Mulege, Santispec, Loreto 21 day Adventure

Trip report, Mulege,Santispec,Loreto

What a great trip my wife and I had. We have been going down to San filipe for years and our trip would be, leave the day after Christmas drive to Mexicali ,stay in Wal-Mart parking lot, get last minute things and drive to San Filpe stay at Victors have lots of fun, load up head to Ensenada, Stay at Estero Beach a couple of days Then head home. Wow what a mouth full. Well this year we changed it up. We had our Christmas for the kids and family on December 16 and set for our trip on December 21 (NO KIDS!). On the 21st we left our house at 8:00 pm after my wife got home from a meeting in Redding. In the states I would rather drive at night and get through the rat race in LA. So I drove to The rest area just past the San Onofre nuclear power plant, Slept for a bit, Then off to the border. Filled up the motorhome in Otay Mesa(I know how stupid diesel is $1.40 per gallon cheaper across the boarder) went back to the boarder crossing at TJ, crossed and headed for the toll road. Got on the toll road and made it to Ensenada and Estero Beach campground. The next day we unloaded the Jeep and headed into town to Immigration to get our Visas and found the immigration office closed, this was on Sunday the 23rd . So we went back to Estero Beach, on the way stopped at our favorite taco hut, Mi Ranchito near Estero beach and had some great carne asada tacos and cold Sol. Stayed one more night at Estero. On the 24th Christmas eve we headed back to the immigration office and found it closed again. We asked around and found that the immigration officer lived behind the office and he was probably home sleeping. We went behind the office and knocked on his door and he opened up the office and let us in. Well were we in for a surprise when he said we had to get our visas back in TJ. After some pleading(and 50 pesos extra per visa) we had our visas and were on our way. Went back to Estero loaded the jeep and headed south. Now I would like to say that La Bufadora is the farthest south I have driven. Our motorhome is a 38 foot diesel pusher and I pull a 20foot x8foot trailer with a Jeep on it, So I am thinking about these narrow roads I am going to be negotiating anyway off we go. We are staying at the campgrounds that the book Camping Mexico's Baja (fondly referred to as the Baja Bible) by Mike and terry Church recommends. We make it to San Quinten and take the dirt road in to The Old Mill campground. Well we get in there and find one other camper there and no one around to register. We ask the other camper and while we are talking to him a pickup comes sliding around the corner and the guy we were talking to said that was who we needed to talk to. He drove over to where we were and the guy we were talking to introduced us to Carlos. Very nice guy he told us someone had called him and told him some kids were breaking in to his house. My wife asked him how much we owed him ,he said for what? My wife said for the campsite. Carlos laughed and said no charge. I guess he is planning on taking out the campground and putting up a motel or something so not much works in the campground, O well it worked for us. The next morning we were off again. I believe this is where the roads get pretty narrow. The roads were not bad but you did have to be careful when passing trucks. This was Christmas day and everything was going good until about 25 miles south of El Rosario when I looked in my passenger side mirror and saw white smoke. I slowed down and told my wife we had problems. No place to get off the road so I drove real slowly until I could get off the road. We got out of the motorhome and saw that the front axle on the trailer had lost the wheel and the rear axle was bent up so far that the tire was rubbing on the bottom of the trailer deck. What a mess. We were looking at the axle and figuring out how to get it going again and while we were looking my wife counted 12 cars with American and Canadian plates who just drive by, the first Mexican truck driver that came by managed to get his big rig off the road, pulled over and helped us get it going. His name was Jose, he was headed for Lapaz and we are forever indebted to him for his kindness. After we got it fixed he did not want to take anything for his help, but we insisted he take $50.00 to buy his wife something, we appreciate his help very much. We put the spare on the trailer and limped back to El Rosario and the tire shop was open on Christmas day. They took the axle off the trailer and said that the machine shop was closed but he would take it to be fixed in the morning, he told us to plug in to his electricity and stay the night. The next morning we had everything fixed and on the road by 1pm. We drove to Guero Negro and stayed at Mallermo RV park for two nights. The next morning we were going to go out and see the whales but it was too windy, so we got in the jeep and went exploring. We drove out to the salt mine pier and looked around and had some more Sol and picked up some nice shells. Went back to the campground. Hit the road the next morning and headed south again made it to San Ignacio filled up with diesel and had a great meal at Rice and Beans and more Sol. Then off to Mulege. We stayed at Maria Isabelas for two nights. We went into Mulege did some shopping and had dinner at and some more Sol. Went back to the campground went to bed. The next morning went back to Mulege went out to the light house and beach had some more Sol and went back to town and ended up at Scottys, had a great meal and more Sol. While we were at Scottys we met some nice people from Canada!!!. They asked where we were staying, they said to come down where they were staying. Wow what a beautiful place, Santispec beach is. We stayed six days with our new Canadian friends, Great people. We went with Gord and Cindy to Loreto had lunch and some more Sol then squeezed in some shopping for the ladies then went to the Mission de San Javier (I think was the name) very pretty and a nice drive, beautiful mission .Headed back to Santispec. Stopped at El Burro and ate dinner at Berthas and some more Sol. Got back to camp at about 9:30 . Next morning found out we had been grounded by Buzz because we got back too late. We awoke to another beautiful day and Gord and I set out to get some scallops. So loaded with cervasas we went scallop hunting. We returned a while latter with scallops and Bloody fingers. Cleaning the scallops was interesting, almost every one had a baby lobster in it. After cleaning about half of them a Mexican beach vendor came by and laughed at us the way we were cleaning the scallops. He then showed us the way to clean them was to break off the bottom of the shell with the knife and cut the scallop from the bottom, he also said to use a small rope and put it around the top of the scallop and pull them out of the sand so you don’t cut your hands. My wife took them and cooked them in butter and garlic very good with Sol. (Is this a Sol commercial ? :lol After six great days in Santipec it was time for us to start making our way back. We wanted to see Bahia de Los Angeles, and it truly is the "Bay of Angles" so we headed there. Made it to Bahia,very nice but a little windy. We stayed at Guerrmos.The next morning we took the jeep and went exploreing.Went to the turtle sanctuary and saw the turtles, then headed north past the sanctuary exploring. Lots of neat campgrounds on the beach and a neat little hotel ,restaurant on the beach that we stopped at for lunch and cervasas. Went out toward the end of the road and out a sand bar to an island. The sand bar was full of shells on the south side. We stopped and gathered up a couple of big zip lock bags of shells. While we were gathering up shell and drinking cervices our dog, a miniature fox terrier that thinks she is a pit bull (no mirrors in our house at her eye level), was yapping and we were throwing rocks and shells for her. Well after a while my wife got up and went to the jeep to get some more Sol and saw a coyote standing about 30 feet behind the jeep, she yelled at me to get the dog, so I picked her up. We took pictures of the coyote. I think he heard our dog yapping and thought it was an easy meal, Well he did not know our dog thinks she is a Doberman. One lucky coyote!!!! . We then follow a trail north for a ways until the trail turned into a motorcycle trail that was to narrow to drive a jeep on. We turned back on another trail and ended up at the dump. Returned to camp. The next morning we loaded up and headed north. Went to El Rosario and stopped at Mama Espinosas and had a great lobster dinner. Then on north. Drove to Estero Beach in Ensenada.Got up the next morning drove to Rosarito and stayed for two nights to get our Mexican junk fix. The next morning headed for the border in TJ. Got to the border line spent about 1 1/2 to 2 hours waiting. We were about three cars from the boarder and a suburban squeezed in front of us(wish I had a big push bumper on the motorhome).Well when the suburban got to the inspector about 10 officers surrounded the vehicle took the driver out and handcuffed and hauled him off. Teach him to squeeze in front of me!!!. When we got to the inspector he told us the guy had a phony drivers license and 10 illegal in the suburban. Well back home and back to reality . Can't wait until next year. Will post pictures if we can figure out how to do it. (we are thinking that Cindy and Gordy have the right idea, go home and sell everything and live like nomads.......

[Edited on 1-31-2008 by Steve&ebby]

Thanks for the report.
But to become a "real" Nomad you should get rid of that disgusting Sol habit and become a 'Pacificoan" like the majority of us.

Thanks!

David K , Thanks for the info on posting pictures we will try that. The mission we went to was the mission behind Loreto way back in the hills,San Javier very nice. Where does that road go if you keep going past San Javier? Also I would love to hook up with you and do some back country exploreing,We have a jeep that is very offroad capable.
Paulina it was a great trip and we can't wait till next year. We go to Baja every Christmas. We have a 9 year old, so only 9 more years then we sell everthing and head for Baja
Richard,what house are you in,one down by the river?

DJH, we were very gratefull for Jose's help.
Van&Packo,Sol,Pacifico,Tecate,Modelo what ever as long as we are in baja
Soulpatch, no buttweiser shirt on Gord, maybe he hid it.

Quote:

Originally posted by Steve&ebby David K , Thanks for the info on posting pictures we will try that. The mission we went to was the mission behind Loreto way back in the hills,San Javier very nice. Where does that road go if you keep going past San Javier? Also I would love to hook up with you and do some back country exploreing,We have a jeep that is very offroad capable.

David The Baja-Rosario Festival trip sounds good, but where is it. Is it in El Rosario? Also what is the festival about ? How many days would it take to do the trip? Thanks,Steve

[Edited on 2-1-2008 by Steve&ebby]

HAHAHAHAA! Boy that was helerious love your story Steve and Debby cannt wait for the next one hAAHHAHAHAHAHAHA!I needed that.

The last part what a way to end your Baja experience

Quote:

Originally posted by Steve&ebby David The Baja-Rosario Festival trip sounds good, but where is it. Is it in El Rosario? Also what is the festival about ? How many days would it take to do the trip? Thanks,Steve [Edited on 2-1-2008 by Steve&ebby]