Relaxing at Sirena del Mar, Cabo San Lucas

A series of pools on the cliffside.  Jacuzzi is on the right 

One of several lounge decks at  Sirena del Mar.  Two more decks step down from this deck.

August and September are slow months in Cabo San Lucas, undoubtedly due to the heat and humidity.  That does not mean you can't completely relax, especially at one of the many resorts lining the Sea of Cortez.  We had selected Sirena del Mar as our resting spot, which is part of Welk Resorts, and is part time-share and part hotel.

View from our hotel of El Arco (with a little camera zoom). 

It is perched on a cliff with a view of the iconic El Arco, a natural rock arch that divides the Sea of Cortez from the Pacific.  While other resorts have more total pool area, Sirena del Mar has just two pools and a jacuzzi.  But both pools are infinity pools that look out on a beach and rocky shoreline. The larger pool, kept at the temperature of bathwater, ends at a convenient swim up bar, where you can get a Cabopolitan and other inventive drinks.  Some guests never seem to leave the pool, except perhaps to play put-put golf poolside, led by an enthusiastic hotel employee. (The golf ball is replaced with limes, and if you make the shot, you get a free margarita).  

Samuel wading into Sirena del Mar's larger infinity pool,  at dusk.
A tropical storm has just passed through, so it is still overcast and the pool is deserted.

We switched rooms on our last day, so had a chance to check out different types of rooms.  All lend themselves to complete relaxation, with couch, dining table, kitchenette and bedroom.  Below is a shot of Steven and the boys after we had just arrived from the airport. Note how rest and relaxation has begun.

Chilling in our room upon arrival.

 

Cabo's Santa Maria Beach

Santa Maria Beach (source: cabosanlucasbeaches.com)

Our third day in Cabo San Lucas was spent at Santa Maria public beach. This little cove is one of just a few beaches where you can swim in Cabo.  Waves are too intense elsewhere.

Steven emerges from the surf.

We learned several things about beaches on the tip of Baja, California.  First, it is almost impossible to run on the beach.  At the best, you hope for a slow jog. This is because the Mexican sand is not the fine stuff we have come to know and love in San Diego.  It consists instead of small pebbles that are just big enough to make us wince as we walked.  We also learned that in August Baja beaches are especially hot and humid, and that pebbly sand heats up to a high "ouch" degree. Do not venture out without some sturdy flip flops! (The guys selling mangos on the beach wear socks and shoes. I think they know something we don't.)

View from under our thatched umbrella.

We also learned that shade is your friend and the public swimming beaches have wonderful wooden thatched umbrellas. They were fully occupied by natives who knew to stay under them unless they were enjoying the surf. We gingerly worked our way down to the water and stepped into the bathwater of the Sea of Cortez.  The sea is warm, but the waves are big, even in this protected cove! While we got used to the surf, several boats appeared in the bay and unloaded some snorkelers.

Panamic Sergeant Majors enjoying Bimbo bread. 

We decided we should do our own snorkeling too. Though Santa Maria Beach is a designated marine preserve, it is common practice to feed the fish. Armed with a loaf of the local "Bimbo" brand white bread, we attracted a swirl of beautiful tropical fish, all wearing bright yellow.  There is nothing to compare to being surrounded by these beauties of the sea.

Want to attract Gafftopsail Pompano?  Bimbo brand bread does the trick.

On a sadder note, while under our thatched umbrella, we noticed a commotion further down the beach.  The guy selling mangos near us whistled loudly and waved over the lifeguards to the point where a crowd of swimmers were dragging an unconscious man onto the beach. Thankfully, he was revived and carried off the beach on a stretcher, we presume to a waiting ambulance.  We are not sure exactly what happened to this gentleman, but the undertow at Cabo beaches is strong and I suspect incidents like this are not uncommon.  

Asi y Asado - Cabo's best taco stand

Steven and Samuel are all smiles at Asi y Asado

You might know this restaurant (really, a covered porch) from Food Network.  Guy Fieri stopped in a few years back and raved about the food.  It's still here, next to the Office Max in Cabo San Lucas.  It requires a U-turn on a "Returno" lane, and it gets busy, but it is so worth finding.  My thanks to my awesome husband Steven for locating this joint, first on his smart phone and then in the dark in the rental car.

Being the gringos that we are, the waitstaff immediately switched to English and told us to sit wherever we desired.  We picked a table near the back, covered with a tablecloth with a skeleton cactus motif. All the tablecloths at this restaurant are quirky, which adds to the casual charm.  And the mister overhead makes this open air restaurant comfortable when the humidity hovers above 80%.

We started with a plate of grilled vegetables (corn, mushrooms, zucchini, green peppers) and then dug into a variety of tacos, at  just 40 Pesos each ($2.19).  The tacos come with just the meat (or fish) and then you head over to the fixings bar which includes dozens of toppings.  Our waiter thoughtfully steered me away from the hot sauces.  I was grateful.  The "suave and sweet" sauce I selected had more than enough kick for me.  We were too full for dessert of either cheesecake or flan, but are seriously thinking of returning tomorrow night.      

Cabo boat cruise

Benjamin in front of the famous rock arch separating the Sea of Cortez and the Pacific

At the last minute, the Chesslers decided to take advantage of some off-season pricing at resorts in the southern tip of Baja, Mexico.  Yesterday, we flew down to Cabo San Lucas from San Diego and arrived in a tropical storm.  The rain eased up as we got our rental car and headed to Sirena del Mar Welk Resort, about ten minutes outside of Cabo.  As soon as we settled into our room, the rain poured down.  Precipitation didn't keep us from the jacuzzi however, or stop us from enjoying happy hour. But most guests chose to stay inside.  It wasn't a hardship.  Sirena del Mar features one bedroom suites with a kitchenette, dining table and sleeper couch.  We were also delighted to discover that our suite had a private balcony with an uninterrupted view of the ocean.  Not requested, but definitely enjoyed.

We fell asleep to rain, and then thunder and lightning at 4 a.m. Amidst the noise, I could have sworn I heard dolphins chirping outside.  But maybe it was just the birds.

Today began overcast, but rain was not predicted.  So we braved Mexican highway 1, which was littered with vegetation and sand from the storm, and made our way into downtown Cabo San Lucas. We discovered you can't just take a left, you must use the "Returno" lane and make a U-turn, and then watch very carefully for the merge.  Eventually, we made it to the luxury mall in town and parked for 20 Pesos.  Inside the mall buckets had been placed here and there to catch the drips.  The mall leaks frequently, based on the patched ceiling.  Despite the buckets, we welcomed the walk through the air-conditioned mall, because humidity stood at 84%.

The mall opens out into the marina, and we slowly walked around the marina, wilting in the heat, and noting the crabs skittering on the rocks. Benjamin had the fine suggestion that we avail ourselves of an air-conditioned restaurant on the boardwalk, while we planned our strategy.  We decided that a ride on a glass-bottomed boat out to "Land's End" would be an ideal way to catch a breeze and see the famous natural arch that separates the Sea of Cortez from the Pacific.

One of many glass bottomed boats offering tours from Cabo's marina

We chugged our way out of the marina, enjoying the cooling breeze and joining dozens of other tourists, some preparing to snorkle near the rocks,  or "rock jump" into the clear blue-green water.
As we passed out of the port, I noticed an unfinished building ahead.  Our tour guide and captain informed me that the building had remained unfinished for decades.  Construction had been shut down because the building was financed by a drug cartel.  There seem to be a lot of unfinished buildings in Cabo.  Are they remnants of other cartels?

Unfinished resort in the Cabo marina, financed by drug cartel money. 

Bainbridge Island, formerly known as Winslow

Downtown Seattle Ferry Terminal

My friend Julie has moved back to the Pacific Northwest.  We had an extra day after visiting my folks, so we took a Washington State Ferry to Bainbridge Island to visit Julie in her new island abode.  Many years ago, you took the ferry to the city of Winslow, but Julie tells me Winslow is now just Bainbridge Island.  It's still a beautiful 35 minute ferry ride, especially when the sun shines.

After lunch at Bainbridge Bakery, we wandered around the compact village, which includes a little marina, many coffee shops, a lavender shop, and an unusually large book store, which caters to all the book clubs on the island.  And then we went to another bakery, Blackbird Bakery, which features to-die for lavender sugar cookies.  

Brick Saloon, est. 1889

The Brick, Roslyn, WA

A weekend ago, I traveled to arid Eastern Washington, home of wheat fields and Aplets and Cotlets.  I was also there for my annual reunion with friends from high school.  We were all debaters in high school, though we don't talk debate tournaments anymore.  Instead we golf and hike, and this year, we played "golf ball."  It consists of kicking a soccer ball around the golf green.

We also drove over to Rosyln, better known as the outdoor set for the old TV drama, Northern Exposure.  What I don't remember on Northern Exposure is the old tavern, The Brick.  Established in 1889, it is a local institution.  I enjoyed an Alaskan lager and a huge serving of fish and chips.  And if I'd wanted to spit, I could have used the convenient built-in spitoon beneath the bar.  There is an indoor stream of water just beneath the bar seats, to keep the establishment clean.

Note spitoon at base of bar.