From the coast, we head deep into the desert south of El Rosario for a two night base camp surrounded by ancient petroglyphs and wide open silence. Days are spent exploring the desert, visiting archaeological sites, and learning the landscape. Nights are dedicated to astro photography, refining focus, composition, and technique, followed by time around the fire and the inevitable UFO stories that tend to surface under skies this dark.

We then turn north and east, climbing into the San Pedro Martir Range for a dramatic change of scenery. At nearly 8,000 feet, we spend two nights among pine forests and granite peaks, hiking through alpine terrain, taking in sweeping vistas, and experiencing some of the clearest night skies on the planet. This is not marketing hype. The nearby Observatorio Astronómico Nacional de San Pedro Mártir hosts major international telescope projects with collaboration from at least seven countries, drawn here specifically for the exceptional atmospheric clarity and darkness. Under these skies, the stars feel close enough to, well…… to shoot!

All good things must come to an end. On the final day, we descend out of the mountains, leave the stars behind, and head north toward the border. Expect to cross back into the US in the late afternoon or early evening on the sixth day of the expedition.