BajaNomad

Bahia...circa late 70s

Ken Bondy - 2-18-2015 at 04:19 PM

Skipjack Joe - 2-18-2015 at 04:54 PM

Ah yes, those were the days.

Paulina is somewhere down there.

David K - 2-18-2015 at 04:56 PM

Great! Looks like the pavement has arrived, and Casa Diaz would soon be joined by the Villa Vita as the only rooms in town for guests.

Bob53 - 2-18-2015 at 06:00 PM

I stayed at Casa Diaz many many times back in the 70's before the pavement arrived.


[Edited on 2-19-2015 by Bob53]

woody with a view - 2-18-2015 at 06:04 PM

does the pavement follow the old road for the most part?

AKgringo - 2-18-2015 at 06:27 PM

I first camped at Bahia de L.A. in 1986, but my first say in a motel there was in 1999. I had a new sweetheart at that time and didn't want to rough it too much until we found out how we got along.
I didn't book a room at the new looking place, that as it turned out had it's own generator. I went with the more rustic, older motel. Right about the time she was lathered up in the shower, the power to the lights and water pump quit! It was fortunate that the back up lighting was poor, because sincere sympathy is hard to fake when you are pouring bottled drinking water over your traveling companion to rinse the soap off!
To make things up to her, we went back to the new motel with the generator for dinner and drinks! It didn't help as much as I thought it would, so I looked for better accommodations after that.

BajaRat - 2-18-2015 at 06:39 PM

Quote: Originally posted by AKgringo  

To make things up to her, we went back to the new motel with the generator for dinner and drinks! It didn't help as much as I thought it would, so I looked for better accommodations after that.



A new room or girlfriend ;)

4x4abc - 2-18-2015 at 07:36 PM

beautiful!

KaceyJ - 2-18-2015 at 09:11 PM

Thanks Ken for the memories.

Mid seventies we'd camp just North of where they built the turtle station. Nothing out there and you wouldn't see anyone unless you went to town. It was great .

Standing in knee deep water, casting anything you had and catch (and release) all the bay bass you wanted with my Zebco , until your arms fell off or pass out from the heat . Mom and Pops liked July for some reason , the nights were magical , especially when the electrical storms rolled up the Sierra Madre far to the East.

Would go into town to get spring water and those were the days when a few locals would stop in their tracks and stare at you, the foreigner. Some with the ol' mexican stink eye.

Now the area is too crowded and full of riff-raff ;D so we dont go there anymore.

Barry A. - 2-18-2015 at 11:45 PM

Quote: Originally posted by woody with a view  
does the pavement follow the old road for the most part?


The eastern portion of pavement is mostly close or on the old dirt road, but the western 1/3 which is paved is quite a bit south of the old dirt road. You can see the old dirt road on the Baja Atlas. The old dirt road was the way we got there in the early '70's, or late '6o's---can't recall exactly when. You can still travel in that way on the dirt portion, and it is fun to do that.

The Villi Vita Hotel was built by Jim Bracamonte of Jim's Air, the FBO owner at Lindberg Field, San Diego. He was good friends with Diaz's.

Barry

David K - 2-19-2015 at 08:31 AM

Quote: Originally posted by woody with a view  
does the pavement follow the old road for the most part?


The old roads into L.A. Bay, as shown on this 1962 Gulick (Lower California Guidebook) map:




The new road meets the old road about 10 miles east of Hwy. 1 and closely follows it or is next to it the remaining distance to L.A. Bay. They were beginning to pave it in 1976, by 1984 it was very badly pot holed... it was first graded in 1974.


Here is the map with new roads drawn in:

StuckSucks - 2-19-2015 at 11:23 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Ken Bondy  


Compare with Google Earth:

Ken Bondy - 2-19-2015 at 12:10 PM

That's fantastic StuckSucks!!

Vince - 2-19-2015 at 03:35 PM

I believe that is the airstrip right there in the middle of town, I remember landing there in a friend's plane once. The fuel was right there also, mid 1970's.

David K - 2-19-2015 at 04:02 PM

Yup, planes would taxi right up to the Diaz cabins... more planes than cars there before 1974!

Bob53 - 2-19-2015 at 05:32 PM

If remember correctly, the gas pump was right near the ramp at Diaz.

Barry A. - 2-19-2015 at 08:58 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Bob53  
If remember correctly, the gas pump was right near the ramp at Diaz.


That's the way I remember it also, Bob. In Ken's picture, the building just to the right of the ramp is the fuel shed.

The comparison pics are just amazing-------thanks Guys.

Barry

durrelllrobert - 2-20-2015 at 11:30 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Skipjack Joe  
Ah yes, those were the days.

Paulina is somewhere down there.
Way, way off the left side of the picture.

Paulina - 2-20-2015 at 09:12 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Skipjack Joe  
Ah yes, those were the days.

Paulina is somewhere down there.


That was just a little before my time. My first trip to Bahia de Los Angeles was in July 1981. I have the best memories ever of the place and people I met, good friends to this day.



We stayed in the Vermillion Sea Station, on Ocana land. It's the building with the red roof.







The Govt. campground and Antonio's turtle farm


Thanks Ken for posting your original photo. I love to see Bahia from the way back machine.

P>*)))>{

[Edited on 21-2-2015 by Paulina]

David K - 2-20-2015 at 09:49 PM

Awesome Paulina!