The Grandkids First Visit
Our son, Matt, Lisa, his wife, brought their three kids - Lyla (7), Miles (6) and Levi (6 months) - for their first visit to where Gigi and Bops live. It was also our first introduction to Levi, our youngest. While traveling with a young infant limited the number of places we could go, for us it made for an even more fantastic visit. I think sometimes when grandchildren come to visit people tend to try and book too many adventures into the trip. We find the best moments can be around a dinner table, playing games or just chillaxing. This first trip for the grands was more about that and less about all the places there are to visit. After all, you want them to have a reason to return! And this gave them a real sense of where we live and what our retirement life is truly all about.
We took advantage of all there is to see and do in Puerto Aventuras and, for their ages, there is plenty. We are so fortunate to have wonderful neighbors, Darlene and Bob, who graciously rented us their condo. This meant our family was two doors away. Mike and I stocked up on baby supplies, toys, games, activities for the kids and plenty of breakfast and snack foods.
With a boat and pool right at our doorstep, there was plenty of time on and in the water. A short golf-cart-ride away is the Puerto Aventuras Hotel & Beach Club where the kids spent hours snorkeling, swimming, digging in the sand and enjoying the pool. It was fun to see our older grands make new friends and demonstrate their great swimming skills. Having been a former swim instructor, who was also their first teacher, the pride I felt was overwhelming. And there were enough fish right in our bay to excite the first-time snorkelers.
Walks around the marina was another highlight. They loved watching the dolphins and visiting the shops and, of course, a stop for gelato. We sampled several of the local restaurants and they were impressed with the variety of choices so close by.
The furthest we ventured was Akumal. Matt and Lisa first visited Akumal when they came on a trip to Mexico with us for Mike’s 60th birthday celebration. They returned for their Honeymoon and had a romantic dinner on the beach at Lol-Ha Restaurant. They couldn’t wait for Laura, Lol-ha’s owner, to meet their family and we were fortunate that she was able to join us for lunch. We returned a few days later when our friend Myrna invited us for a play date with her grandson, Pablo, who is Miles’ age. Matt and Lisa were excited to visit Myrna’s house, Villa Ak Villa Ak where we had Mike’s 70th birthday celebration.
No visit with our family seems complete lately without being on a boat. We didn’t have to go any further than the cove to have a fun time. Both Matt and Mike enjoy hopping on their boats and being out on the water.
In addition to the water, the kids enjoyed having Central Park right across the street with the playground, work out gym and par 3. We spent many hours playing games, relaxing and eating great food. And having our pool just steps from both of our doors was a real plus.
We can’t wait until their next visit. As Levi gets older, and feedings and naps are fewer, we will have so many great adventures. Xcaret, Xel-Ha, boating to local coves for snorkeling, cenotes, golf, and more. We even hope to have them visit Bacalar, our new favorite get-away. But for now, we have fabulous memories full of quality family time in paradise.
One recommendation I would make for any family visit, is to hire a photographer to do a photo shoot on the beach. Scott Brown did ours and he was such a great photographer. Not only are the photos amazing, but he made the photo-shoot a lot of fun, and he was always aware of what was happening so he could get some amazing candid shots. We were so caught up in the moment during our visit that we took very few photos, so having these professional ones was a real plus.