A tour of the U.S.-Mexico border with the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego

TJ in China directors Daniel Ruanova and Mely Barragán discuss their artist-run space with a San Diego tour group. The pair worked in China for a time, but returned to Tijuana because the cultural scene was flourishing.

From Tijuana, we took the stunning two-hour ride south along the coast, before landing in the Guadalupe Valley. The area is home to vineyards and olive groves and small, boutique wineries.

Lunch was at Javier Plascencia and Pedro Peñuela’s welcoming country restaurant, Finca Altozano, where we enjoyed a family-style meal that included melt-in-your mouth short ribs, grilled mushrooms, fresh pasta and corn pudding.

The afternoon was spent in the studio of artists Einar and Jamex de la Torre, a brother duo from Guadalajara who are known for their wild blown-glass and assemblage pieces. Seen here: some of the small thrift store curios that often find their way into their work.

The De la Torre brothers travel all over the world to produce installations such as this wall hanging, but maintain their principal studio in the Guadalupe Valley.

The final stop on our tour was the Encuentro Guadalupe hotel, designed by Tijuana architect Jorge Gracia of Graciastudio.

The hotel consists of a series of cabins, wrapped in steel, dotting the mountaintop — and offering staggering views of the Guadalupe Valley. The architect is known for working with materials at hand (such as stell, which was provided to him by the client).

As part of the tour of Encuentro Guadalupe, we met with the architect, who spoke about the importance of preserving the natural landscape of the mountain while providing amenities. These were our last, wondrous views before heading back to the U.S.