Cocktails while relaxing in a rooftop pool with an unbelievable view of Banderas Bay. Tacos and guacamole to your heart's content. Excursions that educate, excite, and bond you ... and more laughs than one can imagine. These are the things that bond a girl and her girlfriends and create the recipe for a Girls' Vacation beyond compare. And this is exactly what was delivered to my MacKid Sisters and me on a recent visit to Riviera Nayarit, Mexico. Let's just say it was the Ultimate Girls Trip.
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Taking care of Mama Bear's Needs
As a mom of three active teenagers, life can get a little crazy. As a work at home mom with three teenagers, it can get even crazier. So when my twins headed off to college last year, and I had only one child at home (for the first time ever in my parenting career), you'd think I finally had an incredible amount of time to focus on myself. Right? Well, not really. I decided to merge my Berkshire family website with Macaroni Kid, and became so busy re-branding and growing the business that I forgot about taking time for me ... in particular, I stopped taking the time to continue that much-needed connection with my girlfriends. Lucky for me I joined a company and community that believes strongly in the importance of taking care of mama bear's needs. Which is why I found myself floating in an infinity pool overlooking the beach at the Reflect Krystal Grande Nuevo Vallarta in mid-July, cocktail in one hand, and my arm around the shoulder of another publisher, as I mugged for dozens of selfies with my friends, feeling more relaxed than I had in ages. If this was the way my vacation was beginning, I couldn't wait to see what else the Riviera Nayarit had in store for me.
Adventure awaits at Riviera Nayarit
It's pretty amazing all the opportunities Riviera Nayarit has to offer friends and families who are looking to connect, explore, and relax on their Mexican vacation, and we experienced many of those with the ever energizing staff of Vallarta Adventures. This is the second time I've had the pleasure of touring the region with these guides. Several years ago I was fortunate enough to embark on one of the company's zip lining tours with two girlfriends, and between screams, laughter, and repelling down waterfalls, it is something we will remember (and laugh about) for a lifetime. Vallarta Adventures offers over 50 experiences and adventures — from historic hikes and activities for the thrill seekers to snorkeling, scuba diving and experiences with the animals of the sea. The company even has a uniquely tailored dolphin and sea lion experience for special needs visitors. This time around we embarked on the Off-Road Adventure — something I'd describe as a cross between "The Amazing Race" and "Survivor" for beginners — and the San Pancho and Sayulita tour which allowed us the opportunity to immerse ourselves in the local culture of these two towns, if only for a day.
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The Off Road Adventure saw us working together to solve clues that lead to various destinations, giving us a brief glimpse of a quaint Mexican village where we gathered ingredients to make homemade tortillas and pico de gallo, tried out a classic Mexican toy, and squeezed all 12 of our team members into a very small taxi. Nothing brings you closer (literally and figuratively) to your girlfriends like snuggling in a taxi cab in 95-degree weather and humidity like we've only experienced a handful of times in New England.
This adventure drove us through rural towns, saw one of us washing the windows of a very large semi, and had us hiking through one of the area's rainforests, which for a Berkshirite wasn't much different than hiking through the woods, but for our Chicago publisher, it was a completely different experience. MacKid definitely aims to push us out of comfort zones. The reward of cool towels and ice cold beer were definitely earned after this one.
The adventure concluded with homemade tortillas that we ground the maize for (not very well I might add), and then we were treated to the real deal fresh straight of the fire and made by the cutest Mexican abuelita. I filled mine with homemade guacamole, our freshly made pico de gallo, and veggies. Um, Yum! Then we all packed some up to bring to the local firefighters at lunch, and then enjoyed a feast on a private beach paired with hibiscus juice and tequila. Needless to say, I didn't eat much for the remainder of the day. With full bellies, we spent the last hour of our excursion lounging in beachside hammocks and recapping the day's adventures with laughter and smiles, and a little bit of exhaustion. But it was all worth it. The Vallarta Adventure guides are incredible. They're knowledgeable, passionate, hilariously funny, and seriously, I don't see how anyone wouldn't have a good time with these guys.
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Giving back in San Pancho
The following day was our San Pancho and Sayulita tour where we sampled local fruits and candy (the tequila candy was a sweet treat for my family when I returned home) and gathered some ingredients to make molé later that afternoon at a local candy store/fruit stand. We planted trees along the murals in San Pancho, forever leaving a little piece of me and my fellow planting partner, Kathy E., in San Pancho forever. We then spent a few hours at the Frente al Punto Beach Club, stuffing our bellies with local cuisine topped with the molé and the guacamole we made ourselves, swimming in the waves, and then we strolled the streets of Sayulita. But the definite highlight of this day's trip, that will probably bond many of us in the MacKid community for years to come, was our visit to Entre Amigos. Entres Amigos is a local community center that has made a difference in the townspeople of San Pancho and its children, through a variety of recreational programs, art classes where kids turn recycled goods from the community into art. They have created a recycling center for the town and a regular market space for entrepreneurial women to sell their goods, and they have developed a scholarship program for local children, to encourage their education from grade school through college. Frieda with her heartfelt tour and the mission of Entres Amigos touched our hearts, and I know there are a few of us who will forever be bonded over the children we aim to help through the center and their scholarship program. And I strongly believe we will return there one day. If you'd like to learn more and to see about opportunities to volunteer or donate you can check out their website HERE.
More time to relax
The final evening and day were spent bonding with friends over meals at The Grill (I actually loved the lunch menu even more at this restaurant) and Ayami, with Pan-Asian cuisine and teppanyaki, at the Reflect Krystal Grande Nuevo Vallarta, and hiding out in our discovered oasis — the rooftop deck. The bar on the deck featured the most delicious cocktails our resort had to offer, cushioned cabanas and lounge chairs, and a soaking pool, which I hesitate to let anyone know about should I adventure there again. This was the best way to wrap up this incredible vacation with my friends, and I was ready to head home the next day. Riviera Nayarit provided me just the Girls' Trip I needed to revive, regroup, and reconnect with many of my female friends that I hadn't seen since last year's Meetup (our annual conference), and I'm so glad I had the opportunity to visit.
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So if you're a looking for the perfect destination for your next Girls' Trip — may I suggest Riviera Nayarit, Mexico? I promise you won't regret it.
Disclosure: The Macaroni Kid Silver Daisy Boondoggle was hosted by Riviera Nayarit Convention and Visitors Bureau and Reflect Krystal Grande Nuevo Vallarta. All opinions are my own.
