great takes on family travel in the U.S.

Introduction
TangoDiva.com founder, Teresa Williamson, is frequently asked to speak at conferences around the world. She let me know of her next speaking engagement at ClubMed in Cancun from June 21 to 28, 2008 and it sounds like a great Oprah-like girls getaway. It is about transforming your life, having fun and meeting some great people. Once the event starts, she will posting about it on our blog. Here is her description of the event:

“It can take some time creating the life you want. And usually, it takes years to get on the right path, but I am involved in a conference at Club Med where the whole point is to start aligning your life with your goals and start living abundantly. They have invited a group of world-class speakers to help you transform your life. During this weeklong escapade, you will spend quality time with these speakers and participate in casual activities with this cadre of life-changing mavens. This format gives you an opportunity to interact with the speakers and guests throughout the week on a personal level. Swim, stroll, and relax with leaders in business and personal growth. see more »

From guest blogger, Teresa Rodriguez Williamson, of Tango Diva Blog

My father has a saying that he has been using since I could walk - I think he learned it from one of his Puerto Rican friends. It goes something like this, “I was just sitting there, minding my own business, when…. (fill in the blank with my dad’s next great tale of international intrigue.) So, as I write this blog from my ocean-view room at the Marriott in San Juan Puerto Rico, allow me begin with my father’s famous words.

I was just sitting there, minding my own business at La Plazita del Mercado when a boy ran up to a fine-looking man and grabbed his shoes and ran off, the man stood there shoe-less, drinking his cocktail, like nothing happened. Now, where I come from, you don’t give away your shoes when you are standing out on the street. But this was no normal street, and I found out that things like this happen all the time on La Plazito del Mercado. This buzzing block of heaven is around a half-mile from where I am saying and it is a small plaza where the locals go to listen to music, dance, eat and drink - always outside in the humid twilight of San Juan. I was there enjoying a cold beer, listening to music, when I witnessed the disappearing shoe act. I asked the barefooted man if he was going to get his shoes back, and he said, “Yes, the young boy is polishing them for me.” “Wow,” I thought to myself - “I could get a lot done here, if I brought of my stilettos that needed a good shine.”

Just like Puerto Rico, the energy of the Plazita is magnetic. I got there at around 4 pm, when the grandmas and grandpas sit on the edges of the plaza slowing drinking beer while playing dominos, and the fruit sellers haggle the price for a stem of a dozen bananas. As the night rolled on, the crowds started to gather. Young men with instruments would randomly start playing their horns and drums, couples would begin moving to the beat - and all the while, Puerto Ricans were eating and laughing with each other.

When you come to San Juan, the Plazita del Mercado is a must. Just ask any cab driver to take you there. If you are staying at the Marriott, you can walk there during the day, but don’t walk home at night because the streets are not lit and very winding. The most popular night with the locals is Friday night. The inside of the Plaza is the fruit market, and on the outside you will find over a dozen little restaurants. On the side street, many of the locals gather to avoid the crazy crowds that congregate in the Plaza. I hung out at D’ Aki and a fabulous restaurant in an old house painted brown, that is owned by a hot looking guy named Jose. Sorry, I forgot to grab a card. My bad.

So, if you are looking for a place with tribal beats of the Caribbean, where you can feast on Puerto Rican food, drink very cold beer, and get your shoes shined, then head on over to La Plazita del Mercado in San Juan’s “Santuce” neighborhood.

From guest blogger, Teresa Rodriguez Williamson, of Tango Diva Blog

I wanted to get away, really get away. Because my passport was lost in the halls of the National Passport Center, going somewhere far, far away was not an option.

Then, I started thinking, and remembered that Puerto Rico did not require passports. Because of their status with the good US of A, all American citizens can visit without a passport. I wanted to have an exotic, action-fill vacation without the passport hassle, so Puerto Rico was the place for me to go.

San Juan is a big city, and I really wanted to stay at a resort that was on the beach and very close to Old San Juan. One of the reasons I waned to come to Puerto Rico was to lay starfish position on a sandy beach with a Pina Colada in one hand.San Juan Marriott Resort was the place for me. The hotel is nestled on Condado Beach, which is an upper-end residential neighborhood in sun soaked San Juan. Unlike many popular hotels, where you get endless people tracking up and down the beach, here it is relatively quiet and tranquil.

The hotel has just gone through a $38 million renovation, so the rooms are beautifully equipped with Kohler bath fixtures and wireless Internet. Part of the renovation was the Stellaris Casino that is attached to the hotel.

I have been quite intimidated by casinos, but not in this cozy, clean smoke-free space. Some of the packages they offer include private Black Jack lessons for your group. It is a great activity for a bachelor weekend or girlfriends’ getaway.

The Marriott is a 4-diamond luxury resort that is both kid-friendly and private. I admit, I am not a big fan of kids while on vacation, but because of the clever layout of the pool area, you won’t get overwhelmed by other people. The hotel is also a destination for the locals, Sunday afternoons the bar comes alive with Caribbean beats and you’ll find the lobby filled with Puerto Ricans swaying to salsa and meringue.

The best part about the hotel is the location. It is only 10 minutes by cab from Old San Juan and a few blocks away from some of my favorite shops including Gucci, Dior, Louis Vuitton - to name a few. I’ll be in San Juan for the next week. I plan of checking out the nightlife and trying out a few action sports. Stay tuned!

Teresa Rodriguez Williamson is a jet-setter extraordinaire. She discovered that traveling can be the prefect antidote for anything ailing the soul. And, believing so, she created TangoDiva.com—a worldwide online social network and travel magazine for women. Her dream was to connect and empower woman around the globe with the wisdom she gleaned from her solo sojourns. She authored FLY SOLO: The 50 Best Places on Earth for a Girl to Travel Alone (Penguin 2007). A few of her TV appearances include LIVE with Regis and Kelly, NBC-NY, FOX, CBS, and ABC Sydney. Her advice has been written up in over a thousand media outlets including New York Times, Wall Street Journal, ELLE, Marie Claire, Allure, SELF, and Real Simple. She hosts “Travels with Tango Diva” on KTRB 860 AM in California.