By Guest Blogger Tara Berger

Hey everyone! Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Tara Berger and I manage the social media program on behalf of Zoëtry Wellness & Spa Resorts and Dreams, Secrets and Now Resorts & Spas. While my job keeps me VERY busy, I have to say that it does come with some great perks.

In a few weeks, my husband and I will be taking our son out of the country for his very first vacation. He just turned one on March 19th and we thought a trip to paradise would be a great way to celebrate his birthday (and the survival of our first year as new parents!)

                         Meet the family!

First, we focused on getting our son his passport so he could travel out of the country. What an adventure this was! I swear his passport photo turned out more like a mugshot than an adorable little picture. At least it will be something to talk about when he gets older… We chose to expedite the passport application, just be sure it would arrive in time (even though it was 6 weeks in advance, I didn’t want to risk it). His passport arrived two weeks to the date we submitted his application, which we were thrilled about!

Next up, we needed to decide where to go on vacation! With so many great family-friendly AMResorts properties to choose from, it was almost difficult to narrow down our choices. After checking the flight schedules, we were able to find some great non-stop flights from Philly to Punta Cana on USA3000. Looks like our decision was made.  Here we come Dominican Republic!

Although all three Dreams Resorts & Spas in the Dominican Republic are fantastic, we ultimately chose to plan our vacation to Dreams Punta Cana Resort & Spa. I’ve traveled to this property for work once before and I have to say that the lobby is one of the most impressive I’ve ever seen. I also love how the pool continuously flows throughout the resort, taking on a completely different ambiance in each section of the pool. The beginning of the pool is more of a quiet, romantic atmosphere and then as the pool continues on; there is lively music and lots of family-friendly activities for guests of all ages to enjoy. Closer to the beach, there is an awesome swim-up bar that is a great gathering place for many of the adult guests.

                          Family section of the pool at Dreams Punta Cana.

Although I can’t wait to swim in the pool, I think I am most excited to feel my toes in the sand. Punta Cana was recently named as one of the Top 25 Beaches in the World by the TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards, so you can bet we will be taking full advantage of it while we are there. Our son has never been to a beach before, so it will be great to see his reaction to the sand and water. Like most boys, he does love to get dirty, so my guess is that he is going to love it!

                        Beach at Dreams Punta Cana.

While our son is too young to participate in the Explorers’ Club, we are excited to take advantage of the Infant’s Club at Dreams Punta Cana. This a great feature at the resort, providing an infant pool, water fountains, a padded play area and shade for little ones who need to take a break from the sun.

                     Infant Club at Dreams Punta Cana.

And of course, it wouldn’t be vacation if it didn’t include fabulous dining. Yep, that’s right. Four whole days of no cooking!!! We are so excited for the gourmet a la carte dining available at the resort. With seven restaurants on property, plus room service that is included as part of the Unlimited-Luxury® privileges, I don’t think we we’ll be going hungry! In fact, we may just come back a few pounds heavier than when we arrived!

                    Oceana Seafood Restaurant at Dreams Punta Cana.

In the midst of all this excitement, we also know that traveling with a toddler is not always fun and games. Stay tuned for my next blog as I tackle the challenges of traveling (and packing) for a one year old. I’m gathering up any tips from experienced mommy travelers who have advice on how to make this trip go as smooth as possible. Please share your family traveling tips and you could be featured in my next blog!

About the guest blogger: Tara Berger is the Social Media & Communications Coordinator for AMResorts. She is the voice behind many of the blogs, tweets and updates you will find across the social media sites for Zoetry Wellness & Spa Resorts and Dreams, Secrets and Now Resorts & Spas. She is a wife and a mother to a one year old son. Her typical day consists of running between daycare and work, managing to feed the family and somehow pulling herself together to do it again the next day. When she’s not working or sitting through Barney for the 1,000^th time with her son, she enjoys traveling with her family, and considers herself fortunate to work in an industry that allows this happen as often as it does.