Making Memories

It’s been two years now since we moved to Mexico, which means it’s also been two years since we’ve seen our kids.   Social Media has been great for keeping us all connected with each other, and I actually think that since we moved to Mexico we interact with them more than we did when we lived in Canada.  But with most of the COVID restrictions finally being lifted around the world, it seemed like now was the perfect time to have them start coming to visit.

I won’t even go into all the hoopla we had to go through to get Kayla’s passport renewed (super long four month processing time at Passport Canada, not to mention she moved cities while her application was still being processed, and only receiving it a week before her flight), as that could be a whole blog post in itself, but seeing her and her dad Owen walk through the arrivals door at the Los Cabos International Airport on October 9^th made all the complicated hoops we had to jump through to make this trip happen all worth it.

Kayla previously vacationed with us here in Mexico (Dec 2017) when we rented a condo in San Jose Del Cabo to celebrate Christmas and New Year’s.  That was well before we had any thoughts about buying a place in Mexico.  Owen has previously cruised to Cabo San Lucas, and last January he managed a quick visit here despite all the COVID restrictions.  So, both of them knew the area and had already seen most of the touristy things, so this vacation was going to be different. 

This vacation was about disconnecting from regular life, eating a lot of amazing food, laughing until our faces hurt and most important – making those special memories.

Below are some of the highlights of their trip here.  Please note, as per usual, a lot of the photos are food related…. LOL!!

We enjoyed dinner at Solomon’s Landing, one of our favourite restaurants at the marina.  We first learned about this place in early 2015 while watching an episode of “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” and always enjoyed eating here through the years whenever we were in Cabo. 

Our meal started with a round of drinks (Mango Margaritas for three of us, and Lorne enjoyed a Michelada Cubano – see photo 3) and we shared an order of Garlic Cheese Bread (focaccia bread with fine herbs, garlic butter and parmesan cheese). 

For the mains, Owen had his favourite, Whole Snapper (grilled whole fish served with organic vegetables, rice pilaf and flour tortillas – see photo 5).  Lorne had one of the signature entrees, Solomon’s Stuffed Fish (panko crusted fish stuffed with cilantro risotto, topped with lobster sauce, parmesan and asparagus – see photo 6).  Kayla and Shari both ordered the Mexican Combo (grilled skirt steak, chile relleno, green chicken enchilada served with rice pilaf, black beans and guacamole – see photo 7).

We ended the meal with another round of drinks (Lime Margaritas) and then wandered around the marina for a while, checking out souvenir stores and stopping for photo ops.

When in Mexico, it is a must go out for tacos, and Tacos Gardenias has some of the best shrimp and fish tacos in Los Cabos.  We enjoyed some fresh guacamole with house made tortilla chips, while waiting for our tacos.   Lorne, Kayla and Shari ordered an assortment of different tacos – grilled fish, battered fish, shrimp, chicken, nopales (cactus paddles) and skirt steak. 

The best part of having tacos in Mexico, is they are served with just the tortilla topped with the meat or seafood that you order, and you get to add any and all toppings you desire, which usually include shredded cabbage, pico de gallo, diced onions/cilantro, pickled onions, grilled peppers, lime wedges, guacamole sauce, and Mexican crema.

While the rest of us enjoyed our tacos, Owen enjoyed a hot, bubbling molcajete filled with shrimp, octopus, fish, scallops, salsa and cheese, basically a seafood stew served with corn tortillas.

We spent some time driving through some local areas and one of the places we stopped at was the Marina Puerto Los Cabos, which is located adjacent to the San Jose Estuary, just a couple of kilometres away from downtown San Jose Del Cabo.  It was a beautiful day to walk around and breathe the fresh air, watch the pelicans and of course, take the required selfies.

We also took a little road trip to Todos Santos (meaning “All Saints”), a small coastal town about an hour north of Cabo, on the Pacific Coast side of the Baja Peninsula.  This little town has become a favourite for tourists as it is loaded with handicraft shops, art galleries, taco stands, upscale restaurants, and boutique hotels, but still has that laid-back, small-town vibe.

Enjoying our time together.

Some of the things Kayla found interesting while grocery shopping with us – gummy bear donuts, ripe green oranges, a place where you can enjoy a beer while you shop, unrefrigerated eggs,
and Health Department “Stop Signs” on all food products.

Lorne and Owen worked on some little projects around the house.

One of the highlights of the trip was getting to enjoy dinner at Edith’s Restaurante.  This is a very popular restaurant for tourists and locals alike, and often hard to get a reservation at.  We felt Edith’s would be the perfect place to celebrate Kayla’s and Owen’s birthdays (which are both in October), and everyone agreed that Edith’s was an event to remember.

Having fun while waiting for our meal to arrive.

We started the evening with Pina Coladas and Lime Margaritas.  For our appetizers, we shared some Tuna Tartar Tacos (see photo 2) and some Grilled Rib Eye Tacos (see photo 3).  We also ordered a bottle of Decoy Pinot Noir to enjoy (see photos 4 & 5). 

Kayla ordered the “Pancho Villa”, which was a combination of grilled chicken breast, a poblano pepper stuffed with three cheeses then battered and fried, and a beef enchilada smothered in a roasted tomatillo sauce, served with red rice, pinto beans, guacamole, and fried plantains (see photo 6).  Shari ordered the “Wally Special”, which included grilled lobster, garlic butterflied shrimp and sea bass, served with a baked potato, garden vegetables and spinach (see photo 7).  Lorne and Owen both ordered the 16oz Rib Eye, served with grilled vegetables and mashed potatoes with truffle oil (see photo 8). 

For dessert, Kayla and Lorne enjoyed Bananas Flambe served with vanilla ice cream, which was prepared table-side (see photo 9), Owen ordered a slice of Pineapple Pie with vanilla ice cream (see photo 10), and Shari ordered the House Made Flan.  They also brought out a second piece of flan with a candle in it to celebrate Kayla’s birthday (see photo 11). 

And no meal at Edith’s is complete without ordering the “Mexican Coffee”, also prepared table-side (see photos 12 & 13).  This coffee is flamed with Tequila and Kahlua and served in a sugar rimmed glass with vanilla ice cream.

Like all vacations, the 10 days Kayla and Owen spent here seemed to fly by and, before we knew it, it was time for them to head back to Vancouver and back to their busy lives. 

We enjoyed every moment of their visit here which included watching some crazy TV shows, playing some unusual games, eating a lot of amazing food, and of course, laughing until our faces hurt. But above all, we hoped we were able to create some special memories for them along the way. 

And judging by Kayla’s Facebook post at the departure gate, I think we did ❤️

“The best things in life are the people you love, the places you have seen,
and the memories you have made along the way” – Anonymous

ps…  Don’t forget to check out the latest Snippets!