BajaNomad

Travel suggestions for a Baja introduction to wife

Jeffrowfo - 5-8-2018 at 01:19 PM

Hello everyone, Love perusing all the topics and posts. Here is my deal. I have been to Baja many times as part of a race team and of course fell in love with it.
I wanted to take my wife to see more than just TJ as thats all she knows. My thoughts are the weekend of June 14th thru the 17th, enter via Tecate crossing to Valle de Gudalupe and tour a winery en route to possibly Ensanada for the day or San Quentin for the night. Then head over to Gonzaga Bay and either camp or stay at Alfonsina's for a night. Then head to San Felipe then home.
OR, can anyone recommend an outfit like Camp4lo or Baja Legends?
Then we could be off the beaten path with knowledgeable guides. As far as the guides its roughly 1650 and 1900 usd respectively to join their guided groups all inclusive minus fuel.
I have never traveled alone in and around Baja but I do feel comfortable staying on the roads (of course daylight only) and making destination stops.
Thank you in advance

JZ - 5-8-2018 at 02:33 PM

Fly down to Loreto. Rent a Jeep there. If you are in SD, you can walk across the border to the airport and fly Calfia direct to Loreto. Cheap flights.

Things to do:

- take a panga ride out to Isla Coronado - about 1,500 pesos. Swim, lunch, and beers on the beach; top 3 beach in all of Baja.

- drive 40 mins out and see the San Javier mission - most beautiful mission in Baja. Nice drive on a paved road.

- Drive 25 miles North of Loreto, then drive 10 miles in the dirt to Bahia San Jaunico. Top 10 bay/beach in Baja. Awesome for camping. Easy drive out. Take wood and build a big fire on the beach.

- Drive 20 miles or so South of Loreto. Turn off to Agua Verde. About an hour drive, give or take, to AV in the dirt. Road is smooth, but it's definitely a nail bitter road. Super fun drive. My 15 yo kid drove it.

This will be 10x better for the wife. Gonazaga Bay is great, but San Felipe terrible. It will turn her off. There are all kinds of other stuff to do there too, like mule rides and stuff.

Bonus, stay at La Mision in Loreto. Probably cheap that time of year.

Watch the first 3-4 mins of the video in my sig to see all these places.


[Edited on 5-8-2018 by JZ]

fishbuck - 5-8-2018 at 03:13 PM




 

"Fly down to Loreto. Rent a Jeep there"

Did that with my ex. We went to Aqua Verde back when it was nothing. She liked it but wasn't happy with my offroad driving style. I scared her a little. I think it was the jumping part.
But come on! What part of Jeep in Baja don't you get?
I had been there with Orange Coast once and wanted to show her.
I flew my Cherokee non-stop from Pomona to Loreto.. 4 hours.
It was just her and I. I had full fuel and we took turns climbing in back for a lavatory break.
Can't do that with a full plane.
If I have passengers we take a break and land about 2hrs into the flight. Just like driving people need to stretch their legs.
Leroto is a good 1st trip.

Jeffrowfo - 5-8-2018 at 03:25 PM

Awesome idea! I just flew from LAx to LTO in November as I raced the Baja 1000 last year- I got in the truck at @ race mile 640 San Ignacio. Unforgettable!! Plus we finished the 50th Baja 1000 62nd overall and 17th in class.
I was planning on flying down with her next February-ish to explore all those places you mentioned plus see the whales.
This year maybe I will do what I mentioned in the 1st post minus SF

wilderone - 5-8-2018 at 03:52 PM

"As far as the guides its roughly 1650 and 1900 usd respectively to join their guided groups"
You don't need a guide. Whatever they're doing, you can do on your own. This forum can custom plan your weekend. Personally, I think that's a lot of driving for 3 nights, 4 days. What else do you enjoy doing? Did you want to fish? Hike? Loll around in an inner tube with a beer? Ruta de Vino will be fun. I'd suggest taking Hwy. 3 from Ensenada (stop at Fish Market pier for fish tacos), to San Felipe. I don't think SF is so bad - a little shopping, restaurant, etc. Then head down to Gonzaga Bay. Drive back home from there via Hwy. 5 (backtracking to SF), exit Mexicali. You'll experience a variety of geography, small towns, food - none of it is really off the beaten path. I don't think it will scare wife off.

Jeffrowfo - 5-8-2018 at 04:17 PM

Thank you for the reply. A little sightseeing, alot of beach and beers! Hiking maybe take in a mission, sgn Coco's books etc, A tiny bit of tourist shopping , after all we live in Vegas and well, lots of touristy stuff here.
I love the Sea of Cortez and its colors. I have a truck more than capable to get off the beaten path.
June 14th is my wifes b-day and I am excited she is down for a nothern Baja excursion.


[Edited on 5-8-2018 by Jeffrowfo]

ehall - 5-8-2018 at 04:24 PM

No camping in gonzaga in june. She will hate being sweaty all night.

bajabuddha - 5-8-2018 at 04:34 PM

Quote: Originally posted by ehall  
No camping in gonzaga in june. She will hate being sweaty all night.


Ditto for lower east SOC. She'd be miserable in the heat; up north will be cooler, with wonderful wineries and A/C. For 3 days keep your itinerary intact. Do Loreto later, you'll enjoy it when it's a bit more temperate. I'd stay more in the winery-Ensenada belt, forget San Flip mid-june... hot, Hot, HOT.

Use the KISS technique, get to know the close-in area and don't try to cram too much in a 3-day weekend, plus if you wanna bail, you can. All around cheaper in the long run (minus tastings and menus).

pacificobob - 5-8-2018 at 04:57 PM

take her to paris. women like that. norwegian air almost gives tickets away.

fishbuck - 5-8-2018 at 05:11 PM

I have a new girl and was thinking the Ensenada winery tours might be fun.
Which place is best for a cheap gringo?
I think those places are pricey?

David K - 5-8-2018 at 06:32 PM

Gonzaga in June is great... too many hot-weather snowflakes here!

Heat makes the body feel good... and the sea is warm enough to bathe in without a wetsuit, as well.

I can lead a group of four-wheelers or you can ride in my 4WD Tacoma for a personal, custom tour to some of the best of Baja. I have designed tours for Cameron Steele, who created the Trail of Missions tour seen on television and YouTube, and a small group like for our Baja Extreme Tour of 2016.

The more days you have available the more Baja you can see.
My idea of fun is going to beautiful sand beaches, palm-lined canyons, old Spanish missions, prehistoric painted caves, old mines, desert gardens that will amaze anyone new to Baja! The food and people of Baja are amazing, too!

Enjoy this fun example of 10 days in Baja that included:
San Felipe, Shell Island, Gonzaga Bay, Coco's Corner, Mission Calamajué, Mission San Borja, Montevideo painted cliff, Bahía de los Angeles, Pancho's San Rafael, Painted cave of El Carmen, San Ignacio, Mulegé, Bahía Concepción, Bahía Asunción and the hospitality of Juan and Shari, Mission San Fernando, Las Pintas fossil grotto, San Quintín, Guadalupe Valley, Tecate.

Turn on your speakers... Baja: Can't Get Enough!





[Edited on 5-9-2018 by David K]

JZ - 5-8-2018 at 06:49 PM

Quote: Originally posted by bajabuddha  
Do Loreto later, you'll enjoy it when it's a bit more temperate. I'd stay more in the winery-Ensenada belt...


Agree on camping. But the ocean is best enjoyed HOT. Summer are the best months on the SoC.

JZ - 5-8-2018 at 06:52 PM

In Ensenada, treat her to Marina Coral Hotel. Best hotel in Baja until you hit Baja Sur.


[Edited on 5-9-2018 by JZ]

BajaTed - 5-8-2018 at 07:58 PM

If the wife likes security, Bajamar is the "Beverly Hills" of Baja,
Guadalupe valley is nearby.

TecateRay - 5-8-2018 at 08:00 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Jeffrowfo  
Hello everyone, Love perusing all the topics and posts. Here is my deal. I have been to Baja many times as part of a race team and of course fell in love with it.
I wanted to take my wife to see more than just TJ as thats all she knows. My thoughts are the weekend of June 14th thru the 17th, enter via Tecate crossing to Valle de Gudalupe and tour a winery en route to possibly Ensanada for the day or San Quentin for the night. Then head over to Gonzaga Bay and either camp or stay at Alfonsina's for a night. Then head to San Felipe then home.
OR, can anyone recommend an outfit like Camp4lo or Baja Legends?
Then we could be off the beaten path with knowledgeable guides. As far as the guides its roughly 1650 and 1900 usd respectively to join their guided groups all inclusive minus fuel.
I have never traveled alone in and around Baja but I do feel comfortable staying on the roads (of course daylight only) and making destination stops.
Thank you in advance [/

Way too much driving for a “weekend”. Valle de Guadalupe and Ensenada can be a fun full weekend. Then you just drive back home within an hour of the border. Let her enjoy Baja not the front seat for hours.

David K - 5-8-2018 at 08:09 PM

As a follow-up to TecateRay's reply, if you want just a 3 day intro, then don't go too far so it isn't all driving.
Of interest, I was able to introduce my future wife to my bit of Baja in a 3 day trip over New Years (2005). We did a long night drive to El Rosario to get a good start, however. See it at www.vivabaja.com/105

BajaBlanca - 5-8-2018 at 08:56 PM

The Ensenada winery idea is excellent! As a first timer to Baja, pamper her and you can't go wrong.

I have heard many a story about guys who took their wives camping their first time and it bombed on them.

Another thought is to stay one night at a place on the coast like Poco Cielo. Soooooooooooooo beautiful and so romantic. Then the winery.

MMc - 5-8-2018 at 09:51 PM

What does your wife like to do? Start there.
My wife never camped before I meet her, Five years later she would post up for 2 weeks of dry camping at distant surf spots. Make sure she has a great time, first.
Check U2U.

mtgoat666 - 5-8-2018 at 09:56 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Jeffrowfo  
Hello everyone, Love perusing all the topics and posts. Here is my deal. I have been to Baja many times as part of a race team and of course fell in love with it.
I wanted to take my wife to see more than just TJ as thats all she knows. My thoughts are the weekend of June 14th thru the 17th, enter via Tecate crossing to Valle de Gudalupe and tour a winery en route to possibly Ensanada for the day or San Quentin for the night. Then head over to Gonzaga Bay and either camp or stay at Alfonsina's for a night. Then head to San Felipe then home.
OR, can anyone recommend an outfit like Camp4lo or Baja Legends?
Then we could be off the beaten path with knowledgeable guides. As far as the guides its roughly 1650 and 1900 usd respectively to join their guided groups all inclusive minus fuel.
I have never traveled alone in and around Baja but I do feel comfortable staying on the roads (of course daylight only) and making destination stops.
Thank you in advance


Take her to Seville and Costa del sol. She will like it better than dusty off-road tour :biggrin:

David K - 5-9-2018 at 09:11 AM

The video was made by a friend who is in the media industry and did that all in one take, unrehearsed, so it is totally natural.

The website was made in 2000, so the 90s look is right, and so what... anyone can use it to explore Baja, for free? Try and see beyond the cover of a book for what's inside.

There must be a friendly way you can offer help without condescending and profanity? Guess I am too old to relate to that method of communicating? Here is the other video Robert Marcos made for me, to promote my book. Again, no rehearsing, one take:



[Edited on 5-9-2018 by David K]

motoged - 5-9-2018 at 01:05 PM

Hot air tends to dissipate quickly....:rolleyes:

A competition for king of the heap ?

[Edited on 5-9-2018 by motoged]

JZ - 5-9-2018 at 05:26 PM

Quote: Originally posted by pacificobob  


I am going to wager a guess you are not employed in public relations or customer service.


SVP of Marketing for technology startups.

TMW - 5-9-2018 at 06:32 PM

I suggest you keep it simple for the wife. Crossing at Tecate and a wine tour is a great ideal. Ensenada is also a nice place to visit and a casual drive down the pacific side would also be good. Maybe a run out to the beach and sand dunes at Colonet then a stay at Jardines in San Quintin. You may want to limit your drive south to La Bufadora and the blow hole. The pacific side will be cool near the ocean. The Sea of Cortez side is a little too warm for most people not use to it. Don't try to pack too much into her first weekend south of the border, relax have fun and be merry.

When you have another long weekend this fall try the SOC side.

fishbuck - 5-9-2018 at 09:12 PM

This one.
If it's good I'll take my girl. I think she might be one of those foodies.
Different than my normal type which is more of a drinkie...😎

I think foodies are still drinkies but with wine. So we"ll see...
Quote: Originally posted by TMW  
I suggest you keep it simple for the wife. Crossing at Tecate and a wine tour is a great ideal. Ensenada is also a nice place to visit and a casual drive down the pacific side would also be good. Maybe a run out to the beach and sand dunes at Colonet then a stay at Jardines in San Quintin. You may want to limit your drive south to La Bufadora and the blow hole. The pacific side will be cool near the ocean. The Sea of Cortez side is a little too warm for most people not use to it. Don't try to pack too much into her first weekend south of the border, relax have fun and be merry.

When you have another long weekend this fall try the SOC side.

David K - 5-10-2018 at 06:59 AM

In rereading Jeffro's posts, seems like he wants to show her the same stuff I showed Baja Angel on her first trip with me... We left San Diego when she got off work Friday and drove to El Rosario (5 hours) for a night at Baja Cactus Motel.

Saturday (New Years Eve) we drove to L.A. Bay and stopped along the way at Mission San Fernando and the petroglyphs just past.. also the painted cave at Cataviña. Had a room (cabin) at Camp Gecko for the next 2 nights to party with the Nomads there. Camp Archelon could substitute for Gecko (which no longer has guest cabins or camping). That night we partied with Paulina and Dern at the Casa Diaz dance.

Sunday, we went to La Gringa, the museum, the turtle research facility (no longer there), and had a nice day.

Monday, we headed home via the Montevideo rock art site, Coco's Corner, Gonzaga Bay (margaritas at Alfonsina's), and was dark by San Felipe. The 85-mile road south of Puertecitos to Chapala was all dirt in 2005. Now it is just 20 some miles of dirt.

That trip sold her on the wonders of Baja and she kept me, too!
Photos at http://vivabaja.com/105

Jeffrowfo - 5-10-2018 at 07:50 AM

This is much like the trip I had imagined. I appreciate everyone's input and suggestions.
My girl can hang in the heat and sometimes out beer me! She is a trooper and doesnt mind roughing it. For us Paris looks good on postcards!!
I will likely melt multiple suggestions into a plan and work out a killer multi stop counter clockwise from Tecate trip via Valle de Guadalupe.
We will see.
I will post up my plans a few days or so prior to our departure and hope to meet up with a few BajaNomads along the way!!


[Edited on 5-10-2018 by Jeffrowfo]

Udo - 5-11-2018 at 09:08 AM

May I suggest you bring your wife to spend a weekend in the Ensenada area.
There is so much to do here.

Introduce her to the wine country just north of the town. Should you need a guide, drop on down to to the Facebook page of Artruro Horta Mesa. He is very inexpensive and can get you hooked up with anythi ng. If you need a joint venture, he can hook you up also.
Look me up on FB and I'll answer more questions you may have,

Ensenada is a great launch point for Baja Norte. If you have a couple of weeks in the future, give me a shout on either FB or U2U here.

fishbuck - 5-11-2018 at 05:53 PM

We need to make up some standard trips for people.

Is this an Ensenada/Wine valley/San Filepe 3 day?
Or an Ensenada/Jardines/Baja Cactus 3 day?

DavidK will never be able to make you a map unless you specify.:cool:

TMW - 5-11-2018 at 06:21 PM

If it was me I'd do the wine tour then run down to Ensenada and the San Nicolas hotel and do a little gambling at their casino. Next day run up to Mike's Sky Ranch catching the sights and sound along the way, maybe drop off some clothing and other stuff at the El Oasis orphanage east of Trinidad. After a night at Mikes it's back to Hwy 3 to Hwy 5 and north to Hwy 2 (either the free road or toll road) and back to Tecate. Stopping as needed for food, drink and pit stops.

The first time I stayed at Mikes with my wife it was April and cold at night. The room has was cold and when we got into the bed we both fell to the center where it sagged. It was a warm night.

David K - 5-11-2018 at 11:14 PM

Quote: Originally posted by fishbuck  
We need to make up some standard trips for people.

Is this an Ensenada/Wine valley/San Filepe 3 day?
Or an Ensenada/Jardines/Baja Cactus 3 day?

DavidK will never be able to make you a map unless you specify.:cool:


Location, location, location! ;)

HeyMulegeScott - 5-12-2018 at 09:58 AM

I added some notes to our trip report on Valle de Guadalupe from my wife. Highly recommend visiting there.

willardguy - 5-12-2018 at 10:13 AM

I'd pass on the guadalupe trip, why spend your time looking at something you can visit in Pahrump in your own back yard? you have a short trip, fool around Ensenada, drive down to san quintin for the night,visit the Old Mill, Don Eddies, celito lindo, go for some oysters, head home.

del mar - 5-12-2018 at 11:34 AM

Quote: Originally posted by willardguy  
I'd pass on the guadalupe trip, why spend your time looking at something you can visit in Pahrump in your own back yard? you have a short trip, fool around Ensenada, drive down to san quintin for the night,visit the Old Mill, Don Eddies, celito lindo, go for some oysters, head home.


I concur....thats a short trip