Grab your passports, the 45th Class reunion will be Feb. 4 to Feb. 11

VALOIS, New York, USA - The date has been set - by Barb Bunce Garlock - for the SWCS Class of '66 45th Class Reunion. At least for the reunion I've been proposing to take place in Mexico, in February of 2011.

Barb's husband Scott booked them into a time share in Puerto Vallarta starting Feb. 11, 2011 and so it seems to make sense to have the Class of '66 reunion the week prior, Feb. 4 to Feb. 11.

A week?

Sure. Why not?

In case you don't remember, there is a certain logic to traveling south of the border for a reunion. Well, maybe not logic.

But Feb. 4 to Feb. 11 the air will be warm, the ocean water will be warm, the evenings will be warm (notice a theme here?) and the beer (start calling it cerveza please) will be cold.

It will not likely be any of the above (except for the beer) north of Florida that week in February.

I would propose we simply declare that week SWCS Gringo Week, or something. And we can get together in Arroyo Seco (my pueblo), neighboring La Manzanilla, and many points between and around. And we can party all that all week. Snorkel, swim, surf, boogie board, kayak (Dave Carlson, that's for you), hike, golf, play tennis, read, take siestas, and, of course, eat some fabulous food.

After the reunion week, we can all then visit Barb and Scott in Puerto Vallarta at their time share. (I hope they have lots of room.)

The pools at the Grand Mayan in Puerto Vallarta

Since I first started writing about this idea of a class reunion in Mexico two years ago, I have had about a dozen people say they actually are considering it.

Obviously, Barb Bunce Garlock is one. Cathy Lindstrom Prince is another. Shirley Adams has been asking me about places to stay. And other folks are asking me questions about travel, lodging, food, the water, safety, and is tequila really as cheap as Coca-Cola?

No, it isn't but darn close, margarita fans, darn close. 

It should be a fun party/week. I live in Mexico because it's warm, the people are friendly, living costs are, well, downright cheap. And as an added bonus, because I get my news via the internet,  I can avoid most of the more hysterical parts of American media.

If you think you might head south for this week-long party/fiesta/reunion/extravaganza-on-a-budget, consider getting an American passport sooner rather than later. You can't really travel outside the borders of the U.S. without one anymore, with a few exceptions.

And if other states take the lead of Arizona, you might need it to get through local airports.

See you in February 2011?

The surf is almost always up.

Surf's up at Playa Grande

Typical afternoon scene - Arroyo Seco's Playa Chica