Those who know me well know that I’m more often than not on the pasty side, though not for lack of access to the vast expanse of ocean and sand that dominates this destination city. I simply prefer my olive skin untanned, much to the chagrin of, well, most of the people who see me on a daily basis. But in honor of the first day of summer (and my – most rare – sunkissed complexion), I’m publicly admitting I actually really enjoyed myself at the beach very recently.

What was only a 2 day getaway felt more like a true vacation as Tony and I were able to enjoy a weekend stay in one of the Alexander’s 121 individual suites. This was my first experience at the property, outside of having dinner at Shula’s Steak House, and it made me sorry I hadn’t visited before. Though the oceanfront resort is moderate in size when compared to some of its more, ahem, extravagant neighbors, the property offers a welcoming intimacy that allows one the indulgence of forgetting the rest of the city and making the day’s choices as simple as which of the 2 pools to take a dip in and whether to have a pina colada now or later. Speaking of which, I believe that’s how I lost track of time and ended up with a tan to make any fake-n-baker orange with envy. (For my close friends, find proof of said tan below.*)

*Note: All pics were shot and edited by my hubby, except for the one of the really cool lightening storm that took me 15 tries and one numb right leg to capture.