A lot of families are concerned about spring break plans as the Zika virus continues to spread through the Caribbean and Mexico — popular spring break destinations for families, as well as their college students.
We were brought together by a volunteer program called Meet the People, which has been bringing tourists and locals together for more than 50 years over a shared interest — in our case, cooking and food. meeting the locals in Jamaica Did I mention the program is free? The volunteers will even come and pick you up.
Seriously. We are at River Bumpkin Farm and have floated down about 1.5 miles of the 75-mile long river.
We are visiting Doris Morgan, who has been welcoming tourists—more than 1000—since the mid-1980s, showing them a bit of Jamaican cuisine and culture through the little publicized Meet the People program. Did I mention she does this for free and that there is no charge to the tourists?
In the early 19th Century, when grand balls were held at the famous courthouse in Falmouth, Jamaica’s oldest seaport, young women would sew fireflies into their gowns so they would literally sparkle.
We are eating dinner on the terrace listening to the ocean, feasting on Caribbean lobster. No we aren’t at a tony restaurant in Jamaica. We are at Serenity on the Beach, one of the 100 private villas in Jamaica managed by Villas by Linda Smith.
John Bartels has no interest in going home. He, his two sisters, and his parents have been spending a vacation week at Half Moon, a Rock Resort in Montego Bay, Jamaica, that has been setting a high bar for resorts here for more than 50 years
No, I’m not a little early, though Halloween is nearly a month away. That’s because everyone from hotels to theme park to attractions to campgrounds to museums now have special Halloween doings that typically go on all month long.
Visit Mexico during an annual festival and you will have special insight into the country’s cultural traditions and heritage. Mexico, of course, is a lot more than the sum of its beaches, as wonderful as they are.
If you think Mexico is only about all-inclusives, think again. The Westin Resort & Spa Puerto Vallarta, with its contemporary décor and just 280 rooms, offers all-inclusive options, though many also like to explore Puerto Vallarta’s lively dining scene.
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