BajaNomad - When did you first fall in love with Baja?

When did you first fall in love with Baja?

gueribo - 5-22-2021 at 12:26 PM

Hi, friends--I'm usually a bit quiet on the forum, but have enjoyed the shared love of Baja with you over the years. I'm curious--how did you all find Baja at first?

I'm originally from Santa Barbara, CA--born within a few blocks of Mission Santa Barbara--and was always interested in Spanish colonial history. I traveled to Central America in the 1990s to study Spanish, politics, theology, and culture, and later began to study the (Alta) California missions. Twenty years ago I traveled to Baja California for the first time, to visit an orphanage in Vicente Guerrero, and was invited to serve as an interpreter for a group of visiting dentists from California who set up a free clinic (they were kind, good-hearted people, treating as many children and families as they could before heading back).

One afternoon, on a little break, I drove across the arroyo and visited the ruins of the Santo Domingo mission. The site was sobering and captivating--such a different experience than the tours, crowds, and interpretive signs of the Alta CA missions. Once home, I began reading and studying...and I'm sure you can all relate to the feeling of being changed by Baja California. I returned to explore the other mission ruins, to visit the standing churches, to walk in the silence of the desert, to ride mules on the old camino, to get to know the unique plants and landforms of Baja, to meet the ranchers and pass some time under the eaves--never enough time. Lots of people helped me over the years, guided me, told me stories. I felt humbled by their hospitality. Every time I returned home, I only thought of going back again. Baja is a place that stays with you.

I know some of your stories, but I'd love to hear them again, and to hear more. When did you first fall in love with Baja? ♥

[Edited on 5-22-2021 by gueribo]

JZ - 5-22-2021 at 01:56 PM

First went to Baja in the early 80's with my parents. We lived in Ohio and my sister (19 years older) lived out here in Long Beach. It was a 2 month road trip from OH to CA and back. We did a short weekend trip to TJ and down the coast to Rosarito. Was probably 9 or 10, but vividly remember an intersection in TJ where all traffic had to stop, and ppl could cross from all sides including diagonally. Have some old photos of my dad drinking tequila and dancing.

Moved out here in the mid-90's a couple years after college. Hit the clubs in TJ in the late 90's.

Started getting hooked on Baja in the early 00's doing boating trips from San Diego to Ensenada. Those were really fun trips, we got super close to the cliffs you see from Hwy 1. It's pretty spectacular from the water. Sometimes I took surfer friends and we anchored just outside the surf and took them in on a Zodiac. We did a couple runs back to the US in the fog or at night that now make me cringe to think about.

Late 2002 was the first big trip that really hooked us. Tried to take a boat 600 miles from San Felipe to San Carlos, Sonora and back. Made it to Santa Rosalia before I realized the foolishness of our attempt. Rode in a little Datsun pickup back to the border, and returned immediately with the truck and trailer to haul the boat out. About 28 hrs straight driving, as you had to go up to Ensenada back then and cut down to San Felipe. Then another 12 hrs of pulling the boat up to the border a few days later. Remember that steep grade leaving Santa Rosalia hauling 12,000 pounds. We listened to Ohio State beat the Miami Hurricanes for the college football national championship on a static filled AM station in the parking lot of a motel in San Quintín on Jan 3rd 2003. I'm a Buckeye, so that was super sweet.

Came back 5 months later more prepared and with a better weather window and made it to San Carlos. Actually really fell in love with San Carlos, Baja, and the Sea of Cortez on that trip. We stopped at Gonzaga Bay, Isla Angel de la Guarda, Bahia de los Angeles, Fransquito, and then crossed the SoC at the Midriff islands to Kino Bay before heading South to SC. Spent 8 years in San Carlos and did a bunch of boating trips from SC to Baja.

Started coming to Baja a lot more when my kids were old enough to ride bikes. Around 2010. Probably did 5 trips a year to Baja from then until now. The most was 2017 when we spent about 3 months in Baja. The boys and I rode hundreds of trails together over the last 5 years. It's in our blood and we are looking to buy a property in Loreto.

JZ on the right circa May 2003 in Gonzaga Bay.

[Edited on 8-1-2021 by JZ]

westafricancaptain - 5-22-2021 at 02:10 PM

1968 was 16 yrs old Cinco de Mayo Hussongs Cantina! We drove down to surf San Miguel and K38. Had to tuck our surfer hair under a hat to cross TJ. Hippies weren't allowed then.

wilderone - 5-22-2021 at 02:50 PM

1975. First trip to Conception Bay packing an inflatable. Scallop bed in the bay, lots of sea grasses and small fry in 1 ft. of water to see snorkling; fishing was outstanding. We hit the Serenidad pig roast on the way home. Couldn't wait for the next trip. We didn't get an FMM (if they were required I don't know), but paid $1 to the federales at the Maneadero check point on the way down. There was a 2-lane dirt road through Ensenada then. Good times.

AKgringo - 5-22-2021 at 03:59 PM

1986 was my first visit to Baja. I had spent a couple of long winter vacations on the mainland (Manzanillo) as a child with my parents in the late 50s, and as a young man in the mid 60s, but never experienced Baja until I had a family of my own.

My boys were 10, 14 and 16 when we finally were able to follow through with a dream of a home schooled semester on the road! We spent three and a half months, and drove 15k miles from Anchorage to Zihuantanejo and back!

A little over a month of the trip was discovering Baja, and I knew I would be coming back!

David K - 5-22-2021 at 05:23 PM

My first trip was in 1965, as a child going with my family to Gonzaga Bay in our new Jeep Wagoneer. I recall much of the trip from San Felipe south, an all-day drive in those days and south of Puertecitos was all in 4WD.

In 1966, we did THE TRIP, from Tijuana to Cabo San Lucas, 800 miles were unpaved of the 1,056 some miles. A 2-week adventure. Took the ferry from La Paz to Mazatlan for a less-punishing return trip. That was the trip that probably sealed me with Baja fever! I was almost 9 years old.

When we learned Mexico was going to build a paved road to replace the old main road, I had hoped to have my drivers license before it was built! My folks and I drove to Loreto in July 1973 and I documented the new highway progress and noted the new alignment and mileages. That became my first published road log. I was 15.

Alas, I turned 16 in Sept. 1973 as the highway neared completion. The first Spring Break (1974), I did drive in Baja with a friend, and left the new highway south of Chapala to go back north via Calamajué, Gonzaga, and San Felipe.

The rest is history!

[Edited on 5-23-2021 by David K]

AKgringo - 5-22-2021 at 05:55 PM

Quote: Originally posted by lencho

Quote: Originally posted by AKgringo

...on the mainland (Manzanillo) as a child with my parents in the late 50s,

Ah, you happen to remember Barra de Navidad back then? How things have changed!

Yes, I have some memories and stories, but I don't want to hijack this Baja thread. I was last there for a couple of weeks in November 2007.

Skipjack Joe - 5-22-2021 at 06:25 PM

I had been going down to Ensenada since 1963 but that of course was not a real Baja experience. My first memorable Baja trip was in 1979 to Puerto Escondido. Baja was very different back then. Trips were expeditions. Loreto had just a single paved street from the highway to the mission. The bakery was a kiln on a side street where you purchased hot bread as it came out. There was no wharf at Pt Escondido. You camped on the beach. The reefs at Isls Carmen still produced Gulf Groupers on rod and reel. Much has changed but if you try real hard you can still experience old Baja in a few places.

gueribo - 5-22-2021 at 07:37 PM

Wonderful stories! Keep 'em coming.

Meany - 5-22-2021 at 08:51 PM

1963, Hussongs

TecateRay - 5-22-2021 at 09:17 PM

I partied in Tijuana in the mid 60s but I didn’t fall in love with Baja until I started traveling further south in the ‘70s. I attended an off road race or two and then just kept heading south. I drove to La Paz in ‘72 or ‘73, the highway was mostly complete except for about 60 miles in the area of the junction to LABay. Spent time in La Paz and still love that city.

John Harper - 5-23-2021 at 04:45 AM

1974. Flew down to BOLA with my dad, stayed at Casa Diaz. Road not yet paved in from Hwy 1 and most gringos came in from Puertocitos on motorcycles or 4WD. We flew a Cessna 182 from Burbank on charter trip.

John

baja Steve - 5-23-2021 at 07:16 AM

1969 Flying fish buyers from Portland and Seattle to LaPaz.
We would stop in Mulege on the way North to fish for a couple days.

Mr. Bills - 5-23-2021 at 07:30 AM

1961 on a family camping trip with an Airstream trailer to a beach somewhere near Ensenada.

That turned into annual jeep trips along the Sea of Cortez with other jeeping families from my home town, including one with a ferry ride to the mainland and return on pavement to Nogales.

AKgringo - 5-23-2021 at 08:41 AM

Oh yes, the ferry ride! Our plan in 1986 was to take the ferry from Cabo San Lucas to Puerto Vallarta, but that run was out of service at the time. We back tracked to La Paz, and took the ferry to Mazatlan and continued heading south.

Given the high rise developments that were getting started about then, the value of the real estate there apparently doomed the ferry terminal (and open air markets and restaurants) that were on the harbor.

Alan - 5-23-2021 at 09:26 AM

Quote: Originally posted by westafricancaptain

1968 was 16 yrs old Cinco de Mayo Hussongs Cantina! We drove down to surf San Miguel and K38. Had to tuck our surfer hair under a hat to cross TJ. Hippies weren't allowed then.

Exactly! Except I was 17. Loved those $.50 Lobster Burritos at La Salina. Then when I turned 18 it was time to hit the discos in TJ on Fri and Sat nights! :lol:

Alan - 5-23-2021 at 09:29 AM

Quote: Originally posted by baja Steve

1969 Flying fish buyers from Portland and Seattle to LaPaz.
We would stop in Mulege on the way North to fish for a couple days.

I'm assuming that included the Wed night Mexican buffets and Saturday pig roasts at the La Serenidad :lol:

gueribo - 5-23-2021 at 11:38 AM

Would love to see some vintage photos of your younger selves!

gueribo - 5-23-2021 at 11:42 AM

Quote: Originally posted by westafricancaptain

1968 was 16 yrs old Cinco de Mayo Hussongs Cantina! We drove down to surf San Miguel and K38. Had to tuck our surfer hair under a hat to cross TJ. Hippies weren't allowed then.

Especially some hippie photos!

AKgringo - 5-24-2021 at 07:24 AM

This thread triggered quite a few memories about that "86" trip. It was an adventure just getting to northern California, driving the Alcan and Cassiar highways in February was quite a start.

My parents in CA were experienced Baja travelers, and even were "wagon masters" on several RV tours with Vagabundos del Mar. They knew all the good spots to stop and camp.

One of their "must see" stops was at Mama Espinosa's place, where they were on a first name basis. Mama was pleased to see three generations traveling together!

Alaska plates on an old Suburban pulling a small boat started quite a few conversations throughout the trip, especially with kids on board!

David K - 5-24-2021 at 10:39 AM

Quote: Originally posted by gueribo

Would love to see some vintage photos of your younger selves!

1966 (age 8.5), trip from Tijuana to Cabo by Jeep:

1966, my first dorado, off Cabo San Lucas:

1966, ferry dock at La Paz (with my dad):

1967, Calamajué Canyon gold mill site:

1967 (age 10), with Luis, founder of Nuevo Mazatlan:

1974, camping at Nuevo Mazatlan:

1975 (age 17), road to El Mármol:

Jump ahead to modern times, 1999 (age 41) at Mission Santa María:

Falling in Love

MrBillM - 5-24-2021 at 12:08 PM

1958. Avenida Revolucion, Tijuana.

gueribo - 5-24-2021 at 12:53 PM

What a cute kid!

BajaTed - 5-24-2021 at 02:27 PM

Walter Hussong of Quintas Papagayo in Ensenada was my late Father's good friend.
His Swedish GF @ the time was a hoot. 1967

SFandH - 5-24-2021 at 03:09 PM

Quote: Originally posted by del mar

Quote: Originally posted by MrBillM

1958. Avenida Revolucion, Tijuana.

1978 Avenida Miramar, Ensenada

( . Y . )

1976 Avenida Revolucion - probably the same place MrBillM went to, or the joint next door.

K38 the same year, and then the surf trips began. Drove first time to Cabo in 1986. I'm a water guy, dirt roads only when necessary to get to the break.

Now it's boats on the Sea of Cortez.

shari - 5-24-2021 at 05:59 PM

In February of 1988 I vacationed in Barra de Navidad but took the ferry over to Baja to drive home to Tofino BC using another route. A friend had told me to do a quick stop to Laguna Ojo de Liebre to check out the lagoon where Gray Whales birthed and raised their calves. I planned a 2 hour lunch break to just have a look at it.

I found the dirt road and much to my delight, as I drove up to the edge of the lagoon, I saw dozens of whale spouts right in front of me....I mean many dozens! I was in whale heaven!!!

There was a very handsome fisherman leaning on his pickup truck parked beside his panga and he motioned to me asking if I wanted to go see the whales....the rest is history!

I stayed weeks and ended up conceiving my daughter Sirena in teh lagoon on that first Baja visit! thats the short version!

bajamedic - 5-24-2021 at 07:26 PM

1965, I was 10, my Father and Uncle were building a small Church in San Felipe. My father was the Manager at a Lumber Yard in San Jose, CA, he would post a list of needed materials on the front of the cash register, as the Contractors were ordering their materials, they would add a window, door or 2x4, etc to their list, telling my father it is for Baja. When my father and uncle would fill their trailer, they and sometimes we as a family would head to San Felipe. They worked part of the day and then fished the rest of the day. As a kid I loved getting to run the dirt streets with the local kids, go into a bar for a warm Pepsi and play on the beach. I loved watching the locals launch my uncle's boat with an old army truck with lots of guys sitting in the back to hold it down from the wave action, it seemed like they would back it out a mile of two before it would float off of the trailer. I recall the feeling of terror when I had lit a string of firecrackers off in the street just as a Policeman came around the corner, I thought I was in trouble... he just laughed and waved as he went by. JH

JZ - 5-24-2021 at 09:55 PM

Quote: Originally posted by shari

In February of 1988 I vacationed in Barra de Navidad but took the ferry over to Baja to drive home to Tofino BC using another route. A friend had told me to do a quick stop to Laguna Ojo de Liebre to check out the lagoon where Gray Whales birthed and raised their calves. I planned a 2 hour lunch break to just have a look at it.

I found the dirt road and much to my delight, as I drove up to the edge of the lagoon, I saw dozens of whale spouts right in front of me....I mean many dozens! I was in whale heaven!!!

There was a very handsome fisherman leaning on his pickup truck parked beside his panga and he motioned to me asking if I wanted to go see the whales....the rest is history!

I stayed weeks and ended up conceiving my daughter Sirena in teh lagoon on that first Baja visit! thats the short version!

Wowwww. That is awesome. I don't think anyone is gonna top that one.

[Edited on 5-25-2021 by JZ]

billklaser - 5-24-2021 at 11:33 PM

In 1967 spring break at USC I was a junior. Went with my older brother and a friend from San Diego to San Quintin. We towed a 13' Boston Whaler with a CJ5 jeep full of diving gear. As I remember the pavement stopped a little ways south of Ensenada. From there a lot of wash board dirt. Very little in San Quintin then. We set up camp next to the Old Mill behind a tall concrete block wall to block the wind. That was the wall that is now the south wall of the restaurant next to the Old Mill. We were going over to San Martin Island for a little diving. Got swamped going out of the bay, then there was a hugh blanket of Red Tide at the island. Diving was terrible.

Had to go to work and finally got back to Baja in August of 1988. We took 4 weeks off of work and loaded a large camper with gear for diving. carried a 12' inflatable and a diving compressor to fill tanks. My wife and 4 children (all in high school) with 3 of their class mates. My daughter drove her FJ40 land cruiser along. First stop was LA Bay. Then Mulege, Loreto, and stayed in La Paz for a one week dive trip on the Rio Rita with John Riffe. Back to Loreto for a bit before heading back to San Diego. Everyone in the family loved the Loreto area, so bought our place in 1990. As a vacation home, we came to Loreto for about 10 days every two months.

Now retired so spending more time in Loreto, with a 25' Davis. Of course spend a lot of time out on the water.

dravnx - 5-25-2021 at 03:44 PM

1992, I had just gotten my private pilot's license and me and my roommate were at a bar celebrating. This gal sat down next to me and asked what we were celebrating. I told her and she replied that she too had her pilot's license but had never really used it. We continued chatting. She started telling me about a trip she had taken the previous year to San Felipe. It sounded intriguing so I asked her if she wanted to go back. She said sure, when? I said next weekend. The next Friday, we loaded up my Pathfinder and hit the road.
We drove straight through to SF and set up camp at Pete's Place. This was July 4th weekend and it was like trying to camp in a pizza oven with quads running up and down the beach non stop. The next morning we pulled up stakes and headed out. We ended up camping at Laguna Hanson for a couple of nights and then headed home. There's nothing like banging a bar pickup in a tent on the shore of a lake in Mexico.
The gal is long gone but the lure of Baja has never left.

wilderone - 5-25-2021 at 05:20 PM

Really great photos, David.

shari - 5-25-2021 at 05:38 PM

this is a terrific thread...loving the stories but also would love to see more photos of the good old days!

Don Pisto - 5-25-2021 at 07:14 PM

Quote: Originally posted by dravnx

1992, I had just gotten my private pilot's license and me and my roommate were at a bar celebrating. This gal sat down next to me and asked what we were celebrating. I told her and she replied that she too had her pilot's license but had never really used it. We continued chatting. She started telling me about a trip she had taken the previous year to San Felipe. It sounded intriguing so I asked her if she wanted to go back. She said sure, when? I said next weekend. The next Friday, we loaded up my Pathfinder and hit the road.
We drove straight through to SF and set up camp at Pete's Place. This was July 4th weekend and it was like trying to camp in a pizza oven with quads running up and down the beach non stop. The next morning we pulled up stakes and headed out. We ended up camping at Laguna Hanson for a couple of nights and then headed home. There's nothing like banging a bar pickup in a tent on the shore of a lake in Mexico.
The gal is long gone but the lure of Baja has never left.

gal might be gone but so is the lake! :coolup:

JZ - 5-25-2021 at 07:17 PM

Quote: Originally posted by lencho

Quote: Originally posted by dravnx

There's nothing like banging a bar pickup in a tent on the shore of a lake in Mexico.

Another true class act! :rolleyes:

Oh, come on now.

Bajaboy - 5-25-2021 at 07:25 PM

My grandfather used to take my dad down to Baja. I fondly recall my dad telling me stories of them camping in Ensenada as a kid.

Then my dad eventually started exploring Baja as a young man. He drove to Cabo San Lucas before the road was completed. He spent a month or so there before returning.

As far as I know, my first time in Baja I was only months old. We camped all over Baja as a kid. I can remember many birthday parties sitting around campfires.

My grandparents bought a place next to the old Fox Studios. I used to collect mussels at low tide and fish the rocky areas around there. My first drink was at the Rosarito Hotel...I think I was about 14. I always thought I would inherit my grandparents' place. Sadly my grandfather died of a massive heart attack when I was 17 or 18.

I went on my pilgrimage to Baja when I was 27 or so. My buddy and I drove my 1993 Tacoma down to Cabo and back fishing, camping, and living the life. We spent a total of 6 weeks exploring every dirt road we could find. One town especially struck a cord with me...Bahia Asuncion.

My girlfriend in college and now my wife started doing longer trips To Baja. We eventually got married in Elias Calles, BCS. I proposed to her at Agua Verde on Christmas morning.

On another trip with some good amigos, we revisited Bahia Asuncion. I think this must have been about 15 years ago. We randomly met Shari at a tienda. Shortly thereafter, we bought a place, site unseen. It was a tear -down but we didn't have the money to tear it down. With a lot of love, our place has become our home.

Since then, we have had two kids both of which have spent at least 3 months of every year in Bahia Asuncion. Our little casita is slowly growing as are our kids.

We finally decided to make the move down to Asuncion full time in a few weeks. Our house in San Diego is in escrow and we are selling almost everything we own. Our kids will attend the local schools and we hope to volunteer there as well. We plan on brewing beer, raising a huge garden, tutoring online, and spending time learning the culture, language, and becoming more involved in the daily life of our village. We definitely feel closer to Mexico than the United States...especially more recently.

So, I'm not sure when I fell in love with Baja. But I can say Baja is a part of me and my family.

Cheers!

Zac aka Bajaboy

JZ - 5-25-2021 at 09:33 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Bajaboy

My grandfather used to take my dad down to Baja. I fondly recall my dad telling me stories of them camping in Ensenada as a kid.

Then my dad eventually started exploring Baja as a young man. He drove to Cabo San Lucas before the road was completed. He spent a month or so there before returning.

As far as I know, my first time in Baja I was only months old. We camped all over Baja as a kid. I can remember many birthday parties sitting around campfires.

My grandparents bought a place next to the old Fox Studios. I used to collect mussels at low tide and fish the rocky areas around there. My first drink was at the Rosarito Hotel...I think I was about 14. I always thought I would inherit my grandparents' place. Sadly my grandfather died of a massive heart attack when I was 17 or 18.

I went on my pilgrimage to Baja when I was 27 or so. My buddy and I drove my 1993 Tacoma down to Cabo and back fishing, camping, and living the life. We spent a total of 6 weeks exploring every dirt road we could find. One town especially struck a cord with me...Bahia Asuncion.

My girlfriend in college and now my wife started doing longer trips To Baja. We eventually got married in Elias Calles, BCS. I proposed to her at Agua Verde on Christmas morning.

On another trip with some good amigos, we revisited Bahia Asuncion. I think this must have been about 15 years ago. We randomly met Shari at a tienda. Shortly thereafter, we bought a place, site unseen. It was a tear -down but we didn't have the money to tear it down. With a lot of love, our place has become our home.

Since then, we have had two kids both of which have spent at least 3 months of every year in Bahia Asuncion. Our little casita is slowly growing as are our kids.

We finally decided to make the move down to Asuncion full time in a few weeks. Our house in San Diego is in escrow and we are selling almost everything we own. Our kids will attend the local schools and we hope to volunteer there as well. We plan on brewing beer, raising a huge garden, tutoring online, and spending time learning the culture, language, and becoming more involved in the daily life of our village. We definitely feel closer to Mexico than the United States...especially more recently.

So, I'm not sure when I fell in love with Baja. But I can say Baja is a part of me and my family.

Cheers!

Zac aka Bajaboy

Awesome story. Agua Verde is a special place. You picked that one well.

How old are your kids?

Bajaboy - 5-25-2021 at 09:36 PM

Quote: Originally posted by JZ

Quote: Originally posted by Bajaboy

Awesome story. Agua Verde is a special place. You picked that one well.

How old are your kids?

My daughter, Mikayla, is 11 and my son, Gabriel, is soon to be 13.

Marty Mateo - 5-26-2021 at 12:16 PM

My first trip was in the winter of 1993 ,a buddy and I drove down from Vancouver Island. We were both between jobs and had a bit of money so one day sitting in a pub looking out at the cold rainy weather we hatched a plan to go south. I can’t remember how we chose Baja as both of us had never been and knew little about it. All we got from people when we said we were going was the retelling of a friend of a friends horror story.
By strange coincidence a day or two later we were walking my buddy’s dog on the beach and got talking to a couple who had recently returned from Baja. They ended up giving us a map of Baja and a lot of great info. I had ,a few days prior to our pub meeting ,been given a 1968 Dodge Monaco which turned out to be, for a freebie,a fairly nice car . I put a new battery in it ,replaced the front tires and filled the trunk with camping gear we were off. We also had along my buddies large dog who rode along happily in the back seat .The car ran well down through the States but was consuming a fair bit of oil ,like about a case of oil. We ended up finding a replacement engine through a friend and using his shop, swapped engines. Unfortunately that took out my surfboard budget (planned to learn to surf) but off to Tijuana we headed. We crossed the border without talking to anyone ,just some guy directing traffic and found ourselves in downtown Tijuana. Not sure if you needed an FMM back then but we were unaware . After a brief interaction with a police officer, it seems we were driving the wrong direction on one way street we continued on south. There were tons more adventures on our trip , we made it around the southern tip and contrary to the horror stories we had nothing but warm and generous experiences with everyone we met.

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David K - 5-26-2021 at 02:02 PM

Some great stories! :bounce:

David K - 5-26-2021 at 02:09 PM

Quote: Originally posted by BajaTed

Walter Hussong of Quintas Papagayo in Ensenada was my late Father's good friend.
His Swedish GF @ the time was a hoot. 1967

Met Walt Hussong when he attended my Viva Baja #4 party in 2003. He is from a long line of Walt Hussongs... My dad and an older Walt Hussong went to San Diego High together!

Here is a photo of Walt at Viva Baja #4:

Here is Walt-Hussong,
the great grandson of the founder of Hussong's Cantina!

Tioloco - 5-26-2021 at 03:49 PM

Great thread!

shari - 5-26-2021 at 03:50 PM

OMG Marty...that Monaco is epic...what a great story.

Baja Boy...we are all so thrilled you will grace bella bahia asuncion with your family full time...not to mention the beer & veggies we will get to consume! It will be really nice to have more folks participating in local activities & events and bring new energy & ideas to the village.

More....More....More

Marty Mateo - 7-31-2021 at 12:50 PM

Thanks Shari, loved your story as well. I’m surprised this thread hasn’t attracted more contributors, I think we could all use more stories.

Tijuana 1959

Porky Pig - 7-31-2021 at 03:07 PM

With the TJ Zebra

David K - 7-31-2021 at 04:16 PM

Nice to see more 'old timers'! Hi Dave & Juanita!
Many a fun times at Cielito Lindo and the Wet Buzzard at Gypsy's RV Park!

JZ - 7-31-2021 at 04:44 PM

What ever happened to the guy with the user name Dave? Think he lived in Ensenada. He was very witty.

David K - 7-31-2021 at 05:28 PM

Dave owned a deli near Puerto Nuevo, called the Nueva York Deli. We stopped there for a great pastrami sandwich.
Yes, he has not posted in a while... A search is warranted!

BajaMama - 7-31-2021 at 05:32 PM

I managed a rental house from mid 80s to early 90s just north of Rosarito and was allowed to go anytime there wasn't a renter, which was frequently! Mostly partying then. But in 2003 we started going to Punta Chivato with the kids annually. The trip down and the experiences there were fabulous - fishing, snorkeling, the wildlife and now the paddle boarding - I love everything about it.

bkbend - 7-31-2021 at 05:52 PM

In 1975 a guy I worked with drove to Baja and told me about the trip so the following January I headed down with my then girlfriend and spent six weeks working our way down and back. We'd camp for a few days then head to a town for ice, beer, and food then move on to another spot to hang out. It was a great trip and I was hooked but life got in the way and I eventually had a family and a real job that limited trips to every three years or so with the wife and kids. It was a long trip for a two week vacation from Oregon.

JZ - 7-31-2021 at 05:57 PM

Quote: Originally posted by David K

Dave owned a deli near Puerto Nuevo, called the Nueva York Deli. We stopped there for a great pastrami sandwich.
Yes, he has not posted in a while... A search is warranted!

His last post was December 2014.

BajaGlenn - 7-31-2021 at 06:24 PM

1974 but only made it down as far as Loreto-- :bounce:

CaboMagic - 7-31-2021 at 07:03 PM

My (Lori) first visit was to Cabo of course, in 1993, when Tommy invited me to join he and his fishing partner Len Aaron.

It was my first time on a boat and I got pretty sick, but between reeling in yellow fin tuna and throwing up, Tommy proposed .. I said yes, barfed again and here we are.

It's fun reading some of these stories.

David K - 7-31-2021 at 07:32 PM

Quote: Originally posted by CaboMagic

My (Lori) first visit was to Cabo of course, in 1993, when Tommy invited me to join he and his fishing partner Len Aaron.

It was my first time on a boat and I got pretty sick, but between reeling in yellow fin tuna and throwing up, Tommy proposed .. I said yes, barfed again and here we are.

It's fun reading some of these stories.

Classic!
* In the movie, 'Coming to America', James Earle Jones tells us there is a "fine line between love and nausea".

windgrrl - 7-31-2021 at 09:36 PM

When I read Steinbeck’s “The Pearl” in the early 70s, naive mind opened to a perspective of unimagined suffering in a place that somehow sparked my desire to travel.

I ha d actually fallen in love with Cuba first, then we turned south down the I-15 to Baja in February 1988 in a 1978 VW Westfalia. I was about to start my nursing education and we needed a break from winter. We had a tight schedule and thought we could make it from the 49th parallel to Cabo and back in 2 weeks, driving long days and with me making sandwiches in the rear of the van while we drove.

We made it to San Felipe and realized it would take another week to reach our destination, so we stayed a while in the sun, visited the giant cardones and turned back north, luckily missing the great spring storms from the Pacific that usually roll across the Rockies at that time of year.

We pursued windsurfing in Cuba, Venezuela, Costa Rica and Trinidad & Tobago where conditions are tropical and the beaches are fine, sugary sand. But Baja had it all and we could get home by land.

We made way for La Ventana when a Caribbean trip was cancelled, then to Los Barilles in the early ‘90s before the roads in town before internet and cell phones when a hot shower and cold beer was the height of luxury. It was a wonderful, quiet place in the winter, with lots of marine life, few people and no walled enclaves. We returned every year for longer stays from then except for last winter.

I once dreamed of moving to LB one day and we used to make a bee-line to LB for the wind, but with the building boom it’s a now noisy, bustling resort town with season-long traffic jams and an ATV speed track running down the beach for miles. Many characters have passed on and made way for the more modern services needed by a new generation. There’s not much that can’t be had locally or with a quick trip to Home Depot or Costco in Cabo.

I now enjoy exploring the wilderness as we make our way down, before the rest of the peninsula is commodified. The journey has become dream.

[Edited on 8-1-2021 by windgrrl]

wiltonh - 7-31-2021 at 10:20 PM

My Mexico trips started in the mid 50s as a kid with my parents. My father was a doctor near Spokane Washington and the winters seemed a lot shorter if we spent Christmas vacation some where that was warm. He and his partner split the Christmas vacation so we could leave every other year.

The first few years we went to the mainland. We rented a small house trailer in Tuscon and spent time in San Carlos. Later we purchased a motor home and went South to Mazatlan and finally Manzanillo which was the farthest you could follow the coast South at that time. We were primarily diving and snorkeling. We ended up taking relatives and friends along to get away from the Northern winters.

The real problem with these trips was the amount of driving for a short stay. We had a saying that it was a 1000 miles to the border and then another 1000 miles to Mazatlan. In about 1972 we decided to make the trip shorter so we could stay longer and chose San Felipe. By this time we had motorcycles so we took the road South to Puertecitos.

In 1974 my father heard that Highway 1 was paved all the way to Cabo San Lucas so we wanted to see it all. I had met a woman at college and we were now engaged. I took her along and the trip was easier as she spoke Spanish. We drove a 40 foot motor home pulling a car from Spokane to La Paz and then took the car on to Cabo San Lucas. We ended up diving at Cabo Pulmo and then off Lands End at Lovers Beach. It was a very long trip but I remember telling my mother that if we had the time, I would like to spend all winter in Baja.

I married the woman from college. In the early 80's we got into windsurfing and went back to visit San Felipe. Again we came with friends and shared the wind and the water. We were interested in finding a place that was warmer at Christmas time so we started asking around.

We decided on a trip to Los Barriles with a family that was currently between jobs. They drove to La Paz pulling a trailer and my wife and I flew down to meet them. We then drove to Los Barriles and spent about 3 weeks windsurfing and getting to know the area. We knew that this was not going to be our last trip but we had been looking for property in the Columbia River Gorge.

In 1990 we found a 10 acre piece of property with a house started on it and decided to purchase it and finish the house. This ended up using our vacation time for a number of years. Our next trip to Mexico was in 2001 and we left Portland Oregon to drive to Baja without even taking a map. I told my wife there was just one road and you could not get lost. One of the bigger surprises was the distance between open gas stations. In 1974 they were all new and I had no idea how many were closed. We ended up running out of gas between Catavinia and Guerrero Negro. Some locals helped us get some gas and we decided that having a map might be a good thing.

We ended up in La Ventana and enjoyed it a lot. From 2001 to 2007 we camped on the beach for about 3 weeks every winter. In 2008 I retired and we started adding more time. We ended up purchasing a 33 foot trailer which we store down there and pull onto the beach each year. Until COVID hit we had spent 20 years in the camp every winter. Our time had stretched out to 5 months.

We hope that COVID will let us travel this year so we can spend time in the warm air and water.

[Edited on 8-1-2021 by wiltonh]

pappy - 8-1-2021 at 07:46 AM

With parents on a camp trip 1967.

windgrrl - 8-1-2021 at 09:35 AM

Quote: Originally posted by lencho

Quote: Originally posted by windgrrl

I ha d actually fallen in love with Cuba first,

How did you manage the tourism embargo back in those days?

I had a friend that worked with the internacionalista cane brigades back in the ¿60's? and she told us the FBI showed up at her door some time later asking all sorts of questions...

Tourism opened to Canadians (friendly political relations) and Europeans in the early 80s. Everything was kept accounted for by a vast paper-based system, mostly because our trips were all-inclusive. There were black Marias dotting the roads, a healthy black market for US $ and dour Russians on vacation, smoking cigars and dwelling in dark bars. We were free to go on our own throughout town with mopeds available to exploring on.

The Cubans were very welcoming and gave us their best, even though they were struggling because of the embargo. It was interesting to see the latest tourism industry rise up with all the usual woes.

We took many amazing tours, sailing, checking out ancient buildings and getting lost in Havana after an international jazz festival over the years. We once even travelled in a Russian troop carrier along the trail of the revolutionaries to a cenote and had a lunch at a farm in the forest. Cuba was great back then, just like Baja was and I am glad to have seen it before it changed again.

San Felipe 1988

windgrrl - 8-1-2021 at 12:14 PM

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bajatrailrider - 8-2-2021 at 09:17 PM

My first time to baja 1976 fell in love with green eyed Mexican girl .

Yes Baja after that .

JZ - 8-2-2021 at 10:20 PM

Very nice photos Windgrrl. You are definitely rocking the 80's hair and short shorts.

Thanks for sharing.

[Edited on 8-3-2021 by JZ]

BajaTed - 8-3-2021 at 06:39 AM

Quote: Originally posted by JZ

Quote: Originally posted by shari

I stayed weeks and ended up conceiving my daughter Sirena in teh lagoon on that first Baja visit! thats the short version!

Wowwww. That is awesome. I don't think anyone is gonna top that one.

[Edited on 5-25-2021 by JZ]

A sweet snapshot in time, He's looking into the future and your ready to go with him.

"Haven't had that spirit since 1969"

1968

Don Jorge - 8-3-2021 at 11:54 AM

was my first visit to Baja. As a high school freshman was invited to spend a weekend at a campo south of Rosarito at a friends parents place.

Our friends dad dropped us off in Rosarito to buy firewoks and cruise town to later pick us up.

He dropped us off in town on Saturday, grinned and said, "Boys, keep one hand on your wallet and the other hand on your zipper. Have fun!" We did.

After high school we spent every weekend we could, and that was just about everyone of them, tripping to the usual surf places and eventually ventured to Cabo in 1974 with my little brother in tow, who was only 16 then, in a Chevy Luv. Lots of great memories of that trip and no pictures.

Surfed and free dived everywhere we could on that month long trip. I was hooked forever on Baja. Moved to Valle de Guadalupe in 1986 and lived there for 13 years The valley was a completely different place back then.

First picture is 1987 at Don Hector Fuentes place, John Deere 4020, before the wine boom. Rented a house and land from Don Hector, he was a good man. Lived there for a long time and we raised chickens, turkeys, hogs for food and grew hundreds of hectares of produce throughout the valley. It was a much simpler time indeed. Still have many friends and extended family in the valley and visit often.

[Edited on 8-4-2021 by Don Jorge]

David K - 8-3-2021 at 12:04 PM

Fun times, Jorge! Aren't we lucky to have seen Baja before so much change! Sounds like your brother and I are the same age? My first time driving down Baja (Mission San Fernando, El Mármol, Gonzaga Bay, etc.) was in Spring Break 1974, at 16.

Don Jorge - 8-3-2021 at 01:12 PM

Quote: Originally posted by David K

Fun times, Jorge! Aren't we lucky to have seen Baja before so much change! Sounds like your brother and I are the same age? My first time driving down Baja (Mission San Fernando, El Mármol, Gonzaga Bay, etc.) was in Spring Break 1974, at 16.

Yes it was nice "before" all the change. But it is still nice, one just needs to drive way long. It is especially fruitful exploring for new places from a boat. The Pacific side is loaded with beautiful, hard to reach places. If you like to fish, as I do, the Pacific side is still a great fishery at times.

Speaking of change, not all is bad in the change. The biggest and to me the also the nicest change I have noticed in my 50 years of visiting and living in Baja is the emergence of a solid middle class in Baja. That combined with an education emphasis by the locals for their children is another welcome change.

But I do miss the old border crossing. It is quite the different place nowadays the border crossing and long gone are the days of driving across with ten chickens and a goat in the back of your car. :lol:

JZ - 8-3-2021 at 03:11 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Don Jorge

Speaking of change, not all is bad in the change. The biggest and to me the also the nicest change I have noticed in my 50 years of visiting and living in Baja is the emergence of a solid middle class in Baja. That combined with an education emphasis by the locals for their children is another welcome change.

I've spent more time in Sonora than Baja in the early 00's. There is definitely a solid middle class there. I had a lots of friends who have college degrees.

Ateo - 8-4-2021 at 07:41 AM

1982 Ensenada...........I have my parents to thank for those trips........When I get a second I'll explain the REAL trip that got me hooked to Baja and started the love affair. It involves MDMA, surfing, cigarettes, beer and of course - tacos.

[Edited on 8-4-2021 by Ateo]

JZ - 8-4-2021 at 08:03 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Ateo

1982 Ensenada...........I have my parents to thank for those trips........When I get a second I'll explain the REAL trip that got me hooked to Baja and started the love affair. It involves MDMA, surfing, cigarettes, beer and of course - tacos.

Was expecting you to say, "..and of course... a girl."

Ateo - 8-4-2021 at 11:55 AM

Quote: Originally posted by JZ

Quote: Originally posted by Ateo

Was expecting you to say, "..and of course... a girl."

I wish!!! I could never seem to find a girl down south. Never tried too hard though....

Barry A. - 8-4-2021 at 12:47 PM

My Mom told me she took me to TJ and the Jai lai Palace many times during the late '40's, but I don't really remember much other than it was exciting!! My first solo trip with a buddy into Baja was in 1954 (16 yrs old) in my first car, and we went down to Ensenada and had a blast. I was hooked!!! For the next 55 years I took countless camping trips into the Baja wilderness and beaches and canyons, and had a blast. My Mom owned a casa at Punta Bunda a little north of Rosarita Beach and right on the seaside cliff for years, and I used it pretty often.

I quit going down in about 2015 when I turned 77, and slowly became spooked by too many "crazy" people camping in my favorite spots, and all my friends quit going down with me because they were spooked too.

I, and much of my Family, were truly in love with Baja for a very long time and we only lived 9 miles from the Border in Coronado which made it a no-brainer jumping-off place for visits South!!! (-:

[Edited on 8-4-2021 by Barry A.]

David K - 8-4-2021 at 02:59 PM

Thanks for sharing, Barry.
While I hope to never stop going to Baja, it will happen but I hope to put it off as long as possible!
The place is just so amazing!

Barry A. - 8-4-2021 at 04:03 PM

Quote: Originally posted by David K

Thanks for sharing, Barry.
While I hope to never stop going to Baja, it will happen but I hope to put it off as long as possible!
The place is just so amazing!

Thanks, David------I know how you feel. The tipping-point for me and mine was when we realized that it was not wise to camp out alone on the Beaches of "Bahia de los Animas", Gonzaga, or BOLA and go out boating all day and leaving our camps totally unprotected. For many decades we never gave it a thought, then "other's " started appearing that were not really friendly. Never once had any problems in Animas with the local friendly Rancher/Fisherman living just down the beach, but then he and his Family abandoned his home and moved away. Suddenly we felt vulnerable-----a feeling seldom (if ever?) experienced up until then. My Old Age was part of it, but reality with what was slowly happening was the larger part. We do still do a lot of extreme boonie camping in the USA in really out of the way places. (-:
We never once in all those decades have had any problems, in either Baja or the USA, but I did become a little paranoid about what I was hearing and seeing around me in Baja. It's probably just me.

David K - 8-4-2021 at 04:24 PM

We will always have those great memories!

When we are young, we feel invincible and take risks, can afford to lose stuff and start over.
When we are old, we feel vulnerable and are cautious, can't afford to lose anything because we have run out of time to start over!

I have always felt safe on deserted beaches, when I was the only vehicle in sight. Hearing pangas go by (without running lights) at night, makes you wonder if they are drug runners or just fishermen.

Nothing stays the same other than my fascination with the first few years I was exposed to Baja (in the 60s and 70s). I feel blessed to have been on the road between Ensenada and La Paz before any new Transpeninsular highway work began... also to have personally driven the 'Gonzaga Grades' before they were tamed with a dozer in 1986.

As time goes by, a whole new generation of Baja travelers are having great times but this time by getting to La Paz in two days instead of two weeks! They really don't care where the old road was that you and I had to use before 1973! It was so classic, epic, and the birth of off-road racing: the unpaved road to la Paz!

AKgringo - 8-4-2021 at 04:59 PM

Barry, I drove into Bahia Las Animas just before Thanksgiving last winter. Aside from a guy from a fishing boat that was left to guard some equipment, the place was deserted!

Over the last ten years or so, it is one of the few places I go that seems to get less traffic, instead of more! I don't know if that is a good thing, or if it means that more people feel uneasy there.

Skipjack Joe - 8-4-2021 at 05:01 PM

Quote: Originally posted by shari

I stayed weeks and ended up conceiving my daughter Sirena in teh lagoon on that first Baja visit! thats the short version!

Lol. You didn't play hard to get with this guy.

Hmmmm... Come to think of it Sirena does look like him a big.

Barry A. - 8-4-2021 at 05:29 PM

Quote: Originally posted by AKgringo

Barry, I drove into Bahia Las Animas just before Thanksgiving last winter. Aside from a guy from a fishing boat that was left to guard some equipment, the place was deserted!

Over the last ten years or so, it is one of the few places I go that seems to get less traffic, instead of more! I don't know if that is a good thing, or if it means that more people feel uneasy there.

Thanks, AK. Animas was my absolute favorite place, and spent weeks there fishing the coast south and north, and crabbing in the estuary over 50 + years. Glad to hear it is still somewhat pristine (no fresh water helps). Paranoia in my late '70's + is probably my problem, but I have great memories. (-:

Marty Mateo - 8-6-2021 at 10:57 AM

Great to read more Baja travel stories and interesting to read of different comfort levels around travel in Baja . For me the transit through the U.S. has ,more recently ,become the least safe feeling part of the drive.

It's the People!

JDCanuck - 8-12-2021 at 11:57 AM

We went to Baja, specifically La Paz, to meet our new family. What struck us the most was the warm welcome we received by the locals. No resentment, no rejection by anybody we asked for directions or help, just a sincere desire to share what they had with visitors. As long as the locals display this same hospitality, we will be drawn back over and over.
It wasn't the place, it was the people