After landing in San Juan, we collected our luggage, piled into our rental car, and headed East for paradise. As we approached our resort, we smiled with delight because it was clear we had discovered something special...VERY special. The St. Regis Bahia Beach is nothing short of AMAZING! The resort itself is beautiful, and the surrounding tropical rain forest and beach is stunning!
After checking out the main reception area in the Plantation House, we were whisked away on a golf cart to our Villa. The impressive entrance and common areas had truly peaked our imaginations, and despite trying not to get our hopes up, we had grand expectations for the room.
We weren't disappointed! Luxurious accommodations with a to-die-for bathroom/shower room. That's how big the shower was! It was pretty much it's own room. All this with a peak-a-boo ocean view from the balcony. Man oh man, I miss our Villa! It was a great place to call home for the week.
Excited to see more, we set out to explore the grounds a bit. Wandering the meandering paths, we discovered the wide sandy beach. It was the perfect spot to sit and relax as we discussed all the fun possibilities for the week.
Of course, eventually our growling stomachs pulled us away from the beach and towards one of the resort restaurants. We dined on the candlelit patio while being serenaded by the islands millions of Coqui tree frogs. It was music to our ears and a delight for our tastebuds.
The next morning, we were up bright and early ready to truly start our vacation. Sadly, we had to tear ourselves away from our lovely resort because we had plans to meet up with Scott and Geraldine who were staying at a different property. Don't feel too badly for us though. Scott and Geraldine's resort was also very impressive. It was much larger in scale and was perched high on a cliff overlooking the breathtaking turquoise water below.
After exploring the grounds, we boarded a ferry bound for a private island owned by the resort. See! I told you not to feel sorry for us.
Palomino Island is the perfect spot to waste away an afternoon. The powdery beaches were ultra inviting. Topped only by the crystal-clear water! Just watch out for the falling coconuts...you think I'm kidding! On Palomino Island you can be as active or lazy as your heart desires. There are hiking and horseback riding trails plus a variety of sports courts. The lounge chairs were calling my name though, and the boys were simply eager to finally splash in the waves.
Several hours and fruity drinks later, it was time to call it a day and reboard our ferry to the mainland which in our case was still an island. Ahhhh! Did I mention we loved Puerto Rico? We were thankful that Scott and Geraldine shared their resort with us, and we couldn't wait to repay the favor the following day when they would relocate to our resort for a night. We booked them a Villa as a way of thanking them for serving as the best tour guides EVER.
We spent Day 3 exploring El Yunque National Rain Forest. After stopping by the Welcome Center to pick up a map and a few souvenirs, we started our adventure.
The Spring rains meant the waterfalls were especially beautiful, and I had to question the decision by the other tourists to scale the fences and jagged rocks beneath the falls. Apparently, they didn't see all the news stories from the past year about silly tourists ignoring posted warnings and being washed over the raging waterfalls.
360 degree views of paradise...what else could really ask for?! Beauty at it's finest!
With the temperature and humidity climbing, we decided it was time to stake out a shady spot for lunch. The little roadside cafe proved to be the perfect spot. We enjoyed some of the more popular local dishes, and Baylor had what must be the most delicious chicken quesadilla ever! I'm glad he decided to share.
After lunch, we returned to the resort just in time to greet Scott and Geraldine as they were checking in. We relived the magic of first seeing the immaculate grounds through their eyes, and then returned to our villas to freshen up for dinner at our resort's top restaurant, Chef Jean Georges' FERN. The meal was memorable for it's flavors, but the fact that upscale restaurant is so welcoming to children was what really left such an incredible impression with our group. Two thumbs up!!!
Day 4 required us to divide and conquer. For Anh and Scott, that meant the golf course. It was some much deserved time away from the wives and kids...guy time. Jaxon and Baylor were a bit disappointed to learn that they wouldn't be golfing with Dr. Scott, but thankfully, the pool with Mom and Ms. Geraldine was an acceptable plan B.
The oasis-style pool was the perfect spot to spend our day. While the temperature was technically only in the mid-80's, the humidity made it feel much warmer. Thank goodness for the cool water, shade umbrella, and frozen drinks!
We weren't the only ones enjoying the pool that day. Check out the iguana in the tree! While we found him quite entertaining to observe, I can tell he thought we were equally fascinating. If any of the kids got too close, he would scurry up the tree trunk out of reach, but he'd always creep back down where he had a better view of all the surrounding activity. Clearly, Mr. Iguana enjoyed the attention.
On Day 5 it occurred to us that our island vacation was almost over, and we decided to venture off the resort grounds again. This time, our plan was to spend the day in Old San Juan, but the boys wanted to spend an hour on the driving range before we took off.
I'm not sure whether Jaxon and Baylor were more interested in hitting golf balls or driving the golf cart. Regardless, it was a fun morning. I'm fairly certain that we'll be taking more vacations centered around golf in the future. Jaxon and Baylor were so excited that their clubs and golf shoes were packed along with Dad's. I guess I better start shopping for extra travel golf bags. It's also a good thing that we fly on Southwest and don't have to worry about baggage fees!
Old San Juan actually reminded us a lot of our own downtown. Both cities reflect the Spanish style and architecture and are major tourist destinations. We wandered the district's narrow streets lined with restaurants and shops looking for a few souvenirs and gifts and found the restaurant that Geraldine recommended for our farewell dinner.
We stumbled upon the Castillo San Cristobal which once protected the city from attack. It was hard to miss it, actually, since it sits majestically on the ocean cliff overlooking Old San Juan. It's really a sight to behold.
To the boys' delight, they were appointed honorary National Park Rangers complete with badges. I'd say they took their honorary role quite seriously. Maybe they can go back this Summer and make a few bucks.
With the sun setting, we snapped a few pictures and headed back down into town to an amazing farewell dinner. Geraldine knows her restaurants, and Aquaviva in Old San Juan did not disappoint. I'd share all the food photos (You know I took a million!), but this post is already so picture-heavy, I was afraid I'd blow some data limit or lose the few loyal readers I still have thanks to my irregular blogging habits if I included the food pics too. The boys are cuter to look at anyway!
Of course, it wouldn't be a Shannon post without at least a food photos. You have to admit, I've shown remarkable restraint! On our 6th and final day, we made one last stop on the way to the airport. It might have been last on our itinerary, but lunch at the kiosks of Luquillo Beach (kioskos de Luquillo) was one of my top priorities for the trip. The kiosks are basically shacks along Luquillo Beach that are extremely popular with locals. Fine dining it isn't, but the food is fabulous and is served with an ocean view. It's an experience that's not to be missed.
Grant is absolutely determined to be on the go just like his big brothers. As a result, he can get pretty frustrated when he's stuck laying down. In fits of anger, Grant has rolled over in both directions (tummy to back and back to tummy) which is waaaay ahead of his brothers at this age, but this feat is not exactly consistent yet. Still, we don't trust him on the bed, couch, or ottoman anymore. Anh and I are determined that this will be our one baby that doesn't go THUMP onto the floor at some point. Fingers crossed!
