Natura Cabana, DR

A friend of ours recommended the Natura Cabana property in the Dominican Republic, when we were talking about how hard it is to find really non-commercial properties, that are easy to fly into. This completely fit the ticket. We landed into Puerto Plata, after a very quick (3 hours and nonstop) Jet Blue flight from JFK. A taxi that the hotel had booked was waiting for us, and within a half an hour we were walking into our beautiful bungalow. It was a three bedroom, since that was what was available, and they charge just by the person--which was $90 per person, and $40 per child, and includes breakfast. The bungalow was really well appointed, the beds comfortable enough, and the bathroom lovely, although the water pressure was non-existent, and there was no way we were going to take a bath, since it would have taken hours to fill up. Never mind, there was a pool (although not heated, Clara didn't mind), and the Caribbean right in front. I was able to sit in the hammock on the front porch, while Clara played on the wooden swingset out front, right next to the very cute treehouse. The beach was beautiful, with lovely little purple and pink shells, and although the water was rough in spots, it didn't have a strong undertow. The food was really good, and very homemade, with its only drawback being that it took a long time to come out. In fact, our friend who sent us there told us that we should order, then come back 45 minutes later. Since we knew that going in, it wasn't a problem. We would order dinner, then grab a couple of mojitos for us and pineapple juice for Clara, head to the beach, and swing on the silk rope swing. We didn't do any yoga when we were there (it's known for it), and we didn't do any surfing in the nearby Cabarete Beach...but we did do a drive to Sosua, 10 minutes away, which is a very raw and not touristy spot, which has a lot of fish shacks, bars, and stalls selling a little bit of everything you'd expect—but the one thing to look out for and bring back—are the amber necklaces. If you need a long weekend getaway, this is a good option, and if you want a longer time away, I'd pair it with a stay at La Catalina, about another 40 minutes further up the coast.

Lemonade Stand, Santa Barbara Style

We've just been visiting our great friends who live in Carpinteria, which is a sleepy surfer town above Ventura, and below Santa Barbara. We took a walk on the beach, and found this awesome 'shell stand'.

Sunscreens for Kids

My friend Stephanie has asked me to post about great sunscreens...and since I haven't seen the sun in many months, I feel a little out of the loop.  First of all, I have to say, that when it comes to kids, I am always going to go for the natural option.  For myself, I am more interested in what will blend in and not be shiny or greasy all day.  So for now, I am really just writing about kids, and if you need to put this stuff on, be prepared, it might make you look like your ready for a Kabuki debut.

Last summer, we used Burnout Sunscreen, which we picked up at a natural food store in Half Moon Bay, and the person selling it to me was a surfer, who said it really worked.  It did.  And it did rub in easily.  Check out its claims on their website.

I'm also a fan of Soleo, out of Australia...but it is a bit greasy.

Our friends Dewey and Stephanie who live in Santa Barbara and are always in the sun, sent me some Solar RX Sunblock, which I am going to try as soon as I get to the sun.  I am sure if they like it, it must be great. I am hoping to try it out over spring break, so I will let you know.

When in doubt, I look at Christy Coleman's site to see what she likes.  I think she's really smart, and I like what she links to.  She has a very informative list here.

Please let me know if you have something that works well for you.  We all need to know this stuff.

Nonchalant Mom checks out the Postcard Inn

I did a post last week about a Times article that wrote up the Postcard Inn in St. Petersburg Florida...and I recommended it to a friend, who booked her family spring break there.  I always get a little nervous when someone takes my recommendation for a place I haven't actually been, so when I read that Nonchalant Mom just went there, and loved it, I was very relieved. No, I don't know Nonchalant Mom, but everything I read about her, I like.  Check out her post--her pictures (I'm only showing two of her many here) are also so much better than the Postcard Inn's website--I would book a trip just based on her pics and her comments.

(pictures from nonchalant mom)

Spring Break Idea: St. Pete Florida

I loved this Sunday's piece in the NY Times by Jane Margolies, on last minute winter getaways. She had tons of great ideas, but the one I immediately looked into is the new Postcard Inn in St. Pete.  It looks perfect.  It's right on the beach (Gulf Coast--which usually has the prettiest blue, calmer water), has a pool, and a Wildwood BBQ & Burger restaurant. The property is a former 1957 Travelodge, and they redid it in a smart way--it seems modern, not fussy...just what you want if you are looking to stay in sandy flip-flops all day.  Even better, it's cheap.  For a room that has two queen beds, it's under $200 a night.  And it's a half hour from Tampa, so there are plenty of direct flights there. I think I have to get there fast...I haven't had a sunny warm day since October.

Spring Break Ideas

(photo by Matthew Hranek , at Diamante Beach in DR)

My friend Jennifer has asked me for ideas for March spring break, a beach trip--good food, kid friendly...not too expensive, and not cheesy.  Okay, here are some ideas:

Casa Sandra in Holbox, Mexico:  this is an island off of the Yucatan, about a 2 hour drive from the Cancun airport, and then a short ferry ride.  It's supposed to be so great--not overly touristy like Isla Mujeres or Cozumel.  We wrote about it in Cookie, and both the writer and the photographer, who weren't there together, said they loved it.  Clara's former preschool teacher also went there, and loved it.  Very laid back, lots of nature, and lots of sun.

(from the casa sandra website)

Small Hope Bay Lodge on Andros Island in the Bahamas:  Another place we wrote about in Cookie, that my husband loved, and another editor at the magazine liked so much, she went twice.  I see from their website that they have a package for a beachfront 2 bedroom all inclusive that is $3550 in high season for 5 nights/six days.

(photo by ditte isager, of beach at small hope bay lodge, andros)

Morgan's Rock in Nicaragua:  This is a spot that a writer had pitched to me, and she had gone there with her family, and loved it.  It's an eco-lodge right on the sea, that has its own farm, so most of what you are served is super fresh, and the fish is what is caught that day. It works out, in high season, to be about $700 night all inclusive (even includes local beer), with adults being $196 per day, and kids being $136 per day.

Zamas in Tulum:  I haven't been to Tulum in ages, but all of my friends still go, and love it.  This place has been there for a long time, and still people say great things about it.  It has great food, and is well priced, which I know because I remember, not because it says so on the web site.  If they listed prices, I would tell you...

(beach in DR, shot by Matthew Hranek)

La Catalina in the Dominican Republic:  We came to this very sweet hotel with Cynthia Rowley, last spring, and loved it.  It's about an hour and a half drive from the Punta Cana airport, and you just arrange to have the hotel pick you up (the taxi service is so cheap, but you have to be prepared that no one has car seats or boosters).  The staff is so warm, the rooms are very comfortable (not luxe, but everything you need), there are two pools, and it has a great view to the sea.  To go to the beach, you do have to get in a car.  You can either get a taxi, or you can have the hotel arrange a rental car for you.  Read the article we wrote in Cookie to know more about it (the website is still up!)...The rooms are in the $100 night range, and the food is so good, and so cheap.  You kind of can't believe that it can be so good, and that cheap.

File Under Rentals: Pure Crete Rentals

I've had the brochure from Pure Crete since before there was internet...I still haven't gone to any of there properties, but I have to say, they are an agency worth looking into if you are interested in a relatively inexpensive rental, with an authentic vibe...something you want when you go to Greece.  Here is what I'm looking for when I look for a rental there, and I need to preface this with a little background:  I went on a program in Kalymnos, one of the more unattractive Greek islands in the Dodecanese group (most well known island there is Rhodes), in 1986 for six months, and then I went back the next year, to be a nanny. I was so into living there, imagining that I would ultimately end up spending my adult life in Greece.  I even majored in comp lit, my language being Modern Greek.  I went back once in the 90s, but since I met my husband in '96, I haven't been there.  He has this thing about Greece--he's completely uninterested.  He says its because he doesn't care about Greek food, but I think it's just that he'd rather go back to Italy any day.  Anyway, I keep telling him how amazing it is (although I know it's changed so much since I was there eons ago), and I know I can get him to go there, but I want him to be blown away once we get there.  Which is why I keep hesitating on going.  I want to find the perfect little house, overlooking the sea (swimmable, sandy beach), with a little village close by (walking distance), with a great fishmonger, cafe, taverna, bakery...Now, that shouldn't be too hard to find--it's just...what island to choose?  Each island has such a personality, and I want the one that feels just...so...well, maybe the Greece that I experienced when I was 18.
See--everyone has travel issues--sometimes it's having too much information that makes it too hard to pull the trigger and make a decision.  In the meantime, I will post here all the lovely properties I find, and may never visit...and maybe you will go and can report back. This property looks pretty sweet, even more so at 946 euros per week in high season, and it sleeps four.

Dog Island, Florida Panhandle

This is for the maverick families out there.  It's on a little island only reachable by boat, with no stores, no restaurants...just the Pelican Inn .  You have to bring in everything, which is why I think the price ($300 for two nights) gets discounted significantly every night beyond two nights.  It seems to be pretty much elevated camping--you get 400 square feet with a deck, on the water, and a bathroom with a tub.  But it is pretty raw, and requires work to get there...and as long as you are fine with that, it seems like a magical place. 

Unexpected Spring Break: Little Corn Island

I've never been to this place, Farm Peace Love , but I love the way this bio-farm with self-catering accommodation looks. I especially like the sweet little cottage on the beach, for $80 a night, that sleeps 2 adults and 2 kids... There is a kitchen, and apparently you can get your food replenished from the owners' farm, or take a boat into the closest village to buy more groceries.  There's also a restaurant on property, and the couple that owns it-- Paola (Italian) and Bing (Nicaraguan)--alternate cooking their native cuisines. There's even an espresso machine in the cottage. (What do you expect from an Italian owner?) The more I look into this island, the more stories I find about it, from the NY Times to Daily Candy.  It seems like a place we'd love--quiet, not overloaded with tourists, sleepy beaches, bonefishing, calm water, and cheap beer.

File Under Rentals: Prince Edward Island

We did a story in Cookie last year, on PEI as a destination.  I like the idea that there are white sandy beaches, and the ocean there is warmed by the gulf stream, making for swimmable water in the summer. There's great food there,  and rental houses aren't very expensive, even waterfront.  I started looking the other day, and found this really nice one, that was featured in Country Living Magazine. It still has availability for the first two weeks in August, and it's $2500 a week--for a 3000 square foot home on the beach, that sleeps 10, and is nicely decorated, I call that a deal.