Sunset at Las Rosas

Just got back from Baja California.  We spent 3 nights in Ensenada.  It would have been four but we had a devil of a time tracking down Mexican auto insurance.  Not that it’s hard to get but because of misinformation from the car rental agency in Los Angeles and my mistaken impression that AAA could write Mexican auto insurance or point us in the right direction.  We wound up getting insurance on line. MEXINSURE.COM was great  – then we had trouble  getting our proof of insurance printed out at the hotel in San Diego.

Come to think of it, a wonderful trip was bracketed by mishaps and misinformation.  More about that later.

It’s a beautiful drive down to Ensenada on a new 4 lane toll road that runs along the Pacific for the most part.  There were 3 tolls, each $2.45 or 30 pesos.  We breezed across the border on Sunday afternoon. We didn’t plan our lodging ahead so the first night we stayed at La Corona Hotel and Spa.  The staff was friendly and helpful.  The room was small but clean and pleasant with a balcony peeking out toward the harbor BUT the harbor is an industrial one so not so pretty. La Corona’s standout feature was its restaurant.  I had a seared tuna dish cooked perfectly, the tuna pink on the inside, the sauce delicate.  I paired it with a Santo Tomas Chenin Colombard.  My first taste of a Baja wine and I was greatly encouraged.  We also had a glass of Monte Xanic Cab that was deep and rich.  Off to a good start with Baja wines.

They had a nice late night bar and we sat at one of the two outdoor tables with a nice breeze blowing and the scent of the Pacific on the air.  The drinks were very good, Grey Goose martinis but unfortunately their outdoor tables adjoined a gravel parking lot that the employees and their significant others careened into before heading into the hotel.

The next night we moved to Las Rosas Resort and Spa.  It’s a little north of Ensenada right on the highway.  Fortunately, the rooms faced the Pacific and the infinity pool so traffic noise was muted.  We got a corner room on the 3^rd floor (there are only 4).  Room 305 is THE room.  We had a balcony on two sides of our room and the west facing balcony looked right to the pools and ocean – great view to walk into after a day of wine hunting. There was no hair dryer in the room and not enough towels.  Really, the room didn’t feel “resort like.”  But I just couldn’t get enough of the view.  We befriended a seagull who obviously was accustomed to being fed by the guests.  We accommodated him with crackers from the restaurant.  Quite beautiful.

Our pet sea gull waiting for crackers

View from our balcony

Infinity-Pool-looking-out-over-the-Pacific

The food tried so hard to be something special but really fell short.  The sauces were gloppy and overdone.  I ordered a scallop and tuna ceviche expecting a light dish but the fish was so covered with so much “stuff” that I couldn’t taste the seafood.  Another dish, a grilled Portobello appetizer was smothered and I mean smothered in a cheese sauce. I found myself scraping stuff off of both dishes. Luckily, the restaurant at Las Rosas poured good Baja wines.  We had a Roganto Tempranillo and a Maciel Chardonnay.  They just couldn’t make up for the unimaginative foods.

I think this was the shrimp dish but the sauces began to run together.

Las Rosas view from the restaurant

But alas, the view is so terrific and tomorrow we’re off to wine country!