As many of you know, it’s almost the off-season for the NFL. The season hasn’t gone as great as I would have liked but we’ve fought through a bunch of injuries and we’re going to rebound in 2009.
With the off-season comes some free time. I’m looking at planning some vacations and want to bounce some things off you guys out there. I’m thinking Mexico. Ever been? Have any great recommendations? I’ve been to Cabo before but I want to find some place that’s nice, low key and doesn’t get too much tourist traffic. I’d like a place that my wife and I can eat great food, lounge on the beach and just relax Any thoughts? I’d love to hear them.
In addition, I’d like to plan a hunting trip. Does anyone out there know of a good place to hunt white tail that is NOT in the Midwest? I’m looking for a place somewhere near California. Does Oregon or Washington have any white tail? Help me out with some recommendations!
Even though I’m going to be traveling, I’m still able to find time to work out. For all you travelers out there who can’t always make it to the gym, I highly recommend that you do some research on yoga and Pilates. My wife is a Pilates instructor and she’s armed me with some great workouts when I’m on the road. Its primary focus is strengthening the core and, sometimes, all you need in order to make it work is a wall or a floor. On the road or at a Pilates studio, it’s definitely the way to go.
Thanks for following me this year! I’m looking forward to your feedback. Check out some past entries about life on the road, the five things I can’t travel without, and my favorite places. Or just browse around the Sponsorships category to read all of my posts.
Carson
Carson Palmer is the Quarterback of the Cincinnati Bengals and a frequent Delta flier.
January 27th, 2009 at 4:27 pm
My husband and I went to Aventura Spa Palace in the Maya Riviera for our honeymoon and we loved it. It was priced reasonably and was all-inclusive. All of the rooms have a view of the ocean with a hammock. There’s 6 different restaurants on location at the resort that you can eat at, but you also have access to some of the other resorts under the same management in that area. The resort was adult only which made it pretty peaceful and most of the guests were actually from Europe. My only issue was that you were not actually in the ocean. Because there is the large coral reef that lines the Yucatan Peninsula, you can not actually go out into the ocean. They do have a bay though that the ocean water flows into. There’s a beach on the bay and you can take kayaks out into the bay. Lots of fun stuff to do at the resort and outside of the resort (i.e. explore Mayan ruins).
As for hunting, I can’t tell you anything. However I will agree with you that Pilates and yoga are amazing. That is very neat that your wife is an instructor!
January 29th, 2009 at 10:01 am
Puerto Aventuras, Mexico, (http://www.puertoaventuras.com/)
Has got be one of the best places I have ever been to, my wife and I go several times a year. Its an easy ride of about 45 minutes to an hour south of the Cancun airport. You can stay in hotels, they have a very nice Omni right on the water, or they have private condos and villas pretty reasonably priced.
http://puertoaventurasrentals.com/rentals_luxury.htm
Enjoy!
January 29th, 2009 at 10:36 pm
Acapulco is absolutely incredible. It’s beautiful and there are so many interesting things to do besides go to the beach. We even bought a second timeshare from Grupo Mayan (we stayed at the Grand Mayan Hotel through RCI from HGVC); the resort was amazing.
If you want something a little more low-key, there’s also Mazatlan. (These are the only two places I’ve ever been in Mexico.) While I did like Acapulco better, Mazatlan was a bit cheaper and still very nice. We were there just before they began renovating the Sea Garden, so I’m sure the hotel at least is nicer now.
January 30th, 2009 at 8:05 am
Unforuntately, like the poster above, I can’t offer too much on the hunting part… however, I do work with a lot of people who live in Oregon, and I always hear them talk about Blacktail deer in Oregon, not Whitetail. So if Whitetail is your goal, Oregon may not be the spot; that said, a ton of guys do go deer hunting every fall.
Now Mexico…there are a couple of places on the Maya Riveria where the beaches and oceans are pretty enjoyable. If it’s just you and your wife, I can suggest either Zoëtry Paraiso or the Royal Hideaway Playacar, both are on the smallish side (guessing less than 100 rooms) with outstanding service, private “plunge pools” right outside your room, etc. If you have kids, in the Cancun area, there is the Le Meridien, which has the great service that chain is noted for, isn’t the huge resort type of hotel typical in Cancun, and there is a lot to do for the kids (all the pools have waterfalls, and I remember they have something called the “Penguin Club” with activities for the kids which they enjoyed).
Hope that helps narrow some searches on Google for places to stay. Enjoy the off season.
February 2nd, 2009 at 12:48 am
Other than a stopover in Cozumel on a cruise, I can’t remember my trips to Mexico (I was 2 when my family & I went to Puerto Vallarta & can’t remember it). I’ve heard from my parents that Puerto Vallarta, Ixtapa, and Acapulco are nice, though. We looked into going to both Acapulco & Puerto Vallarta again recently but didn’t end up going to either place, though what I saw looking up travel on the internet moved them towards the top of my list of possible future travel spots.
Keep up the blog entries, Carson! It’s been fun chatting back and forth with you & everyone else on here recently.
February 4th, 2009 at 6:08 am
i read on another blog that your favorite place to vacation was hawaii. i went to maui a few years back and stayed at the grand wailea. the resort was absolutely awesome in every way. we stayed in a wailea suite that felt more like a luxury apartment than a hotel room. for sure get the spa treatment too. you wont regret it. i got the signature massage and i felt relaxed for days after it.
and if you’ve never done it, do not i repeat, do not miss a sunrise atop the haleakala mountain. take the wife (and a jacket) and get up about 4 am and drive to the top.(be sure to gas up just before hitting the mountain. we didnt and were sweating making it back to the nearest gas station. i went in neutral the whole way back down the mountain on “E” the whole time. go jeep!) get a good spot just before sunrise and enjoy the craftsmanship of our maker. many people were in tears just admiring the beauty. i must admit, i nearly was too.
i see you are trying out your photography skills. this is as about as good as it gets to try them out. i recommend doing the driving yourself to go at your own pace. keep the camera ready on the way down too. we got some awesome shots of rainbows from above them. yes, we were are looking DOWN at the rainbows taking pictures. awesome!
enjoy your vacation(s). clear your mind and get that elbow healthy. we missed you bad around here in cincy this past season!
by the way…11-5 this season. ive been right on my predictions since 2000!
February 9th, 2009 at 4:32 pm
if you are looking for a nice, relaxing time on a secluded beach, i would strongly recommend going to costa rica. hacienda pinilla (http://www.haciendapinilla.com/) not only meets these criteria, but also donates a percentage of their profits to support education and healthcare in the guanacaste region. the hospitality at the resort and throughout costa rica is amazing. you can fish, horseback ride, or just kick back on the beach. they have great meals on-site and can also recommend restaurants in the neighboring towns. there are a lot of great excursions you can take to see the volcano in arenal, the cloud forest in monteverde, or take a zip-line tour in just about any town. delta has a direct flight from atlanta to liberia (LIR) which is only about 45 minutes away. there is also a small airstrip in tamarindo which is only 10 minutes from the hacienda.
enjoy your vacation and the offseason and good luck in 2009!