vieques.

I was reviewing some old posts and realized that I never posted this one! This was the second half of my review of Vieques from a long time ago. (The first half is here.) It was fun looking back at this beautiful place, and I would love to put my plug in again for this amazing island! So, as promised:

If you ever find yourself in Vieques, Puerto Rico:

Travel-
1. JetBlue- had great deals from NYC. But, I would just recommend scouting tickets for awhile until you see something cheap. We flew around $250 each, round trip. I also recommend traveling during non-peak times of the year- because travel, accommodations, and food are significantly cheaper. Hurricane season is officially June 10- November 30. We flew mid-November, which we were told was a perfect time to come because the rates were going to jump within the next couple of weeks. And, since it was the end of hurricane season, we had no threat of storms but enjoyed mostly warm, overcast days- no sunburns!

2. Al's Cab Service (San Juan)- You will fly into San Juan, Puerto Rico- and so you must find transportation to get to Vieques. I have friends that have taken a small plane to the island directly from the airport, which can save time (only a 20 minute ride). But, it costs much more than a cab- so be prepared. We found Al from other reviews online. He is a sweet Puerto Rican man who taxis back and forth from San Juan to the ferry at Fajardo. The cab takes about 1-1 1/2 hours. Al only charges $60, and his number is 787-590-9001.

3. Ferry- The ferry only costs $2/person, and takes about 75 minutes. Don't worry, they play movies. Try and plan your flight arrival and cab ride according to the ferry schedule, because there is not much to do or see at the ferry port. 

4. Car Rental- You will need to rent a car on the island. That's half of the fun. It has to be an all-wheel drive, Jeep-type vehicle. The roads to get to the beaches are bumpy and partially overgrown by jungle. There are plenty of muddy puddles to speed through, so Sam was in heaven. You can drive right up to the beaches, too. There are plenty of car rentals, and most of them only rent these types of vehicles. We had a Jeep Cherokee, but I would shoot for an older Jeep Wrangler if you can find one. The new Jeep Wranglers would feel really bulky. Just Google Vieques rentals, and find the best car for the best deal. Many of them will help you get too and from the ferry, as well. And who doesn't love sandy feet on the dash, and wind blowing through your salty hair...

Hotel-
1. Villa Venti- These tower lofts are every minimalist designer's fantasy. They are located way up on a hill and, even though you are two minutes from town, when you look out your window all you see is green, lush jungle and the ocean on the horizon. The home was designed by John Hix, and entirely built of concrete. The house flows seamlessly into its surroundings. (Which could totally not be your thing- you shower in the open air, and the wildlife can crawl in and out of your open windows.) The owners are so friendly, and might even invite you to dine with them- one of them is a professional chef! 

Eats-
Honestly, Vieques isn't known for it's food. We were warned of this, but still surprised when we found out how true it was. We packed most of our lunches with food from the grocery because there are no restaurants near the good beaches. (The grocery stores are not super great, either. You will be hard-pressed to find good produce- it's mostly a lot of junk food.) But, we would eat out for dinner. We hit up some seriously sad places, before finally getting some good recommendations from the hotel owners.

1. El Quenepo- The best food on the island (besides our dinner at Villa Venti). It is a bit pricey- but completely worth it. Basically everything was amazing. We didn't find it until our last night, and would have eaten there every night had we known.

2. Island Adventures- This place offers BioBay tours, but it's also a pretty good restaurant. You'll have to try the traditional Puerto Rican dish called "mofongo." We liked their version the best- get the seafood!

3. Bananas- This place had decent "American" food, for if you just want something familiar.

Beaches-
So, this is why you want to take this trip. Like I've said before- the beaches here are a little more difficult to access. Which is great because then they aren't crowded. In fact, the majority of the beaches we went to were literally empty. It was like having our own private island!

Unfortunately, I never wrote down the descriptions of the beaches. Not every beach is created equally though, so I really recommend talking to the local shop owners. We basically hit almost every one, and most of them were just unbelievable. Certain beaches were better for snorkeling, though. Off the top of my head, we loved- Navio Beach, Pata Prieta, and Green Beach.

Extras-
1. Bio Bay Tour- You HAVE to do this. No question. It doesn't matter how much it costs. It was the most amazing experience. It is pricey, but there really is no way you can do it by yourself. We tried to plan out a night where we rented our own kayak and took it out in the bay. But, it would have been too difficult to do it by ourselves at night. 

I promised, it will be worth it- the darkest water that shimmers and glows as your kayak glides through the night. Your paddle sparkles as it cuts, and fish light up as they dart back and forth. Just the most magical thing.

2. Snorkeling- We rented the gear, but didn't take any tours. We prefer to explore on our own- we saw so many amazing things, and even got to see a sea turtle!

3. Jungle Roads- Spend some time driving around the bumpy, jungle roads. The island has such a fascinating history hidden under all of that vegetation. We saw old Navy bunkers, poking out of the jungle like some sort of Dharma structure from Lost. There were crumbling colonial sugar mills overgrown with vines, and the Fuerte de Vieques standing tall on the hill. There were wild horses wandering lazily with birds perched on their backs, and a sunbleached skeleton of a church in a field of seagrass. It really is just a mystery of an island.

Oh, Vieques was so dreamy!

Sam and I are making plans for our next big trip. We figure it won't be for another year or so, perhaps a second babymoon? 

babymoon.

In November, we went on a babymoon to Puerto Rico. We didn't think of it as, "This is our last time to have fun before the baby comes"- just maybe our last time to be slightly reckless and completely spontaneous without consequence. We had been talking about going somewhere for months and, a week before we left, the stars aligned enough for us to say, "Let's do it. NOW- before we change our minds." JetBlue had a good deal, it was a slow time at Sam's work, and I was finally getting over my terrible morning sickness. 

The best decision we ever made.

We went to Vieques, which is a small island just off the coast of Puerto Rico. If you're on the East Coast, this will be one of the cheapest trips you can make. It's so inexpensive to fly there, especially if you're scouting deals. And it's so completely worth it to spend a little extra cab money to take you to the ferry that goes to Vieques. I'm going to write up a complete travel guide for Vieques because I'm glad that so many of our friends convinced us to go there, and gave us perfect recommendations. It's such a dreamy place. Vieques used to be a naval base until very recently, and so the island has yet to be overrun by craziness. It almost feels untouched- lush jungle, wild mustangs grazing, beautiful empty beaches, and cool clear water. 

I will sell you on this, just you wait.

I've always attempted to convince all of my friends that you can't get married without a honeymoon. You just can't get married and rush right into regular life (if at all possible and affordable). Because it's not "regular life" anymore- you've added a second person to the equation, and most likely many more responsibilities. You need those few days or weeks to be together- just the two of you. Now I can add, a babymoon is also an absolute must. Sam and I needed that time together in Vieques. It's equally as exciting celebrating the beginning of a new married life with a honeymoon, as it is about starting a new family with a babymoon. It's a chance to stop stressing about every little thing that needs to be done, and be reminded why you even want to start a family together. And it all takes place in a happy haze, just like a honeymoon.

And hey, after throwing up for two months straight (in gutters and toilets and subway cars all over the city), I was laying on the beach with my belly hanging out and not a care in the world. That's something that every woman needs.

palm springs.

Back in Ferurary, Sam and I were planning a "babymoon." We were going to go, just the two of us, to Cozumel to semi-recreate our honeymoon. We are big supporters of the babymoon, especially after the success of our last trip to Puerto Rico when I was pregnant with Eliza. But, this time around, all odds were against us. We couldn't figure out the best care situation to leave Eliza, and then news of the Zeka virus started to flood the media. Oh, Mexico. We will be back for you!

In the end, Sam planned a really wonderful trip to Palm Springs to make up for it. Not quite a babymoon, since Eliza came along. But, beautiful and relaxing, all the same. 

We drove down, and even had the chance to stop and stay a night with good friends in San Diego. It was great to see friends and watch the kids all play together. I had one horrible episode with Eliza that left me literally crying in the guest room- involving a two year old who refused to wear panties, and a pregnant woman with insane hormones. So, it's a good thing we were on our way to paradise. 

We stayed at the best place, one of my favorite Airbnb finds. It's called the Thirteen Palms, and we were lucky enough to be the only ones staying at the place. The other three or four units were empty! Which means, we had a beautiful apartment with a perfectly private pool and hot tub all to ourselves. It was so nice to just step outside our door and jump in the pool, and to not feel like we needed to shush Eliza or anything.

We always book our stays with Airbnb, and it's usually always the best decision. I love having a little privacy, especially traveling with a kid. And, I love how unique and beautiful they usually are. Also, Eliza thinks that we own houses all over the world, so that's awesome. She still talks about how she misses our "Palm Springs house." When we left, she very matter-of-factly stated, "We should get a pool at our Berkeley house." Yes, Eliza. Yes, we should.

We basically relaxed poolside for most of the trip. Eliza becomes part fish, with her pink Puddle-Jumper on, and could stay in the water all day if we let her. We took naps, and I finished a book (!) with hardly any distraction. It was lovely. The weather was great, getting warm enough to enjoy a good swim but not hot enough that you melt into a puddle on the sidewalk. 

We explored the main streets, peeking in thrift ships and the rows of mid-century modern antiques stores. Sam was in heaven as we drove around and admired iconic mid-century homes and buildings while Eliza took naps in the car. I even wrangled wiggly Eliza through the Palm Springs Art Museum Architecture and Design Center, only to almost get kicked out by some pretty intense security guards because Sam kept trying to take pictures. They followed us around very closely for the remainder of the exhibit, within five feet I swear.

We ate at some so-so places, striking out just a bit on restaurants. Except for the three visits we made to Great Shakes for milkshakes. I dream about these shakes. On our last day, we left town and then turned around 20 minutes out to go back and get one last shake. It was worth it.

More to come!