Somewhere Over the Rainbow

iHola amigos, el Steeles de regresar de paraiso! A little more rested, a little more invigorated, and with a little more color in the cheeks... wait a minute...

So... two months have come and gone since our initial arrival back in the States, however, with summer festivities in full swing, not to mention a particular case of what we like to refer to as "The Revenge" immediately following our return, this post has been a work-in-progress. That aside, I honestly believe that most individuals would have a calmer sense of being [all] twelve months of the year with a permanent beachfront view. Just imagine... evening walks on the beach, the sound of the waves at night, and a daily craving for a pinacolada... Perfecto (at least for me anyway). Unfortunately, my psyche requires something other than the "wavin' wheat [that] can sure smell swee...Aaahchooooo!!!"

We kicked off the vacation [literally] by kicking off our shoes and scheduling pedicures for two at a local salon. After the marathon a few months back, someone's feet (ahem, Senor Steele's) needed a little professional TLC. And by 6am the next morning, we were on a plane to catch a connecting flight out of DFW with a 4-hour layover. Snoooooze... After a long day of traveling, we arrived at our 3-Star boutique hotel, greeted with a refreshing flute of sparkling wine, just in time for Happy Hour. We unloaded our luggage, donned swimsuits, ordered a few drinks from the bar, and absorbed the pool's lagoon-like atmosphere. Immediately, we were already enjoying our change of venue from the previous all-inclusive fare (mentioned here) to the more personable La Tortuga Hotel and Spa. The staff alone was I-N-C-R-E-D-I-B-L-E. It was the first time we had been treated like guests with a name, instead of a room number, or a potential wallet to invest in time-shares.

This alternative choice allowed us to experience a taste of the Mayan-influenced culture, with La Quinta Avenida's side walk cafes and upscale dining options at our disposal. Majority of our days consisted of complimentary breakfast at El Bistro, a 10-minute walk to one of the local beach clubs, boutique and market place browsing, lunch poolside with fresh fruit smoothies and gourmet salads, and showers before dinner and an evening out on the town.

In addition to the slideshow, a vacation post isn't complete, without a show-and-tell of a momento (or two) collected during the trip...

Mayan Art-inspired 3D Puzzle for our chica, constructed with 100% recycled materials and lead-free paint. Puzzles are one of Kinsey's favorite activities, with reading (or pretending to read) books in the running as well.

*The initial [hotel] recommendation as well as a few of the images provided in the slideshow are courtesy of tripadvisor.com members. Enjoy!