BajaNomad

Memories of the 80s

Baja Oldie - 6-24-2018 at 10:07 AM

I did this same theme with the 60s and 70s last April and nomads had fun with it. Let's have some more fun....

In 25 words or less-- what is your favorite Baja memory from the 1980s?

Mine-- Semana Santa Mulege about 1984 when the entire town ran out of coffee-- all the stores and restaurants-- good old Baja! Desperation for some folks....

chippy - 6-24-2018 at 10:23 AM

Cabo still had dirt streets and you could camp on any beach. Todos Santos hadn´t been discovered. Off the charts dorado fishing Pt. Chivato.

SFandH - 6-24-2018 at 10:38 AM

First drive from San Diego to Cabo was in '86.

The marina at Cabo had a sand beach with pangas pulled up on it where Plaza las Glorias (or whatever) is now. The only gringos in Todos were a handful of broke surfers, like me. San Pedrito was totally cool. Nothing at Cerritos except the beach, waves, and a large ramada on the point where locals enjoyed the beach.

Thankfully Mulege / Bahia Concepcion, where I spend the winters now, hasn't changed much..........yet. As soon as electricity is strung through, watch out.

[Edited on 6-24-2018 by SFandH]

BajaMama - 6-24-2018 at 11:06 AM

Conception of my daughter in Rosarito Beach, little rental houses just to the north, September 1989.

TMW - 6-24-2018 at 11:23 AM

The 80s were packed with memories in Baja for me.

First time scuba diving in Baja.
First time racing off road on a motorcycle, Baja 1000.
First time traveling into Baja Sur while pre-running.
My wife and I spent Christmas in La Paz in 1989 and had a great time.

David K - 6-24-2018 at 11:23 AM

Lot's of trips... all in 4WD Subarus (1977, 1980, 1987 models):
Shell Island many times, Laguna Manuela surf fishing, Baja races to watch, my first honeymoon (1985: to Cabo and back, mostly camping), oh, down to Gonzaga before the graded road was finished, Parral and Matomí canyons... that's what comes to mind.


Sandspit by Alfonsina's from the trail up the side of the island. There's my Subaru on the beach.

AKgringo - 6-24-2018 at 11:43 AM

Late February 1986, the peso was crashing! It was 160 to the dollar when we crossed south, 350 or so wen we returned north in May.

When going to the Bank to exchange greenbacks for pesos, I was met with people bidding for my dollars, with way better exchange rates than the bank. Prices were not rising at anywhere near the rate of inflation, so Mexico was on sale.

I could not have stayed home for the amount of money that vacation cost!

JZ - 6-24-2018 at 01:34 PM

About 81 or so at age 10 we drove across country from Ohio to LA in my dad's Cadillac over about 6 weeks. My sister lived in Long Beach.

One weekend we drove down to TJ and then a bit South of there, around Rosarito I would guess. Have a pic of my dad dancing at a cantina.

Remember walking around TJ. There was an intersection were you crossed 6 ways at once, including diagonal.

Didn't make it back to Baja until the mid-90's. Over the past 5-6 years have dragged my two boys over almost all the major dirt roads and down the coast on a boat.

chippy - 6-24-2018 at 02:03 PM

Quote: Originally posted by JZ  
About 81 or so at age 10 we drove across country from Ohio to LA in my dad's Cadillac over about 6 weeks. My sister lived in Long Beach.

One weekend we drove down to TJ and then a bit South of there, around Rosarito I would guess. Have a pic of my dad dancing at a cantina.

Remember walking around TJ. There was an intersection were you crossed 6 ways at once, including diagonal.

Didn't make it back to Baja until the mid-90's. Over the past 5-6 years have dragged my two boys over almost all the major dirt roads and down the coast on a boat.




OHIO:o Thanks JZ this explains alot:light:.

All it takes me is one word

Howard - 6-24-2018 at 03:25 PM

Adelitas :biggrin:

willardguy - 6-24-2018 at 03:47 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Howard  
Adelitas :biggrin:


little angel's :yes:

sancho - 6-24-2018 at 04:10 PM

First trip, '82 ish, bus TJ/LaPaz, $12. Ferry from the Cape to
Vallarta, $6. Case beer $3. Camping Muertos Bay

In 1984 We Drove from Orange County

GypsyJan - 6-24-2018 at 04:40 PM

South to Tijuana, stopping at Piret's in Encinitas to stock up on cheese, bread and charcuterie (and wine). We turned left and headed for Mexicali, passing by Laguna Hansen. After a night exploring Mexicali, we drove north, lunch at the Salton Sea, heading for Edwards Air Force base to take a look at the droop-nose private planes that a guy whose name I can't remember now was developing.

Quick stop to visit the Borax mines area (twenty-mule team) and then back to work the next morning.

My company car was encrusted in Baja mud and my boss was notified by a snitch about it and he reamed me out. I promised (had already planned) to get it washed right away.

All in all, it was a wonderful time, worth the scolding.

azucena - 6-24-2018 at 05:44 PM

Que rica las ochentas!!

I thought I might be pregnant, was camped at Cocos on the Bay of Conception, and had little spanish then. The guy in the pharmacy and I had a grand time trying to figure out I was looking for a pregnancy test!

Scouting every store in Mulege for butter and spinach. ( Pregnancy cravings) Found butter for muchos pesos, no spinach. BUT Ice Cream at Blancas, and awesome fish and shrimp tacos in the plaza.

The trip from San Javier to La Purisima on the back road all the way to La Poza Grande. No beer in La Poza until some kind soul directed us to some guys house who sold beer off of his porch: warm.

Miles of beaches with no one on them, sea shells in millions of colors.

Wondering if there would be gas in Jesus Maria, AND El Rosario!

The wonderful people who would stop to help, no worries about banditos or drugs, Mexicanos and gringos alike. Camping off some side road for the night, no worries, you were safe.

The sense of freedom like you were flying down wild dirt roads just for the adventure.

No doubt: fish for dinner every night

Telephone booths inside little kiosks to make scratchy calls to the US.
Casas de cambios

Teaching my kids with schoolwork from the US, and trips to dig for clams, seeing amazing petroglyphs, and writing reports, keeping a journal, their teachers were very impressed with their work.

No one hardly in Cabo Pulmo or Los Frailles

I could go on.. But for those of us that made the trip in those days saw a different Baja. And for that , I am eternally grateful.





DanO - 6-24-2018 at 06:09 PM

1986, hanging out at La Fonda with Brad, before things turned bad for him. A wild man, but a gentle soul hidden within. DEP.

Dmytri's Son Pased Away?

GypsyJan - 6-24-2018 at 07:59 PM

I am so sorry for that. He was in and out of rehab so many times and last I heard he was cleaned up and managing La Fonda.

What a sad loss of a gentle, sweet soul.

DanO - 6-24-2018 at 10:02 PM

Willardguy posted last year that Brad had died in jail a few years ago. If it's not true I'd be glad, but I haven't seen him at La Fonda for a long time. Joe and his wife are back managing the place.

geronimo21 - 6-25-2018 at 12:09 AM

Must have been around 1986...three high school buddies and me borrowed my uncle's old Toyota pickup with a cabover camper. Just a beater....

Vague memories of Rosarito and skyrockets the size of mini dynamite sticks...Camped at San Miguel and, when we ran out of firewood, got the stupid idea to break up a wooden ladder that was leaning against the restroom building.

As we were carrying the broken up ladder back to the beach campfire, we see a flashlight coming up behind us. Two guys approach with bandanas over their faces. One guy whips out his wallet, flips it open to show some kind of badge and say, "Es federale."

The rest of the story is interesting, but I've already gone over my 25 word allotment. Lo siento.

Time for some more Baja memories.

[Edited on 6-25-2018 by geronimo21]

Mexitron - 6-25-2018 at 05:24 AM

Quote: Originally posted by AKgringo  
Late February 1986, the peso was crashing! It was 160 to the dollar when we crossed south, 350 or so wen we returned north in May.

When going to the Bank to exchange greenbacks for pesos, I was met with people bidding for my dollars, with way better exchange rates than the bank. Prices were not rising at anywhere near the rate of inflation, so Mexico was on sale.

I could not have stayed home for the amount of money that vacation cost!


My cousin and I had a 5 day Baja trip around that time driving as far as Guerrero Negro. Gas was 25 cents a gallon, beer was $2.50 a case. Whole trip cost us $60 and most of that was beer, lol.

pappy - 6-25-2018 at 06:50 AM

Many great times in Baja during 80’s but I reckon the best of all was trips to east cape during that time...

pappy - 6-25-2018 at 06:53 AM

Many great times in Baja during 80’s but I reckon the best of all was trips to east cape during that time...

Baja Oldie - 6-25-2018 at 08:42 AM

Feb 14 1987 the "Gran Inauguracion" of the Cabo San Lucas bullring.