Mexico Beyond the Beaches

Appearing in more than 50 major newspapers, Eileen Ogintz's "Taking the Kids" column is a past winner of the national Clarion Award from Women in Communications.

The meeting of a three-year-old, a cat and a goldfish pond started "Taking the Kids." The three-year-old, Eileen Ogintz' son Matt, pushed the hapless kitty into the pond at a Wisconsin cottage her family had rented for the weekend. "I thought the kitty wanted to go swimming," Matt explained. The furious owner insisted they pack up and leave immediately. The embarrassed parents drove home three hours to Chicago in a downpour.

Eileen Ogintz was a national correspondent for the Chicago Tribune then, covering news stories around the country. The travel editor, hearing her tale of woe about the cat and the goldfish pond, encouraged her to write a story about the trials of traveling with children. That story led to others. "We realized there were a lot of people like me, parents who wanted help planning trips now that they had kids." The award-winning syndicated column Taking the Kids grew out of those stories. Ogintz left the Tribune, after 14 years as a reporter, national correspondent and feature writer, to spend more time with her three young children and to launch the column nationally. The Taking the Kids series of travel guides for children, published by HarperCollins West, has followed.

"More people than ever are taking their kids places, whether they're going to Grandma's or a museum, to Disney World or on a business trip," Ogintz said. "Their time and budgets are tight. I give them the help they need to make the most of their family time." "Planning with the kids' interests in mind can make the difference between a great trip and one that's a disaster," she added.

Taking the Kids now appears in more than 50 major newspapers including the Los Angeles Times, Newsday, Boston Globe, Miami Herald, Baltimore Sun, Chicago Sun-Times, Dallas Morning News and Portland Oregonian. The column won a 1994 national Clarion Award from Women in Communications, Inc. and appears on AOL's Family Travel Network and elsewhere on the Web.

Ogintz has traveled with her husband and kids across the country and abroad -- from London to Disney World to Disneyland -- skiing in Colorado to fishing in Minnesota, soaking up history in Washington, D.C. to sightseeing in Las Vegas, New York and Yellowstone National Park.

The fifth book of the Taking the Kids series, A Kid's Guide to Vacation Fun in the Rocky Mountains, was just published, as well as a book for parents, Are We There Yet?? on taking the kids and surviving. She was the recipient of a 1995 and 1996 Parents' Choice honor for the series, which also highlights the Southwest, Southern California, Northern California and the Pacific Northwest.

Ogintz, who holds a master's in journalism from the University of Missouri, is a 20-year veteran of the newspaper business, reporting for The Anniston Star, The Record in Hackensack, N.J., and Des Moines Register as well as the Chicago Tribune, where she created the paper's family-issues beat. Today, she is regular contributor to numerous national publications, and has appeared on such television programs as "48 Hours," "The Today Show," "Good Morning America" and "Oprah." She created a course on the changing American family at Northwestern University and consults on work/family issues.

From their home in Connecticut, Ogintz travels with her husband, an executive in financial services, and their three children, Matt, Reggie and Melanie, who serve -- not always graciously -- as Taking the Kids' special team of experts.

Write to Eileen Ogintz in care of Los Angeles Times Syndicate, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles, CA 90053.
Or e-mail Eileen at [email protected]

See recent posts by Eileen Ogintz

The next time the kids don’t want to do their homework, remind them that knowledge is power.

That’s what the ancient Maya believed. Those with the most knowledge—astronomers, priests, and doctors—lived closest to the temples. We learned this, and more, when we visited the ancient city of Tulum, a spectacular oceanfront ruin located along the Mexican coast, 75 miles south of Cancun. Tulum is one of the last cities inhabited and built by the Maya.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention we’re less than a year away from December 21, 2012, the date many believe the ancient Mayan Long Count calendar forecasts will signal the end of all humanity. But experts aren’t convinced, and neither am I.

Though safety is a major concern for tourists traveling to Mexico, no one I met was worried. They were too busy enjoying that perfect combination of sun, beach, and water. The Yucatan Peninsula is a glorious stretch of the Caribbean that runs more than 80 miles along the coast and includes the seaside village of Puerto Morelos, Playa del Carmen, Akumal, and Tulum, as well as the amazing Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve. This area is more than 1,000 miles away from the region specified in the U.S. State Department’s warning about travel to Mexico. With few concerns, the whole family is free to snorkel in the largest natural aquarium in the world at Xel-Ha Park, learn a foreign language (Mexico is a great place for the kids to practice their Spanish), and, of course, travel back in time to experience an ancient culture.

Even better, you may get a bargain. You have your choice of more than 300 hotels, from tiny 15-room beachfront hotels, such as the Playa Azul in Tulum, to massive all-inclusives like those from Barcelo and Iberostar. The upscale accomodations in the Condo Hotels are right in the heart of Playa del Carmen, which features a pedestrian Fifth Avenue that teens especially will love. (Right now, you can book three nights or more and get 15 percent off, plus breakfast. Book seven nights and get an additional 10 percent off.) Let’s not forget manicured resorts like the Fairmont Mayakoba, which has taken the lead in sustainable tourism and makes efforts to incorporate local culture in all of its programs. Even the spa features local herbs, oils, extracts, and treatments, including a Maya clay purification ritual. Resort shops also feature local Maya handicrafts. Check out Fairmont Savers rates that can save you 30 percent off the best available rates.

Many people think your only options in this area are big all-inclusive resorts. Actually, 75 percent of hotels here have fewer than 100 rooms. We loved the 88-room, all-inclusive Ceiba del Mar Beach and Spa Resort, which is just south of Cancun. Another small all-inclusive, the 148-room Azul Beach Hotel, is ideal for young families with its gourmet baby food, Fisher-Price toy loaner program, kids’ club, and beachfront playground. Even better, book from May 1 to December 22 and kids 13 and under stay free, while adults are 20 percent off!

Wherever you stay, you should get out and explore. Tulum is one of the best preserved Maya sights, and the high cliffs surrounding this coastal town protected it from hurricanes even in ancient times. It’s a great ruin to visit with the kids because it is relatively small. Plus, when you’re finished, you can walk down to the beach and cool off in the water.

Our guide, Gabriel Morales, explains that perhaps only 800 people—those with the most knowledge—lived within the city, while thousands more lived outside. (Note: It’s smart to get a guide at the entrance. It’s less than $50 for four people.)

Time travel on a beach vacation? That’s not all. Swim in an underground cenote (deep water-filled sinkholes). These underground river systems crisscross the region. You can even explore a cave. Yes, we did that at Rio Secreto, and it might be one of the most unique experiences I’ve ever had (though I wouldn’t bring kids younger than six).

Our guide led us as we sloshed through water, squeezed through narrow openings, and floated along, taking care not to touch any of the amazing formations. The only light was from the light on our helmets. What made this cave so unique was that it’s the only discovered cave that’s not completely flooded. The formations—orange, sparkling crystal, calcium blue-gray—are fantastic. There are thousands of stalactites overhead, too, because the more porous petrified coral reef allows formations big and small to grow quickly.

Maya warriors had to find their way through the cave before going off to war. The theory was that if they confronted the nine gods of death and survived, maybe they could cheat death again in battle.

The Maya believed that when they died, their souls had to pass through the underworld to be reborn … as we will be when we return to the surface, we’re told.

I don’t know if we’ve been reborn. But when we get back outside, everything seems much brighter—and different somehow.

For more Taking the Kids, visit Eileen Ogintz’s Taking the Kids website. Also follow “Taking the Kids” on Twitter, where she welcomes your questions and comments.

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