Like a lot of people, I bought into some of the hype surrounding the Hotel California in Todos Santos. I had read and heard it might have something to do with the infamous rock song written by The Eagles, that the hotel might have inspired them to pen the lyrics. We drove up the western Pacific coast of the Baja California peninsula from San Lucas to Todos Santos, eager to see if we too could be inspired, but we eventually learned the truth: The entire myth surrounding the hotel is complete nonsense.

Don Henley told Rolling Stone that it was the band's "interpretation of the high life in Los Angeles" and later reiterated "it's basically a song about the dark underbelly of the American dream and about excess in America, which is something we knew a lot about."

Don Felder described how the lyrics were written: "Don Henley and Glenn wrote most of the words. All of us kind of drove into L.A. at night. Nobody was from California, and if you drive into L.A. at night... you can just see this glow on the horizon of lights, and the images that start running through your head of Hollywood and all the dreams that you have, and so it was kind of about that... what we started writing the song about. Coming into L.A.... and from that 'Life in the Fast Lane' came out of it, and 'Wasted Time' and a bunch of other songs."

And even more: In 1997, travel writer Joe Cummings became intrigued with the legend. He talked to everyone he could and decided that the stories just didn't seem right. He sent a fax to Don Henley and asked about the hotel in Todos Santos and the rumors that he and/or the band had been here and possibly even written the song here. To Joe's surprise, Don Henley immediately returned his fax and stated that "I can tell you unequivocally that neither myself nor any of the other band members have had any sort of association - business or pleasure - with that establishment." Based on his own research and this fax, Joe wrote "Hotel Where" which was later published in the March 2000 issue of El Calendario de Todos Santos, the local English language magazine.

Sweet, good to know now (and pretty cool assuming that fax is real... see photo below). This is a prime example of why one's travel plans, expectations, and anticipations should never revolve around a specific desire. Sometimes, things don't turn out as glamorous as you make them up to be in your head. Other times, as was my fate here, you buy into some sort of pop culture and it turns out to be nothing like it was built up to be (imagine that!).

The thing that annoys me is that I feel personally and purposely mislead - the hotel apparently made up the whole thingin an effort to increase business. Well, it worked. The hotel is a gigantic tourist trap, and to be extremely honest, I wondered what I was missing. It's not on the ocean (as the website would lead you to believe), and although it may have been cool back in the day, a tacky gift shop sits at street level beside the restaurant and lobby. Gift shops are about as far from inspiring as it gets for me.

Life went on, though - I've learned to bounce back. We followed a lead to a roadside fish taco stand called George's, which was excellent and served great fried fish tacos. From there we took a man's recommendation to head out of town a bit, head towards the beach via the dirt roads that cross through the cacti. We stumbled upon two beautiful beaches, one being a well-known surf spot called Playa Los Cerritos. It has a rather authentic feel despite a few small hotels nearby on the beach, and I think that is definitely aided by the fact that you have a 5-10 minute drive on a dirt road to get there. Lots of people come here to surf (or learn how) and the current was good for body surfing that day for us. Definitely worth a stop in as you cruise the western coast - it's located at kilometer 64 on carretera 19.

Photos:

The first thing you notice about the Grand Solmar Resort is the most obvious: It's been dropped into one hell of a setting.

You can see it in the photo below, its ridiculous location at the base of a rock structure, completely enveloped in privacy and tranquility. The lights of downtown Cabo San Lucas are only ten minutes away via foot, but there's no way you'd realize that on property at the Grand Solmar. It's in one of the most undeveloped spots left in San Lucas, and a stay there will reveal one of the best kept secrets about Cabo: It's absolutely gorgeous.

Sure, you hear it's a beautiful beach town, a place to party, but not many people talk about the fact that Cabo has some incredible, national-park worthy landscape (I will show you some photos next post). Albeit hot and dry most of the year, I had the opportunity to visit just after a rainfall (the area only averages about 12 days of rain a year). Talk about the element that brings life - the hills were lush, with the green, rustic look of the cacti now joined by green-leafed, red-flowered plants (and purple and yellow and orange). You can see some of what I'm talking about in the preview photo I recently posted of the oasis near Santiago, under an hour outside of San Jose del Cabo (notice how, in that post last year, I mentioned I didn't dance. Safe to say I've come around!).

And you can't forget the infamous arch of Los Cabos, which sits just around the corner from the Grand Solmar. Although you cannot see it from the resort because of the hills, you can walk over the rocks to both Playa del Amor and Divorce Beach (and in between is Lawyer's beach, because you can't go from love to divorce without one!). As you'll see from the photos of the resort below, it is the natural surroundings of the location that distinguishes it from the dozens of other luxury hotels in Cabo:

I'm on the run in Los Cabos, about to make the drive up the coast to Todos Santos. Among other things, I'll be checking out the Hotel California, which is apparently one of three possible hotels to inspire the famous rock song.

I spent the weekend checking out the Grand Solmar Resort in Los Cabos. Things should calm down in the next day or two and I'll tell you a little more about it, but here's a glance at their two infinity pools. They did a really nice job - it's an absolutely gorgeous piece of property, over the hill from the harbor area of San Lucas. I'll talk more about all that soon - here are a few photos:

I'm headed to Los Cabos to check out the Grand Solmar Hotel in San Lucas, which is pinned against the cliffs near the infamous arch. It looks like a beautiful setting, sort of tucked away from the partying going on in nearby downtown. I'll be roaming around the area for about a week, finding tranquility but also getting into my fair share of late nights (come on, it's Cabo). I'm still working out the schedule beyond the weekend, but a trip up the coast to Todos Santos seems likely, including a stop at Hotel California, the hotel that inspired the classic rock song. We'll talk more about the details in the coming days.

For now, here's a preview shot of the Grand Solmar Hotel in Los Cabos:

I'll be the first person to admit that wine is a drink one would typically never associate with Mexico, not its consumption nor its production. Tequila and cerveza and mezcal, for sure, but not wine.

The stereotype is well-justified, backed up by historical evidence as well as current habits: According to Vinisfera.com, Mexicans drink about 500 ml of wine per person annually - the equivalent of a couple glasses per year. The purchase/production of Mexican wines is highly taxed by the government (as high as 40% in the past), which no doubt has driven the market to the abundance of beer and tequila options. In any case, most areas of Mexico don't have the climate to support a wine region, leaving a majority of the population indifferent toward and without connection to the bottles they see on the shelves.

One small region located outside of the Mexican mainland is working hard to change that perspective, an area known as the Valle de Guadalupe in Baja California that produces 80% of the country's wine (about 85 miles south of San Diego). What's amazing about that statistic is that while 90% of American wine is produced in California, Napa's contribution is only 4% of that 90%. That says a lot about how small the production of wine is in Mexico in general, compared to the United States, considering the Valle de Guadalupe and Napa Valley are approximately the same size. Napa has approx. 40,000 acres dedicated to wine making, whereas there are only 6,200 acres in all of Baja (including Valle de Guadalupe, San Vicente Valley, and Santo Tomas Valley).

That's the reality of it - the state of the union, if you will - but let's not dwell on numbers and history. What about the quality of the wine today? Forget the number of bottles produced - how does it taste? Pretty damn good, I must say, and others agree, sparking the emergence of the first 'vinotherapy' spa in Mexico, located in the Fiesta Americana Grand Los Cabos.

It's called the SOMMA WineSpa, the name a tribute to the Somma Lombardo Wine Region in Italy (and 'soma' with one 'm' is the Greek word for 'body'). The spa integrates both the health and celebratory concepts of wine into massage therapy. This includes the creation of their creams - research has revealed the grape to contain excellent exfoliating properties and powerful antioxidants seven times richer in phenols than Vitamin E.

The less scientifically inclined need only understand that a glass of wine is served to every guest after their wine-infused treatment, paired with daily custom appetizers from the chef to be enjoyed on the terrace or in the relaxation rooms. Other services include a private couple’s massage room with hot tub and steam room, Valle de Guadalupe wine tasting, reflexology massages in private beach cabanas, and the Barefoot Elegance Experience,which we discussed yesterday.

Wine spas can be found all over the world, but this is the first one to establish itself in Mexico. Although it opened about five years ago, Spa Manager Francisco Lugo believes it is now fully realizing its potential thanks to the increase in quality and popularity of Mexican wine.

“We want to show that we’re ready to offer this type of service, that our wines in Mexico are good enough,” he said. “Wine is a symbol of celebration, and we want our concept to speak to the same idea.”

The spa is open to guests of the resort and walk-ins alike. For more information, visit the Fiesta Americana Grand's website.

When I opened my eyes, the sun was completely gone, the mountains now fully blocking its light. We arrived on the beach as twilight was setting in - the stars not yet visible but the glow from the fire slowly becoming more and more prominent - but it had all changed while I laid in the chair. I had drifted off, the hands of the masseuse doing work on the lower parts of my legs, the scenery transitioning in front of my closed eyes to the now dark sky.

Before I sat down, the masseuse had taken me by the hand and led me over to a bucket full of grapes, instructing me to stomp down on them. It was a form of a foot massage, a part of the vinotherapytheology held by the hotel and its spa (something we'll talk about in more detail in the next post).

The grape stomp led into the aforementionedreflexology foot massage - the first two parts of the Barefoot Elegance Experience at the Fiesta Americana Grand Los Cabos. The night is designed as a romantic option for couples, the massages followed by a wine tasting and appetizer pairing and a private dinner on the beach.

Resort Sommelier Jorge Bazignan walked us through the wine and food pairing, and while it was obvious he could talk about wine while hanging upside-down and blindfolded, I appreciated his down-to-earth approach. Forget the tannin count, he told us flatly, let's taste the wine with the food and enjoy this beautiful evening. I sipped my wine, holding the glass up to the glow of the fire. That's right, I thought, let me enjoy this glass of wine in the beautiful beach setting, watch the flames dance in front of me and hear the water washing up on the shore. That sounds like one hell of a plan. I didn't have a date with me, but if I had I would have looked into her eyes and smiled.

The appetizers were salmon and brie, the wines all local vino from the Guadalupe Valley a few hours up the coast (near Rosarito Beach... see the story about my visit to the area here. La Cetto, one of the more notable wineries in the region, even has a bull ring that they use for harvest celebrations).

Dinner was next, a three-course meal prepared right there on the beach. Sea urchin soup, marinated tuna in ginger pasta, and a chocolate trilogy were on our menu, but guests can customize their own to fit any dietary desires.

Check out some of these photos, including just how amazing the sky can look as the sun sets over the mountains behind the resort. Price for the Barefoot Elegance Experience is $300/person, which includes a welcome cocktail, reflexology massage, wine tasting, appetizers, private beach cabana, and three-course dinner.

These days, Mexico more often draws thoughts of spring break and drug wars than peace and quiet - which, to be honest, really ticks me off. 

I've been fortunate enough to really explore the country over the past year, including multiple stays in Cancun, Riviera Maya, Manzanillo, Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos, Rosarito Beach, and the Guadalupe Valley. While at times I am admittedly pampered on these trips (mostly to Barcelo resorts), I by no means stay in my room - wandering is sort of my thing. 

I've got to be honest: Looking back at all those adventures, I can't tell you one moment where I felt threatened, scared, or uncomfortable. In truth, I've never felt relieved to be by myself, like I would have to protect a woman if she were by my side. Typically, I'm wishing for company amongst the beaches, sunsets, weather, and scenery.

Mexico is relatively inexpensive and, for many Americans, a short flight. This spring or summer, when the craving for a getaway for two takes you over, give Mexico more than a passing glance. 

Photos: 

Puerto Vallarta Sunset

 

View from Barcelo Puerto Vallarta

 

Guadalupe Valley Wine Country

 

Horsebacking Riding in Los Cabos

 

There are a few places on the grounds of the Barcelo Maya where couples can tie the knot - terraces overlooking the ocean and on-site chuches - but the southern-most beach of the property (Playa Azul) allows lovers the treat of having the ocean nip at their heels as they wed. 

I stood in as the groom for the purposes of a promotional video (similiar to what I did in Puerto Vallarta and Manzanillo... see photos). It's a rather strange feeling to watch the chairs being set up, the flowers spread out on the sand. I sat under a straw palapa, awaiting the arrival of my bride in a golf cart resembling an Escalade. 

I've never been married (or even close), so needless to say walking down the aisle is an interesting experience. There are a lot of stresses that come along with a beach wedding (weather, for one), but I've got to be honest: At the end of the day, the sand between my toes felt a lot better than the inside of any designer shoe.

 

 

 

Bare feet!

 

Playa Azul

I'm on the run, but I wanted to share these absolutely stunning shots of this ridiculously large pool at the Barcelo Maya:

 

I didn't get to try all of these - we're shooting them for a video - but the chef's here at Tucancun and Costa Cancun are doing their thing. 

Ud tiene hambre? 

This statue made me laugh - happy Friday:

Before I went skydiving for the first time, I had a quick conversation with one of my roommates who understands my insanity - my drive to experience life and all the "dangerous" situations that come along with it. 

I told him that if anything ever happened to me while I was traveling - be it a skydiving accident, an attack by a baby tiger, or a straight up kidnapping - I wanted it to be his duty to explain to my family and friends that I was all right with it, that I went out doing what I loved and that I wouldn't have had it any other way. 

I'm aware that sounds like teenage baloney, but I truly meant it (and still do). Some people slowly die over the course of 30 years behind a desk, which to me is a much scarier thought than falling off a monument or something.  

It's all good - that's why they make chocolate and vanilla - yet I need to make sure the people who would mourn me understand that I honestly went out doing what I loved. I need them to believe me when I say there's nowhere else I'd rather be than experiencing that moment, however terrifying it may seem to John Q citizen. 

The recent video of the bungee-jumping accident and the news of the sinking cruise ship in Italy has brought some questions in my direction, a few additional raised eyebrows when I discuss my upcoming travel plans (one more question about the safety of my travels to Mexico and, with Tim Tebow as my witness, I'll drag every one of them down there by the collar to show them that it's a fine place to visit so long as you use a little common sense). 

To all travelers: Don't let the news get you down or discouraged, don't get afraid. The American passport statistics are still declining and a lack of travel is, in my opinion, what drives this idea of fear toward the unknown and cultural differences. 

Accidents will happen, as they do on the road every day. Maybe you'll get robbed or lost or have to evacuate a sinking ship. But we still have to keep going, keep searching. 

I think this man, who I met on my drive from Manzanillo to Puerto Vallarta, would agree. 

Next Wednesday (1/18), I will embark on another week-long Mexican journey, this time to the eastern part to check out three hotels in the Cancun/Riviera Maya : Maya Palace Deluxe, Costa Cancun, and Tucancun Beach.

Here are a few photos to wet your whistle: 

Tucancun

 

Maya Palace Deluxe

I've eaten at a lot of the Barcelo restaurants over the past few months (Punta Cana, Cabo, Puerto Vallarta) - and many are very beautiful - but Manzanillo's Agave sort of blows the others right out to sea. 

It's perched out at the far end of the resort, hanging over the water with a view of a riviera to the right, mountains in the center, and the beaches and lights of Manzanillo to the left. 

Last week, we shot a scene for the promotional video in the restaurant, then stayed for dinner (it's Mexican fare, and the two dishes below are the duck and the steak). After the dinner hours, Agave turns into a dance party - usually with a live band - and the bar is right there in the restaurant. Boasting the same amazing views, it's a nice place to wind down the evening.

The food is delicious, but to be honest it was hard to care about what was on my plate.

I had trouble keeping my head down.  

One of the perks of being in the "cast" of a promotional video (or attending a press trip) is getting to see/tour the best a resort has to offer.

We were filming in the Presidential Suite at the Barcelo Karmina Palace (Manzanillo) for half a day - which meant we got to put our feet up and take in the stunning views.

Funny story: I actually spent about an hour of that time snoozing in one of the bedrooms off the main room - apparently the makeup did not agree with my face and I had an allergic reaction.

I've spent the last eight days traveling through Mexico, visiting the Barcelo properties in Puerto Vallarta and Manzanillo. 

I was hoping to get the blog up and running so I could have taken you along with me, but it turned out to be a blessing - I can't remember a more jam-packed trip. 

So let's play catch up: Not only was I there to wander and write, I was an actor in a promotional video the hotels are producing.

Talk about an experience: I got married twice. 

I wrote in a recent piece for Wake and Wander that I thought it was ironic - a wandering, restless travel writer standing in the ultimate position of commitment and stability - and I don't know any other way to put it. 

I've always been rather indifferent about the idea of marriage, a "we'll see what happens" type of mentality.

The experience of pretending didn't exactly put me in a rush to tie the knot for real, although it did bring a smile to my face and an appreciation for how special the day can be when it's all for you - what a celebration of your happiest moment can feel like. 

Check out the photos as they capture the moments rather well. 

Did you have a destination wedding? Email me your photos ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) and let's see how they compare!

Barcelo Puerto Vallarta:

Barcelo Karmina Palace Deluxe in Manzanillo: