Category Archives: Mexico

Seeking Home in Puerto Vallarta

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Written in cooperation with GoodSearch.

Puerto Vallarta is not new to me. I have spent more time here than anywhere else on Earth but home. While some complain about the vast growth of the city over the years, I find that much of what I love has remained constant over time.

For the vacationer, Puerto Vallarta surely has it all: excellent dining, an endless array of activities, world-class hotels, and fantastic nightlife. In addition to all of the well-known and well-documented choices, I’d like to share a few of my insider tips to make your paradise vacation truly special.

image via Flickr by luckylynda74

Old Town

Old Town, or the Romantic Zone if you prefer the new moniker, is not a secret. Nearly everyone at some point wanders across the bridge to check it out. Sadly, few take the time to discover the hidden gems, such as A Page in the Sun. Part used book exchange, part coffee shop, A Page in the Sun has been a Puerto Vallarta institution for over 20 Luisyears. Now in a new and larger location, it continues to draw us in for breakfast and friendly conversation.

 

Weekend Brunch with a View

Many amazing restaurants in town offer lovely views, but for THE best combination of a killer view and a unique experience, take a cab south of town to Casa Karma. This boutique hotel also offers up gorgeous rooms, but we go for the Bloody Mary bar! Each weekend, the Bar at Casa Karma whips up the most amazing “make your own” Bloody Mary bar we have ever seen. You start out with a delicious Bloody Mary, and you can add as many additions as you like — bacon, artichoke hearts, pickled asparagus, pearl onions, blue cheese-stuffed olives, and the list goes on. Admittedly, this is not a traditional take on brunch. You will certainly leave Casa Karma both pleasantly full and happy.

image via Flickr by cogdogblog

A Dress of Many Colors

One of my frequent stops is Luisa’s clothing store. Located on Juarez Street in the Zona Centro, Luisa has been one of the best seamstresses in Puerto Vallarta for years. Her storefront is artistically packed with dresses and shirts and scarves in every color of the rainbow. While you can go in and simply buy off the rack, the normal procedure is that you choose what you like, try it on for fit, and then Luisa will custom-fit that piece for you. Or, if you want turquoise, not green, for instance, she will simply whip up one just for you. She speaks excellent English, is knowledgeable about events around town, and is a joy to work with. Her clothes are well done, comfortable, and ready in a matter of days for a fair price. I am proud to say I have more than a couple of “Luisa originals.”

 

Of Tacos and Tango

To be truthful, for visitors doing research, El Carboncito is not a secret. However, in all of our trips there, we have rarely seen any tourists, so now the word is officially out. I love tacos, and I especially love tacos al pastor, which is meat slow-cooked on a skewer, served up on a freshly made tortilla with a slice of grilled pineapple, chopped cilantro, and fresh salsa. A squeeze of lime is mandatory.
The very best tacos al pastor I have found throughout Mexico come from El Carboncito, on a small side street in central Puerto Vallarta. Sitting in white plastic chairs, surrounded by chattering locals, eating two, or four, of these gems just makes me happy. For THE perfect evening out, so perfect, in fact, and that it is how we spent our anniversary this year, we walked down to El Carboncito’s for tacos, before heading for mojitos and tango at La Bodeguita del Medio. Technically, it’s salsa, not tango, but nonetheless, this is my favorite bar in Puerto Vallarta. I generally am not awake late enough to fully appreciate the dancing that randomly breaks out, but the live salsa band, excellent mojitos, and friendly staff are enough to keep me coming back for more.

image via Flickr by leduardo

 

My Puerto Vallarta doesn’t consist of the typical visitor’s experience. Having visited so many times before, I have experienced first-class resorts, and done the sightseeing. These days, I want to meander side streets and find the true soul of the city.

 

Camping List~ Mainland Mexico

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When we re-entered Mexico on the mainland, we crossed at the tiny and simple border of Sonoyta and headed straight to San Carlos. Having visited much of Sonoroa last year, our main goal was mainly to get further south relatively quickly. After Puerto Vallarta, we continued at our typical tortuga pace!

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Of Roadblocks & Disappointment

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I can’t even say how long I have desired the opportunity to explore Oaxaca City. Back in my days working for Mexico Unlimited, we somehow never made the trip, truthfully probably simply because we tend to head to Mexico’s beautiful beaches. That fact didn’t keep me from dreaming of this place, not so far away in miles, and yet seemingly out of easy reach.

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Climbing to the Sun

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Teotihuacan. The name alone brings a smile to the face of all who have been there, for this enormous set of ruins, just outside Mexico City, truly brings to light the power of an empire, begun thousands of years ago. Thought to be Aztec, the city’s origins are actually a bit of a mystery, but it was the Aztecs who came upon this abandoned site and realized its power.

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It Starts with a Dream

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We ended up meeting Arturo by chance. While we had previously come through the pueblo magico town of Cuitzeo, we had been in motion, eager to get to SMA. Heading south, it seemed like a perfect pitstop during a long drive. Little did we know we were about to meet one of the world’s great dreamers.

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Fighting for Freedom

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This blog post is in response to Natalie’s 10 Day Freedom Plan Blog Challenge Day 10

10 days of blogging daily. An admirable goal, and a challenging one since I had three days of travel within that 10 day period.

Here, one day late, is my final post to Natalie’s blog challenge. I am so glad I participated. So glad it got me into a habit of writing a bit every day, even if it is a short post. I find myself often bogged down, on a time limit, and having SO much to say about a particular site or place, that I would wait until the perfect time to get that post up and published.

Going forward, my goal is not to undercut each experience, but to focus more on consistency of sharing, rather than making sure each post is fully rounded. Perhaps I’ll do more than one post on each spot we visit. Perhaps one post will be about our experience, and one about the ins and outs of visiting. I’m not sure exactly where this new theory will lead, but I”m excited about it.

In a mere 6 days we change countries for the first time in NINE MONTHS. There will be new challenges, a new currency, a new way of thinking. All exciting and, yes, a little intimidating. Viva la Mexico… watch out Guatemala.. here I come!

Choose Your Adventure

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This blog post is in response to Natalie’s 10 Day Freedom Plan Blog Challenge Day 8

Well, this is an easy one, since our life is generally one big adventure these days! Today, we pack up camp after nearly three weeks in Oaxaca. We say goodbye to new friends, and challenge ourselves and our limited Spanish by heading to Walmart to send a Moneygram to Guatemala!

Just making the drive is an adventure all it’s own, as we are finding Oaxaca to be one of our very least favorite towns to drive in. The road planners were surely smoking something with weaving lane changes and intersections with six or eight entry points. Arrogant bus drivers and aggressive collectivos nearly cut us off repeatedly. This will be a challenging adventure, but an adventure nonetheless.

Next up, we head to the hills at Hierve de Aqua, a remarkable set of mineral springs, set on a mountain ledge, with amazing views. The “camping” there is rustic, with merely a set of bathrooms available to use, but the site is powerful. Once the day users leave, we are hoping to have the place to ourselves, under a full moon.

We will not have internet, so I won’t be sharing on Instagram today… but look for photos to come soon! Now go out and enjoy your own adventure!

Guanajuato…not

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I had been anticipating our arrival in Guanajuato for what seemed like forever. The years spent preparing often meant hours, generally in my cubicle (shhh) poring over others trips. Hours reading of others adventures, beyond anxious for the time when I would be the one living out my dreams on the road.

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