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CABO: Travel Tips & Favorite Spots!

Matthew (FOUND A TIMESHARE OFFER ONLINE) ‘was invited to a meeting with a real-estate investing company’. Sitting through a 2-hour, high-pressure sales pitch on vacation isn’t for everyone, but we couldn’t turn down the offer for a discounted week at an all-inclusive resort in Cabo!

We didn’t leave as owners, but we DID leave with and sun-tan and some great memories! We weren’t able to do it all, but here are a few of our FAVORITE SPOTS in Cabo!

1. Hike Mt. Solmar
Being a dog-lover, this was one of the HIGHLIGHTS of my trip! For the past 33 years, Enrique (and all the dogs living on his property) have hiked to the top of Mt. Solmar. For the past few years, he’s unlocked his gate and allowed others to join him as well. It’s no-nonsense and tough in some parts. But the dogs are well-behaved and the views at the top are INCREDIBLE!



2. Watching the Wildlife
Anyone else experience God’s GLORY and POWER through nature? I certainly do! Whether it was watching the birds waiting for the fishermans’ leftovers or barking sea lions trying to get attention, I was constantly in awe of God’s creation.

3. ENJOY the HOTEL
Aside from our honeymoon and cruises, we have not stayed at an all-inclusive hotel. So we quickly realized that we’ve been missing out! As much as we both love to explore, we found ourselves relaxing more since everything we needed was inside the beautiful resort.

4. WATER TAXI to “Lover’s Beach”
Many people choose more expensive options (sunset tours, clear boats, yacht, catamaran, etc.), but for only $9 a person, a basic water taxi took us to El Arco, Pelican Rock and Playa del Amor “Lovers Beach” and picked us up at our desired time.
“Lover’s Beach” was too crowded for us, but we really loved the short walk on the other side to Playa del Divorcio. Although you can’t get in the ocean because of the violent waves, it was beautiful and much more secluded.



We loved Cabo, so here’s a short-list of things I would NOT do again:
* San Jose: It’s possible that I missed something spectacular right around the corner, but I couldn’t get out of San Jose fast enough. I am a glass-half-FULL kind of girl, but I did not ‘get‘ it.
* Flora Farms & Acre Resort: If you love over-paying for tiny portions of organic food, you’ll love these two side-by-side spots. Learning about the concept was interesting, but both were WAAAAY too bougie for me.
* Going to the Marina is inevitable when getting to “Lover’s Beach,” but unless you’re looking for souvenirs, drugs or coffee mugs shaped like private parts, I’d limit my time there.



I probably missed a lot, but here’s a few things I’d ADD:
* WHALE WATCHING (April-December)!
* SURFING!
* Snorkeling!

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INK

What a great trip we had to INK (Interactive Neighborhood for Kids) in Gainesville! Each of the unique rooms gave us countless opportunities to allow our imaginations to soar!

If it were only creative play that was offered, that would have been enough. But there were so many areas of learning as well! In just two hours, we managed to cook meals in a cafe, get our hair done at a salon, take care of animals in a vet’s office, review countless x-rays, clean one another’s teeth, deposit money at a bank and a lot more!

With all the incredible information offered, I TOTALLY counted this adventure as an ‘official‘ homeschool day!

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Helen

I’m not quite sure how Ross had never been to Helen, but we fixed that over Christmas break! We did ALL.THE.THINGS- including getting a sugary snack, reading all the funny socks, checking out all the locks on the bridge and admiring all the delicate trinkets in the Glassblowing Shop.

But our highlight was checking out Georgia Mountain Coaster!

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MEMORIES / gift 8.0 (New York)

Eight years ago, we decided to skip Christmas gifts and do a family TRIP instead. Little did we know, this would become our FAVORITE FAMILY TRADITION!

With Ross getting older, it was such a treat to take him to the place he’s always wanted to see- New York City!

I’ve had a few people ask, so here’s my take-aways:

We didn’t, but SHOULD have:

  • …walked the Brooklyn Bridge.
  • …visited museums.
  • …taken advantage of the FREE museum days! (Tickets must be reserved in advance. It’s only available on certain days.)
  • …had more time to explore Central Park.
  • …checked out Little Island and The High Line.

I’m GLAD we:

  • …used the SUBWAY! It was easy AND cheap!
  • …stayed at an AirBNB! We weren’t super close to the main attractions (to save money), but just a few minutes from the subway. It was really neat to experience a super-small apartment for 5 days.
  • …splurged to see The Music Man on Broadway with Hugh Jackman (or any Broadway play)!
  • …utilized the Roosevelt Island Tramway (subway fare) and Staten Island Ferry (free).
  • …ate at family-owned (no chain) restaurants.
  • …packed light! (We each only brought one backpack. It was very helpful with navigating subways and streets.)

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GLAMPING 2.0

Maybe it’s just MY family, but we joke that we love the IDEA of camping.

In other words, we ADORE the outdoors, campfires and time together. But we always dread all the work it requires.

I get grouchy when no one volunteers to help me pack camping supplies.
Matthew gets grouchy when we arrive and everyone goes off to explore- leaving him to put up the tent alone.
The kids get grouchy when they realize they forgot to pack their pillow and extra blankets.

The good news is… there’s a SOLUTION!

TIMBERLINE GLAMPING ‘combines the need for modern comfort with a desire to be as close to nature as possible.’ My parents rented two nights in the spring at Lake Lanier, and it was SO MUCH FUN! (Click HERE to see photos!) My family was excited to go back this fall!

The weather was PERFECT!
The amenities were BEAUTIFUL!
But the best part… everything was READY, CLEAN, WARM, COZY and FUN!

This allowed us to use our precious time to enjoy EACH OTHER and NATURE!


May I also add that RUSTY has NEVER been happier?!?! These two days were, quite possibly, the BEST two days of his life! He drank fresh lake water, scared off squirrels and came face-to-face with several deer!

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Glamping at Lake Lanier

They brought baked beans.
They remembered worms.
They didn’t forget fishing poles.
The crammed all the condiments.
They filled the truck with fire wood.


And what my parents didn’t bring was supplied by the gorgeous glamping site they reserved on Lake Lanier!

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Blakely’s Baptism

The world teaches kids to celebrate sports, grades, trendy dances and every other fleeting distraction.

So, needless to say, I was THRILLED to be invited to document one of the ONLY decisions that will actually last!

Blakely was joined with friends and family as she made a public declaration that she devoted her life to Christ! Is anything more praise-worthy than THAT milestone?!?! There certainly isn’t!

Congratulations, Blakely! I share your mom’s prayer for you:

“Don’t be conformed to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds so that you can figure out what God’s will is.”

Romans 12:2


“Don’t be conformed to the patternsof this world, but be transformed bythe renewing of your minds so thatyou can figure out what God’s will is.“
Romans 12:2




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