[Opens The Weather Channel app] The forecast over Cabo San Lucas predicts overcast skies, some rain, and heavy winds. There’s a small craft advisory in effect. My palms begin to sweat a bit so I stop reading and swipe up to close the app. It’s well documented how much I dislike flying but heading into the remnants of Hurricane John produces a few terrifying thoughts. A few hours and a couple delays later, we (my dad, two brothers, a couple family friends, and I) touched down in Baja California, Mexico having dodged everything but some minor turbulence.

Beneath the Baja Clouds

While the flying conditions were incorrectly predicted, the first sights weren’t exactly as picturesque as you’d imagine largely due to the effects of the storm. The skies were overcast and the beach was littered by trash that the storm surge had washed ashore. However, over the next twenty-four hours or so conditions improved and locals worked tirelessly to clear the rubble.

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When you think “trip to Mexico,” thoughts of lounging on a beach chair while drinking a margarita and listening to the sounds of crashing waves and mariachi bands might surface. Maybe you’d take a fishing trip, visit Señor Frogs, or chat up some señoritas or señores. However, that was hardly our experience. We took part in our share of bar-hopping at night, but our daily activities were probably less common for Cabo tourists: hiking Mt Solmar, talking to a local dog trainer and watching him direct some of his dozens of dogs on property, fishing full days, and training at a local CrossFit gym. Some highlights from the trip were watching my youngest brother destroy a panel of tourists in a drinking contest, the awesomely named bar—Sanchos, my first deep-sea fishing trip, catching a yellowfin Tuna, an impromptu bartending experience, and seeing a large variety of sea animals including sea lions, pods of dolphins, and multiple types of whales. The days were all fun but far from ordinary.

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The Beer Crack Heard ‘Round the World

At its core, the trip to Cabo San Lucas was meant to be a delayed celebration of my brother Josh’s twenty-first birthday with the mission of deep sea fishing and catching a bill fish. For the most part the trip had been a success but on the final full day we were approaching our last hour or so of fishing and we hadn’t had a successful bite all day nor a bill fish the whole trip. Morale was low and the boat captain was visibly frustrated. Finally, I mentally threw in the towel and went to crack my first beer of the day—I had been hoping to crack one after catching a fish but I was near the end in the pecking order so it clearly wasn’t going to happen. Simultaneously, as the Dos Equis snapped open, one of the fishing lines cracked. The noises were indistinguishable so it took a few moments for everyone to realize what had happened. The shouting in Spanish from the captain to the deck hand confirmed what we’d heard and hoped: a blue marlin was hooked. About 45 minutes to an hour later, the 12-foot fish finally gave up the fight and we brought it up to the boat before releasing it as the current law required. It wasn’t as soon as we had hoped to catch one, but miraculously it happened before our time was up.

The Wrap Up

Four-and-a-half days later we all returned to Texas with many great stories and memories. In fact, my brother Noah—who turns 21 in about a year—enjoyed it so much, he has already requested we do it again next year to celebrate his birthday!

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post then drop a comment below or share it with a friend and as always, I encourage you to #gotravel!