Greetings from the part-time expat! It’s been a bit since I posted, but part of that is because I have been back in the States for some minor surgery. Since I’m not south of the border en este momento (at this moment), I thought I would use this blog to write about one of my favorite vacation spots in the US. When I first started this blog, it was my intention to write about a variety of travels, and even host others’ experiences. While I have been overwhelmed by all of the great things to write about in Mexico, I still have that vision…so here goes!
Being in San Jose del Cabo brings me peace and joy. I love the laid-back lifestyle and feel so blessed to spend half of my time there. But rewind a few years, or I guess I should say decades, and I was searching for a different kind of peace. The peace that comes from a family vacation!
I know, sometimes we have all felt like the Griswalds packing up the station wagon to go to Wally World. And I would be lying if I didn’t confess to some stressful moments along the way. But there is nothing like the excitement that comes from packing up the family and hitting the open road. At that time, my husband and I had two (later three) kids and two stressful jobs. We would wrap up school for all of us (he and I were educators) and couldn’t wait to pack up the minivan with sand toys, boogie boards (remember those?), coolers of drinks and goodies, and we were off!
We have pre-recorded Nickelodeon cartoons and played them on a tv with a built-in VCR plugged in to a power adapter. We have packed enough Game Boy batteries to power a small nuclear plant. By the time we upgraded to the van with a built in DVD player with individual headphones, we thought we were in heaven.
If getting there was fun, the destination was amazing! Hilton Head Island is connected to the mainland of South Carolina by a traffic bridge. It combines all the fun of a tourist/family vacation with old southern charm. Some of my best memories with my kids were made there, spending long lazy days on the beach, mini golfing, playing tennis, bike riding, and sometimes just watching movies in our three-bedroom condo.
Kids have a way of growing up and starting their own lives. The last two summers that we spent Fourth of July week on Hilton Head Island, it was my husband and I, our youngest daughter, and her bestie. The boys were off doing other things. We haven’t returned in years, partly because we have somewhere else we enjoy now, but also because I want to keep those family memories close, and I’m not sure if it is a vacation meant for two, at least for us. But it will always hold a special place in my heart, and we have rented our Fourth of July timeshare week to other families looking to make memories. This year we haven’t filled our week yet, and I would love to see that happen. If interested, click the link below for more info. Even if you don’t stay at our place, check out Hilton Head and all it has to offer.
I was scrolling through Facebook memories this week and was reminded that it has been one year since our Baja Road trip. This year we decided to stay a little closer to home in San Jose del Cabo and took a few small road trips.
Todos Santos
The first was a day trip to Todo Santos. I have been there many times and have written about a few of our favorite stops. We did our usual and walked around the historic town square, shopped, and visited friends. Some favorite sites continue to be Parroguia de Nuestra Señora (Our Lady of the Pillar Parish), a church established in 1733 that is still open to the public today, as well as Teatro General Manuel Márquez de León, a theater build in 1944 that is still operational and hosts the annual Todos Santos Film Festival, in addition to other community events.
Next, we visited two of our favorite places, Las Tinajas Vineyard and The Green Room Restaurant for lunch. The tasting room at Las Tinajas offers generous wine tastings and flights and at The Green Room, you will usually get a whale show while you dine on the beach! This time of year is obviously the best time to visit, as the whales will be leaving Cabo soon.
Los Barriles
We decided to do an overnight stay in Los Barriles, just to take a little break from the construction noise next door to our home in SJD. The Hotel Palmas de Cortez is a comfortable, clean hotel that has served Los Barriles for decades. It has a retro vibe while still providing reasonably priced, updated rooms, multiple pools and hot tubs, fire pits, and two onsite restaurants. We especially enjoyed our oceanfront patio.
Los Barriles is famous for kite surfing, and is home to Exotikite Kiteboarding School. We were able to sit and enjoy lunch and a cocktail at La Playa Restaurant, right next to the school, and enjoy the efforts of all types of kite surfers! We also saw a “show” from our hotel later that afternoon.
My curiosity was piqued about kite surfing, but my courage was not! Therefore, while I did not brave the waves to try it out for myself, I did do a little digging on the subject.
Kite surfing, or kiteboarding, varies by different types of rides and equipment. We viewed riders using surfboards, twin tips (some of which are electric) and hydrofoils. The kites may be inflatable tube style, which gives an appearance similar to parasailing, or bow style, which the surfer holds in their hands to control the direction by “catching the wind’.
A new hobby on the horizon? Maybe. For now, I am content to sit back and enjoy the show!
Greetings from the part-time expat in Cabo! We escaped the Indiana winter for a few weeks of sun and sand in San Jose del Cabo. So far, the weather has been perfect every day, but I’m really not writing to brag to my midwestern or east coast (or anywhere else that might be freezing right now) friends. This post is to once again talk about food and fun!
When we visit SJD, we have a goal of trying to see all our local and fellow expat friends, if possible. We also try to visit one new restaurant each trip, but sometimes visit more than one. This trip, we found a super fun restaurant in downtown San Jose del Cabo. Eddie’s Tequila Tacos and Beer, located right behind the fire station on Calle Licenciado Benito Juárez Adriana, is a great place for food and fun.
We were greeted by Eddie himself, who welcomed us with an Eddie’s logo sticker for our vehicle. He took the time to find the Indiana/Purdue game on the big screen, and we enjoyed it while eating a delicious burger and fries, because you know, once a Hoosier (or Boilermaker), always a Hoosier! They have a full bar and a huge menu, with basics like burgers and hot dogs, but also traditional Mexican fare.
While we delighted in the low-key vibe of a Friday night at Eddie’s, there are other opportunities for fun and festivities. Saturday afternoon is the time for Gringo Bingo, where Americans and Canadians gather for bingo and good times. I believe there are even some tequila shots being poured straight from the bottle into mouths of bingo players, if you choose to participate. The Sunday morning of the USA vs. Canada Olympic hockey game, Eddie opened at 6:00 am for a viewing party and served breakfast.
Lots of occasions for a good time at Eddie’s, for travelers and for expats alike. Stop by and visit them and check out their merch; I’m sporting two new t-shirts this week!
Greetings from the Part-time Expat! The focus of today’s blog is helping others. A few blogs ago I wrote about Feeding Los Cabos Kids, an outstanding organization in Cabo that places kitchens in areas of high need to serve meals to local residents. I have had the privilege of volunteering for this organization in their kitchens prepping meals. My favorite task is serving the sandia (watermelon), as it is always a big hit!
The organization I want to feature today is Heart4Cabo, a faith-based establishment founded in 2014 in reaction to the devastation caused by hurricane Odile. Heart4Cabo continues to raise donations to help Cabo residents with food, water, clothing, medical attention, and education. They have also provided assistance to locals with home construction, business start-ups, and counseling services.
On our last visit to Cabo, we were able to combine fun and philanthropy once again! I have written before about my husband’s love of fishing, and he is not alone in our condo complex. By this point in the season, he and many of our friends have participated in tournaments and spent numerous days out on the water, which results in more fish than any of us can possibly eat. So we reached out to fishing friends in our complex and among all of us compiled a large donation of fish to share with Heart4Cabo to use in their outreach kitchens.
We also asked leaders to identify additional needs for their organization. Currently, there appears to be a need for dishes, Tupperware style to go containers, and clothing. If you live locally and would like to help with this, please contact Hear4Cabo and they will arrange pick up. If you are not local and would like to donate or sponsor a family, please follow the links to the website to see how to best help.
“No one has ever become poor by giving.” – Anne Frank
Winter in Cabo…time for whale watching! I have posted before that Cabo Adventures, present in both San Jose del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas, offers an excellent whale watching experience aboard a catamaran. This includes a view of the famous Cabo San Lucas arch, a light dinner, champagne toast as you set sail, and a beautiful sunset, in addition to whales.
But there is also a simple beauty in just grabbing your binoculars, sunscreen, a beach chair, and just, well, watching for whales!
The whales came early to Cabo this season, showing up in early November. It is said that this is due to colder than usual currents in the Pacific Ocean. This could be due to climate change, as there were a few whale sightings in October 2025. By January 2026, they are fully active and putting on shows daily. These shows require focus and patience on the part of the viewers. These majestic animals will breach (come up out of the water slightly) and jump full force out of the water, giving visitors a full shot of their grandeur.
The best way to watch for whales is to look for sprays along the horizon. Sometimes that is all you will see of the whale, but often after spraying they will breach or jump. Again, it takes patience and focus to see the whales being lively. So which is better, a chartered tour or a solo watch? I would answer both! If you are in Cabo for a short time, and want a guarantee to see whales, check out a charter such as Cabo Adventures. If you have a day to rest and relax on the beach, grab your binoculars and enjoy the peace and tranquility that comes with a day on the beach trying to spot whales.
