Slow Baja

As a young man, Jerry L’Ecuyer landed a dream job driving a camping tour bus that shuttled young, single foreigners on camping trips throughout the United States. “I still think about that job today. It was way too much fun, and they actually paid us. It was wrong.”

A perk of the job, Jerry spent his off-seasons traveling and reconnecting with his new friends. “I learned to ski in Austria; I didn’t have a lot of worries; I was single. One of the off-seasons (1984), we did a real overland voyage from London to South Africa by truck.”

In this Slow Baja conversation, we discuss that epic four-month drive from England to South Africa in a Bedford truck—meeting his South African wife, discovering “Overland” gear, and building a brand and a lifestyle around Tembo Tusk. It’s a little behind the man and a little behind the brand today with Jerry L’Ecuyer on Slow Baja.

Check out Jerry’s San Felipe property here.

Watch this Podcast on YouTube.

Learn more about Tembo Tusk.

Get your Baja Insurance here.

Learn more about Slow Baja Adventures.

Ginni Callahan's Baja introduction started with a simple, straightforward invitation that most would dismiss as crazy: "Why don't you get a kayak, learn to paddle it, drive me to Baja, and tag along for the season?" The invitation from Kayak guide Hans Bruning changed Callahan's life forever.

In 2008, she paddled to the Pacific Baja islands of Cedros and Natividad. In 2009, she soloed to Santa Catalina, the most remote island in the Loreto National Marine Park, renowned for its endemic rattleless rattlesnakes. In 2105, she circumnavigated Angel de la Guarda Island in the remote northern Gulf of California.

In 2020, Callahan paddled solo across the Gulf of California, completing the final 55 nautical miles from Isla Tortugas to the Sonora coast in 18 hours.

When not guiding sea kayaking trips, Callahan is writing a guidebook on the National Marine Park of Loreto. She is a breast cancer survivor who wants to give hope to others undergoing that journey.

Enjoy this Slow Baja conversation with Ginni Callahan.

Watch the conversation on ⁠YouTube.⁠

Listen to the conversation on ⁠Apple.⁠

Learn more about Ginni Callahan ⁠here.⁠

Get your Baja insurance ⁠here.⁠

More information on ⁠Slow Baja Adventures⁠.

For episode number one hundred and fifty, I proudly bring you this important and thoughtful conversation with Journalist Carl Honoré. Honoré is the leading voice of the global Slow Movement. We recently spent some time at Los Sagrados Horse Sanctuary in Pescadero discussing his bestselling book "In Praise of Slowness."

In his books, lectures, and TED Talks, Honoré advocates embracing one's inner tortoise and slowing down. He criticizes the Western world's obsession with speed and promotes a more deliberate, unhurried approach to life.

Honoré not only explores the negative impacts of our fast-paced society but also champions those who have adopted a slower, more mindful lifestyle. In a world dominated by haste and diversion, Honoré underscores the importance of deceleration. He provides actionable strategies that empower individuals to not just survive, but thrive in a rapidly changing world, all while prioritizing their well-being and fostering meaningful connections.

Enjoy this Slow Baja conversation with Carl Honoré.

Watch the conversation on YouTube.

Listen to the conversation on Apple.

Learn more about Carl Honoré here.

Get your Baja insurance here.

More information on Slow Baja Adventures.

Meet Noel Bhavani Cianci, the founder and owner of Los Sagroados Horse Sanctuary in Pescadero. On a recent trip to Baja Sur, I chose to stay at Los Sagrados when I was looking for out-of-the-ordinary and “on-brand” accommodations near Todos Santos for my conversation with Carl Honoré. Carl is an award-winning author, TED speaker, and the voice of the slow movement. We found Los Sagrados quickly, just inland from Highway One, a short drive down a dirt road and behind a large locked gate. The ranch accepts guests happily. Carl stayed in a tidy stone cabin, and I chose the glamping tent. There’s a bunk room inside the barn, and camping (for a fee) is allowed. The property features a communal kitchen and bathrooms. The outdoor showers may be the best in Baja! In this Slow Baja Conversation, we discuss Noel’s background in fashion styling and the healing arts, her long love of horses, the sanctuary’s history, visiting and volunteering opportunities, and the slow vibe that permeates the property. Learn more about Los Sagrados Horse Sanctuary: https://lossagrados.org/ Get your Baja insurance here: https://www.bajabound.com/quote/?r=fl... More information on Slow Baja Adventures: https://www.slowbaja.com/adventures

Meet Jeremy DeConcini, the co-founder of Motosonora Brewing Company in Tucson, Arizona. This unique taproom, inspired by road trips, features a rotating art collection that pays homage to iconic races like the Carrera Panamericana, Baja 1000, and East African Safari Rally. With its Moto Mondays and frequent automotive events, Motosonora is not just a place to enjoy world-class beers but also to showcase your classic sports car or vintage 4x4, like my old Toyota FJ40. We’ve collaborated to launch Slow Baja Mexican Lager, a must-try for scorching summer days and is on tap for a limited time only.

In this Slow Baja Conversation, we discuss his African travels with his brother Jeff, which formed the genesis for the brewery. He shares an epic adventure from the 90s, a Baja trip with his father and three teenage brothers, which resulted in a hospital trip and a few broken bones. Buckle up, crack open a cold one, and enjoy the ride.

Learn more about Motosonora here.

Get your Baja insurance here.

More information on Slow Baja Adventures.

Thom Hill is the founder and visionary behind the iconic brand Iron and Resin. He was raised on the East Coast, attended college in Southern California, and made his first of many trips to Baja as a student in the mid-80s. After graduating, Hill lived on a sailboat and continued exploring the peninsula by water. His passion for the outdoors, surfing, riding motorcycles, and seeking solace in a vintage 4x4 shines through in his brand and work.

“Forged in Ventura, CA, in a mass-produced, disposable world, Iron & Resin is a product of “one-off” culture, where men still build, by their own hands, the craft they ride, be it water or land.”

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

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=fl9vypdv2t⁠ For 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

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

Longtime riding buddies Chris Gardiner 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 Gardiner 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 remember 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 years to 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.

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 here 

Follow Bruma - Casa 8 on Instagram here 

Follow Bruma - Casa 8 on Facebook here 

Follow Fauna on Instagram here 

Reserve a 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:

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 

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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

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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.

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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  

Follow Vinos 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 

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

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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

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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

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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.

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“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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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

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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 

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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 2019ORMHOFInduction 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.

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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.

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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!

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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.

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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!

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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.

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Check out his pet-friendly restaurant Jazamango Cafe.

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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!

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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.

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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

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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

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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.

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"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.

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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.

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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.

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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!"