Aruba, Curacao, Grand Turk June 2014

Took a girls' getaway cruise with my mom and sister to Aruba, Curacao, and Grand Turk.

This was the first time since getting married Chris and I had been apart.  And even though I did cry in his arms saying "I never want to do this again" as he dropped me at the airport....it was indeed a special time.

Our plan was to drive from Tampa to Port Canaveral to stay the night and have a restful and early start to our cruise!  We researched hotels in the port area and decided on the Radisson, whose price included room, breakfast, parking, and shuttle.

But as is often the case plans "change."  Or just get started much much later than initially expected.  In our case, because we were celebrating a belated Father's Day and rarely get to hang out as a family the night ran later and later and even though we had each agreed and insisted we leave "no later than 8pm b/c I dont want to be rolling into the hotel at midnight," we rolled into the hotel at midnight.

The drive (ride) was uneventful-or at least it was for me b/c even though I fought it like mad I slept the entire time.  We pull up to the hotel and see the parking lot is full.  My mom goes to check in and right about the time I thought one of us should go make sure she hadnt been dismembered she came out with a key. And a map.  Now, if you know anything about my mom and me you are already laughing (one word: Epcotball).  So of course Jill commandeers the map as mom reenters the car and we begin to search for a spot near our room.

There are no spots near our room.

We take the single space left in the entire complex which according to the map is several inches away from where we need to be.  After successfully removing 2 fashionablly-full and 1 out-of-control-full (no comment, but it wasnt me. or jill) suitcases from the trunk we gather our random handheld items (bottles of this, bags of that) and start what we hope is a straightforward wheeling of luggage to our room to turn in and salvage whats left of a night's sleep.

Mom shows how on the map reception circled all the elevators on the property-which is very helpful as the complex is a sprawling one.  Jill leads the way as we set off from the "you are here" x at reception towards the lone asterisk at the other edge of the paper indicating our room.  Mere moments into our journey, already giggling from that great combination of excitement and fatigue like the days of slumber parties, hilarity ensues when Jill abruptly stops, turns towards us, and points to the ground.  We have a casualty.  Remember the "bottles of this" that were grabbed from the car?  It is down to a bottle of that-she has dropped and destroyed wine bottle #1 which we find endlessly amusing.

Pressing on, Jill leading, mom in the middle, me bringing up the rear.  The set-up is one where each room's entry opens to the outside so we are trying to be vewy vewy quiet as we navigate our way down the narrow walkways and through the vegetation.  So it is no surprise they didn't hear my hissing calls for them to stop; the back wheel of my suitcase was apparently broken during flight because the plastic covering was now laying on the sidewalk next to me like those tractor trailer treads you see peppering the shoulders of major highways.

Eventually after a few turns one of them apparently decided to throw a glance back and I hear, whispered, "Where's Carrie?"  Once they collected me we decided there was but one option: one of those brass luggage carts my mom had seen upon check-in. So baaaaack to the front I go to retrieve one.

The next hour was spent wandering the grounds of the hotel looking for one of the many, many, many elevators that had been circled for us on the map.  An hour of manipulating a giant luggage cart that only steers in one direction, down narrow walkways, constantly reminding each other to "watch your knuckles!" Mom, suddenly: "Oh! They said those were staircases that are circled not the elevators!"  Which makes sense since we did seem to encounter plenty of those...

Eventually we found our room and after sufficiently booby-trapping the door, with the cart we smuggled, settled into our first official night of girls' getaway!

The next morning we rose and headed to breakfast which I thought was fine.  Then back to the room to take showers and head to the shuttle!  We had left just enough time to make our way back to the lobby to check out and be fashionably early for the shuttle.  Which would have been fine except our old friend the luggage cart was not cooperating.  Freshly showered and looking cute we load him up and head towards the elevator which apparently decreased in size overnight because though it fit a few hours ago the cart is not fitting now.  Cockeyed with its brass-colored poles bending in agony to conform to the tight quarters we could not for the life of us square him to get the doors closed.

Jill, who apparently grew a penis overnight (said in slow motion man voice for effect), "Give me those bags!" and, in a roid rage, hoists them off the cart, which she abandons in the hall, and single-handedly loads them in the elevator.  The door closes and my mom and I stand in silence, exchanging glances, as Jill wipes the sweat from her brow and catches her breath.  By the time the doors open the podpeople have left and my sister is back.  Thankfully, a young burly fellow offered to carry my bum suitcase from the elevator to the shuttle.

While the Caribbean can be gorgeous the hot weather just doesn't appeal to me. But this time things were different. This time the weather was perfect; our first stop of Aruba and then Curacao both welcomed us with the most refreshing breeze! By the time we hit our third and final stop of Grand Turk the breeze was gone but no matter as I was snorkeling.

We researched each location to determine which if any excursions we were interested in. The handful of Caribbean cruises Chris and I have been on we chose to self-explore which I suspected wasn't going to fly with this crowd-though I was pleasantly surprised my mom showed interest in the 4x4 off road tour! Maybe shes the root of my adventurous spirit after all!

Aruba

I'd never been to Aruba before and knew little of it other than Natalee Holloway and the Beach Boys. We chose the Kukoo Kunuku b/c it offered a good combo of sight-seeing and beach and the feedback was decent, both in the cruise ship and the yelp/trip advisor reviews.

It is a day tour but I saw reviews for a night tour which involves alcohol so is prob even more ooc.

Cruise excursion described as follows:

Hop aboard the famous Kukoo Kunuku bus for a fun-filled island tour to see some of Aruba’s most famous landmarks followed by more fun at Moomba Beach.

Carlos was our guide and he was awesome. I cant imagine they'd hire any lame-os to drive these busses but I'm pretty sure they can make or break the experience, as can the crowd. Which, our crowd was eh. They seemed content to sit and watch the scenery and I'm pretty sure some never even removed the maracas from their holders. No matter-my mom and sister and I were ready to be silly and have a good time so luckily we were the last ones to board and had seats right next to Carlos. We shook our maracas at every man woman and child we saw on the road and the funny thing is, as Carlos promised, most all of them laughed and waved back. Couldn't stop laughing as Carlos made continuous loops in the roundabout-simple easy fun.

Peppered into our maraca shakes and fits of laughter were facts about the island and the areas we were going to see-all interesting and little of which I remember.

After our sights we headed to Moomba Beach, which beforehand I had briefly researched and learned was named one of the best beach bars by CNN Travel. Which, in retrospect, should've been a clue, somehow I only saw "Best Beach" and not the bar part. Luckily, despite it being World Cup, our couple of hours there were pretty quiet and uneventful. The water, I hate this, is roped off and shallow. And it wasn't clear and beautiful at all, which I get might've been due to wind/weather/something. No exaggeration, we could not see our hands right under the surface of the water it was all murky. And really even if the water had been pretty the rest of the beach and area just was not-just too much going on. Others talked about having the quintessential beach experience elsewhere on the island so if you are looking for that, this is not the place for you.  Notwithstanding, I was thankful for the respite there with my family.

What came next was prob the highlight of the entire trip for me. It was my first time ever being in port at night so i was hoping to catch an island sunset. I looked for a special way to experience this and found Pinchos, a restaurant at the end of a pier resting on the soft lapping waters of the Aruban shoreline.

Jonathan and Felix took excellent care of us!

Maybe it was the Aruba Aribas getting to me but suddenly, sitting there in the warm breeze watching the blazing sun slowly disappear behind the horizon with my mom and sister, I loved Aruba.

Curacao

Likewise, I knew little of Curacao. None of the excursions appealed to us so we decided to have a day at leisure and explore on our own and find a cute place for lunch. We came prepared with a self-guided walking tour of area craft markets-Jill of course taking lead, coming to an intersection, looks right, looks left, looks at map, begins to walk, my mom and I following like ducklings. This turned out to be sort of a bust as some of the markets were not there and others....even in this setting, I think we would all admit, were a stretch to be considered "crafts." That said, we meandered through the narrow streets, popping into shops here and there when something caught our eye (more bamboo sheets for mom) and just having a chill day. I particularly liked the vendors that sail daily from Venezuela and set up to sell their produce.  Note that shortly after you exit the cruise area there is a Starbucks, where we got a drink and sat checking in with friends and family via comp wifi both coming and going.

Grand Turk

I'd been to Grand Turk once before (see disappoint experience in earlier review) so I was just "whatever" about going here. I'm happy to report my experience this time was

completely different. We took the excursion to Governor's Beach which is described as:

Escape to Grand Turk’s famous Governor’s Beach for a relaxing day of sunbathing, swimming and snorkeling!

I knew one could easily get to/from the beach on one's own, and for less money, but my mom raised a point that the excursion guaranteed a seat (we had read reviews that it can get quite crowded) and she didn't want to get to the beach and not "have a damn chair." It wasn't expensive so it made sense to cover our bases just in case. You got transport to and from the ship, snorkel gear, and a damn chair.

My mom and sister sat in the sun near the water while I set up camp further back in the shade of the trees. Most of my time, however, was spent snorkeling. Anyone who dives understands that the world down there is amazing and that snorkeling just barely scratches the surface. That said, while it wasn't exceptional, it definitely wasn't bad.

I saw some decent stuff and would pop above the surface occasionally to see if anyone was around to share a neat find with. For the first time I saw a hermit crab in the sea!  Before Id only seen them scooting along on a beach (or in a cage at the boardwalk) so this was exciting!  The first coolest thing though I saw that caused me to run out of the water like a kid over to tell my mom was this big sand-colored flat guy that so blended with the sand I almost didn't see him! What was so freaking funny about the fish is he had eyes on the top and a mouth on the side! She said I should ask one of the hosts overseeing our stay at the beach (who were *awesome* by the way-just friendly, informative, professional, and kept any riff raff out). Out of breath and still giddy with excitement for this alien creature I had seen I barely had the words out and he gave a knowing nod and said, "Oh yes that's the plate fish!" Which if you google you will get fish on a plate but turns out is a type of flounder, which I was surprised b/c yes the only flounder I know is from The Little Mermaid.

And for the first time I saw an octopus! He was wittle so maybe a baby? In a trance-like state I floated and watched him for a very long time stretching out his tentacles and doing all his octopus-like moves such as thrusting his heads towards another rock and torpedoing himself towards it, slinking behind and lunging a bit in a fake warning sort of way at the little fishies that seemed to harass him. Perhaps they were just as fascinated as I?

Something else* had caught my eye-I was floating for a decent amount of time observing it and committing it to memory when I noticed another snorkeler very close. He kept bumping me and brushing against my arms and legs. Which, I didn't think anything of it-sure it can be hard to control your movements out there. He grabbed my arm and pointed at something. Sensing his excitement I, too, wanted to share the cool stuff Id seen! We surfaced and, mask on/mouth piece out, I begin a quick and excited recap of all Id discovered that day! I fervently relayed my details of all the fishhhhhhh Id seen, the octopusssssss, the plate fishhhhh....And it's funny b/c even then, as I tread water sharing my nautical descriptions of the last few hours, I could see his facial vacancy. As I concluded my summation, took a big breath, goofy smile of excitement glued to my face anxiously awaiting his response he said only: You're not Barbara?

*I have yet to identify what I saw floating by a shipwreck that day. It was black and white and looked like spindly spider legs shooting out the top and bottom, in total about the size of a basketball.

Carnival Liberty: I liked the ship's decor-the scrollwork and chandeliers

Balcony room 1060: Perfect location and quiet even though we were afraid it wouldnt be.

Serenity Deck: Days at sea were spent here.  We didn't have trouble finding seats together if we arrived early.  Only one "clam" with a lid which was occupied by the same elderly couple for the length of the cruise because the husband slept there to "save it."  My only complaint with the area were the workers staffing the bar.  Though friendly, their laughter and conversations were held on an ongoing basis and at a decibel that took the serene out of serenity.

Dining: Past cruises we've been either with a group large enough group to necessitate our own table or Chris and I have had a 2-top or we have chosen not to eat in the main dining room at all. So you can imagine my surprise as the host led us to a table and motioned to three empty seats at a table with six already occupied. It hadn't even crossed my mind we might have to (said with disgust) eat with strangers. I was so annoyed. I sat down and immediately picked up the menu, which I knew was irrelevant b/c Id placed my vegan "chef's choice" order for the  length of the cruise earlier that day.* The first thing the family to our right (mother, father, undetermined aged daughter) says is, "We really wanted 'any time' dining so just so you know we might not be back-but it's not because we don't like you."  And I believed them?  So the next night the remaining six of us were unsure to make of the mother, father, and undetermined aged daughter seated at the table as we all arrived.  It was like a weird drug flashback-they were sort of the same but sort of different? They were smiling like they knew us? But all of us were like...are those the same people as last night? Something was a little off.  Then with great haste the father stands and states, "Oh excuse us, we have sat at the wrong table!"

It's funny how things happen....and I laugh as I write this thinking how we have all become friends. In particular, the family next to me (the original trio, who DID return to dine with us) turns out lives nearby. And are now literally a wonderful addition to my everyday life.  I'm thankful for these new friendships; I wouldn't have thought it possible but I love that I am still learning lessons in life such as I hope I remember to leave my bad attitude and preconceived notions at home on our upcoming travels (:

*The staff did a really really really bad job with my vegan meals. Like, really bad. No lie, there were nights I hadn't been served a single thing and the next group of diners were already coming in. Just, unacceptable. My mom and sister started asking for their food to be held until mine was ready so we could actually dine together, which was a united front that I appreciated (dont make mama mad)!  And frankly, it couldn't have been any easier for them: "Anything but artichokes. Thanks!" They had promised would be "nooo problemmm" when talked to hostess first afternoon. Cha. Serving me the same Mongolian Wok food each night actually *is* a problem. Finally, 5 nights in they got it right. Ridic.

We were the only ship in port most times so, in addition to the weather (that I loved and the other passengers couldn't stop bitching about), the lack of crowds I think really presented a particularly favorable experience for us.

Had a very, very nice time and will cherish the memories we made <3

Planning a Trip Around the World

How to Plan a Trip Around the World

There are lots of great resources out there.  And really I wish more were applicable to us.  It'd be neat to be writing that we are twenty-somethings, with no obligations, setting out for a carefree and exhilarating year-long trip around the world.  But our lives took different, albeit fulfilling, paths.  We have decent jobs, a mortgage for a home we love, and a life we do actually want to to return to (:

We are at once homebodies and world travelers!

So for this (mini) RTW journey our starting point may be a bit different and our template may be a bit unconventional; we are limited more by time than by budget. We are left with a choice to visit locations for a shorter period of time or not visit them at all. We choose the former. Notwithstanding the foregoing, though having more time would be ideal, this doesnt pose too much of a problem b/c as much as wed love to wonderfully lose ourselves in the culture of each location our aspirations this time around are to fulfill our dreams of particular experiences.

So, how to even begin putting together an around the world journey?

I look at the first step like creating a study outline from a text book-filling in the static stuff first like roman numerals and headers.  Sort of laying out the bones of the thing first then further fleshing it out as your research starts filling in some of the blanks.

For example, our very first step was to determine whether any events dictated us being at certain locations at certain dates.  Then, using those as our anchor cities, building our remaining, flexible itinerary around.  What we found is that we have one.  Yep.  Exactly one event, in one destination, that dictates we be there at a certain date.  It probably sounds counter intuitive but I was sort of hoping for more constraints because, as illustrated by our profile name, for us, flexibility equals indecision.

So we had basically an outline with one header and a bunch of other stuff we werent sure where to place.

Our next step was to pin our destinations on a world map and see the most logical route. Some unroll paper maps taped together and wrinkled with wear showing highlights and markings outlining their dream routes while others hang giant ones on their walls using pushpins to identify their wildest ambitions.  We have taken the virtual and much less exciting path: google maps. Research showed there are plenty of options out there to piece together your rtw itinerary (e.g., airtreks) but for our basic needs google maps was perfect. You can see it here though note that final destinations are still in progress: wanderlust world map.

Once we could more easily visualize our journey we visited our favorite airfare website: google flights.  We *love* using google flights because you can easily toggle between airport codes AND there are some cool features like one which shows you the dates that offer the cheapest flights between your selected cities and another that shows you fares for all flights from a particular city. This is really helpful for us since aside from our ONE destination we have such flexibility.

And this is the point we are at now-comparing fares and flight times and layovers to see what is most appealing.  For example, 15 hours in Shanghai or 13 hours in Bangkok? Neither of these are destinations on our itinerary, however, maybe it would be fun to get quick taste along the way.  Or maybe we choose the flight with nearly no layover to maximize our time at our "official" destinations.  Lots of things to consider.

We created a spreadsheet (b/c we both look for any excuse to use excel) showing cost to get to/from each location to/from all other locations.  This task was fascinating or tedious, depending on which one of us you ask, but either way certainly informative.  Such as you can travel to Amman from nearly anywhere in the world for under $1,000.  And Argentina to Palau can cost you over $6,000.

RTW-have you been?

Twenty years ago we wouldve called it "gap year."  Fifteen years ago we mightve described it as our "last hoorah" before real life began.  Now, I think we will just call it "fulfilling a dream!"

We are in the early stages of planning our first (of hopefully several over our lives but shh dont tell him) trip around the world!

Destinations have initially sort of been categorized as must sees, nice to sees, and might as well sees while we are there (sounds like popeye).

The must sees of course is the most exciting as these are places and experiences that we either heard/saw/read about at some point in life that so moved our souls they earned a place in our dreams.

Northern Lights
Chiang Mai/Yee Peng
Jellyfish Lake
India
Easter Island
Vietnam
Patagonia
Swim through glowing waters (marine bioluminescence)
New Zealand
Tibet
Galapagos
Nepal
Tahiti

For now, you can check out what inspires us as we plan our itinerary at http://www.pinterest.com/carrienicolesmi/wanderlust-chris-and-carrie-see-the-world/

Edit: Upon learning of our upcoming travels a coworker seriously asked if I was dying.  I couldnt help but laugh and had to share that. No, this isnt "Make a Wish," its just a dream come true (: But sad he and others might let their dreams remain just dreams.

Ventana Inn and Spa (Big Sur, California)

We wanted to go away for the holiday and since wed had such a wonderful time in Joshua Tree we decided to see more of Califronia's beautiful wilderness.  But in a luxurious setting.  Sort of gorp meets spa.  Our first choice was Post Ranch Inn but it had no availability for our dates.  Ventana Inn and Spa was our backup.

In the days leading up to our stay we learned of devastating wild fires taking place in Big Sur.  Certainly our foremost thoughts were for the residents and the beautiful wilderness being affected.  Coming from the east coast and being completely unfamiliar with wildfires we were concerned, particularly when we learned the fires were a mile away from Ventana, how this might impact the trip and whether we should consider postponing.  A "caligirl" friend said "a mile out is nothing to worry about" and Ventana similarly responded to our inquiries assuring us everything was fine-to come on out!

Friday Night Flight: We made our reservation online a few weeks in advance and even then the plane was nearly full. Of the 4 or 5 seats left we had to pick 2 that were close but not together. Luckily when we checked in online 24 hours on the dot before the flight exit rows showed as available so we grabbed those.

I love that the pilot told us beforehand there would be some significant turbulence because it seems to make it less scary when you know its coming. That said, it was pretty severe. In fact, the only time it was ever worse was *also* enroute between PHL and SFO-perhaps that stretch is susceptible. When I get scared during turbulence I like to look at the people around me. It really puts me at ease to see others going about "business and usual." The mom behind us offering her son Cam a ham sammy, the college student nearby discussing (at great length) his choice of major. I know all this because they all had to yell to be heard over the engines. I put my earphones in and tried to get lost in Sideways, my goto flight movie. Chris naturally slept through the whole thing.

Once we landed we made our way to the tram and then the rental car wing. Half asleep we wheel our luggage to the Fox counter, see two guys being helped and one guy in line, and think, "cool, this should go quickly." So you know it didnt. Which, how does this even happen? Fox had two representatives working and each one had a problem customer. One guy, by the sound of it, had seriously never rented a car before as he was asking several questions and making many calls to Progressive to discuss insurance options.  "Decline it, lets go!" The other guy was unhappy with the cars hed so far been given. Based on his animated exchange we could ascertain hed been through at least two. The first was too small: My knees hit the steering wheel! which a. hes like 5 foot 7 and b. he reserved a commmmpaaaaaact carrrrr (David Sedaris voice)!  The second was not big enough to hold the luggage, which he stated several times had been sitting next to his wife at the terminal for over an hour.

It was clear by the relieved expression on the rep's face we were a breath of fresh air as we approached the counter with smiles and paperwork. After turning down the offer for a mustang or a camaro we chose the more fuel-efficient fiat. The whole thing took less than 5 minutes..

Once we settled into our steed we head to the hotel we booked online based on a careful weighing of location, free parking, decor, and reviews: Holiday Inn Redwood City. As we pulled into the hotel parking garage we noticed a man rando milling about-which is auto suspicious given the hour. Then I saw he had a box of cereal in one hand a gallon of milk in the other so guess he just had the munchies.

The welcome from the front desk representative was warm and check-in was a breeze. We were given two bottles of water, our key, and information on the next morning's comp breakfast.

One never knows for sure what to expect when checking into a hotel-especially one youve chosen "just for the night" and might not ordinarily choose for a longer stay. And while I still wouldnt choose it for a vacation homebase (purely because it has a more "corporate" than "stylish" vibe), the room was perfect! I love the extra touches like the personalized letter from the manager, the hand-written Happy Holidays note from housekeeping, the paper bows on the toilet paper, and even though they arent our thing (not that toilet paper bows necessarily are), the towel animal greeting us from the foot of the bed. And they had a special remote control that helped eliminate germs which I have not seen before but welcomed as I remember seeing one of those "special reports" re germs in hotel rooms and, yep, the clicker was a hot spot. Ew. Finally, and most importantly, the room was clean clean clean clean clean.

The only downside to our stay, and I hate to even mention a downside, was that the refrigerator made a humming sound that woke us up throughout the night. When the heat was running it would block out the hum but each time the heat stopped the hum would wake us up. We compared stories the next morning and laughed to learn we both had considered ways to address this but we had been too tired to even get out of bed. So the room was great, the sleep was not.


Breakfast the next morning was not a disappointment. I imagine we have all experienced a range of quality when it comes to a complimentary breakfast. They had a great array of cereals, pastries, fruits, yogurts, breads, and, yes, even soy milk! That last one really was a nice surprise! We laughed and werent sure whether to give thanks to Holiday Inn or to California as a whole!

After making the requisite stop at the Whole Foods (Monterrey) to pick up some fruit, gorp, and clif bars for our hikes we continued our drive south which, as anyone would imagine, was gorgeous.  Along the way we knew we wanted some good authentic tacos for lunch so thanks to our yelp search we tried Balderimo's Taco Shop which was exactly what we were looking for!

We didnt know it at the time but today would be the clearest and brightest skies of our stay so what a wonderful welcome to Big Sur!  Each bend we rounded held a more picturesque view than the one before and we were forever pulling over at the many pulloffs provided to take pictures or just try to absorb the beauty of the mighty santa lucia mountains meeting the crashing crystal blue sea below.

As we grew closer to Ventana we also grew closer to the wild fire.  We were completely unsure what to expect-would roads be closed?  Would we see flames?  Would the area be enveloped in smoke?  Aside from the scent similar to that of a wood-burning fireplace a mile or so around the heart of the incident, really we were surprised how undetectable the fire was (from a visitor's perspective, from the main road-obviously we understood the terrible impact this fire had on the residents and the environment).

Soon we rounded the corner and saw the entrance to Ventana!  A winding path takes you up the hill, around the ocean, past a giant penis statue (we later learned it is a whale) with a lovely view of the water behind until finally you reach the parking lot.

We pulled into a slot and immediately a gold cart was headed our way to assist!  It powered us and our bags up the hill and deposited us in reception.  Check-in went smoothly and they invited us to enjoy the tale-end of the wine and cheese hour.  Which in all fairness a glance at the clock incidcated the hour really had ended but they graciously welcomed us nonetheless.  By this time we were the only guests and had the wine/cheese area to ourselves.  The hosts explained to us in detail the wines, the cheeses, and what pairings went nicely together.  (They also had vegan options of various crackers and a very good hummus.)  Typically, they said, guests stay 1 or 2 nights so when asked how long we were staying they oohed and ahhed at our "5 nights" response.

Settled next to the (sadly, unlit) fireplace with our small bites and wines, Christmas tree lit in our periphery, we clinked our glasses and smiled; this was a wonderfully warm welcome to Ventana!  

We "embraced the beauty of the Pacific Ocean" and stayed in a Pacific House Room which offers "stunning distant ocean views" as its centerpiece. The feel is more modern than rustic but perfect in every way, featuring: King bed, Wood-burning fireplace, Vaulted ceilings with skylights, Large bathroom, Oversized soaking tub for two, Double vanity sinks, Separate shower, Glass windows that open, 227-square-foot deck, Private hot tub, Distant ocean views, 634 square feet.

The blinds for the skylights in the vaulted ceiling are remote-controlled like Cameron Diaz's house in the Holiday so you can shut everything up nice and tight if you want to sleep in or take a nap mid-day.

The wood-burning fireplace was awesome and we had that thing blazing non-stop.  Housekeeping provides you with new sacks of wood each day and reception will send additional wood upon request.  You toss the sack, as is, into the fireplace and then use the match to set the sack and the wood within alight.  Crackling popping perfection on those cool mountain nights!

While researching area hikes we came across a perfect website called www.hikinginbigsur.com which offers everything one would want to know about choosing an adventure. After careful consideration we sprinkled the following into our time in Big Sur:

Ewoldsen Trail

McWay Waterfall Trail

Jade Cove Trail

Ewoldsen Trail
This trail was a must for us based on the description on hikinginbigsur, "The wonderful thing about the Ewoldsen trail is that it offers a highly scenic sampling of what you find with most Big Sur trails east of Highway 1. You've got your old growth redwood forest, scrub landscapes, sweeping canyon and ocean views, and a nice bit of elevation gain." The hike was a pretty one and we did indeed get a sampling of all that was promised and practically had it all to ourselves as we saw only a handful of others on the trail. Though there are a few decent spots to take in the view we wanted the official lookout point and we reached it shortly before the sun began to set. As usual, we found ourselves in a compromising position with the setting sun and a few miles to hike along a narrow trail with mountains on one side and certain death in the form of a steep drop-off on the other. Ok so probably not death but injury and inconvenience at least. And did I mention I dont have my glasses? The ones I never wear unless I am driving (or HIKING) at night in an unfamiliar area? We hustle down the mountain trying to maximize the wee light that remains when suddenly we see two beams of light behind us! Many thanks to Krista and Jeff who share their headlamp light with us the last few moments of the trail!

This morning we slept in.  Caught a little guy taking his morning bath!

We took a lovely drive south towards San Simeon to check out the elephant seals.  We had no idea what was in store but our previous experience years ago with California seals (Seal Rock, Monterrey) didnt disappoint so we were pretty excited.

For our journey we stopped to get snacks at Big Sur Bakery which had a grimey interior and surly workers. One employee coughed/sneezed in his hand and then grabbed a loaf of bread for a customer.  We thought it was gross but maybe thats how they roll.  The bread itself was ok nothing special.  As far as local shops go we'd had plans to visit Nepenthe but they never materialized (research showed it was a great for views but ehh for food).

So, snacking on our bakery bread and our Ventana-provided water (Chris asked if he was in prison), hugged by farms on our left and ocean on our right, we trucked down the highway, watching the fog roll in.

Finally we arrived!  These creatures, which I will fondly describe as giant slugs, were worth the drive.  Allow me to describe the scene: hundreds of giant wrinkled seals laying "beached" on the sand.  One lifts his heft of neck and trumpets with all his might, that huge fleshy mound that hangs from his face flapping wildly, then throws himself back on the sand as all seals who surround seem to scatter in response.  Their movements are sort of inchworm meets body slam.  Hilarity ensues as guys from the water begin to scoot themselves up onto the sand, getting only a few feet before surrendering to their mass and throwing themselves on the ground, proboscis bouncing upon impact, only to heave themselves up and do it again moments later.

Friends of the Elephant Seals were in the crowd, which was neat, giving facts and fielding questions for visitors.  We caught the tale-end of an explanation of dominance as we watched two males in combat.  She said once those two males fight, they will never fight again; basically, whoever wins has won forever.

Home in time for wine.

McWay Waterfall Trail
We hadnt heard of this waterfall previously but as soon as I saw pictures (a waterfall from a mountain onto a sandy beach near the ocean) I wanted to see it! We had seen cars parked along the roadside earlier in the week so we knew where the trail began. When we arrived we were one of only a few cars to we had the place to ourselves for some time. You walk along a raised boardwalk that weaves you around the waterfall so you are at a bit of a distance. It was really so pretty to see I wanted to be a part of it-my first thought was "I must get down there!" This thought was surging inside me and I didnt even know Id said it out loud until Chris directed my attention to a very large sign warning of hefty fines for anyone who descends. Seriously, I considered descending despite the fine; it would have been worth it to get to walk on that secluded stretch of land and to slip my fingers into that amazing waterfall. In the end, the bit on the sign about "harming nature" stopped me. If you follow the trail past the waterfall youll come to the remnants of an old building with signs providing interesting historical facts about the area, which I dont recall but is probably similar to what is offered on wikipedia: Christopher McWay homesteaded the canyon in the late 1870s and eventually McWay's Saddle Rock Ranch was sold in the 1920s to Lathrop Brown and his wife, Helen Hooper Brown, who built two houses at Waterfall Overlook. In 1961 the approximately 1,800 acre property was donated by Helen Hooper Brown to the state for a park, to be named for Julia Pfeiffer Burns, a respected resident and rancher in the Big Sur region in the early 20th century, who lived in the area for much of her life until her death in 1928.

Jade Cove Trail

This trail ended up being my most favorite activity in Big Sur. And I feel like that is saying a lot because the whole area is so beautiful with so many wonderful things to experience. What was so neat about this path in particular is that, after using a rope to help you descend, it culminates at the base of a cliff in the water ocean waves crashing at your feet. Even cooler is that sifting through the sand and rocks and shells you will find actual jade and this was exciting and appealing. The day we visited there was a couple and also a man and his friendly dog who followed me around the whole time and laid next to me in a protector-like role as I searched for jade (the dog not the man). The couple gave us tips on hunting the jade and as we talked we learned they were from a small town a few hours north and were on a bit of a road trip. When they learned we were from the east coast the woman came over to me and handed me a handful of jade she had already found saying they could more easily come back and find the stones than we ever could. What an awesome, awesome gesture! Really, Id wanted to find my own b/c that was part of the appeal of the experience but the kindness she showed outshined my desire to search for sure and is definitely, along with just talking to the folks there in general, a big piece of what made this trail so memorable.

Christmas Eve: We wanted a peaceful special together time this evening for dinner so we chose to order in.  Room service has a limited menu and limited hours but we had no problem piecing together a lovely array for our meal.  When delivered, the friendly servers dramatically unfolded a white cloth and formally set our table and arranged our ordered dishes.  Wed never had such a pampering room service experience before!  Warm low lights, popping fireplace, slow Christmas jazz, and the cool night air of Big Sur gently sneaking through the windows behind us (pauses for moment of content reflection) I couldnt have asked for a more perfect moment!

At home, for us, Christmas Eve is perhaps even more significant than Christmas Day.  The main event is typically evening as we pack hot chocolate and newly decorated Christmas cookies into the car to look at lights for a few hours with our homemade cds softly playing our favorite Christmas tunes in the background before heading to the latenight candlelight service.  We knew this year would be different but we were still determined to make it special.  We had considered heading to the beach with a blanket and wine to build a small bonfire and watch the sunset, however, we wanted to attend service and the timing just wasnt right.  Based on the type of experience we were looking for Ventana reception made some recommendations for Christmas Eve service so we took their suggestion: Mission San Carlos Borroméo del río Carmelo, also known as Carmel Mission Basilica.

Established in 1771 (the second-oldest mission in California) it was interesting to learn this mission is on the National Register of Historic Places and is a U.S. National Historic Landmark.  Even more interesting, it was named for Carlo Borromeo, Archbishop of Milan, Italy. St. Charles Borromeo Seminary is the seminary of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Named for Saint Charles Borromeo, it is located just outside of the city in our home area.  We felt this was a neat twist of fate we should end up in this particular church.

The drive to the church was itself amazing; late on Christmas Eve with not another soul on the road, steep mountains and vast waters surrounding us, starry skies above us.  Soon we approached the town of Carmel and followed the train of cars through a sleepy residential area to the mission.  Being on the late side, as usual, we jumped out of the car and quickly headed to the service.  What we saw was straight out of a movie-a tiny adobe archway leading to a beautifully simple sanctuary, overflowing with red-cheeked, scarved faithful singing the sounds of Christmas into the night!

Christmas Day: Our last full day at Ventana we wanted to just chill and enjoy the property and each other.

 

To ensure something special, we had made Christmas dinner reservations for The Restaurant at Ventana and we were super excited.  We'd seen the restaurant during the day for breakfast but that night, maybe it was the Christmas in our hearts, it became something truly spectacular!  The chef prepared  a special vegan wellington for me which tasted absolutely amazing though a bit more effort couldve been put into the plating.

Afterwards we strolled hand-in-hand down the softly lit path back to our room to find a gift from Ventana waiting for us-a lovely local/handmade glass ornament depicting a scene of nature in Big Sur.  A wonderful segue into the perfect Christmas nightcap of fireplace, hottub, and starry sky.


As with many of our getaways hammock time is always awesome time and Ventana was no exception.  These cocoons of serenity are peppered throughout the property and we never had a problem scoring one.  Our favorite daytime hammock was right outside our room on a small hill hidden by trees and flowering plants.

Our favorite nighttime hammock was in the large opening not far from reception where you are guaranteed to see amazingness such as black-tailed deer muching in the shadows, shooting stars, and even the milkyway.

A minor issue at Ventana were other guests.  And this experience is not new for us-it seems to always happen: we have a few amazing peaceful days to ourselves, then loud people show up and ruin it.  Sigh.  Please, tell me *who* is the guest that opens their screendoor and blares their music and then yells at each other (one inside the room, the other out on the porch) to carry a conversation over the music? There was just no need for us to hear the wife's twenty-minute yelling persuasion that Grumpy Old Men was the "funniest movie ever made" (and yes, I judged that comment).  After the grace period we gave hoping common sense-or maybe compassion-would kick in (it never does-see also: Miss Mary Mack in Maldives) I called reception and explained the situation, framing it as "I'm sure they are unaware they might be disturbing the solitude of other guests," and reception of course agreed.  Because who would ever be an a-hole on purpose, right....  Within moments though, our neighbor's phone rang and after a brief conversation their door was closed and peace was restored.  So maybe they really *didnt* know?  On one hand, and most importantly, I was thankful the guests simply did the right thing and addressed their actions.  On the other, though-to go through life so unaware of others around you?  That must be a gift.  So, Ventana should be applauded for taking swift action. And I understand we generally cant hold the resort responsible for the actions of other guests but what I *do* think Ventana can do is, upon check-in, include in the welcome conversation that "this is a retreat" and "please be respectful of the solitude of those around you" and possibly even specify "in particular the guests in neighboring rooms" with regard to "media and conversations."  You'd think these types of things would "go without saying" but that has been proven wrong time and time again.

A major fail for Ventana is cleanliness.  Our room was semi-filthy our entire stay.  I say semi-filthy because it was superficially clean-like, it was dusted, new towels were (usually) left, and the toilet was cleaned, but nothing else. As soon as you took a closer look though you saw remnants of past guests and super subpar cleaning jobs.  Because our thinking is "they cant fix what they dont know" we immediately gave reception an opportunity to remedy this and they actually seemed like they cared and wanted to right the wrongs; they asked for detailed examples which we gave, along with our "everything else has been so wonderful" trail off....  Nothing, however, not a single thing, was ever addressed.  In our view, this is just completely unacceptable.  They should recruit housekeeping from Holiday Inn Redwood-that place was *spotless*.

A pattern developed during our stay.  Mornings we would wake and take the pretty walk to breakfast, each time opting to dine outdoors so we could enjoy the views-which some days were clear and some days were cloudy but all days were breathtaking.

Afternoons we would go for a drive or take in a nice hike.  Evenings we would sit and talk during wine and cheese, walk the property endlessly pointing out the black-tailed deer, and of course get in our hot tub or take a bath in our giant spa tub and make santa beards on ourselves with the bubble bath.

Overall our time at Ventana was lovely and while there is just too much of the world to see to return anytime soon, it was well worth the trip!