On a lighter note, I wanted to let you all know that our brief vacation in the Dominican Republic included a few days at possibly the nicest large beach resort property we've been to, the Paradisus Palma Real.

Rather than go over everything again, I'll refer you to my online review at:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g147293-d583034-r5298129-Paradisus_Palma_Real-Punta_Cana_Dominican_Republic.html

The short version is that we absolutely loved it, particularly the great service, the friendly people, the very nice beach and pools, and the food.

I highly recommend it if you're looking for a luxury all-inclusive resort that's a little classier than the typical Club Med and Sandals sort of stuff.

Here's their home page: http://www.palmarealparadisus.com/