Flights

Our flights from Orlando to Denver were free. F-R-E-E no strings attached. (I mean, we paid the reservation fee. Like $10 per person. Whatever) Frontier Airlines may not be the most luxurious airline company, but it has dependably cheap tickets and a killer rewards program. We racked up enough miles and BOOM. Free round trip for the two of us from MCO to DEN. Becoming a Den Member makes flights even more affordable. If you can compromise your momentary comfort (seats don’t recline, smaller than average leg room, no free food or drinks other than water), it’s worth looking into Frontier as your go-to airline company.

First Stop – Colorado Springs, Colorado

Our flight landed pretty late so we only drove the short hour to Colorado Springs. We stayed the night Best Western Plus Executive Residency Fillmore Inn-  and honestly I was SO surprised. The room was clearly brand new – everything was sparkling clean and super comfortable. The breakfast was delicious with many options. If we were staying in Colorado Springs for the entire trip, I’d easily have stayed at this hotel the full time.

If you have a few spare hours while in Colorado Springs, I encourage you to go to Garden of the Gods. It’s very popular with locals and tourists alike, and for good reason. The towering red rock formations are super fun to hike around, or climb if you have the proper equipment. It’s absolutely stunning and a remarkable sight to see.

Great Sand Dunes National Park

Next on our itinerary is Great Sand Dunes National Park. (Shameless plug – We are pass holders with the National Parks. For just $80 you can get a year of free access into any NPS site that charges an entrance fee. Most parks charge $10-30 per vehicle for a 7 day pass, so you’ll get your money’s worth in just a few visits. Even if you don’t, you’re supporting our severely underfunded national park program).

The Sand Dunes were jaw-dropping, mind blowing, and simply extraordinary. From the parking lot we thought, “Oh, we’ve got this. Let’s get to the top. No stopping until we are there!” We were a bit overambitious in our plans. You don’t realize just how tall they are! Another thing we didn’t expect was the whole walking in sand part. That is tough! It was like an elliptical machine on the hardest setting; you sunk into each step, sliding slightly backwards as you tried to make forward progress. My calves were absolutely SCREAMING by the end of the second hour. Additionally, there was no set path. You just walked wherever you thought was best. I’d say we made it about halfway to the top. Even though we didn’t go to the highest peak, I was very proud with our progress! We met a few native Coloradans while we sat and marveled at the view. They were kind enough to share a beer with us, and after a few moments of talking with them and enjoying a cold beer, we practically slid all the way back down!

This park was a great half day stop – I’m sure there were other trails to do that would have been incredible, and I’d bet you can fill entire days here, but our plans did not allow more than a 5 hour stop. Between our hike and our time in the visitor center learning the history of the sand dunes, we easily filled our time and had to be on our way.

Sugarbush Sugarbush Sugarbush!

The name of the campground we stayed at was called Sugarbush. For some reason, I found this to be a really fun name. I may have annoyed Brandon at some point as I never said just “Sugarbush,” preferring instead to repeat it three times in a row. Not sure why, it just sounded so cool.

We found this great place to stay on AirBnb. It was a cute 25 foot airstream trailer! Very modern and totally stocked with all the supplies we needed during our stay. We cooked only breakfast here, but could have easily made lunches and dinners as well. If you’re in the area, I totally recommend it – https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/26005322

Black Canyon of the Gunnison

THIS. This national park was the reason for our road trip. Imagine Rocky Mountain National Park meets Grand Canyon in a weird hybrid of mountainous, tree-lined canyons. It was spectacular. An absolute must see in Colorado.

We did a few hikes while visiting this park – the Warner Point Trail and Painted Wall View Trail.  They were easy to medium in the strenuous scale for our 30-something year old selves, but totally doable for most able-bodied age ranges.

Curecanti National Recreation Area

Equally as beautiful as the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, the Curecanti National Recreation Area is well worth a stop if you have the time. There was a crunch for time by the time we made it here, but we were able to squeeze in a quick hike to the riverbed. I’m sure this place was deserving of a much larger amount of time; I do not wish to undermine the beauty of this park, but unfortunately we only had so many days!

On the Road Again

Sadly, our trip was coming to a close. It was time to head back to Denver. We made the most of our long drive back by stopping in Leadville, a unique town with a golden history. Founded during the gold rush of the late 1800’s as a mining town, Leadville has historical buildings and sights to see. It’s easy to imagine the prospectors walking about, grabbing a bite to eat after a long day in the mines. One very memorable place we stopped was the Silver Dollar Saloon. Built in 1879 with the majority of the original building intact, walking into this saloon was like stepping back into the wild, wild west. We sat at an original booth and enjoyed a very delicious lunch.

We hit the road and found a new destination – a stop in Georgetown called Guanella Pass Brewery. We were pleased to find excellent, locally brewed beer! After sampling a flight (we were, after all, driving), we continued on to the airport.

The temperatures outside were plummeting as we sipped our drinks, and before long it had begun to snow. In October! Our drive back to Denver was a slow and treacherous one- only the second time in my life that I had driven in actual snow! (Although after driving in a blizzard in Iceland last winter, I’m pretty sure I can handle drive in ANY amount of snow or ice!) We stopped on our way back to make snow balls, take some wintery pictures, and to enjoy the silence. There is nothing quite like the peace that envelops you during a snow fall!

Wrap it Up!

With Denver being the biggest hub of Frontier Airlines, you can easily find cheap flights there almost any time of the year. Denver itself is a cool city to explore, but if you’re searching for beautiful scenery, unbelievable hikes, and unique settings – a quick road trip can easily be done in just a few days. Get out there and explore!

If you know me and my husband, you’re no doubt surprised to see us repeat a trip to a destination we have already experienced. There are just too many exciting places to see – why would we go back to a place we’ve already been? In fact, since we met in 2013, we have made only two exceptions to our “No Repeat” rule – The Dry Tortugas, and Isla Mujeres, Mexico.

In this post, I wish to convey our deep love of Isla Mujeres, and hopefully you will understand why we have been there 3 times within the past year.

Getting to Isla Mujeres

Cancun is probably one of Mexico’s most famous resort towns. There are hundreds of hotel options, deep blue oceans crashing on idyllic sandy beaches, all-inclusive resorts that are guaranteed to satisfy any traveler – but many people have never heard of a small island located just East of this prominent tourist destination. Trust me when I say skip Cancun, and head to the Island of Women.

To arrive at Isla Mujeres, we typically fly out of Fort Lauderdale or Orlando. We land in Cancun, find our pre-paid shuttle from Expedia, and after a 30 minute ride we are dropped off at Puerto Juarez. We then purchase round trip ferry tickets to Isla Mujeres, with multiple return options, on the Ultra Mar ferry company. This 20 minute air-conditioned OR open air ferry is your first taste of the tropical vacation you are about to experience!

The flights have typically been between $175-$200 per person, the shuttle has been about $20 per person, and the ferry costs approximately $16 per person. So, round trip – you are looking at approximately $230 per person! Not a bad start.

Gallivanting About the Island

On all three of our trips, we have rented a golf cart from Rent a Cart Prisma. Their office is within a short walking distance to the ferry port, and after extensive research we have found their prices to be the best on the island. (Hint – as of this publishing, their website has a coupon!) I have always contacted them by email to arrange our cart rental – JesusContrerasb@hotmail.com

A few other transportation options include renting scooters, or hiring taxis. There are no shortages of taxis in the ferry port area, but I hear it can be difficult to get a taxi from the southern part of the island without having a significant wait.

Where to Stay

We have stayed at three different hotels on the island, each unique in their settings! It’s hard to recommend a favorite, so I’ll go through all three we’ve personally experienced.

Cabanas Maria Del Mar
Our first trip to Isla Mujeres brought us to this hotel. To be honest, our entire first trip was a last minute decision – we booked our flights and hotel within a week of flying. We chose this hotel for its proximity to the beach, short walk to the downtown area, their pool, and the price. At $60 per night, this hotel was right up our alley. Our room here had a nice balcony that had a beach view! The air conditioning was cold, the room was clean, and overall we were very happy with our stay.

Hotel La Joya
On our second visit to Isla Mujeres, we were travelling for our anniversary and wanted to stay in a different part of the island. Our downtown stay last trip was fun – but the other side of the island offered a more private experience. This hotel was fantastic – from start to finish, everything was perfect. Each room in this boutique hotel includes a private or semi-private balcony with hammock. The included breakfast can be served in the restaurant or brought to your balcony. The rooms overlook the deepest blue ocean you can imagine, and the infinity pool is the perfect place to sit back, order a margarita, and relax. With beach access and decent snorkeling right off of the property, you won’t find a better place to stay on the island for this price point (we paid about $125 per night in peak season!).  One downside – this resort has a LOT of stairs. It’s built into the side of a cliff, so walking up and down stairs between beach, pool, room, restaurant, and parking lot is unavoidable.

Nautibeach Condos

Our third and most recent trip brought us to this lovely resort. The price of the condo we rented was significantly higher than our previous two hotel stays, however we split the two-bedroom condo with other travelers. The immaculate condo included a kitchen, dining room, living room, two bedrooms, one bathroom, and balcony with ocean view. The best part of this resort was the POOL! It was enormous, with a swim up bar, circling wait staff from the resort restaurant, and direct beach access – if you are looking for a beach vacation, THIS. IS. YOUR. SPOT. Complimentary beach loungers were in constant supply. The prices of the restaurant were very reasonable too. With its incredible amenities, well-appointed rooms, and close proximity to all downtown restaurants and shopping, this hotel is amazing. (OK so I lied, I kind of think this resort was my favorite place to stay on the island).

Things to Do

The laid back, beachy atmosphere of Isla Mujeres is a perfect place to get swept away in the endless routine of beach chair, pool float, bar swing, repeat. Countless hours flew by while we enjoyed simple, pure, sun-soaked relaxation. But if you’re looking for adventure, plan to travel in the summer months to experience Isla Mujeres’s world famous whale shark migration. Hundreds of people each day venture 3-5 miles from the island to the deepest parts of the Caribbean Sea – searching for the majestic whale shark- the Earth’s largest fish. Snorkeling with whale sharks is by far one of my top ten favorite moments. The sheer size of these awe-inspiring creatures will give you chills, and there’s NOTHING like swimming as fast as you possibly can to keep up with the casual swish of their enormous tails. If you’re lucky, your boat captain will find multiple whale sharks to swim with as well as manta rays! We used the company “On Isla Mujeres Water Tours,” and we could not have been happier. They found plenty of spots with whale sharks, prepared fresh ceviche as we motored around, and finally took us to a beautiful reef to snorkel as we ended our day trip.

Plenty of other neat experiences can be found on the island, including Punta Sur, the Ice Bar, an aquarium, an authentic grocery store, and the downtown night life- just to name a few.

Culinary Experiences Like No Other!

We’ve eaten in many countries all around the world. We’ve had sushi in Japan, curry in Singapore, fondue in Switzerland, pastries in Paris, pasta in Italy, alpaca in Peru, caribou in Alaska, seafood in Australia – I mean it when I say we have experienced almost every type of food imaginable. I mention this to emphasize my ardent love of the restaurants in Isla Mujeres. I have not had one disappointing meal on this island.

The absolute number one restaurant you MUST try is Fuego Del Mar. It is off the beaten tourist path, tucked into the more residential part of the island, but it is worth the golf cart drive / taxi ride / hour long walk. We’ve been here twice, and as much as I would have loved to experience a new menu item, we did a repeat order and I cannot bring myself to regret it. You must try the skirt steak from the menu. It is made with the most magnificent flavors I have ever had in a steak. The vegetables that accompany it are out of this world and means a LOT coming from me – I typically sample the vegetables on my plate and leave them behind in favor of the meats and carbs. Not the case here – I cannot get enough of the rich flavor that is packed into each perfectly cooked vegetable. Even the memory of the food we had is making me drool. Bottom line, go here. I promise you will not be disappointed. (Bring pesos – they do not accept cards)

If you’re in the mood for authentic Mexican food, be sure to stop by Bastos and El Charco, Loncheria y Taqueria Desi y Raul. These are my two favorite spots for what I have found to be family-owned, genuine Mexican experiences. From Bastos I recommend the enchiladas suizas. So perfect. Bring pesos because cards are not accepted.

To Summarize

We continuously return to Isla Mujeres for many reasons. The people are kind and so fun to talk to. We love hearing their stories; getting a glimpse into their unique lives on this tropical island has been life changing. The food is incredible. The beach is relaxing. You can’t beat driving around the island in a golf cart – a warm breeze in your hair and the smell of the waves all around. Not to mention, the price is super affordable. Of all the places we’ve been, there are few that draw me to them. I’d drop everything to go here for a few days, any time of the year.

If you’re planning a trip to Isla Mujeres, or think you’d like to experience this laid back, relaxing tropical island, send us an email! We will give you any advice we have, and help you make the most of your vacation! We are always happy to share zawackitravel@gmail.com

Why Visit Iceland?

The idyllic beauty of Iceland is completely unique and unlike any country we’ve seen. Enormous cliff-side mountains made of volcanic rock, steep valleys void of large vegetation, and bodies of sparkling blue water will draw you in. For a large part of our drive, we sat there silently marveling at the “other-world” like scenes in front of us, laughing as we reminded ourselves that we were still on planet Earth. The beauty of Iceland is, in a word, stunning. Utterly and absolutely stunning. Not to mention the kind people, unique experiences, oh and the Northern Lights- if you’re lucky enough to experience them!

Things to Know

Iceland imports the majority of its necessities. For this reason, food and gas are very pricey. For example, at the cafeteria located in the visitor center of Geysir, a ham and cheese sandwich was roughly $20, and a cup of tomato soup was $14. This was a touristy area, so naturally prices would be higher, however other restaurants had similar high prices. Additionally, we were visiting around Christmastime, and a LOT of the restaurants (sparse to begin with outside of major cities) were closed for weeks or even the entire winter season. We knew this in advance, so we rented a cabin with a kitchen and planned to cook our own meals instead of staying at hotels. This is a must if you are traveling on a budget. We went grocery shopping in Reykjavik on our first day, bought enough supplies for 2 dinners, 2 breakfasts, plus drinks and snacks, and we spent a total of $50.

Another thing to keep in mind when planning a budget trip to Iceland would be car rental and gas prices. Our tiny Hyundai was $120 to rent for 3 days. We drove approximately 1000 kilometers during our trip, filled up gas 3 times, and spent $140 on gas. This means our transportation costs were $87 per day. Sounds like a lot, but after looking into the costs of tours, this was the best bet for us. (Although booking tours is definitely a nice way to enjoy a relaxing day of sight-seeing without being glued to your map or worried about finding the next gas station before you run out of gas, but each full day tour was more than double our daily transportation cost.)

Winter Weather

This should be a given, but Iceland has some pretty intense weather. Being Floridians, our winter wardrobes are limited, but man did we learn how to layer! Daytime high temperatures while we were visiting were lowest at 5-10 degrees, barely hit 30 degrees, and hovered around 25 degrees the majority of the time. Granted, that isn’t too terribly cold in the grand scheme of things, but throw in the 40 mph winds and snow and you have yourself one Frozen Floridian! (sounds like a yummy boat drink… hmm…) Prepare to layer with multiple warm shirts and long johns or fleece lined leggings – my new favorite cold weather accessory.

Driving in an Icelandic snowstorm was a once in a lifetime opportunity for me. Not only was it my first time driving in snow, EVER, but it was also my first time trying to drive in a white-out. For my fellow Floridians, a white-out is when the snow is falling at such a rate that you cannot see past it; your entire field of vision is just white. It was terrifying! I got out of the car (yes, I voluntarily entered a blizzard!), guided Brandon in the car as he turned around, and walked back down the mountainside with him until he let me know he could see. I should probably mention that we were attempting to cross a glacier during a blizzard, but that’s such a minor detail.

My next piece of advice – don’t try to cross a glacier during a blizzard. See previous paragraph.

Things to See!

The very first thing you should do after landing is immediately go to the Blue Lagoon, especially if you just had an overnight flight in an economy seat. The Blue Lagoon is geothermal spa located in a lava field, with silica-laden, 104-degree water and it feels amazing. Absolutely rejuvenating in the very best way. Not to mention they have swim up bars for drinks and smoothies, as well as a swim up facial! Be sure to book in advance, it does sell out. One thing I did not know beforehand- they charge a rental fee for towels so if possible bring your own. The facility is very nice- they have showers with toiletries for after you swim in the springs, as well as hair dryers in the changing rooms. I was very excited about this.

After visiting the Blue Lagoon, we drove our little Hyundai up to Grundarfjörður, where we rented a perfect little cabin for a few days. (https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/1821249 – This incredible location books up very quickly!) This peninsular area of Iceland is known for the Kirkjufell mountain, Snæfellsjökull National Park (which includes a volcano glacier!), Vatnshellir Cave, and the Gatklettur Arch Rock. We spent a day driving around the loop seeing these magnificent places. Totally doable and incredibly worth it.

Other must-see attractions include everything that is part of the “Golden Circle.” I could write an entire post about the amazing things to see on this 300 km loop. Almost every tour provider of Iceland has a Golden Circle tour, but because we rented our own car we were able to make this beautiful drive at our own pace. In one day, we were able to experience Þingvellir National Park, the Geysir Geothermal Area, Gullfoss Waterfall, and the Kerid Crater.

Þingvellir National Park on its own could easily take multiple days to fully explore and enjoy. Though we were not able to devote that amount of time, we did at least get to see the rift valley between the North American and Eurasian Tectonic Plates. If you happen to visit in the warmer months, there are tours where you can actually scuba dive between the two plates!

The other 3 stops we made were short visits to admire the natural beauty, snap a few photos, and move on quickly as daylight was limited and also it was ridiculously cold and windy. It was totally worth it though- we were able to see land forms and geothermal geysers that are completely unique and unlike anything we’ve seen before.

Northern Lights

I saved my absolute favorite experience in Iceland for last. When we first decided to go to Iceland, it was for the sole purpose of seeing the Northern Lights. We told ourselves that the weather could possibly prevent us from seeing the lights, and we agreed if that happened, we would accept it- but we were kidding ourselves. Each night we used a very handy website that showed us the cloud cover and cloud forecast. We found patches of the country were the clouds were sparse and drove there, hoping to see the lights. We saw them faintly, barely visible between the shifting clouds. Even though we knew all along seeing the Northern Lights would be a toss-up, that first night we finally admitted we were going to be pretty devastated if the weather prevented us from seeing them at all. As we were driving to our hotel in Keflavik on Christmas night, rather sad to already be leaving and especially sad to be leaving without seeing the lights, it happened. We saw a faint green lining to one of the clouds low on the horizon. The entire sky above the cloud was perfectly clear. There were SO many stars. We pulled over at the first possible spot and waited. Brandon told me to begin taking pictures so I could be ready when the lights became more visible, and as we sat there shivering, the clouds dissipated and we had our very first Northern Lights show! We were shocked to see them, and so incredibly grateful that our trip to Iceland finally felt complete.

Go See Iceland!

If you are considering Iceland as a travel destination, I highly encourage you to go experience everything the country has to offer. The Icelandic people are so very kind, the scenery is captivating and awe-inspiring, the activities available are unique and exciting – overall this is just such an incredible country. I can’t wait for our next trip back!