Family Time in Mexico

This past week we took full advantage of our week off from school and enjoyed some family time down in Loreto, Mexico.  A good way to describe Loreto is a hidden gem in Mexico.  It's not super touristy, it's absolutely beautiful, and it was just what we needed.   Andy's mom and her boyfriend live on a sailboat in Puerto Escondido 6 months out of the year.  We finally got down there to experience what we have heard so much about.

We flew from Salt Lake City to LAX, where we met up with Andy's sister and her family.  From there, we all flew down to Loreto where Andy's mom and her boyfriend were awaiting our arrival.   This was one of those trips where pictures just may not do it justice, but here we go!

Even though the girls are amazing travelers, a 3-hour layover at LAX means we do whatever we can to keep them occupied.  We played a lot of games.

One kiddo, in particular, loved the people watching.

Abby calls this her science fair project.

 After landing in Loreto, we took a taxi to our home away from home...

the view after walking through the front door

living room, dining room

kitchen

 There were 3 bedrooms, with a bathroom connected to each one.  It was the perfect set-up for our 2 families.

upper patio

looking down towards the front door

a peak down the street in the area where we stayed--Loreto Bay

We arrived in Loreto mid-afternoon so we didn't have a ton of time to venture out and explore.  We stayed around the condo complex, grabbed some groceries, and headed out to dinner.

We must be in Mexico.

Andy's sister, Whitney, bought the girls matching swimsuit cover-ups.

When you go out on a boat, it's important to pay attention to the wind forecast.  Day #2 looked to be one of the better days to hang out on Nana's sailboat and explore Puerto Escondido.

taking the dinghy out to the boat

Emma got to spend the night on the boat.

It was a little cooler than expected (and a rain shower even came through), but that didn't stop us from enjoying our time together.

Andy and I went kayaking.

 We were amazed to see all of the half-finished buildings around the area.

Abby and "Mr. Bill" (Kim's boyfriend) having a conversation.

 These 3 girls had a blast together!!

 Nana and Mr. Bill's boat

On day #3 we went into the town of Loreto and did some exploring and shopping.  What a cute little town!

Andy's sister, Whitney, and her husband, Jason

 The restaurant where we at lunch had this delicious hibiscus flower water...so yummy!

Andy got a kick out of the old-fashioned Coca-Cola bottle.

 The kids (and adults) loved watching this lady make little tortillas.

After exploring Loreto, we went back and did a little swimming.

We dedicated day#4 to the pool and the beach.  It was a little cooler than expected but the sunshine felt great and it didn't seem to bother the kids at all.  

Andy tried to catch some waves on the paddle board.

 Andy, Emma, and I went to a little cove and did some paddle boarding.

 Then we found a heated pool!

enjoying dinner on the upper patio

Later that evening, we walked down to the golf course club house and listened to an amazing little family band.

exhausted...

Due to some boat issues, we couldn't take out Nana and Mr. Bill's boat, but it's a good thing they've made a lot of friends at the marina.  Day #5 took us out to try to find whales and enjoy a couple of hours in Honeymoon Cove.

 Sol Seeker (Nana and Mr. Bill's boat)

Emma is always willing to help.

It was an absolutely beautiful day to be out on a boat.

We didn't see any whales, but we did see this seal taking a rest in the water.

 Honeymoon Cove was so pretty!

 lunch on the boat

 The water was pretty chilly for the rest of us, but Andy and Emma did some snorkeling.

Mary and Kirk are the owners of the boat and we are so appreciative they took us out!

 driving the dinghy back to the dock

On the way home from the marina, we stopped to eat dinner at this little clam shack on the side of the road.  What a view!  They even had toys for the kids.

Day #6 was our last full day in Loreto and it was a day for the moms and dads.  Nana and Mr. Bill watched all 3 girls while we went golfing at the beautiful Loreto Bay golf course.

These photos were taken at the elevated tee boxes.  See the hole down on the left?  Needless to say, I lost a ball to the ocean on this hole!

 Andy and I took the beach cruisers (which came with the condo) out for a spin that afternoon.

 

We spent our last evening at Pedro's Place.  We even got a private concert from Pedro himself!  

Day #7--Today, we had to leave this little paradise and get back to the real world.  You know it's been an incredible vacation when you lose touch with reality for a few days.

enjoying every minute at the Loreto airport

We flew back into LAX, got to spend a couple more hours with Whitney, Jason, and Kennedy, and then we had to part and go our separate ways.  Amazing trip.  Amazing memories.

It is only a 1 hour and 25 minute flight from LAX to SLC but these girls were exhausted.  We landed at 10:45 p.m. and finally made it home at about 12:15 a.m. (to about a foot of snow in our driveway).

This trip was such an amazing experience for all of us but we were especially excited for Emma.  Emma's school (where Andy and I both work) is a dual language immersion school which means half of her day is in English and half is in Spanish.  Her Spanish is really coming along so it was great for her (and us) to practice our Spanish while we were down there.   The locals are so patient and helpful and are trying to learn English themselves.