State Department travel warning does NOT include Puerto Vallarta

CORRECTION: An article posted by this writer earlier in the week contained inaccuracies that I am obligated to correct. While the U.S. State Department has updated its travel warning to include more areas in Mexico, the updated warning DOES NOT include the Pacific coast resort areas of Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit. It does, however, include parts of the Mexican states of Jalisco and Nayarit where these popular beach vacation areas are located. Travelers to Mexico should access the U.S. State Department's website for more specifics and be especially careful when traveling by car through these warning areas. Travelers flying to the airports serving Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit and then being transported to their hotel/resort accommodations by shuttle van or taxi shouldn't be concerned about the drug violence that has been taking place in other parts of the country.

Puerto Vallarta has long been a favorite vacation destination for Minnesotans and other residents of the Upper Midwest. Its picturesque setting on Banderas Bay is famous for spectacular sunsets, white sand beaches, an international atmosphere that includes superb restaurants, upscale shopping and friendly residents. Director John Huston made the city an instant sensation with his 1963 film, 'The Night of the Iguana', which took place in the small village of Mismaloya just south of PVR. The news media at the time made big news of the extramarital affair between the movie's stars Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.

The coastline of Puerto Vallarta stretches for several miles with dozens of hotels and resorts in all price categories. Yours truly spent several days at the luxurious CasaMagna Puerto Vallarta Marriott Resort last year and thoroughly enjoyed my stay. Not only was the hotel just minutes from the airport, but scores of dining and shopping options were within minutes of the property. We also made use of the convenient city bus service to explore downtown's boutiques, as well as to travel to several great restaurants.

While the non-stops offered from Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport by both Sun Country and Delta Air Lines operate seasonally during the winter months, PVR is still easy to reach year-round a number of ways. Delta Air Lines offers a daiily non-stop to Mexico City from MSP that connects to AeroMexico's short hop to the Gustavo Diaz Airport in Puerto Vallarta. Domestic connections are available on American Airlines via Dallas/Fort Worth, United through Houston and US Airways with a change of planes at Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix.