Slow Baja

Chris Collard is an internationally published journalist and photographer whose career has deeply immersed him in the world of off-road adventure, overland travel, and sharing the lives of those who dwell beyond the pavement. Through his reporting and photography, he has traveled to all seven continents, and he was a member of the Expeditions 7 team, which is believed to be the first American expe...

Chris Collard is an internationally published journalist and photographer whose career has deeply immersed him in the world of off-road adventure, overland travel, and sharing the lives of those who dwell beyond the pavement. Through his reporting and photography, he has traveled to all seven continents, and he was a member of the Expeditions 7 team, which is believed to be the first American expe...

Hank Morton joined Baja Bound shortly after he graduated from college in the mid-90s. Between jobs, his goal was to teach himself coding while taking his father's small brick-and-mortar Mexico Driving Insurance business online. In those days, “getting online” was a big deal. The .com craze was in full swing, and after Hank figured out how to get Baja Bound online --making the process of buying...

When Patty Mercier jumped in Loren Upton’s 1966 Jeep CJ5, she knew she was in for an adventure. The man behind the wheel was on his fourth attempt to cross the Darién Gap. The first three trips had ended in death and disaster, but Upton, an intrepid adventurer, would not be deterred. In addition to his determination to cross the treacherous Darién Gap entirely on land, Upton had raised the stakes...

Can fog become a lifeline for semi-arid desert communities, providing a sustainable source of clean drinking water? Can the act of capturing water and reducing waste become a foundation for cultural identity? Itamar Lilienthal, a Baja-based architect, designer, and artist, answers these questions through work that fuses bold, contemporary design with a deep reverence for local climate, indigenous...

Welcome back to the Slow Baja Podcast. I'm your host, Michael Emery. Today, I get to sit down with a man who has spent more than fifty years turning raw wood into music and has found, along Baja's dusty roads and sparsely populated coastlines, a place that feeds his soul and quiets his mind. Bob Taylor is the Co-founder and Senior Advisor of Taylor Guitars, recognized as one of the world’s...

Dan and Marlene are the adventurous parents of a full-time traveling family of five, living, working, and exploring the world in their home-on-wheels. They’ve driven to 53 countries across 5 continents and were named "Overlanders of the Year" by Expedition Portal in 2023. They share their travels on Instagram and YouTube under the handle Mali Mish—Croatian for “Little Mouse,” a name best...

To close out 2025, I am delighted to share my top Podcast of the year --Sal Fish 1975: The Year That Changed Baja Racing. Originally released in July, this conversation was recorded to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the first Baja 1000 organized by SCORE, and personally (and painstakingly) marked, mile by mile, by Sal. The 1975 Baja Internacional and Baja 1000 heralded the dawn of the modern...

Raul and Caroline warmly welcome guests to Rancho La Bellota, their 2,800-acre guest ranch located in Tecate, Baja, California. Nestled in a valley of mature oak trees, thirty minutes on a dirt road from the Ruta de Vino, Rancho La Bellota is located very close to the border but feels so very far away. Since my first visit in 2022, Rancho La Bellota has become my second home—and my first stop in B...

Today's Slow Baja Podcast is with Paul and Bonnie, the affable owners of Ignacio Springs Resort in San Ignacio, BC Sur. This was my third visit to Ignacio Springs, and I enjoyed a night in their “new” motel-style rooms across the road from the main property. Located in the heart of the Palmera, on the bank of the tranquil Rio San Ignacio, Paul and Bonnie are warm and welcoming hosts, and their...

Doug and Shannon Miller return to Slow Baja to share their experiences of serving others while traveling. During their first family vacation to Baja, a flat tire forced them to camp next to Rancho Sordo Mundo, a home for the deaf and mute. Meeting the director and the students changed the course of their trip—and their lives—sparking 19 years of service-based travel. As we take a moment to reflect...

Mike Spurgin of Taco Moto has the best stickers in Baja. In fact, I would venture to say that he may have the best stickers of anyone and any business in the world. While researching Mr. Spurgin, I stumbled across his LinkedIn profile, which I am sharing here without permission. In my opinion, it provides all you need to know about my friend, "Taco Mike." MotoMentor / MotoVenturer. Poten...

Larry Evans spent his childhood traveling to Baja with his family in the 1960s and 1970s. Evans credits his mother as the instigator in getting the family to Baja. Evans called his mother a pioneer; I would call her an influencer. She would host parties where she would show slides of their family adventures. Encouraged by the images, some of their neighbors eventually bought 4x4s and joined them i...

Jim Chamberlain met Bruce Meyers in 1963 and began assisting in the design of the iconic Old Red, the first fiberglass dune buggy. By 1966, he was working full-time with Meyers, contributing to the creation of the Meyers Manx buggy and designing the first Sidewinder exhaust system. Encouraged by Meyers, Chamberlain opened his own shop, OC Buggies in 1967, and became a pivitol figure in the growing...

In this episode of Slow Baja, we highlight our sponsor, Toby Pond of Scheel-Mann USA. Toby and I met during the 2022 NORRA 1000 event. I was on the side of the road in the Mag 7 pit, watching as my 50-year-old bench seat frame was being repaired. Pond was there supporting a Baja racing Porsche 911, which was the first Porsche to finish the NORRA. We struck up a conversation about seats, and he gen...

Sean Jansen spent the first 25 years of his life in Southern California. Growing up as a surfer, he endeavored to spend every waking minute in the ocean. By 26, he had travelled to 26 countries and lived internationally in both China and Colombia. Upon returning to the US, Sean moved to Montana, where he guides clients in Yellowstone National Park and writes about the great outdoors. In this conve...

Sal Fish, the Godfather of Baja racing is back for his third conversation on the Slow Baja Podcast. We recorded this one back in March on our way home from the epic Slow Baja Winter Expedition. We gathered to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the first Baja 1000 organized by SCORE, and personally and painstakingly marked by Sal. The 1975 Baja Internacional and Baja 1000 heralded the dawn of the...

Renowned for his eclectic urban style and Baja-Med cuisine, Chef Chad White is fluent in life and food on both sides of the border. Born in Spokane, WA, he received his culinary training while serving in the US Navy. After a stint cooking at the famed Hotel Del Coronado, Chef White moved to Tijuana and opened La Justina Gastro Pub. After an acclaimed run at La Justina and a stint on Top Chef, Whit...

"Jeff's life is built around pictures, and he has been making, showing and selling art for more than 30 years.  Whether it's making fine art paintings of Baja California or shooting commercial projects, Jeff's focus is on inspiring enthusiasm for the spaces, faces, and places that make up the world around us." Learn more @ Jeffehonea.com Follow Jeff E Honea on Instagram Menti...

Blue-collar racer Curt LeDuc is a self-made “Imagineer” and Trophy Truck Champion who was born in the unlikely state of Rhode Island. “Why was I born in Rhode Island? Because I wanted to be close to my mother,” LeDuc quips. He has spent decades building and racing his own vehicles at the highest levels of desert racing. LeDuc has achieved notable success, winning the championship in desert class 8...

Bi-national artist Paola Villaseñor, known as Panca, is from Chula Vista and has spent over half her life in Tijuana. After her mother's death in 2005, she moved to Tijuana, where she found inspiration in the city's creativity, nightlife, affordability, and danger. Her art reflects themes of feminism and humanity's decay. "With art, you work with your heart, and it can become dark...

Dr. Sean Michael is a professor of Outdoor Product Design & Development at Utah State University, and a writer and product tester in the off-road market for over two decades.  His articles have appeared in ADVrider, BMW MOA Owner’s News, Offroad.com, and other magazines.  His research and teaching include the history of vehicle-based adventure travel.  He has also taught at trade shows like SE...

Paul d'Orleans is a renowned expert in motorcycle history and culture. He is best known as the founder of The Vintagent, a highly influential blog. In addition to his primary identity as a rider extraordinaire of vintage machines, d'Orleans is a noted curator, writer, and photographer. To make things more challenging, especially in Baja, he often shoots in large format and employs antique...

Lou Bank is the founder of SACRED, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life in rural Mexican communities that produce heritage agave spirits. He also co-hosts the podcast "Agave Road Trip," which aims to help bartenders gain a deeper understanding of agave, agave spirits, and rural Mexico. Lou is a genuinely kind and caring individual, and I am thrilled to sha...

In this Slow Baja Conversation, we meet Vitza and Cesar, the gracious hosts at the beautiful Rancho La Concepción . Originally from Mexico City, the duo met while engaged in conservation work in Baja California. Rancho La Concepcion is a realization of their combined dream to give back to the world by creating a sacred space for thoughtful travelers. The main reason to visit Rancho La Concepcion i...