Chase the sun to Cabo
http://www.canoe.ca/TravelCaribbean/cabosanlucas_010228-sun....
Cabo San Lucas basks in luxury
By DAVID NAYLOR
2/28/01
CABO SAN LUCAS, Mexico -- The realization came to me about 1 a.m., while dancing at the Squid Roe disco with the lovely and young Annie and Michelle.
The place was so packed, there was no room for side-to-side dancing. All you could do was jump up and down as the sweat trickled down your back.
Then it hit me like a shot of tequila: This must be the start of my mid-life crisis.
Granted, it might be a bit early as it would mean I'll be dead at 68.
But there can be no better place for my mid-life crisis to begin than Cabo San Lucas, part of the Los Cabos tourist corridor. Beautiful beaches, warm
oceans, golf courses and an incredible nightlife -- a better recipe for trying to regain lost youth I can't imagine.
Located on the very tip of the Baja peninsula, the area is world-renowned for its sports fishing and whale watching.
Right now, 11,000 grey whales are converging on the area to give birth to their calves.
From the picturesque Cabo San Lucas Marina -- where many of the yachts cost more than the gross national product of small countries -- there are
numerous boats to catch to watch the majestic denizens of the deep.
The whale-watching season runs until early April.
Fame and fortune
You can tell you've arrived in a playground for the rich and famous as soon as you touch down at the airport in nearby San Jose.
Our Mexicana Airbus was the only large passenger plane at the small airport -- but there was row upon row of private luxury jets.
Hollywood legend Elizabeth Taylor, rock geezer Mick Jagger and basketball star Michael Jordan are just some of the celebrities who have homes in the
hills around Cabo San Lucas.
Those who can afford it can be treated like celebrities in local hotels such as Las Ventanas.
Seasoned travel writers called it the most fabulous hotel they had ever seen and it recently was the top Americas property on the Conde Nast Traveler
Gold List.
But luxury doesn't come cheap, with packages running up to $18,000 US for a week.
The steep price tag didn't seem to bother St. Louis Cardinal slugger Mark McGwire as he swam in the pool.
Locals call Las Ventanas the most religious hotel in Mexico.
"Oh, my God," you mutter under your breath as you enter the lobby.
"Jesus Christ," you exclaim when you get your bill.
Mere mortals can find more reasonably priced accommodations at area beachfront properties such as the Melia San Lucas, the Melia Los Cabos and the
Hacienda Beach Resort. The Melia San Lucas hotel offers a sight to behold.
There's so much to do at these properties, you have to force yourself outside the front door.
The perfect day in Cabo starts by taking a water taxi from the marina to nearby Lover's Beach. It only costs a couple of dollars and the experience is
more than worth it.
The beach, surrounded by magnificent rock formations that make up the Cabos Arch, straddles the very end of the Baja.
You can be paddling in the Pacific Ocean, take a few steps and then go snorkelling in the Sea of Cortes.
Cap off the day with a sunset cruise out of the marina on an 1885 tall ship called the Sunderland.
The amazing crew will delight with stories of the rich history of pirates in the area and you'll spend most of the next day looking for buried
treasure on the beach.
Tee time
If beaches and water aren't your cup of tea, then there's always the tees.
The area is now getting a reputation as one of the best golfing destinations in all of Mexico, with local courses designed by legends the likes of
Nicklaus, Trent Jones II and Dye.
There are also off-road tours into the desert and visits to local glass-blowing factories to see the master artisans at work.
The nightlife is non-stop, with numerous bars and discos to choose from along the main strip.
The previously mentioned Squid Roe is one of the best, and don't forget to drop into Cabo Wabo -- owned by former Van Halen rocker Sammy Hagar -- or
the Gigglin' Marlin.
The Office, located right on the beach, is the perfect place to start the day with a fruit smoothie for breakfast. You'll start dreading the return to
your own office.
On the flight home, depression sets in over the fact this part of my mid-life crisis has ended.
Next week, it's off to get my ear pierced, let my hair grow long and buy an impractical sports car.
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