Querido San Pancho

Like a warm hug from an old friend, you are always welcomed back to San Pancho, no matter how much time has passed.

Cobblestone streets, colorful flags, bustling cafes on every corner. It has an international presence, attracting people from all over the globe.

Surfers, artists, musicians, doctors, engineers, hippies, bienvenidos a todos; there is something for everyone.

As luck would have it, we arrived during the annual 3 day music festival! Two stages take over the main plaza, offering a full line up of amazing talent each evening.

Locals and tourists flock in together, bringing chairs, blankets, picnics to hangout and enjoy the show!

Food and goods vendors line the perimeter, selling everything from woven blankets to South American Alfajores (stuffed with dulce de leche) to a booth selling ‘vegan sushi’… (I told you there was something for everyone 😉 )

It was an awesome way to kick off our time there together.

Rewind 20 years, I was lucky to call this place home. My family gave me an amazing, unique experience that has changed my life forever. We moved as a family; my parents enrolling all the girls into the towns public school, la secundaria. (And my younger brother into the elementary school).

I was 13 and didn’t know a word of Spanish (okay… maybe helado (ice cream), dinero (money) and baño (bathroom).

Shy as a kid, it was the best thing that ever happened to me. There were no ‘cliques’ there, everyone was included, any quinceañera, fiesta, everyone was invited and had a good time. It was the most loving, inclusive, beautiful culture to be introduced to. Nicknames weren’t mean, they were affectionate.

Friday nights, a truck unloaded foose-ball table soccer games in the plaza where we’d play for hours with our school mates for a few pesos.

Saturday nights were the DISCOS, where the town gathered to dance the night away… where we secretly had our first ‘wine coolers’ …. Dad smelled right through that mint gum …

Sunday’s were fresh pozole…

There was the stand by the hospital that sold the best burritos, Los Delfines for the best tacos … Angela’s for the famous chicken tortilla soup…

Days were spent on the beach, running through town, ranchera music and laughter filling the streets. Special friendships were made that would last forever…

It wasn’t just friendships, they gave me the gift of language and showed me a wonderful way of life. Drawing pictures and writing words – el flor, flower. It was body language and gestures…Somehow making plans and always showing up.

Moving so many times over the years, it’s one of the few places that truly feels like home, a place that I couldn’t wait to introduce to my partner in crime…

Sensory overload, it was hard to make up my mind on what we should do… so we just tried to do and eat everything haha!

It is a foodie haven… we indulged… Dolce Amore Italian food, tortas, burritos, licuados served in cactus glasses, craft beers, cafe lattes, empanadas, jugos verdes, carne asada, pastas…

The beach, jungle, surfing, a few late nights with friends, giggling and sharing old stories. It was such a special stay with J and my sweet amigos. We stayed four nights and could have easily remained for the rest of our time off…

Our finale dinner was at the Ola Rica (a family favorite restaurant). I know the owners well and we hugged, recognizing each other after all these years. They spoiled us with more drinks… we left SO FULL, I felt like a hard boiled egg.

It’s so hard to say good bye to San Pancho, so I just “hasta luego”… hasta la próxima vez que puedo volver, back into those welcoming arms. Querido San Pancho.

San Jose del Cabo

San Jose del Cabo evokes many special memories for us …epic surf trips “rip to the tip“, desconocido wave breaks, beaches privadas, burros curiosos and Cabo Ironman…140.6 miles of heart, grit …and sweat… through the incredible peninsula.

Flooded with fond recollections, we decided to treat ourselves to one night in a hotel, right in the colonial area of downtown.

While the ‘party-place’ Cabo commotion has a time and place; we’ve really fallen for the ‘girl next door’, San Jose del Cabo… less crowded, warm and charming cobblestone streets, delicious restaurants… beautiful, comfy and cozy!

Settled in for the evening, J discovered a rad new restaurant, La Lupita Taco y Mezcal, delivering the most mind-blowing gourmet tacos and a much craved margarita!

My fav was the fresh sea bass with miso infused crema….

Punta Baja

Thick, juicy, gooey MUD.

Hundreds of earthy suction cups grabbed at Pancho, trying to wrap their tierra tentacles around his svelte body.

We were a sailboat in a distressed dirt sea, dodging Lock Ness Monsters!

The roads were not prepared for all the rain; one wrong turn from El Rosario and we were fishtailing through the country side, in search of Punta Baja.

Mi Capitán pulled it off, slipping, sliding, gliding, he manned our ship through the worst of the storm.

Just as the sun was setting; we successfully anchored at our destination: Punta Baja. Man were we excited to see that light house tower.

Pancho stood strong on the point, his proud chest puffed up in the ocean breeze.

Hallelujah… We cracked a beer and took a moment to exhale and appreciate being capsize-free. That was close!

It was our first time to Punta Baja; while we experienced some chaos getting there, the discovery made up for it!

Those who seek adventure will find it! …

Rhythm of the Ranas

Our time at the Cañón de Guadalupe went by like a sweet song… rhythm of the ranas (frogs) every night and soft symphonies of little birds in the mornings.

This stay was all about ‘catching up on slowing down’ …

Morning swims in the springs, coffee, hiking, reading, (more soaking in the springs), ukulele-ing, relaxing and trying to absorb the beauty in every direction – mountain ranges and the grand ‘trono blanco’ (The White Throne) in one direction and the canyon desert oasis in the other.

3 days and nights of this lifestyle was like a wellness retreat in a “wings suit” … we felt so relaxed…rejuvenated… invigorated…ready to ‘carpe diem’ the hell out of this 3 month trip! Si… ¡FUERTE!

Directionally Challenged

We all have our strengths and weaknesses…Although it’s improved over the years, with life and traveling, I am OK admitting I can be ‘directionally challenged’ … 😉

Just give me a map and cross your fingers; you might find an entirely new destination… haha!

Finally heading South, everything was going smoothly… easy vehicle inspection and border crossing in Tecate…After the guards questioned the insulation hanging out of the back door, we were on our way!

Pulling off onto the marked dirt road, from my first ‘directions interpretation’, the camp was just 7 miles away.

It was a beautiful sunset as we bumped along the path, slowing down as parts of the way began to get a little … rougher.

As we neared the 7 mile mark, it was clear there were no camps in sight. Luckily there were sporadic signs encouraging us along.

Still in phone reception zone, I tried to pull up additional directions and found the following map:

Yea.. it was 7 miles before two roads rejoined together but a healthy total of 35 off road miles to camp… Saying good night to the last of the sun, we just broke the first rule of the trip… “Don’t drive at night”…

I like to think this doesn’t really count because we were just snailing along beside ranches and olive farms.

As the terrain became more … advanced… Pancho sounded like a shelf of fine china during an earthquake… a wiggling tray of teal jello… well you get the idea.

J was able to maneuver around boulders and creek crossings… a true ‘maestro de manejar’! And, Pancho, maybe he really did have four wheel drive…

Just as we feared we may have to turn around, we found the entrance…

Wooo hooo!

A couple emerged from the dark, guiding us to our site. After burning a little rubber, we were IN!

“¡Que aventura!” The stars were so bright, you didn’t even need headlamps.. Even in the dark, it was one of the most incredible campgrounds…

Our very own private hot springs, palapa hut and fire pit! Excited and tired, we went straight into the hot springs before calling it a night! … Buenas noches!!

Big Bites!!

I don’t think we bit off more than we could chew; we just took a REALLY big bite…;)

Like many things in life, Panchito projects averaged twice as long as anticipated which pushed our awaited take-off by a week or so.

Gnawing and nibbling our way through; we had an epiphany to stop the “rushed” feelings and enjoy this fine dining experience.

I mean, you need to enjoy the appetizer and entree before that dessert!!! Right?!

Once the floors were in, everything started coming together!

(Still working morning to night with: wall insulation… new siding… cabinets, kitchenette… the bed!)

Some nights were a cold beer and take-out in the van or garage 🙂 other evenings required something stronger… “where’s my whiskey!” Haha

The last few days, feelings of excitement are at an all time high. Completing the final touches; it’s sinking in that we’re having a rad start to 2019! Let the year begin!!

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!)

Gutted

Dawn to dusk, rain or shine,

Safe to say, it’s been a grind….

Thanks to a lot of hard work and love, especially from J, Pancho has successfully been gutted and is officially rust-free! Wooot!

The floors have been treated, anxiously awaiting their new insulation and sub flooring.

J has developed a passion for auto restoration, I’ve discovered a new affinity for power tools (vroom baby)…

I think Pancho is really rubbing off on us…

We’ve come a long way and are so pumped for this next phase of customizing our dream machine… making it OURS.

¡Si se puede!

Utah: Life Elevated

Ever think a ‘waterpocket fold’ would land in the list of things that excite you? 😉

Well, better add a bullet for this one…

Utah continues to amaze us. J has been more than me, but this third trip certainly was a charm. We really packed it in with this one:

Dead Horse Point State Park, Moab, Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, Escalante State Park, Zion National Park…

What’s the longest you can go without blinking?

A trip like this was awesome to scratch the surface, but we were left wanting more… more of each place. There was so much to take in at each location, you didn’t want to miss a moment. And, with some of the back-country dirt roads, you couldn’t really afford to…

As a little girl, I was always fascinated by rocks. I wanted to climb them, collect them, figure out what made them…A roadtrip like this was a dream. Not only the red rocks, but the incredible history and Native American presence in pictographs, arrowheads… aaahhhh!

Pancho was not ready for a haul like this, but our other road warrior, Coco Loco Moco, was up for the challenge. Complete with a rooftop treehouse (as we like to call it); it is arguably the most comfortable ‘glamp’ set up one could ask for. It was a tidbit chilly this time of year, so Mr. Heater Buddy became a close companion.

We weren’t the only ones that were cold..

Pepe, our new fuzzy fellow re-emerged every 5 minutes for one of the nights, to toast his paws by the fire. He was uncomfortably welcoming to the neighborhood which kept me on the edge of my chair for most of the evening, much to J’s entertainment. In his backyard or not, it would have been a very untimely occasion for a spritz of this special outdoorsy cologne. Yep..

Hmmm what else can I say – we were so thankful to spend this special trip with friends, families, loved ones. There were so many happy memories made; I hope when I am older, there will be a special smile wrinkle for this one.

Belay on!

Mysteries

Pancho is full of mysteries… After researching some ‘do it yourself’ YouTube videos, I felt full of ‘internet knowledge confidence’, deciding to roll up my sleeves and surprise J by removing the old carpet from the van floor.

We did have an idea that there may be more than one layer…

I mean, why pick one floor when you could have 3?! Ha! I ripped out the carpet, to find linoleum, to find old wood… While more work than I bargained for, I felt pretty proud of myself for getting the job done.

Sweaty and smiling, I think I missed my true calling as a construction worker…

Pancho definitely had some past lives… if those walls could talk! Cleaning up the last bit together, we found an old, rusted U.S. Government pen. (Favorite find so far…)

I’d like to think that he was definitely an undercover agent. Such an inconspicuous vehicle you know…

Calling it a day, it was time for Pancho’s first surf trip!

Boards packed up, playing some reggae jams, we headed to our favorite local spot. Wiggling into our wet suits, it was a very good taste of our life ahead.