What a month December 2020 was for us this year. We are living in a new place, a lake house north of Spokane, and we moved in in September with some beautiful weather to enjoy before the impending winter. While we were boating and fishing on the lake, the neighbor was already prepping for winter. We were forewarned that this area snows much more than Spokane, by those referencing this area as the Snow Belt. And wow, did December prove them right. With loads of snow, freezing temperatures, snow blowing the long driveway every couple days, pipes freezing, power going out - it certainly made us eager for the warm weather again.
So let's talk warm winter destinations!
While I never grew up in a winter vacation family, Ryan's family in the midwest has certainly turned me on to the idea of escaping the cold temperatures and cabin fever, with their personal favorite being Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Great price all inclusive and pool drinks all day long.
A few of my personal favorites:
PUERTO VALLARTA!
CARTAGENA COLOMBIA!
My birthday always falls around Thanksgiving. Blessing and a curse. But living so far away from family now, with flights being so expensive, I haven't been back for Thanksgiving in a few years. So what to do instead? Find cheap flights to somewhere warm! We ended up going to Puerto Vallarta along the Pacific Coast of Mexico. I get so excited even thinking about this trip, it was so much fun.
We stayed a boutique hotel, with balcony views of the beach. Across the street there is a small restaurant on the beach called El Solar, which we spent many daytime hours at eating tacos and drinking local beers. We went for a dip in the ocean, and Ryan wrapped his towel around his still half-full beer to keep it cold, and we came back to the table to see an ice-bucket for one, with his single beer nestled inside. That is some attention to detail by a great server.
The Paramar Beachfront Hotel Boutique Puerto Vallarta
El Solar beach bar and restaurant
On our first day on a trip we usually are eager to explore. Quick shower after the flight, get dressed, then out the door. We usually look for some cultural experience, finding a restaurant with traditional food consistent with the area we are in. Something made us walk into this one bar around the corner from out hotel called Captain Don's. Doesn't sound like a place that mirrors the Mexican culture, right? But it was packed with people making noise, watching a game of some kind on the screens. As we were sitting down, we realized that we were the youngest people in the room. Why is everyone in here 50+, and none of them look like they are of Mexican decent. Ryan tends to be a talker in these situations, making conversation with the people around him. Turns out, Puerto Vallarta is a big area that US and Canadian retirees move to! Or at least spend a portion of their year. And this bar is where they meet up the other of the like. We had a great time, and even came back a few times to watch the Green Bay Packers game and for a karaoke night. Stumbling upon places like this is one part of what makes us so happy to travel together.
If you walk south along the water, you come upon a boardwalk of some kind, full of restaurants and shops. Lots to do during the day, but this area lights up at night. We even caught some fireworks one day. We stumbled upon a Cuban restaurant called La Bodeguita del Medio with delicious food and even more incredible live music. On the way back to our hotel, we found a food truck in the neighborhood of our hotel that was quiet and closed up during the day, but comes alive late in the evening. Nothing is better than Mexican street tacos at the end of the fun day.
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