This past winter, I took a family vacation to a crunchy granola, peace and love, yoga, meditation kind of resort with my family.  Sounds weird, right?  It was great.  And I'm writing about it now because in the summer months, though it is quite hot there, I know, you can get a serious deal.  And it might be worth considering. Mar de Jade, is a Holistic Retreat in Chacala, Mexico, not too far geographically from the teeming crowds and neon lights of Puerto Vallarta (can you hear the strains of the Love Boat theme song?) but in feeling, a world away.There, local fisherman in single engine motor boats drop off their day's catch each morning. There, in a town with a population of 325, no aggressive salesmen try to make you buy "authentic" sombreros.  The road to the hotel is mostly unpaved, the lobby blissfully muzak free, the yoga classes overlooking the sea, and the all-you-can-eat buffet filled with healthy, fresh food, and homemade tortillas.  As if that weren't enough, much of the money made at the hotel goes to fund a school and a medical clinic, both run by Mar de Jade's owner. Indulgence and do-gooding!  What could be better?

The best thing I can tell you, is that while I was there, my kids dumped an entire glass of water on my laptop (even holistic resorts have Wi Fi these days) killing it forever AND I stepped on a bee, and still it was my best vacation ever.These days, we're all looking for ways to save.  Why not save by going to a resort in the off season that helps it's community, serves healthy food, is filled with the kind of staff that hugs you when they say goodbye, and where your kids can run around barefoot all day -- even in the dining room.Look into it.  You might be a little hot there in the summer...but I still don't think you'll regret it.

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