Last Day at Hyatt Vivid Grand Island

Yesterday was our last full day at the resort. We ordered room service and enjoyed it out on our balcony, watching the golfers start their rounds.  We then headed to the rooftop pool. Once we arrived we could tell a rainstorm was rolling in as we saw some dark clouds in the distance.  Not to worry since you're going in the pool anyway!!  We survived the short rainstorm and eventually the sun came out. At 1 PM they had very fun music trivia. They'd play a song and you had to shout the password for that round and then the answer. For example, one round the password was guacamole. The winning team then decided on the number of points for the next song. They had some tricky ones including knowing the difference between "Ice Ice Baby" and "Under Pressure". After about fifteen rounds, we were the winners!!  No real prize except knowing you can go home with that important victory under your belt. 

Lunch was at the ceviche restaurant and it was just as good as the prior time. The chef had added some pulpos (octopus) which was so tasty. After lunch we sat by the main pool and I might have had a nap.  We waited for what they labelled as the DJ Pool Party but it was only the DJ playing some songs.  We then headed back to the rooftop pool to see Moises, William and Andrew.

 By 5 PM another storm was rolling in with heavier rain and some thunder and lightning so they closed the pool. We hung around watching the storm from our covered seats.  

It was the time to head back to the room for a mandatory rest period.  At 7:30 we headed to Oishii which is the Asian themed restaurant.  Some really good dishes including tempura green beans, korean-style wings, fried gyoza, spicy tuna roll, mixed teppanyaki and Torikatsu Chicken which was like an orange chicken.

 After dinner we went to the lobby to see the silent disco party. Normally when we've seen these on cruise ships and other resorts, you have people singing and dancing to the lyrics of the track they are listening to with their headsets.  Last night, it was mostly people sitting in their seats, having a coffee or cocktail and contemplating life.  It was like a silent party funeral. 

An interesting vibe. We decided to call it a night and headed back to the room. 

Today we'll check out of the hotel at noon and get our transfer to CUN at 12:30.  We have a 3:30 flight to IND, connecting in IAH.  We should be in our apartment around midnight. It's been a nice five night stay at this new resort. Will definitely return. They have a lot of interesting activities. The staff has been so friendly and helpful. And really good drinks and food. I highly recommend upgrading to a Vantage Club room since that's the only way you can access the rooftop area and pool during the day.  Vantage Club also has higher end spirits such as my favorite Don Julio Reposado. The resort is a great value considering all the amenities they offer.  If you're considering a vacation in Mexico, reach out to my wife at angie@tripswithangie.com.

Hyatt Vivid Grand Island Beach Club

We had a great day at the Beach Club yesterday!! Beautiful weather, nice pool, great service and delicious food. 

The Poke Tuna Nachos were definitely the highlight. 

 We returned to the resort at 4:30 for a mandatory rest period. At 7 PM we headed to dinner at La Lys which is the French restaurant at the resort. I started with the Tarragon Mussels and Angie had the Forest Salad. The mussels were in a Roquefort tarragon sauce which was really tasty. Angie also tried the French onion soup which was thicker than most but had a lot of flavor. I tried the onion quiche which was more like a souffle. It needed a bit more seasoning and more gruyere, but was better once I added some salt and pepper. For our mains, Angie has the beef tenderloin which was cooked medium. She only got one small carrot and a tiny asparagus stalk!! I had the baked ratatouille. I wasn't sure how this would be presented. What came out was really stunning!! Quite a talented use of the mandoline. And the stacks of thinly sliced eggplant, tomato and zucchini were carefully layered in a specific order. Tomato, zucchini and eggplant. Rinse and repeat!! All served on a pureed ratatouille and then baked. Such a great flavor. I am always so impressed by a chef who can bring out the best in vegetables.  

After dinner we headed to the main lobby for some karaoke. Some talented singers. I sang Angie's favorite "Mr Brightside" along with "Ring of Fire". 

 A fun evening activity. Afterwards we went to the rooftop bar for a cocktail and then headed back to the room. 

Today is our last full day at the resort. We ordered room service breakfast. Then we'll head to the rooftop pool. Lunch at the pool side ceviche restaurant. After music trivia at the pool and probably pool volleyball. Dinner will be at Oishii which is the Asian restaurant at the resort. It's located on the rooftop.

A Wild Fire Show at Hyatt Vivid

We had a fun day at the resort yesterday!!  Angie spent the morning having a site inspection with one of the sales managers, getting some insight into the resort. I was in the rooftop pool enjoying the views where Angie joined me about 11 AM.  

Lunch was ceviche and tostada by the main pool off the lobby!! Certainly some of the most flavorful fish I've had. A perfect balance of lime, onion and chiles.  We might have that again today.  After lunch we headed back to the rooftop pool where the staff had organized a game of Pictionary.

Dinner was sitting poolside for a 4th of July buffet.  

They had a great assortment of proteins including a burger and hot dog bar, hot wing station, pork tenderloin, grilled steaks and chorizo. Pretty tasty!!  They had a guitar player singing mostly country songs for about ninety minutes until the DJ took over for a set of dance classics.  At 9 PM it was time for the fire show!  I've seen a few of these over the years but this was the wildest!! At times, the flaming batons would drop and the pool deck would be set afire!!  And one of the men had his pant leg set on fire. He didn't return. For the final act, two of the ladies had "tiaras" that had torches. I don't know how their hair was on fire.  Pretty sure they must not use Aquanet. 

Today we don't have any definitive plans but will likely be up at the rooftop pool. Maybe take the shuttle over to the Beach Club for lunch. We booked a Bali bed for Sunday (tomorrow) so that's our all day plan for that day. Dinner tonight is up in the air. At this resort you need to make dinner reservations each morning for that night. Or you can just walk up to a restaurant and see if they can seat you. It seems as if they aren't taking any reservations today so we'll find out later which restaurants have availability. It will either be French, Italian or Asian.

Welcome to Hyatt Vivid Grand Island

Good Morning from Hyatt Vivid Grand Island!  What a beautiful location, south of the Zona Hotelera and Isla Mujeres!! Angie inquired about possible upgrade options and was able to get an amazing room for a fantastic price.  This has the largest balcony I've ever seen. We either need more friends or more furniture.  

Angie had been staying at the new Margaritaville adults only in Puerto Morelos for a few days at a travel advisor conference. Stay tuned to her Trips with Angie page for details about that resort and this one.  We both met up about 1 PM at Hyatt Vivid. This is a high-rise complex with eleven floors of rooms with a rooftop pool, bar and restaurant.  It has several restaurants and pools as well as access to an off-site beach club. And the views!!

Dinner last night was at Mediterranean which of course features Asian cuisine.  Just kidding.  We started with the most amazing mezze platter.

 Fresh pita along with baba ganoush, hummus, tzsatzi and briny olives!!  A great start. Also had a lamb and beef gyro. The ground meat had amazing flavors of garlic, cumin, rosemary and a hint of mint!!   For our mains we both had seared salmon cooked perfectly medium rare!!  It could have used a bit more salt but the dill sauce and pea puree brought it all together.  

Today we don't have any definitive plans. We may order room service or just yeah something at Coco Cafe, the 24 hour coffee shop.  Angie is going to try to attend a soap making class. There is a pool side restaurant which may be a good option for lunch. And there is pool volleyball at 4.   

For tonight's dinner, the resort is having a special July 4th party and dinner out by the pool. We'll put aside the oddity of a Mexican resort "celebrating" the birth of the United States, especially in today's political climate.   But I expect it to be a fun event.  If you purchased a bottle of wine, you also received a table for two.

Royal Caribbean Ovation of the Seas

Royal Caribbean invited me (Angie) onboard the Ovation of the Seas to celebrate her new deployment from Los Angeles. It was a great 3 night cruise, but wow! time flies with only 3 nights. 

I had several work functions and cabin tours to attend. 

We still had time to enjoy the ship. We loved the main dining room breakfast and evening entertainment. 

Angie's Karisma Trip

I was invited to a 3 night trip hosted by Karisma to visit the Margaritaville resorts and Nickelodeon Riviera Maya. 

It was a great group of travel agents. I learned a lot and had a lot of fun. 

Coconut Bay, St Lucia

We headed to St Lucia to meet up with the Krawiec family. It was so much fun. We swam a lot. We loved the beachfront bar and water aerobics. I think I visited the jerk shack every single day. 

New Ballpark: Miami

Staying overnight in Miami after our fantastic cruise. Let's check off another ballpark!!  After this MLB season there will be only one park left!!

 

I had forgotten where the seats were.  I guess I "accidentally" purchased Clubhouse Box seats seven rows from the field. They have access to the Dugout Club with a private bar.

Enchanted Princess Caribbean Cruise

We joined our friends on the Enchanted Princess for a sailing to some great ports: Princess Cay, San Juan, Grand Turk, and Amber Cove. It's like a tour of gorgeous turquoise ocean water. I was having too much fun to take many photos. 

We had fun beach days, enjoyed all the specialty dining onboard, swimming, and exploring San Juan. 

It's Graduation time!

We headed to Minneapolis for Julia's high school graduation. It was so great to get to celebrate with our friends. 

Antelope Island, Salt Lake City

Great experience at Antelope Island!! Definitely check this out when you visit SLC!! We saw Burrow Owls, Prong Horned Antelope, Coyotes and Bison. It appears not many locals or visitors go here. It's about a 40 minute drive from downtown. 

Then we went to my favorite brewery in SLC Red Rock Brewing. Delicious White Rainbow White IPA. We had a baked Brie starter with grapes, pistachios, fried sage leaves and balsamic which was so tasty. For mains I had a sausage cavatelli and Angie had a Rachel (a reuben with turkey).  

Now we're waiting in our hotel for our airport transfer. Our flight is at 6 PM and we should be back in our apartment by 11 PM. Then more adventures.

Utah Mighty 5: Zion and Bryce

Let's catch you up on the last few days.  On Sunday we were in Bryce Canyon National Park. Fun Fact: It's technically not a canyon since canyons are formed either from rivers (like the Grand Canyon) or glaciers. Bryce is actually a series of large hoodoos. As our guide said, it is better described as a slowly eroding rock formation.  Regardless of the technicalities, it had my favorite views of the trip. 

On Sunday afternoon we drove through Zion National Park and into Springdale which is just outside the main gates of the park where we stayed at the Driftwood Lodge. 

We had a great dinner at Bit Spur - awesome Latino food on a great patio. Get reservations. 

Be sure to get up early for sunrise from your patio at Driftwood Lodge. 

Breakfast was at Oscar's Cafe with the fluffiest pancakes! 

On Monday, we headed into Zion for the Riverside Hike. It goes along the Virgin River, past weeping walls and flowing springs.  If you have the right equipment, including waterproof shows, you can walk through the river deeper into the park. 

 After lunch at the park, we headed back to Salt Lake City at 2 PM, arriving at the Little America hotel just before 7 PM.  Dinner was at Itto for some sushi!!   

Today we'll check out of the hotel and have an excursion to Antelope Island to see some wildlife.  Later, we'll have our transfer to the airport for our flight back to IND. It's been a great trip to see the Mighty Five!!