Well, it's time to write it up. (Still to come -- promises, promises.)
Here's the background. Trip report to follow.
This trip was years in the making, many months in the planning, and days in the staging. I had traveled through Baja numerous times in the past 15
years, sometimes solo, sometimes with my wife, sometimes with a friend or two, always on my trusted Harley. Every trip has been wonderful (well,
except for the El Niño year when my wife and I had no business heading down there; the vados were not our friend; we gave up at Mulegé and ran for the
border).
Every trip had its many stories, and through the years I've enjoyed recounting the great times had down there. And my friends have listened with
considerable (and growing) interest.
Several years ago, I became a casualty of the 24/7 cable news hype and concluded that there was considerable risk traveling south of the border. I
took a long hiatus. But I missed the place, and finally concluded that not traveling solo, I could consider a return trip. 3 or 4 years ago, hanging
with some buddies at Daytona Bike Week, I said out loud, "I'm thinking of another run to Baja." There were half a dozen others in earshot and to a
man they said, "Me too. Let me come along." And the trip was hatched.
One issue I still needed to face was my own comfort level with such a trip. Back in mid-2010, one night at a party I met Reg Sherman, a Bay Area
rider who spends his winters down in Loreto. And I asked him, what is the real skinny about traveling in Baja these days? Honestly, I should have
guessed.
I began refamiliarizing myself with Baja. I rejoined Vagabundos, though their boards aren’t very active these days. I found the BajaNomad forum and
it proved to be a great resource. I rekindled some old Baja friendships. As I researched the issue, I discovered that those of us (myself included)
who had bought into the hype were keeping it alive. And those who have actual firsthand knowledge (from their own travels) know the truth: There is
no serious issue. What a wonderful discovery!
Quite some time passed before serious thought of an actual run bubbled up to the top of the list. One problem I faced was the invite list. I have a
lot of friends who, through the years, have expressed an interest in heading to Baja, but not by themselves. They would be very interested in joining
me on such a ride, but I had to struggle with how to keep the size of the group the least bit manageable. I’m not much of one for big group rides
anyway. (For me, 3 - 4 bikes is a plenty big group.) I concluded the only way to keep the group at any reasonable size was to stick with those
present during my very first musings back at Daytona.
Finally, in August, 2010, I put the word out. The invite went out to 9 other couples: Down to Cabo and back with two weeks or so south of the
border. All were very experienced riders, and most knew each other pretty well.
Two couples bowed out due to time constraints. So, the group was formed: 8 couples on 9 bikes. Two of these remaining couples had real time
constraints. I really wanted them along, and therefore decided on a somewhat compressed itinerary: 10 nights in Baja to do the entire peninsula.
Not ideal but workable.
Never before have I traveled in Baja with room reservations. I felt that with a crowd this big, we would need reserved accommodations for the entire
trip. (Yuck!) It could prove very difficult to try to keep the group together and try to round up 8 rooms at each of our destinations. (I was
proven right about this as even just reserving – well in advance -- this block of rooms proved rather problematic in several instances.) I discovered
the joys of organizing travel plans for a group.
So, there I was, with too big a group, on a rigidly cast itinerary. Not nearly my first choice for travel. But the flipside: I had the opportunity
to share that wonderful Baja experience with several of my very best friends.willyAirstream - 4-17-2011 at 08:08 AM
Looking forward to the report and pics.
ps, maybe add your blog url to your signature?bajamedic - 4-17-2011 at 08:10 AM
Photos...we want photos... thanks JHBarbarosa - 4-17-2011 at 08:22 AM
Quote:
Originally posted by willyAirstream
Looking forward to the report and pics.
ps, maybe add your blog url to your signature?
Blog? I don't do blogs.
Here's a link to some pix, previously posted:
Did I mention we had a professional photographer along? Not his lifelong career -- he's had varied careers -- but he's got amazing talent and has gone
back to school. So, definitely worth a viewing (and tells a pretty good tale):
In the first photo, the photographer is upper left, I'm in the Desperado Hat, and m' lovely wife, Connie, is down front in the bright colors. (In
subsequent photos, the photographer is often in tie-dies.)
I bet those of you in the Los Barriles area know our dear friends down there, JoAnn and Russ (pic #33).
And be sure not to miss pic # 53! (All I can say is, "WOW!")
Enjoy.willyAirstream - 4-17-2011 at 08:36 AM
I should have said "photo log or something" Those are amazing pics. Gotta love
HDR imaging.Barbarosa - 4-17-2011 at 09:20 AM
Should have been included:
One more notable concession was made for this trip. My wife, Connie, has rather severe Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). Fortunately, through the years, and
with the aid of modern medicine, this has not prevented her from doing a considerable amount of touring (on the back). In my preparations for the
trip, I weighed the likelihood of one of several motorcycles breaking down. With a trip that was so (uncharacteristically, for me) structured,
scheduled, and paid in advance, any delays could have really thrown for a loop. So I threw out to her, “I’m thinking maybe we should take a chase
truck. Again, definitely not my style. But then this whole trip wasn’t exactly quite my style. Well, the past few months, Connie’s RA has been
kicking her butt (and pretty much the rest of her. Without a moment’s consideration, she replied, “Yes.” And she’d drive!
Those are amazing pics. Gotta love
HDR imaging.