January | 2023 | Our Adventures

In travel, as in life, seek places that speak to your soul, add value and perspective, have both an impact and the opportunity to make an impression and provide memories for a lifetime. THOSE are your places.

Seems every winter we have been heading down to the Baja Peninsula in search of sun. We used to go to Hawaii in December to escape the snow, the ice, the cold. But we kept finding rain and crowds, so we tried Cabo one year and came upon Todos Santos. This has become our “go to” winter escape spot.

SInce we have been here so many times, we have pretty much explored the surrounding area, have visited most of the shops and art galleries, and have sampled the food at most of the restaurants. So what to do this time?

Well first off, we made reservations at a new spot, It is always a little stressful trying out a spot having never been there before….but we read all the reviews, looked at every photo we could find and said, “Let’s go for it!” And so glad we did. Named VILLAS LA MAR, the villas sit tucked into the hillside high above the ocean. Each unit has a commanding view of the Pacific and a lagoon below filled with water fowl. We sat on that deck every day and watched whales migrate past us on their way to their birthing lagoons. What a sight. (I even brought a set of high powered binoculars along so we could get an “up-close” look) Each deck was equipped with a gas fire pit…so nice when the sun set and the air turned cool. Our bed was situated such that when you woke in the morning and sat up, the entire ocean was in view. Heck, you even had a view from the shower!!!! Besides the view, we loved that our apartment had a full kitchen so we could eat in whenever we wanted. And a real plus for Heidi, every thing was spick and span, clean as a whistle. The ever so friendly and ever so helpful staff was there when needed, even loaned us a couple beach chairs, an umbrella and a cooler for our stay. The only negative, if you could call it that, was our unit was at the tippy-top, up 94 stairs. But we thought it was a good way to work off some of the weight gain we were sure to experience after eating all the delicious food this village has to offer.

Knowing the area so well, we knew where to go for a beach of our own. Our trusty little VW Polo rental did well as we navigated down dusty, rutted dirt roads until we arrived at “our” beach. There we set up our umbrella, chairs, towels and sat down to soak up the sun and read a book or two. Now and then, for no reason at all, you hop up and take a long walk down the deserted beach. And, with our cooler filled with ice and Pacifico Beer, we could enjoy a refreshment with our picnic lunch. When we tired of the sun, we headed to the nearest beach bar to partake in some guac and chips and an ice cold margarita. I know, sounds a bit boring, but that is what we love to do when we come here….pretty much nothing, void of all stress, and above all, taking in the sunshine!!!!

Last time we were here we were on the search for the best Margarita in town. This time, our quest would be the best chilaquiles. Now chilaquiles happen to be Heidi’s favorite breakfast meal. You start with fresh, fried tortilla chips, add them to a simmering Verde (green) sauce, some prefer a red sauce. Place the soaked tortilla chips at the bottom of a bowl. Add on top some Cotija cheese or queso fresco, a fried egg, some onion, cilantro, avocado, and beans (refried or whole). Delicious!!!!!! Goes well with a mimosa!!!! We tried them all over town, and voted for the one we enjoyed the most. (doesn’t take much to entertain us!!!!) Hands down, unanimous all around, the winner was DoceCuarenta….a lovely, little coffee roasting spot just out of town.

Chilaquiles at Docecuarenta – Oh So GOOD!!!

cute little spot….and they roast their coffee on the spot

It is amazing the quality food you can find in this little town. Besides DoceCuarenta, we were bound and determined to find some new dining locations. Our first find, Taller 17, a hole in the wall bakery/coffee shop. Only three customers allowed in the shop at one time, there always seems to be a line. But the wait is worth it when you exit with expertly brewed latte or cappuccino and a couple of heaven-sent cinnamon rolls. My eyes roll up into my head just thinking about those mind blowing cinnamon rolls.

Just so tiny but fill with do much goodness

We had heard of this amazing farm to table spot, just down the highway in Pescadero, Hierbabuena. As always, you drive down a dirt road for about a mile, and then there it is, in the middle of their farm. As much as possible, this restaurant pulls ingredients directly from their fields and uses only locally sourced meats and poultry. Everything was fresh, fresh, fresh. And again, the service was impeccable. But when you have Heidi along, who can resist falling in love with us?

My daughter, Jamie, from her trip down here last year, recommended Fish Tacos Santo Chilote for the best tacos in town. Our first night in town, that is where we went after we had checked into the room. And Jamie was spot on…amazing shrimp tacos and fish tacos. You add whatever extras you want on top, and then let your taste buds have a party!!!! And their margaritas were large and strong!!!!

A trip to Todos Santos is never complete without a walk-about the town. We mosey into stores, talk with the gallery owners, and try to find interesting things to photograph.

we actually brought a shaker and muddler from home so we could make our own margaritas

Every year we get a picture with Mr. Margarita at Tequila Sunrise

So, I’ll be keeping this post a bit short. We came away with tans to make everyone at home jealous. We read a couple books each. Despite the stairs, I’m pretty sure we will be taking home a few extra pounds. We found some new restaurants and place to stay. But more than anything, we enjoyed our time together here in Todos Santos. Nothing better than 10 days alone with the person you love.

Will we come again? Probably. But it is growing. More and more homes are being built. The word has gotten out. I suppose when our empty beaches start to become populated, then we will go in search of a new sleepy village on the ocean.

always like taking photos of this beautiful woman!!!

“There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.” – Beverly Sills

Kalalau, a remote beach and valley on the island of Kauai. To get there you must hike 11 miles, cross three streams, traverse up and down 3500 plus feet of elevation gain, and brave “Crawler’s Ledge”. It is considered one of the 10 most dangerous hikes in the world, for when it rains (and it does rain quite often on Kauai….there is a reason it is called the “Garden Isle”) the trail becomes as slick as ice, and the usually lazy streams you must cross can become swollen and angry and have swept more than one person to their death. Add tropical heat to the mix and sometimes powerful winds, and goats knocking rocks onto you and you have the recipe for a serious hike.

This trail was always on my bucket list, so in 2009, with the blessings of my wife, I secured a camping permit for five days and flew to Kauai with my loaded backpack, trekking poles, and an excited heart. I was lucky and had clear weather there and back, a little rain during my stay, but mostly glorious weather. I returned with tales of gorgeous sunsets, finding wild guava, lillikoi, oranges and tamarind nuts, soaking in streams, gazing at a night sky full of stars, and meeting wild and crazy people.

Unbeknownst to me, my tales of this enchanted valley reached my daughter’s ears and tickled her imagination. And she came to me and asked if I would hike to Kalalau with her. I’m 68 and not nearly in the shape I was back in 2009, but how could I say no? But first came COVID and then a massive storm caused mud slides that closed the road to the trailhead for months, but finally the trail opened up, so one morning at 3:00 am, I accessed the Hawaii State Parks website and luckily secured two permits for three nights in Kalalau. (unlike back in 2009 when you could secure a reservation a year in advance, you must now get online 90 days in advance, be sure to connect at 12:00 am Hawaii Time and quickly click on the date ninety days in advance…if luck is with you a permit will be yours)

Now my daughter is 28 and fit as a fiddle, unlike her creaky-legged father. I had three months to get in shape for this hike….so off I went each day hiking around home. I purchased two round trip tickets to Kauai, rented an Airbnb for both ends of the trip and hired a local to drive us to the trailhead. We were ready

Bright and early, just as the sun was coming up, we hit the trail. You don’t get much time to warm up, for the trail begins climbing immediately….up hill for the first mile, not a gentle incline, but up and over basalt boulders and slippery rocks, but you are fresh, you are excited to be on the trail, and even your backpack isn’t very heavy at this stage. And when you stop and turn around, you are greeted with the sun rising over the ocean and back down to your starting point, Kee Beach. And before you know it, you start descending back down to sea level and at the 2 mile mark you cross Hanakāpīʻai Stream and are at Hanakāpi’ai Beach. We stopped for pictures and then hit the trail again. But now the trail narrows and climbs up for what seems forever, till you reach the highest point of the trail at Space Rock. (800 meters)

Looking down at our starting point, Kee Beach, as the sun meets the day.

From Space Rock you descend into the next valley, Hoolulu Valley, then up again and down to Waiahuakua Valley. The Pali cliffs soar heavenward, the air quite still, the heat sweltering in this area. The backpack you thought was quite light at the beginning of the hike is now tugging at your shoulders and you keep drinking water to stay hydrated.

THE TRAIL

At about 6 and a quarter miles in you come to the second major stream crossing at Hanakoa. This is considered the halfway mark and many people stop here for the night, breaking the hike into two days…but not us, no, we refilled our water bottles and trudged on…excited to soon reach the infamous Crawler’s Ledge. Now Crawler’s ledge is a very exposed section of the trail, carved right into the cliff. There have been legions of hikers who come to this point and turn around, not willing or able to negotiate this section. Others actually crawl portions. I have never found it to be too difficult, you just watch where you are walking, one foot in front of the next, and before you know it you have made it.

Heading down toward Crawler’s Ledge…this section is actually a lot tougher and sketchier that the Ledge.

Hiking Crawler’s Ledge

Once you traverse Crawler’s Ledge you breathe a sigh of relief and know there are only 2 more miles to the beach. And while most of the tough climbs are finished, you still need to cross one more stream and descend Red Hill, known for its loose gravel and tricky footing, and exposure to the sun.

Soon you come upon the a most welcome sight, the welcome sign to Kalalau.

Jamie was so excited to reach the beach, she hiked ahead and staked out a camping spot. That left me to plod along, my legs more than a bit tired, in all honesty, downright exhausted. But I made it into camp, set up our tent, enjoyed the beach a bit and then got down to making dinner…nothing special tonight…ramen and chicken, but boy did it taste good.

The next day we lounged about the beach, explored the caves, and hiked up into the valley. Lots of guava, some oranges, but no mangoes this time of year and I could not remember where the Tamarind Tree was located. The valley is dry, result of a lack of rain this year. The sunrises and sunsets are stunning. And at night the stars truly put on a show.

A Kalalau Sunset

Morning on the beach. Love the Na Pali cliffs, worn by time and erosion.

The stars are beginning to come out, the clouds all wispy.

The waterfall where you get your fresh water and where you can wash away all the trail dust.

A Kalalau Morning

The last full day at the beach came with the threat of rain. We could see big, black clouds coming towards us and the threat of heavy precipitation. So around mid-day, we made the decision to pack up and hike to Hanakoa. This way we would be across two of the major streams and halfway home the next day should the trail be muddy and slick. We arrived into Hanakoa just as the rain started to fall. Shared a permanent shelter with a two couples who also decided Hanakoa was far enough. It was a wet night, but up early and on the trail. I think I bit the dust (mud) three times on the way back. The trail was wet and slippery. But around 1:00 or so, we marched into the parking lot at Kee Beach. We bummed a ride with a trail maintenance volunteer and he took us all the way to the rental car area at the airport. Fun guy to talk with, both his sons are world champion boogie boarders. (The Hubbards….they make Hubboard Boards) The next day Jamie and I vegged out at a beach and ate as much as we possibly could eat….good to have something other than trail food.

I have to say, the trip was a challenge for me physically. I just didn’t train the right way, didn’t do enough hills, didn’t hit the stairmaster enough. But I spent a week with my daughter, in one of the most beautiful spots in this world. It doesn’t get much better than that!!!!!

Will I do it again? Perhaps!!!!!