Girls' Week Birthday Bash

Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

I won't even apologize for taking more than a week to post again since I have the perfect excuse...I was out of the country!  For the first time in more years than I care to admit, I didn't touch a computer, cell phone or TV for seven glorious days.  For my birthday weekend, Monica and Christi accompanied me to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic for a girls' getaway.  Historically, I've been a backpacker type of traveler; I truly enjoy meeting other like-minded adventurous wanderers, learning the history of stops along my journey and especially dabbling in local cuisine and culinary customs.  As I get older however, I felt like it might be time to taste the life of a tourist in comparison to that of a traveler.  The difference between the two experiences is defined by logistics and, to some extent, mindset.  Though the differences are subtle, they can result in two completely different perspectives of the same event.  Other than traveling for business when I was with the USOC, the planning phase of my overseas travel typically consisted of booking a plane ticket with a rough idea of things I wanted to see and do during my time abroad.  No advance transportation, lodging or tours arranged; I'd really just wing it.  But this time, with the encouragement of my more "girlie" travel companions, I took the plunge and agreed to an all-inclusive resort experience where everything from transport from the airport to meals and drinks are arranged and paid for in advance.

Sunrise over beach and pool at Hard Rock Resort

There were certainly pros and cons to the "luxury" experience.  Since I'm still aglow with my bikini line suntan, I'll start off with the things I enjoyed.  As you can see from the beach pic, the scenery was spectacular.  This pic of the silhouetted palm trees between the beach and pool was taken at sunrise and captures the picturesque setting of the resort as a whole.  With 12 pools, there was always someplace to hang out if the wind was a little too breezy for the beach.  There were pools with swim up bars, pools with water parks for kids, pools dedicated to quiet for book lovers, pools with European sunbathing areas and even pools dedicated to spring break type antic, truly something for everyone.

View from room balcony

Our room was pretty decadent and included a two person whirlpool (which I referred to as my own private room pool!), fully stocked bar with fridge and an amazing view of the beach and pools right from the balcony.  With almost a dozen restaurants and delis, we only took advantage of the 24-hour room service a couple of times. Christi, however, did call room service to order scented pillows from the pillow menu :-)

Most days' temps were in the upper 70s/low 80s- perfect beach weather.  As non-gamblers, we just couldn't understand how anyone would trade in the beach/pool scene to sit in electronically lit rooms listening to bells and whistles and hoping that today was your day to be lucky (and not a fool).  To each his own I guess, so we decided to forgo our stint in the casino to make room for those lucky/foolish folks who felt the call to gambling. 

Sunrise squall

Most mornings, I'd awake before dawn and take in the sunrise.  One particular morning I walked down to the beach before dawn and witnessed an amazing storm roll through.  It only lasted for an hour or so, but the intensity of the squall was enough to keep everyone indoors for the duration.  I sat on a beach chair mesmerized by the gathering clouds and the advancing wall of rain.  By the time I could tear myself away from the unfolding scene, I had to run for cover to protect my camera from the downpour.  I've known all my life that of earth's elements, it's water that connects my soul to the world around me.  Chalk it up to being born and raised on a bayou, but there's no mountain or wooded area in the world, at least that I've encountered thus far, that is as life-affirming and awe-inspiring as that of moving water in nature.   It was a humbling sight to behold.

Christi, Monica and Karen at the beach

Now that I've introduced you to the scenery and benefits of the resort scene, the next post will be more about how we spent our days during the week.  I'll give you a hint:  I split off from Monica and Christi for a day for a chance to explore our differing tastes of vacation activities.  I'll also give you my wrap-up of the all-inclusive resort experience so stay tuned in you're interested!