We took a long weekend get-away trip to Cabo San Lucas to celebrate my birthday. Now, let’s not talk about which birthday it was — at least, not yet. It turned out to be an experimental trip, that certainly taught me a few things about flying Spirit Airlines, spring travel, and creative packing . It still turned out wonderful and I still tried to get my style on, even with limited accessories. #thestrugglewasreal
I let a friend convince me to fly Spirit Airlines. Spirit is a very economical way to travel, but there are sacrifices to be made. You must pay for baggage. Any baggage other than your ‘personal item’ costs $$. And that carry-on bag/personal item must fit the airlines dimensions — which are 18″ X 14″ X 8″. If you check luggage, and pay at the time of booking the flight, it will run you $20-$30 per bag. However, if you wait and book during online check-in, the cost is $40 per bag. If you pay at the gate, each bag costs $65, according to Spirit.com website. #Ugh My friend said she only packed a carry-on for a recent trip to Cabo for a 4 day stay, so we did not pay for luggage. #livingontheedge
With that in mind, I planned my wardrobe, as did my husband. This was a bit of a task–even for him. I usually take at least 3-4 pair of shoes. Umm. . . . not this time. I usually take shorts for the days and a dress for each night of the trip . . . . . . not this time. I’ll give you an idea of what I was able to pack in that tiny suitcase. I packed one pair of jeans, a dress, three pair of shorts, two shirts, three tank tops, two swim suits, undergarments, a nightgown, one pair of sandals, and various travel size toiletries. I also packed a curling iron and my ipad. That tiny suitcase was full — but it all fit! #lookedlikeacanofbiscuitsabouttopop 🙂
I rolled my clothes before placing them in the suitcase, as you can see above. This reminded me of my son, who is in the Army, packing his duffle bag before leaving for his duty station. It is never pretty. But hey, it works! I packed all liquids, 3.4 oz or less, into a quart sized baggie to get through airport security. #areyoufreakinkiddingme?
Free samples from cosmetic companies and other travel sizes came in handy for this trip.I packed travel size toiletries, and put sunscreen into travel size bottles purchased from Target. They were perfect for the task.
Some of my clothing had double duty, like this dress. It was perfect for dinner on the first night and the next day at the beach as a cover up. And I also mix and matched the tops and bottoms of my swim suits so I wasn’t wearing the same one day after day.
I wore jeans on the plane, with a tank top (see my post about my tank top addiction here) and a cardigan. I don’t know about you, but I am usually cold on an airplane. A jacket or sweater is a must. And dressing in layers works well when traveling to a warmer climate.
The weather turned out to be quite cool (temps in the low 60’s at night and 70+ to low 80’s during the day), but with crazy North winds. Every. Single. Day. While the locals said this wind was unusual, I find the weather is frequently iffy in April and May. There are still cool fronts, rain, and windy days. Lesson learned — for future travels in April and May, pack more jackets and pants. . . . . And a bigger suitcase.
We stayed at Villa Del Arco, a five star luxury all-inclusive beach resort. They are partnered with Villa Del Palmer and Villa La Estancia Hotels. There is a shuttle to take you to the other locations if you want to have dinner at a different hotel restaurant. However, there are certain restrictions, so you must check with hotel staff to know the do’s and don’ts on this.
There are many choices of excursions to take in Cabo San Lucas. However, due to the strong North wind, many were not available during our stay. We were not able to paddle board, or take a boat ride out to see the Arch. That’s okay. That just means we will have to vacation there again!
It warmed up enough during the day to get our tan on. Laying out on the beach wasn’t so windy, so most people hung out at the beach rather than the pool to avoid the cold wind. Villa Del Arco had the best Cabana Boys to bring drinks and food right to your lounge chair. #canIjustlivehere? The vendors would come right by to sell you pretty much anything you wanted.
On our last afternoon, we walked to town for sight seeing and shopping. The weather was comfortable for wearing shorts or pants, with a sweater for cooler areas. The hotel is about a 15 minute walk from downtown Cabo. A taxi ride is $9.00, but we opted to walk for some exercise. We visited many souvenir shops, and the famous Cabo Wabo owned by Sammy Hagar.
So, the lesson here is, if you can’t pack light, pay to check a bag. It is worth it. I would have been more comfortable if I had brought more jackets, and pants. And more shoes. Also, I would have brought more props for pictures for instagram if I had more room. If you want to travel cheap, and don’t mind the no-frills method, Spirit Airlines is the way to go. But don’t expect anything but a seat on the airplane for your trip. You won’t get a drink. You wont get peanuts or pretzels. (Unless you purchase these things) And, when taking a trip in the spring, always pack warm clothes and summer clothes. The weather is too unpredictable, and it’s just better to be safe than sorry.
Despite the wind and cooler than normal temps, it was a fun trip and we are already planning the next trip to Cabo San Lucas. It was a great way to end my 49th year, and bring in year 50! I’m still letting this soak in — so tread lightly on the age subject for a little while. . . . . . . #babysteps
This was not a sponsored post. All opinions are my own. Thank you to my husband for being my photographer on the trip. And thanks to Tamara and Chad for their patience. 🙂
