Mexico

A Taste of Baja

/ marniesteve / 1 Comment

Our RV lifestyle continues south of the border in Baja California, Mexico, enjoying two back-to-back, guided RV caravans with Fantasy RV Tours. Our first tour, A Taste of Baja, allowed us to tip our toe into Baja before diving further south.  

Map showing the region of Baja California, Mexico, highlighting locations such as San Diego and Ensenada.

We started our Baja exploration by basing ourselves at Clam Beach RV park, just north of Ensenada and about 85 miles south of the US border. We’re the blue dot on the map above. With 41 other RVers we caravanned across the border and spent seven days exploring Northern Baja’s wine area, Valle de Guadalupe.

A winding road in a mountainous landscape with multiple RVs traveling in the same direction.
Caravan on the road

This tour was all about food, and wine (and some tequila), and the culture of northern Baja. Our first night featured dinner at the seaside restaurant Splash. The leisurely meal, accompanied by plentiful margaritas, offered the perfect environment for making new friends. 

Group of eight people seated at a table enjoying a meal and drinks in a cozy restaurant setting.
At Splash with Jay, June, Brad, Denise, Jim & Yujing

On our first full day in Mexico, we boarded a tour bus for the 50 minute drive to Valle de Guadalupe. Our first tasting experience at family-owned Xecuè was complimented by fresh seafood and a range of wines.  

A plated dish featuring a stack of green avocado slices layered with onions, served in a vibrant green sauce, on a textured placemat.
Aguachile
Tall cacti with multiple arms surrounded by various desert plants and rocks under a cloudy sky.
Window display featuring the text 'ENTRE AMIGOS Xecué' surrounded by greenery and cacti, suggesting a warm and inviting atmosphere.
Between friends
A bottle of Xecué Malbec wine from Baja California, 2021 vintage, displayed on a wooden table with a wine glass partially filled with red wine. A blurred background shows a person wearing a blue hat.
One of four offerings
A group of people seated around a long table in a restaurant, enjoying a meal together with drinks and food in front of them.
Meeting new friends

After lunch we headed to L.A. Cetto winery, one of Mexico’s largest and most influential wine producers. We toured the grounds and learned about the history of Cetto, which began in the early 19th century in Italy.

A man in a green jacket and cap stands next to a welcome sign that reads 'Bienvenidos' and 'CETTO' in a garden setting.
Interior view of a modern winery featuring multiple large stainless steel fermentation tanks arranged in a row.
Stainless steel
A weathered sign on a wooden post in a vineyard, labeled 'L.A. Cetto Malbec 62', with vines and soil visible in the background.
One of many types of grapes grown at Cetto
Two smiling people standing beside large wooden barrels in a winery or brewery.
In the barrel room

The wine and olive oil tasting with our new friends was a great way to spend the afternoon.

A bottle of L.A. Cetto Chardonnay Vino Blanco, 2022, displayed on a table with wine corks and caps in the background.
One of four tastes
A group of people enjoying a tasting event at a long table with various food items, including sliced bread and olives, while an instructor explains the offerings. Bottles of wine are displayed on the table.
Tasting bar

The next day we bussed to Ensenada and toured the Casa del Cultura, Riviera del Pacifico. Once a former luxury resort and casino, the building now serves as a cultural space and welcoming center. There we were treated to margaritas from the bar that claims to have created the drink, named after its patron, Margaret King Plant. We’ve since learned that claim is also attributed to about five or six other sources. Oh well, the margaritas there were great!

Elaborately painted wooden ceiling with floral and geometric designs, featuring a vintage chandelier.
Beautiful ceiling in Casa del Cultura
A woman smiling next to a framed black and white photo of a glamorous woman in vintage clothing, with a background featuring additional framed images.
Me & the original Margarita

We spent the rest of the day wandering Ensenada, lunching on tacos, and tasting tequila. 

A bustling street market scene with colorful stalls displaying various goods, including handbags and clothing. People are walking and browsing, with a clear blue sky overhead.
Streets of Ensenada
A classic blue Chevrolet Chevelle SS parked on a busy street with shops in the background.
Scenes in Ensenada
A table set with plates of colorful Mexican food, including enchiladas topped with sauce, rice, grilled fish, and fresh salads, accompanied by various hot sauces and beverages.
So many food choices

On Steve’s birthday we returned to Valle de Guadalupe and the incredible Casa Frida. Great wine, great art centered around the influence of Frida Khalo, and great tequila marked our visit. First we tasted four wines complemented by a robust charcuterie plate.

A man and a woman posing in a vineyard next to a large, colorful heart sculpture featuring a portrait, surrounded by vines and blue sky.
Art in the vineyard
Colorfully painted vintage truck with an artistic skull design, parked in front of a building, featuring directional signs for tourist attractions like 'Frida's Lake' and 'Wine Tasting'.
Colorful place
A glass of sparkling wine in the foreground, with a charcuterie board in the background featuring various cheeses, breads, olives, pretzels, and small bowls of jelly and fruit.
Charcuterie
A person posing in front of a large mirror featuring the name 'Frida' and decorative wings made of leaves, with a vineyard and clear blue sky in the background.
Casa Frida
A group of people mingling on an outdoor patio during a social event, sitting around glass tables with drinks and snacks, under a shaded area.
Part of our wine tasting group

Immediately following we tasted four tequilas complemented by uniquely garnished citrus. Steve got extra of everything as a tribute to his birthday!

A wooden serving board with slices of orange and lime topped with different seasonings, accompanied by a glass of clear liquid, reflecting light.
Citrus for tequila
A man in a baseball cap holds a decorative bottle shaped like an avocado, sitting outdoors with others in the background.
Avocado tequila
Four bottles of Tequila 'Los Tres Tonos' in various types (Extra Añejo, Añejo, Reposado) displayed on a wooden table, with a blurred restaurant background.
Our tequila offerings

From Casa Frida we stumbled into King and Queen cantina for lunch. There we enjoyed a welcome mezcal cocktail and four appetizers.

Signage for King & Queen Cantina featuring decorative skulls with crowns, set against a concrete wall with succulent plants in the foreground.
A plate of sizzling fajitas with grilled meat, bell peppers, and onions, accompanied by guacamole, refried beans, and rice, with a glass of red wine and cocktails in the background.
Shrimp & steak fajitas
A dessert dish featuring churros and ice cream, topped with a sparkler, served on a table with a person in a colorful shirt in the background.
Churros on 🔥 for dessert
A man sitting in a bar holding two cans of beer, wearing a hat with 'Red Dog Saloon Juneau Alaska,' and a lanyard with a name tag. Other people are seen in the background, enjoying a social gathering.
Beer for dessert

Lunch was served with margaritas and our firecracker-topped dessert was served with house-brewed beer. By this time, the DJ had the crowd on the dance floor and the old folks were boogying. Steve remained seated, as per the “Green” norm.

A man giving a thumbs up and a woman posing with a thumbs up, both seated at a bar with a mountain view in the background, surrounded by other people enjoying their time.
Steve and Denise not dancing
A lively bar scene with patrons enjoying themselves, some dancing, and a large screen displaying a performance in the background.
Everyone else dancing

Believe it or not, we had one more stop after King and Queen. A tasting of four more wines about did us in at Valle de Rondo. We left that stop with a gifted bottle of wine, thanks to Fantasy RV tours. What a day!

Sign for Rondo del Valle winery featuring a circular logo with the initials RV and the word 'WINERY' above it.
A lively restaurant scene with a group of diverse diners gathered around a table, enjoying their meals, while staff serve food in a rustic setting.
Ugh! More wine!
A group of people gathered around a long table in a cozy indoor setting, enjoying drinks and conversation. The room features large windows showcasing an outdoor view, with guests smiling and engaging with one another.
We’ve all had too much!

We finished our time on this tour with a free day at Clam Beach followed by a farewell dinner at the renowned restaurant Finca Altozano. Finca Altozano was created by Michelin-starred chef Javier Plascencia, who is known for pioneering Baja-Med cuisine.

A scenic view of a garden featuring various plants, including cabbages and cacti, with a wooden deck and seating area in the background. The landscape includes rolling hills and colorful flowers under a partly cloudy sky.
Garden at Finca Altozano
A busy restaurant kitchen scene featuring two chefs at work, with a variety of grilled meats and colorful dishes served on wooden tables in the foreground.
Open-air kitchen

Our six course meal, served in the open-air restaurant overlooking the sweeping vineyards, featured panzanela salad with vegetables from the garden, shrimp sopes with bone marrow, blue fin tuna tostados, grilled octopus, beef ribs, and lamb. Dessert of pan de elote with fresh cream sealed the deal.

A wooden platter displaying a vibrant taco topped with fresh diced fish, avocado slices, pickled onions, and leafy greens.
Blue fin tuna tostada
A sizzling platter of chicken pieces cooked with nuts in a savory sauce, served on a wooden board.
Grilled octopus
A plate of five shrimp tacos on blue corn tortillas, topped with pink pickled onions, green sauce, and herbs, accompanied by grilled lemon slices.
Shrimp sopes
A slice of golden dessert topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, served on a decorative plate with a paper liner.
Pan de elote

A long, leisurely meal with spectacular views and a great group of friends was the perfect way to end our Taste of Baja experience.

A smiling man in a plaid shirt and cap is holding up a glass of red wine in celebration at a dining table, with a plate of food and a woman in a plaid shirt sitting beside him.

Once the tour was over we relaxed at Clam Beach with a few fellow adventurers until our next tour began. Our small group visited local sites, shared dinners, and shopped at a Mexico Costco.

Group of eight people sitting around a wooden table enjoying food and drinks at a coastal restaurant with a view of the ocean.
Lunch at La Bufadora
A group of people unloading items from a pickup truck in a rain-soaked parking lot near a Costco store, with shoppers and shopping carts visible in the background.
Costco run

Our next tour will take us deeper into Mexico to see the famous grey whales and their babies. Stay tuned! We’ll have another update soon.

A BIG RV update

/ marniesteve / 2 Comments

It’s been awhile since we’ve posted an update. After SXSW we spent about six weeks at home and didn’t sit still much. We took care of business, made some improvements at the townhouse and went to the Grand Canyon and Sedona with our dear Colombian friends, Lucia and Marta.

At Lucia’s favorite, El Gato Azul
Relaxing in the “old” trailer
Marta and I enjoying the fireplace on a cold day at the Grand Canyon
Lucia, Steve, and Marta on the Rim
Marta’s first up close encounter with snow!
Sedona

We also visited with many our Prescott friends and family, went to Mexico to finish up work on the condo, and Steve did a 30 mile bike race.

Well-deserved break at Banditos
Crossing the finish of the Whiskey 30 MTB race

And oh yeah, we bought a new truck and trailer to continue our RV adventures! It’s been a whirlwind but we are happy with the outcomes and are now searching for new adventures with our new home on the road. Here are some details about our new home on wheels.

We traded the Ford F250 and Grand Design Reflection 295RL for a 2023 Ford F350 long bed and a 2023 Grand Design Solitude 310GK. Our new rig is basically the same configuration as the old one but a bit bigger with more bells and whistles.

The new truck can tow a heavier trailer and has a longer bed to give us more clearance and more storage space. It also has a ton of new technology that we continue to learn how to use.

Our 2023 Ford F350. We call it “Maverick.”

The new trailer has a washer and dryer, full-sized refrigerator, and an on-demand hot water heater. The king-sized bed is also an upgrade from our last trailer.

Grand Design Solitude 310 GK
Full-sized refrigerator and pantry
My favorite new feature: W/D!!!!
Yes, I have a lot of stuff but the closet accomodates!
And the rain shower in the bathroom is pretty cool too!

So, Steve’s in love with “his” new truck, and I love our new home on wheels. Changing rigs is not without challenges but we’re working through them as we go.

We’ve already towed the trailer over 1400 miles with a quick visit with Sam in Castle Rock, Colorado. Dinner and some Flor de Caña made for a fun, rainy evening.

We’ll have plenty to report in the coming weeks. In the meantime, we’re open to questions and comments as always. We love hearing from you!!

Fresh Condo, New Friends: Another Month in Mexico

/ marniesteve / 1 Comment

We’ve just finished our second month in Puerto Peñasco, Mexico at the Playa Bonita RV park while waiting for our condo to be renovated. What a month it’s been!

February was punctuated by visits from dear friends. First we had a great weekend with Michelle and Owen May. The four of us have spent a lot of time together in Puerto Peñasco over the years, so we searched for new experiences this time, in honor of Owen’s birthday. We hit at least four new restaurants, Jessy’s, Grapes & Barley, La Negrita, and Ole Mole.

First of several visits to Jessys
Jessy’s peacock
Ole Mole
Lighted margaritas
Mole!
Salud!
Sunset at Grapes & Barley
Lunch at La Negrita

We played pickleball and visited Fernando at the Tequila Factory. Sunsets on the beach too!

Sunset on the beach
Sunset at Grapes & Barley

One Saturday we met up two of Steve’s former colleagues. Cheryl and Janie are so much fun! They even invited me to join them at Sip and Paint the next evening.

Cheryl, Steve, and Janie at Diego’s Tiki Bar
Budding artists
The final product

We had a great visit with “The Toms,” our long-time friends and now Prescott neighbors. While we missed dear Nancy terribly, we honored her by visiting some of her favorite haunts and toasting her memory more than a few times.

The Toms at Grapes & Barley
Mandatory stop at Manny’s

Dave and Peggy Armstrong, our fun neighbors from Prescott, made a quick trip down. So far they’ve visited us three times while we’ve been RVing: Montana, Alaska, and Mexico. Despite a cool and windy weekend we had a great time showing them our favorite places. They hadn’t been to Rocky Point for 40 years so there was a lot to show off and, they even got to meet our long-time friend Betty at Regina’s Mexican Cocina.

Candy Cake for Breakfast with the Armstrongs
Dave meets Betty at Regina’s
Peggy with Nancy VanPelt’s peace pole

In between visitors, we enjoyed time with new friends we met at the RV park, including one more session of Sip and Paint. Even Bob got in on some action that night!

Caren and Bob
Bev, Caren, Karen with me and Bob
Bob likes Karen from TN

One of the downsides of RV travel is making friends only to move on down the road. We’ll miss Ian, Bev & McDuff; Ken, Caren & Lulu; and Karen, Mike & Bo; and so many others we hung out with. Dinners out, sunset happy hours, and a lot of time standing around swapping stories!

Steve, Bev, and Ian
At Jessy’s with the neighbors
Dinner with neighbors at Jessy’s
Another gorgeous sunset
Happy hour with Ewa, Janus, and Michael on the beach

I’ll especially miss my “boyfriend” McDuff, the most fun poodle I’ve ever gotten to play with! Sorry, Bev, for destroying so many of McDuff’s toys!

McDuff and Ian on the beach
My boyfriend McDuff. Isn’t he cute?

From these photos, you’d think all we did was eat while we were in Puerto Peñasco. Well, that might have been true, but in the midst of all the fun, we spent time most days at the condo, following the renovation process.

While construction was to be done before we left, it wasn’t meant to be. When we departed the tile work and painting was mostly done and final details still needed to be taken care of. We are confident (fingers crossed) that it will be done and ready for renters by next weekend! Here are a few shots from the day we left.

Master bath sink without mirror
Finishing work in guest bath shower
Hallway tile is done
Deco in guest bath shower
Kitchen is in good shape

We had to hit the road. We’re currently headed east to Austin for 10 days of music, comedy, and learning at SXSW. If you aren’t familiar with one of the largest tech/music and more festivals on Earth, you can learn more here. We promise to post updates when we get there.

And the fun continues…