The Dining Traveler Blog: Travel and Food Inspiration

After an intense two days at TBEX Cancun, we headed to Isla Mujeres for a tour of Dolphin Discovery and Garrafon Park. Isla Mujeres is a beautiful small island off the coast of Cancun. The day was gorgeous and we embarked on a boat on our way to the island. It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon and the boat was packed with locals as they take advantage of the low season to discover the Riviera Maya sans tourists.

My new friends at Dolphin Discovery

As we disembarked the boat, we were welcomed by the dolphins swimming near the shore of Isla Mujeres. I was hesitant about the tour when we were invited by Dolphin Discovery to join, especially after the discussion at TBEX Travel Blogger Conference. However, I think the best way to judge something is to see it for ourselves. We were able to see that the dolphins were in large areas in their natural habitat. We also had an opportunity to talk to the manager and trainer which shared with us that the dolphins are in a schedule which allows them "time off" between their human interactions.

Dutchman Making New Friends

Before meeting the dolphins up close and personal, we had a 15 minute orientation on the program and the do's and don'ts of the demonstration. Once done with orientation, we hopped on the platform to meet our new friends, Merlin and Ramses. The trainer quickly went through the basics again had had us greet the dolphins. We had the opportunity to rub their bellies, swim with them, and have them swim us to the platform. The dolphin swim experience was 45 minutes. We enjoyed the experience and we got to learn a little bit about dolphins (such as they eat 10 kilos of fish a day!).

Living the Life!

After the tour, we were had the opportunity to see your pictures with the dolphins. As my picture with the Koala in Australia, I think it's a fun memento to have from the experience. The only downfall was how expensive it was ($40). After sticker shock, we went to have drinks and wait for a taxi to takes us to Garrafon Park, a five minute ride from Dolphin Discovery. The park has a variety of things to do: swim, zip line, pool, all you cat eat buffet, snorkeling, bike rides, and even a temazcal (Mayan sweat lodge).

Windy Day at Garrafon

Unfortunately, the waters were too rough for snorkeling so we did the zip line, which had a beautiful view of the island and the ocean. We also just sat by the ocean and had some margaritas and ended our day with the temazcal experience. We did not know what to expect from the temazcal, given that I am also slightly claustrophobic. The shaman put us at ease in the temazcal and explained to us the purpose of the lodge and the spiritual connection to nature of the Mayan culture. I usually get really claustrophobic in a sauna, but I really felt at ease during the experience. After 30 minutes in the lodge, we left dripping in sweat but we both agreed that we felt cleansed and re-energized.

Dutchman ziplining over the Caribbean

Tired and suntanned we boarded the boat back to Cancun. We truly enjoyed the day trip to Isla Mujeres. We felt that we did so much in one day: swim with dolphins, margaritas on the beach, zip line over the Caribbean, and even have a spiritual experience in just one day. Thanks to Dolphin Discovery for such an amazing experience! * Disclaimer: This experience was sponsored by Dolphin Discovery. Views are completely my own. post signature

This summer, I've been on a mission to discover new places a short ride away from DC. One of the things I realized is that summer was about to end and we have not been to the beach yet. The thought of going south on I-95 on a Friday afternoon does not spark my interest. I've also heard about the traffic towards Ocean City and Rehoboth. Our solution: wake up at zero-dark-thiry (well, not that early but 6am on a Saturday is pretty ambitious) and go on a road trip to Fenwick Island, Delaware. We were seeking a less crowded beach and a more authentic coastal feel. After a little research online, we discovered this hidden gem on the Atlantic Coast.

The Beach

As we approached Fenwick Island, we grasped the beauty of the East Coast: driving by rows and rows of cornfields, peach orchards saturated with fruit, and birds flying low on the marshes finding their prey. When we arrived at our destination we were taken by all the colorful beach homes which led to the beach. The main challenge was to find a parking spot. There is a parking lot for the beach but even as early as 9:30 am is was already backed up. We drove around for 15 minutes until we found one of the few streets without parking restrictions.

The runway to relaxation

A sandy dune path led us to the beach. The day was perfect: light breezes, sunny, and not overly warm. The beach had small group of families with young kids playing in the surf and groups of friends hanging out on the beach. The scene was lively but not overcrowded. It's not a beach for singles to mingle but a great space to catch up on your reading, hang out with family, go for a swim, and admire the coastal home architecture.

After spending several hours on the beach, we decided to go for a late lunch at the Lobster Shanty, which is a 10 minute drive to where we were camped out at the beach. The restaurant has the classic coastal decor of antiques and souvenirs and a nice terrace with a view of the marshes. We started our meal with oysters and I had a delicious lobster roll. The highlight was the generous helping of lobster that the roll had. We're glad we checked it out for a late lunch given the overflow of the parking lot during dinner time.

Kayaking on the bay

We worked off the lunch by heading to Costal Kayak and renting paddle boards. Thankfully the sun was not as strong at 4pm and we went on a pleasant paddle of Little Assawoman Bay. The water was calm and we did not have to wrestle the current as I have experienced in other SUP experiences. We took in the view of the bay with the beautiful homes which line the coast. We tried our best not to look at the water as there were many jellyfish making their rounds. We did not get a warning from the staff, so assume these guys are harmless!

Lobster Roll at Lobster Shanty

We concluded our day back to the place we started our day: at the beach. By 5pm the beach was much quieter and families were packing up to head home. The surf had become more aggressive with 3-4 foot waves crashing into the sand. Some were strong enough that we felt the impact from the ground up. It was a beautiful setting to conclude our day at the beach.

BBQ on the Road

We began our journey to the city tanned and relaxed and discussing how to plan a longer trip next summer. We fueled up for our trip with an unpretentious barbecue on the side of the road. The seasoning on the red pulled pork was great fuel for the end of a fantastic day. Although a 3 hour trip each way may seem ambitious, we truly enjoyed our experience. The trick is to leave very early and head back on a Saturday evening instead of Sunday.
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A day at Dolphin Discovery, Isla Mujeres

A day at the beach: Fenwick Island, Delaware