Memories of Mexico

Four years ago this week, as I was starting to wean my oldest daughter, my husband and I decided we deserved a mini-vacation, sans children.  An email from Continental advertised a last-minute weekend airfare from Houston to Ixtapa/Zihuatenjo for...$36 plus 10K frequent flier miles (of which we have oodles).  That's right, $36, round-trip, for a direct, 90-minute flight to Mexico!  I booked the tickets immediately and lucked out again with Priceline, where I scored four nights at the four-star Las Brisas for only $80/night, including taxes and fees.  For less than $400, total, the two of us were headed to Mexico for a four-day weekend, hoping for beautiful beaches and lovely views.  

We were not disappointed.  

Ixtapa's Las Brisas provided the beaches:

View from our hotel balcony at day

View from our hotel balcony at night

 Zihua's many seafood restaurants provided the sunset views:

Ixtapa is commercialized but is also home to the airport and more hotels; Zihua is a sleepy fishing village with lots of charm and superb restaurants.  They are only a few minutes apart, and taxis are cheap and plentiful.  Service and seafood were excellent everywhere.  If I were to visit again, though, I would probably try to stay at La Casa Que Canta, a boutique hotel in Zihua where we ate dinner and where some of the above photos were taken.  Look at some of beautiful pictures from their website:

Gorgeous!  And so accessible from the western U.S.!

The take-aways here: **International travel can be affordable, easy, and convenient. **Sometimes the best trips are the most spontaneous and least planned.  **Sign up for the airlines' weekly emails, read the fine print to make sure you understand international fees, and then take advantage of the specials. **Priceline is great for international travel, too, and Bidding for Travel helps demystify the bidding process and ensure you get a great deal.  **Finally, keep your passport up-to-date so you can flee the country at a moment's notice!