Category Archives: Mexico

Turnaround Trifecta

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One would think a month living in the Winnie parked down on the farm in Texas would be enough time to get the blog caught up.  But there were farm chores to do, families to visit, projects to complete, and adventures to experience.

I hauled off and burned enough tree trunks and limbs to warrant notifying the fire department beforehand.  I reconciled a few storage sheds and helped my brother Don install some 8’ X 12’ sliding doors on the equipment shed.   I got both my passport and my tetanus shot renewed for another ten years.  And got my Mom’s dog Annie  Continue reading →

Bye Bye, Baja

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I crossed the border at Tijuana on foot, then caught the “Tijuana Trolley,” in San Ysidro bound for San Diego where my dear friend Margie picked me up. We caught up over lunch at Stone Brewing Co, then she dropped me off at the car rental place.  After a few days in SoCal, I boarded a plane from San Diego back to Texas, almost two months to the day that I left on the bus bound for San Miguel de Allende, ending in one big sweeping clockwise circle through Mexico. Continue reading →

Nacho Mama’s Tijuana

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When I told my Mom I was stopping in Tijuana on my return from the Baja, her advice was “Don’t get arrested and thrown in jail!”  Now what would prompt a mother to give such advice?   She went on to say she had always been curious about Tijuana….a place with quite a rowdy reputation over the years.

Last year when visiting Baja, I rushed through Tijuana as fast as a Continue reading →

Gringo Enclaves; Good and Bad

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Gringo Enclaves, or expat communities are common throughout Mexico. These pockets within towns where “birds of a feather” flock from the US and Canada to be together are on the rise. Ask any local and they will tell you…more and more gringos are coming.

Whether a gringo enclave is “good” or “bad” is in the eyes of the potential residente’. Some prefer blending with the local culture while having access to just a touch of familiarity, while others complain that the CostCo does not have all the same brands as it does back home. I recently read a post of someone complaining about Continue reading →

In Situ Camera Review

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I’ve been in the market for a waterproof camera for a few years now.  I can’t seem to find one that meets my need.  My last attempt was a Canon Powershot waterproof, which I had to return because it fogged up at the first sight of moisture.  Since that time, I’ve been looking, but hesitant to buy without some known recommendation.

Recently, I read a review on the Wynns blog whereby they reviewed the GoPro camera, along with several much less expensive knock-offs.   When comparing the quality versus price, one camera peaked further interest Continue reading →

Bienvenidos a La Paz!

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I really enjoyed the 17 days I spent in Baja last year.  I wasn’t ready to leave, but decided to head back for fear the unanticipated cloud cover in San Diego was prohibiting my solar panels from sustaining life in the Winnie without me.  So I left La Paz last March before I was ready to go.   I was eager to return this year and pick up where I left off. Continue reading →

Rockin’ Across the Sea of Cortez

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When I left La Paz on the Baja Peninsula last year under a cloud of melancholy, I set some intentions declaring aloud, “The next time I come to La Paz, it will be on a boat!”   As is often the case, though, I needed to be a bit more specific.  What I had in mind was a sailboat.  What I manifested instead was a ferry. Continue reading →

Mazatlan Memories: Music, Markets, and Mujeres

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I made several trips across the shipping channel from the sleepy little Isla to the historic center of Mazatlan. The small boats, or “pangas” cost less than $1 to cross. There are pulmonias (open air golf carts on steroid-type vehicles) waiting at the Embarcadero to take you to your destination, but for someone who loves to walk, it’s a great way to spend an afternoon exploring “old” Mazatlan. Continue reading →

The Password is “Fresnel”

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On my last visit to Mazatlan in 2013, there was one thing I wanted to do, but due to a commitment to meet Don in Oaxaca for New Years, there wasn’t time.    I wanted to climb “El Faro.”   And if you haven’t figured out by now, El Faro stands for
:::(drumroll):::   “The Lighthouse!” 

I knew very little about Mazatlan’s lighthouse….only that it was atop a very large hill at the end of the shipping channel, and was reported to offer spectacular views.   So given that it’s a lighthouse, and I am a self-proclaimed “lighthouse nut,” it was a must-do this visit. Continue reading →

Life on the Isla

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In picking a path through Mexico this winter, the northbound option had an extra plus in the pro vs con analysis…getting to visit with my friends Contessa and Colin.   I’ve been a follower of Contessa’s blog for years.   She is yet another example of how my life has been enriched by meeting people through blogging.  We first met when I visited the Isla back in 2013, and have kept in touch regularly since, even meeting up in the desert on Continue reading →