BajaNews
Super Moderator
Posts: 1439
Registered: 12-11-2005
Member Is Offline
|
|
El Rosario: Baja’s legendary last stop town
http://www.examiner.com/x-4820-San-Diego-OfftheBeatenTrack-T...
by Kenneth Brantingham
July 19, 5:11 PM
Heading south past the densely populated towns of Tijuana and Ensenada, and even further beyond the agricultural region of San Quintin, the town of El
Rosario emerges as the last stop before entering Baja California’s barren but captivating Central Desert.
El Rosario is a legacy with travelers as the last town before the true Baja California; a land undeveloped, wild and free, and raw as seen in movies
like Dust to Glory.
It’s the Baja traversed by Graham Macintosh who covered over 3,000 miles on foot to explore and fall in love with the land and its people, accompanied
by a burro and carrying jugs of water in his hands. Macintosh wrote about his experiences in the books Into a Desert Place and Journey with a Baja
Burro.
Up until 1973, the paved road stopped at El Rosario. From this point to Cabo San Lucas, 800 miles south, would be all dirt. This is why resorts like
Hotel Serenidad at Mulege built landing strips to fly in guests, which are still in use today.
Despite being small and written off as a highway town, El Rosario is famous with paleontologists for the number of dinosaurs bones and giant mollusks
found within the stratum that covers the region. Excavators found huge hadrosaurs - duck billed dinosaurs whose crown or crest had air pockets
possibly for breathing while partially submerged like a snorkel device.
The giant mollusks also known as ammonites look like giant sea snails and have been found prolifically in the area.
The legend of El Rosario is Mama Espinosa whose restaurant signals the exit out of town but is a must stop for a lobster burrito. Born Dona Anita
Grosso de Espinosa, about a hundred hears ago, aka Mama Espinosa, she’s old enough to remember the Mexican Revolution when rebels overtook the town.
She was placed on a wagon and sent to Calexico on the U.S. side of the border. The journey took 22 days.
For Mama Espinosa giving is a way of life and El Rosario is a better place for her involvement with the children and families of the town. She is
credited with inspiring the creation of the Flying Samaritans whose members provide free healthcare services throughout Baja California.
Her restaurant is located right on Highway 1 where the pavement once ended. There was a time when she could track the progress of those who dared to
head further south on the old dirt road. But now it’s a thoroughfare. She says, "bad roads bring good people; good roads bring all kinds of people."
At El Rosario, Highway 1 cuts inland towards Catavina where the boojum tree grows, but gas can only be had from pickup trucks laden with barrels of
liquid cargo. Between El Rosario and Guerrero Negro to the south is 220 miles of pure, unobstructed desert.
Mama Espinosa’s, Highway 1 at El Rosario. Phone (616) 165-87-70. Open daily 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
References:
- Niemann, Greg. Baja Legends. San Diego, California: Sunbelt Publications, Inc., 2002
- Brantingham, Kenneth. First Impressions, A Journey Into The Heart Of Baja. San Diego, California: 2006
[Edited on 7-20-2009 by BajaNews]
|
|
|
Oggie
Nomad
Posts: 312
Registered: 6-16-2009
Location: Carlsbad, CA/BOLA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Missing Baja
|
|
Very Informative.
A man never stands as tall as when he kneels to help a child.
Knights of Pythagoras
Funny how falling feels like flying
for a little while - Bad Blake
|
|
|
David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64523
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
|
|
| Quote: | Originally posted by BajaNews
http://www.examiner.com/x-4820-San-Diego-OfftheBeatenTrack-T...
by Kenneth Brantingham
July 19, 5:11 PM
Heading south past the densely populated towns of Tijuana and Ensenada, and even further beyond the agricultural region of San Quintin, the town of El
Rosario emerges as the last stop before entering Baja California’s barren but captivating Central Desert.
El Rosario is a legacy with travelers as the last town before the true Baja California; a land undeveloped, wild and free, and raw as seen in movies
like Dust to Glory.
It’s the Baja traversed by Graham Macintosh who covered over 3,000 miles on foot to explore and fall in love with the land and its people, accompanied
by a burro and carrying jugs of water in his hands. Macintosh wrote about his experiences in the books Into a Desert Place and Journey with a Baja
Burro.
Up until 1973, the paved road stopped at El Rosario. From this point to Cabo San Lucas, 800 miles south, would be all dirt. This is why resorts like
Hotel Serenidad at Mulege built landing strips to fly in guests, which are still in use today.
Despite being small and written off as a highway town, El Rosario is famous with paleontologists for the number of dinosaurs bones and giant mollusks
found within the stratum that covers the region. Excavators found huge hadrosaurs - duck billed dinosaurs whose crown or crest had air pockets
possibly for breathing while partially submerged like a snorkel device.
The giant mollusks also known as ammonites look like giant sea snails and have been found prolifically in the area.
The legend of El Rosario is Mama Espinosa whose restaurant signals the exit out of town but is a must stop for a lobster burrito. Born Dona Anita
Grosso de Espinosa, about a hundred hears ago, aka Mama Espinosa, she’s old enough to remember the Mexican Revolution when rebels overtook the town.
She was placed on a wagon and sent to Calexico on the U.S. side of the border. The journey took 22 days.
For Mama Espinosa giving is a way of life and El Rosario is a better place for her involvement with the children and families of the town. She is
credited with inspiring the creation of the Flying Samaritans whose members provide free healthcare services throughout Baja California.
Her restaurant is located right on Highway 1 where the pavement once ended. There was a time when she could track the progress of those who dared to
head further south on the old dirt road. But now it’s a thoroughfare. She says, "bad roads bring good people; good roads bring all kinds of people."
At El Rosario, Highway 1 cuts inland towards Catavina where the boojum tree grows, but gas can only be had from pickup trucks laden with barrels of
liquid cargo. Between El Rosario and Guerrero Negro to the south is 220 miles of pure, unobstructed desert.
Mama Espinosa’s, Highway 1 at El Rosario. Phone (616) 165-87-70. Open daily 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
References:
- Niemann, Greg. Baja Legends. San Diego, California: Sunbelt Publications, Inc., 2002
- Brantingham, Kenneth. First Impressions, A Journey Into The Heart Of Baja. San Diego, California: 2006
[Edited on 7-20-2009 by BajaNews] |
I was on my Baja vacation the day this was posted so I didn't see it until today...
Some facts of history need to be mentioned...
"Up until 1973, the paved road stopped at El Rosario. From this point to Cabo San Lucas, 800 miles south, would be all dirt."
WRONG!
Up until 1969 pavement ended just nort of Colonet, reached Camalu in 1970, reached Colonia Guerrero in 1972 and didn't get to El Rosario until early
1973 during the big ruch year to finish the highway... which it was before Dec. 1, 1973.
Pavement began again about 100 miles north of La Paz and ended about 10 miles south when I traveled to the cape in 1966. In 1970 pavement was heading
for Cabo and a graded road was under construction from Insurgentes to Ligui where a new graded road was already built north to Santa Rosalia...
Pavement reached Santa Rosalia in 1972.
The final big section (San Quintin km. 0 to Santa Rosalia) was paved in 1973.
So this line is also not very accurate: "Her restaurant is located right on Highway 1 where the pavement once ended"
=============================================
"Born Dona Anita Grosso de Espinosa"
No... not quite! She was born Anita Grosso... Espinoza is her married name. Doña is a title of respect she earned many years an adult. While books
have Espinoza also spelled as Espinosa or both ways in the same book, Anita's signature is with a 'z'.
=============================================
"The giant mollusks also known as ammonites look like giant sea snails and have been found prolifically in the area."
Well... if the 'area' means many miles to the southeast, near Santa Catarina.
=============================================
That's enough for now... dinner time! 
|
|
|
David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64523
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
|
|
El Rosario is a treasure of places to see and explore, mind you. With a great place to stay like Baja Cactus Motel (also Turista Motel and Baja' Best
Bed & Breakfast recommended), it makes a fine destination in Baja, and not just a refueling or overnight stop!
Just some of the sites to see in and near El Rosario:
http://vivabaja.com/505/ (Missions, Museum, La Bocana, La Lobera)
http://vivabaja.com/705/ (Cactus Garden and Sauzalito mine ruins)
http://vivabaja.com/206/ (Petrified Forest & La Bocana Beach)
http://vivabaja.com/pintas/ (Las Pintas Fossil Grotto)
http://vivabaja.com/1105/page3.html (Los Martires to El Socorro, cactus forests, petroglyphs found)
http://vivabaja.com/105/ (Mision San Fernando and petroglyphs)
http://vivabaja.com/406/ (Mama Espinoza Museum )
http://vivabaja.com/1205/ (To Punta Baja and down the coast road )
http://vivabaja.com/705/page7.html (Agua Dulce historic spring plus Baja Cactus Motel)
http://vivabaja.com/davidlorenzo/dlpage4.html (Mina de San Fernando plus mission and petros in '00)
http://vivabaja.com/1104/page5.html (El Camino Real near Km. 80 )
LINKS to photos around other Baja destinations are here: http://community-2.webtv.net/vivabaja/tours/
|
|
|
Bajahowodd
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9274
Registered: 12-15-2008
Location: Disneyland Adjacent and anywhere in Baja
Member Is Offline
|
|
David. I would strongly suggest that you e-mail your stuff to the author. The website is basically a tourist oriented site for folks visiting Disney.
Thanks for the clarifications.
|
|
|
David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64523
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
|
|
It is probably not a big deal telling people the pavement ended in El Rosario before the new highway was built in 1973, but as long as I am here and
was alive to witness so much of that part of Baja history, I might as well say it the way it was... 
I HIGHLY recommend folks buy a copy of the Lower California Guidebook by Gerhard & Gulick... many editions and printings from 1956 to 1970. It was
(is) an awesome source on Baja History and the way it was before 1970. You can find the guidebook on the Internet used book sources.
|
|
|
|
![[*]](images/xmbforum/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
