Truly Julie splashing around in San Jose del Cabo, Mexico! Y lo sabes (And you know it)!! The hipsters I met in Cabo threw this winning phrase around left and right and after my 3-day trip to this Mexican gem, I get it! Between the easy flight (it’s just 2.5 hours from LA)…all the options to unwind and unplug…great culinary scene…and the perfect weather…Cabo is where it’s at. And all it takes is a few days if not hours for you to KNOW IT! I did the whole whistle-blowing-in-your-face-while-you-down-a-tequila-shot (s!) in Cancun, Cozumel, Acapulco and Puerto Vallarta. Um…I’m over that phase of my life. This go around, I enjoyed a long weekend in Mexico like a grown up. Don’t worry, I was still giggling like a school girl while galloping on a gorgeous horse up anddown a private beach…and while seeing dozens and dozens of mama and baby whales. However, I recharged on this trip as opposed to wrecking myself. I stayed at the El Ganzo hotel which is just 3 months old! Yes, it’s where Charlie Sheen was partying it up with LA mayor Villaraigosa a few weeks ago but! It’s not what you think. The hotel does boast a little rockstar flair with a recording studio underground…and a suite that was inspired by the Bowery Hotel in NYC, but for the most part (like 99%), the hotel is really laid back, unpretentious, and carries a modern comfort vibe. And since it’s so new (and still working out some service and wifi kinks, you can find great deals). I promise…I did not see a single Charlie Sheen-esque type or a “goddess” or Tiger Blood in its drink menu:) What I did see, though, was a pristine, charming marina (the largest private marina in Mexico!) right out my window, an awesome rooftop infinity pool (picture on the left), and lots of hidden areas to explore on beach cruisers such as the sculpture park and cactus nursery. Both are literally a 5 minute bike ride from the hotel but feels a world away. They have plans to host music/food & wine festivals in the sculpture park which would be perfect! Because let’s be honest…Coachella would be a lot better if there was a beach nearby. I also found two restaurants that I’ll be CRAVING!!! The little fish taco shack The Drunken Sailer (order the Taco Chino!)…and Flora’s Farm, which is so freshly farm-to-table that you actually sit touching distance from the crops. It was so delicioso that I went for dinner and the very next morning, returned for Sunday brunch (ridiculously good family style prix fix menu on Sundays) ! And to complete my replenishing, I got an hour massage at the uber serene and fancy Las Ventanas Resort. I highly recommend Martha…who had the hand strength of the Hulk. And it’s cool, they finish all of their massages with this bell ringing device that sits on your back. It reverberates your entire body while silencing your mind. That was one awesome birthday treat!  So between the $5 taco lunch at The Drunken Sailer to the luxury spa pampering, I tapped a lot of pricing points and activities. And Holy guacamole! You really can ride into the sunset here. Arriba, arriba, andale, andale!!

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