Two Weeks North of Puerto Vallarta

So we recently returned from two overlapping weeks at two different resorts in what is generally known at Nuevo Vallarte.  North of the marina district in Puerto Vallarta, it's composed of newer resorts, some quite large.

Our first resort was part of the Vidarte Group and quite spiffy.  A bit on the spartan side (one picture and one mirror in both the living room and the bedroom (no rugs), it was still quite nice.  Good food, good drinks,  and fine service around the huge pool.  Service could have been better in the restaurant, but the bars were great!

Our second resort was the Vallarta Gardens in Las Cruz - it was psectacular!  It's a private residence club so things are quite nice and units are owned by individuals as part of a fractional-ownership scheme.  Large rooms, 'real' furniture (not couches that double as beds), interesting lights, and decor.  We were placed in The Hamptons, in a one-bedroom again.  But it was different.  'Real' furniture, real kitchen appliances, a huge bedroom, a bathroom with a spiffy shower as well as low-level lighting for nighttime  use, wide hallways, two balconies, et cetera, et cetera.  Oh, yes, and upholstered walls. Quite the unit.

One drawback was that the in-house restaurant was only open from 8AM to 6PM,so no real dinner hour.  We found that we could manage on a late breakfast and a late lunch quite nicely.  The food was well-prepared and tasty; service was attentive.

Of course there was a sales presentation, but it gave us a chance to see what the other homes looked like. All quite nice - though our Hampton unit was our favorite, I think.  About five pools plus the beach which had a breakwater to lessen the effect of the waves from Banderas Bay.

Now to figure out how to return sooner that every 4th year.

We're home for about a week and then off to Kentucky for our sister-in-law's services.  Family are being put up in various homes.  I think their plan for us includes two different homes - and maybe a third.  For a couple that plans things far in advance, this is anathema - we can tell you where we'll be a year-and-a-half from now, where we'll be dining, and what excursions we'll be enjoying that far in advance.  There's even a cruise in the Mediterranean in 2019 on which we've been booked, so you can tell what the free-spirited room assignments are to us.  I suppose it's good training or something....  Flexible is the word!