Fall / Otoño 2013

Posted on October 24, 2013 by janicekinne

We’ve received a lot of great feedback on the Summer issue White Sand Massage and Day Spa feature story. I’m glad that our readers enjoyed learning about facials as much as I enjoyed getting one. This issue I sat down over a couple of beers with local artist “Indian” Dennis to talk about his popular painted cow skulls.

Reading Rainbow producer Kyle Rohrbach filming biologist Stephanie Rousso

This fall I also had the opportunity to spend a night at “sea turtle camp” with Todos Santos Eco Adventures and their wildlife biologist Stephanie Rousso, who wrote “Moon Dance of a Sea Turtle” (JDP Summer 2013 issue). Reading Rainbow producer Kyle Rohrbach was along filming the night patrol for an upcoming episode. We had a lot of fun, learned a lot and saved four Olive Ridley turtle nests.
I hope to share more of my adventures with our readers in upcoming issues.
In this edition, look for our feature story on water—an important issue for all of us living in Baja California Sur. Local artist Nanette Hayles’ “Sea un Avatar” posters benefit the groups working against mining in the Sierra de la Laguna mountains (the source of our water) and are available at Galería NE Hayles and La Esquina in Todos Santos.

We’ve also included a sampling of fun restaurants in Todos Santos. For the complete series of reviews, visit Todos Santos Eco Adventures’ blog.

H2O Water Professionals sell and install state of the art water purification and conditioning systems for homes and businesses. Visit their showroom on Calle Madero in La Paz, or contact their Todos Santos / Pescadero representative.

Rancho la Venta is one of the oldest ranch sites in Southern Baja, located in a greenbelt between San Bartolo and San Antonio. You can enjoy horseback riding, hiking and bird watching on hundreds of acres of mountain trails, swim in their spring-fed granite pool, and lunch on authentic ranch fare including organic veggies from the garden. Touring the wine cellar, vineyard and art studio makes a great day trip, or stay overnight in one of their cozy casitas if you’d like to experience it all.

Many of Journal del Pacifico’s contributors have books coming out soon. Photographer Claude Vogel’s new collection of stunning photographs from the Hotel California is due out in November. Also in November look for Pamela Cobb’s Tales from Tiny Town, a compilation of her experiences since retiring to Todos Santos and illustrated by local artists.

Photographer Kaia Thomson has shared some photos from her 12 years of birding in Baja California Sur on this issue’s cover and in our feature “Birding in Baja.” Her book Birding in Baja California Sur, published by Todos Santos Eco Adventures and produced by Journal del Pacifico, will be out soon!

You’ll be able to find all the above books at El Tecolote Bookstore in Todos Santos and Allende Books in La Paz. El Tecolote also serves up the best espresso in town at their Juice/Espresso Bar. Enjoy a latte, mocha, or Americano coffee or have a delicious juice or smoothie made to order from their large selection of local fruits and veggies! Mmm…

Just behind El Tecolote Bookstore you can find the best handmade chocolates in Todos Santos at Chocolates La Laguna. This year they will also have full-size chocolate bars, including dark chocolate/peppermint, dark chocolate/orange and 66% Mexico Origin dark chocolate.

Jackie Scherer and Keith Van Cleve have published the 4th edition of Some Birds of Baja / Algunas Aves de Baja California (see article in JDP Spring 2012 #4 issue). This book is for sale at the San José Organic Farmer’s Market and at Liga MAC bookstore in San Jose del Cabo.

The improvement project in the “pueblo nuevo” part of Todos Santos has been completed and all the newly paved streets are one way streets now. We’ve highlighted all the one ways in yellow on our Todos Santos map with arrows showing the correct driving direction.

Rancho Pescadero is open again after their summer remodeling. November 14 through 17, they are hosting “The Best of Baja Culinary Weekend.” A “mix + mingle” with Baja’s top chefs and renowned winemaker, Phil Gregory of Vena Cava. Activities include cocktails and cooking classes, demonstrations, wine and tequila tastings and, of course, gourmet dinners.

Hotel Guaycura was also busy remodeling this fall. Their beautiful boutique hotel, restaurant, pool and sky bar are open again in the historic district of Todos Santos. All that is missing is you!

Insurance agent Gaby Trujillo Coronado has opened a new office on the “otro lado” of Todos Santos, called Coronado & Fernandez. They can help you with your auto, home, health and life insurance needs. AF Design & Construction will be sharing the new office space.

Baja Zen yoga studio is now open near Los Cerritos beach. They have morning and evening yoga classes and many interesting workshops scheduled for the upcoming season. Visit their facebook page for details and a map to their location.

Brody’s Pizza, on the road to Cerritos beach, will be serving breakfast in addition to their tasty pizzas this season. Look for them to re-open in November.

Baja Retreats is a new retreat center in Pescadero. Yoga, art, surf, meditation, skim board, nature… Vacation with Inspiration! Call or visit their website for information.

The third Todos Santos Music Festival will take place at the Hotel California January 16 through 25, 2014. For more information, see our blog post and be sure to check out our great feature in the next issue of the JDP about the bands and festival.

If you’ve missed any of the articles or issues mentioned above, you can find them all online, read our blog and find our publishing schedule at: journaldelpacifico.com

2014 Todos Santos Music Festival

Posted on October 21, 2013 by janicekinne

Vaso Loco LLC and the Hotel California will be presenting the 2014 Todos Santos Music Festival January 16 through January 25, 2014.

Shows will take place at the Hotel California in Todos Santos January 16, 17, 18, 23 and 24. Doors open at 7 pm, music starts at 8 pm.

The Todos Santos Music Festival Town Plaza Concert will be on Saturday, January 25. Seating starts at 7 pm, music starts at 8 pm.

This year’s bands include Peter Buck’s own band, The Minus 5, headed by Scott McCaughey and featuring Peter Buck and Steve Wynn’s Dream Syndicate known as the saviors of alternative rock.

Kevn Kinney, who played the 2012 festival, will return this year with Drivin’ n Cryin’ an American hard rock/Southern rock band from Atlanta, Georgia.

Other bands that played at the 2013 Festival will be playing this year:
Torre Blanca–This Mexican group play post-pop with symphonic touches, with intimate, deep, playful and thoughtful lyrics.

Twin Tones–This Mexico City band’s music is an explosive fusion of rock, surf and spaghetti western film music. They stole the show during their 2013 debut at the Todos Santos Music Festival! This year that are also featuring one of their side projects, Sonido Gallo Negro, that takes the sound of psychedelic Peruvian cumbia of the 70s and covers it with garage attitude.

New this year, there will also be a “local bands” night at the Hotel California on Wednesday, January 22.

When REM disbanded, after 32 years of creating music and fans around the globe, guitarist and founding member Peter Buck was in the process of making Todos Santos, in Baja California Sur, a south-of-the-border second home. The idea for the first Todos Santos Music Festival was born in September of 2011, and took place in January 2012.

The 2013 Todos Santos Music Festival featured ten nights of entertainment over the course of three weekends, including two free concerts in the town plaza. The lineup of artists was hand-selected by Peter Buck and featured an eclectic array of musicians ranging from industry legends to emerging local talent.

Both the 2012 and 2013 Todos Santos Music Festival raised money for the Palapa Society of Todos Santos A.C., which provides educational after-school programs for local children. Some merchandise, including t-shirts and tank tops are still available from the 2013 festival via the Palapa Society.

The proceeds from some of the shows for this year’s festival will again benefit The Palapa Society of Todos Santos, A.C. Other shows will benefit the Hogar del Niños orphanage, ProPlayas A.C. (lifeguards), The Todos Santos Internado (boarding school for local ranch children), DIF, the Bomberos (fire department), Escuela Pacifica and local animal welfare groups.

Festival founder, Peter Buck of REM, has had a busy year making albums and touring with his band, Tired Pony, as well as with The Baseball Project, The Minus 5 and Kevn Kinney. He is currently planning a US tour of the Midwest and South with Alejandro Escovedo (Todos Santos Music Festival 2013) in late February and early March 2014. Peter and singer-songwriter Rachael Yamagata both accompanied Ed Kowalczyk of Live on his second studio album, “The Flood and the Mercy,” available on October 29. http://audioinkradio.com/2013/10/ed-kowalczyk-new-album-r-e-m-peter-buck/

For more information on Peter’s busy year, read this great interview at Salon
http://www.salon.com/2013/10/09/peter_buck_i_think_we_were_all_really_ready_for_a_change/

Peter Buck’s first solo album was released on vinyl only in November 2012. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCEcfeTL5pU He also has a second, vinyl only, album coming out in 2014 on Mississippi Records. His 45 vinyl single, “Peter Buck! El Rei de los Monos Presente! You Must Fight to Live on the Planet of the Apes” available from Mississippi/Change Records. http://blurtonline.com/feature/the-singles-scene-vi-blurts-indie-45-roundup/

Tired Pony’s second album ‘The Ghost Of The Mountain’ was released in the UK/Intl. in August and in the US in October. You can order in the UK now at Fiction (CD) – http://trdpny.com/FictionCD / Fiction (Vinyl) – http://trdpny.com/FictionVinyl / iTunes – http://trdpny.com/iTunes

To watch a preview with Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpZPt3pFkvk You can follow Tired Pony online at their Facebook page and on Vine and Twitter @TiredPony.

Erick Ochoa, president of the Palapa Society of Todos Santos, A.C. stated that they are grateful for everything that the Todos Santos Music Festival has done for the Palapa Society. The contributions and publicity generated from the Music Festival and the move into their new home in the San Vicente neighborhood of Todos Santos have enable them to include over 100 children in their programs. They have also received a US fellowship via the International Community Fund allowing them to hire both a full time teacher and part-time assistant for their Bridge to English program.

Todos Santos, near the tip of Mexico’s Baja peninsula on the Pacific Ocean, features colonial architecture, top-rated restaurants, fine art galleries, miles of pristine beaches and a colorful community of locals and expats. Todos Santos has a population of just under 8,000 people, but offers an abundance of creative events, annual arts and cinema festivals and other cultural activities that cater to an international tourist and expat crowd as well as locals. It was the first town in Baja designated as “Pueblo Magico” by the Mexican government, which signifies places in the country that have “a unique authentic historic and artistic charm.”

Check TodosSantosMusicFestival.com or Facebook: TodosSantosMusicFestival for more information and tickets soon!

Other upcoming Todos Santos events and festivals include:

Todos Santos PorQue 5k? Walk/Run. December 28, 2013. Sponsored by the Palapa Society of Todos Santos A.C.

The Festival de Arte Todos Santos takes place February 1-8, 2014.

The 5^th Annual Open Studio Tour will be held immediately following the Todos Santos Art Festival on February 9, 2014. Last year there were 35 artist studios open for viewing, covering mediums from oils, pastels, watercolors, mixed media, en-caustic, ceramics, sculpture and photography. Sponsored by the Palapa Society of Todos Santos A.C. All proceeds go towards Children’s Art.

The 11th Festival de Cine de Todos Santos, February 20 – 28, 2014 with the Premiere of ‘Youth in Video’ films on February 20.

Todos Santos Historic Home Tour takes place Sunday, March 16 from 10 am to 2 pm. Sponsored by the Palapa Society of Todos Santos A.C.

The Todos Santos GastroVino Festival will be held in May 24 and 25, 2014.

For a complete listing of events visit: http://journaldelpacifico.com/blog/events-2/

About Peter Buck
Peter Buck is a founding member and lead guitar player of REM.

About The Hotel California
At the hub of Todos Santos is the legendary and colorful Hotel California. Originally built in 1948 this unique hotel underwent a masterful renovation in 2001 that would go on to win numerous awards for design and décor. The original 16 rooms were transformed into the eclectic 11-suite hotel it is today.www.hotelcaliforniabaja.com/press

About The Palapa Society
The Palapa Society of Todos Santos, A.C., founded in 2003, is a multicultural, non-profit Mexican Civil Association. The mission is the development and administration of scholarship, educational, medical and environmental programs for the benefit of local children and their families. http://palapasociety.org/

Summer Issue

Posted on June 9, 2013 by janicekinne

The new issue of “Journal del Pacifico” is on the streets in Todos Santos and Pescadero and in select locations in Cabo. We’ll be distributing in La Paz in the coming week. Already we’re getting great feedback on the beautiful cover photo of an air plant by Laurie Pearce Bauer and our Spa and Eco Adventure feature stories–such as Baja Rock Art, Swimming with Sea Lions and Saving Sea Turtles.

The water is warm here in Baja California Sur and there’s a lot to do from eco-adventures to being pampered at a day spa. Those who know me may be more accustomed to seeing me leading a yoga class, out running or riding a horse on the beach, but for a change I tried out the White Sand Massage and Day Spa signature facial for a feature story in this issue. Photographer, Laurie Pearce Bauer, provided the photos for the story. ‘Tiny Town’ also tells the hilarious tale of the author’s decision to get a fresh new look.

ÉTNICA is a new store in the historic district of Todos Santos, across the street from La Copa / The Todos Santos Inn. They have beautiful handmade Mexican blouses, dresses, leather handbags, sandals, belts, shirts and guayaberas for men, unisex hats and espadrilles.

Santo Vino in the Hotel California will only be open for another week, so hurry in to get one of Chef Dany Lamote’s special creations. Citlalli Martinez Cano of Santo Vino wrote an article for this issue on wine pairing.

If you’re looking for some Baja wine, La Bodega de Todos Santos will be open Wednesdays and Saturdays from 2 to 8 pm through June and July. La Licoreria is open all summer with over 400 wine labels from the US, Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Germany, France, Italy and Portugal.

Joseph Arthur, one of the very talented artists from this past year’s Todos Santos Music Festival, has a new album out. You can listen here:
http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/av/2013/06/album-stream-joseph-arthur—the-ballad-of-boogie.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

The children’s library at the Palapa Society of Todos Santos, Rincon de Cuentos, will be open at the same time as the adult library–Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 10 am to 1 pm. The children’s library is free and stocked with lots of great books.

There’s a new Mexican restaurant on the otro lado next door to Mercado Pinos, Restaurant Horizonte, serving breakfast and lunch daily from 8 am to 5 pm.

Royal Palm Property Management provides homeowners from Elias Calles to Las Tunas with professional and reliable service along with an exceptional vacation experience for travelers.

If you’re in La Paz, stop in La Encantada to see the beautiful murals painted by young, Paceños artists. Kat Bennett of Allende Books shared her photographs, that show details of the murals, on page 42 of the current issue.

The Cortez Club in La Paz is fully equipped to take you on a variety of adventures in the world’s largest natural aquarium, the Sea of Cortez. Go SCUBA diving, snorkeling, kayaking, water skiing, windsurfing, wave running, sailing, a day of sport fishing or ‘Dancing with Sea Lions’!

Staying in an air conditioned room at Sr. Mañana in the historic district of San José del Cabo is a great way to start or end your visit to Baja Sur. Todos Santos and Pescadero have a variety of accommodations in different price ranges all with swimming pools! Check out Hacienda Todos Los Santos or Hotel Casa Tota in the historic district, Hotelito, just outside “downtown” on La Cachora road or Serendipity and Casa Rancho on the otro lado. In Pescadero you can relax on the beach or spend the day surfing at Rancho Pescadero, or hang out with fellow travelers by the pool at Pescadero Surf Camp. What could be better?

Thanks to our clients, contributors and our readers for making the second season of Journal del Pacifico–La Revista de Baja California Sur such a success! We’ll be back in the fall with more great stories about the best that Baja has to offer. You can follow us through the summer at journaldelpacifico.com and on Facebook at JournaldelPacifico.

If you can’t be in Baja to pick up the latest issue, you can always get the PDF online at: http://journaldelpacifico.com/blog/issues-online/summer-2013/

GASTROVINO 2013

Posted on May 1, 2013 by janicekinne

The second annual GastroVino Festival takes place in Todos Santos this weekend. The main festival will take place in the Plaza Pública Sunday May 5^th, from 2 to 6 pm. This year, there will also be a special pairing dinner at Santo Vino on Friday, May 3^rd, a pre-celebration bubbly tasting at La Bodega de Todos Santos on Saturday, May 4^th, from 2 to 4 pm, and many more related events.

All tickets are available at La Bodega de Todos Santos on Calle Hidalgo. Tickets for the main event on Sunday can be purchased at El Tecolote Bookstore and La Bodega de Todos Santos.

The Festival is dedicated to celebrating the gastronomy and wines of Baja California. Designed for lovers of fresh local cuisine and quality Mexican wine, this is a time to get to know local chefs from the Todos Santos area and their creations and also winemakers and their wines from the North of Baja in a festival atmosphere.

Some of the Peninsula’s best winemakers from Cavas Valmar, Cavas Maciel, Las Bodegas de Santo Tomás, L.A. Cetto, Baron Balch’é, MD, Viña Doña Dolores of Querétaro and Todos Santos’ new Sierra Laguna winery are just a few of the wineries who will be at the festival. Entrance fee is 300 pesos at the door and includes a festival-engraved wine glass to taste wines and also five free samples of any of the restaurant’s specialties. All wineries and restaurants will also sell wine by the glass, by the bottle and food by the plate at special prices. The festival also offers excellent live music and entertainment all afternoon long.

Last year over $6000 USD was raised for the local Internado, an organization dedicated to housing children who come from the surrounding ranches to attend school in Todos Santos. These funds enable big improvements in their facility such as adding a water purification system, new restrooms, newly painted classrooms/dorms, and more. This year 100% of the funds raised by the silent auction will go to the local Bomberos Fire Department which is in great need of new equipment.

Gastrovino Events:

Friday, May 3, 7 pm
Pairing Dinner at Santo Vino of Hotel California with Cava Maciel – (Eclectic regional cuisine of 4 courses from Chef Dany paired with 4 excellent Baja Wines). 30 seats only. 1000 pesos

Saturday, May 4, 2 – 4 pm
Bubbly Time at La Bodega de Todos Santos – Bubbly Tasting with Enologist and Manager of Freixenet Querétaro and Fresh, Organic Tapas with Claudine from Stiletto and Spice. 300 pesos

Saturday, May 4, 7 – 10 pm
Fiesta de Vinos – Exclusive VIP Party at Hotel California featuring 8 select wines and the winemakers from Cavas Valmar, Vinos Shimul, Freixenet, Vinart and special appetizers prepared by Chef Dany Lamote. Live Music and lots of gourmet fun. 800 pesos.

Saturday, May 4, 7 pm –
Movino – Themed Movie and Tasting at The Distillery with local wines from Sierra Laguna Vineyards, L.A. Cetto, Casa Madero, MD Vinos and more! Reception: 7 – 9 pm, Movie: 9 pm; 150 pesos

Sunday, May 5, 2 – 6 pm
GastroVino Festival – in the Plaza Pública of Todos Santos. Includes your very own commemorative wine glass, tastings of numerous Mexican wines, appetizers and special plates from local restaurants at only 60 pesos, special by-the-bottle prices, silent auction to benefit local charities, Live Music and a fashion show. Tickets are 300 Pre-Sale; 350 Day-Of-Event.

Sunday, May 5, 7pm – close
GastroVino After Party – on the SkyDeck of Guaycura to enjoy the sunset and complete a fun, vino-filled weekend!

For more information visit: www.gastrovino.mx