David K - 10-24-2003 at 08:10 PM
Hola Nomads, with many thanks to Bob H, I got a look at the newest Baja map from the Auto. Club of So. Calif./AAA. Perhaps it's good that very few
changes were made! Here's what I noticed with a side by side comparison:
In Baja Norte:
Hwy. 2 west of Mexicali to Laguna Salada, is now shown as all divided road.
The El Huerfanito airstrip location is corrected.
In Baja Sur:
The pavement west from Vizcaino towards Tortugas, now goes to the Bahia Asuncion junction.
The new pavement towards Punta Abreojos from Hwy. 1 is shown going about 1/3 in.
A dirt road just north of the Santa Rosalia/ Mulege airport was removed.
'(Scorpion Bay)' is added to Punta Pequena/ San Juanico.
South of La Purisima, the 5 mile road to Las Barrancas is now paved and Las Barrancas is shown as a larger town.
North of Loreto, the dirt road between Rancho El Cajon and San Juanico (fish camp) was removed.
Some small road changes west and south of Constitucion.
Some of the old road along the Pacific, north and south of Punta Conejo, is removed.
Some short roads removed or changed northwest of Todos Santos.
That's about it...
Maybe next time, they will have researched Baja Norte more and add the (not-so-new) route south from the San Francisquito/ El Arco road to Guillermo
Prieto along Arroyo Purificacion, and the road to San Juan de Dios (that used to be in their map), and move Mision Santa Maria a bit south, etc. 
Bob and Susan - 10-25-2003 at 05:28 AM
David, David, David
We love you....but we MUST get you a wife...you just have too much extra time....
You need to be working on Honeydooo Lists....Like the rest of us
Ha Ha Ha Ha (LOL)
David K - 10-25-2003 at 08:48 AM
Thanks for the good laugh this morning!
I really do enjoy 'talking' with my fellow Baja Nuts... But, a nice Baja loving lady would be a great way see me less (here on the Internet), LOL.
Maybe Doug can make a match-maker board for us single Nomads?
VIVA BAJA!!
Bob H - 10-25-2003 at 09:40 AM
David - so glad you are enjoying that map. Thanks to you for the Viva Baja stickers! I am one lucky guy.
Bob H
David K - 10-25-2003 at 10:55 PM
Baja is good for the soul, Bob... That we can give of and to one another is reward enough... That we can share Baja is indeed special. I look forward
to meeting you... soon, I hope! Great Baja adventures await!
surfer jim - 10-25-2003 at 10:58 PM
David, can you tell us a little more on how they make these maps?....Do they still have vehicles driving the roads like in the old AAA photos
show?...I've never seen seen any AAA vehicles in my travels...but it is a big place...
David K - 10-25-2003 at 11:45 PM
Sure Jim, they do drive the roads in the white vehicles like in the photos. Problem is, Baja is a big place and they have just one or two vehicles and
a limited number of days to spend mapping in Baja. The result is, just a portion of Baja is remapped each year (as we see in the '03 edition). 2001
was a major upgrade and improvement over previous years.
I suspect they were finally running low on the '01s and added what few upgrades they had to the '03 printing. I bet there will be an '04 map with
lot's of changes. I have submitted quite a list to one of the cartographers. They probably have to check it out first hand, before making the changes.
They do have liability concerns, which I found interesting.
For instance, the road up to the observatory is a graded road (2WD)... But, one of their survey members considered it a bit challenging, so they show
that part as an unimproved road, rather than get any complaints from AAA members driving sedans, feeling mislead.
It is a very good map and great to plan trips on... I have it, as well as the Baja Almanac, always in my truck...
surfer jim - 10-26-2003 at 09:24 AM
Sounds like the lawyers and their clients are active even with BAJA maps...how sad...wasn't expecting that...wonder if we are liable when we give
directions to people there about road conditions ahead
..but the
conservative attutude will ensure that some roads will be better than the map is indicating...may be a good surprise at times ...or a disappointment
...depending on attitude....