Oh, Mexico! (Part One)

Hola! We, meaning I + 5 of my very close amigas, recently returned from Cabo San Lucas! What a fabulous destination!

I knew I wanted to celebrate the turning of the big 3-0 with a girls trip to a tropical location, but I wasn't sure exactly where I wanted us to go or who would even be able to go. Life at this age, with new professional careers, new husbands, new families, etc makes it hard to get away. While not all the girls I hoped for could come, I was beyond excited for those that were able to escape! One from childhood, one from college, another from the post-college era, and two from grad school made for a fantastic group of girls! And so then the question turned to where we would reunite. Several locations were tossed around, but in the end, we decided to head for the Baja California peninsula to Cabo San Lucas!

(I was up several mornings to watch the sun rise, something I haven't seen at home in quite some time working an evening shift...pretty amazing! The pink skies were gorgeous!)

Three of us planned to fly out of Nashville, but when the meteorologist on every channel, including the National Weather Channel, predicted a severe ice storm and our first major winter storm, we quickly changed plans to head south and were able to change our departing flight to leave from Atlanta. Thank goodness! We made it out of the city as the icy mix came pouring down just before the roads turned to a skating rink and the entire city shut down for days. We flew out of Atlanta early the next morning, headed for Cabo. Unfortunately, we were the only ones of the group that made it out without any travel delays and the rest of our party didn't make it until the next day. Eventually the other half made it and the six of us quickly settled in without any hesitation, poolside overlooking the sparkling Sea of Cortez.

The resort was incredible, all-inclusive and authentic appearing with the pueblo-type architecture.

Fun fact: this was the first time I had ever seen a real cactus! I obviously need to see more of the West...

And the pico and guac! Ah, I've never ate so much pico and guacamole, but it was just too good to pass up for every meal!

This Mexican city located between the Gulf of California and the Pacific Ocean made for the most beautiful sunrises to the east and the most beautiful sunsets to the west. Both were definitely a sight to see! The weather couldn't have been better with daily highs in the mid 80s and overnight lows in the mid 60s. We just so happened to plan our 5 day vacation during the coldest week of the year back home so what a bonus! It was a little unnerving being away with little communication while our hometown was literally shut down and the majority had lost power because of the crazy ice storm. Other than too much time stuck in the house, Creed and the kids made out just fine!

Our first night all together we headed to the heart of Cabo to explore the city. First stop: The Office on the Beach. The restaurant was set into the beach so it made for a great atmosphere! We ate with our toes in the sand, the live band in the background, and the stars twinkled above. And the margaritas were delicious! So. much. fun.

From there, we jumped in a cab to Cabo Wabo. You can't go to Cabo without hitting up the original Cabo Wabo. None of us are really Sammy Hagar diehards, but after a request for a souvenir t-shirt from my dad and the news that Sammy was actually in town, we decided to check it out. The band was a lot of fun and after hours and hours of dancing, the next thing we knew, it was 1AM and we were being serenaded into our cab by a local with a guitar.

After a morning of pina coladas, mojitos, and soaking up the sun, we set out on an off-roading adventure outside of San Jose del Cabo to a little farmland known as Flora Farms. (I most definitely, highly recommend adding this spot to your itinerary if you're headed to Cabo any time soon!) Down the potholed dirt road, around the bend with the mangey dog, passed the cows on the right, and beyond the sunflower patch was a lovely all-organic farm.

Flora started out with a small farm, cooking for just her friends and family, which eventually grew to a small restaurant. Now she has created an enormous farm in the most surreal environment. (See the map above!)

Strings of lights littered the perfectly manicured lawns, family and friends gathered at padded picnic tables amongst the candles, and fresh fruits and vegetables were scattered all around. The entire place turned golden as the sun sank. Seriously, magical!