Go Green on your Vacation! (And Save Money) Follow up

So I posted an article that I thought was interesting on how we as travelers can be energy efficient just by staying at a vacation rental in lieu of a hotel that uses $2,000 in electricity - per room! Multilply that by however many rooms the hotel has and that, mis amigos, is a $#it load of pesos and energy literally OUT THE WINDOW.

Being a vacation rental owner, I am partial to staying in private digs, but seriously folks, you have SO much more privacy, you buy and prepare your own meals, whether it be a protein shake, a cut up pineapple, or a full on turkey dinner. I'm not saying don't ever dine out, but three meals a day for a week off of a menu can add up dollar wise, and calorie wise. Here are some tips to make your vacation surroundings a bit more comfortable:

Bring a  bag of your favorite tea or coffee. Nothing like waking up in the morning and having your favorite cup 'o Joe or herbal tea. Keeping ginger tea on hand is recommended for days when your tummy just isn't sitting right. 

Go for for an early morning walk or bike ride and explore. Many vacation rentals like this one have bikes for you to use. Take 30 min out of your morning and cruise around to check out the area. Early morning is a great time. It is quite and still so you'll observe subtleties that might otherwise go unnoticed with more people around. Stop into a cafe and mingle with some of the locals, or meet the cafe owners before they start their busy day. You might just get some inside info on a secret hot spot or hidden beach and meet a new vacation buddy.

Bring a portable speaker and listen to some of your favorite tunes on your Smartphone, iPod, or whatever you keep your music on. There many rechargeable speakers out there but Goal Zero makes a really rugged and cool speaker that is solar powered and can play music up to 20 hours. 

Light a travel candle - aromatherapy travel candle tins are the best. Try one like the 20 hour Verbena candle tin from Jane's Closet. 

Pack a travel yoga mat- Keep feeling your best on vacation and do a couple stretches, a set of sit ups or push-ups, or practice your favorite yoga poses. If the floor is tile, dirt, carpet or sand, create your space and fling out your mat. You won't regret bringing it.

I hope you find these suggestions helpful and that they may make your next adventure or getaway a skoshe more comfy. That being said, travel is not about things, its about moments and experiences. Don't let life escape you. Now go out and explore!

Safe Travels,
Cambria

Find the perfect vacation rental at www.LoretoParadiseProperties.com. Check availability now using the "Check Availability" tool on the right to narrow down your options. 

New Flight to Loreto!

Loreto welcomes flights from a new destination, Calgary, Canada and on a new airline, WestJet! The Calgary-Loreto (LTO), Mexico flight will travel on Saturdays beginning February 14, 2015.
You can take advantage of introductory one way pricing for only $269 CAD if you book by July 23, 2014.  Not including baggage fees. Visit the WestJet website for more details. If you are traveling during the Loreto high season (Nov-April), be sure to book your Loreto vacation rental as soon as possible as they book up fast.
Currently, the only airlines that have direct flights into Loreto are Alaska Airlines from LAX and AereoCalafia from Tijuana and Cabo San Lucas.
I look forward to seeing you soon in Paradise!

Safe Travels,
Cambria

Eating Vegan in Loreto

We live in Baja and spend most of our time in Loreto. BUT while we were in Todos Santos last year, one of my friends in Todos Santos, who is also named Cambria believe it or not, is vegan and her dietary choices rubbed off on me. Baja is a great place to decide to make healthier choices as there is an abundance of fresh produce, seafood, seeds, nuts, dates, coconuts, well you get the idea. I am making healthier food choices for my body but I do eat fresh fish, shrimp and shell fish. One of my favorite favorite favorite treats is the chocolate avocado shake I make. I make one for me and my husband almost everyday. So I guess its not a treat but more like a staple.
Here it is:

And here is what's in it:
Chocolate Avocado smoothie for Two:
Two cups unsweetened soy or almond milk, or water works too
2 heaping TBSP unsweetened Cocoa or Cacao
1/4 avocado
1 TBSP Chia seeds
tsp cinnamon
2 TBPS Sweetener of you choice (i have been using date paste as dates are everywhere and so good and good for you. Plus its a whole food sweetener.) You can also use maple syrup, honey or agave.
pinch of salt
Cup of ice

Put ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and no ice chunks remain.

Depending on what you have on hand, you can also put in 1/2-1 ripe banana to sub out some of your sweetener, hemp seeds for added protein, coconut, nut butter and vanilla. The avocado gives it the creaminess that milk would and you cannot taste it AT ALL. Just don't use a to overly or under ripe avo.
Cheers!
Cambria
Don't forget to visit us at www.LoretoParadiseProperties.com
Hope to see you in Paradise soon!

Tips for Driving Baja

If you are planning a two week or longer trip in Baja, driving is a great way to go. Here are some things to remember to hopefully make your adventure go smoothly. 

• BRING PESOS - Most gas stations only take pesos (CASH). Very few gas station take debit or credit cards. If they do, it usually only accepts cards drawn from a Mexican bank. Almost no restaurants or stores accept debit, or credit cards either and will give you prices in PESOS - not US dollars. 
• Exchange your money BEFORE you cross the border - You may see signs for casa de cambios along the way BUT most of them are closed or won’t have enough pesos on hand to cash out your dollars especially if you trying to exchange anything more than a few hundred dollars. 
• Pack a cooler - with snacks and beverages you can easily eat. Stopping at a taco stand is fine but if you are trying to make good time, it really cuts into your drive time. If you looking at a 10-12 hour day of driving, every extra 15 minute counts (and they add up), you don't want to be on the road at night. 
• 
• Don't drive after dark - Not because that's when the bad guys come out or anything, its just hard to see. There are no street lights on the open road and it is much safer to drive during the daylight when you can see well. Also, at night in the winter time, cows, horses and other animals come to the road because it is warm and will sneak up on you real fast in the dark. You don’t want to find yourself in a position where you have to swerve, slam on your breaks or worse. 
• Cross the border as early in the morning as you can - I am talking NO LATER than 8 am. And even that is pushing it. We like to cross the boarder no later than 7am. 
• Keep a roll of TP in your car
- pretty much all gas stations have bathrooms however many times do not have toilet paper. 
• DON'T LEAVE VALUABLES IN YOUR CAR - You would think "well duh" and so would I, however, we had our car broken into in the parking lot at night when we stopped at our hotel the first night and the thieves stole our computer, iPod and some other electrical stuff. So bring in your camera, phone, computer, etc. 
• 
  
• Stay at a good hotel - There are many hotels just for people that drive through Baja. Our favorite hotel chain is the Desert Inn. There are four location in Baja - Ensenada, Guerrero Negro, San Ignacio and Loreto. They are very clean, nice, great food, pool, and most allow pets. You can also make reservations online at www.dersertinns.com. There are two other nice hotels in San Quitin and Catavina that used to be part of the chain but where bought by another similar company. There is also the Cactus Inn in El Rosario which is VERY comfortable.  - and right next door to Mama Espinosa's! 
• If you can, do the long day the first day and make the second day a shorter one - if you are like us and going to a specific place try and drive the long day the first day. if you are just cruising around and going to explore new spots along the way, I guess it probably doesn't matter but try to determine your stops before you leave. 
• If you run out of pesos, go to the ATM - Pretty much all banks in Baja have an ATM. It is in Spanish and it will give you pesos. If you cannot understand what it is saying, just ask someone. If they speak English, most of the time are very willing to assist. 
• Don't go to the ATM at night. 
• Be polite to the military check guys - They are there to protect you and look for the bad guys (people transporting illegal drugs or weapons). Most of the time, they will wave you right on thru going South, but coming back North, they will ask you to get out of your car so they can look through it (revision). it is pretty quick and they like to practice their English most of the time. Most of them DO NOT speak English. 
• Get your Tourist Visa before you cross the border (if you can)- If you require a Visa, and you will if you are traveling outside of the "Tourism Corridors" which is about 20 miles south of the border or staying more than 72 hours. They are good for 180 days. If you live close to the border like in San Diego, it is worth it to get it out of the way so you don’t have to deal with on the day you are traveling. It can be a huge hassle and there can be a super long line which will set you back significantly if you are trying to make a time frame to be somewhere. You cannot get Visas at the Mexican Consulates or Embassies anymore. You HAVE to go into Mexico and obtain one at the immigration office which is usually right across the border, then go to the bank then BACK to immigration to get it made official and show then that you paid for it with your receipt from the bank. Again, ONLY PESOS are accepted. It is usually around $250 pesos or about $20 US per visa. 
• Car Insurance - You are required by Mexican Law to have car insurance that covers you in Mexico. We use www.mexicaninsurancestore.com Our total premium for a year with liability only is about $140 total. Its up to you if you want to increase your coverage. If you do have an accident, be sure to call the insurance company IMMEDIATELY. 
• Bring copies of your documents - Like registration for your vehicle, AND if you are pulling a boat or have a motor cycle, bring those documents as well - for the trailers too!! . It's a good idea to have them in a three ring binder so they are easily accessible because you will be asked for them when you cross the border and they will check the numbers to see if they match. On a side note, I also scan all my documents including my passport, credit and debit cards and email them to myself in case they are lost or stolen. 

I know that this sounds like alot of work and tons to remember, but it is worth it to have the peace of mind. Once its done you will be happy, safe and sound, and ready for serious fun in Mexico! 

Safe Travels,

Cambria