I blogged about my trip to Tequila, Mexico, land of the spiky agave plants and  producer of my favorite spirit, tequila — which is most definitely a spirited drink.  Check it out here:

I admit to a fondness for tequila…but read about my October adventure to the Mexican town of Tequila and the agave fields — and my discovery of a new boutique hotel at La Cofradio distillery.
Tequila, Mexico  Not Just a Day Trip Any More « Tripatini: The Blogblog.tripatini.comTequila, the liquor, not the town,  has picked up a bit of a bad rap even as it’s grown increasingly popular throughout North America, Europe, and beyond. As in, margaritas and shooters, a cheap and surefire way to get -  how can I put this? - majorly wasted.  (Thanks David at http://www.tripatini.com)Cheers to a Happy Holiday!Until next time, Diana

One of those crazy months where I’ve been chasing time zones. I began in Scotland for golf to England to visit my friend, to a stop back in Denver to re-pack and head to SATW’s convention in Guadalajara with a pre-trip to the lovely town of Tequila. That was October.

After 1 1/2 weeks at home, I pulled out my suitcases for a quick trip to Costa Rica for the opening of the first Riu, the Riu Guanacaste. (I left in the midst of Denver’s mini October blizzard and more than 2 feet of snow!)

Another re-group in Denver, picked up my man and now we’re in Mexico at THE ROYAL Playa del Carmen.  Love this resort, smack dab in the heart of Playa, just 2 blocks from 5th Avenue.

We’ve been here since Monday and now we’re heading to Gran Caribe Real Cancun for one night. 

It’s not much of an overview, but 1,000’s of miles in the air is why I haven’t posted to my blog.

Click on the following “snapshots” of my journeys in pictures:

MEXICO:

Room with a view: THE ROYAL Playa del Carmen

Room with a view Tequila’s La Cofradia

Now time to pack, Cancun is waiting — after one more walk on the beach.

Happy travels, Diana Rowe

Read more of Diana’s adventures as: Denver Travel Examiner

Here we go again, Mexico in the news, and it’s not looking good. As many of you know, I *love* Mexico, its flavors, cultures and peoples. In fact, my family and I just returned from a 9-day vacation in Playa.

Click here for picture: Sandcastles on Playa del Carmen beaches

And I will be traveling there again twice in the next two months, once to Guadalajara in October, then a month later back to Cancun & Playa. I’m not worried.  

From my fellow travel journalist, Jimm Budd, who is commenting on Mexico’s position on “swine flu” and tourism:

“Mexico is bracing for a possible return this winter of Swine Flu, known to the politically correct as an illness caused by the H1N1 virus. Last May the fear of an epidemic devastated the tourism industry, temporarily closing many hotels and leading to the cancellation of visits by cruise ships to Mexican ports.  

“Vaccinations now are available, which should lessen the impact. In addition, Mexico has requested a 400 million dollar loan from the World Bank to improve epidemiology surveillance and insure vaccines are available for everybody.”

Here’s a few links about the spring “epidemic” and its impact:

Mexico puts out the sanitized welcome mat

Mexico vacationers safe, smiling and return to Mexico, despite H1N1 virus threats

Swine flu brings grim outlook to Mexico tourism

And an article about my recent family/friend trip to Playa’s Barcelo Maya Palace:
Riviera Maya makes entire families happy – and it was a wonderful vacation for all 23 of us, ages 2 to 62.

thanks for reading, until next time:

Diana

This spring 2009, I re-visited the Moon Palace Resort in Cancun, Mexico. Admittedly, I was always surprised how much travelers loved this resort since my first visit years ago was less than pleasant. However, my second visit to the Moon Palace was nothing short of wonderful. Great golf, great service, beautiful property with oversized and comfy rooms.

EXCERPT OF review of the Moon Palace Golf & Spa Resort:  The 2,457-room Moon Palace Golf & Spa Resort is framed by 2,000 feet of white sand beaches and 123 acres of jungle, just minutes from the Cancun airport. Its close proximity to the action combined with its tranquility makes the all-inclusive Moon Palace Golf & Spa Resort a frequent vacation choice for travelers of all ages. The Moon Palace offers two large, beachfront lagoon-style pools, four swim-up bars, two kids’ pools, one Golf Club pool, six Jacuzzis, 13 international restaurants, nightly entertainment at 11 bars and lounges, fully equipped fitness center, private Kids’ Club and plenty of water sports activities. Click here for picture of the fabulous pool at Moon Palace: Moon Palace Golf & Spa Resort

Read the entire review at: http://www.travels.com/destinations/mexico/moon-palace-resort-cancun-mexico/

For 8 days in June, I had the amazing experience of sharing a vacation with 23 family members and friends. Years ago, I fell in love with friendly and welcoming Mexico — and its equally warm people, so it was the only place I considered taking my family. The Barcelo Resorts in the Riviera Maya is one of my favorite all-inclusive resorts. Read on for excerpts from an article in Travelers Anonymous on my Riviera Maya family/friends vacation.

 

Mexico  Riviera Maya Makes Entire Families Happy

 With two dozen travelers between the ages of 2 and 62, finding a destination that offered everything to every age was important, and that’s why, for our family vacation, we looked south of the border to Mexico’s (http://www.visitmexico.com) Riviera Maya. Sure, it’s is a destination of beaches, but the Riviera Maya offers something for everyone from championship golf to culture to the unabashed luxury of lounging in the sun or splashing in the kid’s pool.

For travelers looking for a deal, Mexico’s Riviera Maya, located in the country’s easternmost state of Quintana Roo, has never looked better. It offers an unmatched combination of proximity, value, comfort, climate, exotic setting and hospitality. With the strain of the economy, it doesn’t hurt to add the strength of the U.S. dollar against the Mexican peso.  Click here to read the rest of the article at TravelersAnonymous.com:

Thanks for stopping by!  Until next time, Diana

Denver Travel Examiner: Mexico vacationers safe, smiling and planning to return, despite the U.S. Department’s travel alert

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Denver Travel Examiner: Weekly room report: Hotel Riu Palace Pacifico, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

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Travel & Leisure featured Mazatlan as one of the world’s top emerging places for travelers in its October 2008 issue. Known as “The Pearl of the Pacific” the golden-sand beaches stretch for 16 miles along Mexico’s Pacific Coast, the Mexican state of Sinaloa.

My western chapter of SATW witnessed firsthand this Pacific coastal city and its rich cultural offerings, ecological tours, world-class sporting events, culinary delights, and vibrancy of color at this prime Mexican destination. I was wined, tequila-ed, dined and welcomed at every step and turn during my 5 day visit.

For many years, Mexico vacations have been synomous with value, and Mazatlan is no exception. Roundtrip and non-stop flights from major U.S. cities (including Denver on Frontier airlines) makes Mazatlan just as attractive.

My host hotel was the lovely resort El Cid Castilla Beach Hotel and stayed at the tallest and most elegant landmark, El Moro Tower.  My suite was like a small apartment, and the view was simply incredible! (A grateful nod to the lovely housekeeping staff who cheerfully cleaned up around me while I wrote in my room.)

• Click here for picture of my Suite at El Cid Castilla Beach Hotel, El Moro Tower
• Click here for picture of Beach at Mazatlan’s El Cid Castilla Beach Hotel

We began with a City Tour (courtesy of Trolley Tours) to get familiar with the insides of Mazatlan, which includes stops at its city open market, visit to the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, the cliff diver point, shrimp flea market, city monuments and a glimpse at the monument size of Mazatlan.

The highlight of my day was the welcome reception at Old Town Machado Square, where Mexican hospitality delighted us with a huge mariachi band and local Mexican dancers showcasing many colorful costumes, dances and celebrations — and tequila — that make Mexico so appealing.(Click here to view picture of dancer at Welcome reception at Mazatlan’s Old Town Machado Square) An introduction to the royalty of the upcoming mammoth celebration of its city-wide pre-Lenten Carnival topped off the evening.

The next morning my 6 am wakeup call came way too early, when Aries Fishing Fleet van picked me up for my deep-sea fishing trip, departing from El Cid Marina Beach Hotel. My team of four, along with the skipper and first mate, reeled in two prizes — a 110 pound marlin and 20 pound mahi mahi.  Instead of catch and release, the fish were donated to a local charity. (Click here to view:  Deep-sea fishing in Mazatlan)What a great way to spend the sunny Mazatlan day — and I even took a snooze on deck, lulled to sleep by the gentle waves of the sea.

Dinner on our own that night was a recommended visit to nearby Los Arcos, walking distance from El Cid. We were treated as royalty and the freshly made ceviche and fresh catches of shrimp and lobster make it a double-treat.

The Mexican Artisans and Tequila Factory Tour were expertly guided by Trolley Tour. La Noria is a community of handcraft workers, many of which have not left their small village. The Tequila Factory was way worth the afternoon away from the beach, as the taste of the 100% blue agave at Los Osuna (pioneers of tequial production in Mexico) is not available in the U.S. — yet, and I’ll be first in line when it does.

Other highlights:

• Viva Mexico! performance at Spectaculare Ballroom, a stand-alone ballroom rented for meetings and events.
• Emerald evening at Pueblo Bonito Emerald Bay Hotel.
• Farewell dinner at El Cid Marina Beach Hotel

Mexico might be perfect for vacations, but Mazatlan was made to return often.

Hasta la Vista,

Diana
Read more about Mazatlan getaway at Denver Travel Examiner

No time to write, but all I can say about Copper Canyon is AWESOME! as this picture will attest.

until next time, Diana

Just chilling at the Hotel Posado del Hidalgo Pool today. I’ve got an article or two to write, but instead of sitting in my room, I brought my computer to the pool with a view of the Rio and the small Colonial village of El Fuerte, located at the base of Copper Canyon.

Earlier today, I took the bus to the Campomos village to enjoy a demonstration from the Mayos Indian women on making corn tortillas and pottery, both skills taught to them by their mother, and their mother’s mother, for generations.

and the native dance of the Mayos Indians, celebrating the hunt of the “benado” (deer). 

Back to work now. Diana