From Atlanta, Georgia, it’s less than a four-hour flight to Liberia, Costa Rica, where access to an up-and-coming beach community, Las Catalinas, is about an hour away.
Call it new urbanism, a planned community, or a counter to the mega-resorts that have overtaken a chunk of the world’s coastline: Las Catalinas is the realized vision of entrepreneur Charles Brewer, who himself owns one of the car-free town’s largest houses.
Since its inception in 2005 (building began in 2009), Las Catalinas — inspired by the seaside towns of the Mediterranean with a respectful nod to the colorful homes and shops of Antigua, Guatemala, and San Miguel de Allende, Mexico — was envisioned to be a place where children can frolic freely while their parents sip cocktails overlooking the lapping Pacific waves.
But beyond the walkable cobblestone streets and plaza fountains encouraging children’s play is a community with stunning architecture, easy access to water sports like boogie boarding and snorkeling, and a handful of restaurants serving three squares a day. Las Catalinas director of sales and marketing Renae Johnson says architects would describe the enclave as a “short urban transect, [one that] indeed enriches life.”
Courtesy of Las Catalinas
Surrounded by roughly 1,000 acres of tropical dry forest, Las Catalinas is much more than sun and sand, though it has those in spades. In many ways, it feels perfectly aligned with many travelers’ changed priorities, since it’s largely uninterested in becoming a thriving tourist hub and would prefer to exist as a paradise for people to return to again and again. Buying a villa and staying forever is another viable option.
While there’s plenty to do in the surrounding areas, Las Catalinas is the kind of place that can keep visitors content during the duration of their stay. Johnson says settling into the rhythm happens easily here, and they even came up with a name for it: downshifting.
Courtesy of Las Catalinas
Despite its decidedly unique approach to a traditional coastal vacation, Las Catalinas shares quite a few similarities with the typical sprawling beach resort: Multiple dining options, though individually owned and operated, have various offerings, from tapas-style fare at Pascual to broadly interpreted (and somewhat basic) Mediterranean cuisine at Ponciana. There’s also a very good spa selling the usual beach wares and workout gear, and a gourmet food store presents the opportunity to DIY the occasional meal or pick up ready-made sandwiches to bring to the beach.
One key area that Las Catalinas stands apart from the mega-resorts is in its beach experience; you won’t find loungers and umbrellas or drink service on the sand — a welcome reprieve for some and a sorely missed piece for others.
Courtesy of Las Catalinas
For those hung up on some of the standard beach vacation amenities, there’s the Beach Club. Overlooking the sea below, it contains both an all-ages pool and an adults-only one with an adjacent bar. Tacos and margaritas from La Taqueria can be enjoyed via your chaise lounge or at a table, though access to the club is dependent upon what villa category you’re staying in.
Many villas have their own, albeit tiny, plunge pools, and the beach is public, so the category may not matter much, depending on your preferences. Plus, just before the pandemic, Santarena Hotel opened, and it, too, has a pool — on the rooftop — as well as a cafe serving espresso drinks, kombucha in a can, and buttery banana bread.
Pierre Theriault/Courtesy of Las Catalinas
While the town itself can’t entirely escape its manufactured roots, just beyond the manufactured cobblestones and gurgling fountains is a natural environment teeming with wildlife. Forty-two kilometers of well-maintained hiking and biking trails reveal families of howler monkeys feasting on leafy green trees above, giant iguanas effortlessly blending into nature and quickly scurrying about the grounds, and, if you’re lucky, anteaters meandering in the distant underbrush. You might also spot a fast-as-lighting puma racing through the land. But even without these endearing wildlife sightings, there’s something magnificent to see along these trails: The higher you go, the better the vista.
Courtesy of Las Catalinas
Of course, as with most beach towns, there’s an anything-goes vibe, and Las Catalinas takes its wellness quotient seriously — Pura Vida Ride has bikes for rent, and the adjacent Core by Chak Fitness center offers a range of classes, from power yoga to kickboxing.
Pots & Bowls makes excellent cold-pressed juices (try the Green Machine) and is ideally situated nearby, though technically, everything in town can be reached within minutes.
Plans for additional restaurants and a late-night bar (Las Catalinas currently lacks any kind of nightlife), as well as more retail and plaza space, are in the works. In the coming years, this stretch of Costa Rican coast won’t be such a hidden gem, but it’ll remain car-free — one of the town’s steadfast commitments.
Johnson says, “Turns out, when you remove [cars] from the equation and build towns similar to the way they were before cars existed, the result is sociability, beauty, and safety. Kids get more freedom this way, which often means adults do, too.”
The Tennessee Titans will spend parts of the next 10 days on the road, logging a total of nine nights in Tampa and Atlanta on a preseason road trip for joint practices and preseason games against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons. It won’t be the busiest slate; the Titans will only practice three times with two games in between, meaning there will be four off days. But it’ll be a stretch spent together, and, crucially to coach Brian Callahan, it’ll be a stretch where opponents will be able to start forming their opinions about the Titans.
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“One of the things I’m really looking for is what do those teams say about us when we leave?” Callahan asks rhetorically. “What do they say about how we played, the intensity we practiced with? Those are all things we get to go make an imprint of what our team can be this year.”
Callahan envisions this road trip as an opportunity for his players and coaches to get closer, continuing the ongoing trend of Callahan emphasizing connection and togetherness as team-building tacts. It’s also an opportunity to get ready for the long road trips the Titans will have to endure in the fall; the Titans travel to Phoenix, Denver, Las Vegas and San Francisco this season, with the Raiders and Cardinals trips coming in back-to-back weeks.
The players seem to be bought into the idea. Receiver Calvin Ridley says the trip will go a long way toward bringing the team together. Rookie tight end Gunnar Helm says he’s looking forward to getting closer with his teammates. And offensive tackle Dan Moore Jr., in his first year with the Titans, plans to take advantage of the closeness.
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“I do think it’s a great time for us to bond us a team,” Moore said. “Spend some time on the road. Get to know each other a little bit better, spend a lot more time with each other and just come together.”
Practicing with the Buccaneers presents a long list of challenges. Coach Todd Bowles’ defense blitzes at one of the highest rates in the league, which should test quarterback Cam Ward and the offense’s readiness. Quarterback Baker Mayfield and the Bucs’ talented receiving corps, led by Mike Evans, will be a huge test for the secondary. And then there’s the Florida heat. The forecast calls for mid-90s temperatures and extreme heat with a “real feel” of 104 degrees by the time practice is going to be ending.
When asked if he has any advice for enduring the Florida summer heat, cornerback and Florida native Jarvis Brownlee Jr. said to keep hydrated. And then he repeated his advice four more times.
Another underrated element is these joint practices, and preseason games, will be the Titans’ first opportunities to experience unfriendly environments. Having enemy fans around isn’t high on the list of reasons to go on these trips, but it’s a factor.
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“It’s gonna be us against everybody for the next 10 days,” Helm says.
A road trip is the best kind of liberation — you (and your loved ones, if you so choose) plus the open road and limitless possibilities. Still, to optimally embrace that freedom, some upfront planning is required. These practical tips will ensure the trip is all you hope it will be.
Plan food stops before you leave
Just because you can see those golden arches from the highway doesn’t mean you must stop at that McDonald’s. Much of the country’s tastiest food is located just off the road, in what can seem like unsuspecting locations. “Some of the best expressions of regional food flavors and unique culinary styles can be found in gas stations,” said Frank Beard, a traveling sales rep, to Condé Nast Traveler. “Just because a place has four walls and a gas pump doesn’t mean they can’t do something different.”
Drive no more than 5 hours a day
“If you are planning a trip where you are going to drive, say, 12 straight hours to your destination, just fly if at all possible,” said American Weekender.“It’s not worth wasting an entire day of your trip in the car when you don’t have time to explore.” Clichés exist for good reason, so remember: The journey is indeed the destination. Stop at the dinosaur park you saw from the road. Sleep in, if the mood strikes. And relish the chance to break up the drive with an overnight stop.
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“Stopping overnight in the middle has made my driving days infinitely better over the last half-decade,” said Ben Mesirow at Thrillist. “Every leg of the trip feels more manageable, and even if you have to sacrifice one night at the destination, it’s more than worth the trade-off to arrive calmer, happier and ready to enjoy your vacation.”
Prepare for possible roadside emergencies
One certainty of road trips — and driving in general — is that at some point, there is going to be a car malfunction. Two arguably essential tools to have stowed in your auto are a portable jump starter for a stalled engine and a portable air compressor for pumping tires. “If you’re driving alone or in remote areas where car trouble will really ruin your day,” these mechanisms are “game changers,” said frequent traveler Rachel Engen to Outside magazine.
Give your car the gift of a checkup
Auto maintenance either comes easily to you or it never crosses your mind until those pesky dashboard lights start blinking. If you’re the former, skip ahead. If you’re the latter, gather your strength and get all that maintenance done before you hit the road. “Check the oil, fluid levels, battery and tires,” said Lonely Planet. “Make sure you have air in your spare tire.” Obvious, yes. But obvious is best — especially if you follow through.
Download everything you might need before departure
Picture it: You’ve entered your destination into Google Maps, and the app is guiding you smoothly there. Then, poof: Out goes the cell service. Avoid the abject terror that results and save everything you might need for offline use. That includes “Google Maps, trails, campsites and itineraries,” said Julia, the creator behind Julia Takes a Hike, to Outside magazine. Screenshots of reservations so “you don’t struggle to dig through email without Wi-Fi” is a wise idea, said Engen to Outside. “Make sure your music or audiobooks are downloaded too.”
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This article first appeared in the August edition of Powersports Business.
Summer vacation season has begun, and as Americans gear up for adventure, the high cost of air travel is fueling a road trip renaissance. According to a survey from GSTV, “83% of people said they plan to drive to their summer vacation destination, and 54% said they will drive instead of fly due to the rising cost of airfare.”
Powersports enthusiasts gearing up for summer road trips should ensure their vehicles are up to date on maintenance.
For powersports enthusiasts, a summer road trip may include trailering their ATVs and other on- and off-road vehicles to explore new trails, such as Iron Mountain Resort in Dahlonega, Georgia, Ride Royal Blue Resort in Pioneer, Tennessee, or Badlands Off-Road Park in Attica, Indiana. That is, of course, if their vehicles are up to the challenge.
Before hitting the dirt, riders need to ensure their vehicles are road-ready, and that can be costly. A rule of thumb in the powersports industry is that for frequent riders, an ATV should be tuned up every three to six months, and these costs can add up. For example, a tune-up for an ATV can cost between $100 and $400, while regular oil changes typically range from $30 to $55.
And let’s not forget those items not covered in a tune-up. For example, new tires, shocks, and batteries. According to ATVTires.com, some entry-level tires are priced from nearly $81 to $148 per tire, and for some high-performance tires, the prices go up to nearly $214 to $414 per tire. And remember to maintain those brakes. The price tag adds up quickly if you’re hitting the trails often and/or are covering the cost for the whole family. Keep in mind that maintenance and repair costs have surged in recent years, driven by rising prices across the economy.
For many, the upkeep costs may be too steep to handle without financing. The same applies to purchasing a new vehicle. According to the University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment index, anxiety about inflation, tariffs, and economic uncertainty is pushing consumer sentiment to its second-lowest level since the pandemic. Since January, sentiment has dropped by nearly 30 percent, with many Americans cutting back on discretionary spending.
But all hope of a powersports-filled summer isn’t lost. Like consumers, many dealerships may be feeling the squeeze as inflation rises and discretionary spending dips. However, many continue to be valuable resources for customers by showing them how, through financing, their services team can breathe new life into their existing vehicles. This includes financing everything from essential repairs and tune-ups to upgrades, new accessories, and even gas.
For small businesses that are not offering financing from companies such as Synchrony, this is the time to act. For businesses with existing programs, there is a good chance that many of your current and prospective customers are unaware that they can finance the upkeep of their vehicles. That means it’s time to begin promoting the full extent of these programs online and on-site in the dealership — in store windows, on the store floor, and more.
From there, educate your sales and services teams on the financing options. Make them your store’s financing experts, helping your customers understand how they can use these loans to maintain their current vehicles (and in doing so extend their lifespan) and upgrade accessories that may need replacement. For those riders with relatively new vehicles, be sure to educate them on the benefits of regular maintenance. For example, by financing more frequent tune-ups and replacing worn parts, riders can avoid more significant, and far more costly, repairs down the road. Financing can turn these proactive steps into easy-to-manage monthly payments, saving money and stress over the long haul.
This summer, powersports dealerships could be more than just a place to buy a new vehicle. They can become trusted partners in helping customers extend the life of the equipment they already own, allowing them to embark on their next getaway adventure and generate lasting memories.
Susan Medrano is the senior vice president and general manager at Synchrony Outdoors. With over 25 years of financial services experience, she leads Synchrony Outdoors within the Lifestyle platform. In this role, she provides general management and P&L accountability for Synchrony’s consumer business within the outdoors industries, including powersports and lawn and garden.
