BajaNomad

Feb 2019 Trip for a TV show: America Unearthed on again June 16, 2019. 1 pm on Travel Channel. YouTube link added.

David K - 2-20-2019 at 06:28 PM

Edit, showtimes announced: https://www.travelchannel.com/shows/america-unearthed/episod...



What a rush!
Not just that it was exciting... but that it was go-go-go, too!

A friend who writes about desert history and mysteries was contacted to help make part of a TV show episode about one of his interests. This friend knew I had some photos of a place in Baja related to this subject, so he told the producer about me. After a couple of months and getting the details worked out, it was time to film the episode.

The Baja portion of the show is the final part of the three areas they visit in this one episode, so if we are lucky, it will make up about 15 minutes of air time. I can tell you that the host and crew LOVED Baja... and the food, of course. The photography and video opportunities were great, despite the on and off rain of the three days of shooting.

I was a passenger but much of the time it was the host and I in one vehicle of the three plus the Mexican film liaison/ fixer with a security guard for us and the equipment (just in case?) and a third Mexican who made sure the cast and crew had water, snacks, etc. between the meals.

Before you ask, no, I can't publish the name of the show or the host or photos of them until about a week before it airs and that is estimated to be in early summer. I can tell you that they loved Baja so much (and they have been all over the world) that they will push it to be near the top of the list, but the ultimate decision is up to the network.

I will (naturally) announce the details when I can and I will add the photos that I can't right now. For your interest I am sharing now what I can, I hope you enjoy that much and will come back when I can share more.

Here is my experiences and a few photos:

On Saturday afternoon, they pick me up in the San Diego area at one of our kid's homes and we drive to Otay Border. I am wired for sound and the host and I are recorded talking about the site and they included some border crossing/ immigration issues (I did not want to get political so I try an be neutral but say I hope that the border remains open to all legal crossers always, or something to that idea... I hope they edit it out! The producer is giving us instructions over the two-way radio from another van since there are cameramen in the seats behind the host and I in our van.

The Mexican 'fixer' leads us to the U.S. customs area for an export permit for all the media gear and then we cross into Mexico for the Mexican customs import permit. This takes a long time as there is a long wait to get in front of the officer. No inspection is made of our vehicles, as they trust the 'fixer' apparently. As I said in my Road Report post, the fixer told us to just stay with the vans and that we did not need to get tourist cards since we were not leaving Baja Norte, and I did question her about that. It was about 5:00.

We had rooms at the Marriott in Tijuana. I think it was close to 7 pm.
After getting settled, we all met back up in the lounge and had drinks and got to know each other a bit more. Four of us (included the host and I) moved on to the restaurant in the hotel and a few went walking to a recommended place, around the block. The food was good, and the drinks were even better, lol. The Paloma was a biggie.

Early start the next morning (Sunday) and I recommended a stop at El Mirador (Salsipuedes area) with the view south from way up above the sea. The fixer agreed. I also suggested Mission San Vicente and Mi Ranchita restaurant at the turnoff if it was near lunchtime. I met resistance from the fixer on that but only because she wanted to take us to Parcela 12, south of San Quintín! I totally agreed to that plan! They really were focussed on the subject of the show and not add any extra mission stuff (ahh).

Well, at El Mirador the host and media crew were blown away by the view... we had a sunny time and then a downpour, which we waited out, and then more shooting. The host and I had a few lines to say... There were scripts for us to follow but we could do them in our own style or make changes if the producer okayed them, lol.

El Mirador Photos:





In Ensenada, we stop at a Starbucks (following the fixer) and then head on...





As we spent so much time at El Mirador, we had lunch in Camalu at a place called Papa's (I think) on the east side of the highway. It was good. No Parcella 12 this time!

The sun was getting low and they wanted to shoot it, so we pulled over south of El Socorro and before the highway swings inland for El Rosario.


The host offers takes my photo.




San Quintín volcanoes, in the distance.




The drone camera is used a lot!

We arrive at El Rosario about 6 pm and I talk to Antonio (Baja Cactus) on the phone, he was expecting us earlier and finally left to get to San Quintín for a matter (I was hoping to show them the missions and museum, with Antonio getting on the show, too).

The rooms are great and we walk next door to Mama Espinoza's Restaurant, which was a hit (they serve Margaritas and Palomas and shots). I had the crab soup (Caldo de Jaiba) recommended by Udo and it was great. The host eyed it a lot and ordered that when we returned for lunch the following day.

Monday (President's Day):
We have an early start, a 6 am departure. Mama's doesn't open until 8 am and offered the night before to make burritos for the road. Nobody wants to do that so we have granola bars or just wait to eat until lunch.

There was a lot of rain in Baja this month and one mud hole had to be charged through (all of the vehicles are 2WD). A big puddle between Hwy. 1 (KM. 121) and the mission had to be driven around with the head producer getting really uptight about scratching these rental cars!

The gate to Mission San Fernando is locked now but I knew how to get the key and permission from the landowner. I will give those details when I can add to this report.




This is the same cattle gate I came across in June 2017 but now has a chain and lock added sometime before November 2018. There was no gate in 2016 or all the years before, back to 1974 when I first visited this location. Some people lived at San Fernando on and off to 2005 or so.

Past the mission, the road got overgrown enough that the producer did not want to drive any closer. It is just 3/4 mile from the mission to the petroglyphs, where they wanted to film. So we all walked the rest of the way. The giant cardón and boojum trees blew them away! We got filmed walking and taking... had to rewalk the same stretch at least four times doing the lines over as well as getting drone footage... all well before reaching the cliff. It is very very interesting to get a look at how these adventure shows are filmed and seeing all the things that you don't see on the show. The crew from the U.S. consisted of several people doing sound, camera, production, and the host. You only usually see the host and the guest (me in this case).


The petroglyph cliff in full sun (that didn't last).


I showed you all many good photos of this site in my 2017 TRIP #5 Report.

Rain came and went before we were done. But, it was a wrap and they loved it all! Back to El Rosario we went and got there about noon.






We didn't stop here, but this place (Loncheria El Faro) was really good for all three meals of the day when I ate there a few times in 2017.


Mama Espinoza's was back to being a well-run ship with fair pricing and good service and good food.


Looking towards Baja Cactus from Mama Espinoza's on Monday.

Antonio came to Mama's to meet us. I also had dropped off ten copies of my book as a donation to help raise money for his Desert Hawks Emergency Rescue Service. Please buy my Baja California Land of Missions book at his motel, front desk, to donate to Antonio's efforts. I believe he asks a reduced price for them. https://www.facebook.com/HalconesdelDesierto/

The drive was mostly wet, but the sun popped out after the construction zone in Santo Tomás for a great rainbow!












Price of gas in Ensenada at a Chevron station.

The peso to dollar exchange ranged from a low of 18.00:1 to a high of 19.15:1. The bank at the border was about 18.50:1.

OK, so we were back at the Marriott for Monday night and had a great time in the lounge and the host gave me a toast and I reciprocated with a toast to such a great and professional crew who were so much fun to work for and travel with! They want to return!

We had a super easy border crossing at Otay, following the fixer into Mexican customs using a gated back way. She got the exit papers pretty quickly and we could get into the northbound U.S. line through a gate, just a couple car-lengths from the border booths. Only the one van full of equipment had to go to secondary (for paperwork) and the other two vehicles drove on across after presenting our passports and a look inside the back hatch of our van.

We waited for the third van at a gas station and after saying goodbyes, I got on a Lyft to return to where my Tacoma was parked (my stepson's home). The crew had a flight to catch.

I look forward to telling the rest of the story and showing the photos of the crew and host as soon as I can.

EDIT: Scroll down to see new photos I couldn't share before...




[Edited on 6-7-2019 by David K]

BajaBlanca - 2-20-2019 at 07:23 PM

Wow, what an experience and what a great report!

advrider - 2-20-2019 at 07:56 PM

Can't wait to see the finished product! What an adventure you had...

gueribo - 2-20-2019 at 09:29 PM

Thanks for the photos. Very pretty.

SDROB - 2-20-2019 at 10:14 PM

Good report. Looking forward to the rest. Thank you David!

fishbuck - 2-21-2019 at 02:01 AM

Thanks for sharing.
I have stopped for that rainbow a few times.

Meany - 2-21-2019 at 07:59 AM

Thanks Dave Good Read.....

David K - 2-21-2019 at 10:29 AM

You guys are welcome!

When the show airs and if you watch it, please don't give me too bad a time if I look goofy or say something odd... LOL

They wanted me to act natural but not be monotone... show expression... so, I am 'acting' a little bit!

I am very curious to see how it gets edited and knowing what is involved and how many people create this show, who are not typically seen.

I was really happy when they were so blown away by both the El Mirador viewpoint and the huge cardón cactus and the petro site in general. They do so much for just a few minutes of actual air time.

I was told I had to wear the same shirt all three days of shooting because it needs to seem like just one day so the flow of the story remains without the people watching getting sidetracked about seeing different clothes over the few minutes of this part of the episode. It is cool that the part I am in is the final part so the other two locations are leading up to the Baja location.

chuckie - 2-21-2019 at 10:39 AM

OK OK OK

55steve - 2-21-2019 at 01:00 PM

Ha! You were doing much the same as our crew. We left Monday for a mostly still photoshoot session for Bestop products for 2018/19 Jeeps. We shot the first day at the beach at Camalu and yesterday at the beach at Colonet & San Vicente.

We were on the coast at San Vicente and needed to get the sundown shots. It was a somewhat tough journey through the hills & mud in the dark back to SV. We had reservations at the Cortez in Ensenada and after a somewhat lengthy wait at the construction south of Santo Tomas we arrived around 9:30pm.

The crew probably has around 10,000+ photos to edit to arrive at product for the customer. I'm sure glad this isn't my project!

Zero vehicles at the tecate border crossing at 9:30 this morning.


Here's some random shots at La Curva car wash & Camalu - I have some decent shots on the beach west of San Vicente & Colonet that I'll try to post up later.




lacurvaquinn1 (380x285).jpg - 162kB lacurvasign (380x285).jpg - 171kB


camaluquinn2 (380x285).jpg - 152kB geartruck1 (380x285).jpg - 153kB lacurvabill1 (380x285).jpg - 174kB camalupier (380x285).jpg - 139kB





[Edited on 2-21-2019 by 55steve]

[Edited on 2-24-2019 by 55steve]

David K - 2-21-2019 at 04:42 PM

VERY COOL, STEVE!!!

Ken Cooke - 2-23-2019 at 06:38 AM

Congratulations on the new project David!

David K - 2-23-2019 at 06:48 AM

Thanks, but I am done now, it was a three+ day gig as a guide and guest on the show. I had a lot of lines to say in the show, not all things I would talk about so with a little acting, so it sounds more fun.

I will be most curious about how it is edited from 3 days of shoots to 15+ minutes of air time. The Baja location shots are one of three locations in North America being used for this one episode of the show.

I just want to say how nice the host and crew all were. You watch a TV show for years and to meet them in person is great and to see how a show is made. I will share a lot more and more photos when I can, about a week before the show airs... perhaps in late June.

TMW - 2-23-2019 at 12:52 PM

What a great experience for you to be involved with. Love the rainbow.

The photos I couldn't show you before!

David K - 5-1-2019 at 01:56 PM

Committee Films, the show's producer, asked that I not give out the name of the show or name Scot Wolter or photos that show the crew or Scott until the air date was announced.

I was picked up in La Mesa and mike'd up for any conversation that might be used between Scott and I. We were in three vehicles, two vans and one Kia sedan (which will be made to look like the car Scott and I are riding in, but we are really always in the van except for a short scene as we come to the parking spot near the petroglyphs and both get out of the Kia.

Until I switch places, I am back with one of the cameramen...






The crew is 6 people: The Head Director (& owner of Committee Films), Field Producer, Director of Photography, 'B' Camera, Assistant Camera, & Sound Mixer. These are people you don't see in the show, typically... Just Scott and his guests (both referred to as "The Talent"!). In addition, there were three Mexican Film liaison personal: The Fixer, a security guard, and an assistant who kept us in snacks and drinks between shoots. For the Mission San Fernando locked gate issue, I contacted Ed of Baja's Best in El Rosario, so he was hired to obtain permission from the property owner and get the key for the now locked gate, about a mile east of the mission.

While waiting at the Otay border Mexican customs for all the permit paperwork to get processed (about 1.5-2 hours?), Scott takes a selfie of us:





David K - 5-1-2019 at 02:04 PM

Scott (on camera while we are driving) asks me about the border issues with all the migrants, and I hope that gets edited out! We have rooms at the Tijuana Marriott that (Saturday) night and again on Monday night, heading north. We stay at Baja Cactus, El Rosario on Sunday night... Everyone loved Baja Cactus and preferred it over the Marriott!

So, on Sunday we drive south and I suggest they should stop at El Mirador for the view... they were so thrilled that they did a shoot there and Scott and I exchanged lines about the Viking legends.

NOTE: They have a script outline they want me to read about a Viking legend on Tiburon Island. It is not one of my historical research stories.










Sound mixing and other equipment is impressive!

nandopedal - 5-1-2019 at 02:09 PM

I am surprise those people either were not interested or don't know about a similar sketch (Pictograph) in the Jacumba Wilderness Area, it is tucked almost against the border line which makes it very hard to visit
the Border Patrol always turns you around before you get there. If anybody ever interested 32.63019,-116.005283

David K - 5-1-2019 at 02:13 PM



Most of the time, I am in the front seat and Scott is driving. Two cameramen are sitting behind us, cross shooting as we chat with each other.





We stop as the sun sets and film there... this is just before the highway curves away from the sea, near El Rosario:




Scott and Committee Films are from Minnesota and don't see cactus too often! They were blown away by the cardón and cirios!


A drone is used a lot!




That's the Head Director operating the drone.


The crew getting into the Baja Feeling!




The Mexican Film Liason, her aid, and the Director bringing the drone in.

Getting some shots in... I think this was on Monday, on the way from El Rosario to San Fernando...



Here's the Kia, that the show will show as the car Scott and I are driving:



David K - 5-1-2019 at 02:15 PM

Quote: Originally posted by nandopedal  
I am surprise those people either were not interested or don't know about a similar sketch (Pictograph) in the Jacumba Wilderness Area, it is tucked almost against the border line which makes it very hard to visit
the Border Patrol always turns you around before you get there. If anybody ever interested 32.63019,-116.005283


I told them and there was an issue with Border Patrol availability to see it safely. The government shutdown was part of the reason for the shortage, I think? There are many many mysteries in the desert!

At the petroglyphs...

David K - 5-1-2019 at 02:26 PM

We did a few takes on the walk from the car to the cliff, plus a drone flyover, where the drone noise prevents recording our speaking. The giant cardón along the way blew Scott's mind!












One of the crew, was in Baja once before, helping with a Baja 500 race team. The rest of the crew was their first time.




We had to pause and take cover as a downpour interrupted filming. It was a wet President's Day!





They all loved the location! Only in Baja are there such cactus and landscape, next to history!









It was a great experience and I am glad I could finally share the rest of the story!

It will be interesting (to me) to see how they edited 3 days of filming down to 10-20 minutes of air time!

The Baja part will be the third part of the 1-hour show on May 28, 2019, Travel Channel, 10 pm Pacific and Eastern:
Arizona
El Centro
Baja

BajaNomad - 5-1-2019 at 04:36 PM

Quote: Originally posted by David K  

It will be interesting (to me) to see how they edited 3 days of filming down to 10-20 minutes of air time!


"So Much Baja, So Little Time..."

Bob H - 5-1-2019 at 04:51 PM

Very interesting stuff. Can't wait to see the show on the Travel Channel. Channel 277 on DirecTV.

David K - 5-1-2019 at 06:21 PM

Quote: Originally posted by BajaNomad  
Quote: Originally posted by David K  

It will be interesting (to me) to see how they edited 3 days of filming down to 10-20 minutes of air time!


"So Much Baja, So Little Time..."


Seriously Doug! :biggrin::cool:

On Day 2, we left very early from the Marriott in Tijuana, traveled the free road to Rosarito then exited El Mirador viewpoint. That was a super hit! Even though a rain downpour interrupted filming until it passed over and we almost lost the drone!

We stopped at a Starbucks in Ensenada and then had lunch in Camalu. They sent the drone up there. We also stopped a couple times to get film of the Kia cruising all alone down Highway 1 (with the idea that is Scott and I inside). The sunset scene south of San Quintín, then Baja Cactus at dark. Great dinner at Mama Espinoza's and we all got to know each other better... fun times!

Day 3 was the BIG day... I will detail more...

David K - 5-2-2019 at 04:01 AM

Day 3 we were up early and drove down to collect Ed Lusk at his Baja's Best Bed & Breakfast. I had contacted Ed a few months previously as he knows the ranchos and ejidos in the area and as I suspected he was able to secure the key to the locked gate on the road to the mission and petros as well as a release to film there for Committee Films. Ed was compensated for his efforts since we were not staying at his business (we needed 11 rooms and his place has about 5-6, I believe).
Ed and his son followed us in his Jeep, the 40 miles to the mission valley.

Rain clouds were coming in but we did have morning sun to light up the rock face... but it would still rain on us in the middle of shooting. Look for my jacket zipped up or open. Another interesting thing, I had to wear the same shirt all three days of shooting so the audience isn't sidetracked by wardrobe switching... it is to look like this all happened in one day, not 3. Fortunately, I wore a nice flannel one on the first day, and switched to the others when we ate dinner!

Scott was amazed by the giant cardón and you could tell the film crew really liked the locations!

This was the 6th episode they were filming but the order in which the episode shows on the Travel Channel is determined by the network.
The opinion at the time was this would show in June as one of the early showings. Well, the Network must have really been impressed with this episode because they made it the first! That is to get great ratings and attract sponsors, audience, etc.

After the shoot, we returned to Baja Cactus and had breakfast/lunch at Mama Espinoza's, pre-ordered by phone as we drove back to town. Scott was eyeballing the crab soup that I had the evening before and he ordered his own for our lunch!

It was a long drive back to Tijuana that night, we stayed again at the Marriott, and we had a wrap-up dinner and drinks in the cantina to talk about the trip. They were so ecstatic at the Baja portion of the trip. The head director (whose wife often edits the shows) said he was personally going to edit this episode... and his team members leaned over to me and said that means he really likes it and has a good feeling about its success.

The next morning (Tuesday after Presidents Day) we loaded up the three vehicles and headed for the Otay Border to do the exit paperwork with customs in Mexico and then into the U.S. secondary. No line, as there is a moveable barrier to put us in front, by the U.S. booth from Mexican Customs.

The crew needs to turn in their 3 rentals and catch a plane back to Minnesota. We park at a gas station to fill up and they call a Lyft or Uber to take me back to La Mesa where my truck was parked.

A very fun and interesting experience... It seems so much work and expense for 10-20 minutes on a tv show! I have no idea what it looks like, I get no advance view or a copy of the show, so I hope my DVR works that night! If any of you can record it onto a DVD, would that be worth a signed book or ??

[Edited on 5-2-2019 by David K]

mooose29 - 5-19-2019 at 10:46 PM

David can’t wait to see the show. Thanks for sharing all of this.

StuckSucks - 5-20-2019 at 07:34 AM

Would really like to see the show, but we're the only ones on the planet without cable or satellite TV. If anyone has ideas how I can view, please share your thoughts (eg somewhere online perhaps?).

David K - 5-20-2019 at 07:38 AM

Quote: Originally posted by mooose29  
David can’t wait to see the show. Thanks for sharing all of this.


Thanks!
I am just very curious about how it is edited. Four days traveling with them, 3 of the days were filming days, and all that for 10-20 minutes of air time!
Let's see how silly I look or sound now! LOL
(A week from tomorrow night)

Last week, filming on another TV show in Baja, we traveled for 6 days, filmed for 5, I was filmed for 4 days as I guided and interpreted. I had a GoPro strapped to my chest when we were hiking to Mission Guadalupe. My Spanish is (to me) not great, at all, but I spoke more Spanish than any of the other 15 people in this group so Cameron and others asked me to interpret.
Last week's filming will be incorporated into what they film on the Trail of Missions tour in June (with 60 guests) for a one-hour show in September (on ABC).

mtgoat666 - 5-20-2019 at 08:24 AM

Quote: Originally posted by StuckSucks  
Would really like to see the show, but we're the only ones on the planet without cable or satellite TV. If anyone has ideas how I can view, please share your thoughts (eg somewhere online perhaps?).


We gave up cable long ago, i dont know many people that still have cable or sat. Only sat users i know are hillbillies that live off the grid. These days You can watch most anything you want on internet using hulu, netflix, amazon prime, etc.
i suspect this show will be available “on demand” the net at one of the usual places

StuckSucks - 5-20-2019 at 10:30 AM

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666  
These days You can watch most anything you want on internet using hulu, netflix, amazon prime, etc.
i suspect this show will be available “on demand” the net at one of the usual places


Agreed. The internets are my go-to for video entertainment.

JZ - 5-20-2019 at 10:47 AM

Quote: Originally posted by StuckSucks  
Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666  
These days You can watch most anything you want on internet using hulu, netflix, amazon prime, etc.
i suspect this show will be available “on demand” the net at one of the usual places


Agreed. The internets are my go-to for video entertainment.


YouTube TV is the tit$.




[Edited on 5-20-2019 by JZ]

Bajaboy - 5-20-2019 at 11:10 AM

Quote: Originally posted by StuckSucks  
Would really like to see the show, but we're the only ones on the planet without cable or satellite TV. If anyone has ideas how I can view, please share your thoughts (eg somewhere online perhaps?).


You're not the only one!

David K - 5-21-2019 at 01:14 AM

Quote: Originally posted by StuckSucks  
Would really like to see the show, but we're the only ones on the planet without cable or satellite TV. If anyone has ideas how I can view, please share your thoughts (eg somewhere online perhaps?).


Watch live online:

https://www.travelchannel.com/shows/america-unearthed/episod...

StuckSucks - 5-21-2019 at 08:34 AM

Quote: Originally posted by David K  

Watch live online:

https://www.travelchannel.com/shows/america-unearthed/episod...


Problem solved, thanks.

David K - 5-21-2019 at 05:49 PM



Other days and times for the show: https://www.travelchannel.com/shows/america-unearthed/episod...

Upcoming Airings

Tuesday
May 28
10pm | 9c

Wednesday
May 29
12am | 11c

Tuesday
Jun 11
11pm | 10c

Wednesday
Jun 12
2am | 1c

Sunday
Jun 16
1pm | 12c

Scott W in Baja.jpeg - 187kB

[Edited on 5-22-2019 by David K]

fishbuck - 5-21-2019 at 06:07 PM

You're not suppose to touch it.

mtgoat666 - 5-21-2019 at 06:28 PM

Quote: Originally posted by fishbuck  
You're not suppose to touch it.


Par for the course for the quack geologist.
I am surprised that the director didnt add some of his own scratches and paint on the rock to make the story more believable.

willardguy - 5-21-2019 at 06:35 PM

he's just cleaning a spot for the "Got Baja" sticker;)

blackwolfmt - 5-21-2019 at 06:36 PM

Well the crappy news is unless you have a provider,, cable or satellite too sign in ur sht out of luck they will get us one way or another nothing is for free anymore

fishbuck - 5-22-2019 at 12:35 AM

https://www.nps.gov/

Avoid Touching the Petroglyphs
Look and observe, BUT DO NOT TOUCH! Preserve petroglyphs by not touching them in any way. Even a small amount of the oils from our hands can darken petroglyphs making them impossible to see.

David K - 5-22-2019 at 07:27 AM

Yes, well I agree, and I actually did not see Scott touch them.
The photo shows him pointing closely. He also used a jeweler's loop to examine the ship carving closely. However, if anyone is ok to touch in the past 115 years since Arthur North wrote about them, it would be a geologist, author of 10 books on ancient writings, and someone who cares deeply about the past being preserved.
I guess you should just watch the show and decide if you must criticize further? The site is behind a locked gate since last year, so my photos and the TV show may be all the chance anyone other than the landowners will have at getting close. It's too bad, too because I feel personal visitation of historic sites for young people can be a powerful motivator to appreciate and preserve all sites for the future. Locking them so nobody can see them takes away their value. Unseen by most will only allow damage by some foolish individual without consequence. An option would be to have someone live there, once again, and act as a guide or caretaker for both the mission and the petroglyphs?

blackwolfmt - 5-22-2019 at 09:24 AM

Quote: Originally posted by David K  
If you can see Baja Nomad then you can see America Unearthed on the Travel Channel website, link above.
Petroglyphs are not pictographs. Touching pictographs should not be done.
As you might see, after 1974 sometime, someone carved letters just left of the ship. Be angry at that, if anything.



Yes DK If you sign in with a cable or satellite tv provider you can otherwise No Bueno

fishbuck - 5-22-2019 at 09:41 AM

Ok.
Maybe this show can help them be properly protected in the future. I would rather see them locked than loved into non-existance.
I can't imagine anyone touching them for legitimate research for any reason no matter how many books they have written.
Especially then.
Maybe Terra Peninsular can help. They are affliated with the San Diego Natural History Museum.
Seems like their general area of study.

David K - 5-22-2019 at 09:55 AM

I am trying to think, what good is a historic location if NOBODY can see it anymore? It is published, it is preserved in photographs, so let the people see it.
An earthquake or flash flood may erase it forever. Think of the poor painted cliff between Loreto and San Javier, covered by mud and rocks after the flash floods of 5 (?) years ago. Mother Nature touches these sites all the time with wind, rain, sun, and sand... Again, I didn't see any abuse of the pertos by Scott.
I appreciate your passion, Mike!

LancairDriver - 5-22-2019 at 10:11 AM

David, Thanks for the preview and detail of what goes into producing a short video like that. It is just as well these sites are remote and harder to get to. There isn’t really enough traffic to justify full time guides and protection of the site in most cases. If the locations were well known and easily accessible it wouldn’t be long before they would look like the graffiti around Catavina, particularly since the roads are getting better and you know Mama Espinosa’s saying about good roads and bad people.

willardguy - 5-22-2019 at 10:22 AM

no cable or satellite? check out ustv247.com

David K - 5-22-2019 at 10:23 AM

Yes, indeed.
I have not seen the show either, it is a one-hour network show, however. The location is locked so I was not concerned with publicity on the location, although I am not sure if it will be given. I did talk about Mission San Fernando (a kilometer from the petros), but none of the mission was filmed and who knows if what I said will get cut out?
The road was pretty bad for us last February with big pools of water to drive through and rocky sections. The producer/director was getting so worried about what we were doing to the rental cars, he refused to drive any closer so we walked the last 1/2 kilometer to the cliff.

mtgoat666 - 5-27-2019 at 11:47 AM

Are you on IMDb yet?
Do you have an agent? Fishbuck needs a job to buy that Toyota Tercel he has been lusting after, why don’t you hire him to be your agent?

fishbuck - 5-27-2019 at 11:49 AM

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666  
Are you on IMDb yet?
Do you have an agent? Fishbuck needs a job to buy that Toyota Tercel he has been lusting after, why don’t you hire him to be your agent?


DK, I think you unearthed the wrong thing.
Who let a stinky old goat in here?
;)

fishbuck - 5-27-2019 at 12:57 PM

Ofcourse! All are welcome.
I seen lots of old goats in Baja...:D

David K - 5-28-2019 at 08:42 AM

Well, tonight's the night.
We can see how traveling 4 days in Baja, with 3 days filming, gets edited down to about 15 minutes or ? of air time. Scott wrote me yesterday that he saw the final edit and it looks good. I hope it is as much fun to watch as it was to make!

TMW - 5-28-2019 at 12:43 PM

OK I'm set it is ch 51 at 10 pm on Spectrum Cable.

David K - 5-28-2019 at 04:28 PM

Great Tom, my mother-in-law, in Palm Desert also has it listed at 10 pm. However, John Grasson (Lost Ship of the Desert on Facebook and the guest before me on the show) has Direct TV, lives in the Riverside area, says it is at 7 pm.

Regardless of what service, it is playing again two hours later (9pm or Midnight) plus three more days in June.

Hopefully, it can be seen On Demand as well?

Enjoy!

advrider - 5-28-2019 at 07:54 PM

Watching now, cool show and good Job David!

David K - 5-28-2019 at 11:05 PM

So little of all the filming in Baja was included. At least it showed how beautiful the desert in Baja is. I guess digging a hole in Imperial to find rebar was more interesting? Ha!

ehall - 5-29-2019 at 04:41 AM

Good job David. I was also surprised how little Baja footage was shown. Interesting theory too.

David K - 5-29-2019 at 07:15 AM

Thanks, amigos.
I am disappointed so little of the air time was spent in Baja considering how beautiful the scenery was and how much the film crew talked about the locations after the shoot.
My acting career didn't get any boost I don't think, lol!

We spent a good amount of time saying lines and telling Viking legend stories both at El Mirador and while walking to the petroglyph, as well as exchanges in the car driving. I need to watch it again but I don't think any of that was included?

My next TV appearance may be on the Trail of Missions show, September 2019 on ABC TV. At least all of that one-hour show will be in Baja and not just 10+ minutes!

fishbuck - 5-29-2019 at 12:25 PM

Can someone post a YouTube of it. Or something.

David K - 5-29-2019 at 12:42 PM

Quote: Originally posted by fishbuck  
Can someone post a YouTube of it. Or something.


It was on YouTube last night, but those seem to have been taken down (illegal copying?).

The show repeats 3 more times if you do not have On Demand service on your cable (if it is even available, on demand?).

One of the three is a normal time, too! LOL

Tuesday
Jun 11
11pm | 10c

Wednesday
Jun 12
2am | 1c

Sunday
Jun 16
1pm | 12c

Ken Cooke - 5-29-2019 at 09:53 PM

Hicistes un buen trabajo David. Muy bien hecho. :!:

TMW - 5-30-2019 at 08:20 AM

I watched it last night and I thought it was an interesting show. David's part was small but tied into what the theme was. I did think it was funny they found a piece of re-bar instead of the remains of the boat and then blamed it on the power lines.

David K - 5-30-2019 at 09:06 AM

Thank you, Tom. They used the petroglyph to reinforce the Viking ship in the region idea. The petroglyph was dated to the Viking time, as well (1000-1500, before Spanish ships arrived in the Pacific).

I have been communicating with Scott Wolter and the owners of Committee Films (the show's producer). If the ratings for Season 4 are strong then there will be a Season 5... That may allow for more filming in Baja? I am teasing them with the photos I took at San Borjitas painted cave and the story of the Lost Diaz Grave, and Lost Mission Legends of Baja.

mtgoat666 - 5-30-2019 at 01:23 PM

Quote: Originally posted by David K  
The petroglyph was dated to the Viking time, as well (1000-1500, before Spanish ships arrived in the Pacific).


Who dated it? And how?

The story doesn’t hold water.

How did a Viking ship get from SOC to lake Cahuilla?

It was an amusing story, but the evidence was ridiculous.


David K - 5-30-2019 at 02:30 PM

It is indeed!
Fun for tv viewing.
The date comes from a book I have. I will share that info when I am back home.

Lago Cahuilla

PaulW - 5-30-2019 at 04:46 PM

Low resolution

lago Cahuilla.jpg - 115kB

David K - 5-30-2019 at 06:20 PM

Quote: Originally posted by David K  
It is indeed!
Fun for tv viewing.
The date comes from a book I have. I will share that info when I am back home.



c1978





[Edited on 5-31-2019 by David K]

surfhat - 5-31-2019 at 09:46 AM

David, a couple of winters ago while sharing the whale magic, my friends and I drove to Cuevas de Raton.

There is a figure on the cave wall that defies logic. Now, I suspect vikings may have made it to the area, after all.

This one figure stands out from all the other images of the native Indian populations. He is very tall and thin and has a glow surrounding his head.

My first thought was that he had blond hair!

If that is not a viking inspired image, it is either a space alien or some other advanced being.

At the time, I had never heard that vikings may have made it this far west. They would have been far out of their element but considering how far they explored their world starting from Scandinavia, anything is possible.

This singular figure on the cave wall had to have come from somewhere when the three local tribes were all of Indian origins.

Thanks David. Let the adventures continue.

David K - 5-31-2019 at 12:30 PM

Do you have a photo? I was at Raton a couple weeks ago. I will check my photos to see if I captured that 'Viking'. Thanks for sharing your observation.

surfhat - 6-2-2019 at 11:27 AM

David, I don't have a photo, just the memory of something so out of character for those times, whatever those times were when that image was added to all the others.

If that particular image could be carbon dated, that would be even more interesting for establishing some kind of timeline.

As you well know, some of those Cuevas Raton cave paintings go back 7500 years.

The cave site even closer to Guererro Negro that is unpaved off the highway has dates going back 10,000 years!

I can't recall the name of that cave site, but it was a fairly long drive to the east on a washboard road. We ended up being closer to the Sea of Cortez than the Pacific.

Zihul, a local college professor in GN and trained engineer was a great guide. He knew every plant in the desert along the way along with answering every question we could come up with about anything.

Thinking back, I should have asked him about the Cuevas Raton image, but I had never heard of the possibility of vikings making it that far west and south. Nest time!





fishbuck - 6-2-2019 at 03:25 PM

Thank you Dave!

4x4abc - 6-2-2019 at 04:07 PM

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666  


Who dated it? And how?

The story doesn’t hold water.

How did a Viking ship get from SOC to lake Cahuilla?

It was an amusing story, but the evidence was ridiculous.




look at it this way - the caves in Sierra San Francisco have images of whales
definitely no whales in Cañon San Pablo
no whales for 70 miles
Indians, like all human tourists, traveled
like to the beach for food or vacation
so, they may have seen the ship along the coast
to tell others of what they saw (or whatever other reason) they put the image on their photobucket site, aka pinturas rupestres

surfhat - 6-2-2019 at 04:15 PM

Thanks David for the Mesa de Carmen appellation.

Both of the cave paintings sites I have been privileged to see are due to our dear, and everybody's friend, Shari. I am eternally grateful for her help in setting these illuminating day trips up.

Now I am wondering if there is a somewhat convenient third site in the area for the next wintertime Whale Magic trip.

As for her Whale Magic Tours, once, and twice, is never enough.

The Whale Camp experience is not to be missed. Being so far out of town by the mouth of the lagoon and right by the waterside is spectacular. The camp operators are so welcoming and helpful with any special requests and the daily gathering of fresh seafood cannot be beat.

I hope there is room next winter after raving so positively. The early bird gets the worm.

BajaBill74 - 6-2-2019 at 08:59 PM

This is unconfirmed, but I understand that the reason 3 days of recording were edited down to 10 minutes is because they edited out all of the climate change denial. :bounce:

David K - 6-2-2019 at 09:46 PM

Scott never denied climate changes naturally so we didn't discuss it. In fact, the subject never came up. There was a discussion about the border situation that was a bit political so I am glad that wasn't included. He did complement me as being very optimistic when we talked.

I got to hear a lot about his discoveries, the hooked X, numbers that are in formulas like the Golden Ratio, the orbit of Venus, plus Mary Magdalene, Templars and Free Mason's. Extremely interesting. Scott suggested I become a Free Mason. Not sure about secret societies are my thing?

4x4abc - 6-2-2019 at 11:46 PM

Free Masons are not a secret society
and you don't just join - they invite you when they think you have something to contribute
might indeed be something for you

David K - 6-4-2019 at 05:08 PM

Quote: Originally posted by 4x4abc  
Free Masons are not a secret society
and you don't just join - they invite you when they think you have something to contribute
might indeed be something for you


Maybe... in reading up on it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freemasonry
Wiki disagrees with you a little bit:

"The onus is on candidates to ask to join; while candidates may be encouraged to ask, they are never invited. Once the initial inquiry is made, an interview usually follows to determine the candidate's suitability."

"During the ceremony of initiation, the candidate is expected to swear (usually on a volume of sacred text appropriate to his personal religious faith) to fulfill certain obligations as a Mason. In the course of three degrees, new masons will promise to keep the secrets of their degree from lower degrees and outsiders, and to support a fellow Mason in distress (as far as practicality and the law permit)."

Mother of Dragons - 6-7-2019 at 11:22 AM

Quote: Originally posted by surfhat  
Thanks David for the Mesa de Carmen appellation.

Both of the cave paintings sites I have been privileged to see are due to our dear, and everybody's friend, Shari. I am eternally grateful for her help in setting these illuminating day trips up.

Now I am wondering if there is a somewhat convenient third site in the area for the next wintertime Whale Magic trip.

As for her Whale Magic Tours, once, and twice, is never enough.

The Whale Camp experience is not to be missed. Being so far out of town by the mouth of the lagoon and right by the waterside is spectacular. The camp operators are so welcoming and helpful with any special requests and the daily gathering of fresh seafood cannot be beat.

I hope there is room next winter after raving so positively. The early bird gets the worm.

Omgosh, this tour sounds amazing.
Just looked it up and think I’ll book.
Thank you for mentioning it.
http://www.whalemagictours.com/package-tour-information/

StuckSucks - 6-7-2019 at 11:39 AM

Quote: Originally posted by David K  
The America Unearthed show is now on YouTube, commercial free:


Excellent, we'll be watching on the big screen in the garage tonight.

Mother of Dragons - 6-7-2019 at 11:42 AM

Thanks David, just set it to record. Sounds like a cool show. I went ahead and set DVR for the series.
I wish I had had consistent WiFi when I was in La Paz, your posts are a wealth of knowledge and travel inspiration.

David K - 6-7-2019 at 12:15 PM

Quote: Originally posted by StuckSucks  
Quote: Originally posted by David K  
The America Unearthed show is now on YouTube, commercial free:


Excellent, we'll be watching on the big screen in the garage tonight.


10 minutes before you posted this, I announced that the YouTube link was dead. Set your DVR for one of the 5 future showings of that episode. Other days and times for the show: https://www.travelchannel.com/shows/america-unearthed/episod...

Upcoming Airings


Tuesday
Jun 11
11pm | 10c

Wednesday
Jun 12
2am | 1c

Sunday
Jun 16
1pm | 12c

+ more just added, click the link to Travel Channel above.

David K - 6-7-2019 at 12:19 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Mother of Dragons  
Thanks David, just set it to record. Sounds like a cool show. I went ahead and set DVR for the series.
I wish I had had consistent WiFi when I was in La Paz, your posts are a wealth of knowledge and travel inspiration.


Thank you, Khaleesi!
That is my wish plus I enjoy writing about Baja as it keeps those glorious trips alive so much longer.

Have you read any of my Baja Bound Baja Travel Adventure articles? I write one almost every month... nearly 70 articles so far!: https://www.bajabound.com/bajaadventures/bajatravel/

I just sent the latest one to Baja Geoff and am working on more now. Historic sites mostly, but not always.

solosancarlos - 6-27-2019 at 03:40 PM

is this show available on youtube or is it still taken down ?

David K - 6-27-2019 at 05:02 PM

It is still being shown on Travel Channel. See the link for air times. A DVR let's you record to watch later. If you have cable On Demand, then see it right now or whenever. Season 4, Vikings in the Desert. The Baja part is only during the final 10 minutes.

Here are the next two live showings, Pacific time:
Tue Jul 2 9am
Thus Jul 16 9pm




[Edited on 6-28-2019 by David K]