Pinned to the wall of my cubicle I have a picture of a map of the world and the caption “Forgive me for not seeming all here, but my mind is ELSEWHERE”. While this may be true with great regularity, recently my mind has been in Mexico.
Category Archives: Mexico
Back to the Beach….and Mexico!
The waves sloshed onto the shore, as the sun warmed us. Having walked a couple of miles from camp down the beach, we stopped for a rest on a downed log, luxuriating in the absolute solitude. Not another soul disturbed our peace, other than a few pesky sea gulls, but even they seemed more subdued than normal. Aspen took a break from exploring to come in for pets, as Porter leaned back against me, raising his head to the sun, eyes mere slits, the picture of complete contentment. On this uncharacteristically warm, non-windy day, at the Oregon coast in FEBRUARY, life was good.
My Fascination with Doors
Doors are my favorite photography subject. I am fascinated, not just by the doors themselves, but by the stories I imagine they could tell if only they had the words.
Puerto Vallarta – a Flashback!
We have spent more time in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico than anywhere else on earth, except home. Our most recent trip showed that, in spite of some inevitable changes, much of the city retains the charm and culture that we so appreciate.
Missing Mexico
It’s been three months since we left and I miss it. There is something about this place that always draws me back. We’ve seen a lot of changes over the years, but the appeal never fades. In spite of the growing pains that have come with expansion, the vivid spirit of Puerto Vallarta remains true. 
Foto Friday
I am, to put it mildly, obsessed with doors. Foto Friday this week is actually four photos of some of my favorite doors ever, newly refurbished in old town Puerto Vallarta.
Foto Friday
Blue Agave, the main ingredient in our signature adult beverage, Tequila. On our latest trip to the tiny town of Mismaloya, I spotted this gorgeous example of this interesting and versatile plant.
Cooking in Paradise
Undoubetedly our favorite evening on our recent family trip to Mexico was the night we took a cooking class at Robert & Dolores Brittingham’s house.
Formerly from Seattle, Robert & Dolores have called Puerto Vallarta home since 2002, starting Essence of Cuisine, Dolores’ cooking school, in 2006. We girls in the family had taken several cooking classes in the past and knew it was something we wanted to take advantage of on this trip to Mexico. After months of searching online, I was growing frustrated. Of the many different types of classes offered around town, none of them seemed to suit our group. A couple were perfect for me, 6-7 hours of total immersion, beginning with shopping for ingredients at the market, but deemed much too intense for mom and Wendy. A few well-known classes had great reviews, but were extremely expensive and mostly featured simply watching the chef cook.
Puerto Vallarta in Review
Puerto Vallarta is a magical place for us and over the last twenty years we’ve eaten our way all over the city, from food carts and street stands to five star restaurants like Cafe des Amis. Having just returned from yet another vacation in paradise I thought I’d give a rundown of the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Foto Friday
10 days on the beach in Mexico…. oh yea!
