worldtraveller73

Whale Sharks, Tacos and Baja California, Mexico via Alaska Airlines First Class

YVR-SEA-SDJ (Alaska 2 for 1 companion fare)
SJD-PDX-SEA-YVR (Alaska 2 for 1 companion fare)




Preparation:

The winter came and before we knew it, the year end was among us. MrsWT73 had two Alaska MVP Gold Upgrade certificates that were expiring on December 31 that she had earned with her Alaska MVP Gold status for 2018. With the bad rainy Pacific Northwest weather on top of us, the question was, where do we use them?

After several trips to Hawaii, MrsWT73 was keen to try something different. After a failed attempt to drive from Vancouver to Cabo San Lucas (while in my twenties), Cabo San Lucas seemed like an appealing destination that we hadn’t been to. We settled on Cabo San Lucas in the Baja California state. We used an Alaska 2 for 1 companion fare for the tickets, and used the upgrade vouchers for first class. As I learn more about the program, it seems I didn't actually need to use the Guest upgrades, but rather have purchased a Gold Upgrade fare, but live and learn I guess. For the hotel, we settled on the new JW Marriott Los Cabos.

In this Report:

Alaska Airlines: Vancouver - Seattle
Aloft SeaTac
Alaska Airlines Seattle - San Jose Del Cabo
JW Marriott Los Cabos
San Jose Del Cabo
Whale Sharking in La Paz
Cabo San Lucas
VIP Lounge Los Cabos International
Alaska Airlines: Los Cabos International Airport - Portland
Alaska Airlines: Portland - Seattle Tacoma International
Alaska Airlines: Seattle Tacoma - Vancouver


Links to my previous reports:

Fried Chicken, CNN and Human Rights in Atlanta, Georgia, USA via United First, April 2019
Christkindlesmarkt (Christmas Market) Villages in Germany via British Airways and Lufthansa First Class, Dec 2018
Iceland, Spain & Morocco via IcelandAir Business Class & British Airways First Class, Sept 2018
East Africa: Tanzania and Seychelles via Air Canada & Turkish Airlines Business Class June 2018
Spring Break with WT73jr at Vail Colorado, USA via Alaska Airlines. March 2018
Polyensia Part II: Easter Island, Chile & Mexico City, Mexico via LATAM Business Class. Sept 2017
Summer is a state of mind; Kaanapali, Maui, via Alaska Airlines with my 13 yr old son, August 2017
Fiji, New Zealand and French Polynesia via Fiji Airways, Air New Zealand and Air Tahiti Nui Business Class, June 2017
Mileage Running to New York via Delta Airlines First Class for Alaska MVP Status, Dec 2016
Havana and Varadero Cuba via Westjet Holidays from Canada, Nov 2016
Malta (and the island of Gozo), Venice, Italy and Oktoberfest in Munich, via Air France Business Class, Sept 2016
South Africa, Namibia, Victoria Falls, Mauritius & the UAE via Emirates First, Qatar & South African Airways Business, April 2016
Dodging Volcanic Ash: A family trip to Bali / Singapore with my 11 year old via Asiana, KLM and JAL Business, July 2015
RTW#3 (J): Vietnam, Maldives, and Tackling India’s Golden Triangle via Air Canada, Asiana Singapore, Air India and Turkish Airlines Business, May 2015
Experiencing flying as a "Non-Rev", Australia Wine and Beaches via Air Canada and Qantas Business, November 2014
Alaska Airlines First Class to Las Vegas, and a stay in the Aria Sky Suites “Penthouse” via Alaska Airlines First Class, August 2014
Family trip to Kenora Lake of the Woods Ontario via Air Canada Business Class. August 2014
Cathay Pacific First Class to New York, a sombre visit to the 9/11 Memorial Museum & 4 days of eating in NYC, May 2014
RTW #2 The Khors of Oman- via Japan, Poland & the UAE and ANA, Thai, Lufthansa Business Class. April 2014.
South Africa, Safari in Maasai Mara Kenya, & Mauritius via South African Airways, Swiss and Air Canada Business Class, Nov 2013
A family trip to Westin Playa Conchal, Liberia Costa Rica via United Airlines, Aug 2013
Buried Treasure: UAE Empty Quarter and Beyond to Huvadhoo Atoll, Maldives via United and Etihad Airlines, Nov 2012
RTW #1(F) The Time Share Presentation: Spain / China / Thailand via Asiana, Thai and Lufthansa First Class, May 2012
A visit to Macchu Picchu and Valle Nevado, Peru and Chile via Air Canada Business Class, Sept 2011
Travel after the Revolution of January 25, 2011. Egypt via Egypt Air, May 2011
A Step Back in Time: The Twilight of Burma, a visit to Myanmar via Silk Airways, Sept 2010

worldtraveller73

Alaska Airlines
AS 2239 – Economy (single class of service)
YVR – SEA (Vancouver International – Seattle Tacoma International)
April 16, 2019
7:20 PM – 8:15 PM
Booked: De Havilland DHC-8-400
Flown: De Havilland DHC-8-400

I finished up a busy day at work and managed to leave the office at about 4 PM. I returned home to drop a car and then hooked up with MrsWT73 at the house, who was kind enough to collect me for the trip to the airport, despite having just come from there since she works near the airport.

We left the house around 5 PM and made it up to YVR. While MrsWt73 parked the car, I had to stop by the Air Canada baggage office in the domestic terminal as they happened to have recovered my driver’s licence which I had accidentally left on my work Air Canada flight Toronto – Vancouver just 3 days earlier. Truth by told, I had written it off and never expected to have seen it again but they were able to return it with surprising efficiency.

We headed over to the Alaska check in counters in the Transborder area. It was deserted tonight and the usual empty scene. The only memorable change was that the YVR airport authority had a decoration out for Easter.



The friendly agent was only able to issue boarding cards to Seattle this evening. He was able to tag our checked bags straight through to Mexico.

We headed through US security and US pre-clearance. With Nexus we were straight to the front of the queue at the primary inspection line. The US CBP officer took interest in our trip to Cabo San Lucas having been previously assigned to the San Diego area; “I used to go there all the time; check out Van Halen’s bar!” was his advice. . .

Needing quick dinner options, we headed over to the Plaza Premium Lounge where access was granted courtesy of Priority Pass. The US Transborder area is in a pretty dismal state of restaurant offerings at the moment. Aside from Starbucks, Vino Volo was boarded up (permits for expansion on the plaster board), A Sal Y Limon was under construction, and the Tim Horton’s didn’t look all to appealing.

We had a short flight delay posted of 30 minutes, which was later reduced to 15 minutes. At T-30, I headed down to the propeller gates in the E finger at YVR to snap some quick photographs, while MrsWT73 took another quick round in the lounge.

It’s deserted down at the E90 gates in YVR; I try to spend the least amount of time down here as possible.







I arrived and boarding started. I ended up getting on the plane a little early; dropping my rollie at the Alaska “A-La-Carte”. The usual brown interiors tonight with the refreshed paint job outside.





There is no in flight service on the 26 minute flight from Vancouver to Seattle. There were just the usual picturesque views around the Pacific Northwest.

We were off quickly at the usual C gates in Seattle. We ended up heading to the Alaska Lounge in the C gates area where we got our boarding cards for the next day and fulfilled our obligations to have our documents checked. The initial plan was to head for a night cap at the American Express Centurion Lounge but thanks to the new access policy of having to be on a connecting flight (and not accepting arriving passengers; even next day connecting ones) we were denied entry. Another blow to the ego (laughing), we ended up heading straight for the hotel.

worldtraveller73

Aloft SeaTac
Guest Room 1 King

We ended up picking this property because of its proximity to the airport and the rate. MrsWT73’s usual property, the Marriott Sea Tac was undergoing a major renovation so we opted to avoid the dust and noise by heading somewhere else. I couldn’t be bothered with the dingy Fairfield Inn SeaTac where I’ve stayed several times before so it was off to somewhere new. The Aloft was just as close, offered a reasonable rate, and was relatively new. We picked the Aloft over the equally new Four Points SeaTac as the Four Points is among the last in the hotel row and further away.

We headed outside SeaTac to locate the shuttle bus row. The hotel webpage advertised a free shuttle, which was on a request basis. MrsWT73 called the number on the website by cell but was unable to get through. I lined up at the courtesy phone with about 4 other grandmas but I also wasn’t able to get through; I ended up with endless ringing. Thankfully, the bus driver rolled up in a new van. The shuttle did not appear to be shared with any other hotels. The shuttle driver was friendly, and offered a drive to nearby restaurants or the local casino on request after arriving to the hotel.



On arrival at the new Aloft SeaTac, you get the opportunity to notice things that aren’t always readily visible on the website. This version of surprise happened to be an elevated subway running directly next to the hotel. Thankfully, it was not too noisy or disruptive and aside from the eye sore, we didn’t even notice it.





After we headed inside, the sole front desk agent appeared to be overworked and multitasking. He had phones ringing and 2 in line ahead of us dealing with some issue. He was friendly and assigned us a “quiet” room, away from the train.

On check in, we were assigned #424. As with most Aloft’s, there are limited upgrade opportunities as most rooms are identical. The only upgrade here appears to be a corner room. On one corner, there is an elevated train outside your window so I don’t know how much of an upgrade that really is.

We headed up to the room where we located the standard Aloft room design. The room was identical to my last Aloft stay at the Aloft Munich. I have to say that the Alofts are among the most consistent brand out of most of the Marriott / Starwood portfolio. You always know exactly what you’re going to get from them whenever you stay. The room had the usual hand drawn local art that featured the local area.











The property participates in Make a Green Choice, although that’s a lot less meaningful these days thanks to the lower point values earned.



Since it was 8 PM and neither of us had a proper dinner, we headed down the W XYZ bar within the hotel. Since there weren’t many restaurants around the Aloft, the W XYZ bar was quite busy. While it didn’t offer a full menu, it did offer some small snacks.











I ended up with an Out of Office craft beer for $5 USD, and 5 large Korean BBQ chicken wings with a small child size side of White Cheddar Macaroni and Cheese for $13 USD. It wasn’t substantial enough to replace a full dinner but was reasonable for a late night munchie snack. If you’re looking for an American portioned sized dinner, I would plan to eat elsewhere.





The lobby featured several pool tables and board games for entertainment.

There was also what appeared to be an interesting time capsule by the front door dated January 2018, when I assumed that the hotel opened.



The room was fairly quiet; save the occasional jet engine blast. The rooms didn’t seem to have too much sound proofing but it didn’t interfere with the quality of sleep all that much.

We were up the next day at 4 AM for our departure. Down in the lobby at 4:30 AM, the shuttle driver was waiting for us. The check out was handled promptly and without any issues. While I would have preferred to use the check out within the App, we’ve had major issues getting stays to post to Marriott Bonvoy so we’ve taken to the interim measure of getting a printed hard copy and an email copy until Marriott ups their game in taking care of their customers and the billing issues

In conclusion, the Aloft was a reasonable stay in a newer property. The only drawbacks were the limited food and beverage available on the property and that it did not appear all too walkable to other points of interest. Otherwise, it was a great stop for a short stay.

worldtraveller73

Alaska Airlines
AS 210 – First Class
SEA – SJD (Seattle Tacoma International – Los Cabos International)
April 17, 2019
6:45 AM – 12:05 PM
Booked: Boeing 737-800
Flown: Boeing 737-900

At the time of booking, Alaska had three seasonal flights a day from Seattle to San Jose del Cabo. There was lots of upgrade space available (U fare class) at the time of our booking, and we were able to secure a First Class Seat thanks to MVP Gold Guest upgrades without much difficulty.



We arrived to the airport at about 4:50 AM and located the TSA Pre-Check security screening. The screening was remarkably efficient today at this hour and we were through in less than 5 minutes.

We headed to the American Express Centurion Lounge in Seattle. We arrived at a few minutes past 5 AM. For the first time at this location, we were able to get straight in without a wait.

Breakfast was reasonable and consisted of Mushroom and Leek baked pastry turnovers, sliced salami and tomatoes and sourdough bread toasted with fresh coffee and orange juice. Admittedly, it was one of the better breakfasts’ I’d had in a lounge in quite a while. The bar was closed and shuttered so we didn’t have the opportunity to have any pre-departure celebratory cocktails.

At about T-50, we left the lounge to head over to the N Gates. We stopped by Dufry Duty Free in the C gates area to collect duty free for Mexico. To my knowledge, thanks to the renovation and expansion at the N Gates, there are no Duty Free outlets in the N terminal (only C and S terminals) so we made sure to take advantage.

We took the train over to the N Gates which is in a separate building and terminal all together. It’s also the site of Alaska’s major expansion into 5 new gates and the location of their new Flagship lounge on the second floor which remains under construction. Hopefully, it will be worth it when its all done, as it’s a pain in the tail to get out there.







The boarding process was quite disorganized for today’s flight. They eliminated the elite lane in favor of a passport check at boarding which caused quite a bit of confusion. Dozens of children and families boarded first, along with several people needing “assistance” that appeared perfectly able, to walk down the jet bridge. This was then followed by first class.

On board, we settled into the usual Alaska 2-2 configuration featuring the old first class barca lounger seats and the old cabin decor. This wasn’t necessarily a bad thing as the newer Recaro seats appear to be much tighter on the leg room than the old configuration.





The usual bottle of Dasani Water was available on the seat. A pre-departure of orange juice or coffee was offered. I ended up with the coffee which was served in a paper cup.



We ended up underway about twenty minutes behind schedule. We taxied out and were up into the Seattle rain and clouds quickly. It wasn’t long before we were passing through the clouds and had a great view of Mt Rainer and Mt St Helens completely surrounded by low cloud cover.





A drink order was offered as we got to altitude. The glasses were quite tiny. Landing cards for Mexico were also passed out.







There’s no in flight entertainment other than what is offered through the GoGo Inflight Entertainment App. There is a generic printed menu in the outback pocket that highlights drinks and features which wasn’t too interesting.







I took the opportunity earlier to pre-order the entrée on the Alaska Flight via the Alaska App. The choices were an Gruyere omelet or a cheese plate. At about 40 minutes into the flight, the omelet was served. In true Alaska (and other US carrier traditions) the Omelet was pretty thin in size and thin on substance. I was happy that I had eaten earlier in the lounge. Alaska Airlines is usually very light on meals up front and today was no exception.



Since a light meal doesn’t last very long, the rest of the food and beverage for the flight included a Gin and Tonic and packaged nuts.



There was great scenery on the way down, transitioning from mountains down to some interesting desert like scenery as we approached the runway.





We touched down in Mexico and parked at a non gate position. There was lots of heat when we stepped out onto the apron.



There were lots of vendors for rental cars, including the Hertz desk inside the secure baggage area pre-customs. I went over to inquire while we were waiting for checked bags, but they only had my name on a printed list; told to go outside. There was also a small duty free on arrival.



After collecting our bags, we went through Customs. Mexico still has the system (green or red). Thankfully green today and we were outside before we knew it. The Alaska Airlines First Class service is stuck in a bit of a time warp. Although it's a more comfortable way to get around, no one will ever mistake it for international first class on a wide body carrier.

worldtraveller73

JW Marriott Los Cabos
Umey Suite, Corner Room

I had picked this resort as it looked to be fairly new. It didn’t have a lot of on line reviews in this forum, but it seemed to meet all the needs for a luxury resort; beachfront, nice rooms and a cool vibe. I further applied a Suite Night award which cleared into an Umey Suite, Corner Room. I am happy to report that it was one of the best upgrades I’ve ever had in over 420 nights in this program with 6 years at Platinum.



I happened to check earlier in the day and the Umey Suite was being offered for over $800 USD; quite an upgrade from our $300 USD rate.



Since the SJD airport is well out of town, it was a choice to take either a hotel van to the resort or rent a car for our 5 day stay. Both were about the same price. I read advice on line to get a car as the resort was also quite a ways out of town and not having a car would limit your off resort transportation and dining options. This turned out to be very valid advice.

As we walked out, we located a person with a Hertz Sign outside similar to the limo drivers. We were led to a Hertz van and taken 3 minutes off the airport grounds to a light industrial complex immediately off the airport property where all the car rental outfits were situated.

The car rental was handled promptly and we were led into a warehouse to inspect the car. The first attendant, whom I thought was a Hertz attendant handling our car inspection started with an upsell for a golf course visit in exchange for a $100 USD discount off the price of the car. I knew there were time share sales in Mexico but I didn’t anticipate it to start right in the middle of the Hertz office. LOL. We were then passed off to another representative to go over the car. As with rentals in Africa, there was a though inspection, including check of the spare tire and related equipment. Since the attendant was with me every step of the way, I was extra careful to have every nick and scratch no matter how minor and even those the size of a dime, entered onto the scratch sheet. This later paid off in a much speedier return. I got the impression that the staff had been instructed to be super through with marks. It was perhaps another form of ancillary revenue...

We rolled out off the lot in a new white and Hertz stickered VW Vento (similar to a smaller Jetta) and drove the 30 minutes down to San Jose Del Cabo. Showing my age, despite having printed Google Maps, we had a little difficulty with the street signs since they weren’t well posted. We ended up using Google Maps online just to be safe.





We arrived to the hotel and were checked in. We were offered a complimentary drink while we awaited the process. MrsWT73 selected margaritas, which were produced from the bar after a few moments. There was a check in offer for an upsell to the Griffin Club, which consisted of a fully catered lounge with alcohol for certain periods of the day. Knowing that the value of the upsell was approximately $250 USD per day (in advance), I didn’t even get to confirming the last minute upgrade price. We were also introduced to Julio the Marriott Bonvoy (hotel) Ambassador, who offered his services throughout the stay.





We were escorted to the Umey Suite in Building A. We were assigned room #A501, which was a top floor Umey Suite. The suite was simply massive and easily the best return on investment on a Suite Night Award that I’ve ever experienced.







Yeah, this will work…







The room offered a completely separate bedroom.

The attached bathroom was massive and featured two separate sink areas. There was also a sitting area in the bathroom. The toiletries were Bulvgari branded.









There was also an entry way full bathroom with 2nd shower.





There was a fully stocked bar (at cost) and the usual coffee makers.





The icing on the cake was the wrap around deck with 3 seating areas; living chair and lounger, table and chairs, and two private loungers.







Unfortunately, the view of the abandoned and deserted next door hotel wasn’t all that great. Perhaps the quiet element of a deserted property made up for any noise of having neighbors. On the other hand, it wouldn’t be Mexico without these types of things.



Aside from that, it was a pretty great view from the room, made even better by MrsWT73’s self catered bottle from duty free.







The hotel offered turn down service every night, along with a bottle water replenish and JW Marriott bedtime chocolates. This made MrsWT73 very happy.

The next day, we set out to explore and spend some time at the resort. We started the day with a Platinum Breakfast benefit. The hotel offered a beautiful buffet with lots of selection, but in the usual Marriott cheapness of the Bonvoy Reward program, Platinums don’t get access to the full buffet. Keeping to the letter of the terms and conditions, Platinums get offered a smaller continental breakfast of teas, coffees and pastries. The upsell for the buffet breakfast was $20 USD per person; which we didn’t partake during our stay. I found the upset price a bit steep, as a elite. The best part was the patio dining outside every morning; pretty much the only part of the holiday where we actually had to wait for a table. Fifty nights will get you this:



Along with the inside breakfast buffet











The hotel offered separate family and adult pool areas. The family pool area offered three separate tiered pools and one saltwater pool that we didn’t get the opportunity, nor desire, to get over to visit.

Since WT73jr opted to stay at home with the previous administration on this trip, we ended up setting up camp in the adult pool area. It offered a shady swim up bar that was set up every day. The staff at the pool were very attentive and world class. I was addressed as Mr.WT73 at each and every opportunity; even on days when we weren’t ordering food. We never had to save any chairs or otherwise get down early to find a place to sit.











The hotel offered a roof top bar (actually on lobby level). The concept was great; beverages under the stars. Unfortunately, we never got an opportunity to try it. The bar closed at 8:30 PM every night and we were otherwise enjoying sunset on the Umey Suite deck or off property. The grounds around the roof top bar were quite nice and a pleasantly landscaped use of space.















The whole resort offered a very contemporary feel and vibe. Some may not like the look and feel but I enjoyed the sleek profile of the resort.









It’s worth commenting about the beach. The hotel is elevated off the beach and you need to access stairs to get down to it. The beach itself is nothing special. Aside from a quick visit for photos, we didn’t actually spend any time down here, despite some chairs and loungers being set up there every day. The water isn’t that attractive and flags were up every day of our visit prohibiting swimming in this area.











In addition to the roof top bar, the lobby bar offered seating outside overlooking the infinity pond. There were ample liquors, spirits and tequila. Everything was around $20 USD per drink by the time you added taxes tip and service. We ended up on our beautiful deck instead for private sundowners instead of spending any time down here.

worldtraveller73

JW Marriott Los Cabos
Deluxe Ocean Facing View

Our plan was to stay 5 nights, but about mid way through the trip, I realized that for some reason I had only made a hotel reservation for 4 nights in the chaos that is our usual everyday lives. Since we had applied Suite Night Awards that had cleared, I was hoping that with another 1 night reservation AND another Suite Night Award, they would be able to clear into the Umey Suite again and we wouldn’t have to move out of the comfortable furnishings. Unfortunately, our luck didn’t hold out and the Suite Night Award failed to clear and was returned to us. As a result, we got “downgraded” to the usual Platinum upgrade. I’m not sure whether we were lucky getting cleared into the Umey Suite or whether they were expecting guests. Despite this, the hotel was showing the same suite available for sale that night on both revenue stays and points stays. There wasn’t any way that I was going to spend 188,000 bonvoy points (equal to 62,000 airline miles!) for the room so we just accepted the downgrade.



The usual Platinum Upgrade is, as reported on many review websites, not so exciting or special. The hotel lists 299 rooms (45 of them in the Griffin Club area) and I would estimate that less than 20-30 of them our suites (based on 5 per floor and 5 floors in the Umey building A). As a result, I get the impression the hotel does not hand out many suite upgrades. Since almost all the rooms appear to have the same configuration and size, the strategy then becomes how much co-pay do you put on your room reservation so that you have a water view versus a partial water view versus no view. At any rate, our upgrade appeared to be among the highest floors and best water views. Having said that, it’s a substantial downgrade from the Umey Suites.

Getting to the room, we ended up with an Ocean Facing View. It is a standard room on a high floor with a distant ocean view. This isn’t to say that the room is bad; rather, it’s just a standard almost brand new hotel room in the typical rectangle with a nice but smallish deck.

We got immediate access to room C405, which is at the bottom of the U on an almost top floor. First impressions were that it’s much smaller than the Umey Suite…









I still can’t complain about the view… not a wrap around deck but certainly nothing to complain about…





The view could easily be appreciated with the small deck, that we ended up using more since the room was much smaller…





The bathroom was much smaller of course, and of the usual hotel room variety. At least it had two sinks, which always is a help.



The room had a pay mini bar that was well stocked. There was also a Nespresso coffeemaker that was nice to have, but we never used.







Overall, we had a really nice stay at the property. It was good to very good and we’d probably return. On the plus side, the place is super slick and sophisticated. It’s easy to get a beach chair and it’s spacious enough that you don’t have to run around to save chairs; nor did it ever feel crowded. Unfortunately, aside from the awesome Umey Suite Night Award (which was spectacular), I didn’t understand the cheap breakfast which is unlike our other Starwood experiences like the Sheraton Maui where they are providing full breakfasts even for families of 3. You’d get a better breakfast in a Residence Inn without any status than here. The general Platinum upgrades aren’t all too special either. Both of these things left me scratching my head a bit. Still, the hotel remains an interesting option for those coming from the United States and we’d probably stay here again if we were through this corner of the world again.

FriscoHeavy

We just got back from a Cabo on Thursday. We go annually and have stayed at the JW about 4 times now.

It’s an absolute gem.

Just a couple of observations:

1. the word you were looking for with the rental car is ‘thorough’ 😁

2. We venture out to supper every night when there and though it’s out in the boonies, there isn’t a need for a rental car. With taxi vans and Uber, you can get anywhere. We take them all the way to San Lucas, 45 minutes away.

Now, we we got back 3 days ago and ready to go back. The JW Los Cabos is heaven on Earth and very affordable. Because it’s off the beaten path, it tends to not be very busy, which is great. The hotel is now 4 years old.

Thanks for sharing!

nequine

WOW at the hotel you stayed in, talk about stunning! But yikes at the points for the final night - I wouldn't have used them either and although the second room is smaller it certainly had the better view! Yikes though at the price of a drink... that is a rip off!

offerendum

I like the pool area

757

Wow, love the views from the JW. Looks like a great property. My wife and I stayed at the one in Austin a few years ago, and we loved the hotel. Looking forward to the rest of your report!

flyingfkb

The room at the aloft at SEATAC looks identically to the rooms at the aloft in Stuttgart Germany. The bed, the desk even the bathroom is almost identically. Only difference that in Stuttgart the room had curtains and above the bed was a picture of Stuttgart scenery. It is the the same with the lobby bar. Wonder if all aloft properties are this identical.

worldtraveller73

San Jose Del Cabo,
Mexico

Cabo San Lucas is split into several areas. The more popular harbor is down at Cabo San Lucas. Most attractions and cruise ships pull through here. After we got tired of eating JW Marriott resort food, we headed to the nearby San Jose Del Cabo. It’s a charming square filled with night entertainment after dark. It doesn’t stay open super late in our experience; most areas were sewn up tight by 10:30 PM. Still, it makes for an interesting side adventure off the hotel grounds. We self drove ourselves down to the town, about 13 minutes or 7 kilometers from the property. I’m not really sure how the parking worked. We couldn’t find much street parking; so I paid the “lot attendant” $7 USD to park (and presumably watch “South African style”) the car for the evening. The parking was a bit steep but the savings of tourist zone food prices versus resort prices alone made up for the difference.









Street entertainers



We took in dinner at Mi Cocina; a charming open air patio restaurant with a view of not all too much. Despite this, the food was pretty good.







I went for the fresh oysters “Sol Azul” from Baja California with the classic mignonette salsla, japanese yuzu salsa and Mexican salsa. Part of me thought to play it safe, but then the other part said that you only live once and that you should just eat it and enjoy. MrsWT73 played it save (and didn’t have any) so I was on my own to enjoy.



I was happily chomping way not even noticing the camera…



I did an off menu special for the main course… an absolutely massive fish taco plate that had guacamole, shrimp, fish and local spices. It was terrific and absolutely filling.



I’d easily return here, the service was warm and the pace relaxed. Overall, it was nice to have a little taste of Mexico close to the hotel. We enjoyed wandering the streets of this area after the days in the sun.

worldtraveller73

Whale Shark Snorkelling,
La Paz, Mexico.

Like every household, there are certain rules you come to understand about your partner. In our household, after making decisions all day at work, MrsWT73 doesn’t like to make any major decisions (including dinner decisions) between 4 – 8 PM. I have come to navigate around the dinner issues but usually save the major travel decisions until the weekend if it can be at all avoided. After reading a travel article from the Vancouver Sun newspaper about whale shark diving in Mexico, much to my surprise after a spring skiing weekend in Whistler with just WT73jr and myself, having driven down from a 2 hour drive from Whistler to Surrey, it was announced by MrsWT73 and I were going to go snorkeling with the whale sharks and we needed to book “now”.

Our tour with Cabo Adventures collected us from the JW Marriott at 6:35 AM. Our minibus was already full of about 10 other passengers. We transferred into Cabo San Lucas which took the better part of 45 minutes. The harbor was all quiet on arrival this morning; a nice respite from the usual frenetic party pace of the harbor.



After we were checked in at their headquarters right on the harbor of Cabos San Lucas after about a 10 minute wait, we were loaded into a proper motor coach to head for a 90 minute drive north to La Paz. We were provided an early breakfast sandwich and juice box which was a pleasant surprise as we were too early to make the hotel breakfast.

The drive was quite scenic as it rolled into the desert. We had an order of business briefing and a safety briefing from the guides who were with us the whole way up from Cabo. After about 20 minutes of instructions, we were left to relax the rest of the way. I was able to nap a little bit from the early morning departure.

On arrival into La Paz, we arrived to the Cabo Adventures headquarters. We got fitted for a wetsuit and headed for the short walk over to the marina.





We were separated up into boats and got ready for the day ahead. This meant getting through the red tape of Mexican bureaucracy. We were fitted with government grey wristbands and had to queue to get into the waterpark.







A brief snapshot of where sharks can be found, in season...



We idled in boats as there were only 10 persons allowed per boat, and only a set number of boats to be allowed in the park. When we arrived at about 11 AM, we were number 8 in the queue. The whole affair was policed by officials in boats which actually paid us a visit, and an enforcement drone which we never saw but was reported to be around with our guides.

After about 30 minutes wait bobbing up and down, it was finally our turn to head in and enter the park. Per local authorities, our permit limited us to 2 hrs float time inside the park. After the entry, our guides were then tasked with locating a whale shark for us. It took a little time, probably about 15 minutes. Although not guaranteed, the guide did indicate that they had a 100% success rate this season. We had two relays of 5 persons each with our sole guide being in the water for each interaction.







When we got up close, it was pretty amazing to see these creatures up close and personal. They were absolutely massive!! Even I was hesitant about getting in front of them. However, they just seemed to take it all in stride. I was surprised to see that they did not shy away from our human visitors. Pictures from the GoPro…











We had about 3 jumps of about 5 minutes each. It was quite tiring swimming with them; it took about 80% effort of a front crawl for about 5-7 minutes at a time. We would rest then the second relay would take over.













After we timed out of our two hour slot, we ended up heading back towards the La Paz Marina.







A great photo of a day of accomplishments.

We were the last boat out of the three for our tour group to return to the harbour. At about 2:30 PM, we changed out of the wetsuits. There were showers available but I didn’t bother since it appeared many were waiting for us. We hopped back on the bus and headed to a local Italian restaurant for lunch as a group. Tacos were served; they weren’t of the Italian variety.

After the caloric burning of our day, we climbed aboard the bus back to Cabo San Lucas. It was another 90 minutes or so until we were back at the Cabo Adventures Headquarters on the harbor, then another 45 minutes until we were dropped off at the hotel at about 7 PM.



In summary, the Whale Shark Snorkeling day trip through Cabo Adventures was a great experience and a memorable opportunity. I’m not usually one for group tours but the staff at Cabo Adventures treated us well. It also didn’t feel too much like a larger group experience as we were split into smaller groups for the entire day.

We returned to the hotel and enjoyed sundowner drinks on the wrap around deck of the large Umey Suite. There doesn’t seem to be much in the way of spectacular sunsets on the East Coast of Cabo, since most of the sun dips over on the west side.









All in all a great day and we were happy to take in the attractions of the Whale Sharks. The photos don't do it as much justice as the large creatures actually are. It's something that I'll certainly remember for some time to come.

worldtraveller73

Cabo San Lucas,
Mexico

After our last beach day, we self drove the 40 km from San Jose del Cabo into Cabo San Lucas. Having never been able to complete an extended driving trip from Vancouver to Cabo San Lucas in 1992, I was keen to actually see the end game. It was a 45 minute drive and 36 kilometers down Mexico 1 from the JW Marriott to the harbor.







We found a local parking lot and arrived at around 5 PM. I picked up a ticket from a manned attendant but didn’t get asked to pay in advance. Surprisingly, the ticket man left from the kiosk by the time we got back to the car and so we didn’t end up having to pay. They don’t seem to have pay machines set up here yet so we ended up "ahead" this time.

The sun had already slipped behind the mountains by this time. The Cabo San Lucas harbor was everything you’d imagine in a tourist town; drink specials, touts, and a luxury mall. You could call it everything right and wrong about holiday towns and you wouldn’t be all too far off.



















We wandered around the harbor, doing a little souvenir shopping. MrsWT73 had a mandatory stop at Phat Tuesdays for a little Americana slushie madness. I abstained from the walking cocktail as I was driving.







We had some nice light as we wandered around. It was beautiful but most of the mountains blocked the horizon as the sun slipped down for the day.





For dinner, we ended up an another often described tourist trap of the Cabo Wabo Cantina. It was owned and founded by former Van Halen lead vocalist Sammy Hagar. Having been a large Van Halen fan throughout the years, I was happy to visit for a $15 USD margarita. We started outside in the patio area.









I was a little taco’ed out by this time so I just opted for a burger which was surprisingly tasty.



MrsWT73 decided unannounced and unplanned (as it happens in real life) that she was going on the "rowdy train" tonight. While she enjoyed a Cabo Wabo Tequila shot and a few more margarita’s, I stuck to a Modelo Especiale beer as I had to drive. We enjoyed the band started around 9 PM; playing some well known covers. They were good enough that they had almost half the bar dancing. MrsWT73 getting frisky with the camera.



We ended up leaving around 10:30 PM; just as the bar really started getting going. The inner bar had a much larger stage set up for real rock and rolling! I’d love to be back here when a decent band was playing as the place is really set up for it.







All in all, it was a great overall visit to Cabo San Lucas. It's an interesting destination that I am sure will continue to develop over time. I'd be a bit hard pressed to chose it over my beloved Hawaii since they're about the same distance from the West Coast of Canada but if you happen to be in the southern portion of the United States, this place could be the quick get away that you're looking for.

worldtraveller73

Thanks for the minor edits and the tips on Uber, cslovacek. I agree with you that the property doesn't seem to be too busy.

There's nothing like an expensive resort holiday; although we've tended to self cater for the drinks nequine. With a deck like that, how could you not?

Thanks offerendum; you've been busy on the road yourself...

Thank you 757. It was a pretty good stay. I will have to check out the JW in Austin. The only other JW we've stayed at was in Phuket; it was also a great stay.

The Aloft's always seem to have exactly the same rooms and configurations in my experience flyingfkb. It's both a plus and a minus. Fortunately, they're all usually about the same level of upkeep and they are very rarely run down.