Mexico Day 28: To the mountains we go

Playa Tecolote to Rancho San Dionisio //

I take a quick glance at the forecast this morning and see that it’s supposed to be 87 degrees here at Playa Tecolote. We’re two days from Christmas and yet it feels like July. With the intent to get somewhere that feels a bit more festive, we all pack up and make our way to the mountains.

A few hours drive takes us up and over two small mountain passes before we drop back down to sea level. We fuel up in Los Barriles then continue on another half an hour to the small inland village of Santiago. There we get a satisfying lunch at Cafe Pericú and then it’s twelve miles of climbing a rough dirt road into the mountains to reach our destination.

When we pull into Rancho San Dionisio it appears nothing like it has during our two previous visits. We are the only three campers here, a far cry from the buzz of activity we’re used to seeing. Our past two visits here were in late-January and February when the ranch is nearly at capacity with other campers. Isabel welcomes us back and assures us we’re not intruding upon their Christmas, a concern we all had when we arrived. Luckily we’ve proven to be good guests in the past and her and Clarence are happy to have us back.

San Dionisio holds a special place in our hearts as this is where we met Josh, Darci & Hannah. If we hadn’t pulled in here and parked in the available spot right next to them two years ago, we wouldn’t all be here together today.

After spending weeks on the beach, it always feels so good to return to this haven where there is green grass, towering trees, and crisp, cool mountain air. We string our lights from tree to tree while Clarence starts a fire in the fire pit. The ambiance is 10 out of 10. We all agree, we’ve chosen the perfect destination in Baja to spend our second Christmas together.

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