One Last Look At Manzanillo!

Is vacation really over? Is it time to go back to the cold weather and snow? Unfortunately, yes! But not before I snap a few more pictures!!

Here's the view from the buffet where we always ate breakfast!

And here's the view from our balcony!

Because I forgot to take any pictures of the food from the "Premium Club" place, I borrowed one of Patty's - THANKS PATTY!! I can almost taste that yummy fruit..........

And thanks again to Patty for this picture of the Mexican Restaurant - apparently I didn't take one of this either and this restaurant was our favorite!

A couple of last pictures of the resort!

And then we headed to the lobby for our driver to take us to the airport! Since we were there plenty early and the terminal is VERY small, we had time to shop!! True, there weren't many shops but I DID find what I wanted - an ornament and my white jacket!! Whoo Hoo!!!

A couple of camera men and 3 models came in shortly after us and hung around for a while - apparently they were shooting a western commercial as the models were dressed like cowboys and we enjoyed watching them for a while!

Unfortunately, our flight out of Manzanillo was delayed - air traffic control called from Mexico City (our next layover) and said not to take off yet. After about a 45 minute delay, the guy tagged our carry-on luggage with gate check-in tags since the airplane was small and we were finally off!

Next stop - Mexico City - we arrived at a smaller terminal so were bussed into the main terminal and we were to pick up our "carry-on" luggage inside. Well guess what - my one carry-on bag did NOT come into the main terminal!! Since the other 4 did NOT have boarding passes and we were late already, they chose to go ahead while we waited around. Finally the guy taking the carry-on bag slips was finished and we approached him - he didn't speak English but we finally figured out that he was telling us that the bag would be shipped all the way to Denver since it was NOW with the checked luggage! I knew better than that - there were NO tags on the bag to show WHICH airline it needed to go to, let alone which destination.......sigh......we had to choice but to move on!!

We got into the main terminal and it was a ZOO!! It is NOT marked well at all and it was tough trying to find someone who spoke English - we finally found someone and he told us where to go -we went there and stood in line, only to be told that was INCORRECT and to go to another gate - all the way back across to another gate, only to be told AGAIN it was incorrect and try another gate - by this time the clock is ticking away and I'm positive we are going to miss the next flight!! FINALLY we figured out - we were in the wrong terminal - so off to the tram which took another 5 minutes to arrive - then race off it and through ANOTHER security check! After that we started running - it was quite a ways to the gate and NOTHING was marked very well at all in this section either!

Needless to say the plane was still there but the doors had been closed and they wouldn't let us on! While they were re booking us to Houston and Denver, I thought to ask about Leonard, Patty, Jim and Brenda and guess what - they didn't make it either!!

We started walking to our gate when we saw the other 4 headed our way - they had the same problem - couldn't find where they needed to go either so we all missed the plane!!

But we did get on the next flight to Houston - all of us!! And because Glenn and I were in the "extra legroom" seats, we were close to the front and hopped right out to get through customs as we didn't have a long layover before our flight to Denver. Customs was MUCH longer than in Manzanillo of course and we could see the other 4 in line but couldn't wait to tell them goodbye! We found our next flight and boarded within 5 minutes for our flight to Denver!

Once again, we had the extra legroom seats so that was nice - plenty of room to stretch out and relax, even though we were starved because we had missed lunch and dinner - at least I had some snacks in the computer bag! After a VERY bumpy flight, we landed in Denver where Glenn insisted on eating a hamburger before we headed down to file a lost baggage claim - try telling the service rep that you lost your carry-on luggage - I think she thought I was nuts!!

But I have to admit Continental did an EXCELLENT job of finding my bag - they called the next morning and said it was located in Mexico City (exactly where I KNEW it would be), verified the contents and my address and said they would call once it arrived in Denver! And sure enough, Friday morning they called and said it would be delivered that day - wow - I was expecting it to be shipped to us via Fed Ex but someone actually delivered it to our home address, all intact!

All in all, one FANTASTIC RELAXING vacation, except for the trip home. We would definitely go back to Manzanillo again but have decided the Mexico City airport is not for us - not until I learn some Spanish that is!!!

Manzanillo -#5

After a delicious breakfast from the buffet, Glenn and I headed to the lobby to meet our transport for our ATV tour which we had booked the day before! Marco met us with a van and took us to the commercial spot where we donned helmets, bandannas and water bottles to head out on our tour! Because Glenn and I were the ONLY two on this tour, we each rode an ATV - and since I had no idea how to shift these particular ATV's, Marco set it in gear for me so all I had to do was stop and go - and I did a fine job if I do say so myself!!

We crossed the highway and were soon on a lovely stretch of road lined with mango trees!! I had no idea how mangoes grew - but on a large tree, there can be about 2000 mangoes! Marco also told us that for 70# of mangoes, the farmer would get approximately $1.00 - now that's insane!!!

Mango trees are huge and of course the lower ones are easy to pick but the high ones require climbing the tree! I wouldn't be good at that job!

Next we drove by an exclusive golf course - private - and absolutely gorgeous with palm trees throughout the course!

After going through 2 gates, we ended up on a 6000 acre "ranch" that is privately owned but currently on the market to sell! It's a gorgeous jungle property with well maintained roads and paths, perfect for ATV's!!

We climbed up high to catch this spectacular view!!

There were the largest white butterflies flying around that I have ever seen!! I wished that one would land so I could have snapped a picture of it!

It was a great 2 hour tour on the ATV's - we saw a wild animal called a ditty and enjoyed seeing all the plants, vines and shrubs along the paths! This was our favorite spot - can't you just imagine sitting and having morning coffee on one of these sailboats?

We took Marco out for a taco lunch after our ride - he was a wealth of information and we learned a lot about the area from him!

Back to the resort for more sunbathing and reading and miami vices - our last full day at the resort!

We cleaned up early that evening - they had a photographer place where you could book a photo session and ours was set for 6:00 for the 6 of us. Our gal took us to a couple of different photo spots for pictures of not only the 6 of us, but also each couple! It was fun choosing our photos after the shoot and the prices were amazing so we each bought 4 pictures! Here's one of the spots she took pictures!

Our final evening was spent at the Italian specialty restaurant - I have to admit, it wasn't as good as the Mexican place but we still enjoyed our meal, especially our desserts!

Everyone was tired after our large meal so we talked in the lobby for a while and then decided we had all better go pack - vacation was coming to an end.........To Be Cont'd

Manzanillo - #4

Monday was facial day!! They had a very nice spa so we 3 girls decided to check it out and made appointments! Brenda and I had facials and Patty had a chocolate wrap!! I thoroughly enjoyed my facial and found it very relaxing and soothing...........And yes, Patty LOVED being painted in chocolate!!

We decided this would be shopping day -no vans were around so we ended up taking 2 taxis. We kept telling them we wanted to shop and they kept saying the "mall" and that's where we ended up, but it's NOT where we wanted to be!! After asking around, we found a guy that spoke English and he said we needed to be at the "flea market"!!! Yup, that's where the souvenir stands were, right along the beach!! We took another taxi and found the place!!

Nobody found a lot to buy (and I never did end up getting vanilla for Jessi because everyone only had the larger bottles and I needed 3 oz or less for our carry-on) - I was really wanting to get one of those cotton white jackets - I had one from Isla Mujures but somehow lost it while I was garage saling in Ft. Collins last year! But nobody at the flea market had them........

Then it was back to the pools for some afternoon sunshine! Nothing like relaxing in that hot sun and cooling off in the cold pools!

Late afternoon we all got ready for the sunset cruise! Because the little bay was too shallow for the big boat, they took us out to the bigger boat by smaller boats - it wasn't a huge crowd on the boat so we had lots of room to walk around. Drinks were served but I didn't participate because the Ladies Room on the boat was pretty disgusting!!! But the guys had fun and some of us danced!

One of the deck hands was selling items and I ended up buying a Tigers Eye necklace and bracelet that is really pretty!

Unfortunately, there was no sunset due to just too many clouds......oh well............

After sailing around for quite a while, we once again crawled into the smaller boats and headed to shore at another location! Dinner was to be served on the beach at the Oasis Restaurant - they had tables and chairs and lights all set up and it was so pretty! A local band was playing and they had a fire thrower showing off his skills! All in all, it WOULD have been a great time except for the fact we were starving and they didn't serve dinner to us for over an hour!! Complaining didn't seem to help either...........

But one fun thing we DID do on the beach around the fire was to burn 2 of our farm notes that are getting paid off this year!!! HOORAY!!!

Our fish dinner was good but by that time we were all tired and ready to head back to our hotel - transportation was by van or truck - 4 of us crawled into the back end of the open air truck and sat on benches as we went back to our resort - only in Mexico........ha ha.........To Be Cont'd

Manzanillo Mexico - #3

Manzanillo certainly had their share of beautiful sunrises!! We would leave the heavy drapes open during the night and just have the sheers closed - that way I could just open my eyes and see if the sun was coming up in the morning!

Glenn and Jim were heading out early Sunday morning for their annual fishing trip! Otherwise I'm sure they wouldn't have been up at 6:00am!! Each of them just ordered room service so they could eat a bite before heading out! The buffet wasn't even open at that time of the morning!! I got up right after they left so I could snap the above photo and the one below - the boat you see heading out is the fishermen!

The fishing widows, Brenda and I, met for a leisurely breakfast that morning and even put our towels and books out on chairs so we would be assured of getting the places we wanted - we saved for Patty and Leonard also and were dismayed when we arrived there later to see that someone had the audacity to move one of the books and TAKE our chair!!

We even joined Patty in doing water aerobics that morning - a good workout I might add but the water was COLD!!

We missed the guys coming back in from fishing but nothing huge was caught anyway - they did have a good time though and that's what counts!! I believe we ate lunch at this restaurant which was excellent!

The hours passed as we read and relaxed and just enjoyed the day!

Glenn and Jim had arranged for the Mexican place to cook the fish for our evening meal - it was excellent and we enjoyed eating their catch of the day! Glenn was trying to look "pretty" here I guess!

As far as our evenings' activities, well all I can say is we must be getting old because by 10:00 we were ready for bed - too much sun I guess!! After a quick stop at Club Premium for a bite of dessert, we were off to our rooms for another good nights' sleep...............To Be Cont'd

P.S. I did NOT blog while we were gone or keep a journal of what we did - Patty reminded me that we DID go dancing at the disco Sat. night - I completely forgot about that!!! It was "techno" disco so we didn't dance a lot but they did play some fun songs!!! There was a wedding that was held on the beautiful lawn late afternoon and the setting was so pretty!!! Most of the wedding party was at the disco dancing and they were ALL having a great time!!!

Manzanillo Mexico - #2

It's amazing what a good nights' sleep does for the body!! I'm not sure I moved at all sleeping in that huge king sized bed covered with pure white bedding! I was anxious to try out the shower but knowing we were heading out in the sun I chose to wait..............But let me tell you, this resort has the HOTTEST water I have EVER felt in Mexico!!

Glenn and I headed to the buffet for breakfast and were pleasantly surprised at all the options - there's nothing like starting out the morning with a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice! And it only got better from there!!

We changed into our swimsuits and headed to the pools, only to find that most of the chairs were saved - the beach was the next option and we stretched out on our chairs in the sand and relaxed!! After a while, the intense heat started getting to me so I chose to head up to the pools to find a lone chair where there was more of a breeze - and I found just that in one of the "adult" pools!! Right after I sat down, this iguana walked by on the stone wall behind me!

The resort was beautiful!! It was fun to just walk around and snap pictures, check out the Premium Club to see what new items to eat were there, make reservations for our dinners and of course visiting with other people!

We all sipped drinks brought by the waiters and enjoyed as much sun as we could stand that day!!

Our dinner reservation that evening was at the Mexican Specialty restaurant where reservations are required and a dress code is enforced!! It's always fun to dress up a few times and we enjoyed sitting in the lobby visiting and having drinks!

The Mexican restaurant was perched almost over the water at one corner of the resort - I was supposed to have a picture of it inserted here but somehow it didn't post so I'll post it later!! It was a truly romantic spot and turned out to be our favorite place to eat! For an appetizer, I chose a halved avocado topped with shrimp in a creamy sauce and decorated with lettuce strands, surrounded by thinly sliced tomatoes with a baked cheese on top - it was DELICIOUS!

Their creamy shrimp soup was delicious, along with the entree I chose which was some type of chicken! It was a tough choice for dessert but I ended up getting the vanilla and caramel ice cream served in a delicate pastry shell, surrounded by chocolate!

We ended the evening watching the end portion of the onstage dancers that were performing at the outdoor theatre! They were fantastic and Patty and I wished we could have seen the entire production! Another day in paradise draws to an end............To Be Cont'd...........

Manzanillo Mexico - HERE WE COME!!

1:45am sure came early last Friday morning - seems like the older we get, the harder it is to get up at that hour! But the bags were all ready to put in the car and the weather was clear so it was a straight shot to DIA to park the car and hop on the plane to Houston to meet Jim, Brenda, Patty and Leonard!

We all grabbed some breakfast and the laughter started, especially when leaving the restaurant, Glenn turned the sign around so that it showed closed - oh my, the tricks have already started!

Uneventful flights are always welcomed and soon we landed in Manzanilla! I DO love small airports, especially when you only stand in the customs line for 10 minutes!!! Green lights for all 3 couples and what a pleasure to get through the doors and not have time share guys attacking you! Our driver was waiting for us and we enjoyed a nice 30 minute ride to our hotel, the Barcelona!

What a beautiful hotel! 8 pools, 3 speciality restaurants and a lobby that was out of this world!! We once again opted to do the "Club Premium" and although this special place was much smaller than last year, their food couldn't be beat!! I LOVED all the fresh fruit that was offered and couldn't get enough of the kiwi, raspberries, blackberries and chocolate covered strawberries!!

Club Premium also meant we had ocean view rooms, unlimited reservations at the speciality restaurants, champagne and dessert upon our arrival and chocolate on our pillows at bedtime!!

Our rooms were beautiful - I snapped a couple of pics before the unpacking began!


Our living room opened up to a balcony with a table and chairs and we sure enjoyed it! The bathroom was huge - check it out!!

Here's a picture of the actual resort, taken from the ocean.

We were surprised to see that the area in the bay is all built on a hill - it reminded us of the south of France!

Vacation has begun - the shorts are on - a Miami vice is in hand ( pina colada and strawberry daiquiri mixture) - fresh shrimp is being eaten and life is GREAT!!!! To be Cont'd.......

An Early Celebration For Evan's 5th Birthday!!

Can it be possible that 2 of our grandsons are turning 5 this year and starting kindergarten in the fall?

Evan's birthday is on the 18th but we did celebrate it early since we won't be around on his special day! Sunday afternoon we headed back to Denver from Ft. Collins - Jessi was babysitting Kylan and Rayna so we spent some time with all 4 grandchildren!

Evan is all smiles as he opened up his gift of a tooth fairy pillow - now what a great idea those are - just hang 'em on the door and stick your tooth in the little pocket on the backside!! Sure a lot easier for that tooth fairy to leave you money that way!

Jessi fixed us a fantastic dinner with homemade bread - none of us could get enough of it!! And then it was time to have ice cream cake that Evan had picked out at DQ!

Happy Birthday Evan!! I hope you have a wonderful birthday and enjoy your special day!!

Ft. Collins Shopping!

Usually Jessi is my shopping partner - and usually with her I ALWAYS find bargains!!! But THIS time, Jill moves up to the #1 spot for our fantastic shopping expedition on Sunday!!

I wanted a new ski type looking coat and a new pair of snowboots - of course NOW is the time to buy them with all the sales going on!! I had looked at Kohl's when Joleen and I were in the Springs over a week ago but the nice ones were still going for $100 and I just was not going to spend quite that much!

But we headed to Kohl's anyway............and walked to the back where all the coats were hanging with 80% sale signs up - wow - this is looking GOOD!!! I walked by a rack and saw this purple and white ski coat (the only one of course like that) and just happened to pick it up and carry it with me - purple is usually not a color I would wear a lot but it was really cute!! Jill and I looked and looked and found a nice blue one and an aqua one in a larger size - soon I hung the blue coat back up where it was quickly snatched by another lady!! And after debating between the purple and the aqua, I decided to buy the purple one - it was a $200 coat marked down to $40.00!!! FANTASTIC!! So I put the aqua one back on its hanger and hung it up where IT was immediately snatched by a lady!! Trust me, I hung onto that purple coat with BOTH HANDS!! Went up to check out and of course you KNOW what happened - it rang up at $24.00 - I couldn't believe it - $24.00 for a super heavy ski coat with a zipout liner inside!!

Next it was to Sports Authority to look for snowboots - I immediately found a pair I liked (not on sale) but they were only $49.99 and I was more than willing to pay that because they fit great and looked VERY stylish!! And trust me, I am NEVER stylish!!!

SO went to check out and you know the story - they rang up at $21.14!!! We were so excited that Jill went back and bought a pair too!!

A successful shopping spree is ALWAYS fun!! And to think I got a new coat and boots for under $50.00 puts a BIG smile on my face!!!

Parker Turns ONE!

It must be February - almost time to go to Mexico with the siblings - and time to celebrate Parker's FIRST birthday and Evan's FIFTH birthday!!

Which brings us to memories of last year - being in Mexico and finding out from Facebook that Parker had been born!! So we missed the birth but we weren't about to miss his first birthday!!

I had a fun day on Saturday babysitting Parker and Aleah while Jill worked and the guys went ice fishing for the ENTIRE day!! Parker is usually found on his mom's lap or in her arms but without her around, I GOT HIM!!!

We had a great day just PLAYING - all day long!!! Both kids were excellent and I received lots of smiles and giggles from both of them!!

Parker kind of enjoyed opening his presents but I can guarantee you that Aleah loved playing with his gifts!!!

Cake time was just downright funny - there was NO hesitation from Parker when he saw that piece of cake in front of him - he grabbed it with both hands, pulled a large piece to his mouth and that's where his hands stayed, just holding that piece to his mouth and gumming down that cake!!!

He ate every last bit - and then proceeded to pick up the plate and lick the crumbs!!

Glenn and Robby had a fun day fishing although they didn't catch too many - most were not big enough to keep but one walleye met the criteria and we're having it for dinner on Monday night!!

Parker decided he liked my earrings!!

Little Miss Aleah is not so little anymore - I was AMAZED when she picked up Jill's iphone and proceeded to scroll through till she found what she was looking for and then played a game - wow - 2 1/2 years old and she knows better than her Nana what to do with that phone!! Sure makes me feel old..............

Parker has the two cutest teeth on the bottom and both upper front teeth have just broke through too - he's such a cutie!!

We all kind of collapsed Sat. night after we put the kids to bed and could hardly stay awake for the 2 shows we were trying to watch.............And stay tuned for Jill's and I's shopping trip...............