3 Weeks Exploring Baja...

Hey there... just got back from my first trip to the peninsula... it was incredible. I figure that I owe you guys the trip report being as most of my info came from this very site Anyways... ENJOY!!!

OK here goes.... official trip report :5SHOTS:

Day 1-3

I finished a 48 hour shift and headed straight home at 8am to finish packing the Jeep with our goodies, say our goodbye's, and hit the road to Calexico... (with a brief stop in AZ to camp)



We met up with our travel companions in Calexico and picked up some last minute things at Walmart... we were hitting the border early the next morning at the main Mexicali crossing.



The border area is quite the shady place... some form of loud alarm was blaring when we got there and many broken down vehicles sat around... as I would imagine they had been for some time...



After bouncing around between various offices, paying some money, and getting some stamps... we got the green light and were across the border in 5 minutes or so. Onward to San Felipe!! We didn't spend any more time than we had to in Mexicali.



Seems safe...


We made it!!


We decided to stay at Pete's camp and almost had the place to ourselves...




San Felipe is quite the beach-combers paradise....






But I had more important fish to fry... and put into tacos.... and eat


And the other essentials...


Everyone called it a night early... we had big plans for the next day...

Day 4

So we're in Baja now... time to get down to business.... we headed south on Mex 5 out of San Felipe. Our destination for the day was Papa Fernandez in Gonzaga. We had heard that the road was bad... haha

Fueling up in San Felipe...


And south we go... into the unknown


The new highway was gorgeous and smooth... complete with one of the 3 pull offs we saw the whole trip.


...then came the first of my troubles for the trip... Nicole told me we lost something off of the trailer and I looked in the mirror just in time to see my 20# propane cylinder about 8 feet off the ground tumbling down the road. I pulled over to see exactly what had happened and saw this slight trail behind me.... uh oh...


The ratchet strap had somehow loosened and the propane cylinder jumped out while crossing one particularly steep "vado". Once that happened, the straps went slack and the diesel cans dragged on the highway. I was spilling diesel out of 2 holes worn into the bottom of the containers.


I decided to dump out our 2 water cans and pour the diesel into the water containers... I'll go without spare water before I let 10 gallons of diesel go into the ground. I don't need that kind of juju hanging over me this early in the trip... a quick inspection of the propane cylinder showed no dents, no leaks... those things are stout!

Back on the road... our first wild burros...


We drove through Puertocitos and the road instantly took a turn for the worse...


We aired down and headed off into the rocks and washboard... pictures cannot convey how washboarded this road was...


I also lost a Yakima tower on the road... they weren't up to the task of holding the rooftop tent... sadly, this quick fix held better than the rest of the towers.


Problems with my trailer persisted and we soon ran out of daylight... you need a FULL day to run that road... then things took another turn... someone posing as police tried to stop us on the road. Three vehicles: one mid 90's Chevy PU, one S10 Blazer, and an older Toyota PU blocked the road and turned on red flashing lights on their dashes. I promptly went off the road and drove around them... they chose not to follow us and I don't know what they wanted...

We finally arrived at Papa Fernandez and set our camp in the dark... I was eager to see just where we were when the sun came up

Days 5 and 6- Gonzaga Bay

After a great dinner and good night's sleep... I woke up to see exactly where I was. Wow...


In contrast to the tidal flats of San Felipe, Gonzaga is full of rocky tide pools to explore. All of them are full of hermit crabs, starfish, and sea slugs. This guy was grouchy:


This was the only time on the entire trip that we were somewhere COMPLETELY silent. I only heard the pangas go out at around 0500 and come back around 2000. Someone said they got into a school of tuna somewhere off of one the islands in Gonzaga Bay.

I was more interested in some chorizo eggs to get my day started though.


The family that runs this campground and community are some great people... they will open the kitchen for you whenever you like and make some of the best homemade food we had the entire time. I didn't cook once while we were there... the food was too good.

I had to stay there for 2 days in order to make some trailer repairs on the beach... hmmmm.... doesn't look so good.... one hub got replaced and several broken bolts and brackets got repaired. An Icelandic couple (travelling with their 10 dogs!) who shared the beach with us saved the day when they let me use their generator to run a sawzall and electric drill. One of the residents of Papa Fernandez also offered his power tools and welder if needed... people here are some of the most generous I've met.

FYI: the threads that make up duct tape work wonderfully as loctite!


The trailer got fixed... time to kick back...


My dinner on the second night...


...and this is Foxie... the friendliest of the Icelandic Dogs she came to visit us a lot...


Time to get some sleep and hit the road!!

Day 7- Coco's Corner and Mex 1 to Guerrero Negro

We left Papa Fernandez early in the morning and took off into the dirt down Mex 5.


Stopped by the Alfonsina's area to check things out.


On the way to Coco's Corner I finally got to do something I've always wanted to do.... drive the Baja 1000 race course....


We spent about an hour talking with Coco and having a Coke... then he had to get back to getting his can decorations ready for the race. This AMC Eagle of his is awesome...


The lounge...


Speaks for itself...


Then we signed the guestbook and hit the road...


Some nice scenery on the way to Chapala from Coco's...


We finally arrived at Guerrero Negro after a long day of driving and arrived at Mario's Campground... it was packed...


The food there costs a little more... but is delicious... I gave the seafood soup a go... and tried a margarita or two

Day 8- Whales

Our second day at Mario's... had to stay in order to go see the whales...


Woke up to a new sight... condensation... and lots of it... not too fun for a canvas tent


Early that morning we loaded onto a bus with another couple from California and headed out to the bay to see the calving whales...


Sea Lions on the way out...


Guerrero Negro is the only place I've seen where sand dunes come straight out of the ocean.


Baby whale coming to check things out...


...and there were plenty of them... everywhere!


After a long day on the water we headed back to Mario's for some dinner... they were already preparing the meat for the evening...


The awesome people at Mario's...



Things also took an unexpected turn this day... the group disbanded and our companions decided to head back north to the U.S. That changed things quite a bit for us... couldn't quite take the same chances off road anymore... but the journey went on...

Day 9- Flying Solo to Bahia Concepcion

After breakfast at Mario's... we hit the road for Bahia Concepcion... we had run into a caravan from Vagubundos Del Mar and they were really helpful with recommending places to camp and what to expect...

On the road again...


A giant bag of dates seemed like a good thing to have... about $2 per bag...


The road to Mulege (Moo-le-hay)


Entrance to the town of Mulege...


The guard chicken of Santispac Lagoon... awesome place to stay...


Some views from camp...



Little did we know, the restaurant at Santispac "Ana's" gets quite crazy on Saturday nights. I'm pretty sure we were the only people there not eligible for AARP but it was a rocking little party.



This is Bob, the DJ.... awesome guy


So after far too much Tequila, I stumbled back to the campsite and proceeded to fall off of the tent ladder... twice... eventually I made it though...

Day 10- Stopover in Ciudad Constitucion... and the first hot shower

On the southbound road again... had to stop and check out the coast before we headed inland


Oops... this is what happens when a Pemex employee tries to "top off" the Jeep. I get a nice scare...


Our destination for the day was Palapa 206 in Ciudad Consticucion. The town isn't really anything special, but they have a big grocery store and lots of places to restock. The couple that owns Palapa 206 are great and their son (8 or so) is very eager to help with anything you need. They also have a propane water heater!!!


Only downside are the roosters... they seem to think it's always morning...


This is their dog, Archie... he was hilarious... and tiny...


Didn't feel like going anywhere.. ham and cheese for dinner...


The owners had this very cool diesel mitsubishi truck... he said it uses the same engine as the Pajero...


After an awesome supply of unlimited hot water I was useless and laid in the tent... down here a hot shower becomes somethign to reflect on

Day 11- Cabo or bust...

Off we went... we had a long day ahead of us and had to navigate through La Paz and Los Cabos...

This is reason #1 why you don't drive here at night...


North of La Paz... stands like this are the places to eat... the best food comes from the little guys here...


My $2 lunch...


On through La Paz... no pics from in town... we were too busy trying to figure out how traffic works


CABO SAN LUCAS!!! a.k.a Gringoville.... it was an amazing culture shock after being in so many small towns. After walking through Cabo for an hour we had been offered Marijuana, Cocaine, Ecstacy, and various prescription drugs... it didn't take us long to get tired of the area....


How to not fit in: bring your RTT and Jeep to the Vagubundos Del Mar RV Park


The Vagubundos do have an awesome taco tray though!

The fake police were between Puertocitos and Gonzaga...

Trailer is of the homebrew variety...

Quote:

Originally posted by durangotang Trailer is of the homebrew variety...

Day 12- Cabo Pulmo

Started the day out with some espresso... after almost 2 weeks it was nice to not have camp coffee.


Then we had some unfinished business in Cabo San Lucas...


That's right... parasailing... booya


Can't beat the view from 600ft...


After that... we were out of there... after we stopped for burritos...


Destination: Cabo Pulmo. We wanted to do come snorkeling and people told us that Cabo Pulmo is the place to do it... we chose to go the long way down a very rough coastal road.








One downside was that the wind went crazy when we showed up... we had to park the Jeep back in an arroyo to get out of the wind.


Investigating some snorkeling spots... look at the big palm tree as a wind gauge...


This is the trail to an awesome snorkeling area... unfortunately the wind created some nasty conditions and we couldn't go.


Dinner for the evening... a seafood salad... not really sure if everything was cooked or not... oh well


With no snorkeling to be done and sand blowing everywhere, we decided to leave our south-facing beach for a north-facing one tomorrow.... back up to La Paz.

Day 13- Back to La Paz

We were supposed to spend this day snorkeling but we were off on the road again... off to Tecolote Beach, just north of La Paz.

Mission at Santa Rosalia on the way...


Stopped to check out some seafood... then felt too lazy to prepare anything...


Off to the beach...


Looks like a good enough spot...


Then I spent the rest of the day trying to catch grouper off of a rocky point... no luck...


So I resorted to eating fried octopus...


Playa Tecolote


Not bad for a free place to stay...

Day 14- Back to Santispac

After some discussion, we decided that we liked Bahia Concepcion and wanted to go back there for a few days... it was a decent day on the road but it's a gorgeous drive north from La Paz.

Lunch at another small stand... awesome Carne Asada


A ways from where we started...


Some areas look like Arizona Desert


Back to Bahia Concepcion...


Many people kept telling us that we should camp at this beach... only a Jeep (or something similar) can make it across the sand to the other side. The sand bridge is underwater at high tide and your camp is isolated across the water until the tide goes back out.


Our camp back at Santispac... there's a remote corner that the big RV's can't get to.




Only in Baja

Day 15- Fishing, Missions, and Mulege

This was a very laid back day to explore the town of Mulege, do some shopping, and be lazy in general...
Some buildings in Mulege...




The old mission overlooking town...




Not a bad view from the mission...


Then it was time for some afternoon snorkeling...




...and I was determined to actually catch a fish...


...and I did... the smallest fish in Baja

Day 16- Tecate, Scallops, Spearfishing, and Jellyfish

We came across an opportunity that we couldn't pass up... head out with a local guide for some lessons on how to catch the local seafood.... sweetness...

Started off the day with some freshly delivered tamales from Roberta (a local)... they were beyond good




We took off while I practiced posing for my Abercrombie spread...


Not bad to start the day... a big bag of ginormous clams.


...and an octopus... plus 6 fish for cooking... and 8 large scallops


We were being watched closely...


Daniel, our trusty guide. He only drinks Tecate Light because he says normal Tecate makes him too drunk to drive the boat


After we had our catch for the day (an I had been stung by a jellyfish)... Daniel took us to this isolated beach out on an island to cook what we caught.


The guy had come out here years ago and hollowed out these rocks for cooking... pretty sweet...


The goods...


The group... at left are the Canadians that were camped near us. Then is John from Colorado (solo dual sport rider). Then Nicole and Daniel.


We were all stuffed... so we sat around, drank Tecate, and relaxed...


I think we got our poses down on the trip back...

Day 17- Bahia Concepcion to San Quintin

Long day on the road this time... we really wanted to get back up north so that we could be in a good position for our adventure the following day. This was the first time I had ever been north of Chapala and things are quite different up there....

When you drive a CRD, bring a funnel... most smaller stations only have the large diesel nozzles...


On the road again...


The roadside decor changed pretty dramatically as we headed to the Pacific coast...


Wildflowers were blooming...


The long road ahead...


It just got greener and greener as we got closer to San Quintin... almost like they just got a lot of rain or something


How do you know if a semi just passed WAY too close to you? When your fender flare gets ripped off and your driver mirror gets hit.... yikes!


Unfortunately, we had to enjoy the sunset from the road this time... just south of San Quintin.


I forget the name of the place we camped... it was a little tough trying to find a place to camp in the mud hole that is the San Quintin area. Some campgrounds just seem to be gone altogether after the storms... we were the only people in the restaurant that night, odd for such a big place...


Food was good though... and the menu's were pretty nifty...


Under $20 when everything was said and done...

Day 18- Into the heart of darkness

OK well maybe it wasn't QUITE that dramatic... but we set out on quite the adventure... cross the mountains from San Quintin to San Felipe. We didn't want to go all the way to Ensenada and take the highway, so it was off into the mountains we went. Time to see what a hurricane does to mountain roads

Woke up to a very green Baja in San Quintin...


Our campground was at the end of this cool road...


Green green green


The bridges are still gone on Mex 1... crews are working hard to fix them...


We took our turn off the highway just north of Colonet... even ran into a Army checkpoint in the middle of nowhere... they seemed quite puzzled about some gringos out there and our conversation went something like this:
"Hola. Hablas Espanol?"
"Solo un poquito"
"...something something something in spanish"
"...me looking confused..."
"...El camino... something something... es asi asi..."
"Es ta peligrosa?"
"Si... something something (poining at Jeep)quattro y quattro?"
"Si."
"Es ta bien... buena suerte amigos"

Must be safe


We cruised through farmland and the road has some rather large mud holes... the flatbed pickup with a winch that followed us made me feel much better about crossing them. Going through mud with a trailer is quite the experience...


Then I got to cruise in some deep sand for a while...


You can see how badly the area flooded...


Cruising on my little shelf road... you can see where the flooding washed away a large part of the vineyard.


And then the road was gone...


So I decided to backtrack and cross the riverbed itself... after a little bit of dirtworkboth Jeep and trailer made it up the other bank... (always bring a shovel!!! )


After cruising a little up another arroyo... we were back on the road... apparently not the first though


Near the top, the roads felt like home... little shelf roads in the mountains...


Near the summit of our crossing of the Sierra San Pedro Martir... I think that's Spanish for "not the place to bring a trailer"


Another piece of the road gone... bypass was interesting


And after we popped out at Valle de Trinidad... we made it back to pavement!!


And we made it back to yummy food at Pete's Camp!


...and I promptly went to bed

Day 19- Relaxing in San Felipe

Ahhh... San Felipe... we decided to spend our last couple of days relaxing in San Felipe before we headed back to the states... it was a good choice.

Sunrise over the tidal flats...


Nicole added significantly to her beach combing collection...


Then we hit the town to do some shopping and eat some good food.


Headed up to the shrine overlooking town...


The San Felipe Malecon...


My prize find from the trip... hidden on the shelves of a book store in San Felipe... the book is awesome


Finished the day off with an obscenely large Tecate and sat in the sun...

It was certainly my first time heading south of the border... and I'll take that as a compliment... I think i read just about every post on this site over the 6 months before going

I just read your signature and realized who you are

Thanks a million for all the info on your website... it's been a huge help to us in planning our trip. You're doing a great job (and having too much fun, it seems)

I feel like I owe you a beer or something for the info... haha

Quote:

Originally posted by durangotang Quote: Originally posted by David K GREAT GREAT GREAT!!! I think you may have caught 'Baja Fever' with that trip! Yes, the Cliff Cross Baja Guide (1972 update edition) is really a good find... Birds eye view maps and so many photos of the ranchos and campos from the late 1960's make it a prize to have. That was brave of you to use the San Vicente-Valle Trinidad road after the major floods... but you got through! Thanks again fior the time to share your trip with us, here! I just read your signature and realized who you are Thanks a million for all the info on your website... it's been a huge help to us in planning our trip. You're doing a great job (and having too much fun, it seems) I feel like I owe you a beer or something for the info... haha

Quote:

Originally posted by DENNIS Quote: Originally posted by durangotang Trailer is of the homebrew variety... I was going to ask. Can you think of any production models? I've seen one on the road but can't seem to find it on the net.

yea,buddy!!

killer trip report!!!love all the pics...youre pretty lucky to get do the whole peninsula like that at once....hope to do that trip someday

Well you did it the right way as far as I'm concerned !! Following along on your trip report gave me flash backs of our first "Trip to the Tip" a few years ago...There is no experience like the first one !! We have since done it 2 more times (3 total) Great Trip report, very well thought out and presented !!!

Ps. Tecate is good but the Pacificos ain't bad either

That's what I wanna know!!

Yes... Cieto Lindo... I couldn't remember the name of the place. Thanks.

Almost got the Jeep stuck in the mud on the "road" between there and the beach. Up to the hubs in spots

Quote:

Originally posted by Gaucho Quote: Originally posted by ILikeMex Great trip. Why did your amigos bail back to the states? That's what I wanna know!!

Yep...diesel Jeep...

It was a US market test in 2006 and they sold 10,000 or so of them. Plenty of them floating around for sale... you have to learn how to work on them though, most dealer mechanics also don't know there were diesels

Quote:

Originally posted by durangotang Quote: Originally posted by David K GREAT GREAT GREAT!!! I think you may have caught 'Baja Fever' with that trip! Yes, the Cliff Cross Baja Guide (1972 update edition) is really a good find... Birds eye view maps and so many photos of the ranchos and campos from the late 1960's make it a prize to have. That was brave of you to use the San Vicente-Valle Trinidad road after the major floods... but you got through! Thanks again fior the time to share your trip with us, here! I just read your signature and realized who you are Thanks a million for all the info on your website... it's been a huge help to us in planning our trip. You're doing a great job (and having too much fun, it seems) I feel like I owe you a beer or something for the info... haha

Let me thank YOU again for the report and also for the maturity you have in dealing with some of the Baja Nomads who love to rip and tear at me when they smell a drop of blood!

If I didn't make it clear in the other thread about the encounter south of Puertecitos, my comments were not made to distract/ take something from your words... but to find some explanation to what you witnessed.

I apologize if you took it that way!

My mission here is to help anyone catch BAJA FEVER who desires to!

No worries...

A great report and pics, you are definitely one of us (Nomads)! Now all you have to do is learn to spit and cuss.