Should We Stay or Should We Go - Our Travel Journal

The most common question we get when we mention that we're retired and spend our winters in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, is "What do you do all day?" Well, here’s a glimpse into a typical day in our life. Most days, we don’t set an alarm and simply get up when we wake up. Usually, that’s around 7 a.m., when life starts to pick up outside on the streets. We catch the news, scroll through our devices, and enjoy our tea and breakfast. At some point during this routine, we look outside and decide whether it's going to be a beach day or a pool day. These are some pretty major decisions to make! If it's a pool day, we’ll still head to the beach for a 6 km walk, maybe stopping for a quick swim at the turnaround point. Afterward, we return to the condo and spend the afternoon relaxing and socializing by the pool. If it’s a beach day, we might pack a lunch and walk down the beach to one of our favorite spots. We lay out our towels under a palm tree and enjoy the day swi...

As a snowbird retiree — one of those from the snowy north who loves escaping the cold during the winter months — the top priority when choosing a destination is often grocery shopping. It can be a challenge experience, and one that can make or break a location particularly if there are dietary concerns. Punta Cana offers a variety of supermarkets where both locals and visitors can find a wide range of products. Unlike the larger grocery chains in North America, each store in the area may have its own unique selection of items. After spending four winters here, we’ve developed a regular routine for where we like to shop, and know where we need to go to get what we need. Ciccolella Within El Cortecito (the beach side community we stay in Punta Cana) there is a small grocery store called Ciccolella. It is a small space, but they carry almost everything we need. It is within walking distance to most places within the community, making it a perfect spot to stop in and pick up what we need b...

I feel like we were really lucky with our first winter in Punta Cana. We didn’t know much about the area, but we picked the location and the rental because we knew the owners and felt confident it would be a great choice. It was a beautiful 2-bedroom, newly built condo in the beachside village of El Cortecito. El Cortecito in Punta Cana is a charming neighborhood that offers a unique combination of local culture, beautiful beaches, good restaurants, and a relaxed atmosphere. It's a perfect place to spend three months out of the snow.  Vacation rentals are an increasingly popular option for extended stays in El Cortecito.  There are plenty of rentals that offer all the comforts of home, with added benefits like kitchens, laundry facilities, and private spaces. The options are many, making it easy to find something that works for many budgets.  Top Benefits of Vacation Rentals: Cost-Effective: Renting for an extended period often works out to be more affordable than b...

  When it comes to winter escapes, we retirees are always on the lookout for destinations that offer not just warmth and relaxation but also an affordable, comfortable lifestyle. Punta Cana, located in the Dominican Republic, stands out as one of the top choices for those seeking to enjoy an extended winter stay. Among the many charming areas in Punta Cana, El Cortecito (a beachside village located on Bavaro Beach) is a popular choice for retirees. Here’s why: 1. Ideal Climate for Year-Round Comfort Punta Cana is famous for its year-round warm tropical climate.  While much of the world braces for freezing temperatures in the winter months, people can enjoy pleasant, sunny days with temperatures ranging between 24°C - 29°C. The comfortable temperatures allow for outdoor activities year-round, whether it's strolling along the beach, enjoying a round of golf, or simply relaxing by the pool. The refreshing ocean breeze is an added bonus, helping to keep the environment pleasan...

  As we were coming up to our retirement years, we spent a fair bit of time talking about what we wanted our retirement to look like.  We are proud Canadians, having no desire to live anywhere else, but John, in particular, was eager to escape the harsh Canadian winters and spend two or three months out of the cold. Our original plan, one that we may circle back to in a few years, was to enjoy each winter in a different location, taking that three months to explore and get to know each place. The one thing we knew for sure was that we had no interest in going to Florida.  Most of our thoughts were on the Caribbean and Mexico. If it had great weather and a beach it would meet the criteria. As stated in one of our first blog posts, shortly after retiring we were thrown into the world wide pandemic. Just prior, we were fortunate enough to celebrate our retirement with an amazing 2-month trip that consisted of two separate cruises. After arriving back home we, along with the ...

The last port of call for this cruise was Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.  We were very much looking forward to this port of call as we had an excursion booked to go up the mountain to hike to some waterfalls and to some zip-lining.

Photo by Nils Huenerfuerst on Unsplash One of my favourite places in the Caribbean is San Juan, Puerto Rico.  I was so happy to see that it was one of our ports of call on this sailing.

  We woke up in the Bahamas - at MSC's private Island, Ocean Cay. Ocean Cay is a man-made island that was created in the late 1960's for the purpose of mining Aragonite sand. The island sat abandoned for many years before MSC signed a 100-year lease in 2015. After spending 5 years and 200 million dollars the island was cleaned up and transformed into a beautiful 95-acre cruise resort. The island has eight white-sandy beaches and plenty of room for 5,000 passengers to spread out and explore. 

We sailed out of Miami for our cruise, but to save some money (even with the rental car), we flew into and stayed in Fort Lauderdale the night before. With our check-in time at the pier set for 11:30, we had a relaxed morning without the need to rush. It set the tone for the whole week – just take it easy and enjoy! We had a laid-back breakfast at Starbucks (mostly because it was convenient) before heading to Miami.

  Photo by Julian Hochgesang on Unsplash If you read my last post you would have read about my flight being cancelled at 11pm ahead of my 7am flight the next morning. I was able to finally get some sleep and make it to the airport for my new 10am flight. The change in flight plans meant that my friends would make it to Fort Lauderdale an hour ahead of me, and would have to wait around the airport for an hour until I arrived, before we could pick up the car rental, as it was in my name.

 What's the quote? "The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry." - Robert Burns

  Photo by Arnel Hasanovic on Unsplash Tomorrow we are leaving the snow and ice behind and escaping to warmer temperatures.