A Rough Start in Chacala
After a two-day rain delay, we finally arrive in our new home of Chacala! But there’s trouble in paradise as we take on a slew of surprise mini-disasters.
Mexico
Flying Into a Hurricane
We return to Mexico with plans to move to our new home in Chacala, only to find ourselves back in Sayulita pinned down by a hurricane.
See Ya Later, Sayulita
A secret beach, Noe driving, millions of land crabs, dentist visits, and see-ya-laters round out our last few weeks in Sayulita.
Jungle Kids
There’s a lot about Sayulita we’re going to miss. And having our boys be able to spend so much time outdoors so close to nature on a regular basis might just top the list.
Five in Sayulita
We’re officially parents of a FIVE-year-old! And Noe’s officially a BIG BOY. A beachy birthday to remember with friends and fun.
Sayulita Summer
Hot, humid, and rainy, our first summer in Nayarit brings fun new adventures (and also challenges) as we slide into a new daily rhythm.
Rain Dance
The tail end of dry season in Sayulita. Algae takes over our house, the taps run dry for days, and Riley finally gets a haircut.
Checking Out Chacala
We head an hour north of Sayulita to visit a village of 300 inhabitants with a palm fringed beach, sacred volcano, and non-profit bilingual school. Is this our next Mexico home?
Puerto Vallarta Scout-Out
After 7 months living in Sayulita, we decided it might be time to check out the tiny hidden gem of Puerto Vallarta. Heard of it?
First Wave
I’ve been waiting for Noe to be old enough and confident enough in the water to take him out body boarding. That day finally arrived.
Biscuits, Eggs & Weenies
A day trip to San Pancho, grilling out on the beach, and lots more fun-in-the-sun round out our second week with Grammy, Grampy & co.
We Host Our First Visitors in 3 Years
Grammy, Grampy and traveling buds tackle Sayulita and the boys on their first holiday in the time of Covid (and our first hosting bout in a very long time).
Sayulita Easter
A refreshingly low-key Easter back home in Sayulita, hiking, beach hopping, and prepping for visitors.
Mascota: Unfinished Sanctuary & Mirador de la Cruz
Exploring an unfinished cathedral with a unique history and climbing 312 steps to Mirador de la Cruz in the Pueblo Magico of Mascota, Jalisco.
Mascota: Our First Mexican Road Trip
We hit the road for the Pueblo Magico of Mascota, Jalisco to escape the holiday hordes and explore a mountainous part of Mexican none of us have visited before.
Gunfight in Nayarit
We suddenly find ourselves in lockdown one Saturday morning, but not for the typical 2020/21 reasons. Tales from the darker side of living in Mexico in the 21st century.
Noe’s Extreme Makeover (and Exploring a Bat Cave)
Literally none of Noe’s friends here have short hair. But there comes a time, even in Sayulita, when seawater, sand, heat, and humidity no longer play nice and tough decisions have to be made.
Molcajete Madness
As Mexican as apple pie is American, but you’d be hard pressed to find a molcajete on the menu of a Mexican restaurant in the States. That, plus leaves. Lots and lots of leaves.
To San Pancho, Through the Jungle, On Foot
To San Pancho! Again! But this time ON FOOT from Sayulita. 6 miles… over ridges and through dense jungle… on rarely used paths… using what we think is a reliable map. What could go wrong?
Jungle Real Estate
Our latest jungle discoveries, the return of our golf cart after a long three week absence, and why you won’t see us buying land in Sayulita any time soon.
Time Travelers
A strange anomaly sends us back in time while hiking through a vortex in search of a mysterious jungle temple and a mystical clay healing beach (no joke).
Golf Cart Problems
We’re told you can’t have a golf cart in Sayulita without your fair share of problems. Deceptively simple machines, but no match for salt air, tropical heat, and harsh terrain.
Private Property, Public Land
All beaches in Mexico are public land and open to everyone. Getting to them is a different story. More adventures in accessing Nayarit’s beautiful beaches by any means necessary.
Playa Patzcuaro: A New Family Hiking Record
Continuing our New Years tradition of long hikes, we attempt our longest one with the boys yet – a six miler through jungles and streams to Playa Patzcuaro.
Adios, 2020
Finishing 2020 the way we started it, at the beach! Just on a different continent. Highlights from the waning days of a helluva year.
Laying Low in Mexico
Surprise! Nope, we’re not wanted by U.S. Marshalls, and we didn’t make a run for the border, though that would’ve certainly made things more interesting. Read on to find out more.
Christmas in Sayulita
It’s that time of the year! While the country has changed [again], we continue our tradition of keeping it simple, unplanned, and time together.
Holiday High Season
Taking advantage of a relaxed week of fun in the sun and cooler temps, in the run-up to the dreaded holiday onslaught of tourists, both foreign and domestic.
Quest for the Last Sayulita Beaches
Setting out in search of the last of the beaches that we can reasonably access with a golf cart and two feet. Plus more from early December.
La Cruz de Huanacaxtle Sunday Market
Discovering a one-of-a-kind market, an [almost] perfect beach, and a cafe doubling as the final resting place for its patrons, on a day trip to an unpronounceable town on Banderas Bay.
A Sayulita Thanksgiving
Fun with baby sea turtles on the beach, colorful sunsets, more jungle hikes, and a special day done low key…just the way we like ’em.
Return to San Pancho
With Noe out of school for a while, we look north to San Francisco (better known as San Pancho) for a welcome change of scenery.
We Got Wheels!
We get ourselves a totally sweet, eco-friendly, off-road…ahem…golf cart! And other updates from Sayulita in the month of November.
Carricitos Beach: 5-Mile Beach Hike With Riley
Riley and I brave the jungle and the unknown in search of another mysterious beach on the windswept Pacific-facing side of Sayulita Point.
Malpaso Beach: An Unexpected Journey
We encounter a mysterious man who leads us on a harrowing journey through the jungle to a wild and deserted beach.
Settling Into Sayulita
Day of the Dead, a big provisioning trip, and other adventures and goings on from our second week living in Sayulita, Mexico.
Beach of the Dead & Our Mexican Bungalow
We pay a visit to a graveyard beach and finally make the move from our temp housing to our longer-term home in Sayulita.
Surprise! You’re Homeless! First Week in Sayulita
Suddenly finding ourselves without a place to stay on arrival in Mexico, we begin an exhausting weeklong search for a home at the cusp of tourist season.
A New Chapter Begins South of the Border
Our move to Mexico is upon us! No international move would be complete without a few last hiccups to contend with…some more serious than others.
Cozumel: Island Beach Hopping and Self-Driving
Taking a day trip to drive around beautiful Isla de Cozumel for incredible snorkeling, effortless swimming, great food and cheap drinks!
Cristalino Cenote
We spend the morning snorkeling, cliff jumping, and having our feet feasted on by tiny man-eating fish in the crystal-clear waters of Cristalino cenote on the Riviera Maya.
Puerto Morelos
Taking in the stunning turquoise waters and peculiar tilting lighthouse of this sleepy Caribbean fishing village.
Cancun
We added Cancun to the itinerary to see what’s been missing in our lives all these years. The answer? Gorgeous beaches!…if you can get to them.
Chichen Itza (Izamal to Cancun)
We made a stop on our way from Izamal to Cancun to tour the ancient Maya city and UNESCO heritage site of Chichen Itza.
The “Yellow City” of Izamal
We explore the Yucatan’s charming and colorful “Yellow City,” clambering up Mayan ruins and taking in the Spanish colonial architecture, as well as the people and food of this idyllic inland pueblo.
Yucatan Trip
Our itinerary from a month of activities and travel with Lori’s parents, logging over 1,000 miles overland in Belize and Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula.