Archive | April, 2012

At Last, Atlantis: Visiting the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas

9 Apr

I’m crazy about pink hotels. This is not the first time you have heard this. You’ll probably remember my pink-house story. When I was a little girl, I dreamt that my dad built me a pink house with rainbows and diamonds on the outside. A girl can dream, can’t she?

And while I don’t have diamonds outside my home, PoppaNut always takes me to pink hotels for special occasions as a tribute to making all my dreams come true. Our wedding night was spent in a pink hotel, and my birthdays are always spent at a pink hotel. And now, our second anniversary also involved a pink hotel: The Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas.

Now, I don’t know that I can call that a hotel … it’s more like a city in itself! There are a ton of things to do in this hotel, but I couldn’t help but just look in awe of the overall beautiful of the resort’s design. Once I was able to shake the fact that I wasn’t in “Couples Retreat,” we took our map and set out to explore!

I have to say we were lost the majority of the time, but we didn’t care. Everything around us was gorgeous! We jet-skied, we laid out in the sun, we went through the aquarium, we ate delicious food, I saw a shark (and a million of his friends) and we found a gift shop.

And that’s life in a nutshell … there is something magical that happens in a pink hotel, and I’m lucky enough to get to explore each one I come across.

MommaNut

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Bahamas Mama: Visiting Royal Caribbean’s CocoCay in the Bahamas

4 Apr

Hello, Bahamas! PoppaNut and I are ready for some much-needed relaxation, and we know CocoCay is the perfect place to forget about real life and let go for an afternoon. After boarding Royal Caribbean’s Monarch of the Sea, it was just one day until we arrived to the cruise line’s private island.

Filing onto the transportation the boat, I’m staring at this water like a four-year-old at Disney. I can’t believe this type of water really exists. You can see straight to the bottom of the ocean floor, the breeze has a salty but warm edge to it, and the sweet smells of the lunch barbeque have all my senses in a tizzy.

As my first toe touches the white, powdery sand, I’m gone. I have lost myself in the Bahamas lifestyle. I forget all about work and houses and busy schedules, and I focus completely on the then and now. My biggest worry is where to get my next cocktail and when to sign up for a jet-ski tour.

This secluded island is surrounded by the gentle, translucent waters of the Bahamas. With its white-sand beaches and spectacular surroundings, CocoCay is a wonderland of adventure. Reserved exclusively for Royal Caribbean guests, this tropical paradise has recently been updated with new aquatic facilities, nature trails and a ton of great places to just sit back, relax and enjoy a tropical drink.

First up: Jet-ski rental, one of the most popular activities to do on the island, followed by a delicious alcohol-infused drink called “Coco Loco.” This sweet, slushy madness got things kicked off just right, enough to get me doing the “Electric Slide” in front of a ton of Royal Caribbean guests.

Another favorite activity is the Caylanas Aqua Park, a fun-filled floating playground out in the water. However, I’m a bit of a chicken when it comes to going into the ocean. Let’s just say I have watched one too many “Shark Weeks” in my day, and I prefer the steady shore where I don’t have to risk a limb to relax. So, we took ourselves right to a cozy hammock (there are about a million to chose from on the island), set up our iPod docking station and melted into island life. I could have stayed there for days, but the boat’s last ferry departed at 4 p.m. Back to the boat to continue our new-found spirit.

And that’s life in a nutshell … nothing takes away your reality quite like a coco loco … now if I could just get the recipe …

MommaNut

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

All Aboard: Cruising on the Yacht StarShip in Tampa

3 Apr

If you leave anywhere near the Bay area, you have probably heard about the Yacht StarShip cruises that leave out of Tampa and Clearwater. You have probably put it on your wish list of places to visit around the area, and month after month, you never take part.

I was the exact same way. Every time I would see a commercial or someone talking about Yacht StarShip, I burst out, “Oh my gosh, I want to do that so bad!” But, then I would forget about it until the next commercial aired. Well, I decided to make a change, and I purchased two tickets through LivingSocial. I mean, who can pass it up when it’s at such a discount on LivingSocial. I no longer had an excuse not to try it.

So, in honor of our two-year anniversary, PoppaNut and I boarded the Channelside yacht for an unforgettable evening. Yacht StarShip, America’s First 3-diamond rated Dining Yacht by AAA, ranks in the top 28% of all restaurants, and the food was amazing. Our exquisite dinner cruise offered tableside service with exceptional dishes. The calamari was so fresh and tasty, we ate it in about two second flat. With cocktails in hand, we chatted about everything under the sun, while watching the sun set in the distance. With our meal finished and dessert wrapped up to-go, we headed to the top floor to take in the spectacular views from the deck.

Wow! The views of some of the houses nearby were amazing. I couldn’t help but imagine what each person inside those houses were doing and what their lives were like. I could have sat up there for hours, but the dancing had begun inside. After some foot tapping and another few cocktails, PoppaNut and I deboarded the beautiful yacht to look at some of those amazing houses a bit closer.

And there, in the shadows of the night, stood Derek Jeter’s humble (or not so humble) abode. With the faint glimmer of a TV on inside, we knew the Yankee legend was just a few yards away. So, I’m just going to say we celebrated our two-year anniversary with Jeter. And for PoppaNut, that was a dream come true!

And that’s life in a nutshell … explore the amazing things this area has to offer. Make a new wish list, and make a point to actually partake in each one. You’ll lead a richer life because of it.

MommaNut

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,