Babymoon Booked!

Well, our "Babymoon" is booked! What is a babymoon you might ask? According to Wikipedia, it has several meanings, but:
More recently the term has come to be used to describe a vacation taken by a couple that is expecting a baby in order to allow the couple to enjoy a final trip together before the many sleepless nights that usually accompany a newborn baby. Babymoons usually take place at a resort that offers appropriate services like prenatal massage.
We really wanted to go away for one last trip before the madness sets in these final 3 months before baby arrives. As I stated before, I was in a 3 day induced "vacation coma" researching where we should go: Jamaica, St. Lucia, Antigua, Bahamas, Bermuda, Charleston, Chicago, Turks and Caicos, Virgin Islands, Hilton Head, Outerbanks, Hamptons, Virginia Beach. You name it; I researched it. I was all over the map, and didn't really know what I wanted.

Somehow, it ended up coming down to Miami, FL and Charleston, SC - which I realize are about as polar opposite as you can get. I found it funny though, when after picking these two places, I came across this U.S. News Travel article listing Miami and Charleston as two of the top babymoon destinations!
 
In Miami we could get a hustle and bustle restorty-type atmosphere, or in Charleston we could get a relaxing, much calmer beach/history type vacation. If you're thinking "Really? Miami?" I was too, but according to the US News article:
If you're thinking that pregnancy and Miami don't mix, think again. This Floridian hot spot is also a sweet destination for parents to-be. Think of it as a last hurrah of sorts, and go out dancing with your baby daddy (with your doctor's approval of course!); most mamas and babies benefit from exercise like dancing. If tearing up the floorboards while pregnant isn't your thing, this city has plenty of ideal relaxation venues. Miami hosts a bounty of high-end hotels, including the Setai Miami Beach with its lavish spa and oceanfront location. And the bright white sands of South Beach are as good a perch as anywhere to unwind as you flip through What to Expect When You're Expecting or Great Expectations (the pregnancy edition).
Chris and I aren't exactly the "go out dancing all night" type anyway, so we didn't necessarily choose Miami for the night-life. I wanted a beach vacation where I could relax on the beach all day and go out to a nice dinner, and walk along the water at night. I figured Charleston is a great place to go in the next few years with with young kids, whereas Miami might be more for when the kids are older...and so, we were decided on Miami.
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Over the course of the last week, I had booked 3 different hotels in Miami because I simply could NOT make a decision on where to stay. I originally booked the King and Grove Tides hotel, but after reading several complaints that the clubs on either side of the hotel are so loud it is impossible to get any sleep, I decided to look elsewhere. After days online, I can pretty much tell you all information plus the tripadvisor rating on every single hotel in Miami. On Saturday, I finally booked where I feel is the best place for us while we are there: Sagamore: The Art Hotel. This all-suite hotel touts:
On the beach in SoBe
Featuring an extensive art collection, this boutique hotel by the ocean and on Miami Beach's Collins Avenue is a half-mile from the Art Deco Historic District, with an electric shuttle stop a block away.
Sun-loving pleasures
A disappearing-edge pool and poolside spa treatments provide ultimate relaxation for sun-worshipping guests; Sagamore staff supplies beach-goers with fresh towels and drinks.
Sophisticated suites
Sagamore's 93 guest suites include separate bedrooms with pillowtop mattresses, kitchenettes, porcelain-tiled baths with large jetted tubs, flat-screen TVs, and DVD/CD players.

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This sounded ideal to us - we still get the hustle and bustle of Miami, but in a quiet and relaxed setting. Add to that the fantastic location right along the beach, and that every room in the hotel is a suite, I was sold. They do not offer prenatal massages at their spa but there are several different hotel spas right across the street that will take me.
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Special thank you to my in-laws, who let us use their extra credit-card points toward the purchase of our flight, which was a huge help! AND my mother-in-law who changed our flight times when I accidentally booked the wrong flight home...whoops!! Can I blame that on baby brain?!?!

Comments

  1. SO FUN!!!! We are heading to North Carolina in September for our little baby moon! I'm so excited. Can't wait to get away.

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    1. North Carolina was a huge contender for us too! I think I want to try and go there next summer with the baby..what area?

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  2. Wow! That sounds perfect! Enjoy!!!!

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    1. Thanks and enjoy YOUR time in Italy!! so soon!!

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  3. Sounds amazing! I love the idea of a babymoon!

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    1. Yes, me too! My friend actually turned to me last week and said "I am so happy you're setting this "babymoon" precedent because it will be that much easier for me to convince my husband to take me on a babymoon when I get pregnant" haha! But really - it is going to be the last "alone" time we have for awhile so i do think it's an important trip to take, even for just one night if possible!!

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  4. How fun! I've heard great things about Miami - especially the beach! Hope you guys have a great time!

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    1. Thanks! I've heard great things too...but we ARE traveling in the off-season, which means it will be HOT HOT! So, I'm a little bit nervous about that. On the plus side: Things were MUCH cheaper than if we went in prime-season, so there's that :)

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  5. You channeled Miami and Charleston without even knowing they were top destinations! Ahead of the curve, as usual.

    This Florida girl approves! You're going to have a BLAST!

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    1. that's right! how far away did you grow up from Miami? Any restaurant suggestions?

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  6. You will love Miami. I've been a few times and I love it because I can go lay on a beach and yet also still have the city night life (not going out to dance - but just to go for a nice dinner, browse some stores etc). Yay!

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    1. That's exactly what I'm looking for, too! yay, so glad to hear you love Miami - I can't wait to report back!

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  7. This trip sounds really fun, and that hotel looks amazing! So fun!

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    1. Thanks, I hope it's a great trip and not "TOOO" party-town craziness you know? I read a lot of hotel reviews that said "Music and street so loud I couldn't sleep a wink every night I was there!" etc. etc. But yea I've neeever been to Miami and don't exactly know what to expect but I'm excited!

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  8. It sounds like it will be a great vacation! Everything you need for a lovely babymoon!!!

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  9. You'll love staying on Collins Avenue. I had no problems with noise. We stayed at the Marenas Resort. The beach in Sunny Isles is gorgeous. It's like hotel row on Collins. And it's a close enough drive to South Beach for some fun.

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