It’s no secret that TravelGuy and I are relocating to Phoenix, Arizona in mid-July. To prepare for our big move from Seattle, we drove to Phoenix over the course of three days last week, stopping to enjoy the beautiful and not-so-beautiful scenery along the way.
Our journey began on a Wednesday morning, with blue skies and decent weather for Seattle – low to mid 70s. Heading east through the state, we set our sights on driving with no plans. In other words, we really had no idea how many hours our bodies could sit still in a car (even though we had endured a 17-hour drive up I-95 a couple of years ago as we escaped a hurricane on the east coast). So, we opted to just find a little motel each night that could offer a place to sleep and shower.
We ended up driving about 8-9 hours to Twin Falls, Idaho where we landed upon a Motel 6. All the basics were there, plus friendly staff, but no frills. You get what you pay for and $66 dollars later we had a room. ‘Nuff said. Morning greeted us with more sunshine, and we were simply happy driving in 75 degree weather with mostly blue skies. Our route took us into northern Utah where freeway speeds increased to 80 mph. Really? I mean, that’s great and all, but unless the freeway is paved with the ability to withstand those speeds, cars simply bump along. It was a very rough ride on a road not paved well, but paved with good intentions.
We drove through Utah -- first Ogden, then Salt Lake City,thenProvo, passing through places like Payson, Meadow,and Panguitch, through beautiful mountains, forests, and canyons. The temps seemed to stay a comfortable 75 and at times crept up toward 80, just enough for us to use the AC. The comfort of the heat brought immediate delight to a couple of people who relish that big fat orange thing in the sky. Evening would be arriving soon, and we knew we must find a place for our heads before we got too far into the canyons where there would be no services. We passed through gorgeous BryceCanyon,Hatch, Glendale, and Orderville, and happened upon Kanab which appeared to be our last viable stop before driving into Arizona.
Ah, Kanab. If you have never been to Kanab, go there. If you have no idea where Kanab is or why you should go, keep reading. Kanab is known as the “Little Hollywood” of Utah. This is the place where the old westerns were filmed. Remember TV shows like Maverick, Bonanza, The Lone Ranger, and Gunsmoke? How about movies such as Wagon Train, Buffalo Bill, The Outlaw Josey Wales, or Planet of the Apes (both 1968 and 2001 versions)? Well, all of those shows (plus many more) were filmed in and around Kanab, Utah. What’s even more interesting is that we happened to stay at The Parry Lodge. Of all accommodations in Kanab, we stumbled upon the one where many of the western stars stayed during their shoots. In fact, we stayed in Joey Bishop’s room. Yes, Joey Bishop from the Rat Pack. He stayed there while filming Sergeants 3 in 1962 with pals Frank, Dean, Sammy, and Peter. While I won’t make this a review about The Parry Lodge, I will say that if you are ever in beautiful southern Utah, a stay here is a must. You’ll even be treated to a free western in the barn!
Friday morning brought more sun and increasing temperatures. Heading east on 89, we drove along LakePowell, took pictures from the bridge, and TravelGuy pretended to be Phil Keoghan (host of Amazing Race) explaining a Road Block. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, never mind. If you do, then this is where you chuckle and just picture TravelGuy as the host of Amazing Race. LakePowell is set amid deep canyons carving out majestic red rock waterways. If you have never been there, add it to your list of places to see.
Heading into Arizona the temperatures continued to climb well into the 80s. Our AC was happy to keep us cool, performing a function it was rarely able to serve while in Seattle. We had some extra time, and since we’d both only seen the Grand Canyon several times from a plane, we really wanted to see this natural wonder close up. Entering from the south rim, we stopped at the Desert View viewpoint and looked out at the canyon below. Simply breathtaking. We moved along to additional viewpoints on our way to Grand CanyonVillage, and noticed something quite different. Many of the viewing areas were not blocked off by a railing. A loss of balance could have meant falling a mile to one’s death. Needless to say, we never got within 10 feet of the ledge but were able to clearly see the inner depths of the canyon, the Colorado River, and view both east and west from the viewpoint at Yavapai Point where there is an observation deck. At some point we plan to go back to camp and do some hiking.
The day wore on and the heat started to warm our blood to the point of discomfort. As we meandered our way out of the national park and over to Flagstaff, the temperature began nearing 90. We were in Arizona, so we didn’t care. We were in an air conditioned car, so we cared even less. One more hour to go and we’d be in Phoenix…but then…the worst happened. The temperature had hit about 95 degrees, and our air conditioning stopped! Yes, the poor car had no idea what to do. Coming from Seattle, the AC was a rarely used feature, but on this road trip it was a constant. We spent our last hour headed to Phoenix with a systematic rolling up and down of our windows, pulling over to check fuses, hydrating as much as possible, and trying to keep the sweat and discomfort to a minimum. In the end, after the replacement of a $1200 air compressor, we were officially initiated into the southwest and openly accepted our sweaty state of being. After all, we made it to Phoenix, we found a great house we’ll be renting, I went to an interview, and all is good in the world. We flew back to Seattle a few days later, left my chilled car with our dear friends, and plan to be back to make a new life there in less than three weeks.
What a summer it’s been in Seattle. We actually hit 80 degrees in late May, and here we are approaching mid-June and we’ve had consistent 70-80 degree weather for two straight weeks now! If you’re not from the Pacific Northwest, you’re probably thinking, “Hmm…sounds a little chilly to me.” The truth is, it is usually drizzly, rainy, and cloudy, at least on and off in June. Not this year. Perhaps we’re making up for the 6 snow storms we had this past winter? Or, the snow/hail we experienced in April? Who knows for sure, but I think it’s all Mother Nature’s ploy to try to get TravelGuy and I to stay in Seattle.
That’s right folks – we are moving to sunny Phoenix! We’ve had enough of the grey skies 10 months out of the year (well, ok, not counting this month), and the continual investment in moss remover, duck shoes, sweaters, carpet cleaning (yeah, when ya have dogs in the Northwest, count on a dirty carpet or get wood floors or laminates). It feels like we spend most of our time complaining about the crappy weather, then raving about the 75 degrees when we get it. I seriously feel like the topic of weather is the number one thing we talk about here, and now I’m blogging about it.
Phoenix, here we come! Ok, so we’re not set on where we’re going to live yet, but we have a great list of rental houses we plan to visit soon. Our good friends (Jimmi and Kevin) have been fantabulous in providing feedback, though I DO know that as a native girl from the PNW, if I am packing up and moving to Arizona you BETTER BELIEVE that any house I live in will have a pool. A private pool is almost more important than a bathroom. Well, if you know me, I guess that statement really isn’t true. Anyway, while we get ready to spring from Seattle in favor of Phoenix, we will always remember the great memories we have created here (and in Portland of course!) with our friends, family, neighbors, co-workers – all good times. Let the good times continue in the Northwest, and may we create new memories in the desert.
Pets on Airlines. Love it. A Pets-Only Airline. Even better.
Southwest Airlines announced this week that they will start allowing pets on their aircraft. Well, woop – tee – doo! It’s about time! This isn’t new in the travel world. It’s just new for Southwest. I really don’t understand some of the rage from current Southwest customers about this. Other airlines, except Frontier, allow this and they’ve reported very few negative incidents. In fact, just like a screaming child, a pet can be moved to another seat (or UNDER another seat, rather) where they won’t bother someone who may be allergic. Yes, I wrote that correctly. Some people are allergic to children simply because of their distaste for the small humans. And, some people are obviously allergic to pet dander. My point is that you can’t please everyone but there are measures in place to make sure passengers will be kept safe.
The fact that Southwest is finally acknowledging that pets are family members is one step closer to improving how we treat animals. How would you feel if you were placed in cargo hold? I mean, really! Why is it ok to do that to a dog or cat? Is it because they are an inferior species to humans? Is that what we think as a society? Sad. In fact, the Humane Society of the United States recommends we do not transport our furry friends in cargo hold…ever! Many deaths have resulted from extremely high or low temperatures, and “pet parents” have found their animals dead on arrival to their destination. If they survive the flight in cargo, they are subjected to conditions where their kennels are unstable and can jiggle and move about during the flight. How would you like your beloved dog to fly in the dark, without you, in extreme temperatures, being tossed about? I can’t even imagine.
Then there is the new airline – Pet Airways – where you can send your fluffy babies in a first class environment – a pre-boarding pet lounge, a potty break, flight attendant service during the flight, and a post-flight pet lounge where you get to pick up your furry kids upon their arrival. No, pet parents -- you can’t come along. The only downside that I see for this service is that it’s only offered in a limited number of cities – New York, Washington D.C., L.A., Denver, and Chicago – and airfare starts at $149 each way.
Perhaps if we can evolve the way we think about and treat animals, we will see that our companions deserve better. We’ll get more in return as a result. Who doesn’t need more unconditional love?
I am dedicating this blog post to my dear sweet Charlie. Charlie was my kitty for the last 16 years, and we made the tough decision to let him go this past Saturday dueto a severe illness that he couldn’t beat. He was a beloved housecat, and will be missed by all of us.
Imagine this – You’ve just graduated from high school after what seems like an eternity. All of those hours spent in math class, at school dances, at football games, studying for mid-terms and finals have finally come to an end and you get to celebrate with 35 of your classmates! Your parents got together and sent you on a week-long cruise out of New Orleans to Key West and the Bahamas as your big bang into adulthood. How cool would that be?
Then, imagine your second night at sea. You and your friends are scarfing down at the buffet, dancing and partying, and just having a grand ol’ time when you find out your classmate is missing and has reportedly fallen overboard. What a horrifying feeling for you, your friend, and for his family!
Well, that happened last night – again. It seems like we hear about a handful of people falling overboard from cruise ships every year. What’s really perplexing is that it is actually difficult to fall over the railings. If you are standing on the railing, yes you could fall over. If you are sitting on the side of the railing, yes you could fall over. If you leap over the side and dangle, yes you could fall over. Those are all deliberate actions one must take or be forced into taking. It just makes me wonder if foul play is involved in many of the overboard stories we hear about since no one would intentionally do those things. Would they?
It’s so sad to hear about news like this, and especially when it’s a young person whose best years are yet to come. Positive thoughts and wishes go to the family and friends of 18-year-old Bruce O'Krepki in hopes he will be found safe and unharmed.
It’s been a week since we’ve blogged from Playa del Carmen. You’d think our fingers were broken from typing, but the truth is that life has just been very busy. I flew to Phoenix for a couple of days while TravelGuy stayed in Seattle and caught up on some client travel planning and booking.
Life is good, despite the return to rain in Seattle. We actually hit the mid-70s for several of the past days, which is typical of late June weather here, but we welcome that in mid-May. Why is it that some people (me included) respond so heavily to the changing weather patterns? I feel it in my knees and my mood. While generally a positive person, something about the gray skies seem to make my surroundings dirty and create a feeling of uneasiness. Maybe it’s because I know my doggies will end up with muddy feet after spending 10 minutes in the yard? Perhaps it’s because my arthritis is screaming at me? Whatever it is, I’m a statistic of a PNWerner who lacks Vitamin D about 10 months out of the year. With a bit of luck and perseverance, that will change. Enjoy May, and what it has to offer, and most of all…get yourself out into the huge world. There is so much to do and see. Get out of any rut you might be in. Travel.
Here we are, spending our last few hours in Playa looking out at the beautiful Caribbean, enjoying the swaying of the palm trees, updating a blog with a laptop. Somehow this seems out of place, though a Muzak version of “Dust in the Wind” by Kansas is more out of place than I.
Strong drinks El Fogon does make! We slumbered our way back to the main drag in Playa where the nightlife was barely starting to get underway. Still yearning for shrimp tacos, we headed to El Oasis, another little joint known for its seafood and service, where I indulged on my sought-after shrimp taco (only 20 pesos!) while Alex enjoyed chicken fajitas. The people-watching from this locale was great as it was right off of 5th Avenue, on a side street where many people enter the main downtown area of Playa. We were lucky to have two cute Europeans seated next to us. I wanted to hug them both, but instead…I snuck a pic of them while pretending to photograph Alex. Yeah, I can be sneaky that way. Finally, we decided to hit the beach and the old favorite – The Blue Parrot. Seated in the sand on the beach at The Blue Parrot, we sipped on a Banana Daiquiri and a Blue Parrot (mixture of blue curacao, vodka, and some other tropical flavor). With a full moon (no, I’m not talking about Alex getting all wild and crazy), sounds of ‘80s music thumped in the night sky as we watched late-night fishermen pulling in their nets against the backdrop of the strobe-like light that was flashing to the beat of “Hungry Like the Wolf”. Seconds later, a child of maybe 9 or 10 asked us for money. The odd part of his request was that he wasn’t selling anything. He simply wanted money. All we had on us was cab fare, and we couldn’t give that to him or we’d be walking 5 miles in the heat. After all, this was a budget vacation so we needed every last peso we had just to get back to our room!
As the clock nearly struck 10 p.m. we decided these two bodies needed to hit the sack, so we headed back for a nightcap of leftover Mexican eggnog, watched the ending of Finding Nemo, and drifted to sleep to the sounds of the seas.
Alaska Airlines canceled our direct flight to Seattle (back in Jan/Feb when all airlines were eliminating itineraries) so we’re flying to LAX this afternoon where we’ll spend the night before flying to Seattle tomorrow morning. Alaska is paying for our hotel since they canceled our original itinerary, and I can only hope it’s within walking distance to shrimp tacos.
While this week in Playa del Carmen is coming to an end, we have reinforced how much we prefer the Riviera Maya and Playa del Carmen to the craziness of Cancun or the Pacific side of Mexico. While ANY side of Mexico is a TREAT, as long as a beach can be appreciated, we know we’ll be back here within the next two years to do it all over again. Now if we could only maintain our tans that long. Ahhhhh…
Ah, 89 degrees at Xcaret today. It felt like we had the park to ourselves. As each day goes by, we are more and more thankful that we decided to continue with this trip rather than reschedule due to the U.S. Travel Advisory. The park fully re-opened yesterday as Mexico’s government allowed government offices and establishments (holding 80 people or more) to re-open to the public. Still, it was evident tourists are not flocking back to Mexico quite yet…which makes more availability everywhere for us!
If you’ve never been to an eco-park in the Yucatan, imagine part beach, part jungle, part zoo. If you’ve been to Xel-Ha, just imagine a larger version of the park with animals in their habitats EVERYWHERE.
After entering the park, we strolled along several of the walkways to view howler monkeys, spider monkeys, a pig-like swine thingy, iguanas, parrots, manta rays, pumas, bats, flamingos, manatees, a shark, dolphins, turtles, ducks, and a kitty cat…yes, a sweet and loving kitty who obviously had made a home at the park. The cool thing is that the animals were not kept in cages. Instead, they lived in habitats that were separated by lagoons. The lagoons were a simple way to keep the animals from drifting over to the people population, though dumb tourists could easily have hopped into the lagoons to get into the animal areas. Oh how refreshing it is to be in an eco-park void of railings and walls to keep people from falling into water tanks or in with the animals. It just makes for a more natural environment.
Xcaret is built around a series of underwater rivers, and we took advantage of our extra buoyancy this week (yes, we have really enjoyed the cocktails and tacos the last few days) by floating down the 1/3 mile river, partially in the sun, partially underground in the caves. While we have been accustomed to 80 degree Caribbean water, the cave water temperature was a refreshing 75…still nothing to snivel about. It was a refreshing and relaxing boost to the day. Following the river float, we found some beachfront palapas and, you guessed it, we plopped ourselves down for the next 4 hours – Alex in the shade, me in the sun – with an occasional dip in the water to simultaneously view the dolphin show about 100 feet away. Upon our exit from the park, I spotted a pyramid of Coronas. Having consumed mostly Dos Equis the past few days meant I was yearning for the pure taste of that freshly cut lime wedged into the top of a Corona. Quench my thirst it did.
The day’s activities ended with a stroll along the beach, each of us sipping some Mexican egg nog. Wow, that stuff is good! Not sure why it’s considered “Mexican” but the basic ingredients are eggs, milk, macadamia nuts, cane sugar, alcohol, and something else we can’t translate. Ha! The flavor is sort of a sweet caramel, milk nog of some sort, but all I can say is that it’s the perfect nightcap for a sunset stroll and an end to another blissful day in the Riviera Maya.
Wednesday arrived and we decided to get out of our room at the bright and early time of 9:50am. The resort’s complimentary shuttle dropped us off right in the middle of Playa del Carmen. This time we hung out at Mamita’s Beach Club. Great location, great service, and a great beach. For 90 pesos we were able to secure two chaise lounge chairs and a palapa, because the TravelGuy needs his shade. The menu was the most “American” we’ve seen during our trip, featuring: Hamburgers, hotdogs, chicken sandwiches, and spaghetti. They also had fajitas and quesadillas, but no tacos! All in all, Mamita’s is a great beach club with a regular pool and a kiddie pool in the back, a DJ (but not loud and obnoxious), and a section of actual beds on the beach for 200 pesos each. We would definitely spend a day there again.
Supposedly the temperature today hit 95 degrees, though the beaches have been quite breezy so we haven’t really felt it. That being said, we are looking a tad redder than we’d like, so we’ll need to stock up on more sunscreen before venturing out tomorrow to Xcaret to relax even more.
Ah, 90 degrees, white sand, turquoise water, blue skies, fresh tortilla chips, salsa, guacamole. That’s the Mexican Caribbean I know, and where we’ve been for four days now. To have a little bit of fun, we decided to snap a photo of me wearing a mask while on the beach (think Speidi in Mexico a few days ago as they strolled romantically along the beach...except they were SERIOUS about wearing masks. Hahahaha!). The minute we started to put them on, people around us started laughing. Of course, we told them we were just going to wear the masks for photos, but conversation ensued about the paranoia that has been created surrounding the H1N1 flu and how everyone agreed that this week is the BEST time to travel to Mexico.
Lazy, lazy, lazy days. Isn’t that what we all want and deserve every now and then? Today was another lazy day – Cinco de Drinko in the U.S. or just May 5, 2009 in Playa del Carmen. What seems phenomenal is that we moseyed our way down to the beach around 10:45 a.m. and had our pick of palapas and lounge chairs. No need to slither to the beach at 7 a.m. to save spots since there are empty spots everywhere! We plopped our towels and books down, and beached ourselves for the next 7 hours only taking breaks to visit the pool’s swim-up bar, body surf in the 80 degree Caribbean water, partake in a Taco Fiesta, or cool down with “Vacation Tang” (a concoction of rum and mixer for anyone who wants to save a few bucks each day).
Other than the fact that the day must come to an end…does it get any better?
It’s about time! We finally encountered our first interaction with non-medical or non-government workers wearing masks! Wouldn’t ya know it…it was at American-owned Starbucks. Visualize this…we’re wandering along 5th avenue in downtown Playa del Carmen, zig zagging from side street to side street, eyeing the mouth-watering fresh mangos, cucumbers, and other fruits from the little Mexican ladies at the fruit carts, when we see a Starbucks a few storefronts ahead. First, it’s a bit surprising to see a chain in the quaint, village-like Playa del Carmen (especially compared to Cancun), however since Starbucks seems to be everywhere, it really wasn’t a shock. As we strolled past, we saw a gal wiping down the tables outside the store wearing a mask. We looked in as we walked by and saw that ALL of the employees were wearing masks. We couldn’t pass by the opportunity to pop inside to have a word. According to the young man behind the register, they were required by Starbucks to wear masks (see photo; you can’t really tell, but he IS SMILING behind that mask). American paranoia at work in Mexico. They stood out like a broken pinky toe.
We’ve had the chance to speak to Mexican nationals who regard the entire H1N1 flu scare as a “planned” attack by the World Health Organization to create paranoia around the world in order to test new flu strain remedies. After only having been here for three days, we are reinforcing our belief that this whole flu scare is just a bunch of hype. Many more people have died from the “regular flu” than from this new strain. Ok, enough of that for today, and back to the adventure on the beach.
Most of today was spent in lounge chairs on the beach, next to Bad Boys Beach Club. We got a bit of a late start today, so by the time we got into downtown PDC it was already 2 p.m. However, it’s never too late to order Coronas with shrimp tacos and shrimp quesadillas. Have I mentioned that I’ve been eating shrimp tacos almost on a daily basis here? I can officially say that I’m addicted, and I will fully admit that I am a shrimp-eating vegetarian when I travel. It’s the one living thing I’ll eat, but I’m also not convinced shrimp even has a neo cortex (so I don’t feel bad). No fish or other seafood enters this body though!
After several hours on the beach, we got antsy and realized we needed to explore. We spent the next two hours walking south along the beach, then up to 5th avenue, through a jungle-like dirt path full of interesting bird sounds and iguana-like creatures, to Playacar. The beaches there were not only deserted, but a crystal-clear light turquoise color with some shades of teal and blue. We frolicked in the water because we could. It was gorgeous. The oceanfront villas in Playacar looked mostly empty as we strolled past one, then another, then another, until we realized we had to make the trek back into town to grab a cab. Feet tired and bellies gurgling with hunger, we made our way back into PDC, headed to a bar showing movies on the beach, decided we were too old to stay out late and grabbed a cab to head back to the Royal Haciendas.
Tomorrow will be similar. When you find yourself in 85 degrees, nothing but beaches and white sand, there is no reason to do anything other than just chill.
My name is Alex Jacobs, owner of TravelGuy Travel. I am a CLIA-certified cruise specialist also specializing in honeymoon travel and group travel. My destination specialties include Hawaii, the Bahamas, Las Vegas, Disney, and Mexico. Additionally, I am a Wynn (Las Vegas) Ambassador. I hope some of my travels and tidbits will inspire you to get out there! Please enjoy my travel ramblings and those of my wife, TravelGirl, planner extraordinaire! The perfect vacation is out there for you. My job is to find it. alex@travelguytravel.com (No service fees for booking your travel)
then 
shows (plus many more) were filmed in and around 
temperatures. Heading east on 89, we drove along 
We moved along to additional viewpoints on our way to 
Posts
