Puerto Rico

Check out our video for inspiration on a Puerto Rican getaway!

The Hamptons: Open to Everyone!

Based in the New York City area or on the East Coast?  Are you looking for a quick easy daytrip or weekend getaway?  Have you considered the Hamptons?  More than just a summer playground for the rich and famous, the Hamptons is a beautiful coastal area at the far eastern end of Long Island that has something to offer for everyone at all price points. This particular trip was taken with two friends who are also young professionals on a budget.  We were traveling for a wedding, but decided to make a fun overnight trip out of it. 

 

Traveling by car is the ideal mode of transportation, because public transportation options are limited on the Hamptons.  However you can still manage without a vehicle.  We chose to make the 2-hour trek to Riverhead via train, the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) to be exact.  From New York Penn Station to Riverhead, Long Island, roundtrip fare is $30.  For this price you can relax, sit back, and enjoy the beautiful views from urban landscape to lush glens, quaint villages, and sparkling waters in complete comfort.  Please make sure to check out train schedules prior to your departure, since trains are quite limited on weekends and holidays. http://www.mta.info/lirr/

 

We stayed in Riverhead, Long Island at the Holiday Inn Express.  We were able to stay in a suite with 2 very comfortable queen beds, a pullout sofa bed, and kitchenette for $159/nt.  The room was clean with nice modern touches including black granite countertops and stainless steel appliances.  The hotel also serves a complimentary continental breakfast in the morning.  Just ½ mile from the hotel is the Tanger Outlet Center.  Tanger outlets are a mecca for shoppers with caviar taste on a shrimp budget. This huge multiplex shopping center has something for everyone.  In terms of apparel and clothing the outlets offer everything from Betsey Johnson and Michael Kors to Ann Taylor Loft and Gap.  We made out VERY well.  If you love shopping as much as I do, this outlet center is worth the trip to Riverhead alone!

http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/ex/1/en/hotel/rihed;jsessionid=TMGFF004YUMWMCTGWANCJBQKM0YBWIY4?_requestid=105887

 

http://www.tangeroutlet.com/riverhead/

 

As the Hamptons is known for it’s famous beaches, please make sure to visit one of the public beaches in the area.  For a special treat, head to a private beach club where you can enjoy clean private beaches and cabana service.  The wedding we attended took place at Atlantica restaurant at the Westhampton Bath and Tennis Hotel in Westhampton Beach, Long Island.  On the way to the wedding we did get to see how the other half lives.  We passed many palatial summer homes hidden amidst beautiful gardens.  We had fun trying to guess which celebrity lived in which house.  Because we visited in October, it was too cold to take a dip in the ocean, but we enjoyed ourselves at Atlantica. We had fabulous drinks and appetizers on a heated open-air deck right on the beach.   The bartenders were friendly and able to whip up delicious cocktails especially for us. We had a delicious meal served by the Atlantica staff. We followed up with a moonlit stroll along the beach.   Atlantica is a wonderful place to host an event.  The light and airy dining room is absolutely beautiful and combines the formality of wide white columns and crystal chandeliers with the casualness of beachy white and blue striped fabrics. The staff is extremely friendly and accommodating.  Also, if you are looking for a regular escape from the city, the Westhampton Bath and Tennis Hotel does offer family and individual memberships. http://www.bathandtennis.com/

 

From beautiful beaches to quaint villages and farms to incredible restaurants and shopping the Hamptons has something to offer for everyone.  All in all, I had a fantastic time and would highly recommend it for a quick, easy and surprisingly affordable escape.   Plus, you never know who you might run into!

The Relaxing Side of Vegas

When you think of Las Vegas you often think of slot machines, clubs and huge casino resorts. But Vegas is also home to world renowned spas, shows and restaurants. For a girls getaways we decided to avoid the typical Vegas of gambling and bright lights and like SEARS see the softer side.

We started at the spa at the Luxor hotel, Nuture. With any treatment you can use the spa facilities all day which includes the steam room, sauna, hot tub, and whirlpools. You also receive complimentary juices, water, teas and fruit. You can leave and return any time the spa is open during the day which allows you to enjoy other parts of the resort such as the restaurants or larger pool and then return to the spa for more relaxation. We each had massages and facials which were amazingly relaxing after long flights from the East Coast on our first full day in Vegas. The Luxor Hotel seems grossly over decorated (see our review Recently Renovated is a Relative Term) but the spa is understated and creates a wonderfully relaxing environment. I would even stay at the the Luxor again just to take advantage of Nuture.

The Palms Resort has the reputation of being a party resort for young people and celebrities. With the Fantasy Tower with the Playboy emblem on the side and the many celebrity parties that reputation has been well earned. But the resort has an amazing spa with great deals especially during the week.  The massage was the best we received during our entire time in Vegas. Like Nuture at the Luxor, once you receive a treatment service you can use the other spa amenities for the remainder of the day including the sun deck, saunas, and soaking pool.

Not wanting to deal with the Fraternity party atmosphere of the Palms then head over to their new boutique hotel, Palms Place, across a very easy and quick skybridge. Their new spa, Drift, offers more spa services than the spa in the main Palms property and the only Hammam in the area. The pricing is more expensive than the Palms spa but the spa is larger.

Not looking for a spa treatment but prefer to relax all day by the pool? Consider a cabana rental. Most resorts offer cabana rentals to their guests for a fee that includes complimentary non-alcoholic beverages and service. At the Luxor we rented a Cabana for the day and it was perfect. For about $300 weekends and $250 weekdays you have a reserved space which includes overhead wet misters to keep you cool in the desert sun. You receive regular cabana service to order food and drinks. They periodically bring you other free items such as chilled fruit in the morning and popsicles in the afternoon and chilled towels throughout the day. Split between a group this is a great way to bring the cost down and to spend the time together.  You can swim, lay out in the sun, drink, catch-up, laugh, and have fun all in your own little cabana by the pool.

If you are just looking for late night manicures and pedicures why not head to the 24 hour nail salon, Get Nailed 24/7 in one of the strip malls across from the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. After dinner at Origin India and frozen yogurt from Red Mango we wandered into this late night nail salon for some late night pedicures. If you happen to need a midnight nail repair or just want a pedicure between a game of blackjack, The ladies at Get Nailed are friendly, funny and do an excellent set of nails.  We relaxed getting our pedicures at midnight, laughing with the nail technicians about men, diets and friendship for an affordable and fun girls night. Perfect for something off the craziness of the strip.

So no matter what you are looking for from massages, poolside drinks, to midnight acrylic tips there is another side to the Vegas experience.

Luxor Nuture Spa
1-800-258-9308 http://www.luxor.com/amenities/amenities_the_spa.aspx

Palms Hotel Spa
702. 942.6937 http://www.palms.com/pool_spa_2.php

Palms Place - Drift Spa
702.944.3219 http://www.palmsplace.com/spa/

 Get Nailed 24/7
4480 S Paradise Rd
Las Vegas, NV 89169
(702) 221-8000

DC Restaurant Week 2008

I try and make a point of visiting at least one new restaurant in the DC area during the semi-annual restaurant week. For those of you unfamilar, Restaurant Week is sponsored by the Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington and partner restaurants provide a price fixed menu during lunch and dinner during the week. For $20.08 at lunch and $30.08 at dinner you can try some of the best restaurants in the city’s appetizers, entree, and desserts. It is perfect time to get together with friends or family and have an amazing meal at a new or fun restaurant.

For lunch this year, a group of friends and I visited Ceiba, a Latin/Caribbean restaurant located on 14th and G St. The food and service were very good and I highly recommend it for those looking for a great place for lunch or dinner with friends. They are able to easily and quickly serve groups (there were 6 in our party and several more groups in the restaurant) so it is perfect for large gatherings and special occasions.

For appetizers we tasted the Cuban Black Bean Soup, The West Indies Conch Chowder and the Shrimp Cocktail Ceviche. We were unimpressed with the ceviche as the tomato based cocktail sauce overpowered the ceviche. The soups though were great! The West Indies Conch Chowder comes with two small shots of Sherry and Rum to add to the soup. When added it kicks up the spice and flavor in the soup. Both soups were thick and creamy providing an amazing food experience.

For entrees we had the following:

Grilled Jamaican Jerk Salmon. This perfectly seasoned salmon filet is lightly glazed with a jerk sauce that is more tangy than spicy. It is served with a side of rice and beans and rum glazed plantains. This dish was delicious and a great choice for salmon lovers.

Pumpkin Seed Crusted Tilapia. I was uncertain about a pumpkin seed crust but paired with the FuFu Mash (A yam/sweet potato puree) this is a little bit of perfection. The lightness of the Tilapia makes this a lighter fish choice than the Salmon but the pumpkin seed crust makes what could be a rather boring dish more exciting.

Florida Keys Style Mahi-Mahi Sandwich. The Mahi-Mahi filet is too large for the bun but it is seasoned so perfectly you can eat it by itself. It is paired with sweet potato fries that are crisp and tasty.

Grilled Skirt Steak Churrasco. This thinly sliced steak is paired with the Argentinean Chimichurri sauce and piled with two large onion rings. The flavor of the steak is so strong that it creates anticipation before you even take one bite.

The one dish that we do not recommend was our only vegetarian choice the Roasted Butternut Squash Tamales which were paired with a medley of sautéed vegetables. The person who ordered this meal remarked that it was “weird” not extremely flavorful or even particularly tasty. Vegetarians may find it hard to have a great lunch at Ceiba as all the other entrees are meat dishes and even the black bean soup has ham in it.

The desserts left a lot to be desired though someone who has eaten here before says the churros are amazing. They were not offered as part of restaurant week so I can’t say whether that is true or not. The choices for us included the Brazilian Carrot Cake which was missing the best part, sour cream frosting. The Guava Cake was dry and not particularly appetizing but luckily it was paired with a panna cotta.

They have an extensive cocktail list but since this was lunch in the middle of the day we decide to skip them during this trip. I will definitely return for their appetizers or dinner and hopefully can try the cocktails (including two types of mojitos) on my next visit.

Ceiba
701 14th Street, N.W.
Washington DC 20005
202-393-3983
www.ceibarestaurant.com

« Previous Page — Next Page »