From the Editor
When I was growing up in southern California, Mexico was always top of the list for family vacations. My parents loved the laid-back tempo, culture, and people of Mexico, so naturally my siblings and I did too. Later, Puerto Vallarta became my daughters’ favorite getaway when we rented Casa Barbara, a hillside villa once owned by Woolworth heiress Barbara Hutton. What’s not to love? We had a 50-foot-long open-air living room overlooking the Bay of Banderas and the crown-topped bell tower of the town’s famed landmark, the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe. And the cost was no more than that for a nice hotel.
Besides spending lazy days making sand castles on the beach, snorkeling, and whale watching in the bay, we explored every inch of town from south to north, did a jungle tour, and visited an old silver-mining town in the mountains. On later visits, we were awed by the town’s growth as development spread north to Nuevo Vallarta and Marina Vallarta. Now, the new Pacific hot spot is the coastline of Nayarit, the state that begins just miles north of Puerto Vallarta. With a string of lazy beach towns and fishing villages, two luxury hotels — a Four Seasons and a St. Regis — growing residential development, and even a polo club, Riviera Nayarit delivers a mix of authentic culture, easy-breezy style, and glamorous pursuits. Read why all eyes are on Nayarit in David Kaufman’s article, “Mexico Rising.”
In honor of NASA’s 50th anniversary, we invite you to turn to our Guide, which takes a look at important space program milestones of the past half-century. Or plan your own fascinating exploration of Johnson Space Center in Houston, the Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Ala., or Kennedy Space Center, just east of Orlando, Fla. If you’re passionate about sports, read “Shop Like a Fan” to learn where you can buy sports memorabilia in New York, London, Boston, Green Bay, Louisville, and Houston.
Whatever your interests, October is the perfect time to escape and indulge.
Gail Harrington, Editor
Contributor
Jennifer Nelson, who wrote our story about DNA testing, says she found the topic fascinating. “To think that we can swab our cheek and find out future health and wellness risks and then possibly do something in advance about them is like something out of a movie.” Nelson has also written for Prevention and Women’s Health.
The work of London-based artist Eva Tatcheva, who illustrated our DNA testing story, has also been featured in the books Imagemakers: Cutting Edge Fashion Illustration (Mitchell Beazley Art & Design) and Psychedelic Pop (Basheer Graphic Books). In addition, she has written and illustrated several children’s books.
We welcome letters from our readers: Letters about this magazine should be sent to the Editor, Continental magazine, 99 Bedford Street, Floor 5, Boston, MA 02111, or e-mailed to continental@pohlyco.com. Letters must be signed and include the writer’s address, daytime telephone number, and e-mail address, when possible. We reserve the right to edit letters for space and clarity.
