Dominican Republic

My family and I went to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic for the first week in July. None of us had never been there so we were looking forward to something new and time to relax. We stayed at an all-inclusive resort called DREAMS Punta Cana. It was really big, with a long pool, right on the beach, 6 restaurants, plenty of bars, and lots of daily activities and events. Here are some highlights of the trip:

- Took a jeep ride all over Punta Cana- bumpiest ride of our lives. They have so many pot holes in their roads. We saw a BEAUTIFUL beach with really white sand and clear blue waters. We also got to see the Basilica and go out into the countryside to see where they make coco, mamajuana (alcoholic drink famous in DR), and coffee.
- Swimming and laying by the pool ALL day!
- Watching a show on the 4th of July with all popular songs in the US.
- For Nick and Dad- golfing!
- Trying different a different kind of food every night: Chinese, Japanese, Seafood, Mexican, and International.
- Winning $100 at the Casino!!! Chris actually was the one who hit "bet" even though he wasn't even allowed in the Casino because he's not 18.
- Riding horses in the countryside.
- Conversing with some of the workers. (For me IN SPANISH!)
- Learning more about the culture- most people make around $5-10 a day, Dominicans don't like to leave the country, etc. 
- Elvis is ALIVE! We saw him perform on 4th of July.
- Mom and I won bingo our last night there. She won a t-shirt and I won a bottle of Rum...the bingo guy asked how old I was because they don't give alcohol to minors, but I assured him I was 20!
- Trying new specialty drinks: WOW (orange, coconut milk, vodka, ice blended), Mudslide (Baileys, Chocolate syrup, white liquor, and ice blended), and Mama Juana (drink of DR - red wine, rum, and honey)