Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - Another summer is nearly behind us and although we still have a couple of more months of heat and humidity, the kids are back to school, business owners are planning their vacations and everyone seems to be gearing up for what looks to be an extremely busy high season. Yes, I am of the old school that refers to the seasons as high season and low season - it is was it is.

Actually, I have had a summer filled with work and this "low season" turned out to be not so bad according to many 'restauranteros,' hoteleros and taxistas with whom I have spoken. Fewer hotels had to let employees go this summer, and once again evidence of a strong Mexican economy was revealed with busloads and carloads of families on vacation.

For us locals that stay in town during the latter part of summer, be aware that this is the time that many restaurants close in order to give their employees a well-deserved vacation and to prepare for the upcoming season. It is also important to know which restaurants ARE still open and would love your business!

Here is a brief rundown of some of my favorites:

• Kaiser Maximilian - open every day except Sunday, Mexican specials in September, great a/c

• Trio - open every day of the week, great a/c

• Vitea - reopens on September 3, a/c inside but sit outside to enjoy the ocean breeze and great people watching

• Púlpito 116 - closes August 24 until mid-September reopening

• Salud Super Food - this is the last week, they are closed for September

• Daiquiri Dick's - same deal, closed for the month of September

• Archie's Wok - closed now, reopens in the fall

• La Piazzetta - open!

• Café de Olla - closes September 16 for one month

Another supremely important event that will be happening in the next weeks is the beginning of the 2014 football season, both college and pro. If you are like I am, there are certain games that you cannot miss and there are some great sports bars in town where you can enjoy your game. El Torito, Steve's Sports Bar, Cerveceria La Union on the Malecón, Half-Time Sport's Bar, and Mimmo's new place right behind La Piazzetta, are great places to watch the game.

If a bar is not your gig, I must take this opportunity to give a plug to my dear friend Ivan Alcantará and his ConnectUS/ROKU3 system. I was never much of a TV watcher except for sports and the occasional cooking show. I like watching certain sports with English play-by-play (and others, like soccer, are WAY better in Spanish!) but would get frustrated when the satellite or cable would go out due to rain or clouds.

Enter streaming Internet TV, the wave of the future. I have had my ROKU3 in place for about a year and I absolutely love it. It rarely fails and even though my internet connection is the regular connection through Telmex, I have had no issues with watching movies or live television. My high-definition IS high-definition and it is unaffected by rain or clouds. The ConnectUS modem allows me to watch channels that may not be watchable from Mexico giving me a huge range of movies, shows and sports to view.

The nicest thing about Ivan is his dedication to service. He will set this system up for you at no charge to see how you like it and how it works at no obligation so if you are not impressed, you do not have to buy it.

He also makes himself available if you have questions or issues with the service. Or if you are just sometimes an idiot like I am. For more information, you can contact Ivan Alcantara Peña directly at ivan(at)artefactodigital.biz, or by calling 322-779-7677.

Since 1997, Wayne Franklin and his team at Tropicasa Realty have been a trusted name in Puerto Vallarta real estate. Tropicasa Realty is the region's representative for "The Leading Agents of the World" and with over 100 years of combined experience in real estate, all agents of the company are affiliated with AMPI. Wayne Franklin or any member of his knowledgeable team can be contacted in-person at their Romantic Zone Office - Pulpito 145-A at Olas Altas or in their San Marino Office - San Marino Hotel at Rodolfo Gomez 111-4. While in PV they can be reached at (322) 222-6505 or by calling 866-978-5539 (Toll-Free) from the U.S.

Click HERE to learn more about Tropicasa Realty, or visit tropicasa.com.