A Week on the Papagayo Coast in Costa Rica: Relaxation Meets Adventure

 

Back from my annual Friends-Trip!  This summer, I spent a week in Costa Rica with two friends, and all of us flying in from different parts of the country. We wanted a trip that balanced active adventures with plenty of downtime, without the stress of constant planning. 

My main goals for the trip were:

1. Zipline in the rainforest

2. Hike to a waterfall

3. Snorkel and/or go whale watching

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Ziplining over rainforest at Buena Vista in Costa Rica

Why Did I Choose an All-Inclusive Resort?

This was my first time staying at an all-inclusive resort, and we chose Planet Hollywood Costa Rica.  I wanted beach access (the property sits on a gorgeous black sand beach), a variety of food options without decision fatigue, built-in entertainment, and an easy place to coordinate with friends traveling from different states. The resort features terraced hotel buildings on a hill overlooking the water, a huge pool with a swim-up bar, and multiple restaurants, bars, and cafés. Evenings come alive with performances by singers, dancers, and sometimes fire performers.  I decided Pacific-side Papagayo coast area was my preferred area to stay due to the ocean access and easy one hour drive east to rainforest and volcanoes. Planet Hollywood checked all the boxes.  It was my first time staying at a resort like this and I really enjoyed it!

By booking excursions directly through my resort’s partner, Nexus Tours, I got transportation included and did not need to rent a car. This let me focus entirely on enjoying myself. It ended up being the perfect blend of exploration and relaxation. My catamaran tour was also booked through the resort and they used the company Catamaran Ocean Tours.  I recommend both!

We saved money by having all three friends in one room.

The pool area was a favorite!

Bathroom

Swim up (and walk up) bars for drinks (included/free). My fave was the pina coloda.

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My Costa Rica Itinerary

Sunday, Aug 3: Travel Day

We landed in Liberia on a Sunday afternoon, just a quick forty-minute drive from the resort. The resort offers a pick up shuttle (for a fee), but since my friend Matt rented a car for his own excursions, he gave me a ride to the resort.  Leanne took the shuttle. Within the hour of arriving, we were walking into the air-conditioned lobby, welcome cocktails in hand. After checking in, we wandered around to get our bearings - we loved the powder soft black sand beach, giant pool with DJ and music, and the stunning bay views from the terrace of the main building. Dinner that first night was at the buffet, which offered everything from fresh salads to sushi, followed by an incredible fire performance that instantly set the bar high for the week’s evening entertainment.

One benefit of a resort was evening entertainment.

Monday, Aug 4: Relax at the Resort

Monday was a slower day. My friend Matt, who had rented a car, set off early for a scuba diving trip, while Leanne and I opted for a more relaxed schedule. We lingered over breakfast at the buffet, floated in the pool, and enjoyed burgers from the poolside café. That night, we dressed up for dinner at the resort’s Italian restaurant, savoring pasta and drinks before heading bed.

Monday was all about decompressing and relaxing!

Tuesday, Aug 5: Rainforest Hikes and Wildlife

Tuesday brought our first big adventure. I had booked the “Rio Celeste and Sloth” excursion, an all-day trip about two hours from the resort. A small bus picked us up, and our guide, Esteban, kept us entertained with stories about the region as we drove. We started at a cocoa and coffee farm, where we learned how both are grown and processed. Next, came a nature walk through lush forest, where Esteban spotted wild sloths high in the trees. He set up a scope so we could get a closer look and even helped us take photos through it. After a hearty "casado" lunch of rice, beans, and grilled chicken, we headed to Tenorio Volcano National Park to see the spectacular Rio Celeste Waterfall. The bright turquoise water looked almost unreal, and even a brief rain shower couldn’t dampen our mood. That evening, we returned in time to catch a Queen tribute band at the resort before a late-night hibachi dinner. 

Rio Celeste Waterfall

Got a close up look at this mama and baby sloth.

Frogs!

Casado Lunch (included in tour)

Wednesday, Aug 6: Nature Walks, Pool Time, and Kayak

Wednesday was another easygoing day. We started with lattes and pastries from the coffee shop, then joined the free Eco Nature Walk offered by the resort. Our guide pointed out howler monkeys, capuchin monkeys, and taught us about the area’s unique trees and plants. After some time lounging by the pool and another round of poolside burgers, we tried our hand at kayaking in the bay (free to borrow). The water was choppier than expected, so we didn’t stay out too long, but it was still a fun way to see the coast. We ended the day with a Tex-Mex dinner and a beautiful sunset on the beach. 

Kayaks are free to borrow at the resort and easy to put in on the beach!

Saw monkeys on our morning guided nature walk (free).

Thursday, Aug 7: Mega Adventure!

Thursday was all about adrenaline at Buena Vista Eco Park. After about an hour’s drive, we started with a short horseback ride, followed by a demonstration of traditional sugar cane grinding and pottery making. Then came the 1,375-foot jungle water slide - a wild ride that had me screaming the whole way down. From there, we zipped across the rainforest canopy on a series of ziplines before enjoying an authentic Costa Rican buffet lunch. The day wrapped up with a relaxing soak in thermal hot springs before heading back to the resort for dinner at the steakhouse and an “Oscar Night” themed performance. 

Horseback riding at Buena Vista.

Cultural demonstration on sugar cane.

Friday, Aug 8: Catamaran Sunset Snorkel

Friday, our last full day, was pure magic. We enjoyed a slow morning at the buffet and a few final hours in the pool before heading to the beach for our sunset catamaran excursion. The boat took us to a remote beach where we snorkeled with a guide (I saw a stingray, pufferfish, and lots of tropical fish), then returned to find fresh pico de gallo, guacamole, and chips waiting for us. On the cruise back, dolphins played alongside the boat as the sun dipped below the horizon. It was the perfect ending to our Costa Rica adventure. 

Amazing sunset in the Gulf of Papagayo

Saturday, Aug 9: Time to Go

Saturday morning came too quickly. After one last breakfast, we packed our bags and said goodbye to Planet Hollywood before catching our flights home.

To-order omelets at resort breakfast buffet.

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Recommendations & Tips

• Make dinner reservations on the PH app as soon as you arrive since spots fill quickly. The buffet is always an option without reservations.

• The resort food was delicious but not particularly authentic Costa Rican cuisine. You will taste more local flavors on excursions.

• No Spanish required since resort staff and tour guides speak excellent English.

• Bring an insulated water bottle. Staff will happily fill it with ice water.

• Money: No need to exchange for Costa Rican colón if you follow this itinerary. USD, credit cards, Apple Pay, and PayPal were accepted everywhere I went.

• Weather in August: The Papagayo Coast is a dry tropical forest, so rain was minimal with only one quick shower during a hike. Expect mid-80s and humid.

• Booking excursions through the resort made transportation easy and stress-free.

All Inclusive meant cocktails every night!

Make reservations for all (except buffet). 
The hibachi was the hardest to get reservations for.

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Final Thoughts

This trip was exactly what I needed, a perfect mix of relaxation and adventure. Between poolside cocktails, sunset sails, ziplines through the rainforest, and encounters with monkeys and sloths, Costa Rica delivered on every level. Planet Hollywood made logistics effortless, so all I had to do was enjoy the pura vida lifestyle.

Interested in this adventure?  Follow me on instagram or tik tok and check out similar adventures here:

- Bahamas Cruise
- Florida Keys Trip
- Iceland Road Trip

Girls Trip 2021: Florida Keys, National Parks, and Miami

 

Some of you know that every year, I go on an adventure trip with my best friend Leanne (and often a few other friends).  We were excited that this summer a lot of places have opened up after the COVID 19 pandemic and that, being vaccinated, we would be able to travel pretty freely domestically.  After much deliberation, we spent the past three months planning a week getaway in Sedona, Arizona.  But then...five days before our hiking trip was set to start, we got news that the national forests all around the town were suffering horrible fires and then entire hiking region was shut down indefinitely.  

We had to regroup and pivot to something new.  The Florida Keys had been on our short list of possible destinations but concerned about the possibility of hurricanes, had decided not to book there.  Now, with only 5 days to plan and a 10 day weather forecast we felt safe make the trip.  Even though our trips are usually adventure-based, I realized that many of the adventure activities we'd want would be full and I might be just reading a book by the pool.  I couldn't have been more wrong! We were booked solid with adventure the entire week. 

I'm proud that we were able to pull this trip together in the last minute.  Here's our itinerary:

Day 1

Monday, June 28: Arrive in Miami

Leanne and I flew into Miami International Airport around 7 pm.  We got the rental car and drove to Miami Beach.  After we checked into the Palihouse Miami Beach Hotel, we walked to dinner at The Tavern in Miami Beach.  Our hotel was super cute boutique hotel a short walk from the beach.  It had a serene pool area, hip bar in the lobby, rental bikes, beach equipment, and even cooler lunches to go.  I wish we could have taken more advantage of these, but since we arrived so late, we really didn't.  The Tavern was lively and had good pub food.  Draft and bottle beer/cider choice was limited.  It was a fine first night in the city!

Miami lifeguard towers are all colorful!

Day 2

Tuesday, June 29: Miami Beach, Wynwood Murals, and Travel to Key West

The first thing we did was walk down to the beach.  I really enjoyed walking the Miami Beach Boardwalk and seeing the colorful and diverse lifeguard towers.  It was also exciting to see lizards and iguanas along the path.  After a leisurely walk and quick toe dip in the ocean, we went back up to town and grabbed coffee and breakfast at Starbucks.  We checked out of our hotel around 11 am and drove to the Wynwood area of Miami.  This portion of the city is known for the Wynwood murals - diverse and large artwork painted on the exterior walls of the many buildings.  For $10 each, we were able to enter the exhibition of the Wynwood Walls - "a unique outdoor museum featuring huge, colorful street murals from artists around the globe".  I really enjoyed this exhibit and would highly recommend! As we had a long drive to Key West that day, we decided to leave Miami and get on the road.

The Wynwood area is worth visiting to see these large pieces of art!

The Keys are a long string of islands coming off the southern tip of Florida.  We decided start our trip at the very end - Key West - and then make our way back up.  On the way to Key West, we stopped at Morada Bay Beach Cafe in Islamorada for (a very late) lunch and drinks.  This open air restaurant on the sand had that perfect "Keys vibe" I was looking for - colorful tables, white sand, palm trees and fruity drinks.  We enjoyed the fish and chips and got our first glimpses of the wild/free range chickens/roosters that call the Keys their home.  After lunch, we booked it to Key West - enjoying the water views on the seven mile bridge as we traveled between islands.

Tropical drinks at Morada Bay Beach Cafe

Once in Key West, we checked into our hotel - the Seascape Tropical Inn Bed and Breakfast.  We really loved this little inn.  Open the double doors of your small, but updated room to a central patio and hot tub.  The location is wedged between the historic Hemingway house and the lively Duval Street.  Once we parked our car, we never took out again, as Key West is really easy to maneuver on foot or by bicycle.  By the time we checked in, it was getting late so we walked Duval street - bustling with restaurants, bars, and shops.  We walked to the end and caught last light at Sunset Pier then grabbed giant cookies and ice cream (our dinner) at Mattheessen's Candy Kitchen.  We also found the Mile 0 marker!

Day 3

Wednesday, June 30: Fort, Pool, Hemingway House, and Sunset Cocktail Cruise

We knew it was a long shot, but we decided to try to get on the ferry to the Dry Tortugas National Park on standby.  This US national park is located 70 miles west of Key West and is only accessible by boat or sea plane.  Unfortunately for us, the ferry and planes are completely booked months in advance.  However, visitors are welcome to get to the ferry terminal early and wait to see if anyone doesn't show.  This is a first come, first served basis.  We got there at 6 am and much to our surprise, there were already multiple groups ahead of us on the list.  At 8 am we learned we weren't getting on standby (only 7 people did).  One of the groups that got on told us they go there at 4 am.  We decided we'd try the next day.  Before going back to the hotel, we walked over to the popular photo spot of the "Southern Most Point in the Continental US".

We returned to our hotel for our complimentary breakfast, then packed up our beach bags and went for a walk to Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park.  This is both a historic park with a walk-able fort and also a beach and picnic area.  Fee was $6 a car (or for us $2.50 a person).  The fort was really cool!  I loved walking the walls and reading the interpretive signs.  As we made our way down to the beach, the sky opened up in a torrential downpour.  We sought shelter under an interpretive sign (we also had umbrellas and jackets) and waited out the storm.

Fort Zachary Taylor has the fort as well as beach and picnic area.

After the fort, we walked to the historic seaport and enjoyed fried conch and fish sandwiches at Conch Republic Seafood Company.  I loved the open air atmosphere and marina views!  After lunch we walked across the street to Kermit's Key West Key Lime Shoppe for a chocolate dipped key lime pie (on a stick) for dessert.

After lunch, we returned to our hotel, soaked in the hot tub and relaxed, then headed back out to visit our neighbor, The Hemingway Home and Museum.  Admission is $17 per adults and is well worth it, especially if you take advantage of one of the included 20 minute walking tours.  I personally am not any sort of Hemingway fan, but I really enjoyed the house and history.  Plus, it was pretty adorable meeting some of the 60 six-toed cats that reside on the property.  

Hemingway Home

The weather had improved so we decided to skip dinner our and jump onto a last minute Sunset booze cruise! For $42 a person we got a cruise and unlimited beer and wine (more for cocktails).  It was awesome seeing the sunset this way!

Day 4

Thursday, July 1: Dry Tortugas National Park and Little Deer

I got up at 3 am and raced to the docks - getting to the ferry terminal at 3:20 am.  I was shocked to see someone had beaten me to the front of the standby line (he later told me he got there at 2:45 am).  As we waited (and chatted) other groups slowly showed up until by 6 am there were over seven.  While the day before, they had put out a clipboard at 6 am to sign up for standby, this morning they waited until 7 am to record the list (boy did I have to pee by then).  Leanne was left to pack up our car (since we would have to check out that morning) and meet me at the dock at 7:30.  WE GOT ON!!!  The ferry to the national park is $190 a person.  It includes the 2.5 hour ride each way to the island as well as breakfast, lunch, and snorkel rental.  We were OVERJOYED (and also a little sleep deprived).  We hopped on the ferry with water, towel, change of clothes, and a lot of sunscreen.  

Dry Tortugas National Park Sign

We lucked out with a great day to ride out there.  Calm seas and beautiful weather - pretty grateful now it wasn't the day before.  Only 1% of this national park is above water - the small island holding Fort Jefferson.  Once we arrived, visitors were free to take a guided tour (either 20 min or hour), hike and explore the fort and island, and snorkel.  Lunch was available for pick up at the boat. We had a little over four hours on the island.  

Leanne and I chose to start with the 20 minute talk/tour which gave us historic background about the fort. After that, we walked the top rim and explored the grounds.  Afterwards, we got our included bag lunch (sandwich, cookies, chips, and drink) from the boat and enjoyed it at one of the many picnic tables.  We got suited for snorkel gear and walked to one of the swim beaches which was an entry point to explore the coral.  

Awesome snorkeling right from the beach!

The snorkeling was so cool!  Pretty good visibility with beautiful coral and diversity of fish.  It was magical stepping out on a beach of white coral sand and into the warm sub-tropical water to explore.  **Advice: even slathered with reef-safe sunscreen, our bums and backs of our legs got sunburned from floating on our stomachs in the water for two hours.  I'd suggest reapplying or wearing covering swimwear.  I was wearing a rash-guard on top and it saved my arms and back from the same fate.  

At 3 pm we returned to the boat and took the 2.5 hour ride return.  One the way, we saw a sea turtle!  We returned to Key West at 5:15 pm, still needing to do the two hour drive to our next hotel in Key Largo.  

On the way to Key Largo, we took a detour at No Name Key.  This was special for two reasons: we had multiple sightings of Key deer - a native (and endangered) species of small deer that live on the island, and a fun pub dinner at No Name Pub - famous for the thousands of one dollar bills on the ceilings and walls.  The nachos were delicious!

We got to Key Largo and our next hotel exhausted but fulfilled from a truly amazing day.  We both agreed, we could leave happy!  

Day 5

Friday, July 2: The Everglades

We got some bad news Thursday night that the all-day kayak trip we had booked in the Everglades National Park was canceled.  Similar excursions at that time were already booked and it looked like we wouldn't be kayaking this trip.  No worries, we could see much of the park on foot and we still had an airboat ride booked for the morning.  

We got up early and drove up near Shark Valley to catch our airboat expedition with Everglades Airboat Expeditions. We booked the one hour semi-private tour for $60 a person.  We loved it! Not only was it super fun to whiz around on the boat at high speeds, but we also saw awesome wildlife and got some natural history about the everglades.  We saw diverse waterfowl and multiple alligators.  

Our airboat in the Everglades

After our tour, we drove down to the main entrance to Everglades National Park at the Ernest F Coe Visitor Center.  It's $30 a vehicle to enter the park.  The ranger gave us suggestions for trails to stop for the rest of our day there.  

Alligator in the water right next to the airboat

Our first trail was at Royal Palm stop.  We walked the Ahinga Trail - a short boardwalk loop.  We saw beautiful birds, fish, and multiple alligators!  Next we drove further into the park and hiked the Pa-hay-okee Trail - another short boardwalk loop where we witness expansive grasslands, diverse trees, and more birds.  Lastly, we drove all the way to the final spot on the road called Flamingo (about an hour drive from the original visitor center).  This part of the park is a salt water ecosystem.  The ranger at the visitor center pointed us to where we could see manatees and crocodiles in the marina.  And we saw both!  What a trip!

Boardwalk trails in the Everglades National Park

Manatee sightings in Flamingo

Fulfilled, we drove back out of the park and returned to Key Largo for a delicious seafood dinner platter at Mrs Mac's Kitchen and sunset on the hotel beach at Marriot Key Largo resort.  

Florida Sunset

Day 6

Saturday, July 3: Reef Snorkel and Biscayne National Park

Our final full day in Florida was dedicated to snorkel and the third (and final) national park of Florida.  We had a 9 am snorkel set up at Sundiver Snorkel Tours in Key Largo.  We had a great experience with them, although were annoyed that on their confirmation noted we'd have to bring our own snorkel (or buy one of theirs).  This seemed a little fishy since our other snorkel tour provided them.  Either way, we LOVED this snorkel.  We went out to the "Christ of the Abyss" statue which is surrounded by a coral reef in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.  This overlaps with the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park.

Boat that took us snorkeling

After our snorkel, we grabbed lunch overlooking the marina at the Pilot House (yummy shrimp tacos) followed by homemade ice cream at Mrs C's Homemade Ice Cream.  She even made our waffle cone to order.  Yum!

We got in the car and said goodbye to the Keys.  When our kayak had been canceled in the Everglades, we decided to sign up for a paddle in Biscayne National Park instead.  This park is mostly underwater and best explored by boat or snorkel.  This national park is also free to enter and is only 30 miles from Miami.  We snagged an 1.5 hour partially guided kayak with the Biscayne National Park Institute for $39 each which included the kayaks, safety equipment and a naturalist to point us in the right direction and answer questions.  It was oppressively hot but this kept any mosquitoes away and left for calm water a great visibility.  We got to kayak in an aggregation of manatees and weave through a maze of mangroves.  It was perfection!

Kayaking the mangroves in Biscayne National Park

It was bittersweet ending our kayak at 5 pm because we knew our vacation was almost over.  Our kayak guide/naturalist gave us a recommendation to visit Black Point Ocean Grill in Homestead for dinner.  It was another great place to get outdoor seating with views of the marina.  I enjoyed my dolphin reuben (dolphin fish - not marine mammal) and margarita. 

Kayaking with manatees in Biscayne National Park

From Homestead, we drove the half hour back to the Miami airport where we returned out rental car and spent the night in the Miami International Airport Hotel.  I had no idea that airports had hotels in them but this was super convenient since both our flights were before 7 am and the nearby hotels didn't offer shuttles that early.  We simply checked out and were already in our concourse E!

Misfortune Turned Good Fortune

I was pretty bummed when we were unable to go to Sedona due to forest fires.  Pivoting our trip in five days was challenging but not impossible.  In the end, we were able to snorkel, hike, paddle, visit three national parks, ride on three boats, see hundreds of new species, drink and eat delicious new foods, and most importantly, enjoy each others company.  It was an amazing trip!  For questions, reach out on my instagram at freelanceadventuer.

You might also enjoy reading about these other Girls Trips:

Kayaking in Johnstone Straight - Girls Trip 2019

LA to Colorado - Girls Trip 2014

Michigan - Girls Trip 2013

Iceland Road Trip - Girls Trip 2015

Girls Trip 2019: Kayaking in Johnstone Strait, British Columbia

Girls Trip 2019 took me to Johnstone Strait in British Columbia for four days of kayaking in the wilderness.

Last fall, I was already thinking of where I wanted to go for my yearly "girls trip" with friends.  Past trips had included Iceland, Italy, New Zealand, Colorado, Newfoundland, Maine, Michigan, and so much more. My parents had agreed to watch my young children in Portland, Oregon for the week so I started tossing around ideas for the Pacific Northwest.  My parents are experienced travelers and adventurers.  They suggested taking a kayak trip with Spirit of the West Adventures in Johnstone Strait, British Columbia with the promise of seeing orca whales in the wild.  SOLD!  Over the next few months, I assembled a group to join.  My sister, Kelly, reached out to her friends as well which made this year the largest group in a decade of doing these trips- we had ten!  We booked the Johnstone Strait Ultimate Tour for July 12-15, 2019.

The only problem with taking a trip with Spirit of the West is getting there!  Our group was coming from all over the country - Maine, New Hampshire, North Carolina, California, and Washington.  Even though the kayak was only four days, the actual trip took seven because of the travel.

Here's how to recreate this adventure:

Day 1 - Travel to Vancouver, British Columbia

View from Vancouver waterfront

I needed to leave from Portland, Oregon because that's where my kids were staying.  Matt and Leanne flew to Portland to keep me company on the first (and longest) section of driving.  We rented a car in Portland and drove to the city of Vancouver.  The drive took about 10 hours including a border crossing.

I found that Vancouver's West End lodging is very expensive, even with a favorable exchange rate, so we opted to stay at a hostel.  We were able to get into town in time to enjoy some sightseeing including sunset over the waterfront. I enjoyed dinner and cocktails at Mary's on Davie which was having their "Drag Queen Bingo Night".  Fun!

Day 2 - Travel to Quadra Island, British Columbia

Another day in the car.  We caught a 10 am ferry from West Vancouver to Vancouver Island's city of

Lovely loft room at Tsa Kwa Luten Lodge

Nanaimo.  Be sure you are getting to the correct ferry entrance! We made the mistake of pulling up to the pedestrian entrance only to have to get back on the highway four exits until we found the right place.  This could have been catastrophic if we weren't already early. From Nanaimo, we drove up the island to the town of Campbell River.  We got in line for the ferry to Quadra island (no reservations offered) and since the current one was full, we had to wait an hour for the next.  No worries - we saw seals in the harbor and grabbed snacks at a local pharmacy.

Once on the island, we drove a short distance to Heriot Bay Inn where we met our guides and owner of Spirit of the West Adventures owner, Rick, for our Pre-Trip meeting.  It was the first time our entire group got to meet each other!

After the meeting, we enjoyed a delicious dinner at the Inn before driving down island to our lodging at Tsa Kwa Luten Lodge. This place was BEAUTIFUL!  I highly recommend the location and venue.  The lodge was gorgeous and super affordable compared to Vancouver.  They even had a loft room with three queen beds.  Before bed, we drove down the road to Cape Mudge Lighthouse where we watched the sunset.  I was sad we couldn't explore this area longer.

Sunset from Cape Mudge lighthouse on Quadra Island

Day 3 - First Day of Kayak Tour - Water Taxi to Camp and Short Kayak

2.5 hour taxi boat took us from Quadra to camp

We were finally ready for our kayak tour!  This place is remote.  To get there, we took a water taxi 2.5 hours into Johnstone Strait to Spirit of the West's remote camp.  The taxi pilot pointed out notable scenes, told about the history, and was a friendly introduction to the area.  What an enjoyable boat ride!

Once at camp, we all helped unload the gear from the taxi boats and got to explore camp. It is GORGEOUS!  Tent platforms are sprinkled on the cliff side with views of mountains and water.  The open air dining area, kitchen, toilets, and shower were all clean and welcoming and perhaps most surprising of all is the wood-fired hot tub on the cliff side.  I was so excited to be there!

Short paddle on Day 1 - got to see abundant intertidal life

After choosing tents and setting up our sleeping area, we met with the guides and got to get out on the water.  In about an hour kayak, we explored the intertidal life and local scenes.  I saw sea stars, sea cucumbers, urchins, and more.  As marine biology majors, Leanne and I were really geeking out over the organisms.

We wrapped up the day with appetizers, free time, salmon dinner, and a soak in the hot tub.  I fell asleep to the sound of water lapping on the rock beach below.  I was in paradise!

Glamping!  Wood fired hot tub

This is lunch - Spirit of the West Style!

Day 4 - Kayak and Hike to Eagle Eye

After a delicious hot breakfast and coffee, we took off for a day of kayaking and hiking.  We enjoyed kayaking north in search of beautiful views and wildlife.  We stopped for snacks and potty breaks at rocky beaches.  Later we enjoyed a long lunch break with a wide spread of sandwich fixings, fruit, and veggies.

Another great stop was to hike up to Eagle Eye - a orca monitoring station.  At Eagle Eye, there was an informational talk by the volunteer scientists about resident killer whale behavior.  After the hike, we returned to camp hitting mostly calm, smooth waters for our return.
Again, we were greeted by appetizers, amazing meal of chicken and rice, and hot tub time!  I took up the challenge to jump off the cliff into the frigid sea before hopping in the hot tub.

Camp time was a great time to relax, socialize, and undwind

Day 5 - Kayak and Camp

Chose a double kayak with
my sister, Kelly, on Day 3

We headed the opposite way on this day.  Kayaking south, we had flat water for the first part of the day.  We pulled out at snack spots and enjoyed another lunch on a pristine rocky and driftwood covered beach.  Returning to camp after lunch, we hit some wind and slightly rougher seas.  I got my workout for the weekend on this day!

Nachos, tacos, and fondue were the perfect end to the day.  We realized our adventure with Spirit of the West was almost over.




Day 6 - Leaving Camp and Travel to Nanaimo

Our guides: Mac, Bob, and Nicole

The final morning, most of us opted to do an optional early morning kayak.  The tide was in our favor - a low low.  We saw amazing intertidal life and by guide Nicole's suggestion, paddled the 1.5 hours in silence.  The seas were the calmest we'd ever seen with the bluest skies of the trip as well.  It was magical!

Back at camp, it was bittersweet as we packed up our gear and cleaned out our tents for the next group.  Around noon, our water taxi arrived to take us back to Quadra Island.

Humpback!

As we boated down the strait, we reminisced about how (almost) perfect our trip had been - except for the one disappointment of not seeing any whales.  Then to our delight and absolute glee - our pilot spotted a humpback!  We got closer and watched as the whale essentially put on a show - tail flips, fluke slaps and more!  After about 20 minutes we left our whale friend and continued on.  Again, in a magical conclusion to our trip a pod of fifty or more dolphins bow rode our wake for another 10-20 minutes.  It was truly amazing.  All including our pilot expressed joy from the experience.

Completely elated, we pulled into Quadra, grabbed our rental car and got in line for the ferry to take us back to Campbell River.  From Campbell River, we drove to Nanaimo where we spent the night at the Coast Bastion Hotel.  We also had a fantastic Italian dinner in Nanaimo at La Stella Trattoria.

Ali and the dolphins

Day 7 - Travel back to Portland, Oregon

Nanaimo, BC

We took an early 6 am ferry from Nanaimo to get Ali back to the Vancouver airport for her midday flight.  We dropped her off at the Yaletown train station which would take her directly into the airport.  From there, Matt, Leanne, and I drove to Stanley Park.  We wanted to see the aquarium!

Now...Leanne and I have this observation, that on every girls trip, there's some sort of mishap - this is when the mishap finally struck.  Our tire popped right in Stanley Park!  After much frustration on the phone with tire stores and our rental company (thank goodness Matt had international calling), we were able to get the spare tire on.  Since we couldn't drive all the way back to Oregon on a spare tire, we arranged to exchange it for a new rental vehicle in Vancouver.  Matt was determined not to let this influence our plans to see the aquarium however, so we went there first.

After the aquarium, and with a new rental car, we booked it back to Portland just in time to get Matt to the PDX airport.  Leanne and I returned the rental car and went back to my parent's house.

Vancouver Aquarium

Girls Trip 2019 Wrap Up

Me and my companions about to part and get on the Quadra ferry

Girls Trips have brought on a whole new meaning for me.  Now, with young children, it's almost impossible to have five minutes to myself - let alone a week.  This trip is something I desperately looked forward to all year - time when I don't have to care for children, pets, house, and carry the mental load of the family.  I can feel free to socialize, exercise, and relax.

I couldn't do this trip without the amazing support of my parents - who cared for my children while I was away and wholeheartedly support travel and adventure.  I also am grateful to my best friend Leanne who has been my reliable and faithful companion every year.  As I discovered on this trip, her love language is the quality time she spends with me - and she shows it well.  Love you friend!  I'm also thankful for the other companions: Ali, Matt, Kelly, Trux, Lil P, Serb, Dana, Kama, and honorary Brad, Lyndsey, and Kelly.  Everyone was a blast!  Thank you also to our guides Nicole, Bob, and Mac - you guys were great.

Until next year...

Heaven

If you'd like to learn more about my trips or see more photos, follow me on instagram @FreelanceAdventurer and Facebook at The Freelance Adventurer.  Thanks!