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Why an all-inclusive resort is the perfect base for a Mexican Caribbean adventure

Warm breezes, soft sand, rolling waves: Soaking up the beach vibes is undoubtedly at the heart of any good oceanside vacation.

But for me, it is just a part of the equation.

The routine might vary depending on the destination, but basically my beach itinerary consists of: swim, lounge, hike, explore, shop, dine, repeat. All capped off with a bit of local adventure.

With those priorities in mind, I believe I found the perfect combo on a recent trip to the Mexican Caribbean’s Riviera Maya – the all-inclusive resort.

Of course, I had heard of the charms of Mexico’s all-inclusive resorts for years. But for some reason, I had envisioned a somewhat generic experience, with guests mostly staying onsite to partake of the complimentary food, drink, and entertainment.

It always raised a question for me: Why travel to a far-off locale if you’re going to limit your experience to the grounds of a resort?

What I found at the Secrets Capri Riviera Cancun was an entirely different experience. Sure, there were excellent food and drink choices available, along with extravagant nightly entertainment and a lovely beach setting.

But there were also vans and buses coming and going throughout the day, taking guests to the region’s varied attractions – from coral reefs for snorkeling to underground rivers to island excursions.

After my short stay at Secrets Capri, I left with the impression that an all-inclusive resort offers the perfect base to explore the gorgeous Mexican Caribbean. Here’s why:

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 Posted on January 18, 2020 by

 beaches, Destinations, Far, Food, Mexico, Sightseeing, Uncategorized

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Western North Dakota: More than just oil wells

For the past decade or so, it seems, each time I’ve mentioned my home state of North Dakota, I’ve gotten the same response, “Ah, oilfield country.”

An improvement, perhaps, over the previous “Oh, don’t you just love that movie, ‘Fargo?’” but still. It made me wonder if oil activity is what truly characterizes western North Dakota these days.

So, as I was planning my recent road trip to North Dakota, I decided to find out for myself. I hadn’t been back to the western half of the state in years, and I was curious about whether the oil industry had taken a toll on the spectacular scenery I remembered.

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 4 Comments

 Posted on August 23, 2016 by

 Far, hiking, North Dakota, North Dakota, Road trip, Sightseeing, Travel, Wildflowers

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North Dakota through new eyes

Growing up in North Dakota, I can’t say that I truly appreciated the beauty of the prairie.

Oh, I loved being outdoors, and I regularly explored the acreage of my family’s farm. But to say it was beautiful? I’m afraid I didn’t go there. “So flat.” “No forests.” “Hardly any rivers.” “How far is the nearest beach?” – These were among the laments of my growing-up years.

As I matured, of course, I came to realize the truth of that old adage: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. And when it comes to the prairie, I can now say that I – the beholder – find a wealth of things to appreciate.

It’s been 30 years since I have lived in North Dakota, and although I’ve visited from time to time, those trips were usually more about seeing family than exploring the countryside.

So, as my 40th high school reunion was approaching this summer, I decided to make my return a road trip, with plenty of time to revel in the things I so blithely overlooked as a child and young adult.

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 Posted on August 23, 2016 by

 Destinations, Far, Food, Lists, Near, North Dakota, Prairie, Road trip, Sightseeing, Travel

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La Princesa to the Princess: Beating the heat in sweltering Arizona

As a long-time resident of Arizona, I know that these are the dog days of summer. As August rolls along, it seems that Phoenix is in a continuous heated battle with Palm Springs, Calif. for the dubious honor: Hottest spot in the country.

In recent days, Phoenix has logged in at 117 degrees Fahrenheit. For those who’ve never experienced it, 117 is an oven-like, oppressive heat that melts asphalt, turns steering wheels into blistering rings of fire, and gives the streets of Arizona’s largest city the feel of an abandoned movie set. Northern Arizona is marginally cooler, but still sweltering.

Still, with the heat comes SOME perks. Everyone in the state seems to know a few secrets for beating the heat, and most of them involve water (in addition to the obvious – air conditioning!).

For me, the hot season typically conjures up two retreat options: a Phoenix resort (preferably with an awesome pool), or a Mexican beach. For those willing to brave the heat, Phoenix’s high-end hotels are usually a super bargain from Memorial Day in May through Labor Day in September, making out-of-reach resorts suddenly affordable. As for Mexican beaches, the locale of choice for much of Arizona is Puerto Peñasco (Rocky Point), just an hour across the Arizona/Sonora border.

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This summer, I combined both in one trip, and it was wonderful. It also allowed me to do a side-by-side comparison of the two summer-retreat options. Here’s how the two experiences, including the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess and Princesa de Peñasco, stacked up:

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 Posted on August 18, 2015 by

 Arizona, beaches, Far, Mexico, Near, Sightseeing

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But Oficial, I don’t have 1,000 pesos! The highs and lows of a road trip south of the border

I had heard the stories, of course. Scary accounts of trumped up traffic tickets, nights spent in Mexican jails, and requests for bribes. Fortunately, though, I had never had a run-in with a Mexican policeman. Over the past 25 years or so, I have driven south of the border dozens of times – sometimes with kids, dogs, and camping gear in tow. And although we often got the once-over at the border, I had never been stopped alongside the road.

I wasn’t so lucky this time, however. As I drove into Sonoyta (Sonoita), the Mexican town just across the border from Lukeville, Arizona, on my way home from a short stay in the beach town of Puerto Peñasco (Rocky Point), Sonora, Mexico, I noticed a pick-up truck behind me, headlights flashing. I pulled over, and as the officer approached my car, he was shaking his head.

The upshot was that I was speeding (the actual speeds and speed limits were somewhat confusing – what with the conversion from kilometers to miles, as well as the Spanish-to-English translation). What the officer did get across to me, though, was that he wanted money – cash – or he was going to take me to “the station.”

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 Posted on August 10, 2015 by

 Arizona, beaches, Far, Mexico

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Rocky Point: Arizona’s ‘Jersey Shore’

When I started writing this blog post, I was going to title it “Rocky Point: Arizona’s Hamptons.” But after returning from my recent trip to the small Mexican beach town just across the Arizona border, I realized that “Hamptons” was too much of a stretch – even in a tongue-in-cheek sort of way. Really, very little about Rocky Point screams the upscale Hamptons.

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So, in search of another comparison, I decided the vibe of the Jersey Shore more closely matches the sometimes-raucous, unabashedly touristy feel of Rocky Point (AKA, Puerto Peñasco).

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Either way, what I was trying to get across is the beach get-away aspect of Rocky Point. Like New Jersey and New York, most regions of the U.S. have their go-to spots for a day on the water – everything from North Carolina’s Outer Banks to Washington’s islands, to Minnesota’s 10,000 lakes.

But what about land-locked, arid Arizona? Where’s a desert dweller to go for a day at the beach? For me and thousands of other Arizonans, it’s simple: Head south of the border.

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 1 Comment

 Posted on August 5, 2015 by

 Arizona, beaches, Far, Mexico, Sightseeing

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