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Mexico week 2: La Paz

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My first week in Mexico used La Paz as a starting point, but during my second week I got to know it much better.  As the kayak/camping friends returned home, another friend from Portland joined me for a week of exploring La Paz and the region.  The weather was sunny but rather cooler than we’d hoped - many days got into the low 70s but started and ended much cooler. Given that Portland had just had a historic snowfall, we didn’t complain too loudly! We had lots of good food and several adventures. We drove a half-hour north to explore Playa El Tocolote - windy and chilly in the shade, but the water was gorgeous and the ceviche we had was amazing.  We did a day trip - a 90-minute drive each way to the west side of the peninsula, to the town Todos Santos. It felt much more compact than La Paz, and had a more touristed vibe with a number of shops and restaurants. It’s also the location of the Hotel California, as made famous by the Eagles song, so it draws a lot of people just for that! I
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Mexico week 1: La Paz

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Whales, kayaking, and snorkeling - oh my!  About 10 months ago I heard that a friend of a friend was planning a group trip to La Paz, Mexico. We’d contract with a local company to spend two days whale watching and then four days sea kayaking, snorkeling, hiking, & camping on an island. That seemed like a good start to a trip so I signed up! Flash forward to last week, when I realized that I had put ZERO thought into how effortful the trip might be. It was a lot, but it was great. I even got good at properly rolling & packing my tent by the third day! It was not quite as warm as I’d have liked, and the kayaking was pretty tough, but it was so beautiful out there. Our guides were super knowledgeable and everyone got along really well. And they made us incredible meals!  I was super happy to get back to running water - and a mattress! - but the week was really special. 
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Jan 30-Feb 2: Olympic National Park

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 At some point in January I realized I had time for a small adventure before my next big one! I contacted friends to ask for lodging tips for the Olympic National Park, and was surprised & pleased to be invited to join a friend in a cottage he’d rented. Talk about serendipity!  I drove up the 4+ hours, stopping randomly at what turned out to be a fantastic lunch spot.  The cottage was adorable, and I got there in time to head out for a quick hike.  The next two days I did two longer hikes - amazingly I had zero rain any of the days! There was almost no one out there - on the first short hike I saw zero people; on the second I saw about 4; on the third hike I saw no one again. It was magical, and nice knowing that my host was aware of where I was going, just in case.  My impromptu idea for a quick getaway turned out better than I hoped, and I understand those who’ve fallen in love with that part of the world. But I’m still glad it didn’t rain. 
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