The beauty and the beach...

Check out this spectacular sunset in Rocky Point made with mother nature's
color palate!

Memorial Day weekend in Rocky Point, Mexico/Mark Mulligan Concert

Memorial Day Weekend in Rocky Point was a fun time. Some of the best beach weather you could imagine and beaches filled with families who came down to enjoy the sun & sand! There were plenty of things going on all over town and something for all ages to do.


If you haven't heard Mark Mulligan on stage with his fun "Jimmy Buffet" style singing, then you need to check him out. He is a long time entertainer from San Carlos, Mexico, but a frequent visitor in Rocky Point and Phoenix. We had a chance to hear him sing at a concert on Sandy Beach. He is a fun entertainer and a song writer as well.
http://www.markmulligan.net/

Here is a sample of Mark singing one of his funny tunes at the beach bar in Puerto Peñasco. Sam Rainwater (also from San Carlos & Phoenix) joined him onstage with his ukelele.

El Pinnacate Museum-Schuk Toak Visitors Center, Puerto Peñasco, Mexico

If you haven't seen the El Pinnacate Museum in Rocky Point it's time to go check it out. The "Schuk Toak Visitor Center is located approx 13 miles north of town (13 miles from the northern most traffic light) and 4 1/2 miles west off the highway and named one of the "13 Natural Wonders of Mexico" in 2008.

We've driven past the entrance signage on the highway numerous times and kept saying that we would do it NEXT TRIP, so this past Sunday morning we ventured out and did it!
The facility is a sustainable bldg., constructed of foam block, solar panels lining the roof to run the electricity, as well as a small wind generator and weather station.

Beautiful desert photographs and displays along with a 20 min video of the area shown in the theater center, in both English and Spanish, give you a bit of history on the area.

We did a walking tour over the volcanic rock and were surprised by the number and size of the lizards hanging out sunning on the rocks. Can you see the lizard on top of this rock?  I'm not sure if we were watching them or vise-versa! The desert was full of sounds not heard in the city and alive with wildlife and desert plants.

We are planning our next visit to take in a 40 minute walk through the Sand Dunes, we did not get to on this last trip.

Hours are 9 am- 5pm daily. $50 pesos per person for locals / homeowner's, and $100 pesos for visitors.

Rocky Point Beach Clean up

Beautiful, clean & empty beaches await you!

There's an amazing amount of manpower going on just south of the border from Phoenix. The locals are cleaning the beaches and earning a small wage to help feed their families at the same time. I heard commotion outside on the beach and looked out to find a large crowd of people right outside my door with rakes and trashbags. I grabbed my camera and ran down the dune to document the event and find out what was going on.

Check out this video!

As we all know, the media has been tough on Rocky Point, and the locals are ready for the tourists to return. With massive layoffs and no construction projects to speak of, the State of Sonora has hired 600 locals to work 4 hour shifts. Working from 6am-10am, in groups of 50 men & women, they are raking and picking up trash on all of the beaches in Rocky Point. These efforts began on May 25, 2009 and will continue for 6 weeks.

There seem to be mixed reviews from the long timers to Peñasco of these quiet times in Rocky Point. Some love having the beach to themselves again and the peaceful quiet evenings. Others miss having activities going on everywhere, with full restaurants and bars. The more frequented restaurants like Coffees Haus and Ramon's have slowed down tremendously but still have great service, great food and a nice cool spot too dine in. (or cater an event)

Rocky Point Triathlon- Our First!

At 57 years of age, I decided it was time to join in the "fun" at the annual Rocky Point Triathlon. Held April 18, 2009 at the Las Palomas Resort on Sandy Beach, it was a great event....and I am alive to write about it! Julie joined in on the fun............but we had to prepare!


After 30 years of running, the three months of training taught me the new sports of swimming and cycling- and Julie, always the swimmer, learned to love the cycling as well.
It was a great event, great "Chamber of Commerce" weather, and a good turnout of approx. 600 people- inspite of lots of negative press about traveling to Mexico. Many atheletes were visiting Puerto Peñasco for the first time and said they could not believe what a great spot on the beach this is! Our hats off to "Red Rock Company" for their excellent work on pulling the whole thing off without a hitch.





One of our favorite reasons for living in Rocky Point has been the ability to run, bike or swim year round. With a full wetsuit we were able to prepare for the open water swim in January. The roads in Las Conchas are composed of sand and clay and make for a perfect running
surface as well as a great mountain biking area. If you train 3 months on a mountain bike, the transition to the road bike is a piece of cake!

Here is a shot of the beach in Las Conchas. Not a bad place for open water training! And while we viewed our venture of participating in the Triathlon as a once in a lifetime experience...........we may be back for more!

Larry & Julie