Capturing the Moment

   A thousand miles from the US/Mexico border at Tiajuana is the tip of the Baja peninsula. Along the way there are many surprises waiting for the adventurous traveler to find. Secret surf breaks, rusting ship wrecks, colorful vineyards, cactus filled deserts, and grey whale breeding lagoons are all packed into this amazingly diverse area. A few friends and I spent a month in early 2009 driving in the now infamous 'white stallion' to Cabo San Lucas and back, covering what would be the last 2,000 miles of that car's life. And while the car no longer lives on, the memories are everlasting. And there are some good ones.   Surfing was a big part of our agenda. Hitting waves like San Miguel in Ensenada, El Canoje, Tres Alejandros, and La Bufadora definitely pushed our skills to the limit. I tried windsurfing for the first time at my buddy's place in La Ventana. And the obligatory street vendor bacon wrapped hotdog search commenced over on the Sea of Cortez side of t...

Early morning look at Haleakala volcano's South side  Road 'round the West Maui Mtns, NW Maui Plumeria  One of the big adventures not often attempted here on Maui is the drive around the West Maui mountains. The road here can be driven by any type of car, however you need to be a confident driver as some of the turns are little more than one lane and on the precipice of a huge cliff. But like the more popular 'road to Hana' the sights along this drive are incredible. Huge canyons, distant waterfalls, tropical flowers, and ocean vistas try and pull your eyes off the road. One of my favorite scenes, Big Beach  My mom and I tackled this windy road after starting off the morning at the very end of the road, La Perouse Bay . Tucked back in the newest lava flows on Maui the road dead ends into a very beautiful but rugged bay where Admiral La Perouse landed his ship. Beautiful sandy beaches like Big Beach await travelers down in the Makena area with a few se...