BajaNomad

Good idea or bad idea?

jodiego - 2-1-2010 at 06:26 AM

I'm FINALLY getting back down to baja after almost 5 years. Our destination is about 10 hours from the border and we would like to arrive at our destination before dark so we can set up camp. We've made this trip many times in the past and other than a bored policia stopping us around Las Playas, we've never encountered any problems. But I know times have changed and a lot of you are saying for safety purposes, don't drive at night. Well, in order to get to our destination, we should leave San Diego around 4:00am, which puts us through Tijuana and on to Ensenada in the dark. Good idea or bad idea, or no big deal?

Bob and Susan - 2-1-2010 at 06:36 AM

the visa office in secondary will be closed

you'll need to walk in back and
toward the border to the "night-time" office
then to the bank in secondary
then back the the "back" office for the stamp

crossing in the dark is "no sweat"
by that time everyone bad is asleep;D

Alan - 2-1-2010 at 08:18 AM

For many years I crossed at that hour to try to get below Ensenada before thee traffic picked up but in recent years I came to the "personal" opinion of "why take that chance". I now cross at 6:00 AM, in the daylight. 10 hrs should still get you to your destination before sunset.

Also I thought the INM office was now permanently in the office behind secondary.

Bob and Susan - 2-1-2010 at 08:29 AM

at xmas it was still up front
but doesn't open till 8am

torch - 2-1-2010 at 09:28 AM

I'm with Alan on this one

k-rico - 2-1-2010 at 09:38 AM

I live in TJ at the beach and drive around after dark a lot. I'm not worried about the bad guys.

BUT, my biggest concern is wheel breaking pot holes. Tough to see at night, especially when filled with water. The recent rains have really torn up the lousy asphalt. I'm running a bent rim now that leaks slowly.

WARNING - there is a DEEP pothole in the border road westbound in the right (slow) lane right where your left front wheel is if you're in the middle of the lane. About 1/2 way from the border to the steep uphill grade.

The right (passing) lane is all screwed up.

Watch for potholes!!

DENNIS - 2-1-2010 at 09:39 AM

Sounds like too much driving for one day. I would leave SD a little later and stay the night in Ensenada or maybe Santo Tomas or SQ.
That's what I would do. Allow time for the unexpected and don't have the stress of beating the clock and also remember the condition of the roads after the rains.
Are you in a hurry?

DENNIS - 2-1-2010 at 09:43 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by k-rico
The right (passing) lane is all screwed up.



The right lane is the passing lane. Only in Tijuana. :lol::lol:
Seems like the right lane on most roads is the worse of the two. Maybe because it has more traffic.

torch - 2-1-2010 at 09:43 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by k-rico
I live in TJ at the beach and drive around after dark a lot. I'm not worried about the bad guys.

BUT, my biggest concern is wheel breaking pot holes. Tough to see at night, especially when filled with water. The recent rains have really torn up the lousy asphalt. I'm running a bent rim now that leaks slowly.

WARNING - there is a DEEP pothole in the border road westbound in the right (slow) lane right where your left front wheel is if you're in the middle of the lane. About 1/2 way from the border to the steep uphill grade.

The right (passing) lane is all screwed up.

Watch for potholes!!



Funny thing when I look out for some pot holes that i know are comming up I usually hit at least one dead on

Bajaboy - 2-1-2010 at 09:46 AM

we do it all the time...no worries

gnukid - 2-1-2010 at 10:46 AM

I crossed TJ at 4am recently and the visa office and bank were open just not obvious to anyone and apparently not known to border police and marines. You simply need to knock on the window very politely for about 15 minutes and the INM and bank person will wake up and be glad to help.

If you do not know where the TJ INM office is it may be confusing to you. It's located toward the border from where you park, you will need to walk back behind the buildings, through the security and to the INM with blacked out windows.

The other option is to go to the border the evening before and walk across to get your visa stamped and then return to SD to sleep in a hotel and then go back in the morning.

jodiego - 2-1-2010 at 10:46 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by DENNIS
Sounds like too much driving for one day. I would leave SD a little later and stay the night in Ensenada or maybe Santo Tomas or SQ.
That's what I would do. Allow time for the unexpected and don't have the stress of beating the clock and also remember the condition of the roads after the rains.
Are you in a hurry?


I'm with you on this one Dennis. After many years of doing it in one day, we started staying in El Rosario on the way down and San Quintin on the way back. But the guy I'm driving with (we will share driving) has a limited time to stay. Plus there's that surfer mentality-- an extra day on the road is an extra day away from the waves. The consensus seems to be about 50-50 on this one and I probably can't talk him out of leaving at 4:00, but we will certainly watch out for those potholes. Thanks for all the opinions.

lizard lips - 2-1-2010 at 11:19 AM

All the bad guys are sleeping at that hour so I say go for it.

BAJA.DESERT.RAT - 2-1-2010 at 12:50 PM

Hola jodiego, you didn't mention how far south you were going on your ten hour drive but it seems like you're heading to the guerrero negro area ? i have been crossing the border at tecate around 6 am and one time, i was denied access to mexico because i had too much used clothing to give away and drove to tijuana and was allowed to cross and that was around 8 am.

for several years from tecate, i made it to guerrero negro by 4 pm, once again, crossing at 6 am.

from tijuana, crossing at 8, i made it to guerrero negro by 6 pm, in the early dark hours.

i try and cross the border on a sunday to avoid the agricultural trucks and buses in the san quintin area and also some of the big rigs. also, ensenada isn't so busy as the tourists are probably still sleeping.

staying at el rosario is a good idea if you don't want to push it.

i don't know when the whale watching starts but if you're in that " peak traffic ", you may find problems in getting motels, i don't know about camping sites.

i wouldn't advise driving in the dark hours as in the past, they did have some problems even on the toll road with people being pulled over by police looking persons and vehicles. during the day when i went through going north or south, i saw quite a few military trucks and federal police on the toll road. seeing the potholes mentioned earlier could be a problem as well.

i breathe a lot easier going south once i am past san quintin.

BIEN SALUD, DA RAT

Bajahowodd - 2-1-2010 at 02:21 PM

Rat- You bring up a good question. Since there have been so many reports of empty highways, makes me wonder just how busy this whale season is going to be. That said, as it is now February, the season is just about cranking (based on history). The absolute worst time for traffic and whale watching is the President's Day weekend. Everyone takes advantage of the extra day off. And, historically, there are problems with hotel and campsite crowds.

jodiego - 2-1-2010 at 05:33 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by BAJA.DESERT.RAT
Hola jodiego, you didn't mention how far south you were going on your ten hour drive but it seems like you're heading to the guerrero negro area ? i have been crossing the border at tecate around 6 am and one time, i was denied access to mexico because i had too much used clothing to give away and drove to tijuana and was allowed to cross and that was around 8 am.

for several years from tecate, i made it to guerrero negro by 4 pm, once again, crossing at 6 am.

from tijuana, crossing at 8, i made it to guerrero negro by 6 pm, in the early dark hours.

i try and cross the border on a sunday to avoid the agricultural trucks and buses in the san quintin area and also some of the big rigs. also, ensenada isn't so busy as the tourists are probably still sleeping.

staying at el rosario is a good idea if you don't want to push it.

i don't know when the whale watching starts but if you're in that " peak traffic ", you may find problems in getting motels, i don't know about camping sites.

i wouldn't advise driving in the dark hours as in the past, they did have some problems even on the toll road with people being pulled over by police looking persons and vehicles. during the day when i went through going north or south, i saw quite a few military trucks and federal police on the toll road. seeing the potholes mentioned earlier could be a problem as well.

i breathe a lot easier going south once i am past san quintin.

BIEN SALUD, DA RAT


We're heading down to Punta Rosarito, just north of GN. It's about a 45 minute drive (off road) from the 1 to the ocean. No problem finding camping sites, just one with a good wall.