Visit Mexico this fall on the cheap

Shermans Travel reports a handful of package deals at adult-only beach resorts in Mexico. Travel before October 31 and you can visit Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, or Playa del Carmen for what appear to be fairly good rates.

I love to travel to the beach in the fall – it’s much less crowded and temperatures are generally more tolerable. Certainly, you have to risk hurricanes, but Cabo and Puerto Vallarta are fairly hurricane-proof.

I checked the rates from Charlotte for a four-night late-September trip to Cabo and the rates were just below $900 per person. Comparable trips to Puerto Vallarta and Playa del Carmen were $777 and $800 per person, respectively, with a direct flight on the way to Playa del Carmen. Hola Mexico!

Deals in Hilton Head? Not so much.

It had been a while since I visited HHI. But the trip made me wonder about the validity of the recent claim by Orbitz that Hilton Head constitutes the best beach vacation deal for August. Maybe airfare is relatively inexpensive… maybe… and maybe you can find a good deal on a hotel and a rental car (which you’ll need to get around the island). But once you’re there, the deals end.

It’s hard to find a spot on the island for a good, casual dinner without spending $25+ per person just on your entrée. During the day, if you’re sticking around the hotel pool, you can expect to pay $3 for a bottled water and $5 for a Corona in a can. That can add up quickly. And forget about room service - $15 for cereal and a bagel? Are you kidding me? Even the mini-golf is expensive.

Had we been staying longer, it would have been worth it to rent a condo or house, and then cook most of our own meals. And maybe we would have succumbed to the timeshare pitch in order to get the $100 restaurant certificate. Maybe.

This is not to say that we didn’t have fun… great beach swimming, lazy afternoons, a round of golf. But if there were deals to be had on HHI, we certainly didn’t find them.

Coronas, Flip Flops, and a Ball Cap

The countdown is on… my toes will officially be back in the sand in a matter of days.

With this imminent beach trip comes a set of traditions that follow me to almost any beach I visit… rites of beach passage, if you will. Jimmy Buffett. Local seafood. Coronas. Flip-flops or bare feet only. A ball cap. An early morning walk on the beach (before the heat and crowds arrive). I suspect that most people have their own beach traditions, many of which may be the same as my own. (Does a Corona taste as good when you’re landlocked?)

And so, it’s time to start thinking in the beach vernacular – one that is less hurried and more appreciative of the simple things in life. Cheers!

A Little Love for PCB

US Airways announced this week that it’s cutting its Charlotte-Panama City flights as of Sept. 1. Bummer.

You may associate Panama City Beach with a spring break destination (and all that comes along with that). Some people call it the Myrtle Beach of the Gulf Coast, with all of its mini-golf courses, high-rise hotels, and pancake restaurants. But what you may not know is that the area is home to some of the prettiest stretches of beach in the United States. We’re talking white sand beaches with warm gulf water so clear you can see the color of your toenail polish while standing in shoulder-height water. (For someone who grew up swimming off the beaches of New England, this came as quite a shock the first time I visited.)

On the east end of PCB is St. Andrews State Park – a beautiful, clean beach for day visitors. Its concessions stand has a good supply of kites, skimboards, and an impressive selection of ice cream novelties.

If you’re planning on staying a little longer – and are looking for more of an upscale experience (or just want to see how the other half vacations) – head west past the high-rises to Route 30-A and visit what are known as the Beaches of South Walton: Rosemary Beach, Seaside, WaterColor, and Grayton Beach, among others. They’re all relatively new villages designed with the principles of New Urbanism, and dotted with open-air restaurants, quaint shops, art galleries, and vacation rental offices. And did I mention the beaches?

August Beach Deals

In case you haven’t noticed, summer is speeding by. If you’ve waited until the last minute to make summer vacation plans, well, you’re not alone. Luckily, there’s still time to fit in a long weekend at the beach before Labor Day and Orbitz has found some great deals to help make that happen.

Here are the top five beach deals for August, according to the travel website:

1. Hilton Head, SC
2. Grand Cayman
3. Kauai, HI
4. Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
5. St. Petersburg, FL
   

I’ve been to Hilton Head a few times, and will be headed back at the end of July. Stopped in Grand Cayman on a cruise, and wasn’t overly impressed with the flat landscape. One piece of advice: If you must go to Stingray City, do so on a day when the fewest number of cruise ships are in port. Trust me on that one.

I’ve also been to St. Pete once. I don’t recall it having its own beaches, but it is close to Clearwater beaches. If you can swing it, stay at the historic Renaissance Vinoy, which overlooks a beautiful marina, and head into Tampa’s Ybor City while you’re there for some fantastic Cuban food and culture.

I’ll add the other two destinations to my always-growing would-love-to-visit-someday list.

Born to Beach

I don’t remember my first trip to the beach. My mom’s yellowed photos of our visit to Hampton Beach were taken years before the memories of my childhood kick in.

Like many families, the annual beach trip was arguably the best part of summer. We’d start packing a week or more in advance. Before dawn, we’d pull out of the driveway in the Bobcat station wagon, which was loaded down with camping gear and pointed due east with conviction. The excitement would build as we neared the Sagamore Bridge and the smell of the Cape’s sea air washed over the car. Building sandcastles, comparing tans, playing putt-putt, stopping at the homemade ice cream stand…

This summer routine was comforting as a child. Even as my interests changed as a teenager (Why lay on the beach when you can go shopping?), the beach became an indelible part of me.

And somehow – in the last few years – I’ve grown to appreciate the beach more than ever before. Maybe it’s the 180 miles that separate me from the nearest beach. (Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone. Insert other appropriate adage here.) Maybe it’s the appreciation for nature that only comes with age. Maybe I just like the feeling of sand between my toes.

Regardless, it seems fitting to dedicate this blog to the pursuit of beaches near and far. I hope you enjoy it and get the chance to share your own beach stories and recommendations with me.

May fate guide you to the nearest beach without haste!