Art in Action: Hope Outdoor Gallery Austin, TX

A few weekends ago I took a quick trip to Austin, TX. Austin, is one of my favorite cities. I love its creativity and spirit of independence. Austin is a huge contrast to Dallas. Dallas has the tendency to feel very pretentious. However, Austin feels more organic and natural to me. Whenever I'm in Austin I feel so comfortable as it has the vibe of an east coast city. As a creative, I always leave Austin feeling inspired.

 I had the opportunity to visit the Hope Outdoor Gallery also known as Graffiti Park. This gallery is a community outdoor paint park. You can obtain a paint pass and create your very own graffiti art. This park proves to be a mecca for my fellow creatives.  I saw numerous artists, musicians, and bloggers like myself posing for photos in front of the awesome artistic pieces. I absolutely loved the different pieces and their messages. 

If you plan to visit Austin, definitely put the Hope Outdoor Gallery on your list. Admission is free and it's a great place to get inspired. For more information check out the link here. 

How to Plan Group Travel Without Losing Friends

Do you cringe at the thought of planning a group trip with friends? Do you question if your friendships will survive after the trip is over? Trust me, I understand if you've asked yourself these questions. Planning a group trip is no easy task and can be stressful. Planning travel for a group isn't always drama-free. Unforeseen circumstances can easily arise. This not only throws a wrench in travel plans but also adds a strain on friendships. Don't let these potential obstacles dissuade you from planning group travel. I've planned several group trips and some of my best vacation memories are from those vacations. Here are my top tips that will help ensure that you and your friendships last long after the vacation is over.

1. Be Formal. When it comes time to plan group travel I switch into my role as a Travel Consultant. When my friends and I begin discussing our travel plans I take notes and also set up meetings to make sure that everyone is on the same page. I'm not saying that you need to be overly formal but it's best to avoid having an overly casual approach. If you're friends understand how serious you are about planning the trip, they'll do the same in return as far as keeping up their word.  Don't be afraid to take the lead. 

2. Communicate! This step ties right back to step number one. It is imperative that you keep the lines of communication open. I prefer to send everyone in my travel group emails or group texts. I find that its easiest to have everything in writing to cut down on confusion. That way if problems arise you can quickly refer back to the written communication. Make sure that you keep your group aware of any changes or updates to your trip. Whenever I make payments on behalf of the group, I send everyone copies of the receipts, confirmations, and itinerary changes. 

3. Have a Plan B. Always think ahead. Last year when renting a condo for my group, a friend cancelled at the last minute. This not only posed a financial strain but was an instant stressor among my group of friends. Thankfully, we were able to make some slight adjustments and proceeded with our plans. If your travel plans involve deposits or group payments think ahead to what the group will do, if someone can't go. In the event that this does happen, the group will be prepared and the responsibility won't lie on one person. Discuss the plan B prior to finalizing arrangements so no one will be caught off guard. 

4. Research the Area Prior to Arrival. When planning a group trip, I've been asked the following question multiple times upon arrival to our destination...Where should we eat? This is the one question I hate answering when traveling with a group. Why? Because, groups tend to be indecisive and it can take forever to make a group decision. When you add hunger in the mix, emotions escalate and people can become HANGRY! In order to avoid this, I research local restaurants that my group can patronize. By preparing a list ahead of time, you can simply present the list to the group and avoid a lot of wasted time. I normally suggest 1 or 2 options on the list that I think the group will like. You can also take the same approach when it comes to choosing excursions, or other activities to do.

5. Print the Docs.  This tip came in handy during preparation for my last cruise. I printed my groups travel documentation ahead of time and even brought my group luggage tags. Now, I'm not saying you have to buy your group luggage tags or other things but everyone definitely appreciated having their documents printed. In situations when you're traveling with first time cruisers, either take the time to show them how to check in beforehand or do it for them. 

If you prefer not to do either of these send reminders to your group to make sure that everyone has all their travel documentation printed and ready to go. You can even offer to pick up everyone's documents ahead of time to ensure that nothing is left at home. 

6. If all else fails call a travel agent. This June, I'll be going to Mexico with 15 family members and friends to celebrate my upcoming college graduation. I want to enjoy my trip as much as possible and have decided that I'm going to leave the planning to someone else. I've been collaborating with my travel agent to plan different excursions, transportation options, etc. Sometimes you might not feel up to planning a trip, and that's ok! Don't be afraid to let an agent step in if things become too overwhelming. You can still have a huge share in planning the success of the trip, without dealing with all the stress.

I hope these tips have helped! Do you have any strategies for planning group travel? If so, feel free to leave them in the comments below. 

All-Inclusive For A Day: Mr. Sancho's Beach Club Cozumel, Mexico

After surviving hurricane like rains in Grand Cayman, I was eager to arrive in Cozumel to feel some sunshine! Unfortunately, when I disembarked the ship I was greeted by a heavy cloud cover. I hoped that this wouldn’t be a repeat of all the rain I experienced the previous day. After disembarking the ship, my group and I walked through the Puerta Maya port. The Puerta Maya port is very cute and I loved its character.

Puerta Maya 

There were a variety of shops and restaurants available and I would’ve explored more had I not been so eager to get to the beach. I found the port relatively easily to navigate and it was easy to find the taxi area. My group had made reservations at Mr. Sancho's Beach Club weeks prior to the trip and a cab ride there cost my group of six $34 each way. The cab ride was rather uneventful and was only a 10 minute ride from port. Once we arrived at Mr. Sancho's we received a warm welcome. The onsite vendors encouraged us to pose for pictures, and to check out their shops. Thankfully, they weren’t too pushy when we declined. After that we quickly received our wristbands and were escorted to our cabanas.

Swinging Around

When I arrived at my cabana I instantly knew that choosing Mr. Sancho's was a good decision. Our $200 Romance Package entitled my husband and I to two 30 minute Swedish massages, and unlimited food and drink including alcoholic beverages. I wasted no time ordering my drink of choice which was a Miami Vice, and an order of Mr. Sancho's "famous" coconut shrimp. Our waiter Teo was on point and catered to our every need. 

I really don’t need to spend time detailing every single second of Mr. Sancho's but we basically ate, drank, swam, and laid around in our cabana. If you ever visit Mr. Sancho's do yourself a favor and order the coconut shrimp. We literally placed about 5 orders for them because they were so delicious. As a result,  I have chosen to remain coconut shrimp celibate until my next visit to Mr. Sancho's.  I would definitely classify them as a life-changing food item. All the menu items that I ate including the chicken fajitas, quesadillas, French fries, and guacamole, were all fresh and delightful. Please don't judge me for being greedy. 

The hubby and I also received two thirty minute massages with our package. I must say that my massage was absolutely AMAZING! It was right on the beach in a small hut and there was soft music playing in the background. My only regret about the massage is that I didn't pay extra to get an additional thirty minutes! 

Mr. Sancho's Massage Hut

Mr. Sancho's also has many water activities if u want to tap into your adventurous side. We rented jet ski’s for $35 per person. This is the cheapest price I’ve ever seen! I only lasted on the jet ski for about 10 minutes because my husband was dying to do tricks. My 10 minutes was fun but I enjoyed my time on shore a lot more. 

My beach day at Mr. Sancho's was one of the best days of my vacation until one thing got in the way. You guessed it, it rained! Luckily, our cabana protected us but it seemed like the weather was just on my side. If you’re ever in Cozumel for a day definitely give Mr. Sancho's a try. If you’re trying to ball on a budget you can pay $55 for an all inclusive experience minus the cabana or choose their pay as you go option. For more info about Mr. Sancho's click

here

Cabana #8

You know I couldn’t end this post without posting one more video from Tyson. I only make a a few cameos in this video but don't let that dissuade you from viewing. This last video captures Mr. Sancho's and the last night of my amazing cruise. Enjoy! 

Visiting Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman

On Day 2 of my Carnival Breeze cruise I had the privilege of visiting Grand Cayman. I had heard so many great things about Seven Mile Beach and this was my opportunity to visit one of the best beaches in the world! YAY!  Ships are unable to dock at Grand Cayman so we had to be tendered. We got off the ship super fast and I'd like to thank the nice people at Carnival for having such an efficient tendering process! 

Cruise Ship Parking Lot

Unfortunately, when we got off the ship the sky looked questionable. I tried to reassure myself that this was the Caribbean and it would pass over. I had no idea what was in store for me a few hours later. My group grabbed a taxi from the port and headed over to Royal Palms Beach Club. The taxi ride was $4 per person from the port area.  I had found out about Royal Palms through my trusty friend TripAdvisor and had decided that this was going to be my take selfies and chill day. 

Royal Palms Beach Club

On arrival, I was impressed with the property at Royal Palms and it looked just how it did in pictures. The ocean water was picturesque and the facilities were very clean. The one thing that I hated about Royal Palms was that I could not connect to Wi-Fi. No one in my group could, and neither could some other guests at the property. During this entire vacation I felt like I was Drake, because I had to constantly ask, “What’s the code to the wiiiiiifiiiiiii??” At every hotel, beach club, etc. this question got asked. By the end of the week I broke down and purchased 24 hours of Carnival’s Wi-Fi. 

Since, I was unable to connect to the Wi-Fi any attempts to post selfies and make my coworkers jealous were squandered. I opted to just lay around on the beach chairs, and frolic around in the water. But, it was kind of chilly due to the cloud cover.  After about 2 hours at being at Royal Palms the clouds started talking and it began to rain. We sought shelter in our cabana and decided to order some food. My husband and I love to eat conch fritters whenever we’re in the Caribbean so we were excited to order them at Royal Palms. Unfortunately, they were a true let down. They were such a disappointment that moving forward I’ll only order them if I’m in the Bahamas. They were all fritters and no conch. Seriously, what’s the point of having conch fritters without the actual conch? If you're ever at Royal Palms don't order the conch fritters. You can thank me later.

Teyonce, Tyson, the hubby, and I had decided that we were going to rent jet ski’s. We had went on a trip to Miami back in July and were unable to so today was redemption. The price of the jet skis were $100 plus a deposit so it was a go. We were all hype and ready to go, but Teyonce needed to take a quick bathroom break so we waited for her to get back.  

Royal Palm's Watersports Prices

Teyonce’s decision to use the bathroom saved our lives. Minutes after she got back from the bathroom it started raining again. However, this was no ordinary rain. This rain was so bad that it felt like it marked the flood back in Noah’s day. Once again we all huddled in the cabana but it was no help against the wind and rain. Soon enough, we started to see random umbrella’s flying around the property, and we knew that we had to move. By that time everyone had left the beach and most people were huddled under the bar area’s canopies and by the bathrooms. The heavy rain continued to taunt us as we ended up finding a space under the awning of the bathroom. We stayed there for about 10 minutes until we realized that our best bet would be to head back to the ship. Puddles started to turn into flood waters, and at that point I knew that my beach day was a WRAP. We made our way back to to the port to wait for tendering.While we waited for tendering it stopped raining so it was safe for me to get a few shots of people waiting to be tendered. 

Thankfully, when we got back on the boat the nice crew of the Carnival Breeze were waiting with warm towels. This was a nice gesture since many of the guests were soaking wet from the torrential rains. Instead of sulking over the rain ,my group decided to hit the waterslides and enjoy the rest of our day. I definitely need a re-do of Grand Cayman, since my day got rained out, but I made the best of it. Once again, Tyson was able to capture our Grand Cayman day so go see it from this perspective below.

Experiencing Dunn's River Falls & The Blue Hole

Someone cue up the Damian Marley! Jamaica has been on my bucket list for years so I was stoked when my cruise ship docked in Falmouth, Jamaica. Out of all the port days that I had researched, planning for Jamaica was the most stressful, but ended up being the most adventurous!  I apologize in advance for the long post, but by know you all should know that in order to “See the World through Shasha” you need to know all the facts! My friend Tyson brought a Go-Pro for our vacation and he did an awesome job capturing my group’s day. Thanks Tyson!

This video really provides a great visual and embodies the feel of my day in Jamaica, but keep reading so I can really break it down for you.

Dunn's River Falls

Many people might argue that Dunn’s River Falls is pretty touristy. I can agree to a certain extent (they try to sell you a video and photographs) but the experience was awesome, and unlike anything I've ever done before. I loved climbing up the falls and at times it was challenging. Our guide was awesome, and he even helped me when I lost my footing.  Dunn’s River Falls is a must do, and it’s difficult to capture the true beauty of the falls in photographs. It was one of the highlights of my Jamaica day.

The Blue Hole

This tour is off the beaten path, and is as genuine as it gets if you want a real Jamaican experience. Since, my group was pressed for time due to our operator; we didn’t get to jump off all the cliffs at the Blue Hole. Our tour guide Dillon was amazing and made our safety his priority. This tour is not for the faint of heart, and if you have any health problems I do not recommend it. If you’re claustrophobic I strongly advise that you do not climb into the caves as my husband said it was scary! He also came out with a really bad cut, so be careful! The Blue Hole tour was exhausting, and even if you’re a good swimmer just go ahead and get a life jacket because it’s just that serious. Can you believe that I jumped off of that cliff in the video?  I even got my Jane of the Jungle swag on by swinging on the rope swing. If you’re really feeling like Drake, and all about YOLO life then go ahead and take the 50ft. cliff jump. I have no idea what got into me but I did it. Over the past year, I’ve been an advocate for facing fears head on, and I am so proud that I took that jump. I screamed the entire way down, but I felt like a boss after I landed in the water. 

Booking an Excursion, through a Private Tour Operator

From this point onward, I need to reiterate that the opinions on my blog are simply my own, and your experience might differ from mine. I wanted to get an intimate experience for my group of 6 so I felt that one of the big bus cruise ship excursions wouldn’t give me the experience that I was looking for. I spent much time on TripAdvisor perusing through reviews of good tour providers and trimmed my list down to three. I knew that I was taking the risk of getting to port late by booking a private tour, but every company I reached out to guaranteed that they would have us back in time.  

My one regret of my Jamaica tour is choosing the operator that I did. Although, he was highly rated  , I should’ve chosen someone who had proved early on that their customer service was a priority. I had previously joined a Facebook Meet and Greet for this cruise and many others had chosen this provider so I decided to go for it.  After all the ship couldn’t leave all of us? Right?

From this point onward, I need to reiterate that the opinions on my blog are simply my own, and your experience might differ from mine.

I ended up booking a tour that included transportation to Dunn’s River Falls, the Blue Hole, and lunch at Scotchie’s with Peat Taylor tours. We had no problems locating them at the port, and our guide Vincent was very knowledgeable. He explained where would meet after the excursions and how things would work. As we traveled in the van he provided a ton of commentary about Jamaica’s history, economy, and tourism industry. My main gripe later in the day, was that we did not have time for lunch, and our guide made no mention of this. Also, there were people on the bus going to different locations, so we had to take time to drop them off and pick them up. I think this greatly impacted the tour time and our ability to stop for lunch, and to arrive back at our promised time of 4pm. Since my ship docked in Falmouth the ride from Ochos Rios back to the port was over an hour. Please keep this in mind if you book a non-cruise ship excursion. My group didn’t miss the boat by any means, but we didn’t get back to Falmouth until 4:20 when we had a scheduled onboard time of 4:30. By the time we got back to the port it was a ghost town, with only a few straggler passengers walking around. Granted, I know Jamaicans run on CP time, but we cut it a little too close for comfort.  I’m not saying that you shouldn’t book a private tour, but our guide was visibly nervous our entire ride back and made no apology when we arrived back to the port. Nonetheless it was a great day, and I'm not against private tours. I'll just choose differently next time. 

Falmouth, Jamaica

My day in Jamaica was great but I still have some unfinished business there. I still want to visit a Jerk Center and I want to check out their amazing beaches. Another trip is definitely in store! Have you been to Jamaica before? Drop a line in the comments and tell me about it. 

Cruising on the Carnival Breeze

I am so happy to report that I can check the Carnival Breeze off of my vacation bucket list! Do you have a vacation bucket list? If not, I strongly encourage you to make one as you’ll feel so great after you have accomplished your vacation goals. Last year, I cruised on the Carnival Fantasy but it wasn’t my ship of choice. I had wanted to cruise on the Breeze, but since my trip last year was a family trip, proximity to the port was a huge factor. Most of my family is in Virginia, and my husband and I are in Texas. So, it made the most sense for our group to leave out of Charleston on the Carnival Fantasy so they could drive to the port.  I had been dying to cruise on the Breeze for quite some time so when the opportunity presented itself I had to jump on it. As a result, my hubby and I spent 6 glorious days on the Carnival Breeze cruising to Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel!

We invited along our good friends Tyson and Tiffany (aka Teyonce whom you’ll hear more about) along with their parents to make the cruise a little more fun. Don’t get me wrong, I have no problem cruising as a couple, but I think cruising as a group is so much more fun!  Since there are so many components to this trip, I’m going to take time to give you guys the highlights in the next few blog posts. I am already experiencing withdrawals from the ship, and I would cruise on the Breeze again in a heartbeat.

I made some awesome towel animal friends that I’d like to see again, and just the thought of all the good food I ate while onboard makes me want to shed a tear. Lawd, I wish I had one of those burgers from Guy’s Burger Joint right about now.  The service, food, and amenities ranging from the waterslides to the sky course were amazing. I normally like to plan two vacations per year, but the Carnival Breeze has me currently scheming on how I can squeeze in another cruise. My husband will probably shake his head when he reads this. He is going to scold me when I tell him I want to do 2 cruises next year. Y’all better pray for me and how this conversation is going to go lol.

I can’t even begin to describe just how much I enjoyed the ports of calls that I visited as well. Would you believe me if I told you that I jumped off a 50 ft. cliff in Jamaica? Or that I survived a hurricane in Grand Cayman? I know it sounds far-fetched, but I am not kidding! Keep an eye on the next few posts for details. Until then, here’s some pictures of me “getting breezy” to hold you over.

Enjoy!

Bahamian For a Day

When in the Bahamas do as the Bahamians do! Sound familiar? During my recent cruise vacation I had the wonderful opportunity to visit Nassau, Bahamas. Visiting the Bahamas has always been on my bucket list and it did not disappoint. Nassau showed me so much love, so I am obliged to return that love in the form of this blog post. Are you planning a visit to Nassau? If so be sure to check out the following:

Kick Back at Junkanoo Beach

Instead of opting to get a day pass at the British Colonial Hilton my family and I  decided to check out the local Junkanoo Beach. Junkanoo Beach is only a 15 minute walk (10 if you walk fast) from the Cruise Terminal. Follow the signs that read Junkanoo Beach, and it’s an easy walk.There are multiple vendors on the beach that sell food, drinks, and offer services including chair and umbrella rentals. Junkanoo Beach proved to be one of my BEST beach days ever. It was quaint and the background Caribbean music had me feeling like Ziggy Marley could’ve made an appearance at any moment.

Eat at Da Fish Fry a.k.a Arawak Cay

I am fully aware that I typed the word “Da.” However, in true Bahamian fashion it would only be proper do so.  Da Fish Fry (also known as Arawak Cay) is home to some of the best and freshest food in Nassau. This is the where the locals eat, so if you want to eat like one GO THERE! If you love fresh seafood, local bahamian specialties, fresh fruit drinks and juices; Da Fish Fry has it all. This area of restaurants is only a 10 minute walk from Junkanoo Beach, making it a convenient area to visit for great local eats. Don’t let the exterior of some of the restaurants dissuade you, as the food will be sure to amaze you.

My family and I settled on Twin Brothers based on some of the reviews and accolades that were advertised outside the restaurant. Since we were a large group, a cab driver offered to transport our group of 10 back to the cruise port for $2 a person. To secure the rate, we needed to let the hostess know that he referred us. This was a pretty good offer since it was dark and we didn't want to walk back to the cruise port. Keep an eye out for cabbies and work out a deal if transportation back to the cruise port concerns you.

Get around town on the #10 Jitney

In Nassau, the locals refer to a bus as a jitney. Jitney’s are about the size of a shuttle van, and for $1.25 you can get wherever you need to go. Most of the buses say that they are #10 which I found to be slightly confusing. Our cruise line had alerted us to crime warnings in Nassau so I was a little hesitant to ride on the local jitney’s.

However, since we were staying in tourist areas and it was daytime, I put my fears aside as I embarked on my quest to be transported like a local!  Riding the jitney was quite an experience. We had to wait for the bus to completely fill up before we could leave and whenever we thought all the seats were full, the next passenger would pop up a fold able seat!

The whole process was fascinating to observe.  I didn’t take too many pictures aboard the bus as I didn’t want to seem like a disrespectful tourist. Our bus didn’t smell too great, but the driver made up for it by blasting Caribbean music, and trying to impress us with his steering maneuvers. The ride was adventurous to say the least. However, I would definitely take the #10 jitney on any future Nassau adventures. For the price it really can’t be beat. After all why not live like a local for day?

Have you ever visited Nassau? Did you love it or hate it? Do you have any helpful tips to share? If so, drop a line below!