Lajeune

Back to Broadcast Media Sales!

In my last blog, My Entry into Broadcast Media Sales, I ended it with how I was starting to feel antsy working in print sales at Umoja Newspaper which led to me thinking about my next challenge. Coincidentally I received a phone call from the local sales manager at WEBE 108FM and WICC 600AM. She said one of their seasoned players did not work out and there was a “list” for me if I wanted it. A “list” in broadcast media sales is a written guarantee of accounts that show that a seller is going to make a certain amount of money within the year by servicing these accounts. I was very happy to return to WEBE and WICC, this time with a “base” to work from as well as a team that I felt more aligned with. This was back in the 90s when there were lots of incentives put forth for good sellers to stick around. At WEBE and WICC these included trips to the Caribbean if quarterly team budgets were met, cash bonuses and lots of local restaurant trade for sellers to use on their advertising clients. Here’s another: if we lived in a nearby city (at the time I lived in New Haven, CT) we were encouraged to get a gas and oil change trade to use for our own car(!) as well as to be shared with the radio stations news vehicles. Win Win! I got it done and spent the following year enjoying free gas and free oil changes! Again, very different times (smile).

It gets better. On my first day back to work, I found out the WEBE and WICC combo sales team had just achieved their quarterly sales budget so, as they say, I stepped into it. Since I was the one who had replaced the dismissed Senior Account Executive, I automatically qualified for an All-Inclusive 6 day 5 night trip to Half Moon Bay in Montego Bay, Jamaica! Since I wasn’t a “real winner” like the rest of the sales team I could go, but I could not bring a date. No matter, I still enjoyed my very own Junior Suite, copious amounts of delish food and drink, quality beach time and plenty of sight seeing with the only other 2 “single ladies” on the trip and I had a blast! What a way to start a new job (smile).

I truly enjoyed being back at WEBE and WICC radio for the second time around. Now I was making good money, I got along very well with the staff and the local sales team, dined out at some of the finest restaurants in Fairfield County, and enjoyed many other occupational perks. However, I still felt like something was missing. So when I got a phone call from the then General Sales Manager of Star 99.9FM, WPLR 99.1FM, and WYBC 94.3FM, I took it. We met up and he told me in person that they had created a position just for me. I would be the New Business Director of WYBC 94.3FM. I would have my own office at their Milford, CT headquarters and I was to be charged with creating a media kit from scratch as well as sales one sheeters and such. I would also hire local Account Executives strictly for WYBC and train them as well as train the Star 99.9 and WPLR 99.1 Account Executives on how to sell a black radio station and more importantly, how to sell to the Urban community. Management had evidently did their homework on me…I was up to the task and lasted 5 and a half years. I was forced out in the end when things started to get ugly in the Radio industry. It was transitioning to Wall Street which meant lots of mergers and the introduction of satellite radio. Positions like mine were cut and heads rolled out the door. My beloved Radio was becoming a part of my not too distant past and I had no choice but to finally let go…

I started interviewing for Account Executive positions with local television stations while I took advantage of my time off with severance pay. A good friend of mine named Catherine (who is now one of my fav clients!) suggested I start there. I also met with another industry friend of mine named Paul who worked in local sales for both radio and television stations and told me that it’s like “going from the basement to the penthouse.” Paul was not wrong (smile). I ended up back at WTNH News 8 (ABC) my first choice even though I interviewed with all of the other local network affiliates: CBS, NBC and FOX. WTNH News 8 was appealing to me because of my previous (and positive) work history there and because I truly loved the station and it programming – Me and my family watched Channel 8 back in the day when I was Growing up Hollis in Groton, CT – Sports Nut. Again, WTNH News 8 was the last tv station I interviewed with. On purpose as I learned a lot from the other interviews and used that knowledge to convince the then Local Sales Manager to hire me in a week’s time (including getting a drug test)! I basically said something to the affect of, you can hire me here to bring in New Business or you can watch while I bring it to your competition and he was SOLD (smile).

It is now 20 years later and I sell 2 local TV stations – WTNH News 8 and WCTX My TV; a station website, WTNH.com; Integrated Sponsorships for our local lifestyle show, CT Buzz; and local News and Community sponsorships. Since we are now owned by Nexstar Media Group out of Texas, I also sell Nexstar digital products including but not limited to SEM/SEO, Video Marketing, Email Blasts, Social Media platforms (Facebook, Instagram and You Tube) and OTT/CTV.

Looking back over the past 35+ years, the media industry has certainly changed. Local media continues to evolve. My story will not be fully written until I retire and can really kick back and look at things from a perspective not clouded by the stress of my daily work life. Stay tuned…

TVFL

Baby Blues

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 its promotional video, that’s 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 – located right on the resort – no need to travel for good eating (smile). And we had a very nice, very attentive waitress by the name of Taylor

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 already-paid-for beach umbrellas (smile)

Besides the beach, we found we also liked spending time at 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).

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 sushi and sashimi tasted as fresh as it looks!

Caretta on the Gulf – by far our fav 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 in your life!

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 in Hamden back home (smile).

Clear Sky Beachside Cafe – yummy breakfasts and convenient location

Could not help but take advantage of a convenient photo op (smile)

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 at the 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 – and I washed it all down with cool, sparkling Saratoga water – yum!

After dinner we either walked along the bustling lively streets of Clearwater Beach or else strolled the actual beach at sunset with shoes in hand and sugary white sand landing between our toes.

Ahhhh…I’ll miss the sugary white sand and fiery sunsets the most…

But then I’ll remember that Clearwater Beach is just a phone call away…

Sincerely,

TVFL

My Entry into Broadcast Media Sales

The year was 1989 and I had been working as a Local Sales Assistant for the past 3 1/2 years at what was then WTNH Action News 8 Television in New Haven, CT.

I was relieved when I originally landed this support position because although I had my B.S. degree in Media Studies from Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT, it took a long time back then even for a college graduate to land a decent job in the media industry.

These were, what I was to find out much much later, the glory days of television. Al Terzi, Janet Peckingpaugh and Mike Bogoslawski were the Local News Anchors at the time. And there were only 3 networks back then (ABC, CBS and NBC) so our ABC local network affiliate’s share of pie was huge and money was flowing!

Once again, I originally took this support position because I could see how hard it was to break into “the business” so I figured if I was around those that did what I aspired to do, it would be much easier. Boy was I wrong! Because back in the day I wanted to be the host of my own Community Affairs program. So I worked all day long as a Local Sales Assistant for 6 to 8 sellers and 3 sales managers; at least 2 to 3 nights a week, I hung around and shadowed the Community Affairs Director. To my delight, a Host position finally came up for the new Community Affairs program and it was immediately given to one of the TV News Reporters – not only was I not even considered, I wasn’t even on the list!

Then along came a BIG surprise. The Sally Jessy Raphael Show (a national program!) moved into our New Haven studios to tape their daily 10am show. My world had now changed for the better. I was able to sneak downstairs to check out famous people practically every week for the next 2 years. It was a huge occupational perk and a big reason for me to stick around. I met then President Jimmy Carter and his wife Roslyn, Suzanne Somers from Three’s Company, the infamous Donna Rice, Marlo Thomas from That Girl and her hubby Phil Donahue from the Phil Donahue Show just to name a few. When The Sally Show moved on to New York, it was time for me to go as well.

I had decided to pursue broadcast media sales. So on my final week the local sales team and local sales managers, whom I loved working for, presented me with a leather briefcase and ordered me to fill it up with lots of orders! I had previously met with a few of the Local Account Executives on my own time and basically questioned them on what to expect in the world of broadcast media sales. They were super helpful but to be honest, selling is something you truly learn by doing. You either have it, or you don’t. It’s not like anything I’ve ever done in my life and I still enjoy it, even in this day and age…

When I left Action News 8 I was making a paltry $19,500 a year (this is after a $3,000 raise!) which was enough to pay the rent on my super cute but tiny studio apartment in the East Rock neighborhood of New Haven, but not enough to buy or own a car. And this was with waitressing on the weekends at Friendly’s Ice Cream in Hamden, CT. Here I was working 2 jobs and moonlighting on Monday evenings as a Community Volunteer Radio Announcer for WYBC 94.3FM in New Haven. Lovers Corner with Lajeune was the name of my show – the best in R & B love songs. A true labor of love (smile).

My moonlighting gig – here with the other WYBC 94.3FM On-Air Personalities – I’m in the front row wearing a black tee

My first broadcast sales job was at WEBE 108FM in Bridgeport, CT. Lucky for me my oldest sister Dana had bought herself a new car so she gifted me with her older AMC Gremlin to commute back and forth with everyday from New Haven to Bridgeport. My selling territory was Fairfield and New Haven counties so I would be spending lots of time on the road. The Gremlin wasn’t perfect but through God’s Grace and the proximity of Firestone Tire Centers, it held its own (smile).

My AMC Gremlin – it actually looked just like this except it was beige

At the time I was hired, there were 2 radio stations in the same building and on the same floor: WEBE 108FM and WICC 600AM. I was hired by WEBE so I was literally selling against the account executives at WICC, who sat right around the corner from me. It was a strange feeling for sure. After I completed my first year of selling, the radio station became a “Combo” which meant they would not need as many of us in sales so they trimmed the sales teams back to 9 sellers from a combined total of 15. I just knew I was a goner because I was still green and still cutting my teeth but they said I was staying because they loved my sunny and positive ‘Can Do’ attitude (smile).

Here is the picture of me that was taken for the newsletter the radio station sent out to Fairfield County residents to welcome the newly combined WEBE and WICC Radio stations:

i loved selling WEBE and WICC radio stations not just because I was learning a ton working with a seasoned sales team but also because the company provided us with a comprehensive radio sales training program and plenty of radio industry resources to back it up. But to be honest, I had entered year 2 and was still not making any money. I worked on 100% commission against draw but since I had no list, I basically had to constantly cold call for appointments and then start from scratch when I landed a new account. Since I was mostly working on promotional accounts which require lots of moving parts, it was exhausting…

One of my many promotional accounts – the grand opening of Mobil Gas station in Stratford

Then, as luck would have it, I received a phone call from the Local Sales Manager at WNHC 1340AM, the Rhythm of the City. WNHC was an R & B (no Rap!) radio station based in New Haven, CT so I figured I had nothing to lose. During our interview, the Local Sales Manager basically painted the right picture for me – yes, you are leaving a 50,000 Watt FM radio station in wealthy Fairfield County for a 1000 Watt AM radio station in New Haven, but with us, the sky is the limit. When I told my Local Sales Manager I was leaving them for WNHC in New Haven, not only did she think I was crazy but so did the majority of the team (LOL!)

It’s no secret that I enjoy a challenge and what I saw in front of me was opportunity for growth and a new, close-knit work family that I could really get behind. Consequently, in my 5 1/2 years at WNHC, I more than excelled. I moved up from Account Executive to Local Sales Manager to finally National Sales Manager. I also enjoyed meeting tons of famous people at free concerts and plays – mostly singers and performers. I ran my own on-air African-American Book Review once a week with my partner Lamonda (L & L Book Review) and was constantly chosen to serve on numerous committees, judge area fashion shows, speak to the New Haven youth at public schools about careers in media sales, etc.

One of my most memorable interviews on the L & L On-Air Book Review was the one with the legendary Michael Baisden. He was building his career back in the day and I could see easily why he is as famous as he is today – he’s a hoot!

When WNHC Radio went bankrupt (that will be covered in another blog) I decided to pursue the print world. I traveled back and forth to Bridgeport, CT to work for Umoja News, a monthly urban start-up newspaper that covered events that I felt passionate about. The founder and I worked closely together. She handled the day to day operations and I ran the sales department. I wrote a sales training manual, hired 3 local sellers and handled regional accounts. I stayed a little less than 2 years because I could not get into the pace, i.e., working like a madwoman for a little under a week every month to meet those crazy deadlines and then spending the remaining 3 weeks of the month calling on new business. I found it cumbersome.

My short stint working in print media as an Advertising Sales Manager

In my next blog post I will talk about my journey back to broadcast radio sales this time with the know-how, negotiating skills and lots of multi-media experience.

Stay tuned!

TVFL

SAT, A surprise to me!

San Antonio, Texas (SAT)

My most recent mini vacay was to San Antonio, Texas which is located in South Central Texas with a population of 1.5 million people. San Antonio is 150 miles from the Mexican border and to say the Tex Mex influence is strong would simply be an understatement (smile). Why San Antonio? Well, because my fraternal twin nephews, Marcus and Marshall who will be 40 this year, have been living there for well over a decade and up until this point, I had yet to visit them. Their sister and my niece, Dimitrica, who will be 46 this year and resides in North Carolina with her husband and son, arranged to meet me so we could share a hotel room. This was to be a short trip but one where we planned on lots of family fun, bonding and catching up on lost time.

La Fogata with L to R: Marcus, Me, Marshall, Dimitrica

Our very first meal when we arrived was at a restaurant called La Fogata. Dan Fenyn, my sales manager Jocelyn Fenyn’s husband, highly recommended it. Dan was not wrong, not only was the food we ordered delish but the ambience spoke to a highly authentic and true Mexican experience.

My dish at La Fogata – Cheese quesadillas with specially seasoned shrimp and spinach

Canopy by Hilton San Antonio Riverwalk

This is the hotel I booked for our 4 day, 3 night stay. I purposely chose this hotel because it is across the street from the Riverwalk plus it is right in downtown San Antonio where all the restaurants, shops and outdoor activity were located. Plus we needed a place that we could easily walk to and from. It’s amazing what you can do in a 4-day weekend (Friday – Monday) trip when you travel from another coast and are given an extra hour to work with (smile).

Clean room, comfy beds, nice showers and strong coffee

Modes of transportation

We noticed there were may different modes of transportation for those people who were not driving. Scooter rentals, Electric bike rentals, even Segway rentals lined the downtown streets. I could not help but notice the very large, very loud pick-up trucks flying up and down the downtown streets adding to the traffic congestion.

And I was blown away by the carriage rides populating downtown streets – so many at once and all decorated in different seasonal themes and colors! It seemed like everywhere we turned we would come upon a family or a couple or a group of friends on a horse drawn carriage ride! At nighttime it was super cool to see because the carriage was now brightly lit with different colored lights and music played throughout. I looked at what it cost to take a ride on the horse drawn carriage: $75 dollars for 1 person and $35 dollars for each person thereafter for a 20 minute ride. $100 dollars for 1 person and $50 dollars for each person thereafter for a 30 minute ride. And one child rides free with each paying adult.

From daytime to nighttime, these horse carriage rides suited everyone’s wish lists

The Alamo

Aptly described as an “18th century Spanish mission preserved as a museum.” We could not leave San Antonio without at least visiting The Alamo. It was just as I expected…

The Canopy hotel restaurants

Another reason me and Dimitrica enjoyed staying at the Canopy was because you did not have to leave the hotel for good breakfast food. We ate hearty breakfasts every morning at Domingo Restaurante and for nighttime mocktails, the rooftop deck at Otro was the place to hang out and relax after a fun-filled busy day.

Texas sized bowls of oatmeal for breakfast at Domingo!

Otro on the rooftop at night for mocktails and apps

The Riverwalk

We discovered the San Antonio Riverwalk on our second day. It had become a source of conversation to me by so many people the very second I mentioned I was visiting family in San Antonio. The Riverwalk is just like it sounds. It’s a miles-long pedestrian walkway with a river running through it. It is truly underground so you have to get to it by taking steps down from the street. The river is surrounded by restaurants, cafes, bistros, shops, retail clothing stores, boutique hotels and the like. Every time we walked down the steps to the Riverwalk, (for short cuts or to find a new shop) we would see masses of people browsing around, shopping, eating and/or sight seeing.

Me at the top of the walkway from The Riverwalk

Go Rio

While walking around the Riverwalk, we kept seeing river boat cruises filled with tourists passing us by. We were told by the hotel staff that if we decide to take a river cruise we should to catch one at night as it’s cooler in temperature, the boat is well lit and decorated and music is played throughout the promenade. We finally took them up on it on Day 3 of 4 – the 35 minuted guided tour was so fun and festive and the cost was a small $14.00 per person!

Passing another passenger-packed Go Rio cruise boat while on our own tour

La Cantera Resort and Spa

We purchased a Resort Day Pass for $65 (Marshall’s brilliant idea) to the La Cantera Resort and Spa. This luxury resort and spa is known for its private villas, fine dining, wellness spas, championship golf and celebrity sightings. By purchasing a Resort Day Pass we were able to have access to the pool side of things. So on day 3 we spent half the day poolside where we enjoyed the infiniti pool, delicious lunch and laying out on lounge chairs. We also took advantage of the hot tub where we met a loud and raucous middle aged man who was pretty accurate at guessing our personality traits (smile). At the lazy river pool we played pool games with floaties and then rode down what were kiddie slides just for Ha Ha’s.

Pool games, fabulous food and lots of fun

Pandora’s Bookstore & Coffee Bar/Pure Aloha Bath & Beauty

Marshall (my nephew and our unofficial tour guide) told us about an African-American owned bookstore-cafe downtown which collaborated on space with a natural plant based beauty, cosmetic and personal care shop. We were so impressed when we stepped into this cute shop which had a nice collection of goods and a real positive vibe. I enjoyed meeting the owners (who have now become good friends) of both of these shops as they complement each other in the best way. Be sure to check them out if you visit San Antonio as you will not be disappointed.

I had a Deja Vu moment when I met Barbara Thomas the bookstore cafe owner – I can’t explain it – I just felt like that scene had already played out…

Enjoyed meeting and chatting with the owner of Pure Aloha. She is a wife, mother, and now small business owner living the dream

Bohanan’s

Bohanan’s (another Marshall pick) was a place Dimitrica and I had walked by during our daily recreational walks throughout downtown. The storefront truly did not do it any justice as when we entered the jazz supper club and restaurant, we were pleasantly surprised by piano bar and the funky vibe. I ordered a mocktail garnished with jalapeño peppers and Marshall and Dee each had a specialty expresso martini drink.

Mocktails and Cocktails at Bohanon’s Jazz club

Marcus’s family home

My nephew Marcus, his wife Asuka and kids live in a house in the suburbs of San Antonio. His wife was gracious enough to offer up a traditional japanese meal made from scratch. We had the best time at their house that day. It rained for a spell so we stayed inside and ate handmade Sushi and Sashimi and Tofu Salad with sesame seed dressing and a deliciously prepared thinly cut beef ribs and chicken. I ate 2 plates and then understood why Marcus said he does not eat out at restaurants anymore (smile). We also played games with the kids in the game room which featured game chairs for Street Fighters, a basketball net and more.

Family pictures – making memories in San Antonio

This is all homemade Japanese cuisine – courtesy of Marcus’s wife Asuka – can’t blame him for not wanting to eat out anymore (smile)

Historic Market Square

Ironically the evening Dimitrica and I decided to walk to this collection of restaurants and shops in an indoor space, mostly all of the shops were closed. Not too surprising though because it was a Sunday night and it was about 10pm…However the much talked about Mi Tierra Cafe and Bakery was still open which pleased Dimitrica, who was in search of the authentic Mexican Hot Chocolate and a sweet treat to go with it. The lively decor featured live Mexican music, mariachi dancers, a fun atmosphere, costumed staff and instagram-worthy photo backdrops! Oh and Dimitrica said the hot chocolate was delish!

I feel like me and Dimitrica were right inside of a festive carinival!

Mi Tierra is known not just for their delish authentic Mexican cuisine but also for their lively atmosphere

Centro San Antonio

One of the most interesting things I discovered during my quick trip to San Antonio is that there are a group of uniformed ambassadors called Centro San Antonio who are based downtown and work to keep it clean, safe and welcoming for the merchants as well as City visitors. Whether you are looking for directions to someplace or need assistance or information, they are trained to help. As it turns out, there are a number of homeless people in this large City who live downtown so another very important part of Centro’s mission is to offer them a safe place to live, food to eat, clothing to wear, a drug free program if needed and a safe space where they feel welcome. Sixto or “Six,” as he is referred to on the street, was a welcoming source of information to me and my niece while we walked around downtown.

This Centro Ambassador set-up is for the homeless when they are thirsty and looking for a free bottle of cold water

TV News station

I work in local sales at an ABC affiliated TV news station in New Haven, CT called WTNH News 8 so whenever I travel, I always look to see what the local news looks and feels like. Here is a snapshot of what I saw in in San Antonio:

And finally, if you are looking for an affordable place to live and work, my nephews (who both work in IT) tell me that San Antonio fits the bill. Housing is cheaper, jobs are available, ethnic food is plentiful, there’s lots to see and do and the residents are friendly. I am so glad I finally made the trip.

Sincerely,

TVFL

A 9 Hour Tour

I should have known that our planned vacation to Costa Rica was destined to be unpredictable as soon as our driver didn’t show up at 5am on the Sunday morning we were to depart for JFK International Airport. We didn’t know this at the time but apparently the night before that said driver (a friend of a friend) entered 4pm instead of 4am on his smart phone. What we did know was that we were 85 miles away from Queens, NY and neither of us were in the mood for nor possessed the inclination to take on New York City traffic that early in the morning. What ultimately pushed us forward was our original idea of flying outside of the country to enjoy a stress-free (and news-free) week in a dream destination.

The prospect of vacationing in Costa Rica, or “rich coast,” a relatively small country in Central America was super exciting to me because zip lining, mud bathing and Hot Springs would now be checked off my bucket list and James was thrilled mostly because of his keen fascination with all things nature.

We chose the month of October for our Costa Rican vacation because the hotel resort rates are very attractive during the rainy season so you can get more for your dollar. Also we figured it would not be as crowded as it is during the so called “dry season” which runs from December to March. We were at the end of Costa Rica’s ‘Winter’ where it rains off and on in this Southern Pacific Coast between the months of May through November. On our week there it typically rained every single afternoon between 3pm and 6pm but sometimes we were caught off guard with a quick and hard downpour early in the morning or later in the evening. The upside was that all this pesky rain created beautiful lush greenery and scenery seemingly out of a postcard once the bright sun came back out.

Feeling like we are in the middle of a postcard (smile).

We stayed at Secrets Papagayo Resort in Guanacaste on the Southern Pacific coast. The promotional video reeled us in with the Bungalow Suite King room and picturesque ocean views.

A picture of the Bungalow Suite King Room with peekaboo ocean views (smile).

What we discovered when we got to our room and immediately pulled back the sheers and stiff curtains to the deck were what could only be described as peek-a-boo views of the ocean. James promptly got on the phone and worked his magic with the concierge so much so that by the very next day we had been moved from our room in the 300s down to a room in the 100s. This room was identical to our other room but now we were not only closer to the action but more importantly, looking out we had the expansive view of the ocean that we were drawn to in the promotional video. If vacation were a man, he was now starting to resemble a tall, strong, muscular creature with long angular arms and crooked fingers, beckoning me to take refuge in the comfort of my new surroundings…

We took a guided 2 hour Jet Ski tour on the Pacific Ocean our second day there. We stopped at 3 different beaches during this tour. The first beach where we stopped had a dark cave like area where we took turns with the other couple we were on the tour with taking silhouette pictures.

The second beach featured a cliff that we had to climb up to. Once there we stood just close enough to capture great photo ops.

I refused to look behind me as we were standing on a cliff…

The third and last beach featured a woodsy area with white faced monkeys – those sneaky little thieves that steal your sunglasses and hats right off your head – these mischievous monkeys boldly rejected the other couple’s healthy peaches in favor of salty rich Doritos that some kid had dropped (smile).

You can’t be mad at him, he likes what he likes

The ride back on our Jet Ski was fast and furious as now we were heading directly into the high winds causing me to cling that much harder to James’s waist. I couldn’t avoid the cold ocean water spray either as it spit all over my face and bare arms. Brrrrr, it was cold!

Back on the resort I was not at all impressed with the cuisine. However Market Cafe, which featured a buffet of international cuisine, was surprisingly good. I’m not a buffet person but their daily breakfasts, lunches and dinners carried a a lot of weight in their food choices. We both looked forward to eating at Himitsu, a Pan-Asian Fusion place, because we love sushi and Asian food in general. As it turned out, Himitsu did not disappoint. Our favorite entree was the pork bellies – we literally ordered them on three separate occasions!

Date Night at Himitsu – Pork Belly Dish with fresh broccoli and jasmine rice was so good we came back 2 more evenings for more!

Portofino, the fancy Italian restaurant featured 5 courses as well as a dress code (which meant that men had to wear pants and if they showed up in shorts, they were offered a pair!). We understood Portofino was known for its wine list but since I gave up wine at the onset of the Pandemic back in 2020, I sipped on cold bottled water.

Fancy 5 course dinner at Portofino – I chose linguini with pesto sauce and James chose lasagna but i ended up eating his lasagna because it was so tasty and delish!

Speaking of giving up alcohol, my favorite non-alcoholic drink was the Green Monster – it was healthy, refreshing and delish! One afternoon I drank 4 Green Monsters poolside simply because the waiter kept refilling my glass (smile).

The Green Monster – I drank 4 of these non-alcoholic totally healthy and delish Smoothies made with almond milk, kale or spinach, frozen banana, almond butter, chia seeds, cinnamon and protein powder!

Seaside Grille was the seafood restaurant at the resort – during the day they piled fried seafood on platters and served them poolside and at night they offered fancier entrees where you dined in their cool, air-conditioned interior.

Seaside Grille by night – James ordered the Ribeye steak – I wish I had because my salmon was underwhelming…

All in all we do love resort life (especially the All-Inclusive’s) because you don’t have to worry about what you are going to do for the day, your bed is made and room is cleaned every day, there are planned activities posted daily, food is everywhere whether you are looking for something fast or casual, and there are plenty of things to do on and off the resort. If you come as a couple you have the opportunity to meet and hang out with other like-minded couples. We met this wonderful couple named Randy and Rachel from Nashville, TN over dinner our second night at the resort. We were dining at Himitsu – seated outdoors – and since we were sitting so close to them, we could not help but strike up a conversation. James said it reminded him of a Sienfield episode. Suffice it to say, we kept bumping into our new vacation friends until they talked us into joining them later on in the week on a 9 hour mega tour.

They caught us at the right time too because we were just getting ready to book the remainder of tours for the week with Amstar (since we enjoyed the Jet Ski tour so much) when they told us about this young man who was tucked away unseen on the resort but not too far from the Preferred Members club where we were meeting for drinks. They took us to him and it turned out that his tours were so cheap because they were Costco tours. Suffice it to say, we got a 9 hour mega tour (horseback riding, coffee cultural tour, sugar cane cultural tour, mud bath, hot springs, giant water slide, zip lining, bus ride to and from and lunch(!) for just $150 dollars. We met them and 4 to 5 other couples on the Thursday morning at 745am for an hour and a half bus ride to the our first leg of the mega tour, horseback riding.

Horse back riding was interesting because the horses were so well trained that we really did not have to do anything but hold on to our straps. They basically took us on a long walk down a muddy dirt road where the horses each comically took turns pooping all over the place and then stepping in each others messes (smile).

I felt like we were in an old timey Western movie

The next tour was the sugar cane cultural tour where we were offered delish expresso, cornbread, a sugar cane, and goat cheese on small plates. Here we sat in hard backed chairs and listened to the guide as he gave us the history of the sugar cane. Afterwards we walked down the hill (where it suddenly started to rain!) and met the star of the day, the oxen. This oxen (with the help of 2 volunteers – James and Randy) walked around and around in circles to produce fresh sugar water while James and Randy stuck the canes in a tree like opening. It was delish!

James and I posing with the very patient Oxen

The next tour was zip lining. I was feeling a little under the weather that day so the trek up the mountain to the zip line quite literally took my breath away. Once I was strapped in and felt secure, the rest was a breeze. We went on 5 different zip lines so I did not have time to think about whether I could do it or not – it was exhilarating for sure!

One of the most exhilarating tours on our vacation – this 9 hour tour was by far my favorite and zip lining was my greatest adventure – especially since I was zip lining in Costa Rica with our new “Vacation Friends” Randy and Rachel from Tennessee

Some people on the tour bus said that this was the best part of the day – lunch! We were fed healthy portions of authentic Costa Rican cuisine including rice and beans and spicy chicken. We sat in large room with wooden tables and got in much needed rest while we inhaled our delish hot food.

The last part of the tour involved the big water slide which we skipped because I did not have it in me to walk up another mountain to get there. Then came the mud bath and hot springs. I loved the hot springs because the water was extremely hot. The mud from the bath had to be taken off in a cold outdoor shower so that was not so much fun. And I slathered the mud on in all the crevices not realizing that I would would need to use cold water to remove it. Had I known…The hot springs (5 in all) were awesome and felt like heaven on earth with the heat rising from the water. Each hot spring we entered got a little cooler than the one before so by the 5th one, it was like being in a lukewarm bathtub. A wonderful and fitting ending to our day. And a beautiful end to an unpredictable vacay (smile).

Sincerely,

TVFL

Author: Lajeune

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