Puerto Vallarta 2011 Part Deux

I realize we're mid-way through June and I'm just now deciding to talk about Clint's and my trip to Puerto Vallarta...in March. I dunno, time just flies as you get older and I've had quite a busy spring. Plus it's a dreary, rainy, extremely soggy day in Minnesota. Why not pine for the sun and sand?

This year it was just the two of us – not like PV 2010 with Penny & John – since they couldn't go. They say they're on board for next year, though! We had such a blast with them it's a trip that must be repeated. Anyway, this year we had QUITE the fiasco getting to PV. Turned out we needed a vacation from going on vacation. Once again it was wheels-up at 6:05am. Not a huge deal, except when the cab we requested never showed up. I ended up having to wake up my cousin (dog-sitting for Zada) and ask her to drive us to the airport at o-dark-hundred (4:30). Then it turned out every single person on our plane had to get frisked and have their carry-on checked. Every. Single. Person.

We were late getting through security so I didn't get breakfast – I figured I'd hold out for our first-class food...and a mimosa – but then they started boarding everyone on the plane and we find out there's no first class. After we paid for it, of course. So we're crammed into teeny-tiny seats (always a pleasure for Clint) and had to purchase our soggy, greasy breakfast "sandwiches." We were not pleased.

When the wheels touched down we breathed a sigh of relief – we were finally on vacation! But not quite. The taxi we rode in had some problem with a rear wheel – like, it was coming off – so the cabby had to pull over on the side of a highway, run somewhere to get tools and then come back and fix the wheel. Meanwhile we're roasting inside a cab with no A/C on the side of a Mexican freeway.

Get to Plaza Dorada – FINALLY, we think, we're here, we're safe, we're ready to RELAX! We squeeze into the elevator, head up to #406, open it up...and someone else's stuff is everywhere. Evidently we got there so early (because of the new lift-off time) the previous renters weren't checked out yet! Scrambling out of the condo we head back downstairs, at a loss as to what to do. We ended up leaving our carry-on in the lobby, changed in the pool bathrooms and headed over to Coco Tropical where Juan instantly brought us chairs, an umbrella, and – most importantly – cold beers. We might've proceeded to tie one on that afternoon (well, technically morning at that point)...but it was well deserved.

Enough of the negative. The rest of our trip was fun, relaxing, and of course beautiful. We went to Yelapa twice (even running into a "buddy" I'd met on my February trip), walked around a lot, soaked up the sun (and Pacifico), and ate very well.


Since last year we went zip-lining, we decided to try something new this year, too: sea kayaking. I'm not much of a kayaker (I'd only done it one time, in Greece) and Clint and I only ever canoed together once (in high winds...that was interesting!). But, we jumped in and gave it a whirl – it was even fun once I got over being RIGHT on the water and asked Clint NOT to continually hum the Jaws theme. Of course then I saw some gal on a stand-up kayak WAY farther out than we were...I quickly deduced if anyone was going to get eaten by a shark it'd HAVE to be her. Right?

One day while strolling on the Malecón we saw a new bar – an Irish pub, no less! – called Murphy's. We stopped in to quench our thirst and instantly became BFF with the owners. That might've become our favorite hang-out (other than Coco Tropical, which wins only because it's right on the beach near the condo) that week.


They have a great joint right on the ocean with fantastic views, TVs and great drinks. Clint tried their signature drink – the Irish Car Bomb – and their delicious Cielo Rojo became my favorite. It's a great bar and I hope we see them when we return (whenever that may be).


After a week of fun in the sun we headed home...already planning when we'll return to lovely Puerto Vallarta.