San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Midnight during the September 15 celebration of Mexican Independence known as el Grito or the cry for freedom. Photo courtesy of Deb Eichten. Founded as "San Miguel" in 1542 by a San Franciscan Monk named San Miguel El Grande, it became a centerpiece in the war for Mexican independence from Spain; it was renamed San Miguel de Allende after Ignacio Allende, a hero of the independence movement.

Mexican Independence Tour: The Food and History of Central Mexico
Sept. 14 - Sept. 19, 2008

Jumping Cow Culinary Tours is proud to announce our cooking and history tour of San Miguel de Allende.

September is a great month to visit San Miguel. As the cradle of independence, San Miguel really celebrates Mexican Independence Day (September 16) with parties, parades, and fireworks.

Many North Americans have traveled to the Mexican resorts and beaches, but now it’s time to explore the interior of the country and experience the “real” Mexico. Come with Mary and Arlene to delight in the foods and culture of the Central Highlands of Mexico in the picturesque town of San Miguel de Allende. What better way is there to learn about Mexican culture than to fully experience the foods of Mexico.  After all, Mexican cooking is an expression of Mexican culture and history.

This program is a balance between group and individual activities that enable the sophisticated traveler to experience the art, cooking, and shopping in San Miguel de Allende. You’ll find out why San Miguel is one of the world’s great travel destinations.

Bring your appetite and your camera!

Photo courtesy of David Kellerman.

Tour Itinerary

Sunday: Reception at Casa Luna

A van awaits you when you land in Leon, Mexico, to take you to your accommodations in San Miguel. Tonight, meet Arlene and Mary at a party held at the Casa Luna Bed and Breakfast where you’ll be staying.

Monday: A Walking Tour and Cooking at the Ranch

After breakfast at Casa Luna, take a walk to the Jardin and join the Monday Morning walking tour sponsored by a local charity, Patronato Pro Niños. The tour, which costs 100pesos, starts at 10:00 (be there by 9:45 to secure a spot on this popular tour).

After the tour, we’ll meet back at the B&B at noon for the short drive outside of town to the ranch property of our hosts for a cooking class and lunch. Bring your swim suit. The ranch boasts a swimming pool.

Tonight is el Grito – the Cry – that began Mexico’s long fight for Independence. We’ll meet for dinner and then take a short walk to the Jardin to hear the cry, yell “Viva La Mexico” and watch fireworks. This is a celebration like no other!

Tuesday: Market Tour and Cooking at Sazon.

This morning you’ll attend a market tour and cooking class at Sazon (www.sazon.com), a beautiful shop and cooking school operated by the Sierra Nevada Hotel. You’ll tour the market with a Sazon chef as your guide and then return to the Sazon kitchen to watch these unfamiliar ingredients become salsas and salads, along with homemade tortillas.

Evening free.

Wednesday: Tour of Dolores Hidalgo, Santa Rosa and Guanajuato.

Today is a tour-filled day.  Dolores Hidalgo is known for at least three things: it is the birthplace of Mexican independence, ice cream vendors that ring the beautiful town square and offer every conceivable and some non-conceivable flavors, and more pottery factories that you can ever imagine.

Santa Rosa is a very small town in the mountains and is known for creating distinctive pottery. 

A trip to the Central Highlands of Mexico is not complete without a tour of Guanajuato, which is an historic and charming town of small plazas, streets that climb up the hill and lined with stairs, pastel-colored houses and balconies trimmed with iron work. Historically, Guanajuato was a major silver mining center and is now a government seat and college town. It boasts numerous museums, including the Diego Rivera museum.  Guanajuato is an UNESCO World Heritage Site. Evening free.

Thursday: Cooking Class with Maria Ricaud and shopping at the Aurora Design Center.

Maria Ricaud’s cooking school, CociMari: Traditional Mexican Cooking, is based on her family’s recipes, which date over 200 years old and were handed down to her from her grandmother and mother.  Maria has been teaching traditional Mexican cooking in San Miguel since 1989 and has been cooking even longer.

After class, we’ll go to the Aurora Design Center.  This former textile mill has been created into studio space for artists and a variety of shops selling furniture, jewelry and art. On Thursdays, the artists open up their studios to the public. You’ll have ample time to stroll through the shops, visit the artists and have lunch.

Tonight we’ll have a group dinner where we’ll toast each other and say our farewells.

Friday

This is a travel day home, or you may decide to extend your stay in Mexico. We hope you return to visit us again in San Miguel de Allende. Our heart's in the central highlands!

About San Miguel

San Miguel de Allende is a small colonial town in the high desert country of central Mexico, about 6,500 feet above sea level.  We recommend that you fly into the city of Leon, which is a 90-minute drive to San Miguel. We will provide transportation from the Leon airport (airport code: BJX) to the B&B in San Miguel.

What to Wear
September is still the rainy season in San Miguel so bring an umbrella. The average rainfall in September is 4.7 inches.  Typically, it rains late in the day or at night, providing a cool fresh day. The average high temperature for September is 75, with a low average of 57. 

Bring comfortable, sturdy walking shoes. We will be doing lots of walking and the streets of San Miguel are cobblestone and can be treacherous. San Miguel is often called the City of Falling Women because of the difficult streets and the number of woman falling.  Locals wear the San Miguel sandal, also known as the Cocktail Combat Sandal. These sandals are made in San Miguel and cost approximately $30USD.

Bring comfortable clothes, perhaps a sweater or light jacket for the chilly mornings and evenings. Save room in your luggage for all the shopping you’ll want to do. San Miguel is a casual place so you don’t need to bring dressy clothes unless you want to. Anything goes here!

And don’t forget sun screen. San Miguel is over 6000ft up in the mountains so the sun is very strong. Also remember that it may take a day or so to get accustomed to the elevation.

Although you can buy most things here that are available in the States, such as ibuprofen, allergy medicine, and sunscreen, if you have a favorite brand, you may want to bring it.

What to Do
We’ve prepared a schedule that balances group activities with individual free time. During your free time, you may want to shop, tour art galleries and churches, or just sit and people watch in the Jardín.

If it is shopping you’re after, San Miguel is the place for you!  San Miguel was an important silver mining center and you can still buy exquisite silver jewelry in various price ranges. There are numerous (too many to count) pottery shops filled with locally-made pottery and glassware (from a local glassware factory).  And, of course, there are lots of clothing stores to buy skirts, blouses and the essential wrap.

We’ll provide you with a list of our favorite stores to get you going.

San Miguel is internationally known as an art center, boasting numerous art galleries. We’ll visit The Aurora Design Center on Thursday when the artists open their studios to the public. But you can also visit art galleries in central San Miguel.

Photo courtesy of Paul Heynderickx.

Photo courtesy of Paul Heynderickx.

Reservations

Arlene Krasner
Jumping Cow Culinary Tours
6279 NE Carillion Drive
Suite 104
Hillsboro, OR 97124

Phone 503.708.8096

Or use our contact form.

The cost of the San Miguel de Allende tour is $1850 per person. This includes hotel accommodations (double-occupancy), transportation to and from the Leon airport, a welcome cocktail party, three cooking classes, a tour day to Dolores Hidalgo, Santa Rosa and Guanajuato, and two dinners.

Non-cooks are welcome to come along. The cost of the tour for the non-cook is $1630, which includes hotel accommodations (double-occupancy), transportation to and from the Leon airport, a welcome cocktail party, lunch and swim at the ranch, a tour day to Dolores Hidalgo, Santa Rosa and Guanajuato, and two dinners.

To reserve your place, please send a check (no credit cards, please) made payable to Jumping Cow Culinary Tours, in the amount of $400 per person. This deposit is refundable, minus a $50 administrative fee per person, until 60 days prior to the beginning of the tour, at which time the balance is due.

If cancellation occurs less than 60 days before the beginning of the session, a refund will be made only if that space can be filled.

Transportation and Accomodations

San Miguel de Allende is in central Mexico, approximately a 3-hour drive north of Mexico City. We recommend that you fly into the city of Leon, which is a 90-minute drive to San Miguel. The tour includes transportation to and from the Leon airport to San Miguel.

Room accommodations (double-occupancy) for 6 days/5 nights are provided at the Casa Luna B&B. A single accommodation is an additional $400. Each room at the B&B has a private bath and a king-sized bed that can be separated into two twin beds.

Photo courtesy of Jim Agin.

Photo courtesy of Paul Heynderickx.

Photo courtesy of Jim Agin.

Photo courtesy of Jim Agin.

Photo courtesy of Jim Agin.

Photo courtesy of David Kellerman.