For the first time in years, all of the adults were going on the biennial Henderson Adult Trip. Yes, all 16 of us. Gina, our “family travel agent”, planned everything. Planning and scheduling a family trip for almost 20 people can really wear you out…
We left her in peace to catch some well-deserved z’s.
We flew from SLC > Dallas and then from Dallas > Liberia. Sean and Siri [Zach’s brother Sean is doing his residency in Philly] met us at the airport and we all hopped on a bus for the three hour drive into Arenal. We stayed at a resort called The Springs which was kind of in the middle of the jungle, but we didn’t know it yet.
When we woke up, this is what we found beyond our balcony…
Our first full day in Arenal was spent at an incredible park. Gina had scheduled a tour for all of us to hike around trails through the rainforest. There were waterfalls, tons of exotic plants, and sky bridges stretching from one mountainside to the other.
The views were incredible along with a few bird, insect, and scary black snake sightings. We were in for even better views, though.
All of us [including my mother-in-law who has an injured knee and my father-in-law who just got rotator cuff surgery] braved the tram ride up the mountain for a zip line tour. We strapped a GoPro on Gina’s helmet and made our way up to the top.
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Once to the observation deck and out of the mist you could see the volcano in the distance. It started to clear up just in time for us to get our zip on.
Once all of us were geared up and had our obligatory safety lesson and practice zip, we were ready. Zach brought his Jazz socks…you know…for good luck?
This was definitely my favorite activity in Arenal. Ziplining from deck to deck through the trees of the rainforest was something I will never forget. Speed, great views, and a cool breeze. What more could you ask for?
Once we returned back to our hotel it was time for dinner. We ate at a local organic farmhouse turned restaurant 20 minutes from the hotel on the mountainside. How fortunate were Zach and Kelly that this quaint little farmhouse had wifi so the boys could catch the end of the 49ers game?
After dinner, with my chipper husband [the Niners won, obvi] some of us made our way down to the hotel bar to grab some Lava Flows and Coca Lights.
As if my husband hadn’t been spoiled enough, there was a golf simulator on the lower level of the hotel. He relived his high-school-golf-team-glory-days for the night and couldn’t have been happier.
The Hendersons are tropical people. They like going to places where the sun is always shining and the cold drinks are bottomless. I’ve been the opposite my whole life, always preferring to visit the hustle and bustle of a big city instead. But the first two days of this trip totally turned me around. Or maybe I just have a new-found respect for poolside leisure? Either way, this trip was paradise for Zach and I in more ways than one.