Hola, Cancun!

In February of 2014, my husband and I traveled to the beautiful Yucatan Peninsula and stayed in  Cancun, Mexico. This was my second trip to Cancun. The first time I went was in September of 2013 with one of my girlfriends.  I'll mix in a little info from that trip as well, in order to give you a more well-rounded view of what you can expect.

We stayed at a pretty crappy adults-only resort called the Grand Oasis Viva.  This hotel ceases to exist anymore, so I'll leave out my review of the actual hotel.  No use boring you with the details if it isn't even around anymore to defend itself!






You can find great recommendations on hotels and things to do on the Cancun Care website. 

One of the nice things about Cancun is that even though there is a lot to do inside the resort, there is a lot to see outside of it, too!  There are many day trip options, such as going on Mayan ruins tours or deep sea fishing.  If you're in the Hotel Zone, there is a mall and some touristy restaurants like Senor Frogs.  There is a huge market in the main part of the Hotel Zone where you can buy blankets, shirts, jewelry, and any souvenir you can think of.  If you're super uncomfortable with confrontation, you might stay away.  The local shop owners and their employees can be pretty aggressive when trying to get you to pick their shop.  If you're good at haggling prices, though, you're gonna LOVE IT!  They expect that you're going to haggle, so you're always going to get a higher price at the beginning.  If you're patient and good at negotiating, you can get a killer deal on things!

Here are some day trips I recommend:

Chichen Itza
This ancient Mayan city is absolutely incredible.  It is pretty far away from Cancun, so when the tour reps tell you it's going to be a half day or so, they are lying.  This is an all day trip and it is SO worth it.  Hopefully you have a tour guide as amazing as ours, and you will learn a lot.  

Tips:
*Wear a hat. There is virtually no shade at all and the sun can be very intense.  It may even be a good idea to take a little umbrella.  You will need sunscreen and a bunch of water.  Most likely, your tour company will provide you with some water, but grab some from your resort before you head out.  You're gonna need it.
*Do some research before you go.  There is a lot of information to take in once you're there, so getting ahead of the game may help you soak all of it in once you're looking at it.

Tulum
These Mayan ruins are not as sprawling as those at Chichen Itza.  But what Tulum lacks in buildings, it gains in sheer beauty.  This was by far the most beautiful place I have ever been.  The ruins sit right on the coast.  The ocean was bright teal and the surrounding rocks and vegetation were so lush.  It's paradise. Tulum is not as far away as Chichen Itza, and a little easier to get to. If you thought about renting a car during your trip, this would be a good place to go!

Tips:
*See above: There isn't much shade here, either. 
*Take your swimsuit: There's a beautiful beach and you can swim here. 
















Words of the Wise(ish)
* Read lots of reviews before you book a Cancun vacation.  The resorts range from kid-focused to nudist resorts, and absolutely everything in between.  
*Don't get sucked in to tourist traps.  Cancun is full of all kinds of entertainment, but pretty much everything has a price.  Watch out for cartoon characters, etc outside of the restaurants and shops in the hotel zone.  They expect to be paid if you take a picture with them.
*WEAR SUNSCREEN.  Just do it.
*If you forgot toiletries or want to buy some pool toys or something, you can take the bus to Wal-Mart and you won't be price gauged.  Just make sure you talk to the resort's concierge about which bus to take and how to get back.  We ended up in a kind of sketchy situation trying to get back to our resort because we didn't listen to directions.  

How to Book a Great Vacation

One of my favorite things about traveling is planning for it.  I know that sounds kind of nerdy, but I love the thrill of getting the most bang for my buck.  I also like to be pretty informed about where I'm going before we take off.  When I was younger and single, it didn't really bother me to not do much planning.  The older I get, though, the more I like to know what to expect.  

I spend a lot of time browsing different hotel sites and looking through reviews on TripAdvisor.  If you aren't active on TripAdvisor, you should be.  Giving reviews of the places you go is helpful to other travelers and it also helps you remember key points about your trip.  (Like, "Hey, Martha!  What's the name of that place with the owls and wings and pretty girls?"   "It was Hooters, Jim.")

This was a day that we spent driving through the different
 covered bridges in Parke County, Indiana.

Several friends and family members have asked my advice about booking their vacation.  My best advice is to just do your research.  You really need to figure out what exactly you want out of your vacation.  Total relaxation?  Thrills and adventures?  A thriving nightlife?  Access to scuba diving?  You need to get this figured out before you really start looking because it can be very overwhelming.

 One of our preferences is adults-only all-inclusive resorts.  These tend to be more expensive than resorts that allow children, so you need to figure out whether a few splashing kids in the pool annoys you enough to fork over extra moolah.  (Hint:   It's worth it.)

My preferred site to book our vacations on is Expedia.  If you use your account every time, you gain rewards and discounts on hotel stays, so that comes in handy.  I like it because it displays the total price per person, not the "price" that doesn't include taxes, resort fees, etc.  I want to browse through and know exactly what the price would be if I booked right then.

Words of the Wise(ish):
*Plan to fly out on a Tuesday.  That seems to be the least expensive day.

*Book your flight roughly 54 days in advance.  Too soon or too late can be detrimental to your wallet.  

*Always book your flight and hotel together, you will definitely save money this way.

*If you are somewhat close to more than one airport, make sure you check what the prices and flight times are from each one.  We live pretty close to Indianapolis, but sometimes it's a whole lot cheaper to fly out of Cincinnati so we do that.

*Book your airport transfers at the time of booking your flight.  That way you know it's taken care of and your whole itinerary is able to be accessed together.

*I do not recommend pre-booking excursions when going to places like Cancun or the Dominican Republic.  You can get these at really good prices at the hotel or outside of the resorts.  You can even barter the price!

Wisconsin Dells

In June of 2013, we traveled north in search of fun times, family, and cheese.  Yes, that's right folks, cheese!  I ate my first cheese curd ever in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin!

This trip all started because we went to Bass Pro Shop one afternoon.  Bluegreen Vacations is a timeshare company that does a lot of their selling and promotions out of Bass Pro.  We were convinced that we needed to spend (only!) $100 and we could stay two nights at any of their resorts, plus get a bunch of Bass Pro gift cards.  Sounds like a steal, right?  Well, let's just say we won't make that mistake again.




We decided to use our two nights in conjunction with a trip to visit my husband's family for his cousin's high school graduation, so Wisconsin Dells it was!  We wanted a little bit longer of a trip than just 2 days, so we booked our first night at the Black Hawk Motel.  This place was absolutely amazing, and in hindsight we wished we would have stayed there all three nights we were in the area.  It was conveniently located, the rooms were clean, the staff and owners were super friendly, and it just had this cozy, community like feel to it.  I would HIGHLY recommend staying at this hotel if you're planning a Wisconsin Dells trip.


Cashing in our two nights from Bluegreen, we stayed at Chula Vista Resort.  There was poop on the walls of the first room they tried to give us.  Literally poop.  So we got upgraded to a suite, with a beautiful fireplace and balcony overlooking the river.  We appreciated the upgrade, but were pretty grossed out and not very impressed with Bluegreen and the Chula Vista Resort in general. so we only stayed one night.  Unfortunately, we were obligated to attend their timeshare pitch the next day and it was TERRIBLE.  It took several hours and was very high pressure.  At the end, we had to sit one on one with a guy who ended up practically begging for us to buy a timeshare.  It was mortifying and absolute torture.


We had pretty high expectations for Wisconsin Dells, but our time there didn't really live up to the hype.  As a couple in our mid 20s with no children, it wasn't really the type of place we are interested in.  It's a very tourist trap-y kind of place and their target demographic seems to be families with young children or people over the age of 75.  There are many activities for families, including a large choice of water parks, and it's definitely worth checking out if that's your kind of fun.


After our time in Wisconsin Dells, we traveled further north to Rice Lake, Wisconsin.  We really enjoyed that little town but we mainly spent our time visiting family.  I still think this would be a nice destination for people interested in fishing and lake activities. We stayed at the Super 8 Rice Lake and it was about what you would expect from a Super 8.  Mostly clean, somewhat outdated but in pretty decent shape.


If you're into cheesy, forced fun kind of places, Wisconsin Dells should be on the top of your list.  In my opinion, it's not the type of place you would go without kids and I'll probably never be back.

Below the Surface- Mammoth Cave National Park

For my 20-somethingth birthday in September of 2012, we decided to take a little weekend trip down to Cave City, KY.  The main thing on our agenda was visiting Mammoth Cave National Park.  I've come to discover that we didn't take any pictures while we were there, so all I have is my poor memory.

We stayed for two nights at the Baymont Inn & Suites Cave City.  The room was very inexpensive and it was clean, conveniently located, and the staff was friendly.  Other than sleeping and eating the free breakfast, we didn't spend much time at the hotel.  I would recommend the Baymont Inn mainly due to how close it is to the interstate.  

The beginning of September is not a very popular time to visit Cave City, so this may be either a plus or a minus for you, depending how much you like other people.  The bad part is that it seems like most things are kind of shut down and deserted, so it doesn't have the energy that it would in the summer when kids are out of school and families are traveling.  

Barren County (where Cave City is located) is a DRY COUNTY.  This means there are NO BARS (sad face).  Certain areas are considered "Moist," which means you can head on down to the local Applebee's and get a Margarita, but this isn't exactly a thrilling night for most people.  So if you enjoy traveling to places with any type of night life at all, you need to avoid this place like the plague.  Or buy a case of beer and a bottle of whisky before you get there and drink it quietly in your hotel room.

Entrance to the Park
(Photo Courtesy of National Park Service)

Let's get to the best part:  Mammoth Cave National Park.  

Frozen Niagra
(Photo Courtesy of National Park Service)

If you've never been there before, it's a beautiful park with a... well, mammoth-sized cave and a bunch of other decent-sized caves.  We didn't do too much exploration of the park other than going to the cave.  We pre-ordered tickets to go on the Lantern Tour through Mammoth Cave.

If you're really into history and want to experience things like they did long ago, before electricity and the conveniences of modern man, this is the tour for you.  Once you descend the steps and get past the main entrance, the lights go out and you take a walking tour through the cave with only the light from lanterns that the guests carry.  You will learn about early explorations and the weird things that have happened in Mammoth Cave.  

We had a good time, but I would rather go back and take a tour when the lights are on.  It's hard to grasp how large and complicated the cave system is when you're basically in the dark.  There are several different tour options, so if you're going to be in the area for a couple of days, take more than one tour.  

Learn more about the different tours available on Mammoth Cave's Website.

Words of the Wise(ish)
*Take a jacket.  The cave stays at a constant 54 degrees Fahrenheit.
*Wear good walking shoes.  (You're walking quite a distance, and conditions can be slippery or wet depending on which tour you're on.)
*Unfortunately, the America The Beautiful yearly pass for the National Park Service does not cover the fees to take tours.  There are no gates, though, so admission to the park is free and you can enjoy the beauty of the park and take advantage of hiking trails, etc with no charge.
*Be respectful of the park's guidelines regarding white nose syndrome in bats.  They have rules to prevent the spread of this disease, so please pay attention.