The Beach, Birds and Bumps in Baja: July 17-20, 2010 (Part 1 of 4)

It was our second wedding anniversary on the 18th, and our favorite place to be just to ourselves is Shell Island, about 20 miles south of San Felipe where the Sea of Cortez is on one side and the Percebu lagoon is on the other.

We started our weekend with breakfast at Sunrise Café, in Vista, CA and were on the road south at 7:30 am. Because of the traffic southbound at Calexico, last trip (2 weeks earlier) we decided to cross at Tecate this time. We crossed the border about 8:45 and headed towards Mexicali, getting on the fast toll highway (Mexico #2-D) a few miles to the east.

Three tolls are paid heading east to the San Felipe highway (Mexico #5). El Hongo was $4.30 (55 pesos), La Rumorosa was $1.50 (16 pesos), and Mexicali (at the Hwy. 5 junction) was 55 pesos (no dollar amount sign posted, we paid in pesos here). It was 10:30 when we got to Hwy. 5.

There was about 6 miles of dirt detour between La Puerta and Rio Hardy where there was earthquake damage and they may be widening the highway to four lanes. Another, but shorter section of dirt detour is near the Hwy. 3 junction, and military checkpoint. New, wider highway begins south of the Hwy. 3 junction and turns into four lanes closer to San Felipe. We got gasoline and a pack of Tecate beer at the El Dorado Pemex and market, and then went into San Felipe for a lunch of fish tacos and carne asada tacos before heading south.

Once again, we arrive on the beach and find nobody else there… solitude! Experimenting with my new truck’s four wheel drive and traction controls, I drive with tires fully inflated to the water’s edge, but the sand/ shell beach is just too soft for my fully loaded truck. Deflating the tires to 15 PSI does the trick. In this photo, where I deflated the tires, note how much better the truck ‘floats’ beyond. I circled back to take this photo.





We set up camp next to the dunes… it is a bit breezy, but not too strong.



An osprey watches from the palapa just south, where Ken and Leidys camped 2 weeks ago.




We check where the terns had a nest, but the eggs have hatched or been consumed…



Two weeks earlier…



The lagoon, low tide…



Pelican diving for fish…





Life’s a beach!











The end of our first day…




To Be Continued…

[Edited on 7-25-2010 by David K]

It is in most of my trip photos to Shell Island... Ken and Leidys camped in it 2 weeks ago... It is about 500 feet south of our spot. It was put up less than 5 years ago. You were there in 2004, before it was up.

See them and the palapa beyond Art's motorhome...



Here it is in Sept., 2008, on the far right edge of the photo:



May of 2008 (baby tern chick in forground, palapa in background):



I reported it new in June, 2006:



[Edited on 7-24-2010 by David K]

Look forward to further posts, DK

Quote:

Originally posted by Udo Look forward to further posts, DK