Slow Baja: Recent Episodes
slow baja
Tequila, Tacos, and Tranquilo! Sharing the beauty of Baja one podcast at a time. Ride with us as we head south-of-the-border to raise a glass, taste local fare, and explore in our vintage Toyota Land Cruiser.
Growing up in rural New England, you’re bound to see many Jeeps, trucks, and tractors. Many people have them for transportation and working on their properties, and the Ladden family was no exception. Fascinated from an early age while watching his dad with his Jeeps, it’s a piece of family lore that Michael’s first word was “Jeep.”
A pivotal moment in Michael’s life came when he left his first big job after college and explored Africa. This journey ignited a passion for Land Rovers, adventure travel, and a desire to live life on his own terms. Despite a successful career in real estate and hospitality, his adventurous spirit eventually led him to sell everything and embark on a 220,000-mile expedition across all seven continents.
When the pandemic disrupted his global journey, Michael didn’t let it deter him. Instead, he adapted his plans and turned his exploration towards North and Central America.
He has spent significant time exploring Baja California Sur, Mexico, riding the peninsula on a KTM adventure motorcycle and most of the Baja Divide by bicycle. In addition to his ground adventures, Michael is a private pilot and just released a book about his African adventures.
Michael has visited 122 countries and proudly states he’s been to nine out of ten of the worst ones!
Get your Baja insurance here: https://www.bajabound.com/quote/?r=fl...For more information about Slow Baja:https://www.slowbaja.com/More information on Slow Baja Adventures:https://www.slowbaja.com/adventures
Azure O’Neil is a badass. She has traveled through 31 countries on two and four-wheels, including a multi-year journey on her 1989 Honda Transalp. In addition to her love for overlanding, Azure enjoys paddleboarding, scuba diving, moto-camping, and planning her next big trip. You can follow her adventures on Instagram @MyTicketToRide.I met Azure at the 2023 Overland Expo, where she is the Director of Programming. Recently, we spent ten days tent camping through Baja. We kayaked Loreto National Marine Park, mule-packed in the mountains above Mision San Javier, and interviewed people involved in the conservation movement in Baja. In summary, Azure is a wealth of knowledge, travels easily, makes a damn fine cup of coffee, and is the one to ask when you need a pinch of salt. Azure O’Neil is Slow Baja Approved! Learn more about Azure O'Neil's travels here:https://youtu.be/9JE3ZXjqM5A?si=tvxDvkc9_13rxb2C
Follow Azure on Instagram here:https://www.instagram.com/mytickettoride/
Get your Baja insurance here: https://www.bajabound.com/quote/?r=fl9vypdv2t
For more information about Slow Baja:https://www.slowbaja.com/
More information on Slow Baja Adventures:https://www.slowbaja.com/adventures
Author Doreen Cunningham's beautiful volume is a luminous depiction of an epic grey whale migration and an intensely powerful memoir of reclaiming a life battered by poverty and isolation. It is a shining testament to the healing properties of the natural world. Soundings is the story of a woman reclaiming her life, a child growing to love an ocean that is profoundly endangered, and a mother learning from another species how to parent in a time of unprecedented change.Learn more about Doreen Cunningham:https://doreencunningham.com/Get your Baja insurance here: https://www.bajabound.com/quote/?r=fl9vypdv2tFor more information about Slow Baja:https://www.slowbaja.com/More information on Slow Baja Adventures:https://www.slowbaja.com/adventures
Basil's Garage, located in Vista, California, is your one-stop shop for all your Baja Overland rig build needs. As a specialized vehicle outfitter, Basil's offers practical, simple, and capable off-road vehicle builds for long-term remote travel, from selecting the right vehicle to suspension configuration and camp setup to planning every minute detail. They offer in-house advanced electrical system
design, lighting, suspension, wheels/tires, bar work, armor, fabrication, camp accessories, and flatbed conversions. They pride themselves on delivering high-end finished products with impeccable workmanship, partnering with quality businesses such as REDARC, MITS Alloy, Go Fast Campers, ARB, ADS Shocks, Baja Designs, Nomad Wheels, and more. Basil's Garage is Slow Baja Approved!
Learn more about Basil's Garage:
https://www.basilsgarage.com/
Get your Baja insurance here:
https://www.bajabound.com/quote/?r=fl9vypdv2t
More information on Slow Baja Adventures:
https://www.slowbaja.com/adventures
Troubadour Steve Poltz has a legendary Baja tale involving a whale-watching excursion that went comically awry. As he infers, it might not have been as comical as it sounds today in today’s Slow Baja conversation. In the early 90’s, Poltz was a singer-songwriter with a massive cult following in his adopted home of San Diego. He and his girlfriend at the time, a little-known folk singer named Jewel, decided to go on a getaway to write some songs for a few days. Without much of a plan, they headed South and found themselves on a dark and lonely road late at night somewhere south of San Felipe.Finding a few dim lights down a washboard stretch that doubles as an airstrip, the duo broke into a semi-derelict motel room to crash for the night. They awoke to a glorious day on a gorgeous bay; Jewel, taking in the scene, decided they needed to find a boat to go whale watching. The only boat they could find belonged to a group of Federal Police. Poltz surmises that months of boredom AND seeing Jewel in her bikini may have motivated the Federalies to become tour guides.A high-speed nautical chase ensued; Poltz and Jewel were given bullet-proof vests and offered automatic weapons for their protection. They ran the boats hard onto an island beach. A short foot pursuit led to the apprehension of the slowest drug smuggler; after a brief beating, he revealed where they had hidden a massive stash of marijuana.Poltz tells the harrowing and hilarious story and the after-bust-party antics that led to their writing Jewel’s 1996 smash single “You Were Meant For Me,” which reached number 2 in the US. Listen to Jewel tell the story here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hBXcpGHPVAAnd here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHNKgze6ERcCheck out Steve Poltz here:https://poltz.com/For more information about Slow Baja:https://www.slowbaja.com/Get your Baja insurance here: https://www.bajabound.com/quote/?r=fl9vypdv2tMore information on Slow Baja Adventures:https://www.slowbaja.com/adventures
Sungodz California is the creation of Surfer, turned Fashion Photographer, turned Designer Sasha Eisenman. Sasha grew up in Huntington Beach and began surfing in the Newport River Jetties in the mid-1980s. He traveled camping and Surfing all throughout Baja back in those days, and many of the experiences of this time would later become a foundational part of Sungodz California style. An esthetic that was further shaped during his time working at the legendary Frog House surf shop in Newport Beach in the early 90’s. --from about Sungodz
Check out Sungodz here:
https://sungodz.com/
For more information about Slow Baja:
https://www.slowbaja.com/
Get your Baja insurance here:
https://www.bajabound.com/quote/?r=fl9vypdv2t
More information on Slow Baja Adventures:
https://www.slowbaja.com/adventures
In today’s Slow Baja Podcast, we discuss the future of Overlanding with Lance Gillies, the Founder and CEO of EarthCruiser Overland Vehicles. We recorded our conversation at the Chicago Auto Show while sitting inside the new EV Hummer EarthCruiser Upfit built by EarthCruiser Innovation.
ECI is a new division of EarthCruiser that draws from decades of Overlanding experience, bringing together people and resources to nurture a culture of innovation. Their first project was collaborating with GMC to design and build an upfit solution for the all-electric GMC HUMMER EV. The future of Overlanding is here. I’ve seen it and sat in it. Enjoy our discussion about its past, present, and robust future on today’s Slow Baja.
“EarthCruiser is a company of designers, engineers, technicians, and, most of all, adventurers with millions of miles of collective, real-world Overlanding experience. With its EarthCruiser EXP, FX, and EC Terranova models, EarthCruiser designs and manufactures the ultimate self-contained, 4×4 off-road, world exploration vehicles in Bend, Oregon.”
Learn more about EarthCruiser:
https://earthcruiser.com/
Get your Baja insurance here:
https://www.bajabound.com/quote/?r=fl9vypdv2t
More information on Slow Baja Adventures:
https://www.slowbaja.com/adventures
In today's Slow Baja conversation, we turned the tables, and my good friend, Wilson Craig, interviewed me about the origins of Slow Baja. I discuss my childhood, becoming a photographer in high school, and attending San Diego State University.
In the Summer of 1984, I made my first trip to Tijuana --to shop for a laundry basket and to drink, of course. Soon, we were venturing down to Puerto Nuevo for lobster and, eventually, to Ensenada for a weekend on the beach. The true origins of Slow Baja were born in my Junior year when we left Spring Break in San Felipe to explore points south.
Enjoy this look behind the curtain of Slow Baja—huge Thanks to Wilson for pushing me to sit down for this conversation.
For more information about Slow Baja:
https://www.slowbaja.com/
Get your Baja insurance here:
https://www.bajabound.com/quote/?r=fl9vypdv2t
More information on Slow Baja Adventures:
https://www.slowbaja.com/adventures
In today's Slow Baja Podcast Conversation, I feel like I need to start adding a disclaimer to my recordings. "Slow Baja is not responsible for your desires to blow up your life and move to Baja. Please listen to these shows at your peril; Slow Baja LLC and Slow Baja Adventures are not responsible for feelings of irrational exuberance for living near cacti or an irrepressible desire to surf regularly or fish from a kayak daily."Or consider the version sent by my legal team:No part of the Slow Baja Podcast shall inspire you, your family, or your heirs to sell all your worldly possessions and move to Baja. The views expressed in the Slow Baja Podcast are mine, and mine alone, not necessarily those of my sponsors, their agents, Slow Baja Adventures, Slow Baja LLC, its directors, officers, or employees. I make no representation or accept any liability for the accuracy or completeness of the information provided herein regarding the quality of tacos, adobado, birria, queso birria, al pastor, carne asada, or fried fish and or shrimp. Unless expressly stated, the quesadillas are routinely regarded as excellent. Seafood tostadas in Ensenada may be the finest street food in the world. This message is not intended to be relied upon without subsequent written confirmation of its contents. Slow Baja LLC, therefore, shall not accept any liability of any kind that may arise from any person acting upon the contents of this Podcast without having had, at a minimum, two tequilas and two Tecates and driven at least seventy miles of dirt road in the preceding week.All humor aside, listen to Hallie and Austin tell their incredible story, and for the record, I only take the tiniest morsel of credit for what happened. Enjoy this Slow Baja Conversation recorded initially in February 2023.
Longtime riding buddies Chris Gardner and Dom O'Mahoney share a harrowing tale from a Baja ADV ride gone wrong. "When it's time to shut it down --when you are on your last redundant backup plan --it's not time to keep carrying on and bombing down these roads. Our ride was over, but we were just overwhelmed with fun, and we lost sight of that." -Chris Gardner on an ADV Ride For The Ages.
Strap in as these two highly experienced riders talk about how they were having too much fun to shut it down when everything went wrong. Dom was lucky that the fire he experienced on the first night --that burned almost everything he had with him --spared his Garmin In-Reach and waterproof tent cover. Those two items probably saved his life. He used the tent cover for warmth and shelter as he weathered the cold and rain on the night he spent exposed to the elements.
Coincidentally, he had just gotten his Garmin In-Reach charged the day he broke down. He chose his out-of-country communications contact wisely, as that fellow (Matt) a former Navy Seal --remained very calm, all things considered. Ultimately, we were lucky that we only had a modest story of endurance while exposed to the elements in Dom's case --and a harrowing tale of devotion to one's mission in the face of extreme adversity in Chris' case.
Happy New Year, and thank you to all who tuned in in 2023 and are still listening today. Please watch this conversation on YouTube. And as always, subscribe, post, tag, and r--emember to enjoy the ride.
Today’s show is with Slow Baja Alum David Kier. This is David’s third visit to the show and today he joins us to talk about the 50th Anniversary of the Transpeninsular Highway.
Kier began exploring Baja with his parents in the mid-60s. In 1966 David’s father took the challenge to drive to La Paz in their Jeep Wagoneer. Sitting between his folks on the front seat –his copy of Gerhard and Gulick’s Baja Bible in his lap, young David was given the responsibility for navigating for the entire trip. He diligently watched the slowly turning odometer, and took note of every passing kilometer marker. They made it to La Paz and as was the custom at the time, put the truck on the ferry to Mazatlan and drove the paved highway back home to San Diego.
David was hooked! That epic trip spurred a lifelong affinity for history, maps, off-road exploration, and a deep desire to help his fellow Baja traveler. To that end, in 1973 as a high-schooler, David released his own guide book to Baja and the still under construction Transpeninsular Highway. Since then, David has made countless trips to Baja. He was a consultant on the Benchmark Maps Baja Road and Recreation Atlas and writes a regular travel feature for the Baja Bound Insurance Newsletter. His book BAJA CALIFORNIA LAND OF MISSIONS is in its 13th printing.
Learn more about Baja and David Kier here:
https://vivabaja.com/
Follow David on Facebook here:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/vivabaja
Going to Baja? Get your Baja insurance here: https://www.bajabound.com/quote/?r=fl...
More information on Slow Baja Adventures:
https://www.slowbaja.com/adventures
Sal Fish, the Godfather, is back for his second conversation on Slow Baja. This time, we met above the beach at his place in La Paz. We picked up where our previous conversation ended around 1969. At the time, Sal worked for Petersen Publications as the Publisher of Car Craft and later Hot Rod Magazine. One day, while visiting Revel, the model company, with Bob Weggeland, his advertising salesman, the company’s owners asked Sal and Bob to race the Baja Bug in the NORRA Mexican 1000. He knew the adventure would be a good story (and ad sales) for the magazine and leaped at the opportunity. Sal competed in the 1969, 1970, and 1971 races.
Racer and entrepreneur Mickey Thompson recruited Sal as a partner soon after he created SCORE International in 1973. By 1974, Sal and Thompson were hosting the Baja 1000. Sal used his people and publishing skills to rapidly grow the organization and soon bought Thompson out. In the process, Sal realized Thompson’s vision to make off-road racing as big as NASCAR. Sal sold SCORE in 2012. Active and fit, he enjoys living in Malibu and spending time with his wife of nearly 50 years, Barbara. The couple has a second home in La Paz, where Sal enjoys kayaking and entertaining his friends.
Sal is a 2006 inductee of the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame. Visit their website here:
https://ormhof.org/sal-fish
Enjoy this Slow Baja Podcast conversation with Sal Fish. Get your Baja insurance here:https://www.bajabound.com/quote/?r=fl9vypdv2t
More information on Slow Baja Adventures:
https://www.slowbaja.com/adventures
At age 8, Bob Bower read about the Bill Stroppe Lincoln teams that dominated the 1953 Mexican Carrera Panamericana and later learned about the Baja 1000 race to La Paz. It became a fixation with him to be part of it someday.
Living the life of a Corvette enthusiast, Bower caught the eye of BFGoodrich at a time when the Brand was in the early stages of marketing performance tires to car clubs. He accepted the offer to go to work for BFG in 1977 and found himself at the Mint 400 as a pit volunteer. The fixation transformed into a deep passion for off-road. From that day forward, he would make a huge impact on the world of off-road racing in a variety of roles. Pit volunteer, chase crew, race team manager, pit manager, program manager, winning co-driver, winning driver, ESPN TV color analyst, and teacher. Bower’s goal was to have a positive impact on whatever he was doing. His philosophy of “be alert, listen to what people have to say and always use the truth” served him well.
It was 1982 when BFGoodrich put him in the role of Off-Road Program manager. With very thin budget resources available, the challenge was to provide support for the contracted teams and win races. Bower’s race strategy was very straightforward… “You start winning rather than finish winning.”
Bower’s vision was to establish a common direction on the race course and in the pits, and bring all the teams into one big BFG team. “The direction we’re heading is very, very clear.” “That is to be the best between the green and checkered flags”. Bower launched the BFGoodrich Pit Support program. To this day the BFGoodrich Pits are arguably the most successful and widely used pit service in Off-Road Desert Racing.
The 1985 Baja 1000 ended early for Bob and his teammate Mike Randall in the Class 4 Honcho when they got off course and lost, ending up sunken to the frame in a tidal mud marsh. It took two days for the team to find and retrieve them. Bower swore, and promised his wife Necia, that we would never be lost like that again in Baja.
He would make detailed maps of the race course, highways, and chase roads (KM mileage included), along with other information like fuel and food locations. The chase crews knew at any given time they could drive to the correct chase road and how long the drive should take. Teams raced with a higher degree of safety for their chase crews because of those maps. In the early 1990s Bower turned the map making over to BFGoodrich in order to make it available to the masses. By widely distributing the maps, all of the chase crews could support their teams with a higher degree of safety.
Bob wrote “What About You?”, a powerful piece that has been included in almost all pit books over the past 20 years. It remains fresh and relevant today because of its absolute raw truth. “What About You?” is Bob’s heartfelt advice to everyone in off-road, about safety and taking care of yourself and those you are with during the race. Many are convinced “What About You?” has saved lives over the last two decades. Bob says he was “simply speaking from the heart.”
Over the years Bob has shown his passion, humility and wisdom. They are matched only by his unshakeable ethic. There have been many young racers who have been helped along their way by Bower. He’s always been a champion of the little guy. Sometimes it’s a quiet conversation, sometimes a few hours of highway windshield time, other times simply introducing them to others in the sport who could help them get better. Young stars like Robby Gordon, Ivan Stewart, Jimmie Johnson, Ryan Arciero, and Rob MacCachren all have had Bob help them along in their racing career in one small way or another. For Bob Bower, it has been a labor of love. “I never wanted to change things in our sport, I just wanted to do what I could to help it along.”
-- Courtesy of ORMHOF
More information on Slow Baja Adventures:
https://www.slowbaja.com/adventures
In 1978, shortly after graduating as an oceanologist, Antonio Reséndiz Senior went to live in Bahía de los Ángeles. They called him "Crazy" Reséndiz since he arrived with almost nothing and lived in a tent on the beach.
Commercial exploitation of the turtle had skyrocketed, and the species was on the brink of extinction. The National Fisheries Institute and Reséndiz created the first Center for the Study and Conservation of Sea Turtles in Bahía de los Ángeles.
Today, the sea turtle is no longer in danger of extinction, and the scientific knowledge about its lifecycle is extensive. One of the turtles that Antonio kept in captivity was released carrying a radio tracker. A year later, this turtle appeared in Senday Bay, Japan. An epic journey of eleven thousand five hundred kilometers!
Antonio "Toni" Reséndiz Jr. runs the eco-tourism resort, Campo Archelon on the grounds of the now-defunct turtle research center. On today's Slow Baja Podcast, we discuss his history at Campo Archelon and his focus on sustainability in every aspect of life, from reducing, reusing, and recycling to creating a hamburger from Tonno, a little-loved member of the tuna family. If you visit, have a meal at Toni's locally-focused Cafe Siete Filos, although I strongly suggest sharing your plates as the portions are sizable.
Campo Archelon is Slow Baja Approved.
Visit their website here:
https://www.campoarchelon.com/
Enjoy this Slow Baja Podcast conversation with Toni Reséndiz. Get your Baja insurance here: https://www.bajabound.com/quote/?r=fl9vypdv2t
More information on Slow Baja Adventures:
https://www.slowbaja.com/adventures
Trudi Angell makes her third visit to the Slow Baja Podcast to discuss her new "retirement project," The Museo Antigua Californio in Loreto, BCS.
Trudi is well known in Baja as the longtime owner and "Bell Mare" guide-in-residence of the mule-packing outfitters Saddling South. Through her travels into the remote mountains of the Sierra de Giganta, she befriended Dario, a gregarious rancher and "keeper of the old ways" who became the subject of her fabulous documentary film La Recua. https://larecua.com/
You can visit the Museo de Antigua Californio in the Pueblo Mágico town of Loreto BCS on the corner of Benito Juarez and Calle Davis.
To book a mule-packing trip, contact Saddling South:
https://saddlingsouth.com/
Get your Baja insurance here:
https://www.bajabound.com/quote/?r=fl9vypdv2t
More information on Slow Baja Adventures:
https://www.slowbaja.com/adventures
Today’s Slow Baja conversation is with Kurt Williams. He owns Cruiser Outfitters, a legendary company specializing in parts and services for Toyota Land Cruisers. I am eternally grateful to Kurt and his staff at Cruiser Outfitters, who were instrumental in sorting (and sponsoring) my suspension upgrades last year.
Williams, a lifelong Utah resident, bought his first Land Cruiser Fj40 at age 15. He’s an intrepid traveler (40 countries and counting) and an integral team member of E-7 (Expeditions 7). In that fantastic experience, Williams drove five of the seven continents and befriended fellow team member Clay Croft, whom he’s joined in several X-Overland Expeditions.
As a member of Canguro Racing, he’s raced a "stock" Land Cruiser 200 Series in the grueling Baja 1000. While he embraces the Slow Baja travel philosophy, Williams attributes his success in finishing 8 out of 9 Baja 1000s to going just slow enough to survive. He’s a Tread lightly Master Trainer, HAM radio operator, Land Cruiser Heritage Museum Board Member, and a member of several local Utah 4×4 clubs.
In this episode, we discuss his extensive travels, his love for paper maps, and his shop locally, eat locally philosophy that feeds his passion for connecting with locals --usually over a meal!
Cruiser Outfitters is Slow Baja Approved.
Visit their website here:
https://cruiserteq.com/
Enjoy this Slow Baja Podcast conversation with Kurt Williams, powered by Baja Bound Insurance. Get your Baja insurance here: https://www.bajabound.com/quote/?r=fl9vypdv2t
More information on Slow Baja Adventures:
https://www.slowbaja.com/adventures
We meet Brandon Thomason and Nathan Stuart in today’s Slow Baja conversation. Brandon owns and operates TopoTerra, a leading off-grid vehicle and camping gear rental provider. Based in San Diego, California, with operations in Colorado, TopoTerra “has the rig and the gear to help you escape the daily grind.” Whether you are looking for an off-road vehicle, a rooftop tent, a camper van, a trailer, or an off-highway adventure vehicle, they have you covered! Their slogan says, “Adventure is our specialty; get out and explore today!”
Nathan Stuart is a highly-respected travel guide. He’s the son of a mountaineer, diver, pilot, sailor, and backpacker, and went on his first hike strapped to his father’s chest at 16 weeks old. He learned to love the outdoors and adventure at a young age, --and moved to Baja at 18. His deep passion for nature opened a path to guiding that has him well positioned to show his guests a side of Baja few travelers see.
Nathan operates Legends Overlanding and provides small-group, African Safari-style, vehicle-based adventures up and down the Baja peninsula. His experience, knowledge and meticulous attention to detail set him apart. Legends Overlanding shares Baja’s wild side, --from private chefs delivering delicious locally sourced food to expertly scouted, exclusive camp locations, Nathan can get you to where the wild things are.
Check out their upcoming Loreto and El Camino Real trip here:
https://www.elcaminorealbaja.com/
Learn more about TopoTerra Overland Vehicle and gear rentals here:
https://www.topoterra.com/
Learn more about Nathan and Legends Overland here:
https://www.legendsoverlanding.com/
Zihul Martinez is the man to know in Guerrero Negro. He is a highly-respected wilderness guide who can show you the whales, the cave paintings, the pronghorn, or, as he says, "the magic of the central desert."
Born in Chiapas, Mexico, Martinez moved to Mexico City at fourteen to attend school. Later, he joined the Mexican Army and had a twenty-one-year career, eventually retiring in Guerrero Negro --the location of his last post. He says he loved the place and the people and decided to start his retirement "doing only things that make me happy."
In addition to his guide services, Zihul operates a hunting supply shop that carries a large selection of his handmade jewelry and knives. His tidy workshop is next door to the shop, and his home, campground, and secure parking lot are located across the street.
Zihul Martinez is Slow Baja Approved.
Calle Pedro Altamirano E Mz 64 Lt 5 Colonia Fundo Legal CP 23940, Guerrero Negro, Baja California Sur, México. Abierto de lunes a viernes de 1000 hrs a 1600 hrs Teléfono: 615 1554106 | Celular / Whatsapp: 615 1592998
Enjoy this Slow Baja Podcast conversation with Zihul Martinez, powered by Baja Bound Insurance. Get your Baja insurance here: https://www.bajabound.com/quote/?r=fl9vypdv2t
Watch this Slow Baja Podcast on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqjVYiP-L_A
Learn more about Zihul Martinez here:
http://www.zihul.com/
Follow Zihul Martinez on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zihul.martinez
More information on Slow Baja Adventures:
https://www.slowbaja.com/adventures
Note: Strong language warning. We bleeped the F-bombs but left the other swear words unbleeped!
In this Slow Baja Podcast conversation, I sit down with off-road personality and Shreddy brand founder Blake Wilkey and filmmaker extraordinaire Michael Squier. The duo teamed up to run a Manx Remastered in the 2023 NORRA Mexican 1000 Slow Baja Safari Class.
From Squier, we get an update on the smashing success of his Baja Bug Movie. And a brief history lesson on Bruce Meyer's record Baja run from 1967 that led to the first Off-Road Race. We dive deeply into Wilkey and Squier's five days in the Slow Baja Safari Class. And their unabashed delight in running a Manx Dune Buggy 1286 miles --with a smile on their face and their foot firmly planted on the floor.
Our conversation concludes with Wilkey and Squier's new film project, "Urban Assault 3," where Wilkey rips his VW-themed trophy truck, “Jaws,” through the streets of Tijuana. This film is a fully-sanctioned project in the style of his famous 2016 video "San Diego Shark Attack Urban Assault" that went viral with over 3M views and resulted in Wilkey spending 45 days in jail.
Enjoy this Slow Baja Podcast conversation with Blake Wilkey and Michael Squier, powered by Baja Bound Insurance. Get your Baja insurance here: https://www.bajabound.com/quote/?r=fl9vypdv2t
Watch Urban Assault 3 on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/8Jlc5WWXi18
Follow Blake Wilkey on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blakewilkey357/
Check out Shreddy Lyfe here:
https://shreddylyfe.com/
More information about The Baja Bug Movie here:
https://thebajabugmovie.com/
Follow Michael Squier on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/atypicalsquier/
More on Meyers Manx here:
https://meyersmanx.com/
More information on Slow Baja Adventures:
https://www.slowbaja.com/adventures
Adam Sheard, a Brit by birth, has always had an affinity for old vehicles. He runs Speed Deluxe, a full-service motorcycle shop in Chattanooga, Tennessee, specializing in custom builds, restorations, and fabricating unique solutions.
He started Speed Deluxe Vintage Adventures to combine epic road trips with vintage motorcycles. Harking back to the days of multi-day enduro events --where you have to fix your bike as you go and make it to pre-scheduled stop points each evening. The grueling Vintage 1000, now in its ninth year, has been a smashing success!
Adam has developed a loyal following over the years --with his ever-expanding array of trips. A testament to his devout following, his first Baja Vintage Adventure sold out within 24 hours of querying a select list of Vintage 1000 veterans.
Check out Adam's Speed Deluxe Motorcycle Adventures here:
https://speeddeluxe.com/sdva/
"Experience life in the old west with us, riding through 1000 acres of privately owned ranch land and wilderness. Wide open spaces, epic vistas, and sightings of grass-fed cattle, pasture horses, wildflowers & a variety of birds all await your soul." -Baja by Horse.
Marty found her way to Baja in 1961 when her parents bought a lot in La Mision and built a simple vacation house.
She would steal her father's garden hose and lasso local horses to keep herself entertained. Marty would swing herself up and go for a ride until she fell off. And she ALWAYS fell off!
She calls Rancho La Pila --Old Baja. "It's a ranch. When you're out there, you've got no phone, no service, nothing. You unplug, but you recharge."
These days, she spends her days sharing the slow life with friends, new and old. To book your stay and get a ride on her 1000-acre slice of heaven, contact Marty through her website: https://bajabyhorse.com/
“Evan Christenson is a dirtbag who believes that the slower you ride, the more you take away. He’s also a photographer and a burnt-out roadie who’s bikepacked on four continents.”
-Bikepacking.com
We met in 2021 while Evan rode the Baja Divide on a 1700-mile first date with his new girlfriend. I was on the BajaXL Rally and was happy to share a little Fortaleza Anejo to celebrate our meeting. I was delighted to run into Evan again in February at Casa Concepcion. We were going in opposite directions this time, and we both had to get on the road. We recorded a quick conversation about Evan’s Baja ride and his work for BikePacking.com.
Follow Evan on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/evanchristenson/
Check out his articles on Baja:
https://bikepacking.com/?s=evan+christenson
The Hotel Seven Crown is an laid-back boutique hotel beautifully located on the famous La Paz Malecon. With clean architectural lines and updated rooms, some featuring spectacular bay views. A stay at the Seven Crown puts you in the heart of the lively La Paz waterfront.
We arrived as one of the many Fiestas celebrating the 488th Anniversary of La Paz was underway. With scores of street closures, Ted had to do some seat-of-the-pants-navigating to get us to the hotel. A security guard jockeyed some cars to accommodate our open FJ40 inside the secure garage.
We dropped our bags and took in the carnival-like fiesta --wandering past games of chance and vendors hawking food that would be at home at any state fair, we reveled at being the only gringoes in attendance. Singer Eugenia León was on the main stage, and we listened for a few songs before our hunger had us moving on to dinner at HarkerBoard Companies' roof-top restaurant.
For this Travel Talk conversation, I spoke with Faine Lara. Faine is the Community Manager of the family-owned hotel. We sat down in El Aura, their fifth-floor restaurant and meeting space. The airy terrace dining room has a friendly vibe and unobstructed waterfront views. Enjoy this relaxed conversation and consider a stay at the Hotel Seven Crown La Paz Malecon.
When Patty Mercier jumped in Loren Upton’s 1966 Jeep CJ5, she knew she was in for an adventure. The man behind the wheel was on his fourth attempt to cross the Darién Gap. The first three trips had ended in death and disaster, but Upton, an intrepid adventurer, would not be deterred.
In addition to his determination to cross the treacherous Darién Gap entirely on land, Upton had raised the stakes on this voyage. For his fourth attempt, he decried that he would drive one American-made vehicle around the world. The route would be from North America’s Northernmost point to South America’s southernmost point. The only water crossing would be the South Atlantic. They would continue from the Southernmost point in Africa to the Northernmost point in Norway.
The trip started in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, on 15 June 1984. They traveled more than 56,000 miles and took five yearsto complete the drive around the world. The crossing of the 125-mile Darién Gap was an astonishing 741 days. The Sand Ship Discovery, the name that Upton gave his intrepid Jeep, reached the Sletness Lighthouse near Gamvik, Norway, On 4 July 1989.
The couple earned a citation in the 1992 Guinness Book of Records for the “First All-Land Crossing Of The Infamous Darien Gap From Yauiza Republic of Panama to Riosucio, Columbia 22 February 1985 to 4 March 1987.”
Loren Lee Upton died at 87 years old on 9 August 2022
Patty Upton is searching for a museum to house Sand Ship Discovery, the 1966 CJ5, and for a writer to capture the story of their around-the-world drive. Please get in touch with her through her website: www.outbackofbeyond.com
Please enjoy this archive edition of Slow Baja with Mary McGee. The Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame just voted McGee into the class of 2023, and I am delighted to share this Slow Baja conversation that originally aired on 1 August 2022.
Mary McGee is an American motorsport racing pioneer. She was the first woman to compete in motorcycle road racing and motocross events in the United States. McGee started as a sports car racer in 1957. She drove the finest cars of the period. McGee raced the best of the best, from her first race in a Mercedes Gullwing 300SL to running Porsche Spyders and Ferrari Testa Rossa.
After legendary racer and Porsche dealer Vasek Polak suggested she take up motorcycle racing to make her smoother in the car, McGee started road racing bikes in 1960. At a New Year's Eve party in 1963, McGee's pal, actor Steve McQueen said, "McGee, when are you going to get off those pansy road racing bikes and come out to the desert?" A few weeks later, she began riding dirt bikes and racing with McQueen and his stuntman pals.
She raced a Datsun 510 in the first NORRA Mexican 1000 in 1967. McGee was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame 2018 and named an FIM Legend for her pioneering motorcycle racing career.
Her career accolades are as follows:
• Past Pacific Coast Champion SCCA Sports and Formula Cars
• First woman US MC/FIM motorcycle race in the US – 1960
• First woman to finish the Baja 1000 in 1968
• First woman to Road Race motorcycles in the US
• First woman to race motocross in the US
• First woman to compete in International motocross
• Only person to ride the Baja 500 solo - 1975
Follow Mary McGee on Facebook here.
Learn more about the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame here.
Johnny Johnson was one of the early champions in off-road racing. With 112 career victories, and eight Baja 1000’s where he proudly claims “l never got out of the car!” Johnson was one of the very very best in the dirt. He was inducted into the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2010. Revered by his fellow racers for his fabrication and tuning skills, it is his humility and willingness to help anyone, anytime, that his friends say is his defining trait.Famed writer, George Plimpton chose Johnson, to star in his 1971 television special “Behind The Wheel.” In the feature, Plimpton interviewed Formula One racer Jackie Stewart at the Monaco Gran Prix before jumping into Johnny’s buggy for the Baja 1000.
Thanks to Carol Mears, and Lynn Chenowth for arranging this Slow Baja conversation.
Meet Nathan Burbey of Casa Concepcion B & B in today's travel talk with Slow Baja. In our conversation, we discuss his history in Bahia Concepcion. --Nathan's father owns the restaurant and campground just down the road known as Mark and Olivia's Playa Buenaventura. Nathan has lived between Posada Concepcion and Buenaventura since he graduated from college more than a decade ago.
My Podcast producer, Keiser, and I stayed in Casa Concepcion on our recent BajaXL trip. I was delighted by the hospitality. The Inn was sold-out, but Nathan held our room for our 10:00 PM arrival --a kindness not practiced routinely on the peninsula. The room was lovely, thoughtfully decorated, with cotton sheets and blankets --and was a generous cut above the Baja standard. Cold beer was in the fridge, and Nathan invited us to help ourselves to a snack if we were hungry.
Nathan had the coffee brewing at 5:30 AM for the early risers. As we poured our cups, he implored us to follow him across the road to watch the sunrise. His stoke for nature's beauty was infectious, and the show was a stunner. Casa Concepcion at Posada Concepcion is Slow Baja Approved. We look forward to returning soon to slow our roll and fish with Nathan. Find links to Nathan Burbey and Casa Concepcion in the show notes at www.slowbaja.com
Glen Horn is about as Slow Baja as it gets. He has prioritized a life filled with surfing, physical fitness, and living modestly and in harmony with nature. After moving to San Diego as a "young tike," Horn grew up playing Davy Crockett in the local canyons. Soon his older brother was surfing, and the Horn boys were hitch-hiking down Balboa Drive to the beach.
He began surfing as a youngster and tried his hand at shaping a board when he was 12 years old. Soon he was exploring Baja looking for his version of Endless Summer. Amazingly, he found it and has held on tightly to it for decades.
In The Bull, Filmmaker Eric Ebner captured Horn's beautifully spare existence feeding his surf habit and living his soulful life. "A secret spot in Baja, California, hundreds of miles from civilization. An old milk van converted into the perfect surfing mobile. A 67-year-old man at the peak of his physical fitness and in line with mother nature every step of the way. "The Bull" is the award-winning story of San Diego surfing legend Glen Horn and his journey to an unconventional lifestyle.
Enjoy this intimate Slow Baja Podcast with shaper and surfing legend Glen Horn. Hearty thanks to his wife, Roberta Horn, for her help in making this conversation happen.
For most off-road racing fans, Ivan “Ironman” Stewart needs no introduction. Stewart utterly dominated off-road and stadium racing in the 1980s and 90s. Born in 1945, Stewart grew up in East County, San Diego. As a youngster, he raced go-carts, competing on street circuits on both sides of the border. Stewart made the unlikely leap to off-road racing in 1973. Scheduled to co-drive the Ensenada 300 in a Class 2 buggy with his friend Bill Hrynko --before the race, Hrynko broke his leg. Stewart raced the event solo, virtually unheard of then, and won! A tradition and a nickname were born. In 1983, Stewart joined PPI Motorsports, Toyota’s factory-backed race team. At the time, Stewart was seeking a ride from an American manufacturer --“something with a V-8 motor.” The 4-cylinder motor and the Japanese truck didn’t sound like a winning combination to Stewart. Cal Wells, head of PPI, stressed the reliability and the better weight-to-horsepower ratio of the Toyota and talked Stewart into taking the ride. This unlikely marriage created one of racing’s longest and most successful relationships. Stewart and Toyota teamed up for over 30 years resulting in unparalleled success in the Mickey Thompson Stadium Series and SCORE Off-Road desert racing.Slow Baja would like to thank Carol Mears for her help in arranging this conversation. We would also like to thank Ivan and Linda Stewart for their generosity in opening their home and making time for us.Learn more about Ivan Stewart here.Follow Ivan Stewart on Facebook here.Photos courtesy of Kurt Scherbaum see more of his photography here.
Today’s show is with Pauline Marguerite Wickham --Paulina, as she’s known in Baja, is a retired “child-whisperer,” having taught for over 35 years. She resides full-time in Bahía de Los Angeles, where she keeps busy with three mules, a burro, an elderly dog, and her husband, "Dern." We discuss her life and friendship with Baja legend, prospector, and raunchy-raconteur Herman Hill.
She began traveling to Baja at 3. She fondly remembers sport fishing trips to Ensenada with her Grandfather. As the men fished, she would dip her sleeves into the bait well filling them with cool water and tiny fish.
From those earliest days, Baja has played a significant role in Paulina's life. Her parents were adventure-seekers. They were avid off-roaders and raced motorcycles. Paulina soon joined them, running enduros in the powder-puff class. She made many trips to Baja in high school and continued traveling to BDLA to study Marine Biology in college.
She is a highly accomplished mule rider and had ridden with the vaqueros of Rancho San Gregorio during the spring round-ups --an experience she calls “life-changing!” Paulina loves a challenge and relishes her arduous remote emergency radio work with BFGoodrich for SCORE. She rides for hours carrying radio equipment by mule high into the mountains so the racers and teams can maintain vital communication.
Enjoy this Slow Baja Conversation with the Mule Mujer of BDLA, Pauline Marguerite Wickham.
Follow Pauline Marguerite Wickham on Facebook
As we sort our video and audio recordings from our recent BajaXL drive, we are delighted to share one of my favorite shows from last year. We will return next week with a video of our Slow Baja conversation with Ivan Stewart on YouTube. Please subscribe to our YouTube Channel here.
"Chango," the twelve-inch tall, plaster-of-Paris, irregularly painted statuette, first appeared in the San Ysidro border traffic lines during the early 1970s as street vendors hawked them to passing tourists. Many a gringo returning from their surf trip, tourist jaunt, TJ bar run, or mission trip came home with one of these in the back seat."
Slow Baja has questions, and in this riveting interview, Beth Slevcove of the Surf Monkey Fellowship has the answers. Monkey or ape? Who is Chango's creator? How did an icon of border tchotchkes become nearly extinct? Stay tuned for all the answers!
Check out the Surf Monkey Fellowship
Follow Surf Monkey Fellowship on Facebook.
Today’s Slow Baja conversation is with filmmaker and photographer Sam Hurly and his Baja chauffeur and amigo Danny White.
Sam creates automotive films and photographs for Turtle Wax. He convinced the fine folks at headquarters to send him down to Baja to follow us in the NORRA Mexican 1000. Sam needed a skilled off-road driver with a reliable rig to pilot him while he made photographs and shot film. Danny White got the call.
The Baja beginners get a heaping dose of adventure --and they speak candidly about their pre-trip worries and the multitude of scary stories that (well-meaning) Baja veterans gleefully shared with them. After a day or two in Ensenada, the myths and preconceived notions flew out the window, and after a few tasty tacos, all was well.
Watch the Slow Baja Turtle Wax Sponsored film here.
Watch the behind-the-scenes cut of the film here.
Follow Sam Hurly on Instagram here.
Watch his YouTube channel here.
Learn more about the NORRA Slow Baja Safari here.
Today’s Slow Baja conversation is with Ramon Castro, the genial Class 11 Champion better known as “El Tomate.” Growing up in Ensenada, Ramon Castro watched the early Baja 1000 races from his elementary school playground.
When he was only 17, much to his mother’s chagrin, he entered his first Baja 1000. He had no experience, no plan, no pre-run, nothing. Amazingly, they finished second. “We were young boys; we don’t know nothing; we raced to La Paz, turned around, and raced home.”
Castro dominated Class 11, winning Championships in ’83, ’86, ’87, ’88, and ’89 in --’84 and ’85, they finished in 2nd. He became a Baja racing legend, setting the fastest finish time of 27 hours in Class 11. He worked tirelessly with SCORE chief Sal Fish behind the scenes, negotiating with ranchers, marking the course, and helping young racers get their start in his RECORD Off-Road Series.
Enjoy the ride and this Slow Baja conversation with my amigo, “El Tomate.”
Genevieve Mattar and Kevin Branscum met in South America while exploring the Andes ruins and the Amazon forests. He was an American seeking adventure, and she was a travel guide leading a group of French Canadians.
The couple soon married and as Kevin was a Southern Californian and seasoned Baja traveler, they began exploring the remote regions of Baja Sur. They became interested in the old mission trail while visiting the Sierra de San Francisco rock art. One day on a mule ride, they came across a track that looked different from the one they were following. They asked their local guide about it. He replied, “That is the old mission trail, el camino antiguo de los misioneros.”
El Camino Real. The El Camino Real, or “King’s Highway,” is the mission trail leading from Loreto in Baja Súr, Mexico, to all Californias. They include Baja Súr, Baja, and Alta California, better known as the state of California.
The mystery of that trail, combined with its history and the beauty of its surroundings, hooked them. For twenty-two years, they’ve regularly returned to explore El Camino Real, locating and accurately mapping additional trail segments. They hope to find and preserve the exact position of as much of the El Camino Real as possible. Only through sharing the story and developing eco-tourism --will the historic trail remain alive.
Learn more about their work here.
In this archive edition of Slow Baja, we return to my 2020 conversation with professor Paul Ganster. I wanted to share this show again as I recently watched Isaac Artensteins's magnificent Journeys of Harry Crosby documentary. The Crosby film is available to stream on PBS here.
Ganster began traveling to Mexico with his friend and former high school teacher, Harry Crosby, in the early 1960s. When Crosby landed his 1967 commission to photograph the El Camino Real, he asked Ganster, then a graduate student at UCLA, to make the trip with him. In retracing the original Portolá missionary expedition of 1769, Crosby and Ganster covered 600 grueling miles, mostly by mule.
Ganster took trail notes, made detailed drawings and maps, and shot scores of photographs. However, no job was more important than feeding the mules. Each evening, he would climb the palo verde trees and use a machete to hack off branches that the mules would crunch on loudly. The trip was a life-changing trip for both men. Crosby's photographs from the journey were published in The Call to California in 1969. He often returned to Baja to photograph cave paintings and study early life in Alta, California, and published several books on the subject. Baja figured prominently in Ganster's life as well. In his long academic career, he is an acknowledged expert on the U.S.-Mexico border region.
Currently, he directs the Institute for Regional Studies of the Californias at San Diego State University. He's recently edited Loreto, Mexico: Challenges for a Sustainable Future (2020, SDSU Press) with Oscar Arizpe and Vinod Sasidharan. He and Arizpe, a professor at the Universidad A. de Baja California Sur, collaborated on two earlier projects examining Loreto's sustainability.
Check out Paul Ganster's extensive writings here.
In today’s Slow Baja Podcast, we talk to Bruce Trenery about his experience racing the wild and wooly early days of the La Carrera Panamericana Classic. Bruce ran in the LCP Classics from 1987 to 1993. In its early “Baja” period, the race was a high-speed sprint from Ensenada to San Felipe. A few years later, the La Carrera moved to mainland Mexico and, at 2000 miles, officially became the world’s fastest, longest, (and most dangerous) vintage car race. Bruce raced it for three more years before moving on to less perilous racing pursuits.
In 1987, I was a college kid on Spring Break in San Felipe and heard the snarl of a Ferrari V-12. I followed my ears to the finish line and marveled at the assembled cars. Rumors of mayhem and death swirled around the event. For decades I’ve wanted to talk to somebody who ran that crazy race and hear their account of it.
Bruce Trenery owns Fantasy Junction, a classic car dealership in Emeryville, California. Over the last 30 years, he has built a reputation for quality and integrity worldwide. With his son Spencer, he has raced the NORRA Mexican 1000, among many other events. Spencer, a highly accomplished racer in his own right, now runs the day-to-day operations of Fantasy Junction, allowing his dad the occasional afternoon off to record a Slow Baja Podcast.
Learn more about Fantasy Junction here.
Follow Fantasy Junction on Instagram here.
Follow Fantasy Junction on Facebook here.
Doug and Shannon Miller open their hearts to share honestly about their service-first approach to family travel. After their newly adopted daughter from China needed open heart surgery, they did the only sane thing you can do with two weeks of "use it or lose it" vacation. They packed up their fresh-from-the-ER-brood and headed to Baja!
When Doug realized his family was spending their "vacation" hunkered down on a wind-whipped beach so he could enjoy kite-boarding, they began exploring family-friendlier locations. One day a flat tire on their minivan led them to seek help nearby at Rancho Sordo Mundo, a home for the deaf and mute. Soon they realized why they had come to Baja. Seventeen years of service travel, and giving back have followed that initial encounter. Enjoy this uplifting conversation with my new friends, Doug and Shannon Miller.
To learn more and support the places mentioned in today's show:
Casa Hogar Mulege BCS click here.
FFHM Orphanage Vicente Guerrero BC click here.
Rancho Sordo Mundo, Deaf Ministry click here.
PAW Animal Clinic Mulege BCS click here.
To contact Doug Miller about Baja service travel, click here.
In today’s Slow Baja Podcast, we catch up with Andrew Szabo, founder of the BajaXL Rally. Unfortunately, we had some technical glitches and used Andrew’s voice memo app as a recording device. When he sent the files, they were static-filled and nearly unusable. My producer Christopher Keiser did yeoman’s work to make the audio (barely) tolerable.
My apologies for the static, but we had dumped a previous conversation due to poor audio, so this had to fly. If you get through the entire show and see me in Baja, I promise to pour you a shot of Fortaleza Tequila or buy you a beer.
“The ten-day, 3000-mile BajaXL Rally is a minimal assistance road rally. There are no rescue trucks, medical helicopters, or travel guides. You must rely on your wits and resources to get out of trouble. The BAJA XL is open to ‘anyone by anything.’ If it’s street-legal, you can drive it. The rally is open to cars, motorcycles, trucks, and whatever else you can think of.”
Space is limited to 50 teams in each category. We hear there are a few spots left! For more details, check out the BajaXL Facebook group.
Sal Fish is the beloved Godfather of Off-road Racing and former President of SCORE International. He was born and raised in Los Angeles, the son of a humble and kind auto mechanic, a loving mother, with a Sicilian Grandmother at home who only spoke Italian. His parents scrimped, saved, and sent Fish and his three brothers to the Roman Catholic, college-preparatory Loyola High School for boys. Sal was class President but freely admits he was not a very good student. The Jesuit education system served him well, and he was accepted “under probation” at the University of San Francisco.
At USF, his charm and drive carried the day. He excelled in making connections. Soon, Sal was on the basketball team’s coaching staff, eating and drinking for free in North Beach, and had an apartment above the embalming room of a prestigious neighborhood mortuary. He even had a “no-show athletes job” at a brewery, where he punched in at the beginning of the week and returned at the end of the week to collect a paycheck and two cases of beer. With all the fun he was having --by his own admission, he barely managed to graduate.
After surprisingly being declared 4F by the Army, Sal returned to Los Angeles to work with his father in his auto repair business. He attended carburetor, brake, and transmission school and did his best to give his father a rest while he ran the shop. A body surfing buddy saw Sal’s secret strength and offered him a job selling advertising for Car Craft Magazine. His father was thrilled to get him out of the shop. Sal was a natural salesman, rapidly rising through the ranks of Petersen Publishing, and soon became the Publisher.
Through his travels with Hot Rod magazine, Sal and ad salesman Bob Weggeland landed a VW Beetle and an entry into the 1969 NORRA Mexican 1000. In our conversation, Sal recounts the experience --a hilarious story of ignorance, perseverance, survival, and a heaping dose of luck. After breaking their transmission, Sal and Bob flagged down the crew of actor and racer James Garner and got a tow to the checkpoint at Lake Chapala. --“We went faster on a tow rope than we had been going in the race.”
Racer and entrepreneur Mickey Thompson recruited Sal as a partner soon after he created SCORE International in 1973. By 1974 Sal and Mickey were hosting the Baja 1000. He used his people and publishing skills to grow the organization rapidly. Eventually, he took over SCORE and bought Thompson out. In the process, Sal realized Thompson’s vision to make off-road racing as big as NASCAR. Sal sold SCORE in 2012. Active and fit, he enjoys living in Malibu and spending time with his wife of nearly 50 years, Barbara. The couple has a second home in La Paz, where Sal enjoys kayaking and entertaining his many Baja friends.
A special thanks to Lyman Scherer for connecting me to Sal.
In today's travel talk with Slow Baja, we meet Anton Jimenez from Malagon Winery. In our conversation, we discuss the winery's history, which dates back to Russian settlers, their award-winning wines from sixty-five-year-old vines, and a new craft beer brewing project.
Ted and I stayed in Casa Azul, and I was delighted by the sweet sound of nature. We arrived in the evening to the yips of coyotes, and in the morning, the cooing of doves --and an occasional rooster's crow provided the soundtrack as we devoured Lazaro's chilaquiles.
Ranked as one of the top best Bed and Breakfasts in the Valle de Guadalupe, the four-room Mission-style hacienda was a perfect spot for some tranquilo time.
Anton says, "Malagon Winery is in the middle of everything and away from everything." We couldn't agree more.
For more information and inquiries, check out their website here.
In today’s travel talk with Slow Baja, we meet Ruth Loyola. Ruth is the General Manager of the Bruma Universe. In our conversation, we discuss Casa 8, the casually elegant bed & breakfast, Bruma, the stunningly beautiful winery, and Fauna, recently selected as one of the top 50 restaurants in Latin America.We stayed in a beautiful room in Casa 8. Each of the properties' eight rooms is unique, blending traditional Mexican design and locally sourced materials. The rooms are arranged strategically to respect privacy --yet are attached to the main house, which holds the kitchen, living room, pool, and outdoor lounge. The opportunity to meet other guests and make new friends is integral to the design and is an expected part of the Casa 8 experience. Casa 8 is a STRONG Slow Baja Approved!Visit the Bruma - Casa 8 website hereFollow Bruma - Casa 8 on Instagram hereFollow Bruma - Casa 8 on Facebook hereFollow Fauna on Instagram hereMake a reservation for your table here
Jon P. Rebman is the Curator of Botany at the San Diego Natural History Museum. Originally from rural Illinois, Rebman landed a Fulbright Fellowship that took him to study in Ensenada. During his year south of the border, Rebman traveled the peninsula cataloging cholla cacti with his fellow students and the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California faculty. He credits this formative experience for igniting his passion for the region's rare endemic flora.
Rebman earned a doctorate from Arizona State University and wrote his dissertation on the Cylindropuntia (Chollas) cactus family of Baja California. He is a profoundly energetic expert on Southern and Baja California plants and is relentless in identifying them. Rebman says, "if you can't name it, you can't conserve it." Through the crowd-sourced iNaturalist App, Rebman has answered more than 500,000 plant genus inquiries, I am optimistic he will hit a million answers soon.
Rebman authored the Baja California Plant Field Guide with Norman Roberts and co-authored the stunning new bilingual photographic book A Guide To The Flora Of The Sierra De San Pedro Martir. Both are available from the San Diego Natural History Museum Shop here.
Thanks to Cypress Hansen at the Nat for walking me through the fabulous new Expedition Baja display and for her work arranging this conversation. Additional thanks to Robert Blaker and his daughter, Sierra Blaker, for planting the seed for this show more than a year ago.
Check out Expedition Baja here.
Follow The Nat on Instagram.
Follow The Nat on Facebook.
Download the iNaturalist App here.
Geoff Hill is back for an update on Baja Bound Insurance, spoiler alert --Baja Bound can now insure your home in Mexico! We talk Baja travel, trip preparation, where he's just been and where he's headed next. Geoff's not your average Insurance agent. Since his first surf trip in 1990, he hasn't been able to escape Baja's pull. After surfing his way to a degree at UCSD, he joined Baja Bound Insurance in 2003. He is the VP of Business Development, the face of the franchise --and as I say Geoff "lives the brand."
When our Lucha Libre Racing Team took on the grueling La Carrera Panamericana in 2006 -we were honored to be the first racing team sponsored by Baja Bound Insurance. We are thrilled to have their continued support for Slow Baja sixteen years later!
In this conversation, Geoff announces the new Baja Bound Home Insurance program. We dive into the phenomenal success of the Baja Bound Lifestyle and Travel Expo. The growth of Escapar ala Baja, and the van life explosion. The pros and cons of working remote with Starlink. The bounty of the Valle de Guadalupe, and driving in the NORRA Slow Baja Safari.
Get a quote and buy your Baja Bound Insurance here
Visit the Baja Bound Insurance Travel Guide here
Follow Baja Bound Insurance on Instagram
Follow on Baja Bound Insurance on Facebook
Eric Solorzano, the King of Class 11, is a humble mechanic from Tijuana. He’s been racing a Volkswagen in Baja for over 30 years. “Out of the car, I don’t know anything. In the car, as soon as I put it in gear, a calm comes over me,” says Solorzano.
Honored by the Mexican Government as the Winningest Mexican in Off-Road Racing history. Solorzano has 11 SCORE Championships, 1 Baja 2000 win, 9 Baja 1000 wins, 7 Baja 500 wins, 11 San Felipe 250 wins, 9 SCORE Primm 300 wins, 4 SCORE Desert Challenge wins, and 3 Mint 400 wins.
An iconoclast among his peers, Solorzano does not pre-run. Instead, he spends his time obsessively preparing his race cars. He is outspoken about the current state of SCORE racers and owners. Solorzano compares racing SCORE (with Sal Fish) in the 70s to the era’s music versus music today. I’ll leave you to draw your conclusions, but at 62, it’s safe to say he cherishes his memories of race days (and organizers) of the past.
Listen for the story of the Baja 2,000, where Solorzano jumped a junkyard fence, came face to face with a pair of pitbulls, grabbed the needed parts, and went on to win his class in only 69 hours!
Follow Eric Solorzano on IG here
Follow Eric Solorzano on FB here
Watch Eric’s ORMHOF induction film here
Watch The Legend of Solorzano by Jonny Mass here
Matthew Schnitzer is a barber in Dana Point, California. Today's Slow Baja Podcast discusses how he formed Barbers for Baja. After organizing two immensely successful holiday toy drives, Schnitzer made a dramatic and ambitious pivot to focus on sending kids in need to college.
"Barbers For Baja began at The Kings Club Barbershop with a toy drive for La Mision, Baja California, Mexico in 2019. We were shocked at how quickly our little community rallied together. Our shop was overflowing with toys for these children in no time!
We decided to participate in the La Mision toy drive once again the following year. Only this time we reached out to our friends at surrounding barber shops asking them to get involved. Once again, we were shocked at how quickly everyone rallied together to help.
In 30 days these barber shops raised over 7K in toys and funds for the children of La Mision. The generosity these barbershop communities had was truly overwhelming!
Our hearts were filled with immense gratitude following that event, and we were eager to figure out how we could continue to help. So here we are, combining our barber shop communities to help children all across Baja California have better access to food, education, and medical supplies."
Learn more about Barbers for Baja here.
Follow Barbers for Baja on Instagram.
Buy your box set or donate to Barbers to Baja here.
Michael Squier returns to Slow Baja to give us an update on the premiere of The Baja Bug Movie. The film has three screenings at the 2022 Newport Beach Film Festival. October 15th and 18th are sold out, but tickets (as of this posting) are still available for the closing night on October 20th.
“When the Volkswagen Beetle was first brought into the United States in 1949, only two vehicles were sold. In the early 1950s, the “Bug” established itself as America’s budget car and was so adaptable, it could be turned into a dune buggy, which is exactly what Bruce Meyers did, creating the “Meyers Manx”. By 1967 Bruce Meyers, Vic Wilson, and Ed Pearlman had created the Mexican 1000, a race from the top of Baja to the bottom. Every type of vehicle imaginable, from big 4x4 trucks, stock Volkswagen bugs, motorcycles to home built creations was entered into the race; Bruce and his crew were laughed at when they showed up to the starting line with their little buggies. But to everyone’s surprise, when the first vehicle crossed the finish line 27 hours later, it was the Meyers Manx, paving the way for Volkswagens to take over off-road racing. Celebrities like Steve McQueen and James Garner helped catapult the sport and inspire weekend warriors seeking adventure. This is the story of the humble little car that conquered the desert.” -The Baja Bug Movie
Watch The Baja Bug Movie trailer here
Check out The Baja Bug Movie website here
Follow The Baja Bug Movie on Instagram here
Follow The Baja Bug Movie on Facebook here
Buy tickets to the Newport Beach Film Festival here
Andrew Norton is a nerd. He freely admits that he's been nerding out on cars since he was a kid in Iowa. His first love was the bold and beautiful Mustangs and Cobras built by Caroll Shelby in the 1960s. Peter Brock was a childhood hero, and Norton often dreamed of the day he would find a dusty Daytona Coupe hiding in a neighbor's barn.
By 16 years old, Norton, now living in California, would spend afternoons driving his 1965 Mustang "looking for cool Fords." When he spied an orange and white Bronco, his passion for Shelby's told him he was looking at something special. Fascinated by the bold paint and the "Baja by Stroppe" sticker on its fender, Norton went directly to his local library to research what he had just found.
A full-fledged obsession followed, and soon Norton was flying to Texas to buy his first (worn-out) Stroppe Bronco. A web page dedicated to Baja Broncos (early days of the internet) followed to share information with the community. Norton launched Baja Broncos Unlimited and has become a leading source on Stroppe Broncos. He and Todd Zuercher raced a Stroppe Bronco in the NORRA Mexican 1000 for over a decade. They joined Big Oly in the Slow Baja Safari Class this year.
Follow Andrew Norton and Baja Broncos on IG here
Visit Baja Broncos Unlimited here
Learn about the Slow Baja Safari Class here
Check out Dusty Times issue 03 here
RIP Jorge Enrique Corral Sandez. The Baja Icon, better known as "Coco," was found dead at his residence. For decades, a stop at Coco's Corner was a must for travelers heading south of San Felipe.
Coco was the informal archivist of Baja's highway 5. He recorded every visitor in his guest registry. Every time we stopped, we would buy a beer, sign the book, and Ted would ask Coco about the road conditions. Coco inevitably would draw a map as he explained in detail the construction progress and the current state of the dirt sections.
I recorded this podcast on July 9, 2021
Coco passed at his ranch, South of Gonzaga Bay, on August 30, 2022
Check out Coco's Facebook page here
Peter Brock is an American automotive design and motorsports legend.
At age 19, while attending Art Center School, Brock became the youngest designer ever hired by General Motors' design department. In November 1957, legendary GM stylist, Bill Mitchell, selected one of Brock's sketches to become the iconic 1963 Corvette Stingray.
After securing his SCCA racing license at 21 years old, he acquired an ex-Le Mans Cooper and returned to California to pursue a career in racing. He landed at the famed Max Balchowsky's Hollywood shop. His next move would be as Carroll Shelby's first employee, running the newly-formed Shelby School of High-Performance Driving. Soon he was working for Shelby American, where he penned logos, merchandise, ads, and car liveries. He designed the Shelby components of the Shelby Mustang GT350s, and his renowned Shelby Daytona Cobra coupe won the FIA GT World Championship.
Following his success at Shelby, he founded Brock Racing Enterprises. Brock put the previously-unknown Japanese car maker, Datsun, on the map. The BRE prepared Datsun's dominated SCCA racing, winning on Sunday --and selling on Monday. In 1967, he ventured to Baja with Mary McGee to race in the first Mexican 1000. The experience led to an obsession with off-road racing, and the desolate peninsula. Brock returned to lead the Datsun factory race team for the next three years. Since those early days, he's repeatedly covered the Baja 1000 as a journalist.
In 2010, the Art Center College of Design awarded Brock their Lifetime Achievement Award for "Outstanding accomplishment in the fields of automotive design, technology, innovation, motorsports, and journalism."
He was inducted into the Sports Car Club of America Hall of Fame in 2017.
Follow Peter Brock on Facebook here.
Learn more about Peter Brock and BRE here.
Mary McGee is an American motorsports racing pioneer. She was the first woman to compete in motorcycle road racing and motocross events in the United States. McGee started as a sports car racer in 1957. She drove the finest cars of the period, from her first race in a Mercedes Gullwing 300SL to racing Porsche Spyders, and Ferrari Testa Rossa's, McGee drove the best of the best.
After legendary racer and Porsche dealer, Vasek Polak, suggested she take up motorcycle racing to make her smoother in the car, McGee started road racing bikes in 1960. At a New Year's Eve party in 1963, McGee's pal, actor Steve McQueen said, "McGee, when are you going to get off those pansy road racing bikes and come out to the desert?" A few weeks later, she began riding dirt bikes and racing with McQueen and his stuntman pals.
She raced a Datsun 510 in the first NORRA Mexican 1000 in 1967. McGee was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2018 and named an FIM Legend for her pioneering motorcycle racing career.
Her career accolades are as follows:
- Past Pacific Coast Champion SCCA Sports and Formula Cars
- First woman US MC/FIM motorcycle race in the US – 1960
- First woman to finish the Baja 1000 in 1968
- First woman to Road Race motorcycles in the US
- First woman to race motocross in the US
- First woman to compete in International motocross
- Only person to ride the Baja 500 solo - 1975
Follow Mary McGee on Facebook here.
Learn more about Mary McGee via the AMA HOF site here.
I am pleased to share this 2021 Slow Baja archive conversation on RVing in Baja with Nicole Demme Kapturowski. With the Summer travel season in full swing, I've been fielding loads of questions from folks planning their first Baja trip. I love Nicole's enthusiasm, and her honesty as she shares her heart-felt endorsement for Baja as an RV travel destination. This lively conversation answers many questions and assuages so many concerns that I thought I would share it again.
"We have a full plate. My husband retired in 2019 because he has stage-4 cancer, but he's doing well. We're just trying to make the most of our time and not be the cancer family—much the same way with my son, who's autistic. I try not to let that define us. We're not the family with the autistic child; we're just another family out there doing things and living our life. We try not to let those things define us."
Moved by the kindness of strangers and stunned by the warmth, attention, and care shown to her autistic son, she eloquently posted about it on Talk Baja. The post received over 2700 likes, 410 comments, and 200 shares! Read her Talk Baja post on Facebook here.
Greg Tomlinson, aka GT, grew up in Dana Point, California. With Baja practically in his backyard, GT has nearly 50 years of Baja stories to share. A lifelong surfer, motorcycle rider, and adventure seeker, exploring Baja is where his wanderlust began.
Reflecting on his first father and son camping trip in the early 1970s, "The dads rode in the cab while the kids rode in the back. As the pickup truck, piled high with dirt bikes, surfboards, and camp gear, cruised south, we could barely contain our excitement for the epic adventure to come."
GT is the founder of Von Zipper Sunglasses and spent years traveling the globe as the host and webcast presenter of the Billabong World Championship Surf Tour. He's a national title holder in the American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association. He races classic 60s Triumph motorcycles on both road courses and dirt. During Winter, you'll find GT snowboarding, chasing waves in sunny climes, or riding Baja with his buddies on the Slow Baja Vintage Expedition.
Follow Greg Tomlinson on Instagram
Follow Greg Tomlinson on Facebook
Learn more about Von Zipper here
Learn more about AHRMA here
Josiah Roe is the co-creator of The Journal of Lost Time, a digital publication that shares stories of timeless immediacy. After acquiring a painters-tape green Vanagon, which he lovingly calls Barb, Roe set out for an extended Christmas vacation in Baja. An epic adventure ensued, and he vowed never to miss a winter exploring Baja Sur again.
Upon his return, he left his tech job and his comfy apartment in San Francisco and embarked on being a part-time van lifer. Combining his passion for travel and photography, he began creating stories for destination marketing organizations. The Journal of Lost Time was born, and on a road trip to Baja Sur, he dreamt up Escapar a La Baja, a Vanlife and Overlander meet-up in La Paz.
The first Escapar a La Baja in 2019 had sixty vehicles, and this year's event has grown to 250! The Lost Places event series, "a celebration of gathering in beautiful places," followed and now hosts meet-ups in six locations.
Follow Josiah Q. Roe on Instagram
Learn more about The Journal of Lost Time here.
Follow The Journal of Lost Time on Instagram
Learn more about Escapar a La Baja here.
Read Baja Like Nowhere Else here.
This Slow Baja Podcast is an archive edition with Off-Road Hall of Fame Racer Curt LeDuc. I recently saw LeDuc at the NORRA Mexican 1000. He led the Ford Factory Bronco Team. In a test of engineering and endurance, Ford ran a stock 2022 Bronco Wildtrak with a Hoss 3.0 suspension. The only modifications were a roll cage and five-point racing harnesses for safety. The stock Ford Bronco ran from the start in Ensenada and finished without issue 1000 miles later in San Jose del Cabo.
LeDuc is a salt-of-the-earth Baja racer with an impressive record of DIY accomplishments in off-road racing. When asked about his approach to building winning racers, LeDuc said, “I’m not an engineer; I’m an imagineer” He’s built and raced his vehicles at the highest levels of desert racing for decades. He’s won championships in Desert Class 8 -five years in a row and has two Short Course Off-Road Drivers Association titles, a Governor’s Cup, and a rare and valuable Borg Warner Cup.
Inducted into the Off-Road Motorsports Hall Of Fame in 2015, LeDuc, through all his successes, is revered for achieving it all with his own hands. He is a blue-collar racer who earned a reputation for fixing anything with almost nothing. Skills that got him hired by icon Walker Evans. Not only is Curt the guy you want with you in Baja for his mechanical aptitude, but he reportedly knows every mechanic, welder, and taco shop on the peninsula.
Enjoy this Slow Baja conversation with Curt Leduc, a man that legendary racer Jack Flannery said was made of “gristle!”
Visit Curt LeDuc’s Baja Legends Website
Follow Curt LeDuc on Instagram
Follow Curt LeDuc on Facebook
Learn more about ORMHOF here
Today's Travel Talk with Slow Baja has me chatting with Leda Gamboa, the owner of Adobe Food Truck in the Valle de Guadalupe, Baja, California. Adobe Food Truck is a top-notch Tapas Restaurant masquerading as a food truck.
I visited for lunch and asked Leda to pick something for me --she selected the spicy beef tongue and a Jardin Magico, Sauvignon Blanc, from Adobe Guadalupe Vineyard next door. I was delighted and a little surprised by the pairing. Later that afternoon, I returned to talk with her about her culinary journey and the food scene in the Valle. She was happy to have a Slow Baja conversation and shared several of her favorite wines, winemakers, and restaurants.
Adobe Food Truck is dog-friendly and open to the public. It's located just before the main gate of Adobe Guadalupe Winery.
Closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays
Adobe Food Truck is Slow Baja Approved
Follow Adobe Food Truck on Facebook
Read about Adobe Food Truck on Tripadvisor
Mentioned in today's show:
Emevé Winery
Christina Pino, winemaker, Santo Tomas Winery
La Concheria
Raul Aguiar and Caroline Kane are the affable owners of Rancho La Bellota, a 2800-acre guest ranch located in Tecate Baja, California.
Rancho La Bellota is a portal to another era. Free from cell service and wifi, guests quickly adapt to the rhythms of ranch life. The coffee is ready at 6:30 AM, and after a cup on the porch, the guests gather in the sun-washed dining room for a hearty breakfast.
Following breakfast, it's time for a ride. I select a cowboy hat from the rack and make my way to the saddled horses. Jan, a La Bellota regular, knows the hat's owner (he leaves it at the ranch) and says it looks good on me. It's been forty years since I've ridden a horse, so I'll take the compliment. The horses at Rancho La Bellota are retired from a life of working cattle. Hence, as I mount my handsome palomino, Raul gestures to the horse and says, "it's an automatic with power steering and power brakes," letting me know with a wry smile that it's an easy horse to ride.
In addition to being an expert horseman, Raul is a devoted overlander and drives a pop-top 1969 Chevrolet Suburban that he designed. He regularly hosts overlanders on their way up and down the Baja peninsula. He's quick to stress that he's not running a free campground; he's a proud native of Baja California who gladly shares his knowledge and experience to help travelers enjoy their time in Baja.
Rancho La Bellota is Slow Baja Approved
Learn more about Rancho La Bellota here.
Follow Rancho La Bellota on Facebook
Follow Baja Peninsular on Instagram
Sandra Dibble is a veteran reporter who worked as a Tijuana-based foreign correspondent for the San Diego Union-Tribune for 28 years. She earned a master's degree in Journalism from Columbia University and worked at The Miami Herald for nearly a decade. Dibble was part of a team awarded the Pulitzer Prize in national reporting for uncovering the Reagan administration's clandestine support of the Nicaraguan Contras. She wrote about Oaxaca, Mexico, for The National Geographic. She hosts the Border City Podcast for the Union-Tribune.
"Border City: A podcast about beauty, violence and belonging in Tijuana from a journalist who spent more than 25 years reporting at the border. In this eight-part podcast, Dibble introduces listeners to Tijuana the way she was introduced to it — through the news stories she covered but also through her personal connections in the city's cultural community and her friendships with ordinary Tijuanenses." -The San Diego Union-Tribune
Border City is available wherever you find podcasts.
Follow Sandra Dibble on Twitter
Follow Sandra Dibble on Instagram
Follow Sandra Dibble on Facebook
On Earth Day, I am delighted to share this Slow Baja conversation with Paula Pijoan. Paula is a native plant expert and a fierce advocate for the land and nature. She is a certified practitioner of shinrin-yoku, the Japanese art of forest bathing, also known as forest therapy. We met at Vinos Pijoan, her family vineyard in the Valle de Guadalupe. When I arrived, Paula was transferring native plants, so I sat down on the ample patio and ordered a cheese plate and a glass of Pink Convertible -- a dry rosé of Zinfandel + Grenache. "My relationship with wine is that I drink it --I don't get so involved in the production of it!" Paula said as she joined me in this conversation. Enjoy! Vinos Pijoan is Slow Baja Approved!
Follow Paula Pijoan on Instagram Learn more about Forest Bathing at Respire Bosque Follow Respire Bosque on Instagram Learn more about the native plants of Baja here Follow Vinos Pijoan on Facebook
Agave Expeditions Gabe Erivez is an adventure tourism outfitter who leads with his heart. With over a decade of professional guiding experience in Patagonia, Iceland, and Baja California, Erivez brings a lifelong passion for the outdoors to his work. He strives to be mindful in his travel, and "Be Here Now" is his mantra.
"The human and cultural element gives exploring these wild places their richness, and I believe when we unite cultural heritage with adventure travel, we begin to have a more meaningful connection with the places we explore. Utilizing 4x4 overland vehicles as our mobile basecamps, we aim to explore the diverse culture and eco-regions of Baja California. We shift between remote desert camps, generational sierra ranches, locally owned eco-lodges, and coastal outposts. We work exclusively with local guides and outfitters, the true peninsula experts." -Gabe Erivez.
Learn more about Agave Expeditions here.
Follow Agave Expeditions on Instagram.
Follow Gabe Erivez on Facebook.
Natalia Badan has spent her life on Rancho El Mogor, the vineyard and organic farm her Swiss-French parents built nearly seven decades ago. "We are romantics and have always been a little eccentric. We were always organic, since my father's time. They called it biological agricultural, and everybody thought we were completely crazy. My father studied a lot; he had all the books from the University of California at Davis. These are my childhood memories --seeing him marking the books. Now it's common, but at the time, it seemed a little eccentric, but we were absolutely doing the right thing."
When I ask her about the current state of Rancho El Mogor, she warmly tells me about all of their diversified activities. "We have the project of the vineyard; we have the winery; they go together. We have the organic garden that went for 24 years with the market, and now that goes to the restaurant. We have sheep and some cows which we need to improve the land. We move the animals from one place to another so they don't overgraze. Where they go, the soil becomes better with time. This is a very long-term project --improving soil and making a ranch like this more fertile takes many, many years --many more than I will live. But I think it is worth it, and this way, we don't put all our eggs in one basket."
In addition to the winery, the farm and the animals, El Mogor is home to Deckman's Restaurant. Michelin-starred Chef, Drew Deckman, prepares hyper-locally sourced fare in an open kitchen. "Authentic, sustainable, and seasonal." Reservations required.
Rancho El Mogor is Slow Baja Approved!
Please email the winery to make a reservation.
Follow Rancho El Mogor on Facebook
Follow Rancho El Mogor on Instagram
Travel Talk With Slow Baja Meet Javier Martinez, owner of Boules Restaurant.
Today's Travel Talk with Slow Baja has me chatting with Javier Martinez, owner of Boules Restaurant in Ensenada. I wanted to sit down with Javi to learn why everybody is raving about Boules and its gregarious owner? I loved the food and the atmosphere. #SlowBajaApproved
Boules Av Moctezuma 623, Zona Centro, 22800 Ensenada, Baja California +52 646 175 8769
Visit the Boules Restaurant Website
Read Boules reviews on TripAdvisor
Follow Boules Restaurant on Instagram
Follow Boules Restaurant on Facebook
Brook Elgen is an illustrator, artist, and maker-of-things who splits her time between Mendocino, California, and Zacatitos, Baja California Sur. She specializes in handmade goods in a diverse array of mediums. Humor and wit are constants in her illustrations, books, and found object assemblages. She carries a notebook (chock full of lists,) has an antique pocket knife, sometimes drives a Baja Bug, and is never in resort wear.
One of my favorite works is an apology card for an ex-pat neighbor who got wasted at a local establishment and may or may not have removed his pants. He wanted a custom work to give to the business owner to say "Lo Siento," I'm sorry. The card's cover features hand-carved rubber-stamped artwork; a cactus, a donkey with a couple of empty bottles at his feet, and the words "LO SIENTO" Inside, a sizeable hand-stamped bottle with the phrase "SORRY FOR BEING A JACKASS."
See her work at the_evil_scrunchies on Instagram
And TheEvilScrunchies on Esty
81-year-old Pete Springer has been a frequent visitor to Baja for over 60 years. He watched the 1969 Baja 1000 and raced a home built-single-seat buggy in 1970. He continued building and running his designs until 1973 when he teamed up with Four Wheeler Magazine Editor Bill Sanders in a Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40. The duo won Class 3 in the stout Toyota that Springer had built in one month with a scant budget of $300. "Luck beats good!" has been his mantra ever since. In today's show, he shares some of the stories that illustrate his unique philosophy. I am indebted to Pete Springer as he was one of the two podcasts I recorded on my first day of podcasting in 2020. I love his stories and hope we get to talk again soon. To hear the first show, click here.
Check out Pete Springer's writings here.
Follow Pete Springer on Facebook
Today's Travel Talk with Slow Baja has me chatting with Collin Corrigan, the owner of Cerveceria Transpeninsular in Ensenada, Baja, California. I sat down with Collin to learn more about the craft beer scene in Baja, and he was delighted to educate me.
Cerveceria Transpeninsular is the official beer sponsor of the National Off-Road Racing Association (NORRA) "The Happiest Race on Earth," and Corrigan hosted the awards ceremony for the NORRA 500 last October. We recorded this podcast in his office as the party was in full swing below. We had a few interruptions and worked through it all to bring you this fun and friendly conversation.
Cerveceria Transpeninsular is located just off HWY1, on the North end of Ensenada, immediately following the Hotel Coral & Marina. Look for the road signs, and be ready to pull over after the turn. There's ample parking in front. Cerveceria Transpeninsular is family-friendly, and well-behaved dogs are welcome.
107+240 Carretera Tijuana-Ensenada 22870 Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico
Visit Cerveceria Transpeninsular's Website
Follow Cerveceria Transpeninsular on Instagram
Follow Cerveceria Transpeninsular on Facebook
Benito Ortega Vargas was born in Mexico City in 1951. At an early age, he displayed a penchant for making art. He felt that art was his calling and eventually chose sculpture as his method of expression.
He studied at the San Carlos Academy, the National Institute of Fine Arts, the National Autonomous University of Mexico, and the Casa de Cultura de Oaxaca. He began showing his work in 1979. In 1981, with other artists, he founded the Taller de Grafica Libre Oaxaca. In 1983, he co-founded the Institute of Visual Arts of Taxco and began teaching.
In 2008 he moved to Todos Santos, in Baja California Sur, where his beautiful studio and gallery showcases his work. "Inside the depths of human unconsciousness, there is a call of harmony." He says his work is an exploration of that theme.
Learn more about Benito Ortega Vargas here
Follow Benito Ortega Vargas on Instagram
Follow Benito Ortega Vargas on Facebook
Today's Travel-talk with Slow Baja features Paola and Daniel from Antonio's Eco Tours in San Ignacio. Daniel's father, Antonio, founded whale-watching in San Ignacio Lagoon nearly three decades ago. His mother, Maria "Yaki" Aguilar, has graciously offered accommodations, meals, and hospitality unsurpassed on the peninsula. Multiple generations of the Aguilar family extend from the nearby rugged mountain ranches to the remote fishing camps that dot the coastline of Baja California Sur. Antonio is one of the region's whale-watching pioneers, while Yaki is a local legend for her fresh-caught seafood meals done in traditional Laguna San Ignacio-style. When the first whales enter the lagoon in late December, the local fishermen put their nets away until April, when the whales leave. Antonio and Daniel, and every other boat captain are full-time fishermen in the lagoon when it's not whale season. The San Ignacio Lagoon is a mecca of whale watching. Nowhere else in the world offers amazingly intimate interactions between whales and humans. Enjoy this light-hearted conversation with Daniel and Paula of Antonio's Eco Tours. Learn more about Antonio's Eco Tours here. Follow Antonio's Eco Tours on Facebook.
Jim Chamberlain has been preparing Dune Buggies for Baja since Bruce Meyers invented them in the early 1960s. Chamberlain prepared the legendary "Old Red" for its record-breaking run from La Paz to Tijuana that preceded the first National Off-Road Racing Association race in October 1967.
Chamberlain was also a noted racer -while often found behind the scenes, he was the 69th entry in the 1967 Mexican 1000 -an electrical problem kept him from taking the green flag. He was instrumental in the VW buggy racing scene at Ascot Speedway and led the charge of Baja racers at Pikes Peak. He entered the second NORRA Mexican 1000 in his stock 1965 Volkswagen Van and said, "if you subtract the eight hours spent sleeping due to sheer exhaustion, our finish time would have been good enough to win the class!"
Learn more about Meyers Manx here.
Follow Jim Chamberlain on Facebook.
Follow Meyers Manx on Instagram
“Chango,” the twelve-inch tall, plaster-of-paris, irregularly painted statuette, first appeared in the San Ysidro border traffic lines during the early 1970s as street vendors hawked them to passing tourists. Many a gringo returning from their surf trip, tourist jaunt, TJ bar run, or mission trip came home with one of these in the back seat.”
Slow Baja has questions, and in this riveting interview, Beth Slevcove of the Surf Monkey Fellowship has the answers. Monkey or ape? Who is Chango’s creator? How did an icon of border tchotchkedom become nearly extinct? Stay tuned!
Check out the Surf Monkey Fellowship
Follow Surf Monkey Fellowship on Facebook.
Happy New Year, Slow Baja amigos!
I am delighted to be on my first Baja trip of 2022. For the next two weeks, I'll be off-the-grid, scouting dirt trails for the NORRA 1000. In the meantime, here is one of my favorite conversations from last year. Enjoy this escape to Slow Baja with Graham Mackintosh.
"The key to victory is throwing yourself at it and see what happens." Napoleon
Graham Mackintosh won the UK Adventurous Traveller of the Year Award in 1987 for his walk around the Baja peninsula from 1983-1985. He captured the experience of his extraordinary voyage in his 1988 book Into a Desert Place.
Growing up in England as admitted couch potato, Mackintosh became obsessed with the idea of walking the entire Baja peninsula and writing a book about it. He was utterly unprepared for what he was embarking on, from finding scorpions in his swim trunks to eating rattlesnakes and cactus for two years. "I was the last person in the world who should be doing this, but if I could do it, anybody could."
Graham Mackintosh is the author of four Baja books.
Check out all of Graham's adventures at his website
Follow Graham on Facebook
Today's Travel Talk with Slow Baja has me chatting with Iran Leonardo Verdugo, Director of Tourism for Rosarito Baja, California. I wanted to sit down with Iran to learn more about Rosarito's pivot to adventure tourism.
Most know of Rosarito's famous beach, but it also boasts seven of Baja's best hiking trails. In addition to the traditional hiking trails, there's the newly-created Medano Trail that looks like an excellent getaway for bikepacking, horseback riding, or a slow scenic drive in a vintage 4x4.
Iran reveals K-38 Taco Surf is his favorite taco shop, and I realize I've been eating at the "tourist" taco shop for years. If the tacos are that good at the "tourist" shop, I cant wait to check out Taco Surf.
Visit the Rosarito Travel Website
Follow Rosarito Travel on Instagram
Follow Rosarito Travel on Facebook
Follow Iran Verdugo on Instagram
Follow Jimny en Baja on Instagram
After I ran into Tim and Kelsey Huber twice recently, I had to get them to sit down on Slow Baja to give us an update on their travels.
Here’s how they describe themselves on their website:
“Hi! We are Tim and Kelsey. We’re two ordinary people that just happen to live an extraordinary life. We are traveling the world in our 1995 Land Cruiser named Goose…to put it bluntly neither of us is overly talented, smart, rich, lucky, or retired. But that doesn’t stop us from reaching far flung destinations and having wild adventures. We do have one advantage in the type of travel we have chosen, and that is we are both experienced off-road driving and recovery instructors. After watching many of our students go off and have the adventure-of-a-lifetime we asked ourselves when we would have our own adventure? Well, we came to the conclusion that life is too short and holds no guarantees, so now seemed like a pretty good time to pull up anchor and go. We have no shame in admitting we want to squeeze as much out of life as possible. For us, life is an adventure, full of extraordinary moments for anyone willing to go after them. Our goal in life, besides enjoying it, is to inspire others to follow their dreams, to prove that life is what you make it. Traveling the world can seem like an intimidating task (It sure does to us) but if we can do it so can you, So as we continue to explore and learn we will take you along to inspire, inform, and maybe just maybe flatten that learning curve for all those out there that want to make their dream a reality.”
Check out Tim and Kelsey on Dirt Sunrise
Follow Dirt Sunrise on Instagram.
Follow Dirt Sunrise on Facebook.
Watch years of travel videos on YouTube.
Support their travels here.
On today's Travel Talk we sit down with Mason Schreck and Gabe Erivez from Pacific Overlander Expedition Vehicles. Pacific Overlander offers fly-and-drive adventures made accessible through turn-key, camp-ready vehicle rentals. Informed by years of backcountry travel and a passion for adventure, Pacific Overlander’s rentals, tours, and vehicle builds are the highest quality. Their fully-outfitted vehicles, 24/7 support, and team of dedicated professionals provide all the resources necessary to enjoy your time on the trail in both safety and comfort.
Pacific Overlander is headquartered in Las Vegas and can accommodate one-way itineraries to or from many US cities.
Check out their all-inclusive Baja guided tour here.
Follow Pacific Overlander on Instagram
Follow Pacific Overlander on Facebook
Today’s podcast discusses GHA Racing’s Class 11 Championship winning Season. While most racers start racing slower and less expensive vehicles and move up to faster and more costly classes, GHA began in a Spec Trophy Truck and decided to move down to a Class 11 Beetle.
Driver and team owner, Alex Gonzales, laughs as he says they have “Racing dyslexia, --but you haven’t lived until you’re flying through the air and you look over, and there is another bug 5 feet from your door flying along with you!”
I met the GHA team after their epic 42 hour and 44-minute SCORE Baja 1000 run. They lost their transmission early in the race; and spent two and a half hours replacing it. After spotting the field a 2.5 hour head start they put the pedal to the metal and finished a scant three seconds behind the second-place car. They were filthy and exhausted when I saw them, and as much as I wanted to interview them right there, I let them clean up and get some rest, and we spoke the following day.
The GHA team supports The City of Refuge, a private home in Tijuana that houses 16 formerly homeless children. You can read about it and donate through their Miracles per Miles program.
Listen to the podcast on Apple.
Listen to the podcast on Spotify.
Follow GHA Racing on Instagram
Follow GHA Racing on Facebook
In our second conversation with Tru Miller, we discuss how her Adobe Guadalupe Vinyard and Inn has fared during the pandemic and what's ahead for 2022. Joining us are Claudia, who handles reservations and operations, and Mara, Tru's assistant and leader of vineyard tours. Enjoy this comfortable chat about one of my favorite spots in the Valle de Guadalupe.
Check out Adobe Guadalupe Vineyards and Inn
Follow Adobe Guadalupe on Instagram.
Follow Adobe Guadalupe on Facebook.
Book: reservaciones@adobeguadalupe.com
Michael Squier is a filmmaker and storyteller. In this podcast, we discuss his ambitious film project, The Baja Bug Movie. The project tells the story of the humble VW Beetle and the people who modified them for off-road use.
I met Michael on the NORRA Baja 500 while filming the movie. We recorded our conversation at the Cervezeria Transpeninsular in Ensenada during the NORRA Baja 500 awards party.
To support the completion of the film, check out Michael's Go Fund Me:
"We plan to tell the story of the Baja Bug through the people that
are at the heart of it. We want to include racers, enthusiasts,
builders, fans, and anyone along the way that helps tell the unlikely
story of a small car designed in the 30's that became a
legendary off-road car. We plan to tell the history of baja bugs,
including the first one built and the early off-road racing days and
show the evolution into what they are now.
The story of the Baja bug is one that keeps evolving.
Each generation adds their own touch."
Follow The Baja Bug Movie on Instagram
Follow The Baja Bug Movie on Facebook
80-year-old Pete Springer has been traveling to Baja for over 60 years. As a spectator, he attended the 1969 Mexican 1000, raced a home-built single-seater in 1970, and won his class in the 1973 Baja 1000.
He shares tales from his many years of Baja adventures in this conversation. Highlights include; driving a 1940 Dodge Flatbed to Bahia de Los Angeles, running out of gas while flying a small plane and landing on the road near Santa Rosalia, crashing his motorcycle in a pitch dark desert, and building off-road racecars through seat-of-the-pants engineering and a lot of trial-and-error.
I recorded this podcast initially in January 2020 --my second podcast! As I head out to cover the 2021 Baja 1000, I am pleased to share this freshly remastered version again.
Check out Pete Springer's writings here.
Follow Pete Springer on Facebook
Today you are getting a double feature on Slow Baja, the first is with Noel Morales owner, cook, owner and chief personality at El Refugio Mezcaleria in Todos Santos BCS. The second is with Noel, and his wife Rachel Glueck, discussing their beautiful cookbook The Native Mexican Kitchen: A Journey into Cuisine, Culture and Mezcal.
WINNER of the 2020 US Gourmand Award for Food Heritage!
A Deep Dive into the Complex and Vibrant Native Culture that is the Bedrock of Mexican Cuisine, with Over One Hundred Recipes, Including Moles, Pozoles, Chiles en Nogada, and More
Mexican cuisine is ubiquitous in the American dining scene, yet it remains far removed from its roots. The Native Mexican Kitchen is an homage to the indigenous peoples and their culinary and cultural traditions that create Mexican cuisine, elevating it beyond Americanized tacos and tequila.
With recipes by Mexican chef Noel Morales—born of Aztec and Omec blood, grandson to a mezcalero, and raised by native dancers—The Native Mexican Kitchen offers its readers the ability to recreate the flavors of centuries-old dishes in a modern kitchen. Morales shares well-known plates such as birria and barbacoa and beloved market foods like tlayudas and tacos al pastor, as well as a few of his own vegetarian and seafood creations. Signature mezcal cocktails and decadent desserts adorn these pages, while the Medicinales section includes teas, tinctures, and baths of traditionally used herbs for a variety of ailments, such as colds, muscle tension, and infertility.
Author Rachel Glueck provides rare access and insight into a Mexico that few foreigners or nationals see today, leading you through indigenous festivals with masked dancers, bountiful market places, and sacred pilgrimage sites. Unwrap the philosophies and customs of Mexico’s native communities and discover the depth of this magical country and how you can welcome it into your own kitchen.
Personal stories of mezcaleros, traditional cooks, and native healers are accentuated by 130 stunning photographs and are woven through with mouth-watering recipes. With pages bursting with color, culture, and wisdom, you’ll discover a Mexico you never knewexisted.
-Simon and Schuster
Follow El Refugio Mezcaleria on Instagram
Follow El Refugio Mezcaleria on Facebook
Lynn Chenowth is a pioneer off-road chassis and vehicle builder whose factory-backed and private Chenowth cars have taken many of the sport's greatest drivers to off-road racing's biggest victories. The list includes ORMHOF inductees Johnny Johnson, Ivan Stewart, Corky and Mark McMillin, Bob and Robby Gordon, Frank 'Butch' Arciero Jr, and Rob MacCachren.
In the 1970s, Chenowth helped usher in the development of true tube frame off-road vehicles. The sport was quickly growing and evolving, and Chenowth Racing Products was ready to meet the need. With a mass-production approach to building affordable chassis and products, Chenowth helped bring the sport of recreational off-roading to the masses. -Excerpted from his 2019 ORMHOF Induction Ceremony
I spoke to Lynn in July during my Summer podcast recording trip. We recorded at his home in Percebu, South of San Felipe, the morning after I spent the night at his Chenowth Legacy Lodge.
Check out the Chenowth Legacy Lodge on Facebook
Follow Lynn Chenowth on Facebook
Today's Travel Talk with Slow Baja has me chatting with Paul and Bonnie, owners of Ignacio Springs Resort in San Ignacio, BC Sur. In the heart of the Palmera, on the bank of the tranquil Rio San Ignacio, Paul and Bonnie are warm and welcoming hosts with nine yurts and two casitas for your stay.
Originally from Canada, they have happily transitioned to life in Baja. Let me be clear --they run a tight ship, and their property is spotless. The bar is always open, and the North American-style breakfast was hearty and delicious. I strongly suggest that you slow your roll and spend some time under the palms letting the tilapia exfoliate your toes.
Bonnie will happily connect you to guides for whale watching or cave painting excursions. If you are interested in whale watching, I suggest that you make your reservations early. Ignacio Springs Resort is Slow Baja Approved!
Visit the Ignacio Springs website.
Follow Ignacio Springs on Instagram
Follow Ignacio Springs on Facebook
Today’s Travel Talk with Slow Baja has us on a ZOOM call with Keith Berkley, owner of The Black Bass Lodge in Punta Abreojos. As a child, Berkley grew up camping and exploring Baja with his parents. His dream was to create a lodge where his friends and family could gather to find some of the slow Baja lifestyle that he loved as a child.
Remote, private, and completely off-the-grid, The Black Bass Lodge is a destination all in itself. Located just steps from the beach where the surrounding reefs are abundant with fish and produce world-class waves.
The Lodge is currently available to groups looking to rent the entire property (Over 3500 square feet with four rooms, three patios, lounge, 4.5 baths, dining room, and bar. Sleeps up to 15 people). A private chef is on-site to prepare your meals utilizing the freshest local ingredients. The Black Bass Lodge is Slow Baja Approved!
Follow The Black Bass Lodge on Instagram
Follow The Black Bass Lodge on Facebook
Book directly via The Black Bass Lodge’s Website
Craig Larson and Mark Pestrella have been surfing Punta Abreojos together for more than 40 years. Inspired by Bruce Brown's Endless Summer, they've been seeking waves and finding adventures along the way since High School.
I met them when I stopped by to check out their well-evolved camp. I found Mark smoking a cigar and reading a signed, first-edition hardcover of Into a Desert Place by Graham Mackintosh. I knew right then that I had met some serious Baja aficionados. We shared a fine bottle of Fortaleza Anejo Tequila and solved all the problems of the world. Enjoy our relaxed conversation about adventure travel, surfing, and the toll that Baja extracts.
Follow Craig Larson on Instagram
Check out the Baja Bound Insurance
Learn more about Benchmark Maps
Learn more about Tequila Fortaleza
Check out the Black Bass Lodge
Mike Pearlman was a teenager growing up in Los Angeles when his father bought a used 1964 Toyota Land Cruiser. Ed Pearlman was a florist and an avid hunter. The utilitarian 4x4 looked like the perfect vehicle for the upcoming deer season and delivering flowers. Not long after, Mike's friend was driving the Land Cruiser on the highway; he didn't know that you had to shift gears manually and blew up the motor. Ever resourceful, Ed found that a Chevy V8 would fit. With Pete Condos's assistance, Pearlman soon had a hot-rodded Corvette motor under the hood!
Ed Pearlman read about the 1966 record-setting run from Tijuana to La Paz on Triumph motorcycles by Bud and Dave Ekins, Eddie Mulder, and Cliff Coleman. Pearlman thought that he could beat their time in his hopped-up Land Cruiser. While searching for wider tires, he met Dick Cepek, selling farm implement tires out of his garage. Cepek traded six tires for a chance to ride shotgun. Their attempt at the record failed, but the idea for the first off-road race was born-the Mexican 1000!
In this conversation, Pearlman shares stories from the founding of the National Off-Road Racing Association, those early Baja races, and how with Eliseo Garcia Jr., they revived the Mexican 1000 as a vintage rally. Enjoy this conversation that originally aired on July 13, 2020. For a taste of off-road racing, you can join Slow Baja in the Safari 4x4 Class for non-race vehicles. We drive portions of the actual racecourse, see the most scenic parts of the racing and make time for tacos, tequila, and tranquilo!
Visit NORRA's website here
Follow NORRA on Instagram
Follow NORRA on Facebook
In our second conversation with Chef Javier Plascencia, we discuss his restaurants Jazamango and Jazamango Cafe, and the bounty of Todos Santos. We go deep on his devotion to surfing, how he's happiest in a pair of trunks with sand between his toes, and his fanaticism for handmade corn tortillas from old-world organic corn.
Check out his farm-to-table restaurant Jazamango.
Follow Jazamango Restaurant on Instagram.
Check out his pet-friendly restaurant Jazamango Cafe.
Follow Jazamango Cafe on Facebook.
Today’s Travel Talk with Slow Baja meets Chef Mattia, pizza maker extraordinaire in San Juanico B.C.S. Italian-born Chef Matti crafts wood-fired pizzas in his custom-made pizza oven on a Russian UAZ-452 “Bukhanka” van. We recorded our conversation during our Slow Baja Summer podcasting trip in July. He was making his weekly appearance at “Big Juan’s” Las Malandras restaurant.
Chef Mattia hails from Treviso, Italy, and has been making pizzas since he was a teenager. An avid surfer, he opened his first pizza restaurant in Sayulita. When he moved to San Juanico, he purchased his vintage U.A.Z. 4x4 van and outfitted it with a pizza oven of his design. Mattia committed to bringing the pizza to the party, and with his van, he could get to nearly anywhere you want to party. He’s figured it out, and I will be frank; Chef Mattia makes the best pizza I’ve had in Baja! Slow Baja approved!
Follow Pizza Catering on Instagram
Check out the Pizza Catering Website
Follow Las Malandras on Instagram
Check out Scorpion Bay Bungalows
In our second conversation with Trudi Angell, we discuss La Recua, her tribute to a fading history and documentary film about the old-time mule-packers in Baja California Sur.
The film follows Darío Higuera Meza, a traditional saddle-maker in Baja California Sur, Mexico, as he lives his dream of riding La Recua. Overcoming a life-threatening health scare, rattlesnakes, scorching days on dusty trails, Higuera and his family carried goat cheese, dates, traditional sugarcane candy, and mountain wine. The party of thirteen ran a string of 25 donkeys and traveled 200 miles in 20 days to La Paz.
Watch a trailer for La Recua here.
Follow Bell-Mare Productions here.
Follow La Recua Film on Facebook
Follow La Recua Film on Instagram
John Davis started surfing at twelve and began winning local competitions soon after. He moved to Huntington Beach to attend High School and became the Captain of Huntington High School’s first surf team in 1967.
After graduating, Davis “took off to surf Hawaii, --with two pounds of marijuana under my airplane seat” he finished second in the 1969 Sea Spree, a contest that he said was rigged, but made ten times his investment on the marijuana. Turned off by the politics of competitive surfing, he rarely competed in the following years until he won the North Shore Trials of the Smirnoff Pro-Am at Sunset Beach. That qualified him for the US Surfing Championships in Malibu in 1973; Davis placed third after surfing his way through multiple heats. That performance “proved his point,” and he gave up competitive surfing.
Eventually, Davis’ “lifestyle choices” moved him to Mexico, and he began smuggling marijuana into the US. Through the 1980’s he had a few brushes with the law and “served time” after being caught with an airplane loaded with 800lbs of marijuana near Victorville, California. In 1995, while smuggling 50lbs of marijuana, he got caught in a roadblock in Mazatlan and spent three years in a Mexican prison.
He was repatriated to the US to finish his sentence, and a parole officer got him into a drug treatment program. John Davis has been sober since 1998. He was inducted into the Surfers’ Hall of Fame in Huntington Beach, California. He and his wife operate Las Olas Recovery, a comprehensive drug and alcohol detox and early drug rehab center in El Pescadero, Baja California Sur.
More information on Las Olas Recovery
Follow Las Olas Recovery on Facebook
Check out Surfers’ Hall of Fame
In today's Travel Talk with Slow Baja, we sit down for a quick chat with Yolonda Contreras, General Manager of the Guaycura Boutique Hotel Beach Club and Spa in the heart of Todos Santos, Baja, California Sur. We stayed at the beautiful Guaycura on the 2019 BajaXL Rally and enjoyed the ample accommodations, romantic rooftop deck, and gracious staff.
The El Faro Beach Club & Spa is the Guaycura's beach club and swimming pool located two miles south of Todos Santos. Situated on a secluded and pristine beach, the El Faro is the place to spend a relaxing day in the sun. Book a massage or chill poolside enjoying a margarita; the El Faro is a Slow Baja favorite!
El Mirador Restaurant is the third piece of the Guaycura trifecta. Locally sourced Mexiterranean farm-to-table cuisine meets fine dining and stunning sunsets. We ate there in July and were blown away by the setting, the scene, and the fare.
Open Tuesday thru Sunday, from 2:00 PM to 10:00 PM.
Camino al Mirador Restaurant 1, Todos Santos, BCS, 23300.
The Guaycura Boutique Hotel, El Faro Beach Club and Spa, and El Mirador Restaurant are Slow Baja approved!
You can find the latest promotion and book your room directly at the Guaycura Boutique Hotel website. email: reservation@guaycura.com
Visit Guaycura Boutique Hotel on Facebook
Visit Guaycura Boutique Hotel on Instagram
Mexico: Tel. +52 (612)175-0800
Toll-Free From US & CAN +1 (877)448-2928
Tell them that Slow Baja sent you!
Boyd Jaynes is a Southern California-based photographer and the creative director of Dusty Times Magazine. His professional bio reads, "When not shooting, he enjoys traveling to far-flung beaches with his wife or racing his vintage Bronco in Mexico."
In today's podcast, we will get to know all about Jayne's vintage Bronco, Caballo Del Diablo, why he's raced every NORRA 1000 since 2010, and his profound love for Baja.
Check out Boyd Jaynes photography
Follow Boyd Jaynes on Facebook
Follow Caballo Del Diablo on Instagram
Check out Dusty Times Magazine
Check out National Off-Road Racing Association
"Life's an adventure; go out and enjoy it."-Mike Younghusband
After reading Graham Mackintosh's Into a Desert Place, Mike Younghusband decided to get a burro and walk the length of Baja himself. "I've done my duty to my family, god, and my country. It was time for some 'me'-time -so I set out to get that, and I got it!"
Younghusband gave himself one year to plan the epic adventure. He plotted the route, pre-positioned supplies, including whiskey, purchased a donkey, and trained for every scenario possible. While he freely admits that his first mile was horrible, he eventually walked 1147 miles down the length of Baja with his beautiful burro Don-Kay and an assortment of dogs.
His 202-page e-book Tres Amigos Blancos chronicles the adventure and includes 200 photos. It's available via Amazon for Kindle.
Follow Mike Younghusband on Facebook
In our second conversation with Zach Plopper, Associate Director of WILDCOAST.org, we learn about the exciting new trash collection project on the Tijuana River. With funding by the Benioff Ocean Initiative, WILDCOAST has installed a 100-foot-long trash-skimming boom, which has stopped more than 10,000 pounds of plastic and waste destined for the Pacific Ocean. Plopper relates the project's challenges and opportunities, including a plan to repurpose some waste into playground structures and park furniture.
His enthusiasm for conservation is infectious and comes through loud and clear. He delivers updates on several WILDCOAST projects, including; the Million Mangrove Mission, a study of coral in Mexico's Pacific Ocean Marine Parks, sea turtle nesting sites in Oaxaca, and protecting 38-miles of the Valle de Los Cirros (Seven-Sisters) region of the Central Baja Coast.
Visit WILDCOAST.org here
Follow WILDCOAST on Instagram
Follow WILDCOAST on Facebook
Matt Frick is an old Baja hand who runs the off-road tour company, Camp4Lo. We ran into each other recently at a stop sign in San Felipe. After exchanging greetings, we decided to get tacos on the Malecon.
As we were chatting and eating, the conversation drifted to how we got started traveling to Baja. I mentioned that I worked at Trackside Photo in the mid-'80s and shot the 1986 Baja 500. Trackside Photo was a photographic agency run by Off-Road Hall Of Fame Member Jim Ober. They specialized in covering off-road racing events that required teams of photographers. As a free-lancer, I would travel all over Southern California and Baja to shoot racing for the weekend and return to my college life late Sunday night. Matt looked curiously at me and said that he worked at Trackside too! No wonder he seemed so familiar, small world! Enjoy this rambling conversation and check out Camp4Lo.com
Javier Alejandro Inzunza and Leopoldo (Polo) Sanmiguel are passionate about sharing the stark beauty of Baja with the world. The Tijuana-based duo created the beautiful travel site Baja Adventures, "To inspire people to live in a more sustainable way by adventuring into The Baja Peninsula and rediscovering the unique bond between themselves and nature."
On a recent trip to San Diego, I reached out to Javier -we had been trying to get together for months and hadn't been able to make it work. I suggested that I drive down for tacos. Polo and Javi changed their schedules to make time for me, and I booked a one-day policy on Baja Bound Insurance. Less than five minutes later, I was on my way to meet them in Tijuana.
We met at Taconazo, a fantastic local taqueria. I ordered an Al Pastor taco and a carne asada taco. The Al Pastor was sublime, cut right off the giant trompo, and served with a fat slice of pineapple. The carne asada came with cheese and guacamole and was divine! Stuffed from our lunch, we adjourned to Javier's nearby loft to continue the conversation over a few cold beers.
Follow Baja Adventures on Instagram
Follow Baja Adventures on Facebook
Jonas Deichmann is a world-class endurance athlete. He is currently running a Munich to Munich Triathlon that is 120 times the distance of an Ironman Triathlon.
We caught up with him as he had just finished the Baja portion of his adventure. He had run from Tijuana to La Paz, averaging a marathon each day. With the Baja leg of his circumnavigation of the globe complete, we spent a few minutes discussing his adventure and his thoughts on Baja.
"Baja is just amazing! I've been in more than 100 counties now; this is one of the best places I've ever been. The landscape of the desert and the beaches between Mulege and Loreto are spectacular! But the best is the people. The hospitality and the happiness of the people -I've never seen that before. Everyone is just so happy!"
In our second conversation with Eve Ewing, she shares more stories from her 70 years of Baja adventures. From her 1950's flights to count whales with her father, legendary Oceanographer Gifford Ewing, to riding mules in the '60s on the grueling Meling-Alford Expedition
Eve has been there and done that and still remembers the story! Enjoy this rambling conversation with my friend and Baja-legend, Eve Ewing.
For more on the cave paintings of Baja, click here.
For more on Eve's last mule ride in Baja, click here.
For more on Eve's father, Gifford Ewing, click here.
"The key to victory is throwing yourself at it and see what happens." Napoleon
Graham Mackintosh won the UK Adventurous Traveller of the Year Award in 1987 for his walk around the Baja peninsula from 1983-1985. He captured the experience of his extraordinary voyage in his 1988 book Into a Desert Place.
Growing up in England as admitted couch potato, Mackintosh became obsessed with the idea of walking the entire Baja peninsula and writing a book about it. He was utterly unprepared for what he was embarking on, from finding scorpions in his swim trunks to eating rattlesnakes and cactus for two years. "I was the last person in the world who should be doing this, but if I could do it, anybody could."
Graham Mackintosh is the author of four Baja books:
Into a Desert Place
Journey With a Baja Burro
Nearer my Dog to Thee
Marooned With Very Little Beer
"Some of the world's greatest feats were accomplished by people not smart enough to know they were impossible."
— Doug Larson
In today's podcast, we meet Mike Steel from Idiot Racing. His dream was to race the Baja 1000 in a Class 11 VW Bug built with his own hands. He documented the build on his Instagram page and won many fans and followers.
His first race was the SCORE Baja 500 on June 13, 2021. The team of rookies took the green flag and made it to the first dirt section. Then, at mile 35, the trouble began. They snapped a balljoint and were stuck on a steep hillside. A group of locals formed an ad-hoc pit crew. They held the car on the hill, fixed the balljoint, and towed them to the top. At race mile 50, trouble returned. They did a field rebuild of the carburetor and jury-rigged the failing alternator. A few miles later, down on power, another hill climb finally ended their race.
The chase team arrived and, given the location, decided to drive back to Ensenada and grab the trailer rather than tow the broken car with only a strap. They removed all the valuables from the VW and went to get the trailer. When they returned, it was gone. Was it stolen or towed by some good samaritans? They searched for the car vainly. Mike's wife Cynthia made an Instagram post alerting the world to their situation. The offroad racing community sprung into action. By the middle of the following day, a local Baja citizen had located the vehicle -stripped and abandoned but reportedly in pretty good shape.
Since recovering the car, Steel has been fixing the damage and making the rounds to the So Cal VW community. He's stocking up on parts and plans to be back for the SCORE Baja 1000 in November 2021
Follow his progress at Idiotracing.com and Idiot.racing on Instagram.
Today's Travel Talk with Slow Baja, we chat with the team behind the new Benchmark Maps Baja California Road and Recreation Atlas. Cartographer Neil Allen, Bridger De Ville, Director of Sales and Marketing, and Baja expert and project consultant David Kier are my guests.
"The Baja California Road & Recreation Atlas is truly unique, combining the most accurate trip planning information with spectacularly beautiful landscape Maps. Discover the value of current and reliable road and recreation information. Use these maps to plan your next road trip or weekend adventure while exploring the highways and back roads of the Baja California Peninsula. First-time visitors and lifelong residents alike will appreciate this unique view of Baja California and Baja California Sur."
Baja fans are well aware that both of the most coveted Baja maps, the Baja Almanac and the AAA Baja California Map, have long been out-of-print. They have been soaring in cost on eBay, causing much frustration among travelers who want an analog option for planning and navigation. The new Benchmark Maps Baja California Road & Recreation Atlas will quickly supplant those titles to become the go-to map for all serious Baja travelers. Get yours today from Benchmark Maps.
Ron Gomez Hoff is the founder of the website and Facebook page Talk Baja. A Southern California native, Hoff fell in love with Baja as a teenager on a scouting trip in 1968. After high school, a stint in the Navy had him operating nuclear powerplants on submarines. When he left the Navy, he returned to Long Beach and joined his family business running testing laboratories in the oil and gas industry. With his father's passing, he expanded the labs into full environmental certification, including drinking water, wastewater, hazardous waste, and air emissions.
A consulting project had Hoff creating computer databases which led to a project in Mexico City. He enjoyed the people and the culture, but Mexico City was too large for his liking. Recently divorced and seeking change, Hoff headed to Baja and rented a house on Rosarito Beach. He realized that he could work from anywhere with an internet connection, so why not a beach in Baja?
While attending a weekend cooking class in Tijuana, he met the love of his life, Christina. The two married and began exploring communities South of Rosarito. They visited San Quintin and fell in love with the nearby fishing village of La Chorera. They loved the physical beauty of the location but were amazed by the beautiful people; Hoff says they are some of the finest people he's ever met. When the local building supply owner found out they had bought a property and began building a house, he extended credit to them immediately.
Gestures of trust and generosity were repeated over and over by their new neighbors. As a result, Hoff says he doesn't feel like a foreigner; on the contrary, "I feel like we've always been here. The people make you feel like you belong here." Embraced by his community, he has become an advocate for moving to Baja and a cheerleader for San Quintin and the region.
Hey amigos, it's hard to believe that is's been a year since Slow Baja got picked up on Apple iTunes, Spotify, and Google Podcast. I wanted to take a moment to say a hearty THANKS for listening. Since I launched the show, many have asked me about my Baja journey and what Slow Baja is all about. So since you asked, here it is, one year in, I swap seats with my intrepid editor, Christopher Keiser, and tell you all about me.
My first Baja trip came in 1984, just before my Freshman year at San Diego State University. An older cousin who attended SDSU invited me to have lobster down in Puerto Nuevo. On the drive home, we got pulled over, he bribed the cop, and we continued on our way home. -Welcome to Mexico! Regular Tijuana and Rosarito Beach (drinking) excursions followed, and camping on the beach in San Felipe was our Spring Break destination for years. At the end of one of those Spring Break trips, Ted Donovan, my roommate, and I decided to continue South. We piled into my old Toyota Corona and headed out -destination unknown. We slept under the stars, ate on the cheap, and had to scrounge beer bottles for the deposit money to buy gas for our return. It was quite an adventure and I couldn't wait to have another.
Fast forward to 2001, I'm married and have two-year-old twins and a four-year-old. My wife and I are exhausted and needed a break. We quit our jobs, rented out our apartment, and took the family down to La Paz for an extended vacation. La Paz was way too hot for us, so we moved over to Todos Santos. We had a bliss-filled month puttering around Todos Santos before putting our minivan on the ferry to the mainland. We drove the Devil's Backbone to Durango and onto Zacatecas. The Colonial city of Zacatecas is an UNESCO World-Heritage site and is well worth a visit. As the only gringos in town, we were warmly welcomed, and our light-haired children were known to all. We spent seven months there before reluctantly returning home. Mexico and the slow life bit me. I immediately began scheming about how to get back.
My Mexico adventuring started in earnest in 2006 when Ted and I took on the grueling La Carrera Panamericana. The 2000-mile La Carrera, also known as the Mexican Road Race, is widely considered the fastest, most dangerous vintage race in the world. We had the least amount of experience, the least amount of horsepower, and we finished dead last. On one challenging day, I said to Ted -if we ever figure out the La Carrera, we will take on the Baja 1000 in a Class 11 VW Beetle. We haven't acquired a Beetle yet, but in 2012 I found Slow Baja, my 1971 Toyota FJ40 Land Cruiser. Later that year, for Ted's 50th birthday, we drove Slow Baja down for a three-week adventure. We traversed the entire peninsula on dirt. It was my first off-roading experience, the FJ40 performed flawlessly, and I was smitten.
After driving the 3000-mile BajaXL Rally in 2019, I started thinking about starting a Baja-centered podcast. After guest-hosting Jim Reilly's show, I launched Slow Baja. Covid made my goal of recording every interview in person a little more complicated, but I am deeply thankful for all of my guests who opened their homes and their hearts for me. Here's to another year of sharing conversations and exploring Baja together!
Please follow Slow Baja on Twitter
Please follow Slow Baja on Instagram
Please join the Slow Baja Community on Facebook
Nicole Demme Kapturowski is an avid RV enthusiast who recently spent a month exploring Baja with her parents, husband, and two teenaged children. The family caravan consisted of a dual-cab pickup pulling a 33' travel trailer followed by her parents in a Class-A motorhome. Nicole brought up the rear in her parent's car that they would typically tow, but they unhitched and drove due to the narrow roads.
The New York resident bubbled with enthusiasm as she described her trip planning. "We have a full plate. My husband retired in 2019 because he has stage 4 cancer, but he's doing very well. We're just trying to make the most of our time and not be the cancer family—much the same way with my son, who's autistic. I try not to let that define us. We're not the family with the autistic child; we're just another family out there doing things and living our life. We try not to let those things define us. With my husband being retired. And me working remotely. And the kids both studying remotely in school gave us the opportunity to have this extended experience together. Once we planned it all out, my parents, who are retired, and used to RV 20 years ago, said they would buy an RV and join us. So we started this cross-country, international journey together in our little caravan."
In this conversation, Nicole shares her heart-felt endorsement for Baja as an RV travel destination. Moved by the kindness of strangers and stunned by the warmth, attention, and care shown to her autistic son, she eloquently posted about it on Talk Baja. The post received over 2700 likes, 410 comments, and 200 shares! Read her Talk Baja post on Facebook here. Slow Baja approves of her message and encourages you to get out and travel!
Jeffrey Westman arrived in San Juanico as a 19-year-old on a surf trip and fell in love with it. The teen dreamed of finding a surf shack and staying forever. Not surprisingly, college and a career won out, but the dream stayed with him. Thirty years later, he has built the San Juanico Surf Society, a danish infused, Mexican-modern resort for friends and family.
Located on a bluff above "Panga Beach," the SJ Surf Society is a gleaming beacon of clean lines, industrial beauty, and humble hospitality. After his career as a photographer and printer led him to Scandanavia, Westman worked his way into a new thing called the internet. He ran Norway, Sweden, and Denmark for Yahoo. His timely exit allowed him the resources to try his hand as a potato farmer in Northern Sweden. Not something that one usually says during a conversation about building a health and wellness retreat in Baja.
His return to the San Francisco Bay Area allowed him to combine his business acumen and his love of farming into a career in the non-profit sector, helping organic farmers thrive. In the process, he converted his Sebastopol farm into a retreat property and found that he enjoyed providing hospitality and creating community through being an Airbnb host.
Westman says he "drew the short straw and had to look after his mother, who had retired to Baja Sur." A property in Loreto followed as Westman built his Airbnb portfolio. Old memories of that surf trip to San Juanico led him across the peninsula, and the hunt for the next project began.
In this conversation, we hear the backstory of building a dream property in Baja. We can't wait to return to the SJ Surf Society and chill out in style.
The SJ Surf Society is Slow Baja approved!
Follow SJ Surf Society on Instagram here
Follow SJ Surf Society on Facebook here
Check out the SJ Surf Society website here
Edie Littlefield Sundby has been a great friend to Slow Baja. Since I originally aired my conversation with her in July of last year, she has introduced me to many of her Baja community. A few have been interviewed on Slow Baja already, and I hope to record with the rest as time and travel allows. When a family member was headed to the hospital for major surgery, I turned to Edie for advice. She had the answer, and her relentless positivity was deeply appreciated. The surgery went well. With a little time to to recover life will be back to normal, and I should be back in Slow Baja soon. Enjoy this enlightening conversation with my friend Edie Littlefield Sundby.
My guest, Edie Littlefield Sundby, was arrogantly healthy when she received word that she had stage-four gallbladder cancer. The doctors gave her three months to live. "I had to kill cancer before it killed me," Sundby said. Seventy-nine rounds of chemotherapy, five-and-a-half years, and four radical surgeries later, she was in remission. The battle took half of her liver, ten inches of colon, two inches of her stomach, part of her throat, and all of her right lung. Amazingly, her spirit was intact!
While driving up highway 101 to Stanford Hospital for surgery, she noticed the Mission bells denoting the El Camino Real. "I had this obsession to hug them, to follow them, I had to walk the old California Mission Trail. I had to walk all 21 Missions, saying a prayer of thanksgiving at each one." On a cold, rainy day in February of 2013 -six months after losing her right lung, she started walking from Mission San Diego to Sonoma. Fifty-five days and 800 miles later, she made it. "When I got to Sonoma, I was soaring; I did not want to stop!"
In 2015, when cancer returned, and she knew it would, she reflected on how happy the walk to Sonoma had made her. In an instant, she decided to walk all the Missions in Baja. "It was wonderful to have that to look forward to; I had another walk; I had a mission I had something larger (to focus on) than what was going on inside of me." Through the internet, she found the guide and outfitter Trudi Angel in Loreto. "I had the promise of a burro for ten days and a vaquero for five days; that was good enough for me." She walked across the border to Tijuana and boarded a flight to Loreto, Mexico.
Listen to the podcast here
Visit The Mission Walker website here
Follow on Instagram
Follow on Facebook
Twenty-three-year-old Edson Romero may be the most famous resident of beautiful San Ignacio. His parents, Jackie and Gery, own Edson Ice Cream Shop, a must-stop when traveling through the oasis town.
As a youngster, Edson was teaching himself English using google translate. When off-road racers came to town, he would use the opportunity to practice his English to promote his parent's ice cream shop. Touched by his earnestness, the racers returned year after year. They donated jerseys, helmets, and memorabilia, creating a shrine to the sport.
Edson's gregarious personality, honesty, and integrity have endeared him to all that have met him. After he helped Walker Evans recover some items stolen from his vehicle, a lasting friendship evolved. Evans stopped in to see Edson and his family every time he passed through. When Edson graduated from High School, Evans stepped up and paid for half of Edson's college tuition!
While in college, Edson started a lifestyle brand. He applied the lessons learned from his offroad family to growing his brand by helping others. When a fellow rally driver broke down on the 2021 BajaXL, Edson arranged a tow for him to Ensenada. Learn more about Edson Romero, the Prince of San Ignacio, through the links below.
Follow Edson Ice Cream on Instagram here
Follow Edson Inc on Instagram here
Follow Edson on Instagram here
Three amigos take on the 3000-mile BajaXL Rally in a thirty-year-old Land Cruiser. Hear the unvarnished (and slightly exhausted) take on ten days of brutal Baja backroads, police actions, government sanctions, and a heaping dose of drama.
Warning Adult Language! In a first for the Slow Baja podcast, we began recording this conversation at midnight. We were actively consuming adult beverages and using adult language. My sincere apologies for the language.
Enjoy team FiveDollaHighFive as we ramble along, share some laughs and ask the age-old question, "Does Baja-Proven still mean anything?"
Check out Jake Greene's film work at Yellowcakepics
Follow Jake Greene on Instagram here
Follow Dominic Prezwanski on Instagram here
Check out team pics of Five Dolla High Five here
Now that "La Recua" is finished and making the film festival rounds, I thought I would share this conversation with Trudi Angel again. Angell has been living in Baja since the mid-'70s. She made her first trip South to attend a 12-day Sea Kayaking course at the National Outdoor Leadership School in Mulegé. Angell fell in love with the people and the place -and stayed six weeks. When she finally returned home to Calistoga, she quickly bought a folding Klepper Kayak, a roof rack for her 1964 Rambler American, and blazed a trail straight back to Baja.
Sea kayaking was taking off as an adventure sport just as Baja was on the rise as a travel destination. An opportunity to guide a kayak trip down the coast allowed Angell to launch Paddling South in Loreto. Angell says she was "in the right spot at the right time." With a love for logistics, and a desire to go the extra mile for her clients, she cultivated a great business that she ran for thirty years.
While riding on a mule trip with her friend and fellow outfitter, Tim Means, she was amazed by the grace the hired vaqueros showed as they interacted with their families. Angell had an epiphany, bought a horse, and took up riding. Soon, she was visiting ranches near and far. She launched Saddling South in 1987. "This opened up a huge world for me -both for studying the history (of the vaqueros) and learning the Ranch culture."
Angell talks about her life and work in this conversation and her deep admiration for the vaqueros and traditional Baja ranch life. She shares stories from the 1000-mile Mule trip (the Mula-Mil) that she organized to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1963-64 expedition by Andy Meling, Joanne Alford, Eve Ewing, and others. Additionally, she shares insights about making "La Recua," a documentary film about a traditional overland pack-mule trip featuring 70-year-old vaquero Dario Higuera, a team of 13, and a cast of 25 animals; also known as "Dario's Dream."
Watch the film here.
Visit the Bell Mare website here.
Follow Saddling South on Instagram
Follow Saddling South on Facebook
Inducted in the 2020 Off-Road Motorsports Hall Of Fame, Roger Mears is the eldest son of racer Bill Mears and the older brother of four-time Indianapolis 500 Champion Rick Mears. Roger drove buggies, midgets, stock cars, sprint cars and competed in the Indy 500 twice in his long career. He made his mark in offroad racing and was a constant threat in both short course and desert racing.
Mears built and raced the Nissan trucks and won twenty World Off-Road Championships at Riverside International Raceway. Think motocross meets Baja in front of 60,000 fans. It was wheel-to-wheel-racing, with great sponsors, factory support, and the sport's best drivers. His first Baja race was in 1973, "my brother Rick and I showed up with a couple of spare tires and gas cans and just fell in love with the place." Mears went on to win four Baja 1000's, five Pikes Peak Hill Climbs, two HDRA/SCORE series titles, and the Mickey Thompson Stadium Series Truck title.
We stopped to see Roger when we were driving through Bahia de Los Angeles on the 2021 BajaXL Rally. He and his wife Carol have been living in BOLA for years. The conversation flowed easily; he was humble about his successes and honest about his struggles. His deep reverence for his family -his father Bill, younger brother Rick, and his sons Casey and Roger Jr were genuine and refreshing. I only called him Rick once, and we laughed about it!
Enjoy the conversation with Roger Mears.
In today's Travel Talk with Slow Baja, we sit down for a quick chat with Marlen Ahumada, Sales Director of the Tesoro Resorts Los Cabos. On the 2021 BajaXL Rally, we stayed at the Tesoro, and we were amazed by our accommodations, the hospitality, and the entire Tesoro experience.
An adult beverage greeted us upon arrival as we booked the all-inclusive plan. After dropping our bags in our marina-view Junior Suite, we dined on surf and turf tacos at the Lighthouse Restaurant. One of four restaurants on the hotel grounds, the Lighthouse, is located on the marina walk. The food was tasty, the drinks plentiful, and the view and people-watching were terrific. We took a walk around the marina and downtown after dinner and would love to come back to take in the legendary Cabo bar scene -only a short walk away.
The breakfast buffet at the Sky Pool had all the options that one would want, and Ted and I enjoyed watching the sport-fishing boats head out. After breakfast, we sought out Marlen to talk to her about the Tesoro Los Cabos Resort and the current promotional offerings. All good things must come to an end, and we had to get on our way, too. Reluctantly, we packed up Slow Baja, vowing that we would return soon.
The Tesoro Los Cabos is Slow Baja approved!
You can find the latest promotion and book your room directly at the Tesoro Los Cabos website. You can find them at Calle Cabo San Lucas 4304, Centro, San Lucas, Cabo San Lucas, B.C.S.
USA/CAN 1 877 674 6706
Visit Tesoro Los Cabos Website
Visit Tesoro Los Cabos on Facebook
Visit Tesoro Los Cabos on Instagram
Miguel Ángel de la Cueva is a profoundly thoughtful photographer who focuses on Mexico’s natural beauty, wildlife, and remote ranch-dwelling people. National Geographic, Geo magazine, Mexico Desconocido, and environmental organizations like The Nature Conservancy, Conservation International, Wildcoast, and Niparajá-WWF have published his images. He has photographed two books: Oasis de Piedra, which won a Silver Medal Award at BookExpo America NY 2006 in the Nature Category, and La Giganta y Guadalupe, which advanced the creation of a Biosphere Reserve in Baja California Sur, México. He is an Associate Fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers.
“It is in the desert that we can find meaning in the simplest things of life. It is in the desert that we can rediscover our sense of awe. And, it is in the deserts of Baja California Sur that geography and hope become one.”
-Miguel Ángel de la Cueva
Enjoy the conversation with photographer Miguel Ángel de la Cueva
Visit Miguel Ángel de la Cueva's Instagram
Visit Miguel Ángel de la Cueva's Facebook
Buy his book Oasis in Stone from Sunbelt Publications
In today's Travel Talk with Slow Baja, we sit down with Jesse Atkinson, massage therapist, and owner of Ensenada Massage and Valle de Guadalupe Mobile Spa. Jesse shares his life story. From growing up in Wisconsin, to his work in Central America as a consultant, to surviving cancer and making life changes that led him to become a certified massage therapist.
As we were ping-ponging back and forth trying to coordinate our schedules to record this conversation, Jesse knowing we were on the last day of the BajaXL Rally booked one-hour, hot stone, deep-tissue massages for Ted and me. After ten days behind the wheel of my 50-year-old Land Cruiser and 3000 miles of brutal Baja backroads, we were delighted to receive one hour of healing care. Ensenada Massage was clean and quiet, and our massages were top-notch! The hot stones were an unexpected delight. They melted the pain and tension away from my abused back.
You can find more information and book your massage at Ensenada Massage or Valle de Guadalupe Mobile Spa. You can find them at: 1278 Avenida Ruiz Ensenada, B.C., 22800, Mexico. Ensenada Massage is Slow Baja approved!
Visit Ensenada Massage's Website
Visit Ensenada Massage on Facebook
Visit Ensenada Massage on Instagram
Visit Ensenada Massage on WhatsApp
Curt LeDuc is a salt-of-the-earth Baja racer with an impressive record of DIY accomplishments in off-road racing. When asked about his approach to building winning racers, LeDuc said, “I’m not an engineer, I’m an imagineer” He’s built and raced his own vehicles at the highest levels of desert racing for decades. He’s won championships in desert class 8 five years in a row, and has two Short Course Off-Road Drivers Association titles. He's won the Governor’s Cup, a rare and valuable Borg Warner Cup, and has driven -and won at Crandon, Pike’s Peak, the Dakar Rally, and Baja. Inducted into the Off-Road Motorsports Hall Of Fame in 2015, LeDuc, through all his successes, is revered for doing it, achieving it all, with his own hands. He is a blue-collar racer who earned a reputation for fixing anything with almost nothing. His mad fab skills got him hired by racing icon Walker Evans. LeDuc is the guy you want with you in Baja for his mechanical aptitude, but more importantly, he knows every mechanic, welder, and taco shop on the entire peninsula. Enjoy this Slow Baja conversation with Curt Leduc.
Visit Curt LeDuc’s Baja Legends Website Visit Curt LeDuc’s Instagram Visit Curt LeDuc’s Facebook Visit the NORRA Instagram Visit the NORRA Facebook Visit the NORRA Website
Today’s podcast guest is life-long cyclist Herb Bool. In 2018, at 55 years old, Bool rode the 1,700 mile Baja Divide in 35 days. Conceived by ultra-endurance bicycle racer Lael Wilcox and Nicholas Carman, the Baja Divide is: “A rugged 1,700-mile off-pavement bikepacking route down the Baja California peninsula, from San Diego to San José del Cabo. This route connects the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez, historic Spanish mission sites rich with shade and water, remote ranchos and fishing villages, bustling highway towns, and every major mountain range in Baja California on miles and miles of beautiful backcountry desert tracks.”
Bool met up with a group of a dozen riders massed to make the trek on New Year’s Eve on the San Diego waterfront. They rode East and spent the first night together camped at a ranch just North of the Border as a group. They crossed into Tecate the next day and stuck together until they cleared the border town. As the group sorted themselves out, Bool settled in with a fast trio to ride the rest of the route. “We were on our bikes when the sun came up every day, and we would ride pretty much until the sun was starting to sink. It was an all-day ride every day.” The group averaged 55 miles a day for just over a month.
Enjoy this warm recollection of 35 days in the saddle, pumping out 1700 miles on the Baja Divide -with the affable Herb Bool.
Follow Herb Bool on Instagram
Follow Herb Bool on Facebook
Learn more about the Baja Divide
In today's Travel Talk with Slow Baja, we sit down with Sheila, the gregarious owner of Zopilotes Ice Cream in San Bartolo BCS. Originally from Salmon Arm, BC, Canada, Sheila, and her husband first visited Baja Sur in 2008. They returned with a fifth-wheel camper in 2009 and bought a house, sight-unseen in 2010. How was the experience of fixing up a home in a country where you don't speak the language? -"there was a lot of swearing and a lot of drinking!" she says with a smile.
We stopped by on a sunny afternoon as we drove South from El Triunfo through San Bartolo on our way down to Cabo San Lucas. I let Sheila pick the flavors for me, she returned with a scoop of creamy lime and a scoop of coconut on a beautiful handmade waffle cone. The ice cream was lovely; the creamy lime was just that, a little tang to start followed by a smooth dollop of sweetness, the coconut was a rich and creamy delight.
Zopilotes has won Best Ice Cream of the East Cape Competition and is a must-stop destination for ice cream lovers in Baja Sur. Located at Km 128 Carretera Transpeninsular in San Bartolo Baja California Sur and Zopilotes is Slow Baja approved! Enjoy the podcast with Sheila and her 16-year-old employee Kaira, and if you are ever close to San Bartolo, I hope you stop for an ice cream!
Visit Zopilotes on Facebook
Visit Zopilotes on Instagram
In today’s Travel Talk with Slow Baja, we sit down with guide and outfitter Steve Hayward of Paddling South in Loreto, Baja California Sur.
Hayward has traveled extensively and has paddled in Chile, Alaska, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Ireland, Wales, BC, and Baja. He has guided and developed programs for Sea Trek for over 25 years. For the last 15 years, he’s run the Baja operation in Loreto -a beautiful and historic town with the coveted Pueblo Mágico designation.
With the advent of SUP, Steve has focused on developing exciting inter-island adventures on paddleboards, utilizing Sea Treks’ traditional kayaking routes in Baja. He’s committed to “downwind” paddling during the “El Norte” blows -that occur in the mid-winter on the Sea of Cortez. He enjoys free diving and sharing the unforgettable desert and marine environment of this unique part of Mexico.
In this rambling conversation, Steve takes a deep dive into why you need to get down to Loreto and let Paddling South get you out on the water!
Visit Paddling South
Visit Paddling South on Facebook
Follow Paddling South on Instagram
Marshall Kramer, Jamie Wolgemguth, and Craig Dieffenbach are The Desert Dutchmen; on today's Slow Baja Podcast, they break down their drive of the 2019 Baja XL Rally. The trio from Schaefferstown, Pennsylvania, began building a 2000 Jeep bought on the cheap from a relative. The build progressed at a glacial pace, and the trio moved to Plan-B. They booked a modern Toyota 4Runner from California Baja Rent-a-car in San Diego. In preparation for the 3000-mile drive, they shipped a ton of spares and specialized off-road equipment to the rental agency office. The folks at CABaja became quite concerned about their intentions for the vehicle. After an hour of tense discussion, the team put down a $5000 deposit and were on their way. Kramer designed a stunning logo and applied a complete (removable) graphics package to the truck, which set them apart from the other BajaXL Rally teams. They sported matching team garb and, at least in my mind, earned multiple gold stars for their efforts. Follow The Desert Dutchmen on Instagram Follow The Desert Dutchmen on Facebook
David Kier is a historian, cartographer, and expert on the Missions of Baja. As a young boy in the early ’60s, he began traveling to Baja with his parents. Wedged between his parents in their Jeep Wagoneer, a copy of Gerhard and Gulick’s Lower California Guide Book in hand, Kier provided turn-by-turn navigation. The experience burned the dirt roads and landmarks into his young mind and created a love of maps and Baja that has lasted a lifetime.
Kier published his first Baja guidebook as a high schooler in 1973, followed by an updated edition in 1974. The Old Missions of Baja & Alta California, 1697-1834,co-authored with Max Kurillo, waspublished in 2012. Kier wrote his detailed tome Baja California Land of Missions in2016,now in its tenth printing. In 2020, Kier and Max Kurillo co-authored Old Missions of the Californias with updated information.
In this conversation, Kier takes us on a fun and energetic dive into the Missions’ rise and fall in Baja.
Visit David Kier’s website here.
Follow on Instagram
Follow on Facebook
Happy New Year! Thanks for tuning into Slow Baja. As I prepare for the upcoming Baja XL Rally, I wanted to share one of my favorite podcasts initially released in May last year. This podcast is very dear to my heart and was transformational for me in many ways. I want to thank Joy and Hayden for opening their home to me, and I was delighted that Scott braved a rainy morning on his old BSA to join us. As you will hear, the conversation was free-flowing and full of laughter. Joy owns the second half of the show, and I’m sorry that she wasn’t there for the entire conversation. My man, Christopher Keiser of Kaffeinated Films, deserves an Academy Award for Sound Mixing for his work on this recording.
Hayden Roberts and Scott Toepfer race vintage British Dirt Bikes in endurance offroad events like the NORRA Mexican 1000, NORRA Baja 500, and The Mint 400. Roberts, originally from England, is a fixture in the Southern California Motorcycle scene. He crafts and customizes bikes at his shop Hello Engine, in Santa Paula, California. Toepfer, a lifestyle-photographer with a specialty in motorcycles, met Roberts on a motocross exposition in Japan. They have been fast friends -racing, wrenching, and traveling on their desert-sleds ever since.
In this conversation, we learn the meaning of “Only mad dogs and Englishmen.” Hear stories of swapping motors on the beach, sleeping in the dirt, and surviving a sting from a dreaded stingray. Joy Lewis joins the conversation midway and recounts an epic night of worry from the 2015 NORRA Mexican 1000. Hayden’s GPS position had stopped suddenly. Did he crash? Was he injured, or worse? They were hours away and had no way to contact him. As she searched for information and tried to summon help -one grizzled Baja racer (jokingly) suggested that he was “shacked up with a local senorita, and in nine months -another Baja rider would be born!”
The next morning, Joy found him, tired but well-fed. He had slept on the dirt right where his motorcycle broke down. In the middle of the night, somebody covered him with a blanket and left a plate of food. He woke to “half the village checking to see that he was all right.” Soon he was nursing a carton of milk and teaching a group of elementary school children about England.
After rebuilding his engine during a sandstorm in Bahia de Los Angeles, Hayden jumped into the water to clean up and was promptly stung by a stingray. Joy became his nurse, and they fell in love over a cup of hot tea. Prompting Joy to say, “the stars are brighter, and the tacos are better in Baja.” I heartily agree!
Check out Hello Engine here.
Check out Scott Toepfer here.
Joy Lewis Instagram
NORRA Mexican 1000 here.
“The wind still hurled us down the coast, the occasional tendril of kelp wrapping the rudder blade like a tentacle and then breaking free with the inexorable force of our momentum. Though my hands, arms, and shoulders were knotted with fatigue, I was prevailing in the fight to keep the boat steering in line with the waves. I even got the hang of riding out the bigger ones, and actually hooted once with the fun of linking one wave with a second and then a third steep swell for a shooshing toboggan slide of more than 100 yards.
I recognized that Cormorant was handling herself and that her pointed stern split the waves like cordwood, allowing them to roll off to either side. I had only to maintain my course, and if I managed to avoid running up on a reef, I would eventually make the sheltering cliffs of Punta Colonet. It was an absurd situation nonetheless – the roaring wind and desolate shore, this long winter night and the ghostly moonglow illuminating the whitecaps off into the distance – completely alone in my open boat, 250 miles down the coast.
Then I sang. For the ridiculous peril I faced, for my folly, for grace, and for a prayer. I sang the old Anglican hymn “Praise for Creation,” and the wind became almost funny at that point – the absolute opposite, the utter rejection of morning and calm. The fact that no one in the world had a clue as to my predicament, or even, precisely where I was and, even more so, that I had put myself here struck me somehow as humorous. “Blackbird has spo-ken,” I belted out in the rage, “like the first bhir-hi-hi-hirrrd!” I had come in close now, spray blowing back off the crashing surf just a few hundred yards in, and the high cliffs of Colonet loomed ahead. As I had hoped, when I sailed to the base of the sheer walls, the wind passed overhead, 300 feet off the mesa, and left the water calm and strangely still, even as the ocean went ragged not 100 yards outside.
I could have scrambled up the boulders to kiss that old cliff face for the shelter it provided.
I set anchor and then put booties over my wet wool socks, slaked my thirst with deep draughts of fresh water, and mashed handfuls of trail mix into my mouth. My body shook with fear, exaltation, and relief. I wrapped myself in the mainsail, too exhausted to arrange the boat tent and sleeping bag.
The moon and stars had burned into my irises, and light patterns swirled hypnotically behind my lids. With these strange points of light in my vision, I wondered if this was what dying might be like.”
From Voyage of The Cormorant by Christian Beamish.
For more about Christian Beamish, check out his website here.
Buy The Voyage of The Cormorant: A Memoir of the Changeable Sea from Patagonia here.
Follow Christian Beamish on Instagram here.
Paul Ganster began traveling to Mexico with his friend and former high school teacher, Harry Crosby, in the early 1960s. When Crosby landed his 1967 commission to photograph the El Camino Real, he asked Ganster, then a graduate student at UCLA, to make the trip with him. In retracing the original Portolá missionary expedition of 1769, Crosby and Ganster covered 600 grueling miles, mostly by mule. Ganster took trail notes, made detailed drawings and maps, and shot scores of photographs. However, no job was more important than feeding the mules. Each evening, he would climb the palo verde trees and use a machete to hack off branches that the mules would crunch on loudly. The trip was a life-changing trip for both men. Crosby's photographs from the journey were published in The Call to California in 1969. He often returned to Baja to photograph cave paintings and study early life in Alta, California and published several books on the subject. Baja figured prominently into Ganster's life as well. In his long career in academia, he is an acknowledged expert on the U.S.-Mexico border region. Currently, he directs the Institute for Regional Studies of the Californias at San Diego State University. He's recently edited Loreto, Mexico: Challenges for a Sustainable Future (2020, SDSU Press) with Oscar Arizpe and Vinod Sasidharan. He and Arizpe, a professor at the Universidad A. de Baja California Sur, collaborated on two earlier projects examining Loreto's sustainability. Check out Paul Ganster's extensive writings here. Purchase Loreto Mexico, Challenges for a Sustainable Future here. Email Paul at: pganster@sdsu.edu
Jesse and Sarah Beck met while surfing in San Juanico when they were teenagers. Jesse had been going to Baja since he was a baby. After a few years camping in various spots, Sarah's family had recently bought a home in San Juanico. One morning, she was surfing by herself at dawn when Jesse paddled out. Mildly perturbed that she would have to share the waves, she was surprised to see the red-haired boy she had seen from afar the summer before. She said hello, and remarked that they had met before (as it turns out, she had met his brother the previous year). Jesse noted wryly, "no, no, I would've remembered you."
They surfed again that afternoon and went to a Halloween party at Sarah's house that night. As they like to say, the rest is history. Sarah and Jesse went on to get married and have two beautiful children. These days you will find them exploring Baja's back roads and finding off-the-beaten-path experiences to share with the children.
In this conversation, they share their favorite Baja destinations and their ongoing passion for the people and the place.
Follow Sara on Instagram
"Long before social media, Cameron Steele was doing social media. He is one of off-road's early cross over pioneers, sharing his love for desert racing, adventure travel, and all things Baja with the world outside of the off-road community." -From his 2018 Off-Road Racing Motorsports Hall Of Fame Induction.
A lifelong Southern Californian, Steele began traveling to Baja with his father, Baja racer Mark "Big Daddy" Steele. Big Daddy was a private pilot and the sales manager for Parnelli Jones. Jones asked Big Daddy to fly him down for his 1970 NORRA 1000 run. The following year, Big Daddy was on the grid himself in a Class One car, and by 1972, his family was riding along in their RV.
After a stint as a competitive bodyboarder, Cameron began navigating races for Big Daddy. By the late 80s, Big Daddy retired, and Cameron moved into the driver's seat. He worked his way up from Baja Bugs to Trophy Trucks riding a few motorcycles along the way. In 2017, Steele set his sights on winning the 50th anniversary Baja 1000. Big Daddy, his wife, and daughter were with him as he planned to announce his retirement after the finish. He finished second. His retirement would have to wait. Sadly, Big Daddy passed a few months later. In 2018, with Big Daddy's ashes along for the ride, they won their first overall Baja 1000 victory.
Racing legend Johnny Campbell calls Steele "Baja's biggest ambassador," and I must agree.When he's not leading his many off-road tours, you can find him hosting his Baja Beach Bash to raise money for the Rancho Santa Marta School and Orphanage. We met at Baja HQ, his San Clemente business that functions in equal parts as a tire and wheel shop, race prep space, travel and tour headquarters, shrine, and clubhouse for all his off-road amigos.
Enjoy the conversation with Cameron Steele, Baja's biggest ambassador.
Visit the Baja HQ Website
Visit the Baja HQ Instagram
Visit Cameron Steele's Instagram
Visit Cameron Steele's Facebook
In today's Travel Talk with Slow Baja, we sit down with Ensenada Restaurateur and Chef Massimo Zaretti. Born in Rome, Zaretti moved to Las Vegas with his family when he was a teenager. He grew up working in his father's restaurants in Las Vegas and Santa Monica.
When it was time to get out on his own, he landed a position with Fleur de Lys in the Mandalay Bay Hotel. Attention to the smallest details, anticipating your guest's desires, and working with the highest-quality ingredients were lessons learned in the three years he spent at Hubert Keller's famed restaurant.
Tripadvisor recently rated IL Massimo number one for Italian cuisine in Ensenada. Zaretti keeps it authentic by importing olive oil, Calabrian chilis, and San Marzano tomatoes. His seasonal menu of housemade pasta and local seafood paired with Valle de Guadelupe wine is Slow Baja approved!
Visit Il Massimo
Visit Il Massimo on Facebook
Follow Il Massimo on Instagram
Andrew Szabo created the zany Budapest-to-Bamako Rally and the 3000-mile-no-support-Baja XL Rally. In this podcast, Szabo gives us an update on the latest developments for the 2021 Baja XL Rally, starting on January 29, 2021, and ending on February 7, 2021.
Here at Slow Baja, we were thrilled to drive in the 2019 Baja XL Rally, which featured 300 entrants in 140 vehicles hailing from more than 25 countries. Due to Covid and border control issues with the U.S., the 2021 Baja XL will start in Tecate. The rally will finish ten days and 3000 dirt-laden kilometers later, on a beach South of Tijuana.
The event will travel down the Sea of Cortez side of the Baja peninsula and camp in Diablo Dry Lake. Night two will be another camp out in Bahia de Los Angeles. Night three will be a beach camp on Bahia Concepcion, and night four will land at a camp night in Las Cruces. After the rally rounds the tip of Baja, it proceeds up the Pacific coast, and night five will be in Todos Santos. The Las Cruces night may become optional, opening teams to have a rest day and party night in Cabo or spend two nights in Todos Santos.
From Todos Santos, the rally proceeds to the surf town of San Juanico, also known as Scorpion Bay. The next stop is Guerrero Negro, and a half-day of rest is in the schedule for whale watching. Ted and I have a panga booked with Shari Bondy of Whale Magic Tours; there should be several seats available to join us for whale watching. Please email me to reserve your spot. A night in Catavinia will follow, and the last night will be another camp night somewhere south of Tijuana.
Visit the Baja XL Rally Website
Visit the Baja XL Rally on Instagram
Visit the Baja XL Rally on Facebook
Budapest-Bamako channel on Youtube
Javier Plascencia’s first book, The Soul of Baja, describes his approach to life (and cooking) like this, “His creations reflect the love for his homeland, his respect for ingredients, and the permanent cultural exchange experienced every day in his native Tijuana.”
He grew up cooking alongside his grandmother in the kitchen of Giuseppi’s, his father’s pizza restaurant. The sights, sounds, and smells, like a freshly-butchered hog, that he would turn into chorizo -form the core of his childhood memories. By the time he was a teenager, he knew that he was going to be a chef.
Now 30 years into his career, his humility and approachability are a rare breath of fresh air in our celebrity-driven culture. In this conversation -recorded in a shady grove of olive trees at Finca Altazano, in the Valle de Guadalupe -Plascencia was relaxed and in perfect harmony with our surroundings. He consistently eschewed my inquiries about his restaurant empire, preferring to talk about his passions, surfing, and golf. Like his favored pursuits, Plascencia is intensely cerebral and competes mostly against himself. He’s committed to forging his own culinary path in harmony with the environment and fresh, locally-sourced ingredients.
Enjoy the conversation with chef and restaurateur Javier Plascencia.
Visit the Finca Altozano Website
Visit the Finca La Divina Website
Visit the Javier Plascencia Website
Visit Javier Plascencia on Instagram
Visit Javier Plascencia on Facebook
Tru Miller, the lovely and gregarious owner of Adobe Guadalupe Vineyards and Inn, is the Grande Dame of Baja’s wine region. Originally from the Netherlands, Tru spent much of her youth exploring the world. She has distilled that lifetime of travel into her casually elegant hacienda.
When she and her husband, Donald Miller, bought the land in 1997, they began hiring the best. Hugo D’Acosta became their winemaker, and Newport-based architect Neil Haghighat designed and oversaw the winery’s construction. The first bottling was in 2000. Quality and obsessive attention to detail infuse every detail of their magnificent estate. Under the care of current winemaker, young-gun Daniel Lonnberg, Adobe Guadalupe produces some of the finest and most exciting wines in Mexico.
For our visit, we arrived at 10 AM and found Tru and her agronomer, Jose Fernandez, having breakfast at the kitchen’s communal table. She beckoned us to join them, and we were delighted that we did. The eggs and machaca with handmade flour tortillas were divine. Tru opened a bottle of Tia Tula, her rose-colored blanco tequila (aged for thirty days in used Rafael wine barrels), and all was right in our world. After months of staying home, it was beautiful to be sipping tequila after a lovely breakfast of farm-fresh, locally-sourced ingredients. Viva Baja!
Enjoy the conversation with Tru Miller, Adobe Guadalupe Vineyards and Inn.
Visit the Adobe Guadalupe Website
Visit the Adobe Guadalupe Instagram
Visit the Adobe Guadalupe Facebook
We met Gerald Lee in Ensenada, at the October 2019 NORRA 500 Rally. Lee and Kansas native, Miles Hasselquist, competed in a Ford Ranger pickup in the non-race, Savvy Safari 4x4 Class, for street-legal vehicles. It was Hasselquist's first trip to Baja, and Lee let him do all the driving. I've learned he's generous like that. Whenever we caught up with them, Hasselquist and Lee seemed to be in a smiling competition. With ear-to-ear grins, I wasn't sure if they were genuinely surprised our old Land Cruiser was still running or if they were having the time of their life.
Lee grew up in Southern California, and like many who find themselves playing in the dirt as adults, started by racing motorcycles in his youth. Years later, when a friend gave him a Jeep, Lee wanted to modify it. He surveyed the burgeoning aftermarket offerings and decided to fabricate his own. Lee used lightweight aircraft-grade aluminum that's stronger and significantly lighter than the heavy steel parts that dominate the scene. What started as a hobby to improve his Jeep's performance became Savvy OffRoad, the leader in high-quality Jeep products and offroad racing vehicle construction and preparation.
While Gerald is decided low-key about driving in NORRA events, he is a serious racer with multiple overall wins in the Every Man Challenge at the King of the Hammers. He's also had top drivers like Robby Gordon and Jessi Combs take the podium in Savvy OffRoad built racers.
Visit the Savvy OffRoad website.
Follow Savvy OffRoad on Instagram
Follow Savvy OffRoad on Facebook
Follow Savvy OffRoad on YouTube
Visit the NORRA Mexican 1000 website.
Shari Bondy has been studying whales for more than thirty years. At eighteen-years-old, she moved to Vancouver Island, British Colombia, from Ontario, Canada. She wanted to get close to whales and Tofino, was the place to be with a population of Grey Whales, Humpbacks, and Killer Whales to study. Following the whale migration South, Bondy found herself in Laguna Ojo de Liebre in Baja. Instantly, she fell in love with the place and moved there to begin a new chapter in her research. In my opinion, Bondy is the Jane Goodall of the whale world. Like Goodall, she’s mostly self-trained and has spent decades in the field, watching generations of whales birth and raise their calves. She’s photographically identified scores of individual whales and learned their personality, character, and behaviors. To continue her research, she began Whale Magic Tours and has been instrumental in developing whale-watching in the region. From January through March, you’ll find her in her new private whale camp (glamp) in Guerrero Negro. You’ll find her in her home and boutique hotel La Bufadora Inn the rest of the year in Bahía Asunción. In this conversation, Bondy gets personal about how whales changed (and possibly saved) her life. She’s quick to acknowledge her spiritual connection to these majestic mammals. Her approach and her whale watching excursions are a deep-dive into the intimacies of whale behavior. And over the decades -she’s witnessed a phenomenal change in that behavior. Her approach has built a trust level with whales that often have mothers pushing their calves right up to touch the boats. If you are lucky, a whale may come close enough for a kiss! In addition to whale-watching, the region has excellent fishing, surfing, and kayaking year-round. Shari is happy to help book tours and activities, including diving, beachcombing, mountain biking, fossil hunting, and horseback excursions to see cave paintings with local rancheros. Visit the Bahía Asunción website. Visit La Bufadora Inn on Facebook Follow Shari Bondy on Facebook Follow Shari Bondy on Instagram
Malcolm Smith is probably the greatest name in American off-road racing. He’s won more races in more places on both two wheels and four. Smith’s list of racing achievements is stunning. Between 1966 and 1976, he won eight gold medals in the International Six Day Trial (the Olympics of motorcycling). He’s won the Baja 1000 six times (three times on a motorcycle and three times in a car), including the first NORRA Mexican 1000 in 1967. He’s won the Baja 500 four times and the grueling Mint 400 twice. He won the Roof of Africa Rally (his most memorable race) and raced the Paris Dakar Rally twice, “In 1988, I finished fourth overall. It was unlike any event I had ever raced before or since. I consider it one of my proudest accomplishments. It’s easy to go fast over twenty minutes; it’s much harder to go fast over twenty days. The difference? Preparation. Perseverance.”
He’s in the legendary inaugural class of the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame. He’s also in the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America and the American Motorcycle Association Motorcycle Hall of Fame. Ironically, his appearance with Mert Lawwill and Steve McQueen in the 1971 Bruce Brown film On Any Sunday was what sealed his fame.
Famed among the motorcycling and the off-road racing world, he remains a humble man with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. He loves Baja, and his Malcolm Smith Motorsports Foundation has adopted the El Oasis Orphanage in Valle Trinidad, Baja Norte. The MSM Foundation provides full tuition to university or trade schools for the children at El Oasis. Funding comes through charity motorcycle rides organized through Malcolm Smith Adventures. Each year, 15-18 university students receive full support from the ride, including tuition, books, transportation, clothing, and a personal stipend.
In this conversation, Malcolm was enormously generous with his time and in opening his home for our meeting. He’s fighting a widely-reported battle with Parkinson’s disease and fought valiantly to find and form the words to answer my questions. After we wrapped our recording, Malcolm apologized for his performance. He’s a relentless competitor and wants to do his best in every way in everything. Before I left, I followed him up his long driveway in 110-degree heat. He wanted to show me a couple of old Land Rovers that he has stashed in his orchard. I had to hustle to keep up!
Check out the Malcolm Smith Foundation
Check out Malcolm Smith Adventures
Check out Malcolm Smith Motorsports
Follow Malcolm Smith Motorsports on Instagram
Follow Malcolm Smith Motorsports on Facebook
Special thanks to Alexander Smith for his help in arranging this meeting.
Tim and Kelsey Huber bill themselves as two ordinary people living an extraordinary life. For the last two years, they've lived in "Goose," a 1995 Toyota Land Cruiser modified for camping with a custom interior and pop-top.
After a year secretly planning, saving, and divesting themselves of all salable possessions, the duo crossed into Tecate Baja, California, on June 25, 2018. They spent most of the first month trying to beat the heat by staying high in the mountains or hugging the Pacific ocean. Unfortunately, when they tried to ship Goose to mainland Mexico, a paperwork issue sent them back to the US border. They made a banzai-run North to get it sorted out. With the documents in hand, they said goodbye to Baja and headed East into Mexico. The Pan American Highway led them down through colonial cities of the North to the beaches of Oaxaca and into Chiapas' jungles. Once in Central America, they enjoyed Nicaragua and El Salvador but hustled through Costa Rica to get to Panama. They had a deadline to meet a freighter and get Goose across the Darien Gap. As they waited for Goose to arrive from Panama, they spent a magical month exploring Cartagena, Colombia, on foot.
Back in the Land Cruiser, they worked their way South. Zig-zagging through Columbia, Ecuador, and Peru before heading into Brazil and onto Bolivia. They explored cayman-filled jungles, survived the death road, salt flats, and climbed to 18,660 feet, before continuing South into Tierra del Fuego. At the tip of Patagonia, they celebrated with friends they had met along the way before heading back North. Argentina and Uruguay were the last places they saw before the coronavirus began closing down borders. They shipped Goose to the US from Montevideo, Uruguay. He landed in Texas on March 17, 2020. With the drive to Canada figured into the journey, they've logged 80,000 miles and are still on the road! When we spoke at the end of August, they were in Gillette, Wyoming. To follow their journey or buy them a taco check out their website www.dirtsunrise.com.
Visit Dirt Sunrise here
Follow on Instagram
Follow on Facebook
Follow on YouTube
When she was ten years-old, Sarah Beck began traveling to Baja with her family to escape the drizzly Oregon winters. After several trips, they decided to put down roots and moved to San Juanico. A few years later, while surfing at dawn, she met her future husband -and a Baja love story was born.
In our conversation, Sarah shares her passion for the people and the places that make the Baja peninsula so unique.
Follow Sarah and a_moms_guide_to_traveling_baja on Instagram:
79-year-old Pete Springer has been traveling to Baja for over 60 years. He attended the 1969 Mexican 1000 as a spectator, raced a home-built single-seater in 1970, and won the Baja 1000 in 1973!
In this conversation, he shares tales from his many years of Baja adventures. Highlights include; driving a 1940 Dodge Flatbed to Bahia de Los Angeles. Running out of gas while flying a small plane -and successfully landing it on the road near Santa Rosalia. Crashing his motorcycle in a pitch dark desert, -he was riding without a headlight after all! And years of building off-road race cars through seat-of-the-pants engineering and a lot of trial and error.
Please note, I originally recorded this conversation in January 2020 (my second podcast recording) when I was a guest-host on the Baja Sessions Podcast. I am pleased to share this freshly remastered version here.
To see more about Pete, check out his blog posts here.
Eighty-four-year-old Eve Ewing made her first trip to Baja in the back seat of her father's plane in 1952. Her father, the legendary Oceanographer Gifford Ewing, would fly his plane down annually to perform an aerial census of the California Grey Whales as they calved in Scammon's Lagoon.
In those days, they landed right on the salt flats of Guerrero Negro. There was no town, just a grouping of five Quonset huts. Ewing's father would fly on to the village of Bahia de Los Angeles, where he would spend the night at Casa Diaz—owned by his friend Antero "Papa" Diaz. On one of his many trips, Gifford Ewing brought the first short-wave radio to LA Bay -an important gift for Papa Diaz.
In 1963, when the Meling-Alford mule train arrived in LA Bay, their second stop from Tecate, half the riders left the arduous expedition -Gifford Ewing, who had flown to LA Bay to meet the group, used that radio to call his daughter for reinforcements and needed supplies. My dad radioed me and said, "a whole bunch of their people are pulling out of the expedition, do you want to join them?" Eve jumped at the opportunity and quickly began rounding up the supplies they requested. She had just a day to round up 50 pounds of horseshoe nails, 25 pounds of dehydrated eggs, pack her saddle, stirrup covers, chaps, and long underwear -and get to Tijuana, as soon as she could. The Baja legend, Francisco Munoz would fly her down to LA Bay meet the riders.
The Meling-Alford Expedition eventually made it to Cabo San Lucas. However, Ewing didn't make the entire trip. When the group arrived in La Paz, she learned that her mother had suddenly died, so she flew back to California to be with her family. She's returned to Baja many times over the years, leading over fifty mule trips and visiting one hundred cave painting sites. Deciphering those paintings has become her life's work.
In this rambling conversation, Ewing reflects on moving to La Jolla in 1945, becoming a cowgirl, and the arduous 1963 -1964 mule ride. She says it was the warm and welcoming rancheros that kept her returning year after year -and the cave paintings. I have to say, with Eve Ewing's warm welcome and her trove of stories, I need to come back and record with her again very soon!
A few clarifications, Charles Scammon, the namesake of Scammon's Lagoon, was a US citizen and was born in Maine. Guerrero Negro was named after the whaling ship The Black Warrior, that was wrecked on the sand bars of Frenchman's lagoon. Thanks to David Kier for the clarifications!
For more on the cave paintings of Baja, click here
For more on Eve's last mule ride in Baja, click here
For more on Eve's father, Gifford Ewing, click here
Zachary Plopper is the Associate Director of WILDCOAST, a 501c3 non-profit organization that conserves coastal and marine ecosystems and wildlife in the United States, Cuba and Mexico. An avid surfer since his childhood in Solana Beach, California, Plopper started competing at age twelve and was sponsored by the time he was 13. He competed professionally during high school and won the National Scholastic Surfing Association’s collegiate state champion while attending UCSD. A few years later, while in grad school at UCLA, he was surfing Trestles and met Serge Dedina -the Executive Director of WILDCOAST. As they talked and surfed, Dedina suggested that Plopper write his graduate thesis on a new WILDCOAST conservation opportunity in the Valle de los Cirios (Seven-Sisters) region of Baja California.
Plopper’s 76-page thesis became the guiding document on the project, outlining the region’s threats and opportunities, and in 2008 -a full-time job for Plopper. Working with local landowners, Mexico’s National Commission for Protected Areas, and international funders, his efforts led to creating the Valle de Los Cirios Pacific Coast protected area, one of the largest private protectorates of coastal land in North America.
In this conversation, we cover Plopper’s eleven years of work at WILDCOAST and some of the lessons learned from his years of travel in Baja’s remotest regions.
Visit the WILDCOAST website here.
Follow WILDCOAST on Instagram
Follow WILDCOAST on Facebook
Sports Illustrated called Bisbee’s Black & Blue Marlin Tournament the “Super-Bowl of Billfishing.” Now in its 40th year, with prizes and payouts in the millions of dollars, it is the richest independent family-run fishing tournament.
The event was founded in 1981 by Bob Bisbee Sr., who ran a fuel dock, and tackle shop in Newport, California. He was always looking for reasons to go to Cabo, and the idea of hosting a golf-style Calcutta sweepstakes Marlin tournament seemed like a good one. Six boats entered the first Bisbee tournament, and Bob Sr. won the $10,000 prize. Last year, 126 boats and 862 anglers took part, and the prize payout was a whopping $4,500,000!
In this conversation, Wayne Bisbee and his daughter Jordyn Bisbee talk about their world-famous Black and Blue Marlin tournament. They reflect on Bob Sr., who passed away earlier this year and how the little competition he started forty years ago has grown into a world-renowned billfish bonanza. We also discuss the Bisbee’s East Cape Offshore -a relaxed, three species tournament in Los Barriles August 4-8, 2020
Visit Bisbee’s website here.
Visit Bisbee’s conservation fund website here.
Follow Bisbee’s on Facebook
Visit Bisbee’s YouTube Channel here.
Trudi Angell has been living in Baja since the mid-'70s. She made her first trip South to attend a 12-day Sea Kayaking course at the National Outdoor Leadership School in Mulegé. Angell fell in love with the people and the place -and stayed six-weeks. When she finally returned home to Calistoga, she quickly bought a folding Klepper Kayak, a roof rack for her 1964 Rambler American, and blazed a trail straight back to Baja.
Sea kayaking was taking off as an adventure sport just as Baja was on the rise as a travel destination. An opportunity to guide a kayak trip down the coast allowed Angell to launch her company Paddling South in Loreto. Angell says she was "in the right spot at the right time." With a love for logistics, and a desire to go the extra mile for her clients, she cultivated a great business which she ran for thirty years.
While riding on a mule trip with her friend and fellow outfitter, Tim Means, she was amazed by the grace the hired vaqueros showed as they interacted with their families. Angell had an epiphany, bought a horse, and took up riding. Soon, she was visiting ranches near and far. She launched Saddling South in 1987. "This opened up a huge world for me -both for studying the history (of the vaqueros) and learning the Ranch culture."
In this conversation, Angell talks about her life and work, and her deep admiration for the vaqueros and traditional Baja ranch life. She shares stories from the 1000-mile Mule trip (the Mula-Mil) that she organized to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1963-64 expedition by Andy Meling, Joanne Alford, Eve Ewing, and others. Additionally, she shares insights about making "La Recua," a documentary film about a traditional overland pack-mule trip featuring 70-year-old vaquero Dario Higuera, a team of 13, and a cast of 25 animals, also known as "Dario's Dream."
Listen to the podcast here.
Visit the Bell Mare website here.
Follow Saddling South on Instagram
Follow Saddling South on Facebook
Mike Pearlman, talking about NORRA Mexican 1000, and the making of the Happiest Race on Earth. In the early 1960's, Mike Pearlman was a teenager growing up in Los Angeles when his father, Ed Pearlman, bought a used 1964 Toyota Land Cruiser. Ed was an avid hunter, and the utilitarian 4x4 looked like the perfect vehicle for the upcoming deer season. Not long after, Mike's friend was driving the Land Cruiser on the highway; he didn't know that you had to shift gears manually and blew up the six-cylinder Toyota motor. Ever resourceful, Ed, took the bell housing to a junkyard and found that a 265cu Chevy V-8 would fit. That Chevy V-8 woke the old FJ40 up, and Ed began hill-climbing and drag racing the little Toyota. Soon with the assistance of legendary Land Cruiser pioneers, Con-Ferr, Pearlman had a fuel-injected, hot-rodded 327 V-8 with a hot cam under the hood!
Ed Pearlman read about the 1966 record-setting run from Tijuana to La Paz on Triumph motorcycles by Bud and Dave Ekins, Eddie Mulder, and Cliff Coleman. Pearlman thought that he could beat their time in his hopped-up Land Cruiser. He tried and failed, but the idea for the first off-road race, the 1967 Mexican 1000, was born.
In this conversation, Pearlman shares stories from the founding of the National Off-Road Racing Association, those early Baja races, and how with Eliseo Garcia Jr., they revived the Mexican 1000 as a vintage rally.
Visit NORRA's website here
Follow NORRA on Instagram
Follow NORRA on Facebook
Edie Littlefield Sundby was arrogantly healthy when she received word that she had stage-four gallbladder cancer. The doctors gave her three months to live. "I had to kill cancer before it killed me," Sundby said. Seventy-nine rounds of chemotherapy, five-and-a-half years, and four radical surgeries later, she was in remission. The battle took half of her liver, ten inches of colon, two inches of her stomach, part of her throat, and all of her right lung. Amazingly, her spirit was intact!
While driving up highway 101 to Stanford Hospital for surgery, she noticed the Mission bells denoting the El Camino Real. "I had this obsession to hug them, to follow them, I had to walk the old California Mission Trail. I had to walk all 21 Missions, saying a prayer of thanksgiving at each one." On a cold, rainy day in February 2013 -six months after losing her right lung, she started walking from Mission San Diego to Sonoma. Fifty-five days and 800 miles later, she made it. "When I got to Sonoma, I was soaring; I did not want to stop!"
In 2015, when cancer returned, and she knew it would, she reflected on how happy the walk to Sonoma had made her. In an instant, she decided to walk all the Missions in Baja. "It was wonderful to have that to look forward to; I had another walk; I had a mission I had something larger (to focus on) than what was going on inside of me." Through the internet, she found guide and outfitter Trudi Angel in Loreto. "I had the promise of a burro for ten days and a vaquero for five days, that was good enough for me." She walked across the border to Tijuana and boarded a flight to Loreto, Mexico. Tune in for the rest of this inspirational story.
Visit The Mission Walker website here
Follow The Mission Walker on Facebook
When Jonathan Roldan was departing for a year-long job at a remote hotel on the East Cape of Baja, he needed a break. He had already had multiple careers as a fishing guide, deckhand, chef, broadcast journalist, 900-number entrepreneur, and, most recently, an attorney. A year in Baja would be a nice break from his stress-filled life as a courtroom litigator. After he got fired from that hotel job, he drove up to La Paz -a mere six dollars in his pocket, to start over. He built what he refers to as “a little lemonade stand” and started selling fishing trips.
From those humble beginnings, hawking fishing trips, guiding by day, packing the catch, and running his one-person taxi service by night, Roldan did everything to keep his clients happy. He went from selling on commission for other skippers to owning a panga of his own. Eventually, he and his wife Jilly would build Tailhunter Sportfishing into a thirty panga fleet, a waterfront bar, a transportation company, and a staff of nearly 50.
Tailhunter operates two full-time sportfishing fleets to provide clients with the absolute best fishing in the best conditions. The La Paz-based fleet fishes north around the fertile Espirito Santo Island. The Las Arenas Fleet operates off the beach at Bahia de Los Muertos and fishes the legendary waters around Cerralvo Island. As Roldan likes to say, he’s blessed to be a part of his client’s vacation, a maker of their Kodak moments.
Please note at approximately 40:00 minutes, we had some technical challenges, and the sound quality and volume drop off.
Listen to the podcast here
Visit the Tailhunter International website here
Follow on Instagram
Follow on Facebook
In this Father's Day Edition of Slow Baja, we talk to fifteen-year-old off-road racer Jax Redline. At two-years-old, he started riding a Yamaha PW50 dirt bike with training wheels. He was so fast, his father had to tie a rope to the bike to keep young Jax from racing away. By the time he was in kindergarten, he had competed at national events like the AMA Amateur Motorcross Championship at historic Loretta Lynn Ranch.
From that first 50cc motorcycle, Jax Redline rapidly moved up the racing, and horsepower ranks. From go-carts to mini-sprints to UTV's to his current mount, a 900HP Trophy Truck. It's safe to say young Jax Redline thrives on speed. To fill the void left in the racing calendar due to the Covid-19 situation, Jax Redline and his father Shane, have been in Baja keeping sharp and having fun riding dirt bikes. "I pretty much won the dad lottery!" Jax quickly admits. We agree. Enjoy the conversation and Happy Fathers Day.
Visit the Redline Racing Texas website here
Follow on Instagram
Follow on Facebook
David Kier is a humble historian who has been traveling to Baja since the early '60s. With a copy of Gerhard and Gulick's Lower California Guide Book -known as the "Baja Bible," he sat between his parents on the bench seat of the Jeep Wagoneer as their trusted navigator. He read the map, followed the odometer, the "bible," and kept his father abreast of what to expect on the road ahead. On his first trip, they drove to the fishing village of San Felipe and South to Puertecitos. The goal was Gonzaga Bay, but that was fifty miles further over the toughest road in Baja. When the locals said the road was impassable, his father thought of the fish he was going to catch, dropped the Wagoneer into 4Lo, and five hours later, they arrived.
Kier continued making Baja trips with his parents, including an epic tour of 800+ miles on dirt down to the tip in 1966. The journey was so dusty and difficult that they took the ferry to Mazatlan to drive paved roads home. In 1973, he turned 16 -to celebrate, he and a buddy took his Myers Manx to Baja. It would be his first of many trips to come. There were two more firsts that year; he went to the Baja 1000, where Bill Sanders and Pete Springer won in a Land Cruiser FJ40, and he published his first book titled Baja and the Transpeninsular Highway.
In this conversation, Kier shares stories of those early travels and subsequent trips for The Old Missions of Baja and Alta California 1697-1834 his book with Kurillo and Tuttle. And his latest book Baja California -Land Of Missions.
Visit David Kier's website here
Follow on Instagram
Follow on Facebook
Geoff Hill is not your average Insurance agent. Since his first surf trip in 1990, he hasn't been able to escape Baja's pull. After surfing his way to a degree at UCSD, he joined Baja Bound Insurance in 2003. As VP of Business Development, Hill spends his time sponsoring events that bring people to Baja.
When our Lucha Libre Racing Team took on the grueling La Carrera Panamericana in 2006 -we reached out to Hill and were honored to be the first racing team sponsored by Baja Bound Insurance. Nearly fifteen years later, we are thrilled to have his continued support.
In this conversation, Hill gets personal about his travels, volunteer and fundraising work, and the people that keep him coming back. If you are planning a trip south-of-the-border, make Baja Bound Insurance your first stop.
Visit the Baja Bound Insurance website here
Follow on Instagram
Follow on Facebook
Stephanie Nisan founded The Animal Pad (TAP) in 2010 after adopting a dog that was about to be euthanized. TAP is an all volunteer-run 501c3 non-profit that rescues dogs from the streets of Tijuana and Ensenada. They work through a network of volunteers and shelters in Northern Baja that locate and capture the strays. The dogs are in terrible shape, malnourished, abused, and with life-threatening ailments, including Canine Transmissible Venereal Tumors (CTVT) -a sexually transmitted tumor cured only with chemotherapy.
In this conversation, we learn about the dedicated community of TAP volunteers that find joy in this challenging work. They travel by the busload to work one-on-one with dogs in shelters. Volunteers vaccinate, wash, socialize, and feed them a highly nutritious meal -a luxury for the weaker dogs that usually have to fight the others for their food.
Visit The Animal Pad website here
Follow on Instagram
Follow on Facebook
More podcasts@slowbaja.com
Hayden Roberts and Scott Toepfer race mid-’60s vintage British Dirt Bikes in events like the NORRA Mexican 1000, NORRA Baja 500, and The Mint 400. Roberts, originally from England, is now a fixture in the So Cal Motorcycle scene, crafting and customizing bikes at his shop Hello Engine, in Santa Paula, California. Toepfer, a top lifestyle-photographer with a specialty in motorcycles, met Roberts while they were on a motocross exposition in Japan. They became fast friends, and have been racing, wrenching, and traveling on their desert-sleds ever since. In this conversation, we learn the meaning of “Only mad dogs and Englishmen.” Hear stories of swapping motors on the beach, sleeping in the dirt, and surviving a dreaded stingray sting. Joy Lewis joined us midway through. She tells us about an epic night of worry on the NORRA Mexican 1000. She was in the chase-truck, supporting Hayden, and his GPS position stopped moving. Her mind raced; did he crash? Was he injured, or worse? They were hours away and had no way to contact him, let alone reach him. As she searched for information and tried to summon help -one grizzled Baja veteran (jokingly) suggested that he was “shacked up with a local senorita and in nine months a little Baja-racer would be born!” In the morning, Joy found him -tired but well-fed, nursing a carton of milk and teaching a group of elementary school children about England. During a sandstorm in Bahia de Los Angeles, they fell in love over a cup of hot tea. Prompting Joy to make the observation “the stars are brighter, and the tacos are better in Baja.” We couldn't agree more!
Hayden & Hello Engine Website, Instagram
Scott G. Toepfer Website, Instagram
Joy Lewis Instagram
Buck Smith Facebook
Nick Ashley Instagram
NORRA Mexican 1000 Website
NORRA Mexican 1000 Instagram
Andrew Szabo created the zany Budapest-to-Bamako Rally and the 3000-mile-no-support-Baja XL Rally. In this podcast, we discuss adventure travel, Africa, Baja, off-roading, and how not to get shot when you steal a farmer's tractor to pull your car out of a silt bed!
The 2019 Baja XL Rally featured some 300 entrants in 140 vehicles hailing from 30 different countries. In 2017, Szabo created The Baja 4000 -for the four thousand kilometers, the event covered from LA to Cabo and back to LA. In 2019, the Slow Baja team competed in the Adventure 4x4 Catagory in the renamed Baja XL Rally.
Visit The BajaXL website here
Follow on Instagram
Follow on Facebook
Budapest-Bamako channel on Youtube
Ruben Valenzuela Hernandez is the owner of the BCB Tasting Room in Tijuana. With 42 beers on tap and another 400 in bottles, BCB is a mecca for craft beer drinkers from both sides of the border. In this podcast, we discuss the booming craft beer scene in Tijuana, the rise of the Valle de Guadalupe, Bichi Wine, tacos, and Ruben's favorite restaurants. Please note we taped this conversation in January 2020 before sheltering-in-place and social distancing due to COVID-19 was in practice.
BCB Tasting Room
Calle Orizaba 10335
Fracc. Neidhart 22020 Tijuana BC
+52.664.656.9405
Recently Slow Baja spent a day exploring Tijuana. We had a great time eating, drinking, and recording. Our first stop was at the charming Casa Cacao for a late breakfast. The artisanal chocolate shop and mole restaurant -located just a few doors off of Ave. Revolution is a tiny slice of Oaxaca. Owners, Rosa, and Jose were eager to share their love and knowledge of cacao and its many healthful properties. We dined on enmoladas, tlayudas, and tamales with house-made salsas, and moles. Locally roasted dark coffee and traditional hot chocolate were an unexpected surprise. The conversation ranged from the healthful properties of cacao and dark chocolate to the state of the economy in Tijuana. Please note we taped this conversation in January 2020 -before social distancing and shelter-in-place orders due to COVID-19 were in place.
Casa Cacao
Calle 2da #8172
Zona Centro 22020 Tijuana BC
(664)215-6565
casacacaotijuana.com
Adalberto Pérez Mellión is an artist and printmaker who operates Taller Pérez Mellión—initially opened as Galleria Pérez Mellión in 1988. In the beginning, he specialized in selling the art and crafts of the Paipai and the Kumeyaay Indian tribes of Northern Baja. He spent years traveling to their remote communities by four-wheel-drive vehicle trading for their handicrafts.
After an artist-in-residence scholarship took him to Zacatecas, to study printmaking at the Museo de Arte Abstracto Manuel Felguerez, Pérez Mellión returned to Ensenada and turned his gallery into a printing studio. Since that day, he has been teaching the craft of printmaking while selling the art of his students and local contemporary artists.
In this conversation, we discuss his progression from folk-art dealer to becoming an artist and a teacher of printmaking. Additionally, we covered a three-day hike with burros to see cave art he took with our mutual friend Ted Donovan led by Francisco Detrell. Last but certainly not least, we discussed the origins of fish tacos in Ensenada and his favorite tacos stands. Please note we taped this conversation in January 2020 before social distancing due to COVID-19 was in practice.
Taller Pérez Mellión
Lazaro Cardenas
22820 Ensenada, Baja California
+52 646 171 6127
www.facebook.com/pages/Taller-Pér…/113662939114683
Centro de las Artes de Baja California
Boulevard Lázaro Cárdenas y Avenida Club Rotario
22880 Ensenada, Baja California
(646) 173 43 07/08
www.icbc.gob.mx
www.facebook.com/CEARTEnsenada/
Francisco Detrell Baja Guide
Expediciones de Ecoturismo
(646) 178 0499
ecoturb@ens.com.mx
Tacos Corona Tacos de Pescado and Camaron
Avenida y, Espinoza, Benito Juárez,
tacoscorona.business.site