Puerto Vallarta: A State of Mind

November 25, 2024

The Cruise--Details

I didn't include more details in the prior "The Cruise" post for two reasons. 1) I didn't think anyone would be interested; and 2) This trip didn't include much of the normal topics: good beer, good coffee or John-style travel. But there are details, which may be useful to some people contemplating how such a trip is put together. On the first day of the trip, we drove three hours to pick up my mother in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. At 85, she isn't comfortable driving for long distances and hadn't flown for many years. We then drove 3 1/2 more hours to Chicago, where we checked into the Wyndham, where you can get a room that includes the cost of parking for up to 12 days. We were up early on the hotel shuttle to O'Hare, where we then boarded the a non-stop American Airlines flight to New Orleans. Here, we checked into a Hampton Inn near the port. My mother was pretty tired, so Julia and I went out for a Cajun dinner and live music. Rememberi...

From November 2021

I'm an early riser, so I was up before dawn on our first morning and sat out on the dark balcony watching the city start to wake up. Puerto Vallarta is smaller than Madison, Wisconsin, but has the feeling of a much bigger city.

Tourism is the biggest industry, and Americans/Canadians outnumbered Mexicans on many of the streets close to the beach. English is widely spoken. I rarely needed to use my Duolingo Spanish, although it was helpful at times. Our condo was in the Zona Romantica, a/k/a Viejovallarta (Old Town). This neighborhood is known for tourism and open arms for the LGBT community. There's something here for everyone: restaurants, art galleries, beach sports, and shopping.

Puerto Vallarta has a Malecon (paved walkway) along the beach that is about a mile long. There's always something going on there: live music, street performers, paragliding, food/drink carts, etc.