Capitol City Charm: A Des Moines Weekend

Trip to Des Moines, Iowa

We left for Des Moines, Iowa on Friday morning. We dropped Oliver off where he would stay through Sunday and we were on the road by 7:30. We drove to Des Moines with Erin and Greg and then met up with Laura and Jason where we had lunch and stayed at a Airbnb. We had a great time! We toured the capitol, went to antique place, did a lot of walking, and then we ate and drank a few different places. So much fun! Carrie and I were so tired when we got back home that we both took long naps Sunday afternoon into the evening and likely going to bed early this evening.

State Capitol in Des Moines, Iowa

We met Laura and Jason at El Bait Shop and then we headed to the capitol to look around. Carrie and I had been there before (back in 2016), but we wanted to show the others the beautiful capitol in Iowa. The clear blue skies made the capitol stand out against the dark blue background. It was fun going through and seeing the different areas of the capitol. We toured all the floors we could access which was cool. We decided doing a guided tour and looked around on our own which is what Carrie and I did back in 2016 when we toured their capitol.

Drinks at Speak Easy

Oysters on the Half Shell

Group Selfie

We finished the weekend Saturday night at a speak easy. A few of us had a wild night on Friday, so it was low key on Saturday night. The drinks were good and we had a good time hanging out together. We are already looking forward to our next trip back to Des Moines, Iowa and talked about going earlier in the season. We lucked out with the weather for our trip as it was sunny while we were there. A random rain shower moved through on Saturday late afternoon, but that was about it.

Great time and Des Moines was good to us once again. I look forward to going back in the future.

Thinking of Future Camping for 2024 and Thinking Back to Past Camping Trips to When We Started in 2021

Camping in 2021

Carrie and I have been camping one time so far this year (see Big Bend Post) and it was great. We are wanting to go camping so bad many more times while it is nice this spring, summer, and fall. Right now, we have one spot reserved for the summer, but we are keeping our eyes open for other dates we can camp. The places we camp over the next few months will probably be located in Kansas. Our trip to Big Bend was our first camping trip outside the state of Kansas. Yes, we want to do more camping trips outside Kansas, but I am not sure those will happen this year.

One spot I am hoping we are able to fit in this year is Wilson State Park. I hear only good things from those that have been to this location about how beautiful it is with amazing views. Wilson State Park has been on our list to visit for a few years, but it has not worked out for us to get out there to this point. I am hoping this will be the year that we are able to make it out to this beautiful spot in Kansas.

Thinking back to when we started camping back in May 2021. Little did I know that it would become a passion for both Carrie and me. We love the whole experience of camping so much and cannot wait until our next camping trip. As I review past trips, I wondered where we were at with our count of locations and camping trips.

We have been multiple times to Eisenhower State Park which we love. There is a good chance we will be back to Eisenhower State Park at some point this summer. We have a favorite spot there and really enjoy the trails and location. Other locations in Kansas that we have been included (links are to blog posts) Crawford State Park, Lake Milford near Junction City, HipCamp on the Saline River by Hays, KS, Council Grove, and finally Big Bend National Park in Texas.

A rough guess on number of times we have been camping would be ten times. Hoping to increase our camping number throughout the next few months. In 2022 and 2023, we had busy spring, summer, and fall seasons, so camping was difficult to work in during those years, but hoping get some more dates scheduled for this year.

Camping Trip in June 2021

Finding sites to camp near lakes is the best as it is so beautiful and brings back memories of being a kid hanging out at Lone Star Lake or Clinton Lake. Plus, Carrie and I are getting into trails, so we want to keep that trend going from our Big Bend trip. We are planning to do some trails in Kansas City, or even around Topeka, that look interesting. Just to keep what we started in Texas going and might even play a role in where we pick to do our camping trips for this year. Still, I am sure we will end up at some of our usual spots but also hoping to visit some new locations this year.

Until next time, have a great week. I hope you are able to find your next camping spot or do what makes you happy.

Weekend Trip to St. Louis for Food, Drinks, and Fun

 

This past weekend we took a trip to St. Louis which is turning into an annual trip. Greg plays in a fantasy baseball draft that drafts in-person, so we have made a trip of it the past two years. We headed to St. Louis on Thursday, March 16 and we returned on Sunday, March 19. We had a wonderful time and managed to get to two Italian places to eat.

 

We did go to a new Italian place to eat our first night in St. Louis. We went to Paul Manno's Restaurant. Great food, wonderful service, and had the best time eating there Thursday night. Our night here as a perfect evening where we continued to talk about it on our way back on Sunday. Wonderful spot!

Friday we had a long day of going to different spots around St. Louis. We started off with an early breakfast and then went through the day until we dropped Greg off at his draft. Erin, Carrie, and I found a good spot to eat as we knew it might not be a spot Greg would like, so we made reservations and had a delicious meal in a cool spot. The name of the place was jalea.

The drinks were good and then dinner was also delicious. I could not finish all of my food, so I took some of it home, but ended up not having the leftovers either. We loved the look of the place and our waiter was excellent. He shared with us that he played baseball in Kansas, so he was familiar with Kansas. It was good to eat some delicious food, have some fun drinks, and try out a new spot.

Carrie was doing some artsy pictures while we were in St. Louis, so a few of those to share here.

We are already looking forward to next year when we will go back and go to new places. I was able to meet with my friend, Mark, and his wife, Shauna, while were there. We met them for lunch on Saturday and had a chance to catch up.

Saturday night, we went to Charlie Gitto’s which we went to last year. It was good, but we had a better time, better food, and drinks at Paul Manno's. We look forward to trying a new spot next year when we return.

For now, this is all as I did not get this posted on Sunday as my regular schedule as I was so tired from the weekend, I slept most of the evening and went to bed early. Playing catch up on our weekend trip of staying up late, getting up early, and having fun.

50 Birthday Celebration in Fredericksburg Was a Success! Great Time in Wine Country!

We started planning my 50th birthday celebration back in December or January. Narrowed down the locations from remote beaches, sea side in the United States, to wine country locations. I made the decision I liked wine and we would revisit Fredericksburg (Fred), Texas. We had visited Fred back in 2020 prior to COVID occurring and had a great time, so it seemed like a good place to visit and have some fun. We decided on a VRBO house after going through a few dozen or so locations that we all reviewed, gave feedback, etc., but finally decided on one that could hold six of us and it had a pool.

Our trip was scheduled for when my birthday would occur, so we planned for July 20 through July 26. During our trip we took a lot of pictures. I picked out some for this update, but others can be seen on my Flickr site. Yes, we took over 280 pictures although some are duplicates, there are a lot of photos of our fun and wineries we visited. Below, I will attempt to outline what we did each day and some of the wineries or restaurants we visited.

Wednesday, July 20

This was our travel day. Erin, Greg, Carrie, and I left Topeka bright and early this morning. We loaded up the car and we were on the road a little after 5 am. Oliver being watched by my mom. We thought about taking him, but it would have been too much for him, so I am glad we left him behind.

Uneventful trip which was good. Greg and I split up the drive, so it was not bad at all. It is around an 11 hour drive to our house. Really, the trip was not bad at all and when making the trip with others that can help with the drive, it makes it go by quickly. 

We arrived late afternoon and checked out our house for the week. I was so happy with the house we selected. After reviewing many different houses in different locations, I am so happy we decided on Sunny Oaks TX. So, we arrived, checked out the house and then went to get something to eat. Javier and Corrie meeting us on Thursday, so we were on our own for finding a place to eat. We went to Hondo’s On Main which Carrie and I had been to back in 2020. We had a spot near the bar and really good food and drinks. Had a good time for our first night in Fred before heading back to the house later that night. Of course we had to get in the pool when we got back to the house where we hung out until it was time for bed.

Thursday, July 21

I woke up earlier and rode the Peloton for a while. Javier and Corrie were arriving to town today, so we were a little excited. Originally, we were going to meet them at the Hill Country Distillers, but plans changed and we would meet Corrie and Javier at the house. Greg and I were like little kids watching for our friends to arrive. I think I checked the front door a dozen times and then as the time approached they were supposed to arrive, we were both looking out the front door for their arrival. After their arrival, taking in their things, saying hello, and showing around the house, we left to go grab lunch.

We stopped by a place none of had been for lunch which was really good. High’s Cafe and Store with really good sandwiches and soups. It was a good way to lay a base before we started having some gin and whiskey at the distillers.

After lunch, we headed to Hill Country Distillers that Corrie, Javier, Carrie, and I had been to previously, but first time for Greg and Erin. I realized we only took one picture while we were at Hill Country Distillers which I think was due to our enjoyment of the variation of drinks. Good spot that I highly recommend checking out if you are near Comfort, Texas.

For dinner Thursday night, Corrie and Javier selected the spot and paid for our dinner. Thank you! It was a secret until the day they arrived and it was excellent! Crossroads Steakhouse & Saloon was the selection. It was wonderful! Everything from the drinks down to the dinner was excellent. I had the bone-in pork chop with Brussels sprouts. Oh my! Prior to dinner I had a classic martini and then Corrie and Javier got the table two bottles of wine. Fantastic spot for dinner and to start off our weekend of fun.

Following dinner, we went back to the house to get in the pool and enjoy some drinks around the pool in the Texas evening. It was wonderful!

Friday, July 22

This was our first day of visiting wineries, so we had to get a good base before we started. We went to what has become a tradition of visiting Mr. Gatti’s Pizza which is pizza buffet and salad. We went there back in 2020 and decided it would be good to go before we started the wineries. Following pizza, we had three wineries on the itinerary.

Augusta Vin is one of our favorites. Corrie, Javier, Carrie, and I had been there back in 2020 where Carrie and I have been club members since that first visit. We changed up our delivery to have a mixed wine box delivered four times a year. Previously, we had only reds delivered, but changed up the delivery to be a mix. All of their wines have been delicious and I have enjoyed their white wines when we visit, so decided to switch it up. We sat out on the VIP balcony and enjoyed a tasting followed by a glass of wine we shared. Enjoyable first day of visiting wineries. 

Heath Sparkling Wine at Grape Creet Vinyards was our next stop. We had tried to stop here back in 2020 not knowing they had just opened and it was by reservation only. This was sparkling wines paired with food. We all agreed we would go there to eat if the chef would do full meals. 

 The pairings were perfect and we learned the process of sparkling wines while we sampled. We did have a brief time where we were not sure if we were going to get in as there was some confusion with our reservation, but they grouped us together with two other ladies and everything worked out just fine. 

Following sparkling wines, we went back to red and white wines at Carter Creek Winery Resort & Spa which was a cool spot. Wine was good and had a huge outdoor area for events, cornhole, or just hanging out enjoy a glass of wine. There was also a brewery on the grounds which had some good beer which I enjoyed after an afternoon of wine. 

Saturday, July 23

The schedule was set with four wineries and a driver to take us around. It was so fun! Nick was great! He was a college student that drove people around on the weekends for wineries. He took good care of us checking us into the various locations and getting us to and fro safely.

Excited for the day and to get it started, we had a breakfast casserole that Corrie had made. Again, it provided a good base for us for the day of visiting wineries. I think I also had a Bloody Mary, or more, to start the day before enjoy wines. So exciting to have a driver picking us up and not having to worry about getting from one place to the next. We were ready to head out…

Our first stop was Slate Theory which as an amazing location and winery. The wine was delicious and their cellar was so impressive. Below ground and a nice cool temperature for wine, we sampled wines and looked around their production area. The concept for Slate Theory was cool as their label was about mental health and attempting to remove the stigma regarding mental health from their label to the various names of their wines (i.e. Insomniac and Schizophrenic to name a few). We all enjoyed our time at Slate Theory.

Second on the agenda was Hye Meadow Winery where we also had lunch. They sat us outside which was very warm. Not bad while we did the wine tasting, but once our food arrived, we were all ready to go inside. I enjoyed the wines at Hye Meadow Winery, but we did not buy any wines or sign up for any clubs at this one. 

William Chris Vineyards was our third stop of the day. A nice little stop where at first we thought we were going to be outside, but they moved us inside to a counter where it was cool. It was a little loud from “woo girls” in the tasting room and our host was a soft speaker, but we had a good time.

Hilmy Cellars was a fun last stop. Again, they wanted to put us outside, but Carrie got them to keep us inside at the counter. I really enjoyed the wines at Hilmy Cellars and we were able to enjoy a glass after the tasting while we waited for Nick to come pick us up. We also had some good flavored popcorn, which was much needed after various wineries, to tide us over until dinner time. 

What a great time of having a driver to take us around town, enjoy great venues, and wines, and to have fun in Fred. Nick picked us up from Hilmy Cellars and took us back to the house. We spent the evening around the pool, eating burgers, and continuing the fun.

Sunday, July 24

Our last day to do wineries, so we had Grape Creek Vineyards which is located at the same location/area as Heath Sparkling Wine that we had visited earlier in the week. Although, we had reservations at JenBlossom Cellars. JenBlossom Cellars turned out to be a private tasting which was amazing and some of the best wine I have ever had. No, we did not buy a membership here, but we wanted to do so. Instead, we bought one bottle which is the most expensive bottle of wine we have ever purchased. Saving it for a special occasion, we cannot wait to have it one evening.

A great way to start the day with JenBlossom Cellars, we left and headed to Barons Creek Vineyards. Our fun continued at Barons Creek Vineyards where we had a good person serving us wine and some snacks to tide us over for the day.  Carrie and I took home a couple of bottles from Barons Creek Vineyards and then also ended up for a membership. Carrie said later she did not want to but I was happy on wine and decided to join another club. “That’s how they get you!”. 😀

Our final stop for wine was Safari Winery. A fun location with a good host, but none of us bought any bottles from this location.

Finally to finish out the day we needed food, so we decided on Panda Chinese Restaurant which was some of the best Chinese I have had in a while. Put down a good base so we could head back to the house to play games and enjoy the night.

Monday, July 25

 The plan today was to stick around the house. Greg and I stayed around the house. The ladies went shopping and then to Augusta Vin to take advantage of our VIP status.  

While it was hot, it was not bad at all outside. I was outside for the morning and majority of the afternoon. Even though I applied sunscreen multiple times, I got burned on my shoulders and back. All good though and well worth it as I had an amazing day celebrating my birthday.

After the ladies returned, we all spent time in the pool and then Greg did steaks on the grill. They were so good! We had some difficulty figuring out the Traeger Grill the night we did burgers, but no issues this evening. The steaks came off perfectly cooked and paired nicely with sides and a nice glass of wine. Perfect pairing after spending the day drinking beer around the pool. 

A great way to finish off the long weekend with good food, drink, and fun in the pool. I am the first in our group to turn 50, so I cannot wait to see what the others all plan for their 50 celebrations. I recall some discussion happening between Corrie and Carrie that we might be in California for their 50 celebration. I cannot wait!

Ending our Trip

It was sad to pack up and leave on Tuesday morning. Corrie and Javier had to leave early to get Javier to the airport. We ended up having to take all the wine with us and meeting Javier at the airport as he could not ship his wine from UPS and of course could not check all of it at the airport. Worked out well though as we were able to meet his friend who pick up his wine from us as we passed through Forth Worth, Texas. 

I invite you to view all pictures from our trip by accessing my Flickr site. I would like to thank Corrie, Javier, Greg, Erin, and Carrie for making my 50th birthday celebration a memorial event. I think I will be talking about this celebration for years to come although I look forward to seeing how the others out do my 50 celebration. Thank you everyone!

Thanks to everyone who called, texted, or spoke to me directly to wish me a happy birthday. It was so fun!

Trip to St. Louis for Weekend for Fun March 4 - 6, 2022... Where We Ate, Drank, and Had a Lot of Fun!

We spent the weekend of March 4 - 6 in St. Louis, Missouri. Greg had a baseball draft Saturday night, so we decided to make a weekend of it and go into St. Louis to spend the weekend. This is a review of our trip, where we ate, what we did, and places we want to go again.

 

My friend lives in St. Louis and I tried to coordinate with him to meet up on Saturday, but our plans fell through and we were unable to meet up. He ended up being in Kansas and I was in his stomping ground. I was sad I was unable to meet up with Mark, but Carrie and I are hoping to make another trip into St. Louis in the near future to eat some good food and see the Poggio family.

 

We found a place to rent and headed out from Topeka early afternoon. We got into St. Louis late in the afternoon. We had made reservations at an Italian place on The Hill, so we cleaned up a little from the trip, had a drink or two, and then did Uber to our dinner reservations. We arrived at Charlie Gitto’s on The Hill and sat at the bar. When we first arrived and looking at the bar, it looks like a small place, but realized it was much larger than we had imagined. A table in the middle of the main area where we had entered opened up and we thought it was going to be our table. As the hostess came to get us we walked past that table to another area although we quickly declined that location and asked if we could sit at the open table in the enterance. We are so glad Carrie asked about another table as it was a perfect location. We were right in the middle of the place with a great feel. It as wonderful!

 

We ordered drinks and looked over the menu. Typical for me, I completely forgot to take any pictures while we were in the restaurant, so the pictures from this evening are from Erin. Our table in the middle was great, we were chatting with the people on either side of us and actually paid for part of one table that was celebrating their first anniversary. It was a fun night!

 

The cappuccino was really good! Again, credit to Erin to taking the picture. The meal was excellent as was the service. The waiter was knowledgable and gave great direction on what to order. We ordered two bottles of wine and Greg even drank red wine. What a wonderful evening! Charlie Gitto’s on The Hill is a place I would love to visit again. Maybe sit at the bar to enjoy drinks and dinner, but mainly to experience the environment of the place. So much fun!

 

Following dinner, we went to a few other places in the area. One place that was recommended as Narwhal’s Crafted Urban Ice. It was an interesting place, but not what I think we were expecting. Seemed to be a popular place for the younger crowd, so we ordered a few drinks and left when we were done. 

 

Saturday morning we went to SqWires Restaurant & Market which was fantastic! Once again, the service was excellent, helpful, and personable, but the food and drinks were great too! From breakfast, we went to tour Anheuser-Busch which I think was my third time to do the tour. It seemed shorter from when I did the tour 15 or so years prior plus we were unable to see the production line of bottling as they were working on the line at the time. Still, it was fun to see the production and drink some fresh beer. I believe it was the first time for Erin and Greg to tour. Carrie and I had been through it about fifteen years prior when we were visiting the Poggio family.

 

We made a quick trip following the tour back to The Foundatain on Locust. I think I could live at The Foundatain on Locust with wonderful drinks (both acholic and non-acholic). I had a Mud Slide which was wonderful. We laughed at Greg because he did not speak the whole time he was eating his sundae. I had part of Erin’s shake as she could not finish it all. Enjoyable spot and probably a good thing we have to travel to enjoy this thing in the future.

 

As Saturday night was coming up and Greg had to get to his draft, Erin, Carrie, and I went to EdgeWild Restaurant & Windery which was a place we saw on-line and decided to try out. Once again, it was a fun spot. We sat the bar and they were very busy through the place. We had all been eating most of the day, or snacking, so we all got a wedge salad for dinner, some apps, and drinks. We had a good time before we headed to where Greg was doing his draft to hang out and have a few more drinks.

 

Before we left to head back to Topeka on Sunday morning, we stopped by Pharaoh’s Donuts in downtown St. Louis. We parked and went walking up to the place on the corner. Not thinking much of the place as it looked like your typical local place for donuts. We made our selections, ordered, and ate in the store at some tables to the side. I have been teased that I say I love a food, or drink, so much, but I am not lying that this might have been the best donuts I have had in my life. They were fresh and melted in my mouth. I got a twist and a Long John. I wanted more! So much more, they were so good! Erin who is not much of a donut person said they were some of the best she had as well. A place we will visit again next time we are in St. Louis.

 

Overall, we had a wonderful experience in St. Louis. Everyone we encountered from places we ate, drank, or the farmers market we visited Saturday, were all so nice and helpful. We made some wonderful memories and I look forward to making a trip in the future back to St. Louis in the future. 

 

Carrie and I Celebrated 17 Years of Marriage Taking a Trip to Minnesota

Carrie and I celebrated our 17th wedding anniversary on September 21. For our anniversary, we booked a trip to Minneapolis, MN. We stayed in a Airbnb which was fantastic. It was our first time staying in an Airbnb, but certainly will try it again. The apartment, views, and location was fantastic! It almost did not feel real looking our our 20th floor apartment the views or going up to the top floor (31st) to walk around on the top roof to see the view, have drinks, and enjoy our time.

Light Rail Waiting to Take Us to Next Stop

We arrived on Wednesday, September 18 and stayed through Monday, September 23. It was a nice trip. We had a lot to explore. My third trip to the Twin Cities with the most recent being just a few short years ago for a bachelor party for my brother-in-law. My first trip to Minnesota was years ago to meet my friend Michele who was staying up there. I remember it was very cold when I went the first time. This time the weather was perfect! It only rained on us the last Sunday we were there for the Royals game and all the other days were beautiful. We had fun learning the light rail system and bus system. It was really easy to get around using the Transit system with an easy to use app. It was our first time using Apple Maps with transit. It was cool to use the real-time transit maps of Apple and know exactly when a train or bus were going to arrive. The last time I was in the city we walked most places and use the sky-walks to get around the city. We did use Uber a few times when it was going to be a little wait to walk or wait for the bus/train.

We did do some culture while we were in the town. We visited a museum and read through some history in downtown St. Paul. We visited so many wonderful spots in both Minneapolis and St. Paul that I had to list them below for my memory as I look back up on our trip years from now.

• Restaurants
• Casper & Runyon's Nook (Burger with Cheese in the Center... whaat?)
• Centro
• The Anchor Fish and Chips (Fantastic Fried Fish)
• 112 Eatery (Our Anniversary Dinner)
• Spoon and Stable (Brunch before Baseball)
• Red Cow
• Breweries or Drinks
• Summit Brewing Company
• Surly Brewing Company
• Modist Brewing Co
• Tattersall Distilling
• Indeed Brewing Company
• Dangerous Man Brewing Co
• Inbound Brew Co

Fantastic breweries and places to eat. We drank and ate at lot. Enjoyable time wondering around the city and enjoying the company of my wife for seventeen years... Carrie. She did most, OK all, the research for our trip. She researched the places to eat, drink, and did a wonderful job doing the research. If it were left to me, we would have been searching the internet when we were there checking where to go. She had a list and checked it regularly leading up and including while on the trip. There were many places both to eat and drink that we did not attend. Overall, I could not have asked for a better trip with a better person.

Looking forward to what we will book next year and years to come. Happy Anniversary Carrie! I love you!

17th Wedding Anniversary Trip to Minnesota

Trip to Beloved Playa Mujeres in Cancun November 2017

Carrie and John Parasailing in Cancun Mexico

Our vacation from 2017 and I realized I never finished this post which I had started back in December 2017 following our vacation. So, I decided to finish it out today.

Carrie and I celebrated fifteen years of marriage on September 21, 2017. To celebrate, we booked a all-inclusive vacation to Beloved Playa Mujeres in Cancun Mexico. We had looked at a number of all-inclusive resorts before selecting Beloved Playa Mujeres. We booked our vacation for November 12 - 21, 2017 so we could be back in time for Thanksgiving break. We were in for a treat of a vacation from arriving in Mexico.

Night Before We Leave and Our Flight

Carrie and John on Plane

We flew on American Airlines. We stayed at Hilton Kansas City Airport so we would not have to rush Sunday morning to get to the airport from Topeka. It worked out great! On the drive to the hotel on Saturday, we were trying to figure out where to eat going through options we found on Google. Finally Carrie asked what about Minsky's Pizza which was within driving distance and better yet they delivered to the hotel. We had taken a cooler full of beer with us for the hotel stay the night before where we enjoyed drinking beer and eating pizza. We ate the whole thing and I finished off the beer.

After finishing pizza, beer, and dessert, Carrie proceeded to get ready for the trip with such things as painting nails. I found a movie I had wanted to watch for a while but never watched. The movie was one I remember my dad liking a lot and maybe watching a few times. I recalled to Carrie when I came across the movie that I remembered my dad telling me how good the movie was and would be one I would like too. Sure enough, I tuned into Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003) and I watched it to the end. I loved it! I thought it was cool that the movie was playing and I was able to watch it before leaving on our trip. I felt a connection to dad as I know how much he liked this movie. Carrie shared with me following the movie that it was based on a series of books that I might enjoy reading... which I plan to read.

We both slept well that night and got up early Sunday, November 12, 2017 ready to catch our flight. We were able to leave our car at the Hilton Kansas City Airport for $8 a day, so that was not too bad. We took the shuttle to the Kansas City airport and had no issues with making our flight. The airport was not busy at all. Our first leg of the flight was to Dallas, Texas where we then had about an hour layover in Dallas before our connecting flight to Cancun.

Vodka Tonic on Plane

No major issues with our flights although on one of the flights Carrie's knees were up against the chair in front of us. I believe this was the first flight to Dallas as we did not pay more for emergency exit row on that first flight. We both got a beverage to drink on the plane to start our vacation. Nothing like a little vodka before noon. We are on vacation!

The second flight to Cancun, I recall the flight attendant for American Airlines talked to us a lot and was so nice! We were even talking to her as we were going off the plane. She was telling us about her travel and where she was going after leaving Cancun. It was interesting to hear her discuss her plans. I believe she said she is currently living in Dallas but of course gets to travel to all kinds of interesting locations.

Arrival and the Resort

We arrived late afternoon on Sunday, November 12, 2017. Slightly overcast when we arrived, but the weather was not bad. We knew before we left that rain was forecast for late Sunday and most of the day Monday although we thought we would catch a break and miss the rain. It was a nice evening on Sunday as we checked into our room. We spent some time unpacking and enjoying some drinks in our room before we headed out to checkout the resort. We ate the first night at Isla Grill which was very good! I had steak and it was delicious. We never did have the bananas that we heard about as that first night we were too full to get that dessert and when we tried going later in our stay, they were out of them when we ate dinner the second time at Isla Grill. The flaming bananas sounded really good though, so we missed out on those.

A few pictures are below of the view from our patio which was Hermosa 2. We really liked the location of our room and being on the ground floor. Some days we left out of the back sliding glass and did not bother locking the room. We did this when we were going to the swim up bar or spending time in the area by the pool.

I did not get many inside pictures of our room, but I think you can find those elsewhere. My favorite part of the room was the bar. When we checked into our room and they came by to check on us if we needed anything, we told them we would prefer black label Johnny Walker. We were initially told that we would have to give up two bottles from the four liquor bottles and one bottle of wine. The liquor that was in the room for us included rum, tequila, vodka, gin, and then one bottle of wine. After we left for dinner and came back, there was a bottle of black label Johnny Walker and they left the bottle we thought we were giving up... rum. Good thing because we ended up finishing off one bottle of rum during our stay and started another one. I was really enjoying the rum while on our vacation.

Another favorite of being on the ground floor in Hermosa 2 was that the ice machine was right outside of our door. The first few days I would take the ice bucket out to fill up with ice and by the end, I was taking just our glasses out to fill up with ice for our drinks. Worked out great!

More Resort and Our Activities

For most of our vacation, we spent either by the ocean or by a pool. Duh! We got up early (by 9 am) most mornings as we did not want to waste any daytime as the days were rather short. Carrie read six or seven books while we were on vacation and I read two and half which was our goal for this vacation. Not have anything planned, relax by the ocean/pool, read, and enjoy adult beverages which is exactly what we did on our vacation. Oh, we also ate well at the resort. 

Ceviche with Octopus. Yum!

The sushi bar was really good! We did not spend as much time at the sushi bar as we could have done. We basically had sushi twice while on vacation. The first night we had the ceviche. Oh my! It was really good! The ceviche had shrimp, white fish, and octopus. We were not too thrilled about eating octopus, but I think it was our favorite of the combination. Really nice job with the ceviche at the sushi bar. We had ceviche again later at another restaurant, but the first night we had it was the best. They did a really nice job with the sushi at this location. We had no complaints and ate plenty of sushi. This was one of the first places we went when arriving to the resort and then we re-visited again a few nights before we left to enjoy sushi and drinks.

Dinner at Excellence
Playa Mujeres

On Tuesday, November 14,  2017, we were able to have dinner at the neighboring Excellence Playa Mujeres that we were able to eat at for "free" because we were staying over seven nights at the sister related restore of Beloved Playa Mujeres. It was fun to go over to see the other resort which was a lot larger than where we were staying. So large in fact, we had a hard time finding the ocean after we were done eating to walk back to our hotel. Anyway, we were able to hang out at Excellence Playa Mujeres for a while to drink and then eat. So many more people at this resort, so it was fun for us to be able to see that side with more people everywhere. The staff were very nice to us when visiting the other resort. They were attentive to our needs and we had a wonderful time. We were able to walk around the resort following dinner to check out the sports bar which happened to be playing Kansas basketball against Kentucky Wildcats. It was a fun night although we got out of there late and back to our room about midnight. (This might explain why we had problems finding the ocean after leaving the resort.)

Wrap Up and Conclusion

A wonderful vacation that we cannot wait to do again.  Excellence Playa Mujeres was a wonderful place to stay. The staff and various places to eat/drink were enjoyable. It had been a long time since we had been to an all-inclusive resort and hopefully we do not wait as long to do so again in the future. We have been on three cruises and enjoy those, but there is something special about all-inclusive and drinking or eating whatever and whenever we want.

See all of our pictures from our trip by clicking on the picture to the below. A memorable experience and look forward to going again.

Picture Album from Excellence Playa Mujeres from November 2017