Welcome to our Book of Adventures

My husband told me to pack clothes for warm weather, a bathing suit and sunscreen. Destination? He said it was a surprise 🙂 Intrigued, I followed his instruction. We woke up crazy early to get to the airport…we drove to Midway Airport, which we NEVER do….interesting. I had no idea where we were going, so exciting!!! It wasn’t until we checked our suitcase did the destination present itself…Punta Cana. My big 40th birthday surprise was an adventure to a place I had never been…swimming in turquoise water, tropical drinks on the beach, and staying at Breathless, an adults-only all-inclusive resort. I was overwhelmed, the most amazing birthday gift I have ever been given.

This was the perfect getaway for just Nate and I and is really a GREAT getaway for couples looking for intimate down-time. It was a worry-free, totally relaxing and beach-lazy trip that I remember fondly for so many reasons. If you are thinking of an adults-only couple of days, below is a list of things that made this trip incredibly wonderful and special!! And hey, IF you are looking to surprise someone for their birthday, this is a PERFECT place to do it 🙂

The Resort

I was swept off my feet to Breathless, an adults-only resort located on the northeast coast of the Dominican Republic. I recommend an adults-only if you are a parent looking to decompress and hear sounds of the ocean vs. “can I have a snack??” or “I’m hungry”…or “but he hit me first!”… Trust me on that one…even when they are not your kids, you hear it. Every time I hear a child say “Mom?” I answer “Yes??”…. my brain has been programmed to respond 😂

This was a beautiful and immaculately clean resort. Their motto, according to their website, is “Live Big, Breathe Deep”…. sign me up. We did the VIP package and stayed in an area with a private pool… a smaller pool but very nice and quiet. For all of you party animals, they had a party pool complete with a swim-up bar and awesome drinks.

As you all know, all-inclusives don’t typically make drinks to where you can taste any alcohol…there motto must ALSO be ‘give them a teaspoon of rum and see if they notice…” Oh, we notice…and, we always ask for a double shot. That makes the drink an actual drink, a tip I’m sure lots of people have figured out already.

The rooms were large and modern. The balcony felt very private which I prefer. We also had a nice view of the pool. The bathroom was very nice, an important detail that I personally always look for when I book a room.

The Beach

The beach has to be great, or why book the place? Breathless did not disappoint. It was a pristine white sand beach with lots of seating to soak up the sun. We rented a casita for the day and took a glorious undisturbed nap while listening to the ocean 10 ft. away. I tell Nate that the nap was my gift… 🙂

Pina Coladas and the ocean… not a bad way to spend your 40th! They even had one of those infamous foam parties on the beach and I absolutely jumped in and danced around with everyone else. I enjoyed quite a few foam parties back in college at various dance clubs…super fun, brought me back to when I was a young 23 with no actual responsibilities yet (and no back pain!) Yep, it was good to feel young again.

The Food

The food here was good for an all-inclusive, but not foodie exceptional. And I think that’s pretty common with all-inclusive resorts. As long as there is flavor (seriously, I’ve experience food with zero flavor) and a diverse selection on the menu, I’m good. There were quite a few restaurant options which was nice. I like feeling like we can eat at a different place every night. Below was my birthday dinner…I ordered the mega lobster and as you can see, it was quite the meal.

Our last night there was dinner on the beach in a private tent…so romantic. I can’t say enough about this resort and all the amenities.

The staff was wonderful, by the way. So accommodating and friendly, big smiles and hello’s every morning. Because of our schedules, we could only do 4 days, next time we will stay longer!

This gesture of love and consideration brought me to tears…I was overwhelmed at the thoughtfulness of everything.

Why choose Punta Cana? It has everything you’d be looking for in a tropical getaway…excursions, relaxing, beautiful beaches, and plenty of resorts to choose from. This is a wonderful tropical vacay without feeling like you’re breaking the bank. It’s important to note, however, that we did do this trip prior to Covid and inflation. I see that resorts in the Caribbean are currently triple the price…$700 a night for a standard room? Yikes. So, do your research! I read that flights are STARTING to come down in price, whatever that means. I was talking to a friend yesterday about some trips she booked… she was actually pretty ecstatic that a round trip to Arizona was only $400 (previously $650). I guess that’s where we are now… super happy that the prices are still…high? Hoping that the flight industry gets closer to normal in 2023.

We all need to unwind (sometimes I feel like that one string of Christmas lights that is so tangled it’s not worth trying to untangle it, and there’s random lights out, and I have no idea WHICH ones, and it’s just a mess…). Typically we do lots of excursions when we travel somewhere, but this trip we decided to chill out and stay put. It was 4 days of all my favorite things (sleeping in, napping by the ocean, unlimited pina coladas, peace and quiet, date nights and snuggling ❤️ —Isn’t that the best word?? It changes your life). My husband thought of everything, even having the restaurant staff sing a Happy Birthday song. I cried (like a baby) into my wine glass. Never in my life had someone done something so thoughtful and considerate, never had I been put front and center, priority one. Every last detail of that trip was all for me, and being with him alone for 4 days?? No distractions?? No other gift can compare. How do you know you’ve actually found your “soulmate”?? Easy. That person instinctively knows what your soul needs on any given day.

It was so wonderful and mind-blowingly amazing. I felt like a rock star the entire time we were there. You only get one 40th, and this one is a birthday celebration that I’ll remember forever. I can 100% recommend this destination. And, I don’t think it probably matters where you stay… the environment is tough to beat.

Looking for wonderful and amazing? You’ve found it 🙂 Go Adventure and…..relax!!

Heather & Nate