CalActive.com Activities Blog

So for all you mothers out there, I’m sure you’re excited to be treated like a queen next Sunday, and for everyone else, you’re probably still thinking about what to do! It really is just around the corner, so you better come up with something good. After all, our mothers brought us into this world, and while they deserve to be treated like queens every single day, they definitely deserve something truly special and unique on their day.

While some moms are physically active and enjoy getting out there and doing something fun and outdoorsy, others just want to relax and be pampered on their special day. Both sound absolutely fun and fabulous! One thing I would suggest is maybe not taking her out to dinner. That’s one of the most common and expected things you can do, which is why it’s one of the busiest, money-making days of the year for restaurants. There are so many other fun and unique ways to say I Love You to your momma. In fact, I found an interesting blog with several cute and affordable ideas for Mother’s Day gifts.

Aside from giving gifts, take your mom out for the day and do something fun. We live in Southern California, for crying out loud, so why not take her out on a duffy boat or maybe a sailboat. It’s so relaxing, but at the same time, it’s exciting and a great idea for the whole family to enjoy. I know my mom would absolutely love going out on a boat because she’s never really been on one before.

Another idea is a brunch or dinner cruise, which we offer in Newport Beach, Marina del Rey and San Diego. Although a less intimate setting than a duffy boat or sailboat charter, brunch and dinner cruises are fun and come with an amazing, gourmet meal and beverages.

If your mom has a serious case of seasickness, take her up on a hot air balloon ride over Southern California’s wine country, Temecula Valley. How fun would it be to go ballooning and then wine tasting afterwards?!? Sounds like a fabulous day to me!

For the more adventurous mothers, get out and ride some jet skis around the harbor or out in the ocean. Although it’s still springtime, the weather is heating up and it’s the perfect time to start getting out in and on the water. Let your mom shine and show off her skills by ripping it up on a jet ski or waverunner. What a blast!

Whatever you decide to do, make it a special day that your mom will never forget. Give her something unique and surprise her by taking her out to do something she’s never done and would never expect. Taking her out to dinner and giving her flowers is special, but very common. Moms, expect the unexpected this year. You deserve to have a unique and memorable experience with your loved ones. You are all so wonderful and we love and appreciate you unconditionally. Thank you for being you.

Went to the Mayan Riviera recently in search of paradise. Cancun wasn’t the destination. Nor was Playa Del Carmen. I was going further south to Tulum, home of eco-chic resorts, and an oceanfront Mayan ruin. Sounded good to me. Flew into Cancun with my daughter, who was on Spring break from Paris. Had never been to Cancun, but kinda knew what to expect; ginormous resorts side by side, all-inclusive, ensuring the traveler the most inauthentic Mexican holiday imaginable. But more on that later.

We got the car and drove south through Playa del Carmen, rumored to have one time been cool. Gooch little beachside Italian clubs and restaurants (’course if I want to see Italians I’ll go to Italy). I’m sorry to report it is Cancun’s little brother Shit Howdy! Slightly more chill, but still one big tourist trap. The de riguer pedestrian walkway is now flooded with inauthentic jewelry, $120 bikinis, sunglass hut after sunglass hut, and the requisite Senor Frogs - and Starbucks. Everything you need for a drunken Spring Break.

So Tulum it was, one long line of eco-chic resorts nestled in the jungle, replete with charming casitas on the beach, open air restaurants, and the requisite hip “Mayan” spas. Much more authentic. No AC. No swimming pools. Just the shimmering Caribbean and her silky sand. And the almighty dollar! Who would of thought that eco-chic was really a way of saying “triple the price of the real Mexico.” Sure, the resorts were spotless with exemplary maid service. Paths were cleared, windows rid of sea salt each and everyday, beds made. But still they were primitive casitas with palapa roofs. The charm was in the rustic appointments, the sea breeze instead of air conditioning. But $325 a night at the Cabanas Capal? For studio Cabanas on a windswept rock ledge where there was no beach?

Cabanas Copal Muy Caro

And the bargain price of $95 for their “garden” cabana? Some garden. A tiny dark room with no windows, surrounded by a thicket of jungle where the air doesn’t circulate? Sure, it would be charming and romantic to go without electricity if there was a breeze. But this was March, the wind was howling non-stop just 20 yards away, but the “charming” jungle had not been thinned and I sweltered like a Vietnam POW. I might even vote for McCain now.

No Electricity

At least get us an overnight fan! And the spas? I thought massages in Mexico were in the $20-30/hr range. But apparently nobody told these folks. Lowest price at any spa I saw was $70/hr. Eco-chic indeed.

Despite the gauging, the coast is lovely, the water an amazing turquoise, and the setting incomparable. When we were there the wind was pretty much constant and the water extremely choppy. We’re told this is common. It makes for great kite surfing, but ocean swimming and snorkeling is another story. And of course there are no waves for surfing of body boarding. I have to say one of the most interesting parts of the trip were the cenotes, the system of underground rivers that runs throughout the peninsula. Cenotes are the occasional holes in the ground where these freshwater oasis are found. The water is clear and drinkable, and you can snorkel through underground caves filled with stalacalites. Plus the sun comes underneath and through these caves casting a brilliant cobalt patina on the water. Capri’s Blue Grottos have nothing on this.

The way cool Cenotes

At the end of the trip I crossed to the other (Pacific) Coast of Mexico, where I got back in touch with my inner primitive Mexican soul. Flew to the southern Pacific coastal resort of Huatulco. La Bahias del Hautulco you say? Never heard of it? You will. This is a big time Mexican resort that was built in the 80’s, failed, and is now experiencing a resurgence. But I didn’t come to go there. I went north (or West) to the fishing village of Puerto Angel. Okay, the Pacific side may not have the turquoise water and the lush tropical jungle, but it’s dry and bug free and untouched and real and everything I was looking for. Zipolite is ther hippy beach that time forgot: same palapas on the beach as Tulum - OK maybe a little more rundown with less vigorous trash collection. But rooms for $20, and hammocks for five. A good meal with cervesa for $5. And that beloved massage on the beach for $20. Plus waves - big ones, that require some restraint. Still, El Pacifico is the place for me.

La Boquilla

So my boyfriend Josh is learning to sail with a friend of his, and they started off on a Lido 14, otherwise known as a bathtub. Some of his trips have been calm and easy, but others not so much. Needless to say I wanted to wait until he really got the hang of it before I joined him for my first time sailing.

It was a fairly calm and absolutely beautiful Sunday afternoon, and Josh had already been out on the water with his friend for a couple of hours. I met them at the Balboa Yacht Club around 1pm and we were off. I was slightly nervous for a couple of reasons - the boat was tiny, and there were about 30 sailboats quadruple the size of ours racing from Newport Harbor. We were basically dodging these 50 ft boats as we made our way out of the bay and onto the high seas. Being the complete wimp that I am, I suggested that we go out just far enough to see the seals on the buoy, basking in the sun.

Some parts were rough, but most calm. At one point I thought the boat was going to flip because the wind got so strong. It was a great experience though, and I learned a lot about sailing. Although I was a bit nervous at first, I had an absolute blast and can’t wait to do it again. The best advice I can give to a first-time sailor - Watch out for that boom!