Puerto Vallarta Anew

I’ve been to Puerto Vallarta 3 times.  I have always had a nice time, but never quite understood why my late friend, Richard, said it was his favorite place for escape.  Each time I’ve been here, it’s been for a week, and I’ve done many of the usual tourist activities, such as snorkeling, going to recommended restaurants, and being besieged by street peddlars. 

This time the changed experience is perhaps a tribute to my best golfing buddy, Karen, because, like Richard, she is a walker.  We walk, and that’s really the best way to see any city.  But since unlike Richard, she’s also a golfer, the fun has been magnified.  

 

We arrived on a Saturday at the very end of the rainy season, so everything was very green.  We had one night of rain, and then days of bright sunshine with temperatures  of 87 degrees fahrenheit.  We first decided to play golf at Marina Vallarta, about a 10 minute drive from our condo at the Sheraton Vacation Club.  They gave us a slight discount on the green fee.  It’s a cute course, designed by American designer Joe Finger, taking advantage of the local flora and in some cases, the fauna.  All of the courses near the lowest elevation have the possibility of crocodiles, and we saw one.  

In addition, there is an amazing variety of birds, including egrets, cranes, and seabirds flying over, such as pelicans or shearwaters.  The course is not fancy, though there is a small pro shop and restaurant, but it was our first taste of the warmth of the people.  Norma, the lady in the pro shop, was so welcoming we lingered, and that is when we saw the ad for the upcoming 10^th anniversity tournament at their sister course, Vista Vallarta, about a 15 minute drive out of town from the Marina (about 25 minutes from downtown).

Vista Vallarta has two courses, one by Tom Weiskopf and one by Jack Nicklaus.  The tournament was on the Weiskopf course, and was a scramble format.  We’ve played in scrambles before, and enjoy it in this type of social tournament. (A scramble is a succession of foursomes in which everyone hits the first shot, then team members hit each successive shot from the position of whoever makes the best shot).  While I could describe the wonders of the course, suffice it to say it was in great condition, was imaginative, and everyone had a fun time getting to know each other.  Ours was a team of leftovers, as Karen and I were the only ones previously acquainted.  We ended up playing the Nicklaus course a few days later with one of our team members, Bob, who is from Chicago, but lives in Puerto Vallarta several months a year. 

At the end of the round, there was a great Mexican buffet, awards for the winners, and  rounds of margaritas.  Somewhat amazingly, we didn’t win anything (ok, not so amazingly).  The contestants were a mix of locals, vacationers and snowbirds.  One would think everyone was old friends. 

In between rounds of golf, we picked out a favorite local restaurant close to the condo (El Andariega)which had the best sauce on their chilequiles, which included avocado in the tomatillo sauce.  The service was also very friendly and the food reasonably priced.  Exploring the Centro is a tourist’s delight.  The old Malecon (seaside walkway) has been replaced with a beautiful new broad walkway with trees, benches and an excellent collection of sculpture.   There is also a 3-4 block area with a collection of art galleries, and we did the Wednesday evening Art Walk.  Because Karen is enamored with Mata Ortiz pottery, I have developed an appreciation also.  Just south of the Centro is the Zona Romantica, still walkable, with more shops, restaurants, and the gay section of town.  The string of restaurants and cafes on the beach have a fairly standard variety of food, mixing regional Mexican cuisine with American, all well-prepared.  All of the popular beaches have the requisite number of vendors, but I’ll admit, I finally just got used to them and politely declined their wares. 

The architecture and history of Puerto Vallarta is worth looking at.  It is a fairly small city that mostly came about as a port for inland agricultural products.  But over the years, the farms have faded somewhat, while PV became famous as a tourist destination, especially after the filming of “Night of the Iguana” with Richard Burton and Ava Gardner.  Now the large Bay of Bandaras has a long string of resorts, from relatively inexpensive to very luxurious, and is a place that many people come to year after year.  The weather was very humid when we first arrived, but as the end of October came, it started to become less noticeable.  There is available a wide selection of watersports, including snorkeling, diving, and parasailing.  The beaches are lovely with coarse golden sand.

We took a day trip on the “jungle tour.”  It was much more fun than we anticipated.  We went to a botanical garden about 10 miles out of town, and saw huge white butterflies and jungle foliage.  We then went to a place called Chico’s, which is a local picnic area on the river, with huge rocks and some rapids.  One performer was taking running jumps off the rocks to dive into the rapids, just in the right place.  It was fun, and the restaurant there had exceptional seafood.  I even got Karen to drink a margarita, an unusual even indeed.  The last stop was a family run small tequila distillary, and it was truly delightful.  After going through the process of making tequila the old way, they provided an exceptional tasting.   By the time we all got back on the bus to head back to town, everyone was a friend and the trip back was pretty jovial. 

There is an easyness to Puerto Vallarta.  Strolling the Malecon just before sunset with lights of the shops and restaurants spilling out with the warm breeze is refreshing, and if with a partner, quite romantic.  Since Karen and I are just friends, we could only dream.  While there are hawkers trying to entice you into their shops, light banter with them is the most effective way of only entering  those places where you have some interest.  The restaurants on the Malecon itself are a bit more pricey than elsewhere, more like the cost of moderate American restaurants.  Off the Malecon are both the few more expensive restaurants, along with many inexpensive places with good food.  Explore, look at the menus, and note where some of the locals are eating. And, by the way, look at the sunsets:

When Karen left, I spent a week at the Mayan Palace in the Marina.  It is a charming small resort, not real fancy, but with excellent service, and a very nice restaurant, Bakal.  The Marina is pretty, and has a “restaurant row” with a nice variety of cuisines, from Argentinian steakhouse to Indian.  We had had the special at the Rincon de Buenos Aires before Karen left, where for $15 each, we had a perfectly cooked small filet of beef, potatoes, salad and beer.  The service was friendly and quick, with an encouragement for us to linger as long as we wanted.

I played golf several times at the Grand Mayan in Nuevo Vallarta, about a 15 minute taxi ride north into the state of Nayarit.  It is a Jack Nicklaus design, and the final three holes have recently been completed.  It is a fantastic course, with one hole, #7, of which I especially came to appreciate the design, and hated (for obvious reasons) at the same time.  I played with a number of very nice people, one of whom, surprisingly, lives about 6 blocks from my home.  I also once got stuck with a young couple who were each beginners, and I heaved a slight sigh of relief when they decided to play only nine holes.  I know I will play this course many times in the future, and really look forward to it. 

When the time came to pack up and head to Cabo San Lucas, I had warm thoughts of wanting to return to Puerto Vallarta.  I like Cabo, but there is more history here, a wider variety of things to do, and a feeling of a bit more substance.

Baltimore, June 27-29, 2010

When I was little, growing up in nearby Damascus, MD, Baltimore was sort of a mystical place known for being big, somewhat dangerous, and far enough away that we didn't go there much.  Over the years the element of danger has remained, and it's a city that has definately had problems.  But I was somewhat amazed when I got there, especially in the general area I explored, which was the waterfront to the museum district.

The downtown area has many old buildings which have been restored.  I felt completely safe in this general area.  The waterfront was incredibly vibrant.  Also, it was hot, generally being about 85 degrees and quite humid the days I was there.  There is a majestic City Hall:

It's a very walkable city, and people are out a lot on the street.  The Inner Harbor has been completely redone as a tourist area, and while it has the usual detractions of some of the less impressive food chains (Hooters), it does have a lot of activities, including a wonderful aquarium, boat tours of the harbor and surrounding historical areas, and now an impressive array of close-in housing.  Luckily, my hotel was just across the street from a Roy's restaurant, one of Tuija's and my favorite places, a chain which is able to maintain the quality and inventiveness of Roy Yamaguchi's tasty vision of Asian Fusion cuisine.  Since I was planning to have dinner at the Roy's in Philadelphia with Tuija when I got there, this was a prelude for me individually.

I did a fairly long walk to the museum district, but the planned trip to a museum was waylaid by museums of another kind.  I've been a subscriber to several financial publications of Agora, Inc. for several years, and as sponsors of The Oxford Club, of which I am a member, they have established their headquarters in Baltimore.    The Oxford Club has occasionally reminded its members that if they're in Baltimore, members are welcome to come to the main clubhouse, so before I got there, I set up an appointment, just so I could see it.  The publisher, Bill Bonner, moved the Oxford Club into a restored mansion which had been turned into a Catholic chapel by the previous archbishop.  When the Church was ready to divest itself of this gem, the Oxford Club purchased it.

When I arrived, I was greeted by a delightful woman who was the receptionist, and when I commented on the beauty of the buildings design, we started talking.  It seems that after restoring the Oxford Club building, as the publishing business grew, Bill Bonner decided to move the other sections of the business into similar buildings, slowly buying these decrepit ladies, and restoring them to beauty.  I was taken to three of them, and marveled at the quality of the restorations.  Agora is committed to the long term stability of Baltimore, and as a city with an amazing history, they've produced a small collection within a couple of square blocks of about six of these lovely restorations.

I wish I'd had the time to do a more extensive tour around Baltimore and it's environs.  I've been to some of the sights in the past (Fort McHenry and Annapolis), but as in Washinton, D.C., I love revisiting old haunts.

I had a great time, but was eager finally to prepare to move on to Philadelphia, where, after being there for a day, Tuija was to join me.

Ocean City and Washinton, D.C. June 18-27

Yes, it has been a long time since I've posted, and my loving visits by friends and family on the trip, and fantastic sightseeing have been the reasons.  I had a really fun time in Ocean City, Maryland, where I visited my Jr. High School classmate, Mary Ann.  She has a beautiful house about 12 miles from downtown Ocean City, and the contrast couldn't be greater.  She's in a quiet, heavily wooded area with birds singing and crickets chirping.  There's a stream at the back of the property and her house is real cute.  We yakked constantly and went on a sightseeing trip into Ocean City.  I got a chance to meet her daughter also.  Ocean City is a very commercialized stretch of restaurants, nice and not-so-nice hotels, but with a beautiful beach, so little wonder it's pretty built up.  It's been a favorite of people in New England for years.  It was wonderful catching up with Mary Ann, and she recommended that on my way to D.C., I stop in St. Michael.

St Michael is one of those terminally charming little towns with cute shops, with everything looking old and nicely restored.  They were having a boat show the day I was there, and I got a chance to hear a little of the history of the area.  Here's a workshop where they were showing how they make small skiffs that the locals sometimes use in shallow water.

I then headed to Washington, D.C., and stayed at a new Wyndham resort called National Harbor.  It's across the river from Alexandria on the Maryland side, and it was beautiful.  I can't go to Washington without getting strong feelings of nostalgia for my childhood experiences.  So, I snapped a few pictures of my favorite places:

I had a chance to go to the National Museum of the American Indian with Rosemary and Rispba, and it was very impressive.  I started to get some sense of the level of ignorance I have about the indigenous people who were here before the English, Spanish and French arrived.  We all ended up feeling great that we got to see the museum, but with great sadness that by simply getting off the boat, about 90% of the population of Native Americans were condemned to death by diseases to which they had no immunity.

It was really fun seeing the gals, and a couple days later I had a chance to visit Rosemary at her home for several hours.  With both of us being rather irreverent and silly, we had a great time.  During the course of my visit I also did a walking tour of Alexandria, which was "town" back in George Washington's day.   I also did a side trip to Frederick, and in honor of my mother, I submit this photo of Barbara Fritchie's house, to which on occasion Mom would take us in the furtherance of our Civil War education.

I did enough driving around to realize that the area is just so much different now, with it being real important to not drive anytime anywhere near rush hour.  I visited my old hometown of Damascus, and it is so built up that it simply is a large town now instead of a small village.  One little irrelevant bit of trivia was that I did need to go get a soft serve ice cream from the Jimmie Cone.  Old habits die hard.

I love this entire area, and am always awed by the beauty of the National Mall and touched by the basic principles that going through the history reminds one of.  It was also a relief every night, after being outside a lot in 85 degree weather and high humidity, to return to the Wyndham and my lovely room there, and especially the air conditioning.  Next:  off to Baltimore.

Williamsburg

What an interesting place, Williamsburg.  The story of its reconstruction is almost more interesting than its actual place in history, but not quite.  A very dedicated group of people in Williamsburg talked John D. Rockefeller into funding the initial rescue of some old buildings, and it has grown into an interesting, if very touristy, place.  I enjoyed the history very much, but admittedly see this as a place one would want to go once, and preferably with older children. It does give a feeling of colonial America, long before the Declaration of Independence.

 When I arrived, I first wanted to see the Governor's Mansion, since its first inhabitant was Alexander Spottswood, our (correct me if I'm wrong Kit) 11 times great grandfather.  Technically, he was the Lieutenant Governor of Virgina, but the Governor, some Lord in England, never came to the colonies, so Spottswood was the man on site.  He was recalled in about 1722, just after he'd been living there for less than a year.  Here's the house:

I had a really nice time there, and also went to Jamestown to the original site of the landing of the original colonists.  There was a bustle of activity as a group of archeologists and their summer interns were busily excavating more of the site.  I was more impressed with the intent:

It was fun to realize that when they landed, they had no idea of what they were starting, including bringing the diseases that wiped out 90% of the native population.  They sure as heck didn't envision our country as it is today (and facebook).

Myrtle Beach and Raleigh

I continued my love affair with South Carolina by heading up the coast to Myrtle Beach.  I stayed at the Wyndham Resort there for 4 days.  This is a very old and very developed area, and when one sees the beaches, it's not surprising.  It's a very long beach, miles, and I spent a fair amount of time walking.  I played golf a couple of times, but had to go very early in the morning because of the heat.  I've been slowly shaving a few strokes off my golf score and am tending to score in the high 80's.

This was really my last time for awhile of being mostly alone.  I realized that since I got to Destin, I've been on my own.  When I leave Myrtle Beach, I'll be starting a time of being with friends and family for awhile.  I like both.  I'm needing to be with people a little bit right now.  Although I get on well with the people I interact with day to day, they're mostly service people, so are short conversations.  That's one of the benefits of golf. I get to talk to nice people I just met for several hours.  I'm looking forward to seeing some friends and family coming up.

I'm continuing to enjoy really good southern style seafood, and everyone is commiserating about the Gulf oil spill, and very worried about the livelihoods of the people affected.  

I left Myrtle Beach and took off for Raleigh to see my friend Michele.  We only had one night to catch up on what we're both doing and have some fun, but we had a great dinner and chatted into the evening.  The next morning she had to go to work and I was off to Williamsburg, Virginia.

Charleston

The long and winding road took me out of Edisto Beach and up to Charleston.  I started with a carriage ride through the historic district, and once again, that was a good way to get a taste of the loveliness that is this Southern Belle.  I then spent two days walking those streets, taking pictures, fascinated with the architecture and the care of restoration.  Like Savannah, it is a city that suffered after the Civil War, but also like Savannah, it was not burned.  The historic area is much larger than Savannah, but has much of the innate beauty.  I can't seem to get enough of the old homes.  There is the hint of a refined time which has been extended into the present.  And given the graciousness of the population, and their helpfulness in answering any questions, it does seem people here are living a charmed life.

While I have loved the food everywhere I've been, and appreciated the few places where I've had a full kitchen so I could cook myself, I decided to see what I could find in Charleston.  I had  two great recommendations from the carriage driver.   One was an Irish pub where I had shrimp and grits.  I was a little hesitant.  I shouldn't have been, and eating it with a Guinness adds just the right touch.  The other recommendation was one of the most delightful restaurants of the whole trip so far, called 82 Queen St.  I was shown down a little hallway, into a lovely white table garden courtyard.  I had a sapphire martini in honor of Richard, and then sat down to the perfect courtyard setting.  I started with she-crab soup, which includes some of the crab roe.  I had had some a couple of nights before in St. Augustine, and it was way too salty. At 82 Queen, it was seasoned perfectly, full-bodied and, well, crabby, with a hint of sherry.  I then had fried okra as a vegetable, wonderfully al dente, served with a marinara sauce.  My main dish was grilled tiger shrimp with fried goat cheese ravioli.  I was in heaven, sitting under a magnolia tree with a two foot diameter, which was rising up through the courtyard.  I wish I'd had more time to eat here again.

Before I left Edisto Beach, Lucy had recommended that I consider going to a couple of performances at the Spoleto Festival, an annual event in Charleston.  I took her advice.  I attended an opera called "Flora" which was first performed in the old Dock Street Theater in the late 1700's.  It was real cute and enthusiastically performed.  I also attended there the Noel Coward play "Present Laughter."  There's something special when traveling to be able to duck in and sample the local festivals.  The Dock Street Theater has a wonderful history and has been carefully restored.  The play was very cute, very 1940's (written in 1939, but not produced until 3 years later), and a great romp.

I also took most of a day and went outside of Charleston to a Magnolia Plantation, the house and gardens built by the Drayton family in 1640.  I loved the description of the history, the features of the house, and realized that we now live in so much more luxurious creature comforts now than even the most wealthy of that era.  The gardens were lovely.

There was also an exceptional guide on the part of the tour that took one through the restored slave quarters. He discussed how at the same time they were being bought and sold, and considered less intelligent that whites, that they were the ones who brought the technical knowledge of how to grow rice in this climate, that allowed the fortunes which built houses like Drayton and the beautiful mansions in Charleston to be built.  Apparently, slave traders were very careful to send slaves from a specific area of Sierra Leone to the Charleston area, as they were in high demand.  I was intrigued with the research going on here to study and understand the slave experience from the slaves' perspective.

And then there are those beautiful houses in Charleston.  They're all over the place, but the area called South Battery is especially memorable.

Finally, before I left, I took a tour of the USS Yorktown, and very famous WWII aircraft carrier which is docked permanently in Charleston.  It was really impressive and I'm amazed at the level of engineering which it takes to create such a ship.  I was especially interested in the medical facilities onboard, which were pretty up to date for the time, given that this was a floating city.  I then left Charleston and headed on to Raleigh to visit my friend, Michele.  On the way I managed a round of golf in about 90 degree weather.  It's been really hot and humid, and while I tend to like it, I sure appreciate air conditioning after much time outside.

Edisto Beach

I think the biggest surprise of the trip so far has been Edisto Beach.  Wyndham has a resort there which is an amalgam of various buildings spread both within one main section of the area, and then some other buildings slightly distant.  I had a condo which was at Bay Point, about 1/2 mile from the main resort.  The condo was cute, the view perfect.  I was just inland, with the ocean around the corner.  I was on the river, looking out at miles of waterways and salt marsh.  I was able to watch the pelicans diving for fish, and many other birds (egrets and great blue heron) hunting for food in the marsh.  Edisto was the quiet, sleepy little beach community that I had originally assumed Destin would be.

There are a few restaurants, but nothing real fancy, which was great with me.  The food, however, was great.  It's a fresh seafood and juicy burgers type of place.

When I arrived, I went to the golf course (the Plantation Course) and asked if I could make a tee time for the next morning.  I was informed that the next morning was their usual ladies group, and would I like to join them.  Well of course.   I had a wonderful time.  Both of the ladies in my group lived at Edisto part time, and were a wealth of information.  The course was great fun, and I finally, finally, got to see an alligator in one of the pools on the edge of the fairway at 11.   It was about 6 feet long and just quietly floating on the surface.

One of the gals in my group, Lucy, asked if I'd like to play with her the next day, which we did.  Another really fun round on what ended up being a very nice course, well taken care of.  After the round we went for hamburgers at McConkey's which were perfect.  She then took me on a driving tour of the island, and introduced me to one of her friends.  There are many islands there, and Lucy has a house on one of them all connected with short little bridges.  It's quiet, just the sounds of the marsh and, because it's very warm, the bugs.  We parted mid-afternoon, after Lucy gave me some advice about Charleston, to attend the Spoleto Festival, and some upcoming performances there.  I took the road out beneath the towering pines, dripping with Spanish Moss.

I've had an interesting mix on the trip of time alone, time with friends and family, and in Lucy's case, time with someone I meet along the way who really adds to the experience.  I like all of it, and it both gives me a nice mix of freedom and companionship.