Hey all, how is the progress with the construction at Baja Cactus? I'm thinking of staying there in May. Do you think that is too long of a one day
drive from Bay Area?chippy - 2-9-2020 at 12:18 PM
Depends on how early you leave the Bay Area. I used to do it to San Quintin towing a boat. I would leave at 4 am and arrive before dark. gnukid - 2-9-2020 at 04:16 PM
You can easily make it in one day but it's 12-16 hours from the Bay Area so best to leave at 10pm-12am from the bay area to do it right and cross
early morning and have multiple drivers.
[Edited on 2-10-2020 by gnukid]JZ - 2-9-2020 at 04:56 PM
Go down MX 5. It's faster, more things to see, and a lot less stressful than driving down MX 1.
Stop in San Felipe or Gonzaga the first night.
Trust me on this one.
JZ - 2-9-2020 at 04:58 PM
Regarding Baja Cactus. Last time we were there (6 months ago) the freaking air pump didn't even work. Come on man, that's some bull chit.
Hope it's fixed by now, but doubt it.
[Edited on 2-10-2020 by JZ]AKgringo - 2-9-2020 at 05:05 PM
JZ, if Baja Cactus is the destination, not a sleep stop, then going down MX 5 wouldn't make sense!JZ - 2-9-2020 at 05:20 PM
JZ, if Baja Cactus is the destination, not a sleep stop, then going down MX 5 wouldn't make sense!
Yes, of course. I assumed it wasn't. That's a whole other discussion.
There are a ton of fun off road treks that start near there.
Terrible input!!!
thebajarunner - 2-9-2020 at 05:31 PM
The unfortunate inquirer asked about El Rosario and immediately got sent to San Felipe..... duhhhhhh
And, leaving the Bay Area at 2 a.m. puts you into the LABasin right at the beginning of commute hours and a guaranteed slow trek all the way to San
Clemente.
Come on folks, you can do better than this....JZ - 2-9-2020 at 05:44 PM
The unfortunate inquirer asked about El Rosario and immediately got sent to San Felipe..... duhhhhhh
And, leaving the Bay Area at 2 a.m. puts you into the LABasin right at the beginning of commute hours and a guaranteed slow trek all the way to San
Clemente.
Come on folks, you can do better than this....
You'd have a point if the final destination is El Rosario (or somewhere near there, i.e. the Seven Sisters). But I'd guess it's much further South
(i.e. her profile says Punta Chivato as the location).
In that case, maybe they don't realize going down MX 5 is much better than MX 1 these days (1-2hrs faster minimum starting near SD, let alone the Bay
Area). The road has been paved from Gonzaga to MX1, and the miles of potholes before Gonzaga have been fixed.
Terrible input. Really?
To suggest to someone to avoid LA and San Diego traffic (this alone could make MX 5 more than 4 hours faster than MX 1), avoid the mess and stress
that is Tijuana, avoid a dozen stop and go towns before San Quintin, avoid a 30-40 minute construction delay (dead stop) a bit below Ensenada, and
avoid driving through the most curvy, dangerous section of Baja from El Rosario to Catavia.
Please explain to me how that is "Terrible Input!!!"
[Edited on 2-10-2020 by JZ]Don Pisto - 2-9-2020 at 05:45 PM
go for it! if it turns out you bit off more than you want to chew there's no shortage of stop oversmtgoat666 - 2-9-2020 at 06:50 PM
re 5 vs 1,.. from my starting point in san diego, if going to LA bay or south, i almost always go south on 1, and return north on 5... just my
preference!
if traveling with non-sentri peeps, the mexicali crossing is often a shorter wait for the general lanes (plus a slightly shorter drive time on 5)
re driving from bay area to el rosario,... i would do it in with a stop overnite so cal or north baja - just not fun to push that distance in one
non-stop...
as of 2 weeks ago when i passed thru the baja cactus restaurant was still under construction, and no windows in yet,... so doubt it will be done by
may -- looking to be a sizable building/developmentDavid K - 2-9-2020 at 07:28 PM
The construction is for the new Baja Cactus Restaurant, in front of the motel. norte - 2-9-2020 at 08:35 PM
Hasn't that construction been going on for a long time?David K - 2-9-2020 at 09:55 PM
Yes, it has... Antonio has a lot of projects going on with the Pemex station, Motel, Desert Hawks Rescue/ ambulance/ fire department.
The restaurant groundbreaking was in 2017 and when I stayed there with the America Unearthed TV show crew in February 2019, the building exterior
looked done and it was just the insides to finish.
Now, it's a year later... and while Antonio isn't posting here much anymore, I hope to hear from other Nomads or to see photos of it in 2020.
I do think permits were an issue that delays these projects? Is the gas station at Cataviña open yet?msteve1014 - 2-9-2020 at 11:08 PM
The bay area to El Rosario is a long day with traffic.
I leave Oxnard at 2am to slip past the traffic in so. cal. and get to La Bocana before dark.BajaMama - 2-10-2020 at 07:50 AM
Thanks for the input - and yes I am vacillating between Mex 1 & 5. Either way I'll depart bay area around 5:00 AM to hit LA traffic around 9:30
AM, should be less by then. Mex 5 does have the advantage of skipping all the traffic in the San Quintin area. Yes Punta Chivato is final
destination - just trying to do it in two days. If I choose Mex 5 where do you recommend I overnight in San Felipe? I stayed Hotel Sky Blue last
time - while it was okay, I am happy to pay more for a place I feel more secure in with a shower that may actually have hot water. Someone mentioned
the San Dollar at the south end. Safe parking? Recommended?JZ - 2-10-2020 at 10:02 AM
San Dollar is nice. Right on the beach.
Distance to Chivato is roughly the same from San Felipe and El Rosario. Easier drive from San Felipe.
advrider - 2-10-2020 at 10:18 AM
I will be staying at the cactus next month and will take a bunch of pictures to post up. Bajazly - 2-10-2020 at 10:42 AM
Kikis is a pretty nice place down by the Malecon on the water and was about $55 last time I was there. Right after the roundabout is the Baja
Adventure, turn right on Mar Jonico, at $40 a night, both have secure yards and nice rooms.
If SF is the destination, I'd go over the Tehachapis and avoid LA altogether. Last time I went that way it was about 11 hours give or take.
If you come thru SF, let me know and we can have some tacos.Alm - 2-10-2020 at 01:43 PM
