Mexico City in Three Days: Highlights and Must-See Sites for a Long Weekend

Mexico City is a city bursting with culture, history, and an endless array of culinary delights. Over the course of a long weekend with three full days, we immersed ourselves in the heart of this vibrant metropolis, experiencing the canals of Xochimilco by kayak and trajinera, savoring Mexican cuisine from street food to world-class restaurants, venturing to the iconic Teotihuacan Pyramids, and wandering the historic center and charming Coyoacán neighborhood.

10 Amazing Things to Do in La Paz Mexico

If you think travel to Mexico is not for you, visit La Paz, Mexico.  La Paz has everything that’s great about Mexico.  The food is delicious, the seafood is plentiful, the culture is present, and the nature is mind-blowing.  La Paz is safe and clean, and it’s a place where real people live and enjoy life, rather than a place where there are more tourists than locals.  There are also some pretty amazing things to do in La Paz, like swimming with whale sharks, snorkeling with sea lions, kayaking along one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, waking up to exotic birds soaring in the air and dolphins swimming in the water, and throwing down oysters, chocolate clams, and lobster.

Say Yes to Crossing the Border for a Flight from Tijuana

Living in San Diego, we have a very convenient international airport which has a pretty good flight selection.  We also have LAX, which sometimes has better prices and non-stop flights that we don’t have, including flights to our neighbor to the south, Mexico.  But San Diegans, and Southern Californians, have another choice -- the Tijuana Airport.  It may sound difficult to cross an international border to catch a flight, but, surprisingly, it is super easy with the Tijuana airport bridge, the Cross Border Xpress, and possibly faster than flying out of the San Diego airport.  And, with airlines like Volaris, there’s a whole world of destinations available with super low airfares, many of which are reachable with a non-stop flight.

10 Fun Things to Do in Puerto Peñasco Mexico

Puerto Peñasco was a Mexican seaside destination of which we were completely unaware, which is a shame since it’s a relatively short 5.5-hour drive from our home in San Diego.  Puerto Peñasco has many names, including Rocky Point and Arizona’s beach, because of its close proximity to the Arizona border.  Puerto Peñasco turned out to be the perfect Mexico beach resort vacation spot for us.  While there are the typical clubs for drinking and dancing and off-color souvenirs being sold on the streets, there are also a lot of fun things to do in Puerto Peñasco for families and couples looking to have a fun or relaxing time.

10 Things to Do in Tijuana (That Don’t Involve Tequila)

Historically Tijuana has been a drinking mecca.  Tijuana’s proximity to Southern California cities like San Diego and Los Angeles and its legal drinking age of 18 meant Tijuana was a popular place for the under 21 crowd to come for drinking and clubbing.  Tourism from the United States to Tijuana dried up for years when stories of crime and drug wars filled the news.  Now Tijuana is a safe place to visit again, and the implementation of a passport requirement means the demographic of the traveler looking for a day trip or weekend trip to Tijuana has shifted.  Tijuana’s streets are no longer overwhelmed with rowdy underage drinkers.  Now they are being strolled by couples and families looking for things to do in Tijuana that celebrate Tijuana’s beauty and culture. 

A Relaxing Ensenada Weekend Getaway

The view of the marina and Pacific Ocean from our Hotel Coral & Marina guestroom's private balcony.

Life has been a little crazy in the full-time non-travel work sector, so I was ready to spend a weekend of relaxation away from it all.  The beautiful thing about having a destination like Ensenada so close to us is that while there are many things to do in Ensenada, there’s no pressure to experience them all in one trip.  So for this weekend trip to Ensenada we decided to take things slow, something we rarely do.  Our little Baja weekend getaway over the Valentine’s Day weekend included good wine, good food, a lot of relaxation, and a tiny bit of activity just so we didn’t feel like complete lumps. 

#DoBaja: Win a Trip to Baja and Follow My Ecotourism Adventure

Photo courtesy Baja California Tourism

As I have mentioned before, after a multi-year hiatus, Romeo and I have started venturing back into Baja.  Our first Baja adventure was joining a Baja food tour.  We then traveled to Tijuana for a dinner at Misión 19, had a weekend getaway in Rosarito, staying at the Rosarito Beach Hotel, and then crossed the border again to spend an afternoon drinking wine at AlXimia in the Valle de Guadalupe.

Hotel Review: South of the Border at the Rosarito Beach Hotel

This señorita welcomes visitors to the Rosarito Beach Hotel.

In the past the Rosarito Beach Hotel was the only hotel choice in Rosarito.  It’s been around since 1925 after all.  When Rosarito was Hollywood’s playground the Rosarito Beach Hotel was frequented by the likes of Orson Wells, Gregory Peck, Spencer Tracy, and Rita Hayworth.  In fact, just above the entrance is the statement, “Por esta puerta pasan las mujeres mas hermosas del mundo,” which means through this door pass the most beautiful women of the world.  Smooth talker.

Sea and Farm-to-Table Dining in Rosarito Beach Restaurants

We all know that Baja California is the land of some of the best taco stands in the world.  The towns along the coast have also been long known for delicious and affordable grilled local lobster.  In addition to these Baja food staples, Rosarito has also joined the farm-to-table movement, which provides some additional exciting dining opportunities for visitors to Rosarito and nearby Baja towns.  During a weekend in Rosarito we had the chance to eat ourselves into oblivion at a few Rosarito restaurants so we could share some of Rosarito’s best food finds with you.

Rancho Las Ilusiones

Rancho Las Ilusiones family restaurant.

Baja California Mexico Food Tour with Club Tengo Hambre

Popotla Baja California Mexico

It had been a few years since I crossed the California-Mexico border to enter Baja California.  I’m a born and bred San Diego girl, which means in my early 20s I crossed the border numerous times (much to my mother’s chagrin).  You know, because a shot of tequila is so much better when poured directly down your throat with a whistle blowing and a head shake after (not really).  There were also the frequent cross-border taco runs.  But as I got older, the trips into Baja dwindled, and then stopped completely.  Then we started hearing travel warnings because of the drug crimes and murders occurring in border towns.  Some of those travel warnings have now been lifted, so I decided to dip my toes into the proverbial Baja waters again with a food tour with Club Tengo Hambre.