No we did not drop off the face of the earth since our last post – we have been busy, driving home to Beverly for MD appointments, getting condo ready for a paint job, a two week trip to Tulum & Playa Del Carmen, driving back to Mount Pleasant and the Taj and then enjoying Thanksgiving with two of our sons and their families. The drive back to Beverly MA was long and we would not do it in 2 days again. Coming back we started thru NY at night and made it into NJ before resting and drove 8 hours the next day and about 6 on Day 2 – that was a big improvement – after all we don’t need to be anywhere so why be exhausted. We do take turns driving – I know some guys don’t like to let their spouses drive. But I think that is silly – this is a partnership after all! Rest close your eyes and leave the driving to me…after you take that Valium! We had great driving weather the first legs but the return trip included an entire day of driving rain and that was ugly. Not my favorite thing and most of it was during my leg – behind a lot of huge trucks hauling weird equipment. We slowed to 40 mph several times due to the heavy precipitation. I actually prefer driving in snow. Anyway we made it back safely to the Taj. While we were away, our son Bradford visited the Taj several times to be sure she was okay.
Our trip to Tulum was terrific, although it rained 2 of 4 days – we stayed in a sweet hotel – La Mezzanine – only 9 rooms right on the beach just beyond the Tulum ruins. They had a lovely bar and restaurant in the hotel – a Thai themed menu that was interesting & delicious. We were brave & tired several Thai styled items – the Thai Basil Martinis were yummy! They also made a darn good gin & tonic! Our room was good sized with a small loft sitting area but no TV, radio or telephone. Almost off the grid – it did have internet access. We read, napped and had cocktails a lot! Our first 2 days were lovely -allowing us to walk along the beach and enjoy the isolation of the area. When the rainstorms came – they were boisterous with strong winds, lasting thunder and brilliant lightening. We found that a bottle of wine eased our anxiety just fine. The service was superior and we would definitely return to this cute hotel. Our second week was at Royal Haciendas in Playa del Carmen where we own a beachfront suite. This was our first time in this unit – it is a recent transaction. It’s a deluxe unit offering a more spacious master bedroom & bath – very comfortable. We had fabulous weather and walked three miles each morning. We loved walking right out to the beach each morning. We rented a car so we had a chance to visit Cancun, where we enjoyed a great dinner at Puerto Madera on the Lagoon, and did some shopping at La Isla. We will likely keep this unit and visit it in odd years. Our other Royal Hacienda villas for February 2016 have been rented and are also for sale (let me know if you are interested). Our Royal Sands units are under agreement, and we hope to close in March 2016. We loved our 20 years of visiting Cancun and Playa del Carmen – getting to know the people and beauty of the Yucatan Peninsula. However, traveling the USA in the Taj for several years will preclude these annual trips. We think there are other beaches to discover and other people to meet and enjoy!
Upon returning to Beverly- packing & prepping the condo for repainting continued, and we met with a realtor. Selling the condo makes the most sense given we will not live there for several years. We do plan to find another sticks & bricks location but farther south so we can come home in the winter without worrying about snow storms! We returned to Mount Pleasant just before Thanksgiving. Our sons Christopher and Bradford and their families joined us for two Thanksgiving dinners – one at Magnolia’s in Charleston and one at Bradford & Amy’s home prepared by Tish & Chris – both were spectacular and everyone ate well and enjoyed themselves. We visited Fort Sumter with the gang on Friday after Thanksgiving as well as the South Carolina Aquarium.
The weather has been pretty terrific (just a few days below 40 at night) days. For the most part it has been low 50s at night, and 70s during the day. We do not miss frost, cold rain or wind. We have grown quite fond of palmettos and palms – we are learning about the 150 types that grow here. This KOA campground is great – we have found the staff very helpful and the proximity to our son’s family is great. We have met several couples who are embarking on travels similar to ours. It is great to swap stories and adventures. The best part of travel is meeting new people and experiencing the beauty of each area. The Charleston/Mount Pleasant area is lovely and is a place we would consider for a new home. We like the people, history, architecture, restaurants, ocean & beaches, shopping – (zillions of stores and shopping options) and who can forget constant blooming flowers & palm trees! The area is growing, evolving and looking to the future – that is very appealing to us.
We are enjoying our last two weeks here and will depart on December 11th for Savannah GA to stay at Tybee Island RV campground and spend some time on the enjoy the Georgia Coast. Neither of us have ever been to this area – we are excited about starting the next chapter of our travels.
I decided to add photos in another post after the commentary because there are so many for November – they will start with our Mexico trip and end with views of this area. Please enjoy them!
Team Amirault's Travel Blog 