And thus began our weekend in Rocky Point. I was back counting pelicans with my toes in the sand at my all-time favorite beach. It’s been my observation that pelicans fly exclusively in odd numbers, and I am constantly supporting my theory by counting them whenever they fly overhead. Some people find this irritating; luckily for me, Hubby finds it cute.
Softly padding through the warm sand (cold Pacifico in my hand), I waded into the smooth-as-glass ocean. I breathed in deeply, inhaling that rich, salty marine smell that means I am once again “home.” Birds flew overhead, and wait—-do I see a pod of dolphins to the South? We watched a small group of four or five dolphins jump and play as birds swooped overhead. Hubby found our umbrella, and I opened my magazine and relaxed Mexico-style with a Pacifico planted in the sand next to my beach towel.
With us this weekend was our Springer Spaniel extraordinaire, Ruby the Wonder Dog. She loves the beach. Her tail never stopped wagging from the time we arrived until the time we had to go home. She chased bird shadows She swam gracefully at the water’s edge, emerging like some canine mermaid to shake cold water all over me and my reading materials. As I tried to nap after lunch, her boisterous tail filled my hair and ear with sand. Good dog!
We escape to this beach whenever we are able. Since it is often a last-minute vacation, we do not consult the calendar for Puerto Peñasco events before hitting the road. This particular weekend happened to be the Annual Rocky Point Road Rally! This means 5000 (yes THOUSAND) motorcycles were about to descend on this sleepy beach town and take over the wharf area and Malecón. This has grown into a huge event with pounding music, Harley t-shirts for sale, a Harley parade, drinks for sale on the street, and a colorful crowd of locals, motorcycle owners, and accidental spectators such as ourselves.
We listened to the loud biker festivities during dinner at Flavio’s. Hubby likes their Avocado Surprise, and I crave their Shrimp Stuffed Peppers. The place is not fancy by any means, but it’s right on the water and at night has a terrific view of the lights of Sandy Beach. Though we are Prius-driving, NPR-listening, middle-aged parents of three, we mingled easily with the Harley crowd and admired all of the amazing tricked-out motorcycles.
Part of Rocky Point’s charm is that our weekend experiences there are always different. One day the ocean is so calm I can float on my back and not even spill the beer in my hand; the next day it’s roiling with huge foamy waves. One day you’ll see great flocks of pelicans fly overhead, and another day you’ll smile at the many jumping fish splashing about in the tide.
This weekend’s surprises included the sound of a young girl practicing her violin on a nearby patio one afternoon. She appeared to be only eight or nine years old, but the string melodies wafting over the beach were lovely. We met many adorable, friendly dogs, and one that I was not so happy with when it lifted its leg on my beach chair! In the tideline, I found three of my favorite shells–two “coffee beans” and one alphabet cone. While searching the sky for shooting stars one night, we heard beautiful guitar music accompanied by a man singing Johnny Cash songs just a few patios down from ours. We listened until our eyelids grew heavy and our beers were empty.
It’s always so hard to leave. Te amo, Mexico! Espero verte pronto de nuevo! I hope we will be able to return soon!
