Can you believe all the rain and flooding Texas has experienced recently? Here in Lubbock, we’ve seen people kayaking down Quaker Avenue, parking lots completely flooded, and even roof collapses! I know other parts of the state have gotten hit hard, particularly San Antonio and the hill country. I want you to know that the safety of all those affected has been in my prayers. Seeing tragic news reports is a good reminder to stay humble…there are worse things than not being able to go swimming!
A few years ago, Joe and I went to Mexico with some good friends of ours. I think in the week we were there, it rained almost non-stop for four days! I’ve been to Mexico more than a dozen times, and it has rained during every one of them—usually for short stretches in the afternoon. Rarely is it enough to slow us down (or even get us to leave the pool), and never have we seen a downpour like that time. We were so thankful to have our friends with us…and even more thankful to not have Chayce with us! As if our cabin fever wasn’t bad enough! So what do you do to salvage a beach vacation that is getting rained out? Here are some of my best ideas (that I hope you never have to use!)…
1. Stay OUT of your room! Yes, a rainy day is the perfect excuse to go enjoy the beautiful suite you paid for, but you need to seriously limit the time you spend there. Determine set periods of time for relaxing in solitude and stick to it. Why? A couple of reasons. First, nothing will give you cabin fever quicker than being stuck indoors looking at a view of everything you can’t do. Second, being out and about on the resort grounds still feels like vacation. No one ever made a memory watching telenovellas in their pj’s, so throw on a sundress and get out!
2. Explore your resort. There are lots of ways to make this fun, but the best is to simply get lost. Walk the perimeter of the resort and snail your way to the center ~ Take silly selfies in front of weird places ~ Go on a scavenger hunt ~ See how many matchbooks you can collect ~ Take notice of the thousands of details that go into the upkeep of this fabulous place ~ If you’re staying at an all-inclusive, stop and get one drink or bite to eat at every restaurant and bar on property ~ Play “Bartender Bingo”.
3. Get served. Odds are, you are staying at a sprawling property with lots of features and amenities you normally don’t use. Now is the perfect time to check those things out! This extends beyond the spa and gym (which are also great ways to spend your time—but you already knew that). Ask the concierge about cooking and mixology classes. Play board games and billiards. Attend a tequila or wine tasting. Take a yoga class. Learn a new dance or practice your Spanish. Every resort I’ve ever visited has some type of entertainment crew. Guess what? Their job is to keep you active and happy while you are there! Ask them to get some indoor fun going (or go participate in what they’re already doing).
4. Escape! Just because it’s raining doesn’t mean the island is shut down! Just because it’s raining on your beach doesn’t mean it’s raining on all the beaches. The hotel will arrange transportation and direct you to sunnier locations as well as pottery shops, art galleries, flea markets, historical sights, distilleries, farms, movie theaters, restaurants, and even volunteer opportunities. This is your chance to go see and do something you would ordinarily pass up in the name of laziness or more traditional excursions. Grab an umbrella and get a group of people from your resort together and split the cost of a taxi into town. You never know what you’ll discover!
5. Use your apps to make some friends. When the rain starts coming, it’s the lobby bar that gets flooded with people. Use some fun apps on your phone to get a game going with your fellow commiserators. A little bit of communal fun will keep that drinking party from turning grumpy and depressing…plus you’ll make some new friends! Some of my favorite apps for group game-playing are: Phrase Party (like Catch Phrase), Reverse Charades, Heads Up, The 7 Second Challenge, & Hollywood Game Night (all available in the App Store). Bonus: add your new friends on Facebook and see if anyone has a friend in common!
No one wants to get rained out of a beach trip, but the bottom line in ANY vacation is that it is up to you to make your own fun. If you want to pout and sit in your room doing laundry, be my guest, but this #experienceagent lives by the following philosophy:
One traveler looks for fun, the other for misery. They will both get what they want, but only one of them is happy about it.
What do you do to beat the rain when you travel?? Share with us on Facebook!
Ciao Chow!
Autumn
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