Searching for Steinbeck's Sea of Cortez: A Makeshift Expedition Along Baja's Desert Coast

Searching for Steinbeck's Sea of Cortez: A Makeshift Expedition Along Baja's Desert Coast

Andromeda Romano-Lax, with her husband and two children, set out to explore the dazzling waters of the Sea of Cortez in a 24-foot sailboat. Inspired by Steinbeck’s famous 1940 book The Log from the Sea of Cortez, the author quickly proves herself an experienced and lyrical guide to one of North America’s most unusual and rugged places. Her vivid descriptions of the abundant marine life turn readers into armchair naturalists. An encounter with a mentally unbalanced skipper, a baseball game with local villagers, and a kayaking trip in a violent storm are among the adventures — and misadventures — Romano-Lax chronicles here. Including a map, a delightful blend of adventure, science, and philosophy, Searching for Steinbeck’s Sea of Cortez is a memorable trip to some of the most biologically diverse waters in the world. Imagine hitchhiking in Baja's wilderness with a pair of toddlers in tow, then packing them into a sea kayak on the Sea of Cortez. Clearly, Romano-Lax, the author of several guidebooks to Alaska, where she resides, has a nonchalant and intrepid attitude toward travel. With her husband and two children (one still in diapers), she sets out on a journey in search of the tide pools explored by John Steinbeck and Ed Ricketts 60 years ago. Her goal is to duplicate the route described in Steinbeck's The Log from the Sea of Cortez in a small sailboat captained by her mentally unstable brother-in-law. The captain jumps ship midway through the expedition, leaving the hardy family to continue by foot, rental car, bus, and charter boats as they make their way around the shores of the Sea of Cortez. Two months later, the journey ends in Guaymas with the travelers out of funds and both children recovering from minor (but frightening) injuries. This, though, is only half of Romano-Lax's story. The reader travels with Steinbeck and Ricketts as well, in combination with the author's own observations of the invertebrates that inhabit the shoreline of Baja's inland sea. There's sufficient information here for any naturalist, environmentalist, or trekker considering a similar journey to explore this little-known part of North America. The omission of photos is an unfortunate drawback. For most public and academic libraries. Janet Ross, formerly with Sparks Branch Lib., NV Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. Motivated by John Steinbeck's 1941 book, Log from the Sea of Cortez, Romano-Lax, with her husband and two young children, completed a two-month, 4,000-mile journey in a 24-foot sailboat piloted by the author's brother-in-law. Mexico's Gulf of California, known locally by the more romantic sounding Sea of Cortez, is off the east coast of Baja California. The author recalls seeing schools of fish and stingrays, crabs, clams, mussels, and blue damselfish, to name just a few, and she describes the sheltered pools housing hundreds of tiny sea urchins. She observed pelicans, gulls, ravens, frigate birds, and sea lions, and she chronicles her trek through mangroves along the shore. She writes, too, of the oppressive tropical heat and seasickness, of trying to catch a fish for their supper, and she describes the arduous task of making a simple pot of coffee as the boat bobbed during a storm. Readers will find this a captivating guide to an extraordinary place. George Cohen Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved Used Book in Good Condition