Hello World! It’s been a while. I have been battling some serious health problems. It was scary, and I’m not out of the woods yet, but I’m back in the saddle and I’ll be posting on a regular basis. So much has happened since my last post, and I can’t wait to begin writing on all of them!

So, keep checking back, and we’ll have some interesting reading for you.

It’s not an island, but Mexico is a great place to go for a warm weather, beach, ocean vacation. While many of Mexico’s destinations have gotten very touristy (Is that a word?) like Cabo and Cancun, I have had some great experiences in Mexico, especially in Puerto Vallarta.

I spent the week of my 40th birthday in Puerto Vallarta with some friends. We actually stayed a little north in Nuevo Vallarta, in a great all-inclusive resort right on Banderas Bay.

Because Puerto Vallarta lies on Bahia Banderas, the second largest natural bay in North America and has over 100 miles of coast line, it is a haven for anyone who enjoys any type of beach activity, from whale watching to parasailing. Bungee jumping over the Pacific, windsurfing, snorkeling, scuba diving, jet skiing or fishing are yours for the asking. The surf, at most beaches is normally very calm and safe for swimming year around

Plus, for me, it is a great place to enjoy the warm Gulf of Mexico waters without hearing the Jaws theme every time you go in the ocean (I’ve talked about that in prior blogs), why no Jaws theme you ask?

Banderas Bay is a horseshoe shaped bay that is occupied by hundreds of bottle nosed dolphins. Because it’s a breeding ground, the dolphins patrol the mouth of the bay, driving away any sharks that try to enter! Safe swimming!

It was a great vacation, alternating between great activities like horseback riding through the mountains, sailing and snorkeling across the bay, to days of lying in the shade on the beach, reading, sleeping, eating and swimming in the warm tropical waters. Ahhhh, it was great.

I’m looking to take a break from my UFirst business for our annual February trip. In the last vote by my travel group, taking a cruise was still in the lead, but we’ve been finding some great deals to Mexico, so it’s making a run as our destination. I would go back there anytime.

Having traveled to the Florida Keys for years, I often get asked about Key West beaches. Many are surprised at the number of Key West beaches and some are surprised there are any sand beaches at all, because of the coral makeup of the Keys .

They’re both right, to a degree. Most of the good Key West beaches are supplied with sand brought in from outside sources. A difficult undertaking but the results have been incredible.

Probably the most famous of the Key West beaches is Smathers Beach. It’s the largest public beach and where most of the tourists end up. It has everything you could ask for.. parking, food and drink, water sports, even fresh water showers are available!

My favorite of the Key West beaches is the one at Fort Zachary Taylor State Park and Beach. It’s truly the most beautiful and unspoiled place left in Key West.

Rows of trees offers an abundance of shade. The water is deep enough for a great swim and because it’s a well maintained State Park, it has excellent facilities. Fresh water showers, bathrooms, picnic tables, grills, along with the breathtaking views make this a truly special place.

Another great beach located next to the Casa Marina Resort on the Atlantic Ocean side is Higgs Beach. This is a local favorite offering everything you need for a great time at the beach.

The last of the Key West beaches is South Beach. Not to be confused with Miami, this small beach is at the end of Duvall Street and can be a quick escape from your shopping escapades.

I love Key West and the Florida Keys in general. I love leaving the frigid Midwest every February and heading down to the Keys tropical waters and laid back lifestyle.

As my income has grown from being a UFirst agent, I am considering the Keys for a winter home. The Money Merge Account will help me pay off my mortgage in only 1/3rd the time and save me tens of thousands of dollars in interest. With this kind of savings, a Florida Keys home will be in my future.

Well, the economy is on everyone’s mind, hundreds of thousands of people losing their jobs. So I feel kind of bad griping about my choices for my February vacation. It’s a dirty job, someone has to do it, so here goes.

At tonight’s Christmas party one of my fellow vacationers brought out printouts from a cruise site. In my last post I said price might be the determining factor in our choice, and in this tough economy the travel industry has some real bargains.

Royal Caribbean, Norwegian and Carnival all have very enticing packages. 7 day Bahama’s cruises, interior rooms, for under $400 bucks, tack on a $200 airfare to get to Miami, less than $100 day for vacation. Not bad. Still 4 days “at sea”, 3 days off.

“All inclusive” resorts have become very popular over the years and I have had good experiences in several of them.

Puerto Vallarta, Acapulco, and Cabo San Lucas, to name a few. Same amenities as a cruise ship. Room, food, entertainment are covered in price, as usually is the flight to get there. But now I would have a beach to lay on and a ocean to play in…(DundeDundeDundeDunde…Damn you Speilberg! Previous readers will understand, lol) …everday plus as many excursions as we can muster.

Problem…Most of the “All Inclusive” destinations are running about 40-50% higher than a cruise. These resorts are actually posting good value pricing, it’s just the cruises are being given away dirt cheap!

Over the next few weeks I will continue to watch the prices of my choices and try and swing the group my way, but it may be hard to overcome the cheap cruise mentality.

I’ve heard from some of you, saying “Oh, what a tough choice..cruise or vacation spot”, I wish I had to make such a tough choice”. And I said it before, you are all right. When February rolls around and it’s -6 wind chill, ANYWHERE but here will be a relief, it just would be nice if it was somewhere other than a cramped boat. So what do you think? To much of a whiner? lol

We all got together over the holiday to discuss our February trip, and the dreaded word reared its ugly head…cruise.

Now it’s not that I’m 100% opposed to cruises. I did one in 2000 that went to Jamaica, Cozumel and the Cayman Islands, and had a blast..in Jamaica, Cozumel and the Cayman Islands. It was the 4 days at sea that drove me nuts.

To crowded, everyone fighting over deck chairs by the pool (There actually was a fistfight between two woman over saving deck chairs. I guess there is an etiquette to it and it wasn’t observed. It was entertaining though!) Being herded in and out of dinner like cattle, bad, bad, entertainment, it just wasn’t that much fun.

Now I know today they show you all these great things you can do on your cruise, free style dining, rock climbing, putting greens,etc, but the bottom line is, your still stuck on a boat, and the time off ship you usually have time for one excursion, then your back on the ship.

I like going to a destination, getting to spend time there, checking out local haunts, meeting the locals, getting to do numerous excursions, which you don’t get on a cruise.

Now the one factor that could sway the group, price. Cruises are very economical. Everything is covered in its price, except alcohol, and since I don’t drink, that’s not a factor. We’re all more budget travelers than luxury travelers, so price is a consideration. I’m up in the air about this, but a friend did make a good point.

While it might not be my first choice, a cruise in the Caribbean beats a cold week in the February Midwest every time. Amen

Recently a friend of mine commented on my blog. “You know, your title isn’t accurate, you don’t just love islands, Mexico’s not an island.”

She got me. You could take it from my title that I just love “Islands”. What I really love and will write about are ocean and beach destinations. I love the ocean, even though the movie “Jaws” scared the crap out of me when I was a kid and made it so I can’t go in the ocean without hearing that DunDuh,DunDuh,DunDuh, soundtrack in my head! Damn you Spielberg!

I fell in love with ocean the first time I saw it. I was 18 and we went down to Daytona Beach as a graduation trip. I was just awed at its size. Being a kid from the Midwest the only thing I knew were the cornfields of Illinois and the skyscrapers of Chicago. I’ve been hooked ever since.

So, while Islands are great, I also love the beaches of Mexico, California, the Florida Keys and anywhere else I can smell the salt air. So don’t let the title fool you.

It gets a little nippy here in the Midwest. 22 degrees this morning. Come February, 22 degrees might be a warm front, as it is not unusual for subzero weather here in the heartland.

So while most people are planning their holidays, what to serve for Thanksgiving, which sweater to get Uncle Fred, we’re planning our annual February “I can’t take this weather anymore” pilgrimage.

For many years it was a trip to the laid back Florida Keys. “Wasting away again in….”, ok we all know the song and the words, but the Keys has much more to offer.

Excellent diving and snorkeling, and fishing. Excellent food (you haven’t lived until you’ve had a conch fritter), and a great laid back atmosphere.

We broke that pattern a few years ago with a trip to Maui. I can write for days about Maui, and I probably will, but I won’t bore you now.

Then it was Mexico. Puerto Vallarta and Acapulco

What to do this year? Expense is always a factor, as we have a friends 50th birthday trip to Australia to budget for, so where should we go?

Your suggestions will be appreciated and I’ll keep you up do date on our research and decision!

This is the first entry for those of us who love island, beach vacationing. I have spent almost every vacation for the last 15 years traveling to some sort of warm water, surf and sun location and hope to attract others to share their experiences, where they’ve been, what they’ve done and where we still want to go!