Highway 1 All the Way

We are now travelling along the Michoacan coast, which is stunningly beautiful. The mountainside that meets the ocean is rugged and steep. Below the cliffs are deserted beaches with bright white sand and a rough surf. The coast is lined with incredible rock formations – some with caves and blow holes. The area is uninhabited, except for a few small towns with locals and surfers.

Although the scenery is spectacular, the highway is a two lane road that twists and turns through the mountains overlooking the coast. We rarely go faster than 30 mph. We spend a couple nights in Playa Azul, a town of 3500 people filled with hotels and restaurants, which are empty except for a few locals. We seem to have left the North American tourist areas for the true Mexican resorts, which only get busy on the weekends and holidays. We stay at a funky, typical Mexican resort hotel with 2 pools, ping pong tables, lounge, pavilions, etc., but rather run down (3 stars here, in US would be 1 star). For example, no doors on the bathroom stalls, no warm water, no toilet paper… Fortunately, I always carry my own these days.

We camp in an odd spot on a dirt lot between the hotel and pool. It is cheap ($15 per night) and we have full access to the pools and amenities, plus we are in the center of town and just across the street from the beach. Nothing to complain about.

After Playa Azul, we go to Ixtapa for a treat. I promise to take the kids to a nice resort so they get a feeling of being a tourist in Mexico. The hotel has an infinity pool with a swim up bar, which everyone really likes. The room fee includes unlimited beverages, which we also like! Connor, Quinn and I are brave and go parasailing – too cool! Paul and I splurge on hour long massages on the beach ($35 for both of us, and totally worth every penny). The hotel and restaurants are not busy; the poor economy definitely has an impact here. We love the resort, but do not get a sense of Mexico.

From Connor: The infinity pool is the best thing ever created.

From Quinn: I want to go parasailing again. That was fun!

Changing subjects, we have come to realize that our laptop is critical. We use it for all communication, paying bills, blogging, organizing photos, homework, watching movies, music, hotel reservations, checking weather and news, etc.  The charger on the laptop just died so we are now at the mercy of hotel computers and Internet cafes. Amazing how dependable that we are on a little machine. In any case, I will not be posting pictures until we get a new charger in a few weeks.

Here are some pictures from Lo de Marcos and San Patricio-Melaque. Pictures from the ferry and San Blas were mysteriously lost, so not many pictures this week:

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We are staying at a lovely beach resort called San Patricio – Melaque (St. Patrick – Melaque). Our hotel room on the third floor overlooks the lively beach. We spend our days taking long walks on the beach, watching pelicans dive for fish, swimming in the ocean, browsing through the little tiendas, practicing Spanish,  drinking margaritas (well, I do that), eating tamales, tacos and seafood (well, the boys do that), and watching sunsets. The beach is pristine with clean white sand and good waves. Seafood restaurants line the beach with tables under umbrellas and palapas. The beach is filled with locals, Mexican tourists, long-term Canadian residents and American tourists. Everyone seems happy here, including us!

From Connor’s journal: I’m so baffled about how nice this beach is. I think any way that I explain it would sound worse than what it really is.

Travelling with children presents many challenges, including, but not limited to:

– Fighting, teasing, bickering and bantering between brothers

– Mood swings

– Being easily distracted while doing school work

– Being bored on long car drives

– Complaining about being tired, sick, bug bites, sunburns, too hot/too cold

– Not liking food

– Being hungry all of the time

By far the biggest issue is agreeing on excursions. Quinn hates to take walks and explore towns. Quinn also likes to eat dinner at “home” (the hotel or campsite) and tends to through a fit as soon as we are ready to leave for dinner. And Quinn hates long car drives.

After three weeks of traveling, we have figured out what works best for our family dynamics. Driving distances of 4 hours or less is tolerable. Staying in town or within walking distance to town is preferable. Thus, we can split up, shop and explore while the rest stay at the campsite or hotel. Towns of 5,000 – 10,000 people are ideal since we can easily navigate and purchase food. Staying at the beach, a place with a pool or with Internet is also helpful to keep boredom at bay. We like to stay at one spot for at least two nights because packing and unpacking is a lot of work. And staying at places with decent bathrooms and hot showers has become critical. I imagine that our likes and dislikes will become more apparent as the trip progresses…

Our ferry trip from La Paz to Mazatlan turns out to be much more pleasant than expected. We reserve a standard cabin, which has 4 bunk beds and a private bathroom – I think that it is actually larger than the cabin that I had when I went on a Royal Caribbean cruise. Before we leave, we intently watch the big rigs load onto the ferry. The truck drivers have to back-up their rigs onto the ferry while other truck drivers watch and criticize from the deck above. We check out all of the amenities: 2 restaurants, piano bar, lounge, disco and game room. The ferry is empty except for the truckers and some tourists, so most amenities are closed, but nevertheless, we enjoy the restaurant, bar and game room. Early Monday morning, a loud speaker blasts informing us to vacate our cabin. We arrive to Mazatlan early, even though we left on Mexican time, an hour or so late. No fooling around…

From Quinn’s journal: “I am on a ghetto cruise. I met a dog named Luke.” (We met an interesting fellow, Huck, who is travelling via motorcycle with his dog, who sits in a sidecar.)

We arrive at Mazatlan and continue heading south, eager to get away from the big city. We arrive to San Blas and find a funky restaurant/cabanas on the beach called Stoners’ Surf Camp. We rent a cool cabana on the beach and check out the historic town. Unfortunately, San Blas is inundated with sand flies and mosquitoes due to the lagoon on the other side of town, so after getting eaten alive, we decide to leave after one night.

Our next stop is at Lo de Marcos, a quaint town of 3,000 people north of Puerto Vallarta. The town is a mix of locals, vacation home owners and RVers. We camp at a lovely RV Park (Pretty Sunset) close to the beach. The ocean is warm enough for swimming and has good waves for body surfing. We finally have some “down time” and enjoy a couple days wandering around town, swimming at the beach, watching fisherman and viewing sunsets. Quinn is in his element and wants to stay indefinitely. However, the time has come to continue heading south.

Here are some pictures from our second week of travelling:

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Enjoy!

Over the last few days, we explore the old towns of Loreto and La Paz, visiting missions, churches, museums and beaches. The wind continues to gust but dies down today and we finally wear shorts and t-shirts.

We are staying at a wonderful hotel in La Paz called Hotel Casa Jalisco with two large attached rooms and a lovely swimming pool. The owner, Juan, is a gracious host and makes us feel at home. Paul and Quinn spend the afternoon at the pool while Connor and I take a long walk along the malecon (ocean-front promenade) to the old town. Connor gets his first Mexican haircut and looks muy guapo.

Juan tells us about a taco stand just one block from the hotel, and this quickly becomes our favorite dining spot. We sit at the counter among locals, eating delicious tacos filled with carnitas (pork) and cabeza (head – Quinn and I don’t partake…). Quinn even asks the cook directly for “uno mas”.

After almost 2 weeks in Baja, I have some random thoughts to convey:

– Baja is filled with RVers, hippies, motorcyclists, and dirt bikers from the U.S. and Canada. I am surprised that we see few young people or families.

– It is easy to travel here without speaking any Spanish, since most locals speak at least some English.

– Baja is much more scenic than I expected. I have been awed by the stunning mountains, canyons, palm oasis’, white sand beaches and crystalline water.

– We have felt extremely safe, despite all of the negative press about travelling in Mexico. We have not had any issues with theft or personal security, and have never felt in danger.

– The Mexican military are everywhere. Throughout the day, trucks filled with military men with big guns patrol the towns and highways. Quinn always waves; the police and military have been very courteous to us.

– Like the U.S., the prices vary greatly. We can have a meal at a taco stand for less than $15 or a meal at a decent restaurant for $60. The prices for goods sold at Walmart and grocery stores are comparable to the U.S., sometimes even more expensive for imported products.

We take the overnight ferry from La Paz to Mazatlan on tomorrow. This will be the closest that our kids will get to a cruise… Mainland, here we come!

On Monday, we go on my much anticipated whale watching trip. Since I have never done this, I am very excited and do not know what to expect. We take a small power boat into the lagoon in Guerrero Negro, then the captain uses a navigation tool to locate the whales. Soon enough, we start spotting them. They swim alongside the boat. Every once in awhile, we see a whale spouting. When we are really lucky, a whale jumps. By the end of the trip, we estimate that we have seen about 30-40 whales. Pretty amazing!

On the way to and from the boat, we pass salt mines, which look eerily like snow. The area has the largest salt mines in North American, owned by Mitsubishi. The salt is primarily used in the production of manufacturing goods: plastic, paper, fiberglass, etc. Quinn wants to go snow boarding on the salt mountains.

Later in the day, we head back to the Sea of Cortez to Santa Rosalia, an old French copper mining town. The town has retained the architecture of the French settlers and seems oddly out of place in Baja. The town has a paved promenade along the port and on Tuesday morning, I finally take my first long run.

After Santa Rosalia, we head further south, still searching for warmer weather. Driving down Highway 1, we turn a corner from the Sea of Cortez to the Bay of Conception to see white beaches with small settlements of RVers and campers. We select a spot right on the beach and think that this is close to paradise.

Wednesday is exactly what I am hoping for from this trip. We wake up to the lapping of waves on the beach. The outside temperature is still cold at 7am, so I stay cozy in the tent to read for awhile. When I am convinced that the sun has warmed the campsite enough, I venture out of the tent. Paul makes me a cup of strong coffee and I sip my coffee while watching the birds dive for food. Within minutes, a Mexican man comes by in a truck selling tamales, which we eat for breakfast. The kids start their schoolwork and when finished, we head into Mulege. We stop at an old mission built in 1705 and slowly explore. We walk over to a vista point with a view of the river below, surrounded on both sides by lush date palms. The devastation from the hurricane in September is apparent, but Mulege is still beautiful.

We wander through the quaint town and stumble upon a small café. With the help of a local gringo, we buy freshly ground coffee for our “camp” coffee. We buy lots of supplies at the local grocery store in town, but I am not thrilled with their wine selection of one bottle of Mexican chardonnay. A friend from the campsite hooks us up with another store and upon seeing the wine selection, I exclaim, “this is Christmas in March!” I suppose that I am spoiled by the aisles of inexpensive wine at Safeway…

We go back to camp and start the quest for clams. Poor Paul and the boys – they dig and dig in multiple spots, but only find a few clams for a small “Scooby snack” before dinner. We spend the afternoon relaxing in camp: Paul starts the fire for dinner, Connor drives the minivan around the parking lot (early driving lessons), I read my magazine and Quinn bee bops all over the place. We have a delicious dinner of grilled steak, carrots, zucchini, rice and tortillas. After dinner, we sit around the fire, roasting marshmallows and telling stories. A nice day in Bahia de la Concepcion.

Below is a link to pictures from our first week of travelling. This site is not conducive to posting pictures, so I posted on shutterfly. I would like to find a site that allows me to easily map the trip with pictures, but have yet to find a good one (Google maps is not intuitive, but I may need to go that route). If anyone has good ideas, please post a comment. Thanks!

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Saturday finally feels like the Baja that I was hoping to find. After an incredibly scenic drive southeast through Central Baja with prehistoric looking cacti on Friday, we arrive into a sparkling blue bay surrounded by cragged mountains called Bahia de Los Angeles. The gusting wind finally calms on Saturday morning and Paul and I take a long walk down a sand bar to a lighthouse, passing lots of birds and deserted beaches. We then take an off-road trip to La Gringa (I joke with the kids that the town is name after me :-) in search of clams. After not having any success, we stop at the only house in the area to inquire about the location of the clams. The proprietor offers to drive his pick-up to the clam beds so that we can follow him. We arrive at a small pond near the ocean and the proprietor warns us to leave soon before the tide comes in, otherwise we are stuck. We dig for clams and find not only clams, but scallops, conch and oysters as well! All of us enjoy searching for seafood and are stoked that we can supply our own dinner (even though I do not eat them, I am equally thrilled). We spend the afternoon at our campsite on the beach. I finally have a chance to sit in the sun, have a glass of wine and read my More magazine. Paul makes seafood and pasta for dinner, and the kids remark that the meal is the best ever.  All is good in the world, or at least in Baja.

From Connor’s journal: Today was good at the end, when we had the best clams that I have ever had. We drove about 10 minutes to get to the end of a paved road, then we had to drive a half an hour on off-road. Then there was a Mexican man and we asked where the clams were and he said, “I’ll take you to them”, so we followed him with all intent of finding clams and having a great dinner. So as a team effort, my mom held the bag, and Quinn and I scooped up the clams that my dad dug out of the ground. Then we drove home to eat them and my dad decided to torture us and make them for dinner. So I tried to wait until dinner (it was harder than it sounds). But we got tortas to ease my appetite. But I was waiting all afternoon to get clams.

From Quinn: We had tortas for lunch. They were really good. We went and got clams. It was the first time I ever had them. They are so good!!!!!!!!! Then we roasted marshmallows.

Well, life is good at least for awhile. We awaken in the middle of the night again to the pitter-patter of rain, but it is more like a pound-pound and flapping tent.  Fortunately, the new tents keep us dry, but nevertheless, I do not like camping in the rain. This morning, we quickly pack up, which we have mastered to less than 1 ½ hours, and continue to head south. We opt for comfort by staying in a warm, dry hotel in the border town of Guererro Negro on the Pacific side. We have a tour booked to go whale watching tomorrow; I am very excited! Stay tuned for more on this…

Our first day in Mexico turns out to be a day of mishaps. We get lost in Tijuana, I forget the tent poles at home, Paul is sick as a dog and we are camping in cold, windy weather. Even so, we still have some great experiences. We see a donkey painted as a zebra, we are camping just steps away from the beach, Quinn finds the biggest shells (even some with creatures inside) and Connor gives me a compliment of being a “clutch performer”. This resulted from my dinner of fried turkey and salami sandwiches. I suppose that this trip may require lots of improvising…

Our second day proves to be much more enjoyable. Paul wakes up feeling like his ole’ chipper self and we quickly settle into the routine of school work, breakfast and exercise. We first go to the blow hole, which shoots ocean water high into the sky when it hits the rocky cliff. All of us are entertained by this natural phenomena. We then explore Ensenada and have a nice touristy lunch. We venture to the local winery to taste Mexican wine. Believe it or not, it was delicious with some wines costing upwards of $40. The gentleman pouring wine is from Arizona and is now living/working in Mexico due to the poor US economy. Quite an anomaly.

The weather is still cold and camping, especially at night, proves to be challenging. We look forward to warmer weather soon!