Take to the Shores of a Dream

Photo by Hector Reyes

My band Sunset Voodoo plays in Rocky Point at a little tiki-style tequila bar called Boo Bar about 3-4 times a year. Cinco de Mayo is always a special one because the weather is beautiful, there's endless things to do, and it's not so overrun with tourism that it looses its authentic Mexican vibe. This trip I got a chance to meet our neighbor who has owned his place for 17 years and invited me in for a beer and a quick smoke. He told me about his background and some of his travels and as we looked out over the sea of Cortez, ablaze beneath the sunset, we realized that it's the journey between destinations of comfort that we tell stories about over the campfire.

I felt like telling a short little narrative about the journey to Rocky Point, which is always one of my favorite parts of the trip for all its anticipation and classic, screenplay vibes.

As the heat of the valley slingshots our caravan down the I-10, the crunchy garage-rock chills run up our spines as we bounce along the route to sunny Sonora, Mexico. There isn't a bad vibe in the desert air as the sky spreads its arms to us, longing for someone to sing with. There's a faint smell of the salty sea of cortez off in the distance as we daydream of dipping into the emerald green water. Imagination figments of fizzy swigs of ice cold Tecate bubble up in our throats, like a fish fry of good times, just waiting to explode. The car rolls on and so do our minds, bright with rays of sunshine.

Nearing the border, there's always a little bit of nerves crossing into Mexico - armed military officials strapped with AK's aren't an easy thing to shrug off, but we aren't doing anything illegal yet... As we cross into Mexico, we notice the change in scenery immediately. The sun soaked vendors brandish their artwork, as the dust swirls around them like ghostly specters. We make our way through the crowded downtown streets and hit the gas as soon as we tag the open highway. Now it's a race to the finish line, trying to satisfy our need for speed while not losing Rocky, whose tired and worn-out Chevy hit a 65 mph ceiling when passing through Ajo about 50 miles back.

The endless mountains look like giant prehistoric lizards buried in the dirt, exposing their spines to passersby to stay clear and keep on driving. Random pockets of civilization pop up along the winding road, making us wonder why anyone would want to live this far out in the abyss, away from the ocean that awaits only 30 minutes away. But I guess it isn't our place to say how others choose to live their lives, especially when we're the ones who live 3 hours even further away, not to mention coming from a car full of gringo/gringas who are currently a six pack of Corona deep. As we start to see more and more landmarks - the big gas station, Seaside Vacation building, LOS POBLANOS - we know we're just minutes away before we reach the big swordfish statue, signaling a triumphant return to our favorite street towards our favorite condo getaway (I would love to say the name, but to be honest, I'd prefer to keep it relatively under the radar as long as possible).

Candid photo of Jordini, Margarita connoisseur 

After check-in and all the labored grunts and moans of unloading the cars, we all take a shot of tequila and gallop down the stairs to freedom. The crisp sunshine lathers our pale shoulders and our feet sift through the hot sand as we pass by the food carts serving the freshest seafood, carne asada and piña coladas. We weave in and out of sunbathing locals and offer shy smiles to the cheerful souvenir vendors as we finally touch down at the water's edge, silky smooth and brisk to the touch. This is everything we had been dreaming of, and Rocky Point, I'm in love.

Photo by Hector Reyes

I hope I offered some inspiration to start planning your next road trip to a place you love or that you haven't been to yet. A momentary lapse in comfort tends to wield the most memorable experiences that life has to offer, so take a second, check your bank account and if you have a few bucks to spare, get your ass on the road next weekend and do something incredible!

If you want to see more pictures of Rocky Point, check out @sunsetvoodoo on Instagram for our weekend of beach livin' and stay tuned for show updates by Liking our Facebook.

Much love!

- Joey

RIVIR