High life, highlight in Todos Santos

Bill von KleinSmid

Eight of us flew to Los Cabos to serve as the race committee for the

2005 Newport Beach to Cabo San Lucas Yacht Race, sponsored by the

Newport Harbor Yacht Club. We worked for four days finishing yachts

in front of the Solmar Hotel at the tip of the Baja Peninsula.

We enjoyed fantastic weather, and the yachts enjoyed great wind

and sea conditions. We either dined at Hotel Solmar or walked into

town to test the food offered at the many restaurants and bars.

Cabo has really changed in the last 20 years. The population has

grown by leaps and bounds, and there are condos and hotels

everywhere. The marina was packed to the brim with fishing boats,

mega yachts and our racing fleet. The prices for rooms, food and

beverages are even higher than in Newport Beach.

After our job was done, we rented a car and drove north from Cabo

to Todos Santos, a village about 60 miles away on a nice, paved,

two-lane road.

Todos Santos is a town that was discovered by surfers several

decades ago and is now an artists community. We drove a long dirt

road to the surf beach but were disappointed in the waves that day.

Next, we enjoyed walking the main streets to check out the

bargains in the various shops.

The highlight was our visit to the Hotel California, a name made

famous by the Eagles in the ‘70s. This is a beautiful, old

three-story building with a beautiful pair of bars, a patio reception

area and a dining room with the galley.

Our pictures do not do it justice because it was pretty dark

inside.

After lunch at the Restaurant Santa Fe, which is located near the

old church courtyard, we returned to Cabo.

Todos Santos was a highlight of our trip. I would recommend it --

but do have a good budget.

-- Bill von KleinSmid is a Corona del Mar resident.

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