Category Archives: travel

Secrets Resorts vs. Sandals Resorts: Adults All-Inclusives

After having stayed at both Secrets and Sandals, it’s fun to do a little ‘compare and contrast’ between the two luxury adults-only all-inclusives. Both brands have an impressive portfolio of properties, which we have barely dipped our toes into the waters of (no pun intended); this will be a broader look at general resort differences regardless of specific destinations or locations.

We visited our first Sandals on our honeymoon in June 2021 on the island of Grenada. We visited our first Secrets resort for a romantic getaway in November 2022 in Akumal/Riviera Maya. We must begin by saying that BOTH were stunning, and we plan on returning to both franchises for many more vacations in the future.

Another thing to note is that it can be difficult to write a definitive “pro and con” list because pro’s to one guest might be con’s to another – for instance having a lively and loud night club for after dinner might be important to some, while others would find it irrelevant. Others might value scuba diving while some would not include that in their list of priorities. Therefore I’ll predominantly be highlighting the major strengths of each brand along with the key differences and you can decide for yourself which one if preferrable! Although either one makes a dream vacation. :)

The key difference between the two is that Sandals resorts are located in the Caribbean on 7 different islands. Secrets resorts are primarily located in Central America – Mexico, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic.

Sandals Resorts Strengths:

-PADI Scuba Diving included

-After dinner nightly entertainment – casual and early

-Late night eatery options with pub fare

-Airport transportation always included

-Tipping prohibited

-Couples-focused – many honeymooners and couples celebrating anniversaries. Centered on couples (as opposed to groups)

-Mini bar was better, and contained wine and champagne options. Butler-service rooms also contain full-size liquor bottles with mixers.

-Restaurant menus also included cocktail menus and specialty drinks and recommendations – helpful for those of us unsure of what cocktails and drinks we like yet. And if you aren’t satisfied with drink, it’s all included so no pressure to finish it! I enjoyed tasting several different cocktails that I’d never had before, and learned which ones I never need to try again (i.e. dry martini. ew haha)

Sandals Things to note:

-Some evening entertainment is repetitive and simple

-Room service not available to all guests and not 24/7

-Destinations have less flight options than many Secrets resort destinations. We cannot get to a Sandals resort in 1 day from Boise.

Secrets Resorts Strengths:

-Easier to get to from US.

-Room Service – contactless, tray pick-up, 24/7, all rooms.

-No reservations required at restaurants.

-Nighttime entertainment is more grand and has larger production value than Sandals; full shows with live bands, lighting, hosts, and themes were more elaborate than Sandals offerings.

-Full size toiletries and amenities (our room had sunscreen, toothbrushes and toothpaste, and other uncommon amenities).

-Daily snacks with mini bar restock

-Rotation of different afternoon snacks around the pools, including an ice cream cart, a pop-up pizza oven, fresh coconuts, and churros.

-Group activities daily: beautiful guided tequila tasting; guacamole making classes; dance lessons; spanish lessons, bike tours

Things to note:

-Airport transfer is not included. We used a company called Amstar which Secrets endorses. This will add another $160-320 to your trip.

-Seemed to center more around groups rather than couples. A little more difficult to meet new people than at a Sandals because many guests are already in a large established group that they are dining or drinking with.

-Tipping is common for all bartenders, waiters, butlers etc. Completely understandable, but can add quite a chunk to your total cost if you didn’t factor it in beforehand.

-Mini bar only contains beer and non-alcoholic drink options; no wine, champagne or liquor included.

Strengths of Both:

-Immaculate lush tropical landscaping

-Romantic rooms with interior and exterior bathtubs

-Friendly and kind staff

-Apps for restaurant menus and information, daily activity guides, room service, and resort maps.

-No children on property

-Sit-down restaurant options with diverse menus, rather than buffet-only

Overall, we enjoy Sandals resorts more because of their focus on couples and romance, and their wide variety of included water sports. However many of the Secrets resorts are easier and quicker to access from our region of the US and are comparable in luxurious and beautiful grounds along with restaurant and room quality. We plan to visit more properties of each franchise in the future, but thought a little comparison and contrast between the two might be fun! Have you been to either or both? What are your thoughts on the two resort options and what’s your favorite destination?

30 Things To Do Before Turning 30

For Christmas, one of my stocking stuffers from my husband Zeb (oh yeah, I’m married! I suppose we do have a lot to catch up from since my last blogging phase from 2011-2018!) was a cute rom-com fiction book called “Love, Lists and Fancy Ships.” The main character is a 29-year old yacht stewardess who created a list of 30 things to accomplish before she turned 30. While reading the book, I was 28 and about to turn 29 myself. The number “30” startles my gag reflex. It’s an age that sounds so much farther in the distance for me than it really is. I feel like I just finished college still. I know I’ve hit the major adult milestones in my 20s – bought a house, got married, and found out I was pregnant with my first baby. But I still don’t feel “adult” enough to qualify for the 30s club just yet.

To make the new decade more palatable, I decided to copy the main character from this novel and write my own bucket list to make the most of the rest of my 20s.

The morning of my 29th birthday, Zeb and I went to brunch together at a local spot here in Idaho. I started a new note in my phone and began listing activities I hoped to do before my next birthday. By the end of our brunch, I had 17 items I would commit to doing over the next 365 days. We brought the note back out at dinner with my parents that night and rounded out the 30 items.

And here it is:

30 Things To Do Before Turning 30

  1. Visit a National Park
  2. Stand-Up Paddle Board
  3. Run a Half Marathon
  4. Visit a Museum
  5. Sing Karaoke at a Bar
  6. Do 30 Push-ups in a Row
  7. Officiate a Wedding
  8. Read ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’
  9. Try Caviar
  10. Fit Back into my Wedding Dress
  11. Volunteer at an Event
  12. Plant a Garden
  13. Catch a Fish
  14. Practice Calligraphy
  15. Watch All of the Harry Potter Movies
  16. Give Birth
  17. Make Homemade Bread
  18. Sled Down the Bruneau Sand Dunes
  19. Attend a Concert
  20. Swim in an Ocean
  21. Learn New Winter Sport
  22. Hike a New Trail in Idaho
  23. Visit a New Country
  24. Make a Coffee Table Scrapbook
  25. Ride a Roller Coaster
  26. Take a Dance Class
  27. Play 18 Holes of Disc Golf
  28. Jump in a Pool with all my Clothes On
  29. Go Tent Camping
  30. Travel to 3 Different States

Zeb says its cheating to add “give birth” since I’m nine months pregnant as I wrote this list (oh yeah, another catch-up moment for those blog readers that haven’t heard from me in 3 years. Surprise!) but I think it’s a pretty momentous occasion during my 20s that I should get some kind of credit for on this list of activities!

I plan to create a journal/blog entry for every item on this list as I cross it off and document the year through the photos and stories this brings up. So stay tuned to see how we work our way through this list before I turn the big 3-0 on February 12, 2023!

Huckleberry Festival & 5k

Maybe it’s just me, but when I hear “huckleberry” I think of a charming storybook. Being from Southern California, I’ve never had a huckleberry before and I’ve been dying to find them! Ever since moving to Idaho earlier this summer, I’ve been all about getting out to new places and finding new-to-me adventures to cross off my Idaho Bucket List. The Huckleberry Festival in a small mountain town a couple hours away was by far the most adorable small-town event we’ve been to. I have a feeling it will be an annual summer tradition.

Huckleberry Festival Fruit Cart Stronglikemycoffee.com

Four years ago, my university track team traveled to Bozeman, Montana for the Track & Field Conference Championships. We flew to Spokane, and drove through Northern Idaho through the scenic Pacific Northwest and into Montana. (Little did I know this would be my new home 4 years later!)

After our race, my best friend Kerri and I walked through the tiny downtown in search of some huckleberries which are native to the area. We’d never had them before but it seemed like something we needed to try while in the PNW. The grocery stores failed us though, and the closest thing we got to huckleberries was a huckleberry-flavored chocolate bar. Okay, we weren’t too sad about that ;)

Since moving to Idaho, I’ve had huckleberry wine and huckleberry-flavored coffee, but no fresh berries. We’ve heard that you have to be careful picking them in the mountains though because you are literally competing with the bears for berries!

Huckleberry Festival Garden Stronglikemycoffee.com

My parents and I woke up around 5am on Saturday to drive up into the mountains and be at the 5k race registration by 8am. The entire highway is lined with rivers and streams and farmland, which is even more picturesque during sunrise.

“Welcome to Donnelly. Population: 138”

Huckleberry Festival Wildflowers Stronglikemycoffee.com

We had no idea what to expect from this festival. But every event kept us pleasantly surprised and happy we made the trip!

The 8th annual Huckleberry Trot 5k race began at the community center, on a dirt road marking the course with white arrows. We got our t-shirts, purple flip-flops, and a goodie bag. The mayor of Donnelly kicked off the race, and about a hundred of us ran down the country road. The straight long road had some cows on either side….and that’s about it. It was literally in the middle of nowhere. There were a couple of boys a little younger than me who ran in a clump, and I just kept up with them for the first half. I had no expectations for my race time and I wasn’t really trying to hit a certain pace.

I crossed the finish line in 20:22, winning overall female. My grand prize? A Huckleberry Pie, of course! I was so excited to win the pie from one of the local Donnelly bakeries :) My mom raced the 5k as well and finished 3rd in her age group so we both brought home a medal! My dad said he’ll race it with us next year and we will not let him forget it ;)

We celebrated with post-race iced americano’s at the local bakery and split a huckleberry muffin that had just come out of the oven. The whole town spans one block, and it was festively decorated with purple streamers and huckleberry flavored specials everywhere.

Huckleberry Festival Shops Stronglikemycoffee.com

Huckleberry Festival Bakery Stronglikemycoffee.com

This weekend was another reminder that I am extremely blessed to have found a new home in Idaho.

After years of gushing over movies and TV shows with a small-town setting, quaint and charming, I can finally experience it first-hand. We hung out on Main St. for the parade…..which lasted all of 7 minutes.

Huckleberry Days Parade Stronglikemycoffee.com

Huckleberry Festival Main St Parade Stronglikemycoffee.com

Huckleberry Festival Booths Stronglikemycoffee.com

The day was so beautiful and a popular vacation destination, McCall, wasn’t too far away so we decided to head more north instead of heading back home. Look at how diverse Idaho is – mountains, lake, beachy sand, and a pine tree all in one spot :)

Huckleberry Festival Weekend McCall Idaho Stronglikemycoffee.com

Huckleberry Festival Chicken Salad Lunch Stronglikemycoffee.com

We had lunch on the balcony of a brewery looking out on the lake. I ordered the house salad with grilled chicken and raspberry dressing, which I’m now inspired to recreate at home. It was creamy, not like a regular raspberry vinaigrette. I’m thinking of trying out a greek yogurt raspberry puree type experiment to make my own healthy version of this bright pink dressing…

Huckleberry Festival Huckleberry Milkshakes Stronglikemycoffee.com

Everything in this area is blooming so most of the stores and restaurants have fresh flowers. The colors are so vibrant and beautiful! We were feeling like we were on vacation all day.

We skipped dinner and went straight to dessert that night with my fresh huckleberry pie while watching the Olympics :) I also made an AMAZING new healthy recipe with a friend last night, but I’ll save that for my next post.

XOXO Kenz.

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