Chris Isaak really did record "Baja Sessions" in Baja. He recorded it in Todos Santos, down near Cabo, actually. Jimmy Buffett really did spend "Halloween in Tijuana" and sang about his experience there dancing in the streets in his song, "Desperation Samba."  I've often wondered, however, whether he knew he was really celebrating Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) and not Halloween! Another thing I've always wondered is whether Lyle Lovett ever really drove "The Road to Ensenada." When I saw him in concert a few summers ago, he confessed that he'd never eaten at a restaurant in San Diego. I figured that if he was that fussy about where and what he ate, it would be unlikely that he'd cross the border into Mexico and actually drive to Ensenada. But ... recently, a friend who has actually met Lyle told me that he really did make the trip. He was seen near Mike's Sky Ranch, just east of Ensenada, caked in dirt and riding a motorcycle. So, go Lyle!

    Oh well. I know one thing for sure. It's easy to tell a bona fide Baja Aficionado from someone who's just looking for a catchy title for their new CD. Take, for example, Jack Smith. In his classic Baja book, God and Mr. Gomez, he mirrors my feelings about leaving the USA and heading to Ensenada exactly:

     " ... I felt a pleasant weightlessness, as if the Baja Peninsula had been detached from the continent at the border and was drifting away in this blue sky and silver sea, just as the Spaniards had imagined. My burdens had been left behind on the mainland, and were receding out of sight, out of mind."

    I love the road to Ensenada. I drive it drive just about every other weekend and have for the last six years. For $6, I have the pleasure of cruising along the edge of steep bluffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean and enjoying some of the most beautiful coastline anywhere. I relax. I smile. I literally inhale my surroundings and delight in everything, from the wide-open spaces where sea, mountains and sky reign supreme to the colorful buildings dotting the highway. When I'm alone, Icrank up the tunes and sing at the top of my lungs (yes, I've been known to sing along with the above-mentioned artists on these trips). Never for a moment do I miss the crowded freeways and concrete jungles of Southern California. By the time I reach Ensenada, about 75 miles south ofthe border, I am in a totally different head space than I was back home.

    Although I love the view coming into town, my absolute favorite view of Ensenada is comingfrom the south. Driving north out of La Bufadora, the road winds around the top of Punta Banda and down toward the marshlands of the estero---estuary. The grand bay of Todos Santos appears below steep cliffs, expanding west and north, a vast and shimmering turquoise body of water surrounded by the city, a lush fertile valley and crowned, in every direction, by pale purple mountains. Legend has it that the Spanish padres who first discovered the bay sat by the fire brainstorming one night, trying to come up with a name for it. They went through one saint's name after another, before finally throwing up their hands and just naming it "Todos Santos," after all the saints. It was simply too big and too impressive to hang a single saint's name on.

    Bahía Todos Santos is home to the bustling seaport of Ensenada --- the busiest port on the west coast of Baja. It's home to flourishing commercial and sport fishing industries and is an international shipping center. In the winter and early spring, gray whales and their calves frolic in the waters offshore. And of course, there is a booming tourist industry. On any given Saturday, there are a couple of cruise ships anchored offshore, bringing an estimated 385,000 visitors per year to town. These tourists mill up and down Avenida Lopez Mateos, shopping and stopping in at sidewalk cafes to sample local libations. They munch on street tacos at the world-famous fishmarket, and of course, they visit Ensenada's landmark bar, (pictured above) Hussong's Cantina where wall-to-wall partiers and dueling mariachi bands rule every weekend. Across Avenida Ruiz is Papas and Beer, a newer, bigger bar that's popular with the younger set. At Papas and Beer there's dancing on the tables and waiters turn people upside down after pouring tequila slammers down their throats!

    For those of you who'd rather drive down (don't forget your Mexican car insurance) and hang around more than a few hours, Ensenada offers up a plethora of adventures. There are lots of good hotels and plenty of places to eat. You can grab a quick street taco or dine on elegant French and European cuisine. There are eight wineries to visit in the nearby Guadalupe Valley.There's La Bufadora with its giant water spout and great diving. There are off-road races, like the Baja 1000, the Baja 500, the San Felipe 250 and the Tecate Alamo 200. There's the Rosarito-Ensenada Bike Race and the Tecate-Ensenada Bike Race. There's a surf festival in the spring, the Hussong's Chili Cook-off in the fall, a wine festival in the summer, a mushroom festival and a paella festival in the spring. The Newport-Ensenada International Yacht Race, known as the "mother of all regattas" finishes here. There's a brand new language college offering Spanish immersion training. For up-to-the-minute information on things to do and places to stay, I'd suggest visiting the following websites: The Ensenada Gazette online, Escapist.com, The Baja Language College online,  BajaExpo.com and Baja Life.com.

    During the six days before Lent every year, Ensenada offers up its own version of Mardi Gras. Known as Carnaval, it has become the city's largest and most popular event. This year I went forthe first time. We got there about 4:00 in the afternoon. Avenida Ruiz was blocked off. There were vendors carrying towers of wildly colored Mylar balloons for sale to the crowds milling through the streets. Every hot dog vendor in the state of Baja California had to be there --- and believe me --- you haven't lived until you've eaten a bacon-wrapped hot dog off one of these carts. Nearly every store had a makeshift counter out front. Revelers could buy drinks and antojitos---snacks just about anywhere and as long as we had plastic cups or cans, we could walk around with drinks. We even bought some beers from a check cashing establishment, which had been converted into a full-service bar for the fiesta. There was a big midway and there were bandstands on every corner and strolling minstrels in between. Electric guitars competed nonstop with mariachi bands. People danced to the rhythms of mambo, salsa, ranchero and rock'n roll music.

    About nine p.m. the parade started. From our vantage point at a second story restaurant just down the way from Hussong's, we were able to take great photos of the elaborate floats that drove by and to snatch Mardi Gras beads and candies that were tossed our way from the air. We lost our friend Milo. He ended up taking a taxi back to La Bufadora for $35 and showed up on our doorstep at midnight! Another friend of mine told me it's normal to lose at least one person in your party at Carnaval---so we didn't feel so bad. Two of her friends lost track of their driver too, and had to take a taxi back to San Miguel at five a.m.

    Ah yes.... Ensenada is a fun town. There's no doubt about it. It's worth a visit any time of year.The people are friendly. The shopping and food are great, the atmosphere's always upbeat, and of course, there's never a shortage of things to do....

© Ann Hazard, 2000. No part of this article may be reprinted without permission.
This story is featured in Ann's newest book, Agave Sunsets.
Reprinted from The Baja Tourist Guide, April 2000, The Coast News, April 2000 and Baja Traveler Magazine, 2001 edition.

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