"Life's a Beach"

"I paint myself because I am so often alone and because I am the subject I know best."  - Frida Kahlo A few years ago, our family road trip took us through San Cristobal de las Casas in the state of Chiapas. The highlight of our time there was a trip to Na Bolom, the home of Franz and Gertrude Blom, now preserved as a museum and ...

One of the things that first attracted me to Rob when I was first dating him was his interest and appreciation of good food, good wine and quality spirits. At the time, I was selling wine for a very nice importer/distributor so we always had plenty of great wine on hand to pair with delicious food with my favorite restaurant accounts! Throughout ...

Our first full day in Mexico City was sunny and warm. Warm enough for shorts and flip flops but, having learned my lesson in Monterrey and Guadalajara, I knew that more formal attire would be expected. So, despite the weather, Rob and I wore long pants and closed shoes. While our scheduled trip to the zoo in Chapultepec Park would be a casual ...

In our eight years in Mexico we have never had the chance nor the inclination to explore Mexico City. In fact, the only time we have ever been there was for an overnight layover on the way to Acapulco for our honeymoon in 2001. I was so intimidated by the "idea" of Mexico City that I booked us into a hotel right at the airport and ...

If you have been hanging around the "Life's a Beach" blog for a while, you already know that we try to take one big road trip every year during the kids' semana santa break. We have explored Belize, Guatemala, Chiapas, Campeche, the Yucatan and pretty much anywhere we could easily reach by car. This year, no one was interested in ...

So, here's something you might not know about us. Every year, we (notice I said we) spend months talking about and planning our big family vacation. It never takes us long to decide on location as we know we will have a great time no matter where we end up. The actual trip planning falls mostly to me. I book the flights, investigate and ...

What Should I Know about Spring Break? - A Message from the US Consular Office in Playa del Carmen Over 100,000 American teenagers and young adults travel to resort areas throughout Mexico for Spring Break each year. While most enjoy their vacation without incident, a small number are arrested, become victims of crime, or even die. Using common ...

Although I wanted to pull my hair out trying to get my kids wrangled into all the costumes and dance outfits they require for the various parties and events they had to attend last week, this is till my favorite time of the year in Mexico. This year we had Cat's dance group in the Xcaret parade down 5th Ave., another dance performance and a ...

As you all know by now, every year, the kids and I go to the amazing Festival de Vida y Muerte at Xcaret and every year we love it. Honestly, this is one of the most well-organized events that I have ever attended and I can and do recommend it to everyone who happens to find themselves on the Riviera Maya during the time of Dia de los Muertos. A ...

The Riviera Maya just keeps getting more and more "family friendly". As a Mom, I can't tell how pleased I am to have so many great options for kids sports and activities in Playa del Carmen. Now Zenzi Beach Club is offering an entertainment for kids during their popular Sunday BBQ! The adorable Miss Sarah Kenyon will be channeling ...