We had a relaxing winter in the Riviera Nayarit section of Mexico. Sun, sand, surf, friends.... what more could you ask for!
The area has become quite popular. The government is building toll highways to reach the area faster from cities such as Guadalajara and Tepic. The new road will be only a 2 hour drive from Guadalajara to the coast where it currently takes about 4 1/2 hours. New condos and hotels are under construction. Most campgrounds and bungalows were full this winter. But the electrical and internet services have not been increased to handle the new load. Reaching internet sites such as Facebook was painful -- best done about 5 am -- after 7:30 am to midnight no good. It does not help that the cell phone provides include 2GB access specifically to Facebook on even their cheapest monthly plans!
It is wise to have water in your tank and fuel for your generator in case the electrical service goes down for an extended period of time.
The 2 best investments we made last fall were the awnings for our slideout windows on our motorhome and a countertop washing machine which we used for our smaller laundry items. Many campgrounds have no laundry facility. Those that do, usually have only 1 or 2 washing machines and no driers. With 10 families using 1 or 2 washers and limited lines to hang your clothes on, it can be a challenge. So we just used the communal washer (cost $25 pesos per load) to do our bedding and towels. All the rest we did in our countertop machine. Luckily we were in a campground that allows you to put up laundry lines behind your RV.
Other than that, it was much the same kind of winter that we had the previous 7 years. Hot and humid in December with cooler nights not coming until mid January. The ocean temperature was 81F most of the winter except for a few days at the end of February where it went down to 76F. Still comfortable to swim in.
We did not take any side trips this winter. We were involved in the local charitable organization plus Vic volunteered as a swimming instructor for 2 hours a week. There was baseball, exercise classes, town square dance nights, taco nights, etc. We especially enjoyed the 2 weeks our son and family visited us.
Now we are back at Lemon Tree RV Inn in Mission socializing with our friends here. We have been busy in activities every day since we arrived here on Mar 16th. The weather is sunny and hot with 31C (90F) day time high but strong breezes make it comfortable.
Tomorrow, March 23rd, we pack put the tent and move to Corpus Christi for a couple of days. We look forward to touring the USS Lexington aircraft carrier. Beyond that, we have nothing specific planned. Ah...the life of vagabonds.
