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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64476
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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TRIP #2 (FEB 2017) Central Baja Expedition: San Ignacio to Loreto to San Javier, Comondú, La Purísima, more!
EDIT: Report & Photos sized for message boards and no watermarks are here: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/2017-baja-expedition-2-c...
An incredible trip of 10 days that included great weather (a bit cold at night), great Baja Nomads, some I met for the first time, and great but rough
dirt roads. I went to many missions and visita sites. Here is a list:
San Ignacio, Mulegé, San Juan Londó, Loreto, Ligüí, San Javier, El Horno, San José de Comondú (1736 site), San Miguel (Comondú), La Purísima,
Comondú Viejo (1708 site), and San Borja.
I traveled most of the known roads to the beaches between Santa Rosalía and Ensenada Blanca (below Loreto) and the rough roads between San Javier and
Comondú, on to La Purísima and back east to Hwy. 1.
I also drove both roads into/ out of San Borja and checked out an abandoned gold mine with many open, deep shafts that I could not see the bottom of.
I took photos and notes at each site, recorded kilometer markers and mileages on the dirt roads all as part of a project to gather new data on Baja
travel that we may all have access to. For the time being, just refer to my 2017 trip Reports here on Baja Nomad to see and read about some of what I
saw.
DAY ONE (Jan. 30, 2017):
Leave my North San Diego County home at 6:53 am. My vehicle is a 2010 Toyota Tacoma OFF ROAD TRD, 4WD, 4 door pickup. 265/75-16 Hankook Dynapro ATM
tires. Almost stock, except for Bilstein 5100s all around and adjustable Ride Rite air springs on the back. Light bar in front with four CREE LED 7"
lamps (2 spot beams and 2 driving beams).
Head to Calexico, buy pesos (20.20 per dollar). Cross into Mexico at 10:12 am. I get the green light but am flagged (flash lighted) to pull over
(typical with a loaded pickup truck). After a short look-over, she sends me on south (never asked about FMM needs, but I had one already).
At San Felipe (12:24 pm), I top the tank and buy an extra 7 gallons to put into my empty 5 and 2-gallon cans, for insurance, should there be a
gasoline issue. My truck has a 21-gallon tank and has just over a 300-mile range under these driving conditions. As it turned out, I did not need the
extra gas cans as no stations were closed and I never dropped below 8 gallons still in my tank.
Military Checkpoints southbound (Hwy. 3 Jcn., Gonzaga Bay) did not stop me, or just a quick question of where I was coming from and where I was going.
At Gonzaga Bay at 2:06 pm and hoped to have a fish taco or two. The restaurant next to Rancho Grande was closed, and the taco shack in front of the
market was out of fish so she was making potato tacos!!?? Out-of-fish in Baja is a crime! I went into the market and bought some crackers, cookies,
and a Milky Way bar... as I did not want to take the time to go to Alfonsina's or Papa Fernandez' restaurants.
The pavement ends 20 kms. south of Gonzaga and is followed by almost 23 miles of fair, graded road, used also as construction access as they are
building the final section of a paved Highway 5.
I reached Hwy. 1 (Laguna Chapala) at 3:15 pm. The construction detours were not bad, and the older road still used was only bad for about 2 miles past
Coco's Corner.
Reached the L.A. Bay junction at 3:41 pm. The El Tomatal military checkpoint at 4:22 pm, not even looked my way. Villa Jesus Maria seems to have been
renamed VALLE JESUS MARIA (unless the government signmaker goofed, and that happens a lot). I stopped for gasoline and had quesatacos (no fish here
either) for dinner at Kassandra's next to the Pemex station. I was on the road again at 5:07 pm and soon saw the sun set.
At the Eagle Monument (it is in need of paint), which is the state border, and change to Mountain Standard Time, at 5:30 pm >>> now 6:30 pm.
The charge for driving over the Baja California Sur state insect spray strip is 20 pesos. No INM officer or request to see FMM here as in years past
(or at any time during the trip).
Arrived at San Ignacio at 8 pm (MST) and stayed at the La Huerta Hotel (650 pesos) for a great night sleep!
PHOTOS:
Km. 99, south of San Felipe
Desert south of Laguna Chapala, near El Crucero.
Kassandra's taco shop, Km 95, Villa Jesus Maria, Pemex Station.
DAY 2... where the data collecting gets serious... coming next!
[Edited on 6-5-2021 by David K]
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8921
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
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Mood: Black Trans Lives Matter
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Subscribed 
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64476
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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DAY 2: San Ignacio to Punta Chivato
I had breakfast at the new restaurant at the La Huerta compound, hotcakes, bacon and eggs, juice & coffee, 165 pesos with tip. It was good. I
checked out the motels and campground then went to find La Muralla.
To be continued...
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64476
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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La Muralla, giant levee built by the Jesuits...
This page from Harry Crosby's 1974 history adventure book The King's Highway in Baja California had me wanting to see this magnificient structure that
to me would be like finding a pyramid, being such a grand structure in 1700s Baja California.
Just east (southbound) of the paved entrance road to old San Ignacio and the Km. 73 marker, turn right into the large dirt lot going to the far end.
The Baja Oasis Motel is just past this lot. Park and walk to the Muralla...
To find a piece of Baja history I had read about since I was a teenager makes the journey just that much more exciting. Baja is a magic place!
A mortared spillway on this incredible dam and dike complex built in the 1760s.
The base.
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4x4abc
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4163
Registered: 4-24-2009
Location: La Paz, BCS
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Mood: happy - always
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So, David, the section shown is about 0.30 miles long. Where are the remaining 2.7 miles?
Harald Pietschmann
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64476
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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I only walked along it a couple hundred feet to the east (behind the Baja Oasis Motel. The brush and cactus were too thick to easily go further. The
west end where blasted out by flash floods or ??
Here is the west end, by that dirt lot I parked in:
You can see it was just cut through... The side arroyo comes in to the San Ignacio river here.
[Edited on 2-17-2017 by David K]
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64476
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Hotel Volcan Tres Virgenes
The most recently active volcano on the peninsula is passed between San Ignacio and Santa Rosalia, Tres Virgenes is the complex of three volcanoes...
Km. 31.5 Paved road north to an eco-lodge, Volcán Trés Vírgenes (1.8 mi. in). 5 ؙcabins have 10 rooms with shower and toilet, 350 pesos. Food
served in the lodge. The paved road beyond the resort (gated) goes to a geothermal electric plant.
Francisco (likes to be called 'Borrego') manages the lodge and he showed me around... I will be back!
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bajagrouper
Senior Nomad
Posts: 964
Registered: 8-28-2003
Location: Rincon de Guayabitos, Nayarit, Mexico
Member Is Offline
Mood: happy and retired
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Funny, one man's expedition is another man's vacation......Lol
I hear the whales song
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64476
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Yep, but this is work... (nobody is calling me to install sprinklers or drip when it is raining every week!)
I hope the end result will be utilized and enjoyed by everyone interested!
In 2017, I hope to have traveled all the routes and side roads that vacationers, tourists, campers, and photographers may wish to use. There will be
an avenue to update my work and add more to what I hope to make.
I have always admired Howard Gulick, Cliff Cross, Tom Miller, the Auto Club team, Walt Peterson, Jack Williams, and others from the 1950s-1990s for
their guidebook contributions to Baja travel.
You all here on Baja Nomad get a sample of my photos and trip notes. I also copied my stuff to Tacoma World and had onto Talk Baja, but when I was
seeking some alternative ways to share trip reports on Facebook, it irritated the moderator, as they were not understanding what I was asking for and
I wasn't just going to give up trying with making sure there was no alternative solution. Anyway, they don't want my contributions anymore, and I was
blocked, LOL! Guess they will have to come to Baja Nomad for the good details!? It was just a lot of work to post trip details and photos on Facebook
in a way that connects to new folks seeking data and be viewed into the future. I will keep trying, however. Baja is such a wonderful gift, after all!
PEACE LOVE and FISH TACOS!
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Russ
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6741
Registered: 7-4-2004
Location: Punta Chivato
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Amazing! Good Work
Bahia Concepcion where life starts...given a chance!
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StuckSucks
Super Nomad
Posts: 2305
Registered: 10-17-2013
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I've always been intrigued with Hotel Volcan Tres Virgenes -- gotta stay there on one of my northbound peninsula trips this year.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64476
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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SAN IGNACIO PICS
Because Nomad crashed in the middle of my posting Day 2 photos, I kind of jumped ahead when it was back online.
Here are some photos I took in San Ignacio on Tue. Jan. 31, 9 am+, before I went to La Muralla and the Tres Virgenes Volcano hotel.
I am mainly trying to show places to camp or motels for travelers along with points of interest.
Let me know if you need any data on these pics. I will put them in order as if you were driving into town, from the highway, and heading out to San
Ignacio Lagoon:
Hotel La Huerta (and restaurant)
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64476
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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SANTA ROSALIA, and south, Jan. 31, 2017
Ferry Terminal
Hotel El Morro
SAN LUCAS:
SAN BRUNO:
I missed Pescador, he was fishing!
SHELL BEACH/ PTA. CHIVATO
Casa de Russ, where the great sunrise photos come from.
Russ took me for a Polaris ride around Punta Chivato. I want to thank Russ for his awesome hospitality (and great tacos that night)!
END OF DAY 2 (Tue. Jan. 31, 2017)
For those not sure where in Baja these photos were taken... look at the center and gulf coast side...
Day 3 coming next! (Mulege and Bahia Concepcion)
[Edited on 6-1-2018 by David K]
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ehall
Super Nomad
Posts: 1906
Registered: 3-29-2014
Location: Buckeye, Az
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Mood: It's 5 o'clock somewhere
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Great pictures. Looking forward to the rest.
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BornFisher
Super Nomad
Posts: 2103
Registered: 1-11-2005
Location: K-38 Santa Martha/Encinitas
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Thanks, I needed that!!
"When you catch a fish, you open the door of happiness."
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Cliffy
Senior Nomad
Posts: 983
Registered: 12-19-2013
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COOL! Lots of places we saw on our last trip down.
R U going to do something like say a "tripadvisor" on each hotel/motel for those of us who will do our next trip "on the local economy" by stopping
at hotels instaed of dragging a trailer?
Keep this going please.
You chose your position in life today by what YOU did yesterday
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64476
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Quote: Originally posted by Cliffy  | COOL! Lots of places we saw on our last trip down.
R U going to do something like say a "tripadvisor" on each hotel/motel for those of us who will do our next trip "on the local economy" by stopping
at hotels instaed of dragging a trailer?
Keep this going please. |
Hmmm, not sure on that. I am staying only at a few motels where it is not a normal camping spot for my tent or when I need a break from setting up
camp for a night. This will be more of a road guide using kilometer markers and odometer mileages on dirt roads that don't have kilometer markers. The
photos I am taking at most places will give a look at what one might see. Naturally, photos do not take the place of being there and I could never
take photos of enough or things everyone may connect with. So, they are just a tease on what's there. Thank you for your interest!
There is just so much Baja... and so little time!
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TMW
Select Nomad
Posts: 10659
Registered: 9-1-2003
Location: Bakersfield, CA
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Excellent DK, pictures are great.
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BigBearRider
Super Nomad
Posts: 1299
Registered: 4-30-2015
Location: Big Bear, Punta Chivato, and Cabo
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Mood:
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Day 3! Day 3! Day 3!
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blackwolfmt
Senior Nomad
Posts: 802
Registered: 1-18-2014
Location: On The Beach With A Blackwolf
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Mood: dreamin of Riden out a hurricane in Baja
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GRT stuff DK also grt info on your Pole line story gracias
So understand dont waste your time always searching for those wasted years
face up and make your stand and realize that your living in the golden years
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