La Ruta del Arte Rosarito
A new project for Rosarito called La Ruta del Arte Rosarito (Rosarito Art Route) will highlight the vibrant art scene of the northern Baja town. The project will include a map, printed brochures, a website, and an app promoting the studios and galleries of the Rosarito artists. Stay tuned for more information when the project launches. You can learn more about the development of the project or follow along with the Rosarito art scene by following the English version of the Rosarito Ruta del Arte Facebook page.
Help the Achón Group Make Documentary Film “La Recua”
Join Trudi Angell (from Saddling South and Paddling South) and her Achón group, as they work to preserve the history and culture of Baja California. Their current project is working on “La Recua” (Dario’s Dream), a documentary film about early California trail-transport by burros and herdsmen. “La Recua” will be a follow-up to the popular documentary “Corazón Vaquero: The Heart of the Cowboy.” The film will follow Dario and his team of packers as they ride for twenty days while moving traditional goods from Comondú to La Paz in Spring 2018. At this time donations are needed for a total of $25,000 dollars for Phase 2 of the film—200 miles of trail travel, 12 donkeys, 12 mules, 5 packers, 4 filming crew, 2 support crew, and 1 amazing story to tell. You can follow along on their journey by following the La Recua Facebook Page. For more information or to make a donation, visit saddlingsouth.com/donate.html
2018 Fiestas de la Vendimia – Tickets and Dates
The Valle de Guadalupe wine harvest festival will take place from July 26 to August 19, 2018. We’ve had a lot of inquiries about tickets for Concurso de Paellas and other Vendimia events. Tickets traditionally go on sale in June and we will send out a dedicated email to everyone about the tickets as soon as they are available, so keep an eye on your inbox! If there is a specific event you know you will want to attend, we recommend booking your hotel in advance now. See our list of Valle de Guadalupe Hotels for reference. For more information about Vendimia, as well as a calendar of events in English as it becomes available, please see our Fiestas de la Vendimia page.
Rancho Pescadero Temporarily Closing for Remodel
The chic West Cape boutique hotel Rancho Pescadero will be closing for an extensive remodel from late June 2018 through December 2019. They will be adding a new oceanfront restaurant, additional ocean view suites with private plunge pools, and a new wellness center. They’ll also be expanding their yoga programs with two studios, adding Pilates, Barre, a lap pool, a new indoor/outdoor gym with Pickleball courts, and acres of new trails and gardens. The resort is scheduled to reopen at the end of next year in time for their ten-year anniversary.
Hot off the Press: Seven Days In The Valle
Just in time for peak Valle de Guadalupe season, DBTC writer W. Scott Koenig has published his beautiful and illuminating book, Seven Days In The Valle: Baja California’s Wine Country Cuisine
Scorpion Bay Private Airport Coming
There’s a new private airport coming to San Juanico, Scorpion Bay. The Scorpion Bay Airport will be a privately run airport operating less than a mile north of the pueblo of San Juanico. The airport will offer a variety of services including roundtrip transportation to/from San Juanico, hangar leases, aircraft/auto parking, 24/7 security, and pilot resources. Scorpion Bay Hotel Company is looking for Members who will get exclusive access to the new airport with all membership fees going directly to the airport construction. Membership is only $3 a day. There will also be an on-site clinic so there is a need for medical professionals who would like to give back to the local community. For more information, contact info@scorpionbayhotel.com or US tel: +1-858-551-4900.
FMM Tourist Permits – Entry Stamps and Return
A reminder that when you have purchased a prepaid FMM tourist permit through Discover Baja, you still need to stop at the immigration office at the border when crossing into Mexico to get the FMM stamped. Take your FMM and receipt (three pages in total) as well as your passport into the INM immigration office to get the official stamp of entry. Please note that they will not stop you as you cross the border to get the stamp, you need to take the initiative yourself to stop to get the entry stamp. Without the stamp of entry into Mexico, the FMM is rendered useless. See HERE for directions to stop at the immigration office at the Tijuana/San Ysidro El Chaparral port of entry. Once you have your initial stamp, you may drive freely in and out of Mexico during the 180 day period that the FMM is valid. After the 180 day period, you may shred the FMM. You do not have to return it at the border when exiting the country, simply discard the FMM yourself. For more information, please see our FMM Tourist Permit page.
Join Baja Test Kitchen’s Baja Tasting Club
Are you interested in exploring Baja California’s culinary movement with like-minded foodies, wine lovers, and craft beer aficionados? Join the Baja Tasting Club, and be the first to know about discounted group tasting tours exploring Baja California’s gastronomy. Membership is free!
Voting Abroad in 2018 – Primary Elections Beginning
It’s an election year and just because you live abroad, doesn’t mean your vote isn’t needed or counted. If you’re a U.S. ex-pat, please read the following message and information from the state department about voting abroad:
This year the entire House of Representatives and a third of the U.S. Senate are up for election. Don’t miss your opportunity to vote in your state’s primary election as it will determine who is on the November 2018 general election ballot. To register and request your absentee ballot, visit www.FVAP.gov to complete a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) or contact VoteTijuana@state.gov.
May Primaries:
May 8: Indiana, North Carolina, Ohio, West Virginia;
May 15: Idaho, Nebraska, Oregon, Pennsylvania;
May 22: Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Texas.
June Primaries:
June 5: Alabama, California, Iowa, Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, South Dakota;
June 12: Maine, Nevada, North Dakota, South Carolina, Virginia;
June 19: Arkansas, District of Columbia;
June 26: Colorado, Maryland, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah.
VOTING IN 2018 U.S. ELECTIONS
Your vote counts! Did you know that many U.S. elections for house and senate seats have been decided by a margin smaller than the number of ballots cast by absentee voters? All states are required to count every absentee ballot as long as it is valid and reaches local election officials by the absentee ballot receipt deadline.
Follow a few simple steps to make sure that you can vote in the 2018 U.S. elections:
- Request Your Ballot: Complete a new Federal Post Card Application (FPCA). You must complete a new FPCA after January 1, 2018 to ensure you receive your ballot for the 2018 elections. The completion of the FPCA allows you to request absentee ballots for all elections for federal offices (President, U.S. Senate, and U.S. House of Representatives) including primaries and special elections during the calendar year in which it is submitted. The FPCA is accepted by all local election officials in all U.S. states and territories.
You can complete the FPCA online at www.FVAP.gov. The online voting assistant will ask you questions specific to your state. We encourage you to ask your local election officials to deliver your blank ballots to you electronically (by email, internet download, or fax, depending on your state). Include your email address on your FPCA to take advantage of the electronic ballot delivery option. Return the FPCA per the instructions on the website. FVAP.gov will tell you if your state allows the FPCA to be returned electronically or if you must submit a paper copy with original signature. If you must return a paper version, please see below for mailing options.
- Receive and Complete Your Ballot: States are required to send out ballots 45 days before a regular election for federal office and states generally send out ballots at least 30 days before primary elections. For most states, you can confirm your registration and ballot delivery online.
- Return Your Completed Ballot: Some states allow you to return your completed ballot by email or fax. If your state requires you to return paper voting forms or ballots to local election officials, you can use international mail, a courier service such as FedEx or DHL, or you may also drop off completed voting materials during regular business hours at the U.S. Consulate General in Tijuana. Place your materials in a postage paid return envelope (available under “Downloadable Election Materials” on the FVAP homepage) or in an envelope bearing sufficient domestic U.S. postage, and address it to the relevant local election officials.
- New this year – email to fax service by FVAP! – the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) will provide an email-to-fax conversion service for voters who have difficulty sending election materials to States that do not accept emailed documents. Get more information here.
Researching the Candidates and Issues: Online Resources. Check out the FVAP links page for helpful resources that will aid your research of candidates and issues. Non-partisan information about candidates, their voting records, and their positions on issues are widely available and easy to obtain online. You can also read national and hometown newspapers online, or search the internet to locate articles and information. For information about election dates and deadlines, subscribe to FVAP’s Voting Alerts (vote@fvap.gov). FVAP also shares Voting Alerts via Facebook and Twitter.
Learn more at the Federal Voting Assistance Program’s (FVAP) website, FVAP.gov. If you have any questions about registering to vote overseas, please contact U.S. Consulate General in Tijuana’s Voting Assistance Officer at VoteTIJUANA@state.gov.
Remember, your vote counts! Be absent but accounted for!