Baja, Baby, and Me

Twas the night after Christmas, and all through the Villa, not a creature was stirring, not even Lobo, the dog...and then my nephew who is only two (and a half) spewed all over his bed (and my mother's)...

Lobo, the friendly neighborhood dog, showing us the way to La Picazon.

Ah, yes, Baja for Christmas with the family was a mix of beauty and well, "hot mess" moments. Despite the imperfections of our experience (my nephew's brief bout of upset tummy due to licking the restaurant floor like a puppy and a freak rainstorm with chilly weather), I highly recommend Loreto, Baja as a destination for every budget-conscious traveler, family included. 

Let me back up a bit to last November. More specifically, a dreary day in a hospital bed (mine) where I dreamed up a sunny, warm beach with delicious food and effortless travel, and this is what I found: Villa Linda Mar, a few miles north of Loreto. With the help of an unexpected inheritance, my mother decided to make this dream come true for me and the rest of my immediate family, nephew included.

Loreto, decorated for Christmas

I can't believe in all these years of living on the West Coast, that I have never traveled down to Baja. It is such a short day of travel (comparatively)--just two short flights, and suddenly we were transported from a cold, dark winter landscape to a sunny, desert winter. 

We hopped into our rental cars (two compacts from MexiCar) to drive the short distance from the airport to Loreto. In hindsight, we should have booked a giant 4x4 vehicle, because many of the roads, including the one to our villa, were bumpy, rocky dirt roads. However, driving slowly and carefully, we managed to traverse with our compacts with no issue, but still, I would have felt more confident with big tires!

Our hosts, Linda and Yohannes were warm, kind, and inviting. On Christmas Eve, Yohannes fired up his wood-fired pizza oven and hosted a pizza party for us and the rest of the guests. We even knocked about a pinata snowman much to the delight of my nephew and the rest of us watching my nephew knock the pinata with a look of "are you sure I should be doing this" perplexity. I haven't laughed that hard in a long, long time.

The view from our rooftop patio in Villa Linda Mar

From the Villa, we walked to the local restaurant, La Picazon, where Alejandro and his wife served up delicious sea-inspired meals and warm hospitality to our family. The laid-back atmosphere was so inviting; Brown, their little wiener dog, jumped on my husband's lap one chilly afternoon when we were the only guests during an unseasonable rainstorm. It was our kind of place!

When we weren't stuffing ourselves at La Picazon, we combed the beach up and down from Villa Linda Mar discovering what the tides washed up each morning. I have never seen such a variety of colors and shapes in shells. Warning! You are not supposed to pocket these treasures which could be confiscated at the airport upon your return. I opted to take pictures of my treasures (an embarrassing amount of pictures and treasures).

My treasures

We did leave the comfort of our villa and made the bumpy journey into town for provisions. We didn't eat out in town too often simply because it was more convenient to eat at "home"; however, we did hit up a few restaurants. We visited La Palapa for a providential, necessary pitstop (more than one of us were desperate for a "potty" stop) for lunch one day. It is a lovely, open-air restaurant where you can watch the chefs cook your meal over their grill. I devoured my giant plate of chile rellenos, and my brother sang the praises of the fish tacos for the rest of the week. My nephew enjoyed the outdoor atmosphere and mostly kept busy watching for birds that flew in and out of the space. On our beach day, we ate breakfast at Cafe Ole which was crowded with locals, so we knew we were in for an authentic treat. I had chilaquiles, the breakfast of champions, and my husband had the super breakfast burrito. Incidentally, he did not eat lunch that day--the burrito was truly super. My husband, a microbrew enthusiast, enjoyed sampling the locals brews at El Zopilote Brewing Company. I enjoyed their black bean tamale soup--one of my best meals in Loreto, despite it being more of U.S. type pub-restaurant.

Baja is loaded with family-friendly activities. If the weather had been more cooperative, we could have taken advantage of the kayaks at Villa Linda Mar, or even swam or snorkeled from the beach, 20 steps from our backdoor, but the conditions were not favorable. We also could have booked a snorkeling tour through Land and Sea which came highly recommended to us by some fellow guests. Again, the day we had hoped to take this tour is also when the wind and rainstorm hit the shores. Instead, we took our compact cars on an adventure to Playa Juncalito which was a little difficult to find. Going down to the beach we took a road that looked somewhat like a mule trail, but once we were at the beach, we noticed the larger, more respectable road to the beach and took that one out. I must admit that I nearly refused to drive the mule trail and searched for another road to the beach. When one was not readily found, I sucked up my fears and drove down the trail. No damage down. At Juncalito, you can enjoy the sandy beach under some palm frond umbrellas, or you can take a trail (really a road for a 4x4) to two hidden coves. Both are ideal for snorkeling (which we didn't do--I so wish I had packed my snorkel) and empty of people. 

"Our" hidden cove at Juncalito

Another day, my husband and I drove up into the mountains to visit the San Javier mission. This trip is one of those "the beauty is in the journey" type trips. The road up (which is now paved -- many sites warn of a dirt road) not only should be driven slowly for safety reasons (we crossed water on several parts plus a rocky, steep construction zone) but also to enjoy the muted colors of the desert. We stopped many times to walk around just to see what we could see. There is a petroglyph site along the way which we passed on the way up and missed on the way down. My brother had been before and said that it isn't too exciting, but maybe he was just telling me that so I wouldn't be horribly disappointed.  Either way, it is at the first water crossing (I believe this due to all the cars parked which at the time I thought was foolish in case of flash-flooding). We didn't see a sign, but supposedly there is a sign marking the area. The town and mission itself is definitely the worth the winding road up. I am a fan of old "stuff", and this mission is definitely old, dating to 1697. I enjoyed the architecture and the solemnity and grandeur of its setting. We stopped for lunch a tiny burrito stand opposite of the church which felt like a true Baja experience--no Amercanized burritos here. This is the real deal. 

Exterior of San Javier

One of our discoveries on the road to San Javier

From a roadside informal viewpoint with Loreto in the far distance

Our trip was brief: short and sweet. Given a chance, I would definitely make my way to Baja again. I think, though, next time we will drive down with camping gear in order to experience more of the coastline. However, we would definitely stop again in Loreto and stay at Villa Linda Mar. Paradise, indeed.

The road to Paradise, a.k.a., Villa Linda Mar

The 101 on the Highway 1

After the Big "C" (shh, cancer), my body was feeling weary from the ordeal, and our typical summer vacation was sounding too strenuous. We needed a soul-soothing, body-refreshing trip that was also budget friendly (yikes, medical bills). My husband's father lives in Morro Bay, and we decided that would be a perfect destination for a road trip.

We hopped into our Honda with a pile of camping gear and a our little dog, too, and headed south on the "5" to the "101" to the "1". (Do I sound like a Californian?) Both of us were born in California: he in the valley, me in the rolling hills of the Northern Coast. I was hoping to find my birthplace (a hippie cabin built with a Swiss Army Knife and a saw in the middle of nowhere). We didn't, but the scenery tugged on some innate part of my being, calling me home.

The first part of the "1" is slow moving; often a one lane road through a forest of madrone and oak trees, up and up and up until you break through and arrive at the Pacific Ocean. All of the sudden it is there, in your face, with wild hills, rugged rocky shore-breaks, and a scent of honey of in the breeze.

Our first stop was the famed Agate Beach at Patrick's Point State Park. When planning our trip to California, I was disappointed at how many natural areas do not allow dogs beyond the campground. Agate Beach is no exception. I know there are good reasons behind these rules, but it is frustrating when you are trying to visit the region with your furry travel companion. At Agate Beach, we left the pup basking in the sun in the car (with the windows cracked, of course--her optimal outdoor temperature is 85 or more) while we walked down to the beach. In Oregon, it is common to find lonely beaches to stroll on (with your dog), so I was a little stunned by how many people were strolling along Agate Beach with giant agate-collecting contraptions. There were hundreds!! I am exaggerating, but there were at least fifty or so.

Agate Beach is aptly named, because every square inch is covered with ocean-polished stones. Both of us love to sit for hours on a pile of pebbles looking for the perfect rock. I was happy to find some agates, snap a shot for memory (I didn't want to weigh down my pockets), and urged my husband back up to the car to rescue the dog (who didn't need any rescuing and was quite annoyed we woke her up and proceeded to stand shivering on the grass while we ate our picnic lunch).

We didn't stay at Patrick's Point, but instead pitched our tent at Gualala Point Regional Park for the first few nights of our road trip, because dogs are allowed on the beach and on the nature trails along the bluffs above the beach. Win-win! The campground itself was dark and buggy -- I completely forgot the time of year meant mosquitoes. I hate the blood-suckers. However, once you are on the trail to the beach and venture either beachside or up the bluffs, the bugs are nowhere to be found! We walked many miles back and forth and up and down the nature trails. We also were content to sit on the pebbly beach and hunt for agates. The town above the park, also named Gualala, has everything a traveler needs, including one of the best Mexican meals that I have had in a LONG time. Maybe it was because we were starving, or maybe because it was the best, I don't know, but the chilaquiles were delicious at Antonio's Tacos. The waitress warned me that they were spicy, but I love spice and for me, they weren't spicy at all. In fact, I doused it with some of their homemade salsas and escabeche, and then I had a fire in my mouth! Yeah baby.

 Our drive down to Morro Bay was grand and picturesque. We were trying to make it to our motel by check-in, so we didn't stop too often. I did, however, snap several pictures from the car.

Fort Ross was unfortunately closed. The camp host at Gualala said it was of historical interest in regards to the Russian history of the area. We were sad to have missed it.

Monterey was incredibly touristy, but we enjoyed walking around and eating a delicious fish sandwich on the wharf at Domenico's. They have a grab-and-go out front that made walking with the dog and eating lunch hassle-free.

We finally arrived at Morro Bay in time for a sunset stroll and dinner with dad. We stayed at the Morro Bay Sandpiper Inn which is inexpensive, simple, and has all that a traveler needs: clean comfort. The location was perfect with a great view of the Morro rock and a short walk to downtown and the boardwalk.

We rented a double kayak at The Kayak Shack to tour around the estuary.  This was our pup's first boat ride, and not only did she handle it well, she loved having a front row seat to view all the bird life. We were hoping to see otters, but we did not paddle out far enough to see them. They are usually hanging out by the haystack rock at Coleman Park. I highly recommend kayaking, and we were completely satisfied with our rental--a fair price and friendly service. The Morro State Park is also host to a Natural History Museum and a wildlife viewing boardwalk.

Our living figurehead

Along the boardwalk in the estuary at Morro State Park

We mostly were treated to delicious home-cooked meals, but our last night there, we had a meal at Hofbrau, a German restaurant. The food was typical German-fare and scrumptious! I went for the traditional meal of sauerkraut and sausage, and I felt momentarily transported to one of my past Eastern European travels. We also found a spot out on the patio and were serenaded to by passing sea lions. A sea otter stopped to play for a while below our feet and taunt the puppy. Not a bad way to end a pleasant, relaxing trip.

All those brown lumps are sea otters sunning themselves.

Epic Icelandic Adventure

This post has been one year and six months delayed due to the big C, (in-a-whisper), cancer that I discovered in my right breast. This trip was my go-to happy place during every surgery, every chemotherapy, every radiation blast, and every other unpleasant prodding, probing, and needle poke.

But that's not where this story begins: it begins on a chilly, gray day in Reykjavik in June 2015. After a rather (thankfully) uneventful day of plane travel, we reached the most beautiful place in the world (according to my top 10 list, yes). I had booked us a trip with Gray Line tours to the Blue Lagoon which my cousin deemed as a "must do". In addition to her recommendation, the thought of soaking in milky, blue waters during the last few months of school were a lifesaver for me and my husband.

To catch the bus, we were directed to wait in a vacant-looking parking lot. The wind was spitting icy pellets of rain in our face, and we huddled together for warmth, wondering if we were in the right place. Eventually, other jet-lagged, weary travelers congregated beneath the bus shelter with us; each of us confirming that we were all waiting for the same bus.

Waiting for a warm bus, pre-soak

Eventually, the bus appeared, and we were whisked away through a highway of moss-covered lava to the Blue Lagoon. Now, I read up on many, many others' experiences of the Blue Lagoon to determine if the trip and money were worth the detour, and so many people (mainly my fellow Americans) balked at the shared shower (nude!) experience. I don't know where these people go to for gyms, but here in my hometown, the gym/pool showers are communal, open, and yes, nude, so I didn't think that was a big deal. Oh no, the nudity was not an issue for me, the ticketing and line situations as described by the Blue Lagoon video seemed incredibly intense and complicated, thus amplyfying my pre-travel anxieties. I am glad to say that the experience was NOT scary at all. Yes, there was a line, but honestly, they have it figured out, and despite a moment of me temporarily thinking someone stole my REI travel towel (she didn't, we just happened to have the exact same one, and I forget which numbered bin I stuck mine in), it was a luxuriously, anxiety-freeing experience. We did not take any pictures of ourselves in the blue waters, because, well, that seemed to cross our touristy line.

Post-soak...much more relaxed

I do recommend starting your visit to Iceland in this manner. Yes, only tourists visit the Blue Lagoon. Yes, it is a man-made "hot pot". Yes, it is expensive. Yes, it is a "must do". We arrived, via our Gray Line bus, to our final destination, the Hotel Odinsve, relaxed and ready for a nap.

I snagged a deal on Hotwire for our first nights' stay in Reykjavik; otherwise, this hotel would have been out of our price range. When we arrived, the clerk could not check us in, because, as he put it, "all the women are gone". Most Icelanders speak English, which is awesome, because I found Icelandic to be a little beyond my linguistic capabilities, but this particular clerk's English was not so fluent. He tried to explain that all the women went to the Square to celebrate Women's Day in Iceland, and as he was a new hire, he didn't quite know the hotel's computer system. We didn't have to wait too long before the women returned from their celebration. I am willing to wait to allow for solidarity among women plus the lobby of Hotel Odinsve was plenty comfortable, and we took the opportunity to plan the rest of our day: nap, shower, dinner at the adjoining restaurant, SNAPS, whose aromas from the kitchen filled the lobby, enticing us to eat there. Eventually, we were checked in and enjoyed our itinerary, especially our dinner at SNAPS. It was a splurge for us, but our meal was refined and delicious: mussels for me, lamb for him. And thus began our epic journey through Southern and Western Iceland.

Reykjavik

Our view from our room at the Hotel Odinsve

Inside the Harpa music hall

The famous Sun Voyager sculpture which we encountered on a walk from Harpa.

Hallgrímskirkja was a short walk uphill from our hotel.

Flóran, a cafe inside the botanical gardens: a longer walk from our hotel, but was a beautiful place to visit.

Try finding the "Micro Bar", a place for beer aficionados who like craft beer. Hint, it is hidden behind the lobby of a downtown hotel.

Tjörnin, a small lake downtown. Beyond the columned building is the BEST breakfast in town: BERGSSON MATHÚS.

We chose to rent a car and stay in two other locations, Hvolsvöllur in an apartment and Reykholt in the beautiful Hótel Á, because after the school year, we wanted a relaxing holiday without tons of driving. Many people opt to drive the whole "Ring Road" around Iceland. More power to them, but the idea of driving every day was not appealing. We wanted a home base from which we could hike and enjoy the scenery. And, oh, how we did!

Hvolsvöllur Day Trips
The town itself is small, and the restaurants are...well, let's just say, we opted to cook-in. There is a great grocery store on the main road, and it had everything we needed for our meals. The location is perfect. We were able to visit two spectacular waterfalls (Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss) and hike around, take the ferry to Heimaey (one of the Vestmannaeyjar islands), stroll along the black beaches of Vík, and rappel (well, more like take a window-washer-type elevator) down the throat of a dormant volcano!

Seljalandsfoss 
This waterfall can be seen from the main highway and is a popular destination for tour buses. Despite the crowds, it is worth a stop, and if you keep on the trail to the west, there is a "hidden" waterfall behind a short canyon that is a magical destination.

The hidden waterfall

You can walk behind the main waterfall, but be prepared to get wet.

Skógafoss
This waterfall is also right off the Road 1, and it is definitely worth a stop. Yes, it is crowded, BUT if you take the trail up and behind the waterfall, you will be rewarded with incredible vistas and a million more waterfalls. Plus, as you continue on, the crowds thin out, and you may find a picnic spot just for you and the sheep.

One of the million waterfalls along our hike.

The tiny, fluffy dot is a sheep in a quintessential Icelandic moment: waterfall, sheep, and rainbow.

If I had panned to the left or right, I would have captured the hundreds of visitors, but it is possible to find solitude.

Heimaey, Vestmannaeyjar 
We chose to do a long hike up and down and around the two cinder cones on this tiny island, and I am so glad we did. We met only a few other hikers along the way, and we were able to see the island from all angles. This island visit is a MUST DO! We could have stayed the night, but I feel like we were able to hit all the highlights in a day. Sadly, the only puffins that I saw were in the water on the ferry ride. There are puffin tours, and we could have done that, but we opted for the free self-tour with an inexpensive picnic lunch. We ended our day of sightseeing at the Slipurrin restaurant which was one of our best meals in Iceland. My mouth waters at the memory of fresh-caught fish steeped in a buttery, herbaceous sauce. I am so glad we ventured out to this island. It is one of our most favorite adventures from our trip.

The first cinder cone was not exactly a marked trail (at least we didn't find one) and was quite steep. I needed many moments to rest my quivering knees.

The second cinder cone is the more popular hiking destination and has a museum about the island's volcanic history (quite a dramatic and recent one) at the base.

We also visited the "ghost town" from a recent 1973 eruption: eerie yet picturesque.

Heimaey

The Road to Vík
I read many blogs that demanded we visit the famed black sand beaches of Vík, and we figured that we could also make a stop at the 2010 eruption site of Eyjafjallajökull and possibly make it to the James Bond filming location, Jökulsálón (too far, we didn't). The beaches were beautiful and perhaps warranted a longer stay, but dinner was calling back at our home base, so we went for a short stroll--maybe next time.

Many footprints = many tourists

We geeked out at the eruption placard (my husband teaches Earth Science).

Inside the Volcano
I saved the pièce de résistance for last: our tour, Inside the Volcano. We never go on "tours". First, they are expensive. Secondly, they are usually full of people. We like to be where few tourists go, but how can an Earth Science teacher pass up an opportunity to go INSIDE a volcano? One can't. Yes, it was expensive. No, it wasn't full of people--they can only take a limited amount of people inside the volcano at a time. We met our tour at a ski resort between Reykjavik and Hvolsvöllur, and then after a short walk through a lava field, and some snow, we met in a hut where they were serving up delicious lamb stew and hot beverages (part of the tour's price). Then, we geared up and "rappelled" down the volcano. In short, this is an amazing experience that is worth every, single, aurar.

That's the volcano!

The Indiana Jones in me was thrilled.

Seriously, like a kid in a candy shop...

Western Iceland
After our time in Southern Iceland, we drove our trusty Skoda to Western Iceland and our favorite stay, Hótel Á, whose owners treated us like family and whose location is a fly-fisherman's and hiker's paradise.

On the Road to Hótel Á via Þingvellir
We took the scenic route (okay, every road in Iceland is the scenic route) to our Western Iceland stay through the Þingvellir National Park as well as through a fjord that is home to the last-standing whaling station. The route was worth the extra hours in the car, and we were able to stop many times to stretch our legs and click our cameras. Note: gas stations in Iceland are perfectly acceptable and recommended pit stops; however, it is rude to simply use the facilities without purchasing an item.

Kerid -- a crater lake of sorts

The original geyser

Gulfoss, crowds and all

The continents splitting apart - another geeky moment for the science teacher

Hvalfjörður is a LONG, yet stunning detour. We opted for the underwater tunnel on our way back to Reykjavik.

The view from our room at Hótel Á of the River Á

Hiking Around Reykholt and Húsafell
The tiny towns of Reykholt  and Húsafell (not far, but not close to our hotel) is a central location for amazing hikes up mountains and around waterfalls plus a limited tour of an ice cave, all of which are worth every step. It is also an important historical location, home to Snorri Sturluson, father of many a saga, and his famous bathing pool.

Barnafoss, a waterfall where children drowned--see the plaque below

Hraunfossar, one of the widest waterfalls in the world

Atop a mountain with the Langjökull glacier in the distance

Snorri's bathhouse

Thumbs up for danger at Deildartunguhver thermal spring

Another hike outside of Husafell along a hot water pipe

VÍÐGELMIR CAVE - We booked a tour through Fljotstunga Farm, but it looks like they are no longer doing that. Too bad, because it was a real personal experience led by one of the farm's artist-in-residence.

Snæfellsnes Peninsula - Another Day Trip
We almost stayed out on the peninsula, but I found most of the lodgings to be incredibly expensive. In the end, we opted for a day trip with short hikes. The scenic drive, again, was well worth it. In the future, I would shell out the extra dough and stay a night or two or more.

Kirkjufell? I don't think so, but I like to think so.

The hike from Hellnar to Anarstapi

The sea looked so inviting

Interesting roadside stop to walk among ancient ruins of Vikings' fish-drying huts. They look like pile of rocks from a distance.

Am I in the movie, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty?

Tak Iceland, Tak You Very Much
Sadly, our adventures had to come to an end. We decided to stay in Keflavik near the airport to make our lives (and early morning departure) easier. Even though it was our last day, we packed in some more scenery and historical moments. Our stay at the Hotel Berg was lovely (another deal I snagged on Hotwire) and included breakfast and a ride to the airport. Our rental car agent was kind enough to drive us from the airport to the hotel. Icelanders, often known for their reserve (compared to Americans), are kind hosts.

Fossatún, complete with trolls

A life-size viking ship at Viking World in Reykjanesbær 

Across from Viking World, the petting zoo complete with the rare Icelandic goat.

The harbor in Keflavik with Hotel Berg in the distance as well as a Troll's house. For reals.

A windy walk behind Hotel Berg on the lupine-covered bluffs.

Iceland has been discovered by travelers from all over the world, and it is difficult to find solitude among the lava and the puffins, but we managed to do that often and create a magical, memorable trip that has carried me through many a rough day. The rumors of expensive food, etc. are somewhat true, but we were able to eat well, book a few tours, shop for yarn (duh), rent a car, stay in comfortable lodgings, fly nearly nonstop, and thoroughly enjoy ourselves for a grand total of $5000-ish. Yes, that's a whole lot of green, but we put away money each month throughout the school-year knowing that we would have the trip of the lifetime, and we certainly did. Tak Iceland. þakka þér kærlega fyrir (I think that means "thank you very much".)