The Conway family is packed and ready and headed to Baja! Nine-months of anticipation has finally come to an end and I now fully appreciate the insight I had to plan early to address those items that weren't on my original packing-list: new passports, cancelled & re-scheduled flights, pre-excused school absence letters and snorkeling lessons. I …

We had a solid sleep after yesterday's long day of travel & transfers. Everyone rose bright-eyed and we were downstairs to meet our driver, Jorge, in the hotel lobby by 8:15 am sharp. Our agenda today was a private trip to Espiritu Santo Island and snorkeling with sea lions at the island's Los Islotes. Called The Pearl of Cortez, this beautiful …

It was by lucky circumstance that our guide, Pedro, was joining us for more of our Mexico travels and we were delighted to have his companionship in Balandra Bay. An easy 25 minute drive from La Paz, the Bay is a fantastic place to do a little sunning and sea kayaking and this is exactly what we had in store. But the wind was a bit of a show-off …

The roadside Ranchero's decor showcases intricate hand-crafted saddles, as well as a hodge-podge of attic-items including the stuffed head of a koala-deer (a stuffed koala bear head with antlers). We stopped at the family-owned Ranchero for breakfast on our way from La Paz to Lopez. This three-hour drive crosses the Baja Peninsula and our stop was …

We were in our kayaks by 11:00 am. Paddle-talk included insight from our guides, Charo & Nolberto, on the ecological make-up of mangroves, the local fishing industry, as well as an animated conversation about our overnight coyote visit. Our tents provided the perfect place for dew to gather, and a few thirsty four-legged friends provided the most …

Turtle monitoring begins!

The camp buzzed with energy. The turtle monitoring was a much anticipated highlight of our Baja camping adventure and the Conway family was anxious to get up-close with the region's black sea turtles. This monitoring program is part of Grupo Tortuguero's community and sea turtle conservation project -- the information …

I strolled the beach with my companions: a steaming cup of coffee and a groggy four-year-old Faye. It was our final morning at our Magdalena Bay campsite and Faye and I quietly walked the shoreline as the sun burned off the last of the early-morning clouds. Our stride was slow. There was no rush. We dipped our feet in the water, carved our names …

The boardwalk in La Paz's Malecon district is ideal for strolling. And following our 5-day camping adventure in the sand and sun of Magdalena Bay, a day casually walking the boardwalk was welcomed. We were up early to try and beat the height of the afternoon heat -- 9:30 AM and it was already in the mid-eighties. The kids had a handful of pesos …