Literary-minded travel writers describing Puerto Vallarta as an “island of tourist delights” probably don’t realize that their words are closer to the truth than they might imagine. At present, Puerto Vallarta has plenty of tourist facilities but is certainly not an island. The Pacific Ocean may swish against Vallarta’s beaches on one side, but there […]
Continue Reading
After multiple trips to Puerto Vallarta I think I am becoming Mexican. I look Mexican, so when I jump into a cab, I have to politely say “No hablo Español” when the driver rattles off a breathless sentence about the weather, the roads, the fiesta or whatever the topic of the day is. I then get the […]
Continue Reading
The seat sale prices for flights to Puerto Vallarta were simply too good to pass up, and the weather at home too cold and miserable to buoy our spirits. Time for a short winter break in the sun! Arriving in Puerto Vallarta in the mid-afternoon, we hired a small car at the airport and took […]
Continue Reading
Yearning for a sunny, relaxing Mexican holiday? Tourists often choose to go to Puerto Vallarta, which offers luxurious inclusive hotels and comfortable time-share condos. Yet many travelers also select Puerto Vallarta, as a magical destination. Here, colorful butterflies flit through lush tropical flora. Pelicans, egrets, and scissor tails soar above. Geckos scamper about while you […]
Continue ReadingI digress from stories about the potters of Mata Ortíz, Chihuahua this month to reminisce about my first New Year in Mexico. I was 13, I was in Puerto Vallarta and the year was 1958. “Mike, come and look.” Dad shook me awake. I squinted, bleary-eyed around the dark room. It was still the middle […]
Continue ReadingRecently, I had the pleasure of interviewing Efren Gonzalez at his home in Ajijic, a home he is building entirely from the sale of his paintings. For years he has struggled with the dream of living and supporting his family from his art; a dream he now realizes everyday, brick by brick. Born on June […]
Continue Reading
Back when I lived in a Northern Virginia condo and traveled often to Mexico and the Caribbean with the Vienna-based Emerald Shillelagh Chowder & Marching Society, I adopted the habit of buying a tee shirt featuring the name of the city or island. My favorite shirt, the one that got the most commentary from fellow travelers on […]
Continue ReadingWe try to travel to Mexico twice a year, for a week or two at a time, packing just one carry-on bag each. This limitation is absolutely necessary when our two kids go along, because more than four carry-ons won’t fit in a taxi. We head directly to a bus station, and take off for […]
Continue Reading
Hotel Playa Los Arcos stretches from Avenida Olas Altas to the seashore boardwalk. The Café Maximilian on the avenue serves breakfast with steaming coffee, fresh fruit juices and a variety of prix fixe breakfasts and a la carte options, from Continental to Mexican. In the evening, Kaiser Maximilian Restaurant and Café serves exquisite European cuisine for an authentic […]
Continue Reading
Seven US presidents were born in log cabins. The most notable, of course, was Lincoln. During elections, all of them were quick to remind the public of their humble frontier origins with fulsome references to their roughhewn family cabins. However, the introduction of the log cabin to Mexico is actually a surprisingly recent phenomenon, driven […]
Continue Reading