airport, so it took us all of 10 minutes to get there after a long day of airports and flying.
You’d think after such a long day, it would be time for something to eat, and bed. However, stepping off the plane into such warm weather had just the opposite effect. The karaoke show was in full swing by the time we got there after grabbing a sandwich on the way down from our room. We don’t do karaoke (in public anymore) but we had a very fun time relaxing in cocoon swings and watching.
Usually, on vacation, I can’t wait to get up and tackle whatever I can’t do at home, but this trip was different. I was still trying to emerge from winter hibernation, so I didn’t have that itch to do much. We slept in, and never left our resort on this trip, but that’s ok, we had everything we needed right there.
Sandals La Source Grenada is one of their smaller, more intimate resorts. All rooms are close to the pool and beach, although from our village of rooms, it was all down a steep, short hill. We lounged in the pool a lot. Each morning started with pool aerobics, led by a trainer who was incredibly fit, challenging us to use water weights, and who had us sweating in the pool! I wrapped up each work out with a cocktail afterwards just to cool back off.
We took turns experiencing the restaurants on property. One of my favorite things about Sandals is that you never have to make reservations for dinner, there are no “buffets”, and if you’re completely zapped by dinner time, you can order room service. Our first morning there, we discovered there was a Creperie, which served incredible crepes and omelets. 
This was our favorite and became our morning routine. We also enjoyed that we had a sushi bar, “Soy” that was open early for dinner, and we frequently treated ourselves to “late lunch” there. We also had a beachside restaurant that served sandwiches and light dinners in a casual, outdoor environment, and our favorite was Butch’s Chophouse, which had a double meaning. It was named for the creator and owner of Sandals, Butch Stewart (more about him in a sec) and we also joked that it was named after my Dad. Butch’s Chophouse served lobster in addition to steaks, which demanded more than one visit by us,
After our first full day there, we found ourselves at the poolside, open air bar for some live music after dinner. Keep in mind, we usually didn’t finish dinner until late evening, so we were right on time for the show. As we were sitting there people-watching, I saw a man I thought looked familiar flanked by a number of people dressed very professionally. I told my husband I thought that it was Butch Stewart, the owner. After our first Sandals experience I had researched the creation of Sandals. If you enjoy biographies, you should read the story of Butch Stewart, “All That’s Good: The Story of Butch Stewart, the Man Behind Sandals Resorts“. What a fascinating story! My husband joked that there was no way that was the guy I had seen a couple of pictures of. Challenge accepted, I went over and asked him if he was Butch. To my shock, he said yes. (OMG! It’s him!). I told him I was a fan and admired his story and his resorts. I asked if he would mind if we took our picture together, and I will never forget his answer, “My dear, this is Sandals, you can have anything your heart desires”. He had one of the guys with him take our picture with my phone. (Please don’t faint, please don’t faint.) it’s one of my favorite pics ever!
The rest of our vacay was very laid-back and relaxing. We talked about going for some dives–Sandals includes diving for free, and Grenada has an underwater sculpture park. But, we never got around to it. We decided that we would save that for our next trip to Sandals La Source Grenada, which would be a longer trip. So, this post is to be continued…
My First International Trip
Once upon a time there were two 30-somethings who were ready to take a vacation. A REAL vacation, like for a whole week instead of a few days. Even better, they decided to go out of the US for this vacation. After researching several destinations, they decided to go to Jamaica because 1) English is spoken there, 2) they could get there non-stop and 3) there were All Inclusive resorts there, which sounded really appealing.
Before they booked their trip, they needed to get US passports issued.
Anytime you travel to a foreign country, including Canada or Mexico you will need a passport. The easiest way to acquire one, is to work with your nearest post office or visit www.usps.com/international/passports.htm. Tips to remember:
- Apply early–it can take 6-8 weeks to receive your passport
- you can get expedited service which gets your passport delivered in 2-3 weeks
- if you are traveling within 2 weeks, you will want to make an appointment with a passport agency
- Prepare your application
- you can print a passport application online
- you can pick up an application from your local post office that has passport acceptance
- Get a passport photo taken at your post office, Walgreen’s, or any other photo service shop
- Send the appropriate payment with your application
- Track your application until you receive your passport in the mail
They were all set to book their trip. After shopping around on the various websites, and with a travel agent, they went with the best price they found for the Grand Palladium Lady Hamilton resort, which was available through Apple Vacations. (Apple Vacations is still one of my favorite travel websites.) Apple included flights, hotel, AND transportation between the airport and resort, which set it at a better price point.
Things they learned about traveling internationally:
- take smaller bills for tipping at an all-inclusive resort or shopping
- take photo copies of your passport along so you can leave your actual passport in your room safe, yet still have ID with you
- always take along insect repellant, band-aids, and tennis shoes (you never know when you will need them)
- apply for a credit card that charges no international fees (just in case)
- you do not have to exchange your money, but Jamaican dollars will go a little farther
- you do not need to bring your own beach towel to an AI resort
- sign up for US Embassy alerts here so you are aware of any dangers in the country you are traveling to
What they experienced on the trip:
- what a banana tree looks like
- some drinks are not meant to be drank
- make new friends
- play the crazy pool games
- go on excursions
- don’t be afraid to zipline
- do the water aerobics in the mornings
- the (coconut) water is fine to drink
- stop and smell the hibiscus
- experience the culture
They made sure to save some of their souvenir cash for duty free shopping at The Sangster Airport at the end of their trip which was a good call. There were shops for perfume/cologne, booze, including Jamaican Rum Cream which cannot be purchased on US soil, jewelry, t-shirts, and other souvenirs, all sold duty and tax free. I bought some Australian Opal jewelry that was the same color blue as the sea in Jamaica which has been one of my best bargains ever and will always remind me of this trip.
The trip home was topped off by a beautiful sunset flight and that was the first bite of the travel bug. I couldn’t wait to start planning my next trip.
Independence Day Lake Ozark 2017 Wrap Up
All’s well that ends well. After working out the condo situation, Independence Day Lake Ozark Trip 2017 was on! The Land’s End condo we rented through Home Away was gorgeous beyond our wildest dreams. It had two master suites, another bedroom with twin beds, a pull-out sectional couch that also had a chaise lounge built in for sleeping. I’m not sure the homeowner will ever know how grateful we are for that rental, although I left a thank you in the guest book. It was huge and beautiful and more than adequate for our group! Contact me if you ever want to rent the place and I’ll give you more specifics.
We started off our weekend with a stop by the Osage Beach Outlet Marketplace for a pair of shoes (not for me) and then proceeded to Backwater Jack’s to wait for our friends to arrive. We walked around the newly remodeled and expanded complex which now features a ginormous pool with a swim up bar, and had a great dinner with our friends. I had a seafood pasta that was absolutely divine!
The next morning brought Captain Bill to the lake who was ready to take us out on the boat. We took a quick boat ride to a quiet cove to avoid all the holiday water traffic and hung out in the cove most of the day. We made a pit stop at Docknocker’s for some of the best peel and eat shrimp in Missouri and on our way back to the condo we stopped at Dierberg’s grocery and picked up dinners for the rest of the weekend. Hubby grilled some delish steaks and pork chops that night while we watched fireworks from our screened in balcony.
The next day, we all headed over to the boat docks again. Since Captain Bill has a pool adjacent to his dock, some of us stayed there and swam while the others went out on the boat for some serious tube time. Even though Captain Bill had forgotten his swim trunks, he tubed just as well in his cargo shorts.
We finished up that day with some grilled steaks and baked potatoes for the birthday girl’s dinner but we were so exhausted after that, we forgot to cut the birthday cake!
The next morning, Captain Bill and our other friends were due to depart, and other family friends were due to arrive. In the interim, since we had never been there, we headed over to Dog Days to check it out. It’s a very small waterfront bar/restaurant complex, but we ate some killer nachos on the pool deck and enjoyed their pool for a while before heading back to our condo pools–one adult and one kiddie.
We hung out at the adult condo pool until our friends arrived. The pool was beautiful, it overlooked the lake and had a waterfall feature that the kids had a blast playing in. Afterwards, we headed back up to the condo. Hubby grilled again, but it was chicken spedini and bratwurst this time. I’ve never had chicken spedini done on the grill before, but it was incredible. I only wish we had a Dierberg’s at home, so we could try some of the other ready-to-cook specialty meats they carry in their meat department. After dinner, we headed up to the kiddie pool, so the kids could play in the lazy river. Thankfully, no one else was at that pool at that hour so the kids played a fun game of shark.
The next morning was departure day. We loaded up all our clothes and leftover food, cleaned up the condo, and headed out. All the boys rode home, while the girls stopped at Bagnell Dam Strip. We ate ice cream, did some shopping, and even had time to kill at the arcade.
It’s been years since I’ve played skeeball and apparently I’m horribly out of practice.
We arrived home after a short, one hour drive. Exhausted, sunburnt, and happy, we enjoyed Chinese delivery for dinner and listened to the fireworks from our bed. What a great Independence Day!