LAST EDITED ON Jun-08-09 AT 01:30PM (MST)[p]My wife and I have been going to Mexico for more than 30 years and now own two time share weeks in Mazatlan in two different resorts that are owned by the same company.
We do the 950-mile DRIVE down from Phoenix each fall and always enjoy our stay. I also usually make a driving trip down with a friend to one of the bass lakes in the spring.
As for the violence, my wife feels safer walking the streets in Mazatlan then she does in Phx. Most of the crap you're hearing about occurs in the border towns or in the areas where the drug cartels are battling each other and the policia. Little of it involves the tourist areas.
Unlike Cancun or Cabo, which both developed with tourism in mind, Mazatlan began as a major city. So it has all of the structure of a city, including a Sam's Club and Walmart. LOL
The tourist section, known as the Golden Zone, is north of the main city and consists of dozens of very nice hotels, many restaurants and the usual array of touristy shops and businesses.
The main draw for Mazatlan is COST. I've been to both Cabo and Puerta Vallarta twice; prices for food and other stuff is MUCH less in Mazatlan -- the shrimp capital of the world. Two people can eat a great meal with drinks for $30 in any number of restaurants.
The Mazatlan Venados baseball team are also based there, and going to a game is like going to a giant fiesta somewhere. Later in the winter and early spring, they alo have bull fights if you're prone to enjoy such things.
And lastly, there's a fleet of fishing boats at two different marinas for either off-shore billfishing or botom fishing from a typical Mexican panga.
These are a few pix from the Pueblo Bonito - Emerald Bay resort (
http://www.pueblobonitoemeraldbay.com/)where we have one of our time shares. They also have three resorts in Cabo and one in Puerta Vallarta.
TONY MANDILE
How To Hunt Coues Deer
