Valle de Guadalupe

With storms coming in strong, we decided to give Panchito a little break, stopping in Valle de Guadalupe for a few days. Rainy afternoons + vino = enticing!

Last minute Expedia-searching we found a KILLER deal at Don Tomas Viñedo… Adorable Cabañas, right in the grape vines, for only $50/night….Yes please!

Don Tomas had a gorgeous restaurant (cool construction, open kitchen) that served up the best chilaquiles rojas I’ve ever had, accompanied with fried eggs and house made chili oils. Before we knew it, hours had past over refills of their mouth watering cinnamon coffee.

We befriended the waitress practicing our conversational Spanish and she successfully twisted our arms into generous samplings of their house wines. Pretty sure 4 or 5 came with a tasting, but as we learned more descriptive words in Spanish… “suave”, “dulce como piña”, “àcido como toronja”, “un vino complejo o alegre”…the tastings kept coming! 😉

Finally parting ways, we had an awesome time in the Valle exploring all the back roads. It must have been the rain showers; each place we enjoyed all to ourselves.

A big highlight for me was J’s surprise stop, taking me to ‘The Bodega de Queso” (Cheese Cellar). Walking in, there was sensory overload… a Disneyland of cheese that would fulfill even Ratatouille’s wildest dreams. It was a difficult selection but we did jusssssttttt fine.

Tasty adventure, sampling our way down the line up.. spicy, sweet, aged, stinky haha! We ended up selecting a few ‘favoritos’ and adding in some fresh olive tapenade and moles to-go!

Another noteworthy destination was Vena Cava. Not only were the wines delicious, the architect constructed the winery using old Ensenada fishing boats from the 60’s/70’s… very cool and unique.

We tried to eat at a new restaurant for dinner, Finca Altozano, but all we found was a couch full of perros…Bueno… ¡que lástima! …Some things will just have to wait for future vacaciones!! Dinner picnic in the room it is! 🙂

Expanding Horizons

There is something so rewarding about expanding your horizons and embracing the NEW.

Whether trying a new recipe, learning another language, watching video after video of how to properly install insulation and sub flooring… right or left brain…both sides have really been hitting the gym.

We’re talkin’ very mentally toned, if you know what I mean… 😉

We are definitely using our combined knowledge and expertise, but are embracing the NEW on a daily.

Exhibit A: Check out these floor s’mores! Yea!!

Our goal is to complete the flooring in the next day or two. And we think the ‘grey ash’ vinyl planks will compliment Pancho very nicely.

While making strides on the rebuild, we’ve also been acquiring living goodies for este viaje…el interior y la cocina…

Because when it comes to essentials, you can’t leave home without a zester…Right?

¡Buen provecho!

(On this topic, you have to try Picadillo with Plantains!)

Vacation Days

Big things happening this week:

Transmission rebuild = complete!

Vehicle registration = complete! (Thank goodness for AAA, saving us hours from the dreaded DMV). It felt pretty good getting those license plates…real official….woot!

Costco run = complete. Ha! No, not for the trip, just for life. In the midst of all this craziness, we decided it was a good idea to do a 21 day sugar detox. Stocked up on meats, veggies, almond butter, eggs…sadly had to skip the wine aisle…next time.

The reality of this trip is really starting to sink in. How often does one get to spend 3 months traveling through Mexico?! It really is a rare opportunity; J is in a unique position to make shift trades and my contract is coming to an end.

It’s crazy (for me) to digest that I only have three weeks of work left. Planning the transition, I have been sharing our plans with more and more people. The reactions have been all over the board: shocked, amused, excited, curious, amazed, skeptical, unsure, annoyed, and my favorite, genuinely happy for us.

The truth is: not enough people take vacations and time for themselves.

“Unlike every other developed nation in the world, the U.S. has no mandated number of days off for employees. About one-fourth of American workers get no paid vacation at all. Those whose employers offer it receive an average of about 10 days a year” – https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/why-vacations-matter/index.html

Even with the average of ’10 days’, over half of Americans do not use all of the vacation they earn.

Being at companies in the past, where vacation hours were accrued, I was counting those hours each pay check to plan my next adventure… I would not leave a single minute.

There are so many aspects of life, work is certainly one of them, but should not be the only one. Take the vacation days, discover somewhere new, go for a walk, lay in a hammock. You won’t regret it.

We are excited to live ‘outside the box’ for this upcoming period and fully experience all that life has to offer.

Cookies

After getting Pancho home safely, we checked him into the doctor for his first operation; rebuilding the transmission.

We have about two months until ‘Mexico go-time’ so we’re tackling the big stuff first. Parting ways, it was time to pack up the bicicletas for an adventure in the Malibu mountains…

Challenge: Phil’s Cookie Fondo.

Course consisted of: Spandex, gourmet cookies, tough climbs, burning lungs, sweat, eye watering descents, beautiful views, and did I already say COOKIES? Yes, at everrrrry aid station…sweetness!

Ex pro cyclist, Phil Gaimon, known for chowing down cookies on serious races, puts on an awesome event! Dressed up like the cookie monster, he organized several routes: Mini Chip, Sugar Cookie, Chocolate Chip and Double Fudge. (The double fudgers are walnuts! 110 miles…eeesh).

We opted for the 50 mile Sugar Cookie ride, plenty challenging with over 3,250 ft+ of climbing. It was a rad day, starting through foggy farmlands, climbing up windy narrow roads, discovering gorgeous, rocky, hilly, terrain sprinkled with horse stables and impressive ranches.

Sweet treats along the way until we found the Malibu coast for the last stretch. Right when you are about to cross over to the dark side, fatigued and in need of more calories, you ride through the finish archways to find a Michelin star meal and cold beer waiting for you. Amazing.

Of course we had to bring home some gourmet coffee…one of the best souvenirs 😊

The Bobby

I’ve learned the term ‘admiration hour’ from my other half. That perfect time of evening that calls for a cocktail, relaxation and appreciation of ones surroundings.

Touring Nashville, we found the best place to ‘admire‘ was The Bobby… A full sized bus situated on the rooftop of a hotel.

Yes, we stopped in our tracks the first time we saw it too.

It was hard to believe the cranes and manpower to make this magic bus a reality.

Cocktails in hand, we climbed behind the wheel and set off for a sunset cruise across the skyline.

Don’t want to ‘drink and drive’? Try cuddling up in one of the old diner style tables or leather couches in the back. (Extremely comfy…I think we tried them all).

There were many noteworthy bebidas and ‘hours of happiness’, but this one took the cake!

¡Salud!