Slow Baja

Zihul Martinez is the man to know in Guerrero Negro. He is a highly-respected wilderness guide who can show you the whales, the cave paintings, the pronghorn, or, as he says, "the magic of the central desert."   Born in Chiapas, Mexico, Martinez moved to Mexico City at fourteen to attend school. Later, he joined the Mexican Army and had a twenty-one-year career, eventually retiring in Guerrero Negro --the location of his last post. He says he loved the place and the people and decided to start his retirement "doing only things that make me happy."   In addition to his guide services, Zihul operates a hunting supply shop that carries a large selection of his handmade jewelry and knives. His tidy workshop is next door to the shop, and his home, campground, and secure parking lot are located across the street.    Zihul Martinez is Slow Baja Approved.   Calle Pedro Altamirano E Mz 64 Lt 5 Colonia Fundo Legal CP 23940, Guerrero Negro, Baja California Sur, México. Abierto de lunes a viernes de 1000 hrs a 1600 hrs Teléfono: 615 1554106 | Celular / Whatsapp: 615 1592998 Enjoy this Slow Baja Podcast conversation with Zihul Martinez, powered by Baja Bound Insurance. Get your Baja insurance here: https://www.bajabound.com/quote/?r=fl9vypdv2t Watch this Slow Baja Podcast on YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqjVYiP-L_A Learn more about Zihul Martinez here: http://www.zihul.com/ Follow Zihul Martinez on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zihul.martinez More information on Slow Baja Adventures: https://www.slowbaja.com/adventures

Note: Strong language warning. We bleeped the F-bombs but left the other swear words unbleeped! In this Slow Baja Podcast conversation, I sit down with off-road personality and Shreddy brand founder Blake Wilkey and filmmaker extraordinaire Michael Squier. The duo teamed up to run a Manx Remastered in the 2023 NORRA Mexican 1000 Slow Baja Safari Class. From Squier, we get an update on the smashing success of his Baja Bug Movie. And a brief history lesson on Bruce Meyer's record Baja run from 1967 that led to the first Off-Road Race. We dive deeply into Wilkey and Squier's five days in the Slow Baja Safari Class. And their unabashed delight in running a Manx Dune Buggy 1286 miles --with a smile on their face and their foot firmly planted on the floor.  Our conversation concludes with Wilkey and Squier's new film project, "Urban Assault 3," where Wilkey rips his VW-themed trophy truck, “Jaws,” through the streets of Tijuana. This film is a fully-sanctioned project in the style of his famous 2016 video "San Diego Shark Attack Urban Assault" that went viral with over 3M views and resulted in Wilkey spending 45 days in jail. Enjoy this Slow Baja Podcast conversation with Blake Wilkey and Michael Squier, powered by Baja Bound Insurance. Get your Baja insurance here: https://www.bajabound.com/quote/?r=fl9vypdv2t Watch Urban Assault 3 on YouTube:  https://youtu.be/8Jlc5WWXi18 Follow Blake Wilkey on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blakewilkey357/ Check out Shreddy Lyfe here:  https://shreddylyfe.com/ More information about The Baja Bug Movie here: https://thebajabugmovie.com/ Follow Michael Squier on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atypicalsquier/ More on Meyers Manx here: https://meyersmanx.com/ More information on Slow Baja Adventures: https://www.slowbaja.com/adventures

Adam Sheard, a Brit by birth, has always had an affinity for old vehicles. He runs Speed Deluxe, a full-service motorcycle shop in Chattanooga, Tennessee, specializing in custom builds, restorations, and fabricating unique solutions.  He started Speed Deluxe Vintage Adventures to combine epic road trips with vintage motorcycles. Harking back to the days of multi-day enduro events --where you have to fix your bike as you go and make it to pre-scheduled stop points each evening. The grueling Vintage 1000, now in its ninth year, has been a smashing success! Adam has developed a loyal following over the years --with his ever-expanding array of trips. A testament to his devout following, his first Baja Vintage Adventure sold out within 24 hours of querying a select list of Vintage 1000 veterans. Check out Adam's Speed Deluxe Motorcycle Adventures here: ⁠https://speeddeluxe.com/sdva/⁠

"Experience life in the old west with us, riding through 1000 acres of privately owned ranch land and wilderness. Wide open spaces, epic vistas, and sightings of grass-fed cattle, pasture horses, wildflowers & a variety of birds all await your soul." -Baja by Horse. Marty found her way to Baja in 1961 when her parents bought a lot in La Mision and built a simple vacation house.  She would steal her father's garden hose and lasso local horses to keep herself entertained. Marty would swing herself up and go for a ride until she fell off. And she ALWAYS fell off!  She calls Rancho La Pila --Old Baja. "It's a ranch. When you're out there, you've got no phone, no service, nothing. You unplug, but you recharge."   These days, she spends her days sharing the slow life with friends, new and old. To book your stay and get a ride on her 1000-acre slice of heaven, contact Marty through her website: https://bajabyhorse.com/

“Evan Christenson is a dirtbag who believes that the slower you ride, the more you take away. He’s also a photographer and a burnt-out roadie who’s bikepacked on four continents.” -Bikepacking.com We met in 2021 while Evan rode the Baja Divide on a 1700-mile first date with his new girlfriend. I was on the BajaXL Rally and was happy to share a little Fortaleza Anejo to celebrate our meeting. I was delighted to run into Evan again in February at Casa Concepcion. We were going in opposite directions this time, and we both had to get on the road. We recorded a quick conversation about Evan’s Baja ride and his work for BikePacking.com.  Follow Evan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/evanchristenson/ Check out his articles on Baja: https://bikepacking.com/?s=evan+christenson

The Hotel Seven Crown is an laid-back boutique hotel beautifully located on the famous La Paz Malecon. With clean architectural lines and updated rooms, some featuring spectacular bay views. A stay at the Seven Crown puts you in the heart of the lively La Paz waterfront. We arrived as one of the many Fiestas celebrating the 488th Anniversary of La Paz was underway. With scores of street closures, Ted had to do some seat-of-the-pants-navigating to get us to the hotel. A security guard jockeyed some cars to accommodate our open FJ40 inside the secure garage. We dropped our bags and took in the carnival-like fiesta --wandering past games of chance and vendors hawking food that would be at home at any state fair, we reveled at being the only gringoes in attendance. Singer Eugenia León was on the main stage, and we listened for a few songs before our hunger had us moving on to dinner at HarkerBoard Companies' roof-top restaurant. For this Travel Talk conversation, I spoke with Faine Lara. Faine is the Community Manager of the family-owned hotel. We sat down in El Aura, their fifth-floor restaurant and meeting space. The airy terrace dining room has a friendly vibe and unobstructed waterfront views. Enjoy this relaxed conversation and consider a stay at the Hotel Seven Crown La Paz Malecon.

When Patty Mercier jumped in Loren Upton’s 1966 Jeep CJ5, she knew she was in for an adventure. The man behind the wheel was on his fourth attempt to cross the Darién Gap. The first three trips had ended in death and disaster, but Upton, an intrepid adventurer, would not be deterred.  In addition to his determination to cross the treacherous Darién Gap entirely on land, Upton had raised the stakes on this voyage. For his fourth attempt, he decried that he would drive one American-made vehicle around the world. The route would be from North America’s Northernmost point to South America’s southernmost point. The only water crossing would be the South Atlantic. They would continue from the Southernmost point in Africa to the Northernmost point in Norway.  The trip started in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, on 15 June 1984. They traveled more than 56,000 miles and took five years to complete the drive around the world. The crossing of the 125-mile Darién Gap was an astonishing 741 days. The Sand Ship Discovery, the name that Upton gave his intrepid Jeep, reached the Sletness Lighthouse near Gamvik, Norway, On 4 July 1989. The couple earned a citation in the 1992 Guinness Book of Records for the “First All-Land Crossing Of The Infamous Darien Gap From Yauiza Republic of Panama to Riosucio, Columbia 22 February 1985 to 4 March 1987.” Loren Lee Upton died at 87 years old on 9 August 2022 Patty Upton is searching for a museum to house Sand Ship Discovery, the 1966 CJ5, and for a writer to capture the story of their around-the-world drive. Please get in touch with her through her website: www.outbackofbeyond.com

Please enjoy this archive edition of Slow Baja with Mary McGee. The Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame just voted McGee into the class of 2023, and I am delighted to share this Slow Baja conversation that originally aired on 1 August 2022. Mary McGee is an American motorsport racing pioneer. She was the first woman to compete in motorcycle road racing and motocross events in the United States. McGee started as a sports car racer in 1957. She drove the finest cars of the period. McGee raced the best of the best, from her first race in a Mercedes Gullwing 300SL to running Porsche Spyders and Ferrari Testa Rossa. After legendary racer and Porsche dealer Vasek Polak suggested she take up motorcycle racing to make her smoother in the car, McGee started road racing bikes in 1960. At a New Year's Eve party in 1963, McGee's pal, actor Steve McQueen said, "McGee, when are you going to get off those pansy road racing bikes and come out to the desert?" A few weeks later, she began riding dirt bikes and racing with McQueen and his stuntman pals. She raced a Datsun 510 in the first NORRA Mexican 1000 in 1967. McGee was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame 2018 and named an FIM Legend for her pioneering motorcycle racing career. Her career accolades are as follows: • Past Pacific Coast Champion SCCA Sports and Formula Cars • First woman US MC/FIM motorcycle race in the US – 1960 • First woman to finish the Baja 1000 in 1968 • First woman to Road Race motorcycles in the US • First woman to race motocross in the US • First woman to compete in International motocross • Only person to ride the Baja 500 solo - 1975 Follow Mary McGee on Facebook here. Learn more about the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame here.

Johnny Johnson was one of the early champions in off-road racing. With 112 career victories, and eight Baja 1000’s where he proudly claims “l never got out of the car!” Johnson was one of the very very best in the dirt. He was inducted into the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2010. Revered by his fellow racers for his fabrication and tuning skills, it is his humility and willingness to help anyone, anytime, that his friends say is his defining trait. Famed writer, George Plimpton chose Johnson, to star in his 1971 television special “Behind The Wheel.” In the feature, Plimpton interviewed Formula One racer Jackie Stewart at the Monaco Gran Prix before jumping into Johnny’s buggy for the Baja 1000. Thanks to Carol Mears, and Lynn Chenowth for arranging this Slow Baja conversation.

Meet Nathan Burbey of Casa Concepcion B & B in today's travel talk with Slow Baja. In our conversation, we discuss his history in Bahia Concepcion. --Nathan's father owns the restaurant and campground just down the road known as Mark and Olivia's Playa Buenaventura. Nathan has lived between Posada Concepcion and Buenaventura since he graduated from college more than a decade ago. My Podcast producer, Keiser, and I stayed in Casa Concepcion on our recent BajaXL trip. I was delighted by the hospitality. The Inn was sold-out, but Nathan held our room for our 10:00 PM arrival --a kindness not practiced routinely on the peninsula. The room was lovely, thoughtfully decorated, with cotton sheets and blankets --and was a generous cut above the Baja standard. Cold beer was in the fridge, and Nathan invited us to help ourselves to a snack if we were hungry. Nathan had the coffee brewing at 5:30 AM for the early risers. As we poured our cups, he implored us to follow him across the road to watch the sunrise. His stoke for nature's beauty was infectious, and the show was a stunner. Casa Concepcion at Posada Concepcion is Slow Baja Approved. We look forward to returning soon to slow our roll and fish with Nathan. Find links to Nathan Burbey and Casa Concepcion in the show notes at www.slowbaja.com