The Mummies of Guanajuato

Their families were poor, not around or just plain dead. They couldn't pay the grave tax that was required for their loved ones in the ground. The punishment for not paying the tax? Taking the body out of the ground and putting it into a museum for the whole world to see......

Fortunately for the grave diggers, some of the bodies were naturally mummified. The soil conditions and the dry climate of the mountainous areas were perfect for the bodies to dry out and not decompose.

On one of my visits to Guanajuato, Mexico, I thought it was due time to check out these "mummies" every tourist in town had been talking about. What I saw, I was not expecting. There were all kinds of mummies only about 146 years old! Some had all their clothes on while others just their socks. And all the babies! There were case after case of tiny dead babies. Yes, insert dead baby joke here.

Speaking of dead babies, there was even a mother and child mummy. The baby had died during a caesarean section. The mothers stomach was nothing but folded skin and the baby is known as one of the smallest mummies. One other one is said to have been buried alive! Her arms were covering her face and there were scratches on her forehead. Oh and don't forget stab wounds. Gross huh? So gross I took pictures!

But is taking photos and touring a building filled with dried up people that died not that long ago right? And only because their families couldn't afford to pay the grave tax? Don't know. How many years have to pass till it's "okay"? All I know is that this tourist spot has earned a great deal of money for the city and shows it's history and how it's mountains not only produce gold, but VERY interesting mummies. They have stories, lives, even relatives in the case with them. I learned so much more about these people than I would have if they were ancient aztecs.

If you would like to tip toe through the halls of this mummy museum, you can find it in Guanajuato, Gto. Mexico (NW of Mexico City). The closest airport is in Leon and it's about an hour car ride to the town. The city bus also does frequent passes. Happy Halloweeny!

A Tour Of Chicago's Millennium Park

10 Things To Do In Chicago With Only 24 Hours

Last weekend, I took a girls trip with my mom and sister and jetted off to Chicago on a Friday night flight after we all got off work, blood shot eyes and all. We attempted the trip last month but the flight cancelled, so this was our last chance because of conflicting schedules. After we landed, the smell of the subway filled my senses. It was my first time. The two hour subway ride and walk-a-thon through the streets weakened our already frail bodies. We made it in one piece to our beautiful boutique hotel in the heart of the city - The Inn of Chicago. Oh but don't kick up those heels just yet, we had 24 hours of full throttle activities scheduled ahead of us and there wasn't any time penciled in for resting. It was a jammed packed timeline with one goal - see as much of Chicago as possible. On your mark, get set .....

The three of us were only in the Windy City for a Saturday, so seeing everything wasn't really possible. So below, I've come up with a must do list of things to do and see in Chicago if you only had 24 hours to do it. Don't forget your trusty map! Or if your phone works, your GPS.

Here is a list of activities that can all be done in one day if planned accordingly:

1. The Subway -
Ride the subway and people watch. Probably not at 4 am though (trust us). Price: 3 day pass - $14

2. Willis Tower Sky Deck -
Be sure to get there before 9 a.m. or you'll be waiting in line for quite a while. Lines were already out the doors and around the block by 11 am. You can also get a "Fast Pass" for $35 and wait in the express lane. Might be worth it with this full schedule. Price: $17

3. Millennium Park -
Here you will find the famous Cloud Gate and Crown Fountain. Next door you might get lucky and catch an artist showcasing his/her music at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion. It's design will make you wish you had time to catch a full concert. Price: FREE

4. River Boat Cruise -
Tired of walking? Take a a tour of the city's architecture on Chicago's waterways. Heads up! Price: $30

5. Uno -
Chicago's first deep dish pizza restaurant. Be prepared to wait an hour, the pizza is slow cookin. Price: $12 - $22

6. Portillo's -
Dare to eat a mouthful of the Chicago style hotdog? Total man food. Price: $10

7. Art Insititue of Chicago -
Escape the sun and spend a couple hours at this art museum with four floors of art. Maybe you'll be lucky and see a Vincent van Gogh! Price: $18

8. Navy Pier -
Walk down to the Navy Pier and do a little souvenir shopping and take a look at the ocean, I mean Lake Michigan. Or maybe even ride the ferris wheel

9. Locally Owned Restaurant -
Pick a locally owned restaurant in the area and dine like a local and not a tourist. We stepped into a quaint little Armenian Restaurant, named Sayat-Nova, that was located below a fortune teller's studio. The food, environment and service was excellent. Price: $16

10. Innbar Of Chicago -
End the night by sipping on a cocktail at one of the only rooftop bars in the city with one heck of a view. Price: 1 beer $6

You think you could get all this done in one day?

Oklahoma City Tour & New Puppies

Yes, we are road-tripping again. This time it's through Oklahoma. And I'm not going to lie, Oklahoma is pretty dang bland. I knew that going into it, so I was going to try and find some stuff to spice it up. Plus, we weren't just going there to find adventure or entertainment and new life experiences (even though we had a little of that last one). We were going there to pick up a new member of the family.  A little Sheltie puppy. And I just love him.

I had done some research to try and find dumb crap along the way to look at and make fun of, but I really didn't find a whole lot even worth my time. Jav believes that the US just doesn't have enough history (unlike Mexico) so we just have to make dumb museums out of random stuff we stumble upon. I think he's right. But what I did find was in Oklahoma City. We drove in late on a Friday night and checked out the Bricktown. It was my hometowns version of Old Town but with an interesting canal throughout and a hint of San Antonio's River Walk. It was actually really nice. It was dead for a Friday night but nice. They did have some well known bars though like Coyote Ugly. They even had some fun Water Taxis that took you around the whole Bricktown area for only $8. What I also liked was that everyone wasn't all dressed up like hoochie mamas at the bars. So I felt right at home in my shorts and tshirt. 

But I think there is a reason I didn't see fancy girls flashin their goods. Oklahoma is very poor. And you can till that the bad economy really has hit the area hard. One step out of the downtown main area and it's pretty sad. Shoot, we even booked a hotel that is normally ok, well priced and doable and it ended up being up there with one of the worst hotel stays ever. Sure we were going really cheap with our budget but omg! Lets just say, we were tempted to just sleep in our car and had to buy new sheets at the Walmart in order to even sleep on the bed. But I must say, if you're into cowboys and the old Route 66 then you may love it. Just wasn't my thing.

The trip the next day got WAY better. I remembered last minute that the Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial was there and I had yet to actually see it in person. So we toured that in less than an hour and headed out to Western Ok to pick up the puppy. Here we traveled through Cherokee territory, the Santa Fe Trail and Route 66. The whole way back up North our new puppy just buried himself behind our necks and every nook and cranny he could find. I was glad to be home bound.

Photos 1& 6 - by Javier

Watch cool Bricktown Canal Video here.