My good friend Keith, an actor and musician, and I, a construction contractor, have missed our friends Kevin and Christine ever since they made the decision to move to a less stressful environment: La Paz in Baja California, Mexico.

In Woodland Hills, they were the most gracious hosts of many dinner parties, from dress-up formal to very informal pizza parties. The pizzas were a group effort made easy by many enthusiastic hands and baked in their wood-fired backyard pizza oven. To be invited to any of their parties was always a big deal! Good food, great wines, plentiful beer, and intelligent conversation always made for a wonderful time.

So, Keith and I, finding a window of opportunity earlier this month of July 2014, decided to spend a week with our friends, and to decompress in La Paz.

Kevin and Christine were, as expected, delighted to see us and did all they could to make our stay at the newly renovated Casa Vaquita enjoyable. Keith made himself at home in the upstairs room of the little casita on the property, enjoying a view of the bay from the balcony, while I chose to stay in a room attached to the main house, where I needn't climb any stairs.

The rooms are all beautifully decorated with local art, and authentic touches are apparent. Going from the stressful and often rude world of Los Angeles to a vastly more polite society added greatly to the enjoyment of our vacation!

The courtyard of Casa Vaquita has a barbeque grill and smoker, so I foresee some raucous parties there in the very near future. It's in a perfect spot, close to the boat docks, for Scuba clubs looking for an inexpensive warm-water destination.

The four of us were able to get away on their boat several times for scuba diving and snorkeling. We visited the wreck of the Salvatierra, huge ferry boat, and the island chain, Ispiritu Santos. 85 degree water temperature is easy to take! Great visibility and lots of critters to admire and photograph.

We also had the opportunity to vist several great local restaurants for many of our meals. All were very reasonably priced. Imagine: full breakfasts including coffee and juice for less than $4.00!

On one of the days that Kevin had to attend to the needs of a friend, we visited Todos Santos, a little town of artisans and quint bars and restaurants on the Pacific side.

On our last day, Christine made a wonderful fresh clam sauce and pasta for all of us so we'd remember to come back!