Finally! Another Valle Girls’ Trip (Part 1)

Pre-COVID, my friend Patti and I made semi-regular gals’ trips to Valle de Guadalupe. We resurrected that tradition earlier this year, booking a cabin at Casa Mayoral, with one bed on the ground floor, another in the loft. We’ve stayed at CM twice before, but never in this casita/cabin. 

Cabin #1 at Casa Mayoral.

We love the ambiance and staff at CM. It’s south of the Ensenada-Tecate highway, far enough away to feel secluded and enjoy the nature, but with relatively quick access to the main highway. 

View from our little balcony at Casa Mayoral.

After checking in, our first stop was one of our favorites – Vinos Lechuza, which has added food options since my last visit. Fantastic to see Armando, who has become a highly valued employee at Lechuza; I first met Armando more than four years ago. Patti and I enjoyed a great wine tasting and shared a fabulous plate of almejas ahumadas (grilled clams smothered in cheese, veggies and herbs).

Yummy almejas (clams) at Lechuza!

Then it was off to our reservation at the Bruma Wine Garden. I’ve been to Bruma’s Fauna for their tasting menu, maybe four years ago; it was fantastic, and I really admire Chef David Castro Hussong.

Bruma’s Wine Garden is down below and north of Fauna, Bruma’s signature restaurant, and as you might expect, is outdoors, but under a lovely canopy of trees. I had heard positive reviews of their pizzas, so Patti and I shared one, along with a bottle of wine, and a very chocolaty dessert. It was a fine meal, but with so many Valle options, would I return? Not sure.

Bruma wine and fluffy pizza.

Ambiance at Bruma Wine Garden.

After finding our way back to CM on a dark, drizzly night with lots of traffic on the highway, we settled in for the night. I insisted on taking the loft bed, and it was a bit of a challenge negotiating the ladder/staircase to get up and down. But somehow I managed not to fall off. Whew!

I considered the access to our cabin’s loft the stairway to heaven.

Saturday morning we enjoyed an included breakfast at CM and received some helpful updates about the Valle from staff. We were saddened to learn that the long-standing Farmers’ Market at Mogor Badan went by the wayside during the pandemic and has not been revived since. 

We heeded a recommendation to visit the Misiones de California winery, which involved taking an unmarked road north of the highway in San Antonio de Las Minas. Once we finally found and proceeded up that dirt road, we did spot helpful signage. And, we found it! A rather hidden gem.

We did not have reservations (heck, we didn’t even know if we could find the place!) but our host Addie set us up for a great tasting even though she was awaiting a reservation that was running late. Once they – another pair of gal pals with a driver – arrived, happily we all merged together. This is not a place where you would expect wine tour buses to show up; it’s off the beaten Valle track. Patti and I especially enjoyed their Nebbiolo, and we promptly bought a bottle for our cabin. 

Entering the unassuming but wonderful Vinicola Misiones de California.

With our host and fellow wine fans at Misiones de Californias.

We stopped at Los Globos in San Antonio de las Minas for rosemary cheese and a bunch of other local products. On the way back to CM, I introduced Patti to Vinedos Don Tomas for another wine tasting. Don Tomas provides a very nice cheese/tomato/olive tray with their tasting, a super nice touch. Then it was back to CM to get ready for the highlight of our wine and culinary journey: a tasting menu dinner at Lunario.

Stay tuned for Part 2 with detailed info about our tasting experience, and our other rather crazy recent Valle adventures, coming soon!

 

 

Market at Mogor Badan went by the wayside during the pandemic. 

 

 

Two more Baja Festivals Announced!

The venerable Rosarito Beach Hotel is turning 99 this year! We are all invited to attend the 99th Year Gala Celebration on Saturday June17 at 5 pm in the hotel gardens. There will be a concert by Beatles tribute band The Revolution. Food and beverages will be available, but apparently are not included in the admission which is 400 pesos in advance (about $20). Tickets can be purchased by calling 1-800-343-8582.

This photo is from Sabor de Baja 2016, also held in the gardens of the Rosarito Beach Hotel.

We were excited to learn that Festival Cocina La Baja will return on Saturday, July 15. Formerly held at the Estero Beach Hotel south of Ensenada, this year is moving to the Hotel Coral & Marina just north of Ensenada. A great event with a bigger variety of offerings than some of the other festivals. Apparently tix are not yet on sale, but you can follow CLB at https://www.facebook.com/cocinalabaja.

Attendees enoying Cocina La Baja 2022.

There are indications that the Baja Blues Fest might return to the gardens of the Rosarito Beach Hotel in mid-August, and we’ve heard the Valle Food & Wine Fest will be back this fall. No definitive dates for either, and no word yet on the potential return of  the classy all-white party, Sabor de Baja.

Stay tuned!

Gracias por fotos by Bob Gove.

Baja Food & Wine Festivals on the Horizon

Hola amigos/as! It’s the time of year we’ve been waiting for: the Baja Festival Season! Here is a list of upcoming events on our radar screen, with links. We’ll write more about them individually in the near future.

Saturday, April 15, 4pm – Crossing South Food & Wine Festival, Rosarito Beach Hotel This first-time event is tied to the popular PBS TV show, Crossing South. Meet show host Jorge Meraz, enjoy food & wine samples, and salsa dance lessons! Tix: $70, $140 for VIP. Check out this video.

Sunday, April 23, noon – Festival de las Conchas y el Nuevo Vino, Hotel Coral & Marina, Ensenada One of our very favorite fests! With 50+ restaurants serving gourmet samples made with oysters, clams and scallops, and 80 wineries pouring tastes of 150 different wines . . . how can you go wrong? Tix: $1200 pesos (about $67 at the current exchange rate).



Saturday & Sunday, May 27-28, 10am – Art Walk Rosarito, CEART, Rosarito Beach Not a true food and wine fest, but in the past this event HAS included booths for both wine and food. Touring the art and talking with the artists is very fun! Admission in the past has been free. 

Saturday, June 10, noon – Fiesta de los Vinedos en Flor, Jardin Decantos, Valle de Guadalupe  A family-oriented event in a new location this year. Wine and beer tastings are offered, but you gotta pay for food (although prices are very reasonable). Tix: $700 pesos (about $37). And, kids under 18 are admitted free! Tix are on not sale yet. Read more at https://provinobc.mx/eventos/


Friday, August 4, 7pm – Muestra del Vino, Centro Cultural Riviera, Ensenada We’ve not been to this event, but it looks like a great time. It’s the opening event for Fiestas de la Vendimia, the Baja wine harvest celebration. And I love the venue, Cento Cultural Riviera! Again, tix are not on sale yet, but read more at https://provinobc.mx/eventos/

Sunday, August 20, noon – Concurso del Paellas, Vinedos Liceaga, Valle de Guadalupe My very favorite event of the year, with 80 wineries and 80+ teams of “paelleros.” Grab a table under the giant oak trees and enjoy wine, music, and of course, paella all afternoon. Such a festive but relaxing atmosphere. Bring friends, or make new ones! This is the closing event of the Fiestas de la Vendimia. Tix this year will be around $75, worth every penny, but are not yet on sale. Learn more at https://provinobc.mx/eventos/  



Three other past events: Cocina la Baja, typically held in early July at Estero Beach Hotel,Sabor de Baja, generally held in late August at the Rosarito Beach Hotel, and the Valle Food & Wine Fest, usually an October event, have not announced 2023 dates yet. We hope all shows will go on, and we will keep you posted.

Salud!

Como siempre, muchisimas gracias por fotos by Bob Gove.



Adios 2022; Hola 2023!

Hola! Muy Feliz Año Nuevo! 2022 is now in our rear-view mirror. However, we certainly had some great experiences last year eating and drinking in Baja.

2022 brought the post-pandemic return of some of our favorite food and wine festivals. Excited by the revival of the Festival de Las Conchas y el Vino Nuevo along the marina at Hotel Coral in May, we arrived super early and secured a fabulous table as our hub for the afternoon. That was key, since Team EatDrinkBaja later swelled to 13 strong! (Thanks, all.) Conchas features many of Baja’s best wineries and restaurants. Although celebrity chefs Javier Plascencia and Drew Deckman did not appear to be in attendance as in the past, we mowed our way through dozens of booths with oysters, clams, abalone and more . . . and, of course, multiple wine tastings! It was wonderful to spot other Team EDB members in the crowd and exchange “reviews” of recently-visited booths. Our MO: eat, drink, compare notes, get back in line, repeat. An incredibly fun afternoon.

Team EDB!!

On June 11 we traveled down to Valle de Guadalupe for the Viñedos en Flor festival, held on the grounds of the Monte Xanic winery. While not as impressive as Conchas, Viñedos has a cool, rural, family-oriented vibe, with kids’ activities and a petting zoo. And it was fantastic to reunite with Natalia Badan, an early founder of wine making in the Valle who chaired this fest five or so years ago when it took place at Finca La Carrodilla.

I consider Natalia as the Katherine Hepburn of the Valle.

Very special: the patriarch of F. Rubio pouring their vinos.

In July, the Cocina La Baja festival returned to the Estero Beach Hotel south of Ensenada. Bob attended solo, but reported that it was among his favorite Baja food fests due to the variety of dishes available to attendees, the chef cooking demonstrations, the abundance of offerings by Baja craft breweries . . . and, of course, the spectacular seaside venue!

Ah, August . . . the Concurso de Paellas at Viñas Liceaga in Valle de Guadalupe! Truly my favorite way to spend a sweltering summer afternoon. This event is so special – you can bring in food and non-alcoholic beverages. Attending over the years has taught us to not only pack hats and sunscreen . . . but also a tablecloth, veggie and hummus tray, and a small rolling cooler. Gotta get there early and stake out a great table in the shade of the big oak trees, strategically positioned between the wine tasting and paella-serving booths. Some folks do it up really fancy, with china, silverware and cloth napkins! But the paella –  cooked over wood fires by 90 teams competing for honors – is the star of the show. Plus, there’s live music and/or a DJ on two stages. A Baja tradition – in reality, a Baja happening.

We were glad to see the Valle Food and Wine Fest return in October, albeit with some changes. Due to limitations on really large events in Valle de Guadalupe in recent years, this fest downsized . . . and increased significantly in price. Relocating from Finca Altozano to Bruma (on the eastern end of the Valle), the 3-day fest included chef’s dinners on Friday evening, a main event on Saturday night, and a “Valle Fest Brunch” on Sunday, which we attended . . . since we were just coming back from taking Bob’s boat to Avalon for the Catalina Jazz Festival! (Yes . . . living la vida loca.) To their credit, the Valle Fest brings in major, internationally-known chefs. It was wonderful to see and chat with Rick Bayless and other chefs at the brunch. And attendees appeared to be having a good time. However, this event is definitely at the high end of the $$ spectrum compared to other Baja food and wine fests, with the Saturday night event at $250 and the Sunday brunch at $190 (once they finally lowered the price, thank you). As Bob opined, it was a nice event, but should have been half the price. I agree whole heartedly.

Rick Bayless, an impressive chef and an early advocate of Mexican cuisine.

That’s our wrap-up of the 2022 Baja food fests we enjoyed! Promise: we’ll soon give you a quick recap of Baja restaurants visited in the past year or so, as well as a preview of 2023 Baja food fests. We’re back on the post-pandemic track now!

As Daisy Fuentes famously said at the end of her MTV Latino shows years ago, “Ciao-cito, babies!”

Como siempre, muchisimas gracias por photos by Bob Gove.

So close to El Cielo, but a world apart

We recently trundled down to Valle de Guadalupe to visit Valle Girl Vinos tasting room, El Corcho Rosa (the pink cork). We had met founder and CEO Sitara Monica Perez at Baja food and wine events, but had never visited her winery. What drew us in like a magnet was news of an event pairing Valle Girl wines with artisanal cheeses from Tecate. A great excuse to visit in the name of research, right?

Arriving in the Valle a bit early, we stopped at Las Nubes for a quick tasting. This was our first visit to Nubes since they reopened in June after closing due to coronavirus. We were impressed with Nubes’ safety precautions (temperature taking, hand sanitizer, face masks, table distancing). But due to diminished capacity and visitorship, instead of offering three different types of tastings, they are down to just a single tasting of four wines: a white, a rose, and two reds. We love their wines, and we adore the view. Oscar, our server, was very attentive and ensured that we wrapped things up in time to roll down the hill.

Las Nubes’ socially-distanced tasting patio.

El Cielo – one of the (if not THE) most extensive winery complexes in the Valle – is a neighbor to El Corcho Rosa. Nothing against El Cielo, but personally I do not visit the Valle to patronize such a megafacility. I call El Cielo “Temeculized.”

In stark contrast, Valle Girl’s rustic but fun tasting room stands about one mile west of El Cielo. With a warm welcome by Sitara, dirt floors, eclectic decor and a smattering of tables in a couple of tasting areas, we felt right at home. And, there were misters to help beat the heat!

We shared a communal table with some fun fellow wine and cheese lovers. Lola and Aracely of Perma Farms, a farm/sanctuary with 250 free range animals, brought their cheeses and explained each variety as they were served. And Sitara or her lovely daughter, Ava, introduced each of the wines.

Aracely and Lola of Perma Farms provided ample servings of their cheese.

Valle Girl founder and CEO Sitara Monica Perez.

Valle Girl president and sommelier Ava Carolina Perez, a true dama tatuada!

Here’s the lineup of pairings we enjoyed:

  1. La Chula dry Moscato served with queso panela
  2. La Traviesa Provence-style rosé with air-dried jalapeño cheese
  3. La Chula Vin Gris with chilipitin-flavored cheese
  4. La Traviesa South Rhone-style Grenache rosé with Monterey jack
  5. La Traviesa South Rhone-style Syrah rosé (which tastes like a watermelon Jolly Rancher) with mozzarella
  6. La Dama Tatuada (translation: the tattooed lady), a 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon with touches of Syrah & Grenache paired with aged queso oreado
  7. La Vaquera Grenache with a touch of Cabernet and Syrah with queso Oaxaca
  8. A bonus (but much appreciated!) pairing of Moscato/Grenache Blanc (not even labeled yet!) with queso fresco

Well, we really weren’t socially-distanced, but all worked out.

We were served SO much cheese, we had to take some home in a doggy bag. It was a fun (and filling) event! Next time, we hope to visit El Corcho Rosa on a Saturday afternoon, when there is live music. To quote Valle Girl’s slogan, Vaya Con Vino!

Gracias por photos by Bob Gove.

 

Coronavirus Casualties

Sad but true: all our beloved Baja food and wine festivals have been canceled this year. The list stretches from the Festival de las Conchas y el Vino Nuevo (originally scheduled for early May) all the way to the big Valle Food and Wine Festival (planned for early October). In addition, the many 30th annual Vendimia events, including our favorite Concurso de Paella, did not take place, nor will the lovely Sabor de Baja, which was slated for next Wednesday. 

A bright spot is this Sunday’s wine and artisanal cheese pairing at Valle Girl Vino’s El Corcho Rosa. According to CEO/winemaker Sitara Monica Perez, there will be seven different pairings, all with handcrafted cheeses from Perma Farm near Tecate. The event is a reasonable $30 per person, and I have been warned there will be so much cheese served, I should bring a doggy bag! Click here for more information. To make a reservation for this event, which kicks off at 2pm this Sunday, email sitara.perez@gmail.com.


Back to Baja . . . for one weekend!

Hola, Baja Buffs! I hope everyone is doing well, staying safe and healthy. Reporting on our recent quick trip to Rosarito and Valle de Guadalupe. Although the border is still “closed,” we had no problem crossing south. We had a great breakfast at Rosarito’s La Estancia, not as busy as usual. I had received word from Kris Magnussen Shute of Vinos Lechuza that they (and several other Valle wineries) had just been given the green light to re-open, albeit in a limited capacity and with a number of safety measures. So, in the name of research, we had to check out re-opening weekend, right?

On our way to the Valle, we stopped at the Puerta Al Valle Farmers’ Market, on the free road just outside of La Mision. It wasn’t big (maybe six or eight vendors), but we enjoyed visiting with Bart Berry and purchased a packet of his The Baja Gourmet smoked yellowtail. Delicious! We also bought some chowder from another vendor.

Bart Berry has smoked yellowtail, smoked cheeses, New York steaks on Saturdays at PAV.

We had intended to stop at Las Nubes, but didn’t want to be late for our Lechuza reservation. Upon arriving at Lechuza, we were very impressed with the safety precautions being taken by the staff. There was a quick process at check-in, and all staff members were wearing masks and face shields. All visitors were seated outside, and social distancing was in place. 

Adam and Kris at Vinos Lechuza.

We love the friendly ambiance at Lechuza, and we love their wines! Although we gravitate toward reds (their Amantes blend is our fave), we enjoyed their new white wine, Vuelo, a blend of 55% Sauvignon Blanc and 45% Chardonnay. It’s fantastic to see Adam and Kris carry on the tradition of her dad, Ray Magnussen, who founded Lechuza with his wife, Patty, but sadly suddenly passed away three years ago.

Our cute little socially distanced table at Lechuza.

Leaving Lechuza, we journeyed west and stopped at Corona del Valle. We knew they were open and we love their Tempranillo Nebbiolo! We were also impressed with their safety precautions. Again, we sat outside, and social distancing was being practiced.

Other folks enjoying the afternoon at Corona del Valle.

Corona DID require us to order some food with our tasting, so we happily shared a yummy ceviche, the perfect afternoon snack.

According to Comite Provino BC, these additional Baja wineries have reopened: Alximia, Casta de Vinos, Decantos, Emevé, Hacienda Guadalupe, MD Vinos, Relieve, Rondo del Valle, Solar Fortun, Vinicola Regional de Ensenada, Vinos Pijoan, Viña de Frannes, Viña de Liceaga, Viña Emiliana, and Las Nubes.

On our way back, we stopped to visit the cabinet shop/home of friend Gary Stafford, who shook up delicious martinis. Unfortunately, Gary has just tested coronavirus positive; he believes he became infected the weekend AFTER we visited him. We wish Gary the best in getting better soon! Then on to dinner at Tapanco (I love their salsa and their mariscos en alumino), and Sunday breakfast at Los Pelícanos, which was doing boom business.

Again, we were very impressed with the safety precautions in place at every venue we visited, with face masks, face shields, temperature-taking and more. And we had no problem crossing back into the U.S. on Sunday.

Read this interesting article, also published in Sunday’s The San Diego Union-Tribune. Hopefully, there will not be a big resurgence of COVID-19 cases in weeks to come, and we can get back to what we do best . . . regularly eating and drinking in Baja!

P.S. A quick update from Baja Sur: the Scorpion Bay Hotel is now open! Reportedly, their remote, tiny town of San Juanico had been completely closed. So, it’s good to hear that news, as it is a lovely property run by a wonderful family.

Gracias por photos by Bob Gove.

 

 

 

 

 

Baja in a Time of Coronavirus

It’s been a tough three months, hasn’t it? Trying to stay safe and healthy, and dealing with racial injustice and resulting fallout. Let’s pray that the second half of 2020 will be much better!

Some random insights on what’s going on south of the border:

Border Closure. In theory, the US/Mexico border is closed to all but essential travel. But I have several friends (who shall remain nameless) who have been down multiple times in the past three months since the purported “closure,” with no questions or problems. However, they all drive across, and all have SENTRI passes. U.S. and Mexico officials have just extended the closure until July 21.

Approaching Tijuana via San Ysidro.

Ensenada Closure. According to Baja Bound’s recent Border Crossing Update, visits to Ensenada are banned for non-essential reasons, with checkpoints at El Sauzal and other entry points. But if you are going to Valle de Guadalupe, friends’ experiences have proven that there is access via the free road via La Mision; however, apparently, the highway from Ensenada to the Valle is blocked. One friend got a screamin’ deal at one of my fave Valle B&Bs in May, and reported that most tasting rooms and restaurants were closed, but products were available for takeout.

Valle Update. Kristin Magnussen Shute of Vinos Lechuza reports that they have just been given the green light to reopen, although with “limited capacity.” An encouraging sign! Be sure and make reservations if you plan to visit Lechuza.

Coastal Area Restaurants. I’m sure this is woefully incomplete, but here’s a smattering of news: twenty-eight of Puerto Nuevo’s 30 restaurants have now reopened, so you can get your lobster fix! Splash (Km52), Poco Cielo (Km59) and La Fonda (Km59.5) have reopened and are doing brisk business. Colectivo Surf Tasting Room (Km41) is currently training staff in anticipation of reopening soon. Happy Hour Restaurante (Km43) and Kraken (Km52) are also serving. In downtown Rosarito, Susanna’s, El Nido and Bistro Le Cousteau are open. YAAY!

A recent beautiful day (with music!) at Poco Cielo

Farmers Market. Bart Berry reports that the Puerta al Valle Farmers Market is back in operation every Saturday from noon to 2 p.m. in La Mision (Km62). If you go, check out Bart’s smoked yellowtail; it looks delicious!

Get Bart Berry’s smoked yellowtail at the Puerta al Valle Farmers Market.

Food and Wine Festivals. Sadly, Comite Provino’s wonderful Festival de Las Conchas y El Vino Nuevo (first planned for May 3, then delayed until June 7) has been postponed until further notice, as has their many Fiestas de La Vendima events (planned for late July through mid-August). This includes the 30th Annual Paella Fest, scheduled for August 16! Bo Bendana is taking a “wait and see” posture on Sabor de Baja, originally scheduled for August 26. Carolina Carreno of the big Valle Food and Wine Fest planned for October 3 reports they are working with the government to see if events of their size and scope will be permitted at that time. In the meantime, ticket sales have been paused. Fingers crossed that the 2020 Baja food and wine festival shows WILL go on! 

Memories of the 2019 Paella Fest.

At least Baja eating and drinking opportunities are opening up. Please contact me with any other insights. And please, stay tuned! 

A look back, a look ahead

2019 was a very good year for eating and drinking in Baja! Here’s a quick recap of some of our favorite events:

Chef Drew Deckman’s offerings at Vinedos en Flor.
  • In July, we attended Cocina La Baja at the Estero Beach Hotel/Resort for our first time. What a great event! Beautiful setting, live music, fantastic restaurants/chefs, and cooking demos. Impressive!
Chefs Drew Deckman and Javier Plascencia at Cocina la Baja.
One of more than 90 pans at the Concurso de Paellas.
  • Sabor de Baja, held one evening each August at the Rosarito Beach Hotel, gets better year after year, with new restaurants, wineries and craft breweries represented. Keep up the great work, Bo and Dennis!
Getting fired up at Sabor de Baja.
  • Our road trip to Scorpion Bay in September was the first time I’ve been down the highway past Guerrero Negro in many years. We loved our stay at the Scorpion Bay Hotel, and enjoyed many eating and drinking opportunities along the way.
Ceviche at Vista al Mar just south of Loreto. As delicious as it was beautiful!
A bit more crowded this year, but the Valle Food & Wine Fest stays classy.
  • We spent a very rainy Thanksgiving brunching in Tecate with friends at Asao, wine tasting at Viña de Frannes and Hilo Negro in the Valle, and followed by a tasty Baja-style turkey dinner at the cozy Susanna’s in Rosarito.
Thanksgiving appetizer at Susanna’s: a light, fluffy and delicious corn tamal.

We look forward to many great events and experiences in 2020! Save these dates; we’ll publish details and info about additional events as they become available.

  • Festival de las Conchas y el Vino Nuevo – May 3 (main event)
  • Viñedos en Flor – June 13
  • Concurso de Paellas de Ramón García Ocejo – August 23
  • Sabor de Baja – August 26
  • Valle Food & Wine Fest – October 3 (tickets now on sale!)

Gracias por photos by Bob Gove.

Making Our Way to Scorpion Bay

Last month, we set out on a road trip to Scorpion Bay (aka San Juanico) in Baja Sur. Bob convinced me to take my little 2017 Nissan Versa Note hatchback, Viva, since she gets three times the MPG as his Ford F350 4X4. So we crammed surfboard, gear, camp chairs, cooler and luggage into Viva, and headed south at 5:30 on a Sunday morning.

The early start proved to be key, as we blasted down the toll road, through normally-congested Ensenada and Maneadero, and into San Vicente before stopping for breakfast. Even traffic through San Quintín was tolerable, and the transpeninsular highway was in pretty good shape.

Beautiful scenery as we crossed the peninsula.

There are three ways to drive into Scorpion Bay: the north route through San Ignacio; the east route, which cuts off the highway between Mulegé and Loreto; and the south route, through Ciudad Insurgentes. We stuck to the south route, which is WAY longer, but we were told is the only paved access to Scorps.

The upside of the south route? Dramatic views of the Sea of Cortez, and opportunities to eat and drink along the way! We descended into the funky French-influenced former mining town of Santa Rosalía in late afternoon and, after poking around a bit, checked into the very nice oceanfront Hotel Las Casitas. Once we cleaned up, we were more than ready for dinner and drinks.

El Muelle, in the town center, did not disappoint. With eclectic decor, kick-ass margaritas and delicious seafood, we scored! We had the house special, mariscos al vapor, and an order of mar y mar (fish, scallops and shrimp al mojo de ajo).

The next morning we pushed on past Mulegé , the lovely Bahía Concepción, and Loreto. Baja Sur had seen quite a bit of rain prior to our trip, and the landscape was unbelievably green. However, we had to be careful to avoid livestock (cows! horses! donkeys! goats! even pigs!) grazing alongside and ambling across the highway. We made the turn at Ciudad Insurgentes and headed northwest on the last leg to Scorpion Bay.

The town of San Juanico at Scorpion Bay is very small, with likely less than 1,000 residents. There are a few tiny tiendas, no banks or ATMs, and at Chino’s – the solo “gas station” – gasoline is siphoned from five-gallon jugs. During our stay, the town had electricity only from 8 AM to noon, and again from 7 to 11 PM.

Luckily, we had reserved Casita #1 at the Scorpion Bay Hotel, arguably the biggest business in town. The hotel, a lovely collection of buildings dotting the property, had electricity all day in the office and restaurant. And, since it was still quite warm, the hotel provided air conditioning in guest rooms from 11 PM (when the restaurant/bar closed) to 8 AM via generators.

There are seven point breaks at Scorps; with an epic swell, it’s considered by some to be one of the world’s best surf spots. Although the waves were not historic during our stay, Bob had a great time sampling the various breaks during his daily morning and afternoon surf sessions.

As you might guess, the majority of visitors to Scorps are surfers, and most camp on the oceanfront bluffs. The campground has decent bathrooms with showers, a restaurant/cantina, and a few guest rooms. Thanks to solar panels, the facilities appear to have electricity during the day.

On to the eating and drinking! Our hotel provided a continental breakfast buffet each morning, and we usually had a mid-day drink and taco or quesadilla at the campground’s cantina. Dinner options in town were rather limited: the hotel had a good restaurant with wraparound outside dining, friendly staff, and did not charge corkage for the wine we’d hauled in!

One block from the hotel was El Burro en Primavera (which upon Googling I discovered is also the name of a male enhancement drug). El Burro is an artsy restaurant with fun decor in a garden setting. We spent a very nice evening consuming fish at El Burro, and again, no corkage fee!

A special treat of staying at the Scorpion Bay Hotel was meeting Bettina Borrelli, a member of the family that owns the hotel. Bettina bounded over to us one afternoon, graciously introducing herself, and checking to make sure we were happy guests. Bettina also recommended Vista al Mar, a spot south of Loreto right on the Sea of Cortez. So of course, we had to try it on our way back! Although the chocolate clams came highly recommended, our server told us they were out of season; darn! We settled for a delicious ceviche, chock full of a variety of seafood.

The drive north went quickly. We made it to the palm-filled oasis of San Ignacio just before sunset, and checked into the modern La Huerta hotel not far past the mission. We gussied up for our last dinner of the trip, headed into town, and chose Restaurant Rancho Grande, where we sat on the patio overlooking the plaza. It was a sleepy evening in San Ignacio; we were Rancho Grande’s only customers, and seemed to be the only non-locals out and about. We had great service and a delicious meal, and guess what: no corkage!

Bob suggested Mario’s just north of Guerrero Negro for breakfast; it’s been a regular stop on his past Baja Sur surf trips. Mario’s is practically a museum, with all sorts of artifacts, displays and books about the region. The offerings were generous, and I loved meeting our high-energy, spry server Sara, who has worked at Mario’s for 40 years!

After the round trip of about 1,800 miles, Bob deemed Viva as Baja-worthy. It was a great adventure, filled with new places and new friends. Often, the journey is as important as the destination . . . right?

Lovely view from Vista al Mar south of Loreto.

Gracias por photos by Bob Gove.