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March 31, 2017

A Philly Blogger takes Mexico!

Earlier this month, when Philadelphia’s temperatures were in the “freakin freezing” range and it seemed there was absolutely no hope in sight, my winter blues were suddenly cured by a little jaunt to Mexico. It was my first time vacationing in Mexico. My first time traveling solo, too. And, as all vacations in Mexico should be, my first all-inclusive resort.
Secrets Akumal Riviera Maya Review

One quick flight from Philly to Cancun and just over an hour drive later, I was greeted at the Secrets Akumal Riviera Maya resort with a glass of champagne. I was invited to explore the resort with a lovely group of bloggers for a few days in the sun. Just a casual Tuesday morning, right?

Our rooms were absolutely stunning. They had a balcony, full jacuzzi tub, sweet shower, and so many perfect little touches. My mini fridge was stocked with the drinks I requested (more baby Coronas, please!) and was tidied up twice a day (the nightly turn-down amazed me every night). They had incense in the bathroom (which I took full advantage of), a Nespresso machine, and an excellent full-length mirror, thank you very much.

One of the coolest things about the room was the handy “Do Not Disturb” button. This button (not one of those tacky door hangers that always falls off), signaled to the room service, housekeeping, etc. from outside of the room that you were, likely, “busy,” if you were one of the several honeymooning couples also at the resort, or, if you were alone, like me, simply taking quite a bit of time trying to apply SPF 75 sunscreen to your back. There was also a secret compartment room service could drop your goods into so human interaction was minimal in times like these. I did a full room tour over on my Facebook page if you’d like to see!

While we were at the resort, we had some organized group events and some time on our own. The first group dinner was held at the Wine Cellar. We got to know each other (check some of my blogger buds out: Karolyne, Lauren, Shaun & David) while enjoying quite the meal (escargot, lobster bisque, rack of lamb, and possibly the best chocolate souffle I’ve ever had in my life) and wine pairing. Later in the week, we all got together to watch the Top Chef finale, filmed right at Secrets Akumal a few weeks earlier, with an awesome party hosted by the resort. Think big screens, mini desserts, and strong martinis.

In addition to our group activities, there was so much to do around the resort on your own. I started my day with a sunrise beach yoga class one morning. There were local vendors selling jewelry, clothing, etc. set up like a mini flea market one night. All of the activities were available on the resort’s app (did I mention they had free wifi!?), which I appreciated. And in addition to the organized things, it was just so nice to relax for a bit. I’ll tell ya caught up on about 500 magazines from June 2015 til now at the pool.
Now, as this was my first time at an all-inclusive ever, I was obviously very excited about the food. In the morning, I started with an iced coffee from Coco Cafe. Market Cafe was the best little buffet breakfast spot – Mexican food for breakfast is literally my dream. At night, I got to try Himitsu, the Pan-Asian restaurant (yes to the pork bao buns) and Portofino, the Italian restaurant. I did get room service a few times (and I can’t say enough good things about the freakin coconut ice cream – I dream of that ice cream), but I think the food out at the restaurants was really top notch. Oh and also – grab as much guac as you want.
We were so lucky that the resort surprised us all massages at their spa. The facilities were gorgeous – very serene. The locker room itself was super luxe. I loved the showers – each stall had two doors, one into the indoor rainfall shower, leading to the same shower but outdoors! The lounging areas and pools were not crowded and everything felt nice and clean. My only “complaint” was that I couldn’t try a fish pedicure – the man at the spa told me they had just “changed the fish” the day before and these new fish were “too scared to bite yet.” I got a nice LOL at that one. 🙂 This can be by far one of the best trips I have ever had. If you ever visit Riviera Maya, you should consider staying at one of the resorts (such as rosewood mayakoba and other such resorts) that can make your vacation experience unforgettable.

Overall, my quick getaway was one I’ll never, ever forget. Next time you’re planning a trip to Mexico, Jamaica, or the Dominican Republic, check out all of the Secrets Resorts (and just make sure you order the coconut ice cream). Thank you to Apple Vacations, Amstar, and of course, Secrets Resorts for the amazing opportunity!

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Filed Under: travel Tagged: bloggers, her philly travels, mexico, secrets resorts, travel

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Ready to see the best thing I couldn’t wait to s Ready to see the best thing I couldn’t wait to share while I was taking an insta break? Swipe! 

We adopted a puppy!!! 🖤 Meet Putter. He was born in January in Mississippi, and brought to PA with his mom & siblings for adoption by @tlcrescuepa. 

I had been applying to rescue a pup for almost a year, so I am so thankful to @tlcrescuepa for giving us a shot. We brought Putter home 4/26/22. 🥰

Putter is fitting into our family so well, and we are loving watching him grow and learn new things. Jim & I are taking him to puppy class every Saturday and we are excited to learn more ourselves! 

I could spam you with a million pictures but I created an Insta for the baby so I don’t go overboard here. 😂 You can follow @putterthepuppy to see more of our small boy. 🥹
The last night of @linnytharp’s Philly bachelore The last night of @linnytharp’s Philly bachelorette was such a joy it deserves its own post. 🚃

I have talked about the @foundingfootsteps tours for years. The owner, Tim, is such an asset to the Philly community, and I was excited to support his company for our ladies night out. 💃🏻

I booked us the Beer & Bands trolley tour. We (the 8 of us and 3 sweet younger gals) got picked up at Betsy Ross house with our BYO @highnoonsunsips and singing voices ready. 🎶

The trolley comes equipped with musicians and an amazing driver (shoutout Koser, Nate & Justin!) and takes you on a drive throughout the city, while the musicians play Britney Spears, BSB, & other assorted covers. Though we did make several suggestions to add more Taylor songs into rotation. 😉

The windows are open and we were loudly singing along, so early on, in our drunken happiness, we decided to start waving to people out the window. Once we started getting a few waves back, it became the sole focus of the night, singing and seeing how many waves we could secure (it was a 95% wave-back rate). 

We laughed and sang and just had the most fun tour ever. The tour also stops at a brewery or two (hence that part of the name), we stopped at @victorytaproom_phl on ours, but we were mostly happy to be waving on the trolley. 😂

I can’t recommend @foundingfootsteps for your next girls night out enough. 🖤
Part 2 of my sister’s #PhillyBachelorette ✨ O Part 2 of my sister’s #PhillyBachelorette ✨

Our Saturday bachelorette day started off with breakfast at our @airbnb (@hot_bagels brought by @caitlyn22b were the star). We made some drinks and headed to @oldcityphilly for our surprise (to @linnytharp) @airbnbexperiences tour - “Hamilton - The Tour Where it Happens!”

Lindsay is a big @hamiltonmusical fan and this was an absolutely hysterical way for us to spend the afternoon. Our tour guide, Reid, brought along a speaker and played/rapped along to several Hamilton tracks on the streets of Philly. We learned a lot about the true Hamilton story and had just so, so much fun. 

After the tour, we got a drink at @theploughphilly and bopped over to @luchacartelphilly for a seriously delicious dinner & margs. Our night event deserves its own post, so more on that in the final Bach post! 😉
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