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Tag Archives: Pina Colada

Welcome to Sunny San Juan, Puerto Rico!

22 January 201816 September 2024

2 Southwest Airlines Sign, 1.23.16

It was a snowy winter in Ohio and I was determined to find an escape from the cold and dreary.  Looking for the perfect vacation, I realized that a cruise out of Puerto Rico would be the perfect, affordable option without much planning.  Asking a friend to join, within days we were boarding an early morning flight scheduled to arrive in San Juan at 4PM Atlantic Time.   Leaving a foot of snow behind, we were on our way to the Caribbean islands for a sun-drenched, relaxing getaway.  Located about 1000 miles off of the coast of Florida, Americans are not required a passport as the island is an unincorporated territory of the United States.

Booking an early morning flight ensured that if there are any delays, there would be additional flights following.  And of course, leaving early in the morning would give us an additional full day to explore San Juan.

Celebrating with a couple of Bloody Marys and a short nap, we landed a few minutes ahead of schedule and collected our luggage.

3 Hotel Plaza de Armas, 1.23.16

The smell of the salty air and humidity greeted us as we exited the airport.  A short taxi ride took twenty minutes to the Hotel Plaza de las Armas, located in the heart of Old San Juan.   Securing a reservation with accommodations in the center of the city allowed us to walk to all of the top attractions.  We were not only close to all of the action in the historical city but in close proximity to the cruise ship port as well.

After unloading our luggage, and having only had a couple of Bloody Marys from the flight, finding a restaurant was our top priority.  Checking in with the front desk, the young attendant suggested that we try La Barrachina for the Comida criolla (local Puerto Rican faire) and added that it was the home of the Pina Colada.  Not a bad way to kick off our sunny escape.

4 Barrachina Restaurant, 1.23.16

Reaching the restaurant within minutes, we noticed the placard  boasting La Barrachina’s claim to fame for inventing the Pina Colada as we gave our name to the hostess.    We became spellbound by the smell of the Caribbean spices coming from the kitchen and looked over the menu to browse the local cuisine.

After a few squawks from the parrot in the back of the restaurant, we were seated in an enclosed, air-conditioned space which was starting to fill up on a Saturday night. Our server arrived quickly, took our drink order and provided a list of house specialties and recommendations.

6 Pina Colada in San Juan, 1.23.16

Happy hour prices for the Pina Colada included two for the price of one.  What’s not to love about a frothy, fruity drink with a double shot of rum? No doubt the rum comes from a local distillery, most likely from the local Bacardi factory, the largest producer of this sugar cane based libation.  Cheers to Don Ramon and his tropical invention.

7 Puerto Rican Mofongo, 1.23.16

Deciding what to order was becoming more of a challenge than we had thought with so many options.  Our waiter was eager to explain some of the items on the menu starting with the mofongo, which is cooked meat or vegetables poured over a plantain based mash seasoned with garlic, spices and broth.  Dave decided on the chicken mofongo while I ordered the grilled grouper, adding a beer and another Pina colada to our bill.

Just finishing our drinks, we could smell the delicious garlic and spices from our meals before they reached the table.  My grouper was perfectly prepared, but one taste of the mofongo and I was addicted.  My obsession with this Puerto Rican dish would continue over the next couple of days.  Is it possible that they serve this at breakfast, lunch and dinner?

9 The Promenade, San Juan, 1.23.16

The sun had already set as we left the restaurant and we ended the evening with a romantic stroll down the Paseo de la Princesa, the esplanade outside of the city walls.  Known for its food stands and artisans, this beautiful 19th century walkway is lined with stately trees, antique streetlamps, ending at the Atlantic  Ocean.  We stood by the Raices Fountain while watching the moonlight’s glow reflecting on the sea.   Retracing our steps along the promenade, we decided to stop for one more drink at the nearby beach bar before turning in for the night.  It was a beautiful, relaxing start to our first day of vacation and we had tired ourselves enough to guarantee a great night’s sleep.

Have you had the pleasure of visiting Old San Juan in Puerto Rico? Do you have a favorite dining location or local food you would like to recommend?  I would love to hear about your experience if you would kindly leave a message in the comments section below.  Many thanks for reading about my first day in Old San Juan and wishing you many Happy Travels!

Preparing for Puerto Rico:

Contact and Pre-Vacation Information:  For more information about Puerto Rico, contact their website at www.seepuertorico.com.   I would suggest that you request some information prior to your visit, such as the Que Pasa magazine.  I found my walking tour on www.puertoricodaytrips.com.

When to Go:  Dave and I booked our trip for the end of January and found a great price for our flight on Southwest!  The cruise rate was reasonable and so were our hotel expenses, highly unusual for this time of the year.  Off-season is considered September – November and mid-March to June.

Airlines: 

Southwest Airlines
Phone: 1 800 435 9792
Southwest now flies to the Caribbean!!

Flights were $400 per person from Columbus, Ohio to San Juan, Puerto Rico with a small stop in Orlando

Where to Stay:

Hotel Plaza de Armas
San Jose Street 202
Old San Juan, Puerto Rico 00901
Phone:  866 599 6674

Amenities:  Non-smoking, free continental breakfast, WiFi, refrigerator and microwave; there is a free trolley nearby at Stop #8

*Hotel was prepaid costing $150 per night.  We arranged for a queen sized bed, room without a window, non-smoking and guaranteed late arrival.

Where to Eat:

Restaurant Barrachina
Fortaleza Street 104
Old San Juan, Puerto Rico  00901
Phone:  787 721 5852
*Order the pina colada (birthplace of the drink) and the chicken mofongo!  The restaurant displays a copy of the Discovery Map of Puerto Rico which is what we used to get around.  There are detailed maps of Old San Juan, the Condado as well as Isla Verde.

10 IMG_6852

The view from our inside table at Restaurant Barrachina.  It would have been fantastic to eat outside, but there was no breeze in the courtyard and we decided upon air conditioning.    The walls were painted in bright tropical colors with abstract artwork adding more culture.  The tables were simply decorated with paper table covers over white linen cloths.  To add to the ambiance, there were candles lit in the center.

12 Medalla Light, PR Beer

Puerto Rico’s Premium Light Beer, Medalla, not to be confused with Mexico’s Modelo

13 DSC_0099

Enjoying our first night in San Juan, Puerto Rico

14 DSC_0102

Puerto Rico is known for its rum!

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An Overview of Blog Posts from 2015

29 December 201522 July 2024

What a great year for travel!  Here are some of my adventure blogs for 2015:

CARIBBEAN AND PORTS OF CALL: 

Bermuda

Hamilton, Bermuda

Grand Cayman:  Stingray City,  Afternoon Drive on Grand Cayman,  and Hell

Stingrays at Stingray City

Honduras:  Untouched Beauty, Underwater Photographs

Gorgeous Honduras Beaches

EUROPE: 

Wine Tasting in Tuscany

+0927 Table cloth for Wine Tasting

Wine Event at Fattoria il Poggio

UNITED STATES:

United States:  Arizona

Montezuma Castle National Monument

Indian Settlement at Montezuma Castle National Monument

United States, California:  San Francisco Downtown

San Francisco Chinatown

United States, California:  San Francisco Golden Gate

San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge

United States:  Louisiana

Mardi Gras

Celebrating Mardi Gras in New Orleans

United States, Michigan;  Holland, Michigan

Tulips in Holland, Michigan

 

United States:  Ohio

Cincinnati:  Cincinnati Art Museum, The Divine Felines Exhibit

Recumbent Lion, Ptolomaic Period, 305 – 35BC, Reportedly from Giza

Fragmentary Inscription, Dynasty 25 – Dynasty 26, 670 – 650 BC

Cincinnati:  Interview With Artist, Jimi Jones

Jimi Jones Artwork

Jimi Jones

Cincinnati:  Cincinnati Children’s Museum – Leonardo da Vinci Exhibit

Exploring the Genius of Leonardo da Vinci at the Cincinnati Children’s Museum

Cleveland:  The Cleveland Art Museum, Pharaoh King of Egypt Exhibit

The Pharaoh Exhibit at the Cleveland Museum of Art

An Egyptian Sarcophagus

Cleveland:  Maltz Museum, Operation Finale

The Capture and Trial of Adolf Eichmann

The Holocaust Survivors

Columbus:  Franklin Park Conservatory

Gorgeous Orchids at Franklin Park Conservatory

Amazing Butterflies at the Franklin Park Conservatory

Columbus: Inniswood

Having Fun with my New Camera

 

Springfield:  Art Museum, Jason Morgan

Jason Morgan Artwork

Springfield:  Art Museum, Jimi Jones

Jimi Jones Artwork

Auschwitz Exhibit at The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center

Celebrating 70 Years of Auschwitz Closing

Sam and Ethel’s

Enjoying a Reuben at Sam & Ethel’s

Yellow Springs Brewery

Sampling craft beer at Yellow Springs Brewery

Conkle’s Hollow Rim Trail

Hiking the Rim Trail

Ohio Christmas:

Columbus: Alum Creek Lights

Drive Thru Christmas Lights

PNC Lights: Cincinnati Zoo

A Tunnel of Lights

I hope you enjoyed this recap of my blog posts and travels for 2015.  Stay tuned for more adventures to come in 2016!  Wishing you many Happy Travels!

Disclosure:   Please refer to our blog disclaimer tab for more information.

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Staying Close to Port in Mazatlan

18 June 201531 August 2024

As the ship sailed into the port of Mazatlan, I was so surprised by the large number of containers and cranes that were lined up along the dock.  While it is not the prettiest of sights, in the distance, we could see the colorful homes climbing up the hillside.  From the ship, the center of town seemed so far in the distance.

There were not many tours available from the ship, so my friend Dani and I decided to explore the nearby plaza for shopping and then enjoy an authentic Mexican lunch.  Since Mazatlan is known as the “shrimp” capital of the country, I was excited to try one of their local specialties, Mexican antojito, a dish which includes shrimp stuffed with cheese and wrapped in bacon.

Instead of boarding the complimentary shuttle into town, we decided to walk the short distance to the shopping plaza.  We had six hours to explore the port town of Mazatlan and continued on through the walk way which was highly guarded with military soldiers holding automatic machine guns.  The scene reminded me of my cruise ship days while visiting Playa de Carmen in the Yucatan.

A few of the excursions available for this port were  (1) City Tour, Scenic Drive of Malecon, Cliff Divers and Scenic Harbor Cruises; (2) Panoramic Hike to Faro Lighthouse and Scenic Drive of Downtown;  (3)  ATV, Mexican Village, Tequila and Lunch;  (4) Top 10 Best of Mazatlan;  (5) Bar Hopping Tour.  Unfortunately, we had waited to long to book one of these tours and they were sold out.

We strolled the cruise ship terminal where we found a few shops with colorful crafts to purchase.  To be honest, it was quite disappointing but we found a taco stand and searched for souvenirs before heading back to the ship.  I wished we would have booked a tour here….maybe next time…

Old Town Mazatlan is only a mile from the cruise ship, so it would have only taken about 25 minutes to reach the town.  In hindsight, I wished we would have made the most of our time here, but I was surprisingly unprepared.

It has been my experience that when Americans visit Mexico for the first time, they are fascinated by the over the counter products that are available without a prescription.  From Cipro to Z-Pacs, this is typical of the pharmacies in Mexico.

After lunch, we walked back to the ship, took more photos of the military men and relaxed on the deck with a Miami Vice (mix of pina colada and strawberry daiquiri).  We had plenty of time to watch the sun begin to set as a rainbow appeared in the distance.

It was a relaxing day and we enjoyed strolling the port, agreeing that if we were to return, we would book an excursion, take a third party tour or walk the 25 minutes into town.

Have you been to Mazatlan?  What did you see and which attractions did you visit?  I would love to hear from you if you would kindly leave a message in the comments section below.  Many thanks for reading about my simple visit to Mazatlan, and if you have any suggestions for a future, visit that would be great!  Wishing you many Happy Travels.

What to See and Do:

Old Town Mazatlan is a 25 minute walk from the port of Mazatlan and well worth a visit.

Where to Stay:

Casa de Leyendas
Venustiano Carranza, Centro
82000, Mazatlan, Sin., Mexico
Telephone:  +52 669 981 6180

Where to Eat:

Restaurant La Puntilla
Cruise ship terminal
We ordered chips and salsa and a shrimp salad with a couple of coronas.

What to Eat:

  • Camarones: shrimp, prepared in a large number of ways.
  • Damiana: an alcoholic drink made from the Damiana plant
  • Empanadas de fruta: mini fruit pies usually filled with pineapple, pumpkin and guava
  • Jamoncillo: milk candy
  • Tacuarines: corn and flour cookies usually in the shape of doughnuts
  • Tamales de camaron: tamales with shrimp, wrapped in corn husks
  • Mangos: more than 30 varieties of mango can be found in the province of Sinaloa

Books to Read:

  • Sweet Spot: A Novel About Mazatlan Carnival, Dirty Politics and Baseball, by Linton Robinson
  • Hotel Belmar: The Ghost has a Key, by S.K. Carnes
  • (Baja) The Pearl, by John Steinbeck

Photo Guide to Mazatlan:

  • El Faro Lighthouse for stunning views
  • The Fiesta Land for history and culture
  • Clavadista Divers Rock Point to see local cliff divers
  • Angela Peralta Theatre
  • Continuity of Life Fountain
  • Solar Eclipse set for April 24, 2024, visible from Mazatlan

Disclosure:   Please refer to our blog disclaimer tab for more information.

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About Me!

I have had a passion to travel for as long as I can remember and landed my dream job at the age of 19 on a cruise ship. The Suite Life of Travel is about those experiences as well as my future endeavor to explore this amazing world!

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