BajaNomad - The Baja Book Authors who inspired you to travel south.

The Baja Book Authors who inspired you to travel south.

David K - 6-29-2018 at 03:33 PM

Now that the Internet with Baja Nomad and other sites has pretty much replaced the bookstore or library as a source for Baja travel information or adventure stories, perhaps it is a time to remember those explorers, travelers, and authors if you are at an age where it was books and paper maps that gave you a clue as to what great adventures could be found just south of our border.

I am going to list several authors and some of what they did. These are not all of them as almost every Baja trip in the old days was worthy of a book.

On edit, I see it will only take one vote, so if you can pick the most inspirational author.

Vote for the one you got information or inspiration from.

[Edited on 6-29-2018 by David K]

David K - 6-29-2018 at 03:40 PM

Okay, so there is no option to vote for more than one. Please be welcome to post here your favorite books that made you want to go south: :light:

Some of the books listed above:

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The Auto Club of Southern California (AAA) guides from the last one (2004) and back in time... not all, but a few!

[Edited on 6-30-2018 by David K]

BajaTed - 6-29-2018 at 03:58 PM

The Desert Magazine series is a gem, Still go back to the archives for perspective adjustment when I'm feeling wimpy

mtgoat666 - 6-29-2018 at 03:58 PM

No baja-specific book. But for travel inspiration i suppose early road trip inspiration from on the road, electric koolaid acid test, and fear and loathing in las vegas :biggrin:

mtgoat666 - 6-29-2018 at 04:07 PM

Jerry schaad’s map of SPM and Robinson’s book turned me on to SPM.
Back in the 80s there were some surfer guide books that turned me on to a few coastal areas. Dont think the books had names i can remember, were more like stapled xerox prints sold in surf shops. They still sell those guides to secret spots?

TMW - 6-29-2018 at 04:08 PM

No author inspired me to go south. My brother asked me to go with him to fish, dive, drink beer, camp and later motorcycles. I probably went to Baja for a couple of years before I bought a book. My first books were the large ring bound almanac, Bikers Guide to Baja by Joe Parkhurst and Adventure to Lands End by Paul Fischer.

JZ - 6-29-2018 at 04:15 PM

Was a big boater and mostly hit up all the islands off of LA. Then started doing trips from San Diego to Ensenada.

Discovered a cruising website for the Sea of Cortez. It had a map of all the main towns and anchorages. It linked to pages for each town. That site really opened my eyes to Baja.

First Baja books I ever bought were Gerry Cunningham's 3 Sea of Cortez guide books. Read and out lined them all. Plotted the GPS using it.

After reading up the first big Baja trip we tried to go from San Felipe to San Carlos. Made it to Santa Rosalia before the weather told us there was no way in hell we were going to make it across to the mainland with the wind blowing hard from the North.

Checked years ago and that site was taken down. Super bummed.

[Edited on 6-29-2018 by JZ]

rts551 - 6-29-2018 at 04:16 PM

Not too many books in the 50's . but as they became available we did use the AAA maps and trip guides. And my father before that, and his father before that. Didn't need books...it was family history.

[Edited on 6-29-2018 by rts551]

David K - 6-29-2018 at 04:17 PM

Quote: Originally posted by BajaTed

The Desert Magazine series is a gem, Still go back to the archives for perspective adjustment when I'm feeling wimpy

Indeed they were and still are.
Have you seen the directory of all the Desert Magazine Baja articles here on Nomad... with links to the online magazines from 1937 to 1993?
Here: http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=73137

JZ - 6-29-2018 at 04:22 PM

DK, that list is chit w/o Cunningham's books. They are much better than most of those.

[Edited on 6-29-2018 by JZ]

More book covers from the list above...

David K - 6-29-2018 at 04:43 PM

Greg is a Baja Nomad:

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La Siesta Press books:

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David K - 6-29-2018 at 04:51 PM

Quote: Originally posted by TMW

No author inspired me to go south. My brother asked me to go with him to fish, dive, drink beer, camp and later motorcycles. I probably went to Baja for a couple of years before I bought a book. My first books were the large ring bound almanac, Bikers Guide to Baja by Joe Parkhurst and Adventure to Lands End by Paul Fischer.

David K - 6-29-2018 at 05:00 PM

Quote: Originally posted by JZ

DK, that list is chit w/o Cunningham's books. They are much better than most of those.

[Edited on 6-29-2018 by JZ]

Perhaps because I am not a boat owner, my collection of boating Baja books is not complete. Thanks for sharing the book that inspired you to go to Baja.

Here are a few other boating in Baja books, I can show:

David K - 6-29-2018 at 05:03 PM

Quote: Originally posted by rts551

Not too many books in the 50's . but as they became available we did use the AAA maps and trip guides. And my father before that, and his father before that. Didn't need books...it was family history.

[Edited on 6-29-2018 by rts551]

This one from 1953 was pretty inspirational for many, and Mike McMahan was one of the guys in the story. The video made by them has been linked here a few times, too.

[Edited on 6-30-2018 by David K]

David K - 6-29-2018 at 05:08 PM

From 1977, this was a great book, by Jim Hunter with detailed road logs to several locations on the peninsula, including Mission Santa María and The Seven Sisters Coast

fishbuck - 6-29-2018 at 05:39 PM

The Sea of Cortez.
It belongs to my ex-wife. It was her fathers. He had passed but I found it on her bookself at the family home in Tustin.
Her dad was an old time baja lover.
Changed my life.

fishbuck - 6-29-2018 at 05:45 PM

"God and Mr.Gomez" by Jack Smith really fired up my imagination.

DanO - 6-29-2018 at 05:46 PM

I'm sure God and Mr. Gomez by Jack Smith inspired more than a few folks.

MMc - 6-29-2018 at 06:09 PM

My first trip was when I was 4 couldn't read at the time. Going south was just part of what we did. I have a large collection of books now. You missed The Baja Feeling by Ben Hunter. It had quite the following in it's day.

Paco Facullo - 6-29-2018 at 06:19 PM

Not mainly about Baja but the author Bill ( Guillermo ) Sorenson ends up in San Jose Del Cabo fishing the Gordo banks.

The book is " Siempre Manana " ( 75 years of fishing fun )....

It's his autobiography of growing up near Log Beach and a lifetime of fishing up and down the west coast...

I highly recommend it , A GREAT read !!

BajaNomad - 6-29-2018 at 06:33 PM

While the books of Tom Miller, Graham Mackintosh, John Steinbeck, Jack Williams, Harry Crosby, Walt Peterson and Marvin Patchen inspired Baja destinations to explore, no book got more use from me on my trips than the Baja Handbook by Joe Cummings (Moon Publishing, now Avalon).

baja-handbook-cummings-1992-6455-r2.jpg - 131kB

David K - 6-29-2018 at 07:15 PM

Quote: Originally posted by fishbuck

"God and Mr.Gomez" by Jack Smith really fired up my imagination.

Quote: Originally posted by DanO

I'm sure God and Mr. Gomez by Jack Smith inspired more than a few folks.

There are so many good books on Baja! I am glad this has created some input!

David K - 6-29-2018 at 07:20 PM

Quote: Originally posted by MMc

My first trip was when I was 4 couldn't read at the time. Going south was just part of what we did. I have a large collection of books now. You missed The Baja Feeling by Ben Hunter. It had quite the following in it's day.

Thank you!
I have it, one of the books published by Tom and Shirley Miller... I loved it!
I knew I would miss some favorites and am glad it has inspired Nomads to post theirs! I remember Ben Hunter on TV in Southern California playing movies and talking about them, much live Turner Classic Movie channel does now. Ben was on L.A. Channel 5, I think (or maybe 9 or 13)?

chumlee57 - 6-29-2018 at 08:22 PM

"The Baja Catch " got me going in the mid 80's. I always enjoyed reading Fred Hocter in WON as well, his Baja Ha Ha was entertaining, good post, I will read few of these. I just finished ' Journey of the Flame ' and have also read a few not so well known as listed above, all good and entertaining stuff, I've pasted around "King of the Moon" by Gene Kira, always got good reviews

KurtG - 6-29-2018 at 08:42 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Paco Facullo

Not mainly about Baja but the author Bill ( Guillermo ) Sorenson ends up in San Jose Del Cabo fishing the Gordo banks.

The book is " Siempre Manana " ( 75 years of fishing fun )....

It's his autobiography of growing up near Log Beach and a lifetime of fishing up and down the west coast...

I highly recommend it , A GREAT read !!

I met Bill in '96 in San Jose Del Cabo. He had a few of his books to sell and we chatted for a couple of hours. An interesting man who led an interesting life. A good read if you can find the book. I just re-read my copy a couple of months ago.

Fred Hoctor "BajaHaHa"

GypsyJan - 6-29-2018 at 10:28 PM

http://www.mexfish.com/enad/enad/af010908/af010908.htm

And, DavidK, you neglected to give equal credit to Ed Ricketts on the author credits "Journey to the Sea of Cortez"

[Edited on 6-30-2018 by GypsyJan]

David K - 6-29-2018 at 10:39 PM

I didn't mention Journey to the Sea of Cortez, but thanks for doing that.

The Log from the Sea of Cortez does not shaw Ricketts as a co-author, but he is mentioned in the book.

I never implied the books I listed were the only ones, and I welcome Nomads to give the name of the books that inspired them. If I have them in my library, I will show the cover.

Keep naming your favorite Baja inspiration or adventure books!

Fred Hoctor's book (Paulina knew him well):

David K - 6-30-2018 at 07:39 AM

Quote: Originally posted by KurtG

Quote: Originally posted by Paco Facullo

Thank you both for mentioning this little paperback. With some searching, I found I had a copy somewhat hidden by my much larger books on sailing Baja's waters. I have a copy autographed to Ginger Potter (Mike McMahan's daughter and Baja Book IV author) in 1994. It is interesting that Bill Sorenson put his address, phone number, and social security number in the book. No fear of identity theft in the 90s!

[Edited on 6-30-2018 by David K]

David K - 6-30-2018 at 07:55 AM

Quote: Originally posted by BajaNomad

While the books of Tom Miller, Graham Mackintosh, John Steinbeck, Jack Williams, Harry Crosby, Walt Peterson and Marvin Patchen inspired Baja destinations to explore, no book got more use from me on my trips than the Baja Handbook by Joe Cummings (Moon Publishing, now Avalon).

A very detailed guidebook, yes. I have the 5th edition (2003) by Joe Cummings, a 2009 Moon Spotlight guide to Ensenada and Northern Baja, and the 10th (2017) edition by Jennifer Kramer (Discover Baja Travel Club):

Paco Facullo - 6-30-2018 at 07:55 AM

If any Nomad here wants to read "Siempre Manana" and don't want to buy a $30 copy on Amazon , I have a copy and will send it to you with your promise to send it back in a timely manner as it's my last copy.

It really is a GOOD book especially if you are into fishing and have fished the west coast including Baja.

A Baja legend... Jimmy Smith

David K - 6-30-2018 at 08:04 AM

Don Jimmy had quite an adventurous life. Migrating to San Ignacio in the 1960s when it was 400 miles from a paved road, climbing to the top of the mesa above town to meet the Erle Stanley Gardner expedition camped at the airstrip, so disgusted by Choral Pepper that she named him the 'Grinning Gargoyle', he couldn't help but to adopt the handle and write a book, in 2001!

New inspirational book from a cancer survivor, in 2017

David K - 6-30-2018 at 08:46 AM

I have reviewed this book when I got my copy... The author is on Facebook posting photos and videos of her struggle riding and walking El Camino Real through Baja and it is inspiring new people to take on the challenges of life and some will discover Baja through Edie's writings.

Here is the book's Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/TheMissionWalker/

TMW - 6-30-2018 at 12:43 PM

Quote: Originally posted by rts551

Yes, the AAA Baja map and guide book was the first thing I ever got for going to Baja. I still have all my AAA maps from all the years. I would write the KM numbers for locations and turn-offs etc. I'd plot race courses on them to give me a better ideal of where I was at when going and coming. I didn't want to get lost but somehow I did all the time, the fun part was getting un-lost.

sancho - 6-30-2018 at 12:57 PM

'People's Guide to Mex', AAA '83 guidebook, Kira, Miller.
Impressive collection DK, I doubt if there is a better one

David K - 6-30-2018 at 01:33 PM

Quote: Originally posted by sancho

'People's Guide to Mex', AAA '83 guidebook, Kira, Miller.
Impressive collection DK, I doubt if there is a better one

I think Neal Johns has me beat and Rockman (Norm Christie) has the biggest BAJA book and magazine collection.

David K - 6-30-2018 at 01:58 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Paco Facullo

If any Nomad here wants to read "Siempre Manana" and don't want to buy a $30 copy on Amazon , I have a copy and will send it to you with your promise to send it back in a timely manner as it's my last copy.

It really is a GOOD book especially if you are into fishing and have fished the west coast including Baja.

Very super-Nomadic of you!

rancho guillermo - 7-3-2018 at 09:37 AM

like many have said here..we were going to Baja before we knew about the books..but I love the books...
Have a great 4th everyone..

baja books 003.JPG - 212kB

David K - 7-3-2018 at 11:14 AM

Nice photo of your books!
I don't have Lou Federico's book and the one on the left of the AAA guide, Riverman something? What is that?
What is the sideways book on the other side of the AAA guide, between the sofa cushions? Is it an Erle Stanley Gardner book?
Thank you for sharing!

David K - 7-5-2018 at 11:10 AM

So far, counting the votes (have you voted yet?)...

1) Gener Kira with 6 votes.
2) Erle Stanley Gardner with 3 votes.
3) Tom Miller, Walt Peterson, and the AAA guide's Dave Brackney are tied with 2 votes each.

rancho guillermo - 7-6-2018 at 07:14 AM

Good eyes David K. The "Riverman, Desertman" book should not be in there..it is about the history of Blythe, CA. My bad..

The Green book is "Hovering over Baja" Erle Stanley Gardner..signed copy..
By the way David...Post # 100 for me....I am coming for you.

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David K - 7-6-2018 at 07:22 AM

LOL Welcome to the "Over-100" club!

Cool to have a signed copy from who many consider the greatest mystery author in the world! You can still watch Perry Mason on some TV channels!

Desert Riverman is a book with Baja in it... I wonder if it is the same as your Riverman Desertman?

https://www.fretwater.com/Fretwater_Press/Desert_Riverman.ht...

rancho guillermo - 7-6-2018 at 07:45 AM

Thanks David..now you are going to make me go read the Book again..if Baja is in that book, it stays in the mix..

Take care.

David K - 7-6-2018 at 08:06 AM

Well, the titles are not the same, but close. I cannot make out the print on the photo of your books. Desert Riverman (by Robert S. Wood) is about Murl Emery who was a pioneer of business along the Colorado River (mining bat guano, running a ferry, and operating a tour business). Erle Stanley Gardner had Emery along on his early Baja expeditions, primarily mentioned in Gardner's 1960 'Hunting the Desert Whale'.

In Desert Riverman, Emery talks about discovering one of Baja's lost missions, Dolores del Norte, while on the Gardner helicopter expedition to San Francisco de la Sierra. Choral Pepper was on the same trip and it was she who asked the villagers about the old stone walls up there... and they replied "Dolores".

[While the locals in the 1960s may have believed those walls were from the mission of Dolores del Norte, that was just a myth or error innocently handed down the generations of Arce's and Villavicencio's. Dolores del Norte was a proposed mission name for a future mission north of San Ignacio shown on letters and maps (1745-1757). When funding for the mission was obtained, the name was changed to Santa Gertrudis, to honor the wife of the benefactor. San Francisco was indeed a mission farm/ranch, attached to San Ignacio, but never a mission itself. It has insufficient water sources for agriculture, for one thing... but is located only a couple miles off one of the Camino Real routes north. San Pablo, an adobe visita church ruin in the canyon below San Francisco has also been called 'Dolores del Norte' by mission authors and INAH, in error.]

David K - 7-7-2018 at 08:27 AM

Keep voting Nomads who haven't!

I will add photos of more books if I have them here.

vacaenbaja - 7-13-2018 at 03:07 PM

While in elementary school in the early sixties our teacher would read us books like "The Island of the Blue Dolphins". One book that she read us, which author or name I cannot remember for the life of me had to do I believe with Baja. It was about a little boy who was walking up the Baja coast by himself living off the land. It mentioned various estuaries and lagoons where he would get clams and fish. I think that he was trying to make it up north to some relative. I also think that some years later someone made it into a television movie of some sort. Sound familiar to anyone?

David K - 7-13-2018 at 04:36 PM

You got me thinking hard! I also had a teacher in the 60s that read The Island of the Blue Dolphins but I can't recall (not yet anyway) the other story... and I think I would if I had heard it?

I went to 3rd-5th grade at Rancho Santa Fe Elementary and there was a lot of local history told of the mission period and the California ranch period. Rancho Santa Fe was the Spanish turned Mexican 'Rancho San Dieguito' owned by a soldier who accompanied Father Serra and was at the presidio of San Diego, Juan Osuna.

The land was eventually used by the Santa Fe Railroad to grow eucalyptus trees for railroad ties. A dam (Lake Hodges) and aqueduct were built for tree irrigation. They grew fast but the wood was not able to support train tracks or spikes. The project was not a total failure when Col. Ed Fletcher came in with a plan to create a community of upscale homes among the forest of Australian trees. The ranch was renamed after the railroad company.

Anyway... let's keep thinking of the story of the boy walking along the coast of Baja... It hasn't 'Graham', was it???

bajaguy - 7-13-2018 at 04:58 PM

One book to add to the list..."With Steinbeck in the Sea of Cortez: A Memoir of the Steinbeck/Ricketts Expedition", by Sparky Enea, a crew member on the Western Flyer. Some great personal observations and stories from the adventure

David K - 7-14-2018 at 08:07 AM

Thanks bajaguy... I only have the one Steinback book, shown in the photos above (The Log from The Sea of Cortez), otherwise, I could show the book you mention.

Nomads: Continue voting in the poll: What Baja book author has inspired you to travel (more) in Baja?

[Edited on 7-14-2018 by David K]

wilderone - 7-14-2018 at 08:34 AM

Coming Home from Devil Mountain describes some of the canyons, pools approaching Picacho del Diablo from the San Felipe side. A tale of survival and rescue – Bud Bernhard the hero ( and a sub-story about the woman’s conflicting relationship with her father). Peak bagging has never been something I was interested in, but hiking in 2-3 miles to some of the first pools is something I’d like to do after reading this book.

upload image to url

basautter - 7-14-2018 at 09:29 AM

Ok, I voted for Baja Catch, but John Steinbeck's "Log From the Sea of Cortez" would have inspired me by itself. I read that after I started fishing in Baja. I highly recommend it to those who have not read it yet.

David K - 7-14-2018 at 09:34 AM

Quote: Originally posted by wilderone

Coming Home from Devil Mountain describes some of the canyons, pools approaching Picacho del Diablo from the San Felipe side. A tale of survival and rescue – Bud Bernhard the hero ( and a sub-story about the woman’s conflicting relationship with her father). Peak bagging has never been something I was interested in, but hiking in 2-3 miles to some of the first pools is something I’d like to do after reading this book.

Thanks for sharing that... one I hadn't heard of before. I knew of the incident as I think it was the year my folks and I did the Ensenada-San Felipe road. I think it was 1967(?) and they mentioned seeing a helicopter and hiking teams.

In Froylan Tiscareño's book, 'Baja California Adventures', he devotes a chapter to the search.

Here is the Amazon listing for the book: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0943173205/ref=dbs_a_def_r...

TMW - 7-14-2018 at 01:31 PM

Coming Home from Devil Mountain is one of the few non-cook books my wife has read. She loved it and I thought it was a very good read too.

KurtG - 7-14-2018 at 01:44 PM

Quote: Originally posted by bajaguy

One book to add to the list..."With Steinbeck in the Sea of Cortez: A Memoir of the Steinbeck/Ricketts Expedition", by Sparky Enea, a crew member on the Western Flyer. Some great personal observations and stories from the adventure

I have Sparky's book as well, fun read with a totally different viewpoint on that voyage. The irony is that I knew Sparky a little as a bartender in Monterey in the 60's but had no clue back then about his being on the Western Flyer.

David K - 7-15-2018 at 08:18 AM

Vote for the author who inspired you to explore Baja or explore it more, if you already were a Baja traveler before the book.

As of this morning:
1) Gene Kira
2) Erle Stanley Gardner, Ray Cannon, David Brackney (AAA), are tied.
3) Tom Miller

Edit: As of this afternoon:
1) Gene Kira
2) Erle Stanley Gardner, Ray Cannon, David Brackney (AAA), and Graham Mackintosh (tied).
3) Tom Miller, Greg Niemann, and Walt Peterson (tied).

If the author that inspired you is not on the ballot, please post a reply with who (or the book title).

[Edited on 7-15-2018 by David K]

It wasn't any books!

AKgringo - 9-6-2020 at 11:09 AM

My love of Mexico started the same way yours did! In 1957 (I was 10 yrs) my parents pulled all of us out of school and we did a three month road trip to Manzanillo on the mainland.

I made several more trips there over the years, but never experienced Baja until 1986 when I took my family on a three and a half month tour.

We spent a month on Baja, then ferried over to Mazatlan and headed south. I never really spent much time reading about it, other than travel articles I came across over the years.

vandy - 9-7-2020 at 06:32 AM

"The People's Guide to Mexico" didn't mention any places, it just gave a great feeling for adventure south of the border.

After driving down almost every back road to the Baja coast in my 1978 Toyota pickup, discovering a plethora of "secret" camping and fishing spots, I read "Baja Catch" and found it mentions 90% of them.

pappy - 9-8-2020 at 07:20 AM

First trip with parents in 60’s inspired me. Reading all these books just stoked the fire more...

pappy - 9-8-2020 at 07:27 AM

First trip with parents in 60’s inspired me. Reading all these books just stoked the fire more...

pappy - 9-8-2020 at 07:30 AM

First trip with parents in 60’s inspired me. Reading all these books just stoked the fire more...