Mazatlan, February 2010

Since I began this blog a month ago I have been working on re-creating our trips from the past using journals, notes and pictures from those trips. I finally have caught up and this is the first trip that will be recorded shortly after we returned. I decided against daily updates, although I did make notes everyday so I could remember things that we did.

Mazatlan. Home of the 3rd largest Carnaval (Mardi Gras) celebration in the world, following Rio and New Orleans. When we decided to come to Mazatlan again for our annual trip, I checked into the dates of Carnaval so we could avoid this annual celebration. Since our plan was to stay in downtown Mazatlan for 5 days prior to moving to our timeshare, I wanted to be sure that we booked our downtown stay at least the week prior to Carnaval. No problem. We scheduled the hotel and timeshare and got our airline tickets scheduled in August. In December we discovered that we were booked during Carnaval, not the week before. Not sure what happened but obviously I looked at the dates wrong. Oh, well, we are going to make the best of it.

Tuesday, February 9th. This trip started out typical of our daily life. Are we just too busy? Not organized enough? We had a list of things to remember- sunglasses, swimsuits, passports, etc. All the things you might not think of when leaving a rainy, winter in Seattle with a destination of sunny, hot Mexico. So what did we forget? As we were on our way to the airport at 5:30 am, Doug realized that he didn’t have his phone. It was in his hand as we walked out the door, but he stepped back inside to check on one more thing and set it down. So now, he noticed he didn’t have it. We were on Shuttle Express with someone else headed for their flight so we could hardly turn around. So, we got to the airport, got checked in and he headed back in a taxi to retrieve his phone. $78 cab fare later he was back with his phone and enough time to check in. Hope this isn’t a sign of things to come!

We arrived in Mazatlan about 3:15pm (Central Time) and by the time we reached our hotel it was about 5pm. The weather was warm, about 80, but it was a little cloudy. We checked in the La Siesta hotel which is right on Olas Altas in downtown Mazatlan. Our 3rd floor room looked out to the ocean and the boardwalk right across the street from the hotel. We had a balcony with 2 chairs and the room was nice with 2 queen beds, a desk and chair and wireless access. The hotel had a inside courtyard, a pool and was connected to the Shrimp Bucket restaurant.

About 4 blocks behind the hotel is Plaza Machado which is a beautiful park like setting with restaurants surrounding the plaza. After we got checked into our room we walked down to the plaza and had a great dinner at Pedro and Lola’s.

We got up Wednesday morning to cloudy weather, but it was warm. We ate breakfast at the Shrimp Bucket then walked over to the malecon (boardwalk). It is so nice to walk in the morning before it gets too warm. The malecon has several statues and there are quite a few people walking, taking in the sites. We walked about 3 miles or so, resting along the way. We stopped to watch the cliff divers. After waiting quite awhile we figured out that they have a “showman” that is there for the sole purpose of gathering a crowd. He taunts the crowd by putting his arms out like he’s going to dive, as several others below collect money from the crowd. Finally, someone else climbs the tower and is the one who jumps. We walked up past the fisherman’s statue where all the early morning boats come in and they are selling fresh fish. You can buy fresh fish and take it to a restaurant across the street and they will cook it for you. Once we got back from our walk we spent time at the hotel for the afternoon, just relaxing. Doug caught up on some email and I spent time at the pool – which was not heated. It was refreshing anyway, and I enjoyed the downtime with my book. We ate dinner that night at a great little restaurant a couple blocks from the hotel, La Cueva del Leon, Cocina Mexicana.

Thursday was the first day of Carnaval. We really did not know what to expect. All around were signs of things happening. Obviously Pacifica Beer was a sponsor (they have a brewery in town). There was a stage being set up right next to the hotel, and there were gates and barricades set up on all the street entrances to the area. The hotel gave us wristbands to wear so we got get back in if we ventured outside of the area. We decided to head for the Golden Zone for awhile during the day. The Golden Zone is at the north end of the 12 mile long malecon. It has a lot of the big hotels on the beachfront, and lots of shops and restaurants. It is where the tourists go, and where the cruise ships bring their tourists for a day of shopping and dining.

We had a late breakfast at Panama which is a chain restaurant /bakery. The food and service were good. After we ate breakfast we walked around the area. We stopped at Joe’s Oyster Bar which overlooks the ocean, then we rode the bus back downtown. By then it was about 3:30 and there was a band practicing on the stage, and more and more vendors were bringing their carts down the street and setting things up. After relaxing for awhile we had dinner at the Shrimp Bucket, and decided to settle in to see what the night would bring. As the evening went on more and more people started coming. Around 8pm the band was playing and a large crowd was gathering. As we walked the area we saw that there were at least 6 more stages set up in the 12 block area. There were food booths, entertainers, candy, toys and trinkets, masks, etc. It was fun to people watch. At 9pm there were fireworks and the crowd was continuing to get thicker. We decided to head to our room and watch from the balcony. The music went on until 1pm – I’m glad I brought earplugs which helped a lot to drown out some of the noise.

On Friday we got up to quiet streets (and clean streets). It was hard to believe that last night was the beginning of a huge party. We walked over to Machado Plaza and had breakfast at La Tromoya then walked over to the city market. Mazatlan has a huge city market with many meat and produce vendors, as well as craft vendors. We walked to the Cathedral and the plaza nearby. We came back to the hotel to rest and swim. Once again as the day went on more and more people started coming to the area, and the bands started playing. We decided to walk back to Machado Plaza to see what kinds of things were happening. Although it was outside the gates, there were vendors, entertainers and lots of people. We walked down one of the side streets and went to Te Amo Lucy’s (I love Lucy’s) for dinner. It’s a fun little restaurant with I love Lucy videos playing and all kinds of little ornamental things hanging from the ceiling. American Tony and his Mexican wife Lucy are the owners. The food is great and it is usually busy. When we got back to our hotel around 9pm there were a lot of people in the area and all the stages had performers. We watched from our balcony as more and more people came to the area. They partied in the street until about 3am. Once again I was thankful for the earplugs.

Saturday morning we got coffee at Looney Beans which is a few blocks from the hotel. Great coffee which is grown in Mexico in the state of Chiapas. With our coffee we walked up the malecon to fisherman’s statue, then took one of the pulmonias to the Golden Zone again. After lunch at Gringo Lingo we walked up the main road and took a bus back downtown. When we got back to the hotel area there was a lot of action with more and more people coming into the area and vendors getting set up for the evening. That evening we walked from one end to the other of the main street, stopping to listen to the bands and buying dinner from the street vendors. It was fun to be part of the action and watch people. We never saw anyone acting unruly… there were families with kids, couples old and young and everyone was having a good time. At 11pm we were back on our balcony to watch the fireworks show, which lasted about 45 minutes. That evening the music and the street dancing went on until about 5am.

On Sunday morning we got up and packed to get ready to move over to our timeshare at the Mayan Palace which is at the north end of Mazatlan in an area called Cerritos. We walked around the area one more time, got coffee from Looney Beans again and we both commented on how clean the streets were, just a few short hours after the all night party ended.

We took a pulmonia to the Mayan Palace and arrived there about 1:30. Doug’s Dad Cal had planned to meet us at the hotel as he was going to spend the week with us. He actually had been in the area for a week visiting with friends in Tecapan which is south of Mazatlan. He showed up shortly after we arrived at the Mayan. We were not able to check in so we left our baggage with the bellboy and looked around the resort. We sat by the pool and had lunch then we took a bus over to the Mega Foods to pick up some food for meals for the week. Once we got back to the hotel we were able to check into our room which had a great view of the ocean and the pool. That evening we ate dinner at the hotel.

I was really looking forward to resting at this hotel and spending time by the pool. When we were downtown our intent was to spend time checking out the sites, enjoying early morning walks, etc, but once we moved to the Mayan I wanted to enjoy the pool, and spend some time reading. We spent the day Monday at the hotel. That evening Cal wasn’t feeling well so we walked across the street to a little taco stand and got him some tacos then Doug and I headed to the Golden Zone for dinner at Gus Gus, which was great.

On Tuesday we got up to an overcast day so we decided to take Cal to the Golden Zone. He has a little trouble getting around and walks with a cane so we planned to walk slow and stop and rest now and then. After awhile we decided to walk to Joe’s Oyster Bar which overlooks the ocean. We asked Cal if he would like that and we planned to walk the 3 or 4 blocks slowly and take our time. We stopped to rest several times and when we were about 30 ft from the entrance Cal stopped again to rest. I pointed to the sign and told him we were almost there and he told us to go ahead and he would catch up. Doug and I got to the restaurant, ordered drinks and waited for Cal. After several minutes we were still waiting so I went back to the street to get Cal and he was nowhere in sight. I walked back to the restaurant and Doug went to look and also could not find him. We waited several minutes then left to try to find him. We walked around the area for awhile then rode the bus back to the hotel figuring that he would be there. There was no sign of Cal. He finally showed up several hours later and said that he had walked several blocks to the end of the road and waited for us for over an hour. That evening we rode the bus back to the downtown area to experience Fat Tuesday, the last night of Carnaval. We got off the bus near Machado Plaza and walked slowly enjoying the entertainment in the area. We ended up walking to the main street and ate dinner at la Copa de Leche which was really good. Afterward we walked outside the main gates and took a pulmonia back to the hotel.

Wednesday was rainy in the morning so we rode the bus again town to the City Market. Once we came home in the afternoon the weather was nicer so I spent time by the pool. That evening we went to dinner at Senor Frogs.

On Thursday morning we got up early and rode the bus to the Golden Zone and went to the Vineyard Church. We volunteered to make sandwiches and fill water bottles along with other volunteers. Once we were done several of us boarded 2 of the church buses to go the city dump where the church has a ministry to feed the “workers” at the dump. Basically they are there to salvage anything they can to sell to support their families. On our way to the dump they drove through several poor parts of town where the church has set up “feeding” centers. Many of the “colonias” (neighborhoods) have dirt roads and due to the rain the day before one of the buses got stuck the mud. After trying to get it unstuck they finally moved the sandwiches and water to the other bus and we continued our journey to the dump. They called for assistance getting the bus out of the mud. Once we got to the dump we spent time handing out the food and visiting with the workers. They are so poor and they spend 10-12 hours every day salvaging things. After we left the dump we stopped and fed the children of the workers. The experience really puts our lives full of material things into perspective. We all went away feeling good that we were able to help.

After we got back to the church we went next door to the Taco restaurant which is called Taco Time (not the chain) and had lunch. We walked around a few of the stores in the area and Cal bought a Viking hat which he had seen earlier in the week. That evening Doug and I ate dinner at the hotel then watched several people singing karaoke in the hotel bar.

On Friday it was really sunny for the first time since we got here. I wanted to spend the day relaxing by the pool so Doug went downtown on his own and I went to the pool. Cal came down after awhile, but then he decided to ride the bus to the end of the line and site see without having to walk around. That evening we rode the bus to the end of the road past our hotel and had a great dinner at The Last Drop. Friday nights are “all you can eat ribs” so Cal and Doug enjoyed and I had a great hamburger.

Saturday was beautiful again so I stayed around the hotel during the day then we planned to go to the Golden Zone to Pancho’s for dinner. It is right on the beach and has great food. We got there about 6 and had to wait at least an hour for a table. There was entertainment on the beach (fire dancers) and a mariachi band stopping at the tables. We had a good time.

On Sunday we got up and packed to get ready to check out. It is always hard to leave. We had a good time, the weather was somewhat ok, especially the last few days. Carnaval turned out to be a good experience. Cal had a good time too, even though he had a little trouble getting around.

Next year we are hoping to go to Puerto Vallarta. We’ll be back in a couple years to Mazatlan.

Leavenworth, December 2009

Last year when we went to Leavenworth for the annual tree lighting we booked again for this year. We planned to stay two nights at the Enzian Inn the weekend of December 4th and 5th. We left about 9:30 or so and stopped on the summit for a late breakfast. We arrived in town around 1pm. The roads were clear and bare, not at all like the last two years when we had so much snow. Both Snoqualmie and Blewett passes were fine and once we got to Leavenworth they didn’t have any snow either. The Enzian Inn is on the main highway, right across from the main part of town. Once we got things settled in our room, we bundled up to go over to the village shops. We browsed for a few hours then watched some of the festivities in the Park. St Nick comes to town, there are choirs singing, and usually other entertainment. There were not a lot of people yet, but from experience we knew there would be a lot the next day. After awhile we stopped at Ducks and Drakes for a bite to eat, and then went back to our hotel. Once again there was a piano player and they played and sang Christmas carols. The hotel is so festive with their tree, the apple cider smell and the roasted almonds and pecans. I went swimming for awhile and we turned in early. On Saturday we got up and had a nice breakfast, which comes with the room. During breakfast the owner of the hotel played the alphorn, which is a daily tradition. After breakfast we had booked a sleigh ride, however, there was no snow! No problem, they also offer carriage rides so that is what we did instead. Even though it wasn’t snowing, it was still cold so we bundled up and they had wool blankets for us. They took us through the fields on an hour ride. Afterward we had hot cocoa and cookies in the tent. There were quite a few people there and no one seemed disappointed that there wasn’t any snow. We headed back to town and over to the village. More and more people were starting to come. Since this is a festive town at this time of year there are tour buses that bring people in just for the 5 hrs or so of festivities. During this time you cannot even get into some of the shops! We browsed around for awhile then at about 4:30 we joined others in the main plaza for the entertainment. Several choirs sang carols, the town officials addressed the crowd, and the count down began for the lights to come on. It started to snow just as they were getting ready to turn the lights on. All of a sudden the lights of the whole town came on beginning with the trees, then the village storefronts. It was fun to see, and really has a way of getting you in the Christmas spirit. After the lighting we went to the Soup Cellar for an early dinner. We had never been there but it was really good. After dinner we took our time and walked back to our hotel for another restful evening of swimming, and relaxing. In the morning there was 3-4 inches of fresh snow, but the hotel staff indicated that the passes were clear and dry. We had chains with us just in case. We left the area about 11:00 and were home by 1:30 or so. We booked again for next year, but we are both thinking we might pass on it. There is only so much you can see, and 3 years in a row now should be enough for awhile. Of course, we may change our mind next year.

To see more pictures click below:

San Francisco, November 2009

Alaska Airlines had an awesome special- $49 each way to San Francisco so we decided to take as quick trip. Just 2 nights, but still a chance to get away. We booked the Wharf. We flew down on Thurs afternoon the 12th arriving about 2pm. They were able to give us our room so we got that taken care of then headed down to the wharf. The weather was really nice, didn’t even need a jacket. We walked down to Pier 39 and looked around at the shops and watched all the seals on the docks.We were told they would be closing off the area in a couple of months so there would not be anymore seals in the future. It’s fun to watch so I’m sure there will be some people that will miss it, us included.
Later we took a walk back to Fisherman’s Wharf. They have a new museum which is an old fashioned penny arcade. It had all kinds of old, mechanical machines that are still in working order. It was fun to take some quarters and play them. There was one that was hilarious with a lady that was laughing hysterically- it got everyone around laughing too. Around 5pm we met up with one of Doug's business clients at Hooter's. We had a bite to eat with him and talked business for awhile, then we left to walk around. As we were walking we were given tickets to a free comedy club right at the pier so we went to it. It was a place for stand-ups to practice and get a start. Some were funny, but nothing spectacular. I guess you can’t expect much for free. After the show we walked back to the hotel and sat in the lounge for awhile. We had been given a gift certificate for drinks and appetizers so we each ordered a drink and got plate of different things to try. We enjoyed relaxing, and unwinding. On Friday we rode the cable car up to Union Square, and from there we took a bus to Golden Gate Park. Once we got there we walked over to the California Academy of Sciences, which was new since the last time we were here. It had wonderful exhibits and we were there a couple hours checking it out. There is a planetarium, aquarium, natural museum of history and a 3D theatre. After we got back we walked down to the waterfront again and ate dinner at Nicks and had dinner. We’ve been there before and it was good, and we enjoyed it again this time. Afterward we went to Ripley’s Believe It or Not museum. It had been years since I’d been there so it was fun to see all the things they have added or changed. There are a lot of not-so-believable things, but it’s still fun to see what people come up with. In the morning we had time for a quick breakfast, then checked out and headed to the airport. Another quick trip – but definitely fun and a chance to get away from hustle and bustle, and rainy Seattle.

For more pictures, click below.

Las Vegas, October 2009

Doug’s annual conference this year was being held in Las Vegas. They were trying to cut down on expenses for people (not quite NY, Miami or San Francisco) so they booked rooms at the Golden Nugget in Downtown Vegas, rather than the Strip.

We have been to Vegas several times so it actually sounded good to be in the downtown area, away from the strip. I wanted to go for the rest and relaxation and was glad to know that there was a nice pool at the Golden Nugget. In fact, they had just remodeled it the year before and it included a waterslide that went through a shark tank. This I gotta see!

Doug flew down on Tuesday the 6th and got registered for his conference, then I came down on the afternoon of the 8th. Kaycie and Brad were also down in Vegas with some friends so we made arrangements to meet them for dinner in the Downtown area. Brad had not been to Vegas in several years and had not seen the Fremont Experience, so we thought we would stay in the area. We ate dinner at one of the hotels that had an all you can eat steak buffet. After dinner we did a little gambling and headed out to watch the show. The main plaza between all the hotels/casinos in downtown is closed to traffic and is covered by an arched roof. In the evening there is a laser, light show on the ceiling running the whole length which is about 4 blocks. There is a new show every hour. It’s a fun experience.

On Friday while Doug was at his conference I spent several hours at the pool, and just relaxing in the area. Once he was done around 5pm we headed over to the strip to meet Brad and Kaycie for dinner at Margaritaville. They got our name in, knowing we would probably be waiting awhile. Once we got there they called us within a few minutes. We had a good dinner but they put us upstairs, away from all the action. They had monitors so we could see the main room, but it wasn’t quite as fun as being there.

After dinner we headed to the Bellagio to see the 10pm showing of Cirque du Soleil “O”. We have seen several of the shows, but not this one. It was impressive how the stage performances were done since most of the show is done around water, diving into water, etc. The stage floor elevated so everything was choreographed perfectly to get the right effect. It wasn’t our favorite among the ones we have seen, but it was good. After the show we walked around the strip a little before we went back to our hotel.

On Saturday we stayed around the hotel, went swimming, gambled a little in the area, then in the evening we had made arrangements to meet the kids over at the Rio for dinner buffet. We started out by taking the city bus, however after an hour we still had not gotten very far so we got at Caesar’s and walked over to the Paris and waited in line to take the free shuttle that goes over to the Rio. Even that took about 45 more minutes. We finally got there and the kids had been waiting in line for quite some time to get into the buffet. That took quite awhile too. We finally made it and got seated. The buffet was huge! They had international stations so we had our choice of Chinese, Mexican, Thai, American, Italian, and tons more. The guys really enjoyed going back over and over. Not sure where they were putting it! After dinner we walked around the strip again since we were in the area.
After the show we spent a little time on the strip before we headed back to our hotel for the night. In the morning we got up and packed to come home.