A weekend (in a bubble!) in Valle de Guadalupe
Sometimes people ask me how I choose where I travel next, and it’s honestly a pretty tough question–there’s not really a good answer! Although there are some places that have been top of my list for years, figuring out the next destination is often an unpredictable shuffle of how much things cost, how far away they are, how much time I can take off and what the weather will be like. But sometimes it just comes down to what captures my eye and my imagination. I was scrolling through Airbnb when we were stuck in New York City during the bomb cyclone and I came across a BUBBLE in Mexican wine country. I’d heard a lot of good things about visiting Valle de Guadalupe (and it’s only a two-hour drive south of San Diego), so I took a quick scan of our free weekends in the spring–and reserved us a night! 
After booking it on a total whim, we spent a night there a couple of weeks ago. It was basically all I dreamed and more! Although the weather didn’t quite cooperate for a breezy, sunshiney day of wine tasting–and I thus spent all day worried about the cloudy skies blocking the stars–we ended up having so much fun at a few different wineries and restaurants. And most importantly: the skies cleared up and I fell asleep STARING AT THE STARS through this crazy clear bubble contraption. For all of the time I spend researching flight prices and routes and hotel options and activity itineraries, these kind of no-plans trips usually end up being my favorite.
Valle de Guadalupe
I’m pretty sure most people don’t think of “undiscovered wine country” when they think of Mexico–but the lush rolling hills, laid-back and farm-chic wineries, farm-to-table restaurants and comfortable yet unique glamping options are all there to make the solid case for Valle de Guadalupe as a worthy wine-centric destination. My husband has recently expressed a greater openness to drinking wine (!!!), so I have been seizing every opportunity to order a bottle of wine with dinner or try out different varieties. A day in Valle de Guadalupe was a great option for a new-ish wine drinker: it was totally unpretentious, super friendly and fairly affordable.
Vena Cava
Our first stop was Vena Cava: the super-hip winery has a tasting room housed in an upside-down boat (an ode to sustainability) and a food truck on the premises. Although I’m not usually much of a red drinker, I fell hard and fast for their tempranillo. I always feel like wine tasting can be such a cheap way to spend the day–and then I get sucked into the story, and immediately start buying bottles! Alas: we brought this bottle back to San Diego to accompany a nice dinner at home, and it was even lovelier.
Finca Altozano
We headed over to Finca Altozano for lunch on the recommendation of someone at Vena Cava, and it did not disappoint. An herb garden! A pig named Lucky! Baby goats and puppies! And, of course, delicious food and wine with sweeping views of the hills. I easily could have spent all day here: there are giant wine barrels where you can sit with friends, animals to pet, and plenty to eat and drink.
Bodegas Magoni
Next, we popped down the road to Bodegas Magoni. One of my favorite parts of exploring a new wine region is just stopping by little places that you see on the side of the road: it’s one of the rare times in my travel life where I’m a little more spontaneous. We hung out here for a flight of wine, and chatted with a few (drunk) people who were in the region on a group tour from Los Angeles. Although I’m sure it’s super easy to do something like this a group tour, we actually really loved being able to take things at our own pace and try out some unexpected spots. 
Deckman’s
As soon as she heard I was going to Valle de Guadalupe, one of my girlfriends was setting me up with a reservation at Deckman’s. Chef Drew Deckman and his team strive to “bring the table to the farm” and it’s a pretty delightful (and sustainable) experience. All of the food is so fresh and delicious, and all of the decor details are just right: another place I could have easily set up shop, ate and drank all day long. 
Campera Bubble Hotel
And of course: the reason for the season! My bubble hotel! I absolutely loooooved it, although it’s definitely a quirky experience that’s probably closer to glamping than a four-star hotel on the luxury spectrum. It features an actual (comfortable) bed, a nicer bathroom than I expected, and a robust heating/air system, but it’s still a giant plastic bubble plopped down in a vineyard. You have to totally zip up the little entryway section before you unzip and step into the main bubble, or else the whole thing will deflate! No matter what though, falling asleep under the stars–I woke up several times in the middle of the night just to ooh and aah over being able to see the constellations from my bed–is a magical experience. Not something I’d need to stay in every time I visit the region..but I’m also not saying I wouldn’t go back ;)
The only thing during the whole week that did not inspire any smiles: driving back over the border. UGH. It’s super easy to cross over to Mexico, but definitely a lot more waiting and complication involved on the way back. I know there is definitely a better way (we went back over San Ysidro, which we were warned against), but there’s no way it’s going to be an entirely pleasant experience. Prepare yourself!
