LA FIN

BAJA BLISS

If you are looking for a quick weekend getaway, Los Cabos is an easy 3 hour flight and full of adventure and delicious Baja cuisine.

We enjoy staying at the beautiful Chileno Bay. Owned by Auberge Resorts the desert oasis is sleek and modern, blending right into the arid landscape. Sitting on the only swimmable beach in Los Cabos the resort has 60 guest rooms and 34 villas. Upon arrival you are greeted with big smiles and a cold Chilenito (mixture of Mezcal, a poblano pepper liqueur, fresh muddled pineapple and ginger poured over ice). The ocean front rooms are breathtaking with original artwork, organically made soaps and beautiful hand woven robes from Guatemala. The large artisan tiled bathrooms have an indoor and outdoor rain shower and a soaking tub. If you don’t want the morning sun shining in too early, remote controlled black out shades can slowly roll down for privacy as you get a few extra winks of sleep between their plush linen sheets.

Our first evening we usually dine at COMAL, the resort’s signature restaurant. Named #1 best restaurant in Los Cabos by USA Today, the menu offers a fresh contemporary take on regional Mexican and Latin American Cuisine. Having spent years in award winning kitchens such as The French Laundry and L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon, Chef Yvan Mucharraz prepares a tasting menu on the open air terrace where you can enjoy the spectacular sunset views while sipping on a cocktail or one of their many choices in wines.

Each day there are numerous activity choices to keep you busy, from scuba diving to deep sea fishing. You can also play golf on the championship Tom Fazio designed course at the Chileno Bay Club. However I like taking advantage of their 7500 square foot Aztec

Spa, where I get herbal scrubs and clay masks followed by a personalized massage using arnica oil mixed with herbs for a total afternoon of relaxation. Another great option is to just hang by the pool in one of the many gauze draped cabanas and gaze out into the ocean, where this time of year you can catch an occasional whale spouting into the air. The TnT Beach Bar sits just a few feet away and dishes up a great mix of street tacos that the staff is more than happy to keep you in fresh supply of. The attention to detail and the kindness the staff exudes is what makes Chileno Bay Resort a popular five star destination. favorite beachside bar. Don’t miss the iconic spot known as Land’s End, where the rocky outcroppings form the backdrop to one of Mexico’s most splendid natural wonders: El Arco, or stroll along Lovers’ Beach.

Two to three nights of Baja bliss will not only rejuvenate you, but keep you coming back to this desert oasis for years to come.

My favorite place to dine away from the resort is in the foothills of the Sierra de la Laguna range at Flora Farms. Set against a gorgeous backdrop of palm trees and rolling hills, the farm is home to a wildly popular restaurant, where everything they prepare exemplifies a farm to table lifestyle. All the organic produce comes from the adjoining fields along with their farm raised chickens and pigs. Dinner is served al fresco on long communal tables. Mouth watering wood oven baked pizzas, huge succulent pork chops and sinfully decadent chocolate cake are just some of the offerings on the ever changing menu. A live band adds to the fun and local artisans set up shop in various structures with hand crafted jewelry, clothing and an eclectic mix of goods. It is quite a trek to drive and probably a very expensive cab ride, but well worth the experience.

Back at the resort you will find it hard to ever leave, but you can certainly take a ride into town and check out Sammy Hagar’s Cabo Wabo Cantina or grab lunch at The Office, a Cindy Burch and her husband, Andrew, own and operate The Doves Nest in historic downtown Waxahachie. Cindy is also a freelance writer, caterer and consultant. Her award-winning cookbook, “The Doves Nest Restaurant: New American Recipes From A Historic Texas Town,” is in its fifth printing.