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Baja Treasures

12.14.12

Want to venture further down south from Tijuana? Within just an hour or so, you’ll see some spectacular beaches, taste some of the world’s best seafood, pull off the roadside for some exotic prickly pears, and you can visit Baja’s wine country, that many say is like visiting Sonoma 20 years ago. Here are some of our must-visit spots in Baja.

Photo to left: The coastline view

In Ensenada, the world renowned seafood street cart "La Guerrerense," at Calle Alvarado and 1st Street, was named Newsweek’s Top 101 Best Places to Eat in the World thanks to Doña Sabina Bandera and her team who have been creating out of this world ceviche tostadas and more at this legendary cart for 40 years. Anthony Bourdain says it’s worth a drive from Los Angeles, and he’s right. Get in line and order a sea urchin tostada topped with diver scallop and almeja clam; a coctél de mariscos (diver scallop, mussels, octopus, almeja clam, shrimp, sea snail); and an abalone tostada, and you can taste what the culinary hype is all about. You can also take home some of Bandera’s famous salsas and sauces.

Top 101 Best Places to Eat in the World

Corazon de Tierra, a farm-to-table restaurant that’s about an hour south of Tijuana, on the Ruta del Vino, at Baja's Valle de Guadalupe, that’s the real deal: the farm is right out the back door. At Corazón de Tierra they make their own wine, olive oil and all ingredients, the owner even raises his own tilapia. The seafood comes from Ensenada just a 15-minute drive away. The prix-fixe menu changes daily. This place is akin to eating at someone’s home, albeit a person who has great taste in food, wine, design and hospitality. If you want the entire lowdown on how special this place is read on at OC Weekly’s Stick a Fork in It, where Niyaz Pirani and Dave Lieberman ventured down and gave us a great review in detail with fantastic photos.

Photo to right: Prickly pears in Ensenada

Endémico at Encuentro Guadalupe in the Valle de Guadalupe is definitely one of our favorite luxury hotels we’ve ever stayed at in the world. It’s an amazing, private place where each room its own glassed-in building overlooking the northeastern part of the wine valley nestled along boulders. Your individual minimalist cabin will come stocked with local wine and features outdoor fire pit, there’s a beautiful terraced swimming pool and the main building features a modern indoor/outdoor restaurant, bar and common area. It’s a must visit for a romantic weekend getaway.

When it comes to wine tasting in the Valle de Guadalupe, we recommend the rustic Vinos de Garza at Rancho Mogorcito, Tecate-Ensenada Km.87. Tijuana-Tecate, at Valle de Guadalupe. (It’s about thirty minutes from Ensenada.) The charming boutique winery covers 7 acres of vineyards in production and has 22 acres in development. Their first harvested varietals are the Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, and new varieties include Tempranillo, Grenache, Zinfandel, Carignan, Nebbiolo, Cinsault, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscate. While you’re sampling wines at its tasting room, the beautiful setting will take your breath away with its natural beauty of the vineyards and majestic vistas. You can order wines from Baja online at winesfrombaja.com.

Photo to left: Vinos de Garza

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Escape to the Desert

12.14.12

Celebrate New Year’s Eve and say goodbye to 2012 with a quiet escape to The Willows Historic Palm Springs Inn, a luxurious eight-suite inn built in 1925 with all of the amenities of a full-service resort only without the crowds.  Rooms are still available for Dec. 31 and a three-night minimum stay is required.  Rates start at $325 per night.

You can stay and enjoy the luxe surroundings of The Willows or attend one of the New Year’s Eve parties in town such as Le Vallauris, located across the street from The Willows, will offer an elegant New Year’s Eve prix fixe menu with a live band and party favors.  LuLu Palm Springs, just a short walk from The Willows, will serve a special four-course dinner with party favors and live music.  Those who want a more energetic start to the New Year can attend the Spa Resort Casino’s Club Glo featuring DJs, dancing, a midnight balloon drop and a date with Lady Luck on the casino floor.  The Fabulous Follies, a Palm Springs institution, will offer a pair of performances on New Year’s Eve with guests receiving a Swag Bag, hat and noisemakers.

At the Willows, you can reserve the Marion Davies Room, named for the inn’s most famous resident, with its large fireplace, two-person claw foot tub and private balcony; or Einstein’s Garden Room, where the famed genius often stayed, cradled in Art Deco elegance with French doors that swing open to reveal a private balcony overlooking a waterfall.   All rooms are a study in elegance with king or queen-size beds, plush linens and hand-selected antique furniture reminiscent of the era in which the inn was built.  Modern amenities within each suite are plentiful and include high-speed Internet data port, iPod docking station, individual climate control, flat screen television with cable access and DVD player, en suite coffee maker and refrigerator plus plush robes for lounging.

Each stay includes a three-course, gourmet breakfast served in the stunning dining room with an adjoining verandah overlooking the inn’s 50-foot waterfall.  After a day of shopping, golfing, tennis or lounging by the inn’s intimate pool, guests can gather on one of the outdoor terraces or inside the reception area for evening wine and hors d’oeuvres.  Fresh fruit, seasonal edibles, iced tea and other refreshments are available throughout the day.  Room service is provided by Le Vallauris, the critically-acclaimed French restaurant located adjacent to the inn.

One block from the inn is Palm Canyon Drive, a shopping and dining destination.  The Willows is also just a short distance from some of the desert’s best championship golf courses, tennis facilities, and luxury spas. 
The Willows Historic Palm Springs Inn is at 412 West Tahquitz Canyon Way in Palm Springs.  Call 800.966.9597 or visit us at [url=http://www.thewillowspalmsprings.com]http://www.thewillowspalmsprings.com[/url].  

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