Saturday, January 19, 2019

Saint Lucia 2018 Part 2 - Jade Mountain Resort




We decided to leave Sandals Grande St. Lucian at 9:30am.  The staff kept reminding us we could stay on property as long as we wanted to enjoy their beach, pool,  and all-inclusive features.   We were good with leaving early because it was over an hour drive and we booked Jade Mountain under their all-inclusive plan.  Our driver Isaac was fun.  We enjoyed laughing at the advise given on a local radio talk show and compared our Christmas traditions. The 75 minute ride took us through Castries, the rainforest, and near some of the islands highest peaks.   We pulled over for a photo stop above Soufries for our first good view of The Pitons.

Road conditions were good for most of the trip....except for the last two+ miles.  I think the resort does this intentionally so people don’t drive up to be nosy.  Once we arrived on property we were met by the Jade Mountain jitney to take us up to the resort.  It was bizarre that you couldn’t even see the hotel on the way up.


We were taken up the top drive near the restaurant. When we left the carport we were treated to our first view of why this hotel was so special.  The Pitons were just across the bay and the hotel’s unique architecture was on full display.  










Yeah we were hooked right away.  Each bridge led to one guest room.  Our room wouldn’t be ready for a while so they gave us our butler phone and suggested we enjoy the beach for a while.  The manager gave us a ride down to the beach while conducting an orientation.  Since we shared amenities with the hotel’s sister property, Anse Chastnet, our all-inclusive plan was in-effect at their restaurants and at our beach chairs.   The beach concierge set up our chairs and gave us our service flag - stick it in the ground and a waitress will assst you.  The beach area was pleasant enough, just a bit rocky and more volcanic vs. the Sandals beach.  




We took the ten minute walk over to the secret beach - home of the hamburger grill.  The open-air kitchen put out some great food.  


The call finally came through from our butler that our room was ready and the shuttle was coming to get us.  One of our three butlers (they work in shifts) was there to give us our room orientation.  As he led us to the room we realized we got an upgrade to a Moon Suite.  These rooms were a bit larger than what we booked.  Each room at Jade Mountain is unique - furniture, shape, fabrics, pool layout are all different.   The big deal about the property is rooms are missing the 4th wall which is replaced by a full-length infinity pool or pool/deck combo.  We were happy to see our room (JC3) was a pool/deck combo.  Amenities included a large bed with mosquito netting, 2 person soaking tub, a fridge with beverages and a “butler bento box” refilled daily, coffee and tea makers, and spa-quality soaps.  Tiles lining the pool were designed for the resort.










This was perfect.  We had breakfast in the room everyday while fending off the birds looking to scavenge from our plates.  Rooms have water guns to use against the intruders.  This offered hours of entertainment.  We lunched our first and second day on the beach.  On our final full day at the hotel we left the beach at 1pm and stayed in the room the rest of the day - ordering room service for the rest of our meals.   We could dine either at The Jade Club or at any other Anse Chastanet restaurant.  The inside scoop was to always eat at Jade.  I would agree it was the right move.  The food was pretty high-end with a new menu each night.   The restaurant also had some form of love entertainment each night.


Most of our days were spent on the deck or in the pool overlooking The Pitons.  Everything was very private and the service was outstanding.  Even on our last day they let us stay in the room until our car arrived and handled our checkout in the room.  We never saw the front desk.     If you are looking for a truly unique experience this is the place to be.








Countdown to Marathon State 50: Favorite and Least Favorite Races






The Maui Oceanfront Marathon is almost here! Today was our first full day in Maui and we celebrated by waking up before 3am to go see sunrise from Haleakala. 




We are continuing our look back on the experience of traveling to 49 states and the races Holly participated in.  Our final video features the best and worst races experienced so far.



Tuesday, January 15, 2019

Countdown to Marathon State 50: Race Destinations



The Maui Oceanfront Marathon is a few days away! We are continuing our look back on the experience of traveling to 49 states and the races Holly participated in.  Look for one more video before Sunday.  

For today’s topic we explore some of our favorite race destinations. This experience has allowed us to see some of the best sites this country has to offer.

Other Videos: Race MedalsRace SwagBreweriesSpaghetti and Meatballs

Sunday, January 13, 2019

Countdown to Marathon State 50: Spaghetti and Meatballs


The Maui Oceanfront Marathon is a week away! We are continuing our look back on the experience of traveling to 49 states and the races Holly participated in.  Look for two more videos over the next few days recapping the experience.  

For today’s topic we explore Holly’s pre-race superstitious meal of spaghetti and meatballs.  Some regions do better than others.




Other Videos: Race MedalsRace SwagBreweriesDestinations

Thursday, January 10, 2019

Countdown to State 50: Best Breweries




The Maui Oceanfront Marathon is 10 days away! We are continuing our look back on the experience of traveling to 49 states and the races Holly participated in.  Look for a few more videos over the next few days recapping the experience.  

For today’s topic Dave goes on-and-on about some of our favorite brewery experiences during race weekends.

Sunday, January 6, 2019

Countdown to State 50: Race Swag



The Maui Oceanfront Marathon is two weeks away! We are continuing our look back on the experience of traveling to 49 states and the races Holly participated in.  Look for a few more videos over the next two weeks recapping the experience.  

Our next topic covers race swag - the other included trinkets beyond the official race shirt and medal. Holly has earned some interesting items at races.



Other Videos: Race MedalsBreweriesSpaghetti and MeatballsDestinations