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bobrehfuss
Junior Nomad
Posts: 80
Registered: 9-26-2011
Location: Around the Way
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Big Bear-SQ-BoLA-San Rafeal-San Francisquito-San Ignacio.
Ok here goes my first trip report on Baja Nomad.
Nothing new to report between Big Bear and San Quintin except I got put therough the XRay at TJ crossing. My first time and it took an hour. Everyone
very professional and nice but when I pulled into the machine they asked me to exit my vehicle and had me stand behind a brick wall where I couldn't
see what was going on. No big deal but most of my cash was in the car. No prob but next time I will take the $$ with me just because. They XRayed me
cause I had this tent on top of my car.
The roads were good and traffic not too bad. Provisioned in Ensenada and headed south. Stopped at my favorite mariscos stand "Mariscos Compadre" next
to the Pemex on the road to Punta Banda just off the Hwy. Great stuff and killer Gratinada.
Off to San Quintin. Pulled in to the Mission Santa Maria for the night. Woke up to a beautiful sunny day on the beach.
 
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TMW
Select Nomad
Posts: 10659
Registered: 9-1-2003
Location: Bakersfield, CA
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I have not stayed at the hotel for a couple of years but the trees add a nice flavor to the view. Have a good trip and thanks for posting.
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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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Good start!
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bobrehfuss
Junior Nomad
Posts: 80
Registered: 9-26-2011
Location: Around the Way
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Well, I'm actually back from the trip but will have to do my report in bits and peices as time allows.
SQ to BoLA was beautiful drive. Desert is so green. Lots of potholes and some new pavement just before the turnoff as I'm sure all are aware of.
Stayed the night at Los Vientos. New owners William and Rosa are super nice and the restaurant is fantastic. Not cheap here but I think the nicest
place in Bahía and beachfront restaurant with AC and amazing food worth the price of admission IMO. Here are shots looking at SOC from the pool and
under the beachfront palapa.
 
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woody with a view
PITA Nomad
Posts: 15937
Registered: 11-8-2004
Location: Looking at the Coronado Islands
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Mood: Everchangin'
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That last foto doesn’t suck! Might be worth a visit for dinner someday?
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mtgoat666
Select Nomad
Posts: 17280
Registered: 9-16-2006
Location: San Diego
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Mood: Hot n spicy
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Quote: Originally posted by bobrehfuss  | Well, I'm actually back from the trip but will have to do my report in bits and peices as time allows.
SQ to BoLA was beautiful drive. Desert is so green. Lots of potholes and some new pavement just before the turnoff as I'm sure all are aware of.
Stayed the night at Los Vientos. New owners William and Rosa are super nice and the restaurant is fantastic. Not cheap here but I think the nicest
place in Bahía and beachfront restaurant with AC and amazing food worth the price of admission IMO. Here are shots looking at SOC from the pool and
under the beachfront palapa.
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Has los vientos bought a pool filter/fixed their pool filter?
last time i visited the pool appeared to have circulation and chemicals, but was obvious that they had no working vacuum/particulate filter, as the
turbidity was going round and round, like the wheels on the bus, going round and round...
that's a really dusty place, they really need a pool vacuum and filter!
Woke!
“...ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” “My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America
will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”
Prefered gender pronoun: the royal we
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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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Good news on Los Vientos. It was a disaster years ago. It looked promissing this past January when I was collecting data for the new road guide.
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woody with a view
PITA Nomad
Posts: 15937
Registered: 11-8-2004
Location: Looking at the Coronado Islands
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Mood: Everchangin'
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Word of the day = turbidity
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bobrehfuss
Junior Nomad
Posts: 80
Registered: 9-26-2011
Location: Around the Way
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When i was there the water was clear and looked nice. I didn't swim as I was just there for the night as a jumping off point for my camping trip down
the beach. There were two guys cleaning the pool in the morning before I left. Not sure if it's a daily thing or was just the right day. One thing I
did notice different from before was there were no seagulls in the pool.
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bobrehfuss
Junior Nomad
Posts: 80
Registered: 9-26-2011
Location: Around the Way
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Ok now to the real report......
Headed from Bahía to Playa San Rafeal. The road was Baja tough but doable with no 4wd needed but clearance was nice cause it was rough in a few
places. I think it took me about 4 hours but I stoped a lot, explored a couple side roads and travel slow to prevent unnecessary spillage of the road
soda. The desert was as green and full of flowers as I've ever seen which just made the journey that much more the destination. Upon arrival at SR I
was greeted by the ever present Francisco who this time insisted I call him Pancho instead of his usual "Corre Camino". He welcomed me, pointed out a
couple of palapas on the beach and told me I was welcome to use either or camp anywhere I wanted on the beach. During my stay he visited a couple of
times, introduced me to some fisherman from Guerrero Negro who were camping/launching on the beach and trap fishing for cabrilla. They had two pangas
and actually had a refrigerated semi down there that they loaded their catch in each night when they returned. They left the same day I did back to GN
and the semi departed with 3.5 tons, yes tons, of fish bound for sale in TJ. For those of you into fish they were targeting goldenspotted bass aka
extranjero. On the second day the teenage son of the fisherman, who stayed on the beach looking after things while the boats were out fishing, went
snorkling on the point and gaffed a couple octopi and gave them to me. I love pulpo so I returned the favor with a package of venison that I brought
with me. I stayed on the beach 3 days and 2 nights with beautiful weather and a huge sky full of stars. I fished the beach but couldn't connect with
the big fish feeding on the massive schools of bait fish because they were either too far out or when they were close I couldn't keep up with them.
There is a beautiful lagoon about 100 yards from the beach that is full of mullet and pargo. The pargo were hungry and willing to play which was
pretty fun and a first for me to see or catch fish in land locked lagoon.
The road to Playa San Rafeal
Some shots of the amazing desert scenery between BoLA and SR
    
First glimpse of water after leaving Bahía.
[file]35894[/file
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bobrehfuss
Junior Nomad
Posts: 80
Registered: 9-26-2011
Location: Around the Way
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Beachfront palapa and campsite
  
The neighbors
 
Beautiful lagoon
 
A group of Kyakers that I met in SR. They had left from BoLA and were on a three week trip to Mulege. A few days later we met again in San
Francisquito.
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BornFisher
Super Nomad
Posts: 2103
Registered: 1-11-2005
Location: K-38 Santa Martha/Encinitas
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Thanks Bob-- that last pic shows the Baja we all love. So desolate, so clear, so beautiful, with an angel in the background!!
"When you catch a fish, you open the door of happiness."
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bobrehfuss
Junior Nomad
Posts: 80
Registered: 9-26-2011
Location: Around the Way
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Off to Punta San Francisquito. Thanks to Nomad, C205Driver for all the great info.
The road between SR and SF was a little rougher but still doable. Again the desert was just spectacular.
Arrived SF to find every room occupied. A group of guys pre running the Baja 1000, a couple guys from Canada riding to Cabo and a family from Michigan
on their first baja adventure. Not exactly what I was expecting but I was camping so I didn't need a bed and there was plenty of beach.
The next morning everyone was gone by the time I got out of bed and for the rest of my stay it was only Juan and Loenel (father and son that manage
the place) and Rosa, a local from Viscaino that lives at SF and runs the restaurant 9 months out of the year.
It's RUSTIC, lol, but got cabanas with beds, bathrooms with water (sometimes) and a restaurant with Rosa making some of the best food in Baja. She
made some of the best birria I've had and she whooped those octopi, that I traded some venison for at San Rafeal, ranchera style that was out of this
world.
It was windy every afternoon and evening. They told me that it was always windy there. Mornings were nice and great fishing down the beach on a reef
for triggers, leopard grouper, sculpin and skipjack.
Rosa had cold Pacifico and great food ready each day when I returned from fishing. Her, Juan and Leo were great company and it was nice enjoying
dinner and swapping stories in the evenings.
Each morning I saw turtle tracks coming from the water, the hole they dug to lay eggs and their tracks back to the sea. Another first for me. Each day
I saw turtles swimming close to shore. All of the nests but one were discovered and plundered by coyotes.
Some more desert pics
     
The road to San Francisquito
 
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bobrehfuss
Junior Nomad
Posts: 80
Registered: 9-26-2011
Location: Around the Way
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My campsite and the view up and down the beach.
  
Couple fishy pics and one crabby.
  
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bobrehfuss
Junior Nomad
Posts: 80
Registered: 9-26-2011
Location: Around the Way
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Offf to San Ignacio via El Arco. Well this route is easier than the road from the north but still Baja rough and doable. With that being said I did
manage to break my rear differential and roasted an axle somewhere between BoLA and El Arco. Fortunately it held up until I got back to Big Bear so it
didn't affect my trip only my wallet, lol.
I know I must be sounding like a broken record but the desert was alive, wow!
 
   
[Edited on 11-22-2017 by bobrehfuss]
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bobrehfuss
Junior Nomad
Posts: 80
Registered: 9-26-2011
Location: Around the Way
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Made it to Ignacio Springs B&B and enjoyed a nice bed in one of their yurts. After a nice breakfast the next morning which happened to be Dia De
Muertos I headed to San Ignacio to see the sights. That night it was a full moon kayak on the river.
My yurt
Mission and Alter
    
Full moon rise over the river
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bobrehfuss
Junior Nomad
Posts: 80
Registered: 9-26-2011
Location: Around the Way
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Well, with one week left my plan was to head to Laguna San Ignacio, then down to San Juanico, through La Purisma to Bahía Conception then home.
However due to technical difficulties (my back) I ended up spending three days flat on my back in bed at Ignacio Springs then took the next three days
limping home. Well, I guess I have another trip planned for next time.
I did manage to stop in to La Lobera on my way north and that was pretty cool.
La Lobera and the pacific coast.
  
Sunset at La Lobera and the beautiful Pacific.
  
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C205Driver
Nomad
Posts: 265
Registered: 8-25-2008
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Mood: Life is Good
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Good pictures & good story, sorry to hear about your back! OUCH! Did you have to wait in line at PSFO since it was “crowded”???
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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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Bravo!
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BajaBlanca
Select Nomad
Posts: 13165
Registered: 10-28-2008
Location: La Bocana, BCS
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What a beautiful photo full description filled trip report. Never, in the 12 years we have lived here, have I tired of seeing Baja desert pictures!
Thanks for taking the time out to put this together. I do hope that next time you sneak over to our side too.
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