Travel Diaries: Meaghan Cox’s Todos Santos Retreat

Rip & Tan: This property is so beautiful it’s almost otherworldly—can you tell us a bit about your stay? What drew you to the home?

Meaghan Cox: I have been following Alex Boudreau and her design work for a few years and fell in love with her family home she designed in Todos Santos, Mexico. Everything from the staircase with squiggly iron banisters, the colorful tile in every room, the custom upholstered couches, and the perfect dipping pool. It is all so thoughtfully designed. I was already heading to Baja to celebrate my dad’s wedding so I snuck in for a night at Alex’s home and it was just as dreamy as expected.

Rip & Tan: What’s your usual travel ethos? Would you rather be out taking in the sights or soaking up more leisurely moments?

Meaghan Cox: I am normally a leisure lover and spend my vacation laying in the sunshine and swimming but my husband is the complete opposite and would rather be snorkeling, hiking, or doing anything but lay in the sun so we have found a happy medium on our trips.

We typically relax for the first day or two (and we both love swimming so relaxing involves that) and then we’ll do some outings in the middle of the trip, with a day or two at the end to relax again. We also both love food so our trips always revolve around amazing meals.

Rip & Tan: What’s your general approach to vacation style? How do you plan outfits?

Meaghan Cox: It depends on the trip but I’m typically annoyingly type-A about it. I start saving looks I like on Instagram and Pinterest based on the trip and then when I’m packing, I’ll look through the photos and try to create outfits with what I have in my closet.

I luckily have a lot of great basics that I wear every season, and I’ll get a new swimsuit or a new pair of shoes or dress each trip but it prevents me from shopping fast fashion for things I’ll never wear again.

I like knowing what I’m going to wear each day so I don’t have to think about anything when I’m on vacation, so I usually take photos of each outfit as I’m packing and put them in an album on my phone. 

Rip & Tan: For a warmer locale like Todos Santos, what are 3 pieces every woman ought to pack? 

Meaghan Cox: A dress that doubles as a coverup, like our Drift Dress. It’s insanely comfortable (like softer than my sheets) but also so cute for going straight to lunch! 

A sweater you can throw on at night or throw over your shoulders. My favorite in the summer is our Cruise Cocoon Crewneck. It’s really lightweight but still keeps you warm. 

A hat to keep your face out of the sun, like the Crochet Raffia Sun Hat. I am loving the Black this year.

Rip & Tan: Walk us through your suitcase essentials—what can’t you live without?

Meaghan Cox: For a beach vacation, I pack lots of swimsuits, linen basics, some fun dresses, and sandals. I can’t travel without my skincare basics: The Oak Essentials Moisture Rich Balm and Restorative Mask, iS Clinical Active Serum, One Love Organics Vitamin B Cleanser, and my NuFace. I also can’t travel without Pique matcha and my supplements.

Rip & Tan: Whether it’s a good camera or a journal to jot down memories, what are some other must-haves for making the most of an unplugged trip?

Meaghan Cox: I always bring my film camera (a Canon EOS 3 with a 50mm 1.4 lens), 5-10 rolls of film, and a Muji journal. We love collecting menus, coasters, matches, and other goods from our travels and we slide them in the journal with little notes about what we’re doing each day. We also love games on a trip. We bring this very weird but addicting game called Pass the Pigs, and we love Yahtzee and Qwirkle, too.

Rip & Tan: What were some of your favorite memories? Any must-dos or must-sees in the area? 

Meaghan Cox: Clyde Wines: Stop on the way from the Cabo airport to get natural wine for the week! 

El Refugio: A local spot that serves a few dishes each evening and has the biggest Mezcal list you’ll ever see. 

Barracuda Cantina: The BEST fish tacos I’ve ever had in my life. It’s right by the beach so I would plan a beach day around it and go for lunch. I will dream of this place until we go back 

Jazzamango: The cutest farm-to-table restaurant with the best food. Chef Javiar Pascencia is famous in the area and I now understand why! Get the fish tostada. But even more memorable than this dinner was breakfast at Jazzamango Cafe, which is right in town.  

5 Tacos and A Beer: This is outside of town but you have to go for dinner! Their tacos are delicious and their street corn (they call it corn in a cup) is particularly memorable. 

Pura Vida Baja: A cute local market with really good green juice and healthy grocery staples.

Pronto Muy Pronto: A pop-up shop in Todos with the best ceramics and dresses.

The Green Room: This was probably our favorite meal! You wind through a bamboo path to find the cutest restaurant right on the beach and their food is incredible.