Dan and I spent a week of July in the Riviera Maya (south of Cancun) celebrating his parents’ 30th wedding anniversary! We all stayed at a massive resort with multiple pools, beach access, and a ton of restaurants. His parents renewed their vows on the beach on their actual anniversary in a very intimate and touching ceremony. Dan wrote and played a song about his parents’ last 30 years, including memories of when he and his brothers were little. Needless to say I think we all shed a tear! One of my favorite days of the trip was spent in Tulum. We visited the Tulum Ruins, and then walked down to the most gorgeous beach–such rich blue water and soft white sand. Dan and I stayed the rest of the day, and made our way down to Hartwood for dinner, which had been highly recommended by friends. It’s located on a beach road on what they call the “jungle side” (meaning not the beach side). Tulum definitely has an eclectic bohemian vibe going on, and we stopped for a cocktail at Casa Jaguar while we waited for Hartwood to open. We were blown away by the food and atmosphere at Hartwood! If you ever find yourself in Tulum, it’s a must. Their only source of cooking is a wood burning oven and open grill, and the dining is completely open air. We had a whole roasted snapper and pork ribs to die for.  After dinner we sat in a couple of chairs on the perimeter and enjoyed a few more daiquiris while watching the restaurant fill up with people and the sun go down.  I know I’ll always remember that evening with Dan, and it’s fun that we can look back and know it was during our engagement, which is its own special time in life. We were sweaty and salty from the day (we stealthily had changed out of our bathing suits on the side of the road just a few hours earlier), but we were full and very happy.