This is my kind of retail store....  Livin the Dream!

Cerritos Beach, Baja Sur

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Alpha, Bravo, Man Down, Come in, Over...

This just in! Stevie loves to seek out and explore shallow, sharp rocky reefs while surfing. You've read about the first time she went out here right? Coral in the feet, tweezer surgery, Tequila for pain killers, right? Well, the next time we went out she caught an amazing wave. It was perhaps the best ride she's ever had. She shredded it. But after the ride she decided to paddle into an enormous rock garden for no apparent reason other than marine life exploration. Does she have some Jacque Cousteau in her that I don't know about? Today we ventured out again and she caught another great ride. This particular wave deposited her quite close to a rocky cliff. I expected to see her hauling ass back outside the break like her life depended on it. But instead I watched her wave and smile to the tourists on the cliff. Then she fixed her pony tail and looked up into the sky for some reason. By that time a new set of waves came in and pushed her into the rocks. By the time I got there it was everything I could do to push her back outside the break. The last push I gave her was over the face of a wave that then picked me up and dropped me back on the reef. I came up with a broken surf board. Ok ok, life is NOT really crap. Life is amazing. But please witness the newest Family Rule...

Family Rule #13 - Rocks are not your friend. Stay away from rocks. Do not explore rocks. Rocks are hard. Rock may lurk anywhere. If you find yourself near rocks, paddle harder. Help may or may not be on the way.

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Rockin Cabo and its Bueno

Miguel and Miranda have an extra studio room and they've opened up their home to us, so we're gonna hang here for a bit. It's totally bad ass because they live outside Cabo in an all-Mexican neighborhood. We love it. Last night Miguel cooked up pollo con chili from scratch, and we drank beer, wine, and Havana Club Rum! Their house is currently under construction. Miguel bought the dirt lot and has been building the house piece by piece over the last couple years. The construction is concrete and takes a ton of work and time. They've done all of it themselves with the help of a couple friends. Inside they've decorated the walls with their own artwork, and outside graffiti art covers several of the walls. It's legit. 
Our plan is to stay here another week. The surf has been great, so we will exercise family rule #7, "Never leave waves to look for waves". There is internet so we can work, and now we have new friends to hang out with. After a week we'll head back up to La Paz to see my Mom. She'll be there on vacation. Then it's on to the ferry and off to the mainland. Word. Out. TREE

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New Friends in Cabo

We've been fortunate to meet two new wonderful people here in Cabo. Miranda is an Ex-Pat from San Francisco and her Husband Miguel is from Mexico City. 

Miranda and Stevie have a girlfriend in common back in the States, and that was our connection to them. Yesterday I took Miguel surfing for his first time ever and he did amazing! He followed me right out to the line-up, way outside the break. At first he was nervous but after a while he settled right in. I would have been nervous too paddling a board covered in flowers, but it was the only board we had for him and he rocked it like a star! 

He and I had a blast paddling around while the ladies kicked it on the beach with the dogs. Afterwards we hit up a locals taco shop that blew our minds! The best we've had in Mexico for sure. Miguel has been helping us practice spanish as well.  My favorite new word... "Relajate". TREE

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2 Weeks In, Life is good

Well, we've been South of the border now for 2 weeks and we've found quite a rhythm.  Everyone seems to love it. Stevie loves the warm weather and practicing her Spanish with the locals. Kiki LOVES being able to go anywhere we go, off leash. I love the warm water surfing and abundance of Tecate, which I've adopted as my primary hydration source. I now use water only as a supplement (Stevie does not agree with this). We've been living off the grid for 2-3 days at a time, doing the "urban bivy". We follow those days with a night in an RV Park or Hotel. These range between $15-$25 per night and offer internet, laundry, and hot showers. We've been cooking most of our meals, not because the food is expensive but because we're trying to eat healthy.

Over-all, here is what our Mexican lifestyle is running on average...
$11.79 - Food per day per person
$13.18 - Lodging for entire family per night
$14.01 - Gas per day (1496 miles traveled)

The things we love most so far include...
1) Ability to openly drink alcohol on the beach without having to hide or worry about a $250 ticket
2) Ability to take Kiki on the beach without having to hide or worry about a $400 ticket
3) Tacos and real salsa. Good Tequila and Tecate
4) Warm weather and ocean temps
5) Surfing in board shorts surrounded by Mexicans
6) Meeting Ex-Pats who love to travel as much as we do

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Ouch, Surfing Reef Breaks

Today was my first day surfing in international waters. It was a disaster.  There was no parking in the lot we needed to be in, so we parked several blocks down the coast and paddled 30 minutes back up to the wave (each way) - or, as Tree would say, long enough for me to know that he really loves me. The surf report said that the waves were 3-5 feet. Tree confirmed the size, but I'm pretty sure they were double overhead. I tried for three of them but didn't quite ride any per se.  After a couple hours of paddle paddle paddle, my arms were boneless. Then came the hard part: getting back to shore. Tree pointed to where I was supposed to aim, but somehow I wound up 300 yards from that spot in the middle of a gigantic coral reef and rock garden. Quite quickly it became clear that either me or Xanadu were going to have to take a hit. I protected my board with my life, and she made it out unscathed. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for my feet. I have well over 10 pieces of coral still stuck in my feet, and that's after Tree and I surgically removed a bunch earlier today. I think I'll wait a couple days until the waves get a little smaller before going back out! STEVIE

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Todos Santos - All The Saints

We left Loteto a couple days ago, missing the big earthquake there by mere hours. I’m starting to feel like we’re sailing under a lucky star! The other night we were bivied in Todos and someone pounded on the van door. It was our friend Mark Olson from Surftech. He’s been following the blog and spotted our van parked on a side street. Totally random. He invited us to his friend’s beach house and we kicked it there for a night. The bros gave us great information on where the danger spots are in mainland Mexico.  Looks like we’re going to skip some really good sections of Mexico in order to avoid Cartel controlled roads and territory. Our motto once we hit the mainland is “We Take No Chances”. However today we're in Baja. The weather is beautiful. The internet plentiful. Good waves still remain elusive though. We drive up and down the coast looking for swell, but only find wind. Today we're heading to the south cape with hopes of picking up the SW swell coming in this weekend. This will be the farthest southern point we will travel in Baja before heading back to La Paz where we'll catch the ferry to the mainland. TREE

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Back to the source...

Yesterday, we drove from Loreto back to the pacific side, zigzagging our way south. Early evening, we arrived in Todos Santos, un pueblo magico filled with art galleries, bookstores, and outside cafes fit for smoking cigarettes and planning revoluccions!!! 

 First things first though, we drove to the beach to check out the waves and search for a campsite. As it turned out, we found neither of the things we were looking for, but we stumbled upon something even better. We met some fellow Americans at the end of the dusty, two mile stretch of washboard road to the beach who asked us if we wanted to release fresh hatched sea turtles into the ocean. Ummmm, let's see, YES YES YES!!! Who wouldn't want to do that?  We met up with their friend, a local woman who assists in La Liberacion de las Tortugas (the liberation of the turtles) each year. She had a bucket filled with about 60 adorable little guys all squirming eager-like, itching to make their way back to the source. First, we had to rub our hands with sand though to be sure all of our natural oils were off our skin so that one day, if all goes well, they'll make their way back by scent to the very same beach to lay their eggs. For the same scent-on-the-sand reason, you can't just huck them in the water to give them a head start either.  We had to release them about 20 feet from the surf (that's got to be 2 miles in baby turtle distance) and then cheer them on from the sidelines as their tiny half-inch flippers made slow and awkward attempts to hoist their bodies forward. Amazingly enough, they all made it!!! Hooray Tortugas!! May you have a safe journey- Stevie 

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Chillin in Loreto

We've made our way down to Loreto and set up shop at  sweet little RV park in down town. We're 5 blocks from the square which is easy traveling on the bikes. For $16 a night we've got full hook-ups, laundry, and good internet. It's a sweet little town with some beautiful old buildings. We'll hang here for a couple days and work. It looks like there may be a SW swell building on the Pacific side later in the week. If it does, we'll either head over to Scorpion Bay or down to Todos Santos to surf. I'm so ready for some waves! TREE

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Punta Chivato

A couple days ago we received an amazing gift that came in the form of an invitation. Our good friend Eric from Oregon told his friend Jean about our trip. Jean is an Ex-Pat and has been living in Punta Chivato for 5 years. This small community is at the end of a rough 8 mile dirt/rock road that empties into the Sea of Cortez. It happened to be right on our path heading south. Her invitation was simple. It said, “don’t bother calling or committing to a time, just show up. You’ll be greeted with a bed, a meal, and good conversation”. We accepted and received that and SOOO much more. Jean is a warm glowing human being. She opened her home and we spent 2 days eating, drinking, talking, and laughing. She sent us out on her Quad and we explored the hills and beaches of Punta Chivato. She gave us names and places to visit down the road, and she inspired us with her warm spirit and love of Mexico. Thank you Eric for the introduction and thank you Jean for being you!

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Open Your Eyes

Kiki enjoys a sunRISE on the Sea of Cortez

We camp with the locals whenever possible

In Spanish Abreojos means “Open Your Eyes”.  That is the experience we are having in Baja. We just visited the tiny fishing town of Abreojos located on the Pacific Ocean exactly half way down the Baja Peninsula. This is a place lost in time. There are probably less than 150 local inhabitants. They survive on fishing, and everyone’s catch goes into a COOP for the town to share. The roads are dirt. The houses are small. The people are happy. We were advised to visit Abreojos as it is now. There is a long tar-black paved road that is under construction and it will ultimately stretch 70+ kilometers from the main highway over the desert to Abreojos connecting it to the outside world.  This paved road will change the town, the people, and their way of life. Goods, services, and tourism will flow from the main highway to this small Pueblo. Life will become easier, and more complex. The people will have more, and perhaps less. Change is imminent. Life is beautiful.

So far our experience of Baja, Mexico has been incredible. We continue to head south at our typical snails pace. We originally thought we’d be in Baja for 2 weeks before ferrying to the mainland. Now it’s looking like it will be a month. (meet you in Mazetlan in November Mom!) TREE

Beautiful Abreojos Church

Cool Mexican mural

Locals heading out to fish

Mexican mural

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SUP on the Sea of Cortez - Blame Tree

Standup paddling has been around for a long time, but only recently has it begun to gain traction with the masses. Laird Hamilton has a lot to do with its newfound popularity, hence the saying in the surf world: BLAME LAIRD. Dedicated to growing the sport, he travels the country doing standup demos for people of all ages and sizes. Well, Laird, you're not the only one to blame. After Tree and I enjoyed a good hour and a half long paddle in the bay, he asked the big group of local boys camping next to us if they'd like to try to paddle too. Si! They said in unison. He spent the next 3 hours teaching each one how to standup paddle. After a while, he had to teach one of them how to teach the rest because the kids kept lining up. We drank beers and watched them until the sunset. They had a blast and we did too! Next stop is Abreojos, a small fishing village with great surf back on the pacific side of Baja. I can't wait to try out Xanadu! Much love- STEVIE

Bahia Video:

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Bahia de Los Angeles

This morning we will depart El Rosario on the Pacific side of Baja and drive across the Peninsula to the Sea of Cortez. Our desination for the day is Bahia de Los Angeles, another 6 hours deeper into Mexico. This is a very small town that may or may not have internet. We could be offline for a couple days. We plan to hang there and scuba with the whale sharks if they are around.

Baja is absolutely beautiful. It's what we envision southern California must have looked like a few hundred years ago. In the wake of the Mexican-American war in 1848 the US basically stole New Mexico and California for a mere 15 million dollars. That deal could have easily included the Baja Peninsula. Had that happened, all of Baja would be a paved concrete extension of wealth trickling down from San Diego all the way to Cabo (think Florida on the west coast). It would be a retirement and resort haven for the rich.

As it turns out, Baja remains desolate, natural, raw, undeveloped, and native. It's so cool that places like this still exist, as rare as they are. Places untouched by the masses. Untouched by the Walmarts and Mcdonalds with their concrete fields painted with bright orange parking lines. These are the places we seek on our journey. This is why we left the US. We want to see as many of these places in the world as we can, while we still can.
TREE

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Sprinter Life

It’s been about 1 year since Stevie and I moved out of the studio in Venice and started living in the Sprinter full time. So many people ask us how we manage to live in such a tiny space without killing each other. Living in a van certainly isn’t for everyone, but we absolutely love it and can’t image living any other way. One night we live in a San Diego zip code, the next night our front yard view is Baja Mexico. That’s the trade off. We don’t own couches, stereo systems or TVs. No coffee tables or lawn mowers. We’re light. Everything we own is in the van and we can move the van anywhere. That’s the dream of Sprinter-Life.

We also estimate that, despite my bad surf board habit, we’ve reduced our overall carbon footprint for a 2-person household by up to 50%. We consume less of everything from electricity to disposables. We run on solar power and propane. We don’t use a lot of water or heat/cool a big living space. What about gas? You would think we burn more fossil fuels by living in a van, but the truth is we drive far less actual miles than we ever did living in LA. Stevie use to drive 2 hours a day to and from school! When they say, "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" we've got the first one nailed. 

Here are some stats on our home…

216 Square Feet including Roof Rack

132 Square Feet without Roof Rack

108 Square Feet of actual living space

Fuel – Diesel, receiving 21+ MPG

Power – 3x5 solar panel on the roof powers all systems

Stove – Propane 2 burner

Refrigerator – Runs on either propane or electric

Water – 2 holding tanks, 30 gallons of available water

Heat – Temperature controlled gas powered furnace 

AirCon – 2 Temperature controlled ceiling fans in the roof

Bed – Queen size Tempurpedic w/ Down Comforter

Kiki Bed – Lg Trail-pro Thermarest w/ Fleece Sheet

Shower – 1 hot and 1 cold water shower off the back of the van

Toilet – Public only

Under the bed is where we have the majority of our storage. We can fit 7 short boards, 2 bikes, 4 fold-up chairs, 2 hammocks, 1 tool kit. We also have 2 showers that are accessible. These are great for rinsing off after surfing. If we need a real shower we go to a campground, YMCA, fitness club, or hotel. But real showers are only needed 1-2 times per week when you're in the ocean everyday (Stevie does not agree with this)

This roof rack is one of the best investments we’ve made. We’re able to move the long surf boards out of the van and store them on top. Inside the Silver box we have spare van parts including windshield wipers, fuel/oil/air filters, radiator hoses, headlights, tail lights, etc. Also Scuba gear, a shovel, repair kit, and luggage for flying home. We also have a platform for watching sunsets. 

Stevie is often forced out of her seat by my co-pilot

We're able to store several days worth of food in our small fridge. Above that we have a 2 burner stove that Stevie cooks on.  Next to that we've got a big sink with hot/cold  water for washing dishes, brushing teeth, etc.

Our wall of pictures and of course our pan-american map.
Wouldn't want to get lost out here!

Kiki has a nice little cave to call her own.
She loves this space.

Surrounding the inside of the cabin we have drawers
and a closet for clothing and other storage

Yes, it's a queen.
Oh, the bed is too.

Stevie's shoe rack and other storage areas.

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Safe in Mexico!

Wooohooo! We made it to El Rosario, Mexico.  We woke up at 5:15am, said our goodbyes to the Simkos, and then headed to get gas before making our way to the border. Our odometer read 70,682 miles- the start of our 30,000 mile journey to the tip of South America! As luck would have it though, when we were pulling out of the station, Tree noticed one of our headlights was dead. After some impassioned fist shakes by Tree we made a quick detour to the Sprinter dealership to have the bulb replaced.

I’m not going to lie. At first I thought, BAD OMEN, BAD BAD OMEN!!! But then, I reshuffled the deck and realized that it was actually a blessing.  It was a fluke that Tree saw the dead light, and because of that we were able to catch a potential problem and fix it immediately.  It was divine perfect order, serendipity, God, the fairy godmother- whatever you want to call it.  It was good and working in our favor.

We approached the border a little after 8am with our palms sweating and hearts pounding. We got the green light but there’s a mandatory check for all RVs so we had to pull into the customs lane. A young woman in uniform approached us and asked if she could enter to inspect. Tree unlocked the doors, and then in one fluid motion, she pulled the slider open, jumped back, and screamed holy hell. Apparently, we forgot to warn her about our perro peligroso.  She peeked in a cabinet, yanked open a couple drawers and then backed out of the van as fast as she could. Good work, Kiki! Who knew you could be so scary? Unfortunately, Tree and I were still a little nervous so we pulled out and forgot to get our tourist visas stamped.  Not sure how to fix that, but it’s on the list for tomorrow.  More importantly, we made the infamous right turn onto the toll road without incident, skated through three military checkpoints, and finally arrived at El Rosario around 2pm. 

Somewhere in between all that though we stopped to perform our family’s sacred Flag ’n’ Dirt border crossing ritual where we ceremoniously scoop up a small vial of the new country's foreign dirt for our global soil collection, and then we adhere the same country’s flag decal on the back of the Sprinter (see photos). 
On a final note, when we got to our hotel where we've had reservations set for a regular room since September, they told us that they'd lost the record of our reservation and had sold out of standard rooms so, instead, they'd have to upgrade us to the bi-level, family-size room for no extra charge. 

GOOD OMENS, GOOD GOOD OMENS!  -STEVIE

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