After nearly every trip to Lake El Salto or Lake Picachos, I write down some notes about the travel experience and then share them with you. It’s never the same trip twice going to and from Mazatlán, and whether it’s your first journey or you’ve visited dozens of times there are always a few wrinkles and snafus.

Through the two-plus years this website has been in operation, we’ve frequently discussed the value and opportunities presented by both mid-level and “premium” credit cards. Now we’re back in the game – not with the same Chase card, or even a MasterCard/Visa product, but rather with the first American Express card either of us has carried in a few decades. It’s the AmEx Platinum.