Empty Nest and Loving It

On August 6, 2015August 11, 2015 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn MexicoLeave a comment

Within three weeks of our youngest daughter leaving home for college, we were sitting at the beach in Cabo San Lucas. As our friends have gone through the same transition from having kids at home to being empty nesters, we’ve seen two typical transitions. One, like ours, where the couple starts dating again and enjoying the freedom that it offers. And the second, which always saddens us, is when, after spending years devoted to the children and their activities, the couple wakes up to find that the only thing they had in common was taking care of the kids and they drift apart and often get divorced. Happily we couldn’t wait to start spending more time together because not only are we husband and wife, but we’ve always been each other’s best friend. So, as sad as we were to drop our daughter off at college, we were excited to start having more adventures and we were off to Cabo.

We’ve said this many times, but we truly prefer to travel in the off season, so our trip to Cabo was in late October. Our parents, who are avid travelers as well, had given us a week using their timeshare and this would be our first experience using a timeshare. We flew into the Los Cabos International Airport, which is located in San Jose Cabo and is about a 45 minute taxi or shuttle ride to Cabo San Lucas. This was our first trip to Mexico, we’ve been there several times since, but seeing the armed federal police officers all over the airport was unexpected. You deplane outside and then walk into the airport to go through customs. Somehow we managed to go through a wrong door into a room with all of the luggage. There was a large glass wall between us and the room to go through customs with a door where a policeman stood. We went to walk through the door to get into the other room and were quickly and abruptly told that we had to exit the way we came and go in the correct door. No arguing with a man with semi-automatic rifle.

We made it through customs and were prepared for what we would face next, which was the gauntlet of timeshare salesman claiming that they will take you to your resort. We’d been warned in advance and walked through, ignoring the fervent pleas to provide us a ride, and made it to the taxis and shuttles. We chose to take a shuttle, which is cheaper, but you share the shuttle with several other families and couples, so it takes a little longer as they stop at the various resorts until they reach your resort. As you get closer and closer to Cabo San Lucas, the ocean and the resorts start coming into view and it finally starts sinking in that you’re about to spend a week in paradise. We were staying at the Villa Del Arco resort and from the moment we arrived, we knew we were in for an incredible stay.

Resorts in Cabo San Lucas aren’t like resorts in most other tourist locations in Mexico, they have a height restriction on resorts near downtown, so you don’t have these giant monstrosities along the beach. The result of this is that the resorts are smaller, with fewer crowds in the resort and on their private beaches. As we checked in, we were told that if we attended the one hour timeshare sales presentation we would get discounts in town and some vouchers for the resort. Having not been through a timeshare pitch before, we accepted and were off to have a tropical drink while our luggage was taken to our suite. Once we got to our suite, with its gorgeous view of the ocean and the famous arch in Cabo San Lucas (El Arco de Cabo San Lucas), we were truly impressed.

The following morning, we went to our timeshare tour where we were shown the different rooms of the resort and then taken to breakfast with our sales person. Afterwards, we went to the sales office for the closing pitch. We had told ourselves before we went that, no matter what, we were going to say “no”, this was just to get some free stuff. Even though we’d only been there for a night, we were in love with the resort. It wasn’t an easy decision, but after much debating and the sales manager sweetening the pot, we decided to buy what would turn out to be our first timeshare. After the stress of making the decision to purchase, we were off to the pool and the pirate ship bar and restaurant located in the center of the pool. We have swam laps around that ship/bar many times now and it is one of our fondest memories.

View from Our Room at the Villa Del Arco

Another great thing about Cabo is the close proximity to town, restaurants, and the marina. We love going to the restaurants and asking for the fresh catch of the day and having it prepared specially for us. Cabo is also famous for the marlin and other sport fishing, so you can catch some fresh fish and take it to the restaurants to prepare for you and your guests. On this trip we discovered walking down the beach from the resort to town and the marina provided us with many beach bar opportunities with drinks almost always on special and ceviche, guacamole, and fresh seafood always in abundance. Walking from the resort to town to see the famous Cabo Wabo bar or haggle with the beach and street vendors for trinkets to take home is an easy twenty minute walk and some nice exercise to offset the time spent sitting pool or ocean side eating and drinking.

It was the first of what has been many happy trips that we’ve had since becoming empty nesters, but obviously holds a special memory in our hearts. Not only did we become timeshare owners, but we fell in love with our home resort, the Villa Del Arco. Most importantly, if it was possible, we became even closer by sharing another travel experience and have been back to Mexico several times since. For those of you that aren’t empty nesters yet, take our advice, don’t forget to be a couple and foster the things that brought you together, the things that you have in common, the things that will fill your lives when raising the children is no longer your number one priority. You’ll always be parents, there will always be advice to give and wisdom to share, but hopefully you’ll do that while filling your lives with adventure.

Last Minute Getaway

On August 4, 2015September 20, 2015 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn ColoradoLeave a comment

We’ve been doing some remodeling on our home and by Friday we were completely exhausted by the noise, dust, and clutter, so we decided to get away for a night. We made reservations for Saturday night at the Brown Palace Hotel and Spa, which is a beautiful hotel in downtown Denver that we’ve stayed at several times in the past. The Brown Palace has been open since 1892 and was built by Henry Brown and despite the similarity in names, Margaret Brown, also known as the Unsinkable Molly Brown, was not related to him. She did, however, stay at the hotel only a week after the Titanic disaster and the hotel rooms are adorned with a picture of her signature on the Titanic manifest. The hotel does high tea in the atrium courtyard in the afternoons and has a very popular brunch on Sunday’s.

Mural Above Elevators at the Brown Palace

We got to Denver in time to check in to our room early and head to the 16th Street Mall for some lunch. We knew where we wanted to go and that was to Katie Mullen’s, which is an Irish pub that has excellent varieties of beer and wine as well as authentic Irish cuisine. We enjoyed an order of Katie’s spuds, which are large potato chips topped with corned beef, sauerkraut, thousand island dressing, and melted Swiss cheese. After having a sandwich, we were off to the Denver Botanic Gardens to leisurely stroll amongst the incredible variety of plants, flowers, and orchids. It was definitely worth the visit, but it was ninety-eight degrees out, so after a couple of hours wandering through the various pathways and hot houses, we were ready for something cold to drink.

Multi-Colored Flower at the Botanical Garden

After a quick stop at the hotel, we were back to the 16th Street Mall and to The Kitchen, which is a seafood restaurant that we go to whenever we’re in Denver. They have a wonderful community hour, their version of a happy hour, where they have small bites and seafood bar items on special along with their drinks. Their oysters are always fresh, which can’t always be said of places in Colorado, so we were quick to decide on a dozen oysters to go with our wine. After another glass or two of wine, some marinated olives, and roasted nuts, we headed back towards our hotel. Still a little hungry, we stopped again at Katie Mullen’s to share a bowl of Irish Stew. We don’t normally go to the same place twice on a single visit, but partially because they were close to the hotel, and mostly because we just love a good Irish pub, we decided to do that this time.

We had heard that there were a couple of new speakeasies in Denver, so we asked several bartenders where they were and which one we should go to and were told about Green Russell in LODO (Lower Downtown). After changing to go out, we headed over to Russell’s Smokehouse, the somewhat secret location of the Green Russell. As we approached the hostess stand, we were asked if we were there for the steakhouse and when we told them that we were there for the Green Russell, we were taken through what looked like a service door to a kitchen or storage room. Once through the door we were in a dimly lit cellar with tables and a large bar in the middle. Stone walls and a 1920’s theme made the ambiance complete, but it is the drinks and the bartenders that are the attraction. We asked for the “Bartender’s Choice”, where you selected a type of alcohol and what style of drink you liked and they surprise you with a concoction that they create. Besides the awesome drinks, the bartenders chop ice blocks to make the large round ice cubes and there is a constant whir of shakers shaking and bottles pouring, very fun to watch.

The next day, we weren’t up too early, not surprisingly, so we were back off to the 16th Street Mall to get some lunch. When we got to the mall, it had seemingly transformed overnight as on specific Sunday’s, Meet in the Street takes over the 16th Street Mall. There are games, musicians, rock climbing walls, paddle surfing, and even parts of the street have been covered with grass for people to sit and relax. The buses that usually traverse the mall taking people back and forth aren’t running and it is well worth visiting to enjoy a community gathering and walk and see everything there is to see. We stopped at Earl’s for lunch, which like most restaurants on the mall, has outdoor seating and opens its large windows so that you can people watch and feel like your part of the outdoor activities. After eating breakfast for lunch, we walked the mall for a while before heading back to the hotel to pick up our car and head back home.

It might have been a last-minute decision to get away for a night, but it was thoroughly worth it. Sure, we were back home to house that was still partially under construction, but we were relaxed and reinvigorated. Sometimes the mind and body just needs a break from the every day routines and an unplanned getaway is the perfect way to do it.

Touring Morocco

On August 3, 2015September 20, 2015 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn morocco, Travel TipsLeave a comment

Generally speaking, we prefer to visit places on our own as opposed to using a tour guide or being part of a tour group. We don’t like having to be on someone else’s schedule, so we’ve never gone on a packaged group tour, but on occasion we will use a tour guide or go on a guided tour for a specific location. Whenever we do use a tour guide, there are specific things that we look for when choosing a guide. Whenever possible, we go on a private tour or, at a minimum, a tour with limited numbers of participants. We also look for a guide that has been in business for at least several years and preferably one who is from the location that we’re visiting. The best example of our using a tour guide when was we visited Morocco during our trip to Spain in fall of 2013.

We are pretty comfortable travelling abroad, but there a few places that can be a little overwhelming if you haven’t been there before and that is how we felt about going to Tangiers. We did some research based upon advice from the concierge at the resort where we were staying and contacted Said Private Tours to see if they had availability. Partially because we were travelling off-season, something we prefer to do, but we were in luck and we were able to schedule a private tour in Tangiers, Morocco. And if that wasn’t enough, Said even personally guided us through parts of his own neighborhood.

After taking the high speed ferry from Tarifa (near Gibraltar) to the port of Tangiers, we were met by Said and one of his assistant guides to start what would be a truly memorable day and highlight of our entire trip. Tangiers is a unique African city as it has been the doorway to Europe for centuries and therefore has a varied population, although it is still mostly Muslim. Knowing that, we dressed appropriately, long pants and nothing that might be offensive to the locals. The tour started with Said taking us to the market in his own neighborhood, where he was hugged by friends as we walked the narrow streets lined with merchants. Unlike America, hugs and kisses are quite common place, even among male friends, it is a genuine expression of endearment.

It is hard to describe the market in Tangiers other than to say that the colors and aromas overtake you at every turn. There are merchants with spices piled to the ceiling, olives of every possible variety, exotic fruit, butchers with meat on display, and every variety of fish imaginable caught fresh from the Mediterranean Ocean. As Said took us to some of his favorite merchants, we were given samples of olives, dates, candy, and more. It was truly a magical experience. After leaving the market, we were off to the Kasbah or Medina, the fortress and oldest part of the city.

Walking the streets of the Kasbah was like walking back in time. The cobblestone streets and grand arches led to a spectacular view of the Atlantic Ocean. It is off the coast of Tangiers where the Mediterranean Ocean and Atlantic Ocean meet. Said was proud to point out the homes of celebrities that live in the area, but he is most proud of haven taken Sting and Bruce Springsteen on a tour. Before we left the Medina, we were treated to our own private performance by a snake charmer. Having seen snake charmers on TV and movies, we weren’t quite sure what to expect, but it turned out to be fascinating as the charmer played his flute and waived his hand in the face of the King Cobra. We weren’t, however, prepared for what came next as they wrapped a live snake, not a King Cobra fortunately, across our shoulders so that we could take some pictures.

From there, we said goodbye to Said as he left to make our lunch arrangements, and his assistant drove us south of the city for some more adventures. On our way, we stopped at little restaurant and shop to get some water and rest for a few minutes. We enjoyed the brief break as the morning had been a whirlwind already and we took in the gorgeous views of the Atlantic Ocean and a nearby cathedral. Next we were off to ride camels on the shore of the Atlantic. It was a little touristy, but at the same time, how many people get to say that they’ve ridden camels on the beach. From there we visited the pre-historic Caves of Hercules, which is a beautiful geological attraction.

Once we got back to Tangiers, it was time for a late lunch, which was good because we had definitely worked up an appetite. We had quite the meal in a tiny, family owned, restaurant, that was authentic Moroccan chicken served in a tagine with hot tea. The food was incredible and the family that served us couldn’t have been any nicer. After lunch, we were taken to the shops of some local artisans with the hope that we’d buy some authentic Moroccan products. We visited a spice shop where we did purchase some saffron, cumin, and marjoram at prices you could never find in the States. At the carpet weaver’s shop, carpets of every description were laid at our feet as we enjoyed some more tea, but as tempted as we were, we decided not to buy one. In hind sight, we wish we’d have taken them up on their offer to ship one home to us, so perhaps another trip to Morocco is in our future.

Before taking the ferry back to Spain, we said our goodbyes to Said and his assistant and thanked them profusely for what had been a remarkable adventure. Could we have visited without a guide? Sure, we would have figured it out and it would have been fine, but we would have been nervous and unsure of what to expect. Having a private guide made all the difference as we were immediately put at ease from the moment that we arrived and we could tell that every one we met knew our guides and looked forward to the guests that they brought with them. Perhaps our next visit to Morocco will be on our own, but this trip was definitely a better experience due to our choice to hire a guide.