<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> <html> <head> <title>troncones2.html</title> </head> <body> <div style="text-align: right;"> <h1 style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;<img style="width: 400px; height: 300px; float: right;" alt="" src="web_pics/troncones_sunset7.jpg" hspace="10" vspace="10">Troncones, again</h1> We really enjoyed our last trip to the beach, so we only waited a month before returning to the same place. We stayed at the Tronco Bay Inn, a small hotel near the tiny surfing town of Troncones. &nbsp;It is only a 3 1/2 hour drive from our house to the pacific ocean. &nbsp;In August, we were there in low season, but this was the really really low season for tourism. We were the only people at the hotel all weekend-- that meant we could have the pool to ourselves, but it also meant the services were very minimal (like, no coffee at breakfast . . .). &nbsp;In fact, there was another hotel down the beach that was the real surfing hangout and it did have a functioning restaurant. &nbsp;So, we enjoyed the peace of our hotel and the services of theirs.<br> </div> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> The drive to the beach is pretty in itself- from 6000+ ft in Morelia you head west past Patzcuaro, downhill to a big resevoir at the the Rio Balsa, and then up over the coastal range. &nbsp;In a couple of hours we go from the springtime climate of Morelia to the steamy coastal plain- quite a change of habitat!<br> &nbsp;<br> <img src="web_pics/road_to_troncones.jpg"> &nbsp;<img src="web_pics/road_to_troncones3.jpg"> <img src="web_pics/road_to_troncones4.jpg"> &nbsp;<img src="web_pics/road_to_troncones2.jpg"> <br> &nbsp;<br> We don't have pictures of the town itself, but the beach at Troncones is lovely and we had a great time enjoying the surf and the sand.<br> <br> <img src="web_pics/troncones_helen.jpg"> &nbsp;<img src="web_pics/troncones_surf.jpg"> <br> <img src="web_pics/troncones_boogie1.jpg"> &nbsp;<img src="web_pics/troncones_boogie2.jpg"> &nbsp;<br> <img src="web_pics/troncones_boogie3.jpg">&nbsp; <img src="web_pics/troncones_boogie4.jpg"> <br> <img src="web_pics/troncones_boogie5.jpg"> &nbsp; <br> <br> <img src="web_pics/troncones_beach.jpg"> &nbsp; <img src="web_pics/troncones_dog.jpg"> <br> &nbsp;<br> Last time we enjoyed the donkey that walked down the beach to visit-- this time (because of more residents and fewer tourists?) dogs were the common wildlife!<br> <br> <br> <br> And we spent hours enjoying the pool at the Tronco Bay Inn&nbsp; (even doing art projects while in the water).<br> &nbsp;<br> <img src="web_pics/troncones_pool1.jpg"> &nbsp;<img src="web_pics/troncones_pool_art.jpg"> <br> &nbsp;<br> <img src="web_pics/troncones_pool3.jpg"> &nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="web_pics/troncones_pool2.jpg"> <br> <img src="web_pics/troncones_pool4.jpg"><br> <br> <hr style="width: 100%; height: 2px;"><br> &nbsp;This trip was partly to celebrate Sarah's upcoming birthday, so we went in to the nearby town of Zihuatanejo for some ice cream.&nbsp; &nbsp;To her chagrin, she was serenaded by some musicians at lunch . .&nbsp;.<br> <img src="web_pics/sarah_bday_icecream.jpg"> &nbsp; <img src="web_pics/sarah_bday_beach.jpg"> &nbsp; <img src="web_pics/sarah_bday_beach2.jpg"> &nbsp; <img src="web_pics/sarah_bday_beach3.jpg"> <br> &nbsp;<br> <br> And we were treated to a couple of really spectacular sunsets . . . <br> <br> <img src="web_pics/troncones_sunset11.jpg"> &nbsp; <img src="web_pics/troncones_sunset12.jpg"><br> <br> <img src="web_pics/troncones_sunset_hermits.jpg"> &nbsp; <img src="web_pics/troncones_sunset1.jpg"> <br> &nbsp;<br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br> <img src="web_pics/troncones_sunset3.jpg"> &nbsp; &nbsp;<img src="web_pics/troncones_sunset8.jpg"> <br> &nbsp;<br> <div style="text-align: center;"> &nbsp;(I know, it looks like a painted backdrop, but it was real- I promise!)<br> <br> <br> <br> <div style="text-align: left;"><a href="troncones3.html">here are some more sunset pictures, in case you haven't seen enough . . .</a><br> </div> </div> <br> <br> </body> </html>