Good for the Soul

We just returned from a 4 day vacation in Cancun, Mexico without kids and with great friends. 

[Fair Warning: this post may have the most pictures I've ever included. If you aren't interested in pictures of white sandy beaches, turquoise water, and hot summer nights... WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!] ;)

We shipped the boys to Camp Comfort with Mimi and Papa Jim and started out vacation with a steak dinner at Bob's in Grapevine before a 7:00 flight to Cancun the next morning.

We were up late at dinner, so the 4:30 am alarm on Thursday morning came early, but it was worth it. Our toes were in the sand by lunchtime...

(Destiny, Brad, me, and Mike)

and we toasted our arrival in Mexico with a round of pina colodas. Holla! 

We stayed at Le Blanc Spa Resort, an adults-only, all-inclusive resort on Cancun's pristine beaches.  This is the view from the third floor balcony where there was one of many pools overlooking the ocean.  We could sit and enjoy pizzas from a wood-burning oven, fresh seafood, authentic Mexican food, and cocktails.  HEAVEN.

These next three pictures show the 180 degree view from our room - a honeymoon ocean- view suite on the 6th floor ;)

None of those are filtered and all were taken with my cell phone camera because I did not take my bigger camera on this trip (did not want to lug it around, did not want to get sand in it, and definitely did not want it to be stolen).  This resort is breath-taking, and the service was excellent - best I've ever had, and we've stayed in some swanky places for work trips with Mike before.   It is quaint, smaller than the mega-resorts, and far from the typical party atmosphere that Cancun is known for.  It was perfect. 

Le Blanc has two infinity edge pools overlooking the ocean. To.Die.For.

This was the resort's hot tub... get a load of the ocean view from here. There wasn't a bad seat in the house.

After the first day spent at the pools and ocean, we went on a jungle tour/snorkeling excursion the second day.  We took these little two-seater boats through the laguna and into the open ocean to a reef about 45 minutes away.

The snorkeling was great - we did not find Nemo, but we saw his friend, Dory, and lots of other fish as we swam over the coral reef for an hour.  So fun!

We took the bus back to a Mexican mall and market, grabbed some souvenirs for the kids and had tappas at a local taco bar.  Notice I'm the one with the beer and Mike's downing the fruity drink :)

We lost Destiny at lunch.... HAHAHAHA!

She finally emerged from that sombrero, and we spent the next morning at the spa.  The Fish Spa.

You submerge your feet into a container filled with Turkish fish that eat off the dead layer of skin around your feet and produce an enzyme that is known to revitalize new cell growth.  OMGosh, it felt so weird!! A little bit like small insect bites all over - it didn't hurt, and I think my feet were a little smoother after it was over, but I did not notice a huge immediate difference.  We also took advantage of massages, and used the resort's sauna, steam room, reflexology baths, hot and cold baths, and Jacuzzi. So nice!

At night, we had fun dinners at an Asian restaurant and an Italian restaurant, all in the resort and with seafood as the specialty at each.

We laughed, relaxed, swam out in the ocean during the days, then dressed for drinks and dinners and dancing at night with such fun friends!

The resort also had a laguna-view pool, complete with (another) swim-up bar, pool volleyball, and pool Ping Pong! Did I mention that I loved this place?! Kids? What kids? We have kids?! ;)

For our last night, we dressed up for a fancier dinner at the hotel's French cuisine restaurant.  It has been written up in travel magazines lately, and was delicious.

I am so very thankful for our friends who asked us to get out of town with them, for all the laughs and good times, for quality time with my love, and for my mom and Jim for keeping the boys for us [pictures from Camp Comfort to come in another post].  This was hands-down the most relaxing vacation I've had, and I would not change a thing.

A little Caribbean sun, saltwater, and rum are good for the soul. And the tan.