Slow Baja

Happy New Year! Thanks for tuning into Slow Baja. As I prepare for the upcoming Baja XL Rally, I wanted to share one of my favorite podcasts initially released in May last year. This podcast is very dear to my heart and was transformational for me in many ways. I want to thank Joy and Hayden for opening their home to me, and I was delighted that Scott braved a rainy morning on his old BSA to join us. As you will hear, the conversation was free-flowing and full of laughter. Joy owns the second half of the show, and I’m sorry that she wasn’t there for the entire conversation. My man, Christopher Keiser of Kaffeinated Films, deserves an Academy Award for Sound Mixing for his work on this recording. Hayden Roberts and Scott Toepfer race vintage British Dirt Bikes in endurance offroad events like the NORRA Mexican 1000, NORRA Baja 500, and The Mint 400. Roberts, originally from England, is a fixture in the Southern California Motorcycle scene. He crafts and customizes bikes at his shop Hello Engine, in Santa Paula, California. Toepfer, a lifestyle-photographer with a specialty in motorcycles, met Roberts on a motocross exposition in Japan. They have been fast friends -racing, wrenching, and traveling on their desert-sleds ever since. In this conversation, we learn the meaning of “Only mad dogs and Englishmen.” Hear stories of swapping motors on the beach, sleeping in the dirt, and surviving a sting from a dreaded stingray. Joy Lewis joins the conversation midway and recounts an epic night of worry from the 2015 NORRA Mexican 1000. Hayden’s GPS position had stopped suddenly. Did he crash? Was he injured, or worse? They were hours away and had no way to contact him. As she searched for information and tried to summon help -one grizzled Baja racer (jokingly) suggested that he was “shacked up with a local senorita, and in nine months -another Baja rider would be born!” The next morning, Joy found him, tired but well-fed. He had slept on the dirt right where his motorcycle broke down. In the middle of the night, somebody covered him with a blanket and left a plate of food. He woke to “half the village checking to see that he was all right.” Soon he was nursing a carton of milk and teaching a group of elementary school children about England. After rebuilding his engine during a sandstorm in Bahia de Los Angeles, Hayden jumped into the water to clean up and was promptly stung by a stingray. Joy became his nurse, and they fell in love over a cup of hot tea. Prompting Joy to say, “the stars are brighter, and the tacos are better in Baja.” I heartily agree! Check out Hello Engine here. Check out Scott Toepfer here. Joy Lewis Instagram NORRA Mexican 1000 here.

“The wind still hurled us down the coast, the occasional tendril of kelp wrapping the rudder blade like a tentacle and then breaking free with the inexorable force of our momentum. Though my hands, arms, and shoulders were knotted with fatigue, I was prevailing in the fight to keep the boat steering in line with the waves. I even got the hang of riding out the bigger ones, and actually hooted once with the fun of linking one wave with a second and then a third steep swell for a shooshing toboggan slide of more than 100 yards. I recognized that Cormorant was handling herself and that her pointed stern split the waves like cordwood, allowing them to roll off to either side. I had only to maintain my course, and if I managed to avoid running up on a reef, I would eventually make the sheltering cliffs of Punta Colonet. It was an absurd situation nonetheless – the roaring wind and desolate shore, this long winter night and the ghostly moonglow illuminating the whitecaps off into the distance – completely alone in my open boat, 250 miles down the coast. Then I sang. For the ridiculous peril I faced, for my folly, for grace, and for a prayer. I sang the old Anglican hymn “Praise for Creation,” and the wind became almost funny at that point – the absolute opposite, the utter rejection of morning and calm. The fact that no one in the world had a clue as to my predicament, or even, precisely where I was and, even more so, that I had put myself here struck me somehow as humorous. “Blackbird has spo-ken,” I belted out in the rage, “like the first bhir-hi-hi-hirrrd!” I had come in close now, spray blowing back off the crashing surf just a few hundred yards in, and the high cliffs of Colonet loomed ahead. As I had hoped, when I sailed to the base of the sheer walls, the wind passed overhead, 300 feet off the mesa, and left the water calm and strangely still, even as the ocean went ragged not 100 yards outside. I could have scrambled up the boulders to kiss that old cliff face for the shelter it provided. I set anchor and then put booties over my wet wool socks, slaked my thirst with deep draughts of fresh water, and mashed handfuls of trail mix into my mouth. My body shook with fear, exaltation, and relief. I wrapped myself in the mainsail, too exhausted to arrange the boat tent and sleeping bag. The moon and stars had burned into my irises, and light patterns swirled hypnotically behind my lids. With these strange points of light in my vision, I wondered if this was what dying might be like.” From Voyage of The Cormorant by Christian Beamish. For more about Christian Beamish, check out his website here. Buy The Voyage of The Cormorant: A Memoir of the Changeable Sea from Patagonia here. Follow Christian Beamish on Instagram here.

Paul Ganster began traveling to Mexico with his friend and former high school teacher, Harry Crosby, in the early 1960s. When Crosby landed his 1967 commission to photograph the El Camino Real, he asked Ganster, then a graduate student at UCLA, to make the trip with him. In retracing the original Portolá missionary expedition of 1769, Crosby and Ganster covered 600 grueling miles, mostly by mule. Ganster took trail notes, made detailed drawings and maps, and shot scores of photographs. However, no job was more important than feeding the mules. Each evening, he would climb the palo verde trees and use a machete to hack off branches that the mules would crunch on loudly. The trip was a life-changing trip for both men. Crosby's photographs from the journey were published in The Call to California in 1969. He often returned to Baja to photograph cave paintings and study early life in Alta, California and published several books on the subject. Baja figured prominently into Ganster's life as well. In his long career in academia, he is an acknowledged expert on the U.S.-Mexico border region. Currently, he directs the Institute for Regional Studies of the Californias at San Diego State University. He's recently edited Loreto, Mexico: Challenges for a Sustainable Future (2020, SDSU Press) with Oscar Arizpe and Vinod Sasidharan. He and Arizpe, a professor at the Universidad A. de Baja California Sur, collaborated on two earlier projects examining Loreto's sustainability. Check out Paul Ganster's extensive writings here. Purchase Loreto Mexico, Challenges for a Sustainable Future here. Email Paul at: pganster@sdsu.edu

Jesse and Sarah Beck met while surfing in San Juanico when they were teenagers. Jesse had been going to Baja since he was a baby. After a few years camping in various spots, Sarah's family had recently bought a home in San Juanico. One morning, she was surfing by herself at dawn when Jesse paddled out. Mildly perturbed that she would have to share the waves, she was surprised to see the red-haired boy she had seen from afar the summer before. She said hello, and remarked that they had met before (as it turns out, she had met his brother the previous year). Jesse noted wryly, "no, no, I would've remembered you." They surfed again that afternoon and went to a Halloween party at Sarah's house that night. As they like to say, the rest is history. Sarah and Jesse went on to get married and have two beautiful children. These days you will find them exploring Baja's back roads and finding off-the-beaten-path experiences to share with the children. In this conversation, they share their favorite Baja destinations and their ongoing passion for the people and the place. Follow Sara on Instagram 

"Long before social media, Cameron Steele was doing social media. He is one of off-road's early cross over pioneers, sharing his love for desert racing, adventure travel, and all things Baja with the world outside of the off-road community." -From his 2018 Off-Road Racing Motorsports Hall Of Fame Induction. A lifelong Southern Californian, Steele began traveling to Baja with his father, Baja racer Mark "Big Daddy" Steele. Big Daddy was a private pilot and the sales manager for Parnelli Jones. Jones asked Big Daddy to fly him down for his 1970 NORRA 1000 run. The following year, Big Daddy was on the grid himself in a Class One car, and by 1972, his family was riding along in their RV. After a stint as a competitive bodyboarder, Cameron began navigating races for Big Daddy. By the late 80s, Big Daddy retired, and Cameron moved into the driver's seat. He worked his way up from Baja Bugs to Trophy Trucks riding a few motorcycles along the way. In 2017, Steele set his sights on winning the 50th anniversary Baja 1000. Big Daddy, his wife, and daughter were with him as he planned to announce his retirement after the finish. He finished second. His retirement would have to wait. Sadly, Big Daddy passed a few months later. In 2018, with Big Daddy's ashes along for the ride, they won their first overall Baja 1000 victory. Racing legend Johnny Campbell calls Steele "Baja's biggest ambassador," and I must agree. When he's not leading his many off-road tours, you can find him hosting his Baja Beach Bash to raise money for the Rancho Santa Marta School and Orphanage. We met at Baja HQ, his San Clemente business that functions in equal parts as a tire and wheel shop, race prep space, travel and tour headquarters, shrine, and clubhouse for all his off-road amigos. Enjoy the conversation with Cameron Steele, Baja's biggest ambassador. Visit the Baja HQ Website Visit the Baja HQ  Instagram Visit Cameron Steele's Instagram Visit Cameron Steele's Facebook

In today's Travel Talk with Slow Baja, we sit down with Ensenada Restaurateur and Chef Massimo Zaretti. Born in Rome, Zaretti moved to Las Vegas with his family when he was a teenager. He grew up working in his father's restaurants in Las Vegas and Santa Monica. When it was time to get out on his own, he landed a position with Fleur de Lys in the Mandalay Bay Hotel. Attention to the smallest details, anticipating your guest's desires, and working with the highest-quality ingredients were lessons learned in the three years he spent at Hubert Keller's famed restaurant. Tripadvisor recently rated IL Massimo number one for Italian cuisine in Ensenada. Zaretti keeps it authentic by importing olive oil, Calabrian chilis, and San Marzano tomatoes. His seasonal menu of housemade pasta and local seafood paired with Valle de Guadelupe wine is Slow Baja approved! Visit Il Massimo Visit Il Massimo on Facebook Follow Il Massimo on Instagram

Andrew Szabo created the zany Budapest-to-Bamako Rally and the 3000-mile-no-support-Baja XL Rally. In this podcast, Szabo gives us an update on the latest developments for the 2021 Baja XL Rally, starting on January 29, 2021, and ending on February 7, 2021. Here at Slow Baja, we were thrilled to drive in the 2019 Baja XL Rally, which featured 300 entrants in 140 vehicles hailing from more than 25 countries. Due to Covid and border control issues with the U.S., the 2021 Baja XL will start in Tecate. The rally will finish ten days and 3000 dirt-laden kilometers later, on a beach South of Tijuana. The event will travel down the Sea of Cortez side of the Baja peninsula and camp in Diablo Dry Lake. Night two will be another camp out in Bahia de Los Angeles. Night three will be a beach camp on Bahia Concepcion, and night four will land at a camp night in Las Cruces. After the rally rounds the tip of Baja, it proceeds up the Pacific coast, and night five will be in Todos Santos. The Las Cruces night may become optional, opening teams to have a rest day and party night in Cabo or spend two nights in Todos Santos. From Todos Santos, the rally proceeds to the surf town of San Juanico, also known as Scorpion Bay. The next stop is Guerrero Negro, and a half-day of rest is in the schedule for whale watching. Ted and I have a panga booked with Shari Bondy of Whale Magic Tours; there should be several seats available to join us for whale watching. Please email me to reserve your spot. A night in Catavinia will follow, and the last night will be another camp night somewhere south of Tijuana. Visit the Baja XL Rally Website Visit the Baja XL Rally on Instagram  Visit the Baja XL Rally on Facebook Budapest-Bamako channel on Youtube 

Javier Plascencia’s first book, The Soul of Baja, describes his approach to life (and cooking) like this, “His creations reflect the love for his homeland, his respect for ingredients, and the permanent cultural exchange experienced every day in his native Tijuana.” He grew up cooking alongside his grandmother in the kitchen of Giuseppi’s, his father’s pizza restaurant. The sights, sounds, and smells, like a freshly-butchered hog, that he would turn into chorizo -form the core of his childhood memories. By the time he was a teenager, he knew that he was going to be a chef. Now 30 years into his career, his humility and approachability are a rare breath of fresh air in our celebrity-driven culture. In this conversation -recorded in a shady grove of olive trees at Finca Altazano, in the Valle de Guadalupe -Plascencia was relaxed and in perfect harmony with our surroundings. He consistently eschewed my inquiries about his restaurant empire, preferring to talk about his passions, surfing, and golf. Like his favored pursuits, Plascencia is intensely cerebral and competes mostly against himself. He’s committed to forging his own culinary path in harmony with the environment and fresh, locally-sourced ingredients. Enjoy the conversation with chef and restaurateur Javier Plascencia. Visit the Finca Altozano Website Visit the Finca La Divina Website Visit the Javier Plascencia Website Visit Javier Plascencia on Instagram Visit Javier Plascencia on Facebook

Tru Miller, the lovely and gregarious owner of Adobe Guadalupe Vineyards and Inn, is the Grande Dame of Baja’s wine region. Originally from the Netherlands, Tru spent much of her youth exploring the world. She has distilled that lifetime of travel into her casually elegant hacienda. When she and her husband, Donald Miller, bought the land in 1997, they began hiring the best. Hugo D’Acosta became their winemaker, and Newport-based architect Neil Haghighat designed and oversaw the winery’s construction. The first bottling was in 2000. Quality and obsessive attention to detail infuse every detail of their magnificent estate. Under the care of current winemaker, young-gun Daniel Lonnberg, Adobe Guadalupe produces some of the finest and most exciting wines in Mexico. For our visit, we arrived at 10 AM and found Tru and her agronomer, Jose Fernandez, having breakfast at the kitchen’s communal table. She beckoned us to join them, and we were delighted that we did. The eggs and machaca with handmade flour tortillas were divine. Tru opened a bottle of Tia Tula, her rose-colored blanco tequila (aged for thirty days in used Rafael wine barrels), and all was right in our world. After months of staying home, it was beautiful to be sipping tequila after a lovely breakfast of farm-fresh, locally-sourced ingredients. Viva Baja! Enjoy the conversation with Tru Miller, Adobe Guadalupe Vineyards and Inn. Visit the Adobe Guadalupe Website Visit the Adobe Guadalupe  Instagram Visit the Adobe Guadalupe Facebook

We met Gerald Lee in Ensenada, at the October 2019 NORRA 500 Rally. Lee and Kansas native, Miles Hasselquist, competed in a Ford Ranger pickup in the non-race, Savvy Safari 4x4 Class, for street-legal vehicles. It was Hasselquist's first trip to Baja, and Lee let him do all the driving. I've learned he's generous like that. Whenever we caught up with them, Hasselquist and Lee seemed to be in a smiling competition. With ear-to-ear grins, I wasn't sure if they were genuinely surprised our old Land Cruiser was still running or if they were having the time of their life. Lee grew up in Southern California, and like many who find themselves playing in the dirt as adults, started by racing motorcycles in his youth. Years later, when a friend gave him a Jeep, Lee wanted to modify it. He surveyed the burgeoning aftermarket offerings and decided to fabricate his own. Lee used lightweight aircraft-grade aluminum that's stronger and significantly lighter than the heavy steel parts that dominate the scene. What started as a hobby to improve his Jeep's performance became Savvy OffRoad, the leader in high-quality Jeep products and offroad racing vehicle construction and preparation. While Gerald is decided low-key about driving in NORRA events, he is a serious racer with multiple overall wins in the Every Man Challenge at the King of the Hammers. He's also had top drivers like Robby Gordon and Jessi Combs take the podium in Savvy OffRoad built racers. Visit the Savvy OffRoad website. Follow Savvy OffRoad on Instagram Follow Savvy OffRoad on Facebook Follow Savvy OffRoad on YouTube Visit the NORRA Mexican 1000 website.