It’s Thursday morning, (or whatever day of the week is your Thursday), only one day left of the work week, and the weekend is here! It’s just right around the corner. Yes, the glorious weekend… A time to relax, get a few chores done around the house and maybe even a time to have some fun with family and friends. Your time. A time to do whatever you want.

Sometimes we let the weekends roll right into the week without realizing it.  Spinning so fast, traveling through life is hectic, we go through the motions to get to the weekend and in a blink of an eye it’s over and the beginning of another week commences, and the cycle continues. One week after the other, and before you know it, you peek up at the calendar and 2012 is gone…. suddenly it’s a whole new year, 2013.

Wait; put the brakes on, stop right there…it’s only the beginning of December 2012! Take control of your last month of 2012 and steal some time to get away.  Even if you only have a weekend, here’s an example of what can transpire in just 48 hours in Rocky Point.

Hours 1-5 – If traveling from Phoenix, Tucson or flying into one of those airports, this is how long it will require you to drive down with a few pit stops, unload your vehicle and check into your condo, hotel or house.

Hours 6-10- OK, here it is, your first four hours at the beach in Puerto Peñasco. Make it count. Usually a grand feeling of excitement overtakes you, as you can’t believe you are back by the water again, breathing in the clean fresh sea air and smelling the ocean. Go for it, experience the flavor of Rocky Point and grab some food with a view.

Most likely the sun is going down, but there are several places to have a drink, look at the ocean at dusk and have a bite of food. I recommend one of the highest two restaurants in town, La Casa Del Capitan or the Lighthouse restaurant next door to it. Perched on top of Whale Hill, look up to the road to your left going into Old Port and on most Fridays they have live music. You might even catch the last remains of the sunset colors painting the sky in brilliant pinks purples or reds and oranges. Seeing your surrounding change in a matter of hours will astound you and lift you up inside. You will know it is the weekend. You will feel the freedom inside your soul.  Do something special your first four hours in town, if you miss the sunset, the lights and layout of the city from this high vantage point are pretty spectacular. Thousands of glittery lights stretching way off in the distance filling the canvas of our growing Rocky Point with the Sea of Cortez shimmering in the background is grandly spectacular.

Hours 10-12- Why not finish up your first night in town with a walk along the soft sandy beach, go ahead take your shoes off, taking in the stars as you stroll along the water’s edge. You might want to bring a jacket, blanket and a bottle of wine.

Hours 13-21- Unfortunately, even if you’re not Cinderella or Prince Charming, it might be time to call it a night. Crawl into your bed by yourself and listen to the sounds of the sea or better yet slide in with someone you love and have sweet dreams of Mexico. Remember, you still have the entire next day to enjoy, but you deserve the 8 hours of sleep. Take it you might need it for tomorrow.

Hours 21-23 – Breakfast in Rocky Point is great. Breakfast burritos, shrimp omelets, tamales, machaca and eggs, makes me hungry just thinking about it…You have several choices for the first but very important meal of the day. If staying in a place that offers room service, Las Palomas and Marina Pinacate condos (the new restaurant Las Brisas across the street delivers) offers this luxury service, then by all means go ahead order breakfast in bed, or enjoy it on the balcony. Other choices might include, a cook it yourself breakfast,( the majority of condos in Rocky Point offer full kitchen or kitchenettes), so have it your way breakfast, is quite easy as long as you have the provisions. My last suggestion which is very enjoyable, throw a hat on and some flip flops and walk or drive to a nearby breakfast place. There are great ones in a variety of areas of town. A few of my favorite breakfast haunts, Max’s, Latitude 31, and the Kaffeeshaus.

Hours 23-28 OK, now you fueled your body, remember, this is your weekend off. What’s your favorite beach activity? Relaxing, sitting on the beach, reading a good book, floating on a raft in the pool? Or maybe you’re a little more adventurous, try a boat excursion out to Bird Island and take pictures of the seals or take a short ride to tour the Pinacate biosphere and check out the volcanoes history or go fishing. Perhaps, it’s shopping handmade Mexican wares or touring the bars of Old Port and doing some day drinking. It’s OK, it’s your day, pick something you like and have a great time doing it! There is no wrong answer, just enjoy the backdrop of the gorgeous Sea of Cortez.

Hours 28-30 – Well, depending on what your activity of the day was, it is either time for you to partake in the age old tradition of Latin and European countries, by experiencing a siesta, any hammock beach blanket or comfy couch will do, or if your well rested and not the least bit tired, then practice the age old tradition of cocktail hour or as some Americans like to call it, Happy Hour.  I recommend finding a place that has happy hour specials and a good view. The new, Wrecked at Jens Joint, at the end of Calle 13 and many of the Old Port bars have great happy hour specials.

Hours 30-35 – Time to get your fly clothes on or maybe just brush the sand off from your legs or your hair (if you chose the above siesta option, iron out the sheet marks on your face )and get ready to hear some live music and taste some incredible cuisine. The list is endless of great restaurants to try, if you want savory Italian food and a little live music, one suggestion would be Mare Blu and Wrecked at the Reef Cantina on Sandy Beach. One stop shop, you can sit down to a wonderful Italian seafood dinner with a piano player playing in the background, and when your finished walk next door to my favorite seaside cantina, Wrecked at the Reef for live music. The house band, will rock your socks off, seriously they are great, and that’s not a problem because it’s a beach front cantina, so when they do come off, you can stroll right into the ocean. Yes, you can burn some calories here if you like to dance or sit by an outdoor fire pit and gaze at the sea, your choice.

Hours 35-43 – Ok, eight hours to rest, your option: sleep, walk the beach or stay out longer and dance some more. Just use your wisdom, if your driving home the next day, get some shut eye, if not well, don’t drink and drive and the rest is up to you.

Hours 43-48 – Yes, all good things must come to an end, collect your belongings, your memories and your tan and pack up. Grab some breakfast or brunch, or some Rocky Point fresh shrimp at Old Port, to take a little bit of Rocky Point home with you, load the car up and head on back to the states. In a blink of an eye, 48 hours went fast, but at least you made some memories, not soon to be forgotten.

Anita Kaltenbaugh is the Mexico travel examiner at examiner.com and author of the book “Travel Secrets- Insider guide to planning, affording and taking more vacations” available on Amazon.com, Kindle and Nook.

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