Mexico

Relish a Radish? Come to Oaxaca

Published February 20, 2025 | By Clark Norton

By Robert Waite

Oaxaca, Mexico – I have a confession to make. I tend to shy away from places whose names aren’t obvious to pronounce, much like someone might hesitate to order acai berries at a smoothie stand.

Oaxaca is one of those places. Hence, I have been to a dozen or more spots in Mexico but never ventured there. Until now.

I was lured by the city’s annual one-of-a-kind Noche de los Robanos (Radishes) festival, along with Oaxaca’s reputation as a stellar foodie destination and cultural center. Its reliably mild December weather was a bonus.

The language enablers were my Santa Monica-based daughter and her husband. Not only do they know how to pronounce Oaxaca – waa-haa-kuh – but some members of his family hail from there.

Oaxaca, with a population of about 700,000, is located in Mexico’s far south. At an elevation of 5,102 feet,… Continue reading →

Posted in Baby boomer travel, cultural travel, Mexico, Uncategorized | Tagged Mexico, Noche de las Robanos, Oaxaca, Radish Festival | 4 Comments

Don’t Give Up on Travel to Mexico

Published April 2, 2018 | By Clark Norton

The beach at Rocky Point. Photo from Visit Rocky Point.

Mexican tourism has suffered some blows recently, with tourist favorites Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Cabo San Lucas, and Oaxaca among areas beset by reports of violence, some against foreign travelers.

Six Mexican states are on the U.S. State Department’s “Do Not Travel” list, along with the likes of Syria and Yemen.

On the other hand, our family — my wife, two adult children, their significant others, and one grandchild — enjoyed a very relaxing three days in the Sonoran town of Rocky Point a few weeks ago, renting a beach house, gorging on fresh seafood, tamales, and guacamole, taking long beach walks, and admiring the sunsets over the Sea of Cortez.

One of our most memorable experiences was being greeted as we arrived by a man who introduced himself as the owner of Peter’s Tamales (his business card for Mexicans… Continue reading →

Posted in Baby boomer travel, Mexico | Tagged Mexico travel, Peter's Tamales, Rocky Point Mexico | 2 Comments

According to government and private surveys:

Leading-edge baby boomers (born between 1946 and 1955) and seniors account for four out of every five dollars spent on luxury travel today.
Roughly half the consumer spending money in the U.S.--more than $2 trillion--is in the hands of leading-edge baby boomers and seniors.
Baby boomers (born 1946-1964) travel more than any other age group.
When asked what they would most like to spend their money on, baby boomers answered “travel” more than any other category, including improving their health or finances.