What is the perfect beach . . . .

                                            What is the definition of a perfect beach?

For some people this is the most important aspect of their vacation.  Blue water is #1 on the list! The Caribbean is full of turquoise blue waters. Each destination is just a different shade.

 Walkable is another factor in the importance of a beach. After relaxing in a chair all morning many travelers enjoy a mid-afternoon walk on the beach. Punta Cana, Dominican Republic offers one of the longest most beautiful beaches I have been on, you would see people walking all day. I was able to travel to the Dominican Republic back in February and toured 8 properties all which had amazing beaches. (all the pictures are from the Dominican Republic)

Soft Sand is also a request. You know it when you walk on it! Just white and gentle on your feet.  When your toes hit that sand you know you are in paradise.  

When a client tells me they want the perfect beach, I will ask them to describe to me how they imagine it? For everyone it is Different!  This is why traveling to so many of these destinations is important, I have toured almost 30 properties in the last year. By doing this I will help you find your perfect beach vacation.


We want to hear from you . . . . What do you see in your perfect beach?  Please leave a comment in our comment section.

Running for a Cause . . . .

No Lump Left Behind 3/5K was this last Saturday in Becker. It was our pleasure to sponsor this event for a amazing cause. Anna and Kimberly are walking the 3day for Breast Cancer in August and this 3/5K was a fundraiser. They are two teachers in our school district. With a few teachers surviving and battling breast cancer it was all the more important to be there. We have some pretty awesome teachers in Becker and it is nice to take the time and give back to them!

We had a cool breeze and temps, perfect running and walking weather! The turn out was awesome many teachers, friends and family attended.

The top picture is Anna and I, and the middle and bottom pictures are the runners and walkers that Destination Vacation sponsored for them to also join in on the fun morning!

                                            Hope you make it a great day!

A Day of Fun in the Sun

Recently my family and I enjoyed a day at Xel-Ha. It is located in the Riviera Maya area of Mexico and is a natural aquarium park adjacent to the ocean. You can enjoy a day full of activities from snorkeling, relaxing down the lazy river, zip lining into the water, cliff jumping, caves and so much more. The park is all inclusive which means your drinks and meals are included. If you want to take your experience to the next level you can swim with the Dolphins, Sea Trek (walk under water), visit with the Manatees, and Snuba (a combo or snorkeling and diving).  During our visit there my son and I swam with the Dolphins, this has been on my bucket list for a while now, what an amazing time we had!

Xel-ha is great for families, couples and groups. I noticed right away different options for all age groups. Beside the Dolphin swim my favorite was the snorkeling. We were not in the middle of the ocean therefore no large waves and was easy for my kids to learn how to snorkel!  We spent the entire day just going from one thing to another, and of course not enough time. My oldest just kept wanting to find new spots though the park to snorkel.

 Next time you are down in the Riviera Maya area consider a day at Xel-Ha!

                                                             Dylan ready to snorkel!

                 Brian, Devin and Dylan are selcting thier life jackets before heading out to snorkel!

The water there was so blue and many fish to see! The kids were always letting us know what they saw.

I hope this makes you think of your Bucket List . . . is there a dream activity or destination you have on your list? There is nothing more fun then crossing something off and always adding something new!
                     

For me and my list I may have crossed off Swimming with the Dolphin's but added a few things:
     1. Drive the road to Hana in Maui
     2. Enjoy Gelato on a Patio in Italy
     3. Zipline & Hike around a Volcano in Costa Rica

                   There is so much to see and do in our lives, lets get out and have fun!

Picture Perfect . . . .

                                      A beautiful setting for such a beautiful wedding couple~

I remember my first meeting with Andrew and Mandi at the time they were still on the fence about a Destination Wedding and wanted to meet and discuss all their options. It did not take them long and they knew a beach wedding was meant to be.

 They selected the Now Sapphire in Puerto Morelos Mexico, they felt it fit who they are! The Now Sapphire is a all inclusive resort perfect for couples and families, upon returning home Mandi did not only expressed to me how PERFECT their wedding was but how much everyone love the resort!

The support from their family and friends were over flowing all so excited to join them for this special day of their lives!


If you are considering a Destination Wedding and are overwhelmed with loads of information and not knowing where to start, please remember that we have almost 13 years in the wedding planning business and over 5 years in travel planning.  We would love to help you plan your Destination Wedding. Please call to set up an appointment to discuss all your options we can help you with the destination, style of wedding, what resort and your budget. We are here to help you with all the details both Travel and Wedding related. Destination Vacation is award winning for our wedding services.  Weddings are our passion!

      We look forward to working with you, Please ask for Nichole Winter 320-241-0355

Love hearing from our travelers~

The Monson family was looking for a family vacation, they only had been on a cruise and was it was time for something new!

Here is what they had to say;

I can not thank you enough for suggesting the trip to Mexico:) We all had a very relaxing time. Everything went great from airline to transfers to excursions and back. The zipline excursion was THE BEST! We ended up buying the video because it was too hard to choose a pic from 138 of them. We have recommended you to everyone we tell about the trip, hopefully they will book a trip soon.

Each day was more exciting than the previous.Sun. we were at the resort by 10:30 and soaking up the sun by 11:00Mon- We went snorkeling for $10.00 a person with some guy from the beach. He also dove down and pulled up starfish, sea urchins, and a puffer fish that we could to hold and take pics of.Tues- we went fishing with the same guy but only caught about a dozen fishWed. went ziplining. WOW!!!!Thurs- went ATV in the mountains and got extremely dusty, but what some views!Fri- rode the bus to town and strolled the flea markets and went to a bonfire on the beach at nightSat -relaxed at pool The people there are all wonderful and so welcoming and we would go back in a heartbeat!! The food, the room, the drinks, the service, all could not have been better.

THANK YOU AGAIN AND AGAIN we know who to contact for our next vacation. It might be a year or two.

Thank you for your business,

It was fun working with you,

Nichole Winter

It is all about family

My kids, Lauren(7), Devin (12) and Dylan (10)

Last week my family and I enjoyed 10 days at the Maria El Cid in Puerto Morelos, Mexico. What a great time we had and made so many memories. The El Cid is a quick 25 minutes from the Cancun Airport and in the small fishing village of Puerto Morelos with the relaxed atmosphere for shopping and fun little restaurants. I even brought my family to one of my favorites for some fresh fish tacos!! We enjoyed the 1 bedroom beachfront suite. One reason this resort is so great for families they offer a standard room and 1,2 and 3 bed room suites. Great for families of any size.

This resorts biggest feature was its 22,000 sq foot pool with rock jumping, a slide, water volleyball, zero-entry for the little ones and a swim up bar for the big ones! One of my sons favorite part of this vacation was jumping into the pool. I wish I could have kept track how times he jumped!

You can also stay busy and enjoy their included activities, kids club, teen club, sailing, wind surfing, kayaking, boogie boards, and much more.

There are 4 dining options. Evening shows, I think the fire show was our favorite! A marina right next door for deep sea fishing. The boys enjoyed a bike tour into town one morning also included in the all inclusive package.

Pictured: Brian, Devin, Dylan, Lauren and I

We took a day and enjoy Xel-ha what a perfect family day it is good for all ages, my son Dylan and I swam with the Dolphins (stay tune I will blog about the day soon!) .

I hope we talk about this vacation for many years, I know the kids have their favorite things they did from fishing, snorkeling for the 1st time or eating homemade Crepes every day! I know I just love enjoying my time with them and seeing their excitement from experiencing new things.

I hope you are able to take your family and create many memories, please feel free to let Destination Vacation help you make that dream come true!

Words from Mallory

It was great to help Mallory and Adam plan their return stay to the Valentin Imperial Maya in the Riviera Maya, Mexico it was not that long ago when we planned their honeymoon and they fell in love with this resort. This winter Mallory surprise Adam with 2 extra nights making it a relaxing 9 nights!

This is the email from my client!

Nichole,

We got back from Mexico last night, again another amazing vacation. I can't tell you how much we love it at the Imperial. We already can't wait to go back. The couple that we went with have been to several different resorts in Mexico and said that this is then only one they would come back to. They said the food is better with many more options for each meal, along with the pool being the biggest they have seen with the two swim up bars along with another long lazy
pool. They also commented on how nice of a beach it is and how you can walk for so long and how safe the entire resort felt.

Oh, and that private transportation is awesome. We get there
and find the Lomas Rep and he brings us right to a Lincoln Navigator, he loads our luggage, we
get in and he has beer in there for us. It is so much better then having to
deal with 20 other people trying to get on the same buss. And pick up was just
as easy, they gave us the pick up time, got there five minutes early and came
and found us sitting among everyone and we got in the navigator and drove away.
It is so nice not to have to deal with or wait for other people on a buss.

I will def keep you updated on next years trip! Nichole I just want to tell you that I love booking through you, you make everything so easy and easy to understand I just love it. You really do an
amazing job!

Talk to you soon!!
Any good deals for the Valentin Imperial you hear of please let me
know!!!

Thanks, Mallory

Thank you Mallory and Adam you are so much fun to work with, I am glad you enjoyed another vacation at the Valentin Imperial!