Mexico
Who: Shawn, Dylan, Brandon and Kevin Sanger of Parker
Where: On the beach during the sunset at the RIU Jalisco Resort, in Puerto Vallarta. We love PV because the beaches have very soft sand and the beach doesn’t drop off into the ocean, which is very cool and safer for the kids.
Best meal: The RIU Jalisco is an all-inclusive resort, and we found no need to venture anywhere else. For breakfast, lunch and dinner they have at least a hundred items to choose from at each sitting, with items like calamari, steak, full salad bar, traditional Mexican foods like cheese-filled flautas, tostados and the most excellent guacamole and hot sauces. But watch out for the red sauce, because it’s really hot! However, our best meal had to be the dessert bar, with a different chef- cooked item every day, like bananas Foster or just a scoop or two of one of the eight selections of ice cream; with a large assortment of toppings, we sometimes made this our appetizer. Why not – it’s vacation!
Best deal: We read the Denver Post Travel section every week and watched for the deals. We have used Far & Away Travels several times before and have had good professional service, and they seem to have deals that pop up year-round.
Best time to go: We really like November. The water is warmer, and the resort is just gearing up for the busy season. However, this year we went in January, and the days were wonderful, with average temperatures in the 80s, and the ocean was excellent.
Best travel tip: We love the all- inclusive packages because of the convenience and ease of the meals and drinks. The RIU even stocks a refrigerator in your room. Our travel tip is two-part:
A) Always do your research on your resort of choice before you buy the tickets.
B) Make sure that from the moment you leave for the airport that you stay in vacation mode until you get all the way back home. Why waste a moment?
