Judy Mackenzie is the frontwoman of REMAX Real Estate Rocky Point, Mexico, and she believes that Rocky Point Beach is the best fit for any family getaway. Just imagine a place where traditions are created and a legacy is built! 

Sunset on Playa Encanto Beach in front of Judy's and her family's home. 

My family and I found that place at Rocky Point in 1979.

Thirty-one years ago, we made our first trip to Rocky Point.  Meeting our friends from California, we rented a home in Playa Encanto.  Coming from Phoenix, we got our first visa permits at the border, found our turn off on the Corborca highway and traveled the rest of the way on a winding dirt road.  It was 4th of July weekend and the beginning of our life at the beach in Rocky Point. 

We bought our first beachfront home (lot $10,000, had a 1,200 sq. ft. home built for $12,000) with the money we got from selling our 1979 Corvette.  Celebrating holidays, birthdays and vacations on the beach, we enjoyed time telling ghost stories around bond fires, taking long leisure walks on our almost always private beach, watching the dolphins at play from our patio, playing games by the light of a propane tank with mantels attached and sharing it all with friends. At that time, we didn’t have a TV, no phones and lots of quality fun time with our children and later, grandchildren.

The view of Judy's and her family's hammock at her first home in 1979. 

In 1999, we bought our second beachfront home as our 25th wedding anniversary gift.  It’s funny how fate steps in.  We talked in the morning after a leisure walk on the beach and decided we really liked our “little” home by the sea and by mid afternoon we were buying a new 3,400 sq. ft. unfinished home “Casa de Sueños”, our “Home of Dreams.”

Instead of flying to Tahiti for our anniversary we were having margaritas with our new neighbors, Dave and Margie Poturalski, taking sunset photos and having a gourmet anniversary dinner at our favorite taco stand. 

Within a year, Grant decided he wanted to be in Rocky Point full time supervising the completion of our beautiful new home.  The first and most important item was a railing around our upstairs loft area for the safety of our youngest grandson, Dylan, who was 5- years-old.  Then came the fun additions, a 1930’s Wolf stove, a clawfoot tub, pool table and jukebox for the game room, fireplace in our master bedroom, tiled courtyard with built in BBQ, a fire pit and the list goes on.  Solar panels provided our power.  We turned our lights on (a big event) one evening and walked out to the water before turning around to see our home with real lights for the first time. 

Grant and Ivettes wedding at Mayan Palace: Judy's family, with her mom in the center, "as she was in our lives."

Our neighbor, Dave, was selling real estate “part time” from his patio.  It didn’t take much and he had Grant convinced this was the best of both worlds, a way to make an income and live in paradise by the beach.  It wasn’t long before our son, Grant, joined us in Rocky Point selling real estate with his Dad. 

After a few years of working for someone else we had a family meeting in 2004 with one of our other sons, Branden and sitting around our dining room table we formulated our plan to open our “Legacy.”  We all shared why we wanted to do it and from there we knew the “how” would come. 

A “hiccup” came when Branden found out he had to do another tour of duty in Iraq rather than finishing his military career the beginning of 2005. Grant and I decided we would “go for it” until Branden’s return.  We opened our Mexican Corporation Legacy Partners SA DE CV and our first office in February 2005. 

Yvette, Grant “Jr.’s” girlfriend, then fiancé and now wife joined us in the spring and one of our dreams came true when Grant and Yvette were married on the beach at Mayan Palace on March 3, 2007.  It was a Kodak event.  The best was yet to come.  We now have a beautiful 5-month-old grandson, Nathan Alexander, to love.  Nathan put his tiny feet on our white sand beach for the first time this year. 

Branden came home in March of 2006 bringing with him one of his dreams, a 1965 Chevy truck.  Once in Rocky Point Branden went to the University in Hermosillo for a Spanish emersion class.  Branden’s second dream was about to come true.  He met Reyna Molina, his future bride, the woman he’d been waiting for all his life.  On October 13, 2007, Branden and Reyna had a traditional Spanish wedding in the church Reyna’s parents were married in Matepa, Mexico. 

We found that whether you’re building a family “legacy,” vacation tradition, looking for an investment opportunity of a lifetime, securing a location for a second home, wanting to have a fun getaway weekend or a lazy day at the beach, you can have it all in Rocky Point. 

Here are a few more memories. I hope they paint a picture for you. 

How about kayaking with the dolphins?  It’s an unbelievable feeling of being one with nature in the beautiful Sea of Cortez.  Reading in bed with your grandson snuggled next to you, seeing the ocean just outside your window.  You wake up to the smell of fresh coffee and the very best breakfast burritos your son just made for you to enjoy on your oceanfront patio.  Playing darts, drinking cold beer with chips and salsa while the jukebox is playing and cheese crisps are sizzling on the grill is always a hit. 

Vince and Judy after cheese crisps in 2007.

Thanksgiving dinner with family and extended family seaside with everyone saying what they’re thankful for before you enjoy the traditional Thanksgiving feast, which includes two turkeys, homemade pies and all the trimmings, is a family tradition. Having your Mom, at the age of 83 drive to Rocky Point, from Mesa, Ariz., with her older sister and your 80-year-old Godmother to share a fun time at the beach defies the odds, and shows, most and truly, that Rocky Point is a timeless gift.

One of the best memories is building sand castles with the grandchildren and then sitting at water’s edge together seeing the look of total joy on their faces.  We can’t forget star-gazing. Always waiting for a shooting star to appear and making a wish. Those are some of the gifts from a lifetime at our Rocky Point beach home, gifts that have blessed our family and friends again and again.   

Grant Jr. and Branden: A fun weekend 22-years-ago.

Today is the next generation. Our grandchildren who are current college students bring their friends to share our home and beach. Our son Vince and his wife Cindi rent a condo at Bella Sirena for a month during the summer to share with their family and friends.  Our oldest son, Shawn, is a mountain-bike enthusiast and one of his goals is to ride from Sonoyta to Rocky Point.

While tradition marches on, choices and changes continue to be part of our Legacy as we make our footprints on the white sandy beaches in Rocky Point, our paradise by the sea.