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October 15, 2026

STEPPING OUT – PAST 70 – chapter 3

Welcome back, everyone!

Today, we’re setting out on our paddle. It all began with an organizational meeting at paddling headquarters in Loreto, where we met our two guides—Maria and Raymond. Their very smiles lit up the room with the promise of a great trip.

Next day, we packed our kayaks to capacity with the gear that we had hauled all the way from Canada plus food plus lots of water into the three small hatches in our kayaks. We packed the kayaks on the sandy shore, then slid ropes under them and six of us would lift the kayaks into the ocean. There were seven people on the trip in five kayaks, since one kayak was a twenty-three-foot tandem (two-person) boat. Man, it was a beast to lift fully loaded!

We were loaded and ready to go. It was about noon of the first day when we shoved off from shore to cross over to Danzante Island, then across open ocean to Carmen Island to begin our journey.

October 8, 2026October 15, 2026

Stepping Out past 70- chapter 2

Chapter 2 – Wow, just like the movie!

Welcome back, everyone!

Well, despite my doubts we were allowed on the planes—for a fee, of course. We travelled by car to Toronto, flew with Air Canada to Calgary, then with West Jet to Loreto, Mexico. That flying adventure took two days, but went fairly smoothly considering the amount of luggage we were toting.

In Loreto, we walked from the plane into a small, modern airport, where we were greeted by a young man, who was sooooo excited to meet us. He literally dragged us over to his booth, where, in broken English he enthusiastically told us about all the wonderful things he could do for us—from arranging the taxi (which he owned) to helping us fill every second of our ‘down’ time before and after the kayak trip.

Do you remember the Herbie goes Banana’s movie that came out in the 80’s? Well, this fellow reminded me of Paco, the orphan boy, in that movie.

Regardless of how it was organized, because of our ‘Paco’, we had the privilege of touring a magnificent resort nestled into the stark hills surrounding Danzante Bay, that we would otherwise not have seen. The Danzante Bay Golf Resort is a green oasis set amid the rock and sand, of that dry, cactus-filled land. We enjoyed our tour and we’ll go back again.

See you next time, as we hit the water on our epic kayak expedition into the Gulf of California to paddle around Isla del Carmen—all 15,000 hectares of it.

Lynn

October 1, 2026October 15, 2026

Stepping out… past 70 – introduction

Hi everyone;

Welcome to my new blog, “Stepping Out…past 70.” A quick step into our latest adventures.

I bet you’re wondering about the title of this blog? Well, it all started as Bob (my husband) began planning an exciting new get-a-way to Mexico in January 2026. He booked an expedition to explore Carmen Island, a large UNESCO protected area situated in Baja California Sur, just off the coast of Loreto, Mexico. I was less than excited. This trip was to be a ten-day kayak trip covering about ninety-six kilometers circumnavigating that island plus some side islands bringing the total trip to one hundred and forty kilometers. I dared to grumble at the prospect of sleeping on the ground for ten nights. The ground and I aren’t exactly on friendly terms these days. Oh, it’s fine to go to bed on the ground—but it’s the getting up (literally) in the morning that was giving me some grief. Night induced stiffness, made rising much more difficult, especially in the small confining space of a tent. Not to mention the added inconvenience of needing to visit the privy more than once per night. Tip toeing across hot sand and rocks—being careful not to trod on scorpions and tarantulas in the dark, was not my idea of a fun time. Dah! Well, you get the picture. No question about it—I had solid reasons for not wanting go.

So, what did my kind, considerate husband do? He called me a fraud and said that I’d have to stop writing, because my Author Platform would no longer be valid. For any of you that haven’t heard, my platform is, “Step into the Wild—stories with purpose.”

He calmly looked me in the eye and said, “if you don’t Step, you can’t Write.” Low blow.

“Rats,” I grumbled. I hated it, when he was right. “Okay, off to Mexico we’ll go.” I pasted a happy smile on my face.

We went and I had to admit that it was terrific. So, now he thinks that I’ll agree to all of his zany plans. Time will tell and I will tell. You see, this blog will be all about the real adventures that we’re still tackling past the age of seventy—hence the title. You’ll hear about the good, the bad and the funny things that happen on our journeys. Because, unplanned for things can happen when you exit your door. As Bilbo said, “It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.” J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings.

Well, folks it’s time to begin the tale—stay tuned for the first Story – Arriba, Arriba

See you next week!

Lynn