Neal Johns
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Baja Trip - The Last Frontier Part 2
Back to Hwy. 1 south, we jogged east over to Agua Dulce to show a couple of the guys where travelers on the old dirt road and the El Camino Real got
their water. Back on the highway, we drove to Bahia de Los Angeles, gassed up (two Pemex's – will wonders never cease!) and headed south to Las Flores
to camp. The next morning we checked out the jail which is the last building left standing, and the narrow, pinstriping road to the tram terminal
site.
We then continued south on the old inland road. Our first stop in a couple of miles was Arroyo San Vicente for a scenic lunch. There is a ranch about
a half mile into the canyon but we did not go to it. Maybe next time. The next stop was Rancho Los Paredones. The ranch was in a pretty canyon but
completely abandoned. The rock work on the corral fence caught the eye of one of our travelers. The rocks were placed to fit perfectly and present a
smooth face on the inside of the corral with no cement used.
The next stop was a ranch in the mouth of Arroyo San Pedro variously called Rancho San Pedro or Rancho La Bocana. No one was home but some supplies
were there and it was obviously used as a line shack for cowboys. We looked around but did not disturb anything. Oops, where is the road continuing?
The AAA Baja mapper guy only put part of this old inland road on the map because he told me it turned into “just sand”. It did just that at the mouth
of Arroyo San Pedro but TacoFeliz quickly found the good road on the other side of the wash and onward we went.
Part 3 coming soon!
My motto:
Never let a Dragon pass by without pulling its tail!
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Neal Johns
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Here we have some Candelaria we passed on the trail.
[Edited on 4-13-2009 by Neal Johns]
My motto:
Never let a Dragon pass by without pulling its tail!
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Neal Johns
Super Nomad
Posts: 1687
Registered: 10-31-2002
Location: Lytle Creek, CA
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Mood: In love!
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And it' real easy to make new friends in Baja!
My motto:
Never let a Dragon pass by without pulling its tail!
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Neal Johns
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This is more work than I even want to think about!
Rancho Los Paredones corral:
My motto:
Never let a Dragon pass by without pulling its tail!
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Neal Johns
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Rancho San Pedro/La Bocana:
My motto:
Never let a Dragon pass by without pulling its tail!
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Neal Johns
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The Palo Adan is in bloom!
My motto:
Never let a Dragon pass by without pulling its tail!
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Cypress
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Neal Johns, Went to Baja for the Sea of Cortez fishing, very disappointed to say the least. Exploring all the roads back in the boonies? Fantastic!!!
Spending time at the ranchos etc. , drinking beer, eating some fresh fried pig skins(cincharonies?), tamales, homemade goat cheese. Next time I'll
leave my fishing gear back in the states.
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Neal Johns
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Cypress, you got it right! After nine years in the Navy, all I want to see is sand. 
My motto:
Never let a Dragon pass by without pulling its tail!
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Sharksbaja
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Nice of you to share Neal. Is that the route that leads up from the "Gardner Walls" and over to Bahia San Francisquito?
DON\'T SQUINT! Give yer eyes a break!
Try holding down [control] key and toggle the [+ and -] keys
Viva Mulege!
Nomads\' Sunsets
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Neal Johns
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You got me there, Sharks. Don't know what the Gardner Walls are.
The inland route jogs west, inland, and then comes back to join the main road south before climbing out of the valleys and coming to a tee, left to
San Francisquito and right to El Arco.
Climbing out of the valleys looking back north:
My motto:
Never let a Dragon pass by without pulling its tail!
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Sharksbaja
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Oh sorry, I meant the "Lost Mission" of DK.
DON\'T SQUINT! Give yer eyes a break!
Try holding down [control] key and toggle the [+ and -] keys
Viva Mulege!
Nomads\' Sunsets
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Bajaboy
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Neal-
I've been meaning to do this route for some time. Just a few weeks ago while returning from Playa San Rafael, I pointed out this route to my wife.
There is a similar rock corral at Playa San Rafael and some crumbling adobe buildings if you walk west from the back bay and go past the cattle ranch.
Zac
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Neal Johns
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Sharks, I'm old and slow, next time, if anything is going to happen, be gentle.
We planned to visit Gardner Walls but ran out of time.
Zac, I have not been to Rafael in years, all I remember I remember is a lot of shell middens with a few broken metates.
My motto:
Never let a Dragon pass by without pulling its tail!
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David K
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Love the old Gardner road south of L.A. Bay re-opened in 1966 when the gang discovered the 'lost mission' of Santa Maria Magdalena: http://vivabaja.com/109
Neal, you were just 15 miles from it... anyway, the old ranchos of Paredones (Jesus Flores' ranch) and La Bocana (mistakenly called San Pedro in the
Almanac and other maps) are interesting. Is that Jeep pickup with the TRICK racing fuel sticker still there?
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Neal Johns
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DK, I didn't pay any attention to the old beat up cars/trucks. They all looked like new Jeeps to me.
My motto:
Never let a Dragon pass by without pulling its tail!
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David K
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I'm really surprised you guys didn't go the the 'lost mission' site BEFORE driving south to Paredones... I know you would have enjoyed yourslves
there!
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Neal Johns
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One of the reasons I didn't go there is because you had covered it so well. Many thanks for all your informative posts.
My motto:
Never let a Dragon pass by without pulling its tail!
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David K
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Hmmm... well, I just remember our phone call before you left and I was worried about you climbing up the mesa... Regardless, it will be there for you
next time...
By-the-way, I also covered Paredones, La Bocana, and Tinaja de Santa Maria... but that still doesn't mean we can't enjoy your views and descriptions,
too!
Thanks for your trip report!
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David K
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To Part 3: http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=38217
[Edited on 11-2-2012 by David K]
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TMW
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Excellent stuff, thanks Neal.
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