Prior to our arrival we were concerned about what kind of weather we could expect. The hurricanes in that Southern part of the Baja Peninsula were relentless and proving to be the most powerful storms in many years. Each day we watched the news to monitor the weather and pray for relief. Cabo had just recovered from Hurricane John in late August and it looked like Hurricane Lane was due to make landfall again sometime in mid to late September. This was one week before our trip and all of our plans were set in stone! We had friends and family travelling from all over the United States including the East Coast and everyone was committed.

God must have been listening to our prayers because one week before our departure, the Mexican government adjusted the warnings and downgraded the storm’s threat. There was still a great deal of rain, but it had already passed by the time we landed at the San Jose Del Cabo airport.

Our one bedroom suite at the Dreams Resort was exquisite. It was large and spacious with kitchen and separate living room. There were sliding glass doors in both the bedroom and living room that led out to a large balcony area. We had a wonderful view of the pool and ocean from both rooms. There are 308 suites at this resort and every one of them with views of the ocean. We stayed in the honeymoon suite specially reserved for us and it was magnificent.

I remember the first day we arrived and how excited we were after checking in. We were there almost one full week before the ceremony was scheduled to take place because we still had to meet with our wedding coordinator Elizabeth, and finish up some last minute details with the minister. Most of our family and friends had not yet arrived so my soon to be wife and I had some time to ourselves to enjoy and explore the hotel.

The wedding coordinator we used in Cabo was Sunset Weddings, located very close to the Cabo Marina. It was roughly a 20 minute drive from the hotel. My wife had been in constant contact with the owner Elizabeth who did a wonderful job planning everything and keeping us informed. Her and her staff always replied right away to our emails and phone calls. We could never have pulled off such a picture perfect wedding without her. I would recommend Sunset Weddings to anyone who is thinking of getting married in Cabo… they really are the best.

Our wedding ceremony was on a Saturday, so we had our rehearsal and dinner the day before (Friday). The wedding party had dined at the Oceana Restaurant at the hotel, while the rest of our guests had dinner at one of the following four restaurants:

- Portofino Italian food open only for dinner.
- Himitsu Asian, only dinner too.
- El patio buffet style, breakfast and dinner.
- Seaside grill, breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The Dreams resort in Cabo is all inclusive, and our guests had a terrific rate of $360 per/night double occupancy. All food, beverages, taxes and amenities were included in this pricing. There were a few people who stayed at a different hotel and they were able to pay $85 per/day per/person for a day pass which gave them all the same inclusive access to everything including the pool and beach. The pool area was the main attraction at the hotel and is where we spent most of our time. There was a water slide for the kids, and everyone including me and the bride were launching down the slide several times a day. There were sand volleyball courts on the beach and ping pong tables between the pool area and the sand. We tried to play volleyball on a couple of occasions but one had to be careful not to dive for the ball because of the rocky and harsh sand. My nephew scraped his knees during one of our competitive games which was an ugly sight!

We spent most of the time on the resort, but there was one night when several of us ventured out to town. We first went to Cabo Wabo to see if we would be lucky enough to see Sammy Hagar during one of his random appearances, but we were not that lucky. We still had a great time drinking margaritas and playing pool. After that, we walked over to Squid Row to continue the evening. It was wild place and we were lucky enough to get a booth where we spent the rest of the evening drinking more stiff margaritas and dancing the night away! I had been to Squid Row many times in my single days and things hadn’t changed much at all. The music and sound system rocked and there were still lots of drunk people littering the place! Definitely not a family hangout!

The wedding took place Saturday evening at about 5pm in the Gazebo overlooking the ocean. It was a beautiful ceremony and a real joy to have all of our friends and family there to participate. My only complaint was the hot and muggy weather. Although it took place outside and in the early evening, the temperature and humidity levels were high and it was not very comfortable. We knew this ahead of time and that is why we made sure everyone dressed casual and in cool clothing. Most people were wearing shorts, sandals and Hawaiian shirts or light summer blouses. The reception and dinner took place immediately afterwards at the Cascada Terrace. We hired a professional DJ and had him use my MP3 player and playlists for everything from the dinner/cocktail music to the dancing tunes that followed.

I would recommend the Dreams Resort in Cabo to anyone who wants to spend a nice relaxing family vacation in an all inclusive resort. The location on the Sea of Cortez is very appealing with the calm ocean water, and the resort itself is among the best there is. Just be careful not to drink the water. You may also want to consider avoiding any drinks with ice. Several of our guests got sick with bad stomach issues during and after our vacation, and we believe this was a result of impure water. Most people know not to drink the tap water in Mexico, but we think maybe the ice used for our drinks were made from impure water. It’s very possible the hurricane that pounded the San Jose Del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas area a few weeks before may have contaminated certain water sources, but this is just speculation.

This was our private infinity pool and bar at the Al Fin house in Cabo San Lucas.

In September of 2003 our family embarked on a lavish (and I really do mean lavish) trip to Cabo San Lucas Mexico.  My resourceful and diligent brother-in-law Todd planned the whole thing from start to finish as he had done many times before.  He spent months researching family destinations in Mexico that would accommodate our large group.  It had only been about 2 years since the 9/11 attacks, and although the economy was improving there were still plenty of great deals to be found.

My wife, who was my girlfriend at the time, was really excited to go on her first trip to Cabo.   She had travelled with us before, so she was eagerly anticipating what was sure to be a memorable trip.  The 5 bedroom house we stayed at was nothing short of divine.  The name of this luxurious mansion was Casa Al Fin, which in Spanish means house “at the end” because of it’s location at the far end of the Pedregal right on the beach.  The living room opened up into a large resort like area with a terrace full of patio and lounging furniture, a ping pong table, a large infinity pool that led to a panoramic view of sand, ocean, and palm trees.  The infinity pool literally ends where the beach begins.  There was a pool side bar with a Palapa style outdoor roof.  We had private butlers waiting on us, so our refrigerators were always stocked with beer and food, and our margarita glasses were never empty!  Each day we enjoyed fresh cooked gourmet meals by our personal chef and on one occasion we hired a Mariachi band to serenade us during dinner!

Casa Al Fin Cabo San Lucas pool

We didn’t actually see them, but we were told by our booking rep and some neighbors that Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt were vacationing right next door to us during our stay.  Maybe this was their last ditch effort to rekindle their relationship, but who really knows.  Their issues must have gone much deeper because I can assure you that vacationing at any one of these beach side mansions are worth at least a couple of years of marriage counseling! 

Mariachi band we hired from the wedding playing for us at dinner!

My niece was about 10 months old, so my sister Jocelyn was very happy to have us all there to help with babysitting.  Jocelyn was pregnant with her second child so she was very happy to have everyone around to lighten her burden. 

We spent most of our vacation at Casa Al Fin either in the pool or at the beach.  It felt like we were staying at our own private 5 star resort in Cabo with no other people to be seen for miles except for Saturday when we witnessed a wedding on the beach.  We were amused to see a group of people show up at the beach one morning to set up for the wedding.  We actually watched the wedding ceremony while lounging in our pool! It was a picture perfect scene with all the white chairs, flowers, portable gazebo, minister and all. 

The ocean on the Pacific side of Cabo is known to be dangerous because of rip tides and big waves, so I don’t recommend swimming there if you are not an expert.  Todd and I like to live dangerously so we spent countless hours swimming in the ocean despite the posted signs warning against it.  I love bodysurfing so I had a blast, but  there were many 6 + foot waves that were just too much to handle and diving under to avoid them was all I could do!

This vast stretch of secluded beach was our back yard!

Since this was my wife’s first trip to Cabo, I was determined at least one day to take her into town for some shopping.  But the most important reason was to introduce her to Nicksan, the best sushi place in the world.  I’ve known the owner for many years and whenever we sit down to eat he just starts sending us one specialty roll after another.  When we dine at Nicksan, there is no need for us to grab a menu!  The fish is caught daily just a few miles off shore!  Of course, in addition to all of those wonderful and creative sushi rolls, I always order at least one spicy tuna cut roll.  It’s truly unlike any spicy tuna roll I’ve ever had anywhere in the world.

The trip was definitely all that we expected it to be and more.  My only complaint was that there was a slow dial-up internet connection but that was in 2003, and I know that many houses in the Pedregal now have broadband connections.  The location was absolutely stellar and even suitable for a wedding!  My wife and I both had a wonderful time.  So much so that a few years later we decided to get married in Cabo (at the Dreams Resort).

Different angle of the Hot Tub, Pool and ocean, what a shot!

This is the house next door to us where I believe Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt were staying

The Kitchen Crew and Nanny holding my niece at Casa Al Fin