Paradise Vacation 2013: St. Kitt's

I'm going to have to break this trip up into at least 2 parts. We have so many fun pictures (and a few stories) to share, and I'm not looking to break any records with an epic post of the trip. In case you did not know, I won the Circle of Excellence award at work (for sales performance and meeting set goals)- and was rewarded with a trip to the Four Seasons, Nevis. We decided to head out a couple of days early so that we'd have some time to ourselves.

After 12 long hours of traveling, we arrived at 9pm in St. Kitts on Friday night. We chose to stay at the Marriott St. Kitt's Resort & Royal Beach Casino because it seemed like the easy thing to do. With a long name like that though, we should have known it was going to be a monstrous hotel. But we just needed a place to land for 2 nights that wouldn't be much of a hassle. After a very lame bar dinner and less than impressive service the first night, I already knew that we would likely never visit it again.

But when we woke up on Saturday morning, we were treated to a beautiful view, and were excited to start our vacation. We took off for a short run and made our way over to what is known as "the strip" (a small string of beach bars/restaurants that seems to be popular for late night revelry and dancing). There is an international vet school on the island, and apparently the strip is where they all like to party. Interesting fact- St. Kitts is home to multiple international schools. It was bad enough just finishing college in a party town- I can only imagine how distracting the beach would be!

View from our hotel balcony.

Hank in front of Elvis' Love Shack. Elvis is a popular name on the island, according to one of our taxi drivers.

After our run, we grabbed a quick breakfast from the lobby, and then got ready to hit the beach. We really didn't want to be stuck at the hotel- as it was on the Atlantic side (rougher water) and just didn't have much personality. Several people recommended that we taxi to a small beach bar (on the Caribbean side) called Shipwreck. It's tucked away on a secluded strip of beach, and I swear it's where you go when you don't want to be found. We snagged two chairs covered by a little palapa roof, and quickly ordered a round of Pirate's Punch (for me) and a $3 Carib (for Hank). We napped, swam, ate, watched monkeys and mongoose, and snorkeled. This was seriously one of my favorite days of our whole trip. We could have stayed there forever, but ran out of cash just in time for our taxi guy who came to pick us back up.

Entrance to Shipwreck

View along the beach front.

Our chairs for the day.

Monkeys eating leftover scraps.

Saying a sad goodbye to our new bar friends.

After a day of drinking on the beach, and a few hours in the hotel lobby looking for other Apple people to trickle in, we finally decided to clean ourselves up and head out for some dinner. Another interesting fact about the island is that many of the stores are owned by Indians, and therefore the island has a significant Indian population. The only thing that really means to me is that there was good food to be found. There just happened to be an Indian restaurant a short walk from the hotel, and it had good reviews online, so we headed to Bombay Blues. Full disclosure- we had been drinking all afternoon, so our judgement might be slightly skewed. But my recollection of the meal was fabulous. I had the Malai Kofta (one of my favorite dishes) and the sauce was flavorful and hearty. Hank had his favorite- Aloo Gobi. It was reasonably priced, our server was nice, and overall we enjoyed the meal. The restaurant was pretty crowded, so I got the impression that it was a local favorite.

After sleeping it off in the next morning, we decided it would be fun to take a tour of the island before we had to meet the ferry for Nevis. The island is only 18 miles long, so it doesn't take long to make the big circle. Through the hotel, we hired a really nice driver to give us a tour. First stop was a high point overlooking our hotel from the beach.

Below Hank down on the right is where Shipwreck was- the South part of the island.

View of the Marriott (red roofs) on the far right side)

After a little driving and story telling, he waited patiently while we toured the Brimstone Hill Fortress. It is now a national monument that was originally designed by the British, and built by African slaves. After an extensive preservation effort (that is still ongoing), it is one of the best preserved fortifications in the Americas. You can read more information in the link- but my brief description is that it was breathtaking. We really, really enjoyed walking around viewing the amazing construction and beautiful views of the island from one of the highest points.

Looking up to the highest point and the Citadel. There were multiple levels and buildings overall.

It was no joke climbing up to the top- those stairs were serious business, and intentionally built to slow down any troops trying to overtake the fort. 

View of the Infantry Officers Quarters

Hank geeking out with all the history around him.

Many of the original canons were stolen and melted down.

Drinking a local (non-alcoholic) Ting and enjoying the view.

Here kitty, kitty....A cute cat hanging out in the main area of the Citadel.

More canons pointing towards the back of the fort. They had all angles covered for any attacks.

We finished the loop around the north side of the island, and got to view where the Atlantic meets the Carribean, and also black rocks formed by the now dormant volcano on the island. We finished the tour just in time to catch an early ferry to Nevis, where the rest of our trip continued. Stay tuned.....

The Atlantic is the rougher/bluer part on the left, and where the color changes is where the Caribbean begins.

Volcanic rocks and crashing waves.

Life's a Beach.....

...and then you come home from vacation. That's my least favorite part of it all- the moment you have to come back to reality. But our little trip was everything I wanted, and I'm so glad we made the time to get away for a few days.

On Sunday morning we packed up the car and set off for the 4-ish hour drive to Port Aransas. It's amazing how much stuff you need for 3 days on the beach. Between the canopy, 2 chairs, cooler, bags, etc., there was hardly enough room for Marley and her bed.

Marley in her favorite spot, ready for the trip!

Maddie assumed her usual spot- right on Hunk's lap.
She was so sleepy during the drive, but refused to nap. 

A few pit stops later (for human AND dog breaks), we pulled up to the beach in time to see my adorable niece playing around. She came running to the car, so excited that we could come to "her beach house". That's one lucky girl, I tell you! We spent the afternoon playing with her, and letting the dogs sniff around and enjoy the water. It was good to spend a little time with my sister and her little family, and I'm so glad our trips overlapped for a day.

Sisters on the beach with Georgia supervising

Hunk and Georgia talking about serious things like Princesses.

On Sunday evening, we met back up with my sister and crew for dinner at La Playa. It's one of my favorite Mexican food restaurants on the island. It was just a short walk from our condo, and not too crowded considering that many people left on Sunday. It's a small place, and they only take cash or checks, but I think the food (and drinks) are great! Especially the table-side guacamole. After dinner we headed back to the beach for a bonfire....otherwise known as "Georgia's party". She seriously thinks she's in control of everything, and it's hilarious to watch. We were pretty beat though, so we headed back to the condo to unwind and go to bed.

Speaking of the condo- it was absolutely perfect. We found it on VRBO, and will totally be staying there again. It was reasonably priced, dog friendly, and close to the beach. When we first saw it online, we were really on the fence about it. The pictures just didn't do it justice. But all the reviews were stellar, so we decided to go with it. It was a one-bedroom "house" that was immaculately clean, and really close to everything. Plus, it had a small fenced yard making it easy to manage the dogs. Other than the bed feeling a little soft (and the linens a little thin), everything else about it was great. If you're looking for a small place to rent, consider Huff Cottage for your next stay.

View from the door to the balcony, looking into living area and kitchen

View from front door, into the living area

King bed with a good sized closet, bathroom, and even a washer/dryer

Monday and Tuesday were almost identical in how we spent our days. Sleep in late, eat a little breakfast, walk the dogs and then head to the beach. We made sandwiches and had plenty of food in the cooler for snacking throughout the day. I'm so glad that we got a canopy to set up, as it made the days much more comfortable. I was really careful about how much time I spent in the sun, and came home without a sunburn for once! We ate sandwiches, drank cold beer, walked down the beach and both finished reading Let's Pretend This Never Happened from the unbelievably funny The Bloggess. It was relaxing, quality time together, and that was really all we wanted!

Reading on the beach

Two very happy people

Vacation went by way too fast, but we came back relaxed and rested, and ready to tackle a very short (yet busy) rest of the work week. Looking forward to many more travel adventures in the future!

A weekend in Oklahoma

This past weekend, Hunk and I made the 7 (ish) hour trek up I-35 to visit his family and to participate in the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon. He did the running, I did the cheering/spectating. The drive up there was uneventful. We had both his dogs in the car, plenty of water and snacks, and no need to hurry. Our main goals for the weekend were to relax, have fun, and enjoy some quality time together. The trip up was pretty easy, minus an overturned gas tanker and some obnoxious highway construction. We did make a fun Starbuck's pit stop in Ardmore to meet up with a former student. It just kills me how fast they grow up, but it's so neat to see how well they are doing! I so appreciated her mom pulling her out of school a little early to come and say hi to me. After one final stop in Norman at the OK Runner store, we made it to Yukon (Hank's hometown) without incident.

Maddie making herself comfortable for the trip.

Marley was perfectly content to either chew on her bone, or take a nap on her bed in the back.

The water tower in Yukon, OK

Once we arrived at his parent's house, we spent the rest of the afternoon hanging out in the kitchen (he guaranteed me that his mom would be in there most of the weekend), snacking, drinking and getting to know each other. His parents couldn't have been more welcoming to me- they were just so nice! His brother's family came over to see us after dinner, and we called it an early night after such a long day.

On Saturday, we headed to the marathon expo where we both lucked out with a great new pair of shoes (thanks to the OK Runner expo sale), and then went on to see his niece's track meet. She was so excited to have her Uncle there to watch. It was a little warmer than expected, but still nice to be out. We were both starving though (and a little bit thirsty), so we headed to a new shopping area called Classen Curve to eat at a restaurant many of his friends had been talking about. Republic Gastro Pub was amazing, and was definitely the starting point for opening my mind to the fact that maybe Oklahoma isn't all that bad. The beer selection was incredible, and we had no problem picking out two tasty sandwiches (the BLT and the Reuben). I ordered the Abbey Road flight. It had Maredsous Blond, Ommegang Hennepin, Tripel Karmeliet, and St Bernardus Abt 12 ALL IN ONE FLIGHT. Even better was the fact that the heavy pours only cost $8. I fell in love with Republic at that moment.

Abbey Road beer flight at Republic

We went back to his parent's house for dinner that night, where we were joined by his brother and nephew. His mom cooked another great meal, and then we celebrated her belated birthday with some lemon cupcakes that I had made for her. It was an early night because Hunk was having to get up before 5 the next morning to head over to the race. Unfortunately, the weather was starting to look a little ugly, so I helped his mom move cars around in case of hail. Luckily, it was only rain (and a very small tornado watch) that ended up happening. I think besides an OU Zombie apocalypse, tornados were my biggest fear about being in Oklahoma.

I woke up by 6 on Sunday to drive with Hunk's dad, nephew, brother, aunt and uncle downtown to the finish line. There were tons of people, but I was lucky to score a spot where I would be able to see him coming down the chute, and maybe even get a picture. Hunk had already decided to just run the half, and even without much focused training, he did great!

Hunk crossing the finish line

We all headed for breakfast at IHOP afterwards, and then Hunk and I stayed downtown to visit the Oklahoma City National Memorial, and the Festival of the Arts held every year in conjunction with the marathon. His mom had shown me a book the day before from the bombing that had personal stories from the rescuers, survivors, and medical/emergency workers who were there at that time. The stories were fresh in my mind when we went to the site, and I have to say it was a very emotional visit. Hunk had also volunteered then, and was a runner who went to fetch families when victims had been found. He is such a compassionate person, and this is just one of the many things I love about him. I can only imagine how difficult that job was.

Original Murrah Building sign

The reflecting pond

The lawn with 168 chairs for each victim

They open the lawn on the day of the marathon, and allow visitors to leave mementos on the chairs

The playground area for the daycare center inside the building

The original fence with items that were left after the bombing. The museum rotates items out from time to time

Shout out to my home state!

View of the Arts Festival from the Botanical Gardens

I have to say I was really impressed with downtown Oklahoma City. This orange-blood girl had low expectations, but it really was very nice! After walking around, we made a quick stop through the outlet mall by his house, a super fast drive through "downtown" Yukon, and then back to his house to munch on some snacks that his mom made for us. After a short nap, it was already time for dinner! His brother's family came over again, and we all sat at the dining table for a Sunday roast dinner. Again, his family couldn't have been nicer to me. Even his teenage niece and nephew were a lot of fun to be around. I'm so glad I got the chance to meet them!

On Monday morning, we loaded up the car, said our goodbyes, and then took the long route home going through 183. After dealing with the headaches on I-35, we decided it would likely be more fun to take the scenic route. We took our time, stopped when we felt like it, and even happened upon a little gem called Mineral Wells.

Driving into town, we saw this behemoth building standing out behind the typical downtown square area. Completely fascinated, we decided to circle around it to get some pictures.

Mineral Wells first hit the map when their mineral springs were discovered in the early 1900s. One well was known for its "crazy water" that helped patients with signs of Alzheimer's.

First glimpse driving into town

Neat architectural details of The Baker Hotel

Shuttered since the 1970's, it's in pretty sad shape

The pool and recreation area. I can only imagine how neat the hotel looked in its heyday.

We were so intrigued by the building (there were no signs saying what it was), but a quick google search resulted in everything we needed to know about the Baker Hotel. It used to be a top tier spa destination in the 20's, and now just sits empty and haunted, with no signs of the restoration proposed in 2010. Town people swear they see the windows open and close at any time, and one of the more popular ghosts is that of the hotel manager's mistress who used to live on the 7th floor before jumping to her death from the roof of the hotel. You can read about the various hauntings here. We were fascinated by the hotel, to say the least. So much that the rest of the drive, we decided that should we win the mega millions lottery, we would spearhead the renovation ourselves, and name it The Baker Holland. We came up with marketing, events to draw people to the town. You name it, we thought about it. Now if only we could win the lottery....

But, it was back to reality in no time as we pulled into Austin, and especially when we sat at our respective desks the next morning to the emails that had amassed while we were gone. However, after 14+ hours in the car, I think our relationship is even stronger. It was such a fun weekend together and I'm so glad we had the chance to take our first road trip!