By Perry Montoya

When I was a kid in the late '70s and early '80s, we moved from sunny Southern California to the desert peaks of Utah. Like many families at that time, mine had just finished watching the TV series "How the West Was Won." We loaded into a 1972 Ford Pinto and, ironically, had to move east to win our own west. Like the pioneer wagons of old, our wagon's job was to bear us to new and previously uncharted land.

While I've taken many means of transportation since that Pinto, this year's return to the Pacific was a homecoming in style: not a floating Conestoga wagon, but a cruise of California (including Baja) with Carnival Cruise Lines.

This was our third Mexican cruise with Carnival, and they continue to deliver delights that are (according to their website) "So close, yet so deliciously far." Indeed, leaving Long Beach, our first new port of Catalina Island was so close to my boyhood home that my father often went there to fish for lobster. Yet Catalina had eluded me.

Its mystique had long been in my mind from my mother's music box that played the tune to "26 Miles" by The Four Preps. It's hard to say whether that song was more enjoyable as a fond childhood memory or introducing it on this trip to my wife of 33 years as I played it on Catalina's shores. The short stop in Avalon (Catalina's only incorporated city) is just right for a self-guided golf-cart jaunt with one of Catalina Island Golf Carts' many clean, open-air and perfectly suitable rides. We circled the city in style and found awe-inspiring views from atop the Island.

While we stopped and enjoyed plenty of the sites of Catalina (including peeks at Mount Ada, the pet cemetery, Avalon Beach and the Catalina Casino), we saved just enough time to enjoy the famous swordfish sandwich at The Lobster Trap.

Back onboard, we enjoyed days at sea on the Firenze, Carnival's still-new and newly renovated luxury liner. The Firenze had everything we needed to disconnect and relax. Like all cruisers, we ate more than we should have of all the culinary highlights — breakfast parfaits, a host of quality meat and vegetable options with each meal, specialty restaurants and late-night artisan pizza, with plenty of room still left for decadent desserts.

We still found ways to separate ourselves from the masses onboard by dropping into one of the many music, comedy, trivia, karaoke or stage productions. While I could go on about the offerings, it just may have been the still moments of the Pacific nights where my heart achieved the healing I sought.

Our final port of call on this trip was Ensenada. We've traveled to many parts of Mexico (Acapulco, Zihuatanejo, Ixtapa, Manzanillo, Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta, Cancun and Playa Del Carmen — all via Carnival), and we'd heard that Ensenada would underwhelm in comparison. Still, we found its people warm and welcoming. There were plenty of excursions and lots of fun to be had. Looking for a slower pace this trip, we preferred to wander and shop at our leisure; a local book and craft fair took half our time.

Foraging for the finest foods is one of my passions, and we found a true gem in La Guerrerense in Ensenada. Anothony Bourdain had this place at the top of his list of best street foods in the world. I'm allergic to shellfish and still couldn't resist. Sabina Bandera and her family have perfected the ceviche tostada. I could have bathed in the bacalao (get it with the peanut sauce) and had extra lime and avocado on the pescado. Sabina ensured my allergy wouldn't be an issue. Not a food-cart person? Let the folks with Michelin behind their reviews direct you to her sit-down option at Sabina across the street from the cart. I won't soon forget being treated like family in Ensenada.

Chart your course. Win your own west. Prices now are beyond affordable. Luxury is within reach. Relaxation and rejuvenation are as sure as the assurance that the people you meet (onboard and off) will heighten your life and warm your soul. Maybe Mexico has called and you've missed it before. I hope you won't let that happen again.

Carnival Cruise Lines' Firenze lies at anchor off Catalina Island, California. Photo courtesy of Perry Montoya.

Stained glass pieces are among the treasures for sale in a market in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico. Photo courtesy of Brandi Montoya.

Perry Montoya is a freelance writer. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

Carnival Cruise Lines' Firenze lies at anchor off Catalina Island, California. Photo courtesy of Perry Montoya.