. C. M. MAYO . LITERARY JOURNALIST & NOVELIST . NEWSLETTER
Miraculous Air <

Note as of 2014: Alas, this page of links about Baja California has not been updated since maybe 2006. It seemed a nice idea at the time I started the website for my book, Miraculous Air: Journey of a Thousand Miles through Baja California, the Other Mexico; but then I got busy writing other books. Many of these links listed below may have gone dark; but some should still be good and very possibly well worth visiting.

L I N K S General Baja.com Huge website with many useful links. Baja Insider A very useful directory. Baja Links Links to get lost in! Descubre Baja California (in both English and in Spanish) the official Mexican Secretary of Tourism website for Baja California (note: the northern state; not the entire peninsula) Information Pages on Baja California Maintained by Fred T. Metcalf. Like the title says, information! Outstanding. Mexicofile.com All sorts of links to sites of interest about Mexico, including Baja California Mexonline.com Another site packed with links of interest about Mexico, including Baja California. Planeta Peninsula A nonprofit Spanish language site about Baja California--- excelente. The Real Mexico, Mexico Writers Alliance founder Bob Brook's Mexico website. Tropical Storm Watch September is "chubasco" month in Baja California Sur. A "chubasco" is a tropical hurricaine. Every year some people get killed, and some years a lot of people get killed. If you must go during September, take a look at this page before you do. Authors and Publications Baja Books and Maps On-line store, good selection. And they carry Miraculous Air and The Visitors / Los Visitantes. Baja Breeze The new magazine--- premier issue includes an interview with C.M. Mayo about Miraculous Air. Baja California Missions By Baja California mission historian and author Edward W. Vernon, author of Las Misiones Antiguas: The Spanish Missions of Baja California. Baja California: A Short Visit to One the Most Interesting Places on Earth Maintained by Walt Peterson, author of The Baja Adventure Book, this is an excellent site for those looking for a general introduction to the peninsula, as well as for anyone planning to visit. Baja California Bibliography Extensive! Baja Life A glossy magazine for the Baja Buffs, lots of ads and lots of information. The webpage has many useful links. Baja Talk Radio Ted Donovan's "Baja Talk Radio" "covers destinations with information on tours and activities, fishing, eating, local services, real estate, etc -- includes many author interviews, including with yours truly July 19th 2005. Click here for the link to listen in on my interview about Miraculous Air, The Visitors, cave paintings, Bay of LA, and more, with host Ted Donovan. Bruce Berger Author of the luminous memoir of Baja California, Almost an Island (among many other wonderful books about Aspen and the Southwest) Ted Conover Author of Coyotes, a splendid work of literary journalism about Mexican workers who cross the border. Harry W. Crosby Author of a long list of some of the most important scholarly works on Baja California, among them: Cave Paintings of Baja California, Antigua California, The Last of the Californios, and Tijuana 1964.To view an exhibition of his photographs at University of California San Diego, visit http://orpheus.ucsd.edu/speccoll/baja/crosby/index.html Another site with some of his photographs is http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/07/0717_030717_bajarockart.html Joe Cummings Author of the Baja Handbook, the best guidebook around. Lou Federico Author of One Hell of a Ride, with important historical information about Mulege and the Club Aero Mulege. Gringo Gazette It's silly but wonderful silly, and also packed with useful information for US citizens and other "gringos" living and traveling in Baja California. Without a doubt this is the #1 Baja Buff newspaper, and by the way it's looking for writers. Michelle Gilders Author of Reflections of a Whale Watcher, a must for anyone who loves whales. Gene Kira's Baja Destinations Author of the classic fishing guide to Baja California, The Baja Catch; the novel King of the Moon; and The Unforgettable Sea of Cortez, an historical biography of Ray Cannon, which is already a much coveted collector's item. His web page includes lots of fishing information and a jam-packed Baja California bibliography with many links to amazon.com Longitude Books' List of Recommended Books on Baja California Graham Mackintosh Author of four riveting memoirs about his extraordinary Baja California adventures. First he walks (no kidding) all around the entire coastline, then he comes back down the spine of it with a burro! And most recently, a long stay on Isla Angel de la Guarda. Must reads for any and all serious Baja Buffs. Plus he admits he thinks he saw a UFO, and he was in the movie Titanic. This guy is seriously cool. C.M. Mayo Author of Sky Over El Nido; The Visitors/ Los Visitantes; and Miraculous Air: Journey of a Thousand Miles through Baja California, the Other Mexico. Mexico Mike "Mexico" Mike Nelson's personal website featuring his books, Spas and Hot Springs of Mexico; Mexico from the Driver's Seat; and Live Better South of the Border. Not Baja California-specific, but well worth a visit. Personally, I am a huge fan of his de-cluttering books, especially Stop the Clutter from Stealing Your Life, which is a classic of the growing genre and worth every centavito. Greg Niemann Author of Baja Fever and Baja Legends, among other works. Dick Russell Author of The Eye of the Whale. Luis Urrea Author of starkly beautiful books about the US-Mexico border near Tijuana and The Hummingbird's Daughter, the widely-lauded epic novel of northern Mexico. Sea of Cortez, the Pacific coast, and Whales A Dying Sea Is the Sea of Cortes "a dying sea?" The Sacramento Bee published in an-depth report in 1995, which you can read here. An update talks about the many efforts being made to stop the destruction. Baja Trash For a clean Baja California. Has some excellent links. American Cetacean Society Blue Ocean Institute A nonprofit dedicated to building a wider, more inspired cultural atmopshere for ocean conservation through science, art, and literature. A very interesting consumer education initiative, "From Sea to Table." Escalera Nautica The official website of the Nautical Ladder, a development program for the Sea of Cortez and Baja California. Scary. As of July1, 2005, the Escalera is known as the Sea of Cortez Project. For more information about that, visit: www.fonatur.gob.mx Kuyima Mexican eco-tourism company. Well-known for its tours to see the grey whales, and also sea turtles. The Marine Mammal Center's Gray Whale Page Includes an updated report on gray whale strandings. Planeta.com The website on eco-tourism in Mexico hosted by Ron Mader. This site is chock-full of information and links. Five stars! My faves within this website are "Saving the Gray Whale: A Conversation with Serge Dedina by Ron Mader; "Exploring Baja California: Eco Travels in Mexico"; and Borderlands Links. Excellent! Ocean Oasis Website for the IMAX movie about the Sea of Cortez. Rich with information about the efforts to conserve the Sea of Cortez. Orca Conservancy Orca Network Pronatura Mexican nonprofit organization whose mission is to conserve the flora, fauna, and ecosystem and to promote development in harmony with nature. Sea of Cortez International Preservation Foundation. Founded by David Simmonds. Missions and Cultural Adopte una Obra de Arte (Adopt a Work of Art) and then hit "Proyectos" and then "Baja California Sur" A program to rescue the andangered art works of 19th, 18th and even 17th century missions in Baja California. Baja California Missions By Baja California mission historian and author Edward W. Vernon, author of Las Misiones Antiguas: The Spanish Missions of Baja California. California Mission Studies Association Though the main focus is on (Upper) California missions, this site also includes information on Baja California missions, notably a program to help restore the altar screens and other priceless Jesuit-era art of Baja California's San Javier Vigge. Centro Cultural Tijuana Trashy Tia Juana, as the "gringos' know the place... But in the heart of Tijuana's hardscrabble downtown is this cultural center housed in a fantasia of modern architecture. A delightful space showcasing some of the most cutting-edge conceptual art in Latin America. Great (Spanish language) bookstore, too. Galeria de Todos Santos. Founded by Michael and Pat Cope in the tiny town of Todos Santos, the Galeria de Todos Santos specializes in fine art. Interviews with Michael Cope, and several of his artists, including Dereck Buckner, appear in my book Miraculous Air That chapter, titled The Visitors, after Dereck Buckner's painting, has recently been published as a bilingual chapbook, The Visitors / Los Visitantes.Of interest are some websites of painters who show in this gallery: Derek Buckner and Gloria Marie V. Las Misiones en Baja California A wonderfully detailed site on Baja California's many missions, Franciscan, Dominican, and above all, Jesuit. In Spanish. Todos Santos Everything you might want to know about the little town of Todos Santos, which is known for its sugar (panocha) and also for its artist community. Also check out the mexonline site, www.mexonline.com/todossantos.htm Travel Clubs Discover Baja This San Diego-based travel club offers books, events, lectures and slide shows, automobile insurance, and more! Very handy to know about if you're driving south from the US border. Vagabundos del Mar A Rio Vista-California based travel club. Very popular with sportfishermen and RVers. Lots of information and a great map selection.