BajaNomad

Loreto bound! Pics included 9/13/2020

BajaBlanca - 9-10-2020 at 07:55 AM

We are on our way to Loreto! My mom decided to fly in and visit.

I can hardly believe I can post a trip report.

Roadwork on the bridge right before San Ignacio. Dust, must stop while traffic flows by, in our case it was our turn.

Pics later !

[Edited on 9-13-2020 by BajaBlanca]

Corua - 9-10-2020 at 08:03 AM

Saludos i Buen Viaje!!!

[Edited on 9-10-2020 by Corua]

BajaBlanca - 9-10-2020 at 08:03 AM

Thanks!

Howard - 9-10-2020 at 09:36 AM

Would love a flight report from your mom.

What was different about flying now versus before Covid? Longer lines, what extra precautions did Alaska take, etc.? What was different at the Loreto airport immigrations, etc.?

How full was the flight?

Thanks

JZ - 9-10-2020 at 12:16 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Howard  
Would love a flight report from your mom.

What was different about flying now versus before Covid? Longer lines, what extra precautions did Alaska take, etc.? What was different at the Loreto airport immigrations, etc.?

How full was the flight?

Thanks


Can't speak for the Loreto flight, but I have flown a number of times.

Some differences

- flights are pretty cheap
- lines at the airport are very short; security is fast
- depends which airport, but not too many food options and they close early. Atlanta is an exception, everything is open there. At LAX they give you beer in green solo cups that you can take to a food court area that has seating spread out
- most airlines are blocking the middle seat; American (worst domestic airline) being a big exception
- the flights I've been on were pretty full, but I've heard from others that a lot of routes are wide open; I'd guess that LAX to LTO is very open
- no food or drink service on flights; they give you a bottle of water and some snacks

I'm taking my truck down in early November, and flying back. Will fly down and back 3-4 times from November to January.





[Edited on 9-10-2020 by JZ]

BajaBlanca - 9-10-2020 at 12:23 PM

JZ Let's touch bases before you head south...maybe we can get our mail sent to you to bring down?

Anyone here in Loreto? Come to Auggie's right now!

pauldavidmena - 9-11-2020 at 05:27 AM

Is Loreto the closest option to La Bocana? I wonder how many hops it would take to get from someplace like Boston. Driving from the northeast wouldn't be an option for me, especially given that I'm still working and can't really take off more than a week at a time.

pauldavidmena - 9-11-2020 at 06:55 AM

Quote: Originally posted by pauldavidmena  
Is Loreto the closest option to La Bocana? I wonder how many hops it would take to get from someplace like Boston. Driving from the northeast wouldn't be an option for me, especially given that I'm still working and can't really take off more than a week at a time.


Answering my own question, it looks like Alaska Airlines flies from Boston to Seattle, and then to LAX, from which it will then fly to Loreto on the following day. It looks like a 5-hour drive from the airport to La Bocana. That makes for 2 fairly long days of travel each way - not including the 90 minutes or so between Boston and Cape Cod.

[Edited on 9-11-2020 by pauldavidmena]

BajaBlanca - 9-12-2020 at 01:29 AM

You are right Paul, it takes 5 hours or less to get from Loreto to La Bocana. In a perfect world, you could spend one night in Loreto, drive and do beaches in Mulege and even spend one night in Mulege or San Ignacio and then head over to La Bocana. Spend 3 days here and even head to Bahia Asuncion for a day or fish those days and then do either a one day drive to Loreto or spend the night somewhere on the way back.

Les loves to drive and I can sleep or chat or sing for 5 hours easy peasy.

Regarding the flight: The Alaska Air was PACKED. There were 2 empty seats on the plane and thank goodness they were next to Mom. We got her a first class ticket thinking that section would be empty.

Not the case by a long shot.

They took her temperature in LA and again in Loreto. Everyone had a mask. They never even looked at her luggage nor anyone else's either. Other than that, everything was same ole same ole.

BajaBlanca - 9-12-2020 at 01:39 AM

San Ignacio pics from yesterday, as we returned from Loreto to La Bocana.





















The military checkpoint was empty, they asked the typical questions of where we were coming from and where we were going and waved us on.

Almost no traffic on the road. By the same token, the main square was empty. I am not sure how those folks are surviving and most importantly, what is going to happen during whale watching season? It really isn't that far away.

JZ - 9-12-2020 at 03:33 PM

Quote: Originally posted by pauldavidmena  
Is Loreto the closest option to La Bocana? I wonder how many hops it would take to get from someplace like Boston. Driving from the northeast wouldn't be an option for me, especially given that I'm still working and can't really take off more than a week at a time.


Boston direct to LAX. LAX direct to LTO. Rent a car in Loreto.

JZ - 9-12-2020 at 03:36 PM

Quote: Originally posted by pauldavidmena  


Answering my own question, it looks like Alaska Airlines flies from Boston to Seattle, and then to LAX, from which it will then fly to Loreto on the following day. It looks like a 5-hour drive from the airport to La Bocana. That makes for 2 fairly long days of travel each way - not including the 90 minutes or so between Boston and Cape Cod.

[Edited on 9-11-2020 by pauldavidmena]


You are making this too difficult. No reason to fly to Seattle.

Book the flights separately. Flights are cheap now.

JZ - 9-12-2020 at 03:39 PM

Quote: Originally posted by BajaBlanca  

Regarding the flight: The Alaska Air was PACKED. There were 2 empty seats on the plane and thank goodness they were next to Mom. We got her a first class ticket thinking that section would be empty.

Not the case by a long shot.

They took her temperature in LA and again in Loreto. Everyone had a mask. They never even looked at her luggage nor anyone else's either. Other than that, everything was same ole same ole.


Great to hear that ppl are coming down. Having fun (safely) and pumping $'s into the local economies.

BajaBlanca - 9-13-2020 at 03:03 AM

So, Loreto was really HOT and there were very few tourists. We tried to have lunch at Del Borracho (Les's favorite) but they were closed.

We went to Augie's, there were maybe 5 people besides us.


Here are some Loreto photos.















This is one of my favorite stores. It has the most beautiful Mexican crafts from all sorts of artists. We gave two incredible vases to two of Les's nephews in Poland when we went last year.








Such a beautiful tradition.
So Mexico!










Independence day is right around the corner!








Here we are at the Mission Hotel having dinner. It was hot but there was a breeze and the air conditioning inside did not seem to be working so well.









My ever beeeeeeeeautiful Mom who is slowly but surely succombing to Alzheimer's. It is so bizarre to see one of the brightest women I know slowly lose touch with the here and now. She is thinking of moving to La Bocana. Nothing would make me happier!






As we drove through town, I saw this bush with these gorgeous orange flowers. Does anyone know what type it is?













David K - 9-13-2020 at 07:23 AM

Km. 73 got nailed!

pauldavidmena - 9-13-2020 at 08:25 AM

Quote: Originally posted by JZ  
Quote: Originally posted by pauldavidmena  


Answering my own question, it looks like Alaska Airlines flies from Boston to Seattle, and then to LAX, from which it will then fly to Loreto on the following day. It looks like a 5-hour drive from the airport to La Bocana. That makes for 2 fairly long days of travel each way - not including the 90 minutes or so between Boston and Cape Cod.

[Edited on 9-11-2020 by pauldavidmena]


You are making this too difficult. No reason to fly to Seattle.

Book the flights separately. Flights are cheap now.


You're right that there are inexpensive flights to be found, and that they can be made in one hop instead of two. It doesn't look like there's any way to avoid overnighting in LA, but with a brother in Redondo Beach, there are worse fates. :)

In any event, this is just an exercise, as I don't plan to travel just yet. :(

[Edited on 9-13-2020 by pauldavidmena]

mtgoat666 - 9-13-2020 at 08:41 AM

Quote: Originally posted by pauldavidmena  
Quote: Originally posted by JZ  
Quote: Originally posted by pauldavidmena  


Answering my own question, it looks like Alaska Airlines flies from Boston to Seattle, and then to LAX, from which it will then fly to Loreto on the following day. It looks like a 5-hour drive from the airport to La Bocana. That makes for 2 fairly long days of travel each way - not including the 90 minutes or so between Boston and Cape Cod.

[Edited on 9-11-2020 by pauldavidmena]


You are making this too difficult. No reason to fly to Seattle.

Book the flights separately. Flights are cheap now.


It looks like the only way to find a fare under $700 is to make 2 stops - the first in either Seattle or San Francisco, and the second in LA, from which I'd fly out of LAX to LTO the following morning. Kayak.com is quoting fares over $4000 for only 1 stop (at LAX). It probably makes sense to book each leg separately - BOS to LAX and then LAX to LTO.

In any event, this is just an exercise, as I don't plan to travel just yet. :(


Fly bos-san on jet blue. Cross border (cbx) and fly TJ to loreto on aero calafia, volaris, etc.
Easy to link up flights and do each travel day as a single day. The jet blue from San to bos is a red eye, easy peasy.

BajaMama - 9-14-2020 at 09:14 AM

Pauldevidmena, you don't have to do Alaska the whole way. We are in Bay Area and fly Southwest A/L to LAX. Much cheaper and Alaska doesn't even have a flight that would get us there early enough to catch the Loreto flight.

defrag4 - 9-14-2020 at 09:43 AM

Quote: Originally posted by BajaBlanca  
JZ Let's touch bases before you head south...maybe we can get our mail sent to you to bring down?

Anyone here in Loreto? Come to Auggie's right now!


dang didnt see your post and missed your visit!

Where did you end up staying?

if you can believe it, its actually cooled off this week compared to the last few :O

Whale-ista - 9-14-2020 at 03:47 PM

Sorry to hear about your mom.
Good that she still does OK traveling on her own to visit you.

When I cared for my mother (in her 70s) and grandmother (in her 90s) I was grateful that their mental health stayed good, even though they had other medical concerns (hip replacement, failing eyesight...).

Getting older is not for sissies!

Wish you all a happy time together- hope the smoke is not too bad.

PS- she looks beautiful and happy in the photos!

[Edited on 9-14-2020 by Whale-ista]

BajaBlanca - 9-15-2020 at 03:10 AM

Next time defrag!

My Mom is so happy and she says she is indeed going to move down. For years she resisted moving here because there were not enough options entertainment wise. With the virus, she cannot do anything in San Diego ergo the urge to move elsewhere.

She is so much fun and enjoys telling the most interesting stories from her amazing past growing up in a safe Rio de Janeiro and them being a bigwig at IBM Brazil where she spent her whole career.

Whale-ista, the doc told my Mom that according to all her lab reports, she is not EVER going to die. She walks 2 hours every day, jeez, not even I do that LOL (BTW your mood "Sunny with chance of whales" is wonderful.)

Once Mom is settled in, I will probably have her join nomads so she can see the wonderful, caring group we have here!