This article was previously written by Rachel Messerschmidt for and published by Vancouver Family Magazine in July 2022.
Before we would leave La Paz to head north into the Sea of Cortez for the summer, we had planned out a visit from our kids’ Oma. Brenden’s mom took two weeks of vacation and flew from Vancouver all the way down to San Jose del Cabo to meet up with us in La Paz!
We rented a car to pick her up from the airport and do a few in-land adventures while she was with us. She booked a cute little Airbnb just a block from the malecón and both of our kids stayed there with her for the entire two weeks. Brenden and I came in to land by dinghy each morning and walked to her place for the day’s activities.
On her second full day in Mexico, we drove an hour or so from La Paz to Todos Santos to explore one of Mexico’s Pueblos Mágicos. These are towns throughout Mexico that have been recognized for their cultural richness, unique experiences, and beauty- well worth a visit! We loved the festive atmosphere and friendly people all walking the streets and touring the shops in Todos Santos. It was a really fun way to kick off her first visit to Mexico.
The following two weeks went by in a blur. It was an uncommonly hot period of time that she came to visit, so we often spent the afternoons relaxing and enjoying each other’s company in the air-conditioned Airbnb. We would go for a walk in the cooler mornings and then venture out again after the heat broke in the late afternoon. It was really fun to visit the street market one day and shop all the little vendor booths, trying to communicate in broken Spanish and English, respectively. My mother-in-law is big into crystals, gems, and rocks and she found many amazing pieces among the local vendors.
On her second weekend in town, we took her aboard Mosaic and left La Paz behind for a couple nights out at anchor in nearby Bahia Balandra. Balandra is a popular tourist destination, and it was easy to see why so many people love the area when we dropped anchor in gorgeous blue waters lined with pristine white sand beaches.
The entire cove is shallow, and you can walk far out into the bay in waist-high water, swim, snorkel, or float and just enjoy the beauty of the area. Baja California Sur and the La Paz area specifically is known for gorgeous sunsets. We loved sharing each sunset with Oma and the kids were thrilled to have the opportunity to share another celestial event with her, as well. Together, on the bow of Mosaic bobbing at anchor in Bahia Balandra, we witnessed a full lunar eclipse. It was nothing short of amazing!
As we approached the last day of her visit, we rented a car again for one more adventure away from La Paz. We trekked to the eastern edge of the Baja Peninsula to the small town of La Ventana. There, on recommendation from a local friend, we ate a delicious lunch at a palapa resort restaurant with an amazing ocean view. After lunch, we continued on to find a stunningly gorgeous sandy beach with spectacular water. We walked the beach and played in the water for an hour or two before returning to La Paz to wrap up the day.
On the final day of her visit, we took a scenic roadtrip through the mountains on Mexico’s Highway 1. This route offered stunning views, exhilarating winding roads, and ultimately dropped us out at San José del Cabo where we said tearful goodbyes and she headed back home to the United States.
After her visit, we took a few days to rest and get back into the swing of normal boat life. We provisioned for extended time away from bigger stores and made final preparations to leave the La Paz area. We were about to head north into the more remote regions of the Sea of Cortez.
Rachel Messerschmidt and her family are Clark County natives living and cruising full time aboard their 40-foot sailboat, Mosaic. They’ve traveled down the US West Coast and have been cruising in Mexico since November of 2021. Rachel shares her family’s adventures on her blog at www.mosaicvoyage.com and on Facebook and Instagram (at)mosaicvoyage. She writes a monthly column in Vancouver Family Magazine.