Slow Baja

80-year-old Pete Springer has been traveling to Baja for over 60 years. As a spectator, he attended the 1969 Mexican 1000, raced a home-built single-seater in 1970, and won his class in the 1973 Baja 1000. He shares tales from his many years of Baja adventures in this conversation. Highlights include; driving a 1940 Dodge Flatbed to Bahia de Los Angeles, running out of gas while flying a small plane and landing on the road near Santa Rosalia, crashing his motorcycle in a pitch dark desert, and building off-road racecars through seat-of-the-pants engineering and a lot of trial-and-error. I recorded this podcast initially in January 2020 --my second podcast! As I head out to cover the 2021 Baja 1000, I am pleased to share this freshly remastered version again. Check out Pete Springer's writings here. Follow Pete Springer on Facebook

Today you are getting a double feature on Slow Baja, the first is with Noel Morales owner, cook, owner and chief personality at El Refugio Mezcaleria in Todos Santos BCS. The second is with Noel, and his wife Rachel Glueck, discussing their beautiful cookbook The Native Mexican Kitchen: A Journey into Cuisine, Culture and Mezcal.  WINNER of the 2020 US Gourmand Award for Food Heritage! A Deep Dive into the Complex and Vibrant Native Culture that is the Bedrock of Mexican Cuisine, with Over One Hundred Recipes, Including Moles, Pozoles, Chiles en Nogada, and More Mexican cuisine is ubiquitous in the American dining scene, yet it remains far removed from its roots. The Native Mexican Kitchen is an homage to the indigenous peoples and their culinary and cultural traditions that create Mexican cuisine, elevating it beyond Americanized tacos and tequila. With recipes by Mexican chef Noel Morales—born of Aztec and Omec blood, grandson to a mezcalero, and raised by native dancers—The Native Mexican Kitchen offers its readers the ability to recreate the flavors of centuries-old dishes in a modern kitchen. Morales shares well-known plates such as birria and barbacoa and beloved market foods like tlayudas and tacos al pastor, as well as a few of his own vegetarian and seafood creations. Signature mezcal cocktails and decadent desserts adorn these pages, while the Medicinales section includes teas, tinctures, and baths of traditionally used herbs for a variety of ailments, such as colds, muscle tension, and infertility. Author Rachel Glueck provides rare access and insight into a Mexico that few foreigners or nationals see today, leading you through indigenous festivals with masked dancers, bountiful market places, and sacred pilgrimage sites. Unwrap the philosophies and customs of Mexico’s native communities and discover the depth of this magical country and how you can welcome it into your own kitchen. Personal stories of mezcaleros, traditional cooks, and native healers are accentuated by 130 stunning photographs and are woven through with mouth-watering recipes. With pages bursting with color, culture, and wisdom, you’ll discover a Mexico you never knew existed. -Simon and Schuster  Follow El Refugio Mezcaleria on Instagram Follow El Refugio Mezcaleria on Facebook

Lynn Chenowth is a pioneer off-road chassis and vehicle builder whose factory-backed and private Chenowth cars have taken many of the sport's greatest drivers to off-road racing's biggest victories. The list includes ORMHOF inductees Johnny Johnson, Ivan Stewart, Corky and Mark McMillin, Bob and Robby Gordon, Frank 'Butch' Arciero Jr, and Rob MacCachren. In the 1970s, Chenowth helped usher in the development of true tube frame off-road vehicles. The sport was quickly growing and evolving, and Chenowth Racing Products was ready to meet the need. With a mass-production approach to building affordable chassis and products, Chenowth helped bring the sport of recreational off-roading to the masses. -Excerpted from his 2019 ORMHOF Induction Ceremony I spoke to Lynn in July during my Summer podcast recording trip. We recorded at his home in Percebu, South of San Felipe, the morning after I spent the night at his Chenowth Legacy Lodge. Check out the Chenowth Legacy Lodge on Facebook Follow Lynn Chenowth on Facebook

Today's Travel Talk with Slow Baja has me chatting with Paul and Bonnie, owners of Ignacio Springs Resort in San Ignacio, BC Sur. In the heart of the Palmera, on the bank of the tranquil Rio San Ignacio, Paul and Bonnie are warm and welcoming hosts with nine yurts and two casitas for your stay. Originally from Canada, they have happily transitioned to life in Baja. Let me be clear --they run a tight ship, and their property is spotless. The bar is always open, and the North American-style breakfast was hearty and delicious. I strongly suggest that you slow your roll and spend some time under the palms letting the tilapia exfoliate your toes. Bonnie will happily connect you to guides for whale watching or cave painting excursions. If you are interested in whale watching, I suggest that you make your reservations early. Ignacio Springs Resort is Slow Baja Approved! Visit the Ignacio Springs website. Follow Ignacio Springs on Instagram Follow Ignacio Springs on Facebook

Today’s Travel Talk with Slow Baja has us on a ZOOM call with Keith Berkley, owner of The Black Bass Lodge in Punta Abreojos. As a child, Berkley grew up camping and exploring Baja with his parents. His dream was to create a lodge where his friends and family could gather to find some of the slow Baja lifestyle that he loved as a child. Remote, private, and completely off-the-grid, The Black Bass Lodge is a destination all in itself. Located just steps from the beach where the surrounding reefs are abundant with fish and produce world-class waves. The Lodge is currently available to groups looking to rent the entire property (Over 3500 square feet with four rooms, three patios, lounge, 4.5 baths, dining room, and bar. Sleeps up to 15 people). A private chef is on-site to prepare your meals utilizing the freshest local ingredients. The Black Bass Lodge is Slow Baja Approved! Follow The Black Bass Lodge on Instagram Follow The Black Bass Lodge on Facebook Book directly via The Black Bass Lodge’s Website

Craig Larson and Mark Pestrella have been surfing Punta Abreojos together for more than 40 years. Inspired by Bruce Brown's Endless Summer, they've been seeking waves and finding adventures along the way since High School. I met them when I stopped by to check out their well-evolved camp. I found Mark smoking a cigar and reading a signed, first-edition hardcover of Into a Desert Place by Graham Mackintosh. I knew right then that I had met some serious Baja aficionados. We shared a fine bottle of Fortaleza Anejo Tequila and solved all the problems of the world. Enjoy our relaxed conversation about adventure travel, surfing, and the toll that Baja extracts. Follow Craig Larson on Instagram Check out the Baja Bound Insurance Learn more about Benchmark Maps Learn more about Tequila Fortaleza Check out the Black Bass Lodge

Mike Pearlman was a teenager growing up in Los Angeles when his father bought a used 1964 Toyota Land Cruiser. Ed Pearlman was a florist and an avid hunter. The utilitarian 4x4 looked like the perfect vehicle for the upcoming deer season and delivering flowers. Not long after, Mike's friend was driving the Land Cruiser on the highway; he didn't know that you had to shift gears manually and blew up the motor. Ever resourceful, Ed found that a Chevy V8 would fit. With Pete Condos's assistance, Pearlman soon had a hot-rodded Corvette motor under the hood! Ed Pearlman read about the 1966 record-setting run from Tijuana to La Paz on Triumph motorcycles by Bud and Dave Ekins, Eddie Mulder, and Cliff Coleman. Pearlman thought that he could beat their time in his hopped-up Land Cruiser. While searching for wider tires, he met Dick Cepek, selling farm implement tires out of his garage. Cepek traded six tires for a chance to ride shotgun. Their attempt at the record failed, but the idea for the first off-road race was born-the Mexican 1000! In this conversation, Pearlman shares stories from the founding of the National Off-Road Racing Association, those early Baja races, and how with Eliseo Garcia Jr., they revived the Mexican 1000 as a vintage rally. Enjoy this conversation that originally aired on July 13, 2020. For a taste of off-road racing, you can join Slow Baja in the Safari 4x4 Class for non-race vehicles. We drive portions of the actual racecourse, see the most scenic parts of the racing and make time for tacos, tequila, and tranquilo! Visit NORRA's website here Follow NORRA on Instagram Follow NORRA on Facebook

In our second conversation with Chef Javier Plascencia, we discuss his restaurants Jazamango and Jazamango Cafe, and the bounty of Todos Santos. We go deep on his devotion to surfing, how he's happiest in a pair of trunks with sand between his toes, and his fanaticism for handmade corn tortillas from old-world organic corn. Check out his farm-to-table restaurant Jazamango. Follow Jazamango Restaurant on Instagram. Check out his pet-friendly restaurant Jazamango Cafe. Follow Jazamango Cafe on Facebook.

Today’s Travel Talk with Slow Baja meets Chef Mattia, pizza maker extraordinaire in San Juanico B.C.S. Italian-born Chef Matti crafts wood-fired pizzas in his custom-made pizza oven on a Russian UAZ-452 “Bukhanka” van. We recorded our conversation during our Slow Baja Summer podcasting trip in July. He was making his weekly appearance at “Big Juan’s” Las Malandras restaurant. Chef Mattia hails from Treviso, Italy, and has been making pizzas since he was a teenager. An avid surfer, he opened his first pizza restaurant in Sayulita. When he moved to San Juanico, he purchased his vintage U.A.Z. 4x4 van and outfitted it with a pizza oven of his design. Mattia committed to bringing the pizza to the party, and with his van, he could get to nearly anywhere you want to party. He’s figured it out, and I will be frank; Chef Mattia makes the best pizza I’ve had in Baja!  Slow Baja approved! Follow Pizza Catering on Instagram Check out the Pizza Catering Website Follow Las Malandras on Instagram Check out Scorpion Bay Bungalows

In our second conversation with Trudi Angell, we discuss La Recua, her tribute to a fading history and documentary film about the old-time mule-packers in Baja California Sur. The film follows Darío Higuera Meza, a traditional saddle-maker in Baja California Sur, Mexico, as he lives his dream of riding La Recua. Overcoming a life-threatening health scare, rattlesnakes, scorching days on dusty trails, Higuera and his family carried goat cheese, dates, traditional sugarcane candy, and mountain wine. The party of thirteen ran a string of 25 donkeys and traveled 200 miles in 20 days to La Paz. Watch a trailer for La Recua here. Follow Bell-Mare Productions here. Follow La Recua Film on Facebook Follow La Recua Film on Instagram