January 2th found Jaime and I discussing the thought that we had not been to Baja yet this year. We finished our breakfast, looked at each other,
laughed and said let’s go. Where, was the only question because it could only be a one day fix. Why!—because we had business in Orange County the next
day.
We packed a picnic lunch and as we started the car we both decided it would be a quick trip to Tecate and on to the toll road toward Mexicali. We
both love the ruggedness of the ride down through the La Rumorosa to the desert floor. It is unbelievable in its starkness and yet somehow it is like
visiting a rather large chapel. When the winds blow it is cold and eerie and one has the feeling that you can easily be blown off the roadway and
into a canyon that is oh!— so deep The rock formations are difficult to describe and a few words would be—massive, cold, awesome, frightening,
majestic and gigantic.
Wow! The speed limit is 30 kpm and that is pushing it for me…oh! did I say that the roadway is two lanes down and two lanes up and divided by massive
canyons and slag heaps of huge rocks. In most cases you cannot even see the opposite roadbed.
This area is like absolutely like no other in all of Baja. Stark and beautiful with only a few isolated and stunted bushes with an occasional dwarf
tree hanging on the edge of a cliff.
When we hit the desert floor we made a U-turn and headed back up. Those blue towers seen dotting the landscape are pumping stations that are lifting
water up and over the mountains and on to Tijuana. They are almost the only color to break up the rust red boulders.
About halfway back up we stopped at a beautiful lookout point for our picnic lunch as we overlooked miles and miles of rock formations and the desert
below.
This is where they say big horn sheep, mountain lions, and the mighty, but threatened, Condors reside.
Returning we took the Libre back to Tecate and across the border. Total time 7 1/2 hours including one hour and forty minutes at the border inspection
station.
Fantastic Baja fix.
I have attached a link of a video of the trip down the La Rumorosa for those of you who have never seen this marvel.
Those instant road trips are the best! Thanks Bernie for taking us along with the video.
I hope this new year finds you and Jamie in Baja for more adventures, no matter how short.
P>*)))>{Eli - 1-4-2012 at 07:39 AM
Sounds like a day very well spent in the best of company, good for you Bernie!DianaT - 1-4-2012 at 10:36 AM
Thanks for the ride. It has been a while since we drove that way and it is quite a drive!
Stolen from Diana T
Baja Bernie - 1-4-2012 at 11:05 AM
“A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.” – Lao Tzu
Says it all for Jaime and me!!!! THANKSMexitron - 1-4-2012 at 01:50 PM
Quote:
Originally posted by Baja Bernie
“A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.” – Lao Tzu
Says it all for Jaime and me!!!! THANKS
Amen Bernie! Thanks for sharing your trip---I may have to start doing a few of those....DianaT - 1-4-2012 at 02:59 PM
Quote:
Originally posted by Baja Bernie
“A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.” – Lao Tzu
Says it all for Jaime and me!!!! THANKS
It is one of my favorites for travel and for life in general.
And you should appreciate this one. One day while John was driving on a back country road and my marginal map reading skills were getting us all
turned around, I said I think we are lost, and he responded,
"How can we be lost when we don't know where we are going?"
We enjoyed where we ended up.
Diana T
Baja Bernie - 1-4-2012 at 03:10 PM
"How can we be lost when we don't know where we are going?"
Has he been talking with my Jaime...she even gets us lost with the help of a GPS...and she always says something like that
"If there is a detour--take it" has become our motto.Bob H - 1-4-2012 at 07:37 PM
Wow, that was great. I had forgotten how high the begining was and how long the ride down to the desert floor was. It's been many years since we
have done this. Thanks for sharing your video clip with us.El Vergel - 1-8-2012 at 05:10 PM
