Sunday, May 09, 2010

La Paz get-away


I'm way behind on my posting. I'll start with the trip to La Paz we took around the third week of April. The intent was to meet our friends, the Browns, after their sailing jaunt that took them from mainland Mexico to the La Paz marina. They had been on the Sea of Cortez for a couple of months and were in La Paz to prepare for the sail back to Loreto. The plan was for Robert and Allison to climb on-board while Ann and I drove their car back to Loreto. The crew would island hop up the gulf ending at Puerto Escondido four days later. A nice introduction to sailing for beginners.

The Browns recently purchased their boat with plans to spend the next year sailing throughout the gulf. It's an experience they want to enjoy as a family, island hopping, living minimally, freely. It's also an exercise in space management: it's a 35-ft boat, not much room to roam. Our Airstream is smaller than that, but we have the option of stepping onto land when we get the urge--and there's no sea-sickness. Also, being on the water requires full-time attention: once we're parked and set up we're done. I think part of the appeal for them is that team effort that is necessary to keep a boat afloat. Their children are gaining skills and confidence being part of the crew. Everybody has a task to perform.

While in La Paz we stayed at the El Moro on the Malecon; not a bad spot and very close to the Marina. We had two great meals at local restaurants, one the name I never got, but the other called, Caprichos, right off the square where the cathedral stands. The most memorable meal, however, was the deep-fried hot dog from Sam's Club. Yes, what's a trip to La Paz without a Sam's run? I forgot to mention that we caught a ride to La Paz with our good friends and neighbors, the McCormicks. We spent a day following them around on their shopping adventures. We spent practically a whole afternoon in Home Depot lounging at one point around a patio setting in the outdoor section. I actually forgot I was in Mexico until we stepped outside again.

On a side note: The Browns drove us to a magical spot south of La Paz called, Gran Sueno. We were surprised at the luxury of this hidden resort in the middle of nowhere. It was essentially a mini-kingdom built by a real estate magnate from San Diego. Gorgeous grounds, a grand playroom with a miniature train running under the ceiling, an immaculate horse stable with a handful of well-groomed horses, tennis courts, a golf course, a chapel, and a swimming pool with a rock slide were just a few of the amenities. The place was created by someone with family fun in mind--definitely a person who values kids and playfulness. We spent the whole day there lunching, lounging, exploring. It is definitely a place I would like to re-visit. The next day Ann and I saw the crew off and headed back towards Loreto.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

wow, Kelli, this is simply beautiful. Looks like paradise to me!