Slow Baja

Meet Jeremy DeConcini, the co-founder of Motosonora Brewing Company in Tucson, Arizona. This unique taproom, inspired by road trips, features a rotating art collection that pays homage to iconic races like the Carrera Panamericana, Baja 1000, and East African Safari Rally. With its Moto Mondays and frequent automotive events, Motosonora is not just a place to enjoy world-class beers but also to showcase your classic sports car or vintage 4x4, like my old Toyota FJ40. We’ve collaborated to launch Slow Baja Mexican Lager, a must-try for scorching summer days and is on tap for a limited time only. In this Slow Baja Conversation, we discuss his African travels with his brother Jeff, which formed the genesis for the brewery. He shares an epic adventure from the 90s, a Baja trip with his father and three teenage brothers, which resulted in a hospital trip and a few broken bones. Buckle up, crack open a cold one, and enjoy the ride. Learn more about Motosonora here. Get your Baja insurance here. More information on Slow Baja Adventures.

Thom Hill is the founder and visionary behind the iconic brand Iron and Resin. He was raised on the East Coast, attended college in Southern California, and made his first of many trips to Baja as a student in the mid-80s. After graduating, Hill lived on a sailboat and continued exploring the peninsula by water. His passion for the outdoors, surfing, riding motorcycles, and seeking solace in a vintage 4x4 shines through in his brand and work. “Forged in Ventura, CA, in a mass-produced, disposable world, Iron & Resin is a product of “one-off” culture, where men still build, by their own hands, the craft they ride, be it water or land.” Get your Baja insurance here: ⁠ https://www.bajabound.com/quote/?r=fl... For more information about Slow Baja:⁠ https://www.slowbaja.com/⁠ More information on Slow Baja Adventures:⁠ https://www.slowbaja.com/adventures

Growing up in rural New England, you’re bound to see many Jeeps, trucks, and tractors. Many people have them for transportation and working on their properties, and the Ladden family was no exception. Fascinated from an early age while watching his dad with his Jeeps, it’s a piece of family lore that Michael’s first word was “Jeep.” A pivotal moment in Michael’s life came when he left his first big job after college and explored Africa. This journey ignited a passion for Land Rovers, adventure travel, and a desire to live life on his own terms. Despite a successful career in real estate and hospitality, his adventurous spirit eventually led him to sell everything and embark on a 220,000-mile expedition across all seven continents. When the pandemic disrupted his global journey, Michael didn’t let it deter him. Instead, he adapted his plans and turned his exploration towards North and Central America. He has spent significant time exploring Baja California Sur, Mexico, riding the peninsula on a KTM adventure motorcycle and most of the Baja Divide by bicycle. In addition to his ground adventures, Michael is a private pilot and just released a book about his African adventures. Michael has visited 122 countries and proudly states he’s been to nine out of ten of the worst ones! Get your Baja insurance here: ⁠ https://www.bajabound.com/quote/?r=fl... For more information about Slow Baja:⁠ https://www.slowbaja.com/⁠ More information on Slow Baja Adventures:⁠ https://www.slowbaja.com/adventures

Azure O’Neil is a badass. She has traveled through 31 countries on two and four-wheels, including a multi-year journey on her 1989 Honda Transalp. In addition to her love for overlanding, Azure enjoys paddleboarding, scuba diving, moto-camping, and planning her next big trip. You can follow her adventures on Instagram @MyTicketToRide. I met Azure at the 2023 Overland Expo, where she is the Director of Programming. Recently, we spent ten days tent camping through Baja. We kayaked Loreto National Marine Park, mule-packed in the mountains above Mision San Javier, and interviewed people involved in the conservation movement in Baja. In summary, Azure is a wealth of knowledge, travels easily, makes a damn fine cup of coffee, and is the one to ask when you need a pinch of salt. Azure O’Neil is Slow Baja Approved! Learn more about Azure O'Neil's travels here: https://youtu.be/9JE3ZXjqM5A?si=tvxDvkc9_13rxb2C Follow Azure on Instagram here:https://www.instagram.com/mytickettoride/ Get your Baja insurance here: ⁠https://www.bajabound.com/quote/?r=fl9vypdv2t⁠ For more information about Slow Baja: ⁠https://www.slowbaja.com/⁠ More information on Slow Baja Adventures: ⁠https://www.slowbaja.com/adventures

Author Doreen Cunningham's beautiful volume is a luminous depiction of an epic grey whale migration and an intensely powerful memoir of reclaiming a life battered by poverty and isolation. It is a shining testament to the healing properties of the natural world. Soundings is the story of a woman reclaiming her life, a child growing to love an ocean that is profoundly endangered, and a mother learning from another species how to parent in a time of unprecedented change. Learn more about Doreen Cunningham: https://doreencunningham.com/ Get your Baja insurance here: ⁠https://www.bajabound.com/quote/?r=fl9vypdv2t⁠ For more information about Slow Baja: ⁠https://www.slowbaja.com/⁠ More information on Slow Baja Adventures: ⁠https://www.slowbaja.com/adventures

Basil's Garage, located in Vista, California, is your one-stop shop for all your Baja Overland rig build needs. As a specialized vehicle outfitter, Basil's offers practical, simple, and capable off-road vehicle builds for long-term remote travel, from selecting the right vehicle to suspension configuration and camp setup to planning every minute detail. They offer in-house advanced electrical system design, lighting, suspension, wheels/tires, bar work, armor, fabrication, camp accessories, and flatbed conversions. They pride themselves on delivering high-end finished products with impeccable workmanship, partnering with quality businesses such as REDARC, MITS Alloy, Go Fast Campers, ARB, ADS Shocks, Baja Designs, Nomad Wheels, and more. Basil's Garage is Slow Baja Approved! Learn more about Basil's Garage: https://www.basilsgarage.com/ Get your Baja insurance here: https://www.bajabound.com/quote/?r=fl9vypdv2t More information on Slow Baja Adventures: https://www.slowbaja.com/adventures

Troubadour Steve Poltz has a legendary Baja tale involving a whale-watching excursion that went comically awry. As he infers, it might not have been as comical as it sounds today in today’s Slow Baja conversation. In the early 90’s, Poltz was a singer-songwriter with a massive cult following in his adopted home of San Diego. He and his girlfriend at the time, a little-known folk singer named Jewel, decided to go on a getaway to write some songs for a few days. Without much of a plan, they headed South and found themselves on a dark and lonely road late at night somewhere south of San Felipe. Finding a few dim lights down a washboard stretch that doubles as an airstrip, the duo broke into a semi-derelict motel room to crash for the night. They awoke to a glorious day on a gorgeous bay; Jewel, taking in the scene, decided they needed to find a boat to go whale watching. The only boat they could find belonged to a group of Federal Police. Poltz surmises that months of boredom AND seeing Jewel in her bikini may have motivated the Federalies to become tour guides. A high-speed nautical chase ensued; Poltz and Jewel were given bullet-proof vests and offered automatic weapons for their protection. They ran the boats hard onto an island beach. A short foot pursuit led to the apprehension of the slowest drug smuggler; after a brief beating, he revealed where they had hidden a massive stash of marijuana. Poltz tells the harrowing and hilarious story and the after-bust-party antics that led to their writing Jewel’s 1996 smash single “You Were Meant For Me,” which reached number 2 in the US. Listen to Jewel tell the story here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hBXcpGHPVA And here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHNKgze6ERc Check out Steve Poltz here: https://poltz.com/ For more information about Slow Baja: ⁠https://www.slowbaja.com/⁠ Get your Baja insurance here:  ⁠https://www.bajabound.com/quote/?r=fl9vypdv2t⁠ More information on Slow Baja Adventures: ⁠https://www.slowbaja.com/adventures

Sungodz California is the creation of Surfer, turned Fashion Photographer, turned Designer Sasha Eisenman. Sasha grew up in Huntington Beach and began surfing in the Newport River Jetties in the mid-1980s. He traveled camping and Surfing all throughout Baja back in those days, and many of the experiences of this time would later become a foundational part of Sungodz California style. An esthetic that was further shaped during his time working at the legendary Frog House surf shop in Newport Beach in the early 90’s. --from about Sungodz Check out Sungodz here: https://sungodz.com/ For more information about Slow Baja: ⁠https://www.slowbaja.com/⁠ Get your Baja insurance here:  ⁠https://www.bajabound.com/quote/?r=fl9vypdv2t⁠ More information on Slow Baja Adventures: ⁠https://www.slowbaja.com/adventures

In today’s Slow Baja Podcast, we discuss the future of Overlanding with Lance Gillies, the Founder and CEO of EarthCruiser Overland Vehicles. We recorded our conversation at the Chicago Auto Show while sitting inside the new EV Hummer EarthCruiser Upfit built by EarthCruiser Innovation.  ECI is a new division of EarthCruiser that draws from decades of Overlanding experience, bringing together people and resources to nurture a culture of innovation. Their first project was collaborating with GMC to design and build an upfit solution for the all-electric GMC HUMMER EV. The future of Overlanding is here. I’ve seen it and sat in it. Enjoy our discussion about its past, present, and robust future on today’s Slow Baja. “EarthCruiser is a company of designers, engineers, technicians, and, most of all, adventurers with millions of miles of collective, real-world Overlanding experience. With its EarthCruiser EXP, FX, and EC Terranova models, EarthCruiser designs and manufactures the ultimate self-contained, 4×4 off-road, world exploration vehicles in Bend, Oregon.” Learn more about EarthCruiser: https://earthcruiser.com/ Get your Baja insurance here:  https://www.bajabound.com/quote/?r=fl9vypdv2t More information on Slow Baja Adventures: https://www.slowbaja.com/adventures

In today's Slow Baja conversation, we turned the tables, and my good friend, Wilson Craig, interviewed me about the origins of Slow Baja. I discuss my childhood, becoming a photographer in high school, and attending San Diego State University.  In the Summer of 1984, I made my first trip to Tijuana --to shop for a laundry basket and to drink, of course. Soon, we were venturing down to Puerto Nuevo for lobster and, eventually, to Ensenada for a weekend on the beach. The true origins of Slow Baja were born in my Junior year when we left Spring Break in San Felipe to explore points south.  Enjoy this look behind the curtain of Slow Baja—huge Thanks to Wilson for pushing me to sit down for this conversation.  For more information about Slow Baja: https://www.slowbaja.com/ Get your Baja insurance here:  https://www.bajabound.com/quote/?r=fl9vypdv2t More information on Slow Baja Adventures: https://www.slowbaja.com/adventures