Los Cabos Mexico

Travis and I have been on a lot of adventures in our two years of marriage. These trips usually involve us hailing Ubers all around town, walking through museums, parks, and city streets for miles on end, and crashing at an airbnb after a full day of sight-seeing, only to do it all again in the morning! But this trip was our first relaxing vacation where we got to sleep in and layout on the beach doing nothing but drink piña coladas for hours on end. And all thanks to Allstate who rewarded my hubby for all his hard work last year, and of course, his awesome boss who is not only a great teacher and leader, but deferred the trip to Travis instead of taking it himself :)

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After a short 4 hr flight and 30 minute bus ride to the resort with all the other Allstate agents who qualified for the trip, we arrived at the Hyatt Ziva All-Inclusive Resort in San Jose del Cabo, Mexico. The drive was extremely desolate, but the resort was beachy and absolutely inviting with a high-end tiki beach vibe and breathtaking views of the pools and beach that the resort faces.

Our room was absolutely beautiful equipped with a rain shower, jetted tub, and a balcony with breathtaking views of the the

ocean and its crashing waves that would be heard from our room.

After settling in and doing some light unpacking we immediately hit up the pool area for some street tacos, ceviche, and pool-side relaxation.

After lounging at the pool and exploring the resort a bit we got all done up for the evening. That night Allstate held a reception for the trip qualifiers and had a catered dinner and live music for us as we mingled with other agents and employees from the Southwest region (including Utah and its six surrounding states).

After dinner we took a romantic walk on the beach as the sun set. It was a long stretch of black and white sand with the waves curling and crashing on the shoreline. Being from FL we don't often see waves like this unless there's a hurricane haha.

We also attended a show at the resort's theater which changes every night. Our first night there we saw a magic show and the guy was quite good! We were all amazed at his card tricks and illusions, including the famous lady in a box trick where he puts swords through her and she comes out totally unscathed!

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The next day we had a FULL breakfast at one of the resort's five all-inclusive buffets and restaurants. The Plaza buffet had anything and everything you could ever crave in the morning including Crepes, waffles, pancakes, bagels, cereal, fruit, omelettes, eggs, bacon, salmon, an assortment of fresh fruit and squeezed juices, and more. This day Allstate was providing all-day shuttles to downtown Cabo San Lucas. So we decided to take to the streets of Cabo and do a couple fun excursions during our time there. We went jet skiing, which was honestly a first for me even though I was born and raised in Florida home of sun, sand, and beaches. It was such a blast skimming at 40 MPH over the water and something I'd totally do again!

Then we got a boat tour of the rocky shore line that lead up to the Arch of Cabo. We saw pelicans, all sorts of exotic fish and sea lions sunbathing on the rocks. We were also shown the "window" where the Sea of Cortez meets the Pacific Ocean and some caves where the second Pirates of the Caribbean movie filmed some scenes.

The water was absolutely crystal clear and we got to see all sorts of fish just from the boat. Giant foamy waves splashed the surrounding rocks giving you a glimpse of how some of these amazing formations were created over millions of years. In fact, every five years or so the tide drops, allowing visitors to walk through and around the arch where the water usually reaches.

After a full day of activities downtown, we headed back to the resort to relax by the pool, and eventually dress up for dinner which we had at the beachside grill with a spectacular view of the sea!

That night's resort show was a throwback song and dance performance of the 70's and 80's. It was cute, but being so tired we left early for a soak in the jetted tub and some r&r in our comfy hotel bathrobe and slippers. This quickly became our nightly routine after a long day soaking in some sun accompanied by a late night trip to the crepe stand and bakery at the resort for some treats. The whole all-inclusive thing was AMAZING and one of my favorite ways to vacation!

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Saturday was a special day because it was Travy's birthday!!!! That morning I snuck out early for some beachside yoga which they do every morning at 8am. On my way back I swung by guest services to set up a tiny surprise for Trav during the afternoon while we were out of the room. After a yummy breakfast at the Plaza buffet, we claimed a couple of reclining chairs by the beach to soak in some Vitamin D and drank about 10 piña coladas between the two of us. We also witnessed a couple weddings that day in the resort's gazebo on the beach. So romantic!

Eventually a guy with four horses was walking up the beach offering rides, so we immediately jumped on the opportunity and took a little ride down the beach. My horse was named chocolate chip and Trav's was named chocolate. We rode down the beach with the waves crashing and every once in awhile our horses would start racing each other which was so funny and also painful. Our butts were so sore the next day >.<

We had lunch at the resort's Italian restaurant called Saffiro, where I had the most yummy seafood pasta! In fact, this was my favorite meal during our stay.

We decided to catch a break from the sun and head back to the room where Trav's surprise was waiting! They put up a Happy Birthday banner on the door and left a slice of cake for him in our room. He was so genuinely surprised, it was one of the most adorable looks I've ever seen on his face <3

Later that night, after watching a couple episodes of Pawn Stars in Spanish, we had dinner at El Cortijo, the resorts Spanish style restaurant where we ate paella and croquetas! The restaurant had a matador theme with the matador outfit and cape displayed on the walls and an ornate bronze bull at the entrance.

We then went to a dessert party that Allstate had set up with live mariachi singers as a last-night send off for most of the trip qualifiers. I requested one of my favorite mariachi songs "La Puerta Negra" which really pulled on my heart strings hearing it live. What can I say? I'm a romantic...

That night's show we attended was an ode to Mexico where they performed famous mariachi songs, performed rope tricks, as well as traditional dances from different regions of Mexico. It was a spectacular show and they were so awesome at keeping the crowd involved and pumped.

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So even though last night they celebrated the end of the trip, Trav's office actually qualified for an extra night so we got another full-day in Cabo which we took full advantage of! Sunday was spa day; Something we were super looking forward to and the only thing we actually planned ahead of time for our trip. We got a couples massage (our first) and it was truly the most relaxing experience during our stay. The staff was extremely professional and made us feel so spoiled and pampered!

The spa lobbies and amenities were absolutely beautiful and we had all-day access to them including their wet and dry saunas, jacuzzi tub, showers, and relaxation pools. It was so nice to have a day away from the more crowded resort pools and relax just the two of us in a private corner of the resort.

Our last night we decided to eat at the French restaurant in the resort called Bon Vivant, where we tried lamb chops and the catch of the day with some roasted veggies and fresh bread. The restaurant was decorated with a variety of famous french paintings and a glass wine bottle display- very elegant. We decided to skip that night's kid show and enjoy our usual late night crepes and treats and sit on the balcony taking in the sounds of the sea.

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The night before we strategically packed everything so today we could enjoy as much of our last hours at the resort as we could. After some room service for breakfast with some of the best green juice I've ever tasted, we hit up the beach to layout and relax. The waves were absolutely incredible every day at the resort. The rip-curls mesmerized me as they hit back to back and landed in a white foamy splash on the shore line. After a big lunch and a last couple piña coladas, we check-out and said goodbye to this beautiful peninsula on land's end!

And for some added humor, here are some pictures of Travis in a tiny jet plane hahaha #TallPeopleProblems