caribbean | Happy Place Creatives

Our adults only trip to Punta Cana.

Posted on February 22, 2019March 8, 2019 by Melissa

In 2016 we were invited to go to Punta Cana with a group of 10 other adults. Thanks to a bonus Micah got that year, we were able to make this happen and it was one of the best trips ever! We had such a great time together as a couple, and as a group. We were celebrating a friend’s 40th birthday, so he did all of the planning for this trip. This was weird for me, because I’m so used to being that planner! But it was kind of nice, to just sit back and wait until the day we left, besides clicking a link a few times to pay our portion. 🙂

We stayed at the magnificent Majestic Elegance Resort.

Just look how beautiful this place is! We got 5 star treatment the entire time.

Plenty of pools and cabanas for cooling off.

We highly recommend Majestic Resorts!! In Punta Cana, they also have Majestic Colonial & Majestic Mirage which is their newest and has five exclusive adult-only buildings (Mirage Club 18+) and two buildings for families with children at Family Club (all ages). A new resort will be opening in the Fall of 2019 in Playa Mujeres, Mexico as well!

Majestic Elegance Resort– Punta Cana is a 5 star all-inclusive resort that offers 6 restaurants to choose from and we tried them all! Our group was pretty laid back, for the most part, and every one was on their own time all day. So we would usually run into others from our group at breakfast, but not always. We would all end up together by afternoon, either by the pool or on the beach, where we would spend the day relaxing or joining in on the many activities they have each day. Then we’d get cleaned up and changed for dinner and meet up at a certain time for that every night.

Usually, after dinner we would hang out as a group. The resort has 10 bars so we never had any trouble finding a cool place to hang. Sometimes we would choose to relax in the lobby or piano bar. Outside at the Bar Plaza there was live music and dancing. There is also a casino and disco bar as well. After a few hours of dancing or chatting, everyone turned in for the night. But Micah and I are such night owls, we would walk the beach together, every night and goof off for another couple of hours.

We acted like teenagers at times, such a blast!

9 doors was our favorite restaurant! It’s a Japanese Steakhouse
where they cook in front of you.

9 doors restaurant at Majestic Elegance, Punta Cana

Fried Rice Heart - 9 Doors Restaurant - Punta Cana — Fried Rice Heart – 9 Doors Restaurant

We also loved “Il Bottaccio”, it’s an Italian place with amazing buffets. “Sea & See” definitely has the best view!

Click here to see all of the restaurants and bars that this resort has to offer.

Every day we enjoyed the many activities happening daily, by the pool and on the beach! All the guys (and sometimes the girls) would spend hours playing volleyball in the pool. I enjoyed the poolside dance lessons and it’s a good thing, because I was getting recruited by the girl who gives the lessons. Every day she would grab me and pull me over when it was time to start. She was so sweet and funny. 🙂

daily pool volleyball games were so fun!

There was ping pong table by one of the pool bars. They held daily tournaments. We got in on one and Micah took 2nd place for the guys…yours truly took 1st place in the girls tournament!!)

They also have daily exercises and dance lessons that you can join in on.

There was also a variety of exercise sessions and many different contests both poolside and on the beach. Believe me when I say there’s never a dull moment at a resort like this!

Plenty of floaties that are free to use! — The pools have plenty of floaties that are free to use!

Plenty of time and space to get much needed R & R

The rooms were so spacious and elegant! They all have very comfortable, California King, four poster canopy beds with lots of pillows, plus a ‘pillow menu’ with several different types of pillows to choose from. I tried several out before I decided on the perfect one or two to keep around. I never had a bad night’s sleep the entire trip, and I’m usually pretty picky about my pillow.

The beds were SO comfortable and they offer a
pillow menu with many choices to ensure you get a comfortable night’s sleep.

Each room also had robes, slippers and a jacuzzi tub. As well as a seperate walk-in shower with multiple jets and shower nozzles, above you and on the walls. The two sink vanity was separate from the shower and toilet, which was nice.

Daily fresh flowers left in our room. Majestic Elegance, Punta Cana — Daily fresh flowers left in our room made me smile.

Our beautiful room at Majestic Elegance, Punta Cana — Our beautiful room!

We had a bottle of champagne and fresh fruit waiting in the room when we arrived. Plus there is a mini fridge stocked with water and 4 different bottles of alcohol, which they will replace if you drink them all. We only opened one, so we brought all the others home with us. We were hardly in the room, so we usually were out having our drinks made for us at one of the 10 bars they have on site.

Did I mention the amazing cocktails that are included, all day, everyday!?!

For anyone interested in playing golf, the resort is located just 200 meters from Punta Blanca Golf Course. Included in the price of your stay is
1 free green fee for each guest staying in the main section of Majestic Elegance and 2 free green fees for Elegance Club guests
(*for a minimum stay of 5 nights)
Return transfer to the hotel lobby, Snacks and refreshments and Balls are all included.

*Mandatory Golf Cart fee of $45 usd per person.

This resort is a popular wedding destination too. We got to see a wedding during our stay, which was simply stunning.

In the middle of our trip we did a very fun excursion. We took a catamaran to Saona Island. On the way we stopped off at a natural sand bar. The beautiful clear blue water was only about knee deep and there were starfish everywhere! My only regret on this day was not having a water proof camera. No one got any good pics with the starfish, but was definitely one of the highlights of our trip. After that we went on to Saona Island where we enjoyed a BBQ lunch and cocktails that were included in the price. We had a couple more hours to relax on the beach before we boarded a speed boat to get back to the tour bus. I got my first massage on the beach that day too. It was not included in the price but I only paid $15 USD and it was more than worth it! Ok, so maybe the massage was the highlight…no wait, it was the speedboat! Nevermind… I can’t decide. The entire day was amazing!!

Guided activities and excursions can be booked on site at the resort.
(additional cost – provided by external agencies) Or check online for deals and discounts and book ahead of time.

Catamaran that took us to Starfish Island

This resort made this trip SO amazing!! It’s very hard to come back home after being treated so well for 5 days. To wake up, go eat breakfast by the beach, that someone else cooked for you while sipping Mimosas. Then relax in the sand, play in the surf, while sipping cocktails from coconuts. Fun and games by the pool and on the beach all day. Then fancy dinners at night! What more could you ask for?

Although this was an adults only trip for us, the resort itself is not adults only. They have plenty of family activities, live shows, Kid’s club and a game are for teens with pool tables, foosball, ping-pong and darts. We’d love to go back sometime and take the whole family.

Have you ever been on an all-inclusive trip? If so, where to? What places do you recommend?

Moving Goals

Posted on February 22, 2019February 28, 2019 by Melissa

It’s NO SECRET that we hate cold weather! The older Micah and I get, the more we hate it. Since Micah moved here from L.A. in 1995, he’s always wanted to get back out there! Not to L.A. exactly, but somewhere in SoCal. We love the Oceanside/Carlsbad area. Micah lived in cities near there before and now my best friend from high school happens to live there so moving there would be awesome!! But also would consider any nearby towns, even if they are a bit further from the beach than those two.

The kids are all so artistic and they are all interested in performing arts as well, so moving to California would be great for them if they decide to pursue anything in the field. (They are all interested in acting. Max and Macy would make great comedians. Macy wants to write and direct as well. Max would also make a great stunt double.)

We have actually been looking into real estate out there a lot over the past couple of years. Yes….. it is EXPENSIVE! Although, I have found some pretty decent deals. The problem for us is finding something with 4 bedrooms, that’s just not the norm out there, so when you find them, they aren’t cheap!. BUT, I am confident if we decide to move there we will find some great deal on the perfect place for us.

We have also considered moving to the Sacramento area, near Folsom, CA. Micah has a lot of family there and his siblings and parents are possibly considering moving back there as well. It would be pretty nice to live near more Cains, since we’ve always lived near my family, and rarely see his.

Another state I’ve considered is Texas. Freeport and Port Arthur, TX both made the list of the 15 cheapest U.S. beach towns to live in. I’ve never visited, but between my research in beach towns and friends that are familiar with Texas who say there are a lot of ‘artsy’ towns there…I’m definitely intrigued with Texas. I have one friend, from Indiana who has lived in Texas before and recently moved back there, and other friends who are moving to Houston in a couple of weeks!

I would love to do something REALLY adventurous and move to the Caribbean! There are so many reasons why! Real Estate is cheap. The lifestyle is so laid back. Weather is nice year round. I could go on and on!

I have been researching this for a few months now, after getting hooked on “Caribbean Life” and other shows like it. Here’s a breakdown of what I’ve found.

As of Nov 2018. The cheapest places to live in the Caribbean are:

Aruba is not on the list of the cheapest, but it is the one that’s least likely to be hit by hurricanes. Check out the rest of the list here.

Of the list of the cheapest, Dominican Republic also makes the list of islands who have the best healthcare. Puerto Rico is also on the list. Check out this article on NBC News to find out more about healthcare in the Caribbean.

When we talk about moving to the Caribbean, many of our friends have asked if we realize how dangerous it is. Especially when I mention Honduras and the DR, because they are both known to have high murder rates. However, just like in the U.S. or any place else, there are safe areas and not so safe areas to live. Think about where you live, you most likely have areas that you are aware of, near you, that are known to be less safe than others. Just like you probably wouldn’t choose to live in one of those less safe areas near you, you also wouldn’t move to an island and then choose to live in the slums. You would find a nice Ex-Pat community, where you will be safe, but still live like a local.

Check out this article on the
safest and most dangerous places in the Caribbean.

Here’s another specifically about Roatan, Honduras.

And another article on the top 30 most dangerous places in the U.S. as well. I found it very interesting that besides three cities in California,
nd one in Texas, all others are in the Midwest, South and Eastern states! Indiana has two cities on the list and one is Indianapolis,
which is basically ‘around the corner’ from us.

As of right now, my top three Caribbean locations to move to would be Roatan , Honduras , Utila , Honduras, and Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic. Since we’ve been to the DR already, we’d love to visit the two islands in Honduras, soon, so we can see how it measures up. I can’t wait until the day we get to actually look into real estate there! My dream is to buy something that has rental potential, like a little mini resort or a house with little casitas that we can rent out. Like this one!

For those of you who may be wondering about the kids…they are on board with the idea of moving. My sincere hope is that we can move by next year. 2020. I have to put this in the Universe as often as I can, so here it is for the Universe to see! I WANT TO MOVE BY 2020! Of course I wanted to move in 2019 as well, so I’m ok with pushing it back, if necessary, but you gotta start with goals! Right?

I know I talk a lot about the Caribbean, and even my deadline, but overall, I just know I’d like to move SOMEWHERE warm, sometime SOON… At this point, I’m just putting it out there and doing what I can to make it happen.

Always open to suggestions on places to move as well as moving tips!

Would you ever consider moving to another town?
If so, where would you go?
What are your thoughts about moving to the Caribbean
or to any other country?

Who loves travel?

Posted on February 15, 2019March 22, 2019 by Melissa

I absolutely LOVE to travel! I don’t do it near as much as I’d like to, but, who does? Right? I have a lot of great memories of family vacations growing up. My parents always did a great job of taking vacations and mini getaways.

As an adult, I don’t feel like we’ve been able to take our kids on as many vacations as we would have liked, but we have had some pretty great trips. Still, I’d love to do more! One of my goals in starting this blog is to help inspire others to travel more, to figure out a way to make it happen! I believe in positive vibes and putting things into the Universe will make them happen. So by writing out my travel dreams and sharing them with the world is putting them into the Universe. They are more likely to happen when you actually talk about them. So I will tell you about trips I’ve been on, as well as trips that are on my bucket list. You never know what doors will open up when you share your dreams and goals with others!

I’m 44. I figured up the other day that I can Only account for 40 weeks of that 44 years that was spent outside of Indiana.

I should note;
In this figure, I didn’t count my weekend get away trips to Ohio for amusement parks, which I’ve pretty much gone to at least once every summer of my life. Not to diminish them at all, it’s just one state away, so I was mainly counting up my longer getaways. 😉

Of the 40 weeks, 12 of those were still in the Midwest. And it wasn’t a ‘vacation’. Although, it was during our summer vacation from school. I had just finished fourth grade. We moved to Missouri for those 12 weeks, then moved back to Indiana. lol

Growing up, we almost always vacationed in Gatlinburg, TN, or somewhere in Florida. Living in Indiana, if you want to get to the ocean, most people vacation in Florida, or the Carolinas. You can drive to them in a day, or get a cheap flight. I’ve always loved the ocean, so any trip that got me on a beach was fine by me! I’ve been to pretty much every major tourist city in Florida, including The Keys. I’ve gotta say, I think Destin is my favorite!

4 glorious weeks of my life have been spent in the Caribbean! As a teen I visited the Bahamas a couple of times, as an extension of a Florida trip. One was a day cruise. The other was a cruise, plus 2 nights in a hotel on the island. That one was my favorite.

We took a Caribbean cruise for our honeymoon. We chose a 7 night Southern Caribbean cruise through Royal Caribbean. We made 5 stops in 7 days, with only 2 days at sea. Which sounded like a blast, up front, and it was, however, it was a bit much for us right after our wedding, because that in itself is exhausting, so another day at sea to just chill would have been nice. Of course, we weren’t forced off the boat either, so we could have stayed and chilled, but we did explore each of the ports we stopped in. We started out in San Juan, PR & visited St Lucia, Barbados, Antigua, St. Marteen, and another one…that I’m forgetting at the moment. (Isn’t that awful? Well, it has been 19 years! lol) Barbados was our favorite!! This was the one where we chose to venture out on our own. Got a taxi to a nice beach and just relaxed in the sun and sand. The sun was SO hot there, it was crazy! But we enjoyed soaking in the beautiful blue water to stay cool.

Royal Caribbean cruise ship in port at Coco Cay – their private island.

Our second cruise was a Western Caribbean, Royal Caribbean. 7 nights but only 4 stops. This was was with my parents and my sister and family. We had Makensie at the time and I was pregnant with Macy, my sister was pregnant with my niece. Lol That happened AFTER we booked our trip.

After doing a couple cruises, we decided we wanted to experience the Caribbean in a different way so we went to Cancun in 2007 and did an all inclusive trip. (Link) our kids were 2, 4 & 6 at the time. Many thought we were crazy, but it was a good trip. The kids had a blast! Max was too young for the kiddie camp and activities, but he enjoyed splashing in the baby pool.

In 2016 we were invited on a couples only trip to Punta Cana, DR for a friend’s 40th birthday. It was so much fun and what a great way to relax and rekindle the romance. Micah and I acted like teen Agers all week! We stayed at the beautiful Majestic Elegance Resort and we highly recommend this place! 5 star amenities! Great food and lots of choices! The beds and rooms are so elegant and comfortable. They were building a new one next door at the time, we hope to return sometime & try it out as well.

Majestic Elegance Resort – Punta Cana, DR

I’d LOVE to move to the Caribbean! That is on top of my bucket list. I love the island lifestyle. More on that later… in another post about my desire to move.

Some of my favorite trips have been out West, here in the good ole U.S.A. Micah has family there so, we have had many trips to California and Oregon visiting his family, which is always a good time! My first trip out west was to Sacramento. Micah’s sister and some extended family lived in the area. His parents in Oregon. We all met in Cali for Thanksgiving. So, not only did I meet his parents and siblings for the first time, but I met most of the Cain family as well!
(Talk about nerve wracking!! But it ended up being a great trip!)

In 2000 we went again, in July. This time we took day trips to San Francisco one day and Lake Tahoe another. (Lake Tahoe is where he proposed!) after that his sister moved to Portland so we started visiting them in Oregon instead. I’ve been blessed to have visited several places in Oregon, including the coast, which is usually of course, amazing! During one of our visits we took a day trip up to Seattle, Micah’s birthplace. I have always heard such negative things about Seattle (like it always rains!) but I absolutely fell in love with the place, although it DID rain, it was still such a lively and super creative city. Spending one day there was simply not enough! Another place I’d love to re visit!

Perhaps my very favorite trip of all, so far, has been our #EpicRoadTrip2017 We drove from Indy to Southern California. We took an entire week to get out there, then spent a second week chillin on the beach in Cali. The beautiful part…we flew home at the end! (We were able to do this thanks to my parents, who drove a rental out there, and drove our car back home.) For more details on stops we made along the way, check out our blog post called “Epic Road Trip”

https://www.facebook.com/2247232375491740/photos/pcb.2257739291107715/2257738824441095/?type=3&theater

Deer running at The Great Sand Dunes NP, Colorado

These have all been VERY FUN trips, and we have a trip to
Lake Tahoe in July! We are so excited about that!

I still have SO MANY more places I’d love to visit. My bucket list is very long!

Our TRAVEL BUCKET LIST:
Hawaii
Maine
Canada
Alaska
NYC
Napa Valley, CA
Belize
Roatan & Utila, Honduras
Ireland
Australia
Europe
just to name a few…

It’s important to create a bucket list and actually work on making travel happen! Decide on a weekly budget you can afford, even if it’s just $20. Set aside $20 each week. In six months you’ll have $520 saved. Maybe you take a weekend trip with that, then save again for the next year. Maybe you can up it to $30 each week now, so in a year you’ll have $1560. You can most likely find a place you can go for a week with that. Make it a priority to set goals and work towards them. It’s fun and so very rewarding!

Please comment below with your favorite trips you’ve taken and/or your bucket list trips.

I really enjoy planning trips and take pride in finding great deals. I hope that my blogs can help inspire you to travel more, as well as help you plan your trips. Not gonna lie, I’m also hoping to enjoy some travel perks along the way! So far, I’m affiliated with some travel sites like Skyscanner and Kiwi, for flights, cars & hotels as well as Homeaway and VRBO for vacation rentals. When you click these links to book your travel, we receive a small commission at not additional cost to you. That helps us continue sharing our happy place with you and inspiring you to create your own happy.
Thanks for your continued support!