Question: What has 26 legs, bad hair and floats?

Answer: Thirteen women in kayaks for four days on the Sea of Cortez.

This describes a ladies-only adventure taken in October 2007 in the seaside city Loreto, on the east coast of Baja California. The girlfriend getaway was the brainchild of Gail Wham, sister of Encinitas resident Judy Broyles, who decided it was time to leave the daily grind behind and experience a new life challenge.

“Gail was looking for something new and adventurous to put together for new friends and former traveling companions,” Broyles explained. “Then she spotted an advertisement in her local newspaper (in Spokane) for kayaking trips through Sea Kayak Adventures and it sounded like fun.”

The next step, about six months before the trip, was to e-mail 30 friends and family members. Wham’s message said “first come, first served” and included a link to Sea Kayak Adventures.

It didn’t take long for 13 women to respond and commit. The final tally included Broyles and her daughter, Katie; Wham; a sister-in-law; a stepdaughter; a daughter-in-law and mother; and six retired school teachers. Hometowns of the women included Encinitas, Seattle, Spokane and Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, and ages ranged from 22 to 74.

Broyles liked the idea of bringing family and friends together, “particularly for my daughter and me,” she said. “I think others felt the same.”

The women assembled in Los Angeles, then flew to Loreto.

“After one night in a luxury hotel in Loreto, we were off to kayaking and tent camping for four days,” Broyles said. “Although some of us had never met, it didn’t take long to form a sisterhood bond. We set up tents, took down tents, slept in close proximity and didn’t shower for days.”

Three male guides who piloted the boat and cooked the meals led the group.

“Each night we were at a different place. We set up tents ourselves — no help from the men,” Broyles said. “We were a very gregarious group of women and we encouraged the men to enjoy the trip with us because we engaged them in our activities.”

The days were filled with kayak lessons and races, snorkeling, communal meals, gab sessions and story sharing.

“One of my most memorable experiences from this trip was the camaraderie of the group,” Broyles said.

On the last day of camping, the women decided to create a souvenir — a bad-hair group photo.

“After four days of camping and no showers, we would not win a beauty contest,” Broyles said. “When we were laughing about how bad we looked, it just seemed logical to do a bad-hair photo. At the end, it brought us together as a family.”

The women ended their kayak adventure with another stay in the same luxury hotel.

“It was a welcome conclusion to our adventure,” Broyles said. “And we’d all do the trip again — after a reasonable recovery period.”

Broyles said the group learned a few travel lessons.

First lesson: Travel light. “Most of us didn’t check baggage,” she said. “A duffle bag and backpack worked well for our two carry-ons.”

Second lesson: Take pesos. “We were advised that most places took credit cards, but didn’t find that to be the case. We had challenges finding places that would convert dollars to pesos.”

Third lesson: Try something new and mix it up.

“It is absolutely fun experiencing new adventures, particularly with new friends,” Broyles said. “The age range gave all of us an appreciation of differences, yet we all shared a similar outlook — that we love life’s challenges and joys.”  

Want to plan a girlfriend getaway but need a little help or inspiration? Check out one of the several National Geographic books written by travel expert Marybeth Bond, the adventure editor at travelgirl magazine (www.travelgirlinc.com).

Her latest is “Best Girlfriends Getaways Worldwide” ($15.95).

Other titles by Bond: “50 Best Girlfriends Getaways in North America;” “A Woman’s World; True Life Stories of World Travel” and “Gutsy Women: More Travel Tips and Wisdom for the Road.”