Ensenada-San Diego Round Trip, July 16 2008

Wednesday, July 16, trip to limo my mother to San Diego airport after her relaxing 1 week vacation at The Pub on Punta Banda.


Tuesday night dinner at Mahi-Mahi, north side of downtown Ensenada and locals hangout, just off tourist area. Try sharing all of the fun appetizers. FULL dinners at $12-$20 and all very good.

Left a clean kitchen behind, in case other patrons invade while I'm away.

Free road view south to Punta Banda.

My limo & Baja rig, '89 Cherokee, 181K miles. Has Baja experience all the way to La Paz. Hope it lasts for several more adventures. Headed downhill to La Mision on free road.

Beach at La Fonda looking north to Rosarito.

Army checkpoint 1/4 mile south of Popotla on free road, but, these guys are very kind if they stop you. As normal waived through.

Took Otay Mesa hwy from free road and had 62 minute wait in line at Otay. Otay ICE guys have been questioning my Colorado plates and/or driver's license lately. Never questioned at San Ysidro on this.

Got mom to SD airport in time for her flight to see my bro in Denver. Mail, grocery and bank stop followed by a peanut butter frozen yogurt stop at Mr. Lucky's. He's on Palm Ave in Imperial Beach, 2nd stop light west on Palm, south side strip mall. It's a doughnut shop, but, he has approx 6 fun flavors of fro-yo.

New shopping stop for me was Baja Duty Free on Camino de la Plaza/I-5. Great deals on adult beverages, including a case of 24 bottles of XX for $16. Even a beer/wino drinker like me can afford to stock a bar with the other essentials.

Caught red light at border. They looked in my back seat and opened my back hatch. Asked me what was in bag on front seat. Told them it was a few bottles from duty free. "Passe".
I was very lucky, as I had 3 cases of beer, 6 litres of red wine and 4 bottles of hard liquor scattered through vehicle. Whew. Thank goodness that I didn't violate the legal limit on imported alchol.

Thanks to BajaGringo's map and unusual-for-Mexico bright orange signage to "Playas de Tijuana/Scenic road", ez to navigate new TJ construction.

fyi, careful on Toll Road at La Salina as bridge over estuary is down to 1 lane each way for construction.


Back to the Pub in time for happy hour.

[Edited on 7-18-2008 by bajadock]

[Edited on 7-18-2008 by bajadock]

[Edited on 7-19-2008 by bajadock]