Visiting Mexico, Telling the World MexicoVisitor

  Oaxaca, the mezcal hub of Mexico Santa Domingo Cathedral is considered by many to be one of the finest examples of 17th-century colonial architecture. Photo by Elijah-Lovkoff/Getty Images By Lydia Carey July 18, 2023 Travelers have long flocked to Oaxaca City for indigenous traditions, deliciously warm weather, and incredible cuisine. But these days, the city’s slow, leisurely pace belies a blossoming cultural evolution: This state capital marked by cobblestone streets and a lively central plaza is becoming an international hot spot thanks to its star export, mezcal. In case you’ve missed it, mezcal has exploded in popularity. Americans are spending record sums on the strong, smoky spirit. You’d be hard-pressed to find a trendy cocktail menu in the U.S. without a paloma or other me...

Original article: https://www.ace.aaa.com/publications/travel/international-destinations/mexico-city.html Why travelers are flocking to Mexico City Sunset view of the Basilica of Guadalupe and the Mexico City skyline. Photo by Martin Molcan/Envato Elements By Lydia Carey A tortilla filled with thin, salty beef and french fries drips fiery green salsa over my fingertips. Two teenagers rap over a scratchy boom box soundtrack as men selling kitchen towels walk past and women cluster in groups, pressing tortillas and catching up on the latest news. Mexico City’s second-largest market, La Merced, barely sleeps and is a microcosm of the city: colorful, chaotic, and delicious. To be sure, the market has a film of city grime, but it’s also home to the storied building blocks of Mexican cuisine, inc...

  By Tim Leffel June 21, 2023 As I strolled down the Puerto Vallarta waterfront, I admired sculptures by some of Mexico’s most famous artists and savored mariachi blending with the sounds of crashing waves and ringing church bells. When I reached the end of the pier, I gazed out at the expanse of Banderas Bay and the Sierra Madre behind it—one of Mexico’s most distinctive views. Whereas resort areas such as Cancún and Cabo San Lucas were developed in the 1970s to draw tourists, Puerto Vallarta began as a fishing village and port in Spanish Colonial times. The town evolved in the late 1800s, but it really landed on the visitor map in the 1960s thanks to Hollywood royalty vacationing here and publicity from the 1964 film Night of the Iguana . In the ensuing decades, regular appearances on The Love Boat added to the city’s celebrity. As a result of this history, Puerto Vallarta f...

 Repost from AAA Magazine By Tim Leffel July 18, 2023 A  single shaft of light cut through the jungle and illuminated a patch of water before me. I set down my sandals and dove in. The water was clear, cool, and refreshing. I could see fish below me, and much deeper down—perhaps 60 feet—the bottom of this mystical pool, named Chukum-Ha. Thousands of freshwater sinkholes called cenotes dot Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. They were created some 66 million years ago when a massive, miles-wide asteroid crashed into the area. The cataclysmic event is thought to have eventually wiped out the dinosaurs, but it also sent a lot of freshwater underground—so instead of ponds and rivers, the Yucatán Peninsula today has caverns and hidden pools. Some, like Chukum-Ha, became exposed when the ground covering them collapsed.   Cenotes for the modern world To the Mayan peopl...

NOTE: This was the last fishing report just before the Coronavirus shut down everything. It's often our fishing takes us North.  Once we clear the North lighthouse the waters can get a bit choppy.  It's early in our season to expect the likes of dorado and marlin, but this group of fishermen happily settled in for 4 nice red snappers and a couple of barracuda.  While we were unable to get pictures while out by the lighthouse, we were able to let the fishermen pose for some pictures with their fish once we returned to the marina.  Pictured are a couple of the snapper.  Was excellent dinner that night. Thank you to Rita from Albatros Fishing - http://www.mexonline.com/albatros-charters.htm

We thought we'd post a couple photos so you can see the unique charm of the Centro Historico and Olas Altas. Mazatlan's not just beaches, there's so much more to see here. Calle Angel Flores Olas Altas Beach The Mazatlan Cathedral Mercado Jose Maria Pino Suarez Plaza Machado The Deer Monument Cueva del Diablo El Faro Lighthouse Plaza Machado The Inn at Mazatlan Centro Historico We had the pleasure of staying at the https://theinnatcentrohistorico.com which is a perfect Centro Historico hotel just two short blocks from Plaza Machado.

This was the first time that the entire family had gone to Cancun so we were looking for fun family activities in Cancun. My 11 year old son saw the Jungle Boat tour that Aquatours offered and wanted to do this Cancun excursion. The Jungle Boat tour is a 2.5 hour boat ride in the mangrove channels in the Hotel Zone area. You get to drive boats that hold two people and do some snorkeling in the middle of the tour. Since transportation wasn’t included in the price of the tour, Martha from Cancun-BestDiscounts.com, arranged private transportation for us through AGI. Our driver, Moses, was very friendly and an extremely safe driver.  Aquatours is in the Hotel Zone and right on the main highway. From the minute we were dropped off by Moses to the minute we got picked up after the tour, we felt extremely safe at Aquatours and the immediate area. Aquatours is set on the water and has beautiful grounds. The boats are docked on site and all the staff were extremely help...

Mexicali? Baja's capital? Wrong it's Tijuana or is it maybe Ensenada, but not Mexicali. And where is Mexicali anyway? The desert right? Along the border? Those are questions I have heard many times. People have heard of Mexicali , but not much else. They have always thought of it as some small border town on the international boundary in the hot, lifeless desert. Or a place to drive through quickly on the way to San Felipe and the Sea of Cortez. Wellsmall it's not, border town in the desert it is. But I was to find out it is MUCH more....... in 24 hours! Read the rest of the story at http://bajavisitor.blogspot.com/2018/12/24-hours-in-baja-californias-capital.html  

Ready for a great Mazatlan day tour with Daniel of Blue Foot Tours My family and I recently took a cruise to Mazatlán , Mexico. We weren’t sure what to expect during our time in Mazatlan. We were looking for a fun, family vacation excursion in Mazatlán but didn’t want to do a “commercialized excursion.” I found Blue Foot Tours and Expeditions and decided to give them a try. After consulting with Daniel, the family and I decided on the City Bike Tour. The communication with Daniel prior to arriving in Mazatlán was amazing. Daniel responded to my emails promptly and assured me we were going to have a great family fun excursion day in Mazatlán. As soon as the family and I got of the cruise ship, Daniel was outside waiting for us. Daniel had his classic VW bus waiting for us! My youngest son had never been in a VW bus and loved it. Right from the beginning, I could tell this was going to be a great day and so glad I choose Blue Foot Tours and Expeditions. Daniel was so energet...