Rockies to red rocks… a journey shared with friends.

Hi Friends. I’m back with more traveling adventures…. so grab some coffee or tea and curl up with a blanket. This is a great one! They all are though, aren’t they?

This Fall, Fred and I planned our annual getaway and decided to test out the Rocky Mountaineer railway. We decided to stay closer to home and explore the USA more, so we settled on the Denver, CO to Moab, UT route. Rocky Mountaineer has 2 rails they operate… Canadian Rockies and (recently in 2021 opened their first US based route) Denver to Moab. After Moab we decided to go to Zion National Park, about a 5 hour drive from Moab.

So, in all the planning, we decided to invite our dear friends Shane and Tonya. They agreed it sounded like an adventure.

September 9th. So the route from Denver leaves around 8 AM but you have to arrive around 7 AM, so we flew out the day before. We flew American from Peoria to Denver. Upon arriving in Denver we took a Lyft/Uber to Hotel Teatro. This boutique hotel was GREAT. They have a complimentary car that can take you within a certain distance around the hotel. However they were short staffed when we were there, and it wasn’t available when we needed it. But no worries. This hotel was within walking distance of several restaurants and the next morning we walked a few blocks to Union Station. We ate lunch at a burger joint and finished with… ice cream of course! What’s vacation without ice cream? After returning to our hotel we grabbed a taxi to a store that Shane wanted to go see where he gets his favorite cowboy hat. Well, that alone was an adventure. We were not expecting the site that met us… see the store picture below!

Check out “The Cow Lot”. Best cowboy hats around. And it was great to be able to watch them design it and shape it exactly as Shane asked.

After that adventure we went back to the hotel and sat in the lobby and talked a bit. For supper we walked to the Cheesecake Factory. Well known, but a favorite.

September 10. The next morning we got up headed off to the train station. We had checked in the day before, so when we arrived we just stood around and chatted with other passengers while we waited. After everyone was checked in, we loaded up in motor coach buses and headed to another rail yard where the train was waiting. On the way we passed through the beautiful arts district and saw amazing paintings in the sides of buildings.

After pulling out of the rail yard we met our chef (one chef for every car, each car has their own kitchen), and our hostess for the trip. After introductions, they jumped into action to get us our breakfast. The seats were super comfortable and lots of room for walking around. They encourage walking around. After we got outside of Denver the scenery changed from mild hills as we wound upwards into the mountains.

We spent the morning looking out windows and listening to commentary. At one point we passed by the house of one of the Rocky Mountaineer employees, and he and his family came out to greet the train. Like a normal rail experience there were times we stopped and sat and waited for other freight or passenger trains. Eventually they served a delicious lunch. The meals were a treat, and they kept offering drinks. Each car had two restrooms. There were also two large windows in the hallways between cars and oftentimes you could go out there and watch the scenery go by without a window between you.

So I liked this rail route best because we got into Glenwood Springs around 3 pm. If you do this route in the reverse, it leaves Moab late on the afternoon and gets to Glenwood Springs at night around 8 pm. No time to sightsee or even see the area in the daylight. So upon arriving in Glenwood Springs, we loaded into a bus to our hotel. There are several hotels offered. We were assigned the …..NAME. After dropping bags at the hotel and freshening up we got back on the bus to head to town. We visited the Hotel Denver (one of the other hotels offered by Rocky Mountaineer) and the hot springs. After that enjoyed ice cream… because…. vacation! For just sitting all day we were exhausted so we went back to the hotel for a good night’s sleep. We had another early morning start the next day.

Thr glenwood springs rail station

A view of downtown glenwood springs from the pedestrian walkway Bridge.

Known for its hot springs.

September 11. Another beautiful morning. I personally started it with some hot chocolate on the platform. Once we boarded we again were fed a delicious breakfast. Today the scenery changed from mountains to canyons to desert to red rocks.

They wave you out of every station

And they waved and welcomed you into every station also.

From here, literally a desert just outside of Moab, we were let off to board a transfer to the Moab airport where we were going to pickup our rental car. I guess here I should mention that we had run into a small problem… Fred’s birthday was just two days before we left andddd he was due to renew his driver’s license. Well, that detail got missed. Fast forward to car rental, and we realized I was primary driver since Fred couldn’t drive. So I embraced this, and told both boys that I wouldn’t tolerate back seat drivers or female-driver comments. Once in agreement, we hopped in our rental vehicle and drove the first 30-40 miles to grab lunch. Then we hopped onto the Interstate where we would have 90 miles before there was any exits or gas.

After lunch we started out on the remaining 4 hrs drive ahead of us. While chatting with Shane about opening an Airbnb in the west I suddenly braked realizing there was a police officer, and I had no clue what the speed limit was. Sure enough…. I was pulled over. Thankfully he just gave us a warning. Honestly, I think Fred was worried that we would go home with a souvenir we hadn’t planned on buying!

As we set out toward the canyon I was amazed at just how beautiful it really was, and not long into entering the canyon there were lots of oohs and ahhs from the passengers of our car. We made a roadside stop- and boy were we glad we did! The view was breathtaking.

Shane was the best man at our wedding, so glad to share this adventure with him and his wife, Tonya. ❤️

It was late and dark by the time we pulled into the ranch that would be our home for the next 3 nights. We shared a 2-bedroom cabin and it was great! They had a delicious restaurant on site called the Cordwood that we ate for dinner when we arrived. Please note: If planning a trip to Zion this property is at the east entrance. Most of the “downtown areas, coffee and restaurants” are located at the west entrance. So if we wanted to go into town we had to drive the traffic of the park and pass through, while beautiful, it could take 40 mins to do.

September 12. It was a beautiful morning sunrise. We leisurely woke and got started. Today we headed into Zion for a day of hiking. We were hoping to see the Narrows, however when we got to the entrance it had rained before we got there and it was closed due to flooding. Regardless we enjoyed our hike in. After the hike we went to a pizza joint for lunch.

Enjoying our deck while soaking in God’s beauty

The cordwood had a wonderful buffet breakfast every morning.

The drive through the park every day was gorgeous

Fred, the squirrel whisperer.

Weary and hungry hikers.

After that it got darker and a bit of rain came in. We headed back to the cabin to get ready for our evening sunset horseback ride. It turned into a gorgeous night for a ride and we even got a rainbow!

September 13. Another beautiful morning. Another buffet breakfast. Today we had a morning jeeping tour with Zion tours. Our guide was great and took photos for us.

After the tour we went to a nearby resort and ate lunch at their facilities. A pretty good burger. Then we drove to Zion National Park and started our next big hike for the day. This one was more exhausting and a little more elevation. After this hike we went to the lodge and had …. ice cream, of course!

After that we drove back to the cabin. On the way we saw some mountain sheep, so Tonya and I jumped out to get a closer view. Then we made one more stop at a scenic lookout that had a 1 mile hike. We thought that as the sun was going down it’d be a beautiful lookout, so we embraced it. We were not disappointed.

Canyon overlook. You could look down and see the switchbacks we drove every day through the park. It was amazing.

September 14. Our final morning. We said goodbye to our cabin and drove about 1.5 hrs to St George, Utah for our flight. On our last trip through the park we got to see a beautiful ram high up on the mountain in the canyon. We were so excited to see this beautiful picture. We covered the whole state of Utah pretty well with this trip!

Thanks for coming along on this trip. It was the perfect mix of relaxing and active. Lots of good talking, laughter, and a great opportunity to be together with friends. Would you enjoy a trip like this?

Happy birthday to you….

Hello friends. Been a real hot minute since I’ve shared this space with you. But I’m here. Still alive and kicking. Just business as usual!

So birthdays are one of the special occasions that I get the honor of planning special trips for. Lots of trips for the older groups that have more time off work or are retired but I’ve also done my share of younger trips 21st birthdays, 30th birthdays and this year several 40th birthday celebrations.

Last year I celebrated a big birthday and my husband and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary so we naturally combined that into one trip….more on that trip in another post as I catch up. But this year several of my friends started also having big birthdays so I put my head into it and came up with some fabulous trips!

One of these trips was to the beautiful islands of Turks and Caicos. Curious…have you heard of it? Or never? Turks was one of the destinations I had my eyes on for our honeymoon but opted away from it. But I’ve long desired to go. So go I did! In June for 4 nights my cousin-friend and I, with the blessing of my husband and support of family for childcare, high tailed it out of Illinois. The water flying in was GORGEOUS. And the water there was just as beautiful.

Some fun facts about Turks and caicos airport. It’s super small. 1 runway. Meaning we circled the island for about 10 mins before given clearance to land. And when you take off, you go down the runway, turnaround, THEN takeoff.

When we arrived we entered the building and promptly had about a one and a half hour line to get through customs/immigration. At this point I want to say if you are considering traveling to Turks with a family and they are still in that tantrum throwing age-stage then by all means pay the extra money and do the VIP pass to get you through quicker and not have to stand in the heat and the long wait. Several planes arrived at one time…or within minutes of each other.

Once through there, we went out and a man asked if we needed a taxi. Saying yes he then ushered us to one that was going where we were going, so we hopped in and were quickly on our way. Taxi to our resort, West Bay Club, was about $12/pp and was only about 15 mins away. Taxi is the easiest way to get around on the island. You can drive/rent a car, but keep in mind they drive fast and on the other side of the road.

The views pulling up to West Bay Club. Charming. Quaint. Lovely.

We arrived around 4:30 pm got to our beautiful furnished studio and headed to enjoy the beach for a bit. West bay club is owned condos, meaning some of the people there are owners and stay there awhile at a time. Each room is different decor based on the different owner’s tastes. If owners aren’t using their rooms then they can opt to rent them out. Breakfasts were included with our stay. There was one restaurant on site and it served up by the lobby or for lunch down by the beach.

But first! CAKE! Special birthday gift waiting for my cousin upon our arrival.

Sample of studio room decor

Balcony/porch off our room

Our first evening in Turks. Don’t expect lush either. Turks it’s more dry grassy not lush and as green except around resort areas.

The walkway from the beach to the resort grounds.

From the beach in front of the resort you could get a massage (must be scheduled in advance and an offsite massage therapist comes to either your room or the beach canopy.) You can also get motorized activities. We thought the tubing option looked fun so we gave it a try. It was amazing and we laughed and bounced for about 15 mins or so.

It was a short getaway so we didn’t venture off the grounds much and I didn’t tour other properties like I normally would. However we did walk down the beach to Somewhere Cafe. This mexican restaurant was located by the Windsong resort and had some of the smoothest guacamole I’ve ever had, it was very good. Believe it or not I also tried my first fish tacos. We did this restaurant for lunch as walking on the beach at nighttime is NOT recommended for safety purposes. Overall we felt very safe on the island. I like to recommend clients discuss with concierge whats safe and not safe in their location.

Somewhere cafe… you can walk to from the beach at West Bay Club.

On Thursday nights in the summer it’s recommended you go to the “fish fry”. It’s a large open area, market of sorts, that everyone comes and sells their souvenir and gifts to the tourists. And the local restaurants bring food trucks. You can have fish tacos, shrimp, conch fritters, daiquiri, and other slushee type tropical alcholic drinks. There is loud music and dancing. I mention the loud music because for some this would’ve been too loud and obnoxious. It was a great experience for me but once was enough. That said some will love this venue and some will prefer to stay at their quiet resorts. There are police there patrolling and taxis coming and going from this very busy section of town.

Let’s talk about West Bay Club for a bit. They have 1, 2, and 3 bedroom villas that are great for a family getaway. Located right on the magnificent beautiful beach and a hospitality staff that is outstanding. They worked hard to tell my cousin and I apart and call us by our first names. There are bikes on-site for your use as well as a kids club program for Littles. It’s not a huge resort so you run into very few people. Summer time is actually their low season and a slower time for them. Usually there was only about 4 ppl in the pool except the last day then there were more. Overall it was a very quiet resort.

Kids club

West bay club lit up at nighttime.

The views from one of the villas.

Some restaurants we wanted to try but didn’t make it to…

Hemingways on the beach (B, L, D)
Marine room… fine dining.
lets talk ICE CREAM– the Patty place and Giggles were two ice cream places recommended to us by the staff at west bay. They were disputing which was better. We got to try giggles at the Thursday night fish fry but didn’t make it to the Patty Place

This is a very small list but you can check out a more inclusive list here. Remember I can make reservations for dining for a special event or occasion when I’m working with you to plan your trip.

A lot of people want to do all inclusive properties. West Bay Club is not that. But there are a few options on the island. The Alexandra, Blue Haven, Club Med Turquiose, and Beaches Turks and Caicos.

I’m asked frequently about Turks and costs to go there. Turks is/has grown in popularity in recent years. The pricing when I first started quoting it has changed quite a bit. It’s now one of the higher end islands I quote. Sometimes you can get a deal but generally for the all inclusive properties your going to pay more than in the past. Couple Turks growing popularity with the influx in air prices over the past year and prices are up across the board. Dining in Turks is also not cheap. Consider island destinations like Hawaii or in the Caribbean where alot of the food has to be flown in, thus, their food prices are higher than most islands. They have very little farming industry of their own on that island. To get there from our local area in Illinois you can get there from peoria but will have two stop overs. The nonstop flight to Turks are through Miami or the east coast…JFK or Newark I believe. So the best option is to fly southwest from midway with one stop in Miami or fly from ohare or st Louis with a stop in Miami likely.

Thanks for traveling along on this most recent jaunt! Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me if I can assist with any additional questions or needs regarding Turks & Caicos. Talk to you soon!

Special Guest blogger: Lisa- A celebratory mom/daughter getaway!

Let’s hear it for a Girls trip! My daughter Ryan is graduating from High School, and while she will be the first to say this may not be a huge accomplishment for her- it IS a huge milestone. She will be moving to Phoenix for college at Grand Canyon University in August, and I am going to have a hard time with my only girl leaving our home- she is a joy to have around and will be greatly missed (if I add an exclamation mark it will sound like I’m happy, but it’s more like I’m happy for her- is there an emoji for that??)

Over the past several years, Ryan and I have enjoyed taking winter Girls trips to Florida- to Miami Beach, Ft Lauderdale, and Marco Island. This year, I wanted to do something extra special with her…  and decided on Hawaii. I visited the Hawaiian islands about 30 years ago and have always wanted to go back. Since she only had a week off school for Spring Break, we just chose to visit one island. Her primary goal was to RELAX (and get a tan) so I knew the resort would be KEY, and where we would spend the majority of our time! Our musts: beautiful beach and pools- and great food (no chicken tenders for a whole week- is that too much for a mom to ask for?)!

We chose the Fairmont Orchid on the Big Island of Hawaii, a 5 star Luxury resort with lush gardens and tropical vibe. We invited our longtime friend Chelsea from Oregon to join us there; we have lots of memories together… Chelsea lived with us during her college years, and shared a room with little Ryan- they became close friends, like sisters! Our flights arrived into Kona (on the west side of the island, where it is more sunny and most resorts are located) around the same time in the afternoon. We rented our car from Hertz, and after a long day of travel we arrived to a lovely lei welcome at the Fairmont Orchid… Did we feel as lovely as our lei’s? NOOO, we did not! But we were SO happy to be there.

Our ocean view room overlooked the Mauna Lani golf course next door, such a peaceful setting. The bathroom was beautiful with marble floors, walls, and counters- and best of all had TWO showers, perfect for 3 girls getting ready!

We were on the 5^th floor (the resort is only 6 floors high) and had a balcony where we spent every morning doing devotions and drinking our coffee- the Nespresso machine in our room was wonderful. The Fairmont gave us two reusable water bottles as a keepsake from our stay, and to use at the water dispensers which were plentiful throughout the resort.

Let’s talk about the gardens, the lush tropical landscaping with waterfalls and koi ponds was stunning! It made every walk around the resort feel special, since there was so much beauty to take in!

The pools meandered through the gardens, with an organic shape and plentiful chairs- there was NO waking up early to reserve a chair! We always had choice of where to sit- lawn or poolside, under an umbrella or in the sun. The resort provided chair covers, towels, sunscreen, ice water- and FRUIT service… that last one was a treat, every afternoon they walked around with fresh pineapple on skewers! Oh, and cold neck towels- we really felt spoiled!

The beach was a small, secluded cove where we enjoyed great snorkeling- many colorful fish were right off the beach! We could rent stand-up paddleboards and kayaks (but we didn’t, because you know- we were too busy relaxing!) Whether we were at the beach or pool, there was always a nice breeze- so we were comfortable, even in the heat of the afternoon.

Who is here for the food content? I mean, really this surpassed expectations. Yes, food is more expensive in Hawaii- that was expected. However, the quality of the food was exceptional!

Let’s start with dining at the Fairmont Orchid… known for Brown’s Beach House- where the oceanfront dining makes for the perfect setting! They brought purple sweet potato buns to our table right away, with a honey butter. These were melt-in-your mouth glorious! And we learned…. The Fairmont Orchid is home to more than 80,000 honey bees. These honey hives are located close to the kiawe tree blossoms and produce a delicious kiawe honey blend… All I can say, is this pairing was exquisite!

Kona’s local fish is Kampachi. And tonight we had it prepared with a generous Dungeness crab topping- perfection! And since we were celebrating a special occasion, this surprise dessert arrived for Ryan! After sunset, we ended the night at one of the oceanfront firepits before heading to the outdoor hot tub.

Another special restaurant at the Fairmont Orchid is the Binchotan Bar & Grill. I met up with my longtime friend Cat, a native Hawaiian who lived in Peoria during which we became good friends! The Kanpachi Tartare (in front of food photo) was so fresh and delicious.

Merriman’s has been highly rated, so we made reservations- and I’m SO glad we did! It was a 30 minute drive from the Fairmont Orchid. Up winding hills, through a misty rain- and over a literal rainbow. It’s hard to describe the ambiance, because the feeling was unique- you knew you were somewhere special when you were greeted and entered a modest-sized dining area. The warmth of a farm to table restaurant resonated, yet it was upscale in a non-pretentious way. They knew quality, and you knew you were in for a treat! Our waiter was older and well-versed in the menu and answering our questions.

We started with a Mai Tai, which we heard they were famous for, but the lilikoi (passionfruit) foam froth elevated the drink to a new level- WOW. I ordered the roasted Chateaubriand Hawaii Island Beef, it melted in my mouth. And again, Ryan was celebrated with a dessert!

We ventured out from our resort very little, even though we had a car, because we loved the property so much and had everything we need! However, we drove to the other side of Kona (45 minutes) to tour a local coffee plantation, Greenwell Farm. And, oh my, I am SO glad we did! It was such a great tour- free and no reservations required- and was both educational and entertaining. We learned about the history of how coffee came to the island and to this particular spot, how the coffee “fruit” is harvested, dried, and roasted into the beans that we purchase. Kona Coffee is well known, and we loved gaining an understanding of its origin. We also enjoyed tasting their different roasts and brews!

The Fairmont Orchid hosted a Luau on Saturday, which we were so excited for! We had front row seating, and loved everything about this evening- from the delicious food (made by the Fairmont chefs) to the Polynesian Show! THIS was the most memorable night of our trip!

The Fairmont Orchid has a shuttle within the Mauni Lani Resort area, so one evening we had dinner at the Canoe House at Mauna Lani. This beautiful oceanfront dining restaurant made for another memorable night!

Let’s loop back to the Fairmont Orchid… we saw many families, Honeymooners, couples of all ages, and friends traveling together to enjoy the beauty of this island and resort. I would recommend this resort to our clients, and would return in a heartbeat! We could have ventured out so much more than we did…. Volcanoes National Park is 2.5 hours away, Akaka Falls State Park is known for its short trail through a lush rainforest to a beautiful waterfall that plunges 442 feet into a gorge, the Manta Ray Night Snorkel was highly recommended… and so much more!

I will just stay that we enjoyed every moment of this trip, it was perfect in every way for what we were looking for- luxury, relaxation, and beautiful memories! I would love to book this resort for any of our clients who are looking for a similar experience. Reach out if this sounds like something you would enjoy!!

~Lisa

COVID19 & A Door County Getaway

Hi everyone- well here it is- almost another year since my last post. I say I’m going to do better but business happens and I get busy. This year with COVID I have had more downtime. I’ve spent more time with the children and searching for our new nanny.

Fred and I were planning a group trip in July- on a river cruise, Emerald Waterways, on the Danube river. We were so looking forward to it and then COVID-19 cancelled all plans. So we planned a closer to home- getaway to a place that we’ve talked about but have never been, Door County, WI. It was an easy 6 hrs drive from central IL. We made a slight detour to drop off our son at his cousins house and then we had to go through numerous and expensive toll booths in Chicago before getting to WI Border. Typically though you can skip the traffic of Chicago.

Door county is the THUMB of Wisconsin and boasts several small towns/villages. All are accessible to each other with a mere 10-40 min drive. We did ALOT of driving as we wanted to get around and “see it all”. We stayed in Egg Harbor. One of the southern-most towns along the peninsula. Next time though I personally found that I loved Fish Creek or Ephraim- these are super cute, beautiful, quaint villages.

In Egg Harbor we stayed at the Landmark Resort– I would suggest this resort to any family. It had a wonderful little hiking path, 3 buildings and 3 pools, tennis courts, kids play area, shuffle board, BBQ areas and the rooms were CONDOS of 1-2-3 bedrooms. Great for families!

We ate breakfast at White Gull Inn one morning- I HIGHLY recommend it! One of their dishes was cherry French Toast (won a price on the TODAY Show for this dish)- it was well worth it! We are big breakfast people and love eating out. The other “fun” place/ “must eat” place in Door County is Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant– there are LIVE goats grazing on the grassy rooftops. What a fun family stop!

Aren’t the goats cute on the rooftop? Al Johnson’s Restaurant

In the evenings we ate at CHOP (a steakhouse in Sister Bay), and my personal FAVORITE was Donny’s Restaurant at Glidden Lodge. This place is hidden away on the “quiet side” of door county- across the peninsula from Egg Harbor- it was so good and the scenery and the restaurant itself were beautiful! Wild Tomato is a pizza chain up there referred to by a friend of mine, we did not make it there but if he drives 4 hrs to get it- then it must be good right? On our “next time” list for sure!!

After dinner you will want to hit up an ice cream place and maybe play some miniature golf. Of perhaps you’d like to stroll the shops? Or sit by the bay and watch the sunset! There is even a drive in movie theater! Being the old people that we are – we chose to wind down back out condo with some old re-run episodes of Hogans Heroes or my favorite- Golden Girls and just relax and unwind. But there is certainly plenty to do in a very laid-back atmosphere.

Daytime activities are in abundance. If your water people there are LOTS of Kayaking options, boating options, swimming options, and public beaches. There are national forests up there with great hiking trails, skiing and snowmobiling trails in the winter, bicycle paths galore, and beautiful lighthouses to tour as well! There are also farmers markets, vineyards and wine tastings, cheese tasting warehouses and so much more!

We enjoyed 3 nights and 4 days there- but would’ve been happy with 4-7 nights as well. I would’ve loved 1 day to sit at the poolside and relax after all the running around we did!

If you are looking for a family vacation for next year, romantic couples getaway, or maybe hosting a reunion next year… consider Door County! So much to do, so many places to go, and so many activity options for everyone!

Ask me your questions today!

Dominican Republic Romantic Getaway

Well it’s been a month already since we’ve returned from the Dominican Republic! But oh how fresh the memories are!  That’s the thing with vacations– those memories– they stick with you!

Isn’t this picture….. dreamy?  That water though was gorgeous!

This was the first “all inclusive” (similar to our honeymoon) that Fred and I have done in 7 years so it was long over due and much anticipated!  The fun all started bright and early on Tuesday, August 27.  We departed Peoria airport on a Delta flight bound for Atlanta- we then connected on to Punta Cana.  There was lots of concern and excitement when we left about the “potential” for Hurricane Dorian to pass by.  Dominican Republic was under a tropical storm watch when we left home.  Not thinking it would amount to much- and armed with trip insurance- we departed!!

Upon landing we hurried into our terminal to go through immigration and from there customs.  We collected our bags and proceeded to our awaiting transfer.  For those that haven’t traveled outside of the country- yes it is exciting to have a 1 PM arrival time (you THINK even with a 20 minute transfer that by 2:30 you can be resting on the beach…right?).  Well…. REALITY!  You wait in line (with all the other arriving passengers) for immigration’s and customs for about an hour or so, get transferred smoothly, get ushered in to the resort for your check in process and get to your room, then you go to scope what there is to eat because by now it is 4:00.  Haha– yes we were starving when we got there and were NOT relaxing on the beach like we thought we might be.

We stayed at the Secrets Cap Cana Resort.  This resort is 2.5 years old and I’ve been wanting to visit since it openened.  I have had numerous couples stay here and LOVED it.  In general Secrets brand (in Jamaica, Dominican, soon opening in St. Maarten, and in Mexico) is an adults only brand that I recommend when quoting romance, honeymoons and anniversaries- etc.  It was high time I went and explored it myself.

Now – let me introduce to you…. Antonio.  If you book a Preferred Club room, it is a VIP section of the resort and you will get your own restaurant at the pool and your own beach section as well as a butler.  Antonio was our butler. He was Amazing!  He coordinated our romantic dinner on the beach, our spa sessions (even got us an amazing discount), and took care of whatever we needed or asked.  He was available via whatsapp texting on our phones.  No matter where we were on the resort we could find him!  He even came to chat with us on the beach!

Antonio! The BEST Butler in the Preferred Club!

So just check out the staff at this resort!  We enjoyed them all so much!  They were so friendly!  The first is a picture of Omar- he walked the beach scheduling spa appointments.  We found out he was a christian when he heard our music and stopped to talk to us about it!

Omar. Scheduling spa treatments

Preferred club “side” of the beach gets purple towels. The other side is orange. You walk on the beach and they grab a towel and set up your chair for you! Always with a smile!

They brought food samples around every day! I had the best grilled chicken drumstricks! And one day it was cupcakes, shrimp, and other fun foods to try!

That first night, after dinner, we ate at the French Restaurant called Bordeaux, we returned to our room to find a well written letter on our bed from the Secrets Management.  We were informed that with the expectation that Hurricane Dorian would be passing between Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic on Wednesday night/Early Thursday morning we would be getting relocated from our Ocean view room to a building located slight back from the ocean.  We were disappointed and having just go there didn’t really want to move, but they knew best and we trusted their expertise!  The good news?  Through the night Hurricane Dorian switched paths and at 2 PM on Wednesday we found out we no longer would need to relocate.  And you know what else?  We had 6 BEAUTIFUL days of gorgeous sunny weather without one single rainy day like was anticipated.  I was thankful to have the opportunity to see “on a small scale” what travelers experience or can expect when they are traveling during an anticipated hurricane.

Hurricane Dorian’s new predicted path

This was a really restful vacation for us – so we didn’t do anything extra off the resort.  We did enjoy some kayaking at the resort as well as swimming, reading books, and spa treatments (couples massages are the best if you have not tried one)!

On our second day I was asked if I had tried the Mama Juana.  I had to say “excuse me” and have them repeat it multiple times before I knew what they were saying and then the lady tells me, the “baby maker”.  Fred and I both laughed.  No we hadn’t planned on trying this interesting drink but she insisted- you haven’t been to the Dominican if you haven’t tried it!  So I tried a tiny shot glass sip — (we didn’t care for it) but it must be popular as they sold it in much larger quantities in their gift shop and at the airport!  Fred and I had the opportunity to have a beach side romantic dinner.  It was a lovely meal we got to customize and they served to us on the beach.  We enjoyed quiet time at night- we watched movies, played games, read books, and just totally relaxed and enjoyed our time together.

Mama Juana shot

The restaurants weren’t all open each day they rotated. So bummed to find this yummy gem for lunch on our last day!

Our room the night of our Romantic Beach Dinner

Dinner on the beach

Dinner at the Italian Restaurant, Portofino

I will be doing one more post all about the resort itself- so stay tuned here to see more pictures of this beautiful property!

 

Why NOT go to the Dominican?

Dominican?  YOU ARE GOING TO THE DOMINICAN?  HAVEN’T YOU HEARD WHAT IS HAPPENING THERE?  These are the responses we got when my husband and I announced a 5-NT getaway in August of this year.  So i’m going to be honest and frank here- this is my take on the situation evolving in DR. {sidenote have you noticed you haven’t heard much anymore and the story has subsided?}

Needless to say when news feed broke out about all the HYPE and HYSTERIA in Dominican I started to ask more questions and do my research.  And I decided we wouldn’t be scared.  Why?  Because quite simply 12 ppl died over the course of a year.  Let that soak in.  12 people, in ONE YEAR.  Friends, traveling companions- we lose more than that in ONE DAY in random shootings all around us in the USA.  When you think of that the Dominican is not so bad!  In fact the US Government hasn’t changed the security level at all.  It is the same level as Mexico and that is simply “exercise caution.”  But really shouldn’t we ALL be cautious when we travel?  Pay attention to our surroundings?  Stay in groups?  Don’t go out after dark?  The people that died in the Dominican are LESS than 1% of the tourists that visit there.  And yes while there is a concern that a lot of it is surrounding the alcohol we have to take into consideration each persons background.  Some were on meds, which don’t mix well with Alcohol.  Some maybe were used to desk jobs and when they went on vacation became more active and drank more than they normally would at home.  There are MANY MANY scenarios that could have affected or played a part in the deaths…even if they are healthy.  I am not going to try and “figure this out”.  I just ask my clients to keep an open mind.

Let me introduce some of the Dominican people! You can’t blame 1-2 incidents on the people as a whole and most definitely on the COUNTRY as a whole.

This is Antonio. He is a butler at our resort. He was Amazing!  He has three children similar in ages to our family and is a family man.  He has worked at other resorts on the island but Secrets is his favorite so far.  And you know what?  He likes to travel!! He loves the churches in Europe and the history!  His BIG bucket list dream is to go to Israel and “walked where Jesus walked”!  That is my kind of butler!  Best wishes Antonio- I pray you get to see it someday and take it all in!

Antonio! The BEST Butler in the Preferred Club!

Then we also met Omar- our drinks waiter on the beach.  When I questioned what he thought about the Dominican’s recent issues- he sat down on our chairs and talked with us.  He chuckled and says “They (Americans) will come again”.  And he points out that more than 12 people die in shootings in ONE day in the USA and yet we are worried about 12 people OVER A YEAR.

Folks, media is having a heyday- but by negatively reporting, scaring, and coercing people, they are putting a death sentence on the Dominican.  The Dominican are kind and hard working and need our support!

They have a beautiful country.  Our water was colored so blue-green that words and pictures don’t describe it!  The people were hardworking and friendly and we never, NEVER felt worried or unsafe.  Dominican offers a perfect environment for everyone; families, couples, destination weddings, girlfriend getaways, work retreats, family reunions and so much more!  They have a diverse culture a jungle and mountains in their back yard and an excursions list a mile long!  Zip line, horseback riding, ATV’s, hiking, food tours, tours of the capital city- and so much more!

Set up for a Destination Wedding on the beach at Secrets Cap Cana Resort & Spa

So if you are thinking why would anyone go to the Dominican Republic?  I am here to say why would anyone not go to the Dominican Republic? 

via Google

 

But I don’t have time…

“But I don’t have time to write my next blog post” I thought to myself- even though it’s been ALMOST a year since my last one!  I’m so busy.  And then– as is always the case for me– one thought led to another and another.

“But I don’t have time to read my Bible!”
“But I don’t have time to stop and pray and journal my thoughts to just get them out!”
“But I don’t have time to play with the kids, read that story, clean up that mess, wait {ever soooooo slowly} for them to finish eating…. but I don’t have time for that!”
“But I don’t have time to vacation!  The kids are small and the farm is busy….”
“But I don’t have time to stop and call a friend who is struggling…”
“But I don’t have time to write that letter {yes letter- not email or text..you know- good ole snail mail?}
“But I don’t have time to go on a date, or sit and talk with my husband.  The laundry, the kids, the house, the clients… all demand something”
“But I don’t have time for that extra training or that seminar or that conference!”
“But I don’t have time to exercise and take care of myself!”

“But I don’t have time for that diagnosis”
“But I don’t have time to be sick and laid up”
“But I don’t have time to have an accident or be in the hospital”
“But I don’t have time to visit a sick or ailing friend or family member”
“But I don’t have time for a funeral…. and yet… they come”

“My children have married and moved away, but I didn’t take the time…”
“My life has been shattered by divorce, but I didn’t take the time…”
“My spouse/child/friend/mother/father/siblings/family– has passed, but I didn’t take the time…”
“Jesus died for me on the cross, but I didn’t take the time…”
“Life has come and gone for me… but I didn’t take the time…”

This world is full of distraction- don’t forget that!  Praying in the week ahead that we can focus on what is truly important in the here and now.

 

Lone Mountain Ranch – the final days…

Day 4: Yellowstone National Park

Can you believe I’ve never been to Yellowstone National Park?  So when we booked our trip to Lone Mountain Ranch they were running a special- a private Yellowstone tour!  PERFECT for our 5-year anniversary trip.  The ranch has tours into the park and you go in a little mini-bus, but for this tour we got to take the black SUV and moved at our own pace.  Yellowstone is shaped like a figure 8.  There is the upper half (including Lamar Valley where a lot of the animal sightings are) and the lower half (featuring Old Faithful).  I so badly wanted to see wildlife BUT since I hadn’t yet seen old faithful we figured we’d do the lower half and see what we could see for wildlife.  We met Colleen for an early start at 7 AM.  It took about an hour to get to the park entrance.  We saw several waterfalls and we arrived in time to see Old Faithful erupt.

Viewing Old Faithful before she erupts with Colleen our guide

the tourist spot for viewing old faithful

the estimated time for her eruption

OLD FAITHFUL GEYSER

We saw the famous Grand Canyon of Yellowstone and we saw wildlife.  We saw trumpeter swans, bison, and a black wolf feasting on a carcus that Colleen thought looked like an Elk. Everyone was pretty excited about the wolf spotting.  I on the other hand was not so impressed.  They had several binoculars and telescopes set up and we still couldn’t see it.  Finally Fred pointed out a (small) black dot hopping out in the field and I zoomed in with my little camera.  I was thankful to get a decent (although blurry shot).  But seriously– this thing was a LONG ways off! But it was still fun and exciting to see. I was only slightly bummed that we saw no Elk, Moose, or Bear.

Dragon’s Mouth Geyser

Trumpeter Swans

a heard of Bison

Fred looking at a bison

the zoomed in bison that Fred is looking at

Looking for the wolf. I was thinking it was pointless and ridiculous at this point.

Until we spotted it.

Before he started eating the carcus he was in the water.

We left the park at 3:30 and had a brief moment to stop along the road and say high to Kyle, Fred’s cousin that lives in West Yellowstone, before heading back to the ranch.  That night was prime rib night-.  It was a wonderful feast.

Day 5: Cowboy Breakfast and Canoe Trip on Cliff Lake

It was a chilly morning today!  We met some of the ranch guests at the stable and loaded up the wagons.  The horses took us up to the small cabin in the woods and we had our cowboy breakfast.  This was a GREAT breakfast, WONDERFUL-COZY atmosphere, and all around awesome!  We both enjoyed it very much.

The inside of the cozy cabin for breakfast, during the winter months they bring the sleighs up and have dinners at this cabin!

Kali Armstrong (pronounced Kay-Lee), one of the wranglers, sang for us up at the cabin.  It was BEAUTIFUL.  Watch for this little lady- she will be in Nashville before too long and I’ll bet we’ll see something from her!

Allow me to introduce: Miss Kali Armstrong!!

After breakfast today we left and did another all day trip!  We met up with guests Joe and Jane and headed out with Mike, our guide, towards Cliff Lake.  It was a 1.5 hr drive.  Before we came into the beautiful clearing we rode through this prairie.  Looked like nothing was around, except the antelope!  Yes we saw antelope!

Sorry for the blurr but can you see them?!  THE ANTELOPE ROAMING!

As we passed from prairie to a little bit more country and finally more into the mountains we came upon CLIFF LAKE.  A BEAUTIFUL lake.  The words “water like St Thomas” came out several times.  Beautiful tropical green-blue waters!  We canoed and saw birds… oh! And a snake! And then we had lunch.

The beautiful waters of Cliff Lake

picturesque

helping Mike unload the canoes

all four of us ready to go!

eating lunch in the woods with my honey with a gorgeous backdrop!

When we got back to the ranch we went to eat supper.  Joe and Jane came shortly after we had ordered so we invited them to sit and enjoy with us!  We enjoyed our talking with them.  On Thursday nights in Big Sky, in the summer, they have a local come in and play music in the park- we decided as a group to go into town and check this out.  We got the ranch SUV to drop us off in town and then we walked around a bit.  BOY did it attract a crowd!

Some of the shoppes down at the center

Having enough of it we decided to try walking back to the ranch.  We could’ve called but we decided we wanted to walk.  The cautious men calculated that it would take 28 mins to walk the 1.2 miles and they were concerned as the sun was setting fast.  So we hurried along to get started and BOY I am glad we chose to walk.  As we were going I was in the lead and I happened to look up the hill and low and behold what should I spot?!

A {COW} MOOSE!!

Now- needless to say I was THRILLED to see this cow moose and a little breathless at the same time…(because I was a little nervous)!  We snapped our pictures and then Fred urged us along as it was fast getting dark and we didn’t want her to charge there was nothing but 2 trees separating us from her.  As we neared the highway we had a beautiful last night sunset viewing.

And at that point we decided it would be safe to take our chances on the highway than to chance running into other “unseen” animals on a trail we were unfamiliar with.  When we got back we stoke the outdoor fire in the fire pit and helped ourselves to some s’mores before saying our goodbyes to the other couple and heading to our cabin.

Day 6: the final farewell

This morning we enjoyed one last fire in our stove, I enjoyed the ranch slippers as I sipped on my hot mint chocolate tea!  Ahh- very relaxing indeed!

I managed to get the Stable manager to allow Fred and I to take one last short horseback ride at 8:30 (instead of the 9:30 ride) so that we could be back by 9:30, shower, and out of our cabin by 10.  The weekend we left the ranch was full with an incoming destination wedding so we needed to be out early.  So they obliged and gave us one last trail ride with Kali! We enjoyed our talks with Kali and our trail ride.  After that we headed to our cabin for a quick shower and to get our bags out of our cabin.  Then we got the ranch SUV to take us up to the Big Sky Ski Resort so we could walk around.  There were shoppes, tons of restaurants, and places to stay.  We could’ve ridden the ski lifts up the mountains for more great views or even taken a tram up to the point of the mountain but we chose to just walk around instead.  Around noon we went back to the ranch for lunch before catching our 1 pm shuttle to the airport for our late afternoon flight.

I was truly surprised at how peaceful and relaxing this busy trip was.  While we hiked or horse-backed or canoed we were BUSY but when we got back we’d have an hour here or there and we’d just lay around.  We read the bible, talked, played outdoor games like horseshoes, hiked on our own and sometimes just totally SAT.  It was wonderful.  I just told Fred last night- I miss our little cabin and the creek flowing by! ~Until Next Time~

So what did you think of our adventure?  I’d love to hear your thoughts and any questions you might have for me on this beautiful ranch and this beautiful state!

Safe Journeys-

Megan

 

Adventure at Lone Mountain Ranch – hiking and horseback riding!

Day 2: life on a ranch:
One thing you will want to know about the ranch is that it is a very LAID back atmosphere.  The breakfasts don’t open up until 7.  (I’m fine with that because I like to sleep in).  And most trail rides don’t start until 9:30 and the day trips don’t start until about 8-8:30 unless you pre-request something different.  So surprisingly we were awake at 6 AM.  We ate breakfast at 7 (and were about the only people there that early!).  We then hiked some of the trails around the ranch and we ran into our first wildlife sighting, the mule-deer.  I was pretty excited even though I thought “we see deer all the time at home”.  (I was hoping for moose or bear?! I must be crazy to want to see a bear–)

The mule deer was just ahead on the walking path right in front of me. Can you see him taking a peek at me?

Once we came through the trees the mule deer were in a clearing. How many can you find in this picture?

baby mule deer following mom…

After the hike we met at the activities/lobby area and went on a hike to Ouzel Falls.  We drove about 3 miles to this trail head and spent the morning there.  There were about 6 other people besides Fred and I and our guide, Martha.  The falls were beautiful and the hike was wonderful!

Our group and the nice hike to Ouzel Falls

the scenery!!

We made it!

After hiking and lunch we had our “intro ride”.  Anyone that plans to ride horses while there you must do the intro ride so they can see the level you are at and also to familiarize yourself with the horse that is “yours” for the week.  Joe and Jane are a couple from Georgia and they were on our hike to the falls with us and they also showed up at the same intro ride as us.  There were just 4 of us on this ride and our wrangler, Sarah.  We had so much fun!  Joe had never ridden a horse before and did great!  They were a fun couple and we ended up spending time with them or chatting with them frequently.

I had Elko for the week and Fred rode Stitch

starting out on the trail for our intro ride

That night was the BBQ themed evening.  Instead of eating at Horn and Cantle we met up at the Pavilion.  It was fun times under the “tent” with a bonfire going and even a gentleman playing the guitar.  It was a great evening.

Day 3: a day on the trails!

Today was my FAVORITE.  It was the all-day trail ride.  We had heard we were going to Sage Creek with two other guests but when we got to the stables our wrangler, Lindy, thought since we were more experienced riders than the other two ladies that we’d like the ride up to Bear Basin instead (note:  we did NOT see bear…).   It ended up just being Fred and I and the wrangler.  It was GREAT! We had just walked out of the stables and it started to rain.  A little ways up the trail we stopped to put our slickers on.  It did stop and we enjoyed a lovely and beautiful day the rest of the time.  We even got to trot with the horses which was fun- but hard on the back end– we were feeling it by the time we got back at 4:45 PM.  After supper we came back and pretty much went to bed.  We were exhausted and a little sore- but it was SO fun!

Even on a cloudy day these open areas with the mountains and trees were beautiful!

A large rock next to where we stopped and ate lunch!

Lindy our wrangler and the rock we had our picnic lunch on!

Bear Basin

My final post will be about our last two days in Montana and more importantly our private day tour into Yellowstone National Park.  I hope you are enjoying our adventures in the “Treasure State”…

Safe journeys- Megan

Share this:

INTRODUCTION TO OUR TRIP:  
Most of you that know me know that I am a beach-going, sunshine-searching, palm-tree loving, warm-weather only, kind of girl!  So when the Zika virus interrupted ALL of my 5-year anniversary plans I looked to my husband for suggestions within the US 48.  He surprised me when he suggested a dude ranch.  We had said we’d like to try one of these–some day– sometime.  But now?  Having just planned a few for other guests I decided I SHOULD try it out.  So we started looking.  First of all let me say there are dude ranches in ALOT of states, but we settled on Montana- Big Sky Montana to be exact.  I had never been to this beautiful state and after we booked I was actually getting PRETTY excited!  The day came and we were both SO ready for a little getaway.

The BOARDING picture!

The Montana landscape comes into view. #Delta

We flew from Peoria through Minneapolis and into Bozeman- we arrived early around 10:15 AM.  Bozeman is about a 1 hr drive to the ranch.  We were met at the airport and picked up by the ranch.  They had “carton” water for us (better for the environment) and snacks in the SUV.

Our nice ride from Bozeman Airport to Lone Mountain Ranch

Transfer treats; compliments of Lone Mountain Ranch

Lone Mountain Ranch

We were only about 1.5 miles outside of the town BIG SKY, MT, but the lane is what separated us from the “busy” to the mountains!

Introduction to Lone Mountain Ranch and Big Sky, MT:

Lone Mountain Ranch is located (as stated previously) in Big Sky, Mt.  Big Sky is home to about 25% of the people the other remaining 75% of the population is the people that come and go to the 2nd and 3rd vacation homes…  Big sky has also morphed into a big time ski outfit in the winter.  While the “town” dies the Ski Resort at Big Sky is bustling with activity.  Last year Big Sky built a new medical complex in part with Bozeman health!  Big Sky has an “old” downtown area and a new “central” townplace.  The ranch is 1.5 miles from the townplace.  It can be reached along a busy highway OR via a nice little hiking path.  When full the ranch has about 70-80 guests.  We were full the week we went (the last week in August) and I will tell you we saw people but I don’t feel like we saw 70-80 people.  They hosted theme nights: BBQ Night, Prime Rib Night, and a Cowboy Breakfast (OUR FAVORITE! Don’t miss it!).  They have 97 horses, several trailheads, and other outdoor activity options ranging from Canoeing, trips to Yellowstone, Fly Fishing, and White Water Rafting.  They have 1 restaurant – the Horn and Cantle, reservations are recommended as people from town also come in and eat.  We didn’t know this until we left but there is also a menu at the Saloon (attached to the Horn and Cantle restaurant) that is different from the main restaurant and you can order off there too!  We chose the all inclusive plan (vs the Bed and Breakfast plan).  We got all our meals and water, tea, soft drinks.  Alcohol was extra.   While the food was good (Desserts were the BEST part) it was very “nice” meals and at times we wished for something simple like pizza, chicken tenders, or just an easy burger.

The Horn and Cantle Restaurant

The interior of the Horn & Cantle, the morning buffet

View of the Ranch from the steps at Horn and Cantle

Another view from the steps looking towards the barn and lobby area

The barn and one of the horses with a wrangler

Day 1: arrival to the ranch / orientation

I’m going to let the pictures do most of “talking”.  Upon arriving and stepping out of the SUV onto the crunchy gravel I looked at Fred and whispered– “I feel like I just arrived at camp for the week”.  He smiled and we headed to check in. It was nice we got there around 11-11:30 and we got right into our cabin, no waiting around.  They dropped our bags off to the door and handed us each a back pack.  The manager, Alex, walked us over to our cabin and showed us around.  SERIOUSLY you guys– I can’t get enough of our little cabin.  It is SO quaint and cozy and just PERFECT for our 5-yr anniversary trip!  It is smaller than a hotel room but was all we really needed.  It had a nice bathroom and the bedroom had two nice leather chairs with an old record player on a stand between them.  After Alex left we turned on the record player and talked while we got settled in.  There was also a corner stove that we happily lit a fire in every evening and sometimes in the mornings!  It was chilly but the baseboard heat would’ve been enough but we loved the smell of the wood smoke and the crackling fire.  We were in the Porcupine cabin.  We shared a deck with the Chipmunk cabin.  The North Fork creek bubbled right in front of our cabin.  It was so wonderful and truly peaceful!

View of our cabin and the brook

view from our front door, we got to cross this little bridge several times daily!

The water bottles and backpack that were provided to us by the Ranch.

Our Bathroom

The record player and leather chairs situated next to the bed

And this is just the beginning!  I have so many pictures and I have so much more to tell you– so- I’m going to make this a 3-part blog post!  Stay tuned to learn about the rest of our 5-year anniversary getaway to Montana!

Safe Journeys- Megan