Mexico is usually on the short list of locations for newlyweds to celebrate their honeymoons. For Dick and Dianne Newlon, San Carlos, Sonora, Mexico ended up at the top of their list.
Prior to meeting his future bride, Dick heard of this special area on the Sonoran coastline through some friends in 1963. Based on what he heard, he headed south with his boat and stayed at the historic Playa de Cortez Hotel in Guaymas.
An avid fisherman, Dick thoroughly enjoyed his days on the Sea of Cortez with a nice lunch prepared by the hotel. He also recalls the dinner hour at the Cortez as a civilized event when people still “dressed” for dinner. Friday evening was a special event with the presentation of “flaming shrimp” along with lively music and much fanfare.
When Dick and Dianne ventured back to Guaymas and San Carlos for their honeymoon in 1969, not much had changed. They divided their stay between a charming room at the Hotel Cortez and then moved on to a bungalow at the only hotel in San Carlos at that time, La Posada.
They spent their honeymoon then as many young lovers might today. However, because there were so few people in San Carlos in the 1960s, they were able to picnic on the beach and then enjoy skinny-dipping afterwards! They both recall their honeymoon as very romantic with long stretches of beach all to themselves. Ahhh…amore, amore!
After their romantic honeymoon, the newlyweds made an annual trek to San Carlos where they made camp on the gorgeous Algodones beach. Nowadays, Algodones beach has several beautiful hotels, a small home development, and the infamous Soggy Peso Bar. However, for the young campers, the nearest neighbors were the ranchers at the nearby Rancho el Palmar. They were invited several times to enjoy typical Mexican meals with the ranch owner and his family. Before long, they were receiving daily deliveries of cows’ milk to their beachside campsite from the ranch. They remember fondly a group of fisherman who paddled close to shore one evening and serenaded them from their boats.
Dick and Dianne’s visits to San Carlos were put on hold for a few years when Dick’s job took them to Singapore. After they returned from their adventures in Asia, they came back to San Carlos and eventually bought a home in the Bahia where they now reside full-time.
San Carlos has grown by many thousand people since Dick and Dianne celebrated their honeymoon and there are now several large resorts and hotels that offer romantic wedding and honeymoon packages. However, I am pretty sure they wouldn’t trade their honeymoon experience for anything in the world!
by Janey McLean
Realtor (Buyers’ Agent) and Interior Designer
