Travel Costa Rica-Libera-Guanacaste

I have a long list of places that I want to travel to and this was near the top. Visions of a tropical rainforest, turquoise blue waters, and a variety of animals you only find in a zoo. Who wouldn't want to see that? I am slowly but surely checking off destinations but since having a baby I have become the bigger baby about leaving her. I have said it before and I will say it again as I am not ashamed...I am a control freak and when things are out of my control my anxiety goes through the roof. If I had a dollar for every time someone told me "oh she will be fine" I would be rich....and still anxiety ridden. Listen, I know she will be taken very well care of and I knew she would have a blast with Nana, but that is not the point. Well I had to get over it because the plane was leaving no matter what. Thank God for iMessage and Facetime. This is my baby giving me kisses, how could you not miss that face?

Needless to say we both survived the 8 days away from each other and I have already made it clear to my hubby that the next vacation I am not leaving her for that long...at least not this year :)

After a 5 hour flight from Chicago we finally landed in Liberia, Costa Rica. The airport was built brand new only 2 years ago and it was really clean and nice. Make sure you have a taxi or shuttle scheduled because they charge you $80 for 2 people to get to your hotel when the hotel only charges $55 for 2 people in a private taxi or $25 per couple on a shuttle. Upon landing and while driving to our resort, the visions I had of this country was not what I was looking at. It was brown, dry, hot, and looked just like Mexico. I was a little bummed I am not going to lie. We decided to stay at the RIU Palace as it was an old standby that we knew what to expect having stayed at 3 other RIU resorts. And also...1.) Because I was so out of sorts leaving my child I didn't need any more stress of researching and picking a new place and it being a disaster like Barbados :) (See Travel Barbados blog post for a good laugh). 2.) We were going to stay at the Westin but when I went to book it the price went up $1,500 per person and I am a cheap. 3.) We are old and all we want to do is lay around, soak up some sun and maybe hit up a few touristy things. Done with the excuses. We love the RIU Palace in Puerto Vallarta but this RIU was probably our least favorite. Yes, I read the reviews and searched through Trip Advisor, but I am convinced that the people who write glowing reviews never get to travel and the poor reviews are people who think they are going to have the best food of their life and best accommodations at a at best 4 Star property. Forgo the expectations and just enjoy the ride, it is much better that way!

The decor is very modern and the colors do not seem to fit the location but the view looking out was all I needed. We spend majority of our time outside trying to un-thaw from winter, probably why the hotel was packed with New Yorker's and Canadians! Haha

We would enjoy a glass of wine here each evening overlooking this view. Not to shabby eh?

We did walk over to the RIU Guanacaste property which is right next door and if you stay at the Palace you have the option to hang out there if you would like, no charge. The decor and vibe were much more Costa Rican if you ask me with lush landscaping and more earth toned palate.

For what we did the RIU accommodated my butt just fine. There was an empty chair pool side every day waiting for us, a seat at a their several restaurants and buffets, and more importantly friendly staff waiting to assist you with whatever you could possible need. And they win the award for best dirty monkey drink! Who doesn"t love chocolate and bananas??

The weather is warm and toasty, and was a whopping 98 degrees Thursday of our trip. I would say that is hot especially when the humidity is 60-70 percent too. The locals say that their summer goes from September until May and after May it rains almost every day along the coast for 1-2 hours each day then stops and more like every day all day in the rainforest. We had all sunny days, even at the volcano. The best part was spending 8 whole days uninterrupted with my hubby. We have such a great time together and this trip was nothing short of that.

I think that walking the beach each morning is the best way to get out and explore the raw culture of a country, no matter where you may be. Each morning brought something new for us and it just kept getting better! First off my husband discovered that our beach had jelly fish :)

No he wasn't hurt and no I did not have to pee on him. Nasty. But we saw plenty and depending on the day we saw hundreds or none. After a lot of Google searches we discovered the bottom photo is a Blue Button jelly fish. We encountered monkeys in their natural habitat almost every day and while I am terrified of spiders...I didn't see a one!! Yippee. Lots of lizards, frogs, and birds but all very harmless.

( I am not the idiot who tries to touch or capture wild animals so I wouldn't know if they were harmless or not). There was a trail next to our property at the RIU that people were talking about stating we had to go to the Monkey Bar. So we took the trail one day and if I could white knuckle my own hands, I sure was doing just that! I was freaked out. The thought of being on this trail, alone with lots of foreign animal scurrying about was freaky. I did give my hubby a good laugh that is for sure. I am usually the brave and confident one but after reading some crazy article in The Mens Journal about a man who went missing in the Costa Rican jungle, I was freaked. We finally reached the monkey Bar and it was just that. A bar that had a tree just across the street with several monkeys just chilling minding their own business. I later learned you are not supposed to smile at them because they show their teeth as a sign of agression...note to self for the next time.

On one of our last walks it was a Saturday and the locals had all come to the beach to enjoy their family time and we saw thousands of tiny fish had washed up on shore. The little children were collecting them in their toys and taking them back to their parents...something my child would do, although she would have it in her mouth! Birds were swooping down picking up these fish left and right as it was probably the easiest meal of their day. All of a sudden these 3 men ran out into the water throwing a string wrapped around a scrap piece of wood with a lure attached to it. They all reeled back in these huge fish like it was nothing! Incredible to see. I guess that was going to be their dinner that night.

It is those types of experiences you can not buy.

In my "older" age I love trying new things and foods. At our breakfast buffet there was this fruit with snot like seeds inside of it and whatever made me want to try it is beyond me but I am sure glad I did.

It turns out that I LOVE passion fruit and ate it every single morning. Convincing my husband to eat it after he tried it was another story :) See for yourself. Snot? or not?

Before we left I really wanted to do the Arenal volcano tour, so once we had a few relaxing days under our belts we booked the tour through a travel guide at the hotel. Gray line tours did a great job and I highly recommend them. It was about a 3.5 hour ride in a van there and back but you can't describe the experience unless you see it for yourself. And what else do you have to do the next day besides sit poolside and relax? Get up and go! You won't regret it.

That is what I had pictured Costa Rica looking like. Absolutely stunning. Our driver quickly pulled the van off to the side of the road or just stopped in the middle of the road several times for us to capture photos of monkeys, pizotes (as seen below), volcanoes, and of course a couple of selfies!

We selected the tour with the volcano, the rainforest hike, and the hot springs. The hike was more like a walk and not a hike. We are the dumb tourists and wore flip-flops but if we would've bought different shoes for this "hike" we would've been pissed. We were fine. Just remember your bug spray. I had read this in previous posts that mosquitos were bad. I led the pack, after the guide of course so he could take the first snake or spider bite :) Kidding. sort of.

Next stop was the hot springs. They took us to this hotel called The Springs Resort and Spa where of course the Bachelor had filmed and Sharon Stone happened to be walking into the spa as I was walking by...eeek! This place was breathtaking.

This is the view from their lobby, where I would've just sat for hours. The views, the springs, the people, the food....ahhhhh I want to go back. I think this would be a perfect place for couples or just a group of girls for a trip!

It is our tradition that when we stay at a RIU we must see the Michael Jackson show because it was the first one we saw together and it is so funny. Hard to believe that they can look and dance so much like him. So this is the Michael Jackson of Costa Rica :) Pretty good I would say.

So peace out Costa Rica until we meet again, if ever. Happy travels to all and if you have any comments of suggestions feel free to let me know or ask!! If I put every single detail it would be a book and if I wrote every single praise or fail I would be one of THOSE people :) Cheers!

Travel Southern California

This may be the next place I buy a home...if I can convince the hubby! I conveniently signed him up for a conference in San Diego then proceeded to tag along, baby in tow. It was a win win for both of us. It really is sunny and 70 degrees every single day. Our trip started out way too early for the baby (3:45am) followed by absolutely no layover in Denver for our next connection, which led to a few more gray hairs and never agains. It really doesn't help much when the flight attendants are extremely rude on every single flight for that matter (same airline....Frontier) and nosy people turn around to show you their disgust for your baby who has been crying and crabby. Listen up. If you are one of the people who turn around to see the little punk who is crying behind you, don't turn your snotty self around unless you are going to help. Whew! I feel slightly better :) So my baby may have thrown a small fit about 5 minutes immediately after boarding the first flight. It was the first time it has happened to me and thank God it was the only time during our trip. She immediately fell asleep as soon as we took off but give the kid a break. No, I did not teach my 1-year-old how to run on minimal sleep, and sit quietly in her seat. I will work on it for the next time, because I am not going to quit flying because everyone made me feel like a bad mom. And no I will not apologize. The more she does it, the more she will get used to it. So if you are or were one of THOSE people....just think about me next time you want to turn around :) I used to live in Encinitas, California so for me this was kind of like going back "home". I did a short travel job for a great company and met some great people along the way. I like to think that San Diego is the touristy area and as you head North it becomes more of a beach community feel, more relaxed and chill. Just the way I like my vacations. But we only had a week to get everything I missed doing done and that was not enough time, so I guess we will have to go back...bummer! Haha

Start in San Diego. We stayed at the Manchester Grand Hyatt for the conference. Grand, elegant, and really convenient to the pier, Coronado Island, and Balboa Park. This was our view from our room...terrible I know!

I am not too familiar with what there is to do downtown as I spend my time either shopping or up in North County. Our local mall is great but compared to Fashion Valley....it is nothing! We ate at this place in Fashion Valley called Stacked. So neat. You do all of your ordering on this iPad like device (even your waters) and pay on it too. We found it to be really efficient. Stepping outside of the box we ordered a Pastrami pizza. Amazing! Dill pickles, spicy brown mustard, mozz cheese, swiss cheese, garlic sauce, and of course pastrami!

Westfield UTC is an outdoor mall that is perfect for strolling along, grabbing some lunch and relaxing. Plus it has a great play area for the kids to burn off some energy. A trip to San Diego is not complete without a trip to the Zoo. One of the best if not the best I have been to. Even if you are not traveling with kids, you can grab a brew and guide your way through this amazing place. I would not recommend taking the free tour bus inside the zoo, rather just walk around and see it for yourself. We missed a lot of animals because the bus was too high or we were sitting on the "wrong" side.

Next stop up the interstate is La Jolla. Well there are maybe a few other towns but skip them and come here. One of the best hikes I have ever done is Torrey Pines. It is beautiful, easy to get to and has a great beach to hang out on when you are done and want to rest. Of course there is always shopping to be done and if you want to see the stinky sea lions, head over to the Cove. This one trip could consume your entire day if you wanted it to. Kayaking, swimming, beach, and plenty of green space for whatever else you want to do. Lots of souvenir shops, coffee and cocktail places for everyone.

Next stop for me is Del Mar. If you are visiting during racing season it is a must that you go to the Del Mar racetrack. Even if you don't gamble...just do it this once. $5 will do the trick and it really is a lot of fun! It is like a mini Kentucky Derby :) My favorite spot to stay is the L'Auberge. It may be a little pricey but it is totally worth it. Centrally located in this quaint fun town. Check out the Brigantine restaurant for some of my favorite fish tacos.

Last stop for me puts the cherry on top. Encinitas. This time was a little different because we were traveling with a 1-year-old. Boy how things change when you get....ahem....older. If you read my blog you know that I love lists :) So of course I made one before we left of all the things I wanted to accomplish before we came home. Top of my list was Swamis.

It is a breakfast, brunch, and lunch place right on main street in Encinitas ( the 101). They have this little bowl of heaven called the Acai bowl. Granola, fresh fruit, with this cold acai puree that hits the spot. I have tried and tried to re-create this but constantly fail.

Plus if you are a coffee drinker, try their locally roasted brew Vanilla Nut. I love it so much I brought 2 bags home with me. There are a few little local shops up and down the street that are fun, but when I get here I want to relax. So I head across the street to the Swamis lookout/surf spot, grab a bench and watch all of the "sitting ducks" as I like to call them. I swear either no one works in this town or they all work for themselves.

Next on my list was the Sweet and Savory salad from St. Tropez restaurant just down the street from Swamis. I am telling you, this is a very quaint town with lots to discover. St Tropez serves up great food and has a patio to accompany it. One of my favorite things about California is that people are so dog friendly here, they will set bowls of water out, allow dogs on patios, and you even see them shopping along side their owners!

If you haven't already noticed I like to eat :) Again, it is hard to hit all of the places when you have a small child but here is a list of local spots you must try!

1.) Besta-wan. Get it? It is a pizza place with a menu of items for everyone. Google it.

2.) Trattoria I Trulli. Small place that you may miss if you aren't looking, but this Italian place is not small on flavor!

3.) Zenbu/Rimel's Rotisserie. They are connected and Zenbu is the sushi side and Rimel's is a rotisserie. It sounds like an old folks eating joint but it is super hip and relaxed vibe, with great food. Just get the wok seared bowl with filet mignon, you won't be disappointed.

4.) 3rd Corner. Cozy and inviting. Great place to get a glass of wine and a cheese plate. Go during happy hour for crazy deals and then hit up any of the above later for dinner.

I could go on and on about this place and all of the great places to see and eat but really you should be planning your trip right now after you are done reading this. Just a few short minutes up from Encinitas is Carlsbad that is home to Lego Land. So from San Diego to Carlsbad you have: Zoo, Sea World, Safari Park, Balboa Park, La Jolla Cove, Hike Torrey Pines, Race Track, Beach, Golf, Shopping, and Lego Land. I am probably missing a TON of things so if you go and find another hidden gem, let me know so when I make my many trips back I can try out the places you loved! Until next time, or as a true Californian would say...Cheers!