Spring Break 2021: Lu Crew Takes Puerto Rico

Seeing as how I took nearly 400 photos during this trip, and we packed in as much adventure as we could in our week away, it should come as no surprise that this is NOT going to be a short post. BUT it will be filled with lots of memories of the first Spring Break trip our little family has ever taken, together. 

Up until this year, we have always been a Spring Break Staycation family. However, this year, we decided to go away for the week, JUST THE SIX OF US, which virtually never happens. While we take several trips throughout the year, they are always with either our extended families (who we love!) or dear friends (who we love!); so, we were excited to get away and just focus on each other. And truly...we had the best time. I am so, so thankful for our time together. A look at our trip to Puerto Rico over Spring Break 2021: 

Day 1: Travel Day! I was soooooo excited for this day because Harrison is the only Little Lu to have never stepped foot on a plane, and I couldn't WAIT for him to fly! The flight was fun, he was so excited, and everything went off without a hitch!....until we reached PR. Through a series of *unfortunate* events, it ended up taking hours upon hours to finally get the car we had rented for the week. I kept waiting for the kids to melt down, especially because, aside from breakfast and a few snacks on the plane, they hadn't eaten lunch and it was entering late afternoon and we were still waiting and waiting and waiting, but....they were such troopers! Truly - I was SO proud of them! I think they were just so excited to be in a fun new place and they just took it all in stride while we waited for hours in line for our rental car. 

ANYWHO, we finally made it to the villa (aka condo) we had rented for the week, which was part of the Wyndham Resort. And while we weren't allowed access to the resort nor amenities due to Covid (villa guests are usually granted all access), it was honestly fine! We had our own pools and plenty of space and a beautiful view! So, after we made it to our home for the week, we quickly unpacked before heading out for dinner. We ended up driving just up the road, where we had been told the views from the restaurant were the best on the island, and....they were right! We were tired from travel but loved the views and our food and watching our little Bella not hesitate for a second when asked if she wanted to perform karaoke in front of the whole restaurant. Proud momma, right here! After that, off we went to bed, sleeping soundly and waking ready for a fun week ahead! 

Day 2: Beach and Pool Day! We awoke on Day 2 knowing we wanted to use the day to just chill out, beachside and poolside. So...that is exactly what we did! First though, we held our own little family Easter service. This is the first Easter Sunday we have ever been away from our church but we still wanted to talk about the significance and importance of this beautiful day as a family. After that, we hit the sun! We swam and collected beach treasures all the livelong day before heading out to a local restaurant for dinner. It was a lovely, relaxing day, just what the doctor ordered after our travel shenanigans the day before. 

Day 3: Tropical Rainforest Day! Did you know the only tropical rainforest that is part of the U.S. is in Puerto Rico? This was at the top of our must-do list; so, we made a reservation to enter the national park (now required thanks to Covid and social distancing policies) and were up and at 'em and in the park when it opened. We hiked to the tip top of the forest and were rewarded with the most gorgeous views! We loved it, and all four kiddos did so great with the strenuous hike! 

We stopped at a local kiosk for lunch, where a kind man created grass treasures for Bella and Harrison, and Banks enjoyed his first taste of shark (delicious!). We finally headed back to the villa for a great afternoon of pool time. Such a good day! 

Day 4: Catamaran Day! Oooooh we loved Day 4 so much! We booked a catamaran cruise, which took us out to Culebra Island, about an hour boat ride away from the mainland of Puerto Rico. On the boat, we enjoyed lunch and music and took in the views before arriving at the gorgeous landing spot. When we arrived and looked up, we couldn't believe it: a sun halo! I've never seen anything like it!

We then spent several hours on the island getting to swim and snorkel and jump off, and go down the slide from the back of, the boat and into the gorgeous water! It was so, SO fun! 

 

Day 5: Sand Dollar Day! After a jam-packed couple of days, we were ready for some downtime and enjoyed walking down to a different part of the beach directly behind our villa. It was here that Raleigh found a real live sand dollar!!! She was so excited - we all were! We enjoyed yet another scrumptious local meal to close out a beautiful day on the beach!

Day 6: Old San Juan Day! Also on our bucket list for this trip was to spend some time in Old San Juan! We spent a few hours visiting a local castle (where we saw a big iguana soaking in the sun on the castle walls - ha!), walking around the bright, vibrant, colorful city, taking in the gorgeous sights, enjoying lunch, and feeling like real tourists, scooping up our Puerto Rican souvenirs. 

We then traveled back to the area where we were staying (Grand Mar) and had, what my hub and I have declared, was the best dinner we have EVER had, at a local kiosk hot spot, La Parilla. It.Was.So.Good. The perfect end to a great day! 

Day 7: Hidden Beach Day! One of the things I loved about this trip most was that, while we knew of a few things we wanted to be sure to see/do (tropical rainforest - check! San Juan - check! Culebra Island - check!), we mostly arrived with an empty agenda (UNHEARD of for this Enneagram Type 1, aka organized-planner-to-a-fault, momma). But it truly was so nice. And so, we awoke on our last full day and brainstormed what we'd like to do. After some research, we read about this beautiful, hidden beach, one that is surrounded by huge limestone formations, thus protecting it from big waves and rip tides, making the clear water almost pool-like. So, we packed a beach bag and some beach chairs, hopped in the car, and drove the 90 minutes to the hidden spot. 

En route, we stopped at a delicious local spot for lunch and then made our way to the dirt road leading to a path to the beach. We carried our things down the winding path of lush trees, even stopping to crack and eat fresh almonds!, and then we reached the opening and couldn't believe our eyes. It was spectacular - one of those places that photos truly don't do justice! 

We spent the bulk of the day swimming, snorkeling, and climbing up the giant limestone formations to see the indescribable, huge, powerful crashing waves on the other side, in shades of blue only God could create. The only downside? My leg gently brushed against a sea urchin while I was snorkeling, which produced  immediate, intense, severe pain in all the spots where it's long venomous spikes had punctured my leg (which immediately turned black -- crazy!). I also became extremely nauseous later that night, although we aren't sure if that was due to the sting or to some bad fish I had for dinner. REGARDLESS, I think this was our favorite day of the trip! And I woke up good as new the next morning, with the black spots now dull brown spots and the pain and nausea gone! Whew! 

Day 8: Adios, Puerto Rico Day! Whelp, after a wonderful week away, it was time to return home. But first, we enjoyed one last breakfast feast of the most scrumptious homemade donuts and coffee from a local bakery, packed up our room, and spent our last two hours poolside, soaking up every last ounce of Puerto Rican sun before heading to the airport. Luckily, our travel was much smoother and less eventful on the way home, and we pulled into our driveway at 8:30 pm Saturday night, ready to crash in our own beds. ;) 

It truly was one of my favorite trips ever, the one where we finally went away, just the six of us, and adventured around, together. And while we saw some beautiful scenery and enjoyed some special adventures, I loved so many little moments just as much: hours upon hours of hangman, watching Jeopardy together at night, and seeing my kiddos have so much fun playing together. It was a trip none of us will forget. <3