Baja Design Tour: What to look forward to
You could sign up for a photography workshop locally. You could try and see your hometown in a new way. You might be able to get outside and explore what your city has to offer (if you are from Vancouver, sadly the rain has already snuck up on us…). But why not go somewhere a bit exotic, immerse yourself in something new, and open all your senses to new experiences? There is something special about ‘vacation mode’ where you are more open to new things and eager to absorb as much as possible– what a great environment for learning a few new skills, right?
We’re slowly edging closer to “take off” for our Baja design tour this November, so we thought we would share a little bit more about what we’re going to be experiencing… (and hopefully you too!)
The city of San Jose del Cabo
The plan:
Day 1
- Check in and meet up with the group
- Dia de los Muertos cultural sightseeing
- Welcome dinner
Day 2
- Photography Workshop I with Heather Ross
- San Jose del Cabo ArtWalk opening
- Happy Hour and Dinner at local eateries (maybe a tasting menu…)
Day 3
- Working breakfast on Styling and Social Media
- Cooking Lesson and tour of Flora Farms
- Photography one-on-one with Heather Ross at Flora Farms
Day 4
- Photography Workshop II with Heather Ross
- Afternoon to explore the city and practice new skills
- Dinner at Acre
Day 5
- Day trip to Pescadero
- Visit Baja Beans and meet with April Tidey
- Tour/Discussion on modern Mexican design with April
- Visit local Market at Baja Beans
- Cerritos Beach
Day 6
- Imagery, Social Media, Branding workshop with Heather Ross, Tina Dhillon, and Brooke Hatfield
- A little bit of time at the beach (can you blame us?)
- Beach-side Dinner
Day 7
- Farewells!
Some inspiration courtesy of Flora Farms’ Instagram feed
A bit of Instagram flavour from Baja Beans
Dia de los Muertos– photo from Yesica Penida’s story on Baja.com
People make the places…
We should have put a warning at the beginning of this post… if you’re coming to Baja from Vancouver, there’s a very good chance you might just stay there. Just ask Stuart McPherson, Cameron Watt, and April Tidey. All hailing from Vancouver they traded the ‘wet coast’ for the invigorating sunshine of Baja. They are also our case-and-points for how San Jose del Cabo can inspire and feed your creative side.
Photo from the Acre website
Stuart and Cameron are the owners of Acre— a 25-acre paradise that consists of farmland, bar, restaurant, and event space. Acre is also the ‘sister project’ of the Keefer Bar here in Vancouver (same owner after all!) for those who are familiar with the local hotspot. With Acre they have fully embraced Baja culture: building the structures from local materials, using local providers for furniture and accessories, as well as having a strong farm-to-table mandate for their menu Acre is more than just a culinary experience… even though we cannot wait to get our taste-buds on their tasting menu!
April poses for a photo during our last visit down to Baja
April Tidey is a ex-Vancouverite who has her roots in interior design. During our trip down to Baja this past spring we were introduced to April and her off-the-grid design oasis (check out the blog post here). It didn’t take long for us to become fans of her design style– what can only be described as a rustic elegance inspired by the Baja desert and modern Mexican minimalism. We are excited to have her talk about Mexican design and her experiences living in Baja with our tour participants (bring your notebooks along with those cameras!). She also wears the hat of local entrepreneur, along with her husband, as the team behind Baja Beans– the coffee roasting company that sparked their move down to Pescadero (read their story here). We’re delighted to have April along for part of our trip!
We are so thrilled to be offering this Design Tour— it’s not often we get to combine design education, a photography workshop, and an incredible cultural experience all in one trip! September 11, 2017 is the last day for our social media followers (and blog readers!) to receive a discount of $150.00 with “BAJA2017” on our bigcartel site (sign up here!).
Questions about our tour or itinerary? Let us know! Message us on social media or send us an email at info@designerscollective.ca. Only a couple months to go….
Can’t wait to see you in Baja!
Designers Collective
