June 2017 Baja Bulletin

Valle de Guadalupe’s Fiestas de la Vendimia

The 2017 Fiestas de la Vendimia will be an extra week this year, taking place from July 28 to August 20. Here are some of the great resources we’ve put together for you to enjoy:

• Full 2017 Vendimia schedule of events
• Informational page on visiting Valle de Guadalupe
• New list of Valle de Guadalupe hotels
• Wine and culinary tours through our sister company Baja Test Kitchen
• Valle de Guadalupe resource section in the DBTC office in San Diego with brochures for wineries, restaurants, and hotels in the region.
• Tickets for the Concurso de Paellas will be available for sale soon—stay tuned!

Introducing “El Gringo,” W. Scott Koenig

We’re pleased to announce a partnership between Discover Baja and W. Scott Koenig from AGringoInMexico.com.  Scott will be writing regular articles for us about the culinary scene in Northern Baja (check out this month’s article on Valle de Guadalupe newcomer Bodegas Henri Lurton). Welcome to the DBTC family, Gringo! More about Scott below:

W. Scott Koenig, a San Diego-based lifestyle writer, founded AGringoInMexico.com in 2012 to report on Mexican travel destinations, food, culture, and adventure. He is also a columnist for DiningOut San Diego, SanDiegoRed.com, and DiscoverBaja.com. Scott is the Food Expert for Tijuana and the Valle de Guadalupe for ExtremeFoodies.tv, (formerly FoodieHub), an international culinary site curated by over 275 global experts.

Scott organizes and conducts culinary tours of Baja California, and has helped fix film and video productions in the region — working with the BBC, KPBS, and the Culinary Institute of America on recent projects.

Baja’s Wild Side

We have copies of the new Baja’s Wild Side book, a photographic journey through Baja California’s Pacific Coast region by Daniel Cartamil, PhD. Packed with over 100 breathtaking images, this book chronicles a fragile paradise of remote landscapes, wildlife, and cultural treasures on the verge of being overtaken by modern civilization. From the high sierra, to ancient cave paintings hidden deep in the desert, to the surf-pounded Pacific, readers will discover Baja’s little-known ‘Wild Side.’

The release of this book coincides with the opening of the ‘Baja’s Wild Side’ exhibit showing at the San Diego Natural History Museum until August 18.

Dad’s Daycation Tijuana Tasting Tour: June 17th

Still looking for the perfect Father’s Day gift? Join Baja Test Kitchen on Saturday, June 17th for Dad’s Daycation Tijuana Tasting Tour, a culinary and craft beer experience that Dad won’t forget. This full-day gastronomic ‘tour de force’ is the perfect father’s day gift for foodads (foodie dads). We’ll explore Tijuana’s famed outdoor food market, visit world-famous taco stands and locals-only street carts, sample craft beers at some of Tijuana’s hippest microbreweries, and finish the day with a gourmet supper and suds at one of the best gastropubs in Mexico.

Pesca La Baja

The Pesca La Baja fishing tournament is in full swing again. The first installation of the series was in May in San Felipe. Four more events will take place from now until September in San Luis Gonzaga, Bahía de los Ángeles, Ensenada, and the grand finale in San Quintín. See all upcoming Pesca La Baja events

Snorkel with Whale Sharks for Science

Join the Vermillion Sea Institute and help scientists identify new and returning whale sharks in Bahía de los Ángeles.

There are two dates (and a possible thrid) for this trip: August 11-16, 2017, August 21-26, 2017. The $960 all-inclusive price includes round trip travel from San Diego, lodging, meals, boat rental, wetsuit, and fins. For more information see the Vermilion Sea Institute website.

What to Do If Your License Plates Are Stolen in Baja

If your license plate is stolen off your vehicle in Mexico, you should take the following steps:

1. File a police report in Mexico.
2. When you return to the U.S., go to the DMV to get a replacement license plate. Bring the police report with you.
3. Fill our form REG17 at DMV office.
4. Pay $38 and DMV will issue you new plates.

Vehicle Weight Restrictions for TIPs for Mainland Mexico

There are weight restrictions for vehicles that are not motorhomes getting vehicle TIPs for mainland: The GVWR cannot be more than 3.5 tons (7,000 pounds) if the vehicle is not a motorhome. Baja Sur will NOT issue TIPs for non-motorhome vehicles over that weight. There’s a possibility that they may issue the vehicle TIP along the California/Baja California border, but it depends on customs clearing the vehicle.