We truly enjoyed our recent vacation to the Gulf coast of Florida, namely Clearwater Beach. Me and James stayed for 7 nights and 6 days at the Sandpearl Resort, a classy hotel on the beach featuring 253 guest rooms and suites, 2 restaurants, a coffee shop, outdoor pool, full service spa and fitness center, outdoor fire pit and plenty of family activities.
Sandpearl Resort lived up to the promotional video for sure!
Incidentally, in the state of Florida, all hotel patrons are automatically charged a $35 a day room fee. According to the brochure, our daily fee at the Sandpearl Resort covered the following:
2 in room bottled waters, Wireless internet, In room coffee, pool towel services at the resort pool and beach, beach chairs for use on resort’s private beach, fitness center, bike rental at the resort, daily newspaper, shoe shine, daily turndown service, business center for computing and printing needs, unlimited local calls and toll-free number access.
This same brochure also makes it quite clear that the daily room fee does not replace tips or gratuities (smile).
But I digress…on our very first day at the resort we ate at Tate Island Grill – one of the only two restaurants at the resort – mainly because we were over tired from traveling all day and hungry as Hell (smile). I devoured a grilled chicken salad with a large iced water while staring at the ocean in my street clothes.
Tate Island Grill – delish restaurant on the resort – and we had a very nice waitress named Taylor who was quite attentive.
On our second day we went to the Activities desk where we received 2 beach loungers and free towels but were charged $30 for the beach umbrella. We found out real soon that the sun rose early and stayed out late so the beach umbrella came in handy. Plus, if we felt overheated, we could always cool off in the baby blue ocean water just ahead.
Our complimentary beach loungers and towels and our paid-for beach umbrella (smile).
Besides the beach, we found we also liked spending time in the hotel resort pool because the restaurant and bar were so close by, the beach loungers sat close to the edge of the pool and the cool pool water felt so good on my skin (smile).
Pool side and loving it!.
As far as dining out, Caretta on the Gulf held the distinction of being “Clearwater’s Triple AAA Four Diamond Restaurant.” Lucky for us it was one of 2 restaurants on our resort. The sushi and sashimi we ordered our first date night there was so fresh and delish, we came back a second time later in the week for more.
The sashimi and sushi tasted as good as it looked!Caretta on the Gulf – by far our fave restaurant
Did I mention the sunsets at Clearwater Beach?!? They were truly an event. People came from near and far to Pier 60 where at a certain section of the pier you are charged one dollar to view the most stunning sunsets you have probably ever seen.
However, don’t blink or you’ll miss the fiery sunset!
The restaurants outside the resort were yummy and delish as well. And there were so many to choose from, We ate breakfasts most mornings right outside the resort at Clear Sky Beachside Cafe. Our breakfasts were big and consisted of 2 eggs with cheese, Turkey sausage or Applewood bacon, grits and an english muffin. Thank God for Orangetheory Fitness Center back home (smile).
Clear Sky Beachside Cafe – convenient location and yummy breakfasts
Most days of the week we usually skipped lunch (as we were still full from breakfast) and after a day spent at the pool or the beach, showered, dressed and headed straight to dinner. Whether on resort at Caretta on the Gulf or off resort at either Blinkers Beachside or Crabby’s Hideaway, the Clearwater Beach cuisine was def worth writing home about (smile).
Blinkers Beachside – delish Miso Salmon with mushrooms and asparagus – I also chugged down a bottle of Saratoga sparkling water – yum!
After dinner we either walked along the bustling lively streets of Clearwater Beach or else strolled the beach at sunset with shoes in hand and sugary white sand between our toes.
Ahhhh…I’ll miss the sugary white soft sand and fiery sunsets most
It’s been a minute since I blogged in TVFL about anything – 10 months to be exact – call it the ‘Pandemic Blues’ but I’ve been feeling pretty unmotivated when it comes to writing about my life.
It could also be because I’ve been having GI issues of late which are more annoying than painful. Between doctor’s appointments, getting my Vitals checked, eliminating certain foods from my diet, it’s not been a fun start to the New Year…
One thing’s for sure, the issue is not related to alcohol since I stopped drinking anything but Mocktails at the onset of the Pandemic..
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Mocktail
The silver lining is that my GI office is real close to figuring out what’s wrong with me so that they can prescribe the correct course of action.
And I can try and get back to a more normal way of living which includes a positive mindset and healthier version of clean eating.
I turned 60 years old on February 14th 2022. I was tripping about my “advanced age” (smile) for a minute because it suddenly hit me that I more likely then not have more years behind me then I have in front of me…
However, on the flip side, I consider my age to be a blessing because not everyone lives to the ripe old age of 60.
And to truly celebrate this milestone birthday, as well as our 10th year love anniversary, me and my boo embarked on a much needed and long overdue vacation to Cancun, Mexico. My travel agent Karen booked our stay at an Adults -Only, All-Inclusive Iberostar resort. We upgraded to an oceanfront junior suite on the 13th floor which had a spiral staircase on the bottom deck leading up to the top deck which featured a hot tub, an outdoor shower plus a small table and two lounge chairs. It was so cozy looking especially at night when the warm ocean breezes slid into our room.
Our beautiful view from the 13th floor.
Our private hot tub on the top deck complete with an outdoor shower, a small table and two lounge chairs
And this is how we spent our days on the beach right outside our Junior Suite:
We spent more time in these open beach huts during the daytime which served us well especially after fighting the surf all day.
On our 2nd night at the resort, we met, conversed for 5 minutes and subsequently had dinner together at an American Bistro with this couple from Southern Virginia. They had been married for 40 years and told us over dinner that although they were no longer working for a living, they had not “retired” but rather re-set. I’m going to use that term when I officially ‘retire'(smile). Anyway, towards the end of the night, they shared with us that their next vacation stop was at a semi-nude beach in the islands…
La Parilla Restaurant (steakhouse) on our 3rd night was where we received a cheesecake after our dinner with Happy 10th Anniversarywritten on it…this was a big surprise to us although we did recall our lovely waiter asking us if we were celebrating anything special that night…
Delish perfectly cooked Salmon with freshly prepared ceaser salad, hot rolls drizzled with olive oil and mixed veggies.
A wonderful post-dinner surprise
We missed the reservations we made for the Japanese restaurant on our 4th night because we got caught up in downtown Cancun at La Isla Shopping Village. This village was a super wide open indoor/outdoor market consisting of retail clothing stores, souvenir shops, restaurants, travel excursion booths and much, much more. We were solicited by a man on the street who worked for one of the travel agencies and he sold us on a speedboat and snorkeling tour that costs $150 (including the snorkeling gear) and left the dock everyday at 9am, 12noon and 3pm. We agreed it was a good deal and returned the very next day to take advantage of it.
The iconic Cancun tour was a blast – glad we made the decision to go
Captain James and Lajeune ready for take-off
The most memorable dinner of all was on our 5th night – A private dinner for 2 with special menu and upgraded wine(courtesy of Quinn/Panzer Travel Agency at a resort restaurant of our choice). We chose La Horma, a gourmet restaurant where the wait staff literally treated us like a King and Queen the minute we walked through the doors. They were quite literally tripping over themselves as they sat us at a table with a view of the ocean. Plus they anticipated all of our needs, fed us way too much food – James had sushi appetizers with breaded shrimp, crostini bread topped with veggies, meaty beef tacos with ceviche and for his entree: flank steak and sides. I ordered off the menu – I chose linguini with pesto sauce topped with parmesan cheese which looked as good as it tasted. I also devoured the hot crusty rolls with olive oil and parmesan cheese. In recognition of our 10th year love anniversary, I received beautiful roses from our waiter.
Linguini with pesto sauce and loads of fresh parmesan cheeseA piping hot delish oversized dinner rollOlive oil with fresh parmesan cheesePosing with the roses I received from our waiter to celebrate our 10th year love anniversary
I stopped drinking alcohol almost 2 years back when the Pandemic first started so I probably lost money to the resort since for beverages I threw back grapefruit juice, mineral water, beet juice, coffee, expresso, virgin strawberry daiquiris, green juice and bottled waters (smile).
Cold fresh bottled waters and a virgin strawberry daiquiri – yum!
Our 6th and final day consisted of breakfast outdoors at the resort (now sporting our street clothes) and waiting on the emailed results of our Covid tests which, of course, were negative.
Healthy and delish breakfast with fresh beet juice – yum!
We caught our airport shuttle the designated 3 hours before our flight and mentally prepared ourselves for the trip back to Connecticut.
I was raised in the small town of Groton, Connecticut (population around 40,000). I graduated from Mary Morrison Elementary School, Robert E. Fitch Jr. High School and Robert E. Fitch Sr. High School. And, as is the case of most small towns, the “legal age” residents (like myself back then) were usually looking for something fun and/or exciting to do post graduation.
I was in luck that year. It was 1980 and the nightclub scene in Groton and the surrounding towns and cities was lit! Again this is wayyyyyyy back in the day so Disco music was very popular. And the dance scene was all the rage. Saturday Night Fever had already shown at the movies so everyone was looking to out-do John Travolta and his partner on the dance floor (smile). I personally liked Disco Music because it was fast paced with heavy bass and lots of beats. Disco dance tunes also seem to go on forever when dancing.
I so vividly remember this time in my life. Going to nightclubs at 18 (which, incidentally, was the drinking age back then) and having plenty of options to choose from. It was a different time, for instance I was able to survive on very little sleep (smile). So starting the Summer before I left for college, I would ‘club’ 4 or 5 nights a week and still manage to get up in time to work not one, but two jobs – as a full-time Drive-Through-Window Cashier at Wendy’s Hamburgers in Groton and as a part-time Cashier at a small grocery store directly up the street from Wendy’s.
I recall on weekdays diligently packing my large overnight bag with my Wendy’s uniform, my grocery store tunic and Levi jeans, and my nightclub gear. I had a long day ahead of me so preparation was key (smile). After getting off from the grocery store, I would excuse myself and go to the ladies room in the rear of the store to wash off and get dressed for the evening. My bff Connie would then pick me up If I was not driving my mother’s blue Mustang (smile).
And grabbing food on the go was a cinch as I truly had a cast-iron stomach. I would inhale Wendy’s French fries dipped in tartar sauce for breakfast and wash it down with a delicious chocolate Fribble. Lunch would sometimes consist of a Wendy’s Crispy Fried Chicken with Cheese Sandwich and a Dr. Pepper. Dinner could be a Junior Whopper with cheese and fries courtesy of Burger King. Healthy eating was not a factor in my life then. And “clean eating” to me consisted of washing my hands before and after I ate and wiping the corners of my mouth while eating a messy burger (smile).
Rhana Pippins, located in a shopping center called Lighthouse Square in Groton, was the premier Disco nightclub as well as ya girl’s personal fav. There were other nightclubs in town but everybody went to Rhana Pippins on Wednesday nights and I mean everybody! As it turned out, the ambience was key – it was beautiful inside with gargantuan frogs which served as the motif and doubled as speakers. Also Wednesday nights was the traditional Ladies Night and word had spread quickly throughout Connecticut about free admission for the ladies, the Chippendale male strippers, the cheap drinks and the hunky men who arrived afterwards…
The iconic matches – perfect for getting those 7 digits (smile).
Saturday nights at Rhana’s Pippins were also Fire! There was a different vibe on Saturday nights though, people came dressed to impress. Saturday Night Fever had revolutionized the nightclub scene so it wasn’t uncommon to see men dressed in open collared shirts and designer threads. It also wasn’t uncommon to be entertained with an upscale fashion show and/or other nightclub event. I found the crowd older and more sophisticated on Saturday nights and therefore preferred the Wednesday night crowd (smile).
This hottie (who happens to be my older brother Michael) was def a crowd pleaser (smile)
Fun fact: Rhana Pippins means frogs in Latin. I often wondered why the dance floor was surrounded by gargantuan frogs that doubled as speakers. I also uncovered this tidbit: West Hartford, Connecticut’s own native Suzanne Langlois designed the interior of the nightclub. Very Cool…
Anyway on Wednesday nights at Rhana Pippins, me and my BFF Connie, fresh out of high school and feeling ourselves, were quite literally the first females to break out with dressy shorts, nice blouses and low heels. At first the other females were looking at us like we were crazy for wearing shorts at night (dressy or not!) and then suddenly everybody was doing it (smile). We also couldn’t forget our sunglasses. Sunglasses at night. It made us look cool, dark and mysterious (smile).
Connie and I were at the age where we didn’t think we were cute, we knew we were cute (LOL!) and we went to Rhana Pippins on Wednesday Nights not because the Chippendale dancers were there but because of the free admission, cheap drinks and hunky men who came in later.
My drink of choice back then was at first Seagrams 7 & 7and then Alabama Slammersor better known as a “Southern Slammers.” By the time I was in my early 20s, I had graduated to Long Island Iced Teas(you can’t go wrong with 7 different liquors – LOL!).
Alabama Slammer
As soon as the Chippendale dancers begin to come out on the dance floor me and my BFF Connie quickly headed to the rear of the nightclub close to the large bar, sipping our drinks on the bar stools and watching the comedy parade unfold. The “30+ something” married women were always one of the largest demographics on Wednesday nights and seemed to also be the most aggressive, waving their dollar bills in the air and gyrating their hips like they just don’t care (smile). The former was so the Chippendale dancers would come over to give them big kisses and more…
Connie and I weren’t paying them any mind, we were doing our own thing, chit chatting, snapping our fingers to the music and slowly sipping our drinks until the “real men” arrived. By this time we were thoroughly liquored up and ready to partaaay!!! We were young and cute and therefore always asked to dance. Once out on the dance floor we gravitated towards the middle where the huge mirror ball hung with its sparkling multi-colored lights and lost ourselves in the music…
Must Be The Music
At 2am, Rhana Pippins shut down for the night but Connie and I were not ready to go home. IHOP in Groton was the place to be after all the nightclubs closed. And around that time we were famished so we ordered large breakfast food (pancakes and sausage and coffee or eggs, bacon, toast and coffee) and talked throughout the night with our respective dates.
I would get home just in time to get in 2 hours of sleep before the alarm clock went off then I would shower, dress and start my day all over again. Frog eyed and Bushy Tailed (smile).
P.S. Rhana Pippins was mynumber one nightclub choice back then but here are some notable mentions: The Love Boat, Christopher’s and Atlantis in Misquamicut, Rhode Island just to name a few. However, they still didn’t compare in my eyes to Rhana Pippins which to me had it all: ambience, music, fashion shows, dance-offs, a variety of specialty drinks and lots of eye candy (smile).
And incidentally, Sundays were for Church service and Mondays were our ‘official rest days’ (smile).
There was a small window in time at some point in July of 2021 where life was beginning to feel a little normal, albeit, the “new normal,” as masks were flung off, dressy outfits were put back on and baseball caps were sent back to the ball field.
Then along came Delta, it sounds like a movie but instead it’s the name of the new variant that is quickly turning our everyday lives into a mini nightmare. The medical doctor on the last news segment I watched explained that even if you are fully vaccinated, you can still catch and/or transmit the COVID virus – Yikes! It’s no wonder that it’s spreading like wildfire.
And now the Connecticut Department of Public Health recommends that all state residents go back to wearing masks inside public buildings.
Yes. Again…Wait, Really?!?
So as of today, me and my fellow News 8 Account Executives continue to work (masked up outside our cubicles) in the same hybrid fashion we started about 14 months ago. Call me crazy but I happen to like working 50 percent from home and 50 percent from the office. I have even created a cozy home office in one corner of my dining room that easily fits my desk, office supplies, desktop computer, office chair, printer and work files. I can’t lie: I’m not looking forward to going back to work in the office 100 percent of the time. Especially since I’ll have to face those crazy, unhinged drivers everyday as opposed to just half the week.
Being the Optimist that I am though, I take a deep breath and remember what I am truly grateful for: I am truly grateful that me, my family and my loved ones are all healthy, fully vaccinated and presently living Covid- free lives.
And I certainly hope the same for all of my TVFL readers.
