BajaNomad

Baja newbie ideas

bajabum - 12-29-2011 at 10:43 AM

OK...I have been roaming around the Baja peninsula for 30+ years and love it. My new lady (from Michigan) has never been south of the border and I am taking her to San Felipe for new years eve for her first Baja experience. We will be driving down on Friday and returning on Sunday so we really only have 1 full day to soak in as much as possible. Anyone have any really cool ideas as to where to go and what to do? hotel, resteraunt (bfast/lunch/dinner) recamendations? Definetly have to turn her on to her first fish taco and plan on spending a good part of the day on a beach somewhere (maybe shell island area?). Miramar bar for a drink or two, shrimp omelettes, hot springs in puertocitos? I havnt been to SF in a few years and usually I stop there as a way point on my way down or back from somewhere. Would love to drive on down the coast and just keep going south but that will have to be next time!

BajaGeoff - 12-29-2011 at 10:57 AM

Valle de los Gigantes is an easy trip from San Felipe....and definitely impressive.

Barry A. - 12-29-2011 at 11:00 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by BajaGeoff
Valle de los Gigantes is an easy trip from San Felipe....and definitely impressive.


I thought I knew the area, but that is a new one on me------where is it????

Barry

DENNIS - 12-29-2011 at 11:08 AM

WOW....first timer to Baja gets to cross the border north on a Sunday. Your "new" lady will be your old lady by the end of the day. :lol:

durrelllrobert - 12-29-2011 at 11:35 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Barry A.
Quote:
Originally posted by BajaGeoff
Valle de los Gigantes is an easy trip from San Felipe....and definitely impressive.


I thought I knew the area, but that is a new one on me------where is it????

Barry

just head south and follow signs until you reach the saguaros


[Edited on 12-29-2011 by durrelllrobert]

baronvonbob - 12-29-2011 at 12:02 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by durrelllrobert
Quote:
Originally posted by Barry A.
Quote:
Originally posted by BajaGeoff
Valle de los Gigantes is an easy trip from San Felipe....and definitely impressive.


I thought I knew the area, but that is a new one on me------where is it????

Barry

just head south and follow signs until you reach the saguaros


[Edited on 12-29-2011 by durrelllrobert]


Those are not saguaros! A close resemblance!

Barry A. - 12-29-2011 at 12:12 PM

Cardon?????

Thank you for the location------------super neat!!!

Barry

desertcpl - 12-29-2011 at 04:47 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by DENNIS
WOW....first timer to Baja gets to cross the border north on a Sunday. Your "new" lady will be your old lady by the end of the day. :lol:




I agree with you Dennis,
Bajabum, you might want to rethink about crossing the border on that day if you can.
If it was me I wouldnt try packing in to much in one day
get a Hotel close to downtown, walking distance to the Malecon, fish tacos, great restaurants, plenty of Bars
maybe take a drive south a little to Percebu, for some beach combing, restaurant . bar,, you will also pass the valley of the Giants

Bajahowodd - 12-29-2011 at 05:00 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by DENNIS
WOW....first timer to Baja gets to cross the border north on a Sunday. Your "new" lady will be your old lady by the end of the day. :lol:


True. Funny. And so sad!

Woooosh - 12-29-2011 at 05:01 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by DENNIS
WOW....first timer to Baja gets to cross the border north on a Sunday. Your "new" lady will be your old lady by the end of the day. :lol:

Why so negative Dennis? The three hour drive-thru food court will keep her snack-happy and looking for the 5 peso restrooms. They now deliver hot pancakes to your car in addition to Thrifty Ice Cream, D'Volada Coffee, frozen yogurt, fresh fruit, clamato c-cktails, ice creams, freshly fried potato chips, churros, churro locos (the stuffed ones). SENTRI is for the skinny people ;)

baja border sunday

captkw - 12-29-2011 at 05:37 PM

baja is like a fine wine or lady,,best to take the time to slow down and really injoy it,,or I feel,, ya missed the -------- K&T

San Felipe

EnsenadaDr - 12-29-2011 at 10:50 PM

Hate to be a party pooper but the last shrimpfest at San Felipe was a total disaster...completely empty and frozen shrimp was used because of the lack of attendance..my idea would be to go down to Hotel Coral, Rosarito Beach Hotel, (newly renovated), Las Rosas, take the lady to Puerto Nuevo for some lobster and delicious seafood shrimp omelettes in the morning, go to Muelle Tres for delicious clam chowder on the boardwalk seaside in Ensenada...and end up with a steak dinner at Sano's..hit the wine country in Valle del Guadalupe while you are at it...
Quote:
Originally posted by bajabum
OK...I have been roaming around the Baja peninsula for 30+ years and love it. My new lady (from Michigan) has never been south of the border and I am taking her to San Felipe for new years eve for her first Baja experience. We will be driving down on Friday and returning on Sunday so we really only have 1 full day to soak in as much as possible. Anyone have any really cool ideas as to where to go and what to do? hotel, resteraunt (bfast/lunch/dinner) recamendations? Definetly have to turn her on to her first fish taco and plan on spending a good part of the day on a beach somewhere (maybe shell island area?). Miramar bar for a drink or two, shrimp omelettes, hot springs in puertocitos? I havnt been to SF in a few years and usually I stop there as a way point on my way down or back from somewhere. Would love to drive on down the coast and just keep going south but that will have to be next time!

Woooosh - 12-29-2011 at 11:06 PM

it may be warmer in Michigan than Ensenada this year...

Old lady...

EnsenadaDr - 12-29-2011 at 11:07 PM

A new lady becomes an old lady only if she sits around the house all day and watches Jeopardy every night....a fate worse than death!!!!
Quote:
Originally posted by DENNIS
WOW....first timer to Baja gets to cross the border north on a Sunday. Your "new" lady will be your old lady by the end of the day. :lol:

Dr., just wait one moment!

Howard - 12-30-2011 at 06:40 AM

What's wrong with Jeopardy other than Alex Trebec? I love that show!

Please notice that I replied in a form of a question.

[Edited on 12-30-2011 by Howard]

I like Jeopardy too...

EnsenadaDr - 12-30-2011 at 07:46 AM

I once dated a guy that used Jeopardy as the main focus in our relationship (which by the way, playing Jeopardy was fun in itself)...but never wanted to step out of the house and go anywhere...the TV can be a substitute for the real world and so can the computer....both I love, but not exclusively to the degree of shutting out real life experiences...its sort of like eating pizza for breakfast, lunch and dinner!!!!
Quote:
Originally posted by Howard
What's wrong with Jeopardy other than Alex Trebec? I love that show!

Please notice that I replied in a form of a question.

[Edited on 12-30-2011 by Howard]

bajabass - 12-30-2011 at 08:25 AM

Seems a trip to the Rosarito/Ensenada area would be less drive, more options. Puerto Nuevo, Splash, Poco Cielo, La Fonda, Sano's, lots of nice places to stay.

Whooosh, I grew up in Michigan, and it is NEVER warmer than Ensenada!!!;)

David K - 12-30-2011 at 08:42 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Barry A.
Quote:
Originally posted by BajaGeoff
Valle de los Gigantes is an easy trip from San Felipe....and definitely impressive.


I thought I knew the area, but that is a new one on me------where is it????

Barry


Just past Punta Estrella on the south side of that mountain the paved road goes next to. The entrance road for this tourist attraction is the old road to Punta Diggs/ Punta Estrella from San Felipe... where it now meets the paved road.

Back before they built the new road in '82, we used to drive to the coast on that road and never thought there was anything extra special about those cardons... but, cool if that is as far south as you have been.

You want to see BIG ones, drive to Valle la Bocana, south of Bahia de los Angeles. The cover photo of the Baja Plant Field Guide was taken there... a 65' Cardon.

David K - 12-30-2011 at 08:46 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by bajabum
OK...I have been roaming around the Baja peninsula for 30+ years and love it. My new lady (from Michigan) has never been south of the border and I am taking her to San Felipe for new years eve for her first Baja experience. We will be driving down on Friday and returning on Sunday so we really only have 1 full day to soak in as much as possible. Anyone have any really cool ideas as to where to go and what to do? hotel, resteraunt (bfast/lunch/dinner) recamendations? Definetly have to turn her on to her first fish taco and plan on spending a good part of the day on a beach somewhere (maybe shell island area?). Miramar bar for a drink or two, shrimp omelettes, hot springs in puertocitos? I havnt been to SF in a few years and usually I stop there as a way point on my way down or back from somewhere. Would love to drive on down the coast and just keep going south but that will have to be next time!


One day is no where enough time to see much or enjoy much. Local shopping in the curio stores and maybe a drive to Shell Island (4WD?) at low tide... or Percebu (2WD).

The palm canyons, hot springs, sulfur mine, Gonzaga Bay are all ideas if you have more than 1 day down there. See http://vivabaja.com/tours and check the San Felipe Area (and Gonzaga Bay area) photo links for ideas.

Woooosh - 12-30-2011 at 09:55 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by bajabass
Seems a trip to the Rosarito/Ensenada area would be less drive, more options. Puerto Nuevo, Splash, Poco Cielo, La Fonda, Sano's, lots of nice places to stay.

Whooosh, I grew up in Michigan, and it is NEVER warmer than Ensenada!!!;)

Yea, I exaggerated a tad bit. But it sure seems colder here and I don't see a lot of snow up there this year. I did see 30 people from a Utah church group out enjoying the surf yesterday- so cold is all relative I guess.

Good/Inexpensive Eating at The Green House

Ken Cooke - 12-30-2011 at 12:56 PM

Here is a great place for breakfast. I mentioned it on my Restaurant thread: http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=56702

Great place for Huevos Rancheros, amigo.:yes: