#44 A New Country

As soon as I started my #50by50, I knew visiting a new country would be on my to-do-list.  And a country I've always wanted to visit is the Dominican Republic and I was elated I could talk my college roomies into taking a 50th birthday celebration trip to Punta Cana.

We stayed at Bahia Principe Ambar for 4 nights, which of course, was not nearly enough time.  We ended up spending one day at the pool (yay for swim up bars), one day at the beach, and one day on an amazing excursion to Saona Island.

The excursion was an amazing experience!  We took a motor boat to a natural pool in the Caribbean.  It was so crazy to be so far out from the shore and still be able to touch bottom.  The water was that perfect turquoise color and we even saw a couple of HUGE starfish.  From here, we made our way to Saona Island for a Dominican lunch and a few hours on the most beautiful beach ever!  Crystal clear waters and white sandy beaches full of shells and sea glass for my collection.  We took a catamaran back to port, which allowed us to have a slower, more leisurely experience.

    

I would love to go back some day and experience more of the island.  But this trip was all about relaxation and good times with the college roomies.

#40 Cabo!

Turning 50 is the perfect reason to schedule a girls' trip and I knew it had to be someplace gorgeous and new to me.  A beach was a must and I wanted it to be a quick plane ride away.  I've always heard great things about Cabo, so it was off to Baja California with some of my most favorite people!

Four days at Zoetry in Cabo is just what I needed.  Lounging on a beach bed, relaxing in the pool while sipping on pina coladas, leisurely breakfasts watching the whales . . .  it was an amazing week with friends!

If you are looking for a beach vacation, I would happily recommend Los Cabos.  It's gorgeous and temps were in the mid to high 70s all week.  The views are spectacular.  It would be super easy to stay on the resort all week, but with both San Jose and Cabo San Lucas just 15 minutes away, I would suggest "going into town" at least once for a change of scenery and to experience local culture.