By barclays 
Okay folks, grab a coffee because today I’m dumping my brain about planning this Mexico trip. Couldn’t choose between Mazatlán’s beaches or Monterrey’s mountains, right? My old spreadsheet method just wasn’t cutting it. Needed action.
First thing I did? Grabbed my laptop and just started writing. Seriously. Opened a blank doc and typed out Mazatlán at the top left and Monterrey at the top right. No overthinking yet, just making two columns stare back at me.
Stuff I Actually Care About:
Under each city, I wrote bullet points for the real deal stuff:
- What do I actually wanna do? Beaches vs Museums? Street tacos vs Fancy dinners? Jungle exploring vs City wandering?
- How much cash am I gonna burn? Flights? Hotels? Eating out? All that fun stuff.
- What’s the vibe? Loud & crowded? Chill & easy? Feel safe wandering around?
- How easy is it to actually get places? Walkable? Need constant Ubers? Nightmare traffic?
Writing it plain like this felt way more real than vague “pros/cons”.
Then came the messy part: research. Tbh, I just winged it. Jumped between different booking apps checking flight prices for next month – kinda flexible, not peak season. Surfed hotel sites, but actually checked traveler photos, not just the shiny promo pics. Dug into forums like I was a detective, reading what people really said about walking around Centro Historico late afternoons, or finding decent coffee near Fundidora Park.
Dumping the Brain:
Started vomiting everything I found into those two columns:
- Mazatlán side: Old Town charm ✔️, Golden Zone for hotels ✔️, Pacifico Brewery tour! ✔️, seafood for days ✔️. Not walkable everywhere ✗, beach vendors are persistent ✗.
- Monterrey side: Mind-blowing mountain views ✔️, awesome industrial-chic spaces ✔️, real-deal carne asada tacos ✔️, way easier navigation ✔️. Less ‘traditional Mexican beach vacation’ vibe ✗, more concrete jungle than actual jungle ✗.
Had my lightbulb moment staring at the mess. My husband mentioned wanting a place with a good kitchen to save money on eating out. Totally forgot about that! Suddenly Monterrey looked better because our apartment hotels were way cheaper than Mazatlán’s beachfront options. Almost booked Mazatlán without thinking it through! Disaster avoided.
Pullin’ the Trigger:
Decision time! Looking at my crazy doc:
- Lazy beach time? Mazatlán won.
- Adventure & city life? Monterrey took the crown.
- Our wallet? Screamed Monterrey (flights and stays were noticeably lighter).
- That desire to cook sometimes? Locked in Monterrey.
Monterrey got three solid checks against Mazatlán’s one big beachy win. Game over. Clicked ‘book’ on flights and an apartment near Barrio Antiguo. Felt weirdly relieved! Done.
This messy, scribbly, no-frills method worked. Forced me to compare real, tangible stuff for my trip, not some generic guidebook fluff. Saved my butt from booking the wrong vibe for what we needed. Simple wins.
buckeye