BajaNomad

Need info driving North from BCS

Lee - 7-19-2020 at 02:32 PM

Anyone know if Gonzaga is open? Or SF -- think things might be dicey there?

Bob and Susan - 7-19-2020 at 04:40 PM

if you are going to san clemente wouldnt it be better to cross at tj

open 24/7

I thought you were a "stay put" guy!

AKgringo - 7-19-2020 at 04:51 PM

Remember this from last week?
http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=94779&got...

David K - 7-19-2020 at 06:39 PM

Mexicali (west) is also 24/7 last I read. Much quicker to come to San Diego/ San Clemente via San Felipe than via San Quintín.

del mar - 7-19-2020 at 07:03 PM

:lol:do you really thing Lee needs help finding his way back to San Clemente?

Lee - 7-19-2020 at 07:46 PM

I'm not traveling, info is for family driving North. Sorry for confusion. I left BCS months ago, and for anyone interested, live high in the Rocky Mountains in the Summer. Now this is paradise.

So, Gonzaga is open? San Felipe is cool? Not sure why fam is going up 5 and cutting over to Tecate but that's their route.

PS -- I always go through Tecate both ways. Gave up on TJ few years ago after I got sent to secondary, going South, and spent an hour while my car was x-rayed 3 times, then unpacked my car, while 3 MX photographed my 6 pack of beer and 2 bottles of wine on the sidewalk.

A$$holes!

ncampion - 7-20-2020 at 09:59 AM

Lee, not sure where they are starting from but we always use 5 when going to and from Loreto. Last week we came from San Juan Capistrano, leaving around 9am, crossed at Tecate (drive through) then Mex. toll road to Hwy 5 outside Mexicali and made it to GN well before dark. On to Loreto next day. The crossing at Mexicali is maybe a few less miles by not worth the trouble of having to drive through that town. We have also gone the other way (S to N) going all the way to San Felipe. There are a few motels open and plenty of take out food. We'll never go through TJ or the San Q corridor again. So much less stressful on 5.

David K - 7-20-2020 at 10:38 AM

Yes, northbound use Tecate (if it is open) coming from San Felipe, Gonzaga, Mulegé. Hwy. 5 to Hwy. 2-D to Tecate. No city traffic and only some town traffic in San Felipe and east side of Tecate.

Lee, your root question was if Gonzaga and San Felipe were "open" and that is a bit confusing... Those places have people living there, so what would be 'closed'? The beaches, yes... but the highway has never been 'closed' other than the brief times when locals took the law into their own hands in some places and blocked entrance by outsiders! I think that happened in Punta Abreojos?

Lee - 7-20-2020 at 11:10 AM

DK -- didn't think the hgwy was closed but beaches, restaurants, motels. Doesn't sound like the area is closed. My post wasn't very clear. Sorry.

JZ - 7-20-2020 at 11:59 AM

Quote: Originally posted by ncampion  
Lee, not sure where they are starting from but we always use 5 when going to and from Loreto. Last week we came from San Juan Capistrano, leaving around 9am, crossed at Tecate (drive through) then Mex. toll road to Hwy 5 outside Mexicali and made it to GN well before dark. On to Loreto next day. The crossing at Mexicali is maybe a few less miles by not worth the trouble of having to drive through that town. We have also gone the other way (S to N) going all the way to San Felipe. There are a few motels open and plenty of take out food. We'll never go through TJ or the San Q corridor again. So much less stressful on 5.


Mexicali is super easy to drive through. Nothing like TJ.

Precisely what I was thinking

thebajarunner - 7-20-2020 at 03:44 PM

Quote: Originally posted by JZ  
Quote: Originally posted by ncampion  
Lee, not sure where they are starting from but we always use 5 when going to and from Loreto. Last week we came from San Juan Capistrano, leaving around 9am, crossed at Tecate (drive through) then Mex. toll road to Hwy 5 outside Mexicali and made it to GN well before dark. On to Loreto next day. The crossing at Mexicali is maybe a few less miles by not worth the trouble of having to drive through that town. We have also gone the other way (S to N) going all the way to San Felipe. There are a few motels open and plenty of take out food. We'll never go through TJ or the San Q corridor again. So much less stressful on 5.


Mexicali is super easy to drive through. Nothing like TJ.


When I first read this I had to stop and read it again...
Mexicali is the easiest large city to drive through that I can imagine
Plus lots of good markets, ice and licores stops, etc once you clear the main downtown headed south.
TJ is also easy, unless you happen to hit an accident or a bad commute hour.
I think some of this angst is imbedded in the minds of apprehensive drivers, not in the actual traffic of these border towns.

David K - 7-20-2020 at 03:50 PM

Getting out of Tijuana, southbound is typically easy but when there is a construction project, with detours off the "easy" route, it can be very 'not fun'. Same story northbound.

Mexicali southbound was very easy, then they made a new border with a longer, but less traffic route south. Wrong signage (for awhile) was really irritating for some.
I hope northbound signage has improved.
I photed the route we took to Mexicali East, last year... But I have not been across northbound at Mexicali West since the new border was opened.

shari - 7-21-2020 at 08:20 PM

Hotels, restaurants & stores are open in our area of central Baja with social distancing. If they want to stop in here with less contagious risk, they can stay with me at the Inn in Asuncion.