Once a 30-ton gray whale has held you in its gaze while allowing you to rest your hand on its head, your perspective of life will never be the same.

There is no place on earth where you are more likely to have this experience than on the San Ignacio Lagoon, located on the central Pacific coast of Baja. Every winter, thousands of gray whales migrate to Baja to mate, calve and nurse. The whales relax and grow playful in the safety of the warm, salty lagoon. About 10% of the winter population has a penchant for approaching boats and interacting with the tourists.

Cancun is so new that it seems almost artificial. It's an island jutting into the Caribbean Sea, off the east coast of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. According to Wikipedia "When development was started on Jan. 23, 1970, Isla Cancún had only three residents, caretakers of the coconut plantation of Don José de Jesús Lima, who lived on Isla Mujeres, and there were only 117 people living in nearby Puerto Juárez, a fishing village and military base."

Mexico is often associated with tequila and cerveza, but wine is quickly taking the lead as the drink of choice. Valle de Guadalupe may be the best kept secret among wine connoisseurs. Located between Rosarito Beach and Ensenada in Baja Mexico are several family run wineries that offer unique wine blends at reasonable prices. Restaurants, hotels, shops, hiking trails and hot springs in the area make this a perfect day escape. My friend Janet and I recently visited the Ruta del Vino (Wine Ruta) and made some wonderful discoveries.