rts551 - 5-18-2006 at 06:50 PM
Thanks
hmmmm. Keep us informed.... going through in acouple of weeks as I am sure a Lot of people are
BornFisher - 5-18-2006 at 08:01 PM
Was coming north on Monday about 6PM on the free road just north of Rosarito Beach. Found a traffic jam that started near the Del Mar Market and
didn`t break free until the Pemex next to the toll plaza. Took 35 minutes.
Later the south bound lanes were messed up too. The police were making everyone slow down just east of the Playa turnoff (going west), and the line
was backed up for miles along the border fence!!
Sallysouth - 5-18-2006 at 10:19 PM
Jeez, It seems like not too long ago the road heading south out of Ensenada was a two lane hiway,lots of open area and no factories.Empty beaches,
driving on the beach,little hidden spots to surf, unknown eateries with fresh lobster.....for a few pesos..the times they are a changin for sure.
David K - 5-19-2006 at 08:55 AM
Sally, you (like me) are dreaming of times long past!
I liked it when the pavement ended before Colonet!!
David-----
Barry A. - 5-19-2006 at 09:01 AM
----------do you remember the un-Godly washboard south of Colonet, tho??????
I prefer the pavement-------
David K - 5-19-2006 at 09:29 AM
Yes Barry, most used the parallel tracks on either side of the elevated graded roadbed (was ready for pavement as far as San Quintin, but the asphalt
ran out a couple miles north of Colonet!).
Keep in mind, I am remembering this pre pavement Baja as I was not yet of driving age... I turned 16 in Sept. '73... the highway was finished in
December that year.
We drove to Loreto in July of '73... pavement ended near El Progreso (turnoff to Mision San Fernando) and new road bed ended near Agua Dulce. From
Agua Dulce to Laguna Chapala we were on the old main road... Back on new roadbed from Laguna Chapala south... Sections of pavement began near Punta
Prieta with solid pavement near Jesus Maria...
My first time driving without parents when I was 16 was in my Myers Manx on a Baja trip. That was in April 1974... To Gonzaga via Hwy. 1 &
Calamajue Canyon and back north via San Felipe over the grades...
Sallysouth - 5-19-2006 at 10:42 AM
David, Barry, Ah yes, the teeth rattling washboard! And the dirt that was like a fine talc, only reddish-brown and got into every nook, cranny and
orifice!! Those were the days for great exploring, but for the long drive, I'll take the pavement, thank you!!
David & Sally------red dust-----oh, yeah---
Barry A. - 5-19-2006 at 12:20 PM
In 1960 a temporarily rich "friend" of my family's invited me to "drive as far south as we could" in his new 1959 highly modified race-ready Corvette,
open top, of course. The red-dust about did me in, and I KNOW that the car was never the same after that. We got just east of El Rosario when he
finally gave up. What a horrible way to treat a race-car-----and the Mexicanos thought we were nuts, and with good reason.
This guy also had an old Farrarri and he wanted to try the same trip in it, but I finally talked him out of it--------he was totally nuts, but 19
years old, so what can I say? We made this round trip in one day from San Diego, so you can get some idea of how fast he was going in the
dirt------crazy!
After about 3 years he ran out of money and had to go to work as a carpenter, after selling all his cars, of course. What a waste of a 25K inheritance
(that was BIG money, then).
He later got a minor injury on the job---did nothing about it---- blood poisening set in----did nothing about it------and died at age 25. Really
smart!!!
As I look back, I am thinking that we all who went adventuring in Baja were a little "nuts". Them's were the days-------------