December 27, 2019 – February 24, 2020
This 2019-2020 sailing season has been a bit different for us – in more ways than one – we seem to be arriving earlier and spending longer periods of time in various locations along our typical migration path. We normally move along at a pretty good clip, so it’s been quite nice to slow down. After spending November and almost all of December in Bahía de Banderas, which included a quiet Christmas in La Cruz, we took advantage of some spicy breezes later that week that pushed us down to one of our favorite parts of the mainland coast – the Costalegre, where for the past 4 years, we’ve enjoyed an annual pilgrimage to the likes of Punta Perula, Bahía Chamela, Tenacatita, and Barra de Navidad.
Oh, and while da boat rested comfortably in the Barra lagoon, Rand and I staggered a couple of trips north (so one of us could be on da boat most days) – he to Canada for his annual brothers’ ski trip, and me to southern CA for some much needed time with da homies. Then, and most importantly, little did we know that a worldwide pandemic would keep us in this area much longer than anticipated, but that’s a separate post. And this after a jaunt to Zihuatanejo – also another post. Lots going on – lots of moving parts.
So, while the COVID-19 pandemic was leaving a wake in Asia and Europe and quietly sinking its claws into the States, we were blissfully reconnecting with old friends and the French Baker, making new friends, eating street tacos and churros, and enjoying happy hours and rubbing elbows with our sailing brethren. One doesn’t often realize just how social this lifestyle can be, and how much we really thrive on social interactions – the inane blathering and lively political conversations, laughs, and hugs we collect while hanging out in different anchorages. Extroverts like me need socialization, and Barra and the surrounding anchorages, especially Tenacatita, are perfect for filling our socialization tanks. So, in the early months of this year, we were able to enjoy our typical social schedule.
January Gallery
- Sunset on Dec. 27 as we depart Bahía de Banderas
- Taking advantage of mellow conditions
- One of our go-to locations on the Costalegre
- Holidays are a busy time here
- Margaritaville
- Brick stack
- First time we felt an earthquake on da boat…pretty crazy!
- South end of Bahía de Chamela – looking for surf
- Ghosting into Tenacatita on New Years Eve
- New Years rain day
- Greetings from Cake 🙂
- Up anchor for Bloom – off to parts beyond
- Neighborhood fun
- Monica of S/V Bella Via
- The Friday Mayor’s raft-up in Tenacatita
- HH on FL with Cake and Liahona
- Streaming college hoops while out for a sail – HA!
- Sunset over Tenacatita
- Sunset over Barra
- Wolf moon over Barra on Jan. 8
- Back in French Baker territory
- Ice cream in Melaque
- Heading into town on Taxi Aquatico with Ramón at the helm
- Fishing at sunrise in the Barra lagoon
- Wolf moon setting
- Horse butts
- Sunset with the crew of Follow You
- Full moon rising (can’t get enough of this stuff)
- Yep, another sunset
- Walk to Secret Beach
- Calm, solitary peli
- Happy talkabout with family in Alaska
- RIP Neil Peart – Jan. 7, 2020
- Stroll on the malecón with Cake and Rhiannon
- Vicki of S/V Rhiannon captured this shot of FL in the Barra lagoon – Thx, Vicki!
- First stop at Miriam’s on the taco bam bam
- Second stop at Pastorcito on the taco bam bam
- Ok, then we had to have churros
- Just another sunrise over the lagoon
- Happy birthday to Tanya of S/V Seadra
- NFL playoffs at Barra Mia
- Din din at Pipi’s with Striker and Catatude
- Ok, then there was ice cream
- And another sunrise
Quick-trip-across-the-border Gallery
- Leaving Manzanillo
- Flying into Mexico City and a layer of polluted air
- Rand and Tobin grabbing breakfast at — a gas station in Canado
- It was butt-cold in Canada – quite the opposite of Barra (this photo is pre-Jeff’s arrival)
- Scored tickets to the SDSU basketball game
- Golf day with Mel, Jer, and Pop
- Beach day with Tannika
- Hangin’ with Jack at Pizza Port
- Family dinner
- Happy people
- Thai with Simon and Erin
- Girl time at the Resort
- Jay and Kathy visited the Resort, too
- WTF?! (Turns out it’s Stacy’s childhood suitcase and bunny she ran away with when she ran away from home)
- Afternoon hike to look for sheep with our FWS peeps
- Sheep!
- More sheep!
- Happy hikers
- Awe…my BFFs
- Made it to the picnic tables on the South Lykken Trail
- 🙂
- Rand on da boat – me at the Resort
- Hangin’ with Barb, Tom, and Vicki in Esco
- Erin, Lily, and Simon, too
- Ramen with Mel and Pop
- Gathering at Matt and Kathleen’s
- Jeanne and Monte
- Yay!
- Yay!
- Superbowl Sunday in Murr-town – AND Jefe’s 60th!
- Liberty Station lunchy before the girls fly home
- Happy Grandpa
- Nobisan!
- Kai and Sharisse in their new digs
- Last golf date this trip
February Gallery
- Back to Barra
- Miriam’s with Vanessa and Sonni and Brad of S/V Luego
- Beach walk to Melaque with Luego
- Stroll to Secret Beach with Sonni and pups
- Mac and Pip
- Secret Beach shenanigans (PC Sonni)
- Oh look, a sunset in Barra
- The whole Luego family (PC Vanessa)
- Dinner at Mokeke’s with Vannie and Elisha
- On da boat! (PC Vannie)
- Moonrise over S/V Shazam
- Tequila time at Pastorcito
- Grillin’ some veggies for huaraches in Barra
- HH on FL with Serafina, Strikhedonia, and Cake
- Cute little treehopper on da boat
- Tom taking Daisy for a paddle
- View from my yoga studio
- Morning visit from Catatude and Milou
- Sunset over Tenacatita
- HH on Catatude with Brainwaves
- Emeric, our beloved French Baker
- The whole Cake clan
- View of the marina
- Another margaritaville
- Taxi Aquatico time!
- Love these people
- And this person
- And this person (PC Ellie)
- Ellie, the angel
- Michael, wanting to be an angel
- Late night noms at Pastorcito
- Bus driver checking in with the chicken in Melaque
- Early morning shopping in Melaque
- Will she like it? Turns out, no.
- Cat nap
- Javi’s churros rule
- Oh, another sunrise
- Solar panel project
- Can you see Cavu? We’re out to make water and do some housekeeping
- Bird event
- Gathering for the Barra Cruise-In Week
- Marla is a prisoner forced to paint
- Joe painting the Barra library
- Teamwork
- Really? Another sunrise?
- Cruise-In parade
- Cat nap
- Lunch at Cabo Blanco
- Meet up spot!
- On the malecón
- 🙂 (PC Vannie)
- Captain silly taking laundry back to da boat (PC Vannie)
- A very full recycling fish
- Tamales from Rosa, the tamale lady
- Din din with Striker and Strikhedonia at Manglito’s
- Seriously, the last sunrise of this post
- Sailing CD on Tenacatita BAy
- Torqueedo project
- Solar panel project
- Huaraches with Cake
- Cake by Cake with Cake
- Last Tenacatita gathering with these cat people for awhile
2 Comments
We’d love to follow your adventures, too, Kath…if only you had a blog. Ha! Love you guys!
Jo and Rand,
Great pics, fabulous video, and wonderful text, as always. So enjoy your adventures! Even though I don’t usually take the time to leave a comment, please know how much I enjoy and value your blog.
Miss and love you guys,
Kathy