Searching for my lost shaker of salt....

Sure it's all pretty and fall-y right now and the colors on the trees are beautiful blah, blah, blah...but don't get caught with your snow pants down.  It's coming.... and if winter wasn't bad enough, there's the ever-present whining and complaining as though we didn't sign on for any of this when we moved here.  I've found that it's so much easier to endure if you know that when February comes around you'll be lying on a beach somewhere sipping something out of a coconut. So get to it because as soon as that first snow fall hits, travel agents' phones will be ringing off the hook and the price of your much needed getaway will sky rocket.

There are good reasons to high tail it to Mexico; it's affordable and the flight is fairly quick. From my house in the upper Midwest, for example, I can get to Cancun in 3 short hours. You can book a 4 day trip and still feel like you've spent more time in the sun than in the airport.

Now, where to go. There are so many choices, you really need to think about what you want out of your vacation.  Relaxation? Romance? Family time?  friend getaway?  The Gulf Coast of Mexico - Cancun, Playa Del Carmen, Cozumel etc. has that unbelievable ocean water that is a million shades of blue, white sandy beaches and a gazillion resorts to pick from.  The Pacific Coast - Puerto Vallarta, Rivera Nayarit, Ixtapa features beautiful beaches as well as the Sierra Madre Mountains. Both coasts offer a multitude of excellent spas & golf as well as historical sites, eco & water parks, high-end shopping & good eats.  

If you're worried about safety issues there are sites you can check to see if there are travel warnings for your area.  Most of Mexico's current drug crime problem is occurring near the border.  "Resort areas and tourist destinations in Mexico do not see the levels of drug-related violence and crime reported in the border region and in areas along major drug trafficking routes."  see the link below.

Below are a few sites to get your started.  I've included a couple of Mexico tourism sites, a good place for destination and hotel reviews, as well as two reasonably priced, beautiful hotels on either coast.

  

Keep an eye on the weather and pick your destination before you have to pick up a shovel.

http://travel.nytimes.com/travel/guides/north-america/mexico/where-to-go.html
http://www.visitmexico.com/wb/Visitmexico/Visi_Home?show=regions 
http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/pvrmx-casamagna-marriott-puerto-vallarta-resort-and-spa/ 
http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/cunmx-casamagna-marriott-cancun-resort/
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_970.html#safety%20
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ 
http://www.expedia.com/ 

http://www.travelocity.com/