Welcome newbie first time poster!
JZ's response was his "typical my way or the hi way" bombast. There is no "wrong" way to do it. Also that map is too big and causing the thread to
go off the page. Idiot!
I think Palm Springs to Gonzaga is a little ambitious for a first time visitor. For all the know it all "been there done that could drive it in my
sleep" people remember how it was the first time before you knew the roads. You have to allow for a little more time for wrong turns, map checks,
etc. I would say a first night in San Felipe would be perfect. Notwithstanding the opinions of certain Baja snobs, San Felipe is a nice little town
and a good place to get acclimated to the local conditions, stock up on groceries, get a room, and have a nice start to your trip instead of driving
10 hours in a country you are not familiar with to get to a place that has one hotel, and an expensive one at that. Palm Springs to Ensenada via
Tecate would also be a nice start to the trip for the same reasons.
Similarly, people tend to down play the 23 miles of dirt road to get to Chapala. Its not a total piece of cake. Your suspension will get beat up and
you might have a few new squeaks and rattles afterwards, not an easy drive the first time you do it. After that it is easy. Come back the same way
you went south for that reason because you will know the roads then.
Some advise: Get a paper map that shows road mileages between towns and also street map of the city you will be crossing in. The AAA maps were
great, unfortunately no longer in print but you can pick up a more recent edition on eBay or Amazon for $10-20. Nat Geo also has a current map. Then
check your odometer to see if it is accurate. That should be enough to navigate the entire route or you can also get GPS maps. For peace of mind, get
good liability insurance on your vehicle. In Mexico if you are in an accident with no insurance you can be held until you pay for damages.
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