November is here! Thanksgiving is on the way and Halloween (and Dia de los Muertos) is in our collective rearview. Writing this column in early October presents a bit of a dyslexic logistical issue for the Old Gringo. You see, returning from the Arizona high country on October 1st, it was still pretty hot and humid here out on the playas, which it is not in November. So, I am going to tell you about what early October was like this year.
The San Felipe Blues & Arts Festival was taking place on October 4th and 5th in beautiful San Felipe at the El Dorado Ranch golf club. Having enjoyed that festival in years past, we (Ten of us) decided to go again. Usually, however, the festival takes place at the END of October when temps and humidity are a bit lower. This year, due to unforeseen scheduling conflicts, the Lions Club of San Felipe held it in early October. As the title plainly asks, “what could go wrong with that?” Let me enlighten you!
First the temperatures remained in the low 100’s to 110’s. Second, the humidity stayed right around 80% for the Friday night meet and greet and stayed up around 60% on the day of the festival. Of course there was zero (as in ‘none, ‘nada’, zilch) breeze Friday night and only a teasing waft of air for the festival on Saturday. The attendance should have clued us in, as it was about half of what it has been in years past. As it was, simply sitting still became a chore. Our clothes stuck to us in very uncomfortable ways, and we were all sweating profusely…until we dehydrated enough to not sweat any more (a dangerous condition). Water became our best friend!
After enduring the steam bath that was the Friday night meet ‘n greet, we seriously questioned our decision to take advantage of the main event the next day, but ultimately decided to brave it. While we were in covered VIP seating, we were protected from the sun, but it did nothing to quench the heat or humidity. Of course, liberal application drinks containing alcohol didn’t help cool us down either, but that’s another story. As it turned out, most of my friends left before the final act took the stage because…it was so damned uncomfortable.
Such are the weather conditions in the northern Sea of Cortez in early October, and such was the result of miscalculating that weather and going to a blues festival there. The moral of this story is ‘don’t go to any outdoor festival in or around Peñasco in early October’ no matter how tough you think you are! At least that is my take-away.
Returning to Playa Miramar after enduring the festival did not improve anything, weather-wise. It was still hot as hades and humid as a steam bath. No matter what I tried to do, going outside was a chore not worth the effort, in my opinion. I suppose the 113-degree temps we encountered on the drive coming back from San Felipe should have clued us in, but …no.
I love Puerto Peñasco. Full stop! There are times, however, when living here is not ideal. I usually leave town for the months of August and September to escape the high humidity and oven-like temperatures, returning to the beach in the first week of October. It is still warm but usually bearable for a week or so until fall arrives. That is “usually” the way it goes…’usually’…
Not this year. Now reading this in November, I’m sure it is difficult to appreciate what I am talking about but, trust me, I am not exaggerating! For those brave souls who chill out at the various hotels and restaurants on Sandy Beach, the kind of misery I am speaking about might not be relatable from the cool of a swim-up bar or an air-conditioned veranda, but it is as real as it gets away from those cushy venues!
At any rate, you are reading this in November and the climate has changed dramatically into one of the best times to be here in beautiful Puerto Peñasco. So enjoy our fair city and all it has to offer but remember my cautionary tale if you ever plan to be here when the weather is a bit less hospitable.
