Tawanna, Author at Mom's Guide To Travel

Jun 11 2014

This Aint Taco Bell: Puerto Vallarta Street Food Tour

Want to get up close and personal with the people of downtown Puerto Vallarta while eating your way through its’ streets? Consider exploring on a Puerto Vallarta street food tour.

On my trip to Puerto Vallarta I went on a taco tour with Vallarta Food Tours. Their motto is “Become a local in 3 hours.” We’re not locals just yet. Our tour, led by expat Ricardo “Lobo” Lopez took us on a culinary journey through two downtown neighborhoods, Emiliano Zapata and 5 de Diciembre neighborhood.

Puerto Vallarta Food Tour — Walking through the streets.

This isn’t a tour that I’d suggest doing with really young kids although Lindsay Prime, owner of Vallarta Tours says they’ve “had kids as young as 6 years old who loved the tour and trying new foods.” Just know that there’s a lot of walking involved and that your child should have a marginally adventurous foodie spirit.

Vallarta food tours has three different tours per day: a breakfast tour, lunch tour, and dinner tour. The dinner tour is the only one that’s a taco tour. For our taco food tour, we stopped at eight different locales, including street stands and brick-and-mortar restaurants. Over the course of my five days in Puerto Vallarta, I enjoyed authentic Mexican flavors everywhere, however, a few of the stands we visited downtown served up dishes with flavors that really stood out.

Cervicheria El Guero makes a crunchy, delicious fish taco best topped with the house hot sauce and cilantro-avocado paste. However, El Guero’s specialty is a fresh mahi mahi ceviche. Served on a chip, it’s light and flavorful. This restaurant started out as a taco stall back in 1989 and has since graduated to a brick and mortar restaurant on the corner of Madero And Constitución St.

At Restaurant Lolitas, I enjoyed the sope, a fried tortilla topped with red sauce, a type of Mexican ricotta cheese, diced onions, lettuce shreds, a tomato and chicken.

If you’re a sweets lover like me, be sure to check out Julio’s Churros on the corner of Uruguay and Peru. He serves piping hot churros from his stand daily from 6pm-10pm. The churros are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, rolled in cinnamon and sugar, and very inexpensive. For a bag of 5 six-to-eight inch churros, you spend less than $1USD.

The benefit of taking a tour like the one with Vallarta Food Tours is that you have a chance to not only eat simple yet bold Mexican foods, you enjoy an overall enriched experience by hearing the personal stories behind many of these stalls. For instance, Julio has been working his churros stall consistently for two decades.

Even with the low price point of his tasty desserts, he will be able to send his daughter to law school this year. Some of the stalls like Tacos Memo on 400 Basilio Badillo Street and Tacos don Juan on 400 Cardenas St have been around for decades, 28 years and 45 years, respectively. Taking a Puerto Vallarta street food tour with a local has its benefits. However, if you want to go at your own pace and would like to explore more independently, here are the eight stops we made on our tour:

Cevicheria El Guero: 291 Madero Street
Tacos Memo: 400 Basilio Badillo St.
Tacos Don Juan: 400 Cardenas St.
Patio De Mi Casa: 311 Guerrero St.
Restaurant Lolitas: 1061 Ave. Mexico
Rico Taco: Corner of Uruguay St. and Ave. Mexico
El Carboncito: 137 Honduras St.
Julio’s Churros: Corner of Uruguay and Peru

Salud!

[Tweet “Explore a foreign culture and learn about it organically through its food..”]

I was a guest of the Puerto Vallarta Tourism board and Vallarta Food Tours, however all opinions expressed within are my own.

Jun 11 2014

Good Puerto Vallarta Food: Surprising Places You’ll Find It

I’m a fan of Mexican food so one of my main tasks when I landed at Gustavo Diaz Ordaz airport, starving, was finding good Puerto Vallarta food.

Our first stop was at the check-in desk at the resort. I know that hotels tend to have decent restaurants on site but I was pleasantly surprised to taste the food coming out of the Casa Magna Marriott Puerto Vallarta.

Good food Onsite

The hotel has four restaurants and a coffee shop. Guests can choose between a European package or an all-inclusive package. Normally I’d say, don’t worry about paying ahead for your meals, venture out. However, because of the good Puerto Vallarta food coming out of the Marriott, and the fact that there are several restaurants at your immediate disposal, I’d recommend purchasing the all-inclusive option. This is especially pertinent if you’re traveling with kids.

Champs, an American sports bar creation, serves standard American bar food. This may be something that Mexicans and Europeans may find different but it’s rather commonplace for us. Estancia is where you can enjoy creative dinner creations. What you don’t want to miss is their comprehensive breakfast buffet, served daily. Items on the menu include anything from pancakes to sushi to tamales. It’s a meal worth waking up to enjoy.

My favorite restaurant was Mikado, the property’s Japanese restaurant. “Japanese in Puerto Vallarta?” Yes, Japanese food in Puerto Vallarta. A sushi master came to the property to train the local chefs in the art of sushi making and teppanyaki. After tasting the rolls and enjoying your teppanyaki meal, you wouldn’t know who prepared it if you didn’t look.

A few of us went out for sushi and were floored by the quality of the fish and the taste of the rolls. The Grilled Scallop roll is in my self-made list of “Top 3 Best Sushi Rolls Ever” along with the Bad Boy roll, a shrimp, smoked salmon, cream cheese, and avocado mix, all lightly fried.

One of the benefits of the all-inclusive plans is that you get to eat at the super casual restaurants as well as the more upscale ones as well at no extra charge.

Dining with the Dolphins

The last place where I’d think to get outstanding Puerto Vallarta food is at an amusement park. After enjoying Dolphin Discovery’s Royal Swim package with the playful dolphins and reserved sea lions, our group was treated to an amusement park lunch like no other. We were all certain that our lunch had been specially catered.

When we learned that the menu they served us was the norm, none of us could believe it! Ceviche, shrimp cocktail, fajitas, tropical drinks…who does that? I don’t know too many amusement parks in the States that do. Please let me know if you’re aware of any. Wings and pizza were also available to order but when you have good local food to dine on, why would you?

The menu at Dolphin Discovery is one that American amusement parks could take a lesson from.

My few days in Puerto Vallarta have shown me that the locals take eating seriously and that they’re not too fussy about it. You can find good Puerto Vallarta food at almost every turn. Good eats is serious business and this town manages it well.

I was a guest of the Puerto Vallarta Tourism board and the Casa Magna Marriott hotel in Puerto Vallarta. I received no compensation for my post – all opinions expressed within are my own.

Jun 02 2014

Baltimore African American Festival: Things For Kids To Do

Do you remember the first time you attended a festival as a child? Can you recall the excitement and anticipation that you felt? Memories of food, music, vendors, games and treats are enough to make any child look forward to attending the next event. The Baltimore African American Festival has been shaping childhood memories for almost three decades and continues to create new ones for kids with various kid-centric activities.

A Baltimore tradition, the 2014 African American Festival is a free 2-day event, a celebration of African American life, music, and culture. This family-friendly event offers a host of free activities for kids to enjoy aside from the music and food. Dynamic Healthcare is sponsoring Kids Zone, a designated area to entertain children physically and mentally.

Baltimore African American Festival — Photo Credit: Mark L. Dennis

The Activities

Youth performances: Kids are motivated by other young people. What better way to get them more engaged with what’s happening on stage than to see other young people performing.

Arts & Crafts: For the younger children in the brood, arts and crafts stations will keep them busy drawing and coloring. They may be inspired to create their own masterpieces after seeing various art work on display.

An Obstacle course: What better way to challenge your older child than to get them going on an obstacle course. They can race against their siblings, their friends, other kids, or just themselves. The area is a great resource to get kids moving, keep them entertained and involve them in the festivities around them.

Check out the African American Festival website at http://www.africanamericanfestival.net/ for more information about other events and activities taking place this year.

WHEN:

Saturday – June 21, 2014 (noon-10pm)

Sunday – June 22, 2014 (noon-8pm)

WHERE:

Camden Yards Sports Complex

on Lots B and C between Oriole Park at Camden Yards

and M&T Bank Stadium

1101 Russell Street, Baltimore MD 21230

COST:

FREE

May 29 2014

Summer Travel Fashion: Jill-E, Nectar, And A Secret

Thanks to JillE bags, Nectar Sunglasses, and Secret Sweater, I’ve gotten a head start on my summer travel fashion. They supplied me with products for review and I’ve loved every moment of using them. I received no compensation for my opinions, all of which are my own.

(Warning: You’ll see several pictures of me in this post – a very rare occurrence but somebody’s gotta model my new fashion finds!)

Like everyone else I’ve been doing the happy dance since the weather’s warmed up. My mind is on summer travel, summer outings, fitness, and summer fashion. With a calendar full of travel, my mind is on sunshine and taking tons of pictures, especially since this is the first summer that I’ll have my fancy new Nikon.

I purchased my “fancy pants” camera back in October, right before my London trip and it’s been hard to put it down ever since.

The one thing that I don’t like about my camera is the bulky black bag that it came in. While I’m traveling, the camera bag is weighty and obvious – everything you don’t want when you’re on the go in a foreign country.

Summer travel fashion — If a bag is going to be big and bulky, it better be leather and cute.

Jill-E Bags

Enter Jill-E bags. When the company reached out and asked me to take a look at their camera bags, I couldn’t resist. They have several styles that area ideal for the fashion-conscious photographer. They sent me the Juliette style in teal – it’s not my first choice for colors and styles but it’s cute and has grown on me.

I shy away from boxy-shaped bags. However, as a camera bag, this one is super incognito. My Nikon and its’ 55/320 lens fit in it nicely. I’d have to upgrade to a larger style such as the Jill-E Small Camera Bag or the Medium Camera Bag in order to fit my filter, battery charger, cell phone, and a few other accessories. If I’m trying to travel light, this bag is the way to go.

Spring Travel Fashion — Inside my Jill-E camera bag

What I Like About The Jill-E Bag

Colorful
Leather
Adjustable
Incognito
Fashionable
Bags for Men and Women

Sunglasses With Attitude

Nothing says summer like a cool pair of sunglasses. I have my fair share of shades and like bags, I can never get enough of them. A really cool sunglass company called Nectar is making waves in the sunglass industry and they have California, sun, waves, beach, and fun written all over them.

Their shades fit many styles and attitudes. They’re unique and the lenses make them stand out. The Nectar motto is: “Play On / Do More / Do Epic S— / Party Everyday” and you can see every ounce of this attitude in their sunglass inventory.

Summer fashion travel — My Desperado Nectar shades

I’m a big fan of Aviator shades because they’re a classic look that seems to never go out of style. The Nectar version is less conservative and has funky polarized lenses that make them noticeably different. If you’re reserved, you may find one or two pairs that work for you but for the most part, you’ll have to be comfortable with a little flair. If you want your own pair of Nectar shades, use the promo code: lovenectar to get 10% off on their site at: http://cpeq.co/y8PDv5. Most of their shades are unisex so both guys and gals have their pick of the litter. Which pair can you see yourself wearing?

Can You Keep A Secret?

Last but not least, let’s talk clothing. Although it’s summer time, if you’re traveling on a plane, a cruise ship, staying in a hotel or even eating in a restaurant, be sure to pack extra cover. This time of year, you never know what you’ll be walking into when it comes to air conditioning. It’s a classic way for people to catch colds during warmer months. Don’t quote me on this, but cold air conditioners are probably the number 1 reason WHY people catch colds in the summer.

But who wants to wear a bulky sweater? Now, this fashion item may not be relevant to the guys reading this but ladies, I know you understand where I’m coming from. The Secret Sweater is a discreet, modest, lightweight sweater that you can easily conceal under a jacket or under another sweater. It’s ideal for layering. You can even wear it out on its own, over a tank top, or over other clothing where you might need just a tiny bit of extra coverage.

I like the sweater because it feels nice, is made well and is under $40 and comes in feminine colors like whisper grey and raspberry. They coin it “fashion meets function” because it’s designed to easily fit in your purse, bag, or backpack for those times when you get a little cold and are on the go. It is great for travel! It comes in its’ own cute little cloth “carrying case” (i.e. a pouch) for packing and taking with you.

So which of these summer travel fashion items do you like? Leave a comment. You never know if a certain writer decides to gift you something! 😉

May 27 2014

Omni San Antonio At Colonnade Unveils Aquatica Kid’s Suite

Eight years ago when I moved into my home, inspired by the movie Finding Nemo, I took on the grand task of turning my then two-year-old son’s bathroom into an under-the-sea sanctuary. I was pretty proud of myself. And he was overjoyed. Fast forward to today and my skills are mere child’s play compared to what the designers at the Omni San Antonio at Colonnade have done.

I’m already a huge fan of Omni properties. Their hotels are usually housed in historic grand buildings. Throw in beautiful design elements that the kids will notice and love, and I think you have a home-run!

Last week the Omni San Antonio at the Colonnade announced the completion of their new Aquatica Kids’s Suite and it looks beautiful!

More: Resting Assured At The Omni Hotel Independence Park In Philadelphia

Under The Sea

In a partnership with SeaWorld and the Art Institute of San Antonio, they’re raising the bar for kid-centric hotel suites. The suites are inspired by Aquatica, SeaWorld’s Waterpark and were designed by an Art Institute interior design graduate. The room was designed with the simple concept of “What would it be like to be under the sea?” Kids can literally slide into the suite! The floor has a painted sandy bottom so that guests get the feeling that they’re actually walking on the beach.

Kids Get The Comfort Of Home

Here are some more design details found in the Aquatica Suite:

Floor-to-ceiling, three-dimensional fiberglass/rubber coral-blue entertainment wall.
Recessed desk area and entertainment system with two flat-screen monitors – one for watching TV or DVDs (the shelves are lined with family-friendly films) and the other for video games on a Wii U GamePad and PlayStation 4.
Compass window mural that directs guests north, south, east or west.
Seating that includes a “bubble chair,” and a pair of “stingray” bean bag chairs in honor of Aquatica’s extraordinary stingray encounter.
Cubby hole full of books and stuffed animals to encourage storytelling and stimulate the imagination.
Built-in live bubble aquarium that features salt water, live fish, coral reefs, seaweed and plenty of bubbles.
Large wall map, perfect for helping families plan their trip to the waterpark.
Pair of specially-designed Murphy beds that unfolds from the wall, giving the kids a chance to get a good night’s rest in their ocean paradise.
As for the parents, there is an adjoining bedroom, separate bathroom and a door with a porthole, perfect for checking in on their children at play.

Cost?

Rates for the suites range from $359 to $499, and includes daily breakfast for the whole family. You can book your stay at OmniHotels.com. It’s not an inexpensive stay but it’s luxury and your kids will have many of the creature comforts of home. Staying underwater isn’t cheap.

*Images provided by Omni Hotels & Resorts.