Podcast Slow Baja

Josiah Roe is the co-creator of The Journal of Lost Time, a digital publication that shares stories of timeless immediacy. After acquiring a painters-tape green Vanagon, which he lovingly calls Barb, Roe set out for an extended Christmas vacation in Baja. An epic adventure ensued, and he vowed never to miss a winter exploring Baja Sur again. Upon h…

This Slow Baja Podcast is an archive edition with Off-Road Hall of Fame Racer Curt LeDuc. I recently saw LeDuc at the NORRA Mexican 1000. He led the Ford Factory Bronco Team. In a test of engineering and endurance, Ford ran a stock 2022 Bronco Wildtrak with a Hoss 3.0 suspension. The only modifications were a roll cage and five-point racing harness…

Today's Travel Talk with Slow Baja has me chatting with Leda Gamboa, the owner of Adobe Food Truck in the Valle de Guadalupe, Baja, California. Adobe Food Truck is a top-notch Tapas Restaurant masquerading as a food truck. I visited for lunch and asked Leda to pick something for me --she selected the spicy beef tongue and a Jardin Magico, Sauvignon…

Raul Aguiar and Caroline Kane are the affable owners of Rancho La Bellota, a 2800-acre guest ranch located in Tecate Baja, California. Rancho La Bellota is a portal to another era. Free from cell service and wifi, guests quickly adapt to the rhythms of ranch life. The coffee is ready at 6:30 AM, and after a cup on the porch, the guests gather in th…

Sandra Dibble is a veteran reporter who worked as a Tijuana-based foreign correspondent for the San Diego Union-Tribune for 28 years. She earned a master's degree in Journalism from Columbia University and worked at The Miami Herald for nearly a decade. Dibble was part of a team awarded the Pulitzer Prize in national reporting for uncovering the Re…

On Earth Day, I am delighted to share this Slow Baja conversation with Paula Pijoan. Paula is a native plant expert and a fierce advocate for the land and nature. She is a certified practitioner of shinrin-yoku, the Japanese art of forest bathing, also known as forest therapy. We met at Vinos Pijoan, her family vineyard in the Valle de Guadalupe. W…

Agave Expeditions Gabe Erivez is an adventure tourism outfitter who leads with his heart. With over a decade of professional guiding experience in Patagonia, Iceland, and Baja California, Erivez brings a lifelong passion for the outdoors to his work. He strives to be mindful in his travel, and "Be Here Now" is his mantra. "The human and cultural el…

Natalia Badan has spent her life on Rancho El Mogor, the vineyard and organic farm her Swiss-French parents built nearly seven decades ago. "We are romantics and have always been a little eccentric. We were always organic, since my father's time. They called it biological agricultural, and everybody thought we were completely crazy. My father studi…

Travel Talk With Slow Baja Meet Javier Martinez, owner of Boules Restaurant. Today's Travel Talk with Slow Baja has me chatting with Javier Martinez, owner of Boules Restaurant in Ensenada. I wanted to sit down with Javi to learn why everybody is raving about Boules and its gregarious owner? I loved the food and the atmosphere. #SlowBajaApproved Bo…

Brook Elgen is an illustrator, artist, and maker-of-things who splits her time between Mendocino, California, and Zacatitos, Baja California Sur. She specializes in handmade goods in a diverse array of mediums. Humor and wit are constants in her illustrations, books, and found object assemblages. She carries a notebook (chock full of lists,) has an…

81-year-old Pete Springer has been a frequent visitor to Baja for over 60 years. He watched the 1969 Baja 1000 and raced a home built-single-seat buggy in 1970. He continued building and running his designs until 1973 when he teamed up with Four Wheeler Magazine Editor Bill Sanders in a Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40. The duo won Class 3 in the stout Toy…

Today's Travel Talk with Slow Baja has me chatting with Collin Corrigan, the owner of Cerveceria Transpeninsular in Ensenada, Baja, California. I sat down with Collin to learn more about the craft beer scene in Baja, and he was delighted to educate me. Cerveceria Transpeninsular is the official beer sponsor of the National Off-Road Racing Associati…

Benito Ortega Vargas was born in Mexico City in 1951. At an early age, he displayed a penchant for making art. He felt that art was his calling and eventually chose sculpture as his method of expression. He studied at the San Carlos Academy, the National Institute of Fine Arts, the National Autonomous University of Mexico, and the Casa de Cultura d…

Today's Travel-talk with Slow Baja features Paola and Daniel from Antonio's Eco Tours in San Ignacio. Daniel's father, Antonio, founded whale-watching in San Ignacio Lagoon nearly three decades ago. His mother, Maria "Yaki" Aguilar, has graciously offered accommodations, meals, and hospitality unsurpassed on the peninsula.Multiple generations of th…

Jim Chamberlain has been preparing Dune Buggies for Baja since Bruce Meyers invented them in the early 1960s. Chamberlain prepared the legendary "Old Red" for its record-breaking run from La Paz to Tijuana that preceded the first National Off-Road Racing Association race in October 1967. Chamberlain was also a noted racer -while often found behind …

“Chango,” the twelve-inch tall, plaster-of-paris, irregularly painted statuette, first appeared in the San Ysidro border traffic lines during the early 1970s as street vendors hawked them to passing tourists. Many a gringo returning from their surf trip, tourist jaunt, TJ bar run, or mission trip came home with one of these in the back seat.” Slow …

Happy New Year, Slow Baja amigos! I am delighted to be on my first Baja trip of 2022. For the next two weeks, I'll be off-the-grid, scouting dirt trails for the NORRA 1000. In the meantime, here is one of my favorite conversations from last year. Enjoy this escape to Slow Baja with Graham Mackintosh. "The key to victory is throwing yourself at it a…

Today's Travel Talk with Slow Baja has me chatting with Iran Leonardo Verdugo, Director of Tourism for Rosarito Baja, California. I wanted to sit down with Iran to learn more about Rosarito's pivot to adventure tourism. Most know of Rosarito's famous beach, but it also boasts seven of Baja's best hiking trails. In addition to the traditional hiking…

After I ran into Tim and Kelsey Huber twice recently, I had to get them to sit down on Slow Baja to give us an update on their travels. Here’s how they describe themselves on their website: “Hi! We are Tim and Kelsey. We’re two ordinary people that just happen to live an extraordinary life. We are traveling the world in our 1995 Land Cruiser named …

On today's Travel Talk we sit down with Mason Schreck and Gabe Erivez from Pacific Overlander Expedition Vehicles. Pacific Overlander offers fly-and-drive adventures made accessible through turn-key, camp-ready vehicle rentals. Informed by years of backcountry travel and a passion for adventure, Pacific Overlander’s rentals, tours, and vehicle buil…

Today’s podcast discusses GHA Racing’s Class 11 Championship winning Season. While most racers start racing slower and less expensive vehicles and move up to faster and more costly classes, GHA began in a Spec Trophy Truck and decided to move down to a Class 11 Beetle. Driver and team owner, Alex Gonzales, laughs as he says they have “Racing dyslex…

In our second conversation with Tru Miller, we discuss how her Adobe Guadalupe Vinyard and Inn has fared during the pandemic and what's ahead for 2022. Joining us are Claudia, who handles reservations and operations, and Mara, Tru's assistant and leader of vineyard tours. Enjoy this comfortable chat about one of my favorite spots in the Valle de Gu…

Michael Squier is a filmmaker and storyteller. In this podcast, we discuss his ambitious film project, The Baja Bug Movie. The project tells the story of the humble VW Beetle and the people who modified them for off-road use. I met Michael on the NORRA Baja 500 while filming the movie. We recorded our conversation at the Cervezeria Transpeninsular …

80-year-old Pete Springer has been traveling to Baja for over 60 years. As a spectator, he attended the 1969 Mexican 1000, raced a home-built single-seater in 1970, and won his class in the 1973 Baja 1000. He shares tales from his many years of Baja adventures in this conversation. Highlights include; driving a 1940 Dodge Flatbed to Bahia de Los An…

Today you are getting a double feature on Slow Baja, the first is with Noel Morales owner, cook, owner and chief personality at El Refugio Mezcaleria in Todos Santos BCS. The second is with Noel, and his wife Rachel Glueck, discussing their beautiful cookbook The Native Mexican Kitchen: A Journey into Cuisine, Culture and Mezcal. WINNER of the 2020…

Lynn Chenowth is a pioneer off-road chassis and vehicle builder whose factory-backed and private Chenowth cars have taken many of the sport's greatest drivers to off-road racing's biggest victories. The list includes ORMHOF inductees Johnny Johnson, Ivan Stewart, Corky and Mark McMillin, Bob and Robby Gordon, Frank 'Butch' Arciero Jr, and Rob MacCa…

Today's Travel Talk with Slow Baja has me chatting with Paul and Bonnie, owners of Ignacio Springs Resort in San Ignacio, BC Sur. In the heart of the Palmera, on the bank of the tranquil Rio San Ignacio, Paul and Bonnie are warm and welcoming hosts with nine yurts and two casitas for your stay. Originally from Canada, they have happily transitioned…

Today’s Travel Talk with Slow Baja has us on a ZOOM call with Keith Berkley, owner of The Black Bass Lodge in Punta Abreojos. As a child, Berkley grew up camping and exploring Baja with his parents. His dream was to create a lodge where his friends and family could gather to find some of the slow Baja lifestyle that he loved as a child. Remote, pri…

Craig Larson and Mark Pestrella have been surfing Punta Abreojos together for more than 40 years. Inspired by Bruce Brown's Endless Summer, they've been seeking waves and finding adventures along the way since High School. I met them when I stopped by to check out their well-evolved camp. I found Mark smoking a cigar and reading a signed, first-edi…

Mike Pearlman was a teenager growing up in Los Angeles when his father bought a used 1964 Toyota Land Cruiser. Ed Pearlman was a florist and an avid hunter. The utilitarian 4x4 looked like the perfect vehicle for the upcoming deer season and delivering flowers. Not long after, Mike's friend was driving the Land Cruiser on the highway; he didn't kno…

In our second conversation with Chef Javier Plascencia, we discuss his restaurants Jazamango and Jazamango Cafe, and the bounty of Todos Santos. We go deep on his devotion to surfing, how he's happiest in a pair of trunks with sand between his toes, and his fanaticism for handmade corn tortillas from old-world organic corn. Check out his farm-to-ta…

Today’s Travel Talk with Slow Baja meets Chef Mattia, pizza maker extraordinaire in San Juanico B.C.S. Italian-born Chef Matti crafts wood-fired pizzas in his custom-made pizza oven on a Russian UAZ-452 “Bukhanka” van. We recorded our conversation during our Slow Baja Summer podcasting trip in July. He was making his weekly appearance at “Big Juan’…

In our second conversation with Trudi Angell, we discuss La Recua, her tribute to a fading history and documentary film about the old-time mule-packers in Baja California Sur. The film follows Darío Higuera Meza, a traditional saddle-maker in Baja California Sur, Mexico, as he lives his dream of riding La Recua. Overcoming a life-threatening health…

John Davis started surfing at twelve and began winning local competitions soon after. He moved to Huntington Beach to attend High School and became the Captain of Huntington High School’s first surf team in 1967. After graduating, Davis “took off to surf Hawaii, --with two pounds of marijuana under my airplane seat” he finished second in the 1969 S…

In today's Travel Talk with Slow Baja, we sit down for a quick chat with Yolonda Contreras, General Manager of the Guaycura Boutique Hotel Beach Club and Spa in the heart of Todos Santos, Baja, California Sur. We stayed at the beautiful Guaycura on the 2019 BajaXL Rally and enjoyed the ample accommodations, romantic rooftop deck, and gracious staff…

Boyd Jaynes is a Southern California-based photographer and the creative director of Dusty Times Magazine. His professional bio reads, "When not shooting, he enjoys traveling to far-flung beaches with his wife or racing his vintage Bronco in Mexico." In today's podcast, we will get to know all about Jayne's vintage Bronco, Caballo Del Diablo, why h…

"Life's an adventure; go out and enjoy it."-Mike Younghusband After reading Graham Mackintosh's Into a Desert Place, Mike Younghusband decided to get a burro and walk the length of Baja himself. "I've done my duty to my family, god, and my country. It was time for some 'me'-time -so I set out to get that, and I got it!" Younghusband gave himself on…

In our second conversation with Zach Plopper, Associate Director of WILDCOAST.org, we learn about the exciting new trash collection project on the Tijuana River. With funding by the Benioff Ocean Initiative, WILDCOAST has installed a 100-foot-long trash-skimming boom, which has stopped more than 10,000 pounds of plastic and waste destined for the P…

Matt Frick is an old Baja hand who runs the off-road tour company, Camp4Lo. We ran into each other recently at a stop sign in San Felipe. After exchanging greetings, we decided to get tacos on the Malecon. As we were chatting and eating, the conversation drifted to how we got started traveling to Baja. I mentioned that I worked at Trackside Photo i…

Javier Alejandro Inzunza and Leopoldo (Polo) Sanmiguel are passionate about sharing the stark beauty of Baja with the world. The Tijuana-based duo created the beautiful travel site Baja Adventures, "To inspire people to live in a more sustainable way by adventuring into The Baja Peninsula and rediscovering the unique bond between themselves and nat…

Jonas Deichmann is a world-class endurance athlete. He is currently running a Munich to Munich Triathlon that is 120 times the distance of an Ironman Triathlon. We caught up with him as he had just finished the Baja portion of his adventure. He had run from Tijuana to La Paz, averaging a marathon each day. With the Baja leg of his circumnavigation …

In our second conversation with Eve Ewing, she shares more stories from her 70 years of Baja adventures. From her 1950's flights to count whales with her father, legendary Oceanographer Gifford Ewing, to riding mules in the '60s on the grueling Meling-Alford Expedition Eve has been there and done that and still remembers the story! Enjoy this rambl…

"The key to victory is throwing yourself at it and see what happens." Napoleon Graham Mackintosh won the UK Adventurous Traveller of the Year Award in 1987 for his walk around the Baja peninsula from 1983-1985. He captured the experience of his extraordinary voyage in his 1988 book Into a Desert Place. Growing up in England as admitted couch potato…

"Some of the world's greatest feats were accomplished by people not smart enough to know they were impossible." — Doug Larson In today's podcast, we meet Mike Steel from Idiot Racing. His dream was to race the Baja 1000 in a Class 11 VW Bug built with his own hands. He documented the build on his Instagram page and won many fans and followers. His …

Today's Travel Talk with Slow Baja, we chat with the team behind the new Benchmark Maps Baja California Road and Recreation Atlas. Cartographer Neil Allen, Bridger De Ville, Director of Sales and Marketing, and Baja expert and project consultant David Kier are my guests. "The Baja California Road & Recreation Atlas is truly unique, combining the mo…

Ron Gomez Hoff is the founder of the website and Facebook page Talk Baja. A Southern California native, Hoff fell in love with Baja as a teenager on a scouting trip in 1968. After high school, a stint in the Navy had him operating nuclear powerplants on submarines. When he left the Navy, he returned to Long Beach and joined his family business runn…

Hey amigos, it's hard to believe that is's been a year since Slow Baja got picked up on Apple iTunes, Spotify, and Google Podcast. I wanted to take a moment to say a hearty THANKS for listening. Since I launched the show, many have asked me about my Baja journey and what Slow Baja is all about. So since you asked, here it is, one year in, I swap se…

Nicole Demme Kapturowski is an avid RV enthusiast who recently spent a month exploring Baja with her parents, husband, and two teenaged children. The family caravan consisted of a dual-cab pickup pulling a 33' travel trailer followed by her parents in a Class-A motorhome. Nicole brought up the rear in her parent's car that they would typically tow,…

Jeffrey Westman arrived in San Juanico as a 19-year-old on a surf trip and fell in love with it. The teen dreamed of finding a surf shack and staying forever. Not surprisingly, college and a career won out, but the dream stayed with him. Thirty years later, he has built the San Juanico Surf Society, a danish infused, Mexican-modern resort for frien…

Edie Littlefield Sundby has been a great friend to Slow Baja. Since I originally aired my conversation with her in July of last year, she has introduced me to many of her Baja community. A few have been interviewed on Slow Baja already, and I hope to record with the rest as time and travel allows. When a family member was headed to the hospital for…