San Jose del Cabo
Resort Life
Now that we were back at the resort, our first order of business was to find something to eat for dinner. We had not eaten since the breakfast at the timeshare presentation. We were not yet familiar with the layout of the resort. There was the added challenge of finding our way around because most of the property is only dimly-lit at night.
The JW Marriott has several dining venues: fine dining, buffet, deli, sushi, grill, snacks, etc... On some nights they set up a taco bar outside. Most of the venues had an instrumentalist or two who performed to backing tracks during dinner. There was a solo pianist in the Cafe des Artistes fine dining restaurant. On this night, Traci and I decided to eat a delicious dinner there. It was late and the pianist had already finished his performance by the time we were seated. We would eat dinner at the Nak Grill & Bar the remaining two nights. I especially loved the surf & turf that Traci and I shared there. It consisted of large grilled shrimp and a tender steak.
The next day, we enjoyed the breakfast buffet at the Ua Culinary Artisans restaurant. There was a large variety of food. There were also cook-to-order stations, a juicing station, and a meat carving station. We had purchased the breakfast option when we booked the hotel. The breakfast buffet price was discounted because of our Marriott status.
This was our first real opportunity to see the JW Marriott Los Cabos Beach Resort & Spa during the day. It is gorgeous! There are swimming pools and palm trees everywhere. There are cactus gardens. There is a beach but it is too dangerous to swim in the water.
view from our balcony
We knew when booking this vacation that it was going to be a different type of travel experience for Traci and me. We are used to having a full sightseeing itinerary. You will not likely find us relaxing on a beach or by a pool. Yet this seemed to be the vibe at this resort. After breakfast, many of the guests would lounge by the pools and look at their mobile phones. The staff made us feel pampered. They were always pleasant and eager to help. They took the time to remember our names and always addressed us by name when they saw us.
Despite the beautiful setting and the attentive staff, this relaxing portion of our vacation was a struggle for us. The resort has an activity schedule. Traci was looking forward to participating in one of the exercise classes but the fitness instructor was on vacation that week. She tried to attend a cooking class but no one showed up - not even the instructor. Traci inquired about the class. The resort apologized and then arranged for Traci to have a private cooking class with one of the chefs.
We did not do much during the day at the resort. As a matter of fact, we did not do much in the evenings either since there are no after-dinner shows to attend.
We got up early some mornings to watch the beautiful sunrise from our balcony. One morning, we went for a walk outside the resort. We walked approximately a mile to a marina where we found an OXXO convenience store. Other than that, there is nothing in walking distance from the resort except for other resorts.
Art Walk
Thursday nights are special in San Jose del Cabo. There is an event called Art Walk. It takes place in the city's main square from around 5 PM to 9 PM. Traci and I took an Uber to Art Walk. It cost $6 from the JW Marriott. Art Walk consists of artists and other vendors selling their merchandise at booths set up in the square. There are street performers. The square is surrounded by shops and restaurants. It is a festive atmosphere. There was a heavier police presence at this event than I saw in Cabo San Lucas but Art Walk still felt more laid back to me. There was not the constant interruption of people trying sell us something like we experienced in Cabo San Lucas. Traci and I strolled the Art Walk event for about two hours. We saw some interesting painting and sculptures. We paused to witness some indigenous drumming and chanting. We briefly entered the historic San Jose del Cabo Church. There people praying in the pews and every now and then we heard people singing. We did not want to be a disruption so we had a quick look from the back of the church and moved on. Eventually, we caught an Uber back to the resort.
San Jose del Cabo Church
Bye-bye Los Cabos
Our relaxing three-night stay at the JW Marriott Los Cabos Beach Resort & Spa flew by. Before we knew it, it was Saturday morning and time for us to check out. Our driver from Danny Boy Cabo was waiting for us at 11 AM sharp. Our flights home were not full and they were uneventful. We changed planes at Chicago O'Hare. Because Chicago was our entry point back into the U.S., we had to go through immigration, collect our checked luggage, go through customs, recheck our luggage, take a train from the international terminal to the domestic terminal, go through security, and then find our gate. Despite the long lines at immigration and only having 1.5 hours from the time we landed in Chicago until boarding began for our flight to Washington Dulles, we not only made it to our gate on time, but even we had time to chow down on pizza and fries before our flight.
landing in Chicago to change planes
We enjoyed our time in Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo. Traci and I are pretty certain at this point that a relaxing vacation is not our thing. Regardless, this trip re-ignited our desire to resume international travel after three years of the Coronavirus Pandemic. Main Page...
Magnet Purchased on this Trip: (click to enlarge)
Entire fridge magnet collection...
Other Resort Experiences:
