Sue Was Always Happiest At The Beach

Girl-i-cation (This is a partial repost from June 2007 in Honor of my dear friend Sue)

I did it. I snagged one of the cheapest trips I have seen in the last 10 years through Funjet last week. I obsess over finding the good deals and when I do I jump. Last Friday, my longtime girlfriend from middle school and I hopped on board an Aeromexico flight from DFW to Puerto Vallarta for a 3 night/4 day long weekend trip to a mystery hotel. Funjet bills these trips as Fun For Less/Mystery Hotel and it was!!!! We were a bit apprehensive when we found out our hotel was the kid friendly Club Paradise, but the staff of Funjet and the hotel were extremely accommodating. We had a nice clean room over looking one of the pools ( not the kiddie one) with a view of Banderas Bay and it was all inclusive. All of that and it only cost us 354.00 a person. I joke not! Now, I will say that on Funjet's site the hotel is a four star and anywhere else it is a 3 star, but the complaints that I found in trip advisor were unfounded for us. You don't do an all inclusive like this for the food (duh!), but the breakfast was great and even the Japanese restaurant had some awesomely fresh Tuna sashimi. Of course we left the premise for an all day boat trip to Las Marietas and the clear water white sand beaches of Punta Mita (snagged that for half each too at 40.00 per person).

Punta Mita is the up and coming high end place in this part of Mexico. The Four Seasons Hotel is there along with a Jack Nicklaus Golf Course and some BEAUTIFUL homes. By car and ferry it is about a 30 minute drive from the PV Airport and through Bucerias, a hippie hang in the sixties that is still chill, but grown up now.
Golf
"The private Jack Nicklaus Signature Course at The Four Seasons Golf Club Punta Mita is an astonishing 19-hole championship course featuring eight holes facing or playing along the ocean and breathtaking ocean vistas. Its famed 19th Hole, an optional par-3 called the Tail of the Whale, plays 199 yards from a mainland tee box to an island green in the Pacific Ocean." according the internetpv website.
Dining Out
If you go to PV, be sure to have dinner at sunset at one of my new favorites, Barcelona ( well it has been there awhile, but I just found it thanks to the Octogenarian's physical therapist) if you want an incredible dining experience and a beautiful view. The walk up the 70 steps to this Spanish Tapas restaurant is worth it! My travel pal and I enjoyed refreshing Sangria, and shared several small plates starting with an espresso cup filled with delicious clam chowder, the house salad with caramelized pecans, vine ripened cherry tomatoes and balsamic vinaigrette, a very fresh tuna carpaccio, sizzling garlic shrimp, eggplant Parmesan with manchego, goat and Parmesan cheese and a molten chocolate cake that was to live for ( Sue always said that )with excellent coffee and tequila cream made on premise. Barcelona is located downtown near the corner of 31 de Octobre and Matamores streets. It is about a 50 peso cab ride from the Marina district. Reservations are suggested...check with the hotel concierge or just find them in the PV phone book and Bon Apetit!And now for this weeks deals:

Get 2 Nights Free plus Save up to 45% at Sandals Negril Beach Resort & Spa until January 29th, 2009.


Get 2 Nights Free plus save up to 60% at Beaches Resorts until January 29th, 2009.

California Last Minute Deal Destination Sale!

See Winning Hotel bids in Top Cities from $28 per night!

Book Air + Hotel together and SAVE with Travelocity


And In the End
Make sure traveling friends to take the time today to tell the ones you love how special they are to you...it only takes a second and you never know what curves life is going to throw you. I will miss terribly my dearest friend Sue but will always cherish our time together on this earth whether traveling or just having a quick lunch. Remember, life is a journey, stay packed!
Ciao for now,Maggie