I sent one kid back to school after the winter break. Kid 2 was going next week. I was going to have two whole days of peace, quiet, and no spilled milk. Notice I said ‘was’. Enter quarantine round 694 from school. Next week everyone will still be grinding through the school day right by my side.
This family has tried to keep our adventurous spirit alive as much as possible throughout this whole 2020 experience. We’ve still been able to go skiing at Crested Butte and Beaver Creek. We’ve done some relaxing weekends on the water in both Destin, FL, and Grand Lake, CO. We found a perfect summer vacation in Steamboat Springs – horseback riding, tubing, fishing, and hiking. But Chris and I have not taken a vacation by ourselves in almost four years. We can’t even blame that on covid.
So it got me thinking about one of our last trips as just a couple. Aruba. Glorious, glorious Aruba.
Growing up in Florida, we have experienced our fair share of Caribbean beach vacations. Heck, we practically lived in a Caribbean vacation. But Aruba was different from a lot of islands we had visited. All in one day you could experience so much nature – pristine beaches of aqua water, caves, red deserts and cliffs that drop off to the ocean.
I was so surprised, only expecting a week of laying out pool/beachside sippin’ daiquiris at the Marriott Resort and Stellaris Casino. Even if that was the case, it would not have been a disappointment. It was a great place to stay, treating us to champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries as we were celebrating our wedding anniversary.
We did take a catamaran and snorkeling excursion. It is the most perfect kind of excursion for a traveling couple. One part sipping pina coladas and feeling that sea breeze and sunshine on your stress-free face. Another part, excitement and action, snorkeling and discovering an underwater world. Notice the difference between the Atlantic Ocean side and the Caribbean Sea?
Another day we had taken an all-day jeep excursion that would take you around the various areas of the island. We started off with a ride through the desert of Arikok National Park. It was my first time actually seeing a desert and real cacti – assuming my one plant succulent garden doesn’t count.
My inexperience in the desert is evident in my white shorts and poor choice of shoes. Chris’s shirt was white to start the day. Fashion dilemmas aside, it was awesome.
We also did a stop at the Conchi – Aruba Natural Pool. It was so cool – a natural pool, in a remote part of the island…
However, this leg of the tour literally became one of the scariest things we’ve ever down together. Driving jeeps down the cliffs doesn’t seem like it should be scary. They are trucks made for the bright-eyed adventurer. Sliding rocks and a steep decline, I couldn’t even take pictures of the cliffs because I could barely breathe. Apparently, even the Aruban Tourism board thinks it’s a tricky spot to find. Scary to get too, yes. Worth it, also yes.
Then came the drive back up the cliffs. We had a nice driver/fellow tourist who lived in New York City and hadn’t driven in eight years. And I’m pretty sure that wasn’t with a stick shift and up a mountain. A few rolls back down the rocky terrain, the guy decides to gun it to the top. And straight over the top we went, into a tree, the only thing keeping us from rolling back down on the side. The cactus seemed a lot less intriguing at that moment.
And then we sat there for three hours waiting to get picked up. There was no shortage of entertainment though. We watched while our driver from the city and an old man in a speedo used a stick to pry the truck from the tree.
Not maybe not the most peachy and rainbow unicorn conclusion to a great day of exploring. But we have an unforgettable memory engrained in our brains forever!
Then there was Baby Beach. Water so clear, you can see to the bottom. The white sandy beach was perfect for a picnic lunch. And the snorkeling was unreal. Perfectly clear water and not to many rocks, you could bring a few pieces of leftover picnic fruit in the water with you and be surrounded by hundreds of fish in a second.
After maybe a bit too much excitement, and realizing it was almost time to get back to being the super responsible mom and dad we are, we took the rest of the time to relax and stay a little more grounded. We enjoyed some time as a couple, as it’s so hard when you get the parenting routine. We did romantic restaurants, like Madame Janettes, and sunset walks on the beach.
[…] Aruba […]