BajaNomad

Lower California Guidebook

elizabeth - 8-14-2009 at 06:57 PM

A friend just gave me the Lower California Guidebook 4th edition, 1970. It is truly fascinating reading. It describes Loreto as having a population in 1960 of 1600 people; climate as warm in summer with an average temperature May-October of 86 degrees. Hotels are the Flying Sportsman Lodge and the guest house of Doña Blanca de Garayzar, across the street from the church.

Nopoló is described as the site of an occasionally occupied goat ranch!

I'm thinking that this is some kind of seriously great gift...any comments from others who know this book?

Paula - 8-14-2009 at 08:18 PM

Sounds like a VERY seriously great gift!!! Hope we get to look at it in October!

BajaGringo - 8-14-2009 at 08:30 PM

You can get them off eBay for a pittance - worth their weight in gold if you love Baja...

Elizabeth...

Pompano - 8-14-2009 at 08:44 PM

I have the same book and it is worth more than money to me...full of nostalgia and once-upon-a-time facts of Baja. Congratulations on a great gift.

I have one bookcase mostly devoted to things Baja. If the place was burning, this would be the treasure I would try to save first.

"A good book on your shelf is a friend that turns its back on you and remains a friend."
.


.
One of my upcoming winter projects will be to restore the binding on this old friend.
.

.

DENNIS - 8-14-2009 at 08:44 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by elizabeth
Hotels are the Flying Sportsman Lodge


I used to stay there. Great place....great bar.....great owners daughter....great memories.

David K - 8-15-2009 at 06:33 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by DENNIS
Quote:
Originally posted by elizabeth
Hotels are the Flying Sportsman Lodge


I used to stay there. Great place....great bar.....great owners daughter....great memories.


The cover of Ray Cannon's 'SEA OF CORTEZ' was taken at Ed Tabor's Flying Sportsman Lodge... I last stayed there in 1976.

Cortez-r.JPG - 38kB

David K - 8-15-2009 at 06:36 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by elizabeth
A friend just gave me the Lower California Guidebook 4th edition, 1970. It is truly fascinating reading. It describes Loreto as having a population in 1960 of 1600 people; climate as warm in summer with an average temperature May-October of 86 degrees. Hotels are the Flying Sportsman Lodge and the guest house of Doña Blanca de Garayzar, across the street from the church.

Nopoló is described as the site of an occasionally occupied goat ranch!

I'm thinking that this is some kind of seriously great gift...any comments from others who know this book?


1967 4th Edition (reprinted in 1970)

nomad 018.jpg - 48kB

David K - 8-15-2009 at 06:39 AM

Here is the First edition, 1956...

nomad 017.jpg - 49kB

Sample page

David K - 8-15-2009 at 06:48 AM



Map from the 4th edition...

elizabeth - 8-15-2009 at 07:09 AM

Having had a little more time to read, I'm even more enchanted with this book. Following is a quote from the Public Transportation section:

"South of Ensenada the Autobuses Amarillos and The Autobuses Verdes operate buses on alternate days as far as San Quintín, and the former sends one weekly on to El Rosario. From here to San Ignacio there is no public transportation, and even postal service is lacking. Travelers can, however, arrange to ride on private trucks, which make the run to Santa Rosalía in four or five days or to La Paz in six or seven. Passengers should carry bed rolls and canteens and be prepared to eat at ranches along the road. This is an uncomfortable way to travel, but a good way to get acquainted with the country."

If you can get one of these "for a pittance" on e-bay or one of the used book sources, I recommend it. (Thanks for the hint BajaGringo.) And yes, Paula it will be in Loreto when you arrive back! Dennis, part of the FSL became the site of the Villas de Loreto, and the remnants of the pier are still there. If you are talking about daughter Nancy, through a series of coincidences, I spent the better part of week diving off Loreto with her several years ago.

Neal Johns - 8-15-2009 at 12:09 PM

If you want any old, used, Baja book, here are two links:
http://www.addall.com/Used/
http://www.bookfinder.com/

On addall.com there are 148 copies of Gerhard and Gulick listed from $3 up.

bajalera - 8-25-2009 at 07:09 PM

We somehow have acquired four copies of Gerhard & Gulick--one a them a battered old book we never travel in Baja without.

David K - 8-26-2009 at 07:13 AM

Nearly all Baja guidebooks after 1974 cover only the paved and major graded roads on the peninsula.

Only the Lower California Guidebook and its revised for new roads and renamed 1975 & 1980 'Baja California Guidebook' co-authored by Walk Wheelock have most of the minor dirt roads included. Now 29 years old, a new 'complete' Baja California (off highway) guide would be great. Until then, trip reports from Nomads will remain the best source for travel info.

Walt Peterson's superb 'The Baja Adventure Book' is the only 'new' guide with several interesting side roads included. It is where I learned about Las Pintas and I have visited several times now... http://vivabaja.com/pintas

[Edited on 8-26-2009 by David K]

books.jpg - 45kB

wilderone - 8-26-2009 at 03:47 PM

Just bought the '67 edition on eBay for $8 total. Thanks!

MarkR. - 8-26-2009 at 04:32 PM

As David K refers to this book so often we had to get a copy. Just a few weeks ago I got a First edition, 1956, from a seller on Amazon, for $30. And it's in great condition. Even the fold-out map in the back is in perfect shape. It's been wonderful fun browsing through it but haven't had a chance to spend much time with it yet but I'm looking forward to it.

Looks like I may have a new hobby: collecting 1st edition Baja books

Details and facts (on El Marmol) from G & G

David K - 8-26-2009 at 05:01 PM

There were 4 editions as the Lower California Guidebook by Gerhard & Gulick:

*1: 1956
*2: 1958 (map and text additions/ revisions)
*3: 1962 (map and text additions/ revisions)
*in 1964: Reprinting of 3rd edition.
*4: 1967 (footnotes added to text of changes since 1962 edition)
*in 1970: Reprinting of 4th edition.

Closeups from my 1970 G & G (1962 text and map):



David K - 4-26-2018 at 09:46 AM

Gerhard and Gulick or Wheelock and Gulick remain premier travel guides, 40-60 years after they were published. The roads and towns have changed but the history and other details are solid info!

The Wheelock editions (1975 & 1980) include the paved Highway 1 and other changes over the 1967 edition (and 1970 reprint).