Puerto Vallarta // Part I

Our week in puerto vallarta was the best mental and physical break... one that I desperately needed and so grateful to have taken. The initial idea of a getaway originally came from ryan's younger sister who wanted to jet-set somewhere for her college spring break. Ryan and I jumped on the chance to escape the cold so, before we knew it, our trip with ryan's mom + sister was booked... sun and sand was on the horizon. 

(infinity pools and a white sand beach; the perfect view upon arrival to our hotel  /  stunning bougainvillea  /  banana plants growing on the property  /  a view of our hotel from the beach  /  the teak walkway we took to our rooms everyday)

We stayed at the brand new, ultra chic and boutique-like, hyatt ziva in puerto vallarta. First off, we were in love with the modern design, open-air spaces, gorgeous landscaping, updated rooms and of course, the quarter-mile stretch of private beach that was perfectly positioned in a small cove. However, what stood out the most was the amazing customer service we received from every employee on site; their superior service truly left an impression and was a highlight of the trip.

(my view from my pool chair  /  beautiful palm trees everywhere we looked  /  peyton and I soaking in the sun at the pool one afternoon)

Our arrival to puerto vallarta was not the tropical sunshine we had all hoped for and much of our trip was overcast with a bit of rain. But we made the most of it and more than made up for the deary weather when the sun did come out to play. I finally got to do some sea kayaking and we all spent a morning on a pretty intense hike up to a 40ft waterfall. It was quite the accomplishment and a fun experience I will never forget.

(me on the open water in my sea kayak  /  one of the many tasty meals we ate each day  /  essentials for an afternoon at the beach  /  another stunning view from the pool... with a boat just off the coast)

On one of the more gloomy days of our trip, we headed into town for some sightseeing. We found a beautiful church in the center of town that was a prominent landmark for puerto vallarta. With it also being peyton's first visit to mexico, we felt it was only necessary to bring her to senior frogs for a true 'tourist trap' experience. Over-sized cocktails and ridiculous balloon 'hats' made the trip a complete success on my account. 

(liz, peyton + I just off the water  /  a view of downtown puerto vallarta from the rocky coast  /  the malecon boardwalk with liz, peyton and ryan)

(the beautiful church of our lady guadalupe  /  vibrant parrots we saw while walking along the boardwalk  /  flag lined streets with stained glass windows in the background  /  our senior frogs experience)

This post is pretty photo-heavy and I still have so much more to share. Come back over to the blog tomorrow for more photos, fun and details of our amazing trip.