Because we were catching a flight out of Cancun, we decided to see what this All-Inclusive Cancun thing was all about for a few days. Our resort was a perfect pitstop to relax and enjoy delicious cuisines from around the world and, best of all, hang out at its extensive water park. The massive Grand at Moon Palace Resort was at 25% occupancy, so we had the place almost all to ourselves, minus some fellow vacationers from the Midwest.
It was great watching Austin make friends with the water slide employees. They were intrigued by this white boy's legit accent! The staff sparked up many conversations in Spanish with Austin and it made me smile to see him chatting it up and laughing with them throughout our stay. These moments are priceless and make us so grateful for our kids' Spanish program at home. Clint spent his days riding the waves on the Flowrider surf simulator and Kate loved the lazy river.
Sorry about the stock photos of the Grand Moon Palace Water Park. We put our phones to rest during most of our stay and didn't take many pics.
The kids couldn't get over the fact they could order a fancy mocktail or have unlimited macarons and Oreos available to them 24-hours a day. I couldn't get over it either! There were all sorts of wonderful restaurants, cafes, dessert shops, arcades, activities, etc. all included. Just a swipe of a wristband got you a bike rental and round of mini-golf followed by a margarita and Peruvian sandwich by the pool. Austin was all smiles being able to reenact Ron Swanson moments with his steak dinners. Even Clint has to admit that the all-inclusive route was an enjoyable experience and a perfect treat for us all. It would make a super-fun trip for multiple families traveling together because there is something for everyone.
Austin loved the Steakhouse. He wanted to eat by himself like Ron Swanson the second night there but he accepted my request to join him while Kate and Clint tried the Asian cuisine!
While in Cancun, we decided to do what most people do when traveling and make appointments for teeth cleaning, ha! With America's outrageous healthcare costs, we thought we'd take a look at this "medical vacation" trend and, wow, we didn't know this was such a thing! Turns out Cancun is one of the top places in the world for Americans to have dental work done because it's a fraction of the cost—about 60-70% less than in the States. Americans fly down to have crowns, root canals and other various dental surgeries performed because their procedure, flight, resort accommodations and food for a week or two costs way less than having the procedure done at home. A medical vacation is not something I ever considered before, but I won't rule it out for future medical matters! Many doctors and dentists earn their medical degrees in the United States and their facilities are modern with state-of-the-art equipment.
Don't worry.... I was able to read many reviews before booking our appointment. The dental office looked just like ours at home and they had safe COVID measures in place. Our dentist said 90% of his patients are American. We walked out the door with four clean sets of teeth ready to feast on the unlimited treats back at the resort. It was worth the time missed from the hotel because it also gave us a chance to cruise the Cancun strip for the first time. It looked like most of the resorts were built in the 80s and haven't changed much since.
A couple of pounds heavier and with a few packs of Oreos in my purse (shhh!), we are off to Oaxaca, Mexico to experience the region's famous cuisine.
Exploring the many dreamy pools.
Kate and I couldn't get over how much we liked this bathroom.
Our room's bottomless hard licks cabinet. The endless snacks and juice bar was underneath.