Seeking Adventure

On February 8, 2016 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Mexico17 Comments

We’re not exactly thrill seekers, but we do like to push our limits at times and do things that take us out of our comfort zone. One of the nice things about resort destinations these days is that they provide all sorts of opportunities for those that would like to do something a little more adventurous. Whether you are into diving, snorkeling, paddle-boarding, swimming with dolphins, sharks, turtles, there is something for everyone. When we were in Puerto Vallarta, we decided to give zip lining a try and we weren’t disappointed.

The stairs leading up to the first platform

Our Youngest Daughter About to Take the Plunge

At the time that we travelled to Puerto Vallarta, the swine flu was at its peak in Mexico City and there was a lot of concern about travelling to Mexico. Despite the fact that there were no cases of the swine flu in Jalisco, the state where Puerto Vallarta resides, the airline that we had originally booked our flight on had cancelled. Fortunately we were able to get onto a different airline, but the net result was that while we were in Puerto Vallarta, we practically had everything to ourselves. So, when we booked our zip line tour with Canopy Tours, we ended up with pretty much a private tour.

It was quite an amazing time flying through the jungle over huge canyons. It is also the setting of the Predator movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. We all have a bit of a fear of heights, so this wasn’t an easy task for us to leap off the platform and soar through the air with rocks and boulders hundreds of feet below us. The guides continued to encourage us to be more bold with every attempt, at first going with us and then convincing us to let our hands go from the trolley and hang upside down as we flew backwards with only the harness to keep us from falling. They offered to adjust our harnesses so that we could go face down, “Superman” style, but we chose not to take our chances with not being able to hold onto anything at all.

At the end of the tour, feet a little shaky as we got back onto terra firma, we had a shot of tequila and waited for them to give us the DVD with the film that they had taken of us (don’t worry, we didn’t include that in the post). From there we went to feed the monkeys that were in a large caged preserve. Clearly the monkeys were quite used to the tourists as they climbed all over us, even sitting in our hands and taking the food. Although it isn’t like seeing them in the wild, it was still a lot of fun to interact with the monkeys and have them be so friendly.

Even though our experience was a little unique since it was just the three of us, our guides, and a couple of their girlfriends, it is definitely something that you should consider doing if you get the opportunity. Perhaps it was partially because the guides had their girlfriends with them and they wanted to show off that they pushed our boundaries as much as they did, but at the end of the day, we were grateful for the experience. We would have never imagined ourselves flying upside through the jungle canopy, but now we couldn’t imagine ourselves having not being so daring.

Villa Del Palmar in Cabo San Lucas

On December 11, 2015 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn MexicoLeave a comment

We stayed at the Villa Del Palmar during our recent trip to Cabo San Lucas. This is the sister resort to the Villa Del Arco, which is where we bought our initial time share. We have also stayed at the Villa Del Palmar in Puerto Vallarta. All of the resorts that we’ve stayed at that are part of the Villa Preferred Access Club have been wonderful. They are part of the larger Universal Vacation Club and have great locations with friendly and helpful staff.

All of the rooms at the Villa Del Palmar have ocean views and are clean with up-to-date furnishings. Even the rooms that are considered to be studio rooms have a full kitchen as well as a couch and lounge area, they just aren’t separate from the bedroom(s) as they are in the suites. All of the rooms also have a balcony with at least a table and chairs. Grills are also available by request.

There are several pool areas at each of the resorts, each featuring their own unique features. At the Villa Del Palmar, there is an adults only pool, a family pool with a slide shaped like a whale where you shoot out of its mouth, a small wading pool with a hot tub, and a pool for small children. We have to admit, though, that we missed our pirate ship from the Villa Del Arco, which we were able to use during less busy times of the year. Every day there a variety of activities in the family pool area including pilates, water aerobics, volleyball, and dancing. There was also a trained hawk that flew throughout the resort during the early afternoon, which was quite beautiful. Although we didn’t join in on any of the activities, people certainly seemed to enjoy themselves.

There are also multiple restaurants at the resort and you’re also able to go to the restaurants at the Villa Del Arco. We decided to go ahead and do all-inclusive for almost all of the days, so we definitely took advantage of the food at the resort. As you would expect, the food was fantastic, fresh, and delicious. Even the buffets had an excellent variety of offerings, plenty of fresh fruit, and multiple cooked to order stations for things such as omelets, waffles, quesadillas, etc. As you would expect, there are also plenty of bars around the resorts as well as the pool staff who took care of everyone sitting around the pool.

Bird that Joined Us for Breakfast Everyday

We may be a little biased since we own a timeshare with the resort, but we’d highly recommend either the Villa Del Palmar or the Villa Del Arco to anyone who is travelling to Cabo San Lucas. Their prime locations, friendly staff, and well-appointed rooms make them an ideal vacation destination. We will definitely be going to some of other properties that they offer, but we absolutely will be returning to one of the Cabo San Lucas properties very soon. These resorts are a lot of the reason that we have fallen in love with Cabo.

Cabo San Lucas

On November 23, 2015 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Mexico1 Comment

We’ve been home from Cabo San Lucas for a little over a week now and we’re already going through withdrawal. We’ve had one blizzard since getting home and are expecting snow on Thanksgiving, so the sun and beach seem like a distant memory at this point. We truly had a wonderful time visiting Cabo and walking around town and through the marina.

As you walk through the marina, you’ll continuously be approached by sales people trying to get you to take a glass bottom boat, take you deep-sea fishing, go on a time share tour, or play golf at one of the many courses around the area. It is definitely worthwhile taking a glass bottom boat out to the arch and to go to lover’s beach. The marina is also where you board the different dinner cruises, party boats, and fishing boats. We’ve done many of the different dinner and sunset cruises, but haven’t gone deep-sea fishing as of yet, perhaps on our next trip to Cabo.

There are many wonderful restaurants in the marina as well, all of them offering fresh seafood and tasty drinks. On Sunday, while we were there, we came across a restaurant offering all you can eat oysters. Since we love oysters, we definitely took advantage of that opportunity. At night-time, the marina area really comes to life with plenty of things to do and opportunities to people watch.

The downtown area also has plenty of vendors where you can purchase local trinkets and bargain with the store owners to get the best price on you souvenirs. At first it might feel awkward haggling over the price, but it is expected and don’t feel intimidated. If you don’t want to go downtown, there are plenty of vendors walking up and down the beach bringing souvenirs to all of the resorts for you to purchase.

At the resorts themselves, you can arrange kayaking, paddle boarding, parasailing, jet skis, golf, and more. There are also people walking the beach with horses so that you can take a romantic horse back ride along the beach. Our favorite thing about Cabo is the size of the resorts. There aren’t huge resorts with thousands of rooms, so whether going into town, walking the beach, or sitting around the pool, you’re not overwhelmed by tremendous crowds. We can hardly wait for our next trip to the beach, but it is going to have to wait for a little while.