The resort we chose for spring break, not surprisingly, needed to be family-friendly. There is a difference, however, between family-friendly and completely geared toward kids. Striking that balance is never easy, many places have good intentions but fail. Esperanza, in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, had been recommended to me over the years, so we went for it.
It managed to combine all the touches that would make my husband and me happy: the gorgeous views, great food, and thoughtful service, as well as all the things our kids would want. When we booked, we had no idea what would happen in the world just a few months later, but we pushed forward and ended up with a (different kind of) trip to remember.
A Day Like Any Other
It’s March 11th. The president has just announced that all US nationals must return from Europe. There is panic overseas as Americans scramble to get home within two days. There is panic at airports and at universities where students study abroad. There is panic everywhere, it seems. I panic, too.
That evening, my husband and I went back and forth about whether we stay home or go away as planned to Mexico. It’s our kid’s spring break, that coveted two-week bridge between winter and spring, cold and hot. We agree—we will go. An hour later, we agree again—we should stay. The next morning, we agree one more time—let’s just go. Rarely are our views so aligned! Yet, it was far from comforting.
We are aware that this might be our last vacation for a while. We grasp that we are on the cusp of something big. We know our family would benefit from time away, together, and outside of the escalating chaos. We realize that if we go, things will look much different when we return.
We organize ourselves. We prepare to turn around upon touchdown, or, to stay indefinitely, and pack accordingly. Six bottles of Theraflu, five canisters of disinfectant wipes, and three hand pumps of Purell. Is that enough? Are we really going? What did we agree upon again?
It’s March 14th. Lift off.
Touch Down
When we landed in Cabo San Lucas, we were keenly aware that this vacation would be unlike any other. A telling sign was that our plane, normally booked solid at this time of year, boarded only 30 passengers. Social distancing, a term swiftly creeping into everyday vernacular, was not an issue.
The days ahead would be inherently more reflective and heavier with the uncertainty of the future. I knew this trip would be inked in my memory, and not for the usual reasons.
Esperanza
Often, I write about the overall feel of a destination, the gestalt—to use a theory that would make my art history professor proud. My brain simplifies and organizes ideas in a way that is more user-friendly, and more interesting to read. For instance, describing the way the bedsheets felt, or what combination of spices were in that delicious tortilla soup. How, and if, the resort organically settled into its surroundings. Details that prove to be big and important in the world of inspirational travel. Details that make for pretty sound bites.
Esperanza, as anyone can see from photos, is a stunning property that sits upon a jagged cliff above the Sea of Cortez. There is much I can say about the beauty, both natural, and man-made, of this Auberge-owned hotel.
I am going to focus more on the feelings that made our time in Mexico worthwhile, to illustrate the emotive piece of the trip. And, I’m going to write about whales.
Rituals
The main restaurant at Esperanza, Cocina del Mar, is an aerie—as easily suited to hawks as humans, perched high above a small beach. On the way to breakfast each morning, the kids raced to the circular landing at its entrance to glimpse the daily sand drawing. Along the way, we all tried to guess what it might be—a crab, sailboat, and shell. Why this part of the day became such a highlight amused me. I think the idea of a happy surprise was needed, no matter how small.
I naturally fell into a daily ritual of my own. First, I ordered a wellness shot of turmeric root, lime juice, pineapple, and ginger. I didn’t actually enjoy its robust taste or its jarring school bus color, but I wistfully imagined its medicinal value could keep a virus at bay.
What’s Newsworthy?
Next, I read the news, a 15-minute self-imposed maximum, as it made my heart race and my skin heat up. Wasn’t I here partly to escape the news cycle—which was inconsistent, filled with misinformation, and designed to terrify?
Lastly, I looked at the sea, training my vision for the tell-tale puffs of air that signaled a whale’s presence. Some mornings, they popped through the surface like champagne corks on New Year’s Eve, and other days, they were more elusive. This morning routine settled me, and the whale spotting became another highlight of my day. It gave me restorative moments of calm. By the second breakfast, the waiters knew my order, where I liked to be seated, and had a pair of binoculars on standby.
During our week at Esperanza, the world outlook became bleaker, the news became direr. I woke up each day, wondering if this was going to be the last, that we would have to pack up and go. I relied upon the whales to ground my spinning thoughts.
Color and light
The color palette of Esperanza mimicked the landscape. Pale blue, inky blue, beige, and foamy white—naturally soothing colors. Rolling waves edged up, and then crashed below, the rocky promontory where I sat, showing off as if they were a slo-mo video capture for the latest iPhone commercial. Who knew how deafening the sound of the sea could be until you had all the time in the world to listen?
The light was so pretty it appeared to stick to the obsidian-textured rocks. Several hundred wet, black crabs moved as one over them, giving the impression that the rocks were fluid, rather than solid. The gestalt theory again, is the principle of ‘common fate’—that our brains will lump together individual things that move in a similar direction as a group, and consider it one stimulus. It’s pretty clear I had too much time alone with my thoughts at this point, isn’t it?
Animal Kingdom
I watched the cast of crabs (yes, that is the technical term, I just googled it) scuttle as a unit, and immediately felt my blood pressure plummet. Why don’t I watch the Discovery Channel more often, I chided myself. It’s cheaper than therapy! Wildlife viewing—an organic cure-all.
A pair of iguanas played peek-a-boo around the desert-like boulders near the pool. I gathered they were the resident reptiles, and for many days spied them searching for whales with me.
Little Kindnesses
It was clear early on that the resort was overstaffed, having prepared for the normal onslaught of families worldwide to fill their swimming pools, belly up to their bars, and keep the tennis pros on their toes. The resort, a mix of haciendas, suites, villas, and casitas, looked to be at about 40% capacity when we arrived. When we departed, I sensed there were only about 40 guests left.
Waiters glided about the palm-thatched and open-air restaurants, never forgetting an extra wedge of lime for a beer or the preference for soy milk over cow. This was made only slightly easier to remember by the unfortunate fact that the staff outnumbered the guests. At Esperanza, however, attentive service was par for the course, served daily with warm, engaging smiles.
I was impressed by the above-and-beyond kindnesses, the silent and unsaid courtesies that were extended to everyone, by everyone, all of the time. It was as if the waiters, pool staff, and groundskeepers all knew that something was changing and that it may be a while before they returned to any sense of normalcy. They were right.
Images
I can’t say we didn’t fully take advantage of the bubble we found ourselves in that week. Our family bonded in a different way than usual. We were very together, a precursor for the weeks of togetherness ahead.
My son and husband went on a few long desert runs, harassing skittish rabbits along the way. The kids rode waves with local surf instructors. I spent hours coloring with fine-tipped sharpies on the balcony—my current obsession, while the kids made Tik Toks—their current obsession. All of us tore through novels, having brought stacks from home.
The Intrinsic Beauty of Esperanza
I relished any moment that got me past recurring doomsday thoughts. The lulling beach hammock, the statuesque iguanas, the pool waiters who wore pins that cheerfully cried, ‘Yes way, rosé!’. The serendipitous moment I photographed a fisherman just as he reeled in his catch and the way he proudly held up his prize. The prismatic sunsets each night belied the dark state of the world. Those six nights stretched into forever.
The intrinsic beauty of Esperanza was seen, and felt, inside and out. The 17 acres of lush, well-kept gardens, and grounds, are complete with a lovely koi pond, and interesting kid-centric activities like bocce and life-sized chess. The intimate spa is an oasis within the oasis. The nightly bonfire on the balcony of the main entry—all contributed to that escape from reality we were seeking.
Whales
On the day that would become our last full day in Mexico, we spent a few hours at sea searching for whales. The boat picked us up from the pier, and we leisurely motored past the intsa-ready Arch of Cabo San Lucas. This natural rock formation, teetering on the brink of collapse, is located at the southern tip of the Baja Peninsula. Normally overrun with tourist boats competing for pole position, we nearly had it to ourselves.
Our captain was, not surprisingly, well versed in all things whale and had a keen eye for spotting them, even from incalculable distances. Yet, as prepared as we were to see what we came for, witnessing the slow-motion corkscrew movement of a breaching whale is nothing short of heart-stopping. Even the biggest grumps in our group (ahem, Chase and Ella) were without words, maybe for the first time. The whales’ powerful and muscular bodies were awesome; their tails slapped the water like pancakes being flipped by a short-order cook.
Seconds later, as if the universe was trying to tell me, ‘You’ve seen all there is to see here, don’t push your luck.’ a burst of texts from well-meaning friends alerted us of the recent world developments. ‘The US borders are closing’, they wrote — ‘when are you coming back?’
Our time was up.
Closure
We had managed six nights in Cabo San Lucas, and every one of them was a bonus in my eyes. I sat at breakfast, wellness shot in hand, that last morning. If Esperanza does any one thing to perfection, it is dining, where even the indoor seating feels like outdoor seating. And the views were transporting, regardless of the time of day.
Throughout the week, I noticed the guests that had canceled their trips by their absence on the neatly spaced pool loungers. (Loungers that would have been annoyingly spoken for by 7am each morning.) I noticed the lack of ambient noise and family chatter in the empty seats of the restaurants. It was a poignant, quiet, self-reflecting spring break. Not exactly what we had in mind when we booked all those months ago, but lovely in many ways, nonetheless.
My mind filled in those gaps. Another principle of gestalt—is closure. In design, closure refers to how the brain will automatically fill in any missing pieces of an image to create a whole. What missing pieces will I bring back into my life, and what pieces will I purposely leave out when I get home?
Esperanza will once again fill its pools, bars, and suites. It may be filling up as we speak, as restrictions loosen, and people decide they don’t want to cook, go food shopping, or clean dishes for a few days. The thoughtful, and extremely capable staff, is waiting. So are the whales. I’m hoping that the whales are waiting, too.
Where will you find yourself next? Just Click.
Experience the magical and color-filled Slot Canyons with Amangiri as your base, in Utah.
Stay out west a little longer and head to the Tetons in Jackson.
Need more adventure? Dunton Hot Springs, in Colorado, will complete your western travel trilogy.
