We left Seattle on Thanksgiving day. We cut day one short because we wanted to be sure to find a place to get some turkey. So it was 3 days to the
border, last night at the Brawley Inn (thumbs up, good beds, quick breakfast burritos).
We were debating on East or West, but I checked the CBP wait times and West was 45 minutes and trending up, East was 10 minutes. Super easy crossing,
pulled up, green light, looped back and parked to get our FMMs. 1200 Pesos and we were on our way. Sunday morning on the outskirts of Mexicali is
very sleepy, so it was an easy trek to Mx 5.
Gassed up in San Felipe and settled in for a longish day to Guerero Negro. Few trucks, and well behaved traffic. Check points were courteous and
easy. Dinner at the Halfway inn because we were tired.
San Ignacio checkpoint was a concern because of previous stories, but it was again very professional and simple. A couple of questions about where we
were from and were we were going. We had the back windows down and the pup secured in a harness in the back seat. Pup was a bit grumbly - not sure if
that helped us or not, but he glanced around at well stacked pile of stuff in the back and waived us on.
Leisurely lunch in Mulege and on to Loreto for the night. Stayed at Posado Del Cortez. Very nice place and good people. The beds were rock hard and
the pillows flat, but everything else was good. Great morning coffee. Easy walk from here to the malecon and then up around to the mission. Really
good dinner at an outside place just before the mission (sorry, lost the name already).
Late start because it's been many days and this was a short reach to Todos. A quick gas stop, and a stop in La Paz for Groceries. Two checkpoints that
just waived us through (no one even looking at southbound in La Paz).
5.5 days, 2199 miles. Truck ran great, dog was a fantastic traveler, Wife put up with me the whole way. All in all a good trip.
[Edited on 12-1-2021 by phmilo]geoffff - 11-30-2021 at 11:25 PM
Nice job! Glad everything went so smoothly for you. The border and inspection stops *usually* do
-- Geoff
(also from Seattle)Mulege Canuck - 12-1-2021 at 06:40 AM
Nice.
We cross through Mexicali early Sunday morning too. No problems with traffic or cops.
How was the Mex 5? We are heading down in January.David K - 12-1-2021 at 09:00 AM
Yes, thank you.
Next time in Guerrero Negro, look for the Fish Taco truck... really yummy!
Aren't the CBP wait times for northbound crossings?phmilo - 12-1-2021 at 10:11 AM
We cross through Mexicali early Sunday morning too. No problems with traffic or cops.
How was the Mex 5? We are heading down in January.
Mex 5 is really good. more shoulder than 1 in most places. A few bumpy portions, but overall a really good road. I was very comfortable at ~70 MPH on
the straight stretches.phmilo - 12-1-2021 at 10:16 AM
Next time in Guerrero Negro, look for the Fish Taco truck... really yummy!
Aren't the CBP wait times for northbound crossings?
Oops, I think you are right. Well it still worked out for us even if the justification fell apart later. Nice to know for the return trip
though...JDCanuck - 12-1-2021 at 07:33 PM
Thanks a lot for sharing all that. Looking forward to our first drive down soon beginning just a bit north of you on Vancouver Island now that the
borders are finally open....Going to try following your route.phmilo - 12-1-2021 at 09:26 PM
The Mexicali -> GN leg was the biggest question for us. It was about 7.5 hours once we were through the border. We used 11:30 am departing from
San Felipe as our go/no go. We fueled up and grabbed some snacks and a good stretch and were rolling at 11:00 and made GN with a bit of time to spare
- we checked in, unloaded the car (two trips), walked the dog around the property, and had a c-cktail in the courtyard before sunset. From there it's
easier. More towns, more fuel. Mx 1 is not as nice and has a few places where you really want to slow down and pay attention, but it's all
manageable.
Depending on your comfort level with distance in the US, I'd plan an extra day transiting the US and cross Mexicali as early as possible in the
morning. I think doing that leg on a Sunday helped with traffic too. We budgeted ~ 400 miles a day +/- in the US and a little less in Mexico. We
could do more, but that kept us fresh and made it a fun trip and not a slog.BajaBlanca - 12-3-2021 at 02:22 AM
Boy, you sure boogied! Great that the travel on the road bit was uneventful. Thanks for posting and welcome to the board!Cancamo - 12-3-2021 at 08:25 AM
As someone whom has driven the length peninsula since the early 80's, the drive is an absolute pleasure compared to what it once was, (a multiday slow
slog with extra fuel, tires, parts, & patience).
From Mexicali to G. Negro via 5 is a very easy drive with limited traffic and easily attainable in a day's drive, arriving before dark even this time
of year. It's a game changer, making many BCS destinations attainable in a long day's drive that was not possible before.
Although I really miss the Almejas Ahumado in S. Quentin. RFClark - 12-3-2021 at 05:46 PM
Has anyone else noticed that regular gas is about $3.30 US in Mexicali and $4.29 in Calexico? That’s after 19% VAT in Mexico! Propane is about $2.00
US there as well!
Considering that that’s more than a buck a Gal less for the same US gas, I wonder (Not) where the extra is going!
NB crossing time at the west crossing this afternoon was 1hr 5 Min.
Most of BC (Canada) was SB on HWY5!JDCanuck - 12-3-2021 at 07:49 PM
RFClark: We'd definitely be one of those Canadians fleeing while we still can if we could get past the delays to get an "urgent" not emergency
operation. Now hoping for the end of January if it isn't delayed even further. Worst decision we made this year was returning to lock-down BC Canada.JDCanuck - 12-3-2021 at 07:56 PM
And by the way....don't try to download your Vaccine passport at Cabos airport and also the virus test results. Everyone who tried while we were
boarding was unable to access it. Big fines if you enter Canada without it, so we made sure we had it stored in smart phones before we left La Paz.
Additionally, for some unknown reason my wife and her ambulance attendants were delayed til local ferries to Vancouver Island were no longer running
because they were chosen for additional "random" viral tests, despite all the pleas by ambulance drivers and attendants.
[Edited on 12-4-2021 by JDCanuck]RFClark - 12-3-2021 at 10:03 PM
Well, I worked a lot in BC (Vancouver - Dominion Bridge and North Van.) I think things were better back then under Social Credit! That said, people
generally deserve the government they elect!tanagertravels - 1-6-2022 at 04:25 PM
Thanks - we are headed from Whidbey Island ( north of Seattle) to Todos Santos in ten days.. We have a pup and she will be harnessed or crated. Glad
it went well. Also staying at Posada in Loretophmilo - 1-6-2022 at 09:55 PM
Thanks - we are headed from Whidbey Island ( north of Seattle) to Todos Santos in ten days.. We have a pup and she will be harnessed or crated. Glad
it went well. Also staying at Posada in Loreto
Posada is great, but the beds are hard. It's neat little hotel and has secure parking overnight.
We've just returned (actually to Everett). We found it was nice to keep it to ~400-450 mile days. That keeps the pace comfortable and everyone rested.
Plus it gives you time for a hotel waffle in the morning!
Good luck with the trip, enjoy the views along the way.
