I’m attending an outdoor wedding in Pennsylvania next month. The dress code is “garden formal,” and the bride specifically requested florals and color. Thoughts on which option works best?

It’s the sculpt blazer and Olivia pant.

Buckle up--this is a long one.

I posted here several months ago seeking lodging recommendations for a trip to Nicaragua.  I couldn’t find any information on Nicaragua when I searched earlier posts, and I received only a few suggestions from folks.  So, I thought I’d share a report from my recent weeklong trip!

Background

My partner and I were looking for a beach destination within a few hours of Denver for an anniversary trip.  We wanted a largely relaxing vacation, but did seek out a destination that offered some water-based activities, good food, and interesting landscapes.  He has traveled extensively and prefers to visit new countries. This does tend to limit our choices in Central America/the northern portion of the Caribbean, so we were already looking at a limited number of prospective destinations.  We chose Nicaragua after a positive earlier trip to Costa Rica, coupled with its relative proximity to Denver, and a friend’s recent glowing review of her visit, so we took the plunge.  We opted to split our time between the coast and an inland destination for variety.  Then, the hunt for lodging began. 

Lodging Research

 After striking out in this sub, I began doing my own research into higher-end accommodations in the country.  I quickly discovered options were limited and the range of “chubby” options likely don’t align with the standards of accommodations in more touristed countries.  I found “chubby” in Nicaragua to be very relative.  For anyone else who is thinking of visiting Nicaragua, these are the only higher-end options I could identify, and there is significant variance in their “chubbiness”:

•  Rancho Santana
• Mukul
•  Nekupe 
• Jicaro Island Lodge

 

Ultimately, we chose Mukul and Jicaro because they seemed to fit our vibe the closest.  When I posted here initially, the only recommendation I received was for Rancho Santana—we elected not to stay there for a few reasons.  First, it appeared way too family-focused; my partner and I heavily prefer adults only accommodations, and while there are no high-end adults only options in Nicaragua, reviews of Rancho Santana led me to believe the resort seems to be largely focused on families/children for it to be appealing to us.  Further, the resort is massive and we didn’t find the rooms to be particularly noteworthy for the price.  All that said, I’m sure Rancho Santana is a phenomenal option for some, just not us.  

Lodging Reviews

Mukul

 We spent the first 3 nights at Mukul, a 37-room resort located in a gated, planned community on the Emerald Coast.  The community, Guacalito de la Isla, features the resort, luxury condos, and several luxury villas as well as multiple shared amenities available to everyone in the community, like a beach club, surf shop, and golf course.  

 Mukul offers beachside villas, “treehouse” bohios, and a few villas for large groups.  We chose a treehouse bohio largely for the view, which did not disappoint.  We had an expansive and uninterrupted view of the coastline—it was lovely.  The room was spacious, had killer AC, and the furnishings were top-notch.  The only downside to a treehouse bohio is the distance; the bohios are all located up the hill from the main resort space, so we would have to call for a golf cart ride any time we wanted to travel to/from our room.  You could certainly walk, but the pathways are steep and are not wide enough for both pedestrians and a golf cart.

We learned that our late June/early July trip was during the off-season, and boy—we felt it any time we left our room.  The shared resort spaces (pool, La Palapa) were well-maintained and stylish, but they were a complete ghost town all day.  At most, we saw three other people for the time we were there.  Service was warm, attentive, though English fluency among staff was somewhat limited; I speak Spanish, so this was not a concern for me—merely flagging.

The biggest detractor during our time at Mukul stemmed from their dining options.  Their website touts four restaurants: La Mesa (dinner only, high-end Italian), La Terraza (seafood), La Palapa (small bites/cocktails), and Tres Ceibas (beach club).  There is no standalone bar. 

Upon our Sunday arrival, we learned that La Mesa and La Terraza would be closed for dinner beginning Monday. We also learned that La Palapa is not a true restaurant; it’s their “lobby” space where servers will bring cocktails/bites from La Terraza during the afternoon.  So, Tres Ceibas ended up being the only option for breakfast and dinner during the remainder of our trip. 

Tres Ceibas is the gated community’s shared beach club; it is approximately a 5-10 minute golf cart ride from Mukul.  Because none of the restaurants within Mukul proper were open for dinner, and because there is no standalone bar, we could not get drinks after La Terraza closed unless we visited Tres Ceibas.  Perhaps these limitations were due to it being the off-season, but I did feel that their website was not very forthcoming about the significantly limited weekday dining options.

TL;DR: Beautiful resort, but limited dining and beverage options during low season.

Jicaro

We spent the last three nights of the trip at Jicaro Island Lodge.  This is an all-inclusive (minus alcohol), 100% sustainable eco-resort located on a private island in Lake Nicaragua near the city of Granada.  The resort features 9 two-story casitas, a pool, spa, restaurant, and bar.  We wound up being the only guests for our first night, before being joined by one other guest for the remainder of our time. 

Perhaps due to its eco-resort status, the rooms don’t have AC.  I was extremely concerned about this, and while I would have loved to have had AC, our nights wound up not being as miserable as I feared.  The rooms have these crazy strong ceiling fans coupled with open-air (but mesh-covered) shutters—it got cool enough overnight to require the use of the top sheet.  The rooms themselves are nice, but nothing special, and not likely to be considered traditionally chubby.  Be aware—it’s very buggy on the island. I’m a weenie when it comes to bugs, but between bug spray, mosquito nets, and a bug repellent scarf, I managed to leave unscathed.

This resort shone when it came to the food/beverage options and the service.  Meal orders were taken at the end of the preceding meal. The menu was impressive for such a small facility—at least 8-12 options per meal.  I preferred the food here to Mukul.  The staff was incredibly attentive and kind.  They went out of their way to set up a special lakeside anniversary dinner for us the final night.  While guests were vastly outnumbered by staff, the service never felt overly attentive or cloying.  The team struck the perfect balance of responsiveness and giving us privacy.

TL;DR: Great food and drink with amazing service, but less chubby rooms with no AC.

General Impressions

Nicaragua is a beautiful country with warm people who are excited to share their country.  I was aware of various warnings about traveling here due to political instability, but we did not experience anything that gave us pause.  The country is undeniably poor, and there is minimal infrastructure to support tourism when compared to its neighbor, Costa Rica.  We took a day trip into Granada, a lakeside colonial city established in the 1500s; much like our experiences at both resorts, it was eerily devoid of tourists.  That didn’t stop us from having a lovely afternoon touring various cultural sites.  Upon reflection, it feels like Nicaragua could be on the precipice of becoming an emerging vacation destination, though it’s likely 10-15 years away from that becoming a reality.

This is long enough—happy to answer any other questions!

 

 

My pets used to be absolutely feral for these treats. I’ve been buying them every 2-4 week for over two years, and the interest in them has always been exceptionally high. However, about a month ago, both pets stopped showing an interest in them.

The treats themselves look a bit different (darker color, rougher, sometimes crumbly texture). I emailed the company and they claim no changes have been made, but I’ve bought at least five new bags in hopes that I just had a bad batch with no luck.

Has anyone else noticed a change?

Benny Schwaaa, Lauren Lapkus, Ryan Gaul, and Brandon Scott Jones. Epic show so far! It’s so refreshing that there are multiple successful improv-based national tours happening!

Hell or High Water, Denver’s only haunted gay pirate tiki bar, recently reopened in a new location after a months-long temporary closure. The new space has a small bar in front (The Glory Hole), that you walk through (follow sign for the donkey show!) before entering the HHW space. They retained much of their iconic decor (dilophasaurus head) and added a bunch of additional pieces, such as the inverted cross/middle finger wall pictured here and a disco penis. I only captured this photo—so sorry!

Drinks were awesome, per usual. I ordered the Ball Gag (Citradelle cornichon gin, cantaloupe, dill aquavit, falernum, orgeat, lemon) and the Golden Shower Club (cachaça, pineapple, cinnamon, lime, turmeric, lime, black pepper, clarified golden coconut milk)—both were outstanding.

I highly recommend checking them out if you’re in Denver!

5’7”

Size small

38-26-38

I have been lucky enough to get the opportunity to visit NYC from out of state approximately every 3-4 months for the last few years. Each trip consists of marathoning shows to maximize my visits. After my last trip, I had seen every musical I had an interest in seeing…so, once the new slate of shows began opening this spring, I knew it was time for another trip!

1. The Lost Boys — I went in completely blind, and really enjoyed it! I love a visual spectacle, and this show over delivers. It’s nice to just have fun at the theater sometimes. I am already planning to see it again in August as I think my partner will love it.

2. Cats: The Jellicle Ball — This show prompted my trip, and TBH, it was a tiny bit of a let down. I sat dead center, front row of the orchestra, and could not see any of the floor work happening upstage. Bummer, considering I had the option of buying on stage couch seats. Knowing what I know now, I personally would have preferred those. The dancing was phenomenal. The incorporation of ballroom culture really made sense and was a beautiful tribute. But…the vocals were not there for me. During big ensemble numbers, the diction was lost. Words were hard to decipher. Overall, this show is absolutely a must-see.

3. Oh, Mary! — This marked my 5th time seeing the show and my 5th Mary. Maya was fun, but it was not my favorite rendition of the role. She played some of the lines like “valley girl”, and it was not my cup of tea.

4. Schmigadoon — Surprise hit of the trip. I had enjoyed the show, but I didn’t expect to respond so strongly to the stage adaptation. It’s just a delight to witness.

5. Rocky Horror — Campy in the best possible way. Another show where I left with a huge smile on my face.

New name: Milpero

My sweetheart