Slow Baja

Twenty-three-year-old Edson Romero may be the most famous resident of beautiful San Ignacio. His parents, Jackie and Gery, own Edson Ice Cream Shop, a must-stop when traveling through the oasis town. As a youngster, Edson was teaching himself English using google translate. When off-road racers came to town, he would use the opportunity to practice his English to promote his parent's ice cream shop. Touched by his earnestness, the racers returned year after year. They donated jerseys, helmets, and memorabilia, creating a shrine to the sport. Edson's gregarious personality, honesty, and integrity have endeared him to all that have met him. After he helped Walker Evans recover some items stolen from his vehicle, a lasting friendship evolved. Evans stopped in to see Edson and his family every time he passed through. When Edson graduated from High School, Evans stepped up and paid for half of Edson's college tuition! While in college, Edson started a lifestyle brand. He applied the lessons learned from his offroad family to growing his brand by helping others. When a fellow rally driver broke down on the 2021 BajaXL, Edson arranged a tow for him to Ensenada. Learn more about Edson Romero, the Prince of San Ignacio, through the links below. Follow Edson Ice Cream on Instagram here Follow Edson Inc on Instagram here Follow Edson on Instagram here

Three amigos take on the 3000-mile BajaXL Rally in a thirty-year-old Land Cruiser. Hear the unvarnished (and slightly exhausted) take on ten days of brutal Baja backroads, police actions, government sanctions, and a heaping dose of drama. Warning Adult Language! In a first for the Slow Baja podcast, we began recording this conversation at midnight. We were actively consuming adult beverages and using adult language. My sincere apologies for the language. Enjoy team FiveDollaHighFive as we ramble along, share some laughs and ask the age-old question, "Does Baja-Proven still mean anything?" Check out Jake Greene's film work at Yellowcakepics Follow Jake Greene on Instagram here Follow Dominic Prezwanski on Instagram here Check out team pics of Five Dolla High Five here

Now that "La Recua" is finished and making the film festival rounds, I thought I would share this conversation with Trudi Angel again. Angell has been living in Baja since the mid-'70s. She made her first trip South to attend a 12-day Sea Kayaking course at the National Outdoor Leadership School in Mulegé. Angell fell in love with the people and the place -and stayed six weeks. When she finally returned home to Calistoga, she quickly bought a folding Klepper Kayak, a roof rack for her 1964 Rambler American, and blazed a trail straight back to Baja. Sea kayaking was taking off as an adventure sport just as Baja was on the rise as a travel destination. An opportunity to guide a kayak trip down the coast allowed Angell to launch Paddling South in Loreto. Angell says she was "in the right spot at the right time." With a love for logistics, and a desire to go the extra mile for her clients, she cultivated a great business that she ran for thirty years. While riding on a mule trip with her friend and fellow outfitter, Tim Means, she was amazed by the grace the hired vaqueros showed as they interacted with their families. Angell had an epiphany, bought a horse, and took up riding. Soon, she was visiting ranches near and far. She launched Saddling South in 1987. "This opened up a huge world for me -both for studying the history (of the vaqueros) and learning the Ranch culture." Angell talks about her life and work in this conversation and her deep admiration for the vaqueros and traditional Baja ranch life. She shares stories from the 1000-mile Mule trip (the Mula-Mil) that she organized to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1963-64 expedition by Andy Meling, Joanne Alford, Eve Ewing, and others. Additionally, she shares insights about making "La Recua," a documentary film about a traditional overland pack-mule trip featuring 70-year-old vaquero Dario Higuera, a team of 13, and a cast of 25 animals; also known as "Dario's Dream." Watch the film here. Visit the Bell Mare website here. Follow Saddling South on Instagram Follow Saddling South on Facebook

Inducted in the 2020 Off-Road Motorsports Hall Of Fame, Roger Mears is the eldest son of racer Bill Mears and the older brother of four-time Indianapolis 500 Champion Rick Mears. Roger drove buggies, midgets, stock cars, sprint cars and competed in the Indy 500 twice in his long career. He made his mark in offroad racing and was a constant threat in both short course and desert racing.  Mears built and raced the Nissan trucks and won twenty World Off-Road Championships at Riverside International Raceway. Think motocross meets Baja in front of 60,000 fans. It was wheel-to-wheel-racing, with great sponsors, factory support, and the sport's best drivers. His first Baja race was in 1973, "my brother Rick and I showed up with a couple of spare tires and gas cans and just fell in love with the place." Mears went on to win four Baja 1000's, five Pikes Peak Hill Climbs, two HDRA/SCORE series titles, and the Mickey Thompson Stadium Series Truck title.  We stopped to see Roger when we were driving through Bahia de Los Angeles on the 2021 BajaXL Rally. He and his wife Carol have been living in BOLA for years. The conversation flowed easily; he was humble about his successes and honest about his struggles. His deep reverence for his family -his father Bill, younger brother Rick, and his sons Casey and Roger Jr were genuine and refreshing. I only called him Rick once, and we laughed about it! Enjoy the conversation with Roger Mears.

In today's Travel Talk with Slow Baja, we sit down for a quick chat with Marlen Ahumada, Sales Director of the Tesoro Resorts Los Cabos. On the 2021 BajaXL Rally, we stayed at the Tesoro, and we were amazed by our accommodations, the hospitality, and the entire Tesoro experience. An adult beverage greeted us upon arrival as we booked the all-inclusive plan. After dropping our bags in our marina-view Junior Suite, we dined on surf and turf tacos at the Lighthouse Restaurant. One of four restaurants on the hotel grounds, the Lighthouse, is located on the marina walk. The food was tasty, the drinks plentiful, and the view and people-watching were terrific. We took a walk around the marina and downtown after dinner and would love to come back to take in the legendary Cabo bar scene -only a short walk away. The breakfast buffet at the Sky Pool had all the options that one would want, and Ted and I enjoyed watching the sport-fishing boats head out. After breakfast, we sought out Marlen to talk to her about the Tesoro Los Cabos Resort and the current promotional offerings. All good things must come to an end, and we had to get on our way, too. Reluctantly, we packed up Slow Baja, vowing that we would return soon. The Tesoro Los Cabos is Slow Baja approved! You can find the latest promotion and book your room directly at the Tesoro Los Cabos website. You can find them at Calle Cabo San Lucas 4304, Centro, San Lucas, Cabo San Lucas, B.C.S. USA/CAN 1 877 674 6706 Visit Tesoro Los Cabos  Website Visit Tesoro Los Cabos on Facebook Visit Tesoro Los Cabos on Instagram

Miguel Ángel de la Cueva is a profoundly thoughtful photographer who focuses on Mexico’s natural beauty, wildlife, and remote ranch-dwelling people. National Geographic, Geo magazine, Mexico Desconocido, and environmental organizations like The Nature Conservancy, Conservation International, Wildcoast, and Niparajá-WWF have published his images. He has photographed two books: Oasis de Piedra, which won a Silver Medal Award at BookExpo America NY 2006 in the Nature Category, and La Giganta y Guadalupe, which advanced the creation of a Biosphere Reserve in Baja California Sur, México. He is an Associate Fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers. “It is in the desert that we can find meaning in the simplest things of life. It is in the desert that we can rediscover our sense of awe. And, it is in the deserts of Baja California Sur that geography and hope become one.” -Miguel Ángel de la Cueva Enjoy the conversation with photographer Miguel Ángel de la Cueva Visit Miguel Ángel de la Cueva's Instagram Visit Miguel Ángel de la Cueva's Facebook Buy his book Oasis in Stone from Sunbelt Publications

In today's Travel Talk with Slow Baja, we sit down with Jesse Atkinson, massage therapist, and owner of Ensenada Massage and Valle de Guadalupe Mobile Spa. Jesse shares his life story. From growing up in Wisconsin, to his work in Central America as a consultant, to surviving cancer and making life changes that led him to become a certified massage therapist. As we were ping-ponging back and forth trying to coordinate our schedules to record this conversation, Jesse knowing we were on the last day of the BajaXL Rally booked one-hour, hot stone, deep-tissue massages for Ted and me. After ten days behind the wheel of my 50-year-old Land Cruiser and 3000 miles of brutal Baja backroads, we were delighted to receive one hour of healing care. Ensenada Massage was clean and quiet, and our massages were top-notch! The hot stones were an unexpected delight. They melted the pain and tension away from my abused back. You can find more information and book your massage at Ensenada Massage or Valle de Guadalupe Mobile Spa. You can find them at: 1278 Avenida Ruiz Ensenada, B.C., 22800, Mexico. Ensenada Massage is Slow Baja approved! Visit Ensenada Massage's Website Visit Ensenada Massage on Facebook Visit Ensenada Massage on Instagram Visit Ensenada Massage on WhatsApp

Curt LeDuc is a salt-of-the-earth Baja racer with an impressive record of DIY accomplishments in off-road racing. When asked about his approach to building winning racers, LeDuc said, “I’m not an engineer, I’m an imagineer” He’s built and raced his own vehicles at the highest levels of desert racing for decades. He’s won championships in desert class 8 five years in a row, and has two Short Course Off-Road Drivers Association titles. He's won the Governor’s Cup, a rare and valuable Borg Warner Cup, and has driven -and won at Crandon, Pike’s Peak, the Dakar Rally, and Baja. Inducted into the Off-Road Motorsports Hall Of Fame in 2015, LeDuc, through all his successes, is revered for doing it, achieving it all, with his own hands. He is a blue-collar racer who earned a reputation for fixing anything with almost nothing. His mad fab skills got him hired by racing icon Walker Evans. LeDuc is the guy you want with you in Baja for his mechanical aptitude, but more importantly, he knows every mechanic, welder, and taco shop on the entire peninsula. Enjoy this Slow Baja conversation with Curt Leduc. Visit Curt LeDuc’s Baja Legends Website Visit Curt LeDuc’s Instagram Visit Curt LeDuc’s Facebook Visit the NORRA Instagram Visit the NORRA Facebook Visit the NORRA Website

Today’s podcast guest is life-long cyclist Herb Bool. In 2018, at 55 years old, Bool rode the 1,700 mile Baja Divide in 35 days. Conceived by ultra-endurance bicycle racer Lael Wilcox and Nicholas Carman, the Baja Divide is: “A rugged 1,700-mile off-pavement bikepacking route down the Baja California peninsula, from San Diego to San José del Cabo. This route connects the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez, historic Spanish mission sites rich with shade and water, remote ranchos and fishing villages, bustling highway towns, and every major mountain range in Baja California on miles and miles of beautiful backcountry desert tracks.” Bool met up with a group of a dozen riders massed to make the trek on New Year’s Eve on the San Diego waterfront. They rode East and spent the first night together camped at a ranch just North of the Border as a group. They crossed into Tecate the next day and stuck together until they cleared the border town. As the group sorted themselves out, Bool settled in with a fast trio to ride the rest of the route. “We were on our bikes when the sun came up every day, and we would ride pretty much until the sun was starting to sink. It was an all-day ride every day.” The group averaged 55 miles a day for just over a month. Enjoy this warm recollection of 35 days in the saddle, pumping out 1700 miles on the Baja Divide -with the affable Herb Bool. Follow Herb Bool on Instagram Follow Herb Bool on Facebook Learn more about the Baja Divide 

In today's Travel Talk with Slow Baja, we sit down with Sheila, the gregarious owner of Zopilotes Ice Cream in San Bartolo BCS. Originally from Salmon Arm, BC, Canada, Sheila, and her husband first visited Baja Sur in 2008. They returned with a fifth-wheel camper in 2009 and bought a house, sight-unseen in 2010. How was the experience of fixing up a home in a country where you don't speak the language? -"there was a lot of swearing and a lot of drinking!" she says with a smile. We stopped by on a sunny afternoon as we drove South from El Triunfo through San Bartolo on our way down to Cabo San Lucas. I let Sheila pick the flavors for me, she returned with a scoop of creamy lime and a scoop of coconut on a beautiful handmade waffle cone. The ice cream was lovely; the creamy lime was just that, a little tang to start followed by a smooth dollop of sweetness, the coconut was a rich and creamy delight. Zopilotes has won Best Ice Cream of the East Cape Competition and is a must-stop destination for ice cream lovers in Baja Sur. Located at Km 128 Carretera Transpeninsular in San Bartolo Baja California Sur and Zopilotes is Slow Baja approved! Enjoy the podcast with Sheila and her 16-year-old employee Kaira, and if you are ever close to San Bartolo, I hope you stop for an ice cream! Visit Zopilotes on Facebook Visit Zopilotes on Instagram