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COVID-19 Journal: Banker Chick Doesn’t Travel…. Exploring Slower Lower Delaware

July 5, 2020July 6, 2020bankerchicktravelsLeave a comment

Make no mistake – I love traveling internationally. I love the challenge and excitement of learning about a different culture. I love trying (usually poorly) to communicate in a foreign language. I love navigating the unfamiliar. I love embarking on an airplane to travel somewhere, anywhere, far away. But sometimes it’s nice, and sometimes it’s necessary, to stay closer to home.

In addition to flexibility in pandemic times, here are some other advantages of a closer-to-home trip:

Bring anything, and anyone, that fits in the car, including the dog or cat!
If you can’t schedule a long trip, a short one still works – even a day trip.
No jet lag or time zone adjustment
No costly airport parking, TSA lines, or mechanical delays
Given proximity and lower cost, frequent return trips are possible if you fall in love with the destination

Just like everyone else, my 2020 travel plans were derailed by COVID-19. This year’s scratched itineraries included a wine tasting trip to Napa Valley in April, a trip to London and the Cotswolds in June, and a trip to Lake Como and Tuscany (more wine!) in September. Instead, I have spent these months of COVID lockdowns and restrictions in a much more accessible location: Lewes, Delaware. We had planned to spend many summer weekends in Lewes this year, but when the virus began its assault on the New York area in March, like many second homeowners in the area, we grabbed our stuff and drove over the giant Delaware Memorial Bridge to our beach escape. Husband and I purchased a second home here two years ago with an eye toward eventually retiring in this tax-friendly state, that has the added advantage of being relatively close to jobs and kids in New Jersey.

Delaware is proud to be the first established state in the US, but remains one of the smallest with fewer than 1 million inhabitants and only covering about 2500 square miles – less than 2% of the size of California. Delaware’s largest city, Wilmington, has only 70,000 residents, and the entire state is still covered by one area code, 302. Our home is located in Sussex County, the southernmost of Delaware’s three counties and the only one with an Atlantic coastline.

Locals happily refer to the area as “Slower Lower Delaware”, or SLD for short. (You will see destination stickers using the letters LSD – cute- but SLD is the real deal). The Delaware Beaches, as they are more officially known, are within a 2 hour drive of the fast-paced, pressure-filled areas surrounding Washington DC, Philadelphia, and Baltimore, and less than 4 hours from NYC, but visitors here enjoy an entirely different tempo (at least in the offseason: October – April). Just to the south is Ocean City, Maryland, a bustling seaside city full of high rise resorts and an amusement-filled boardwalk. To the north, across the Delaware Bay, via a car ferry, is the southern tip of New Jersey and charming, Victorian Cape May.

Dogs are permitted at many local beaches, check before you go

Squarely situated on the heavily populated Eastern Seaboard, the Delaware Beaches seem magically distant, sparsely populated, and full of open space to enjoy. The flat, open land lends itself to the kind of beautiful sunsets I remember from growing up in the Midwest, and I think they are a highlight of the area. Here are just a few recent sunset snapshots:

The area is very popular with hundreds of thousands of summer visitors who flock to the area mainly to enjoy its 25 mile Atlantic Coast, along with beach towns, boardwalks, and the busy Rt. 1 strip with restaurants, outlet malls, mini golf, and a go-cart track. However, just a bit further inland are bays and inlets for boaters and fishermen, golf courses galore, walking and biking trails, serene ponds, cornfields, farmsteads, and dairy farms boasting fresh ice cream.

Fresh from the Cow ice cream, along aptly named Dairy Farm Road

An entrance to the shady Breakwater Junction walking and biking trail

Area highlights include :

Rehoboth Beach is the vacation hub of the Delaware Beach area. In Downtown Rehoboth, visitors will find cute shops, culinarily sophisticated restaurants, lively bars, and a classic activity-filled boardwalk with kiddie rides, games, and beachy snack delights such as french fries, saltwater taffy, and of course ice cream. Dogfish Head Brewery, headquartered in nearby Milton, recently completed construction of a large restaurant and entertainment venue right on Rehoboth Ave, the town’s primary street. And best of all, the lifeguarded beach off the boardwalk is free!

Dewey Beach is located on a narrow strip of land between the ocean and Rehoboth Bay – you’re never more than 1/4 mile from a waterfront in Dewey. Dewey is known for attracting a younger crowd, and has a number of live music venues and clubs.

Heading south down Rt 1 from Dewey through a state park and over the scenic Indian River Inlet bridge brings the traveler to one of my favorite spots, Bethany Beach. Known as the “the quiet beach”, Bethany’s nickname says it all. The town boasts an adorable, small downtown with plenty of shopping and dining options, and a small boardwalk meant for strolling rather than partying. Sea Colony is a large resort complex just south of downtown featuring several pools, a tennis complex, and private beach access.

0987cf9563615023026842732734e7bd_a6e07be0-f42c-9ec8-46e642cc077b748a — Photo courtesy of VisitDelaware.com

Lewes is the transit point for the ferry from Delaware to Cape May, New Jersey, but offers so much more. The “first town in the First State” was founded in the 1600s and served as a launching point for all things naval. It’s a bit less of a tourist destination than the other towns, all of which include an Atlantic coastline; Lewes’ beaches are on the Delaware Bay. The regional high school and hospital are located in Lewes, and in addition to being the northernmost point of “the Beaches”, the town offers a quaint, boating-oriented downtown evocative of Newport, RI or Kennebunkport, ME. In my opinion, it’s the hidden gem of the Delaware beach scene. (it’ also my new hometown, so I’m a little biased!)

Take what you need, Give what you can free food pantry in Lewes

Lightship Overfalls, a museum ship and one of only 17 remaining lightships

Marking the entrance to the Delaware Bay, Cape Henlopen State Park is the environmental gem of the area. With 6 miles of bay and ocean shoreline, CHSP is accessible from both Lewes (on the bay side of the Cape) and Rehoboth (on the ocean side). Automobiles can enter the park for $10/day, but are unable to traverse through the park from Lewes to Rehoboth, presumably to prevent traffic from using the park as a bypass for busy Rt. 1. However, bicycles and pedestrians can access the entire park; a fantastic 16 mile loop takes the rider or walker from Lewes to Rehoboth and back across Gordon’s Pond and down the Junction Breakwater Trail. Bird and wildlife enthusiasts and those seeking solitude can enjoy the pine-edged trails, lighthouses, campgrounds, WWII watchtowers, surfing, fishing, and inland waterway access along with natural, unobstructed beach views.

WWII Watchtowers line the Delaware beach shorefront

Although the Delaware beaches offer plenty of activities, daytrips are possible to Philadelphia, Washington DC, Annapolis, Victorian Cape May (via ferry), or Maryland’s eastern shore (Chincoteague Island is a very popular day trip – or camp overnight for a better chance to see the fabled wild horses).

While there are some hotels and B & B’s in the area, the vast majority of lodging for travelers is found in private homes or condominiums rented out by their owners through local realtors or on VRBO, HomeAway, or AirBNB. This type of lodging contributes to the family-friendly nature of the Delaware beaches and keeps costs down, allowing groups or families to rent a multi-bedroom space with laundry and a kitchen for self-prepared meals.

This post would be remiss without mentioning the Delaware Beaches’ alternate moniker: the “Culinary Coast”. While Rt. 1 is full of standard restaurant chains, the towns are full of small, locally owned foodie-friendly restaurants. Cuisines range from prevalent coastal (think crab cakes, lobster, fish tacos, and soft-shell crab), to farm-to-table, to Mexican, steakhouses, pizza, barbecue, French, and Asian. There are also a number of locally established breweries, including well-known Dogfish Head, and even a couple of decent wineries. We’ve done our best to keep them all busy by ordering takeout during COVID. Here is an incomplete list of our favorites, with links and in no particular order:

Agave, Lewes – upscale Mexican – try the guacamole sampler!
La Fable, Rehoboth – French, cabaret-style
Salt Air, Rehoboth – Organic, farm-to-table
1776 , Midway mall, Rehoboth, classic steakhouse
Bethany Blues, Lewes and Bethany- family-friendly barbecue where the bar specializes in bourbon
Striper Bites, Lewes – coastal specialty with a fun bar scene
The Purple Parrot Grill , downtown Rehoboth – the food is good, but come here for the very lively bar/biergarten scene and particularly for karaoke on Friday and Saturdays
Irish Eyes, Lewes – Irish/American dining on the Lewes waterfront, live music many evenings
Rustic Acres Farm Market, Holland Glade Road, Rehoboth – barbecue, bakery, and fresh ice cream
Touch of Italy, multiple locations including Lewes and Rehoboth, reasonably authentic Italian – OMG THE CHICKEN PARM!!!
Chesapeake & Maine, downtown Rehoboth – seafood with live music almost every night, part of the Dogfish Head complex
Matt’s Fish Camp , Lewes and Bethany – coastal / seafood
Houston White, downtown Rehoboth, steakhouse
Iron Hill Brewery, just outside Rehoboth – great for a large party, this small chain out of Philadelphia has a large tented patio and their own proprietary brews
2nd Street Tavern, Lewes – American (fried green tomatoes topped w/ crabmeat is my favorite), lively with live music or sports on TV and big open Victorian porch
Revelation Brewery & DaNizza pizza truck, Rehoboth – like eating in your friend’s backyard (that cool friend who makes their own beer)
La Tonalteca, on Rt 1 outside of Rehoboth – inexpensive but great Mexican, with several local restaurants, colorful seating, and great margaritas

Please note – just because a restaurant isn’t listed above, doesn’t mean it isn’t great! To survive the quiet offseason, you need to be GOOD. We just haven’t visited them all…..

If there’s a silver lining to all of the grief and stress caused by the COVID pandemic, it’s that my job has pivoted to primarily work-from-home. As a result, our relocation to Delaware is now on the fast track, and I’ll be spending a lot more time here. I guess I’ll just have to learn to love biking trails, parks, beaches, quaint towns, a slower pace, beautiful sunsets, and great food. And I’ll have to learn to tolerate all the Orioles and Phillies fans, instead of the NY ones I’ve gotten used to 🙂

Nayara Springs – Rainforests, volcanos, and luxury: oh my!

March 8, 2020March 7, 2020bankerchicktravelsLeave a comment

Switching gears on our 10th Anniversary Costa Rica trip, Husband I left the sunny, dry Peninsula Papagayo in Guanacaste and made our way to the rainforest and the small town of La Fortuna, Costa Rica. The drive took us a little over 3 hours, and was, shall we say, a bit adventurous; we may have made a wrong turn, but followed our trusty Google Maps. Somehow we ended up on a mostly unpaved road, essentially offroading over a mountain. We were lucky to have a 4 wheel drive vehicle – at one point it felt like we were climbing at a 90 degree angle!

Screen Shot 2020-03-06 at 2.38.34 PM — See where the blue line exits Rt 142 and appears to cut across? That’s the rough portion of the road. Thanks Google for making things…. interesting!

This friendly fellow greeted us at our lunch stop as we approached the Lake Arenal area:

And by the way … excellent fried chicken to be had here!

As we made our way around Lake Arenal, we enjoyed incredible views of the Arenal Volcano, from across the lake:

Arenal is classified as an active volcano, with its last major eruption in 1968, but most recent in 2010. The volcano is surrounded by a mountainous rainforest full of wildlife and beauty. And it was here that we found our incredible resort, Nayara Springs, which was The. Best. Resort. I’ve. EVER. Visited. Period.

As is proudly displayed on its website, Nayara Springs has won a number of luxury travel awards. Since this was an anniversary trip, and we had used points at our other Costa Rican destination, the Andaz, we chose to splurge on this spot and Oh! was it worth it. (Husband says: Banker Chick is really good at finding excuses to book luxury). Rooms – which aren’t typical hotel rooms, but villas – 1,500 freakin’ sq. ft. villas – average about $900 / night. Because we booked more than six months in advance, we got a special rate of 4 nights for the price of 3. Still far from cheap, but again … this place was worth every penny. And I will note, they don’t nickel and dime you – there is no resort fee, and the resort includes a free in room mini bar (non-alcoholic), free breakfast, free laundry, and free international phone calls.

A few photos of our amazing villa:

A romantic Anniversary greeting awaited us

Seating area with fresh fruit and champagne

Netting around the bed was unnecessary, there were no bugs in the room

sliding glass doors to private balcony with infinity pool

57463880285__E2926F59-B190-4D59-A2B9-A9210A6C0F51 — Infinity pool, surrounded by lush vegetation

57463873800__13CDF8A8-EEFA-4678-BFED-30DFF9750D2B — The bathroom was easily 500 sq. ft. In this photo, indoor shower and outdoor shower

Another view of outside shower. I couldn’t get enough of this bathroom!

View across the bathroom. Did I tell you I couldn’t get enough?

B692AC29-D622-4BFA-AEC9-242AA948AC7F — Ahhhh – pura vida!

Not only the villas, but the entire resort was maintained to perfection. Dense foliage surrounded well lit, hilly pathways:

Since the resort is on the side of a mountain, some of the terrain could be steep. Fortunately, the resort offered golf cart transportation if needed. We were glad to take the cart one night, because our driver spotted this colorful little guy:

Only in Costa Rica: the red-eyed tree frog

The path outside our villa in the evening

There are several restaurants on the property, which also offers evening entertainment. Because of the dark, mountainous terrain, it’s probably advisable to stay on property in the evening unless you are very comfortable with that kind of driving. We enjoyed meals at Mis Amores, a Latin bistro where breakfast is served, Asia Luna, a fusion restaurant, Nostalgia wine & tapas bar, and our favorite: Amor Loco, a sumptuous fine food restaurant with purple velvet seating – quite a contrast to the surrounding rainforest!

That is a serious fruit plate – breakfast at Mis Amores

Our waiter at Amor Loco preparing some kind of flaming drink

Returning to our villa, well lit steps show just how secluded we were

Finally, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the spa at Nayara Springs. Yes, I know, we went to the spa at Andaz … but Nayara was offering some kind of discount on their massages so we ended up going not once, but twice, squeezing in a second treatment on our last day. The spa at Nayara is open air, so rather than piped in nature sounds, what you hear is an actual rainforest! Try the chocolate scrub – wonderful.

The resort was so beautiful, we spent most of our four days there enjoying its delights. However, we did manage to get off the property during the day a few times. I pre-booked a pass at Eco Termales Hot Springs. I don’t have any photos of this experience, because once arriving all electronics were stored safely in a locker. But we did enjoy the multiple thermal, sulfuric pools. The resort was clean, not at all crowded, and peaceful.

We also arranged a day tour through the resort: a private horseback riding and hanging bridges trek at Mistico Park in La Fortuna. Note that this tour is not featured on Nayara Springs’ website – be sure to ask the concierge about your choices. We were able to book just a a couple of days in advance. We paid $73 per person including transportation to and from the park.

If you want to be truly immersed in the treetops of the rainforest, and aren’t too afraid of heights, a hanging bridge trek is a great way to learn more about the flora and fauna of the area. There is a fair bit of hiking on uneven paths on this tour, and some up and downhill walking, so be prepared to be active (and to sweat) and wear good trekking shoes.

Our horses, Tequila and Indio, were amazingly well trained and stable on steep and narrow pathways. Once again we enjoyed the services of a fantastic local guide, Francisco. Francisco hailed from Nicaragua, and has 17 – seventeen! brothers and sisters. With so many siblings, he needed to support himself at a young age and migrated to Costa Rica, finding a home near Arenal where he became an excellent horseman. We felt extremely safe with him and these horses.

During our tour we saw wild pigs, a sloth, and a toucan in the wild. Francisco also pointed out an amazing Sleeping Plant (the dormilona), also known as a Touch Me Not, that folds in upon itself when touched, to protect itself against predators and harsh weather.

Low clouds made the first part of our journey very foggy, obscuring the views – the photo below actually looks over a hill, toward Lake Arenal and the volcano (just trust me):

But, within less than 30 minutes, the clouds partially cleared. Francisco was kind enough to take us back to the scenic hilltop for more photos:

Arenal volcano, partially obscured by clouds, in the background

We hated to leave Nayara and the rainforest. I admit, although I knew the resort was going to be very nice based on the reviews and awards, I was surprised – I thought it would be too buggy and humid for me to really enjoy. But the amenities, people, and natural beauty far outweighed any negatives. We will be back!

We flew home from San Jose airport, about a 2 1/2 hour drive from the Arenal area but a bit less adventurous, mostly via highway. We have incredible memories of Costa Rica. Pura Vida!

Eco-friendly Costa Rica: Tico Tours Private Palo Verde Tour Review

March 7, 2020March 7, 2020bankerchicktravelsLeave a comment

First, a little thought on day tours. While I enjoy being an independent traveler and exploring at my own pace, there is something to be said for a guided day tour, particularly when visiting a place to which you’ve never traveled. There are two basic types of day tours – group tours, which take place on a bus or minibus and can include anywhere from 8 – 50 people, and private tours which are, you guessed it, private and catered only to your group. The latter can be a more expensive option, although if your group is more than 4 people, not necessarily on a per person basis. Group tours certainly have their place: less pricy, typically including all of the well researched highlights of a region, meeting fellow travelers, well trained guides with a microphone or headset. Reviews abound. They are simply … predictable. Private tours, on the other hand, offer the traveler the ability to design a “bespoke” day (I hate that word, btw, followed closely by “curated”) – seeing and doing exactly what you want to do. Stop to take a picture of that cute cow. Stop for water or the toilet. Grab lunch when you’re hungry, or skip it entirely. But of course, that flexibility comes at a cost – not only a financial one, but the risk of a little less predictability. The quality and knowledge of the guide makes a huge difference here.

With that said, Husband and I were very pleased we chose to take a private tour, arranged by Tico Tours Guanacaste (which offers both types of tours), called the Palo Verde tour. If you click on the “rates” section of the tour page, you will see the choice between group or private touring. This tour included a visit to its namesake National Park, Palo Verde, full of local wildlife, a boat ride down the Tempisque river, cultural stops and information, and lunch at a hacienda once owned by a former President of Costa Rica.

And so, we’re off!

Our guide, Mario, actually majored in becoming a tour guide. His knowledge was evident as he told us a little about Costa Rica’s history: first, a reminder that the Americas weren’t discovered by Christopher Columbus, but by the Chinese, as evident on maps made well before 1492. Then, the interesting note that unlike much of Central and South America, Costa Rica was not initially populated by the Spanish. Why? Because there wasn’t any gold.

While Costa Rica’s abundant farmland produces cantaloupe, pineapple, palm oil, bananas, coffee, watermelon, and citrus fruits, an important crop is sugar cane. Did you know that sugar cane can be used to make a wide variety of products, including molasses, fuel, and paper? We didn’t! We stopped to watch migrants from Nicaragua harvest the sugar cane by hand, using machetes. Apologies for the distance of the photo, but I didn’t want to get that close…

Workers harvesting sugar cane in Guanacaste, Costa Rica

The Nicaraguan workers toiling under the hot sun are paid by the square meter harvested, and as a result they move surprisingly fast given the heat. Mario explained that the majority of the workers are migrants, because the native Costa Ricans are financially well off and don’t need to do this type of hard labor. He credits the excellent public education, government provided healthcare, and the tourism industry for giving Costa Rica such a strong economy for the area. The 9.16% income tax covers not only healthcare, but retirement pensions, for residents of Costa Rica. No wonder that many foreigners, especially Americans, are making Costa Rica home.

Our next stop was a visit along the Tempisque river, where oxen assist in dredging the riverbed for dirt and sand that will be used in making concrete:

Concrete is an essential product in Costa Rica, where most homes are built of concrete – wood is too quickly rotted by termites here. Mario explained that using oxen to mine the cement base is more environmentally friendly, maintains tradition, and keeps the profit in the pocket of local families rather than large corporations.

On our way to the hacienda lunch, Mario had a quiz for us. He picked what appeared to be a fruit off a tree, and asked us what we thought it was:

A pepper? No.

A tomato of some sort? No.

A sweet fruit like a mango or papaya? No.

We didn’t guess correctly until we were offered a number of clues: It starts with a C. It’s sold at almost any grocery. It contains protein. It often comes in a can. Finally….. it’s a nut. What? That “fruit” above is the casing for one, single cashew nut! And by the way, the rind has a nasty taste. Amazing – Every day I realize how much I don’t know, and even more so when I travel.

Our next stop was a hacienda where we were led, along with other Tico Tours guests, on a cultural experience led by Ramon and Juanita, a couple dressed in traditional clothing who run this small tourist attraction. First, we watched the traditional process of extracting sugar cane, using oxen:

yoked oxen walk in a circle, grinding pulp into sugar cane using a long pole

Ramon and Juanita also treated us to “puntalita”, little corn-based snacks, and taught me how to make a tortilla in preparation for a delicious, authentic lunch.

I was a little intimidated by the hot, hot pan used to cook the tortillas

After lunch, we continued our journey, deeper in to Palo Verde National Park, where we embarked on our jungle river cruise. Thanks to Mario’s eagle eyes, on the way we were treated to a very special sight in the adjacent wetlands: the Jabiru. Less than 100 of these stork-like birds remain in the wild in Costa Rica. Wow!

Mario made note that Costa Rica has a very environmentally conscious wetlands law: wetlands are not taxed, and if kept wild, owners actually receive a stipend from the government.

We embarked on a small boat for our eco-tour of the river, where our captain helped us spot various wildlife:

Basilisk, aka “Jesus Christ Lizard”, because they can walk on water

On this highly informative tour, we learned is that despite growing wealth through tourism and real estate development, Costa Ricans desire to preserve the many natural wonders that surround them. Moreover, Costa Ricans have a sense that their country is special. And we agree!

Guanacaste, Costa Rica: bringing the heat – and the chill

March 7, 2020March 8, 2020bankerchicktravels6 Comments

For our 10th Anniversary, Husband and I treated ourselves to a first class trip to Costa Rica. Our first stop in this beautiful and friendly country was dry, sunny Peninsula Papagayo.

We flew directly from Newark to Liberia, the smaller of Costa Rica’s two major international airports, located in the country’s dry northwest. While I usually use points for flights, we were able to secure first class seats on United for the 5 hour flight, for under $500 each, by flying on a Wednesday. Note that for this trip we chose an “open jaw” route, flying into Liberia and home from San Jose, Costa Rica’s capital. I often search for this type of route, which allows flexibility in finding the cheapest/ lowest point flight choices, and also allows for movement within the trip without backtracking.

We secured a rental car through Vamos, a local company. The rental car experience felt very local … we were shuttled to a small office that could have (and probably did) double as someone’s home. There was a short wait for the car, a 4 wheel drive Dihatsu – which helped us acclimate to “Costa Rica time” – and then we were off to the beautiful Andaz Costa Rica Resort at Peninsula Papagayo.

Shout out to an article on The Points Guy, a very helpful and friendly website for those who want to maximize the use of credit card points, for making me aware of an excellent deal using Hyatt Points via my Chase Sapphire Reserve card. For only 15,000 points per night, we booked our room at the Andaz, a beautiful resort situated on a steep hillside overlooking Culebra Bay on the Gulf of Papagayo. A tremendous bargain, as the rooms typically go for up to $700 per night.

The points deal was supposed to offer us only a “Forest View”, but we were very pleased with the view we had, which included Culebra bay. Bright morning sunlight awoke us each morning, but the sunrise was worth the early waking time.

A complementary Anniversary treat in our room at the Andaz

A few things to know about Papagayo, if you plan to go:

It is close to Libera airport – less than an hour by car
It is extremely hot and sunny in March, and really, for most of the year. See this link: Annual Average Weather for Peninsula Papagayo.
If you’re afraid of monkeys, staying there may be difficult; they are everywhere in the trees and even visited us by the pool once or twice. We were warned not to leave anything on the open balcony of our room, because the monkeys can be a little grabby…
The peninsula is developed as a luxury destination; while there is dry forest wilderness surrounding each resort, there are also luxuriously landscaped grounds and golf courses. Other nearby resorts include the Four Seasons, Secrets, and the Kasaiiya Papagayo Luxury Wilderness Retreat . In fact, the entire peninsula is gated and available only to guests or visitors to these resorts. We went through two sets of gates to get to the Andaz.
Because of the gated, resort nature of the area, there is no town or city to wander to find restaurants, bars, and nightlife. Therefore, it’s likely that you will end up dining at your hotel most evenings for dinner. Quiet relaxation is the order of the day.

We enjoyed each of the Andaz’ 3 main restaurants, Chao Pescao, a small plates venue; Rio Bhongo, which was the only restaurant serving breakfast; and Ostra, the resort’s special occasion, seafood specialty restaurant which served us the most amazing ceviche I’ve ever had. Because we had noted our anniversary on the reservation, we were treated to a bottle of champagne and special treat with our meal at Ostra:

We also pampered ourselves with spa treatments, a specialty at many of the resorts in this area. Pricey but worthwhile. The spa includes its own small, shaded outdoor pool, where Husband and I were the only occupants for several hours.

When we visited the resort’s main pool one afternoon, we were treated to a visit from a family of Capuchin monkeys. They seemed quite comfortable posing for the camera and entertaining the resort’s guests.

this little guy scared the bejeezus out of a lady sitting nearby

Despite the heat, relaxation, and excellent dining, we did manage to leave the resort a few times. We booked two private day tours with Tico Tours, a local company. The first was their “Palo Verde” tour. This tour was so informative and interesting, I wrote a separate post about it! Click here for my review of Tico Tours’ Palo Verde tour. Highly recommend. The other tour was an ATV tour of the vistas and beaches, found here on Tico’s website: Tico Dune Buggy Tour We enjoyed this tour too – plan to get dirty though!

Husband modeling the buff and goggles that protected our faces from the dirt. Also looking ready to drive the Dune Buggy!

The Dune Buggy tour included a stop at an excellent beach bar/restaurant called Aquasport in the tiny enclave of Playa Hermosa. This is the kind of place I could spend many, many hours … couldn’t you?

Another day, we chose to drive ourselves around the Guanacaste area, discovering the small beach town of Playa Coco. The vibe in Playa Coco was truly unique; extremely casual, full of extremely suntanned surfers, locals, and a number of Americans, many of whom have relocated to Costa Rica permanently, or “snowbird” there during the winter. Each bar and venue we stopped at (and we stopped at several!) felt like Cheers – it seemed that everyone knew one another’s name.

We even found an “Irish” pub in Playa Coco – a necessary stop, because it was St. Patrick’s Day!

We’re all a little Irish on St. Patrick’s Day!

Our stay in Guanacaste was an excellent introduction to northwestern Costa Rica. What we were soon to learn, however, is that it’s the diversity of Costa Rica’s experiences that make it such a fantastic destination. There is just so much more to uncover – and while Guanacaste is a very friendly, relatively developed, and not particularly remote beach area, its scenery and experiences are far less dramatic than much of the country has to offer. Click here to read about our next Costa Rican stop, which included The. Best. Resort. I’ve. EVER. Visited.

Oktoberfest: Planning Tips for Partying with the World

January 18, 2020January 18, 2020bankerchicktravels1 Comment

In a world that often seems divided, whether by country, politics, religion, or otherwise, Munich’s Oktoberfest stands in stark contrast. Every year, millions of patrons from around the world descend on the 16-day annual festival, which has run since 1810 when it originated in celebration of the marriage of King Louis I (then crown prince of Bavaria) to Princess Therese. Today, the festival celebrates Bavarian culture including food, dress, music, and of course, BEER!

A few fun statistics from Oktoberfest 2019 (courtesy of https://www.oktoberfesttours.travel/2019/10/10/oktoberfest-2019-beer-consumption/)

6.3 million patrons consumed 7.3 million liters of beer
Attendees hailed from at least 55 nations
Lost and Found items included 660 wallets, 420 mobile phones, and a set of dentures (oops!)

A lot of early planning went into making our visit a success. Here are a few tips and a review of our experience:

LODGING: Because Oktoberfest attracts so many visitors, central Munich lodging must be booked well in advance or we would have ended up staying well outside the city. I had booked the Platzl Hotel (https://www.platzl.de/en/) way back in January, to ensure we would have a comfortable room in a great location walkable to the Fest. It wasn’t cheap, but the rooms were comfortable, very near Marienplatz in Munich’s Old Town and the famous Hofbraeuhaus, and I thought it would be a reasonably close walk to the festival grounds. It was, but just barely – more on that below.

LOCATION AND TRANSPORTATION: Here’s a tip from my experience: When figuring out the distance to Oktoberfest from your lodging, note that a simple Google Map routing to Thereisenweise, the name of the park where Oktoberfest is held, will not necessarily tell you how far you are from the grounds: Add at least 1/2 a mile. Due to security, there are only a couple of entrances to the actual festival. It’s easy enough to follow the crowd toward the grounds (I promise, you won’t miss it!), but once you reach the perimeter you may have to walk quite a ways, sometimes away from the grounds through crowd barrier chutes, to enter the park. While our hotel was only 1.4 miles (as “the crow flies”), we walked over 2 miles in addition to a lot of walking within the festival. On our first day, when we also walked to Bavarian Outfitters (see below), I clocked over 11 miles on my Apple watch! After our second evening outing, we caved and got a cab for our tired feet.

CLOTHING: I also pre-reserved rented Trachten (his & hers traditional Bavarian clothing) from Bavarian Outfitters. The pickup location for the clothing was on the southern edge of Old Town, and reminded me of the pop-up Halloween costume stores that seem to multiply each year at home. It was an undecorated, rented space with racks and racks of clothing. I also later realized that there are many similar stores around Munich during the Fest; pre-reserving probably wasn’t necessary as we were just guessing at sizes anyway, and ended up taking something different than we had reserved. The results, however were worth every penny! Whether you reserve ahead or not, do rent or buy the clothing, you won’t be sorry!

ATTEND WITH FRIENDS: Another key to the fun was meeting up with friends in Munich. Oktoberfest is definitely a “more the merrier” type of place, and it seemed the majority of attendees were part of a larger group. One couple joined us for our entire stay in Munich, and we also joined forces with family friends to reserve a whole table at the Marstall tent our first night in town.

BEER TENT RESERVATIONS: Regarding tent table reservations: it’s a little crazy. Many tables are not available to the public; think of it like season tickets for a popular sports team – they only go to people who already have a reservation from prior years. Forget about making a reservation on Friday or Saturday, unless you choose to use a service that charges you extra. And you can’t reserve just a few spots, you need to reserve and pay for the whole table which is 8 – 12 people. While the tents don’t actually charge for the reservation itself, you do need to prepay a minimum spend on the food and drink; in our case for Marstall it was about $50/per person. In our case, I was able to snag a Sunday night reservation thanks to alerts from Weisnkini, which I highly recommend subscribing to if you plan to attend Oktoberfest. I received emails regularly when table reservations became available, and we reserved literally the last table in the Marstall tent for that evening.

Screen Shot 2020-01-18 at 2.20.10 PM.png — View from the very last available table at Marstall

Google Translate was invaluable with the reservations. While most of the tents have an English page, the reservation confirmation and “terms and conditions” are all in German – yikes! Here’s my confirmation:

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU DON’T HAVE A TENT RESERVATION: It would be unlikely (and expensive) to get a reservation for more than one night at the Fest. If you plan to attend more than once, as we did, just be prepared to go with the flow. You won’t get a beer if you aren’t seated. Here are the best options without a reservation:

Go during the daytime – before 4pm
Avoid weekends, especially weekend evenings
Look for seating in the outdoor biergartens adjacent to each tent
Go in small groups or be prepared to split up – there is a much better chance to squeeze into a table with 2 or 4 people than with 8 or 10
Be patient; a little seat-hawking can be worth while – when you see a group with mostly empty beer glasses, just bide your time nearby as they may be preparing to move on. There’s still plenty of excellent people-watching activity until you get your beer!
Pop into a tent near the end of the night; within an hour or so of closing, tents start to empty and you will be able to enter and find a spot at a table
Biergarten fun

YOUTUBE THE SONG, “EIN PROZIT”. So you don’t think they are saying “I’m frozen, I’m frozen…” like I did. #misheardlyrics

DRINK RESPONSIBLY: Or not. It’s up to you. You will be in good company if you choose to overindulge – the medics are kept busy at Oktoberfest! But the beers are large – not only do you want to minimize bathroom trips, (especially for the ladies – lines and ewwww), but you want to be able to make it home in one piece. On our walk back to the hotel, we saw a group gathered around one of their fallen compatriots – just completely passed out on the curb. The police were summoned, determine he was still breathing, and moved on – this is just not an emergency in Munich at Oktoberfest. Another fellow was passed out inside an ATM lobby. Here are a couple of fellow partiers who didn’t quite finish the night:

MAKE FRIENDS FROM AROUND THE WORLD: We met people from France, Canada, Australia, Germany, the UK, and Dubai in addition to other Americans. Whether sharing your table, or at adjacent tables, or on the dance floor, find your inner extrovert and enjoy meeting people from all over the world!

Our new friend, “Dubai Guy” was traveling alone. Ready to head home in his G6

If you’re lucky, your friend will enjoy enough beer to buy a chicken hat (press a button, and the legs move to the “chicken dance” song), which will help you make friends!

Screen Shot 2020-01-18 at 2.40.54 PM.png — A 6’4″ American wearing a chicken hat is a sure hit at Oktoberfest…

Costa Rica Preview (because I can’t wait to tell you about this trip!)

March 25, 2019March 31, 2019bankerchicktravelsLeave a comment

I know I know – I haven’t even finished writing about my Scotland and Ireland trip from last summer. Sorry, I got distracted but I promise I will finish, with great information about tiny Doolin, near the Cliffs of Moher, and Galway, my favorite Irish city. As Ferris would say, life moves pretty fast sometimes, and sending Youngest off to college, preparing for a move, and purchasing a vacation home (more on that in a separate post!) have gotten in the way of my blogging.

However, Husband and I just returned from a 10- day trip to Costa Rica, celebrate our 10th Anniversary, and it surpassed all my expectations despite months of preparation. So, I need to tell you a little bit about it, with full, detailed blog posts to come!

Here are a few highlights:

First Class tickets (an Anniversary treat) on United, using points
5 nights at the Andaz Costa Rica Resort at Peninsula Papagayo, also using points; https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/hotel/costarica/andaz-costa-rica-resort-at-peninsula-papagayo/
4 nights at the Nayara Springs hotel in the Arenal area, using plain old dollars and worth every penny: http://www.nayarasprings.com
A plethora of flora and fauna seen in the wild, including capuchin monkeys, sloths, a pack of rat-like coati, crocodile, the endangered Jabiru, and an adorable red-eyed frog
Sunny, hot, beach days and cool, humid rainforest nights
Horseback riding with some very cool Nicaraguan guides
Warm, friendly people whose vibe I need to figure out how to adopt

The Andaz completely exceeded my expectations, with our World of Hyatt program points reservation earning us the most basic “forest view” room. Here is our so-called forest view:

Also, a tip: if you ever go to the Andaz, and are celebrating something, make sure to mention it. We were served no less than 3 free bottles of champagne during our 5-night stay!

I had the highest possible expectations for the award-winning Nayara Springs, and they too were exceeded. The resort’s lush, green vegetation managed the delicate balance between wildly untamed and perfectly presented.

One of our animal friends joined us for drinks at the Andaz pool:

And “Pura Vida” was had by all:

The Ring of Kerry: sometimes those “Best of” lists have it right

January 13, 2019January 13, 2019bankerchicktravels1 Comment

Any search of “things to do in Ireland” will undoubtedly include a tour of the famous Ring of Kerry. It’s often cited as one of Ireland’s top sights to see: #6 on this list, 2nd on this one, and at the top of Frommer’s “best scenic drives in Ireland”. What is the ring? It’s a driving route around the Iveragh peninsula, hugging the Atlantic coast closely and circling through the towns of Killarney and Kenmare, as well as Killarney National Park.

It’s also offers breathtaking scenery including the ocean, mountains, cliffs, lakes, waterfalls, fields, domesticated animals, and wildlife. And although I’d been to Killarney before, I had never driven the full Ring around the peninsula, only the bit near town and the Killarney National Park. Here is a preview of a few of my photos from the area:

See? breathtaking!

So you know I’m a planner, but my plans usually leave a bit of flexibility. I was planning to drive the 111-mile Ring myself; many tourists do it every day, and although there are harrowing stories involving oncoming buses, I figured my approximately 20,000,000 hours of commuting time spent on Rt 287 in New Jersey leaves me well prepared for just about anything. I even made a map with scenic pit stops and approximate drive times. But, as the day approached, and as I spent as a passenger on the “wrong” side in Scotland, I realized that if I drove myself, I would not be able to fully enjoy the scenery. So when Dave, our Corporate Transfer driver from Dublin, offered us contact information for his friend Aidan at Killarney Chauffeur, I took him up on it. We booked a day with Aidan and never looked back.

Aidan arrived around 9 am in a beautiful BMW 5 series, which was a nice upgrade from the rattletrap I had been driving. The day started out a bit overcast, but the gloom added to Kerry’s atmostphere (and we eventually found the sun once again). After a brief stop at the Aghadoe viewpoint just outside of Killarney, we drove through the tiny town of Killorglin.

In the center of Killorglin is the statue of a goat, named King Puck. Aidan explained that the goat had warned residents of the approach of Cromwell’s army, earning himself such a royal title. There is an annual “Puck Fair” in his honor as well. A very accomplished goat!

Just beyone Killorglin, we stoped at a roadside display of crafts that Aidan recommended, and once again came upon the sight of a dog… sitting on a donkey. I guess this is a thing in County Kerry?

sbigzbfhqlu1ymrd9x%pgq — Dogs + donkeys. Why?

Next, we stopped by the beach in Rossbeigh, which looks across to the Dingle Peninsula. Somehow I’m still surprised to see beaches in Ireland.

rfv9tkvmtuwt2skc8xvbcw — checking out a portion of Rossbeigh beach

Aidan offered us an educational tidbit here and there, including a brief explanation of common town name origins around Ireland:

Kill = church

Bally = Town of

There are a number of ancient ring forts around Kerry, and we had told Aidan we were interested to see one. He took us to Cahergall Stone Fort, which we were able to climb and take a few fun photos:

ocbdr4a3ramd+ypaajdsbw — I’m the King of the World!

Just outside the fort, I took one of my favorite photos of this trip. This home is so peaceful looking, I think I could live here, very happily:

Valentia Island was our next stop, offering dramatic, steep cliffs and views back to the larger island. Aidan took us by the Valentia slate quarry, bored deep into a mountain:

You may or may not have noticed in the photo above, but Mary watches over it all:

Beyond the quarry, we stretched our legs by hiking up to Bray Head on Valentia:

el25km4zsrqnix+rhemwmq — Skellig Michael, filming site for Luke Skywalker’s home in “The Last Jedi”, in the far distance

XgMM%1l0RnGVxBA%jT23ig.jpg — Looking across toward Portmagee

After a stop in Portmagee at The Moorings for a very pleasant lunch, we arrived at the Kerry Cliffs. By now, Aidan had figured out that we like taking photos on cliffs. We worked off our lunch hiking to the top, which was only about 2/3 mile from the parking lot, but fairly steep. Also, the sun came out while we were at lunch!

+lazm4l3tx2y+aqfof7ukw — Skellig Michael, closer now, in the distance.

On our way to put those calories back on at the Skellig Chocolate Factory, I spotted an abandoned cottage that I tried photographing from several angles. I thought the sky, clouds, and shadows seemed almost surreal. I do need to photoshop out the antennae, but I love these photos. You tell me which is best:

We completed our trip around the Ring with stops in Caherdaniel:

t9888jzysmanttgxi3cw5g — Mary is very popular in Ireland

8xwlgzd+szshrkkvzpzqew — Somehow, we will pass that car, and no one will fall off a cliff

The bright little town of Sneem:

dzxxif4jqvs7gewe6drtvg — Just the cheeriest looking pub ever

And a few views across Killarney National Park:

xxhhfkp2qqqihlza101deg — An overlook known as Ladies’ View, where Queen Victoria’s laides-in-waiting visited in 1861

Now, 111 miles may not sound like a lot – here in America, barring traffic, it’s an easy 2 hour drive. But attempting the ROK in anything under 6 hours is a foolhardy endeavor, due to a combination of low speeds; windy, narrow roads; and the absolute compulsion to photograph nearly everything in sight. My iphone says I took 133 photos on our trip around the ring – and it wasn’t enough. Guess I need to go back!!

Dingle All the Way

January 7, 2019January 13, 2019bankerchicktravelsLeave a comment

From our base in Killarney, Oldest and I next headed to one of my favorite spots in Ireland: the Dingle Peninsula. While it’s definitely worthwhile to spend more time here by staying in Dingle Town, about 1/2 way out the peninsula, it would have been too many overnight destinations for us on this trip. The drive from Killarney was a surprisingly easy and uncomplicated day trip.

Just past Inch Beach on the R 561 (“R” roads are very narrow, twisty, and “interesting!”, only to be surpassed in treachery by “L” roads), we had to slow down for this lovely lady and her baby, who can barely be seen behind mama:

Farmers mark their sheep with different shades of paint

Since my primary goal was to show Oldest the Slea Head Drive, at the peninsula’s tip, we set our Google Maps directions straight for Dingle town, where one of the first sights we came upon was …. a dog … sitting on top of a donkey. Hey, why not?

We wandered around the busy town for a bit, enjoyed an early lunch, and downed a pint of Crean’s, the local beer. Crean’s is named after Tom Crean, an Antarctic explorer who hailed from the Dingle Peninsula.

cwphjmvvrbomxn29dt2whg — Heading to the Beer Garden at Danno’s

Glad it wasn’t Monday, but this sign is cute!

Only one, though, because I was back to driving – and now the roads became quite narrow. While it’s possible for two cars to pass, it’s not necessarily advisable:

Oldest took this one from the passenger side.

Slea Head marks the end of the peninsula, and, like many points on the west coast, the locals will tell you when looking east “The next stop is America!”. We continued to benefit from nice weather, so we were fairly active in our exploration of the peninsula, first walking from the parking area down to Slea Head Beach, at sea level:

View of Slea Head Beach, from above. The “arrow” in the sand must be pointing to buried treasure. Right?

p9fqmrvnqeqnuxg2aqensg — This sign did not stop the swimmers

Then we hiked back up, and further up, to Dunmore Head promontory. Nearby signs told us that some filming for Star Wars took place here, although it is not the more famous Skellig Michael island,which is off the coast to our south.

Walking up to the Head required climbing over an old stone fence, which didn’t work out so well for yours truly, who lost her balance and skinned my knees in a pretty gruesome way (I’ll spare you the yucky photo). It was still worthwhile, though, just for these photos, looking back at the peninsula. It was my 3rd trip to this spot, and each time I want to lie down and never leave these soft, rolling, green hills. Although I imagine I might feel differently in, say, December.

o9itr2pvs0skdtvchlu0wq — Oldest with one of the two “Devils Horns” at Dunmore Head

gadlvyowrk61th8mg5g6fq — Beautiful, even when seen with bloody knees

In three trips to Ireland, I have managed to make it to the Slea Head drive on the Dingle peninsula every time. It is truly one of the most peaceful places I have ever visited, and I truly enjoyed sharing it with Oldest. I have no doubt I will return again.

Top o’ the Morning from Killarney!

January 5, 2019January 5, 2019bankerchicktravelsLeave a comment

Time traveling back to Summer 2018, I’m with Oldest in Ireland. After pretending to be part of a medieval adventure with Game of Thrones Tours, it was time for some real, 2018-style adventure: driving in Ireland. That’s right, I’m getting behind the wheel, on the “wrong” side of the road.

First up: I heeded the advice of the Tripadvisor forums, and rented the smallest car possible. I think a well-fed horse might have been bigger.

I hired Corporate Transfers to take us from our Dublin lodging to the Hertz Dublin City Centre South location on Circular road; their Transfer & Pilot Service includes a driver who we would follow out of Dublin city onto the main highways. I have had the pleasure of meeting Corporate Transfers’ proprietor, Fintan Murray, on previous Ireland visits.

The Hertz location was packed and although we had a reservation, we waited in line for a good hour, while Dave from Corporate Transfers waited very patiently outside. If you rent a car in Ireland, be prepared for long waits: many people do not do their research and do not understand the insurance options for driving in Ireland (hint: buy it all), which lengthens the process. Finally, off we went toward Killarney, following Dave around busy city streets (eek!) until we reached the M7, a major, divided highway where I felt very comfortable driving. If it’s your first time driving on the left, I highly recommend this service, as navigating tight one-way city streets is unlikely to be an easy baptism.

The drive from Dublin to Killarney takes a little over 3 hours. The drive was surprisingly uneventful, and we were thrilled to find a tiny parking spot, to fit our tiny car, right in front of our hotel, the International Hotel Killarney. This was our biggest lodging splurge of the trip; I figured that after 9 days of traveling, we were due for a full service hotel experience. The hotel is well-located in the center of town, and we found the beds to be extremely comfortable.

Killarney’s High Street. It think that dude is checking me out ;)!

After checking in, we began to make our way into Killarney’s afternoon/night life. It was the weekend of the annual Ring of Kerry charity bike race, so Killarney, as the largest town on the Ring, was full of very fit revelers. We spent most of the evening in and out of O’Connor’s and Tatler Jack’s – the, uh, fuzzy/crooked nature of these photos hopefully assures my readers that I was having a GOOD time.

Tiny car trying to drive through the alley outside O’Connor’s. Those guys don’t look like they’re getting out of the way, do they?

smsysbklqzwuonfk%yfc6a — Fun, mixed-age crowd (who might have had a few drinks?) at Tatler Jack’s

Killarney is an excellent base for touring beautiful southwestern Ireland: the Ring of Kerry, the Dingle Peninsula, and other beautiful landscapes. While not a large city, there are plenty of lodging and dining options from hostels and pubs to upscale resorts and 5 star dining. And look: other Cubs fans visit here too! Hi Dave & Alex! Go Cubs!

How I became a travel addict

October 7, 2018December 9, 2018bankerchicktravelsLeave a comment

When it comes to travel, I’m something of a late bloomer. As a child growing up outside of Chicago, I always looked forward to taking trips with my parents, and was lucky enough to visit Disney World and Hawaii before the age of 18. Torch Lake, MI was a regular destination, as was Door County, WI. Even a train ride to the big city was an adventure I loved!

After college, I relocated to New Jersey to get married and start a family at the age of 25. Due to a lack of both funds and time, my own first trips were short and sweet. A road trip to Myrtle Beach. Visiting family in Florida and Virginia. With a full time job and a growing family, for many years there was little time for anything but a weekend at the Jersey Shore.

I enjoyed planning a few family trips – a surprise trip to Disney World for my children, a cruise, and a rented condo in Bethany Beach, DE. I researched, budgeted, and booked everything. Somehow, my husband was never quite happy with my choices.

After a 2007 divorce I should have seen coming (but didn’t), I decided that the best way to regroup would be to take my two sons, then 12 and 7, on a trip to Sweet Home Chicago. With no husband to second guess me, I felt that peculiar mix of discomfort and excitement that sparked my travel addiction.

So off we went, the “three musketeers” as we began calling ourselves. We stayed in hotels, navigated mass transit, visited friends, and toured museums, skyscrapers, and ballparks. I introduced the boys to all my hometown favorites: deep dish pizza, the “El”, Michigan Avenue, and the Cubs!

When I got home, it quickly became apparent that there was only one thing to do: begin planning my next adventure. And the next, and the next…

My beautiful hometown