My work week is almost finished, since Denny and I are taking part of today and all of tomorrow off. We’re heading to Kansas City for his cousin’s wedding, in which Denny will be a groomsman. I haven’t been to KC in years and years (decades?), so it should be fun. It’ll be nice to get away from work for a bit, too.

I heard back from the place we plan/hope to stay for our honeymoon. I picked it because it was an island I’d never heard of (it came on the recommendation of a friend who spent his honeymoon there), but then I was reading Conde Nast Bride’s magazine, and the very hotel we plan to stay at was written up. How annoying! I hope it doesn’t get overrun by tourists. We picked it specifically because it’s not a big huge all-inclusive resort. It’s an upscale boutique hotel. It’s a little more lush than my usual taste, but I don’t plan to go on a whole lot of honeymoons, so we decided to splurge.

I think we’re getting the Island Heritage package, which includes the following lovely features:

• Seven nights’ double accommodation with an upgrade to Canopy or Four Poster Room, subject to availability
• Airport transfers reimbursed from Vance Amory international airport to Montpelier
• Beach picnic with a bottle of house wine
• Half day Island tour of Nevis
• Choice of

  1. 1/2 day sailing and snorkeling excursion including snacks and beverages or
  2. Two hour horseback ride along the beach and plantation roads

• Climb to Nevis Peak or Eco hike in the rain forest
• Welcoming Montpelier rum punch
• Daily full English cooked breakfast with fresh squeezed juice and home made breads and jams
• Daily afternoon tea with home made cakes and scones served on the Quarter Deck
• Fresh fruit in the room daily
• Nightly turn down service
• Concierge service
• Complimentary internet service
• Complimentary snorkeling and tennis equipment
• Transportation to our private Caribbean beach with lounge chairs, showers, and sun shelters

So we just have to figure out our exact dates and we’ll get that bad girl booked. Whoo! We’ll probably have to drive to Chicago the night before, because all the flights would require an overnight stay in Chicago anyway. All the flights from Chicago to Puerto Rico (then connecting to Nevis) leave really early, like 6 a.m., so there are no flights into Chicago before that. The good thing is that we’ll get to Nevis at about 2 p.m. and have plenty of time to enjoy it the first day.

The best part about traveling in this here hemisphere is (little to) NO JET LAG. I am very sensitive to jet lag, so I am always appreciative of western-hemisphere travel opportunities.