Puerto Vallarta: A State of Mind

December 30, 2024

Not really SAD, but

A lot of people are affected with Seasonal Affective Disorder in Wisconsin. We have many, many days without sun during the winter months. This year, we've had a string of days with heavy fog and unseasonably warm temperatures in the 30's and 40's. Personally, I can't claim that I've ever really felt the effects of SAD, but this year, knowing that we are likely moving west later next year, I've been very impatient and annoyed with Wisconsin weather. Sun trying to fight through the clouds It hasn't helped that my daily routine involves looking at the weather in Fort Collins and Tucson. Their weather has been spectacularly sunny and more pleasant this time of year. So, I haven't been blogging much because not much is going on. I've substituted indoor pickleball for hiking. The trails have been muddy and not much fun. For Christmas, we had my mother, Julia's brother and Allie here. I went and retrieved my mother from Cedar Rapids a...

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.