tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5032114926291277472024-03-17T20:29:50.897-05:00casacaudillcasacaudillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17737547597204258314noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-503211492629127747.post-69227554579410421132024-02-27T14:11:00.023-05:002024-02-27T16:01:50.703-05:00A Week at Secrets Akumal Riviera Maya<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPpNsWwwCzuWDsF1wxBqhnpgqObVneuvpSjv0dWDc1s5NIx2k0zx3eyo8GrvIZWrAnjn9KZ7PjPaA4rB8xwi5xnqpB5JQdu0rhiI5L17EkIwE3DXd0ACKBKimHPACfJFNMmedwfXAs91iANVjSyiwZWsUT347aJVEuWAmdD4INJwjo92KQJdtdWLeMaQ/s2500/title.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1875" data-original-width="2500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPpNsWwwCzuWDsF1wxBqhnpgqObVneuvpSjv0dWDc1s5NIx2k0zx3eyo8GrvIZWrAnjn9KZ7PjPaA4rB8xwi5xnqpB5JQdu0rhiI5L17EkIwE3DXd0ACKBKimHPACfJFNMmedwfXAs91iANVjSyiwZWsUT347aJVEuWAmdD4INJwjo92KQJdtdWLeMaQ/w640-h480/title.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>Having traveled extensively throughout France, Belgium, and England in October 2023 on a two-week vacation with many stressful moving parts, we wanted something <i>easy</i> for this trip so we decided on an adults-only all-inclusive resort. If you’ve ever researched resorts in Mexico's Riviera Maya region, you know there’s no shortage of options. After far too many hours on TripAdvisor and YouTube, we chose <a href="https://www.hyattinclusivecollection.com/en/resorts-hotels/secrets/mexico/akumal-riviera-maya/" target="_blank">Secrets Akumal Riviera Maya</a>, about 35 kilometers north of where we stayed last year. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGUuoO2Tae9NDr4Czyjxp5VRnXlTa7sLsr2Cry8bZWZShjIOlwwhp3bVtPltWY3Ri54SfZosQSOU68jolidqXt7YMIEzdGyM2h7e72jI2Hh-ynIbnG3Ml6ejNiu46Yu0esu3ebjEEg6TS2tpHAV3CwAjWWoRneSVyB4IMcQ-b2NcTbggi4QpQlBU9J9w/s4032/IMG_2439.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGUuoO2Tae9NDr4Czyjxp5VRnXlTa7sLsr2Cry8bZWZShjIOlwwhp3bVtPltWY3Ri54SfZosQSOU68jolidqXt7YMIEzdGyM2h7e72jI2Hh-ynIbnG3Ml6ejNiu46Yu0esu3ebjEEg6TS2tpHAV3CwAjWWoRneSVyB4IMcQ-b2NcTbggi4QpQlBU9J9w/w640-h480/IMG_2439.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p>We flew Delta, and arriving in Cancun was much less fraught than <a href="https://beckstreetblog.blogspot.com/2023/05/our-first-trip-to-tulum-mexico.html" target="_blank">our trip to Tulum in 2023</a>, given that we knew exactly where to go upon exiting to meet our driver. We were told the journey would take about 90 minutes, but our driver was an absolute speed demon, making it in only 60 minutes. </p><p>As you make your way from Cancun to Riviera Maya, you pass several large resort complexes with imposing gated entrances, so I was surprised to see the one for Secrets is quite understated. It took about 10 minutes to confirm our identities and reservation, but then we were through the gates and dropped off at the front of the hotel. </p><p>At first, check-in appeared to be an easy, straightforward process. We were offered a room upgrade for $400/night that we turned down, and then we were handed off to some sort of “concierge,” who, in reality, was trying to sign us up for a timeshare presentation. It felt really gross, and I was definitely peeved that we were being kept from our vacation in this manner. That unsavory experience aside, as a first impression, the lobby of the resort is truly beautiful. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-XEX8TBqaqMd6DMI0huqwOEj3ud6KwHApBrqgaPOxM5YKOlOA-RC6-uQW4e7_s-FeoIn7ddXTmvKa3iN2SxsEeFcrkCHTf5dczjH7aKyt3znDE7fRS0c2r7NgHvruIf5ToyGCtcfF4dWcP5GMJRLCd90G8r085C4yC1CaZwHjevDtr6tYDTNq459oyw/s4032/IMG_0248-2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-XEX8TBqaqMd6DMI0huqwOEj3ud6KwHApBrqgaPOxM5YKOlOA-RC6-uQW4e7_s-FeoIn7ddXTmvKa3iN2SxsEeFcrkCHTf5dczjH7aKyt3znDE7fRS0c2r7NgHvruIf5ToyGCtcfF4dWcP5GMJRLCd90G8r085C4yC1CaZwHjevDtr6tYDTNq459oyw/w640-h480/IMG_0248-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvtyhyphenhyphenqRRU6LM5u4IGHBNU78YoSsS4XRyXceZ1EZ3_EZE_pwbhaLajimgX9XSMQK524PmOGLoxcP3L6V-bYip9sK6-ynqpoSeHLMTs3_OOKA1f2I7DaczEBcwHZf1TjuWQ1hBKMGhnzEBFyT4i96ZhY-btLJCR3lY5ZbmrRdWd1ln2FAPt9xlBnx1bbw/s5712/IMG_0250-2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5712" data-original-width="4284" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvtyhyphenhyphenqRRU6LM5u4IGHBNU78YoSsS4XRyXceZ1EZ3_EZE_pwbhaLajimgX9XSMQK524PmOGLoxcP3L6V-bYip9sK6-ynqpoSeHLMTs3_OOKA1f2I7DaczEBcwHZf1TjuWQ1hBKMGhnzEBFyT4i96ZhY-btLJCR3lY5ZbmrRdWd1ln2FAPt9xlBnx1bbw/w480-h640/IMG_0250-2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p>Once we extracted ourselves from the salesman, a porter led us to our room, but because it was already dark, we didn’t really get to appreciate all that he was pointing out along the way. We were taken to room 9155, a top-floor room at the very rear of the property, which we would come to learn featured a significant amount of road noise while sitting out on the balcony. On the plus side, because it was at the very back of the resort, we were (mostly) spared the noise from the nightly entertainment (<i>more on that later</i>).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiko7DUVf_7dwvsfmqDMzM01cr-b-9Gx082ToXybLYdCowhGnqTeBL5-zHYJ7CuNVtDGHcDI9ydDJkXYmFnmfbFTGQCWdjIQeyyKapQPYGxDtOen-zLnHnY24vAp2kUDlSpBxalLMdVU-tFKjrqZ95fxPBmlNpDq0s3vsQj9fNh7sDGLro5Q6W8uQTMCA/s5712/IMG_0246-2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4284" data-original-width="5712" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiko7DUVf_7dwvsfmqDMzM01cr-b-9Gx082ToXybLYdCowhGnqTeBL5-zHYJ7CuNVtDGHcDI9ydDJkXYmFnmfbFTGQCWdjIQeyyKapQPYGxDtOen-zLnHnY24vAp2kUDlSpBxalLMdVU-tFKjrqZ95fxPBmlNpDq0s3vsQj9fNh7sDGLro5Q6W8uQTMCA/w640-h480/IMG_0246-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>After getting situated in our room, we ventured out for dinner. Secrets boasts eight restaurants, seven of which were included in our rate (upgraded preferred club guests have access to a Greek restaurant for dinner, while the Seaside Grill becomes a more formal breakfast venue than the buffet open to all guests). As we’d had a somewhat late lunch and weren’t dying of hunger, <b>I suggested sushi at the Japanese restaurant Himitsu. It was terrible.</b> </p><p>One of the selling points at Secrets is that you don’t need reservations for their restaurants, which, in theory, is nice, but in reality, means you often wait 30 to 45 minutes (or more) to get a table. At Himitsu, you have the choice of teppanyaki or an Asian fusion menu with several sushi items. The first thing we noticed upon being seated was it was so dark you couldn’t read the menu. The second was the temperature. It was HOT, likely from all the teppanyaki grills at the back of the restaurant. We waited about 20 minutes for our waiter, at which point we tried to order sake and a Sapporo. Remember, this is supposedly a luxury all inclusive. Immediately, he brought us a tablet that listed all the various drinks that cost extra - A LOT extra. Then he tried to offer us a bottle of tequila. Finally, (by me posting on a Secrets forum on Facebook) we figured out there is a house sake you can order, and when we did, the waiter told us it was crap and the ones available for purchase were much better. When it became clear that we weren’t paying extra for drinks, he disappeared for a long while. When our food finally came, the salmon sashimi was the slices of smoked salmon available the next morning at the bagel station in the buffet, while the fried tofu was a gloopy, soggy mess. Suffice it to say, our first meal at Secrets was a huge disappointment, and I immediately became worried we’d spent a lot of money for a week of bad food and service. When we went to bed that night, I was in glum spirits.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Day One</h3><p>Sunday dawned bright and ... windy. <i>Very windy</i>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="451" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pVCUbiQtH8M" width="543" youtube-src-id="pVCUbiQtH8M"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We got dressed and headed down to breakfast at the Market Cafe, the buffet that is open for breakfast and lunch for all guests. Based on our experience the night before, I didn't have high hopes. Thankfully, we were seated fairly quickly at a table on the patio. Over the four meals we ate here (three breakfasts and one lunch), the service was hit or miss. In a few instances, we had to ask multiple times for coffee and water or refills on our drinks. <b>Service inconsistencies aside, the food at Market Cafe was universally good to great.</b> One thing that I was really disappointed by during our stay in Tulum was the lack of tacos, but at Secrets Akumal, you could have tacos practically every meal if you were so inclined. Trust me when I say I made a valiant attempt at this. But it wasn't only tacos that were very good. The pozole on Sunday was a great way to reset my expectations after the lackluster meal the night before, and it gave me hope that Himitsu was an anomaly. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyNTyNmu3IeNhMl8YFokyax8QCa6CiPBhOepRVmw6t3UMSi5r4lOly11ZO8BTzuSeS3K41iXvVGx4xzrZky6FyO5XKdKEwNIwwcaoe1J2AwWiT39NQbHOvYBSmQUgHgNnJWf3Lz4EKgLglXChLVY7XS3RaK0SP0DMguabSnsYehxYwAbct0DeN1cefww/s4032/IMG_0052.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyNTyNmu3IeNhMl8YFokyax8QCa6CiPBhOepRVmw6t3UMSi5r4lOly11ZO8BTzuSeS3K41iXvVGx4xzrZky6FyO5XKdKEwNIwwcaoe1J2AwWiT39NQbHOvYBSmQUgHgNnJWf3Lz4EKgLglXChLVY7XS3RaK0SP0DMguabSnsYehxYwAbct0DeN1cefww/w640-h480/IMG_0052.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our bellies full and our tastebuds happy, we went back to our room to get changed into our bathing suits and then made our way down to the main pool since it was so windy and we were concerned about being on the beach. It seemed like almost everyone had the same idea, so it was difficult to find two chairs together with any sort of shade at the pool, especially with chair hogs who claim their chairs early in the morning and then don't use them for hours on end. A pool concierge saw us wandering around aimlessly, and he took pity on us and led us to what were literally the last two available chairs and got us set up. Because of the wind, they weren't opening the umbrellas, so after only 30 minutes or so, I jumped in the pool to cool off. This is where the swim-up bar is, so Alan and I spent some time there chatting with another couple from Phoenix. The bartenders at the swim-up bar were very nice and did their best to accommodate everyone, even if the drinks were too sweet for my liking (and likely made with mixers and not real juice).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXT317PNPhvx4ZfU7h9Pd5hyphenhypheniNd3oqQV_QQ75n07nx24Aht5NWcRS3vItttpPTW3JDYGMgE_qbKUp52_TERstQ0MxoHyeZUmEH0PCaLCa6Q4JE5vtvKJfTb8h3ywTV-CmKczrwYGcdbFAvedlqUIclURyrDs4HwZiKU-pLahWLpgvF90d3tfJyMxpt1w/s3088/IMG_0059.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXT317PNPhvx4ZfU7h9Pd5hyphenhypheniNd3oqQV_QQ75n07nx24Aht5NWcRS3vItttpPTW3JDYGMgE_qbKUp52_TERstQ0MxoHyeZUmEH0PCaLCa6Q4JE5vtvKJfTb8h3ywTV-CmKczrwYGcdbFAvedlqUIclURyrDs4HwZiKU-pLahWLpgvF90d3tfJyMxpt1w/w480-h640/IMG_0059.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8uRgk3CvB9MlqKicN0yOOxiq7AbrlVvf_ogzMpCr5LHsqcUeSMZel9lRhKOA8GV3nfNjqkunpLHfwqcQ_BvWTSpmzrjYxuTo-a3bhje3XWGeEFgE7FyO5rBmDbejRWGn4MJJGf0WrFAph2fcZ3wepDmjLX_uTIShAYfHZqRUu_s95hjVphLRz_jflxA/s5712/IMG_0061.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5712" data-original-width="4284" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8uRgk3CvB9MlqKicN0yOOxiq7AbrlVvf_ogzMpCr5LHsqcUeSMZel9lRhKOA8GV3nfNjqkunpLHfwqcQ_BvWTSpmzrjYxuTo-a3bhje3XWGeEFgE7FyO5rBmDbejRWGn4MJJGf0WrFAph2fcZ3wepDmjLX_uTIShAYfHZqRUu_s95hjVphLRz_jflxA/w480-h640/IMG_0061.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A (not so) quick note about the pools at Secrets Akumal ...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There are three fairly sizeable pools: the beachfront pool pictured here, another one almost immediately behind it where several of the evening activities and corporate parties took place, and then a quiet pool located closer to where our room was located. The pool pictured here is the activity pool, and there were many activities to be had ... most accompanied by loud music. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>One of the things I struggled with on this trip was the concept of "luxury" </b>- a theme that is pushed pretty aggressively across the resort's app and marketing materials, but so often, it felt the opposite. I'm sorry, but a chicken wing eating contest accompanied by "Eye of the Tiger" blasted at full volume doesn't scream luxury to me. Large groups of drunk friends hollering at one another from across the pool doesn't feel luxe. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>So often, I felt like we were at a party resort rather than one meant for romantic getaways, a feeling that was only strengthened by the many corporate offsites taking place throughout the week.</b> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm trying not to be a snob, but this resort was among the more expensive options we considered, and between the marketing and the cost, I didn't enjoy the overgrown frat boy vibe several guests embodied. For example, in the lobby bar one evening, a large group from a tire company started screaming "Freebird!" when the singer was wrapping up her set. Frequently, I couldn't help but unfavorably compare the vibe to BeTulum, which was serene and very romantic. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Anyway ... moving on.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Without any sun protection at the pool, we eventually made our way to the beach and claimed an open palapa. I'm so glad we braved the wind. <b>The beach at Secrets Akumal is perfect</b>: no waves with beautiful, warm turquoise blue water.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXWBB_cLROvgiXAaCB4YTsdurlCmoHhjxr_nItKoF7r5cwzo-1DDZArZdfx6sIKpxrJ951f28Azwguvf9z1dGCoOry5p2M5sLuPzlGSk_JYe2PyttICV6_ZCtglKBjEX6jh6asY0cMe-znJ4we2MGBQFYTGHjIsqcj1gQfaJtBPqPoYt-V84lqfabcwA/s4032/IMG_0056.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXWBB_cLROvgiXAaCB4YTsdurlCmoHhjxr_nItKoF7r5cwzo-1DDZArZdfx6sIKpxrJ951f28Azwguvf9z1dGCoOry5p2M5sLuPzlGSk_JYe2PyttICV6_ZCtglKBjEX6jh6asY0cMe-znJ4we2MGBQFYTGHjIsqcj1gQfaJtBPqPoYt-V84lqfabcwA/w640-h360/IMG_0056.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitT9_bzadVWKb9C9z0XdAgJcbbDw6RjC7muyqzheLtLdGOy_bbO57OF8iaVD7OTqQ83EZM0ghEmR-mIuT42B36WusNO9cGVnu-k96ngs4NQY9ecF5i5rIXOTzRRXLtGhM2ZjbbiyGvrT9T5JfkDcdbvjU0pu1hOllrwqxqTzt6f6XdBFCem2KZf0UxiQ/s4032/IMG_0066.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitT9_bzadVWKb9C9z0XdAgJcbbDw6RjC7muyqzheLtLdGOy_bbO57OF8iaVD7OTqQ83EZM0ghEmR-mIuT42B36WusNO9cGVnu-k96ngs4NQY9ecF5i5rIXOTzRRXLtGhM2ZjbbiyGvrT9T5JfkDcdbvjU0pu1hOllrwqxqTzt6f6XdBFCem2KZf0UxiQ/w480-h640/IMG_0066.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxxaqfCRIUIRI_J_bz6v_-k-uB5onWIAu6ETQtEFMsw9_cQuFZJR5vUUS_px-k3zNVjWPDVyTF0A2WCQwSLlfre-cSIJp80x1eehEDqhiCqrSRC2Sz0NSbThkkE-3bW3hVAtJeBTs24Hue2K0hOTea2bejSjYgptmN3HMeNQeW1Uyrm0potsT27R4ahA/s2500/IMG_0194-2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1875" data-original-width="2500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxxaqfCRIUIRI_J_bz6v_-k-uB5onWIAu6ETQtEFMsw9_cQuFZJR5vUUS_px-k3zNVjWPDVyTF0A2WCQwSLlfre-cSIJp80x1eehEDqhiCqrSRC2Sz0NSbThkkE-3bW3hVAtJeBTs24Hue2K0hOTea2bejSjYgptmN3HMeNQeW1Uyrm0potsT27R4ahA/w640-h480/IMG_0194-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Dinner was at El Patio, which was really tasty</b>, although the descriptions on the menu were slightly confusing. This proved to be a theme for several of our dinners throughout the week. You'd think you were getting one thing, and what would show up would have no relation to the description. I'm not sure if it was a language barrier or what, but we found ourselves confused more often than not.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMMAJwF9VrltOwzFUIIE-lZQixapMuYiNnZWxR7Dg27yVQjuDoM-YuSXZD2ahAo0wCqHcAuPkjj1pxDikPR1iBDslkvrfVvq_W_BfqCmYfeaJNbHXSGHEIaLSpjPc9rlAUTsbakJ3CymlosEXJ8Oap5mpL6klZ0BNkCFBlih9XkrZQ3iVdyT2yym6ruA/s4032/IMG_0074.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMMAJwF9VrltOwzFUIIE-lZQixapMuYiNnZWxR7Dg27yVQjuDoM-YuSXZD2ahAo0wCqHcAuPkjj1pxDikPR1iBDslkvrfVvq_W_BfqCmYfeaJNbHXSGHEIaLSpjPc9rlAUTsbakJ3CymlosEXJ8Oap5mpL6klZ0BNkCFBlih9XkrZQ3iVdyT2yym6ruA/w640-h480/IMG_0074.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Lamb birria tacos</i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRGDbgMuE84Rxpd2qG-BNT7uVkq7xRhXNtxvPY8pI_pblDtEZnbT8BPrT4cA85njoHpB4bEIWV4z01zSus2gGdY58YgLWqTTx7gTLwujGvVhX9HiNR-XKdProGgfHn_prfo3Cy_7q1DcDukwXynJ7Jj5CLaaXiZSkDuQjYgAUhT0scdWbnQ3jshZ-7ag/s4032/IMG_0075.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRGDbgMuE84Rxpd2qG-BNT7uVkq7xRhXNtxvPY8pI_pblDtEZnbT8BPrT4cA85njoHpB4bEIWV4z01zSus2gGdY58YgLWqTTx7gTLwujGvVhX9HiNR-XKdProGgfHn_prfo3Cy_7q1DcDukwXynJ7Jj5CLaaXiZSkDuQjYgAUhT0scdWbnQ3jshZ-7ag/w640-h480/IMG_0075.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Churro dessert</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The restaurant was pretty empty, which we found slightly odd until we realized it was Super Bowl Sunday and the resort had gone all out with a giant buffet on the lawn by the second pool. It was truly impressive.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVA5jAsG2AiH92htHadAM2WSzBpqbZ-oe9tBnKDE2rtYw3_3Nc1BCHVbfQylgBoAE2tGaxh9O2UW7oFSWJZ_oT2-Qrsh70sQSXgNUqakODCMCDxrfCc0_jl_iuTDRPWJUeeJqGUyRjBe-6myYDWH3Y2-oX3Qibw7vl9eNi_91tOM2DkeQyV1-IDU0aJA/s4096/7D84C243-6824-4D09-8FE2-97A39DEF5B2A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVA5jAsG2AiH92htHadAM2WSzBpqbZ-oe9tBnKDE2rtYw3_3Nc1BCHVbfQylgBoAE2tGaxh9O2UW7oFSWJZ_oT2-Qrsh70sQSXgNUqakODCMCDxrfCc0_jl_iuTDRPWJUeeJqGUyRjBe-6myYDWH3Y2-oX3Qibw7vl9eNi_91tOM2DkeQyV1-IDU0aJA/w640-h480/7D84C243-6824-4D09-8FE2-97A39DEF5B2A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We don't watch football, but we did pop in after dinner to see what the score was. Alan grew up in the Bay Area, and his uncle Dino was a huge 49ers fan, so for nostalgia reasons, he was rooting for San Francisco. Meanwhile, I was rooting for Taylor's boyfriend's team - obviously. We finished watching the game at the sports bar, which is at the quiet pool (makes no sense to me either), before heading back upstairs for the night.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">(Side note: <b>I didn't take any pictures of the room because it looks exactly like what you see online</b>. We enjoyed how spacious it was, though as California natives who grew up with draught protocols and are also slightly germophobic, we tend to shudder when we see giant whirlpool tubs taking up so much space in a room. If that's your jam, you'll love it. It was quite large. The mattress was very comfortable, while the pillows were kind of flat. <b>I really liked the room</b>, but the one weird thing I couldn't get over was if you opened the door to your balcony to get fresh air, the difference between the cold a/c and humid outdoors created <i>very</i> slick tile floors. We realized what was happening, but I still felt like we had to be careful. I could imagine someone slipping and hurting themselves.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><h3 style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Day Two</b></h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our third day was spent on the beach. We had <b>amazing tacos by the pool</b> for lunch and found a man making margaritas using real ingredients and not mixers. I couldn't get over how much <b>I loved the jalapeno cucumber margarita</b>. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0jTmKobg2ao6gLIvwrXLcgdkjCzsPfsjpWyu94JWtcX93GmYAJKs1xs-vI4-aRlKawwca5zDHkNwYlwyV7V9AOexXucgm2_s1GMrpiKaB0u3fcEh7yMMcAjRIi2JmMs0AWViyvznbvrwzlJRyN92wEttip1c81NVCxcgar5Ewui70KLgbzpu16nzI6Q/s4032/IMG_0081.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0jTmKobg2ao6gLIvwrXLcgdkjCzsPfsjpWyu94JWtcX93GmYAJKs1xs-vI4-aRlKawwca5zDHkNwYlwyV7V9AOexXucgm2_s1GMrpiKaB0u3fcEh7yMMcAjRIi2JmMs0AWViyvznbvrwzlJRyN92wEttip1c81NVCxcgar5Ewui70KLgbzpu16nzI6Q/w640-h480/IMG_0081.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5aB1CME8cZxneoDdr7OJ8WMw30VtW3pwRZEt72puiv3Z9LM-aGgfz87MUfb1pUBMRSU0fkoyjUdyM1PoiAs0DY0hs8DRHVb3sPnys8nYaHk4avgkAjOFbkRWYBbuOuD5QTLXHFfv0daXLitesEyWHXedgufauD8UdI9ypSeMczC3QZ1DTFc0hsSaISg/s4032/IMG_0084.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5aB1CME8cZxneoDdr7OJ8WMw30VtW3pwRZEt72puiv3Z9LM-aGgfz87MUfb1pUBMRSU0fkoyjUdyM1PoiAs0DY0hs8DRHVb3sPnys8nYaHk4avgkAjOFbkRWYBbuOuD5QTLXHFfv0daXLitesEyWHXedgufauD8UdI9ypSeMczC3QZ1DTFc0hsSaISg/w640-h480/IMG_0084.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHPQONOdgnER-HjrNkS0nny_JlMOBDLLbZxPLr_8aJDyzfTUtmkXItoEyXxlLfHRpsVBMKB30uPFpF0D1DbYhf-ptINXwhskS4GsWuZZK7ZjTkSDeaW7G79iQizrd9Ap-yrV0xb87c__0ZdCrOAh9spDm9MEPxexM3RUdmZV-QhD3tSm5KuOHLq1fUJg/s4032/IMG_0085.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHPQONOdgnER-HjrNkS0nny_JlMOBDLLbZxPLr_8aJDyzfTUtmkXItoEyXxlLfHRpsVBMKB30uPFpF0D1DbYhf-ptINXwhskS4GsWuZZK7ZjTkSDeaW7G79iQizrd9Ap-yrV0xb87c__0ZdCrOAh9spDm9MEPxexM3RUdmZV-QhD3tSm5KuOHLq1fUJg/w480-h640/IMG_0085.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Dinner was at the seafood restaurant Oceana, which we enjoyed. I had a tuna appetizer and grilled mahi mahi, while Alan had an octopus appetizer and a grouper. We closed out the evening at Rendevoux, the hotel's main bar. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVUGhE-8ZqdTvQHr4pNcEE-gxvBzmax0eq1h6r8zk-kdgadqJKO6Q7Zh6yftQzsvrycP80NTOBD-ca53FKdh5otd8l21avgTJ9m2vmK7Biab5qg7GGbcM5UbA06G2HntiGZw4Iny1P7NGCenS6WN9TnNL2vC3ZA1PQrgL19E4zQYr-oxWF5-Lumi_g9A/s4032/IMG_0087.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVUGhE-8ZqdTvQHr4pNcEE-gxvBzmax0eq1h6r8zk-kdgadqJKO6Q7Zh6yftQzsvrycP80NTOBD-ca53FKdh5otd8l21avgTJ9m2vmK7Biab5qg7GGbcM5UbA06G2HntiGZw4Iny1P7NGCenS6WN9TnNL2vC3ZA1PQrgL19E4zQYr-oxWF5-Lumi_g9A/w640-h480/IMG_0087.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOXyvybARKvxLO2I9EL4w4xfNxjfymqrYHk3V8lWP4sjMPxAhLHAt2LfPsLaMT_qW1GQtrd8TRcjeD5r1jWMxhYhDq4YciNgkNZPHjvp-NEi0WzldPxLqw9kDephC9LjJeGPz1Q1q1bOC4crqCaqYbvOT9qQQIIdOjDxfmGK25my7Z14agCI9CEDc9NA/s4032/IMG_0088.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOXyvybARKvxLO2I9EL4w4xfNxjfymqrYHk3V8lWP4sjMPxAhLHAt2LfPsLaMT_qW1GQtrd8TRcjeD5r1jWMxhYhDq4YciNgkNZPHjvp-NEi0WzldPxLqw9kDephC9LjJeGPz1Q1q1bOC4crqCaqYbvOT9qQQIIdOjDxfmGK25my7Z14agCI9CEDc9NA/w640-h480/IMG_0088.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOgRqgTGL5XS_E7mYW0sPYIuCriF6Ht7M94R4xCte9x00t62f2pmEEx9n6UqUoFM_uFIkNhzrzQmQ8CYec-gkFdEvwelNivBdLY4N_LXaM760PTHgoco92rdF1vtIuspLLQE1WtS4JvN6430MnmpyoQNO40FLplYDvNw2CoyJxTrSrxVXHQXzeidcIUA/s4032/IMG_0090.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOgRqgTGL5XS_E7mYW0sPYIuCriF6Ht7M94R4xCte9x00t62f2pmEEx9n6UqUoFM_uFIkNhzrzQmQ8CYec-gkFdEvwelNivBdLY4N_LXaM760PTHgoco92rdF1vtIuspLLQE1WtS4JvN6430MnmpyoQNO40FLplYDvNw2CoyJxTrSrxVXHQXzeidcIUA/w640-h480/IMG_0090.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjboiH4jjN7_khr0r4S7l8tRLK_bywGc4D_a-4zOgQZbdRwepNeKFNWIpLdxsKMCIAACI_clNxbAKc92lLT3xJojix4b5k7vCYLPV-mYdwiE2RYOAJ-VsmVG2_LnjDKmisc_Z5Rq9wYr_KcFfPAyWBkU41HjSFokIBCBtiP3SEQ04T6rlrUFN6hTYk-sA/s4032/IMG_0091.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjboiH4jjN7_khr0r4S7l8tRLK_bywGc4D_a-4zOgQZbdRwepNeKFNWIpLdxsKMCIAACI_clNxbAKc92lLT3xJojix4b5k7vCYLPV-mYdwiE2RYOAJ-VsmVG2_LnjDKmisc_Z5Rq9wYr_KcFfPAyWBkU41HjSFokIBCBtiP3SEQ04T6rlrUFN6hTYk-sA/w640-h480/IMG_0091.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><h3 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Day Three</h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We woke up early for some off-property adventuring. When we were in Tulum, one of the more enjoyable things we did was a cenote tour, so I wanted to visit some more off-the-beaten-path options. On Airbnb, I found a man named <a href="https://www.airbnb.com/experiences/3301710" target="_blank">Gilmer who will cook you <i>cochinita pibil</i> tacos before taking you on a bike ride around his town to some hidden cenotes</a>. We took a taxi to Chemuyil and met up with a group of about 10 folks before walking through the town square to Gilmer's house, where we met his brother Santiago and assistant Sayed. Your adventure starts by preparing the ingredients for the tacos - I got to squeeze the bitter orange that was used for the pork and the salsas while others ground up the freshly roasted habaneros for salsa. The meat is braised over an open fire in his yard while we spent the next couple of hours exploring cenotes that are geared toward the residents who live in the area. I worked up quite an appetite riding the bike around town on the dirt roads. I enjoyed seeing the different types of cenotes and really appreciated the community aspect of everything. I chickened out on some of the "swim under this rock into a cave" opportunities (Alan did it), but I got to tackle my fear of heights and jump off a platform into the crisp, clear water at the last cenote. We also watched three giant iguanas fight each other, which was wild. <b>There's a reason this tour has a 4.99 </b><b>rating </b><b>(out of 5) with 500+ submissions.</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc6yrDu5DAarJuxtfOXzqOWvlzGX8T9GsByATQVlFj7PtEcNId3YHuuO_KfzBLLs18Au1Uuv6PvGANS6oCSq_O3L01QTD-J8DrjkcmD4mBmTpes1j4Q2V5nZA9kpBkOOsNFEjqHSPMzhXoBAZs-vdixbQPwvLggeG1CohvBpwa0uOv2i8lQqaUs-RZyA/s5712/IMG_0094.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4284" data-original-width="5712" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc6yrDu5DAarJuxtfOXzqOWvlzGX8T9GsByATQVlFj7PtEcNId3YHuuO_KfzBLLs18Au1Uuv6PvGANS6oCSq_O3L01QTD-J8DrjkcmD4mBmTpes1j4Q2V5nZA9kpBkOOsNFEjqHSPMzhXoBAZs-vdixbQPwvLggeG1CohvBpwa0uOv2i8lQqaUs-RZyA/w640-h480/IMG_0094.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4284" data-original-width="5712" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmvjWSHN2K5jFeVo7t0wXc126dt-qdWGlWslgqqmtibgz8P4uVi3oMdnmhVFB1tqtA3Kc7Mv5_yCsrfw4eNUEwBb-PbhV8pPuuv75gYMxg4bLcSCgICEmVDI7-otz5RgMigN2o7z-Fl_vpbTLuSLcMRsdU-yJmu1nmy9yU5w-Q3aG_VfJdyDSLWbf-2Q/w640-h480/IMG_0128.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqmw0E8dA9nH7aUwM8tQ7piFtoK2xrntHQQsPhPn8uFVMuBB166-iQ5SWifIV1mQ0F0Qlmz8rjyVpqs1XgVqCPGITi6S-iWU97y662VzduXZYDsvcOAkCqTnHzMdrIhhwgUxRa7jlUDDSbCMLXPfIFZlKZ2lwT0gZz4jaKWx4rFT1y5WT8c21UWcPDbw/s4032/IMG_0137.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqmw0E8dA9nH7aUwM8tQ7piFtoK2xrntHQQsPhPn8uFVMuBB166-iQ5SWifIV1mQ0F0Qlmz8rjyVpqs1XgVqCPGITi6S-iWU97y662VzduXZYDsvcOAkCqTnHzMdrIhhwgUxRa7jlUDDSbCMLXPfIFZlKZ2lwT0gZz4jaKWx4rFT1y5WT8c21UWcPDbw/w480-h640/IMG_0137.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Me tackling my fear of heights</i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIdjjFF7T1sj5wRFdKRIg0O5IKRcqQXdBuIIR-d45TtUDTWqmSzSEkclnwqVGJqacJZu7eXx9SJBCC2a75jD0ZpOs0CKLbGlnMdPK5MYw7nZvS8CzHEuNSsB1XynbNTp0XsACAxZu-DnFNNZfS4LJOja0ozx4uYOd5TNrq4yp7FjbYWMQEsuR-J7NjcQ/s5712/IMG_0139.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4284" data-original-width="5712" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIdjjFF7T1sj5wRFdKRIg0O5IKRcqQXdBuIIR-d45TtUDTWqmSzSEkclnwqVGJqacJZu7eXx9SJBCC2a75jD0ZpOs0CKLbGlnMdPK5MYw7nZvS8CzHEuNSsB1XynbNTp0XsACAxZu-DnFNNZfS4LJOja0ozx4uYOd5TNrq4yp7FjbYWMQEsuR-J7NjcQ/w640-h480/IMG_0139.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Os3M74uqY7d4rm9z7rBkBSfwTkRB2D31qaHPqOH5D8Rr0N-2aBekUytDjMCaN1QES6nnAyrj66zmjavm6P3nk2qoOb4BSuZYbalc9e1Ynxs_aeyzPGUy0mHFxFop44Ixu-bNgHPv2orbzm2zLBjsNe2eHjuU1tANosyFMvf9X5FqcEqKY3qmL0zjBw/s5712/IMG_0143.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5712" data-original-width="4284" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Os3M74uqY7d4rm9z7rBkBSfwTkRB2D31qaHPqOH5D8Rr0N-2aBekUytDjMCaN1QES6nnAyrj66zmjavm6P3nk2qoOb4BSuZYbalc9e1Ynxs_aeyzPGUy0mHFxFop44Ixu-bNgHPv2orbzm2zLBjsNe2eHjuU1tANosyFMvf9X5FqcEqKY3qmL0zjBw/w480-h640/IMG_0143.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVuxOA4r3TGash-eJTFMtPbnr3jgqOaEPB_VzqPbuu9Ehi-acECHAPhlxuiw2gRo0zCaSbgYKKXGg4F6eetIbXMOKKn0B1vfv8kUP8RLaJrdqbZiJRHjQqk-RnQ2nv9b6taGEjhwtVAcN8NqcGAe60DsmyAKM_JeJvovqEVbJrXtDOQ4lj8RPrgR5Qmg/s4032/IMG_0144.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVuxOA4r3TGash-eJTFMtPbnr3jgqOaEPB_VzqPbuu9Ehi-acECHAPhlxuiw2gRo0zCaSbgYKKXGg4F6eetIbXMOKKn0B1vfv8kUP8RLaJrdqbZiJRHjQqk-RnQ2nv9b6taGEjhwtVAcN8NqcGAe60DsmyAKM_JeJvovqEVbJrXtDOQ4lj8RPrgR5Qmg/w480-h640/IMG_0144.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlRlb_IdW3WtFyiYvlMfp7oV5X9Ad95orHbLy3m1qdPj52Ga0hONOrPXonIvYreEGECV7UgpQSb0HEl2FjWCm4_cfugx9oNb8qK3pSGJ2Ezh7YfvNsC7cnc9CBXOrpZ9vFLPeYXgAlBNvyrRuFUSbGn_pVn802PlOEYDAxKpEq6fGK1Ytx44YkeUhWvw/s4032/IMG_0145.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlRlb_IdW3WtFyiYvlMfp7oV5X9Ad95orHbLy3m1qdPj52Ga0hONOrPXonIvYreEGECV7UgpQSb0HEl2FjWCm4_cfugx9oNb8qK3pSGJ2Ezh7YfvNsC7cnc9CBXOrpZ9vFLPeYXgAlBNvyrRuFUSbGn_pVn802PlOEYDAxKpEq6fGK1Ytx44YkeUhWvw/w640-h480/IMG_0145.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Homemade cochinita pibil tacos</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Back at the resort, we chilled by the beach before cleaning up for dinner at Seaside Grill. There was a salad bar, so it was nice to eat some fresh veggies for a change of pace. <b>I ordered a ribeye that was super fatty and overcooked, so I didn't finish my meal. </b>The sausage appetizer was very good however.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkDpPdrkqMwhdx38Z1sG83NG6mBLet9j253L3sq1FLM9U0pwk8M8OlWrrx8O5RSq5rkjRlMmhOwz5OEXSdlwF0TjzHMO4REiUc-Bw-04F6tUG5i8M9AZlWXht4fdaMHAWnDsnIPKT5q3vRLExKres5bW2buWkmyETvjtwE80p1EnMSwv9u7uYSOrg_yw/s3088/IMG_0150.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkDpPdrkqMwhdx38Z1sG83NG6mBLet9j253L3sq1FLM9U0pwk8M8OlWrrx8O5RSq5rkjRlMmhOwz5OEXSdlwF0TjzHMO4REiUc-Bw-04F6tUG5i8M9AZlWXht4fdaMHAWnDsnIPKT5q3vRLExKres5bW2buWkmyETvjtwE80p1EnMSwv9u7uYSOrg_yw/w480-h640/IMG_0150.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix4pGnM_auRgOqgzf7U_xntDsJT2eS7EDV2ZiOSoOAgWePatpTcVsgD1s6-iqw6ImOsBdCeqfi5vq8lsh233cMaKL2vjIduy51Wqg0kpN2QfgOrzD9LdGPrSHLoS7NXog-rZKR9jUxRiOJ7R_Opn34hkyLOv6IXheCJ2Egr3kIFFAQ0Lqe_Nhyphenhyphenaq6c6w/s3088/IMG_0152.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2316" data-original-width="3088" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix4pGnM_auRgOqgzf7U_xntDsJT2eS7EDV2ZiOSoOAgWePatpTcVsgD1s6-iqw6ImOsBdCeqfi5vq8lsh233cMaKL2vjIduy51Wqg0kpN2QfgOrzD9LdGPrSHLoS7NXog-rZKR9jUxRiOJ7R_Opn34hkyLOv6IXheCJ2Egr3kIFFAQ0Lqe_Nhyphenhyphenaq6c6w/w640-h480/IMG_0152.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><h3 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Day Four</h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNRsA3kHnnRaIL-ZFIo7jFhlwEJpeGR4GLcF_TkvUtYXgaWmAhjzFULZ77vpJ0pxFR_jCWp8sMcSj28TSwU9seaNx0AMoXybeSzp4GAveNZD-hVRcFv1LyQymEXmEnxqyPeImChlWz_dlGbhrvtW6lyg8ANKMWPF69HBhMKOk8xvUGGe1V51vYPD2nvg/s4032/IMG_0156.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNRsA3kHnnRaIL-ZFIo7jFhlwEJpeGR4GLcF_TkvUtYXgaWmAhjzFULZ77vpJ0pxFR_jCWp8sMcSj28TSwU9seaNx0AMoXybeSzp4GAveNZD-hVRcFv1LyQymEXmEnxqyPeImChlWz_dlGbhrvtW6lyg8ANKMWPF69HBhMKOk8xvUGGe1V51vYPD2nvg/w640-h480/IMG_0156.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Valentine's Day! Not that February 14 has ever been all that important to us, what with our anniversary being on the 16th. We kicked off our day with breakfast tacos because why not? Then, we went down to the beach, but by 10:30 a.m., every single chair on the property had been claimed, several by people who weren't actually using them. We didn't come to Mexico to sit by a pool, so we found the cabana concierge to ask about reserving one for the day. There was one left at $75, so we decided to take it. Unfortunately, as he was getting us set up, he learned that a different concierge had already sold it to someone else. Thankfully, he had one of the front-row cabanas still available (usually $175) and offered to match the price he'd already quoted us. We jumped at the offer before he could change his mind. <b>We loved our afternoon there so much that we booked it again for our anniversary.</b> We were still full at lunchtime, so we split a quesadilla that was delivered directly to our cabana. It was so tasty.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn6Zu-i7Mu-BjvkhY4mEtji383xUpGZLqhOIIHjkH2Rq7AOglZU6XobaMLtNdMXkNZIWJn_kWmqd6VsFJeK07D8pPuHtxyCYl86MGuVPmiGEDhYi1ZjzuGGmnRoUCDY_M0qqWxHXKbZiAmN7SoewAY4YyhjgnVigZ8Kwv88ThFBEZSIce06HjC3r6q0Q/s4032/IMG_0161.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn6Zu-i7Mu-BjvkhY4mEtji383xUpGZLqhOIIHjkH2Rq7AOglZU6XobaMLtNdMXkNZIWJn_kWmqd6VsFJeK07D8pPuHtxyCYl86MGuVPmiGEDhYi1ZjzuGGmnRoUCDY_M0qqWxHXKbZiAmN7SoewAY4YyhjgnVigZ8Kwv88ThFBEZSIce06HjC3r6q0Q/w480-h640/IMG_0161.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf8VJ_4ndWLuhlm7pcvHmC4WZJljnFMvdIkX5vK4nxB5AyWcYqNNwc_ABNNTR5YBsd386JW593Puf7GuC5XF3hQJs5uITC162unaXbY9JJmw9rkIXE9DrHexDlZOcFhWpQufS0sTukcYKHtJlsKwCHZVzQQgDxJwTSrV1sVBeODz4V757G39XWqvjwrg/s3088/IMG_0162.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf8VJ_4ndWLuhlm7pcvHmC4WZJljnFMvdIkX5vK4nxB5AyWcYqNNwc_ABNNTR5YBsd386JW593Puf7GuC5XF3hQJs5uITC162unaXbY9JJmw9rkIXE9DrHexDlZOcFhWpQufS0sTukcYKHtJlsKwCHZVzQQgDxJwTSrV1sVBeODz4V757G39XWqvjwrg/w480-h640/IMG_0162.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh20nYaug50Ae0QIL1VlomBNaf_46zk4jyoYIKuYaC0vbUB8zPu1x9gZwM51eeuHx9l_pFLsGTcpGsqcPex2W_jDZQy4pV9FBuC0wJ8P1IAOk1K-OjyavFNakc93mcCIopMhl_vKhyOAORvLbIPsPoI4bTsZ9xPfRgELfs8rNbwTQAgY87FS9BruU-rDA/s5712/IMG_0165.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5712" data-original-width="4284" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh20nYaug50Ae0QIL1VlomBNaf_46zk4jyoYIKuYaC0vbUB8zPu1x9gZwM51eeuHx9l_pFLsGTcpGsqcPex2W_jDZQy4pV9FBuC0wJ8P1IAOk1K-OjyavFNakc93mcCIopMhl_vKhyOAORvLbIPsPoI4bTsZ9xPfRgELfs8rNbwTQAgY87FS9BruU-rDA/w480-h640/IMG_0165.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM9CzmA6fU3jVJGeNyTYMIv02DFHaOrCV5stSm17PV03CSBXa4V1fctehKN3XkFfzp6obw-ECcO6jCUoRrAq8BzhCM00AK5lwbFQGs864fs9_X-Qjz6Vu0ACusHAE64y0ofikWU18g0qWfoIw1zGXHVymMiqfOUTJLuUJY74FyotmMB8r2NEAIGX2x_Q/s4032/IMG_0166.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM9CzmA6fU3jVJGeNyTYMIv02DFHaOrCV5stSm17PV03CSBXa4V1fctehKN3XkFfzp6obw-ECcO6jCUoRrAq8BzhCM00AK5lwbFQGs864fs9_X-Qjz6Vu0ACusHAE64y0ofikWU18g0qWfoIw1zGXHVymMiqfOUTJLuUJY74FyotmMB8r2NEAIGX2x_Q/w640-h480/IMG_0166.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Unfortunately, dinner that night was an absolute fiasco (the theme for the remainder of the trip).</b> Having enjoyed our meal at Oceana a few nights before, we decided to go back. When we arrived, the evening's entertainment was a quartet of opera singers that were so loud we couldn't hear each other speak. There was a 35-minute wait for a table, but there was nowhere to really hang out and wait for dinner in that environment because (1) all the pool loungers were still wet, and (2) the bar was too far away for your buzzer to work. You're sort of forced to just linger near the pool area while you wait your turn and hope for the best.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr_UgwAP1nprbx-D7299jrqV9XN82bxjvSyK0G6Ump8M4JBmVWyBUQ4FXPZF7XNFN9xwEBsNl4MVdLhadlSFa3GZ6teSar82ldt-Y_z9rFlc1ZzEW3hUCcEE6gSC7SOAnGVCBLBWS-2TAH1VZCNSAWHZrr5l7wMaG6_w8YnF4udm8kHywgkQBqZqaszw/s4032/IMG_0167.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr_UgwAP1nprbx-D7299jrqV9XN82bxjvSyK0G6Ump8M4JBmVWyBUQ4FXPZF7XNFN9xwEBsNl4MVdLhadlSFa3GZ6teSar82ldt-Y_z9rFlc1ZzEW3hUCcEE6gSC7SOAnGVCBLBWS-2TAH1VZCNSAWHZrr5l7wMaG6_w8YnF4udm8kHywgkQBqZqaszw/w480-h640/IMG_0167.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRzwaxLMWq2d5guLgRcuqfOHOuFZ3KC5JYBC2ThlHdLlHlX2hvkG2H7njssDrnLBFJ_CM5MySvE3snsDzE9I1pLLaR5RaLY2W6XzMsLVcPWLl-PIJf2lkofMPb2epDH3qzruMy3C16ocyAu6c3ecI-ax-4dO_eIhMx_S_WxRc1VMEJFfcRE5zR1nNdoA/s4032/IMG_0168.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRzwaxLMWq2d5guLgRcuqfOHOuFZ3KC5JYBC2ThlHdLlHlX2hvkG2H7njssDrnLBFJ_CM5MySvE3snsDzE9I1pLLaR5RaLY2W6XzMsLVcPWLl-PIJf2lkofMPb2epDH3qzruMy3C16ocyAu6c3ecI-ax-4dO_eIhMx_S_WxRc1VMEJFfcRE5zR1nNdoA/w640-h480/IMG_0168.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4MAOg5ZTCD3I3jqZ3YaiLy1FJ0WrzWD6qTtb2kPH_YcWEUJU3FXOw7mo7320x3YzO3BwuBl6tUmVXu4j4qWEG7_wtrwp-xhxt2TWUO94BJXf7gWTh2YXcNSwERihtrMbwEnkfyHKgchYVY4Zri1otoN9-31Ud1R8Y-AGY8CBxwtTOYPeIsdyG8Lnm8g/s5712/IMG_0169.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4284" data-original-width="5712" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4MAOg5ZTCD3I3jqZ3YaiLy1FJ0WrzWD6qTtb2kPH_YcWEUJU3FXOw7mo7320x3YzO3BwuBl6tUmVXu4j4qWEG7_wtrwp-xhxt2TWUO94BJXf7gWTh2YXcNSwERihtrMbwEnkfyHKgchYVY4Zri1otoN9-31Ud1R8Y-AGY8CBxwtTOYPeIsdyG8Lnm8g/w640-h480/IMG_0169.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA4iiuwC-rVokLRIe-JCJn-zss54RnW1U-xgAktYLk_hcDh6bBuTl6yBLgJxTKGewJ_LmN-L7U90UgrOTm4EFo3NUJgWn30OIVRN0wZRpDYMGyHogBIP2Q3BqdORL_zfZDeHICeSX3qEyuk_NpQQE6U8LWZqPTTi63njHvKejLMYTksPvK3EMGId5adw/s4032/IMG_0174.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA4iiuwC-rVokLRIe-JCJn-zss54RnW1U-xgAktYLk_hcDh6bBuTl6yBLgJxTKGewJ_LmN-L7U90UgrOTm4EFo3NUJgWn30OIVRN0wZRpDYMGyHogBIP2Q3BqdORL_zfZDeHICeSX3qEyuk_NpQQE6U8LWZqPTTi63njHvKejLMYTksPvK3EMGId5adw/w480-h640/IMG_0174.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Finally, our table was ready, but it was drowned out by the Il Divo wannabes belting out music by Toni Braxton, Whitney Houston, and other sad balladeers of lost love. The first time at Oceana, we had a great waiter, but on this night, we were assigned to another gentleman, and ... he wasn't great. He seemed offended when we asked for sparkling water, and refilling our wine wasn't really high on his radar. I ordered the same tuna appetizer I'd enjoyed so much before, only to find it completely inedible on this night. The connective tissue was so thick and fibrous that I literally could not cut through it with a knife. He didn't come back to check on us for several long moments, so I couldn't even ask for something else without seriously delaying our meal. When he finally did come back, he saw that I didn't eat it. When I pointed out why (you could see the thick white membranes), he didn't apologize or seem shocked. At that point, I was over the whole experience, so even though my dinner was okay, I was upset and ready to just go to the bar and then to bed. Alan reports his salmon meal was tasty. Thankfully, about 45 minutes into dinner, the horribly overbearing, inappropriately themed music finally stopped.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiActj1FxOkzqPniHP-kYLoWX6PtXwT7BwObtHuksU4wgfjr44yIz0EAYd-u2Th1KsTsRJzgUbLu_5TGvf9DB-q7BSywznzOdqq97Z5hjioj86GohhKWsgXRqwwnzMmHW_nQZOjgbwTShdaSPyExHTr-sWhkStlhKl-Uq8i7sy9RJId8ihMEi68K2ZMA/s4032/IMG_0177.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiActj1FxOkzqPniHP-kYLoWX6PtXwT7BwObtHuksU4wgfjr44yIz0EAYd-u2Th1KsTsRJzgUbLu_5TGvf9DB-q7BSywznzOdqq97Z5hjioj86GohhKWsgXRqwwnzMmHW_nQZOjgbwTShdaSPyExHTr-sWhkStlhKl-Uq8i7sy9RJId8ihMEi68K2ZMA/w640-h480/IMG_0177.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje4pf3KNYwudIQ9trGKaYkviTfyNyob7OCjNAAUtgc3NpvjfWaGTbmEx2SkNkFpy8j3wMbE4qAzcU4pbJ5RwRSqBlVf0xc15TjWQVYyremrqyD1CXvHdAPy1KPDiVP5phKaYFndDUS5b5KZc8dsQsyucFVWbhcJSUEecM1KkgQ8d-j5U4vX25Kn0IbTA/s4032/IMG_0178.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje4pf3KNYwudIQ9trGKaYkviTfyNyob7OCjNAAUtgc3NpvjfWaGTbmEx2SkNkFpy8j3wMbE4qAzcU4pbJ5RwRSqBlVf0xc15TjWQVYyremrqyD1CXvHdAPy1KPDiVP5phKaYFndDUS5b5KZc8dsQsyucFVWbhcJSUEecM1KkgQ8d-j5U4vX25Kn0IbTA/w640-h480/IMG_0178.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><h3 style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />Day Five</h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>I woke up seriously regretting having chosen this resort.</b> I was just so frustrated because I didn't go into this willy-nilly. I watched dozens of videos on YouTube and read every single recent review on travel sites. <i>Everyone</i> loves this place, but we just weren't having the same experience most people did. And it wasn't for lack of tipping the employees or anything like that, nor were we ever rude or hostile. I just couldn't (and still can't) understand the disparity between everyone else's experience and our own.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I woke up with zero appetite, and my stomach hurt from being so upset all night, so we skipped breakfast in favor of an iced latte from the cute coffee shop we drank as we made our way to the beach. At first, it looked dire, but we were able to nag one of the last two remaining available palapas. I don't know if it was because we were on the literal edge of the property or what, but we really couldn't get service there all day. We ended up going to the bar several times ourselves to get drinks and water, and while I had wanted to order another quesadilla for lunch, we went to the Market Cafe because no one would ever come to take our order. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We also walked down the beach into Akumal Playa. The online travel groups dedicated to this resort had made it sound like the beach town was much larger than it actually was. There were a couple of restaurants (some were only open for dinner), a dive shop we didn't need, and an adorable but overwhelmingly expensive artisan shop. We found a cute cat sculpture we liked, but it cost something like $3800, which - needless to say - was shocking. We have a cat we bought in Budapest that this one would have looked adorable sitting next to, but there was no way we were spending that kind of money on something that would probably break in our luggage on the way home. I truly wonder if this shop ever sells anything. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA7AlpEt3Hvq_hE3Kj1KmUVvRCxhmvgDupLtE-WaUW_d5nJzaGCLCmkPRwe9UI5AcJPIT7ACzQzp75l2x4Puv5NkiLcCzXHEbSQckczlNA6GMSgrjcZQWyHaZswfEorhXKnKkl3c8xaf5re0ESzD5-xcsZJY0reTLm423iEzMgKRWnAoWjC-ey9G7WqA/s4032/IMG_0179.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA7AlpEt3Hvq_hE3Kj1KmUVvRCxhmvgDupLtE-WaUW_d5nJzaGCLCmkPRwe9UI5AcJPIT7ACzQzp75l2x4Puv5NkiLcCzXHEbSQckczlNA6GMSgrjcZQWyHaZswfEorhXKnKkl3c8xaf5re0ESzD5-xcsZJY0reTLm423iEzMgKRWnAoWjC-ey9G7WqA/w640-h480/IMG_0179.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>The quiet pool is located near the coffee shop.</i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh9J4CUHbVYs8BdzK07sINOGuSQueHCRH41z8OCOLQN-zt-e5qIvlFCHpvOmFO_5NdcCoKnVdd7s5lvB4CpZB4BDb_WtBDsTTCWMI9x7Mk2zsiHPcFUizLv8prUSfRkANP13D4v_jnAOhGs47ruJsVLyIyl8O8DG7pNsBvJq01Xv500AzGhelzSSpj9w/s3654/IMG_0180.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3654" data-original-width="2740" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh9J4CUHbVYs8BdzK07sINOGuSQueHCRH41z8OCOLQN-zt-e5qIvlFCHpvOmFO_5NdcCoKnVdd7s5lvB4CpZB4BDb_WtBDsTTCWMI9x7Mk2zsiHPcFUizLv8prUSfRkANP13D4v_jnAOhGs47ruJsVLyIyl8O8DG7pNsBvJq01Xv500AzGhelzSSpj9w/w480-h640/IMG_0180.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYW6Ni5zjon5ZpbrTE6kRWVpKHFKlyDVYsHGnXXl1EBKuykwKGF-MEhf1W0ttkomhyphenhyphenJgdm8Fr9PQRv32vMk4C3i4xemcoGiS25rPsudV8jmZfJ93_M8DyEevQ9MTDOi9EWQrf3YMkR_RS0Sb1kDC_y3yoXNcv1nHAQEvz4E-RCI2IUWp8VzDOwfQ7ItA/s5712/IMG_0181.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5712" data-original-width="4284" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYW6Ni5zjon5ZpbrTE6kRWVpKHFKlyDVYsHGnXXl1EBKuykwKGF-MEhf1W0ttkomhyphenhyphenJgdm8Fr9PQRv32vMk4C3i4xemcoGiS25rPsudV8jmZfJ93_M8DyEevQ9MTDOi9EWQrf3YMkR_RS0Sb1kDC_y3yoXNcv1nHAQEvz4E-RCI2IUWp8VzDOwfQ7ItA/w480-h640/IMG_0181.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>The landscaping at the resort is really beautiful.</i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHjAUAZPru3PYnNekVguuyF4Xk0qPyaGUDGEoZqJtLuzJbEaiQnSTIwubl9cX8HPKHkEnDAV7cTYteQYJvzOpWwHsgoSoV4fBS-fC90j_XsA1wCRlwNT1vHq_NF6M0g6b5ob95qoUWFx4hqLBLP6DWe4XBNMFYoXSo4XGdn28ZmgWMP6itzbzkGoaSmg/s5712/IMG_0184.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5712" data-original-width="4284" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHjAUAZPru3PYnNekVguuyF4Xk0qPyaGUDGEoZqJtLuzJbEaiQnSTIwubl9cX8HPKHkEnDAV7cTYteQYJvzOpWwHsgoSoV4fBS-fC90j_XsA1wCRlwNT1vHq_NF6M0g6b5ob95qoUWFx4hqLBLP6DWe4XBNMFYoXSo4XGdn28ZmgWMP6itzbzkGoaSmg/w480-h640/IMG_0184.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Passion fruit mimosa</i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-9MHkhyphenhyphenMWcMxqFAKKDkfMxoc0OED6pKvFbLntuCZ5EOw9E8Iz4E0OUaLRf2ZoGfqGTMsfsHt5mpZ3v7nBxV0VwfQ9InRzXQQusIXAxkK7XUGalfIVmAGyRKUp8F22oSsZ4lCpMiVG3qxZTep-8HMR0Omulctcc3tHcQ-8tNW0V0qvJLYrsI2jUPFO4g/s5712/IMG_0185.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3213" data-original-width="5712" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-9MHkhyphenhyphenMWcMxqFAKKDkfMxoc0OED6pKvFbLntuCZ5EOw9E8Iz4E0OUaLRf2ZoGfqGTMsfsHt5mpZ3v7nBxV0VwfQ9InRzXQQusIXAxkK7XUGalfIVmAGyRKUp8F22oSsZ4lCpMiVG3qxZTep-8HMR0Omulctcc3tHcQ-8tNW0V0qvJLYrsI2jUPFO4g/w640-h360/IMG_0185.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Playa Akumal with pelicans</i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLSDISbpb53avvBK9VPL_pZIGSVjFBe40hAcTTDDFihOQHmMVjMtJV7XvG416wL9AHEI78j_pMJnmVmmwvZWa2l-OLS6VmRZHVUj3tJje1d5VYDEQsMgWtjerGh8SFfmy-SFf1mfsWQi_FdWOqv5KVAd_-BcP0POqO2bJucJCtEoegbQgrjUG2ShxLEg/s5712/IMG_0187.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4284" data-original-width="5712" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLSDISbpb53avvBK9VPL_pZIGSVjFBe40hAcTTDDFihOQHmMVjMtJV7XvG416wL9AHEI78j_pMJnmVmmwvZWa2l-OLS6VmRZHVUj3tJje1d5VYDEQsMgWtjerGh8SFfmy-SFf1mfsWQi_FdWOqv5KVAd_-BcP0POqO2bJucJCtEoegbQgrjUG2ShxLEg/w640-h480/IMG_0187.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGisktZ0-zW4rzgq5rF8r418iUlMiFPQhfc2k_qJV2zS9_R5WQhReS7b5KD5lnO8JjXsJzPYWGXdleuS2Zem3-3lLPYMi7XZXA0OnmIUA3Cr9rX0OPo47k3Uzvn5O6JsS7SAGBuu7RG3oBpz653l1p8Am0f8Y3MIaIUNYJ7Zk4TM74xwXFaAlU5q8A1A/s5712/IMG_0189.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5712" data-original-width="4284" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGisktZ0-zW4rzgq5rF8r418iUlMiFPQhfc2k_qJV2zS9_R5WQhReS7b5KD5lnO8JjXsJzPYWGXdleuS2Zem3-3lLPYMi7XZXA0OnmIUA3Cr9rX0OPo47k3Uzvn5O6JsS7SAGBuu7RG3oBpz653l1p8Am0f8Y3MIaIUNYJ7Zk4TM74xwXFaAlU5q8A1A/w480-h640/IMG_0189.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo6D0FRxalK2kdOw_UJpYNWBXHsL2uiRKzpzEbrGN2KbIExNcaiJ0DdpHaQ3KZ9k4RRoQBUYoEKDE6HsXPQeftia1C8bZnGtAsKDq9TAZ3FLSugv0mJYRASm4oZeVh88PnA-I8JmGbcOAZqZZt_tn0vlR3uQv2fixGuzTF-cCZHBZBRkNHM15FyRUB-A/s5712/IMG_0190.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4284" data-original-width="5712" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo6D0FRxalK2kdOw_UJpYNWBXHsL2uiRKzpzEbrGN2KbIExNcaiJ0DdpHaQ3KZ9k4RRoQBUYoEKDE6HsXPQeftia1C8bZnGtAsKDq9TAZ3FLSugv0mJYRASm4oZeVh88PnA-I8JmGbcOAZqZZt_tn0vlR3uQv2fixGuzTF-cCZHBZBRkNHM15FyRUB-A/w640-h480/IMG_0190.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI3esplUcj2sCL71_1tMc1qjWDVtBqmCjB0xv3g1xUCilzemxxNE6pBCNGIq1LeoBi_Tc7jbgHsBhJJx0d_m-j8kT4G-GXrw9bYfXAI6JwxuvvWrhwisHdtR3KVtq8kmKyVopEfBPzsB3RpNQYYL6YSXMs_bJsR9Y5W-mctE7mIplatp7Fze7oeg6viw/s4032/IMG_0193.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI3esplUcj2sCL71_1tMc1qjWDVtBqmCjB0xv3g1xUCilzemxxNE6pBCNGIq1LeoBi_Tc7jbgHsBhJJx0d_m-j8kT4G-GXrw9bYfXAI6JwxuvvWrhwisHdtR3KVtq8kmKyVopEfBPzsB3RpNQYYL6YSXMs_bJsR9Y5W-mctE7mIplatp7Fze7oeg6viw/w640-h480/IMG_0193.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>These adorable, low-slung casitas felt more our speed than a large resort.</i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB6lsb-k2CUd2L3Zl6gfBmPfqXMZtSw9YkxgDQ75ido_MX1pySxXuKqcI_x9xjJQsgoS9OJr8Fj9qdD6V5idqYNuuDuLJdJ-CqDL1iQES_y3q7wT6t7Kn9YZ2o8qlKV7JXNkhWZxCMD1k1-pYWegSCsAQfugAWokFBf6d7FO8e9wT1S15WpaqFrHgqRQ/s5712/IMG_0196.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5712" data-original-width="4284" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB6lsb-k2CUd2L3Zl6gfBmPfqXMZtSw9YkxgDQ75ido_MX1pySxXuKqcI_x9xjJQsgoS9OJr8Fj9qdD6V5idqYNuuDuLJdJ-CqDL1iQES_y3q7wT6t7Kn9YZ2o8qlKV7JXNkhWZxCMD1k1-pYWegSCsAQfugAWokFBf6d7FO8e9wT1S15WpaqFrHgqRQ/w480-h640/IMG_0196.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It started to get windy at the beach, so we headed back toward our room with the intent of stopping at the quiet pool, but by 4 p.m., it had been taken over by the crew setting up for that night's entertainment while the second pool was overrun with another crew setting up for a large party for one of the corporate groups. The techno music going on at the quiet pool while they were setting up was anything but quiet. In fact, it was so loud that we could hear it in our room even with the door closed, never mind being able to sit out on our balcony. I continued to be mystified by the entertainment and why anyone on TripAdvisor would talk about it like it was the best show they'd ever seen. It was not good, y'all. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="385" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ohE_0zFx5gs" width="464" youtube-src-id="ohE_0zFx5gs"></iframe></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For dinner that night, we went to the French restaurant Bordeaux. Despite me telling the waiter that I had a nut and shellfish allergy, my appetizer included almonds. When I pointed this out to him, he had zero understanding that almonds are nuts. It was wild. I kept having to say, "todos nueces" in hopes that he would understand. He brought back a new serving of foie gras that was so slimy and gross, and based on the way the roof of my mouth immediately blistered, I'm pretty sure was covered in a sauce containing nuts. Alan had some avocado roll-up thing, and as the waiter was taking my initial appetizer away, we asked if I could eat Alan's. He paused and then said yes. It included shrimp, y'all - an allergen I'd <i>just</i> warned him about. I was exhausted. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We finished dinner and headed to the bar where some women from one of the corporate groups were harassing the bartenders and just generally acting like trash. Just more proof that a fancy dress does not mean you're classy. In what world does anyone look at someone serving them and think it's appropriate to tell them to get on the bar and do the splits for them? The bartender took it all in stride, but I can't imagine dealing with that type of behavior day after day (because you know it happens constantly; we saw it on our Christmas market river cruise as well).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">At least the Negronis were good.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><h3 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Day Six</h3><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Happy 22nd anniversary to us!</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOKCtYscs2zBxjVXASuJhn3PT9c8q4oUihO5CtcJyNNfsiQpsFMEuExn4t7KmJrVk85JISiMJt1E-qHgE26fbGUh-6MYXE9mcquHih_HvMMaeKUf-0QP_D20oR2CqcdYEgVkmGwTAFHD6TutvTNXtefIaqNLP7BFBGKCM7pBSPG6jfNbJFNVGj83jR7w/s4032/IMG_0210.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOKCtYscs2zBxjVXASuJhn3PT9c8q4oUihO5CtcJyNNfsiQpsFMEuExn4t7KmJrVk85JISiMJt1E-qHgE26fbGUh-6MYXE9mcquHih_HvMMaeKUf-0QP_D20oR2CqcdYEgVkmGwTAFHD6TutvTNXtefIaqNLP7BFBGKCM7pBSPG6jfNbJFNVGj83jR7w/w640-h480/IMG_0210.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We started the morning with iced lattes and croissants from the coffee shop and made our way down to the cabana we'd booked, where we were given a bottle of $10 Spanish cava presented in a Moet & Chandon bucket of ice. <b>At this point, is the concept of "luxury" funny or just plain sad? </b>I can't tell.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Despite the low quality booze, <b>this was probably my favorite day of the trip</b>. We didn't do anything but hang out together, read, and swim in the ocean. We even saw a bunch of turtles without having to go looking for them as Akumal Bay is famous for its sea turtle population. There was a BBQ at the pool with several different kinds of roasted meats (the Argentinian sausages were the best) and drinks served in pineapples. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It was just super relaxing and lovely - a perfect way to celebrate our anniversary together.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrcsoL3qmq5fPyru-_M4VrB61xGDd3k31v6e1vnu33UlqAfC-WY4hF9oUPkNiwRVx0u5_Tr5IgOCUcFduYxrUYs3-fO-f-SEpWeC_Q6nxO_KR9BUK4_WTT9jPoMFjjb1HKV0vn5oF5hi6JXxV-LN5YwLPN13d96O0g5sYyu32YNpIan2MbYFCYjUhAuA/s5712/IMG_0205.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4284" data-original-width="5712" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrcsoL3qmq5fPyru-_M4VrB61xGDd3k31v6e1vnu33UlqAfC-WY4hF9oUPkNiwRVx0u5_Tr5IgOCUcFduYxrUYs3-fO-f-SEpWeC_Q6nxO_KR9BUK4_WTT9jPoMFjjb1HKV0vn5oF5hi6JXxV-LN5YwLPN13d96O0g5sYyu32YNpIan2MbYFCYjUhAuA/w640-h480/IMG_0205.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOmopo9hTDsiNfR9G_8XKvpO0DLHRj1quTKL0umociCsKVe42w6KyOFMABywpMRZUHsaEtkR3RlGGGBYusZnLf57c7ajmr4rGpTA26SLIJhmL7-MG3JHcVlqrj1X_2rR95n5eG5O5FrzHv61SOmGGIW_PLKmq4oc8Y-c0CoowpuXtp-gP5LJlihfTFww/s5712/IMG_0209.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5712" data-original-width="4284" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOmopo9hTDsiNfR9G_8XKvpO0DLHRj1quTKL0umociCsKVe42w6KyOFMABywpMRZUHsaEtkR3RlGGGBYusZnLf57c7ajmr4rGpTA26SLIJhmL7-MG3JHcVlqrj1X_2rR95n5eG5O5FrzHv61SOmGGIW_PLKmq4oc8Y-c0CoowpuXtp-gP5LJlihfTFww/w480-h640/IMG_0209.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheSNc0vDb571v1ZMYfGHPlakf5P-ELonfiXV65IxHks2UTRHcEGudpqkeCORBYWZx6BaITPXTVG4ZsetzuwrOIAQSZ5iyNTOLzsQNDjoCtjha7xOqNsXfr1kOOHLzDRIidqYIxmjsAB0s1v3W-pEvQDAK0ecpULp67Vml9er9QWPytocOSX2co5pZeYQ/s4032/IMG_0214.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheSNc0vDb571v1ZMYfGHPlakf5P-ELonfiXV65IxHks2UTRHcEGudpqkeCORBYWZx6BaITPXTVG4ZsetzuwrOIAQSZ5iyNTOLzsQNDjoCtjha7xOqNsXfr1kOOHLzDRIidqYIxmjsAB0s1v3W-pEvQDAK0ecpULp67Vml9er9QWPytocOSX2co5pZeYQ/w480-h640/IMG_0214.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy0PB-t6C7vuKvfMqyEblGCr8NIwu-8d_2Sblw1zALxdSiJ3uEJm3Z4E84gaqcBtmdj6ZqnXhHV_2vn1JI5RNLK5InzsNUJ0oyXOKvlkjObNf-5Gca5s9xotVNtOs8e7sjx_Ned7AmQ1RAVLkv7g56i5-J6ymewssAC0L-gWcGjhkVvdDiPQmuIXHKQw/s5712/IMG_0216.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5712" data-original-width="4284" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy0PB-t6C7vuKvfMqyEblGCr8NIwu-8d_2Sblw1zALxdSiJ3uEJm3Z4E84gaqcBtmdj6ZqnXhHV_2vn1JI5RNLK5InzsNUJ0oyXOKvlkjObNf-5Gca5s9xotVNtOs8e7sjx_Ned7AmQ1RAVLkv7g56i5-J6ymewssAC0L-gWcGjhkVvdDiPQmuIXHKQw/w480-h640/IMG_0216.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>I blew through Sarah J. Maas's Crescent City series on this trip.</i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE200iyNjpkJ-fl1O8gFIaO9SALpcjMUybFsP4XBitTpoVEENNt1Ly6s8s2wFcgbUv3ZkP6ozKhm97gBGX5e4nAlnkDORUN0J71E3J2eP2V3QlVkRd-QWv4LLnTefiEYufYKLTPXWNLecJtehvfyzLpeD2R-6HNhafq4Tl9nkydgEm1uiRLdOLFv2u1Q/s5712/IMG_0218.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4284" data-original-width="5712" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE200iyNjpkJ-fl1O8gFIaO9SALpcjMUybFsP4XBitTpoVEENNt1Ly6s8s2wFcgbUv3ZkP6ozKhm97gBGX5e4nAlnkDORUN0J71E3J2eP2V3QlVkRd-QWv4LLnTefiEYufYKLTPXWNLecJtehvfyzLpeD2R-6HNhafq4Tl9nkydgEm1uiRLdOLFv2u1Q/w640-h480/IMG_0218.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKxqMHWhkJOwwOI2_eQ5DjXfE5iMmhyphenhyphenX0CEYMHBaAkGT65tt8gs1zqayHWW-tPJl6NP6JcrJNwMzOxxEqBjTDYS9SRxCtX4B7p0SelczNSDv1oMaiFFXcUP4CX3syY5w0Z21yfEI8y7c-T2pFz4r0zEXuj5xDc4XSoXqFg07ejSSX97lmEmnWHdRV21g/s4032/IMG_0219.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKxqMHWhkJOwwOI2_eQ5DjXfE5iMmhyphenhyphenX0CEYMHBaAkGT65tt8gs1zqayHWW-tPJl6NP6JcrJNwMzOxxEqBjTDYS9SRxCtX4B7p0SelczNSDv1oMaiFFXcUP4CX3syY5w0Z21yfEI8y7c-T2pFz4r0zEXuj5xDc4XSoXqFg07ejSSX97lmEmnWHdRV21g/w480-h640/IMG_0219.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGJBpKnowFqH6OX_54WOPRxluVylLApq1ZOdhXezrjsmfbpltCbwjuuCGtfgxPc5hrHuRU-oB6XtzdxMXDY8FkOqlDHGQGwKSbLWwhGg2H-TEjO5sIq9CwY4uGGEphXYcqxZm1OlGxXXx_UfcLP1OaCVn3cgIYU1O11gzH-RYiDBfITgDt1Nl11TMM5Q/s5712/IMG_0227.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5712" data-original-width="4284" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGJBpKnowFqH6OX_54WOPRxluVylLApq1ZOdhXezrjsmfbpltCbwjuuCGtfgxPc5hrHuRU-oB6XtzdxMXDY8FkOqlDHGQGwKSbLWwhGg2H-TEjO5sIq9CwY4uGGEphXYcqxZm1OlGxXXx_UfcLP1OaCVn3cgIYU1O11gzH-RYiDBfITgDt1Nl11TMM5Q/w480-h640/IMG_0227.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwND6GQ1KNJM5aqOEdpJQhnfhgpmO1pEWp6AIoramP390j8_vcn1hWwVkfzB50_qaoWlCYpA4KVMLiaN-E0oJ0JRQEFVZUBt9kHlz788Pq9Bmcrs_HQCQq2Er-6M8jfMP98a98q6vCY9Jc8L8Lvz0VJbbAcK0hMHukQtXUZzgt0JrhDN5BAF1gQynnKw/s5712/IMG_0231.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5712" data-original-width="4284" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwND6GQ1KNJM5aqOEdpJQhnfhgpmO1pEWp6AIoramP390j8_vcn1hWwVkfzB50_qaoWlCYpA4KVMLiaN-E0oJ0JRQEFVZUBt9kHlz788Pq9Bmcrs_HQCQq2Er-6M8jfMP98a98q6vCY9Jc8L8Lvz0VJbbAcK0hMHukQtXUZzgt0JrhDN5BAF1gQynnKw/w480-h640/IMG_0231.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We'd contemplated partaking in the special wine cave dinner as a splurge for our anniversary, but it was so hard to figure out what the process was. The concierge told us it started at $250 per couple, and no matter how many times we asked, we never got a clear explanation of what that meant. Once again, I logged into the travel forum where previous guests explained that you could order off the menu from either the French or Italian restaurant while ordering a nice wine to drink that had to start at $250. An example of the wine on offer was a bottle of Red Schooner from Wagner Family Wines that retails for $50 in the real world. I shouldn't have been surprised by the blatant money grab, but I continued to be.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In the end, we ended up at Portofino, Secrets' Italian restaurant. My pasta bolognese was decent, but everything else was really poor. Alan ordered what he thought was a cheese plate for an appetizer and it came as a cheese soup. We both ordered the pork saltimbocca as our main and it was completely inedible. The meat tasted like it was several days past its use-by date. Absolutely disgusting. I won't even go into the piano player we were seated directly next to who launched into a six-song concert that included hits such as Bohemian Rhapsody. Because nothing says romance like, "Mama! Just killed a man ..." We didn't bother staying for dessert as, at this point, I was almost in tears. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><h3 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Final thoughts ...</h3><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;">While I was sad to be leaving the warmth and beautiful crystal blue waters of Akumal Bay, I was ready to go home. In doing a deep dive into our week at Secrets Akumal, <b>I've concluded that all-inclusive vacations aren't for us. </b></p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Breaking down the cost differentials between our trip to Tulum, where we ate all the food and drank all the booze we could ever want to - and all of it <i>incredibly</i> delicious - with what we spent on this "all-inclusive" trip, there wasn't much difference in price give or take a couple of hundred dollars. Our room at BeTulum was nicer, the food was extraordinary, and the property was more to my liking. I preferred the beach at Secrets Akumal, and it was about 45 minutes closer to the airport so our travel time was greatly reduced. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I know it's not an apples-to-apples comparison, but I felt it was worth looking at them side by side as it'll help better inform what we're looking for on future trips. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>It feels disingenuous to say I hated Secrets Akumal because we had several lovely days, but it's not really our vibe.</b> We're introverts who value quiet and serenity. That said, if we were traveling with a group of friends or as part of a corporate offsite like so many other guests, I might feel differently. At this point, I think we're going to call a moratorium on Mexico and explore options in the Caribbean or Central America that are more boutique properties or VRBO rentals. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But ... before I can think too much about our February 2025 anniversary trip, we've got a few other vacations lined up in 2024, including a cruise with my sister, brother-in-law, and cousin and a wine-themed river cruise along the Rhine River with our favorite winemaker in Sonoma. Can't wait to share them with you! </div>casacaudillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17737547597204258314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-503211492629127747.post-79910192028146821372024-02-24T16:24:00.001-05:002024-02-27T14:16:49.539-05:00A Spring Weekend in New Orleans<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkJfckCsB0mZNXFrHH8_XoqVQKqb1tYn9IO67o2sDE5W-u4sVz4zUlvig-Fkh6HtPQdosFcRVDqZbXFg7gVli6Uzi8eCBn5U_mF_N6dPhZVA_fQBu54sV22qv4QNx5pj4TDsW_Uu7n-AovSRSm4IOo9ukyptNS9gN0kwKP9CNfG1MXTdRVR0abhHM-oQ/s2000/neworleans.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="2000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkJfckCsB0mZNXFrHH8_XoqVQKqb1tYn9IO67o2sDE5W-u4sVz4zUlvig-Fkh6HtPQdosFcRVDqZbXFg7gVli6Uzi8eCBn5U_mF_N6dPhZVA_fQBu54sV22qv4QNx5pj4TDsW_Uu7n-AovSRSm4IOo9ukyptNS9gN0kwKP9CNfG1MXTdRVR0abhHM-oQ/w640-h480/neworleans.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Recently, I decided to write a book about a chef who is a big old Dungeons & Dragons-playing nerd. I don't remember why I decided it needed to be set in New Orleans, but there was no dissuading me once I'd made up my mind. Since our last visit was in February 2020, I jokingly told Alan I needed a refresher trip, and to my astonishment and joy, he readily agreed! What was even better was a few days later, my sister messaged me to say they'd love to join us. The last time we vacationed with them (sans kids) was a weekend in Las Vegas when their 7th grader was still in a stroller, so this was definitely a long time coming.<div><br /></div><div>We ended up booking rooms at the <a href="https://www.dauphineorleans.com/" target="_blank">Dauphine Orleans Hotel</a> in the French Quarter, a hotel we'd stayed at back in 2014 when we met up with a couple of friends for a long weekend. It's a clean, well located three star hotel with an adorable courtyard with a pool and an amazing cocktail bar called Mae Bailey's Place that is never busy. </div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Day One</h3><div>We arrived a couple of hours before J&S, so we walked around the French Quarter for a couple of hours, got lunch at a place called <a href="https://www.toastneworleans.com/" target="_blank">Toast</a> that had the absolute tallest french toast we'd ever seen, and then headed back to our hotel to take a nap as we'd been up since 4:30 in the morning for our 6 a.m. flight. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS2gzZMNKepn4uj0F3miJz57Old-rysJhQjHweuK0-weRGQI_8GKDoXr-Bl4Bjxnthz0UN65JMptGg82O3VL1Fj5-qaGICm4X3JlBCCcQV-5Lx08sG43fyTbzgePrnokKxFCWG9k5fN-24eVB-ABknrjjMSLMUytvBVepR7Ro2l6UI1QDQe_YE3r3hHw/s4032/IMG_2745.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS2gzZMNKepn4uj0F3miJz57Old-rysJhQjHweuK0-weRGQI_8GKDoXr-Bl4Bjxnthz0UN65JMptGg82O3VL1Fj5-qaGICm4X3JlBCCcQV-5Lx08sG43fyTbzgePrnokKxFCWG9k5fN-24eVB-ABknrjjMSLMUytvBVepR7Ro2l6UI1QDQe_YE3r3hHw/w640-h480/IMG_2745.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1eCKvEhYUWwBuMXxoq8hYdwtV38VNTg2ZCMIk1qX4F_Xj7uvla5kZngX5Qqr_JRP_tgprd0VR8BnA4BDdsbQM9TkC0zdjEUVzoBn66XoIp4015JfX5wp1iID4fAeeXwBHfTikwR1qx3XQWiDdXZ1R0M2SvBnL1u4WVtxG14DOuRU17lL1k5BrZNjV4Q/s4032/IMG_2750.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1eCKvEhYUWwBuMXxoq8hYdwtV38VNTg2ZCMIk1qX4F_Xj7uvla5kZngX5Qqr_JRP_tgprd0VR8BnA4BDdsbQM9TkC0zdjEUVzoBn66XoIp4015JfX5wp1iID4fAeeXwBHfTikwR1qx3XQWiDdXZ1R0M2SvBnL1u4WVtxG14DOuRU17lL1k5BrZNjV4Q/w480-h640/IMG_2750.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGHNSTdLe3ONoA5Ky9oKyDS9OiH-yfDoOaqlaWu6wAqwu6k8CamC45rAnBmHwfalx1VrVenTjxg76D7sQMClooTwTdriirTkbW7IVfg7KHvYcQFPDvsNrdseheDbbQloGGxNxsdIP0Qmq7vqnpgphbKIOgPDwexRnquuUauwm1LDY1rEWzAB-HzTMoFw/s4032/IMG_2753.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGHNSTdLe3ONoA5Ky9oKyDS9OiH-yfDoOaqlaWu6wAqwu6k8CamC45rAnBmHwfalx1VrVenTjxg76D7sQMClooTwTdriirTkbW7IVfg7KHvYcQFPDvsNrdseheDbbQloGGxNxsdIP0Qmq7vqnpgphbKIOgPDwexRnquuUauwm1LDY1rEWzAB-HzTMoFw/w480-h640/IMG_2753.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4B6x_8hM9Nj7vIO3rNG2BBURhyphenhyphen3UIbnFa1NEoL-lz1uHRmBgBSiZ_LMYWWnVnVMRkzmUcRubVXvVR7MEo1qsyiFImfsHfHPUXfCRwDqF6g60OqLBxUW7uil3MuGuclmOuPT7LrxdwmuzgcwCwouf9A-Af7G6Nkt_Wa7Y9Xk6OoBNM9Q_DlEkWbsaZ9Q/s4032/IMG_2756.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4B6x_8hM9Nj7vIO3rNG2BBURhyphenhyphen3UIbnFa1NEoL-lz1uHRmBgBSiZ_LMYWWnVnVMRkzmUcRubVXvVR7MEo1qsyiFImfsHfHPUXfCRwDqF6g60OqLBxUW7uil3MuGuclmOuPT7LrxdwmuzgcwCwouf9A-Af7G6Nkt_Wa7Y9Xk6OoBNM9Q_DlEkWbsaZ9Q/w480-h640/IMG_2756.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNPzLcrQOF6ft8SkS4n__l2LdH6MtJY3tEJaJESrythlUh3ab9uM-531763L86CQIKY0irzeydlU8j107aG8gFTQDqrgjIbRZBkzMD0GlB-AXpxof-wh3vEuSwv2tDSVoA0mlCXVh4qZ_WA7aWD6gCPOelsx1WjOWmB0ks-xdUOJcaSImJIaEcRgqjFg/s4032/IMG_2757.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNPzLcrQOF6ft8SkS4n__l2LdH6MtJY3tEJaJESrythlUh3ab9uM-531763L86CQIKY0irzeydlU8j107aG8gFTQDqrgjIbRZBkzMD0GlB-AXpxof-wh3vEuSwv2tDSVoA0mlCXVh4qZ_WA7aWD6gCPOelsx1WjOWmB0ks-xdUOJcaSImJIaEcRgqjFg/w640-h480/IMG_2757.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5jS3sc_YVMEs8OlJXxH6LtHyO0JB-mq-DFjOUykX5lttQgAKwly7J6G8Np-X85WdvCVT_sBx5gR476r8vhyU5zSuILO-Kf09-cMN-hBeiAFlCMBvKE46IW0gCqzKpUoaD7C2HbyDFsQ1URQXpJg-ej9zWAbq4Bwo0Gs4g1PnnTwy0tZl4FQYk-QfOGA/s4032/IMG_2761.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5jS3sc_YVMEs8OlJXxH6LtHyO0JB-mq-DFjOUykX5lttQgAKwly7J6G8Np-X85WdvCVT_sBx5gR476r8vhyU5zSuILO-Kf09-cMN-hBeiAFlCMBvKE46IW0gCqzKpUoaD7C2HbyDFsQ1URQXpJg-ej9zWAbq4Bwo0Gs4g1PnnTwy0tZl4FQYk-QfOGA/w640-h480/IMG_2761.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRvYh0CDyV2wnAvU3RomHllZtFsfSgMhzeolta-aGbW_U99YB1ng6bVjepHLKWmBdq08Wr7iVhjJHyJOQZmpTq2vy8lZIlafR6N8Ku-Jps0jHoyeKJe0AqVF_VqHQWZyN988RPIq1VTmZBhTInpKFDEr9mtpTgJg_DSU8lwY-lFO6PUtmC1h4gCM2g1Q/s3586/IMG_2782.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3586" data-original-width="2690" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRvYh0CDyV2wnAvU3RomHllZtFsfSgMhzeolta-aGbW_U99YB1ng6bVjepHLKWmBdq08Wr7iVhjJHyJOQZmpTq2vy8lZIlafR6N8Ku-Jps0jHoyeKJe0AqVF_VqHQWZyN988RPIq1VTmZBhTInpKFDEr9mtpTgJg_DSU8lwY-lFO6PUtmC1h4gCM2g1Q/w480-h640/IMG_2782.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>The view from our balcony at the Dauphine Orleans Hotel</i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGn_k3EK1jom1ncu9JGpU2eqIZ3g407UWsIR0e_UsEgV-vwLC0ng9yJU0rZwuafl29-xDam6Zoj7VuWPXCEdpQGwsO0VZIrAWEc5QGOG3LFKIiD5-u3mgeQXzUdOp1Y6G4gyvFdvBkxEDe3UIKIMq63IJCGuVJk056u7oKYYEw4fSqEtoblVyZDEFmZA/s4032/IMG_2787.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGn_k3EK1jom1ncu9JGpU2eqIZ3g407UWsIR0e_UsEgV-vwLC0ng9yJU0rZwuafl29-xDam6Zoj7VuWPXCEdpQGwsO0VZIrAWEc5QGOG3LFKIiD5-u3mgeQXzUdOp1Y6G4gyvFdvBkxEDe3UIKIMq63IJCGuVJk056u7oKYYEw4fSqEtoblVyZDEFmZA/w480-h640/IMG_2787.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioTth0qbC4DgqIjDMPyjB2LQ3uk-vms8Q4i2bmWwHoPu_27kl1VkdzkgfjlnP8wuttVPbTU-vdEYwQLMpJ7YGJeiGH0QJbDNCdznQczO0kXZNFh33q2Vx2WCfzv-GLFpDoctWQ9VtsF0R6ua_TU0lTijPHWcxZJhHjZYnqKixPBctYmOlelxdIrkBmgw/s4032/IMG_3025.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioTth0qbC4DgqIjDMPyjB2LQ3uk-vms8Q4i2bmWwHoPu_27kl1VkdzkgfjlnP8wuttVPbTU-vdEYwQLMpJ7YGJeiGH0QJbDNCdznQczO0kXZNFh33q2Vx2WCfzv-GLFpDoctWQ9VtsF0R6ua_TU0lTijPHWcxZJhHjZYnqKixPBctYmOlelxdIrkBmgw/w480-h640/IMG_3025.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>We are creatures of habit when it comes to visiting places we are already familiar with, and we've kind of got an itinerary set out for New Orleans when we're showing others around, so we hit up a lot of our usual haunts. Also, because a member of our party has mobility challenges, we didn't stray too far off the beaten path. As always, Bourbon Street remains absolutely filthy and disgusting, but once you get off it and into the Quarter, everything is exactly as beautiful and creative and whimsical as I remembered it being. We hit up <a href="https://www.napoleonhouse.com/" target="_blank">Napoleon House</a> and <a href="https://patobriens.com/" target="_blank">Pat O'Brien's</a> -- not for the hurricanes (they're crap there) but for the courtyard ambiance. And as is tradition, we ended our wanderings at <a href="http://www.lafittesblacksmithshop.com/Homepage.html" target="_blank">Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop</a> for the craziest purple drinks known to man before heading back to the hotel and a drink at May Bailey's before crashing.<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYcQ3XwVDJ19hwu4yj_qrcyasWcNZ_IhbxVdFsgaedb6dADFqAdUyDiihezr82HYaGjoKqfFWxesA34EU2woplcKK1RAWLhWveBMOqqMRPL2nisutHH4kBdA_JJcjLQRt8pWa-e9KHpCeN-td7752cS_sjm2uvti7EFmALSO4mDA5QYMiRcON_GzQVkw/s4032/IMG_2980.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYcQ3XwVDJ19hwu4yj_qrcyasWcNZ_IhbxVdFsgaedb6dADFqAdUyDiihezr82HYaGjoKqfFWxesA34EU2woplcKK1RAWLhWveBMOqqMRPL2nisutHH4kBdA_JJcjLQRt8pWa-e9KHpCeN-td7752cS_sjm2uvti7EFmALSO4mDA5QYMiRcON_GzQVkw/w480-h640/IMG_2980.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5mIlMssPaRLYkEYB6-XWkn72yLOabck2RssvA3_Bh5WCZicH6jQUtq8QQ7tGa7sDnXanRdqESfnetjbIgdsHXOi1pUwEF_7P1PMYkOYMk2JwEzfgFNrXgttjQhjEtLSoDh59HzIORRlslzKRueTF3b0kSwJ3q7dhh9K3fU4d72zcUKdLM37PYrXmRIQ/s4032/IMG_2789.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5mIlMssPaRLYkEYB6-XWkn72yLOabck2RssvA3_Bh5WCZicH6jQUtq8QQ7tGa7sDnXanRdqESfnetjbIgdsHXOi1pUwEF_7P1PMYkOYMk2JwEzfgFNrXgttjQhjEtLSoDh59HzIORRlslzKRueTF3b0kSwJ3q7dhh9K3fU4d72zcUKdLM37PYrXmRIQ/w640-h480/IMG_2789.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-wGK97B1FxqwjsH47_jmLvpR9qp8mziaAOHMvIrYmAY013TaY9n2zVptRmagpDDWykjYhDVx6nYXU4v1Zs_DJGOsaKgTJsy1Hd-z74pHQrAc6V-DWMmUX22FechQEChma_Y75TUAmbioYWoMTPGADLlp21dFmJ9Gogx1wwuqmfakgNFTsmzYntAYILA/s4032/IMG_2790.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-wGK97B1FxqwjsH47_jmLvpR9qp8mziaAOHMvIrYmAY013TaY9n2zVptRmagpDDWykjYhDVx6nYXU4v1Zs_DJGOsaKgTJsy1Hd-z74pHQrAc6V-DWMmUX22FechQEChma_Y75TUAmbioYWoMTPGADLlp21dFmJ9Gogx1wwuqmfakgNFTsmzYntAYILA/w480-h640/IMG_2790.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3nHh7uNYKcsjoBvIr3TjTqseIx-MyB3juiakd7w9iApJLpqfJIJvkJRJFN_Y_q_ldbqTedOpvj442I2toYFTUJfvMa_LazfCpeHsYV4cWUb08UjkCocPyo67g5gtnXfSKpBNa1vave-tqAX-aAy1JFTPRzPLky1ir5xjMrTlv5O755biB1VuqNHlDFw/s4032/IMG_2981.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3nHh7uNYKcsjoBvIr3TjTqseIx-MyB3juiakd7w9iApJLpqfJIJvkJRJFN_Y_q_ldbqTedOpvj442I2toYFTUJfvMa_LazfCpeHsYV4cWUb08UjkCocPyo67g5gtnXfSKpBNa1vave-tqAX-aAy1JFTPRzPLky1ir5xjMrTlv5O755biB1VuqNHlDFw/w640-h480/IMG_2981.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjeiDP-BJi8ZrVUVZi-Cpp6SU72JXNHlPGGEjnuo4edGLn3rbnQ6yl4et2t4uhooMzETzGUOWo7z89-b7f6aEfTD6sSWt4nVUqIWcF5XQZHbl3X2W067wGpE13WtyzCHI54gqahlk3RP3dOv4GtNuD7Nm-SZsFpPD9f4AmSEpWeD8kQcnSyNmmZrL3lIA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjeiDP-BJi8ZrVUVZi-Cpp6SU72JXNHlPGGEjnuo4edGLn3rbnQ6yl4et2t4uhooMzETzGUOWo7z89-b7f6aEfTD6sSWt4nVUqIWcF5XQZHbl3X2W067wGpE13WtyzCHI54gqahlk3RP3dOv4GtNuD7Nm-SZsFpPD9f4AmSEpWeD8kQcnSyNmmZrL3lIA=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn2YYeHeJbJaE1P5obn1x-YsKTaac77Q8DwGeymMHwgRhCqtK-mhvBdqWTOx6Ai2CKdofyPSDzvXNl3O3yAoXMEpCwtob6-8vDZU-aqIdGJavivv4b_4SDeRogW-iPtF4Izs_0ON8kCzZbUxfpLCM2W_brctHDHBYKTw7TF7pl0MTzAeBYfWbdZkEN4g/s4032/IMG_2795.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn2YYeHeJbJaE1P5obn1x-YsKTaac77Q8DwGeymMHwgRhCqtK-mhvBdqWTOx6Ai2CKdofyPSDzvXNl3O3yAoXMEpCwtob6-8vDZU-aqIdGJavivv4b_4SDeRogW-iPtF4Izs_0ON8kCzZbUxfpLCM2W_brctHDHBYKTw7TF7pl0MTzAeBYfWbdZkEN4g/w640-h360/IMG_2795.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwJm8_PmlvVqfdayrTCqfabSB2ezKk0S5jVeyxCfNO5Jg9lIK12HNFaHaIBLP08ywHbi_H68nEk3Js_xki8jjgFFh1F_QHy1flI0biDNDY046TWi0eJmXsAB9RkCRxqjbnrzkOAWfjfKueqFuRsPjBFEhkeWO4tKzQrMdScOQM-rnPmGn75hH092cvQw/s4032/IMG_2799.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwJm8_PmlvVqfdayrTCqfabSB2ezKk0S5jVeyxCfNO5Jg9lIK12HNFaHaIBLP08ywHbi_H68nEk3Js_xki8jjgFFh1F_QHy1flI0biDNDY046TWi0eJmXsAB9RkCRxqjbnrzkOAWfjfKueqFuRsPjBFEhkeWO4tKzQrMdScOQM-rnPmGn75hH092cvQw/w480-h640/IMG_2799.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjmttI6GHrJ63p9E_sHvBoYdh9l82aFMtKIJigFn7qtsl5bV0DPz4vretHQ0a1CPa17Tsqk51z7IojLHfYQADRA3PZHSdMfFmIL5jmzEhvnzzPapgV8TcaolklMJJfQuDBtuTS15L8wyy2GaxCN-D9gxbImP3kuBnTCNqucGahPImwxzkWbLkpExDm6qw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjmttI6GHrJ63p9E_sHvBoYdh9l82aFMtKIJigFn7qtsl5bV0DPz4vretHQ0a1CPa17Tsqk51z7IojLHfYQADRA3PZHSdMfFmIL5jmzEhvnzzPapgV8TcaolklMJJfQuDBtuTS15L8wyy2GaxCN-D9gxbImP3kuBnTCNqucGahPImwxzkWbLkpExDm6qw=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgqZmEBCi9o5tk5xZW4w7cEg89lpIaEI5_jUhdRgTVJ2gjcKGRd6UzmHE8hVLQvqFka9qy9At1tw_LiDKVmPn377ggfOHhDzCC1Y1OatxTKkjHYhAsF-EfWMRzWxX6dcpHsMYMB-T1eVfMtgN6q4OnTUfHTIRiNcv2x52Kv9_Wz4O56B117mbmbxtPfBg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgqZmEBCi9o5tk5xZW4w7cEg89lpIaEI5_jUhdRgTVJ2gjcKGRd6UzmHE8hVLQvqFka9qy9At1tw_LiDKVmPn377ggfOHhDzCC1Y1OatxTKkjHYhAsF-EfWMRzWxX6dcpHsMYMB-T1eVfMtgN6q4OnTUfHTIRiNcv2x52Kv9_Wz4O56B117mbmbxtPfBg=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhZM0icSOAMkrU1zAb89FPagpVUZuMGOATbInvybNRo_ck9Desf7MRuD52v3H50XGDLeyFDbPTfhC1mppSWbMvoArtXYNObgtwOzmATJ_iciPI1oKfuDf8Nuj9aZ9kVvOCNhaTMLaN-iuIpAr906QC2mgWFQcBY7p5cE9rticKVzS0xnroEnDsvgHm4ZA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhZM0icSOAMkrU1zAb89FPagpVUZuMGOATbInvybNRo_ck9Desf7MRuD52v3H50XGDLeyFDbPTfhC1mppSWbMvoArtXYNObgtwOzmATJ_iciPI1oKfuDf8Nuj9aZ9kVvOCNhaTMLaN-iuIpAr906QC2mgWFQcBY7p5cE9rticKVzS0xnroEnDsvgHm4ZA=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><br /><h4 style="text-align: left;">Day Two</h4><div style="text-align: left;">The next day we got brunch at <a href="https://www.courtoftwosisters.com/" target="_blank">The Court of Two Sisters</a> (fitting for a trip of two sisters and their husbands, no?) and then made our way over to <a href="https://louisianastatemuseum.org/museum/cabildo" target="_blank">The Cabildo</a> and <a href="https://louisianastatemuseum.org/museum/presbytere" target="_blank">The Presbytère</a> on Jackson Square for some quality education about the history of New Orleans, including the amazing exhibition on Mardi Gras and the Krewe system.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgOkTIFYuLgNF9ATHuUUMDdQzbdlulYIvr7RLdYOFPBxr4T5YavdcprSMmT2GTrwnXC3IIkpnn5wxfyTVoFLQMKCqdbs2nMKLSDYwF7mrDghkPIkINqbJtbzvmPkulnUxYjpnzYrIIXAvJEPJoSqzET4VUspifaSx0T7JzdwVOM-dPFw-c9YYRjBObU5Q" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgOkTIFYuLgNF9ATHuUUMDdQzbdlulYIvr7RLdYOFPBxr4T5YavdcprSMmT2GTrwnXC3IIkpnn5wxfyTVoFLQMKCqdbs2nMKLSDYwF7mrDghkPIkINqbJtbzvmPkulnUxYjpnzYrIIXAvJEPJoSqzET4VUspifaSx0T7JzdwVOM-dPFw-c9YYRjBObU5Q=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEip5jc78Fvul-gyQ21cXWl7E422CGKpaXhDplmclRITMwM3aIbC3U-1VZOtwhLjleWTTy_ctX0nOZU3r2upjN65PkPxo4cFZ0uBTfFhnQWyGpJXqDt-9Ey3fsH--pO5U3A708n9y-WBaGm7BLoZnWOS1HZGR7wYkSLk44zdyKTntOgg52-WcjIOBIE7Ew" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEip5jc78Fvul-gyQ21cXWl7E422CGKpaXhDplmclRITMwM3aIbC3U-1VZOtwhLjleWTTy_ctX0nOZU3r2upjN65PkPxo4cFZ0uBTfFhnQWyGpJXqDt-9Ey3fsH--pO5U3A708n9y-WBaGm7BLoZnWOS1HZGR7wYkSLk44zdyKTntOgg52-WcjIOBIE7Ew=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Later, while wandering around the Quarter, we stumbled upon a second line featuring the St. Augustine Marching 100 and a couple of <a href="https://www.neworleans.com/things-to-do/music/history-and-traditions/mardi-gras-indians/" target="_blank">Mardi Gras Indians</a>, a truly special sight to see. St. Augustine is widely regarded as one of the best high school marching bands in the country, and you won't see Mardi Gras Indians anywhere but in New Orleans.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiDKj39kHmg5t4ZRqRYpyUF8yr8uzGf0ykV89feyqoJkDbv5BTEv4AIgU_zgEsEhJxWntOwdJoUsxwmhRG1CbDdFr9IRGqcckuRtVKjH8DqtEqbnkPfweGmkyk64fupQNBAHNYQmNfCk9MINDMWztPBz6Ho8BzZmHagFYTHu1eArlmHaTtwI3bMeqia_A" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiDKj39kHmg5t4ZRqRYpyUF8yr8uzGf0ykV89feyqoJkDbv5BTEv4AIgU_zgEsEhJxWntOwdJoUsxwmhRG1CbDdFr9IRGqcckuRtVKjH8DqtEqbnkPfweGmkyk64fupQNBAHNYQmNfCk9MINDMWztPBz6Ho8BzZmHagFYTHu1eArlmHaTtwI3bMeqia_A=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgvZeUz6QkpjyNGrhFQnLVgpBwiYv2PAPjHorevjgKX7cY1S0opIjFOnU5jS9kGrxp0EoqAWElILoup-wd_wQaKRz1YPLuBrpUVZ9WEgMsbOumNYYEVMAJ3-Agu_SJ2Szm0S8ILfni-Ml3R9himp-blf5EuoO-qaiMek9j7RDKuviUJCGGHwrjzVWKrYw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgvZeUz6QkpjyNGrhFQnLVgpBwiYv2PAPjHorevjgKX7cY1S0opIjFOnU5jS9kGrxp0EoqAWElILoup-wd_wQaKRz1YPLuBrpUVZ9WEgMsbOumNYYEVMAJ3-Agu_SJ2Szm0S8ILfni-Ml3R9himp-blf5EuoO-qaiMek9j7RDKuviUJCGGHwrjzVWKrYw=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Later, we popped into a shop called <a href="https://pepperpalace.com/" target="_blank">The Pepper Palace</a>, and what transpired from there was a thing of great and terrible beauty. I ended up buying A LOT of hot sauce, as well as some very spicy jelly beans and something called <a href="https://funtimefoods.com/products/cornferno" target="_blank">Cornferno</a>, a product billed as "the hottest popcorn in the world. Friends, it does not lie. I had literal tears in my eyes as we strolled back to our hotel. I was crying on the streets of New Orleans, and I wasn't even a 25-year-old drunk girl. For dinner, we went to The Royal Cafe (meh) before stumbling on the cutest little ice cream shop on our way to catch a show at <a href="https://www.preservationhall.com/" target="_blank">Preservation Hall,</a> a must-do when you're in New Orleans. Just don't be like the drunk rich white ladies who kept interrupting the show and making the band leader very angry. I'm honestly surprised they didn't get thrown out.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQF9aQtaZATDElXZrNC2ht0on6USY2N2jfjSvzOlpE1aJ4JKSdm_RaVM5XhWxN1HQcFad_73vPQM0lyGgWQXbMhABmVqKmpUiCcHGSQQiCf1vTIeMZx3EiKd6-nHlhiFWrjMJD8tx7rzKIYSe-wGG_4WIee_V-xDNPBkducIhsDKgF6WNaVtXB-hYNlg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQF9aQtaZATDElXZrNC2ht0on6USY2N2jfjSvzOlpE1aJ4JKSdm_RaVM5XhWxN1HQcFad_73vPQM0lyGgWQXbMhABmVqKmpUiCcHGSQQiCf1vTIeMZx3EiKd6-nHlhiFWrjMJD8tx7rzKIYSe-wGG_4WIee_V-xDNPBkducIhsDKgF6WNaVtXB-hYNlg=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgDwJVLrXu1UTt_N4rXuNILWqdeFKHXqdbZCweXlkFRmeV3oYt-WQXwznYjXUdtM_ZjkCxnYuY-J9CBf3VEu069eQescvF_OXk_u1ZHISio803GFAQhN1DBkWbrK4yrROkalvXcfOGiTfmMYLUCbuOTX3UNnz-lEnDDuaw_SQJj1GXqACSk5qkdjwx6oA" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEguo0-iRyExN2UX0kb2OHa6IKYx8sYubJq7lw2iaQL3iamsaANs0iUVZSrD2Q2668VhxxrM5WpOsXvQRHewcPghw5TW_AD3Q9_UEPgL5ih_eKq7X9S-o4vRmHfjuyo-TNcXOr5OplIYMDMfOnN5toxf6T_eSAPR_OJC9o8c36CUfBidZPXeZX0KaE7j2Q=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgiNP0yG_5nCGbnO8Zfm62vHqdoYxFCSxR1UoB7jBkZdsLeISHZ8xzVGK-cFwPm6CyV2OXFsO4dg7aeW7xPKyHbkux9sn29d9AcwYYMqwNUMpZwl6670xnw8bqWBoeamxi6abCktsfraInRB7eBHGv29zoHhP9aDsuUMifNAUGDtVO0yklGkm6KxnZTNA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgiNP0yG_5nCGbnO8Zfm62vHqdoYxFCSxR1UoB7jBkZdsLeISHZ8xzVGK-cFwPm6CyV2OXFsO4dg7aeW7xPKyHbkux9sn29d9AcwYYMqwNUMpZwl6670xnw8bqWBoeamxi6abCktsfraInRB7eBHGv29zoHhP9aDsuUMifNAUGDtVO0yklGkm6KxnZTNA=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjH5PP3bCbZDUHuTtoLImZADb1iiwhk9vxFtkruRXua2H2dssFwv4omhZDy1KsjVSEqFocTirWPyAuvTSzJpvCBtT5k8zGkfIRSWg5nzlFDlRhnNRY6lcWiR5n6P9Be1qvminS5D4fgTBdaSVB7wtxFIalI7yuc-UW9BldEcAuO6x-fV_lYUBKmBsnBxg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjH5PP3bCbZDUHuTtoLImZADb1iiwhk9vxFtkruRXua2H2dssFwv4omhZDy1KsjVSEqFocTirWPyAuvTSzJpvCBtT5k8zGkfIRSWg5nzlFDlRhnNRY6lcWiR5n6P9Be1qvminS5D4fgTBdaSVB7wtxFIalI7yuc-UW9BldEcAuO6x-fV_lYUBKmBsnBxg=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><br /><h3 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Day Three</h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On our third day, I wanted to do some research for my book, so we used the Hop On/Hop Off bus to get around the city, heading to both the Garden District and the Marigny and Frenchman Street. A major plot point in my story is an interior designer who moves home to New Orleans and can't find a job in the industry, so she ends up tending bar at a well-known jazz club on Frenchman Street. In my head, I'd crafted my vision of what the perfect place would look like, and I was astounded when we walked into <a href="https://www.bamboulasmusic.com/" target="_blank">Bamboula's</a> and it was quite literally exactly what I'd envisioned, right down to the portraits painted on the walls.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>Also, walking through the Garden District? Yeah, I want to move there. The air was perfumed with jasmine, the homes were beautiful, and it just felt so peaceful but still New Orleans. We even got to have a nice long chat with a local about what their experiences were like during Hurricane Katrina and subsequent storms. It was a fascinating conversation, and I so appreciated him taking the time to indulge us. The people of New Orleans truly are the warmest I've come across anywhere in the U.S.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0KER9FumPeim-9gqtETzeDLOWTgxVJkUzUZ17-eiLqPX45D0saCUmrGeYx5nvBw88da-Wag5ycUTFxhYadPG_onyh9f3L0TvjQbgKq6FbNuqTJBf3zX1N2N69aJfhMlenYNCaIxJOzhiRYBEJTGIKImFCmxb8NLoZcpo56sDOSElVo5tB9iyMqPFxxQ/s4032/IMG_2857.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0KER9FumPeim-9gqtETzeDLOWTgxVJkUzUZ17-eiLqPX45D0saCUmrGeYx5nvBw88da-Wag5ycUTFxhYadPG_onyh9f3L0TvjQbgKq6FbNuqTJBf3zX1N2N69aJfhMlenYNCaIxJOzhiRYBEJTGIKImFCmxb8NLoZcpo56sDOSElVo5tB9iyMqPFxxQ/w480-h640/IMG_2857.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We walked back to the Quarter from Frenchman Street, stopping at one of those chair massage parlors along the way where my brother-in-law and I had 20 minutes back massages that felt so good I fell asleep. We also made a second stop at Lafitte's because I love it so much.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjk1trOHbOpgE0ZX9sNfzxSPID1jGmj0x9BsNECbG1JzNQkrW43d4ic2fW80MWg-Zy2vXCnL2glyYC2Uqx8AFM7J8qkGRF_6X2JiFGBPzAexngw9Xwdcgd-bPR5ZNkVQLmuQDIJaX9tP0mihiPzDtFjPMt8e3p8QovCEGtWd7LsnboZsyXOGfFhKrZibA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjk1trOHbOpgE0ZX9sNfzxSPID1jGmj0x9BsNECbG1JzNQkrW43d4ic2fW80MWg-Zy2vXCnL2glyYC2Uqx8AFM7J8qkGRF_6X2JiFGBPzAexngw9Xwdcgd-bPR5ZNkVQLmuQDIJaX9tP0mihiPzDtFjPMt8e3p8QovCEGtWd7LsnboZsyXOGfFhKrZibA=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjJqmwuULtolsEg6E6Lx_Ef6uH93HFPzKJuvlADO6M5g_rgiI_Lwkwa8vDOS67D6HUkBeypfLZDTeIVXf8xzAj8hg51EJTnzQtJNI1d1O9FDVuF8ETkT7uCNODtONUXMCkPlJL3U2M9Rztv7rbtlenabECNlwV40M2iOXDy7DFhqPqSgcqbGt8AVp2A9A" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjJqmwuULtolsEg6E6Lx_Ef6uH93HFPzKJuvlADO6M5g_rgiI_Lwkwa8vDOS67D6HUkBeypfLZDTeIVXf8xzAj8hg51EJTnzQtJNI1d1O9FDVuF8ETkT7uCNODtONUXMCkPlJL3U2M9Rztv7rbtlenabECNlwV40M2iOXDy7DFhqPqSgcqbGt8AVp2A9A=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiOPmpC0JXwJ7-KQdAHFwSGbo7ZD7bw92y_Vy5XoCB5uhjBPTD7IF2QtLZMKIE8LLQPB4yLKvalZ08_zDXW-9AgdO9mEo_0Ku7NIRHk5KgUftib-t8t4sznV__nBfEK4wbccXENlgDStnLZ6BU4Mu-kLA1_tFVVWloO3mZME07Emy95FUlfEtITAIP6mQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiOPmpC0JXwJ7-KQdAHFwSGbo7ZD7bw92y_Vy5XoCB5uhjBPTD7IF2QtLZMKIE8LLQPB4yLKvalZ08_zDXW-9AgdO9mEo_0Ku7NIRHk5KgUftib-t8t4sznV__nBfEK4wbccXENlgDStnLZ6BU4Mu-kLA1_tFVVWloO3mZME07Emy95FUlfEtITAIP6mQ=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEijM98YgH1AaQc9_GKIRxfSEmHqMRxPu7xTZ-Hs5Cl7bDmo-vHxtND4TnZ5qhqeVtW26m1f4b7RJIn8Jw3KueI375U0m4H6OO_cRsM7g-AcFpAfJfNRWSxqlFl3yR-Groyk559AJS8__IFA1qZc9fc2tVMxROczyglAfvHtlQlSJCij5qbCkP8OBZse8g=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiGcAMCUzRfBLfGF391mpVfD3FO0ZGwsjwUz7yboQVxkzeUxxcX0euv56ec8S38t-SAp9vPJmSM3FMMljLCkVDKhFzcFU9EGjAiPNpm4Eq49YrHtneEyRiRhP6-mTgRsd7j125_VNzGvfLPx4Ig1YEPWW3b2z7VHcGGEDL3oxmirFv6be6C9tQ0nw7d2w" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiGcAMCUzRfBLfGF391mpVfD3FO0ZGwsjwUz7yboQVxkzeUxxcX0euv56ec8S38t-SAp9vPJmSM3FMMljLCkVDKhFzcFU9EGjAiPNpm4Eq49YrHtneEyRiRhP6-mTgRsd7j125_VNzGvfLPx4Ig1YEPWW3b2z7VHcGGEDL3oxmirFv6be6C9tQ0nw7d2w=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiJn-1b88nNqlB8-8vzt_GMepVaDfF-xm8Z0H5y92wSV3J091tHPQ4PaFSbVBitdgEEZmobGjvaTviBUmkQmDCpS0hb84rIrmhOnllevfHoWTLNcH-GxN3rLtr6PKzoLZS-h_hjhXZNgQYUIdfRPKcKFsEY63lS_0R5eHdIleet0jnz07b-DON3yj0TyQ=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgDpks87Sb-wI5eALzTTG0BiFl60vwrFwhE_trmw2RCL8K3exsl9C3TzJeI8p4h3NCjEaPhkol8KtAaMa81QE3NZHmsQ_lxtVldWLZK2CeOzmZnPhXWUtcmkD4L3iGBqi1-jX-NFXZmeP4nwYXkCvb2F0xYgDnoUqDfV3hJEVE3-Vwa_2qFYIxRjZZsqw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgDpks87Sb-wI5eALzTTG0BiFl60vwrFwhE_trmw2RCL8K3exsl9C3TzJeI8p4h3NCjEaPhkol8KtAaMa81QE3NZHmsQ_lxtVldWLZK2CeOzmZnPhXWUtcmkD4L3iGBqi1-jX-NFXZmeP4nwYXkCvb2F0xYgDnoUqDfV3hJEVE3-Vwa_2qFYIxRjZZsqw=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After a short nap in our rooms, we headed back out for dinner at <a href="https://felixs.com/" target="_blank">Felix's Restaurant & Oyster Bar</a>, which wasn't as good as I remembered from past trips (the line for <a href="https://acmeoyster.com/" target="_blank">Acme Oyster House</a>, which is our usual go-to, was over 1.5 hours long). From there, we braved Bourbon Street (it really is quite disgusting) to visit Jean Lafitte's Old Absinthe House, one of my favorite bars in New Orleans (but I love Absinthe, so ...). It was here that I learned my sister hates anise, something I never knew about her until now. After that, it was back to the hotel for some shut-eye before our final full day in the city.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhYvQQgNW3SV1vWB2-7QltlvAN3ss8A8GtWul-bluXJovBuJLY7_g_vxWGZ_QSFiNdE9IFcfrBzt0E1kY5Kf3ubSnx13y14XaBUe5oCsXyWCGinwRDKPz2_A98YrPPYiOCdZy_L6q-TBqL_luxCGdu2u_9eKpnH0UrE2aMBP3C-2wEH9uJsyqx7MVhazg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhYvQQgNW3SV1vWB2-7QltlvAN3ss8A8GtWul-bluXJovBuJLY7_g_vxWGZ_QSFiNdE9IFcfrBzt0E1kY5Kf3ubSnx13y14XaBUe5oCsXyWCGinwRDKPz2_A98YrPPYiOCdZy_L6q-TBqL_luxCGdu2u_9eKpnH0UrE2aMBP3C-2wEH9uJsyqx7MVhazg=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiFmuYytFFvNVgW4njHists_WZObtmF5BM6OJ5emLnrSdsDsSEzM_DHFW-fFpv-Q-Megl0HOpbbbtYm9jgMyxFBhgFNEIkPiPsoGFpox3Zzf0HlouqKuojun7SYyRqJdKSs8w-8GI7gZgbXT-PtKnistWiDx5JcKcMu2M25uBPpQ0qoCvkWOKM4Ax4nBg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiFmuYytFFvNVgW4njHists_WZObtmF5BM6OJ5emLnrSdsDsSEzM_DHFW-fFpv-Q-Megl0HOpbbbtYm9jgMyxFBhgFNEIkPiPsoGFpox3Zzf0HlouqKuojun7SYyRqJdKSs8w-8GI7gZgbXT-PtKnistWiDx5JcKcMu2M25uBPpQ0qoCvkWOKM4Ax4nBg=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgi6SAul73Y0ZCke4GN6CCEw8agO9Ng5Slss5q1pHtl1crNqzU-fjKIfaBHWmwmKpnhnsMglm4nnyiHPkmdD1_TA511F-JB5Rhy_HCRPxP-iDL4buyKcTC8j3SwDwCtDiJcvuiwN5NL6UuJLFjfa-5So9Lky1r98-G2UBYQ6le5R6CTlo8xYROzOfJMkQ" style="margin-left: 1em; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhuuMRMjwyRowHCaPvwY1WSrZOWA-uhtsfw0nyI9Gun0-ZYU-H8gf1gAl-SufO2QUnfjCChcO7MJmUe7fJFLPzpjEb8pI4g09h5_D0WXeJmvNrjT7zrM83q72lNhYNw2bw8Jg-Su1LrJivlj3SUHsVmkkp4L9iZRHjYJlzNfGM6oVqs6yMh59j_pFZjIQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhuuMRMjwyRowHCaPvwY1WSrZOWA-uhtsfw0nyI9Gun0-ZYU-H8gf1gAl-SufO2QUnfjCChcO7MJmUe7fJFLPzpjEb8pI4g09h5_D0WXeJmvNrjT7zrM83q72lNhYNw2bw8Jg-Su1LrJivlj3SUHsVmkkp4L9iZRHjYJlzNfGM6oVqs6yMh59j_pFZjIQ=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi07wp7bAwc2VK48TGujL0fRs84jL40aY5kyi7aVeQrBvSPbXLVCqHu8YXJcLbRF8HPJOD1X5G0YrqpT3Wm4spIQ1hMW2sMehjIj8qPx_s3naGiHHKhOBe5xy03H7Jfwvef3GyIZE8X9-NPzdhtaj-KoZcOWqhjjP8rFPQXrCwz8edsvgJNKlf4B39oSQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi07wp7bAwc2VK48TGujL0fRs84jL40aY5kyi7aVeQrBvSPbXLVCqHu8YXJcLbRF8HPJOD1X5G0YrqpT3Wm4spIQ1hMW2sMehjIj8qPx_s3naGiHHKhOBe5xy03H7Jfwvef3GyIZE8X9-NPzdhtaj-KoZcOWqhjjP8rFPQXrCwz8edsvgJNKlf4B39oSQ=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Day Four</h3></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We really wanted to have one fancy meal while in New Orleans, so we opted for brunch at <a href="https://antoines.com/" target="_blank">Antoine's Restaurant</a>. On previous trips, we'd been to the bar here but had never gotten a meal. One reason we chose this place is the book I'm writing features a chef whose family is one of the old guard of New Orleans society, and a restaurant has been in their family for several generations. There are several restaurants like that in Nola, but having been to Galatoires and disliked it, I wanted to explore another one of these institutions. I'm so happy we did because everything about our prix fix menu was astoundingly good. My sister and I got the bottomless mimosas, and our server knew that meant we wanted just the smallest splash of OJ. Our glasses were always full. We also ordered their famous baked Alaska, and it was definitely worth those extra calories.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjsxzNcxykcuVjhFtXJ1Qkdfp1GQfZkA9iSiVTHIdqO2MrexXVWXexYsnoD7IYhgRDAsfOZZQXIx177OkDNfguZCoyJ0UbRXDutsoqN0p_cOqqwaJmS74bvoX6SdGasoIbg1m7ECuEliN1b9GN_BKi1traNJi5zi6CEX2C0PWFhmN_iZsWLjWOJmlJXuA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjsxzNcxykcuVjhFtXJ1Qkdfp1GQfZkA9iSiVTHIdqO2MrexXVWXexYsnoD7IYhgRDAsfOZZQXIx177OkDNfguZCoyJ0UbRXDutsoqN0p_cOqqwaJmS74bvoX6SdGasoIbg1m7ECuEliN1b9GN_BKi1traNJi5zi6CEX2C0PWFhmN_iZsWLjWOJmlJXuA=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjokefMFb45BqTeo6_gqV1wJ7a9A0MCJc4N2p2TSD3DSpfRxFL73iG0vdmytF4jN2xvTpZnsDW6cy2ErOc9SlclzJizpUb-w8X-ecX24uE-EXficHCMVcckwBt2JrQG_1pazCJkW58zyEDNMCWjzyY_vwrdej3gz6AYKKlyETFeEOBRNuR0u9yDn0kkOw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjokefMFb45BqTeo6_gqV1wJ7a9A0MCJc4N2p2TSD3DSpfRxFL73iG0vdmytF4jN2xvTpZnsDW6cy2ErOc9SlclzJizpUb-w8X-ecX24uE-EXficHCMVcckwBt2JrQG_1pazCJkW58zyEDNMCWjzyY_vwrdej3gz6AYKKlyETFeEOBRNuR0u9yDn0kkOw=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br />The meal was so rich and filling that we had to head back to the hotel to nap it off and change into our stretchy clothes. Later, we took a tour of the quarter in one of the donkey-pulled carriages. It was great to get up close and personal with all the streets of the Quarter and some in the Marigny and learn some additional factoids about the area, but I could have done without the driver making a comment about the length of my hair when we passed a bar that offers haircuts as well.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhUeilET-Mgh37UA_G8sikbDSmZWt57sMxTUoGcD9i63F9NRjkJzMU9KutoG-_pDg4iF2EMr83PEjEeDULU151NJmm1AYutV0vYWEoWibhNHZ73BNs8lfCKYb0Cof4aC8Zd58xjJ1mnn1KqJ0s01um0pEQ09ONq8q8isV2xx5EU1uKmcNTMefa0CDLnyg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhUeilET-Mgh37UA_G8sikbDSmZWt57sMxTUoGcD9i63F9NRjkJzMU9KutoG-_pDg4iF2EMr83PEjEeDULU151NJmm1AYutV0vYWEoWibhNHZ73BNs8lfCKYb0Cof4aC8Zd58xjJ1mnn1KqJ0s01um0pEQ09ONq8q8isV2xx5EU1uKmcNTMefa0CDLnyg=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhHpI7J9_o3vI8UY8kG7ojuchIuYWzBAq7xDS66y6BolkSPjKwQjmKGvUA85QFnuXeQ8cvxmBlPMpXf8MlN3ZBhaGcQXhCwBoltH_ELJG5DOd-5j91Rr3O0qQQSuQ5TxYw50NYUV5y9ASBWRocsQFk3wN78TTXQ11WDCMwf_ktghr3DhkGD73LRj4sWAg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhHpI7J9_o3vI8UY8kG7ojuchIuYWzBAq7xDS66y6BolkSPjKwQjmKGvUA85QFnuXeQ8cvxmBlPMpXf8MlN3ZBhaGcQXhCwBoltH_ELJG5DOd-5j91Rr3O0qQQSuQ5TxYw50NYUV5y9ASBWRocsQFk3wN78TTXQ11WDCMwf_ktghr3DhkGD73LRj4sWAg=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEivjxsYWdg93DSIT-V1ps29oiaLUeOczWovYI0sKbJESn_Xpw9xtStBycTJqB66eVWG8SFqjQAx5IMO2YC8_uTjUw_qZeJ9teSKbR7sx0kD1jQEZdyIyXQMKNBNkxKVn2jKENZD0-Vzaf21S3opSfq5nNSbCrGtqOOFtDxTiExQ1wAIIDXFZEIXq3w2wg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEivjxsYWdg93DSIT-V1ps29oiaLUeOczWovYI0sKbJESn_Xpw9xtStBycTJqB66eVWG8SFqjQAx5IMO2YC8_uTjUw_qZeJ9teSKbR7sx0kD1jQEZdyIyXQMKNBNkxKVn2jKENZD0-Vzaf21S3opSfq5nNSbCrGtqOOFtDxTiExQ1wAIIDXFZEIXq3w2wg=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We ended up back at Napoleon House for dinner and then headed over to the Hotel Monteleone for drinks. We stayed there in 2020 and had an amazing night at the Carousel Bar, so we wanted to show it off to J&S. We were lucky enough to get a seat there after only 15 minutes. From there, we made our way back toward the hotel, stopping off at Finnegan's Easy, an Irish dive bar that's not really a dive where we had really great drinks and hung out in a really lovely back patio.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgzyUqdvR8gFdKoRNJr54XJZ1SQcvM97uCKXLcCNCi3AxZYAeX9MHIzREtpAQVz2CxCSeRZp866t20mKIxP4Krv91-QWdm5C4a4CxGBIXzBV2u2ei6eLe_TWtJpXp7npvLqPF5e0vDjoI9VAA0832Jgh_-x92gueU5cwH8u3xvd9SI7TBNGs9pd35NoUQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgzyUqdvR8gFdKoRNJr54XJZ1SQcvM97uCKXLcCNCi3AxZYAeX9MHIzREtpAQVz2CxCSeRZp866t20mKIxP4Krv91-QWdm5C4a4CxGBIXzBV2u2ei6eLe_TWtJpXp7npvLqPF5e0vDjoI9VAA0832Jgh_-x92gueU5cwH8u3xvd9SI7TBNGs9pd35NoUQ=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgs6IW3wQloVizICNHE4rS6UXhHjEGMJLf5zHPOMxH62BLoPF5OiCp3rgkFor-uvMjaPf5didoj0L2zSZ2zjdD69-DutMG6svV65-9rVKOIYjmPZc_oIoeMVUd31zLVRQ-rKMwTRdwHLqkiVAaCb6tKBsS_JnDiI1P3v3wFuio7RG8YHq2iNHjc9sV5kA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgs6IW3wQloVizICNHE4rS6UXhHjEGMJLf5zHPOMxH62BLoPF5OiCp3rgkFor-uvMjaPf5didoj0L2zSZ2zjdD69-DutMG6svV65-9rVKOIYjmPZc_oIoeMVUd31zLVRQ-rKMwTRdwHLqkiVAaCb6tKBsS_JnDiI1P3v3wFuio7RG8YHq2iNHjc9sV5kA=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgDV518YVj-FF6dLF4JSRRijViYqpxRD4IL2SVSoJAJ3kywU1ZsMCB6-3xiO5B2RCj7OiVvS_sX0WnMqKeYMQbxayB1ybkk6_P1ft6t7IW6A4vF30tkmxVC51M1p9XKEXFa4yys93G3HQJQ24GkMVvgfdN_uU3D59MkcQSUKIlYJBxihlpc5eGL6Z_iZg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgDV518YVj-FF6dLF4JSRRijViYqpxRD4IL2SVSoJAJ3kywU1ZsMCB6-3xiO5B2RCj7OiVvS_sX0WnMqKeYMQbxayB1ybkk6_P1ft6t7IW6A4vF30tkmxVC51M1p9XKEXFa4yys93G3HQJQ24GkMVvgfdN_uU3D59MkcQSUKIlYJBxihlpc5eGL6Z_iZg=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Day Five</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I wouldn't say I count this as an actual day in town since we were leaving that afternoon, but we still managed to get breakfast (a second stop at Toast), grab some beignets and chicory coffee at <a href="https://shop.cafedumonde.com/" target="_blank">Cafe du Monde</a>, and walk around for a bit more sightseeing in the Quarter before our hotel called us a car.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi83ua2yK5iP1krubUxsMsjrJ6VOfZZivcmvwwIvbsoqHJs77Mjrafz4UX-r801CLCYt-i9S9BP7ZC3WBr76QuV3kLlOzQfeFhkrm_QWvHtX5V3T86K1mgwBJZucVUhyM8g8b_EsGWwIpdExyjHd2tLxv1EUYDGz-nyoguReHKsg6kF3083LqlvY7rPMQ" style="margin-left: 1em; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMW4G6O3v_Y5AIMbxMcGz0nQAJIoWAvfqHNtqWW9sGzPoL1ykWoGevv7_u2LcUhtrOHuJ8Dl8R90o5U3zvGFMIY49NwDV_fQ71GLLQsAaxYxitximsNoE9m0hV-FpGkPVRuc6CiQSjIWvqD7Gcz3jPqd6WlNuJFg74H61R8_upxeEYuVNcxT6s7TdWTw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMW4G6O3v_Y5AIMbxMcGz0nQAJIoWAvfqHNtqWW9sGzPoL1ykWoGevv7_u2LcUhtrOHuJ8Dl8R90o5U3zvGFMIY49NwDV_fQ71GLLQsAaxYxitximsNoE9m0hV-FpGkPVRuc6CiQSjIWvqD7Gcz3jPqd6WlNuJFg74H61R8_upxeEYuVNcxT6s7TdWTw=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><br />And with that, it was back home to Massachusetts where I immediately pulled up Zillow and tried to convince Alan to let us move to the Garden District.</div></div></div></div></div></div></div>casacaudillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17737547597204258314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-503211492629127747.post-15376622029453016722023-05-24T11:15:00.005-05:002023-05-24T11:15:45.669-05:00Our First Trip to Tulum, Mexico<p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGthToGjq2whd1AyRruC6k8XsZJylfg_8Nx9zsp_0mIaIqx_vtUQMFvF_El3ttsl4OHaqPYAo6mZbc9cOtcOgYS5aOfOEGZzQWMNRXfT6FTV7OPY6TpDAlXO56eDXCbaorctgQB8ZvHRlQrPlaPSQgLCpOaNBnVgM08QWcytxLXXWmkblnDPhKizI/s4032/tulum_header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGthToGjq2whd1AyRruC6k8XsZJylfg_8Nx9zsp_0mIaIqx_vtUQMFvF_El3ttsl4OHaqPYAo6mZbc9cOtcOgYS5aOfOEGZzQWMNRXfT6FTV7OPY6TpDAlXO56eDXCbaorctgQB8ZvHRlQrPlaPSQgLCpOaNBnVgM08QWcytxLXXWmkblnDPhKizI/w640-h360/tulum_header.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Alan and I first heard about Tulum back in the early 2000s when some friends of ours visited, staying in a tiny sandy-floored hut on the beach with shared bathrooms and tacos for every meal. While it sounded exactly like the type of place we'd love, we kept foregoing trips there in favor of our beloved Hawaii as it was so much easier for direct flights and time changes from the Bay Area. Then, once we moved to Ireland, our travel profile changed dramatically and we weren't taking beach vacations at all. Back in the U.S., we did some exploring around the Caribbean until COVID hit and put a damper on all travel. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">For our 21st wedding anniversary this year, we decided to finally bite the bullet and take that trip to Tulum. Research was ... interesting. It turns out A LOT has changed from when we first said, "We should go!" to now. In fact, sending our friends who'd first ventured there videos and pics of the beach road, it was practically unrecognizable from the low key beach sanctuary they'd first discovered all those years before. </p><h2 style="text-align: justify;">Getting there</h2><p style="text-align: justify;">We flew Delta on a nonstop flight from Boston to Cancun. Arriving at Logan Airport in the pre-dawn hours, our terminal was practically deserted. It was so empty, in fact, we were the only people going through security. I joked with the TSA agents they'd opened specially for us. Eventually, more people began arriving and it was time to go. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Arriving in Cancun was ... not. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">I'd read prior to our trip the airport was a mad house, but I simply wasn't prepared. We pre-booked transportation to our hotel, and based on the information they supplied beforehand, I thought I knew where we were supposed to go. Because the information wasn't entirely correct, we were shuffling around - obviously lost - hoping to find someone holding a placard with our name on it. This resulted in every tour and transportation company in our vicinity trying to get our attention. It was ... a lot. We eventually located a representative from the company, only to be told our car would be there "soon." which turned out to be a 20 minute wait in the midday sun with no shade. Finally climbing into the vehicle, we were on our way! I knew it was a 2+ hour journey to Tulum, but what I hadn't anticipated was 30 minutes of it being stop-and-go traffic from one end of Tulum to our hotel. The upside to this was we got a really good feel for what shops and restaurants were there and where they were located in relation to our hotel at the far south end of the beach.</p><h2 style="text-align: justify;">Our hotel</h2><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjiXyWgz_ipYnmEhMFqBIY7Sqth5_mIZwHxlK7yaNC09Qapv_bWy0ITliRjcjE6fPVglHuYP-aNmEFAp-cSQkWaXZkNsuQ3C2jpC878Y07tTRg73mjSLwQn8oIA6xcjJPBhU0nHj5I46YVBTCCvDhcOOufhoQzj372-HW3qXig4XJoW-XgJAUnV0Wc" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjiXyWgz_ipYnmEhMFqBIY7Sqth5_mIZwHxlK7yaNC09Qapv_bWy0ITliRjcjE6fPVglHuYP-aNmEFAp-cSQkWaXZkNsuQ3C2jpC878Y07tTRg73mjSLwQn8oIA6xcjJPBhU0nHj5I46YVBTCCvDhcOOufhoQzj372-HW3qXig4XJoW-XgJAUnV0Wc=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirL-93QmG3eawO1aHvXUPh4jW-wFsTonnENVg3EL_4v8K9G-M9YcgXfWaGTxZ6x2jn7JewzHLzKn4-WuGc9JczvvSfC7T-uM-tWRdCZwO8Vp5pUoIwCvfXNIJgu8qGdERHh7K7RU1shXwoNMdV9HB1WuK5rxljT2HyvIgvvT5W46NMSAs3JwAEnVY/s4032/IMG_2006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirL-93QmG3eawO1aHvXUPh4jW-wFsTonnENVg3EL_4v8K9G-M9YcgXfWaGTxZ6x2jn7JewzHLzKn4-WuGc9JczvvSfC7T-uM-tWRdCZwO8Vp5pUoIwCvfXNIJgu8qGdERHh7K7RU1shXwoNMdV9HB1WuK5rxljT2HyvIgvvT5W46NMSAs3JwAEnVY/w640-h480/IMG_2006.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhJQqTBuP_fE0sAuL9_9MiTjwCnnhE07TuvQbfIx7uW93XP4oPVdzttuROFGy9Amw9ypDe7tXGlnsTJbcXFYQHLyBQLu4PDetMM7QpN--RwEriLOg_t76x5WtKrvKCumoUtPcT5YbpQseVkiFKRVO6Lm2iPRpiNBTyqMuOFvk4xLLa1FPJyq9etzFo" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhJQqTBuP_fE0sAuL9_9MiTjwCnnhE07TuvQbfIx7uW93XP4oPVdzttuROFGy9Amw9ypDe7tXGlnsTJbcXFYQHLyBQLu4PDetMM7QpN--RwEriLOg_t76x5WtKrvKCumoUtPcT5YbpQseVkiFKRVO6Lm2iPRpiNBTyqMuOFvk4xLLa1FPJyq9etzFo=w640-h360" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">When it came time to pick where we were going to stay, I spent hours researching. In general, I knew what I wanted but was overwhelmed with the amount of choices available. Our wish list included a chill vibe, restaurants available on-site, a white sandy beach, and a room with a private pool in case of bad weather or a beach inundated with sargassum. Eventually, I narrowed it down to about 10 options and then did another deep dive using YouTube reviews. That helped me cull those 10 down to three option. It was around this time that Alan forwarded an email I'd sent him in 2010 that included one of those three. At that point, it seemed pretty clear we were meant to book a room at </span><a href="https://www.betulum.com/" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank">BeTulum Hotel</a><span style="text-align: left;">. </span></div></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;">And what a room it was!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-O9YwZudsNXK1BSDLp1hSFcthvUxY1x_8gy73msc9ChY8J-BMwAPlNU1lAigynBkJv6NMurafpDdmJf5JZ8Q80mxTNVf7Bqritz7uugFLrExpcrp3Yyl-3NnGMYsX1uG9hJWz6UFuOamluIwmgVE_5-4Kd8ssPxrQoejFogR6-lmp4e2fFQ_qVDo" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-O9YwZudsNXK1BSDLp1hSFcthvUxY1x_8gy73msc9ChY8J-BMwAPlNU1lAigynBkJv6NMurafpDdmJf5JZ8Q80mxTNVf7Bqritz7uugFLrExpcrp3Yyl-3NnGMYsX1uG9hJWz6UFuOamluIwmgVE_5-4Kd8ssPxrQoejFogR6-lmp4e2fFQ_qVDo=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgz8qxBCPk8Dwr33mSdxysAP5fz0oVvzLQYWHFmtWoRgIWmAsCaxLgkJ5xJePNnOpa8_ySZPPC4jmrfXhFbMLmVnlp6PI-5LMJb9YmPJz0q3qKMXI8yYTRz49bwctB3tMWg6lby5Niz99feCUjy_HNg0vlz3EzmTDAr9XrTH-HRaRubsCc4qJDZQLI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgz8qxBCPk8Dwr33mSdxysAP5fz0oVvzLQYWHFmtWoRgIWmAsCaxLgkJ5xJePNnOpa8_ySZPPC4jmrfXhFbMLmVnlp6PI-5LMJb9YmPJz0q3qKMXI8yYTRz49bwctB3tMWg6lby5Niz99feCUjy_HNg0vlz3EzmTDAr9XrTH-HRaRubsCc4qJDZQLI=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgHWx6D6iej5ozKU7N3FgQRqGfpFvUQBWukKKtLOD4NNJemUD5C_snaz66TtGT87_3xJWjLkzfncKxg97gH48vSC8pN2MQQxsBGczW3HxbJBGA2HznEsJrYTvmyK9BTNDjbpe8i-3G5bEyqhb7kDvgKuqPTEATXCFBfwPUN4P2JP59-Exbeq8NVljY" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgHWx6D6iej5ozKU7N3FgQRqGfpFvUQBWukKKtLOD4NNJemUD5C_snaz66TtGT87_3xJWjLkzfncKxg97gH48vSC8pN2MQQxsBGczW3HxbJBGA2HznEsJrYTvmyK9BTNDjbpe8i-3G5bEyqhb7kDvgKuqPTEATXCFBfwPUN4P2JP59-Exbeq8NVljY=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjPy-UAwXwVKoMviPD8ZN2X9Xz5wsURf2zCKFOGEt04eQl4TYKYz4QsEBcj0knTdT2_Kk9iTsucGrkCEdjQx7559TbGSjXeAihfP9nmkPpeDtEHvVc4YzyT2r1j6u_U9AzdvHm62wc8ddTSqdJA8tdPD7HgJmqLR2VK672VkwBk9K6h6furCyRMRVY" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjPy-UAwXwVKoMviPD8ZN2X9Xz5wsURf2zCKFOGEt04eQl4TYKYz4QsEBcj0knTdT2_Kk9iTsucGrkCEdjQx7559TbGSjXeAihfP9nmkPpeDtEHvVc4YzyT2r1j6u_U9AzdvHm62wc8ddTSqdJA8tdPD7HgJmqLR2VK672VkwBk9K6h6furCyRMRVY=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBA8jpIA6zm2bU-rIiLqvzGbTOZJWKcdbNdiz3l9M5OGw9QAOfb3OTqO-VG6kuvclxjMo4rS0UPuyoO_E9kGATlzVug-TK0jU7RGMIHoyExGXZ_TjndV8bMnnpKPwZeCOON6tg6R5zgW6Ne28v_aopo00apheoCY3OCG4CsmT1DNa3HDifUgFP9co/s4032/IMG_2038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBA8jpIA6zm2bU-rIiLqvzGbTOZJWKcdbNdiz3l9M5OGw9QAOfb3OTqO-VG6kuvclxjMo4rS0UPuyoO_E9kGATlzVug-TK0jU7RGMIHoyExGXZ_TjndV8bMnnpKPwZeCOON6tg6R5zgW6Ne28v_aopo00apheoCY3OCG4CsmT1DNa3HDifUgFP9co/w360-h640/IMG_2038.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>This was the path right outside our room to the restaurant and the beach. Definitely convenient, but also louder than I would have liked.</i></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">We had both an indoor *and* an outdoor shower, our own private plunge pool, a separate water closet, and a ton of space for relaxing and hanging out. The only slight downside to this room was it's location near the restaurant and directly behind the pool, making privacy a thing I was concerned with. There was plenty of jungle between our area and the pool -- and no one ever really used the pool -- but we could hear the restaurant prepping for and cleaning up from service. They had similar rooms further back in the jungle and while those were technically a downgrade, I would have preferred the more private location. That said, our stay here was absolutely magical, and we definitely put the pool to use when one of our days was a complete wash out with storms.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLPKph7JSi4CuoaNC9-xL-fx0ZB_pGYQUCLNvYz7XEb9TIWgeoOeyHOFaxoRaekbvh5QwtKSLTNRK3uRFmMWE4RFSW4vWw8glY79TYKj1UGXfTyTOnKr1GaP7bpV5uLxD_fCJQEFeyltt4cRtIq48Dc4EQ0N9K9tnogB4fs_NBbyVgXlbGlNO27UQ/s4032/IMG_2046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLPKph7JSi4CuoaNC9-xL-fx0ZB_pGYQUCLNvYz7XEb9TIWgeoOeyHOFaxoRaekbvh5QwtKSLTNRK3uRFmMWE4RFSW4vWw8glY79TYKj1UGXfTyTOnKr1GaP7bpV5uLxD_fCJQEFeyltt4cRtIq48Dc4EQ0N9K9tnogB4fs_NBbyVgXlbGlNO27UQ/w640-h360/IMG_2046.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhW7GMXnaNQD6lFnJEpXRrV1t8bRqADferdVnapHryA0nrqAkF1GHndGSwVm1ucF5xu5SoWhFin19qnqVGwb7hFOVkpS1-d-PzK6mq_Ib__cpgJ-33VIa5KsRS6GQefVRgVz6-SspG6hnltphaVTGp27j7VbKz_7_DoxUX-50fPSGQQmbSmGkm6pmw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhW7GMXnaNQD6lFnJEpXRrV1t8bRqADferdVnapHryA0nrqAkF1GHndGSwVm1ucF5xu5SoWhFin19qnqVGwb7hFOVkpS1-d-PzK6mq_Ib__cpgJ-33VIa5KsRS6GQefVRgVz6-SspG6hnltphaVTGp27j7VbKz_7_DoxUX-50fPSGQQmbSmGkm6pmw=w640-h360" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg2EKBIisOG6oIVUZeDSvgUkQ2WKv6pj5IcQxH0dFAY4dcWlYsto-UlYug98cuaEfc1KLtsWs8Tmx-0Q7Qqem6adX6y3nchy0TiwbdMMpKm_HUkSok46M_Nw5MNJEykCkLFh11Q3mIYfpDFoKSUtaxIqyP7-VmfFPggZR5ijnk7LKEmhEkCvgFyVck" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg2EKBIisOG6oIVUZeDSvgUkQ2WKv6pj5IcQxH0dFAY4dcWlYsto-UlYug98cuaEfc1KLtsWs8Tmx-0Q7Qqem6adX6y3nchy0TiwbdMMpKm_HUkSok46M_Nw5MNJEykCkLFh11Q3mIYfpDFoKSUtaxIqyP7-VmfFPggZR5ijnk7LKEmhEkCvgFyVck=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhQqe0l4Is9T4v5_RuuxgBAwa3IXDBoL-f_99mh8Hao6pIu_yy6XqTbflpvTb2VZUIdUGEMxyUJoo9Zx4Qqwpbu4IOs_6HaqKWYGYGlIczD_ht72P77AXH1diZuE7M4OrV9dlCLGbFdgvvcmehOVk4-eT2xXq217RRiMWg_4xGwY1JBE_R5mbSilqU" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhQqe0l4Is9T4v5_RuuxgBAwa3IXDBoL-f_99mh8Hao6pIu_yy6XqTbflpvTb2VZUIdUGEMxyUJoo9Zx4Qqwpbu4IOs_6HaqKWYGYGlIczD_ht72P77AXH1diZuE7M4OrV9dlCLGbFdgvvcmehOVk4-eT2xXq217RRiMWg_4xGwY1JBE_R5mbSilqU=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhb5KiaVSU0fh6JHej9EIGs1Ipk0V9rIEjt0zJvw_dHZiYPaYnzO-oWold5K_4VuxYmsvfH-6r_IOrfafOQiVM4T5Am7pjisjRmtuO-GkS0YEMBE31QCNi14Et52gjCpotyiaUBbpTb1d7wM3T9I2-RepRBHQtkuFZakwGlKbdM8D9T1cwkFCG6m3o" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhb5KiaVSU0fh6JHej9EIGs1Ipk0V9rIEjt0zJvw_dHZiYPaYnzO-oWold5K_4VuxYmsvfH-6r_IOrfafOQiVM4T5Am7pjisjRmtuO-GkS0YEMBE31QCNi14Et52gjCpotyiaUBbpTb1d7wM3T9I2-RepRBHQtkuFZakwGlKbdM8D9T1cwkFCG6m3o=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Our room was directly behind this hedge.</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEizBunpeuQ3ZStTGlFz_vss3Y4aBBegZ4oevf7ENl4NJEC00k6syophWdj0zmQM_OlTzaGD6sNiykCrYNlUWc3ESCOatZkGp2mcok8iSW4FeoqXXfrZUPa0fNuGBWL9eZQZVJtd4IbrVmcGiiTX7X9FVY2XTNNxWjBgY__GCH27jFD-uyAH0zFcJxc" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEizBunpeuQ3ZStTGlFz_vss3Y4aBBegZ4oevf7ENl4NJEC00k6syophWdj0zmQM_OlTzaGD6sNiykCrYNlUWc3ESCOatZkGp2mcok8iSW4FeoqXXfrZUPa0fNuGBWL9eZQZVJtd4IbrVmcGiiTX7X9FVY2XTNNxWjBgY__GCH27jFD-uyAH0zFcJxc=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9vHKyGIQ8w-Bl6eOGoukIqjzqDSHbFvD_2altQP8awq3jgwNtD0P-JlxqAA_ySZU4d97aVXGXmamO4YMZBdHw-Q0fYFr5LmMD0ppKxlFsevGfp9O7wDoAaLiGBsCKX25ePFTyCRbrs-u7aCtKOs-PdMIBeR7GH8t5KsUVdVm2e-PveaFK22D8l-4/s4032/IMG_2368.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9vHKyGIQ8w-Bl6eOGoukIqjzqDSHbFvD_2altQP8awq3jgwNtD0P-JlxqAA_ySZU4d97aVXGXmamO4YMZBdHw-Q0fYFr5LmMD0ppKxlFsevGfp9O7wDoAaLiGBsCKX25ePFTyCRbrs-u7aCtKOs-PdMIBeR7GH8t5KsUVdVm2e-PveaFK22D8l-4/w480-h640/IMG_2368.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi6-CRxT1t5KO6PA4nitUnp1ZVEiudJprM9veD3DNOHGt01S0qkeQ1nIUsqjSN-pcIO7hVLxZSumRS-wa1pB8H1OyjrcVYBXe47PKeUyK4XUwLZqBSlBEROdpgorAZV7rh3gHCYi-WMiEzbM30j928HCLto9inNO23WPEn5jnVKo9d4loC2Z0KeX7o" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi6-CRxT1t5KO6PA4nitUnp1ZVEiudJprM9veD3DNOHGt01S0qkeQ1nIUsqjSN-pcIO7hVLxZSumRS-wa1pB8H1OyjrcVYBXe47PKeUyK4XUwLZqBSlBEROdpgorAZV7rh3gHCYi-WMiEzbM30j928HCLto9inNO23WPEn5jnVKo9d4loC2Z0KeX7o=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYSVVyIvxpCElhA22a622UvNce_2wqhSlbb__T2a2hdLU_pLkUol8Tv0Xw2OLEtPwbrixg-AnZI2qTRaG_-iy_22YeDSKpvlG7t0qaW3ash2ghHUME6xf--yf0lRVCtH75u6BKlGv7wbhGB69ZohOQrjzfrICTA30-QlcA1XUS0A5ZC9dAf_-hpNU" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYSVVyIvxpCElhA22a622UvNce_2wqhSlbb__T2a2hdLU_pLkUol8Tv0Xw2OLEtPwbrixg-AnZI2qTRaG_-iy_22YeDSKpvlG7t0qaW3ash2ghHUME6xf--yf0lRVCtH75u6BKlGv7wbhGB69ZohOQrjzfrICTA30-QlcA1XUS0A5ZC9dAf_-hpNU=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">The beach at BeTulum is every bit as magical as you'd expect a Tulum beach to be. We had white sand as far as the eye could see, and the group that owns the hotel and the one next door had hired a service to keep the early sargassum bloom from the beach as much as possible. While I didn't spend much time in the water, I did spend several hours on the beach beds with a jalapeno margarita in my hand. It turns out I love spicy drinks and have become a tequila and mezcal convert. In addition to the truly excellent cocktails (and mocktails!), the food at the beach club was really freaking delicious.</span></div></div></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEja6VYOJ-V6wba3RWsoYwu91JSEVSWuWN2ueST9S3JLdn7c3eXqg4fNXhIg3vFK1eelqClnN8wXCQao1Ov9fLy5La8stXx8EfdLZOarBMgwFY-5uYAUnd5D0hrSdAD4LffcNAvqZ4MhDLiUKN-jJYil9gV88JSNq69px5W36Pj89_RYeY0Ikc3jvLA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEja6VYOJ-V6wba3RWsoYwu91JSEVSWuWN2ueST9S3JLdn7c3eXqg4fNXhIg3vFK1eelqClnN8wXCQao1Ov9fLy5La8stXx8EfdLZOarBMgwFY-5uYAUnd5D0hrSdAD4LffcNAvqZ4MhDLiUKN-jJYil9gV88JSNq69px5W36Pj89_RYeY0Ikc3jvLA=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhnnzCTn17eHLSMDQzihd_rrre7MJl2ETQ0FzLTSeWE7GvIvJYVSwKOZUGAfLR9Xi1HCntv9uT78hDZSwlxTpzmAKaCeeA_UrnD6Pp5AJ-rFLBmkTBbuWRk45WcWj3gduR3zLfhrmxmepfxeFHKMJ0UtMnzFdkFO-gw26lR-zaJy0DosLOfAFf85jQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhnnzCTn17eHLSMDQzihd_rrre7MJl2ETQ0FzLTSeWE7GvIvJYVSwKOZUGAfLR9Xi1HCntv9uT78hDZSwlxTpzmAKaCeeA_UrnD6Pp5AJ-rFLBmkTBbuWRk45WcWj3gduR3zLfhrmxmepfxeFHKMJ0UtMnzFdkFO-gw26lR-zaJy0DosLOfAFf85jQ=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Speaking of food ...</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Days before we left, I was diagnosed with a whole host of unbeknownst food allergies that made me worried about how I was going to eat while in Tulum. In going there, all I really wanted was to eat tacos for every meal, and based on our friends' previous visit, I thought that was going to be the case. Alas, it was not. While there are a few taco chains on the beach road, gorging yourself on street tacos isn't really the done thing. This was where we found ourselves a bit lost. Most of the restaurants on the beach are huge, loud, party spots, and the ones that aren't, were incredibly difficult to get into. While BeTulum is not an all inclusive hotel (an amazing breakfast came free every day with our room rate, however), we ate the vast majority of our meals there. The food at both Mareisias and Occumare was EXCELLENT and abundant. The service at Mareisias, in particular, was outstanding. The wait staff went above and beyond dealing with my allergies.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgNRgXMNy8QrcyKxLzSkueZNQ1vXkdR4tYKTnEZ-p7EX6Io4X8lzQybUq2ot_brWVtU_33g6FNpzIaQ85cfVI0pZnTYfqlYJ9F-90_J0xkqUt_PV3796H-QYwIZeBJzR3UwDJbUoap-37PEPzLk1T9A--ES9xsmOzbC0-MJvAabPq9Q_kFQuJoZfoU" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgNRgXMNy8QrcyKxLzSkueZNQ1vXkdR4tYKTnEZ-p7EX6Io4X8lzQybUq2ot_brWVtU_33g6FNpzIaQ85cfVI0pZnTYfqlYJ9F-90_J0xkqUt_PV3796H-QYwIZeBJzR3UwDJbUoap-37PEPzLk1T9A--ES9xsmOzbC0-MJvAabPq9Q_kFQuJoZfoU=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHM0iy3tjijGGtFNYDHk54jTsb9xRSMVox6BU6DerD1gWvZyhfw25uoenQDdn99bkGAsLoYfaKWsmauWQ3oU4CdIaPjKi6gqvrPit_9Vr_ro-pecdcKPUX6yn8B0OOro6nz43GaqUuD47m8Vs48Sqqlg2sY34aXV_EnjbqDXedgo5T4Lg8ycRPPZY/s4032/IMG_2325.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHM0iy3tjijGGtFNYDHk54jTsb9xRSMVox6BU6DerD1gWvZyhfw25uoenQDdn99bkGAsLoYfaKWsmauWQ3oU4CdIaPjKi6gqvrPit_9Vr_ro-pecdcKPUX6yn8B0OOro6nz43GaqUuD47m8Vs48Sqqlg2sY34aXV_EnjbqDXedgo5T4Lg8ycRPPZY/w640-h480/IMG_2325.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiPDIpJoXooULuoHTn7629yAYUjo1SSjIaaRqJcdplS3-VK1R_EidleRWRkfPmzWdBFYUobQ8fDcJ8zf3YoIUH276NTBeMWTljBLT0rvFtdbICcNqrCzmcNZm9j-jtw113P3JHUaRe3pfQM-qtGJ0hLsLT9eD9vywqS1eWxiijR3KcOnSLg4okl8f8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiPDIpJoXooULuoHTn7629yAYUjo1SSjIaaRqJcdplS3-VK1R_EidleRWRkfPmzWdBFYUobQ8fDcJ8zf3YoIUH276NTBeMWTljBLT0rvFtdbICcNqrCzmcNZm9j-jtw113P3JHUaRe3pfQM-qtGJ0hLsLT9eD9vywqS1eWxiijR3KcOnSLg4okl8f8=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;">Our breakfast view every day.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEivK0N0E-0G17xkdgrNSAaynOn_uNLxpBjd4_5Au-XfBdX6Bw6XfcoxHnnQAhAexJp_GNNz_r7FXWbhlLkmnCMqthV3TlPc7L25weJrHw8NQK05frCLKDsqsAebXZEJJIF38180cm-Uy-SCKgC2Axq_UeNSMpmnQSirpunCh-7D44M6OWQ9lb_Ld-4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEivK0N0E-0G17xkdgrNSAaynOn_uNLxpBjd4_5Au-XfBdX6Bw6XfcoxHnnQAhAexJp_GNNz_r7FXWbhlLkmnCMqthV3TlPc7L25weJrHw8NQK05frCLKDsqsAebXZEJJIF38180cm-Uy-SCKgC2Axq_UeNSMpmnQSirpunCh-7D44M6OWQ9lb_Ld-4=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEivK0N0E-0G17xkdgrNSAaynOn_uNLxpBjd4_5Au-XfBdX6Bw6XfcoxHnnQAhAexJp_GNNz_r7FXWbhlLkmnCMqthV3TlPc7L25weJrHw8NQK05frCLKDsqsAebXZEJJIF38180cm-Uy-SCKgC2Axq_UeNSMpmnQSirpunCh-7D44M6OWQ9lb_Ld-4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjU14-vDzkRYMuq9Y52BQoD7YfqkTAS8r2wKXuxytxvgmHljO4whD6W5uWGNR3wujiLXOv0FeTmhe0d9H4T5O1kBv7jj8eJGY02fIkKvpPw0M1azvoUTjB2WW9d0VWWaNoTp8dDz4CI9FLqW4dT7U6ldUvHaX_STth2yhU51J-eVmupK_m6PBAQQr4=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEivK0N0E-0G17xkdgrNSAaynOn_uNLxpBjd4_5Au-XfBdX6Bw6XfcoxHnnQAhAexJp_GNNz_r7FXWbhlLkmnCMqthV3TlPc7L25weJrHw8NQK05frCLKDsqsAebXZEJJIF38180cm-Uy-SCKgC2Axq_UeNSMpmnQSirpunCh-7D44M6OWQ9lb_Ld-4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">When heading to the Caribbean, one of my biggest worries is sargassum. It's my travel nemesis. We were there the last week of January, which is typically a sargassum-free time of year, but with a super bloom happening this year, we had a couple of days where the beach was getting hit pretty hard. Ours never sat for long so we didn't experience the extreme sulfur smell it typically emits, but down the beach several hotels had seemingly given up. I was so happy to have chosen BeTulum for this reason alone.</span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgs2QxdKbDW80Zf9Li2kwIXrMtrmsMJVL6fvRZtIWEICc95Ou2H5ekVIyDukIK-ZlgqnQwWEDfTRlWQenKZyVDRc46bvyyI3k_YQVi50BWRmhUecSu_xwMDXiX3c91ne0UnaUg09CTebZPKhUA9OrEt5H4tUJ69ipX3IGvAEilHDCCtiUzT3M55pfI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgs2QxdKbDW80Zf9Li2kwIXrMtrmsMJVL6fvRZtIWEICc95Ou2H5ekVIyDukIK-ZlgqnQwWEDfTRlWQenKZyVDRc46bvyyI3k_YQVi50BWRmhUecSu_xwMDXiX3c91ne0UnaUg09CTebZPKhUA9OrEt5H4tUJ69ipX3IGvAEilHDCCtiUzT3M55pfI=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEipl5EkyCD2tNqw_low0xn6Lo1XmrctkjLw8PPEIu747DnV-O5Jv4mhz6rnaoeMKN-8FdcvkL9jjP7tD6qa-Eotrbu6up6q2WaemlcMegxKs2xnEpnOSCu3tfifhnpvwZ5DjXJMU23g-6WErGnjg8kxJVluN-rFle1_u0Rrapak42acAWTwpqWp6s4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEipl5EkyCD2tNqw_low0xn6Lo1XmrctkjLw8PPEIu747DnV-O5Jv4mhz6rnaoeMKN-8FdcvkL9jjP7tD6qa-Eotrbu6up6q2WaemlcMegxKs2xnEpnOSCu3tfifhnpvwZ5DjXJMU23g-6WErGnjg8kxJVluN-rFle1_u0Rrapak42acAWTwpqWp6s4=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A few other things about BeTulum before I wrap up this portion of my recap.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: justify;"><b>Drugs & the cartel</b></h3><div style="text-align: justify;">There's a lot of talk right now about how Mexico isn't safe and how the cartels are out of control. Tulum, especially, has become known as a party town with a lot of illicit drug use with people going there to party under the influence. If you listen to news reports, it sounds like there are scarily armed men roaming the streets harassing tourists. That was not our experience (though we did see armed Federalis in town and one of our tour groups was harassed by the local police). That said, there were drug dealers (and buyers) at our hotel, but it didn't really affect us. I was offered weed en route to the public restroom, and Alan was discreetly offered cocaine, but obviously we turned both down. There was a Romanian foursome sitting in front of us who were not staying at our hotel but had paid for access to the beach club, and they were definitely buying from the dealer we saw at the beach club every day we were there. He was generally unobtrusive and I didn't feel unsafe with his presence, but just know that even high end luxury hotels have a cartel presence (despite their claims to the contrary). </div><h3 style="text-align: justify;"><b>Is BeTulum a party hotel?</b></h3><div style="text-align: justify;">The other thing I want to call out is this is definitely a hotel for "pretty people." Many of the couples were older men and young, perfectly polished women. There were fashion shows on the beach every day from gorgeous young people hawking their clothing wares. A small handful of Instagram girls were taking pictures (but not nearly as obtrusively as when we stayed in Miami). As a woman of a certain age and size with bright pink hair (at the time), I definitely felt like we were the odd people out in terms of clientele. That said, we were also eating and drinking a lot on the property and I think the staff could tell where there bread was buttered (so to speak) so even though we weren't ever going to show up on the hotel's Instagram feed, we were treated incredibly well by the staff. I have a sneaking suspicion my pink hair made me stand out, and since everyone knew about my allergies, I always felt like we were being personally seen to. When we had a problem with water intrusion into our room, the manager was extremely attentive and apologetic (we chose not to move and didn't make a stink, but did let them know so they could fix it when we left). If you follow the hotel on their website, you might think this is a party hotel, and maybe at times it is, but when we were there it wasn't. They have DJs a few days and evenings, but it's not horrible music. Very chill vibey stuff. I'm normally really against music being played at the pool and whatnot because when I'm on vacation, I'm there to relax, but the DJ they had the one day seemed to understand he was part of the background and it was just really mellow.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">You can get a feel for what it was like below or by <a href="https://youtu.be/tHYRFS1PaIg" target="_blank">clicking here</a>.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tHYRFS1PaIg" width="320" youtube-src-id="tHYRFS1PaIg"></iframe></div><br /><h3 style="text-align: justify;"></h3><h2>Activities</h2></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Prior to heading to Tulum, we discussed what we wanted to do while there outside of relaxing at the beach. The three "must do" items on our list was a Tulum food tour, a visit to the cenotes, and a trip to Chichen Itza. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: justify;">Food Tour</h3><div style="text-align: justify;">The food tour was a great way to see Tulum the town and we got to have one of the best tamales we'd ever tasted. Because I grew up in a Mexican household, and we are both native Californians, we've eaten a lot of Mexican food over the years, but none of it really Yucatan in style. The tour guide was somewhat arrogant in that regard, and I think he was a bit dismissive of my experience with Mexican cuisine because I'm white, but overall, it was a great, informative way to spend the morning. I really wish some of the food we tasted had been available at the beach, but can understand why it wouldn't be. Still, a $70 round trip taxi fee made it somewhat difficult to go into town to eat, so we really only did it on this tour.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgvb733CWVYUMTHYVFFWZC-2hoZyVInUA_GQR5-vOGr2yiJKSn0VWnroz_INkruEK3rv3BkgmneUNI0w71d2lqKlMk40ye2cZIDbViRmDBDP0zALecPjOhWzB9_O-3waXEMBDcSqw_xTjnanHnkkfjXZP9m77iXdk5x440V93VgFavLYAWs6QdIoDg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgvb733CWVYUMTHYVFFWZC-2hoZyVInUA_GQR5-vOGr2yiJKSn0VWnroz_INkruEK3rv3BkgmneUNI0w71d2lqKlMk40ye2cZIDbViRmDBDP0zALecPjOhWzB9_O-3waXEMBDcSqw_xTjnanHnkkfjXZP9m77iXdk5x440V93VgFavLYAWs6QdIoDg=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Frankly, I think my carnitas were better than this place's, but I kept that opinion to myself.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQfEAdnzV7zb_KOaRq5gui4uz2pT8u_8X-vSp1cr5-h0HRlDYJxmF4EOwNK2HwUUradByLikiV_wTtxD6VaM3DjEdL_h-EoylSjbZpI6SSOnAESLh5H9TE9gJCFEhSIGSbuRSvOo8KY8Hm9WBTj_YlNaJJjRdT2esg5DqclClEELuqelixbZS20jE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQfEAdnzV7zb_KOaRq5gui4uz2pT8u_8X-vSp1cr5-h0HRlDYJxmF4EOwNK2HwUUradByLikiV_wTtxD6VaM3DjEdL_h-EoylSjbZpI6SSOnAESLh5H9TE9gJCFEhSIGSbuRSvOo8KY8Hm9WBTj_YlNaJJjRdT2esg5DqclClEELuqelixbZS20jE=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>These tacos, however, were excellent.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhkh9bPAtbH32oJbjjedOoyVz2jGMvfgB60toZoYFKP-mbNsEcNAb-l3FdZYDUKxLB_PWDay5fvPVJQBGt-yr6xop3bvN287lsSwxdPHf0sW3YketMx4xUKDSEd33lw572MN4SUnnyz1rs0llEULPE-ijynKtUrk8RrNz7vISemogVNj7BvKvWeCiA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhkh9bPAtbH32oJbjjedOoyVz2jGMvfgB60toZoYFKP-mbNsEcNAb-l3FdZYDUKxLB_PWDay5fvPVJQBGt-yr6xop3bvN287lsSwxdPHf0sW3YketMx4xUKDSEd33lw572MN4SUnnyz1rs0llEULPE-ijynKtUrk8RrNz7vISemogVNj7BvKvWeCiA=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Tamales in California are much dryer and fuller than their Yucatan counterpart. We absolutely loved these.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjoaGvXtAW65pCdBbKs-W5kSJvMSKO0qawft08Gt8CVpsZe24OUX0ckBASrBCGmNl2GTLW7aE3fOPHN1buXQA6RMoatO7_xRlQekNq17x1GPReX-r_rqbrDwk_k_zaieNLjEuH9qWqHqpBJE90__y23lIBnC51inRVcncvwN0eSELWIXT-CHSF0mqI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjoaGvXtAW65pCdBbKs-W5kSJvMSKO0qawft08Gt8CVpsZe24OUX0ckBASrBCGmNl2GTLW7aE3fOPHN1buXQA6RMoatO7_xRlQekNq17x1GPReX-r_rqbrDwk_k_zaieNLjEuH9qWqHqpBJE90__y23lIBnC51inRVcncvwN0eSELWIXT-CHSF0mqI=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjJ-ItGukfD0qzLpPCHsgvw_t8i5Mr4xj7ZXefDwE2jUcPDEpUACURqgncTDUqt-lXBilTS8hPrv62M1uJvQgi-iMhcOarduyATxqt5bBq8nuQWLNZbMaiL6lKbFa23xqjYAOX_HY3OdqXmKEujpA2ORtkj-XG-8WozC3BgUR8Dxzuz8lzVt4qdT1s" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjJ-ItGukfD0qzLpPCHsgvw_t8i5Mr4xj7ZXefDwE2jUcPDEpUACURqgncTDUqt-lXBilTS8hPrv62M1uJvQgi-iMhcOarduyATxqt5bBq8nuQWLNZbMaiL6lKbFa23xqjYAOX_HY3OdqXmKEujpA2ORtkj-XG-8WozC3BgUR8Dxzuz8lzVt4qdT1s=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Being allergic to nuts meant I couldn't partake of the mole (I make mine with roasted pepitas instead of peanuts), but they found a replacement for me. This combo red/green sauce is referred to as divorce sauce.</i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEitjnhTxKv4Lrh_Ah4V6D8SI1Tejt3Fr-Vk5bsNZyxUCN_8luCoaQYPrcBTz_I8FZHQDdFMoIPQKyyaCJ_n_3Gc7IQE0DeLMV3_lUexoPgWR55k-a-LYgtyO01jnBIT0aSpStAXKm-U6H35xWL2z2FROaSVDlJC3xILDeAjlicFbGdrhs5BqqYAtVU" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEitjnhTxKv4Lrh_Ah4V6D8SI1Tejt3Fr-Vk5bsNZyxUCN_8luCoaQYPrcBTz_I8FZHQDdFMoIPQKyyaCJ_n_3Gc7IQE0DeLMV3_lUexoPgWR55k-a-LYgtyO01jnBIT0aSpStAXKm-U6H35xWL2z2FROaSVDlJC3xILDeAjlicFbGdrhs5BqqYAtVU=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg09IOBxQIF1DKGSRAC4pakisBe2u3Tj2zR2kzoOIfqq3VI_8BBJMYiXp3WQAJMjONiFY-58tAxGw7e-MaxSq2SCCGQGiWEi_QjWki71LAAy9GngxEah1YnDDGepaoXmqfGLy4tA3HngzVqIG4KdkzQN0o0zwIzCIQ9ceA8f58Lh2tDp9xK7NKUobk" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg09IOBxQIF1DKGSRAC4pakisBe2u3Tj2zR2kzoOIfqq3VI_8BBJMYiXp3WQAJMjONiFY-58tAxGw7e-MaxSq2SCCGQGiWEi_QjWki71LAAy9GngxEah1YnDDGepaoXmqfGLy4tA3HngzVqIG4KdkzQN0o0zwIzCIQ9ceA8f58Lh2tDp9xK7NKUobk=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjmTqzdWcztSQGB_UDvtv--7iCTcptaO5emOV8MSMflYhWOe91a3zEw3ODgdgw8vlJV7zUgpeHlnemDbrFmiBE75mToBS5WZwpya2GKVaMM6eqViZXn4BCUuApDUoNRsaTcYxQl_jPpc28eVAh6bKia9XYXO5-LzyGIxx_6Z1_NDV_aBRuX5e7kdIc" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjmTqzdWcztSQGB_UDvtv--7iCTcptaO5emOV8MSMflYhWOe91a3zEw3ODgdgw8vlJV7zUgpeHlnemDbrFmiBE75mToBS5WZwpya2GKVaMM6eqViZXn4BCUuApDUoNRsaTcYxQl_jPpc28eVAh6bKia9XYXO5-LzyGIxx_6Z1_NDV_aBRuX5e7kdIc=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgge2ZvJ-MT9wN99P-9kSLhWoXn4iU7KH1-RnH1tB5t5EBN4jCtKB9XYkPQjnDbM0weqwqEPU-Db_Fp7wTbuFlxJWUuq5qI0eAKFcH7szIcmZbE6MvThhb6e8BhW1b5WlUUJYCYQ9Mmzh8-NSRdptW5BQQ8hpf07gFc1PKnfKu5pNdblPNjtRWRPUg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgge2ZvJ-MT9wN99P-9kSLhWoXn4iU7KH1-RnH1tB5t5EBN4jCtKB9XYkPQjnDbM0weqwqEPU-Db_Fp7wTbuFlxJWUuq5qI0eAKFcH7szIcmZbE6MvThhb6e8BhW1b5WlUUJYCYQ9Mmzh8-NSRdptW5BQQ8hpf07gFc1PKnfKu5pNdblPNjtRWRPUg=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">Small-Group Cenote Adventure with Mexico Kan Tours</h3><div style="text-align: left;">I won't be coy: cenotes were my favorite part of visiting this part of Mexico. From photos alone, I assumed I was going to enjoy the experience, but I didn't know just how much I'd be smiling from ear to ear the entire day.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Our first stop of the day was <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g150813-d669578-Reviews-Gran_Cenote-Tulum_Yucatan_Peninsula.html" target="_blank">Gran Cenote</a>, a few miles outside of Tulum. We got there early before the crowds descended and entered on the far side where the cave ceiling had small bats scattered about. From there, you move to an open air portion that is filled with turtles and small fish. If we'd only been exposed to this one cenote, I still would have thought it was a lovely excursion, but of all the cenotes we visited, this was the least interesting (while still being incredibly lovely).</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi5Ki8sfKgw6kWN20_ZQzg-MjL75tleeZ7ad3kBR1z82uuBZp-rVQLg-VSjuf3h77o8OPv_1tO2ZFezNVqBFMXuDdURK7wZJu7J-Lgs9Kv1uGGYH4fBZNGy4iqaKyen-ZhrRVkrJ0pk0-hhg-Fzd7QhGj4fJEOrB77XmHXSyxKzlSQ6wwsFPXfb94U" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi5Ki8sfKgw6kWN20_ZQzg-MjL75tleeZ7ad3kBR1z82uuBZp-rVQLg-VSjuf3h77o8OPv_1tO2ZFezNVqBFMXuDdURK7wZJu7J-Lgs9Kv1uGGYH4fBZNGy4iqaKyen-ZhrRVkrJ0pk0-hhg-Fzd7QhGj4fJEOrB77XmHXSyxKzlSQ6wwsFPXfb94U=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhWZH-xfalzz34sTiSWEyak13H_rm_2DMJs5lQlf0-X4b9wv8PksiOejTTf7yOTdCeRWo-CNBcEhVxcnpQhG8TE3-dkXndxdfsINGouFnuRaWAGxB8-s6tBhOKmaeUQhkCXJJydISL1oxz4EtX9awVN9R4PSq8DEIKKYDbBKseCvebQcwKvuoVrQl8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhWZH-xfalzz34sTiSWEyak13H_rm_2DMJs5lQlf0-X4b9wv8PksiOejTTf7yOTdCeRWo-CNBcEhVxcnpQhG8TE3-dkXndxdfsINGouFnuRaWAGxB8-s6tBhOKmaeUQhkCXJJydISL1oxz4EtX9awVN9R4PSq8DEIKKYDbBKseCvebQcwKvuoVrQl8=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhENsp9wqbQZQ43RawCFj3f0MBCJXUCdVFVvYGaS_BPjQFqJdA2k1WXwbZspYIbZ80Sn8pJUw_NpC6q5L8xmrDtYk7XySMEJrEub-24V69j25RuER3JYrC0ektMPbBaaPHhK8Ls2GFg1vqTa4zuqj0rvk5-CbYyODsmWTk6Rey9wAprNTdv07uyKSA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhENsp9wqbQZQ43RawCFj3f0MBCJXUCdVFVvYGaS_BPjQFqJdA2k1WXwbZspYIbZ80Sn8pJUw_NpC6q5L8xmrDtYk7XySMEJrEub-24V69j25RuER3JYrC0ektMPbBaaPHhK8Ls2GFg1vqTa4zuqj0rvk5-CbYyODsmWTk6Rey9wAprNTdv07uyKSA=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiL2DBD9N9P2XCmQnO4upQc6COIfzBp6FjLmb17ilI2P1GHeGnt_4dQ0EdavVn0uiVlIkHePX2lDzwaiDTEMGZ0Ljgyt5dtPtzFDrlKOpcExwQnYbOzcUeiM4H-rQIXWxJ2zjCOuIwVjiTqBx6RzASKnQbPLNNTFMazLZYB-vRK674EHcOyTYr_Dr4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiL2DBD9N9P2XCmQnO4upQc6COIfzBp6FjLmb17ilI2P1GHeGnt_4dQ0EdavVn0uiVlIkHePX2lDzwaiDTEMGZ0Ljgyt5dtPtzFDrlKOpcExwQnYbOzcUeiM4H-rQIXWxJ2zjCOuIwVjiTqBx6RzASKnQbPLNNTFMazLZYB-vRK674EHcOyTYr_Dr4=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgnyFIiZT3WSDahHgW3bTs3KAyXlCvlxOGKydm1aTAmN8WWdsbT-RSGh8jeiBiqmSJfUJFrbKnsc6tTb-hI7jmgzaUrSPzzOArCZw8Z0qDt7CZYAKrBHHf3w0CVg-Mhr7ZeAOnD5oy_CGAL1MNpVcLWoJIHAHqBaZkZ5Vt-NMo0vZlIfKM53865YbA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgnyFIiZT3WSDahHgW3bTs3KAyXlCvlxOGKydm1aTAmN8WWdsbT-RSGh8jeiBiqmSJfUJFrbKnsc6tTb-hI7jmgzaUrSPzzOArCZw8Z0qDt7CZYAKrBHHf3w0CVg-Mhr7ZeAOnD5oy_CGAL1MNpVcLWoJIHAHqBaZkZ5Vt-NMo0vZlIfKM53865YbA=w640-h360" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjBR9V9Mpl87PiQxwYULWsJZqgGYZy9bVS1zBblt99cm-QRoeQH5ft0HuZ3CLFLDyN8UMq6dvAT0lM3KBbx51e_5e6k3eEPIzcn3xXU9iTO0JjXE4i-EXu5W7NSlbf07SkZgu34aVAmRLeHo5qnx8RzbeT2Ab5AeSE3e1hoa4qkE50JouTtsyt4GAU" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjBR9V9Mpl87PiQxwYULWsJZqgGYZy9bVS1zBblt99cm-QRoeQH5ft0HuZ3CLFLDyN8UMq6dvAT0lM3KBbx51e_5e6k3eEPIzcn3xXU9iTO0JjXE4i-EXu5W7NSlbf07SkZgu34aVAmRLeHo5qnx8RzbeT2Ab5AeSE3e1hoa4qkE50JouTtsyt4GAU=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our next stop was an underground cenote, <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g150813-d6114746-Reviews-Cenote_Taak_Bi_Ha-Tulum_Yucatan_Peninsula.html" target="_blank">Cenote Taak Bi Ha</a>, and this is where my mind was officially blown. We arrived to the location where we quickly realized we would be descending into a SMALL HOLE IN THE GROUND. I have claustrophobia. I was very dubious, but oh my god. What wonders ensued! Once underground, our group split into two: those who were brave and were willing to go into tight spaces and those that are cowards and wanted to stay the eff away from potential death. One of us went spelunking, the other one hung out by herself waiting to see if her husband survived. While waiting, I was kind of dismayed to see a big tourist group hanging out by the steps down into the water instead of out exploring. You could tell they didn't really understand there was anything to see below the water and no one had bothered to tell them. They were also kind of in the way and generally acting like they were at a low end hotel pool, but whatever. They eventually left and we nearly had the place to ourselves. Our tour provided goggles and a flashlight and holy wow. I really wish I'd brought a waterproof iPhone sleeve so I could show you everything, but trust me when I say it was magical. Like being on another planet, but in the water. At one point, there were divers hundreds of feet below us.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiqY_JVw7sCowj1I4xSxvH4SlewCsgn1F3MZEPZeyeJ_BU14YE3ELpje2XZusAkah9JnVd-pM_rUsGc_khZAodpB91lCzw-HpPhMkDPBIJ1DSPfDLZ5pLOaquA_26SlSy0KVC2-jndkREg9OzF06R5acpp2wFO82HzarOCpkA1FWxkuuGBPjxbbwc4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiqY_JVw7sCowj1I4xSxvH4SlewCsgn1F3MZEPZeyeJ_BU14YE3ELpje2XZusAkah9JnVd-pM_rUsGc_khZAodpB91lCzw-HpPhMkDPBIJ1DSPfDLZ5pLOaquA_26SlSy0KVC2-jndkREg9OzF06R5acpp2wFO82HzarOCpkA1FWxkuuGBPjxbbwc4=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQ6N9qoeM8y2eXiJCcJfXYeK4gKanVw98Fa1hC4yode9mwXnc8PmREhTLG-gvW-VBvvpuTgsPqVdm8h-QumnPIV9a-puexrcwQsh7a0No7DfrQj7qSRzAou5rzgk69wdPa_LHQSDn4IQXgpPju1p3vfjDLpfnCCbaLHK8uREIQA-Q_JoSjsjjIwuU" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQ6N9qoeM8y2eXiJCcJfXYeK4gKanVw98Fa1hC4yode9mwXnc8PmREhTLG-gvW-VBvvpuTgsPqVdm8h-QumnPIV9a-puexrcwQsh7a0No7DfrQj7qSRzAou5rzgk69wdPa_LHQSDn4IQXgpPju1p3vfjDLpfnCCbaLHK8uREIQA-Q_JoSjsjjIwuU=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjscTYieHAy3ns5Ii_-e7Uszo4owvewRw7FbBb48JmQPr6H3r5OSDODf0er6miCxddRZeECFnjHS99eiwMvYzN3AfWjRmcRWmUmBLp1vj9ysCri68RR5OO--m77bhmbz-9CSSISA-OMHjgK1fiFgkzUSd8ghF0M96N_G4uH-6cT2Vc8sVj-VrKp7Zw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjscTYieHAy3ns5Ii_-e7Uszo4owvewRw7FbBb48JmQPr6H3r5OSDODf0er6miCxddRZeECFnjHS99eiwMvYzN3AfWjRmcRWmUmBLp1vj9ysCri68RR5OO--m77bhmbz-9CSSISA-OMHjgK1fiFgkzUSd8ghF0M96N_G4uH-6cT2Vc8sVj-VrKp7Zw=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgRh-PVvvP8zyi3u0aZ2WaCXg_CDYNswxupoizrjQJhsAxUfgSpRFQkZszHoUjLvxWAoqWhr-Tn548aU5_wbKiJ3553F4SWTMlItx6qKI24C4YwlBL-My9MCJAwi-_pqDBYCsEj_2WD31pM7ZbeHELt6jkjiIUqisqBHOEDZBJpEGYeSiHgjXYiejk" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgRh-PVvvP8zyi3u0aZ2WaCXg_CDYNswxupoizrjQJhsAxUfgSpRFQkZszHoUjLvxWAoqWhr-Tn548aU5_wbKiJ3553F4SWTMlItx6qKI24C4YwlBL-My9MCJAwi-_pqDBYCsEj_2WD31pM7ZbeHELt6jkjiIUqisqBHOEDZBJpEGYeSiHgjXYiejk=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgvGMV3SG_WaFGV0qtjpI-a8WzWtmt8vH9sJ1YrMzcq0JVye_zqJzODlm5x8_LMQwVzjqubx2zLdwC3g_U10_S1UqHfFWjsHrJli2H4oZn7s8wzPKGYykzOQsF7t8Dt_RcGvnTSfcMWAcVCj1Ej_7I9UDLSAjdpp5a7_9m822UOvX9iZL9jPTMdIgc" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgvGMV3SG_WaFGV0qtjpI-a8WzWtmt8vH9sJ1YrMzcq0JVye_zqJzODlm5x8_LMQwVzjqubx2zLdwC3g_U10_S1UqHfFWjsHrJli2H4oZn7s8wzPKGYykzOQsF7t8Dt_RcGvnTSfcMWAcVCj1Ej_7I9UDLSAjdpp5a7_9m822UOvX9iZL9jPTMdIgc=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Our third and final stop of this particular day was <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g499445-d3844517-Reviews-Cenote_Santa_Cruz-Akumal_Yucatan_Peninsula.html" target="_blank">Cenote Santa Cruz</a>, which is only open if you book a tour with certain companies. Let me say straight away that if this was offered as a standalone excursion, based on the description of what we'd be doing, I would not have been excited. In fact, even as we were pulling up and our guide Pablo was describing what we'd be doing, I was meh on it. How wrong I was! This portion of our day (for me) ranks right up there with one of the best things we've ever done on vacation. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">After a quick lunch of vegetarian burritos, we descended into an <a href="https://dynamic-media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-o/17/24/56/8e/cenote-santa-cruz.jpg?w=1100&h=-1&s=1" target="_blank">even smaller hole</a> in the ground than the one before it. Since the plan was to move through the cave instead of stay in one location, we didn't bring our phones. Alas, I have no pictures. The next hour or so was spent going from one part of the cave to another, starting at ankle deep water and moving through spots that were up to our chests. We had to wear life jackets and water shoes were encouraged (I wore my Keens all day). At one point, we dropped into complete and utter darkness and silence. We explored stalagmites and stalagtites and covered about a mile underground. Seriously an amazing way to end this adventure. I'll never forget it. Thank you <a href="https://www.mexicokantours.com/" target="_blank">Mexico Kan Tours</a>.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">World Wonder Discovery Tour with Mexico Kan Tours</h3><div style="text-align: left;">Our next adventure was a day trip to Chichen Itza, Valladolid, and another cenote with Mexico Kan Tours. This one started off a bit interesting. First, the van was late picking us up at our hotel. Then, when we were picking up additional guests at the office in town, our group was harassed and detained by the police for about 30 minutes. We also had a passenger who didn't speak English so the tour was given in two languages which meant a constant barrage of chatter so that by the time we got to Chichen Itza a few hours after leaving, I had a headache. (This happened to us in New Orleans years ago when our plantation tour was conducted in French and English.) While the cenotes were my big ask for this trip, CI was for Alan, and even though it was a really long day, I'm so glad we booked. The ruins really are something else. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I'm not going to give you a run down on the history of this ancient wonder because I could never do it justice, and as we learned, a lot of the information is here say anyhow since there's no one chain of ancestry to confirm the tales. When a civilization just up and disappears, you can't ever really know, can you?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhcRL_OK3OQxAe-oLCGwWX66rnmGlgKZv_2aRuF1cg42qhefcKkuPoMw3sjVpqay0I1L-wQ5CpNxYqTe9VHY-GCcPgp0jEm3XKSGdn-FMkI-G2LsF0QLfn_9G59gYL9nbVuN6tvnHnFl1yC5Zob3ig99nKKJTxGx4x49xD3J4Fd5zUeU-C_Uy1lvEQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhcRL_OK3OQxAe-oLCGwWX66rnmGlgKZv_2aRuF1cg42qhefcKkuPoMw3sjVpqay0I1L-wQ5CpNxYqTe9VHY-GCcPgp0jEm3XKSGdn-FMkI-G2LsF0QLfn_9G59gYL9nbVuN6tvnHnFl1yC5Zob3ig99nKKJTxGx4x49xD3J4Fd5zUeU-C_Uy1lvEQ=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhQPvs8cpromcAkl8xQnRZYyHOrFoJY9C0QaEwmdholT0fqkxA-osALL-VCg1G4nf6ygVgmYnr8d4EJSq3B1j72JOJsrUiq3hm-TJFetBBY_iwnZr97sp6F0tAFZgn8OFbPirapaX21EII4RVQjofgILoQvj9PGnKOsUz00jVgk6_KUB_4dfwOOALM=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In addition to Chichen Itza, we also made our way down the beach road in a taxi to the Tulum ruins to see those. Tulum is on a much different scale than Chichen Itza, but is still very fascinating. The following information was pulled from the official Tulum tourism site.</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Tulum was previously known as Zama, meaning City of Dawn. Its current name means fence or trench in Mayan.</li><li>Being both on a sea and land route, it had major historical importance as a centre of trading.</li><li>The city flourished between the 13th and the 15th centuries, fading only 70 years after the Spanish army started conquering today’s Mexico.</li><li>Although there is no specific data about its population at its height, estimates put it between 1,000 and 1,600.</li><li>The site was inhabited as early as the 6th century.</li><li>Tulum is a rare city built by the Mayans because it is one of the few walled cities.</li></ul></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhvLa4YXPlqqh7h5B99AepVr3YtgcUs_fPRZyxnpSXVPqtgjfRDM-CBZl_E-VtU-qTwhXwxYxdcmbKqpZ12aJReCmDnPzbgSzmW5juGSguvo-JX5VXU47-xMNU7nGUn9mB3I6rIn69xDtAeTLlP1rWXotts_sFALh9cZ6_-APtxbrpQc7tDWjH5e7w" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhvLa4YXPlqqh7h5B99AepVr3YtgcUs_fPRZyxnpSXVPqtgjfRDM-CBZl_E-VtU-qTwhXwxYxdcmbKqpZ12aJReCmDnPzbgSzmW5juGSguvo-JX5VXU47-xMNU7nGUn9mB3I6rIn69xDtAeTLlP1rWXotts_sFALh9cZ6_-APtxbrpQc7tDWjH5e7w=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><h3 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Final Thoughts</h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We had a really good time in Tulum and enjoyed our vacation, but I'm torn on whether I'd prioritize a return visit over checking out a different destination. Firstly, it was expensive. There are cheaper hotels to be had going toward the north end of the beach road, but the beach itself wasn't as nice and the food offerings weren't as plentiful. Taking taxis is plain highway robbery as there is not standard for what a driver can charge. They are another type of cartel in that they get away with scamming tourists all day every day. It wears on you when you constantly feel like you're being taken advantage of. I think, rather than returning to Tulum, I'd want to visit Isla Mujeres and Isla Holbox first. I'm still looking for a vacation where I can have tacos for every meal, and unless you're staying in town, that's simply not on offer in Tulum in its current set up. Maybe a new party zone will crop up somewhere and all the Instagrammers, influencers, and fake mystics will find a new place to congregate, leaving everything that's good about Tulum to people who don't need any of that to have a good time.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /></div></div></div></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div></div><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>casacaudillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17737547597204258314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-503211492629127747.post-51839901089243063992022-11-17T12:38:00.006-05:002022-11-17T12:40:59.586-05:00It's me. Hi. I'm the problem.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh52zIG4pD4w35RNs1X6K63PibRKqT7Qr2kAmzGLxB0ZrIl_53hoP9AidawbiGvduGizyfV4FEFxMkd3vHGmIClofOTVhdDjZgOCVETR6oAa96SP9CH9I1Z2KTzalMIf_wYT_1kj78d4d8-e7WVZ-n8AEvu5YaG6exnXNr_ldEAa2bbL4WuZGn7xPE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh52zIG4pD4w35RNs1X6K63PibRKqT7Qr2kAmzGLxB0ZrIl_53hoP9AidawbiGvduGizyfV4FEFxMkd3vHGmIClofOTVhdDjZgOCVETR6oAa96SP9CH9I1Z2KTzalMIf_wYT_1kj78d4d8-e7WVZ-n8AEvu5YaG6exnXNr_ldEAa2bbL4WuZGn7xPE=w640-h360" width="640" /></a></div><br />In Taylor Swift's hit Anti-Hero, she sings:<p></p><p></p><blockquote><i>I have this thing where I get older but just never wiser<br />Midnights become my afternoons<br />When my depression works the graveyard shift<br />All of the people I've ghosted stand there in the room ...<br />It's me, hi, I'm the problem, it's me<br />At tea time, everybody agrees</i></blockquote><p></p><p>Honestly, I've never felt more seen. (Except in my case, it's not the people I've ghosted, but rather the people who've ghosted me.)</p><p>Recently, an older woman that I'm friendly with told me that she doesn't understand why I air all my dirty laundry "on the internets" where anyone can see them. Back in her day, if she wanted to bitch about something, she called her best friend.</p><p>And that's when it hit me -- I don't have a best friend to bitch to. I don't have any friends that I feel like I can pick up the phone and call for a good old fashioned bitch session. And then it hit me further -- <b>I don't really have friends. Period.</b></p><p>Is it because I'm annoying? Do people not like me? Seriously. What is wrong with me that people don't want to be my friend? </p><p>I've tried making friends, honestly. I've reached out to people and we've hung out once or twice, and then they ghost me. Or they don't ghost me entirely (they'll still be my friend online and they'll definitely hit me up when their kids are selling something), but they make it clear that in their hierarchy of friends, I don't rate, and I certainly don't get their time. Once upon a time, I thought I'd made friends with co-workers, only to learn when I left the job they were talking shit about me. Then there was the time I coordinated a fun night out with a bunch of couples and realized halfway through that the husband of the woman I knew best was perpetually scowling and she avoided any direct interaction with me. That was in 2019; I've never seen them since. Or what about when I invited a handful of people to spend a glorious summer day with us and they said they were busy but then I saw pictures of them online -- together. Or when someone told us all about their annual holiday party and said we should come, but then I never received any details about the party and only learned it had happened because I saw pictures online.</p><p>Seriously. It has to be me.</p><p><i><b>It's me. Hi. I'm the problem. It's me.</b></i></p>casacaudillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17737547597204258314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-503211492629127747.post-12458518909833562312022-10-26T11:39:00.011-05:002022-10-26T11:42:43.931-05:00Putting our life in Dublin to rest<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbtLeF7olxkQ1IG_IGDF4wSbrTbps55T-BXhoa34NJfEGTTgg270teTv5Dtx2oT0OuJ1UnVT3fW6i1C1fQgdInBsfwcXsQzbXZqLy7sUhiG2wa7ls2bC_hMoA7af8ZllzQdO4RpS0H-ocS_KrN0JOxEBZAiGilMakjtW36cyWUG9tjl0OTxJcf4Ss/s4032/IMG_1406.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbtLeF7olxkQ1IG_IGDF4wSbrTbps55T-BXhoa34NJfEGTTgg270teTv5Dtx2oT0OuJ1UnVT3fW6i1C1fQgdInBsfwcXsQzbXZqLy7sUhiG2wa7ls2bC_hMoA7af8ZllzQdO4RpS0H-ocS_KrN0JOxEBZAiGilMakjtW36cyWUG9tjl0OTxJcf4Ss/w640-h480/IMG_1406.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>It's no surprise to anyone who knows me that I wasn't exactly keen on moving back to the U.S. in 2018. For me personally, our time in Dublin was one of the best periods of my life: my mysterious health issues almost immediately disappeared; I found new hobbies that brought me a great deal of joy (and developed friendships with people through those hobbies that were <i>my</i> friends first and foremost, as opposed to the friends I've acquired through my relationship with Alan); we ventured to places in Europe I'd only ever read about in books and never thought I'd see in person; I was removed from the unhappiness associated with the constant reminder of what I disappointment I was to my in-laws for choosing not to have kids; and my career as a romance author was going well. I loved the books I was writing, and readers seemed to as well. </p><p>I probably could have gotten over my melancholy at leaving Dublin if things hadn't turned out to be so damn hard once we were back here in the U.S. Eventually, all I could think about was how much I wanted my old life back. I wanted to feel like the best version of me. I missed the adventures Alan and I took together. </p><p>Each day, as new issues arose, I grew increasingly bitter and resentful.</p><p>When the house <i>I</i> wanted turned out to be a money pit that has cost us hundreds of thousands of dollars in repairs and renovations, I longed for our old house on Leinster Road while simultaneously hating myself for pushing us into this house. As my health began to deteriorate and doctors told me they weren't sure what the issue was, I longed for my days of relatively good health. As I watched friends through the filter of Instagram and Facebook enjoy the city and hobbies I loved, I cried buckets in a town where I felt like an outsider, one where I had zero friends despite trying to make them. It wasn't until I launched a bi-weekly board game night at a local brewery that I managed to recapture even a small bit of the spark that I felt dying inside of me. And my writing? Let's just say I don't write all that much anymore, and when I do manage to put out a book, the sales are so tragically poor that I often wonder why I bothered at all. </p><p>Honestly, I've felt like a failure almost every damn day of these last four years -- and that's not even taking into account how Covid has taken a toll on my mental health. It's everything outside of the pandemic that has had me wishing and hoping for a life that was no longer mine.</p><p>All this to say, you can imagine how completely ecstatic I was to book flights back to Dublin for this past week. It was going to be a short trip, but I couldn't wait for us to get there -- to walk the streets we'd grown to know so well ... to revisit the places that had shaped such a happy time in our life together.</p><p>Now that we're back home, I can safely say we had an absolutely splendid time. So much fun! </p><p>But ... it wasn't the sunshine and roses I expected either. </p><p>Maybe I've changed. Maybe we've changed. Or maybe Dublin has changed. Maybe it's all this and more.</p><p>I realize a lot of this could be chalked up to the fact that we were staying in a hotel instead of our own cozy home -- in fact, that's probably A LOT of what's driving my feelings. There were certainly moments that felt exactly like old times, among them sitting in the stands at the Aviva cheering Leinster on and then walking home like we used to do every weekend. It felt so much like no time at all had passed. </p><p>But, to my surprise, being in Dublin felt foreign. <i>I</i> felt foreign -- which, in Ireland, I am. But I'd never felt that way before. From the moment we touched down in September 2018, I'd felt embraced. Welcomed. Now I worried that people thought I was just another damn American invading their space. The other thing that dawned on me? There were no middle-aged Irish people in city center. It felt completely taken over by students from everywhere but Dublin. </p><p>I didn't remember the crowds being quite so large, or there being so many rude people. I didn't remember having to shout in a pub over the noise to the point of losing your voice just to have a conversation with your friends. I didn't remember being allergic to all the damn smokers and perfume wearers. Walking the streets regardless of the time of the day was a complete assault on my poor allergies. For four days, I had a sore throat and itchy, red, stinging eyes from it all. Showering was the only time I felt any relief from the onslaught whatsoever. And the food? Well, I got sick from all the grease in every meal. I used to be able to enjoy a "full Irish" breakfast like it was my job; the two times I tried to eat them this weekend, the grease was just too much. I don't remember that being the case before. </p><p>As we made our way to the airport, I thought to myself, "I can't wait to get home." It was honestly a shock. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">As it turns out, while I've been mourning my old life, we've gone and built a pretty fantastic one here. </span></b></p><p>Our house is still a money pit, but it's a gorgeous money pit. We have two cats that bring me limitless joy. The area we've settled is absolutely gorgeous. We have friends we see nearly every Friday and Saturday night. Heck, we even go on vacation with a few of them! Battling Cthulhu every Friday night is a lot different than cheering on my favorite rugby team at the RDS, but it's great fun, too. And I'll continue to miss a trad music session at a beautiful pub, but our local craft breweries are pretty darn special too.</p><p>For the first time in a long while, I don't feel unhappy about being here, and maybe now that I'm not spending so much time looking back, I can start to finally look forward and embrace <i>this</i> life.</p>casacaudillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17737547597204258314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-503211492629127747.post-23309968826175513612022-02-10T14:27:00.003-05:002022-02-10T14:27:58.019-05:00Miami and Key West, here we come!<p>Back in December as we were considering what we wanted to do for our 20th anniversary, I was almost paralyzed with indecision. So many of our friends are traveling, but we haven't been on a plane since we flew home from our <a href="https://beckstreetblog.blogspot.com/2020/03/laissez-les-bons-temps-rouler-mardi.html" target="_blank">Mardi Gras</a> / <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/beckycaudill/albums/72157715057800472">Norwegian cruise through the Western Caribbean</a> on February 23, 2020. Vaxxed & boosted, we felt it was time. Still, the idea of international travel made me kind of twitchy. I've had a few friends find themselves stranded abroad due to canceled flights and/or new lockdown regulations, and I didn't want to risk it with Omicron running amok across the globe. There were just too many unknowns. </p><p>Not that we didn't seriously consider it, mind you. <a href="https://casacaudill.typepad.com/casacaudill/2010/04/jamaica-mon.html" target="_blank">Back in 2010, we visited Couples Sans Souci</a> in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, and had a gloriously wonderful time. We've always meant to go back. I follow them on Instagram so I know they're taking their Covid protocols seriously, and with on-site return flight testing, I felt better about going there than somewhere else in the Caribbbean. Still ... twitchy. A <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/beckycaudill/albums/72157709603463276" target="_blank">return trip to Puerto Rico</a> was another option we considered, but in the end we couldn't decide between venturing out to Vieques or staying in Candado or Old Town, so we decided to table that trip until a later date as well.</p><p>As the month wore on and February loomed closer, I knew we had to make a decision soon because we were <i>not</i> celebrating another wedding anniversary with takeout at the same dining room table we've eaten approximately 700 pandemic dinners at. If you've known me for any amount of time, you know how seriously I take our travels - especially our anniversary trips. Having been married in Maui all those years ago, being able to get away together at this time of year is something we look forward to. </p><p>It wasn't until we were watching the Christmas in Miami episode of TASTE THE NATION on Hulu that the lightbulb went off. A combo Miami / Key West vacation would be perfect! We've talked about visiting both cities over the years but have never really prioritized either. I ended up booking four nights in Miami and three in Key West, and we leave in a few days. To say we're giddy about the prospect of getting down into the sun and warmth is an understatement. Keep your fingers crossed that the forecast for Miami improves between now and then.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhmlzHSJbEflvg0l5P9X2PrkT3z7pC6iG3Uuw42VOgXxoUrBvq3V8xuF5iz_9s2EeBfTza8zri2xEGtLiKjtLhYBvFTH4aoEF9HMfU-1jxSStoijo6ft8jfrYgrU7YqZKPw9pDqqVh8-gNMO4sJyNHXYf8iCisyKd6T_7M9rHUD3mY9MlKyqmkDxR8=s568" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="470" data-original-width="568" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhmlzHSJbEflvg0l5P9X2PrkT3z7pC6iG3Uuw42VOgXxoUrBvq3V8xuF5iz_9s2EeBfTza8zri2xEGtLiKjtLhYBvFTH4aoEF9HMfU-1jxSStoijo6ft8jfrYgrU7YqZKPw9pDqqVh8-gNMO4sJyNHXYf8iCisyKd6T_7M9rHUD3mY9MlKyqmkDxR8=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>casacaudillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17737547597204258314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-503211492629127747.post-56294876337784348812021-12-10T14:23:00.005-05:002021-12-10T14:59:22.711-05:00It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas <p>Last year at this time, work had been paused on our exterior restoration and paint job, so I didn't do much other than put a wreath up on the door. This year, our house is beautiful once more, and so I wanted to spruce up the exterior for the holidays in a manner befitting our gorgeous antique colonial. The green plaid on the wreaths is what I used on the tree inside our living room, and the antique sled is one we picked up our first holiday season in New England. I especially love how it all looks with our plaque from the <a href="https://npt.wildapricot.org/" target="_blank">Newburyport Preservation Trust</a>. Now all I need to do is figure out where I put the window candles a couple of seasons ago and get them up and we'll be merry and bright.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgtag0o5qjeYgtlo6_Bh5Mi5pVYUisvfXhthRIjb_U9is-nx7gLY-7bASKB5dA1uFgmowZV_1BZB3pSpeXFuYBXeG0ynB7M4LVzw_ToO-SXmKuj-6Pe5_d-fFQ_KqY8Bs_hbuzAO7IK8lZWYOnFjIs6E5uTiRQ_VTdoMQAFVHIYcaQK1ia6zwDFCO8=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgtag0o5qjeYgtlo6_Bh5Mi5pVYUisvfXhthRIjb_U9is-nx7gLY-7bASKB5dA1uFgmowZV_1BZB3pSpeXFuYBXeG0ynB7M4LVzw_ToO-SXmKuj-6Pe5_d-fFQ_KqY8Bs_hbuzAO7IK8lZWYOnFjIs6E5uTiRQ_VTdoMQAFVHIYcaQK1ia6zwDFCO8=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg5Lo0CQbtH7XNJ8QJXoSDOcroGHzb8u6hvbE5lvacrN9_jl9jqnKv7cTB4XN-0ZKE28hjfreLxRjBRLnBGN0Yj_08W3c3yIjMWOGqizhwzxP51K0Y-fZptwbKBEd0KhPHSG6uJdXngUDmRXs3np0tKhqPKhf5KgGvHX25YwEJBNIosY6pE9veKmDw=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg5Lo0CQbtH7XNJ8QJXoSDOcroGHzb8u6hvbE5lvacrN9_jl9jqnKv7cTB4XN-0ZKE28hjfreLxRjBRLnBGN0Yj_08W3c3yIjMWOGqizhwzxP51K0Y-fZptwbKBEd0KhPHSG6uJdXngUDmRXs3np0tKhqPKhf5KgGvHX25YwEJBNIosY6pE9veKmDw=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p>casacaudillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17737547597204258314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-503211492629127747.post-63227679616349228492021-12-08T14:47:00.005-05:002021-12-10T14:58:21.700-05:00Casacaudill Holiday 2021 Living Room Tour<p>Honestly, it's not much of a tour. We're still rocking the Ikea TV stand we moved here with and have only hung up a few pieces of art in the living room so without Christmas decorations, it's actually a pretty boring room. We have big plans to fix that in early 2022 though. In the meantime, here's Christmas 2021 in this room. </p><p>As you'll see, I ditched last year's buffalo plaid and poinsettia decor for something a bit more whimsically elegant. In theory, I adored the idea of the green plaid, but unless you're standing close to the tree, you can't really see it so it ends up looking like we have a bunch of blank spots on the tree. On the mantel, I went with my broken-after-one-year-incredibly-expensive Balsam Hill (un)lighted garland offset by some battery powered "mercury glass" lights from Target and a gorgeous mercury glass garland I picked up in town the other day while out Christmas shopping. Happy Holidays to me!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjW2Pq2HXGwmAzTMoJr_dzWVWt9c-FomrIaPgZ0rozKEJriLqitZKkSo1rVZQuHWweZ7KD_QRUeAknn8d0HzupqViGtVLPLoAppNjxQyh7bKfRhQjxUPjr3Np4CRLgJQvis43OSTN22sOpj0OuJMYn9FA9Vpy8I5Sf8WMZdfeIWurg6Gy2IMT5PQFg=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjW2Pq2HXGwmAzTMoJr_dzWVWt9c-FomrIaPgZ0rozKEJriLqitZKkSo1rVZQuHWweZ7KD_QRUeAknn8d0HzupqViGtVLPLoAppNjxQyh7bKfRhQjxUPjr3Np4CRLgJQvis43OSTN22sOpj0OuJMYn9FA9Vpy8I5Sf8WMZdfeIWurg6Gy2IMT5PQFg=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhzTiIlKtS9jNz0qE8-Yft1AZ2qNustG27nXoX4FJz7gRsOs8OnPnBgV3XF1jpDnw_gIlV1wm1FqQZ9LxIL_Todgi3i9X23r7MAthyyebUxCW0fc_K7lyDvbj7-c-SOumPJJ3--OVlh7V374H8frV5E8XZ9gXoLT-9YTAeqri5Yql_c4H6aV4Q44zg=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhzTiIlKtS9jNz0qE8-Yft1AZ2qNustG27nXoX4FJz7gRsOs8OnPnBgV3XF1jpDnw_gIlV1wm1FqQZ9LxIL_Todgi3i9X23r7MAthyyebUxCW0fc_K7lyDvbj7-c-SOumPJJ3--OVlh7V374H8frV5E8XZ9gXoLT-9YTAeqri5Yql_c4H6aV4Q44zg=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgq2qbjfDEEetE3295bryCnaSNmmP66MDWhkftiqMgYTdY5qvJgcjlVKOmaWPh0mGAUC8ZCMj-N8ELs4zHGXTLvf52ExitNH6wjLQxJYgiq1Iz6WLRIiG9L0nEbmouM8aO8PLYqmbJRCbJ23lANoAui_7vLGEox9lPdcUkZrySrGqNvINGbbmhYK3E=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgq2qbjfDEEetE3295bryCnaSNmmP66MDWhkftiqMgYTdY5qvJgcjlVKOmaWPh0mGAUC8ZCMj-N8ELs4zHGXTLvf52ExitNH6wjLQxJYgiq1Iz6WLRIiG9L0nEbmouM8aO8PLYqmbJRCbJ23lANoAui_7vLGEox9lPdcUkZrySrGqNvINGbbmhYK3E=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg8eo-RqHzG3cceRuEmjU2YKw2G8_Ja6oJnACmpcRnJPQLbeCYKQ_d--7v7I5DoXdbobW8VRB8thBNlZqdzdthlVnUUGB92ciOnswuY9ZGrOsJFq51rN1-tV__Yxf8x9a7lFQR_o2nqnO5uzO0lx4l4H233Jd3uN9C2uzxxtugnmAgXItoLsHE-7h0=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg8eo-RqHzG3cceRuEmjU2YKw2G8_Ja6oJnACmpcRnJPQLbeCYKQ_d--7v7I5DoXdbobW8VRB8thBNlZqdzdthlVnUUGB92ciOnswuY9ZGrOsJFq51rN1-tV__Yxf8x9a7lFQR_o2nqnO5uzO0lx4l4H233Jd3uN9C2uzxxtugnmAgXItoLsHE-7h0=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhGT2dpbaaNGcdNw4slBd-Dph6J9TptSnUa91i7-VIKl2k4TUt7u6QLmD37YfCRB0KcYxkjNCFqfU8KbSFMyCLjLpsUfkdXPvfSwd5hbA1IPdPzyrfefSmAqCsgANpruY6d6u9TtfX6ydXo1X8xwAgWMqQ4CY-6hGEGr8JzM_bLnZ2FYx1YoNhi4HE=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhGT2dpbaaNGcdNw4slBd-Dph6J9TptSnUa91i7-VIKl2k4TUt7u6QLmD37YfCRB0KcYxkjNCFqfU8KbSFMyCLjLpsUfkdXPvfSwd5hbA1IPdPzyrfefSmAqCsgANpruY6d6u9TtfX6ydXo1X8xwAgWMqQ4CY-6hGEGr8JzM_bLnZ2FYx1YoNhi4HE=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><p>As a reminder, this was last year's look in the living room.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjlB67GEye6r6cw5twZbbiiAz4xGsAK-XzyhxPQpiF6hl9sQoHwRu4rIFvbBHUuredCEFNchSjobPF6Tx6m8yQpxVv_Ok87N9n5ADUwK-wkCgCyZxlYKj_MHDFpU1wK6cATz7mML-5rS8IXxKlOl-PNlyX0cO3__zenSRGnwQvMnKhEaoj4o8VBGw8=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjlB67GEye6r6cw5twZbbiiAz4xGsAK-XzyhxPQpiF6hl9sQoHwRu4rIFvbBHUuredCEFNchSjobPF6Tx6m8yQpxVv_Ok87N9n5ADUwK-wkCgCyZxlYKj_MHDFpU1wK6cATz7mML-5rS8IXxKlOl-PNlyX0cO3__zenSRGnwQvMnKhEaoj4o8VBGw8=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhFS--YKvpYBv4RZNMgG1Wi791bNSZbCbYj5_9B9BePxvcZPDo_TJfxQFi3opwitug8mjXs-ugiMx7RiO_zVQHsps-PHhY22y8xznjpNTpNaA649DxpPTu-51JepEAI06pH5GADNWCM2-tTd_cyrBzbp0292zGmfyuEaIQWtUFWysnH6IGkH5GZugw=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhFS--YKvpYBv4RZNMgG1Wi791bNSZbCbYj5_9B9BePxvcZPDo_TJfxQFi3opwitug8mjXs-ugiMx7RiO_zVQHsps-PHhY22y8xznjpNTpNaA649DxpPTu-51JepEAI06pH5GADNWCM2-tTd_cyrBzbp0292zGmfyuEaIQWtUFWysnH6IGkH5GZugw=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEignAZOowKo1UHWh7Cbtu4HEbPSJLTdvt2dRo7S1hqugk1F1pZZ7014_bGMZxGq-yh5yC98brpg0uXc9e8SloVTHsnI0bL2zGlTJOXWONU9LOvA9Jj5QItXn0TesjR-3CDuhNNCzTW06ctU-P6-92vm1rr5kWM1Fah6H_HXNJcpxBwa5U0cwQSUXvQ=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEignAZOowKo1UHWh7Cbtu4HEbPSJLTdvt2dRo7S1hqugk1F1pZZ7014_bGMZxGq-yh5yC98brpg0uXc9e8SloVTHsnI0bL2zGlTJOXWONU9LOvA9Jj5QItXn0TesjR-3CDuhNNCzTW06ctU-P6-92vm1rr5kWM1Fah6H_HXNJcpxBwa5U0cwQSUXvQ=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjVBin2qClm4QLFDkmW82a3u-tXMVBr7jSOpp4r1s0w8rF6ro7gyRd8iV8SaAtv3CDVkiwbDCD2jleobnhhUBdx08RJkl9DyMyaVvNyPXbgir4Y5CwqpyhUZJH9Pk26foOnDSSVwJmXcQPBQlhLMkFsIsNaWbRt4MWa_huIWCYHEzJOUkaCtAkAJ0k=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjVBin2qClm4QLFDkmW82a3u-tXMVBr7jSOpp4r1s0w8rF6ro7gyRd8iV8SaAtv3CDVkiwbDCD2jleobnhhUBdx08RJkl9DyMyaVvNyPXbgir4Y5CwqpyhUZJH9Pk26foOnDSSVwJmXcQPBQlhLMkFsIsNaWbRt4MWa_huIWCYHEzJOUkaCtAkAJ0k=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p>casacaudillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17737547597204258314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-503211492629127747.post-8046630162933686872021-04-03T14:56:00.002-05:002021-04-03T14:56:19.734-05:00Getting Our Camp On<p><i></i></p><blockquote><i>Don't it always seem to go t</i><i>hat you don't know what you've got till it's gone</i></blockquote><i></i><p></p><p>That line from Joni Mitchell's Big Yellow Taxi perfectly sums up how I felt last summer with not being able to travel. When you got from hopping on a flight once a month for long weekends across Europe to basically not leaving your backyard, it puts things in perspective. At the end of Summer 2020, I knew I couldn't do another one like that. Enter camping.</p><p>All throughout winter we casually talked about getting a camper. And in February, we traded in our Subaru Outback and Mini Cooper convertible for a Jeep Wrangler, thinking of all the summer adventures we'd be able to have. What we didn't realize was (1) the Wrangler doesn't really have great towing capacity, limiting our choices dramatically, and (2) everyone else in the known universe decided they wanted to go camping this summer, too, and now there's a six month wait (at least) on the small campers our car can actually tow. </p><p>So now we're back to talking about traditional car camping. </p><p>When we moved to Ireland, we sold off all of our gear, so now we have to start from scratch, and every time I think about climbing in and out of a tent, the longing for one of those adorable (and crazy expensive) teardrop trailers with wet bath and kitchen grows and grows. Still, before we invest that kind of cash in something we don't actually know if we'll make sufficient use of, it seems like a smart idea to figure out if we still like camping. Growing up, that was the only type of vacation my family ever took, but I'm 43 years old now, and sleeping on the floor holds far less appeal than it once did. </p><p>I'm curious to see how this all plays out. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDjKcm8NBbqQjgiT7HxctZhWWcRJkLe7fJAImxJTprfby8zru3WMf94FMnAZmlToskzwXz5hlJTorXldLJ9InxxiTY4UNkQYmkOzPD84PPApMyuSQUIgP_wOW-vxcTD7NmQPuP4Uz-8DY/s1936/5948651650_92ca085f37_k.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1936" data-original-width="1936" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDjKcm8NBbqQjgiT7HxctZhWWcRJkLe7fJAImxJTprfby8zru3WMf94FMnAZmlToskzwXz5hlJTorXldLJ9InxxiTY4UNkQYmkOzPD84PPApMyuSQUIgP_wOW-vxcTD7NmQPuP4Uz-8DY/w640-h640/5948651650_92ca085f37_k.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p>casacaudillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17737547597204258314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-503211492629127747.post-50878714662103121102021-02-05T16:48:00.010-05:002021-02-05T16:55:24.940-05:00Revisiting Mardi Gras 2020<p>I just saw that Mardi Gras in New Orleans has been drastically pared back this year, with the bars and restaurants essentially closing down during this period in an effort to limit the spread of COVID. Honestly, I think it's a good call by the mayor and the city's health department -- especially since I have a sneaking suspicion we might have gotten sick down there ourselves last year. </p><p>When we traveled down to New Orleans a few days before our cruise, we were still being told the old 'rona was primarily an Asian situation. We sat down and weighed the pros and the cons, and given the information we had available, we legitimately thought we'd be fine. And maybe we were. Maybe the terrible fever, cough, headache, and sore throats that we came home with were your garden variety "We've been partying for 10 days straight and have taken multiple flights with people who don't know how to cover their damn mouths when they cough" mid-winter cold. A couple of months later, though, we looked at each other with raised eyebrows when headlines proclaimed the city's parades, packed bars, and parties acted as Mardi Gras supers-preader events. </p><p>Honestly, I don't know if we had COVID, and I never will. What I do have is some really great memories of three days in one of our favorite cities in the world. </p><p>And let's be real, since it doesn't look like we're getting out of this pandemic any time soon, they're going to have to be enough to tide me over until we can travel again.</p><p>Below are some of my favorite pictures from the trip. If you'd like to read a detailed description of time there (written before the world shut down), <a href="https://beckstreetblog.blogspot.com/2020/03/laissez-les-bons-temps-rouler-mardi.html" target="_blank">click here</a>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimVeptqRklJm9PLnKXdICIjyvoUktNfP-kXWNIEkWN7CHztbJE7srIzrTC_Lx866Ha70agwU8enBy-I6QZnF-5ijcyFqqY8c5h5Qjn120qFPmMQT2cn8cSDojmnF5dE5PaE6_xnUHt7CM/s1200/IMG_3632.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimVeptqRklJm9PLnKXdICIjyvoUktNfP-kXWNIEkWN7CHztbJE7srIzrTC_Lx866Ha70agwU8enBy-I6QZnF-5ijcyFqqY8c5h5Qjn120qFPmMQT2cn8cSDojmnF5dE5PaE6_xnUHt7CM/w640-h480/IMG_3632.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5g4LZEM_ELuel916JbIt18Zs4XD97MuwMsP2mfBXBvUOa04u9XxjftDk8PqqoUSJft89poNSNx5_cUJ8bzUy9zPZbdOU8MLQK56H4TBtdvsTiw7z_9X-BQxt_GSEC2l5Oq3Tx5DXnPEs/s1200/IMG_3645.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5g4LZEM_ELuel916JbIt18Zs4XD97MuwMsP2mfBXBvUOa04u9XxjftDk8PqqoUSJft89poNSNx5_cUJ8bzUy9zPZbdOU8MLQK56H4TBtdvsTiw7z_9X-BQxt_GSEC2l5Oq3Tx5DXnPEs/w480-h640/IMG_3645.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbCA9aXJE80Kak-8W4H8LC7U0qJdrW4MmlJRIoUei-hwIpzU_E_p48lPuu0zvdRsOfstCboZ95LOb5l8ZJFPY5LzUnIZWb-7D6ZYrUYv5uWjradey1iVEBteEktBbijUmaWQ05XWL_bzI/s1200/IMG_3655.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbCA9aXJE80Kak-8W4H8LC7U0qJdrW4MmlJRIoUei-hwIpzU_E_p48lPuu0zvdRsOfstCboZ95LOb5l8ZJFPY5LzUnIZWb-7D6ZYrUYv5uWjradey1iVEBteEktBbijUmaWQ05XWL_bzI/w640-h480/IMG_3655.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR_TkycPBa1FJ92dgssHJNyDvI151H9XQv3xxf_h1ZchEv0llx357gZgphT6UKheC-kkzwfSiTdXGnmID2vxeWFIoiFwd6gKEtRsGXd1zxKG8whPwBFl1ENp0pVMtwuKaUQBRPesw0tG4/s1200/IMG_3726.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR_TkycPBa1FJ92dgssHJNyDvI151H9XQv3xxf_h1ZchEv0llx357gZgphT6UKheC-kkzwfSiTdXGnmID2vxeWFIoiFwd6gKEtRsGXd1zxKG8whPwBFl1ENp0pVMtwuKaUQBRPesw0tG4/w640-h480/IMG_3726.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p>casacaudillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17737547597204258314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-503211492629127747.post-25501066352242602792021-01-21T14:51:00.005-05:002021-01-21T14:51:47.801-05:00What's Your Style?<p>When you live in an historic home, your decor tends to be dictated by the style of your house. One of the problems I'm running into with our mid-to-late 1700s antique colonial, however, is I don't want my house to look like a museum, and I'm not really a fan of the primitive style so many colonial home owners favor. </p><p>If I had to put a label on it, I'd say my (our) style is eclectic. The only style I don't really like is what I call cold contemporary (think all-white walls, minimalist, uncomfortable furnishings, harsh angles). What I <i>do</i> like is color, texture, and comfort. I like a home that looks and feels lived in, one that fits the personality of its inhabitants. </p><p>In going through my recent pins, it's obvious that I really enjoy a place that has warm, natural wood, colors inspired from nature, and fireplaces. (It's probably good then that our home has 8 of them, even if most don't work.)</p><p>What about you -- what's your style?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYKlKT9H1QisQZmtVPRD5xID2ocwQ960iLRPMqtIIJEAnMGxfDZMKotLD-Nyu58jU8WnVkN3oE1zKPJjFAWKOdZhVcX-PDt-M2ZSbHjE0ioe2k6lnqn-CEc_aiuHeWBufhv7P8VPddrJ0/s1474/Screen+Shot+2021-01-21+at+2.41.30+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="476" data-original-width="1474" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYKlKT9H1QisQZmtVPRD5xID2ocwQ960iLRPMqtIIJEAnMGxfDZMKotLD-Nyu58jU8WnVkN3oE1zKPJjFAWKOdZhVcX-PDt-M2ZSbHjE0ioe2k6lnqn-CEc_aiuHeWBufhv7P8VPddrJ0/w640-h206/Screen+Shot+2021-01-21+at+2.41.30+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ggtD2kJDviYgHTrszKDEWTXrlu4IV5tdNudX19XSO_hb5oIoLzRgkIaBE9_WqMpGJ0At9mmvpa9OXethRiRjMqzKNJPx7MfsqwSvqHcipmX9wr5eAWMG7HaTuxlA23vzs4_jiB0KxQs/s1472/Screen+Shot+2021-01-21+at+2.41.40+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="464" data-original-width="1466" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-799E2d1K4iCM6lkhBhkZwiDNhjXijoBQwVfyCT-UaxajhXb9oWllSypXDZpvxW16b2-pLcTjtcujxowYedQ410znJAJUabsYkz42FSYFmkZ6iTlWwvFDl9LIhyE9NB59TuoqFzc6nuk/w640-h202/Screen+Shot+2021-01-21+at+2.42.30+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjuku9pjd1HZVlYutA-gInJAu9i29gmyte4V9lKBNhuv1pYFGK7iWMocx1HFwYC-J6idr966MqB1-WBfsvPvqbtkGXa63RlYLBGdnvg1Q-RIeRxfNaDS_46bvijAfVZDi46iMv65fz_U4/s1470/Screen+Shot+2021-01-21+at+2.42.39+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="1470" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjuku9pjd1HZVlYutA-gInJAu9i29gmyte4V9lKBNhuv1pYFGK7iWMocx1HFwYC-J6idr966MqB1-WBfsvPvqbtkGXa63RlYLBGdnvg1Q-RIeRxfNaDS_46bvijAfVZDi46iMv65fz_U4/w640-h202/Screen+Shot+2021-01-21+at+2.42.39+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ZmvJoL6KcUlsbGUNDwhakod93CCvu1WP9c-kzepXnzzmZwmYY8iqlbNQcaUtXWky1e_DfGZ2cJfaYvwYBACDE3HuXvoF-KOQQ4Nv06o5qYH7YsaXLTedUB9jT3tOMcrGuCZA4-XBXoA/s1466/Screen+Shot+2021-01-21+at+2.42.51+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1466" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ZmvJoL6KcUlsbGUNDwhakod93CCvu1WP9c-kzepXnzzmZwmYY8iqlbNQcaUtXWky1e_DfGZ2cJfaYvwYBACDE3HuXvoF-KOQQ4Nv06o5qYH7YsaXLTedUB9jT3tOMcrGuCZA4-XBXoA/w640-h200/Screen+Shot+2021-01-21+at+2.42.51+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLMggh2zmliCurhkIO7NSa11boG3zfi-QDmWMNaQ88PVMGB0nxJEvu_K2Urjbr4UOvCcIisV1aeQ4RL_br9uUt0BZF7CtiIkadoJO53YZsjdrnmIDhxDMIel4hJ7L1Zr9E6ROP5zhluow/s1476/Screen+Shot+2021-01-21+at+2.43.03+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="464" data-original-width="1476" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLMggh2zmliCurhkIO7NSa11boG3zfi-QDmWMNaQ88PVMGB0nxJEvu_K2Urjbr4UOvCcIisV1aeQ4RL_br9uUt0BZF7CtiIkadoJO53YZsjdrnmIDhxDMIel4hJ7L1Zr9E6ROP5zhluow/w640-h202/Screen+Shot+2021-01-21+at+2.43.03+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>casacaudillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17737547597204258314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-503211492629127747.post-6190055940403418722020-06-07T12:09:00.000-05:002020-06-07T12:09:15.216-05:00More Exterior Color OptionsAfter <a href="https://beckstreetblog.blogspot.com/2020/06/exterior-paint-color-options.html" target="_blank">my last post</a>, I went through the Benjamin Moore historic color palette and then drove through town looking at other historic houses from the same era to make sure I hadn't missed any potential color combinations for our exterior. These are the results of that exercise.<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiroHDW4i3M09LIiyIjLg7H8_6gu-bk27YNDw3_y193stX4m27qpAIjdbRVUX9OU62O7y2Z2ESjC-nXj6FRHSUcBLkYGoVLJ7QJJAQcjmzJsh-uxJMAiLsD7LfoaXaCpFQNM1tYOib_Mv4/s3024/CaldwellGreen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="2160" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiroHDW4i3M09LIiyIjLg7H8_6gu-bk27YNDw3_y193stX4m27qpAIjdbRVUX9OU62O7y2Z2ESjC-nXj6FRHSUcBLkYGoVLJ7QJJAQcjmzJsh-uxJMAiLsD7LfoaXaCpFQNM1tYOib_Mv4/w458-h640/CaldwellGreen.jpg" width="458" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Caldwell Green</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS_5sesyB57oBRFvDHhoJb129L-_OcqH9xIPzD7yjQYcQtSjMllmMKJKmRXMDYEFg4oM1O3bg3-XyhPWaZ3QY2TbMDdPj43XeALVcZcF6ZwvcozDr7POvz_vvhRmrcvZTDY115xeSfYzM/s3024/CoventryGray.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="2160" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS_5sesyB57oBRFvDHhoJb129L-_OcqH9xIPzD7yjQYcQtSjMllmMKJKmRXMDYEFg4oM1O3bg3-XyhPWaZ3QY2TbMDdPj43XeALVcZcF6ZwvcozDr7POvz_vvhRmrcvZTDY115xeSfYzM/w458-h640/CoventryGray.jpg" width="458" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Coventry Gray</i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdyLsCrMFeG3H-Qw-mjTFGqhfF3OOkfMqz81q1IHfF_E4hWYAE_NzLBuX87GYGWC202ACbYFzWHKE6dGXj43wrobT4O2bNDWw-98kD2xsxRX_LHi9hEXhPB-KfBR8LIEv71-3smiUyWdI/s3024/NewburgGreen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="2160" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdyLsCrMFeG3H-Qw-mjTFGqhfF3OOkfMqz81q1IHfF_E4hWYAE_NzLBuX87GYGWC202ACbYFzWHKE6dGXj43wrobT4O2bNDWw-98kD2xsxRX_LHi9hEXhPB-KfBR8LIEv71-3smiUyWdI/w458-h640/NewburgGreen.jpg" width="458" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Newburg Green</i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLVA-FDb6aDVwSQce088wbQZ5BhV8VvG5fK8zZYmrxxiB6s9OSYUk5pZJDkYKlokohyphenhyphenLKih61Uob0fFPl53bg7GVpUMoJebWcy45sO1Mapo4jN4h471EnlQfqJ0WGYdD0d3P7-6CsaG0E/s3024/KnoxvilleGray.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="2160" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLVA-FDb6aDVwSQce088wbQZ5BhV8VvG5fK8zZYmrxxiB6s9OSYUk5pZJDkYKlokohyphenhyphenLKih61Uob0fFPl53bg7GVpUMoJebWcy45sO1Mapo4jN4h471EnlQfqJ0WGYdD0d3P7-6CsaG0E/w458-h640/KnoxvilleGray.jpg" width="458" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Knoxville Gray</i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrz3Oag5Bgabxw0LrN6XR__KPZtd9KCxDdyYg7fQxI0MQEX6PgVY9Spf5tHs0TSWKytdAj84kBvk7fO_3rtSUARTEewXq6qMKKWltLKwQFD03PHoRJrQh-wqQU8KxVoUzxJZOODpDqtEk/s3024/JamestownBlue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="2160" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrz3Oag5Bgabxw0LrN6XR__KPZtd9KCxDdyYg7fQxI0MQEX6PgVY9Spf5tHs0TSWKytdAj84kBvk7fO_3rtSUARTEewXq6qMKKWltLKwQFD03PHoRJrQh-wqQU8KxVoUzxJZOODpDqtEk/w458-h640/JamestownBlue.jpg" width="458" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Jamestown Blue</i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZf3Z0WPfC4OBKgzAKq3tUhtwQ9U9Z3N5Kt_-Zd6qrHjrOWJBG31I9axZ6oSSp5zM3-cuhjnCEd7VGOfE-M0wMM-D8MCLExXCaQsF8tMbl9UYNPRNgc5vwnWjCKbgQT_-nGVgS3QnYQ8k/s3024/HaleNavy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="2160" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZf3Z0WPfC4OBKgzAKq3tUhtwQ9U9Z3N5Kt_-Zd6qrHjrOWJBG31I9axZ6oSSp5zM3-cuhjnCEd7VGOfE-M0wMM-D8MCLExXCaQsF8tMbl9UYNPRNgc5vwnWjCKbgQT_-nGVgS3QnYQ8k/w458-h640/HaleNavy.jpg" width="458" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Hale Navy</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span></span><span><br /><div style="text-align: left;">There are colors we are certainly leaning toward, but every day our mood changes and the order of preference seems to change. While we love the Hale Navy, one worry is that it might be too much. Our kitchen is predominantly that color and I just don't want our house to be flat. Like, is it overboard?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">As an aside, I love this sketch I created in Photoshop. I may plug in our current colors and get a print out of it to hang up somewhere so we can always remember the glowing gold that our house was when we bought it. (Like we could ever forget.)</div></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div>casacaudillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17737547597204258314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-503211492629127747.post-17884411309062157382020-06-04T08:17:00.002-05:002020-06-04T09:30:31.425-05:00Exterior Paint Color OptionsWe're in the process of getting a new roof put on the house, and in the course of the work, we've discovered there was a lot more rot to the maroon fascia and trim on our house than we knew about, which resulted in the crew needing to replace much of it around the roof line. We've also noticed several boards rotted beyond repair on the yellow portion of the house. I'm a great believer in restoration when possible, but like I said ... beyond repair. What this means is we're in the market for new cedar siding and an all over paint job sooner rather than later (we knew we were going to have to tackle this at some point ... we just didn't want that point to be <i>now</i>). And that means I can start thinking about COLOR SCHEMES. I've made no secret of the fact that our McDonald's colored house wouldn't be my first choice when it comes to a home's exterior, and since we have to completely redo it anyway ... instead of just going with what was, we may as well get what we want. With that in mind, I've been playing around in photoshop to come up with a few options (please forgive my rudimentary skills in this area). As you'll notice, I've kept the maroon trim in each option. It turns out I rather like it. <div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Navy<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimmPxGfa4fnN8d4tIU-D_7KPjPxMWN1f2hATBcyUk5jTd9IjdAi2wnzjlhmBMqpn3WreNanBGDEw3RzLEyePAe82noCGdO6mFwq1KwLkE27_6NRp60bnEsBbDD_OfZJhDE_YsbKIUFOnA/s1990/navy.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1484" data-original-width="1990" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimmPxGfa4fnN8d4tIU-D_7KPjPxMWN1f2hATBcyUk5jTd9IjdAi2wnzjlhmBMqpn3WreNanBGDEw3RzLEyePAe82noCGdO6mFwq1KwLkE27_6NRp60bnEsBbDD_OfZJhDE_YsbKIUFOnA/w640-h478/navy.png" title="Navy" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Dark Gray<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc-NoLAa8Ecw5Z8grKDn8dw84zlES6zXrHzX9D-H1UEmhLHCrBQEWVLZrpZHwZ30uYOFhu8HdrGmFl6UG7OAJ7x3TbPT1i7NCnmNTNGxhr6PXKHK4A5eazplWC4vKny5wdMwFB-ngOqHE/s1992/gray.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1992" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc-NoLAa8Ecw5Z8grKDn8dw84zlES6zXrHzX9D-H1UEmhLHCrBQEWVLZrpZHwZ30uYOFhu8HdrGmFl6UG7OAJ7x3TbPT1i7NCnmNTNGxhr6PXKHK4A5eazplWC4vKny5wdMwFB-ngOqHE/w640-h482/gray.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Federal Blue<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMQLTL1jo18Acql6AW79hXhEH6rgqWpRu8JrFQPH9Cwe2qBSvkVbLUTlG_1oiOCn4QDpValswlalvMA-oiwV5kGChpjXcv75AmMFq2h5xpLwR4oR9x5UCn6WU6jcU7ZLDgP9vdHEW4wac/s1996/blue.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1486" data-original-width="1996" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMQLTL1jo18Acql6AW79hXhEH6rgqWpRu8JrFQPH9Cwe2qBSvkVbLUTlG_1oiOCn4QDpValswlalvMA-oiwV5kGChpjXcv75AmMFq2h5xpLwR4oR9x5UCn6WU6jcU7ZLDgP9vdHEW4wac/w640-h476/blue.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Dark Putty<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikGgY2VTF6RvhKK2AMlJz7uq_RK4if2flomyiYAiC6nKBYvpSBRyGIkOtOgm4ZEqkhxVh4thTLCelCEI_JdMYE5a_NNBJEDgoG5rN5AELJ2VajVf1JJBKonrWAWR_AEURT9zIC9eKsI2M/s1996/puddy.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1476" data-original-width="1996" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikGgY2VTF6RvhKK2AMlJz7uq_RK4if2flomyiYAiC6nKBYvpSBRyGIkOtOgm4ZEqkhxVh4thTLCelCEI_JdMYE5a_NNBJEDgoG5rN5AELJ2VajVf1JJBKonrWAWR_AEURT9zIC9eKsI2M/w640-h474/puddy.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Light Putty<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGzli2z8nyiWqPPKWvS6Sq2irJ6ERgeIojYfp9ZYZ648IBCGNX2SpXpGW-4Kq8YGSgzQR1sBnrY9hdUhW4KevVrVIrpCbWbT7hEwsvBi2G1JozxWNlqDWzixbjigx1ItJD-dmgpSuT1HI/s1974/puddy+2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1476" data-original-width="1974" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGzli2z8nyiWqPPKWvS6Sq2irJ6ERgeIojYfp9ZYZ648IBCGNX2SpXpGW-4Kq8YGSgzQR1sBnrY9hdUhW4KevVrVIrpCbWbT7hEwsvBi2G1JozxWNlqDWzixbjigx1ItJD-dmgpSuT1HI/w640-h478/puddy+2.png" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Which would you choose?</div>casacaudillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17737547597204258314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-503211492629127747.post-13444520122876308382020-05-31T16:30:00.001-05:002020-05-31T16:30:24.856-05:00Update on the master bathroomBack in January, <a href="https://beckstreetblog.blogspot.com/2020/01/master-bathroom-renovation.html" target="_blank">I posted about our master bathroom renovation</a>. Since then, things have come a <i>really</i> long way. We've painted almost all of the trim (still have to do the windows), installed our bidet toilet seat (which, as it turns out, looks really funny on our slimline <a href="https://www.homedepot.com/p/KOHLER-Valiant-the-Complete-Solution-2-Piece-1-28-GPF-Single-Flush-Elongated-Toilet-in-White-K-45927-0/304625448" target="_blank">Kohler Valiant </a>toilet, but I'm not about to get a new toilet so ...), and added the shaker pegs to hold our towels. We had to call a few design audibles along the way because of reasons (the mirrors are a prime example), but overall the design bears a striking resemblance to what we wanted. With the pandemic, we've had to hold off on getting our linen cabinet with laundry chute built, but it's on the list.<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzGe6Qz_ONVaFWO-JIHLgZi1hgiw44JS8HXd_3wrCl3AtseVoOSeiltaqMLBLvYR1-LdReTzgr0_iOaNQ-hhSjmkUMHrzVg73xvNRoftIXIKd396EA9m_lJWc5GcDDZCE3KxcTlKM9vLY/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="2000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzGe6Qz_ONVaFWO-JIHLgZi1hgiw44JS8HXd_3wrCl3AtseVoOSeiltaqMLBLvYR1-LdReTzgr0_iOaNQ-hhSjmkUMHrzVg73xvNRoftIXIKd396EA9m_lJWc5GcDDZCE3KxcTlKM9vLY/w640-h480/IMG_4831.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixXUdy7gYLu03LAY06bMSojbsWvbYijXTMgcL925TVIJLwFzdN3mg-KTrqEmDQghY_hpuCplpnKPkYjTUI8h7wnJRye9AtKOfhbaI9NPQ388ig0lnD3d2UhXljIOeryBzV88pcABL5OHE/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="2000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixXUdy7gYLu03LAY06bMSojbsWvbYijXTMgcL925TVIJLwFzdN3mg-KTrqEmDQghY_hpuCplpnKPkYjTUI8h7wnJRye9AtKOfhbaI9NPQ388ig0lnD3d2UhXljIOeryBzV88pcABL5OHE/w640-h480/IMG_4832.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgETIOBw7IC2Tt1tLMkY6_90aOVRu32EoPwYPh8Oa1kxhldTxTY4zbZMq6D72KddfE0fghGqklTQD6jQacGrXv8OXvxsZj54uBNTDZ7mvBV8YlFTHU9j1z3tcPpzdfJX1BL3CtoDbXrmIA/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="2000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgETIOBw7IC2Tt1tLMkY6_90aOVRu32EoPwYPh8Oa1kxhldTxTY4zbZMq6D72KddfE0fghGqklTQD6jQacGrXv8OXvxsZj54uBNTDZ7mvBV8YlFTHU9j1z3tcPpzdfJX1BL3CtoDbXrmIA/w640-h480/IMG_4834.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>The only <i>major</i> problem we've encountered is <a href="https://www.houzz.com/products/nantucket-72-double-bath-vanity-base-white-top-carrara-marble-prvw-vr~57027982">all the defects in the vanity we purchased from Houzz</a>. Our contractor tried to fix the broken door with the paint sample the manufacturer sent, but it's really just lipstick on a pig. The only way to "remove" them, is to fill them with wood filler and paint the whole damn vanity. And if I'm going to do that ... </div><div><br /></div><div>I've been thinking about maybe adding some more color in here. I had intended to add color, depth, and texture with my decor, but no one sells the bamboo blinds I wanted to use anymore because of the cords, which means the rest of my design idea in here is shot too. Now, I'm thinking of going in a new direction.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgskCTmTwOs54Yi0HYUMdpcPrZtdJDqsSWU-Q_HNn84kmVNEAiREhmCqY-PCyEV-ucOCUGRxV0aDCVzyI9XNSg8VqpqnVBJQaS-QwnWPMW_eJHB4EmBzkjr2I3WGd8vPgwq6BFIFUP3lrc/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="800" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgskCTmTwOs54Yi0HYUMdpcPrZtdJDqsSWU-Q_HNn84kmVNEAiREhmCqY-PCyEV-ucOCUGRxV0aDCVzyI9XNSg8VqpqnVBJQaS-QwnWPMW_eJHB4EmBzkjr2I3WGd8vPgwq6BFIFUP3lrc/w426-h640/blackvanity.jpg" title="Image via Apartment Therapy" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(Image via <a href="https://www.domino.com/content/bathroom-ideas/?param4=dom-us-pinterest" target="_blank">Domino</a>; <span style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: futura-pt, brandon-grotesque, proxima-nova, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; letter-spacing: 2px; text-align: left; text-transform: uppercase;">PHOTOGRAPHY BY JENNIFER HUGHES)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: futura-pt, brandon-grotesque, proxima-nova, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; letter-spacing: 2px; text-align: left; text-transform: uppercase;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeSV2HQX6HSvpuAobFAUvp8ij8sUlDlChPMGciha9alG_Pr9SfC6-iDoI8fT5XSFCyZxF-xtSZBXtptxJ63VXJsa8NrUFi6TecGc8lRRwCnc4DH-XHldpNJ3sTuHzibTbQYWkgaSkVs-c/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="564" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeSV2HQX6HSvpuAobFAUvp8ij8sUlDlChPMGciha9alG_Pr9SfC6-iDoI8fT5XSFCyZxF-xtSZBXtptxJ63VXJsa8NrUFi6TecGc8lRRwCnc4DH-XHldpNJ3sTuHzibTbQYWkgaSkVs-c/w424-h640/blackvanity2.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5UrGfjls75FV2ZblTtO0V2M9HtIbnFpjmxk45Nq5qkoOYeRg7-YXVpPPSkMBXIl08vwi1ge53Nw7Rggp5p-wYxVCCcVNQ7qe0szZkY9OqzWZ4sRKBb4RO-jhOJILRMY0AJGXR1P_f4Rg/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="564" data-original-width="564" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5UrGfjls75FV2ZblTtO0V2M9HtIbnFpjmxk45Nq5qkoOYeRg7-YXVpPPSkMBXIl08vwi1ge53Nw7Rggp5p-wYxVCCcVNQ7qe0szZkY9OqzWZ4sRKBb4RO-jhOJILRMY0AJGXR1P_f4Rg/w640-h640/blackvanity1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: futura-pt, brandon-grotesque, proxima-nova, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; letter-spacing: 2px; text-align: left; text-transform: uppercase;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: futura-pt, brandon-grotesque, proxima-nova, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; letter-spacing: 2px; text-align: left; text-transform: uppercase;">(studio mcgee)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: futura-pt, brandon-grotesque, proxima-nova, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; letter-spacing: 2px; text-align: left; text-transform: uppercase;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And if we're going this route, maybe add in some brass hardware beyond just our light fixture? I'd wanted to change out the hardware anyhow since it's kind of ugly, so this could be my opportunity to do that. I'm terrible about mixed metals, so I'm not sure how it'd look with our chrome fixtures and mirrors and then brass hardware and chandelier. I guess I could buy them, and if it doesn't look good, just return them? Must give this some more thought.</div>casacaudillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17737547597204258314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-503211492629127747.post-57736518488549275942020-04-28T12:23:00.001-05:002020-04-28T12:38:23.717-05:00On Food Tours While TravelingMichael Ruhlman is one of our nation's great food writers. I also enjoyed reading his memoir <a href="https://amzn.to/2y8Ffgz" target="_blank">HOUSE</a>, about he and his wife's house in Cleveland Heights. I've always found him down to earth and relatable -- despite the fact that he's written some of the most iconic cookbooks you'll find on shelves and has worked with several of the world's best chefs. I probably wouldn't have called him a snob, but then, I wouldn't call *me* a food snob either ... and yet others have.<br />
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My point here is I found his<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/travel/food-tours.html?" target="_blank"> New York Times article</a> not only fascinating, but also indicative of the type of experiences we've tried to capture on our travels. We haven't always done food tours on our trips, but we started actively seeking them out after a particularly amazing experience with Maya of Venice Bites Food Tours back in February 2016. Since then, we've had many more terrific experiences in Munich, Copenhagen, Prague, Bordeaux, Tuscany, Florence, and Old San Juan, Puerto Rico.<br />
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Honestly, I don't know that our trips to these places would have been half as enjoyable had we not done these small group tours. Our goal on any trip now is to book a food tour our first night in a location so that we get the lay of the land and learn about the city through its food. Then, we can use what we learned that evening (or afternoon) to eat our way through a city for the remainder of our duration there. In Venice, we learned how to order cicchetti, in Munich we went off the beaten path to discover a beer garden for locals, in Prague we learned about "milk" and why it's so important in Czech beer, in Copenhagen we had another unintentionally private tour that included craft beer, porridge, and cheese. In Bordeaux, we visited a boulangerie, fromagerie, and a chocolatier. Every city, a new, highly tailored local experience. Every city, new flavors to enjoy and savor.<br />
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And one of the single greatest meals of our life was a truffle hunting excursion in San Gimignano when we were in Italy in 2017 for my 40th birthday. It turned out no one else had booked so we had a private experience with our guide Massimo, and the truffle hunter Fillipo and his dog Birba. Massimo's English was about as good as our Italian, and Fillipo spoke no English except to say, "California ...." and shake his head. But the multi-course truffle feast we had afterward at a nearby agritourismo was unlike anything we'd ever experienced before, and we never would have had we not booked a local food tour.<br />
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My only regret is that we didn't start doing these until 2016, because our couple of days in Budapest in November 2015 prior to our Christmas Market Cruise would have been an epic way to see the city. As it was, we did wander around their historic indoor market, but it just wasn't the same as learning about the food, spices, and people from someone local.<br />
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casacaudillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17737547597204258314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-503211492629127747.post-58190932941983043622020-04-11T08:39:00.001-05:002020-04-11T08:46:07.200-05:00Rethinking our range alcove design<span style="background-color: white; color: #262626;">Our hearth skeleton was erected just before we went on vacation, and then COVID came and we became pros at self-quarantining—including putting this project on hold. Initially I was upset because it was another delay, but it’s actually proven to be a blessing in disguise since it turns out that while we *loved* our hearth in Dublin, we aren’t loving it now.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: , , "segoe ui" , "roboto" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">I think it’s because in that house I had a <i>huge</i> island directly behind me where I could easily transfer items to while prepping and cooking, and that is obviously not the case with this set up. This design has changed so dramatically since we first started planning this remodel that it occurs to me now that I hadn’t really thought through how using the peninsula as prep space would function. Or rather, not function. Moving from there to the stove with the "walls" of the alcove is a huge old pain in the keister—especially when cooking with heavy Le Creuset pots and pans ... which is what we predominantly use. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: , , "segoe ui" , "roboto" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: , , "segoe ui" , "roboto" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">While I would normally feel terrible telling my contractor that we’ve changed our minds and want to explore other options, the right pillar as it was built is actually crooked and therefore needs to be rebuilt anyway, and the vent isn’t properly screwed into the left side so <i>that</i> needs to be addressed as well. Basically, whenever the world gets back to normal, the whole thing has to be substantially altered so there’s no better time to to be having a change of heart.</span><span style="color: #262626;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #262626;"><span style="background-color: white;">And speaking of my heart. Every time I think about what we started out wanting and what we ended up getting, it hurts just a little bit. We really spared no expense when it came to this remodel, and given that we're not ending up with anything close to what resembled the kitchen of our dreams, I get heartsick just thinking about it. At least once a day I think about what we could have done differently and the list is <i>loooong</i>.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #262626;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #262626;"><span style="background-color: white;">But, since this is where we are and what we have to work with, I started trolling Houzz and Pinterest to come up with alternatives that didn't dramatically alter the footprint of what we're already working with. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626;">These were the two images that most resembled what I think is our best attempt to address the inadequacies of our initial design. We'd still have a large edifice covering the industrial vent, and we'd still make use of the beams were purchased at salvage.</span><br />
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While it's all well and good to look at pictures online, it's a whole other thing to implement them in your own space -- something we've learned the hard way at every turn. With our pitched roof and bank of windows, our kitchen has a different layout than the ones above, so I took a moment to put together a mock-up in Photoshop of what something like this could potentially look like. I don't hate it. (But do I love it? Honestly, I don't know the answer to that question.)</div>
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<span style="color: #262626;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;">I feel like at this point, no matter what we end up with on this wall, I'm forever going to look at it and realize that nothing turned out the way I'd initially envisioned and the only person I have to blame is myself. When we started tearing down walls and we unearthed that original beam, we sacrificed the bulk of our design to preserve it (rather than tearing it out), and what was once a feature that made me excited is now something I can't look at without thinking it hadn't been there. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #262626;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;">All in all, it just sucks to have spent so much time, energy, effort (and money!) to look at a space and think, "I guess it's all right." </span></span></div>
casacaudillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17737547597204258314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-503211492629127747.post-47444413406867288812020-04-05T12:21:00.003-05:002020-04-05T12:22:13.474-05:00#CoronaCooking: Beef Koftka and Hummus with Tzatziki and PitaGenerally speaking, we are homebodies. We don't really go out all that much, and when we do, it's usually for lunch or a weeknight dinner maybe once every couple of weeks. Cooking at home is my jam, and at first I was undaunted by this quarantine. Cooking at home every night would be easy, I thought. Bring it on, I crowed. Well, here we are on day who-knows-what, and I was finally running out of inspiration. Not so much because I don't have multiple cookbooks to sift through, or thousands of recipes pinned on Pinterest, but because supplies are dwindling and unless I want to have a panic attack in the middle of the grocery store, I'm forced to make do with what's on hand. This generally translates to a lot of pork because apparently every time I went to Costco between October and January I bought a four pack of pork tenderloin for some reason. See also: ground turkey and beef - things we don't normally buy for ourselves except, somehow, in bulk.<br />
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Yesterday, after being on our fourteenth day of quarantine (we've only left the house for walks around our small town neighborhood), we were going a bit stir crazy and I decided I needed to get out for a longer than normal walk. This was around 3 p.m., and I realized midway through I had no idea what I was going to do for dinner. I knew I had a pound of grass fed ground beef defrosted in the refrigerator, but the only thing that came to mind was a baked ziti with meat sauce but we've eaten a lot of pasta these past couple of weeks and I was not thrilled about another carb bomb sitting in my belly.<br />
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As we rounded a corner, Alan said, "What about those lamb kebab things we like, but with beef?"<br />
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It was a lightbulb moment.<br />
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We had a tub of tzatziki in the fridge, and olives, and two pitas. Harkening back to my days of grabbing lunch at San Francisco's <a href="https://oasisgrill.com/" target="_blank">Oasis Grill</a> with my former co-worker Alex, I also knew we could spice things up with a little bit of harissa paste. All told, we had the makings of an excellent dinner. The only problem? I'd never made koftka and had no idea how to. A quick google search revealed that there really wasn't much to it. In fact, it might be the easiest recipe I've pulled off the internet in awhile. And sure, my plating skills leave much to be desired, but at a time like this, I'm going to focus on substance over beauty. (You'd understand how much so if you saw my four inch roots.)<br />
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For those who care, this is the recipe I used:<br />
<a href="https://themodernproper.com/beef-kofta-kababs-with-tzatziki" target="_blank">Beef Kofta Kebabs with Tzatziki from The Modern Proper</a><br />
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And yes, theirs are much more aesthetically pleasing than mine. There is a reason I'm not a food blogger. 😉casacaudillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17737547597204258314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-503211492629127747.post-67066851378705644342020-03-06T16:33:00.000-05:002020-03-06T16:34:54.293-05:00Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler - Mardi Gras 2020February 16 marked 18 years of wedded bliss for Alan and me. To celebrate, we took a week-long Norwegian cruise out of New Orleans. It was no accident we'd chosen to depart out of Nola; the city is one of our favorites. Because of that, we decided to head down a few days early and soak up some Mardi Gras fun beforehand.<br />
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Unfortunately, when I put this plan together, I'd only performed cursory research (totally out of character for me), and I didn't realize New Orleans is only a direct flight from Boston via Spirit Airlines. Now, I don't know about you, but there are some risks I'll never take, and flying Spirit is one of them. This meant we had a layover in Nashville, and in order to get to New Orleans at a reasonable time of day, we left our house well before dawn. In the middle of a snow storm. Before the roads had been plowed.<br />
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Right away, our adventure was turning out to be more adventurous than we'd bargained for.<br />
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But all's well that ends well, and later that afternoon we were checking in to the <a href="https://hotelmonteleone.com/" target="_blank">Hotel Monteleone</a>, a place we'd wanted to stay all the other times we'd visited but hadn't for one reason or another. Thankfully, I got a really good deal on it cashing in some reward points to offset the total cost, so we were able to kick off our trip with a little bit of luxury.<br />
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After settling in, we stepped out the hotel's front door and into the madness that is New Orleans during Mardi Gras. We'd been before at this time of year, the French Quarter felt a bit different this time around. Maybe we're older, or maybe we were just tired from a long day of travel, but rather than setting out on the same itinerary we've adopted every other time we'd been, we decided to just wander and explore. We ventured in and out of antique stores, marveling at the cost of things, before finally heading over to Pat O'Brien's to meet up with the walking tour we'd signed up for. </div>
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Over the years, we've done a number of walking tours centered around alcohol -- one of our favorites being the cocktail tour in Old San Juan Puerto Rico, and based on the description we'd assumed this one would be similar. Led by a man who was literally in his mid-80s, it was ... not. Not that it was a bad tour, per se, it just wasn't what we'd signed up for. Some of it was better than expected -- a private tour through Antoine's, one of the oldest and largest restaurants in the city -- while our pit stop in a random hotel to hear JFK conspiracy theories (sans cocktail) was just weird. In the end, it introduced us to the a new-to-us absinthe bar and the best damn hurricane we'd ever tasted at <a href="https://www.dauphineorleans.com/nightlife/" target="_blank">May Bailey's Place</a> (one of the first and most notorious bordellos in the red light district and now part of the Dauphine Orleans Hotel), so I suppose it turned out to be a positive experience overall. Oh! And a second line. Gotta love a second line. But with having woken up at 4:00 a.m., we called it an early night around 10 p.m. and made our way back to the hotel.</div>
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Day Two</h3>
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We were very fortunate when it came to the weather for this trip. Almost too fortunate -- all of the clothes I'd packed were for temperatures in mid-50s, and it wound up being very sunny and around 65 degrees. It made sitting outside in the courtyards more enjoyable than it would normally have been at this time of year. And is there any better courtyard than <a href="https://patobriens.com/new-orleans/" target="_blank">Pat O'Brien's</a>? I mean, the drinks taste like crap, but the environment and the people watching is pretty spectacular.</div>
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From here, we walked up to Rampart to meet up with another walking tour group. This was supposed to be a cemetery and Treme tour. For nearly 2.5 hours we wandered around a cemetery somewhat aimlessly. Finally, we walked over to Congo Square, and then on to the Treme area. Got to Treme and bam, the tour was done. Disappointing, but we didn't let it get us down. Instead, we walked over to the Frenchman Street area and hit up <a href="https://www.brieuxcarre.com/home.html" target="_blank">Brieux Carre</a>, a microbrewery I'd read about online. You know Alan and I love finding new beers on our travels, so this was a great way to spend a couple of hours before dinner at <a href="https://herbsaint.com/" target="_blank">Herbsaint</a> later that night.</div>
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When we first decided to visit Nola, I was a bit disappointed to see that the "big" parades were taking place in Uptown, so we were quite surprised when we left our hotel to head to dinner, only to find Canal Street closed off and a parade in progress. It was fun walking to dinner along the parade route, and then watching the floats go by through the restaurant's windows. Afterward, feeling in the Mardi Gras spirit, we hit up a few more bars and then eventually made our way back to our hotel with the hopes of getting a seat at its famed <a href="https://hotelmonteleone.com/entertainment/carousel-bar/" target="_blank">Carousel Bar</a>. I'm not even kidding when I tell you people start lining up for a seat at the carousel at 10:30 a.m. (it opens at 11:30). I don't know what kind of karma gods were with us, but we walked in and within a couple of minutes found two seats - where we stayed until last call. </div>
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">
Day Three</h3>
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We were supposed to go on another walking tour, but after our late night and lack of success with our two previous tours, we decided instead to sleep in and take it a bit easy. We ended up getting lunch at <a href="https://www.courtoftwosisters.com/" target="_blank">The Court of Two Sisters</a>, eating outside in the beautiful courtyard. Everything was going great until I took a bite of one of Alan's seafood dishes and started having an allergic reaction. At this point, I'm putting crab on the list of things that will kill me which is a huge bummer since I *love* crab. </div>
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I really wanted to pick up some art on this trip, so after lunch we walked around Jackson Square looking at all of the art on display. Back when Alan was a teenager, he visited Nola with his parents and picked up a Mardi Gras print that hangs in our house to this day. We were hoping to find something similar to add to our (eventual) game room and stumbled upon a woman named <a href="http://www.mousie.com/" target="_blank">Mousie Clark </a>who had beautiful prints for sale. We got to talking about Alan's print hanging back at our house, and she knew exactly which one it was. It turns out that was the last year the artist did them because he passed away and she took up the torch. We bought one, and I can't wait until our kitchen remodel is complete so we can get everything out of our game room and get it set up. I know just the place for this beautiful print.</div>
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That night was dinner at <a href="https://cochonrestaurant.com/" target="_blank">Cochon</a>, and instead of taking a taxi over there we decided to walk. I'm so glad we did because we left very early and ended up spending about an hour having a fabulous time at the <a href="https://www.kreweoffreret.org/" target="_blank">Krewe of Freret</a> parade. I caught a blow up cow which I gave to a little girl standing next to me, and Alan and I both caught some fun beads.</div>
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After an excellent dinner, we passed by the <a href="https://www.mardigrasneworleans.com/parades/knights-of-sparta" target="_blank">Knights of Sparta</a> parade where we caught even more beads before making our way back into town for a sazerac at <a href="https://www.napoleonhouse.com/" target="_blank">Napoleon House</a> (one of our traditions) and another absinthe at <a href="https://www.ruebourbon.com/old-absinthe-house" target="_blank">Jean Lafitte's Old Absinthe House</a> (where we learned they cut you off after two).</div>
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We found ourselves back in our room around midnight, where we started packing up for the next leg of our anniversary trip adventure. Stay tuned!</div>
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casacaudillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17737547597204258314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-503211492629127747.post-687799041072548342020-02-04T14:31:00.001-05:002020-02-04T14:34:26.230-05:00Tracing our house's historical roots<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="d2ekj" data-offset-key="du4r1-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
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<span data-offset-key="du4r1-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">In talking with a woman who is a town historian, I looked up more information to share with her so that we can get added to the historic map she keeps. </span><br />
<span data-offset-key="du4r1-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">As previously discussed, </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Stephen Cross sold the plot of land our house sits on to Josiah Thing, a blacksmith, in 1795. There is no record of a house being here at the time. Historians, architects, and preservationists all agree this house was moved here pre-1800 (likely in 1797 based on other records). Based on the building materials, the manner in which it was built, its style, and an exhaustive investigation into the original paint layers, original construction is estimated to be in the 1760s. There is a theory this was Cross's house that existed on Water Street, a couple of blocks away, and it was sold to Thing and moved here. Right now I do not have any proof of this, but we do know that Cross's house is no longer at its location, and there's no record of it being torn down. One complication we're encountering is there was a fire in the 1800s that destroyed most records, so a lot of this research is forensic.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">While I am more than happy to call our home The Josiah Thing House (what a cool name!), Stephen Cross is the much more interesting character with strong ties to the start of the nation's birth. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">From </span><a href="https://books.google.com/books/about/The_U_S_Customs_Service.html?id=b4RoTaZ4qcwC" style="font-family: inherit;" target="_blank">The U.S. Customs Service: A Bicentennial History, by Carl E. Prince:</a></div>
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<i><span data-offset-key="763fu-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">An examination of the much smaller Massachusetts customhouse in Newburyport -- a tiny hamlet on the rocky and forbidding coast of northern Essex County -- reveals much the same phenomenon: Customs employees drawn from the ranks of the town's elite and working classes cemented a close social affinity between customs operations and the merchant community. But the political infighting around lucrative customs appointments could often become brutal, as it did in this home of the "codfish aristocracy." </span><span data-offset-key="763fu-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span data-offset-key="763fu-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">The Newburyport customhouse was, from its establishment in 1789, enmeshed in the party politics of the Federalist decade. The political turmoil began when the dominant Federalist party ...</span></i></blockquote>
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<i>... prevailed on (Alexander) Hamilton to appoint Stephen Cross collector. The Federalists assumed Cross to be one of their own politically, but he proved to be a strong supporter of Hamilton's arch rival, Thomas Jefferson. Given the local independence of the collector, his control over the lower appointments of the customhouse, and thus his political leverage, which Cross decided to use for the Jeffersonian cause, the Newburyport Federalists quickly realized their mistake and decided that Cross had to go.<br />Still, Cross was a formidable local figure in Newburyport. A member of a well-to-do and high respected local clan, he and his brother were third-generation operators of the family shipbuilding industry. That firm had built two frigates for the Continental Navy during the war. Stephen had also held several local offices during the Revolution. He was for many years (including his tenure as collector) a member of the Massachusetts state legislature, and highly regarded by many of his fellow townsmen.</i></blockquote>
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<i>His removal by Hamilton for "misconduct" in 1792 was tainted by politics. Cross, whom Jefferson returned to office in 1802, claimed that he had been dismissed for political reasons, and the record bears him out. None of his repeated requests to Hamilton for the specific instances of his misconduct were ever satisfactorily answered. A final demand by Cross for a full investigation into the nature of his misconduct was also turned down, yet he was neither prosecuted nor sued for recovery of public monies or violations of federal law, the usual procedure in this period for customs officials charged with fiscal misconduct. Cross himself claimed that he "gave satisfaction to all [in his office] until Mr. Hamilton ... thought it necessary to destroy [him] by obtaining his removal and disgrace.</i></blockquote>
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I mean, COME ON. How amazing would it be if we could trace our home's history to this man? Mary gave me the name of another women in town who runs the house plaque operation for Newburyport, so hopefully I can sync up with her and get to the bottom of this once and for all. </div>
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casacaudillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17737547597204258314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-503211492629127747.post-54788204187467409412020-01-31T14:00:00.001-05:002020-01-31T14:00:27.710-05:00On getting older and personal identity<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I'm 42 years old. Incidentally, the age my cousin's Ouija board once told me I was going to die in a fiery car crash, so if I seem a bit more on edge this year than normal, I have an excuse. Sometimes - like right now, with my hip bursitis flaring up and a kink in my neck from sleeping weird a couple of nights ago - my body feels every one of those 15,000+ days. But for the most part, my mind doesn't feel any older than say, thirty. </div>
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I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that Alan and I have been together since I was 18 and he was 19, and we've never had kids. Unlike most of our friends and peers, the passage of time hasn't been marked by our kids transitioning from one grade to the next, and let's face it - we've probably gotten a lot more sleep. (Except for that whole debilitating insomnia thing I had going back in 2012.) We moved in together fairly young, too, and developed a routine that's still pretty much how we live today. I often think it's because our lives don't look radically different than they did when we were first married that it's hard to fathom the fact that we're coming up on eighteen years of marriage in a couple of weeks (having celebrated our twenty-fourth dating anniversary on Sunday).<br />
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<b><i>So back to that whole personal identity thing. </i></b><b><i>You'd think at 42, I'd have it figured out, but I don't.</i></b><br />
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There's always this question of who I think I should be versus who I really am. And when you add society's expectations on top of those weighty questions, I sometimes struggle with finding the right answer. I'm 42, and my favorite thing to do in the summer now that we live in a coastal community is to throw on a pair of cut off jean shorts, grab my Kindle and a beach chair, drop the top on my convertible, and head out to the beach with music blasting out of my speakers. And while I love dining at high end restaurants, my favorite meal is a plate of wings, fries, and a cold beer.<br />
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When I think about some of my favorite days over the last several years, floating in the lake with my sister and my nieces springs to mind. Or hanging out at the river on the 4th of July with friends up in the Russian River. Or heading out to the bay to BBQ oysters and drink champagne until the sun goes down. (For the record, Alan is there in each of these scenarios. For better or worse, we are practically joined at the hip.)<br />
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The thing that's brought this to my mind lately is the question of a new vehicle. I love my Mini Cooper Convertible, but it's really only great to drive about two months a year. I've been talking about trading it in, and part of me loves the idea of a luxury vehicle that's warm and soundproof and has a killer smooth ride. But then, I know in my heart, that's not me. I still have sand in my floor mats from our last hurrah to Plum Island back in early October. I'm not a fancy woman, and despite liking fancy things, I'll never be the person who fits the fancy mold.<br />
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And I'm finally starting to realize that's okay. I can be the 42 year old woman who rolls through town with oversized sunglasses singing Miranda Lambert at the top of her lungs. I can be the woman who knows more about beer and whiskey than dudes. I can be the woman who's most at home in flip flops instead of heels.<br />
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I can be me.<br />
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I saw an article today with a passage that perfectly sums up how I'm starting to feel about my place in the world and the space I occupy. From <a href="https://medium.com/bigger-picture/gen-x-will-not-go-quietly-3b0429c63c70" target="_blank">Gen X Will Not Go Quietly</a>:<br />
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casacaudillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17737547597204258314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-503211492629127747.post-82556021245030991492020-01-24T13:34:00.001-05:002020-01-29T16:56:26.439-05:00Kitchen renovation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b>WARNING: PICTURE HEAVY POST AHEAD</b></div>
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When we first found this house online, I'd dismissed it because of the galley kitchen and parking situation (we don't have parking at our actual house - it's down the street, about 200 feet away). But knowing that we were going to Newburyport anyway to look at a couple of other houses - including one that <a href="https://www.zillow.com/homes/186-high-street-newburyport_rb/56953190_zpid/" target="_blank">on paper was my dream home</a> (it reminded me so much of our first house in Dublin) - I asked our realtor to add this one to our itinerary. </div>
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The house I loved was a bust (it was enormous, feeling so much larger than the room count and square footage indicated), and the other houses we looked at just didn't spark our imaginations. You've heard <a href="https://beckstreetblog.blogspot.com/2020/01/what-is-josiah-thing-house.html" target="_blank">the story of our viewing of this place though</a> - how we walked in and I separated from our realtor and Alan, wandering around on my own, only to meet up again outside and declare that I loved it. What I didn't tell you was Alan really wasn't on board. <b>He hated the kitchen, declaring it entirely too small and needing to be gutted completely.</b> Thankfully, the selling agent had created a virtual tour of the house that I used to help me convince Alan otherwise. It was small, but it was manageable. And besides, I said, we could remodel it in a couple of years. <b><i>It'll be fine</i>, I said.</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIMTfUcflKTWAH3Zndq4miF3eBGNTyIq-xMbqvbW1ZQbtwLglC3TpOkoVHTHa3U-Gy6ALSipe4XKlhgoXqrqPGsbGrrZxsTCDTrtsHdmBj9O-0cS3rSSItkSuBf1Z4gV1vbcI3dzU5MQ8/s1600/ISq5dvtftsv6t30000000000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="900" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIMTfUcflKTWAH3Zndq4miF3eBGNTyIq-xMbqvbW1ZQbtwLglC3TpOkoVHTHa3U-Gy6ALSipe4XKlhgoXqrqPGsbGrrZxsTCDTrtsHdmBj9O-0cS3rSSItkSuBf1Z4gV1vbcI3dzU5MQ8/s640/ISq5dvtftsv6t30000000000.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>(Note: the photos from the listing were significantly Photoshopped to make the house appear to have more natural light than it actually does. In very few cases are the rooms actually the color the listing presented.) </i></div>
<br />
<b>Famous last words, right?</b><br />
<br />
First off, the washer that was in the kitchen reeked and nothing I did could make it smell clean. And while the dryer supposedly vented outside, it also vented inside. Every time I used it, our appliance garage turned into a steam cubby, and our slate colored countertops became covered in a fine layer of lint (when we brought the cats home from the <a href="https://mrfrs.org/" target="_blank">Merrimack River Valley Feline Rescue Society</a> this became one of Lihue's favorite spots because it was so warm). It was annoying, and we talked at length about us knocking that cabinet down and moving the washer and dryer into the catch all mudroom room nearby. We even called out a plumber to tell us how much it would cost to put in all the necessary pipes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFeuggeNjlEPahTb9fa6xfjB37T1k2KBp_6Jpdp6NNGZSr-K9ENI952bJqmGubPh60Ctw5hBlzx0PqLVmGASWxNbKr_PKYn7hievqQVUIolm_6GTEf-PLaYIidsJOAii-YGqBAZPjQzp0/s1600/IMG_4730.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFeuggeNjlEPahTb9fa6xfjB37T1k2KBp_6Jpdp6NNGZSr-K9ENI952bJqmGubPh60Ctw5hBlzx0PqLVmGASWxNbKr_PKYn7hievqQVUIolm_6GTEf-PLaYIidsJOAii-YGqBAZPjQzp0/s640/IMG_4730.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Little did we know what was coming next.</b><br />
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It's really quite comical when you think about it, but that winter, one by one, our appliances started failing. And not in a "we can live with this for awhile" way either. Our Sub-Zero fridge leaked all over the floor. The fan on our stovetop would freeze up and not work at all (it was one of those models that you could raise and lower and sometimes it wouldn't do either). And then, the coils in our wall oven caught on fire. That was a fun night. The lone hold out at this point was the dishwasher, which I praised for its longevity. And then it too gave up the ghost.<br />
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And yes, we could have replaced our appliances, but I priced them out and to get decent models that would fit in the spaces we already had, we were looking at investing thousands upon thousands of dollars into a kitchen we didn't love and had planned to remodel in the future anyway. In the end, rather than dump a not insignificant amount of money into it, we made the decision to call in an architect.<br />
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That was its own brand of fun.<br />
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It took months for one of them to get back to me. MONTHS. Business is booming right now in our area, which is evidenced by the fact that at one point on our block alone there were four houses being remodeled. Some architects weren't interested in the job, while others told me the budget we'd laid out was nowhere near what we would need to do what we wanted to do. This was a rather upsetting wakeup call since we had a number of friends who'd remodeled their kitchens and our budget was over what they'd spent. Here, however, it was a drop in the bucket of what we'd need, considering we wanted to knock down the wall between the kitchen and the dining room to create a much more open area.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZh6dGsZ0kVdz08FLLmWGIS1YZ-RTtMofIGndLsSNStP9xiLc9i0k7w0oKTERwvY6gtD_RD8KZkmWJpQPefR1hKGLrQHCeuUaUSRGEk1NbEjPohlv0fyYBRZwpD3HFqftXb_6lUmQt5mQ/s1600/ISeojvcz5hkys30000000000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="900" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZh6dGsZ0kVdz08FLLmWGIS1YZ-RTtMofIGndLsSNStP9xiLc9i0k7w0oKTERwvY6gtD_RD8KZkmWJpQPefR1hKGLrQHCeuUaUSRGEk1NbEjPohlv0fyYBRZwpD3HFqftXb_6lUmQt5mQ/s640/ISeojvcz5hkys30000000000.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo from listing<br />
The previous owner used it as her den, while we used it as a dining room.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk4AtZBu5GGPQU6k20Nm7OSP4yEi743w03WDddGDyG1l0mF5-zoD-Jizx8lnWNUSWzzOqlu_HDoVZLoPZT07M3miYsJnSkLFpZRSi21BH1n34na8qaoPJDlr1TSGb2D30zPrJoAZgwhkI/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-01-24+at+11.16.21+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="892" data-original-width="1192" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk4AtZBu5GGPQU6k20Nm7OSP4yEi743w03WDddGDyG1l0mF5-zoD-Jizx8lnWNUSWzzOqlu_HDoVZLoPZT07M3miYsJnSkLFpZRSi21BH1n34na8qaoPJDlr1TSGb2D30zPrJoAZgwhkI/s640/Screen+Shot+2020-01-24+at+11.16.21+AM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPx5XYeeEtH_03cLaU2_leDn61UG4rGJ2lXmslBcKhq5EKcdJjvGFewH424xko51iO5CRVX7qy-n8SdQjgYoCljwg8qGwB_KthyphenhyphenPx1abZl_2qEbjKUJOkzC2gb3LCuQRCjwuAx36QeCCI/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-01-24+at+11.16.41+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="890" data-original-width="1192" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPx5XYeeEtH_03cLaU2_leDn61UG4rGJ2lXmslBcKhq5EKcdJjvGFewH424xko51iO5CRVX7qy-n8SdQjgYoCljwg8qGwB_KthyphenhyphenPx1abZl_2qEbjKUJOkzC2gb3LCuQRCjwuAx36QeCCI/s640/Screen+Shot+2020-01-24+at+11.16.41+AM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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I wish I could tell you that was our only issue.<br />
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<i>Oh, how I wish.</i><br />
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A week before we left for our cruise out of Puerto Rico last year, the pipe burst in our master bathroom, turning what we thought was going to be an expensive kitchen renovation into an enormously expensive kitchen and master bathroom renovation.<br />
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Finally, in April, we found an architect who could fit us into his schedule, and then in June, we started demo. Right away we knew we wanted to take down the plaster ceiling in the dining room to reveal the original wooden beams overhead. During demo, we also discovered a few original beams from the 1700s that we hadn't accounted for in our kitchen design which drastically changed the layout and function of the space. We also decided to move the powder room from right off the dining space to the multi-purpose mudroom where we were moving the laundry room, thus turning that space into two rooms that now needed double the plumbing and electricity. The powder room became a walk-in pantry space which was sorely needed since we aren't doing any upper cabinets.<br />
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Along the way, we hired a supposedly reputable cabinet maker, and after months of not seeing a final design (during which we were straight up lied to repeatedly about the process), we fired them, putting us with a gutted kitchen and no cabinets to go in it. In October, we found another local mom & pop company and hired them. They started installing our cabinets right after Christmas.<br />
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Today, our carpenters are working on trim in this space while we wait for our soapstone countertops and sink to come in, and we continue to cook five times a week on a hot place, a toaster oven, and an Instant Pot. For eight months, we've lived like squatters, but I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe6yRQrPhw_nG9I9BYiSdhLlH0oKBPzbzhgYsz1ITWZUUEX31G9pQYitV07MzbAGLSyTpG0ko0UAOvT6F7FJMSpyTCRu-XjpZzerbETBixzRlwYXYC6uoyDVO5KyOLMpqHKcnpDoEaS1w/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-01-24+at+11.27.49+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="898" data-original-width="1190" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe6yRQrPhw_nG9I9BYiSdhLlH0oKBPzbzhgYsz1ITWZUUEX31G9pQYitV07MzbAGLSyTpG0ko0UAOvT6F7FJMSpyTCRu-XjpZzerbETBixzRlwYXYC6uoyDVO5KyOLMpqHKcnpDoEaS1w/s640/Screen+Shot+2020-01-24+at+11.27.49+AM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj55eh1SDAspVH_j2z6YzSAi5GeSiJFy9AljikI6cKfQrtYPnPfYW5AX0YNhDM0wVBoo8WIwPFi0uohFGAzD8y-tBIcilorMlyeP2mbJaDpiEHQC7fhQ4Ig3KoyPCYrsnAiHHjV7RA5WS0/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-01-24+at+11.28.04+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="894" data-original-width="1192" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj55eh1SDAspVH_j2z6YzSAi5GeSiJFy9AljikI6cKfQrtYPnPfYW5AX0YNhDM0wVBoo8WIwPFi0uohFGAzD8y-tBIcilorMlyeP2mbJaDpiEHQC7fhQ4Ig3KoyPCYrsnAiHHjV7RA5WS0/s640/Screen+Shot+2020-01-24+at+11.28.04+AM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1oNVqqTSgr2m2XS9QOX5dj3qjFuZVGooMyAytp8n_UjD3VN4KodVsH7HC1QEFUsqeU7XaHVYPUddXVofgsAvhKncsZGwB_cV5n8xtXOxjQ2KJorUnZJm08ZgyuuARcw1DtE4DK14qzOk/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-01-24+at+11.28.17+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="894" data-original-width="1188" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1oNVqqTSgr2m2XS9QOX5dj3qjFuZVGooMyAytp8n_UjD3VN4KodVsH7HC1QEFUsqeU7XaHVYPUddXVofgsAvhKncsZGwB_cV5n8xtXOxjQ2KJorUnZJm08ZgyuuARcw1DtE4DK14qzOk/s640/Screen+Shot+2020-01-24+at+11.28.17+AM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6adLssEEgxXG8uIHaVoOJxapIzEtluHWu3aebZzGFPbanQxxZltn-0ChVd_5oTOUDxN11NW7KJnvNAS-vEM3qCgRbRE2foDcmRVW-aFZ4SjzK22tp_McjY5W51wTvQXGcpHZIG0goFfs/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-01-24+at+11.28.42+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="896" data-original-width="1190" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6adLssEEgxXG8uIHaVoOJxapIzEtluHWu3aebZzGFPbanQxxZltn-0ChVd_5oTOUDxN11NW7KJnvNAS-vEM3qCgRbRE2foDcmRVW-aFZ4SjzK22tp_McjY5W51wTvQXGcpHZIG0goFfs/s640/Screen+Shot+2020-01-24+at+11.28.42+AM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhArNwzS8CkWnzFEd3T1Y-bCusMDDMsUwVvxSwVB1qWcZWn2UO2Jq5nLZJlqBy_cR0bT3wsJs1uOdxbWF4GAWMCaZwjehKIglU8VV1GvIkoaIMwBoD0jRGE15M358wndRyfLYqA2rjtejY/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-01-24+at+11.28.55+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1190" data-original-width="1190" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhArNwzS8CkWnzFEd3T1Y-bCusMDDMsUwVvxSwVB1qWcZWn2UO2Jq5nLZJlqBy_cR0bT3wsJs1uOdxbWF4GAWMCaZwjehKIglU8VV1GvIkoaIMwBoD0jRGE15M358wndRyfLYqA2rjtejY/s640/Screen+Shot+2020-01-24+at+11.28.55+AM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the house's original exterior windows from the late 1700s was hidden inside the walls. We've kept it and are trying to come up with a cool art project we can do with it.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJhvi3P61ZTbRk3IdSZ0QfiH1WnP3fwYVbCDgc4Vpx6z23RW1wsaZ7TNHOt1RERk8ITL2vYfh8dw3Etwx3toMurGE9M-B5dt_wg5USSXH0rWAeEgxMYgxV3hvvb56bstzKn2876vOWUvM/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-01-24+at+11.29.08+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="892" data-original-width="1190" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJhvi3P61ZTbRk3IdSZ0QfiH1WnP3fwYVbCDgc4Vpx6z23RW1wsaZ7TNHOt1RERk8ITL2vYfh8dw3Etwx3toMurGE9M-B5dt_wg5USSXH0rWAeEgxMYgxV3hvvb56bstzKn2876vOWUvM/s640/Screen+Shot+2020-01-24+at+11.29.08+AM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0TIl_TdybQ9nLVQ-vIFSgWgzaTTngLWO6Pr5xSsKiEA4u4BVg3RH1IlWfH0uLJ8PfvRCwSDLKJJZDAfL_Gaj-RkZxJRzjeVuV9j01ZZVqqv8LyXVON_X3UKVJ5X24-gNQfxPjaYZbzZI/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-01-24+at+11.29.20+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1194" data-original-width="960" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0TIl_TdybQ9nLVQ-vIFSgWgzaTTngLWO6Pr5xSsKiEA4u4BVg3RH1IlWfH0uLJ8PfvRCwSDLKJJZDAfL_Gaj-RkZxJRzjeVuV9j01ZZVqqv8LyXVON_X3UKVJ5X24-gNQfxPjaYZbzZI/s640/Screen+Shot+2020-01-24+at+11.29.20+AM.png" width="514" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the original lathe that was in the wall between the original powder room (now pantry), and what will become our dining room when this is all finished. We also kept this split board lathe. Not sure what we'll do with it either, but we love it.</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-align: center;">The original design for this space called for a large island. Ever since having one at our place on Leinster Road in Dublin, I've coveted another one. Unfortunately, with the discovery of the beam on the left of this image, our wall of upper cabinets that would take the kitchen space into this room had to be scrapped, leaving the island floating off on its own with no relation to the rest of the space. The other problem was its size in the room. I have a thing about long, skinny islands (I hate them), and the size of this one pinched the walkways around it. To make this work, we were going to have to make it about six to eight inches narrower, and pull it back into the kitchen. We ultimately decided it didn't work, which meant it was time to get (even more) creative. We'd basically thrown out the architect's drawings by this point, so what was another audible?</span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">In the end, we swung it around and pushed it up against the wall and beam, creating a large peninsula in our kitchen. Sitting there on that sweltering July morning, we realized that it was perfect. I kind of felt like a heel since I'd told our architect I hated peninsulas and not to be bother showing me one (he did anyway, and I dismissed it out of hand). I wrote to him to issue a mea culpa immediately.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMJ2DlOLO-ZmvnTrBUkaB2wHg-CVJVf5ay7Bu3dmhNrkc1nCsZilND1oQbaU7xWKoXL66CgOz1FyJ1szQ_mBEgdaZcH7bOZzxrsDOoFCDvGuErg9AJ12QXjbm8DLQqIUULw7L2BQ6TBgk/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-01-24+at+11.30.39+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="894" data-original-width="1194" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMJ2DlOLO-ZmvnTrBUkaB2wHg-CVJVf5ay7Bu3dmhNrkc1nCsZilND1oQbaU7xWKoXL66CgOz1FyJ1szQ_mBEgdaZcH7bOZzxrsDOoFCDvGuErg9AJ12QXjbm8DLQqIUULw7L2BQ6TBgk/s640/Screen+Shot+2020-01-24+at+11.30.39+AM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Framing goes in for the separate powder and laundry rooms.</td></tr>
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When it came time to turn our bank of two window into three, our carpenters discovered a lot of rot from the mid-1990s renovation of this space, and had to tear out the majority of the wall and rebuild it. Not exactly part of the plan either, but you do what you have to.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxWPKIRak3wRnS65lmAS44YqqiFlznxyoPrp_KYFYtMUxUr5HgjfcFuFp2JoNRS1zWKj2-NYpN8lTglEX491X8BSQNLldelxY2C3vMk1ZhTsy3qtLXrVT4_j37fsSsVZPgRHrLR6MClNk/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-01-24+at+12.38.14+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="888" data-original-width="1192" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxWPKIRak3wRnS65lmAS44YqqiFlznxyoPrp_KYFYtMUxUr5HgjfcFuFp2JoNRS1zWKj2-NYpN8lTglEX491X8BSQNLldelxY2C3vMk1ZhTsy3qtLXrVT4_j37fsSsVZPgRHrLR6MClNk/s640/Screen+Shot+2020-01-24+at+12.38.14+PM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our makeshift kitchen as we prep for a week away in Maine with my family.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoJSQw2emwiO79o24hZe8v3M1O2l-7hvALVtsZWh-Y8tBjwLkFh4ujjB9Ojv4Ur17FVs55q_-Aog5YIOQJrDXGS0mqrUG_liBH-DKrp8tPfRjaGItZfKn51O4ymyfBKO4y-7NINnBxTf4/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-01-24+at+12.38.36+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1180" data-original-width="948" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoJSQw2emwiO79o24hZe8v3M1O2l-7hvALVtsZWh-Y8tBjwLkFh4ujjB9Ojv4Ur17FVs55q_-Aog5YIOQJrDXGS0mqrUG_liBH-DKrp8tPfRjaGItZfKn51O4ymyfBKO4y-7NINnBxTf4/s640/Screen+Shot+2020-01-24+at+12.38.36+PM.png" width="514" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Deciding on cabinet paint colors. Our original pick was Newburyport Blue from Benjamin Moore, but it was a bit too "royal" blue for my liking, so we investigated going with a creamier beige. Revere Pewter - also BM - was a contender for a long time until I brought home a can of Hale Navy and said, "Nope, this is the one."</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Insulation, drywall, and plaster were the next three phases of the renovation. Everyone warned us about how awful the insulation would smell, so we boarded the cats for the day at the vet and I spent a couple of hours working out of a coffee shop. By the time I returned home at 5:30, the insulation was up, and it didn't smell at all how I'd feared. Instead, being a soybean based product, our house smelled a lot like fried tofu from a Chinese restaurant. For several days. What I didn't anticipate, was how badly the plaster was going to smell. Thank goodness it was still warm enough to open the windows because it really did a number on me.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSR8llj_cF_20qEQkgODeo8KitOiIfvc0dO5gkspbQVcuQ_9sik8KuDU5Mz8YFdeTXHl1CvvPYdcwkO5sUJ3fe1lXdvSEyKoaRoomlVtWoL-xAQc7cfm3vRDIc_uBXLRW38mKVobskj4o/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-01-24+at+1.03.56+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="886" data-original-width="1182" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSR8llj_cF_20qEQkgODeo8KitOiIfvc0dO5gkspbQVcuQ_9sik8KuDU5Mz8YFdeTXHl1CvvPYdcwkO5sUJ3fe1lXdvSEyKoaRoomlVtWoL-xAQc7cfm3vRDIc_uBXLRW38mKVobskj4o/s640/Screen+Shot+2020-01-24+at+1.03.56+PM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I struggled mightily when it came to choosing floors for the laundry room and the powder room. I wanted something that felt organic and would look good against our antique floors, while also feeling a bit special. Oh, and it had to be (relatively) inexpensive because a lot of my flooring budget was going into the master bathroom penny hex tile. In the end, I found these 18x24 slate tiles at Home Depot, and couldn't be happier with them.</td></tr>
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Getting electricity hooked up in this space in November was a game changer, and really made it feel like things were moving toward the finish line. We even moved our temporary kitchen into here and cooked Thanksgiving dinner, eating it on our patio table that we'd brought indoors.</div>
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The day our team started re-installing our antique floors for refinishing was also another turning point. We'd lived with the Adventech for months, and I'd forgotten what having floors did for a space. </div>
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I was astounded by how different our floors looked after being sanded with one coat of varnish. They're covered now until the end of the project, when our amazing floor guys Rob and Matt will come back to finish them up. I love how amazing they look, and we're not even finished. Seeing the wood grain again after stripping away varnish that was hundreds of years old has breathed new life into them.</div>
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On December 30, we woke to freezing temps and a snow storm. After everything we'd gone through to get cabinets in the first place, I had very little faith that our install was going to happen. Then, around 11 a.m. I saw this truck pull up in front of our house and a crew jump out. I literally cried tears of joy. It had been such a long and arduous process to get to this point, and it was a huge relief to see it finally happening. I can't speak highly enough of the folks at <a href="https://curtiscabinetry.com/" target="_blank">Curtis Cabinetry in Georgetown</a>. From the very beginning, they have been a joy to work with. Our cabinets are beautiful, and the team who did the installation was great. It's never easy having someone you don't know come into your home - much less for days at a time - but Taylor and the rest of the guys were warm and respectful. If you're in the North Shore of Massachusetts and are looking for kitchen cabinets, I strongly recommend you give them a call.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The former powder room begins its new life as a pantry.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBE3VQNiIFOU0o6YVYiMO6zKSE6DD2cUPTt_XAxNPb_g-g1ge-AJySX6AoALRqGIdgz0zGJeKz7OhV7adlNdSb52F-U15zznPcCO80_K8S6WmsHlKkLcC_aSd18k9-gEWADGdJuAzGrxo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-01-24+at+1.07.19+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="886" data-original-width="1186" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBE3VQNiIFOU0o6YVYiMO6zKSE6DD2cUPTt_XAxNPb_g-g1ge-AJySX6AoALRqGIdgz0zGJeKz7OhV7adlNdSb52F-U15zznPcCO80_K8S6WmsHlKkLcC_aSd18k9-gEWADGdJuAzGrxo/s640/Screen+Shot+2020-01-24+at+1.07.19+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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And this, my friends, is where we are today. Our countertops are being fabricated, and our appliances are just waiting to be picked up. I can hear our carpenters in the other room working on trim. I get so happy every time I look at this picture because it's more than I could have ever hoped for. But even more so, it's exactly what we wanted for this space.</div>
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<br />casacaudillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17737547597204258314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-503211492629127747.post-81340902571406164902020-01-22T14:03:00.000-05:002020-01-22T14:03:06.761-05:00Master bathroom renovationOne of the areas of the house that we're remodeling is the master bathroom. Originally, the area consisted of our bedroom, a bedroom sized dressing room with a fireplace and four closets, and two side-by-side his (shower) and hers (tub) bathrooms. While the bathrooms weren't my favorite element of the house, they were serviceable and we had no immediate plans to address them ... until one freezing day last February when temperatures dropped to below 5 degrees and a pipe burst in the shower.<br />
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Suddenly our kitchen remodel took on a whole new life, and we expanded the scope of the work that needed to be done by leaps and bounds. Rather than keep the two separate spaces, we decided to combine them into one large one. While we could have gone with a very basic remodel of the space, we decided to do it once and get the room we'd always wanted. Practically since I've known Alan he's been talking about a steam shower, and I love a good soaking tub (our first house in Dublin spoiled me in this regard).<br />
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Since June, we've had many variations of the plan, this being the original mood board I put together sometime in July.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC9ZeVn9AMueSCQHdpkgcdli_nHzBXoozjsX0jMqV_gqmIMA8wLNLvjhC3GfewoSO72yHS7LiSdGH_sVsm-lU4VxbVvx8JkQ72Gaftlzma5EuM8NkXJL5bwcfDQBTNLLmdNaktmGut7mo/s1600/Traditional_Master_Bath.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1562" data-original-width="1600" height="624" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC9ZeVn9AMueSCQHdpkgcdli_nHzBXoozjsX0jMqV_gqmIMA8wLNLvjhC3GfewoSO72yHS7LiSdGH_sVsm-lU4VxbVvx8JkQ72Gaftlzma5EuM8NkXJL5bwcfDQBTNLLmdNaktmGut7mo/s640/Traditional_Master_Bath.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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From there, we tweaked a few things, and sent this inspiration board to our project manager based on the bathtub we found at a plumbing and supply show room in Beverly.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ422jwp7COsnRDkVs_3EGOpkzlViGAcT_LDX6FeFCIx1Qy-zAdOvpZj5i7c_7HihatATeFWKNKbluAA7zu1EwhMxhibgPpsILFVuKdwsKrs6TazW2jB0uUCSW0m5AIDauHXLuwzOJbZk/s1600/MasterBathMoodBoard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1382" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ422jwp7COsnRDkVs_3EGOpkzlViGAcT_LDX6FeFCIx1Qy-zAdOvpZj5i7c_7HihatATeFWKNKbluAA7zu1EwhMxhibgPpsILFVuKdwsKrs6TazW2jB0uUCSW0m5AIDauHXLuwzOJbZk/s640/MasterBathMoodBoard.jpg" width="552" /></a></div>
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A few weeks later, we played around with a more masculine look to echo <a href="https://beckstreetblog.blogspot.com/2020/01/what-is-josiah-thing-house.html" target="_blank">Stephen Cross's</a> origins as a ship builder.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQdmw3pCk7Ra1Ox1abE4n_xGqdwN3vfOk8dvrod9dHa-FUw29MeZKr_U6mFoS6cTzgltjeBjQWgPvgUVanboW2MH-tcMmlK3mzl71CsA1tbfKKj0P-I7G8ZagFbrAFo1U644q0F4dKR0o/s1600/bathroomforashley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1524" data-original-width="1600" height="608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQdmw3pCk7Ra1Ox1abE4n_xGqdwN3vfOk8dvrod9dHa-FUw29MeZKr_U6mFoS6cTzgltjeBjQWgPvgUVanboW2MH-tcMmlK3mzl71CsA1tbfKKj0P-I7G8ZagFbrAFo1U644q0F4dKR0o/s640/bathroomforashley.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
That design morphed into this one, and I really felt like we were narrowing in on what, exactly, we were looking for.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX8CLUNVINuriYV4TGahDtdvZN97xfHR_v_pGoz-dA1Gkx8zRocxZ7ZUq7Gp9hdFHlrN0a4zONB8yzbjktL6zjw66Z2DfspjLSPbh-5Cw3sFuLgOTZ1Lupic8pG-aOZfVYdRo4RpPr8gA/s1600/masterbathroommoodboard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1074" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX8CLUNVINuriYV4TGahDtdvZN97xfHR_v_pGoz-dA1Gkx8zRocxZ7ZUq7Gp9hdFHlrN0a4zONB8yzbjktL6zjw66Z2DfspjLSPbh-5Cw3sFuLgOTZ1Lupic8pG-aOZfVYdRo4RpPr8gA/s640/masterbathroommoodboard.jpg" width="428" /></a></div>
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And this, my friends, is where we stand today. The beadboard has been mostly installed, the tile had finally been finished (after a nightmare experience with some pattern blind installers!), and now we're just waiting to take delivery of our dual vanity and bathtub, and for the plumber to hook everything up.<br />
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My hope is that this room is a calm, soothing escape that we will enjoy for years and years to come.<br />
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Here are a couple of in progress pictures. (I need to run to the paint store and pick up some Stonington Gray to get started on painting the trim.)<br />
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<br />casacaudillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17737547597204258314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-503211492629127747.post-5150761583573374392020-01-17T17:39:00.002-05:002020-01-24T10:34:32.426-05:00What is The Josiah Thing House?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In early 2018, Alan and I found out that our adventure in Ireland was coming to a close and we'd have to move back to the U.S. The great thing about his job is there are offices all over the country, and as someone who can do her job practically anywhere, a specific location wasn't required for me either. We looked long and hard at our options - immediately ruling out a move back to the San Francisco Bay Area - and in the end, decided that we wanted to be in New England. Specifically, within a 40 or so minute drive of his office in a Boston suburb.<br />
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In February, before we'd broken the news to anyone, we spent a week in Boston to "celebrate our anniversary." Yeah, because Boston in the freezing cold sounded so, so romantic. Thankfully, no one looked askance at this, and when he wasn't working out of that office, we were putting over five hundred miles on our rental car, driving all around the state looking at various communities and determining their suitability for our life. In the end, we decided the coastal communities of the North Shore were our best fast.<br />
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Fast forward to May, and we were back again, this time with a realtor and a list of 20 houses we wanted to tour over a long weekend. We focused on search in Marblehead, Salem, Gloucester, Ipswich, and Newburyport. In the course of our epic multi-day search, there were a couple of houses that we thought we were going to love but didn't (always frustrating), plus a few we couldn't agree on, and some that we dismissed immediately. In the end, we were left with about five that were possibilities.<br />
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We were pretty sure that we wanted to live in an historic house - the older the better - and Newburyport was neck and neck with Marblehead for the communities we enjoyed the most. Honestly, looking back at the pictures of the house we ended up with, it's amazing I could even convince Alan to look at it in the first place. But the specs were right, the price was at the low end of our range, and the location couldn't be beat. So what if it was funky times one thousand. In the end, I walked out of there with a giant smile on my face. "I love it," I said to him and our realtor when we eventually met up again outside (I have a habit of wandering off on my own ...) Alan was shocked. Like I said, funky (for example: his and her side-by-side master bathrooms - neither of which was very master bathroom like).<br />
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We put in an offer, and went back and forth with the sellers until we settled on a price they were happy with, and that was the end of that. When we closed on July 2, the sellers handed over a genealogy of the home, dating it back to the 1700s. Their listing advertised it as the Stephen Cross House, circa 1761, but within these documents I couldn't find anything specific linking this structure with this location, and this particular year.<br />
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<i>(A sketch of the history of Newbury, Newburyport, and West Newbury from 1635 to 1845 by Joshua Coffin. </i><i>On March 17, 1767, Stephen Cross was given permission to set up a distillery in Newburyport.)</i></div>
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What we <b>do</b> know from wills and other recorded records and deeds is that Stephen Cross owned the land this house stands on, and he sold it to Josiah Thing, a blacksmith, in 1795. The house that sits here now was moved here from elsewhere in 1797. Odd as it sounded to us at the time, we've since come to learn this was a common practice in the Colonial era. What we also know is that Stephen Cross had a house on Water Street that was built in 1761, but it was moved in the late 1700s. The <i>theory</i> is that *this* house was Mr. Cross's house, and it was sold to Mr. Thing when he bought the land. But since that's only theory and conjecture, at this point, I don't feel comfortable claiming this as The Stephen Cross House.<br />
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At some point, we may pay the Newburyport historical society a ridiculous sum of money to do a more exhaustive search than the former owners were able to do to unravel this mystery (and get ourselves a nifty plaque on the front), but in the meantime, I'm happy to call this The Josiah Thing House. Unfortunately, Mr. Thing was not quite as controversial as old Mr. Cross, so there's nothing in the history books that talks about him, or this house.casacaudillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17737547597204258314noreply@blogger.com0