2013 – Sailing Through a Year of Transition: Goodbye Groovy, Hello Buggy!

2013 was a very special year for us because it marked a major transition in our lives as we slowly said goodbye to our sailing life aboard our sailboat Groovy and mentally prepared to return to a life ashore in our beloved buggy.

This meant also saying goodbye to our ex-pat life in Mexico, which we had loved, and it meant saying goodbye to living at tropical resorts, living in bathing suits, and scrubbing the barnacles off the bottom of the boat every time we jumped in the water!

We loved the sailing life, and we loved Mexico, but we loved the RVing life even more. So, even though this final year of our cruise turned out to be the best one of all, we knew as we savored every adventure that it was to be our last.

We moved off the boat in late December, 2013, and moved back into our trailer. This was an emotional time for us, and I wrote two posts that expressed some of what I was feeling at the time:

• Living, Loving and Perfecting “The Dream”
• On the Road to your Dreams, Stay the Course

These are the blog posts from our travels in 2013:

• Huatulco Underwater – Snorkeling with colorful creaturesWe snorkeled with spotted eagle rays. sea turtles, and lots of colorful fish and coral in the Bays of Huatulco, Mexico.
• Huatulco on Wheels – The fun and funny vehicles of Huatulco Mexico!Huatulco’s warm climate and small size brings folks out on all kinds of crazy wheeled vehicles!
• Huatulco’s Villa Escondida – A beach bonfire with new friendsWe returned to La Bocana at the invitation of local property brokers and found true luxury at Villa Escondida.
• Huatulco – Las Palmas Villas on picturesque Playa Violin – Gorgeous!Returning to Las Palmas Resort, we enjoyed breathtaking views, great snorkeling and gracious hospitality.
• Huatulco Farewell – Fabulous Memories of a great stayAfter 3 months we finally said “goodbye” to Huatulco — and departure day came much too fast.
• Huatulco to Zihuatanejo – Nature and solitude on a peaceful coastal passageSailing from Huatulco to Zihuatanejo we saw breaching whales, leaping manta rays, beauty in Acapulco and a night at sea…
• Zihuatanejo – Nautical moments with Sail Fest and the pretty schooner Patricia BelleZihuatanejo’s Sail Fest and a tour of schooner Patricia Belle were highlights during our stay at anchor off Playa Las Gatas.
• Morelia Mexico’s Magnificent Cathedral & Aqueduct – Awe-inspiring!A whirlwind tour of Morelia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, blew us away with its gorgeous cathedral, churches and antique aqueduct.
• Monarch Butterfly Migration at El Rosario – A Fabulous Daytrip!!High in the Michoacán mountains near Morelia, Mexico, we hiked into the forest at El Rosario to see millions of monarch butterflies.
• Pátzcuaro – A “Magical City” with a colorful outdoor marketWith Groovy safe at anchor in Zihuatanejo, we explored Pátzcuaro, a “Magical City” in Mexico with a vibrant outdoor market.
• Zihuatanejo – A place people keep coming back to… us included!Zihuatanejo has on-the-water action, a lively fish market, pretty sunsets and some very interesting characters…
• Costalegre: Manzanillo’s Las Hadas Resort – The Med in MexicoVisiting Las Hadas in our third season aboard Groovy, we were charmed by its picturesque beauty once again!!
• Costalegre: Santiago – Brilliant sunrises every day!In Santiago Bay we bolted out of bed every morning to watch the gorgeous sunrises, each more beautiful than the last.
• Costalegre: Cuastecomate – Exploring a “Secret Anchorage”On our 2nd visit to the “Secret Anchorage” of Cuastecomate, we got ashore to the cute village behind the beach bars.
• Costalegre: Paraiso – An Unexpected Tropical Oasis!Paraiso is a tiny gem of an anchorage where we found clear turquoise water, thick swarms of fish, and a gorgeous beach.
• Costalegre: Careyes – The most colorful anchorage in Mexico!Wow, talk about color! The tiny anchorage of Careyes is hard to park in, but the colorful views make it worth the effort!
• PV: Chamela to La Cruz – Dances with Whales at Cabo CorrientesBreaching humpback whales delighted us on our passage from Chamela to La Cruz in Banderas Bay.
• PV: La Cruz – A Fun Artisan Market & Cruiser Hangout in MexicoLa Cruz is a favorite cruiser hangout and when we went to the Sunday farmer’s market we understood why — it’s fantastic!!
• PV: 2013 Kiteboard World Cup – Here on the beach!The 2013 World Cup Kiteboard competitions took place right on our beach. What a thrill!
• PV: Paradise Village Marina – A Resort Vacation!At Paradise Village Marina we found ourselves vacationing at a high end resort filled with pools, beach bars, and exotic animals.
• PV: Paradise Village Estuary – Birds, Iguanas, Crocs…and Dolphins?Taking an estuary tour behind Paradise Village Marina, we found exotic birds, iguanas & crocs…and dolphins too!
• Guanajuato – Colors, stairs, tunnels and characters!Guanajuato amazed us with its vivid colors, steep hills & deep tunnels. It’s a fun town with lots of character and characters!
• Guanajuato – Full of Song and Spirit!Guanauato, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is not only colorful but a place where street music is elevated to high performance art.
• Costalegre: Casa Maguey – Kindred spirits in a beachfront villaDuring a fun week at Casa Maguey in La Manzanilla, we met kindred spirits and discovered our host grew up in an RV!
• Costalegre: La Manzanilla – Exotic animals & RVing Copper Canyon!At Casa Maguey in La Manzanilla, we had fun with the locals and learned about the first RV train tour of Copper Canyon!
• Baja Bash (1) – Sailing on the Coattails of a Hurricane!July, 2013 – We started our Baja Bash in Puerto Vallarta by sailing on the coattails of Hurricane Dalila to Cabo San Lucas. Yikes!
• Baja Bash (2) – Chased by a Hurricane!Our Baja Bash excitement continued as Hurricane Erick chased us out of Cabo and barked at us all the way to Ensenada.
• Ensenada – A Triumphant Homecoming!July, 2013 – Our return to Ensenada in northern Baja at the end of our Mexico voyage was satisfying in ways we never anticipated.
• The Baja Ha-Ha 2013 Sails South!After a great kick-off party, the 2013 Baja Ha-ha cruisers rally set sail from San Diego on their way to Cabo San Lucas.
• Taylor Guitars – Where Passion Fuels SuccessOur visit to the Taylor Guitars factory in El Cajon CA was awe inspiring because of the unique philosophy of its founder, Bob Taylor.
• San Diego’s Shelter Island – Safe Haven!San Diego’s Shelter Island offered an ideal oasis of tranquility where we slowly readjusted to the breakneck speed of life in America.
• San Diego’s Shelter Island – A Lively Waterfront!Shelter Island delighted us with a Porshce car show and a tall ship parade, all of which happened right in our front yard.
• On San Diego’s Shores – Dolphins and more!On San Diego’s shores we got glimpses of distant voyages from other cruisers, but the leaping dolphins stole our hearts.
• San Diego Treats – Balboa and Sunset CliffsIn San Diego, we were enchanted by both Balboa Park’s manicured gardens and lily pond and by nature’s raw beauty at Sunset Cliffs.
• Untying The Lines – A nautical send-offA mysterious round stone helps us untie our lines to Groovy
• Arizona, Here We Come – Space Aliens of All Kinds!Goodbye Groovy — sigh — and Hello Trailer — yippee!

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• 10 Years of RVing and Sailing Full-time - The Early Years! - Running away in an RV, then broadening our horizons on a sailboat.
• 10 Years of Living on the Road - 2nd Half! - Fulfilling all our cruising dreams and then returning to full-time RVing!
• 9th Anniversary of RVing and Sailing Full-time - Reflections on how we started and what the first few months were like.

• 2007-2012 - Years of Discovery and Exploration by RV and Sailboat - WOW! We're FREE!
• 2013 - A Year of Transition: Goodbye Groovy, Hello Buggy! - Our last year in Mexico on our sailboat
• 2014 - A Year of Beauty in our RV - Back to full-time RVing...What a rush!
• 2015 - A Thrilling RV Journey East - From Arizona to Florida to Nova Scotia and back!
• 2016 - A Year of RVing the National Parks in America and Canada - Park to Park to the Canadian Rockies. SPECTACULAR!
• 2017 - RVing the West + Flying to Thailand, Cambodia & Paris! - What a fulfilling whirlwind!
• 2018 - The Year of the Dog! - Buddy turned our lives upside down and stole our hearts!

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