Puerto Vallarta

A lovely place to visit for a care free get away is Mexico. Puerto Vallarta is where I went with my Grandparents and my best friend. The beaches are great. The sand is soft and white so you can play beach volleyball in your swim suit, or lounge on a beach chair under a palapa and read a book, or listen to music. The waves can get moderately high, enough to go boogie boarding or body surfing. Enjoy the thrill of catching wave after wave and riding all the way to the sandy shores.

Take pictures on the beach, or catch a bus down town and stroll along the malachon. The malachon is a walkway along the waterfront and is a hive of activity. In the day time, many vendors sell a multitude of trinkets. Stop at one of the stalls and take a look. Or stop at one of the many little restaurants and have a drink and some nachos. Meander your way to the amphitheater for some fun live shows. Performed entirely in Spanish, these street thespians are brilliant, eve if you don't speak the language. Wait for the church to strike eleven and bring out your dancing shoes, for that is the time the dancing starts at the many night clubs all along the malachon. Take your gal or find a guy to dance the night away with.

If that's not your pace, tour some of the elaborate churches and pay your respects in the house of God. Or visit a local market. They sell everything from silver rings to glass cups to pottery sinks to leather wallets. Try bartering with the local and walk away with the perfect gift to take home.

Feeling a little adventurous? Take a steamboat down the river for a tour. See all the cool plants along the banks in the tropics and come face to face with Iguanas, Pelicans and Crocodiles. I was lucky enough to see a baby crocodile, six inches long, black with buggy eyes. Or try para sailing and looking down on the city from way up in the sky. If 'up' is not your thing, try 'down'. Scuba dive or snorkel beneath the crystalline waves and witness the beautiful fish and coral.

Whatever you choose to do the weather is pretty good year-round. I went in the rainy season, it was warm and humid. The rain came in great torrential storms, but only lasted a couple hours and it was warm.

Puerto Vallarta is an amazing place to visit for the first time or the thirty first time. So enjoy the soft sand between your toes and the fresh breeze through your hair and enjoy Puerto Vallarta.