(Print from Etsy- Old English Co.)
There couldn’t be many quotes I agree with more… At first, our travels were mostly my bucket list but as time passed Mark jumped on the bandwagon as well and honestly now he plans getaways more than I do. Although we love to re-visit some of our faves, we mostly travel to new places every time. I am excited to start sharing some of our past trips with you, our do’s and don’ts, must-see’s and overrated destinations. For today’s post, I am going to take you along on our most recent vaca…
This past week, we traveled to Puerto Rico. I honestly can’t say that it was #1 on our must-see list but considering the fact that I misplaced my passport and my in-laws decided somewhat last minute to keep our girls for the week, our destination options were quite limited. We wanted somewhere “exotic” and tropical with clear water and beautiful beaches so Puerto Rico it was!
(Image via worldatlas.com)
(Image via repeatingislands.com)
(Cover-Up Available: HERE)
So early Sunday morning on May 31st, we made the 3 1/2 hour flight to Puerto Rico on Delta airlines and checked in at the Ritz Carlton San Juan. You can never go wrong with a Ritz and this one was no exception. What made it even more amazing was the fact that it was almost walking distance to the airport. Although the interior seemed a little older than some of their other resorts we’ve visited, the outdoor amenities were breathtaking. I am never really a “pool girl” seeing as though to me, you shouldn’t travel 1,535 (yes, I just googled that) to sit by the pool. HOWEVER, when it looks like this, I say “sit by the pool!” And finally, my hubbies absolute favorite feature of the hotel… The Casino!
The first evening we taxied to Old San Juan and dined at a tapas restaurant Mark had found online called El Picoteo de Tapas y Paellas. (Note: taxi fare anywhere was $21 each way. Literally. So I would maybe suggest renting a car if you plan to leave your resort often.) The scenery was beautiful, the food was amazing and it was honestly the best service we’ve possibly ever had at any restaurant ever. We both probably said at least five times over dinner that we felt like we were on an episode of the Bachelor or Bachelorette. Except that Chris Harrison never appeared with an overnight date card… “If you choose to forgo your individual rooms and stay as a couple…” I am still not sure after a hundred seasons why anyone still acts surprised when they read this card. I mean come on… Oh and our favorite dishes here were the calamari and the garlic shrimp. Let’s just say the shrimp was so good that my hubby is slightly allergic to garlic and he still ate it.
(My Outfit: Top- local boutique, Jeans- available HERE and Shoes- available HERE)
Monday, the following day, we slept until 10am (otherwise known as heaven for parents of two little ones), and then journeyed into Old Town San Juan again for lunch. It’s so dang charming we were lured back in again. And it was definitely worth a second visit! The nightlife is vastly different than the daytime charm. It almost felt like were somewhere else! We strolled the streets sightseeing, shopping and eating. For lunch, we ate at La Cueve Del Mar. Their fish tacos… TO DIE FOR! The service was a tad slow but we sat outside and the people watching was worth every slow service second. Let’s just say that it gave South Beach Miami a run for it’s money!
Once we’d had one too many tacos, a huge Starbucks frappuccino and sores on my toes, we made our way back to the hotel for dinner. Yes, we do love to eat on vaca! The Ritz San Juan has three dinner restaurants: Il Mulino, Mares and BLT Steak. This particular evening we chose Mares for sushi. We are always suckers for a good sushi restaurant and this one certainly didn’t disappoint!
Tuesday we decided to really venture out from the resort. Like really really venture. On a plane. A really small plane. And although all went well on our flight, my adventures on the island were a bit crazy. Stay Tuned for next week’s post! Let’s just say that I got attacked by a sea creature. For real.
To Be Continued…
XOXO, Brittany Hayes
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