Went as far south as Bahia Concepcion on a far-too-limited-timewise trip to Baja California Sur. What a blast. Mexico like we have never seen it. I
had no idea and I promise to keep my mouth shut. Been travelling to Sonora since I was a nino in the mid 60's. Never been to the Baja Penisula. What
an amazing place. We drove from Dixon, NM to Cottonwood, AZ where our 5th wheel and old blue Dodge truck were staged at the wisen suggestion of my
wife. Braved snow and ice packed roads west of Albuquerque in the Honda Element to get there. It would have sucked royal hauling the 5th wheel. Then
down to Quartzite, the elephant burial graveyard of RV'ers. Over the mountains to Potrero, crossed at Tecate on Christmas morning like a breeze.
Ensenada was a zoo and it took us all day to get from Potrero to El Rosario. Mama Espinosa's didn't live up to the reputation it has earned. Off day
maybe. Skip the crab. Trust me. Stayed at the little RV park on the step above the restaurant. VERY nice folks and a very good breakfast. Off again to
Catavina. The restaurant there is closed. Owner says that there's not enough tourism these days to pay, so the Mrs. got a job. Nice spot, gorgeous
rocks and cactus. Those Cirios cacti are amazing. The leaves suggest to us that they may be a distant cousin to the ocotillo. Quien sabe?
Off to Santa Rosalia (great town) Mulege and the Bahia Concepcion. 5 days at Santispac was sweet with a few trips into town for Pacifico Ballenons and
water in the cans. Got used to the Jake Brake symphony eventually. We unhooked the 5'er and explored the beaches south. A lot of sweet spots. Mostly
needed to decompress. Almost got there. Need mas tiempo. Gotta figure out how to shed this goldern JOB. The long drive down the baja, with the
mountain and skinny-a** highway south convinced us to book the ferry from Santa Rosalia to Guaymas for more beach time. We had a smooth trip across,
the crew was very cool and we had access to our trailer for the trip. Got searched and checked in Santa Rosalia prior to the crossing like we'd never
been searched the whole trip. Officials were polite and professional.
We're sitting in an RV park in San Carlos now. Pulled in last night with a flat on the left rear trailer tire.
There's a mechanic in Guaymas looking for his 13mm wrench. If you know him, tell him I have it.
Purging the trailer of sand and salt, sadly. Next trip will be easier and we'll have a LOT more time. Have the boring ride north on a wide divided 4
lane ahead of us today. No more death-defying inches-apart encounters with hurtling 90,000 lb camiones. Charlotte said that she just closed her eyes
when the trucks came by. I said, Hell, that's what I do!
Thanks to all for your support and good advice. As I've always said: The second time you do something is always easier. My buddy Dave wanted us to go
over to see Pompano and buy his kayaks. I'm sorry we didn't put it together to go meet him. And the kayaks would be fun in the Bahia. Paz. H.
[Edited on 1-11-2012 by ElCazadorAZ]desertcpl - 1-4-2012 at 09:42 AM
thanks, nice post
how about some pixsAgavedaze - 1-4-2012 at 09:43 PM
Hola Cazador -- Looking forward to more details and photos. How was the day ferry from Sta. Rosalia to Guaymas? What did it cost to take your
vehicle and trailer across? Welcome home you guys.KaceyJ - 1-4-2012 at 10:02 PM
Cazador ,
Your the second person I know to get a wrench through a tire. Too strange. How does that happen?
About ten years ago, north of the Bola turn off ,we made a stop on a turn out and some how, somehow, got a 1/2 inch combination wrench through the
side wall of a new bfg at .
For quick pit stops we now just find a lonely stretch and stop in the middle of the road . Don't recommend that but I'm paranoid of all the
debris/leftovers that inhabit the few wide spots available.
Enjoyed your trip report
[Edited on 1-5-2012 by KaceyJ]ElCazadorAZ - 1-5-2012 at 08:47 AM
Hour and 45 to get thru Nogales and into the USA. And then....... depression sets in.... Damn.
Moved all decent images to photobucket. Will post them as soon as I get computer access. Only a couple beach shots and one of our neighbor at
Santispac with her bagpipes. Inspirational way to start the day. HTMW - 1-5-2012 at 09:48 AM
Thanks for the report. Sounds like you had great Baja time.ElCazadorAZ - 1-7-2012 at 08:01 PM
Images:
Santispac Palapa
Bagpiping Neighbor
Eiffel Designed Prefab Church in Santa Rosalia
Things got crowded at the Santispac palapa so we moved around the bay past Ana's Restaurant
View out the 5th wheel door at the new Santispac location
Another ElCazadorAZ - 1-7-2012 at 08:06 PM
Quote:
Originally posted by Agavedaze
Hola Cazador -- Looking forward to more details and photos. How was the day ferry from Sta. Rosalia to Guaymas? What did it cost to take your
vehicle and trailer across? Welcome home you guys.
Hey, Hola back! The day ferry was a blast. We were on deck and on the stern and in and out of the 5th wheel reading, making a sandwich, drinking ice
cold Modelos. Few white caps at first, then settled in to a slow low swell. No pukers, no problems at all. I've heard that they are all NOT like this
trip. Cost about 10,200 pesos for the Blue Moose Dodge and 5th wheel (12M in length total) and the two of us.
Saved us a 1000 miles and the drive North itself. I'd chance it again..... Probably! Here's wishing all the BN trippers a ferry trip across like ours
was! H
[Edited on 1-8-2012 by ElCazadorAZ]woody with a view - 1-8-2012 at 08:26 AM
i like your final spot much better.... looks like a good way to greet the day!ElCazadorAZ - 1-8-2012 at 11:56 AM
Would have been a great way to greet a MONTH! Wish we'd had more time. Thanks, H
[Edited on 1-8-2012 by ElCazadorAZ]oladulce - 1-8-2012 at 12:31 PM
Had to laugh- there you were with a great camp spot on a beach all to yourself, and along comes a bagpiping neighbor! Isn't that how it goes...
Actually if she played well it may have sounded cool across the water.
santispac
captkw - 1-8-2012 at 12:35 PM
Hola,as alway's.....I'm missing something...your first two pic's show a empty playa santispac,NO???at least the least camper's since the day they
closed it..huumm 4 year's ago...and that didnt, last for long....K&TElCazadorAZ - 1-8-2012 at 08:47 PM
Quote:
Originally posted by captkw
Hola,as alway's.....I'm missing something...your first two pic's show a empty playa santispac,NO???at least the least camper's since the day they
closed it..huumm 4 year's ago...and that didnt, last for long....K&T
You know how cameras lie! There were actually a lot of people there when we arrived, but most seemed to be locals who weren't camping, just
day-trippers with the kids.
We arrived on Martes, the 27th. There were several "compounds" of giant RV's in circle-the-wagon mode there and a few tent campers. One is visible
just to the right of us in one image. It then got busy later in the week and a couple more of the behemoths arrived, and though there were several
other spots available, they parked on top of us and decided that they wanted our palapa. We'd been eyeing the spot all by itself on the side road
already and they got us motivated to pull up stakes and move. Should have done it a couple days sooner. No big deal. Glad to have the last couple days
to ourselves and the view was great to the west for sunsets.
The bagpiper neighbor (Maureen) WAS pretty good. I heard the first unmistakeable squawk one morning and turned to my wife and said: That's a bagpipe.
Wouldn't have guessed I was going to hear those in BCS. It was indeed enjoyable. She did Auld Lang Syne for New Years Eve beautifully, though the bar
closed early and everyone toddled off to bed at about 2200.
Santispac is a nice spot, bit noisy from the highway, bit busy with quads and dirt bikes, bit crowded, but all in all, it did the job we needed it to
do. I'd go back. Or keep going South.... H.
ELCAZ
captkw - 1-8-2012 at 09:49 PM
Glad you had a safe,good trip,,but,, If I heard a bag pipe,,I would of thought that I was tripping,,that, might be a first...K&Ttbpbeth - 1-10-2012 at 12:02 AM
Glad you guys had a good safe trip! How scary was the ferry? I've always wanted to take it across to the mainland but have this vision of a
rustbucket overloaded with people sinking in the hammerhead zone! I agree with you on the narrow Hwy 1, as it's said about Baja travel "hours of
boredom punctuated with moments of sheer terror" - and that's the truth!
Pictures are awesome - makes me want to go NOW! We had a couple of good trips recently south of San Felipe for T-Day and Christmas, but as always,
much too short for complete decompression. When is retirement??ElCazadorAZ - 1-10-2012 at 07:40 AM
Our ferry trip was easy and without complaint. Actually it was a sweet boat ride. The Santa Rosalia is a small single engine ferry of fairly recent
vintage. I estimate that it could hold 10-12 cars packed in properly. Its kind of dirty and rusty with plenty of deferred maintenance. Hey, it ain't
in the USA and that's to be expected. There are plenty of life preservers and lifeboat canisters that appear to be in good order. Stories I've heard
include a mystery middle of the night engine shutdown, leaving the ship in total silence and blackness, with the eventual restart. Most stories
involve rough seas and metal bunks with no handholds. And lots of puking. Nice, huh? We found the ferry to be adequate and commanded by a skilled and
competent captain and crew. Its a 10 hour trip if all goes well. It did for us. Your mileage may vary!!
Images were taken with a Droid phone. We forgot the camera and the lime squeezer! I know! Gasp. Second trip is always easier. I'd take the ferry again
and pray for a repeat performance....... Habsinvestor - 1-13-2012 at 09:52 PM
KaceyJ- The answer to how it happens: I had a major blowout and found a 10" huge screwdriver jammed in the tire. At the tireshop I commented that I
couldn't understand how it happened. The tire guy told me it is common and almost always on a rear tire. What happens is a front tire hits one end of
the wrench/screwdriver etc and stands it up for the back tire to run over.KaceyJ - 1-13-2012 at 10:00 PM
very plausible Ab,
never thought of that one ,
I guess if you're a baja llantero you've seen it all and had plenty of time to contemplate the hazards you fix
