There is no better way to set sail on the open waters of the Atlantic or the Pacific Ocean than by traveling on the new ship BLISS with the Norwegian Cruise Line. I was lucky enough to be invited to experience the ship in Los Angeles for a quick two-day inaugural sailing to Ensenada, Mexico. After I disembarked, it set sail for Seattle and then
Everybody needs a little time away from their busy and stressful lives. Sometimes trips that can get you into vacation mode fast are needed, but rarely booked. So I have a quick trip recommendation ready for you. Booking a trip to Cancun, Mexico is easy from many places on the East and West Coast, as well as Arizona and Texas and that allows you to
One of our favorite family vacations is to travel and stay at a house or condo in the area where we want to explore. We recently took a family trip to the Sea of Cortez in Mexico to celebrate my son's college graduation. Not only did we pack a few things that are hard to find in Mexican stores, but we also found a few
Puerto Vallarta beaches are among the most popular tourist destinations in Mexico. This coastal city used to be a small fishing village and was transformed into a popular beach holiday destination in the 1960's when popular Hollywood celebrities such as Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton came for a visit. Today, the beaches in Puerto Vallarta are dotted with world-class hotels and resorts, although what attracts
Puerto Vallarta All Inclusive Resorts are THE place to be this year. Mexico is easy to get to and they have laid out the red carpet for your visit. In fact, your vacations begin from the moment you step foot off the airplane or the cruise ship that brings you here. You will soon notice the mesmerizing cobblestone streets lined with cafes, shopping, and boutique
Along the Pacific Ocean, the resort city of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico invites you to stay at its luxurious Casas en Puerto Vallarta: the boutique Casa Velas. This typically warm weather resort city entices adults to skip out on their usual work day and spend some time under the fiery Mexican sun! Guests of what the Mexicans call "Casas en Puerto Vallarta" are given a special
During my recent trip to Oaxaca City, Mexico, I had a chance to visit a natural site not too far out of the city called Hierve el Agua, Oaxaca. It is a petrified waterfall in the small municipality of San Lorenzo Albarradas. It literally seems to be in the middle of nowhere in the state of Oaxaca, which is about 6 hours from Mexico City. The
Vacationing in the splendid Riviera Maya in Mexico can be a dream come true for many people. Tourists and natives of Riviera Maya can soak up the sun, go swimming, scuba diving, and be snorkeling along the stunning blue waters of the area. There are also some amazing cenotoes (limestone underwater caves or caverns) to explore such as Kukulcan (typically a private dive) and also cenotes
Have you thought about cenote Mexico scuba diving while you are in Cancun or in the Riviera Maya? The stunning Kukulcan Cenote is a 33 feet (10 meters) deep blue cavern that is part of the Chac Mool caving system in the Yucatan, Mexico. It is set in a jungle scenery with fresh and salt water, lots of fossils, and even a few stalactites. The
There are so many things to love about Mexico. It is one of my favorite countries in the world to visit. I bring you ten popular Mexican destinations to visit in this article that you may not even know existed. Mexico has such a deep heart and soul that it wants to show you. It is also a diverse a country that is filled with friendly
Did you know that Arizona has a beach? I've always said that Phoenix was the perfect place to live except that we don't have an ocean view! But now we do: Arizona's Beach is Rocky Point, Mexico and the Sea of Cortez! The road to Rocky Point is long and weary for many (about a four-hour drive from Phoenix). However, each year we make our
Along the secluded beaches of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, the Hyatt Ziva stands out among the crowds of Puerto Vallarta All-Inclusive Resorts. This is because of its comfortable atmosphere and location RIGHT on the beach. Yet, the Hyatt Ziva is also located only about two miles from downtown Puerto Vallarta. This is an excellent location, as guests can easily catch a 5-minute Uber ride into the
Plopping into my clear plastic tube at Xel Ha, I was ready for cool relief. It had been scorching and sweaty hot, as the temperatures soared to over 100 degrees for the last few days. I had come to the golden lands of a Mexican destination. I was in search of the festivals surrounding the “Dia de Los Muertos” -those lazy days in November where
Travelocity October on Travelocity! Every month I use my 25 years of travel experience on the Travelocity website about my latest travel experiences. I am a travel ambassador for Travelocity, and they like to call me one of their "Gnational Gnomads", which I think is super cute. This is an excerpt from those stories. You can read the entire article here on Travelocity: 6 Ultra-Indulgent
Most people who find this page are looking for the Italian Brand of Men's Clothing called Stone Island. Actually, I had never even heard of it until I googled Stone Island one day and it popped up first. But this is article is NOT about the brand of Italian men's clothing but instead about a tiny island off the coast of Mazatlan where the locals
He instructed us to turn off our headlamps and lay back with our eyes closed. I felt a chill come over my body as goosebumps began to arise within my dive skin. I did what was instructed, but hesitated for a bit. Lying there in the stillness, I heard a drip, drip, drip in the stillness. With his voice guiding me, I slowly opened my
There’s something slightly silly about being followed by your personal waiter to your breakfast table - him carrying your morning breakfast plate in his hands while walking directly behind you at the Grand Velas. As I sit, he takes my napkin and places it in my lap, asking me if there is anything else that I might need. Seriously, what else could I need? Feeling
It is hard to explain, but basically, Xcaret, Mexico is an eco-friendly park in the Yucatan area of Mexico. This is one of my favorite excursions Riviera Maya offers. My family and I had more fun there than we ever dreamed, as we really had no idea what it was, but kept hearing from tourist and locals alike that we shouldn't miss Xcaret Park. And I
For years, I have been enamored with Spanish architecture of colonial origins, from Mérida and Oaxaca City to Guanajuato, Puebla, and Cuernavaca, Mexico. Back the day, it was called "New Spain" during the colonial era of Mexico in the 16th to 19th centuries. Mexico has more sites on the UNESCO World Heritage list than any other country in the Americas with its 29 sites, many of
I recently returned from my first Holland America experience - a cruise to the Mexican Riviera. I was so impressed with the service of the staff and crew that I received from this group of highly trained workers! After multiple inquiries, I soon found out why from the Captain Mark Rowden of the MS Westerdam. Holland America uses many of its mandates and knowledge received through
“Ain't it funny, rumors fly, And I know you heard about me.” - Taylor Swift Have you heard? I’ve been living it up at the Hotel California in Todos Santos, Mexico… with “mirrors on the ceiling” and “the pink champagne on ice”… I was dangling my feet in the refreshingly cold swimming pool of the Hotel California in Baja Mexico on a hot, late-fall
How will you be celebrating Día del Niño this year? I love to cook with my Ninos - Diego and Christian, to help celebrate them and in a small way, pass down some authentic Mexican traditions, even though they are not Mexican, but Chilean. Since we live in Arizona and have such a close connection to the Mexicans and the Mexicans traditions, this holiday means so
I was peering at him from the distorted window. His eyes smiled to his ears as I saw him wipe the sweat from his brow with the back of his wrist. He was ruggedly handsome, mid 50’s and had the roughness from years of manual labor. The lines on his face were deep and his skin tone told me he was a man who works
Travel with a private/personal photographer Photo Courtesy of Cantimplora Travel I am crazy excited to tell you about an upcoming adventure I am taking! I have decided to try something totally different in the travel world and go off-the-beaten-path this month with a private, local photographer. Why? So that I can put down my camera (well a little bit!) and Factor Fabula's Bernie
Raise the Bar: Achievement is largely the product of steadily raising one’s levels of aspiration and expectation ~Jack Nicklaus I was on my way to the Grand Velas in the jungles of Mexico. I was hired to photograph the 10th anniversary of the Festival of Life and Death (Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead) for Experiences Xcaret. I couldn’t be more excited
One by one, they would climb the 17 dingy white stairs to the tiny crowded, dimly-lit room. They needed to get out of the sweltering heat and were dressed in the brightest blues, vibrant yellows and heart-stopping red colors. Never have I seen such a stunningly beautiful group of women with matching beads and flowers in their hair. The men came too, fewer, but they
Do you know the story of Las Posadas? Posadas means “accommodations” in Spanish and Las Posadas is a Mexican tradition that has been celebrated for over 400 years. Its roots are in Catholicism, yet even Protestant Latinos follow the tradition. It is the nine-day journey of Mary and Joseph in search of a place to stay (an “inn”) before the birth of Jesus. The nine
Cancun Diving is a must if you are a certified diver and you in the area since they have more than 30 dive sites in what they call the Cancun National Marine Park. The Cancun reefs often have schools of snappers, barracudas, angelfish, and many other species living in an amazing ecosystem. One of my favorite things to do when I am in Cancun is
Benazuza, Cancun, Mexico The mysterious drink appeared at the bar, sugar cane chunks immersed in a cocktail. The bartender instructed us to “chew the sugar cane to soak up the drink!” What a fun way to “drink a cocktail”, by not actually drinking it, but chewing the juice out! When foodies go on vacation, they dream about adventures in flavor. Things like
By Cacinda Maloney San Miguel de Allende, Mexico San Miguel de Allende, Mexico I was talking to my friend today, and she was telling me about her quick trip to San Miguel de Allende over the long weekend. She was in Mexico City and decided to take a drive up to San Miguel. By car from Mexico City, you can get there in approximately
By Cacinda Maloney Circo Chino de Peking: Have you ever been to a circus in a foreign country? Circo Chino de Peking Zihautanejo, Mexico We tried it in Mexico and I have to say that my family truly enjoyed it. It is so much different that going to the circus in the United States. Circo Chino de Peking, Zihuatanejo, Mexico First
Zihuatanejo means "place of beautiful women" in the Nahuatl language. Nahuatl has been spoken in Central Mexico since at least the 7th century AD. It was the language of the Aztecs, whose empire expanded into most of Mexico during the centuries preceding the Spanish conquest. Many words from Nahuatl have been borrowed into Spanish, and since diffused into hundreds of other languages. Most of these loanwords
As I meander down each street, I think about Mexico and its colors. Zihuatanejo, Mexico Color, color is everywhere and they are serious about their colors. "Why, o, why can't the USA be like this?" I have decided that I love color. I love how bold and striking Mexico can be. Zihuatanejo, Mexico With all its dilapidated old parts and doors
By Cacinda Maloney San Miguel de Allende, Mexico captured my heart. It is the quintessential town for me. It answered all my prayers about a place that I thought could exist. You see, I have always been in love with colonial architecture, interior design, music, art and the language of Mexico for a long time (plus I love Mexican food!). It romances me. Coming
