Cruise ship arrivals fell by 11 percent in 2010, the Mexican government reported. On the bright side, a new route has opened from Galveston to Veracruz and on to Progreso in Yucatan.
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Jimm Budd
Reporting from Mexico City
Member of the Society of American Travel Writers
Income from tourism declined by 10.6 percent during the first two months of 2011, according to figures released by Mexico’s central bank. After the announcement yesterday about the U.S. State Department discouraging travel to an increasing number of Mexican states, the information should come as no surprise. The total figure came to slightly more than $2 billion. Individual tourism spending also declined by 5.8 percent to an average of $47 per day per person.
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Jimm Budd
Reporting from Mexico City
Member of the Society of American Travel Writers
The U.S. State Department has added Jalisco, Nayarit, San Luis Potosi, Sonora and Zacatecas to its list of states in Mexico where travel should be avoided. Puerto Vallarta is in Jalisco and the increasingly popular Riviera Nayarit in Nayarit. Other states included in the list are Tamaulipas and Michoacán plus parts of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Sinaloa, Durango, Baja California and Nuevo Leon. Violence is the result of gangs of narcotics smugglers fighting for control in these various areas. They shoot at each other and anybody else who may be in the way.
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Jimm Budd
Reporting from Mexico City
Member of the Society of American Travel Writers
Fear of bullets kept many away from Acapulco during Easter Week, usually the busiest time of the year for the resort destination. Nor were fears unjustified. Drug runners, fighting with each other, left more than a dozen bodies strewn around some of the most popular tourist areas. Then the Navy (local police are too frightened) moved in to round up those gunmen they could catch. Mexico City benefitted. Many residents decided to stay at home and often played host to out-of-town visitors. Although almost all businesses were closed as of last Thursday, there was no indication that churches were especially crowded, but nearly two million people showed up for the traditional Passion Play in the Ixtapalapa neighborhood.
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Jimm Budd
Reporting from Mexico City
Member of the Society of American Travel Writers
According to El Sol de Tijuana, the U. S. Government is agreeable to allowing the Tijuana Airport to also serve San Diego. A pedestrian bridge — with customs and immigration stations at either end — would connect the two facilities. Lindbergh Field in San Diego can grow no further and is unable to handle wide-body jets. The Tijuana Airport terminal lies literally across the street from the international border. The idea of a binational airport has been bandied about for years.
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Jimm Budd
Reporting from Mexico City
Member of the Society of American Travel Writers
Fonatur, the federal tourism development that gave Mexico Cancun, Los Cabos and more, has canceled its planned development at Costa Lara on the Gulf of Mexico coast. Reason given is lack of funds, but Costa Lara also lies in Tamaulipas, the violence-plagued state south of east Texas.
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Jimm Budd
Reporting from Mexico City
Member of the Society of American Travel Writers
The Mexican Navy plans to take over the aging Acapulco Convention Center, converting it into a command center. The Navy has a base in Acapulco, but needs larger quarters now that it has the responsibility for combating organized crime in the area. The center originally was built for the 1971 convention of the American Society of Travel Agents and later was the venue for the annual Tianguis Turistico trade show. Efforts to keep it going as a convention center or entertainment center with cafes, restaurants and night clubs generally have been unsuccessful.
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Jimm Budd
Reporting from Mexico City
Member of the Society of American Travel Writers
Story & Photos By Stan Wawer
The dark, cold early morning silence was interrupted by the gargling sound of thousands of sandhill cranes. The snow from a mid-March storm the night before crunched under my feet as I followed the path to a photographer’s blind. The closer I got to the blind, the louder the noise.
I knew from the moment I boarded my flight to Kearney, Nebraska this was going to be something special. I had come to Kearney to witness the migration of the sandhill crane, which has been doing this migratory thing since the age of the dinosaurs. I hunkered down in the blind on the banks of the Platte River waiting anxiously for the sun to rise.
It was 27 degrees in the blind but the anticipation of what I was about to witness kept me warm. All I could see from the blind at 6:30 a.m. was this eerie shadow that stretched seemingly forever along the shore of the Platte. As the sun began to peek over the horizon, the shadows became more distinctive. Every available sandbar was overloaded with sandhill cranes.
The sight of the cranes taking off at sunrise is impressive — a few, then an entire sandbar, then several sandbars as thousands and thousands of cranes rise in waves until they fill the sky. They make parachute landings in the cornfields where they spend the day fueling up for their migration north and in turn helping the farmers by feeding on the dead corn. Shortly after the cranes leave, the farmers plow their fields and get ready for planting in May. When they finally head north they will ride the thermals and go about 350 miles a day. I think that’s how the old joke started — “I just flew in from Kearney and boy are my arms tired!”
Between 600,000 and 700,000 sandhill cranes spend about six weeks in this region prior to making their migratory trek to Canada, Alaska and Siberia.
They start arriving in Kearney near the end of February or the first week of March. The first to arrive are the first to leave. The crane migration north is the largest migration in the world, according to a Rowe Sanctuary & The Iain Nicolson Audubon Center volunteer.
Cranes mate for life. Males pick a partner in the winter before they turn 3. The youngsters tag along on the first trip to learn the migration route. Adult sandhill cranes are distinguishable by their red cap.
The sandhill crane migration means about $10 million to the local economy. Photo blinds go for $25 to $150. The $150 blind is an all-nighter. Maximum capacity is two people and each blind is equipped with small porta-potties. I spent my second morning in a cornfield blind with a guide and another photographer. The cranes mostly come from New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma.
Cranes are omnivores, eating both meat and plants. Their diet is made up of around 80 percent waste corn and 20 percent insects, mice, snakes, frogs and plants. They eat about 1,600 tons of waste corn. The life span of a crane is 25 years or more and as long as 34 years in captivity. The lesser crane averages about 41 inches in height with a wingspan of 73 inches. The great sandhill is about 46 inches, with a 77-inch wingspan. They fly 30 to 50 mph. Some fly more than 10,000 miles annually at altitudes of 3,000 to 5,000 feet. Most of the cranes on the Platte River are lesser cranes. They roost and sleep on sandbars covered with shallow water and surrounded by deeper water, which acts as an alarm from predators. The main predator is the bald eagle. Second is the coyote.
Sandhill cranes pass through the Nebraska Platte River Valley heading northward every year during the annual spring and fall migrations. They migrate through an 80-mile-wide “flyway” stretch along the Platte River from near Grand Island to west of Kearney. It is estimated that about 80 percent of the world's population of sandhill cranes do an annual migration layover in this area of the Platte River. The Platte Valley area has great habitat for many types of birds, including bald eagles.
The spring migration usually begins on the Platte River in late February, peaks in mid March, and has a mass exodus in mid April. The fall migration covers a longer period — September through December, peaking between late October and early November — but they don’t hang around like they do in the spring. The stays are mostly overnight on the Platte River as the cranes head south to warmer weather.
For more information, go to the Rowe Sanctuary Website at www.rowesanctuary.org.
Kearney is on the north bank of the Platte River in central Nebraska. It is 1,733 miles from San Francisco and 1,733 miles from Boston. It runs along Highway 30 (the Old Lincoln Highway) and is five hours to Denver.
If you go
United Airlines flies from Ontario to Denver. Transfer to Kearney by twin-engine aircraft.
Lodging
Kearney has numerous hotels and motels. I stayed at the Best Western Inn and Suites (308-234-2541). Breakfast and wireless Internet included. Fitness center and pool.
What to wear
It’s cold in the early morning in March. Wear the warmest clothing you have, including thermal underwear. Wear the warmest shoes or boots. I wore my hiking boots with thermal socks. Warm mittens or gloves. If you are taking pictures (and that’s pretty much a must) wear gloves. No flash photography, flashlights or cell phones. Bring a video camera if you want to capture all the sights and sounds.
Other sights around Kearney
The Great Platte River Road Archway, which spans 1-80. This place is fantastic. See the trials and triumphs of the trappers, pioneers, 49ers and Pony Express that passed through this area on their way West (www.archway.org).
Fort Kearny, named for Col. Stephen Watts Kearny, was built in 1848 to protect those journeying west along the Oregon Trail.
There is also the Museum of Nebraska Art, the Nebraska Firefighters Museum and Education Center and the Trails and Rails Museum.
All information is accurate at the time of publication but prices, dates and other details are all subject to change. Confirm all information before making any travel arrangements.
During what might be called its maiden voyage, the Ocean Star Pacific suffered a fire in a generator. Passengers had to abandon ship and be flown home from Huatulco. Billed as the first Mexican cruise ship, the Ocean Star received devastating press coverage as journalists revealed that the vessel is 40 years old, registered in Panama and crewed by non-Mexicans. Apparently life boats could not be launched and it required nearly a day to disembark the some 500 passengers on board. The public relations firm that had invited writers on a pre-inaugural cruise has announced it no longer represents the cruise line. Whether the agency quit or was fired has yet to be revealed.
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Jimm Budd
Reporting from Mexico City
Member of the Society of American Travel Writers
In an initial public offering, Aeroméxico placed 17 percent of its stock on the market last week, raising about 3.9 billion pesos ($332 million). Shares, offered at 31 pesos each, were purchased by some 3,000 investors, although the price had dropped a few centavos by the end of trading on Friday. Aeroméxico sold the stock to finance the planned acquisition of 10 Boeing 737s and another ten Embrear aircraft as it moves to expands it routes. Meanwhile, American Airlines is interested financially in helping presently grounded Mexicana Airlines get back in the air.
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Jimm Budd
Reporting from Mexico City
Member of the Society of American Travel Writers
Mexico takes its own spring break starting today. Schools will be closed during the next two weeks although government offices and banks only stop working on Thursday and Friday. Nonetheless, everyone who can will be heading for a beach somewhere and cities will be more or less deserted. Or possibly not. Mexico City authorities say they are expecting more than 3.2 million out-of-towners to come visiting next week.
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Jimm Budd
Reporting from Mexico City
Member of the Society of American Travel Writers
According to a report published recently in the newspaper Reforma, the Mexico City government spent $1.8 million in 2010 and $1.4 million in 2009 in an effort to improve its image. One result is the web page www.mexicocityexperinec.com plus reports in major U.S. metropolitan newspapers, the result of invitations extended to journalists specializing in gastronomy, fashion, design, health and tourism. The promotion efforts were launched after the flu scare in early 2009.
Even so, Reforma reported that a study carried out by Weber Shandwick, a public relations firm, indicated how potential visitors are concerned about crime, general insecurity, fear of kidnaping and similar concerns. Of the 1.2 million foreigners who did visit the city, most told surveyors that they were pleasantly surprised by their experience.
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Jimm Budd
Reporting from Mexico City
Member of the Society of American Travel Writers
Los Cabos soon will be getting a Ritz Carlton along with a Cabo Riviera and a Hotel Delano, according to local tourism officials. Recent new arrivals include Gran Solmar Resort & Spa, and the Wyndham Cabo San Lucas Resort. The Cabo Riviera will include its own golf course with two more designed by Jack Nicklaus said to be in the works. Los Cabos now hopes to attract more Mexican tourists, who account for only 15 percent of the market.
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Jimm Budd
Reporting from Mexico City
Member of the Society of American Travel Writers
Hotel operator Posadas de México has announced its intention to invest $270 million to open 30 mid-priced Fiesta Inns in the years ahead. Of these, 10 should be open within the next 12 months. Part of the program calls for upgrading the image of Fiesta Inns. Posadas has several brands, including higher-priced Fiesta Americana, very high priced Agua and the economical One Hotels. The announcement came as Texas-based La Quinta declared that it will be coming into Mexico and low-priced City Express confirmed that it plans to open two more properties in Mexico City.
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Jimm Budd
Reporting from Mexico City
Member of the Society of American Travel Writers
In what were regarded as surprisingly strong words, President Felipe Calderon told local officials in Acapulco that if they want their Tianguis back, they better clean up their police force.
Acapulco has hosted the Tianguis Turístico trade show since 1976. Recently, however, Tourism Minister Gloria Guevara announced that in the future the annual event will be held in different destinations. As a result, Acapulco declared the minister persona non grata and the president heard complaints about the move when he addressed the National Bankers Convention, which always has been held in Acapulco and apparently always will be. It was in response to speeches by local officials that the president, in his address, mentioned the need to “purify” state and municipal law enforcement agencies.
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Jimm Budd
Reporting from Mexico City
Member of the Society of American Travel Writers
Not only has Acapulco lost its role as host for the annual Tianguis Turistico trade show, but it also has seen spring break business decline by a reported 90 percent. This year, Los Cabos apparently gained the most, although figures are not yet in. Cancun also reports what may have been record crowds of students taking a breather between university semesters. Some blame violent gang warfare for discouraging spring breakers from taking a break in Acapulco, but the real reason may be that Los Cabos and Cancun are easier and cheaper to reach, depending on your port of departure. Also, Acapulco is super retro. Most resorts in Cancun are fairly new and most in Cabos very new. Acapulco is where the Kennedys and Nixons honeymooned.
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Jimm Budd
Reporting from Mexico City
Member of the Society of American Travel Writers
Spending by international travelers using Visa cards increased by 12 percent in 2010, according to Eduardo Coello, general director of Visa in Mexico. Billing was up from four billion pesos in 2009 to 4.4 billion in 2010. Americans accounted for 3.1 billion of this total, followed by Canadians and Europeans. Biggest growth, however, came from South Americans. Brazilian spending increased 85 percent and Argentines spent 53 percent more in Mexico during 2010 than they had in 2009.
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Jimm Budd
Reporting from Mexico City
Member of the Society of American Travel Writers
Foreign investment in the hospitality industry declined from $4.2 billion in 2008 to $604 million in 2010, according to figures released by the Tourism Ministry. Various industry spokespersons, asked about this, agreed that the country’s poor image — the result of violence — is the biggest reason for the decline. Tourism Minister Gloria Guevara, visiting Durango, complained about travel warnings that have been issued by several countries. She said these needed to be reviewed more frequently. Reports about her comments were coupled with references of how the secretary drove about Durango in a convoy of 12 vehicles, most of these containing security personnel.
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Jimm Budd
Reporting from Mexico City
Member of the Society of American Travel Writers
The elegant chain of eight Quinta Real hotels has been acquired by Camino Real hotels, which, as a result, now operates 37 hotels with a total of 6,477 rooms. Of the 37, including eight in the Quinta Real group, 17 are owned by Camino Real, two rented and 10 operated under management contracts. Founded two decades ago, Quinta Real is known for its posh, handsomely decorated, top-of-the-line inns. With the acquisition, Camino Real becomes the largest hotel operator in the country.
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Jimm Budd
Reporting from Mexico City
Member of the Society of American Travel Writers
Families traveling on a budget this summer — and who isn’t? — might want to visit the town named for one of the world’s greatest showmen: Buffalo Bill Cody. Not only is it near Yellowstone National Park but Cody itself has so much to offer, and at such affordable prices, it might just be on the itinerary for next year, too.
Adults and kids will both find an abundance of entertainment that may also teach them more about the West, old and new. Take in a rodeo or visit a re-creation of an old Western town, admire fine art, tap those toes to some cowboy tunes or watch a mock gunfight in the street.
Here are some great, inexpensive ways to experience Cody this summer.
Cody Trolley Tour. This introductory and informative one-hour tour covers 22 miles and helps orient visitors to where things are and what they might like to go back to see. Offered only in the summer, the tour introduces the history, attractions, geology, wildlife and scenery for further exploration. Some fun audio clips are interspersed with the skills of entertaining live narrators. Admission: adults, $24; seniors (65 and older), $22; children (ages 5-17), $10; ages 4 and younger, free with adult.
Buffalo Bill Historical Center. People won’t believe this massive modern museum exists in a small, historic town like Cody. It’s worth the better part of a day, maybe even two, and it’ll take that long to explore all its facets. It’s really five museums in one, so guests can focus on the things that appeal to them: fine paintings and sculptures at the Whitney Museum of Western Art, firearms in the Cody Firearms Museum, animals and geology at the Draper Museum of Natural History, indigenous peoples in the Plains Indian Museum and, of course, the great showman himself. It’s a family-friendly museum, designed to be entertaining for youngsters as well as adults, and there’s even a brochure on how to best enjoy the museum with children. The price is family-friendly, too. Admission: adults, $18; students (13 and older, including college kids with IDs), $16; youth (ages 6-17), $10; children younger than 5, free. Admission includes visitation to all five museums for two consecutive days.
Cody Nite Rodeo. It doesn’t get more Western than this, or more reminiscent of Buffalo Bill himself. Visitors can experience professional rodeo every night from June 1 through Aug. 31. Riders and ropers from all over the country come to compete. Admission: adults and teens, $18; children 7-12, $8; ages 6 and younger, free.
Cody Gun fighters. There’s enough silliness that even the youngest child will soon figure out these gunfights aren’t real. Costumed characters mosey into the street by the famous Irma Hotel and act out a scenario that always ends in a gunfight. (But for the kids in the audience, they also stress gun safety.) The show starts
at 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday from June to September followed by a dinner of prime rib or
or aged steak in a historic hotel. The show is free; dinner’s extra.
Old Trail Town/Museum of the Old West. Western history buffs will appreciate this enclave of 26 authentic frontier buildings (one used by Butch Cassidy and his gang). Old Trail Town includes several gravesites, including that of the infamous Jeremiah “Liver Eating” Johnston — portrayed by actor Robert Redford in the 1972 self-titled film. Admission: adults, $8; children 12 and younger, $4.
Tecumseh’s Old West Miniature Village and Museum. Kids love miniature stuff. Dolls. Action figures. Model trains. So they’ll adore this massive tribute to small details illustrating the history of the West in an intriguing and approachable way. See the Battle of the Little Bighorn, a re-creation of a buffalo jump and a fort under Sioux Indian attack. Hundreds of American Indian artifacts are on display, including clothing, weapons and a hand-made wooden canoe. Admission is free.
Pahaska Tepee. This was Buffalo Bill’s retreat from the rigors of travel and being in the public eye. Built in 1904, this hunting lodge sits just outside the East Gate of Yellowstone National Park. It was called Pahaska after the nickname given to him by the local Indians; it means “long hair.” The rustic log lodge displays many gifts given to Cody by guests, who included the likes of Teddy Roosevelt and the Prince of Monaco. It also offers a restaurant and lodging. Tours are free.
Dan Miller’s Cowboy Music Revue. Who doesn’t love an old cowboy song? Guests can hear all their favorites — along with some cowboy poetry and maybe a joke or two — in this show designed to entertain all ages. It’s a fun evening (Mondays-Saturdays, May-September) for all ages. Admission: $15.
The Meeteetse Chocolatier. It’s a fancy name for a fun stop where customers can get a little lift in their afternoon with the chocolate creations of Tim Kellogg, a real cowboy who loves chocolate just as much as his customers do. We’re talking chocolate-dipped Oreo cookies. Caramel-dipped pretzels. And, for the adults, maybe a champagne truffle or two. Located in Meeteetse, it’s not far from Cody. Prices vary.
Buffalo Bill Dam Visitor Center. Water is a major concern in the West today. William F. Cody foresaw that and convinced the U.S. government to build a dam here to help conserve that precious resource. Today, agriculture thrives in this naturally arid area due to his foresight. See the dam and learn all about its construction and benefits. Located six miles west of Cody, it offers free tours.
Buffalo Bill’s Cody-Yellowstone Country is a year-round destination with a host of activities and attractions that will not be found elsewhere. For complete information, visit www.yellowstonecountry.org. The town recently received a silver “Addy” award for its popular marketing campaign, “I Got Buffalo Bill’d.”
Yellowstone Country is comprised of the towns of Cody, Powell and Meeteetse as well as the valley east of Yellowstone National Park.
The area of Park County is called “Buffalo Bill’s Cody-Yellowstone Country” because it was the playground of Buffalo Bill Cody himself. Buffalo Bill founded the town of Cody in 1896, and the entire region was driven and is still heavily influenced by the vision of the Colonel. Today its broad streets, world-class museum Buffalo Bill Historical Center and thriving Western culture host nearly 1 million visitors annually.
The Park County Travel Council website (www.yellowstonecountry.org) lists information about vacation packages, special events, guide services, weather and more. Travelers wishing to arrange vacations also can call the Park County Travel Council at (800) 393-2639.
