Florida at the end of August was phenomenal. I know it's the beginning of hurricane season but the summer vacationers are almost completely gone and the weather is nice from the seasonal rain and cloud coverage due to the hurricanes trying to hit land.
We stayed in Pompano Beach which sets between Palm Beach and Ft. Lauderdale. It's also only 20 minutes from Miami South Beach if you take Hwy. 95.
The beaches in this area are pristine and the water is bath water warm. The shore is calmer than the Pacific Ocean and therefore much easier to enjoy. Some of the beaches have lounge chairs on site, which I think is heaven on earth. There are life guards, showers, bathrooms, and shopping and restaurants always nearby and most of the time they are in walking distance.
I understand why snow bunnies come there to thaw out and why others retire there. It's the most beautiful beach environment I have ever been to thus far and is very similar to Grand Bahama beach which is only 56 miles off the coast of Ft. Lauderdale. You can take Discovery Day Cruises and take a 5 hour cruise to get there or take a quick flight to really enjoy the Island. We took the cruise but it was way too long since we are not gamblers or drinkers. 10 hours on a ship was worth the experience but next time I will fly there. We only had 3 hours on the Island before we had to board the ship to return to the mainland.
When you visit the beaches you will have the ability to park in a paid parking structure or find a spot on the street and use your debit card to pay for your spot.
On a different note, the Everglades is a really fun experience if you want to try out an Air boat to see the alligators. You can drive there yourself and go on your own or hook up with one of the tours from the many resorts or hotels you might be staying at. It's only about a 45 minute drive from Ft. Lauderdale to get to the Everglades where you can see on of the experienced guides wrestle an alligator (well not really wrestle, but it's pretty cool.)
If you are itching to see the Keys, the drive to Key West is very long. We tried to make the trip but decided to stay in Key Largo and take advantage of the snorkeling on a catamaran tour instead. Key Biscayne is the closest Key to visit and you can get to it much easier if you are in Miami. The turnoff is very close to Coconut Grove. There is no beach in Key Largo but there is in Key Biscayne. If you are interested in taking the 7 mile bridge to Key West it's worth it to see what Flagler did for Miami.
If you are a snorkeler Key Largo has better snorkeling than Key West according to the Visitor Center on Highway 1 in Key Largo.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Cozumel
Cozumel in the Spring
Last year, in April, my husband and I took a trip to Cozumel. Even though the trip was wonderful and we would do it again in a heartbeat, we would do things a lot differently next time.
We opted to land in Cancun because we found the airfare a lot cheaper. However, the long bus ride into Cozumel and the ferry across was exhausting even though it was adventurous. The difference in airfare was not worth the loss of time and the need to carry our luggage to two extra destinations. The only thing that was beneficial about this mistake was that we got to see Playa del Carmen right away and got to understand how the ferry system works. It also gave us a chance to visit Senor Frog which was quite entertaining with all the loud music, bucket of shrimp and fries, waiters dancing on the counters, and the girls dancing on stage.
The cost difference to fly to Cozumel instead was about $200 each. So although we saved $400 give or take, we lost time but I gained info to share with you. One thing you should know about Cozumel is that there are no buses on the Island. You can rent a car, jeep, or a scooter, or take a taxi. The Island is not that big so you could see the whole thing in a few days but a week would be best. The beaches are very nice but the side that is not the marina is more open and therefore, windy and the current is stronger.
If you snorkel and you are advanced and a good swimmer, you may want to take a catamaran tour and go out to the ocean to see the reef. It’s beautiful and worth it. If you are a beginner and not a good swimmer like me, you would be wise to snorkel off of your resort first to get use to the idea of it again and rent the gear from your resort, a nearby shop, or bring your own. It’s cheaper and you won’t have to pay an hourly rate to use the resort equipment.
I made the mistake of taking the catamaran trip first and therefore did not enjoy the ocean like my husband did. Later I snorkeled off of the resort beach and became comfortable with it again and wished I would have had my own gear so we could snorkel together. We only rented one set so we had to take turns. The other great thing to do in Cozumel is scuba dive. It’s one of the best places to scuba in the world and it’s where the divers go.
We also visited the Tequila factory and had a very personalized tour and became educated on the process of Tequila and the different types. Now we know what type to sip, throw back, and use in Margaritas.
There is a lot of great places to eat and one of the places that we loved and would go again was Bob Marley’s famous shrimp spot. I have to say the shrimp was the best I ever had. Make sure you order the grilled shrimp, it’s to die for. It's very laid back, you can wear anything, and watch the waves crash up against the shore as you eat the take a dive afterwards. It’s located on the north side of the Island which is the same side of the more private beaches.
Another great restaurant we visited was in town not too far from our resort. The Casa Mission restaurant located, 55 Avenida entre Avenida Juárez y calle 1º Sur. Cozumel, Quintana Roo, México Phone: (987) 872 1641 was very Spanish and they had the best food in an atmosphere that was home like but fancy as well. The owners live there and if you walk around you can see their private dining area which is nicely decorated in Spanish décor.
The kitchen is outdoors because of a fire but it’s still functional for the waiters to serve you with a prompt and personal touch. They have a trio singing there which adds to the ambiance. I would recommend the fish since Cozumel is famous for its fishing.
The other thing that we found fascinating was the tour we took to Chichinitza. The ruins are spectacular and the drive there is interesting with little towns tucked in along the way and make sure you stop at the stores to buy your turquoise. There is also a place nearby the ruins where you can go to the cave and take a dive to cool off.
Another location that I loved was Playa del Carmen. There is lots of shopping to do there and lots of restaurants. However, you never have to leave Cozumel because they have the same thing and we found better prices on t-shirts, bags, and souvenirs.
We also took a ride in our rented Jeep wrangler to the light house and hoped to see the Dolphin center. It ended up being too windy that day so we were only able to see the lighthouse. It was magnificent since we were able to climb to the top inside on the spiral staircase. Once we reached the top, the view was amazing and the wind was so strong we had to hold on. You might want to pick a day that the winds are not strong on that side of the Island.
Last year, in April, my husband and I took a trip to Cozumel. Even though the trip was wonderful and we would do it again in a heartbeat, we would do things a lot differently next time.
We opted to land in Cancun because we found the airfare a lot cheaper. However, the long bus ride into Cozumel and the ferry across was exhausting even though it was adventurous. The difference in airfare was not worth the loss of time and the need to carry our luggage to two extra destinations. The only thing that was beneficial about this mistake was that we got to see Playa del Carmen right away and got to understand how the ferry system works. It also gave us a chance to visit Senor Frog which was quite entertaining with all the loud music, bucket of shrimp and fries, waiters dancing on the counters, and the girls dancing on stage.
The cost difference to fly to Cozumel instead was about $200 each. So although we saved $400 give or take, we lost time but I gained info to share with you. One thing you should know about Cozumel is that there are no buses on the Island. You can rent a car, jeep, or a scooter, or take a taxi. The Island is not that big so you could see the whole thing in a few days but a week would be best. The beaches are very nice but the side that is not the marina is more open and therefore, windy and the current is stronger.
If you snorkel and you are advanced and a good swimmer, you may want to take a catamaran tour and go out to the ocean to see the reef. It’s beautiful and worth it. If you are a beginner and not a good swimmer like me, you would be wise to snorkel off of your resort first to get use to the idea of it again and rent the gear from your resort, a nearby shop, or bring your own. It’s cheaper and you won’t have to pay an hourly rate to use the resort equipment.
I made the mistake of taking the catamaran trip first and therefore did not enjoy the ocean like my husband did. Later I snorkeled off of the resort beach and became comfortable with it again and wished I would have had my own gear so we could snorkel together. We only rented one set so we had to take turns. The other great thing to do in Cozumel is scuba dive. It’s one of the best places to scuba in the world and it’s where the divers go.
We also visited the Tequila factory and had a very personalized tour and became educated on the process of Tequila and the different types. Now we know what type to sip, throw back, and use in Margaritas.
There is a lot of great places to eat and one of the places that we loved and would go again was Bob Marley’s famous shrimp spot. I have to say the shrimp was the best I ever had. Make sure you order the grilled shrimp, it’s to die for. It's very laid back, you can wear anything, and watch the waves crash up against the shore as you eat the take a dive afterwards. It’s located on the north side of the Island which is the same side of the more private beaches.
Another great restaurant we visited was in town not too far from our resort. The Casa Mission restaurant located, 55 Avenida entre Avenida Juárez y calle 1º Sur. Cozumel, Quintana Roo, México Phone: (987) 872 1641 was very Spanish and they had the best food in an atmosphere that was home like but fancy as well. The owners live there and if you walk around you can see their private dining area which is nicely decorated in Spanish décor.
The kitchen is outdoors because of a fire but it’s still functional for the waiters to serve you with a prompt and personal touch. They have a trio singing there which adds to the ambiance. I would recommend the fish since Cozumel is famous for its fishing.
The other thing that we found fascinating was the tour we took to Chichinitza. The ruins are spectacular and the drive there is interesting with little towns tucked in along the way and make sure you stop at the stores to buy your turquoise. There is also a place nearby the ruins where you can go to the cave and take a dive to cool off.
Another location that I loved was Playa del Carmen. There is lots of shopping to do there and lots of restaurants. However, you never have to leave Cozumel because they have the same thing and we found better prices on t-shirts, bags, and souvenirs.
We also took a ride in our rented Jeep wrangler to the light house and hoped to see the Dolphin center. It ended up being too windy that day so we were only able to see the lighthouse. It was magnificent since we were able to climb to the top inside on the spiral staircase. Once we reached the top, the view was amazing and the wind was so strong we had to hold on. You might want to pick a day that the winds are not strong on that side of the Island.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Planning Your Trip (Not in the Tour Books)
Europe in the Summer:
Well, you know how we go out and buy those Tour Books for travel before we go on our trips? Well, they leave out so much information that I decided to start a Blog to tell you some things you would never know otherwise.
To begin with:
Getting your travel dates set: It's important to decide do you care about the weather, crowds, or availability?
Flights: It's important to pick some dates and start checking flight pricing by starting with Expedia.com. This starts my search to see what airlines go to the place I am going. Next, I go directly to the airline website to see if the prices are comparable to travel agencies online. Sometimes you can get a better price if you go directly to the airlines, but other times you do not. This process can take about an hour or two so make sure you have some time on your hands.
Once you have secured your dates and have your flight set now it's time to find a place to stay unless you have a Time Share then you MUST book with your Timeshare prior to booking your flight. This method may require you to even change your travel dates to a time you had not considered due to availability. If you have a time share, make your reservation for your trip 12 months ahead of time. I know this seems like it's too far ahead of time but it is not!
Time Share 1st, flight 2nd! Remember you will most likely need to pay a deposit on overseas fees with your Time Share so be sure you can get that time off first because this fee is non-refundable.
Remember to also check with your Time Share to see if you have enough points to also secure your flight at the same time.
I did and my husband and I ended up going to Spain for free!!! Which means we didn't have to pay for our studio nor did we have to pay for our flight. I think we used about 300,000 points through Fairfield Resorts which is now Wyndham.
We stayed in the south of Spain in Malaga and drove from Portugal to our Time Share. It was a 5 hour drive but the country was beautiful and it gave us an opportunity to really see sites we would not have normally seen.
When we stayed in Italy this summer of 2008, we arrived in Switzerland and then rented a car and drove to our Time Share in Sestrierre, Italy (Winter Olympics) about 6 hours. We then took Easy Jet from Rome to Geneva and then stayed another week in Val de Ilez using our Time Share. There is lots of information in between that I must share so visit back soon.
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