California Earthquakes near Baja, Tijuana Register 6.9, 5.8 on Richter Scale

A pair of earthquakes near Baja, California Monday afternoon appear to have a been monsters, registering a 6.9 and a 5.8 on the Richter Scale, respectively, and sending shakes all the way to San Diego.

The quakes, which occurred in Mexico's Gulf of California, first were felt at 11:00 AM PST Monday -- that being the larger quake, which registered a 6.9 and which was centered 76 miles north-northeast of Baja and 331 miles southeast of Tijuana.

A mere five minutes later, another monster (this time a 5.8) was reported in the "same general area."

At this time, no damage has been reported out of California

Mexican Resorts Raise the Stakes

It's no surprise that the H1N1 flu virus (swine flu) has taken an incredible toll on Mexico's tourist industry. As a result, some resorts in Mexico are going to great lengths to restore tourists' confidence.

The PR strategies began simply, with several destinations in Mexico touting their own lack of fatal swine flu cases. Now resorts are taking a similar approach to American automakers who assuage consumer fears by promising to cover payments in the event of a job loss... with an obvious medical twist:

Real Resorts is offering any guest who contracts the H1N1 flu virus within 14 days of visiting any of its resorts in Cancun or Playa del Carmen up to one free return trip a year for the next three years (same dates, length of stay and accommodation).

The guest must have it confirmed as H1N1 and must provide a positive blood result for the flu by a state-certified laboratory within 14 days of checkout, Real Resorts said. The "flu-free" guarantee applies to travel between May and October.

The deal was released less than a week after AMResorts launched an almost identical offer of three free vacations to any guest who books in Mexico between May 8 and June 30 and contracts the flu while staying at an affiliated property anytime through Dec. 20.

For more information on these incredible deals and resorts, call your travel agent or visit www.professionaltravelguide.com.

Swine Flu Concerns Cause US Officials to Caution Against Mexican Travel

The dreaded SWINE FLU is making the "bird flu" rounds in America right now: everyone is terrified of this virus that's sweeping the nation with it's coughing and sneezing and occasional hospitalization.

And as a result, US officials are cautioning against "nonessential travel to Mexico."

This isn't the first time either (this year even!) that people are becoming terrified of our neighbors to the South. Crime sprees near Tijuana had people all kinds of freaked out earlier -- and much of that terror still remains, only now it's being amplified by the threat of semi-serious disease.

What's weird is that the CDC (Center for Disease Control) is kind of freaking out about this, yet, everyone has recovered from the dreaded SWINE FLU. I'm not saying we should take it lightly and laugh at it (Lord knows I think I actually contracted a case sitting in a phone booth at the Philadelphia airport this morning) but what I don't get is that if this virus makes people feel sick why they would treat it any differently than a normal case of the flu.

But here's a more relevant point in terms of travel: GO TO MEXICO. Seriously, do it. Swine flu isn't sweeping the entire country, no more than it is infecting all of America. Which means, right now, you can probably sneak across the border for a Caribbean vacation on the straight-up cheap. Personally, I recommend checking out some of Apple Vacations' deals.

Summer of Savings for Families: Don't Let Bad Travel News Ruin Your Plans

Ken Shapiro is the Editor-in-Chief of Family Getaways.

As a travel editor based in Los Angeles, I’ve been lucky enough to travel frequently to Mexico. It’s one of my favorite getaways. So the problem the country is having now with drug-related violence is especially sad to me.

I recently wrote an editorial about the State Department travel alert for Mexico, and mentioned that my 4-year-old daughter has an image of Mexico as looking like “sunny roses.” (Don’t ask me where she got that from.) I wrote that I’m hoping to take her to Mexico this summer.

After the piece ran, I received some emotional responses. Some said I was irresponsible for even thinking of bringing a child to Mexico, while others said they were relieved to hear a voice of reason instead of more hype.

“Just a note to let you know how nice it was to read your article about the Mexico alerts,” wrote one travel agent from Oregon. “That blanket alert came out right before I took a group to Loreto and it did cause some concern for one couple. Once they got there, they loved it and had a great, carefree time. I hope your article will lend confidence to agents who have been spooked."

What I didn’t get a chance to say, however, is another reason for taking a family trip to Mexico this summer. Namely, it has never been this affordable.

Like many destinations, Mexico tourism has been hit hard by the U.S. recession, but it has also had the double whammy of safety concerns as well. As a result, resorts and tour operators throughout the country are doing whatever they can to put “heads in beds” (as they say in the biz).

Two recent deals come to mind:
-- From April 19 through Oct. 31, parents can take advantage of the Kids Stay and Eat Free program at select Pueblo Bonito resorts. Participating properties include Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach, Pueblo Bonito Rose Resort and Pueblo Bonito Los Cabos, in Cabo San Lucas; as well as Pueblo Bonito Mazatlan and Pueblo Bonito Emerald Bay in Mazatlan.

-- Pleasant Holidays is offering savings of up to 40 percent off on select hotels in Cancun, the Riviera Maya, Puerto Vallarta, Riviera Nayarit and Los Cabos, and kids stay and eat free at many of these resorts as well. Through Aug. 20, three-night air and hotel packages to Los Cabos from Los Angeles start at $238 per person. Sample three-night vacation packages to Cancun, including round-trip airfare and all-inclusive hotel accommodations, begin at $354 from Houston; $359 from Los Angeles; $385 from San Francisco; $397 from Portland, Ore.; $424 from Phoenix; and $455 from Dallas/Ft. Worth.

These are just some of the deals available this summer. Whether you’re thinking of traveling to Mexico or elsewhere, if you do some homework before you go, you should save a few bucks. Plus, if others are too spooked to travel, that just means you should have no trouble getting the best spot by the pool.

FareFinder: Tuesday, March 10

Professional Travel Guide and Apple Vacations offer you the best all-inclusive vacations in Mexico.

Southwest Airlines has unveiled its Spring Fever Sale with deals starting at $39 each way.

VegasPassport.com offering a $99 Bachelors Package that includes admission to the hottest clubs in Las Vegas.

Sonoma Valley Sommelier Experience Package includes three nights at the The Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa, meals, wine tastings and more.

The San Diego CVB is rolling out the red carpet for those looking for a stress-free Spring Break trip, including hotel specials, packages, attraction discounts and more.

World's Largest Cheesecake Baked in Mexico

Our affinity for World's Largest items knows no bounds, obviously (see our superb list.) And now we have a new item to tack onto the already "huge" (GET IT?) group of bizarrely big things: cheesecake.

But the world's biggest cheesecake isn't coming from where you would think, like New York. It was baked in Mexico. And it's quite large.

Chef Miguel Angel Quezada says 55 cooks spent 60 hours making the world's biggest cheesecake — a 2-ton calorie bomb topped with strawberries.

The monster cake used nearly a ton of cream cheese, the same amount of yogurt, 350 kilograms (772 pounds) of pastry, 250 kilograms (551 pounds) of sugar and 150 kilograms (331 pounds) of butter.

And, lest you question it, Guiness has already certified it as the record holder for World's Biggest Cheesecake. It's the first attempt at this record, of course, but, before you try and make a run at the record, remember: TWO TONS of cheesecake. TWO TONS. That's not exactly something you can just whip together on a Sunday afternoon.