Central America Road Trip Part I: Mexico-Tacos and Tequila

Having a seasonal job is a lifestyle. We work 7-8 months out of the year, non-stop, 24/7 but then have 4-5 months of complete freedom. Some people choose to get another seasonal job while others choose to travel. I was completely torn between the two. I couldn't imagine not having any source of income for the off season, but at the same time I wanted to see the world. One of our G mottos is "If not now, when?" ....and so I decided the only thing to do was travel.

My parents weren't thrilled when I mentioned the idea that a bunch of us CEO's were going to drive through Central America. I began to question it myself when Nelle told me to read the book, "Don't go there, it's not safe you'll die." We didn't have much of a plan, or detailed itinerary, or really any idea where this adventure would lead us when we left San Francisco bound for Panama City. All we knew was that we had to make it to Panama City before our flights home for Christmas. Life was an open road of beautiful sunrises and breathtaking sunsets.

Nelle, Stirling, Chris and I before we hit the road.

Part one of the journey began when we crossed the border into Tijuana, Mexico. If you are considering road tripping through Mexico, here are some tips, tricks and highlights we learned along our route!

Day 1- We crossed the border via Tijuana and headed to Ensenada where we planned to spend our first night. The modern border crossing allows you to drive straight through without stopping. However, you do need to stop and get your visitor permit and FMM if you are driving. Unfortunately, we didn't know that and later had to pay the fines in order to get to the mainland with our car. Once we made it to Ensenada we headed straight out for a night of epic street tacos and margaritas!

Day 2- We knew we had some ground to cover in order to make our way down Baja California so we prepared for a long drive day. Being CEO's we are used to long drive days with minimal stops which made it super easy to cover a lot of ground.

Days 3 & 4- Finally arrived at Playa Buenaventura, a beautiful secluded beach on Bahia de Concepcion. We had been recommended this spot by a few friends who had recently driven down Baja, and boy were they right! The small shack on the beach is owned by a local fisherman and his family. They welcomed us with open arms and lots of tequila! In the mornings they went out fishing and the local catch would be our lunch and dinner. We ate some of the best, freshest Baja fish and shrimp tacos in the world! They allow camping anywhere along the beach and even let us set up our hammocks under a palapa. We quickly decided we needed two nights in this paradise, and it ended up being one of our favorite places on the whole trip. 

Our hammock setup in Playa Buenaventura

Days 5-7- After leaving Playa Buenaventura we had a solid drive day to make it to La Paz before sundown. We had a few recommendations for camping spots outside the city and after checking out the options we decided to pitch our tent at Playa Tecolate. The beach was picturesque- white sand and blue waters, and we were the only humans in sight! I can imagine in the warmer busy season that this beach is packed because it was much nicer than the city beaches in La Paz city center. Our plan was to spend one night here and then board the ferry over to Mazatlan. However, due to some immigration issues I mentioned when we crossed into Tijuana, we ended up having to take a later ferry, leaving us with three nights in La Paz. Although it was a slight inconvenience, we made the best of the situation and enjoyed cooking camp meals on the beach and waking up to the most epic sunrises ever. The city of La Paz wasn't anything spectacular and the beaches were fairly dirty. However, if you are visiting La Paz I highly recommend driving just approximately 15 minutes south of the city to some of the beaches that are hidden gems along the coast. 

Camping on the sand dunes at Playa Tecolote

One of the best sunrises I have ever seen.

Sunset from downtown La Paz.

Day 8- It was time to take the ferry over the Mazatlan! With all our paperwork in order we boarded the ferry and I prepared for a long seasick journey until we arrived in Mazatlan. 

Day 9- Mazatlan is known for big beach resorts, but we were able to find a cute little bed and breakfast just a couple blocks from the beach. We spent the afternoon enjoying the beach and a few pina coladas. As the sun began to set we decided to post up at a cute little cafe on the beach for some appetizers. I think we all agreed it was some of the best food of the trip. The portions were small but that didn't stop us from loving every bite of the red snapper and ahi tuna tostadas! 

Nelle and I enjoying the beach in Mazatlan!

Day 10- A few travelers we had met along our journey highly recommended the town of Tequila- where all Tequila is produced! On our drive to Tequila we were looking for somewhere to stop for lunch when I spotted a goat restaurant on the side of the road. I have never had goat and didn't know what to expect- but hey it was time to embrace the bizarre! I actually liked the goat chorizo and shredded goat and it ended up being one of our food highlights. We blasted the song Tequila as we drove into the small colonial town surrounded by Agave groves. A market was setup in the town square so we did some shopping and tequila tasting before calling it an early night.

The town square and marketplace in Tequila.

Day 11- We had read about an awesome hike in Tequila that we were determined to find that morning. We drove through the Agave fields and up to a point that appeared to be a trail head. Climbing through the trees we searched for the "los azules cascades" we had heard so much about. Finally we heard water and had arrived. The waterfall was spectacular and the water was so blue. Nothing beats a morning swim under a waterfall! After our hike we had quick showers and hit the road toward Mexico City. We stopped in Guadalajera for some pretty great quesadillas and a wander around the city. We knew we couldn't get to Mexico City that night because laws are in place that prevent foreign vehicles being driven in the city on certain days at certain times. Therefore, we decided to drive as close to Mexico City as possible which brought us to a thermal hotsprings camp. I honestly couldn't tell you where in Mexico we were, but the place was perfect for the night! We decided to splurge for a cabin over pitching our tents and cooked up some goat tacos.

Loving life under the waterfall.

Agave fields for days.

We made it!

Day 12 &13- Driving into Mexico City was an experience in itself...imagine L.A traffic with no rules or defined lanes. Eventually we found parking and made it to our hostel. Excited to be in the capital city, and one of the largest cities in the world we hit the streets. The first afternoon we wandered around on our own to The Zocalo, Plaza de la Constitucion, and Chapultepec Park. That evening we were looking forward to a big night out in the city so we were shocked when the streets of Mexico City seemed to shut down before 10pm. Maybe we were in the wrong area, or maybe it is not safe to be out... either way there surprisingly wasn't much going on. The next morning we met our guide for a walking tour of the city. It was a great way to see the city and learn more about the history of Mexico. After the tour we went to the Museo Nacional de Arte, one of Mexico Cities wonderful art museums. We ended the day at the top of the Torre Latinoamericana rooftop bar. While the drinks were pricey, the views were worth every penny. 

The Zocalo

Plaza de la Constitucion

Rooftop cocktails

Day 14- We left Mexico City bound for Oaxaca with a planned lunch stop in Puebla. Unfortunately, we only made it as far as Puebla when our car broke down. After several hours at a mechanic we were told our transmission needed to be replaced. We had two options- leave the car, or pay for it to be fixed. Looking back we probably should have left it, but we weren't ready to give up on Margarita (our cars name) just yet. Our plans had gone completely array and we were forced to sit down and make some decisions about our next steps. Our decision concluded with flights to Belize....so the next morning we boarded a plane and would be back for Margarita!

Poor Margarita :(