Itinerary:

PRIOR TO DAY ONE:

Most Tribe members will want to arrive in San Diego at least one day ahead of the official start date in order to be in place at our centrally located pick-up point at 9:00 AM on Day One. San Diego is a great place in which to spend a few days and has no shortage of things to do.

DAY ONE

Our trip will begin with a 9:00 am meet up at a central location.  Our chartered van will deliver us to the U.S./Tecate border.  Tecate is a charming small town; crossing there avoids the hustle and hassle of Tijuana.  Upon crossing, we will be met by our ranch host and transfer to their vehicles for the 1 ½ hour ride to our destination, Rancho La Bellota.  On the way, we will stop at a supermarket for purchases of wine, beer, or other items of a personal nature, as needed or desired.

We will arrive at the ranch, settle in, meet our pottery instructor, Daria Mariscal, and enjoy a delicious welcoming lunch.  Daria is a descendant of the Californios, the first Mexican families on the Baja peninsula.  After lunch, we will dive right in with Daria, view examples, and begin our Native Clay Workshop.  The Paipai are the only native people in Baja California who still produce pottery in the traditional way, without the use of a potter’s wheel or kiln.  We’ll break for the day at 5:00, relax, and finish the day with a classic dinner of carne asada prepared by our host.  After dinner, we can sample a premium tequila flight on the house.  Our host has visited Tequila, Jalisco (where all spirits labeled “tequila” are made) and can share the process of creating fine tequila - a lot of work goes into that golden libation!

Meals: Lunch, Dinner

DAY TWO

Early risers can wake up to freshly brewed coffee and muffins.  Just wander into the kitchen after 7 am, grab a coffee mug and say “café por favor” and you’re all set.  A full Mexican breakfast buffet will be served at 8:30 am each morning.  Afterwards we will resume our clay workshop, continuing to hand build our pots with Daria’s careful guidance.  We’ll learn the “paddle and anvil” and coiling methods of producing forms.  The process is engaging and relaxing, so we may not even notice when it’s time for lunch, but the old-fashioned triangle bell will ring around 12:30.  We’ll return to the pots after enjoying our meal.  By the way, there will be plenty of clay to make more than one project, so bring your ideas or be inspired by Daria…either way, you’ll have several wonderful items to bring home from your journey.  At the end of this session, we’ll take a short, easy walk up the canon to view ancient grinding stones – morteros.  This region was a seasonal camp for early indigenous people.  We’ll wrap it up around 5:00, relax, and gather for a traditional dinner.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner  

DAY THREE

Today is all about completing our pots in advance of tomorrow’s firing. Continue working in clay or take some time for yourself…whatever that looks like for you is fine! You might work independently (maybe you’ve brought a journal or a sketchpad….), rest in the shade of the gazebo, stick your toes in the cobalt blue tiled pool, go for a serious hike or a leisurely stroll on many of the nature trails criss-crossing the ranch. Experienced riders will have the option of going on a trail ride with Raul.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner 

DAY FOUR

After breakfast, Daria will teach us to burnish our creations.  Burnishing is like polishing with a smooth stone.  The process both hardens and compresses the clay, helping it dry faster.  Once we bring our pots to a lovely sheen, we will leave the ranch for a scenic drive to Valle Guadalupe, often referred to as “Mexico’s Napa Valley”.  Ninety percent of the country’s wine is produced within a 100 mile radius of this region.  The craft of winemaking was imported by the Spanish padres to make wine for church services.  Centuries later, you can now find boutique artisanal wineries, traditional family vineyards, and corporate mega-vineyards.  We visit a particularly charming winery where we’ll have lunch. This has been called one of the highlights of our trip! 

When we return to the ranch in the late afternoon, we’ll continue burnishing our pieces in preparation for tomorrow afternoon’s pit firing – a unique visual and cultural experience.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner 

DAY FIVE

This will be a day to let the clay dry completely before firing.  After our morning meal, we’ll meet Diana Melendrez, our Master Kumiai basketry teacher.  Spring is basket-making season for the Kumiai people, when creek willows send forth new, supple growth.  Diana will lead us through the canyon to collect fresh willow shoots for our baskets.  These young branches are ideally flexible to shape into any basket form.  In short order we’ll have plenty of material to work with. Diana will teach us to strip the leaves, make “needles” with some shoots, and use the rest for the body of the basket. Her guidance will help us work from the bottom up, with breaks to shape and tighten the forms as we go.

The forms can be open like a bowl or closed like a vase.  A cover can be added if you like.  The Kumiai traditionally made huge baskets, some 3’ tall.  They were used to store food, especially acorns, over long periods of time.  As a migrating culture, the Kumiai lived along the seashore in the winter gathering plentiful seafood.  Summer would find them in the Sierras of Baja, hunting game and collecting pine nuts – piñones.  Between these seasons they camped along streams in the foothills, collecting acorns in the Fall to eat in the Spring.  Large willow baskets of acorns were buried in the ground.  Willow is a natural insect repellent, so over the months the acorns were protected and preserved for the tribe. By the end of day one we will have our baskets well on their way.

Just before dinner, we’ll check our pots for the last time and prepare and load the firing pit under Daria’s watchful eye.  The traditional firing fuel is dried cow dung, and we have no shortage of that here in Baja!  The magic begins as we light our fire pit.  As the flames grow, then reduce to coals, we’ll watch with anticipation to see how the flames will dance among our pots.  The hottest contact points will produce the characteristic fire marks we cherish – the “kisses” of the inferno.  We’ll have dinner before checking the fire once more before bedtime.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner 

DAY SIX

Another day full of new experiences!  The anticipation feels like Christmas morning as we dig out our creations from the fire pit.  Having cooled slowly overnight, they will be ready to handle, rinse, and photograph.  Over coffee and muffins we can admire our companions’ creations, each a unique work of our hands and minds.  When we’re finished ooh-ing and aah-ing, we’ll resume working on our willow baskets until lunchtime.

After lunch we head to the port city of Ensenada. You might want to do a little shopping. Maybe you’ll pop into an internet cafe to check in on life on the “outside” or order a shot of tequila at Hussong’s Cantina, Baja’s oldest watering hole.

We’ll stop at the wonderful Riviera del Pacifico. Today it is a local cultural and civic center, houses the Natural History Museum of Ensenada and Bar Andaluz—a beautiful bar with the feeling of yesteryear, claiming to be the birthplace of the margarita. In its former incarnation in the 1930’s, it was known as the incredibly extravagant Hotel Playa y Casino. Rumor has it, that, among many other noted celebrities, Al Capone was a regular guest. Just strolling around the building and grounds is a delight. And did we mention the margaritas??? We’ll return to the ranch in time for dinner.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner 

DAY SEVEN

After breakfast, we’ll continue to work on our baskets with Diana. After lunch, the horseback riders among us will have a chance to go off on another adventure in the foothills with Raul. The rest of us can continue weaving, relax, take a walk, play a game of pool, or just be.  

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day Eight

After breakfast, we will finish our baskets with Diana’s guidance.  We’ll have time to photograph and pack our baskets and our pottery pieces (bubble wrap and boxes will be supplied).  After lunch, it’ll be time to pack up as we prepare to leave our magical ranch setting.  We plan on a 2:00 departure to arrive at Tecate by 3:30 pm.  After a very quick re-entry through U.S. Customs, we’ll meet our driver to return to San Diego and the real world.  Be prepared for the transition – after a week at the ranch, you’ll notice how busy our world seems.  Hold on to that feeling of peaceful calm, it’s a precious resource on our fast-paced side of the border.

VERY IMPORTANT: We don’t anticipate arriving in San Diego until quite late in the afternoon. For this reason, you won’t want to book a return flight home until much later into the evening. Alternatively, you may prefer to spend the night in San Diego and fly out the following day. If you’re at all unsure, please discuss your options with us before booking your flight.

***PLEASE NOTE:

~ The minimum number of booked travelers required to guarantee this trip is 8, the maximum number is 10.

~ Use this itinerary for general information only.  Daily schedules may shift due to weather.

~ There is no internet access at the ranch. A bumpy ride to a surrounding mountain top will provide the only opportunity to hop online for a few minutes each day except for day trips where you may or may not be able to connect for brief periods of time. There are solar-powered charging stations at the ranch which may or may not be appropriate for all of your devices. The cabins are without electricity so no power source for items such as hairdryers, CPAP machines, charging camera batteries, etc.

~ Guests are welcome to use their time as they wish while visiting the Ranch. It’s part adventure and a lot of retreat time.

~ You’re welcome to bring your own projects and are free to work independently. Outdoor activities may be re-scheduled during inclement weather.

A Little Bit About the Travel Tribe and Our Trusted Travel Partners 

In August of 2019, Janet Jaffe, founder of The Women's Travel Tribe, was looking for other like-minded women with whom to travel. Unable to find the sense of camaraderie she was seeking in already established Facebook groups, she impulsively started one of her  own—The Travel Tribe for Women 50+. Flash forward and that group is now more than 10,500 women strong and that little impulse has turned into a thriving small business organizing specialty tours for mature women. 

Janet meticulously searches out and, carefully vets, a tight, select group of small group tour operators. Working together, in partnership, they co-create unique itineraries for small groups of women. 

We're more than happy to connect you to our tour operator for this (or any) trip if you'd like. They are known for their incredible responsiveness and dedication to customer service. Our partners go out of their way to try to accommodate the specific needs of each traveler since their continued success depends on our satisfaction!

Tour Operator: Baja Rancho Art

Curious to learn more about Baja Rancho Art, our hosts for this amazing Travel Tribe retreat? Check it out on public television; KPBS travel show "Crossing South" https://video.kpbs.org/video/art-at-the-ranch-8rjooa/ OR in San Diego Voyager Magazine Meet Ellen Parry of Baja Rancho Art

What’s Included?

• Small group (maximum 10 participants) 

• Professional group leader throughout 

• Our ranch owner or tour leader will be our guide(s) on day trips

• All accommodation are twin share only (7 nights). Sorry, no private cabins are available.

• Breakfast every day, 6 lunches, 7 dinners

• Transportation to and from San Diego to Mexico (private van) 

• All transportation in Mexico

• All workshop activities and materials, and off-ranch excursions as mentioned

• Tequila, beer and margaritas all flow freely compliments of our amazing host!

What’s Not Included?

• Flights to/from San Diego 

• Passport/visa fees 

• Meals and wine tastings off the ranch 

• Travel insurance (mandatory) 

• Gratuities 

Accommodation Style 

You can expect a rustic, yet comfortable, cabin accommodations heated by a well-stocked wood stove with a private bathroom . We’ll be staying at a privately owned working horse ranch which is off the grid.  Lighting is by kerosene lamps and candles in public spaces and solar powered lamps in the cabins.  Cell phone/camera chargers are available but may not be appropriate for all devices.  For this particular trip, there are no single rooms available. Rooms will be double occupancy, with separate beds. 

Is This Trip Right For You?

~The ranch is not a hotel. The accommodations are clean and comfortable, but not plush. The sounds of nature are everywhere. Cabins are without electricity so no power source for items such as hairdryers, CPAP machines, charging camera batteries, etc.

~The meals are home-cooked and consist of simple, traditional Mexican cuisine—tasty, well-prepared and plentiful. Have strict dietary requirements? Check with us to see how we may be able to accommodate you.

~ There is no internet access or cell phone reception at the ranch. There are solar-powered charging stations at the ranch which may or may not be appropriate for all of your devices. There will be two trips off the ranch (to explore Tecate and for our wine pairing lunch/dinner during which you’ll have the opportunity to hop online or check in by cell phone.

~ This is a very dog-friendly environment. At least a half dozen dogs call the ranch home. Activities are primarily set outside, so if you are dog-averse or have allergies, this might not be the right trip for you.

~PLEASE NOTE: Details in the day-to-day itinerary may be changed and tweaked as our arrival date draws near or, possibly, during the trip. Rest assured, that any changes will serve only to further enhance and enrich the quality of the experience.

Tour Cost:

• $2,255 per person, twin share rooms only

Payment Terms

TO RESERVE YOUR SPOT: A $500 deposit is required. This deposit is fully refundable within 10 days of receipt after which time the deposit is non-refundable.

BALANCE DUE: The balance of the trip cost is due no later than February 15, 2024.

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