A rare thing happened this past weekend.

I had the previously elusive chance to spend Mother’s Day with two of the most important ladies in my life! My mother only recently relocated to sunny Florida, and my god-mother, who I affectionately refer to as my “other mother” lives in San Francisco but works only seasonally in Florida. Trying to get them together in Florida with busy schedules is a down-right task.

However, I got especially sneaky this year and with my godmother’s helpful hospitality friends in Naples (Florida, not Italy – let’s not get crazy!), we organized a Mother’s Day weekend getaway! We did our planning in secret and I told my parents to “hold the date!” upon threats of a flogging (empty threats of course, but I just always wanted to use that particular one aloud).

So, last Saturday morning, with the sun barely twinkling over the horizon, my parents swooped by N’s and my apartment, picked us up and we headed off to Naples!

I spilled the beans a bit and revealed they were staying at The Ritz-Carlton for a night in Naples, but what they didn’t know was that we were staying at the Beach Resort (there’s actually two properties in Naples – a beach and a golf resort – and the beach is my fave).

TheRitz

Upon our arrival though, my godmother surprised us all still, with some supremely beautiful rooms overlooking the ocean…

OceanView

The hotel has just recently undergone a pretty extensive bit of renovations too, so the rooms were sparkling new with cool blue tones and tasteful ocean-themed decor, reflecting the stunning ocean environment beyond the sliding glass doors.

Room

Being an experienced visitor to the property from my previous days living and working in Naples, I whisked my parents and N on a tour of the property. We saw everything from the shops, to the new restaurants, pools, the grand veranda and of course the beach…

Beach

We had to stop to admire some lovely little surprises along our site-seeing though. Like this guy…

Turtle(Yes, that is a very algae-covered turtle.)

And these orchids, situated in the mangroves heading to the beach…

Orchids

Then there was this little beauty…

Chrysalis

It’s a monarch chrysalis! With its beautiful jade-colored shell and bits of sparkling metallic gold, you’d think it was a piece of jewelry, but nope – that’s just Mother Nature for ya.

After our tour, we all went to our respective favorite spots for a quick recharge.

LookingOut

The others went straight for poolside lounges, whereas I opted for the veranda because I loved the breezes and rocking chairs…

RestingVeranda

Then, rejuvenated, we headed for a spot of lunch.

RitzLunch

The great thing about getting my parents, godmother, N and I all together for the weekend? Just catching up! We crack each other up and we spend so much of the time just telling stories and sharing memories.

When we finally headed out for dinner, we all had rumbling tummies again. Seated in the front courtyard of Campiello we seriously got our ordering on. First, some tender and spicy calamari…

Calamari

Fresh, creamy, burrata caprese salad…

Caprese

Then, dishes of al dente pasta…

Pasta

All accompanied with swirling glasses of oh-so-appropriate Chianti (it was an Italian restaurant after all).

WineCheers

Needless to say, we all left with full bellies. Not a rumble in sight.

TastyBite

Just lots of smiles and a few extra cheers.

GuysCheers

The next morning was Mother’s Day! What better way to start the day off at a beach-side resort, than with a jog on the beach? N and I both rose early and meandered down the winding pathways to the white-sand beach.

After a run, N jumped in the water, while I worked on some sand art…

MothersDaySandArt

Which was promptly washed away by the incoming tide, but at least I managed a quick snap beforehand!

Properly energized and cleaned up, we joined the rest of our little tribe for a quick coffee and some Mother’s Day prezzies (I followed my own Mother’s Day gift guide advice), then we headed out to meet up with some friends at a favorite restaurant, Ridgeway Bar & Grill.

We wasted no time and promptly ordered some of the naughty brioche doughnuts with chocolate and raspberry dipping sauces.

Brunch

Two plates were quickly devoured.

More catching up over some sparkling drinks and hot coffee followed…

Bubbly

Brunch

The discussion only momentarily paused when our entrees arrived and we all jumped into enjoying them. I was half way through mine before I realized I had yet to get a photo! Caught it in time though.

Benedict

I can never pass up an Eggs Benedict.

Our waiter practically had to push us out the door in the end. Even then, we lingered outside the restaurant for some pictures before saying goodbye.

JaneAndI

Our last mission was to get our hands on some of The Ritz-Carlton’s legendary cookies…

CookieTheives

Finally, full, stocked with cookies, and relaxed after a weekend of low-key fun together, my parents, N and I bid my godmother farewell, until the next time. It was hard to leave, but I’m so glad we had the chance to sneak a getaway amidst all the other happenings in all of our lives.

TheLadies

Getting some time with family, especially the two most important ladies in my life, both of whom have played big parts and served as amazing role models, was all this girl could ask for!

The beautiful location, great food and little luxuries along the way? They were just icing on an already delicious cake.

 

 

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2 Comments

  1. What an amazing adventure you had! The food and accommodations looked fantastic!

    1. It was so lovely, but too short. That’s always the way isn’t it?

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