Our time in Southern Jalisco feels like ages ago now… now that we are resettled in our Northern California home, with the kids in school, Dakota safely docked in the Bay Area and the weather slightly starting to cool (very slightly, albeit). But the feelings Southern Jalisco invokes in me are sweet and remind me of the unique adventures we experienced there.  Looking back at our pictures and reading back over the sections of our “Pacific Mexico” cruiser’s guidebook is like jumping in a time machine and putting myself back there . . . Back when our biggest concerns were potable water, sufficient power supplies and getting to shore uneventfully from our anchorage. Tenacatita Bay (or more properly, Bahia Tenacatita) is a very special place. Fairly untouched and not remotely close to the typical overrun Mexican resort town, this sleepy bay is where some of our most fond memories are.  In addition to our river estuary tour in Perula, we went ashore and took a taxi to the nearby town of La Manzanilla for a field trip of sorts to visit the crocodile sanctuary.

More Adventures Along the Mexican Gold Coast: Tenacatita

Our time anchored in Tenacatita is one of the highlights, and probably our first or second favorite anchorage (tied with Isla Isabel). Not only was the sail down lovely (and uneventful/stressful), the anchorage itself was perfect. Quiet, protected, spacious, *not rolly*, close to shore with plenty to see and do, and we could surf and paddle right off the back of the boat! There was lots of marine life surrounding our boat, dolphins all the way down (and we think some sneaky dolphins swimming in the anchorage at night) and lovely boat neighbors (who once rescued our down duvet after it fell in the water off our boom while we were out exploring in La Manzanilla!)

Our time on the Mexican Gold Coast: leaving Banderas Bay, but first . . . .

It’s been far too long since I’ve set aside time to write about our adventures south of La Cruz–and there have been many! Part of it, admittedly, was pure burnout.  Let me preface this by saying: we have loved our adventures and the experiences we have shared as a family aboard Dakota and on land!  But, at some point, after running down the Baja *and* Pacific Coasts of Mexico for weeks and months, it’s fair to expect some level of burnout by both the adult and kid crew on Dakota.  But before that, let’s go back a couple months…..

La Cruz, Guadalajara, Guachimontones and Tequila: January 10 – 29, 2017

We spent 3 lovely weeks in La Cruz letting it grow on us and us on it. It’s true what “they” say– as a kid boat, it’s *very* easy to get comfortable there what with all of the organized activities for boat kids of all ages, plenty of like-minded and like-aged parental units always up for a cerveza or margarita while we “watch” the kids by the pool, the on-point seminars, the social gatherings and parties, the walkability of the gorgeous and well-appointed marina (so very cruiser oriented) to the lovely town of La Cruz (which is also amazingly cruiser-oriented and cruiser-friendly), and the feel of the community we have there–having friends as neighbors and willing babysitters (WOOT!) and just everything being so easy.  So yea, we got sucked in. But after a few weeks, we felt we needed to get off the dock and go SEE something else.  So, we rented a cheap little car and headed out on a road trip through the Sierra Madres, driving through valleys and hills with acres and acres of blue agave plants (it’s like driving through wine country and the Rockies at the same time!) and making our way to Guadalajara, which we learned is the second largest city in Mexico.