Sting ray on the left side of photo

From there it was on to the Akumal area.  Many visitors come to the region and stay only in Akumal, which is excellent for scuba diving and snorkeling (our activity this day).  We particularly were hoping to see sea turtles, and I am happy to report they were completely visible not very far from shore.  Again, Silvia was most accommodating, even putting on the flippers for the hubby (who has no balance, not to mention a strong aversion to salt water).  It was hard to tell how large the turtles were that we saw.  There are very strict instructions not to touch them or get directly above them.  One had a sucker fish attached to it’s back – we were told the fish is rather lazy so it was taking advantage of the turtle stirring up things for the fish to eat!   There was also a fairly large ray which thankfully kept his distance.

Sea turtle with sucker fish attached

Tiger Fish

Our last stop was snorkeling in a very large inlet that had tons of fish in very clear water, followed by lunch at the beach — although I’m not sure encouraging diners to climb up into their tree house while drinking beer in the sun is the best idea.   We then enjoyed “Taco Night” back at the hotel, complete with mariachi band and freshly made churros; muy deliciosa!

Lunchtime view in Akumal

Wanting to see the other hotels in our immediate area led us to dinner at the Fairmont Hotel”s El Puerto, the middle property in Mayakoba and by far the largest of the three (Banyon Tree is the third, comparable in size to Rosewood).  While all three properties are distinct and separately operated, there is reciprocity — even to the extent of charging the Fairmont meal to our Rosewood account (can you imagine that on the Vegas Strip?).  Of course all of the properties will gladly transport guests in one of their luxury SUV’s.  During the day, there are ferries that go around to all three properties on an hourly basis.

This meal was an interesting mix of hot and cold, from sushi and ceviche to

Tuna sashimi with sesame slaw

 

Great finish to the meal

steaks, etc.  We enjoyed an array of really fresh and light seafood, followed a cheese plate for dessert.  A side note that seemed curious: the restaurant was decidedly formal – courses were wheeled out to the tables via a cart.  Except whoever designed the restaurant should have ditched the stairs – it took two servers continually raising and lowering those carts for each service!  Not the best planning …

A coati (raccoon family) enjoying guacamole and likely going for the pizza next …

We also had the opportunity to dine at Banyan Tree’s Saffron restaurant for excellent Thai food.  The rains wrought a bit of havoc for the folks who thought they could dine outside; many a meal was brought inside mid-way as the water persisted.  This hotel is very exotic and inviting from what we saw.  They were expecting Tiger Woods, among others, for a PGA tournament starting a couple days after our departure.

Spicy chicken with fried brown rice and vegetables

Thai tapioca … this was not your grandma’s version

Some final thoughts on the stay here, much of which we shared with the General Manager.  The staff was uniformly happy.  You can’t fake that.   Separate from doing whatever they could to make their guests’ every wish come true, we spoke to many and found them to have a great work ethic and seemed to genuinely enjoy their jobs.  One even shared with us that for the upcoming high season, he was sending his wife and two toddlers to the in-laws in Arizona so he could work double shifts and not put a strain on the marriage by being away so much.  He would talk to his kids daily via Facetalk, and felt he could do this while they were still young so the family could get “ahead.”  

After yesterday’s “oopsie,” the management was even more attentive.  Cabanas were reserved for us both at the main pool and beach pool.  This reinforced my long-held business philosophy that everyone makes mistakes, but what separates successful businesses is the manner in which they remedy those mistakes.  Rosewood lived up to their well-deserved reputation in their responsiveness and we look forward to visiting their other properties!

At one with his tunes …

Matching birthday greetings

But because this will always be the “60th birthday” celebration (well, until a few days in NYC this January; but that is another story), this one needed to knock it out of the park.   And I am thrilled to report it did just that.  I had read many articles about this particular stretch south of the Cancun, and kept up on the all the “Best Resort” lists, etc. Separate from the Conde Nast Travelers Readers Choice list just published, this particular resort had long since been on my target list.  The hubby surprised me on my 50th b’day with a trip to Rosewood’s Las Ventanas resort in Cabo, and it was all that one would expect and maybe more … You know those little sewing kits provided at fine hotels?  Well, the thread in my kit contained only colors that matched my clothing. How’s that for service?   I think the ratio of staff to guest was 4:1, and I loved those numbers alot.

The trip got off to a wonderful start — upgrade to Dallas?  Check.  Upgrade to Cancun?  Check.  And then Rosewood personnel greeting us at the airport  with the first big decision of the trip:  “Our traditional welcome drink is a mojito.  Would you prefer a margarita instead?  With or without salt?” On the way to the resort, our driver Javier shared his interesting story — in addition to working for the resort, he works as a bodyguard and is a 2nd degree black belt who teaches tae kwon do to young kids.  Good to know, but both this area and the west coast counterpart Cabo are completely safe to visit.  I’m wondering if Javier was convinced when the hubby told him we were on our honeymoon — that it was the first marriage for both and how we waited to find the “right” person .. does that even translate??

One enters the Mayakoba area off the main highway that runs from Cancun south through Playa del Carmen, Tulum, and well beyond.  Every vehicle entering checks in at a security gate.  Depending upon one’s destination, one either goes to the right for the Banyan Tree Resort, straight ahead for the golf course, or to the left for the Fairmont or the Rosewood.  And upon our arrival some 40 minutes later, said margaritas were there the minute we pulled up to the resort… Yep, a good start indeed.

Another welcome amenity

Another upgrade awaited us at the hotel, this time to a split level suite.  Pretty great, except I avoid stairs in order to preserve my knees (don’t want ever to have to replace the replacements!).  So that was a bit of a decision.  Nevertheless, I completely unpacked and had a lovely plunge in the private pool.  Woke up to a bit of a monsoon, and quite a bit of water seeped in some of the doors.  A room change was in order, back to the originally booked accommodations.  Repack everything?  Nope, the staff will handle that, thank  you very much. Truthfully, it was much neater than what I had done!  Now much closer to the main pool and breakfast, but still with the private pool and outdoor shower, this indeed works.  And maybe there won’t be any rain to deal with at all, but that is probably optimistic.  Getting one’s bearings here is no easy feat; there are little more than 100 rooms but the spread is so large one uses golf carts to get around.  From reception to the beach is about a 15-minute walk.   A visit to the spa (world class massage in an outdoor setting) and dinner at the beach (soft shell crab tacos, salmon tartar and passion fruit margarita among the treats) was a fantastic way to cap the first full day.

Tangerine sorbet poolside

Beautiful weather followed the next day so swimming, reading and relaxing was the order of the day.   The staff is wonderfully trained to fulfill one’s every wish.  Buenos dias, Mrs. Bialosky, como esta?  Cannot say enough about how pleasant everyone was.  There were non-stop poolside treats from mini drinks to crudites to Evian spray, etc.  I’m guessing even if the hotel were at capacity (they were about 75% full), the service remains the same…

Mr. Iguana wanted to have lunch with us …

Cigar tobacco drying from the ceiling

We ventured into Playa del Carmen — about 15 minutes via taxi — for dinner at Yaxche; delicious Mayan and regional cuisine. Thankfully we were pretty much under cover on their patio when the deluge hit.  Only a little wet during dinner …

Hotel lobby

One of the very interesting things to do on-site is view the eco-system of the property via a 30-minute boat tour. The only maintenance that the property is required/allowed to do is to remove seaweed; nothing else in terms of treating the water, etc.  The system’s balance is therefore maintained for the inhabitants. Those would include iguanas, many types of birds, crocodiles and turtles, among other things.  And since many of the accommodations have small docks, it is surprising that none of the guests have encountered wildlife in their rooms — although I did have a cat wander in one day from our deck.

Fortunately Mr. Croc stayed right there ..

Golf Course at Mayakoba — gorgeous view ..

Tomorrow is the big snorkeling excursion … to follow in the next post plus the rest of the trip.  

The original Rao’s in Harlem

For a very long time, I have wanted to dine at a restaurant called Rao’s located in Harlem.  Frankly I’m not quite sure how I first learned of this establishment, but probably from reading where the glitterati go and where one must be an insider to have the experience.

Our booth was surrounded by familiar faces ..

And that brings us to the present dinner at the Rao’s now open in Hollywood.  Not only did I get a return call from family member Angie (maybe my new best friend), but she kindly got us in on an otherwise sold-out evening after she had to change from our original booking. BTW, one must provide a credit card when reserving. The penalty for a no-show?  That would be $50 per person charged to the card.  That requirement is hardly surprising after restaurateurs we’ve spoken to told us of a rather unseemly yet common practice:  People will make multiple reservations at different establishments in order to make a last-minute decision — and sometimes not even bother cancelling the other bookings.   Therefore, I don’t blame Rao’s for their particular policy. 

By the time we arrived at 7p.m., the place was pretty much full.  Once seated I asked a ton of questions, including how many seatings per night?   Usually 1; maybe 1-1/2 given that the hours are just 6-10:30.  What I immediately noticed is that very few tables had just 2 persons .. there were far more with tables of at least 6.  That makes sense because “family-style” ordering is encouraged and the portions are definitely on the ample side.  I also asked how far in advance they take reservations and was told well into next year.  Thursdays or Fridays? Fuggetabout it!  Very tough already after only 5 weeks of being open.  So just what is so good about this place?

With the hubby and great friend/client Denise!

Well, the food is downright delicious.  Not to be missed are the meatballs, enormous and covered with a fabulous sauce.  Pasta e fagioli soup was another stand-out, but my favorite was a pasta dish of homemade “purses” stuffed with ricotta cheese in a clarified butter sauce and just a smattering of cranberries to cut the richness.   Plus the penne with Vodka sauce was pretty good too.   As for ambiance, well that probably isn’t their strong suit.  It is very loud and there is a lot going on.  But if you’re a people watcher, it doesn’t get much better.   I definitely want to make several return trips with friends and family so they too can experience this iconic place.  

The daily question was:  What teams are going to be in the playoffs, and what is the schedule?  We knew back in late September that the Boys in Blue (aka The Dodgers) were the National League West champs, so their place was secure.

Dodger Clayton Kershaw celebrates

Ideally, we would be in our seats at Dodger Stadium.  I could get very “deep in the weeds” here about how and where the playoff teams are determined (four from each league or a total of eight possible game locations), but I fear I will lose most readers.  I am amazed I actually understand it myself, but that is largely due to the onslaught of baseball in my home from April through the Fall Classic.

Thankfully the baseball gods cooperated with a Game 4 on October 7 at Dodger Stadium.  Birthday message purchased for the Ribbon Board?  Check. By the way, I learned several things in this process.  The scoreboard messages are also available to be purchased, but only for groups of 30 or more.  And that space sold out three weeks ago, according to Ray Daryabigi, Head of Fan Services for the Dodgers (he was kind enough to return my call).  Hold up a sign and hope to get on camera?  Nope, no signs allowed at the stadium (they will be confiscated at security).  But I did sneak one in and will not share exactly how.  He also told me to go the Fan booth on our level and ask for some goodies, which were duly delivered along with Dodger personnel getting everyone around us to sing Happy Birthday.

Suffice it to say, very happy we didn’t have to contemplate going to another city to see a game on the 7th.  The choices:  Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh or Detroit — which is actually the hubby’s birthplace — but so glad to be in his longtime home.  Probably TMI for the non-baseball-fan readers here so I will move on.

Of course, few surprises go off without some heart-stopping event, such as the phone call I got the day before.  “We have some bad news about your rental … there are mechanical issues and the car cannot be fixed in time.” Good lord, no!  “But we can offer you an upgrade for no additional cost.” What was my first question? “Is it red?”  “Yes!”  No problem … let’s proceed!

That is a genuine look of surprise.

I have wanted to do this forever, and the opportunity and timing turned out to be perfect for this day. Plus the fact that the hubby’s bro was a major contributor to this endeavor made it all the more realistic (thank you, David B!).    

Yep, that works!

Driving around was followed by lunch at Matsuhisa for glorious sushi with bro-in-law and co-conspirator David, plus our kids and two friends of more than 30 years, Scott Redston (also an Oct 7 b’day) and Frank Haffner.    

Why not the best??

And, finally, those wonderful words were spoken:  “It’s time for Dodger baseball!”   And what a game it was … as if it weren’t enough from the baseball gods to even have a game at home that day, how about a come-from-behind home run in the bottom of the 8th that ultimately decided the game and the series.  On to the National League Championship next.   Honestly, one couldn’t script a better outcome.   And Hannah, the non-baseball-fan member of the family, was only to happy to provide dessert after we got home …

Lifelong friends Big John (Hatch) & Buzzie (Ed Sugar), Shawn & Michelle Steel, the son, the brother and us (with the contraband sign)!

Thanks for baking, Hannah!

Only thing left to do the following morning was break the news to the son that Gotham Dreamcars was on the way to pick up the car … 

Hotels in the general Napa area have gotten really pricey, so I’m considering these digs as pretty much a “bargain” when taking into account the spaciousness (we’re in a 3-BR condo), full kitchen (for breakfast and snacks), multiple pools plus being right on the golf course for gorgeous scenery.   As this is really high season – end of summer and Labor Day weekend – I made dinner reservations in advance and left our days open.

Our first full day began with randomly heading up the Silverado Trail for a stop at Robert Sinskey Winery.  Wine tasting before lunch? 

Lone melon in the garden!

No problem.  And if Sinskey is good enough for The Barefoot Contessa to have made it part of her show, then it’s good enough for us.  Actually we were out of their wonderful wines at home so a small purchase was in order, as it was at our next stop — Groth Winery.     

Chef Richard Reddington — pretty brilliant!

Across the valley and south to Yountville for lunch at Redd Wood.
Now open more than a year, this is the second restaurant in Napa by renowned chef Richard Reddington (we’ll be dining at his eponymous Redd our last night here).  Reddington, who was executive chef at Auberge du Soleil prior to going out on his own, clearly learned from many of the legendary restaurateurs under whom he trained over the years.  His food is just downright delicious with a touch of fun … Redd Wood is located next to one of the newer boutique hotels in Yountville — North Block Hotel –so guess where you’d be having breakfast if you stayed there! And by chance we were able to say hello as he came out — not because we were there but to greet the grande dame of the area, Margrit Mondavi (as in wife of the late Robert and please don’t ask me how I recognized her ..).  It was great to pay our respects to him and prepare him for our visit on Friday … 

Life-size “Pinterest” board/art installation at Redd Wood

I would be remiss not mentioning the corn soup at lunch — a small amount offered with compliments that was cold, light, and can only be described as a corn milkshake.  It was wonderful … and the pizza was to-die-for!  

Burrata and tomato salad with micro greens

Corn soup aka “milkshake”!

Fig/leek/goat cheese pizza

Beet and ricotta raviolis

That evening was was spent at Mustards Grill, a location described in a previous blog post.  What was noteworthy besides their fun signage and the always-delicious food was the staff … they are serious about the food and preparation, but enjoy themselves at the same time.  That made for a wonderful evening (not to mention the nectarine/fig/blackberry cobbler with buttermilk ice cream …)  

Two happy campers!

My halibut with roasted tomatoes

Aforementioned cobbler plus another decadent chocolate/hazelnut concoction ..

Harvest time!

Serious wine tasting/buying was on the agenda the next day, including Shafer, Clos du Val, Stag’s Leap and a totally off-the-map winery named 
David Fulton.  In between we had our Thomas Keller fix with lunch at Bouchon (GREAT) and then up to Dean and DeLuca.  As with previous visits, the hubby works with their personnel to put together a case of wines that are generally available only here in Napa.  Many of the wineries’ production is so small that everything is consumed locally (Fulton produces under 400 cases per year as an example).  That case will be a welcome delivery back home. 

Me and my girl ..

Diced nectarine/arugula/granola salad

Could not miss these ..

Bouchon Bakery’s take on a classic (managed to pass up)

Westie sighting in Sonoma (we have two at home)

After a very casual night, we headed to Sonoma for a walkaround the town square before going to Santa Rosa and lunch at Guy Fieri’s Johnny Garlics (he wasn’t there …).  We did a big sweep north and then west and ended up back in Calistoga after getting the full flavor of the area.  First stop was Duckhorn, followed by Cuvaison and Joseph Phelps.

View from Joseph Phelps’ terrace

Post-wine-tasting scene at Phelps — that’s a lot of glasses to wash!

27 years and counting …

The last evening coincided with our anniversary and it was a pleasure to dine at Redd in Yountville with cousins.  By that time, honestly I was ready to surrender and savor the thought of a return visit .. We flew home (the son drove on to Vegas) after another fun visit with family in Danville, and completed the trip with a celebrity encounter at the Burbank airport…

Amy Adams with Hannah