BajaNomad

Turkeys on the beach

canoe4me - 10-8-2017 at 08:59 PM

I'm headed to the San Francisquito area over Thanksgiving to find a deserted beach to cook a turkey in a pit. We would welcome family friendly company. We are a family of 5 (3 kids 11, 9, 7.) We will be going south on highway 5 on Nov 18th and hope to make a few stops including Mission San Borja and some of the cave paintings on the way to Bay of LA. From there we will spend several days on a beach north west of San Francisquito. I've never been to any of these specific places in person but they sure look cool on this forum! ((it's not an adventure if the outcome is certain!) I have been in this area before though...)
We hope to cook a full scale thanksgiving meal on the beach.

We do have experience traveling the backroads of Baja.


[Edited on 10-9-2017 by canoe4me]

ehall - 10-9-2017 at 04:47 AM

Great offer. Thanks for the generosity. Sounds like you will have a great time.

David K - 10-9-2017 at 06:09 AM

Great combo of trip ideas! It was fun going to all those areas this year!

nbentley1 - 10-9-2017 at 08:30 AM

canoe4me, any more info on your cooking method? We are heading down during the same week to (different location) and were having the whether to fry or bury debate.....

TMW - 10-9-2017 at 09:12 AM

I don't think any meat is as juicy or tender as pit cooked.

willardguy - 10-9-2017 at 09:14 AM

"as god as my witness, I thought turkeys could fly!!"

Arthur Carlson

AKgringo - 10-9-2017 at 10:07 AM

I notice that this is your first post, welcome to the forum! One thing to keep in mind, is that the Baja 1000 will be using some of the route you will be traveling (Nov 14/18). You will be behind the racers, but there will still be some additional traffic from support crews and spectators along the way.

As far as the turkey, I vote to bury it.....then go to the restaurant and have them do all the cooking and cleaning! If they are closed you could go with a back up plan, turkey hot dogs on a stick, over a camp fire.

I mean, you are on vacation! Take a break from the things that add excess baggage or chores. But then, you are traveling with a family, not a solo old coot like me.

Keep us posted on your adventures, it would be fun to follow a younger point of view of places you visit.

BajaBlanca - 10-9-2017 at 03:44 PM

Welcome to bajanomad and have a great time!

My suggestion is to have a plan B just in case it is too windy, too hot, too many flies ...

hombre66 - 10-9-2017 at 08:02 PM

wind will be an issue this time of year

canoe4me - 10-9-2017 at 09:04 PM

David K, Thank you for the reply. It is your posts that helped me to plan all of my Baja adventures so far. We have used your information significantly and had a great time. I was surprised that this was my first post. I feel like I have been on this forum quite a bit, but apparently I'm just a lurker!

Cooking the turkey in the dirt should be great. It is a bunch of work but after I did a whole pig while living in Kentucky, I figure a turkey should be much easier! Plus, Baja sand has to be easier to dig than that Red River Clay!!

My wife loves a beach vacation with nothing to do but sit around but my ADHD prevents any relaxation. I have to have a project to keep me happy. I'll cook while she chills.

The method is really simple, any Neanderthal can do it. Dig big hole, add some rocks and build big fire! Dance around fire until it gets down to coals. Shovel out half the coals and rocks. Add a layer of sand to cover coals. Put meat with lots of spices in oven bag in an aluminum baking pan and place in double wrapped burlap bag that was soaked in water. Wrap some wire around the bagged dead animal and thread some of the wire out of the hole so you can find your meat later. Add more sand to cover the food. Then add the rest of the coals and hot rocks back into the hole. Back fill the hole. Go to sleep. 12 hours later dig up the meat and enjoy!

ehall - 10-10-2017 at 06:47 AM

If wind is too big an issue drive up a canyon into the hills and plant your turkey. Come back the next day and dig it up.

David K - 10-10-2017 at 06:52 AM

Quote: Originally posted by canoe4me  
David K, Thank you for the reply. It is your posts that helped me to plan all of my Baja adventures so far. We have used your information significantly and had a great time. I was surprised that this was my first post. I feel like I have been on this forum quite a bit, but apparently I'm just a lurker!



My wife loves a beach vacation with nothing to do but sit around but my ADHD prevents any relaxation. I have to have a project to keep me happy. I'll cook while she chills.



Sounds like our camp, but I am far from a gourmet cook like it sounds you are! That is very cool. I am happy my trip details help you have a good Baja vacation... I am working hard to produce something you can print out or buy already printed so you have the travel details at hand. I am leaving for TRIP #7 of 2017 to collect more data and photos... in areas I have not been to or been to in a long time!

freediverbrian - 10-11-2017 at 04:52 PM

Years ago I cooked a turkey on the beach , turned out great I used some tin sheets I found for the roof of my oven coved with sand.. cooked unstuffed wrapped in foil yummm!