BOOK REVIEW: Mexico's Diamond in the Rough, c1959

Inside cover.

This was one of the books from Mike McMahan's library. Mike was the creator of the famous Baja Wall maps of the 60s to 90s. Mike also wrote an excellent book in 1973, 'There It Is: Baja!, which was republished 10 years later in softback with the title changes to 'Adventures in Baja'.

Mexico's Diamond in the Rough (Lower California Adventure) by O.W. Timberman c1959 was one of many adventure books written by those who traveled by automobile down Baja when a four-wheel drive was almost mandatory and the high adventure and sport fishing or hunting was just too great to not be excited over.

The pavement ended 70 some miles south of Ensenada and began again only 24 miles north of La Paz on their trip in the late 50s. La Paz to Cabo was all dirt roads (in 1966 on my first trip, it was paved only to 10 miles south of town and about 100 miles north).

The book is a well-written account of the couple's no-hurry travel down the peninsula with many interactions with locals at various villages and ranchos.

I will recount a few passages from the book that stood out about the road or places or people described in follow-up posts.

Baja Highway about 60 years ago...


Famous Beach Palms...

60 years later, they are still at the edge of the sea, and not in it!


[Edited on 4-28-2018 by David K]

Quote: Originally posted by David K

60 years later, they are still at the edge of the sea, and not in it!

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666

Quote: Originally posted by David K   60 years later, they are still at the edge of the sea, and not in it! Global sea level on avarage has risen 4+ inches in past 60 years. Some places have seen more or less sea level change. The scientists that study this use accurat guages (not inebriated observations of palm trees). Many parties have observed damage of infrastructure/property due to sea level rise. The link between greenhouse gas and global warming is real. You have to be a doofus to ignore the science, spend your energy monitoring palm trees and base your arguement on one palm tree you happen to be fond of.

Hey doofus MT retard tourist Make America decent again and Baja. Throw your ugly ass out you win Idiot of the year. Nobody wants to hear you retard. Thank you David for great write up Shame this loser from San Diego. Mt your lower then whale turn that is why global warming.

Quote: Originally posted by David K

Inside cover. This was one of the books from Mike McMahan's library. Mike was the creator of the famous Baja Wall maps of the 60s to 90s. Mike also wrote an excellent book in 1973, 'There It Is: Baja!, which was republished 10 years later in softback with the title changes to 'Adventures in Baja'. Mexico's Diamond in the Rough (Lower California Adventure) by O.W. Timberman c1959 was one of many adventure books written by those who traveled by automobile down Baja when a four-wheel drive was almost mandatory and the high adventure and sport fishing or hunting was just too great to not be excited over. The pavement ended 70 some miles south of Ensenada and began again only 24 miles north of La Paz on their trip in the late 50s. La Paz to Cabo was all dirt roads (in 1966 on my first trip, it was paved only to 10 miles south of town and about 100 miles north). The book is a well-written account of the couple's no-hurry travel down the peninsula with many interactions with locals at various villages and ranchos. I will recount a few passages from the book that stood out about the road or places or people described in follow-up posts. Baja Highway about 60 years ago... Famous Beach Palms... 60 years later, they are still at the edge of the sea, and not in it!

Thank you David great write up and pictures. Sorry that loser Mt from San Diego has to write his wroth less crap. That is his job Baja Blow Hard loser

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666

Global sea level on avarage has risen 4+ inches in past 60 years. Some places have seen more or less sea level change. The scientists that study this use accurat guages (not inebriated observations of palm trees). Many parties have observed damage of infrastructure/property due to sea level rise. The link between greenhouse gas and global warming is real. You have to be a doofus to ignore the science, spend your energy monitoring palm trees and base your arguement on one palm tree you happen to be fond of.

So David, your slipping, I'm surprised you don't have a picture of the same palms of recent vintage ?

You probably do, just haven't found them as of yet >

Oh and also, the OP was REALLY interesting, thanks !

[Edited on 4-14-2018 by Paco Facullo]

Quote: Originally posted by bajatrailrider

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666   Quote: Originally posted by David K   60 years later, they are still at the edge of the sea, and not in it! Global sea level on avarage has risen 4+ inches in past 60 years. Some places have seen more or less sea level change. The scientists that study this use accurat guages (not inebriated observations of palm trees). Many parties have observed damage of infrastructure/property due to sea level rise. The link between greenhouse gas and global warming is real. You have to be a doofus to ignore the science, spend your energy monitoring palm trees and base your arguement on one palm tree you happen to be fond of. Hey doofus MT retard tourist Make America decent again and Baja. Throw your ugly ass out you win Idiot of the year. Nobody wants to hear you retard. Thank you David for great write up Shame this loser from San Diego. Mt your lower then whale turn that is why global warming.

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666

Quote: Originally posted by bajatrailrider   Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666   Quote: Originally posted by David K   60 years later, they are still at the edge of the sea, and not in it! Global sea level on avarage has risen 4+ inches in past 60 years. Some places have seen more or less sea level change. The scientists that study this use accurat guages (not inebriated observations of palm trees). Many parties have observed damage of infrastructure/property due to sea level rise. The link between greenhouse gas and global warming is real. You have to be a doofus to ignore the science, spend your energy monitoring palm trees and base your arguement on one palm tree you happen to be fond of. Hey doofus MT retard tourist Make America decent again and Baja. Throw your ugly ass out you win Idiot of the year. Nobody wants to hear you retard. Thank you David for great write up Shame this loser from San Diego. Mt your lower then whale turn that is why global warming. Did you get kicked in the head? I’m struggling to figure out why your writing is so much gibberish. I see kernels of corn in your chit,... but the syntax appears to reflect mental defect or brain damage.

Poor nature N-zi troll loser Zip it every time David writes a good story. Your brainless rants your chit for brains. Besides a scared little rat didn't Moma feed you tonight. MAKE AMERICA DECENT THROW OUT STPIUD GOAT.

I was going to add some more quotes and observations from this 1950s Baja adventure story... but if there is no interest, I will move along to the next Baja project!

I wonder how many here remember the days of pavement ending before Colonet or if your first Baja road trip was after 1973?

It was a serious wild west adventure. You stopped at ranchos for meals, beer, gasoline south of El Rosario. The only villages north of San Ignacio (on the peninsular main road) were Punta Prieta and El Arco. There was a collection of ranch homes at Rosarito (Nuevo Rosarito today) but not much else.

You could drive about 100 miles a day if there were no problems! On our 1966 Jeep Wagoneer trip, the first night was San Quintin (by the old mill ruin), the next was at Agua Dulce.

The worst part of the entire drive came the third day south and was at Laguna Chapala where the silt beds engulfed our Wagoneer, north of the Grosso ranch. The dry lake bed just south was the best part, where for a couple of miles you could drive highway speeds and blow some of that dust off.

Just some great memories from when I was 8 1/2! I remember all the places because my dad gave me the job of navigator! I read from the Lower California Guidebook as we drove along to know which fork to take or what was the next point-of-interest!


What a nice cover photo

Mexico's Diamond in the Rough, 1959, page 39

Quick Quiz

Quote: Originally posted by bajatrailrider

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666   Quote: Originally posted by David K   60 years later, they are still at the edge of the sea, and not in it! Global sea level on avarage has risen 4+ inches in past 60 years. Some places have seen more or less sea level change. The scientists that study this use accurat guages (not inebriated observations of palm trees). Many parties have observed damage of infrastructure/property due to sea level rise. The link between greenhouse gas and global warming is real. You have to be a doofus to ignore the science, spend your energy monitoring palm trees and base your arguement on one palm tree you happen to be fond of. Hey doofus MT retard tourist Make America decent again and Baja. Throw your ugly ass out you win Idiot of the year. Nobody wants to hear you retard. Thank you David for great write up Shame this loser from San Diego. Mt your lower then whale turn that is why global warming.

How about back to the book? Page 40-41...

Not far beyond we came to a road junction and turned right for a side trip of about two miles to the ruins of the old adobe mission of San Fernando...

A pity it was to view the wanton destruction of these beautiful old missions, so much of it caused by humans in their lust for something for nothing. Baja California lacks the funds to protect these edifices. The ones built of rock are in a better state of preservation, but here again in some instances the foundations have felt the hand of the vandal...

In the close proximity to the mission were two ranch houses, many palms and excellent water. Everything was green in a land of drought--a desert oasis with friendly people, far from civilization. We camped here for the night under brilliant stars in a tropical setting.

Here is a map from three years after this book was published of the roads around San Fernando...

Page 42...

From Rancho San Augustín there was a choice of roads.On previous trips we had taken the short-cut by-passing the village of El Mármol (Spanish for marble). It was eight miles farther this way, but we had never been there, so decided to go this trip. Marble is not quarried here, onyx is, which is more valuable, and El Mármol has been referred to as the onyx center of the world.

From another book, how El Mármol appeared in the 1950s:




The world's only schoolhouse made of onyx!

In 2011:

Page 48-49

Stops were made at Rancho Santa Inés and Rancho Jaraguay where the same friendliness prevailed. At one ranch we were asked for matches, and at another for some sugar, which we gladly gave. Payment was offered in both cases, which we refused. Running out of staple supplies on Baja California is a catastrophe, and we are always ready to divide or share what we have.

After another steep climb we came into an extensive valley in which lay Laguna Seca Chapala, a broad dry lake that we were to cross, and the only place since leaving the improved roads where we could attain a speed over fifty miles per hour. The lake itself was a dry, hard, smooth stretch without a ripple or bump. It was an exhilarating ride after being held down to twenty miles per hour and less; but the catch was that the distance across was only three and a half miles and the ride ended almost as quickly as it had begun.

Approaching the lake from the north the road entered deep, flour-fine dust, and as a result many roads had branched off. As soon as one became bad, each car or truck had circled farther out trying to find a smoother roadbed.As many as forty to sixty roads were spread across the next two miles, crossing and recrossing each other, and finally all of them merging at the same point at the ranch of Arturo Grosso, situated on the edge of Laguna Seca Chapala. Whichever road you might have chosen to cross the deep dust, you will invariably wish you had chosen one of the others.

Arturo Grosso, brother to Señora Espinoza of El Rosario, welcomed us...



The area of the Main Road traveled (Santa Ines to Chapala):





The Chapala Valley Dust. Photo was taken in July 1973 on the detour road along the closed/new highway route. I stood up on the elevated new roadbed to get this photo of my dad driving his station wagon through the dust (silt). We had quite the memory of this dust from our 1966 trip.

Absolutely! ANd answer my quiz question too

Quote: Originally posted by David K

Shall I continue with this review of driving down the peninsula when it was mostly an unpaved, ungraded road to Cabo?

No one wants to reach for an answer?
Or doesn't anyone know....

Quote: Originally posted by TMW

The motorhome is at Three Sisters south of Puertecitos.

The map inside the book's cover shows the roads they traveled.
It doesn't say in the book, but if I were to make a guess, the older road to La Purísima would be it. The Auto Club posted a photo of a road that looked similar to the photo with the 'motorhome' on it. Let me see if I can find it!

FOUND IT!



[Edited on 4-30-2018 by David K]

Page 52

Far easier to scan and crop than to type!

Here is the region discussed, as it was around the book's printing:

1958 Shell Baja Map, showing Las Flores:


San Francisquito is next to Las Arrastras... and the 1956 road blazed north to Gonzaga Bay and San Felipe's sulfur mine by Arturo Grosso is not yet shown

More at Las Flores from a 1951 book (The Curse of the Cow):



Las Flores jail in 2017:


The Las Flores Railroad engine moved to town plaza in Bahía de los Angeles:

Pretty close actually...

Quote: Originally posted by David K

Quote: Originally posted by TMW   The motorhome is at Three Sisters south of Puertecitos. The map inside the book's cover shows the roads they traveled. It doesn't say in the book, but if I were to make a guess, the older road to La Purísima would be it. The Auto Club posted a photo of a road that looked similar to the photo with the 'motorhome' on it. Let me see if I can find it! FOUND IT! [Edited on 4-30-2018 by David K]

Before it was moved to town, this is how the Las Flores train engine sat, by the jail in Las Flores. I first visited it there in 1976. This photo is from a 1963 book, Cruising the Sea of Cortez by Spencer Murray.

Love that old jail

Las Flores jail in 2017:



When things get too boring in LABay we drive out there, sit in the shade and have a few cool ones.
Great place to sit in peace (or rest in peace in the nearby graves of the early settlers)

Continuing the journey...

Continuing the journey...

Rancho Rosarito is today's Nuevo Rosarito. Also see Rancho Mesquital, El Arco, Rancho Tablón (today is east of the city of El Vizcaíno), ranches and villages on the original 'Highway 1'... as seen on this 1958 Shell Oil Map of Baja:

The next couple of pages really paint a great picture of what it was like to drive to San Ignacio from the north in the 1950s and 1960s: