BajaNomad

Kids in Baja

Osprey - 3-1-2007 at 09:54 AM

Kids in Baja


Back in the U.S.A. I once worked for a large company with many regular clerical workers. One day in the company lunchroom I overheard five young women discussing how much they missed the opportunity of spending time with their youngsters; they all had to work, their kids were at grandmas’ or daycare or home with a relative. I was touched by their tales but since they were all young themselves I asked the ages of the children in question and learned they were all under five years of age.

Just to pass the time, make conversation, I asked the ladies to think back to when they were that age, to try to pin down their exact age when they had any memory of life, the briefest moment recorded in their young brains. They talked it over and all agreed that their first memories began when they were in kindergarten. Makes perfect sense – there is good reason to begin schooling at about age five, when teaching is made effective by this brand new tool; storing data Monday that ties in with new info that comes into their little minds on Tuesday.

To make the girls feel better about their situations I pointed out that would mean they could leave the kids tied up in the front yard until they were ready for kindergarten – my suggestion about putting a puppy in the fenced area with them, tying a porkchop around their little neck to keep the puppy close and attentive, was lost on them.

There have been many posts from parents who wonder about taking small children to Baja. Is it safe? What extra precautions should we take? How about bugs, heat, etc? Many of these posters will feel a little better now that I have reminded them that the young ones will not remember a thing. I’ll leave them with this caveat: if they are nearing their fifth birthday, see that all their needs are taken care of while on the road, on the beach. Otherwise you run the risk of later being berated for their real or imagined mistreatment as it might appear one day in a “Mommy Dearest” kind of memoir.

Taco de Baja - 3-1-2007 at 10:57 AM

Exposing kids to Baja is wonderful. Some of my earliest memories are from camping in Baja! Pre-kindergarten, by a long shot :)

Back in Dec I was on a trip with 6 2-4 year olds, all had a blast. Only injury was a scraped back from a slip while climbing rocks.

A well stocked 1st aid kit is a must - you never know if they will try to pick up a cactus or a hot coal in the fire, slip and fall…..anything

Plus bring lots of their favorite outside toys: trucks, balls, buckets, shovels, beach things- even if you are not at the beach, etc...Bring plenty to share, or there may be fights if there are a bunch of kids.

Bring wipes to try to keep them clean :)

Bring proof you are their parents.


Climbing Kids


Playing kids



Kids on last day

marla - 3-1-2007 at 02:00 PM

Ohmigosh my kids LOVE Baja! Even though my daughter sliced her foot open at Bahia de Los Angeles (fortunately Doc was at Gecko and could sew it back up and then refuse to accept any money for it) and last year she sliced her knee open at Bahia Concepcion. Fortunately butterfly bandages staunched the bleeding! Just bring first aid supplies! I also belong to the Binational Emergency Medical Committee ($30 and your kids under 16 are free) so in the event of a real medical emergency they could be med-evaced to San Diego immediately. Here are my rugrats in Loreto 2 years ago with the FIRST fish they ever caught (they were so proud even tho the fish were microscopic!) http://intrepidfisherfamily.com/Album10/kidsfirstfish.html

Kids in Baja...

Cameron - 3-1-2007 at 02:30 PM

It's true, kids LOVE Baja!
Just remember to bring LOTS of sunblock, and having a few of their favorite snacks around always helps when they get cranky.
Keep 'em well-hydrated (..no, not with Modelo!), watch them closely near the ocean if you're on the Pacific side, and remind them to be cautious around strange dogs, bugs, and burros!
A trip to Baja is one that they'll remember for the rest of their lives, and with any luck, they'll want to go back again and again!
:tumble: :tumble: :tumble:

Great kid pics...

zforbes - 3-1-2007 at 03:47 PM

to remind us how to relax and enjoy!

Skipjack Joe - 3-1-2007 at 04:56 PM

Loved your photoalbum, Marla. Especially that picture of your daughter with the stars and stripes bathing suit. Gotta make a mental note to go back to San Javier before they pave the road in there.

dean miller - 3-1-2007 at 05:48 PM

I took my eldest daughter, now 41, to Baja when she was just sitting up. Some how in the rush of packing and the excitment of the trip we forgot her toys...

We discovered that a loaf of bread is just as exciting and entertaining as any toy. For a week she was fasinated by a loaf of bread. I have a number of pictures of her on this trip. Each day the loaf of bread is being reduced in size...

When she entered college she purchased a trailer on the beach at Kings and was a frequent visitor to Baja. After grad school she sold the trailer and became a world traveler, lived in several different countries. She went to Brisbane for her second masters and has never returned--It probably started with that loaf of bread in Baja.....

SDM

David K - 3-1-2007 at 05:48 PM

My kids got their start in Baja when they were toddlers!

Nuevo Mazatlan, about 1992...







Matomi Group Trip, 2001... (Chris was 12 and Sarah was 10)


(Christopher getting on wet suite, Shell island, with Amigos)


(Sarah with elgatoloco and El Camote)



Central Baja Tour with Amo Pescar, 2001...


(Chris and his first boojum encounter)

BBBB-1, Viva Baja 4WD Van trip, 2001...


(Sarah and her first boojum encounter, Las Pintas)


(Desert Rat, Debra, Coco, Sarah, David Eidell)


(Sarah and Debra)
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(Sarah and her friend Davila on Desert Bull's Polaris, Punta Cabras, 2001)

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April, 2002


(Sarah at Montevideo)



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November, 2002


(Chris and new dirt bike, La Turquesa Canyon)


(Molino de Lacy, near Punta Final)


(Thanksgiving dinner at Alfonsina's as guests of Doug Bowles)


(Chris is almost 14 here, at the Gonzaga Bay Onyx springs)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

New Years weekend, 2002/2003...
Chris, Sarah and I are camping near Punta Candelero, way north of L.A. Bay. The kids (14 and 12) take turns riding the bike all the way back to the dry lake by the L.A. Bay highway.
The following nights we camp with the Humfreville's and Debra who rented the house at Raquel & Larry's (Gecko was booked full). We put up our tents in front.



Tent camping out of my Toyota with my kids was great ... rather it be in Baja or Anza-Borrego... It was a way we spent quality time together before the 'dark times' of their teenage years!

Sarah (at the top) and her Camp Gecko girlfriends at Montevideo over New Years weekend 2003/2004... I remember that was when Marla's daughter got the bad foot cut and Doc fixed it up real nice!



[Edited on 3-2-2007 by David K]

The Sculpin - 3-1-2007 at 06:02 PM

Nothing beats the look on a wading three year old's face when he suddenly discovers that a baby octopus swam into his bucket!!

The look on his face when we excitedly called the octopus "BAIT" was pretty hilarious as well!!

David K - 3-1-2007 at 06:05 PM

Bob H took this photo (it was under a shell, on Shell Island)

Sallysouth - 3-1-2007 at 08:43 PM

Oh my gosh, what a great thread! Wonderful pics Marla and all others as well! "My Mexican" is here for a few days before going back to Baja, maybe she can help me post some of our pics from "way back then". Her first days of her life were in Baja in 1968 and spent half of her years growing up, with her sisters, camping around Baja.We got pics, now to get em up here......Juanita, where are you?????? Ya gotta love Tacos' group pic of the future Nomads! what a bunch of cute kids!!

Paulina - 3-1-2007 at 08:45 PM

Osprey,

My first memory of baja is from a trip I made with my mother, uncle and grandparents. I was three years old, so don't remember the entire trip, only a few points.

We stayed at Papagallo's, in the two story house. The restaurant was fun, I danced with my grandfather, standing on the tops of his shiny black shoes.

The bait tank on the boat was filled with sardines which I spent most of my time catching by scooping into the long sleeve of my shirt. The sardines would fall out of my shirt and get stuck in between the wooden slats of the decking. I couldn't pick them out, so I had to catch more.

My grandmother kept trying to convince me to take a nap with my uncle below deck (who really wasn't napping, but hung over) Note to grandmas: kids hate naps.

I bought a cool sombero with little pompoms around the edge at La Bufadora, which was a big long dirt road that I hated walking down until they let me buy the donkey pinata to make the walk more bearable. I still have the hat.

I remember the pinata and hat sitting up in the rear window as I turned around to look at the two story house as we drove away, heading for home.

Both of my children have grown up in Baja and I hope that the experiences I've given them will sustain them and give them smiles in their adult years as my grandparents and parents did for me.

P<*)))><

Marla's Baja Babies

Bedman - 3-2-2007 at 01:42 AM

New Years eve 2003. Marla, I don't think I've ever had the opportunity to share these with you. Hope you like them. If you want me to send you copies just email me. Bedman at aol.com

DSC00048 copy.jpg - 27kB

That was a cold and blustery night

Bedman - 3-2-2007 at 01:43 AM



DSC00049 copy.jpg - 28kB

joel - 3-2-2007 at 07:47 AM

My wife and I love bringing our kids to Baja. We started with a two week trip in 2005 that was a round-trip to Abreojos when our boys were 2.5 and 4. That trip was so successful that we decided to get more adventurous. We bought a used Suburban with a lot of miles on it and spent three weeks camping/surfing/fishing/exploring. We left the car at a storage place at the airport in San Jose del Cabo, flew home for a month and then returned to spend another month working our way north. In all, we spent 7 weeks down there (mostly in San Juanico and Abre) in the summer and fall of 2006 and looking forward to as much as we can next year.

Our kids love Mexico. It's the time together as a family, the wonderful friendly gringos and Mexicans, the explorations, the warm ocean, surfing, boogie boarding and the awesome sticks that all seem to look like guns!

Just on a side note, we bring pens and paper and many books but virtually no toys. The kids each bring a small zip lock of toys. We've found the fewer toys they have, the more fun and the less fighting.

[Edited on 3-2-2007 by joel]

[Edited on 3-2-2007 by joel]

[Edited on 3-2-2007 by joel]

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joel - 3-2-2007 at 07:50 AM

Here's one of my favorites....

240526641_5342405f7d_m.jpg - 30kB

dean miller

Baja Bernie - 3-2-2007 at 11:09 AM

Loved the way you tied it all up with a loaf of bread.

"All" kids should be allowed Baja................Took our three kids down when they were about 5.............way back then the camera had just been invented.

Took our grandkids at an even younger age and they still love Baja. With them I could post some pic's but still don't have any luck with doing that. Looking at some of those pictures as I type this.

dean miller - 3-2-2007 at 05:42 PM

Bernie,

After reading these posts I am feeling old.

I believe at 41 my daugher is older than most of the respondents to this thread--41 years ago was only 1966! Just yesterday to certain people and beyond comprehension or certainly age of awareness to many on this thread.

1966 was Baja was a different place..

SDM

Heather - 3-2-2007 at 06:18 PM

My parents didn't take us to Baja as kids. As a Marine stationed at Camp Pendleton in the 60's my dad had a fear of crossing the border. Don't know quite what happened to his friends that went to TJ, but he sure never wanted to go there. He flew down to my wedding in Cabo in '98 and survived that, but hasn't been back since!

My sister and I have been bringing our kids down since their births. I've got a great photo of Brisa, my 14 year old niece, at 6 weeks, on the beach in CSL.

We try and get down there for a month every summer. My girls have the added advantage of having grandparents and cousins in CSL and La Paz, so they are always so busy when they are there. We bring toys, but ones that we can all use at the beach. I picked up some boogie boards and masks and snorkels at a yard sale before we went last year. My six year old was pretty good using both of those. My 3 year old is still a little young for those toys, but daddy gets to play with her in the sand. Mommy wants to do her own playing while we're there!!

I will say though, that both of my girls as babies, have been sick while in Mexico. No hospitilizations, but have had upset stomachs. The pharmacists usually recommend something that will get rid of it, though!

Bring the kids, they'll love it. Under 13 is the age when they'll most easily pick up the language, too. You should hear my 6 year old roll her "rr's"!! Saludos, Heather

Loved those pictures, guys!

Paulina - 3-2-2007 at 06:20 PM

SDM,

You are old. Nothing wrong with that. We all get there. To get there with knowledge to share without being condescending to others is a good thing. Most women don't like to share their age, so with that being said, I was there when I was three, my grandfather is/was older than you are now. Rejoice in the moment and don't try to be the first one to the party.

P<*)))><

AmoPescar - 3-3-2007 at 12:24 AM

Hi Heather,

Good to see your name posting. Been so long since I last saw you guys in Gonzaga Bay. I still remember the Fish Soup you guys made and let us try.

I know your kids have always had a great relationship with Baja. Hope to run into you guys again sometime soon.

Amo Pescar / Michael Curtiss :yes:

dean miller - 3-3-2007 at 12:34 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Paulina
SDM,

You are old. Nothing wrong with that. We all get there. To get there with knowledge to share without being condescending to others is a good thing. Most women don't like to share their age, so with that being said, I was there when I was three, my grandfather is/was older than you are now. Rejoice in the moment and don't try to be the first one to the party.

P<*)))><

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank you so much for the fine complement and sterling sage advice.

Do you have a secret method of predicting age of a person by reading a post--if so please share,

Cheers from a hill over looking the Pacific ocean in CenCal,

SDM

FARASHA - 3-3-2007 at 07:24 AM

My parents didn't travel BAJA with me, but criss cross southern Europe in the 60ties. SO - I grew up sleeping in an old VW -bug's back seat. While my parents slept in the tiny tent. I felt quite content, and cosy in my little BUG house. I was about 3 or 4 then. I remember playing in the sand, watching my mom cooking on the camping stove and setting here Strawhat at fire :biggrin:
I remember Lizards peeking into the tent, while dad changed his swimingtrunks.
I remember the raindrops pondering the roof of the VW.
The Sand everywhere, sunburns .........the list goes on....
I definately can not remember anything like being sick, or something unpleasant - ?? I'm sure there were such events - but I have lost them.
It prepared me for Life though, until to this day ( am 52 now), I have no problem getting along with most difficult situations, am able to cope with whatever comes up while traveling. And I started to travel on my own at age 17. Never had a problem I couldn't find a solution.
I think going places with kids at early age is a good prep for real LIFE. As long as you keep them SAFE and tell them WHAT to take care of - as my parents did. From the age of 4 or 5 years, there was always clear instructions for me as what to do WHEN -----
It prepared me to be independed, look after myself, and how to survive away from the usual amenities.
I still travel around on my own, sleep in the desert, do beachcombing, wade in the tidepools, and love it that way.
Feel never lost, alone - except for 2 occasions, when I was terribly Ill. Still - I found someone to help me, I could trust.
I think KIDS especially in this times - with spending too much time indoors, in front of TV, PC, etc...... restricted from roaming free - because there are so many urban dangers, can only profit from adventures to places like Baja.
VIVA - Adventure Vacations!!!!! >f<

Farasha

Baja Bernie - 3-3-2007 at 08:35 AM

So well said and you provided me an image of Europe that I never had before.

Ken Bondy - 3-3-2007 at 08:46 AM

Wow what a great thread. My kids LOVED Baja, all four of them thought they were Mexican. That had to be explained.....Here are a few old photos from Meling Ranch:

Jesse with ranch kids collecting frogs:



Coleen with her favorite horse Chester:



Jesse before he got the hang of horseback riding:

Heather - 3-3-2007 at 09:07 AM

Hey Amo, saludos a ti tambien! I don't get on here too much, I'm blocked from chatting and discussion boards while I'm at school. The district doesn't want the kids spending all there time chatting instead of researching, go figure!

At home, my girls keep me busy, I think my second has been born since that trip!

We had a great time in Gonzaga with all the BBBers, haven't been back that way, since. We spend our times further South, trying to find some of the hidden treasures in the La Paz/Los Cabos area.

Antonio's latest fish dinner, was a little one (lisa? bait fish) that he'd found half alive in Chileno bay last summer. He took it home, threw it on the grill, and ate it! Grossed out my nieces, but he seemed to enjoy it! I think he enjoyed grossing them out as much as eating it!

Ken. I love the backwards horseback riding, did he get very far??

Ken Bondy - 3-3-2007 at 09:14 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Heather
Ken. I love the backwards horseback riding, did he get very far??


Ha! The horse knew something was wrong and refused to go backwards!!! :)

Ken Bondy - 3-3-2007 at 09:37 AM

We told Jesse (our youngest) that we found him hanging next to a big dorado at Punta Colorada. No wonder the kid thought he was Mexican......



[Edited on 3-3-2007 by Ken Bondy]

Where else but Baja...

Tomas Tierra - 3-3-2007 at 10:59 AM

can your kid have a stuffed animal pet and a lobster head pet??

SJdG and Datil 010.JPG - 49kB

David K - 3-3-2007 at 11:09 AM

These are great... Ken and Tomas, thanks for the morning smile!

[Edited on 3-3-2007 by David K]

tim40 - 3-3-2007 at 11:43 PM

Parents took me down to baja when I was a baby and multiple times every year from then on. My 5 kids have were taken town since they were babies and now the oldest is ready to take hers... There are few places better for one to explore life as a youngster.

marla - 3-12-2007 at 12:48 PM

Wow Amo Pescar look how little my kids were then! Thanks for posting that. It seems like yesterday too. We just got back last night from Loreto and whale watching in San Ignacio, check out the videos I just posted of our whale watch! Talk about Baja with kids....Michael is in the blue jacket, Sandy's in the pink shirt with blue lifevest....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qk2wNIs7eb4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKJrFGx7DA4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IM2drXwY4KE

marla - 3-27-2007 at 02:02 PM

Where but in Baja can your kids get a lesson from a goat rancher on how to milk goats (with most of the milk ending up in your eye) followed by a lesson on how to make goat cheese, all while sitting out in the open air kitchen on the road to San Javier? My kids will definitely never forget this! We were staying in Loreto and I read about a tour to San Javier that included a visit to a goat ranch. Well we were too cheap to pay $100 each for the tour so we went to town and found a taxi driver whose girlfriend's parents are goat ranchers. He drove us up to San Javier, showed us all around the old mission garden behind the mission, then on the way home we stopped at the goat ranch and the kids got their lessons from the rancher. He was according to our taxi driver Oscar the former mayor of San Javier who was granted the beautiful little ranch by the township for his services. The family lived in one open air room (with about 1 millon flies) and had a cinderblock room in back I guess for cold nights. They were so nice to the kids and Oscar chased some chicks around the farmyard for 20 minutes trying to catch them so Sandy could pet them. I'm sure the first of many men who will do her bidding. The milk incidentally from their milking lesson went to the dog since it was no longer good for human consumption.