Day 12   SOUTHERN CAPE LOOP / El TRIUMFO / TODOS SANTOS
Today we drive around the Sierra La Laguna at the southern tip of the Peninsula. North of San Jose, we pass through the small communities of the East Cape, Miraflores, Santiago, and San Antonio.  We explore El Triunfo, a quaint 18th-20th-century mining town that has been revitalized and is home to the Museo del Vaquero de las Californias - a new state-of-the-art interpretative center dedicated to the hearty cowboys that populated the Peninsula’s untamable wilderness.  A VISIT TO THE CAFE TRIUNFO FOR A SWEET TREAT IS A MUST.  We then make our way to the artists' haven of Todos Santos and give you time to meander through the town and take a late lunch at your leisure.  Return to San Jose del Cabo in the late afternoon.  (150 mi. B)

Day 13   CABO SAN LUCAS / LANDS END
We have a leisurely morning to explore San Jose. Bird the nearby mangroves or explore the shops and cafes.  In the afternoon, we make the short drive to Cabo San Lucas for a boat ride to the iconic Los Arcos in Land’s End. We return to San Jose Del Cabo for our farewell dinner at a local restaurant.  (30 mi.  B,D)

Day 14   SAN JOSÉ DEL CABO TO LOS CABOS AIRPORT / TUCSON  
After breakfast, we make the short trip to the airport for our return flight.  (B)

YOUR LEADERS
Jesús García, retired Cultural Conservation Research Associate at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, was born and raised in Magdalena de Kino, Sonora, México. As a young man, he moved to Tucson and earned a bachelor's degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology with a minor in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Arizona. He began his career with ASDM in 1991 and has taught natural history and cultural programs throughout southern Arizona and northern Sonora. His many interests include conservation biology, art, cultural ecology, regional languages, music, and gardening. Jesús is a master storyteller and an expert at identifying plant and animal species, describing their preferred growing or breeding habits, and explaining their environmental connections to one another and us.

Fred Nials was raised on a ranch and farm along the Canadian River in eastern New Mexico. Although a geologist by training, he has done geo-archaeological research on well over 5,000 archaeological sites ranging in age from Paleoindian to Historic in western North and South America and Cyprus, and has taught at universities in New Mexico, Washington, and Nevada for 28 years. He specializes in the stratigraphy of archaeological sites, prehistoric technology, and prehistoric agriculture, and has done pioneering work on aeolian and alluvial chronologies in the western U.S. and South America. He participated in the earliest and most comprehensive early study of prehistoric irrigation in coastal South America, the earliest comprehensive study of the Hohokam canal system in the Phoenix Basin and was part of a team that reconstructed the annual flow of the Salt and Gila Rivers since 577A.D.

Stephen Bernier, travel director, manages logistics and is the owner of South of the Border Tours. Stephen has organized and produced tours throughout the American Southwest and Mexico since 1993 with clients that include: the University of Arizona Elderhostel/Road Scholar Program, Arizona Historical Society, Scottsdale Sister City, Sabino Canyon Volunteer Naturalists, Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Tohono Chul, Portland Art Museum, Heard Museum Guild, Tucson Museum of Art, Tucson City of Gastronomy, as well as various other museums and universities. Stephen is also a volunteer with Sabino Canyon Volunteer Naturalists.

INCLUDED SERVICES
Transportation in a 49-passenger luxury motorcoach; all tour expenses; all meals listed in the itinerary; all guide services; all hotels, including overnights in Tecate, San Quintín, two nights in Cataviña, overnights in Guerrero Negro, San Ignacio, three nights at the oceanfront Loreto Bay Resort, and three nights in the charming town of San José del Cabo are included.  

NOT INCLUDED
On day one, we stop at the border to obtain a tourist visa.  You are responsible for the FMM Visa (tourist visa) fee of approximately $45. Tourist visas are valid for 6 months, so, in the event you have a current visa at the time of this tour, you may bring it. Depending on the activity chosen, fees may apply for excursions on our free day in Loreto.  Return airfare is not included. 

FEES
This special travel opportunity is offered exclusively to Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum members. If you are currently not a member but would like to join us, you may do so by following this link. The tour price is $5600 and the single supplement, if it becomes available will be an additional $1500. Single participation is managed by overall tour registration.  If you would like to register as a single, you will be put on a waitlist. If you have no traveling companion but would like to register as a double, we will attempt to make a roommate match. However, if you register as a double, and a match isn't found; you'll be waitlisted. Approximately two months out, we will determine if registration permits single participation.  If so, the single supplement will apply to your fee.

The return is by air from Los Cabos and is NOT included in the fee. You are responsible for booking your return flight.  Approximately 6 months before our departure date, South of the Border Tours will determine a suggested flight from San Jose Del Cabo to either Tucson or Phoenix.  For those who travel on this flight, there will be transportation provided from our hotel to the airport in Los Cabos, as well as transportation from either Tucson International Airport or Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport to our tour departure location on Day One.

ROOMING
The listed price is for double occupancy.

MEETING PLACE
We will meet and leave our cars at the Museum or at the South of the Border Tours parking facility.  This will be shared in the pre-trip information.

BORDER CROSSING
You will need a valid passport book to take this trip. Your passport book must be valid for at least 6 months after our travel dates.

MEXICO TRAVEL
The U.S. State Department has Travel Advisories for some of the areas we will visit or travel through. You may review the most up-to-date status of different areas within Mexico at this link. Our tour operator, South of the Border Tours, has established a record of safety and quality during their 30+ years of running tours throughout Mexico and keeps in close communication with partners at each location to which we travel.

CANCELLATION POLICY
All cancellations must be in writing or email. Our policy is as follows:  Cancellations made 60 days prior to departure will result in refunded payments less a $300 per person handling fee. Cancellations made 59-31 days prior to departure will result in a 50% forfeiture of payment. Cancellations made 30 days or less prior to departure are non-refundable.

TRAVEL INSURANCE
We highly recommend travel insurance. You are welcome to choose any travel insurance company; however, Allianz Travel Insurance is our preferred company. Please visit their website to review all policies that are available:  www.allianztravelinsurance.com.  Insurance should be purchased within 14 days of paying your tour deposit. By doing so, you will have the best coverage options to choose from. Should you sign up with them, please use our ACCAM number, which is FO29755.

TOUR ITINERARY IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE
We reserve the right to change components, substitute hotels or alter the itinerary, and to make any other changes deemed necessary to carry out and maintain the quality and safety of the tour in good faith to the participants. In the case of civil unrest, acts of God, situations known as force majeure, we may cancel or postpone a trip.

QUESTIONS  
This trip is jointly run by South of the Border Tours and the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. Should you have any questions about the itinerary or logistics, please contact Debby Bernier, Office Manager at 520-760-4000 or at southofthebordertours@msn.com. For questions about payment, please contact the Reservations Coordinator at 520-883-3025 or at education@desertmuseum.org.