Diary of the Traveling Pairs

Florida in January (DCA-TPA-DCA 18 th - 20 th ) With these frigid temperatures in the DC area and as we wait on our companion pass, we jetted south for a quick beach trip and found roundtrip flights for about 4000 points.   Win! We flew out of National on Southwest at 3pm on Thursday and got to Tampa a little after 5pm. We rented a car for 2 full days for about $200 with unlimited mileage and tolls included and best of all we picked up and dropped it off at the airport which saves on time and is super convenient.   Once we got on the road, we drove 2 hours south to Fort Myers.   We stayed at a Red Roof Inn right on the water.   This was my first time at a Red Roof Inn and I wouldn’t recommend it for a long stay but for one night it was super convenient, clean, and affordable for the beautiful view.   After checking in we went across the street to eat dinner at Sabor de Mexico Restaurant.   It had only been open for a few days but had great reviews so f...

Hello Fellow World Travelers -  I am writing this blog while we are on our first trip of 2018 to Playa del Carmen, Mexico. You will hear more about that trip later. In July of 2017, I took the trip of a lifetime with my family. However, instead of calling it a trip or a vacation, I truly feel it is more appropriate to call it a pilgrimage. My immediate family and some of my extended family went to the HolyLand,  Israel . When we left the United States, we had no idea how this trip would change our lives in every way. The journey was spiritual, motivational, enlightening, and educational. I have been a Christian since I was 10 years old. I have studied the Bible for as long as I can remember. Whenever you read a book, you develop an idea in your mind of what everything looks like. You develop an image of the people, the places, the things in the book. I did that with the Bible and especially the HolyLand. I thought I knew what the Sea of Galilee looked like. I had envi...

WOW… What a year! We traveled somewhere almost every month and often more than once in that month. It made for an exciting and adventurous 2017 and we’ve set a goal to continue our monthly travels again in 2018. We love exploring new places and often are in awe of all that God has provided us with here on earth. There is so much to do and see. In January, we went to Florida. My brother and sister-in-law met us there while mom spent some one on one quality time with baby Cash. We went to the gulf coast and visited Sarasota, Siesta Keys, Long Boat key, Santa Ana, and a number of the beaches along the coast up to and including St. Petersburg, Florida. It was lots of fun but we did encounter red tide in Siesta Key and were only able to hang out on the beach for a little while. As we moved up the coast, the red tide got better and we didn’t see dead fish washed up on the shore as much. Siesta Key was by far the most beautiful powdery sand I’ve ever seen. In February, we went to ...

2017 Travel - Year In Review - 2017 was a great year for us travel wise and in every way! It is our goal to go on a trip every month and we almost achieved that goal. We love travel and love sharing our experiences with others. In 2017, we traveled to Barbados, New York City, Cozumel, Montreal, Israel, Punta Cana, Myrtle Beach, San Antonio, and Jamaica (girls trip). We enjoy a mix of both city and beach trips. We enjoyed every beach trip. The time to relax, see new places, meet new people and have fun in the sun was wonderful. We enjoyed our stay at the Secrets in Punta Cana tremendously. The resort is very nice and the staff was amazing. The food was excellent and the beach was relaxing. We toured the island a bit and had a great time as a couple just being disconnected from the world and enjoying the beauty God created. My first blog was about our stay in Cozumel which was a great time at the beach as well. If you have not read the blog, please do so. We love Cozumel. There are a...

Hola Cozumel!  My husband and I are the cruising type.   We love to cruise and have been to Cozumel twice and both for just one day as part of our cruise itinerary.   The first time we docked in Cozumel we walked down the street toward the left of the port to Margaritaville.   We sat and had some good Mexican food and drinks and took in the wonderful blue water views.   We went to the nearby shopping center and purchased some Mexican instruments; something we do on all of our traveling adventures.   Handmade maracas and a ukulele were the Cozumel treasures we brought home.   The second time we visited Cozumel was just this past May.   We took a 5 day cruise with family and friends and this time we went to visit Senor Sancho's Beach Club!   Senor Sancho's was only about a 15 minute ride from the port and the van that took all 8 of us only charged $5 each for each way.   Senor Sancho's is an all-inclusive resort that includes a beach c...

Have you ever thought, I just need a week to get away, unplug, unwind, and totally relax? We have all had that moment when we think I want to go someplace where there are no children, where there are no partying spring breakers, where there is no loud music, nothing but rest and relaxation available, along with good food and a great beach. My husband, Carl, and I had one of those moments in April of this year and we found the perfect place. The Secrets Aura in Cozumel is an amazing place to unwind but you can still get to the night life in Playa del Carmen or Cancun if you like. We have been to both Playa del Carmen and Cancun but on this trip we wanted to just breathe, fully relax.   Carl and I live very planned lives. You know the schedules of busy professionals: meetings, travel for work, evenings reading documents, family events, caring for elderly parents and/or children, church, community events and that is a slow week. Seriously, life can be like a flood of activit...