BajaNomad - Baja - Fall 2021

Baja - Fall 2021

pjpvi - 12-14-2021 at 06:14 PM

What a great year! I managed to get in 2 Baja trips this year.

This time I headed down with two friends with limited to no Baja experience. They had a blast.

Van performed excellent except for broken shock mount / spring plate on the passenger side and rear fuel tank strap bolt broke. I believe this was a result of the long harsh route from BLA to Guerrero Negro via Las Animas, etc. I managed to strap it all back together out on the Bahia Concepcion peninsula to limp back to Mulege and get it all taken care of. I also had my starting batteries take a dump (I think also as a result of all the vibration on that route) but was able to use my house batteries to start on for about a week until I got home where it was easier to replace them. It all just adds to the adventure.

No issues otherwise. Just friendly people, stunning beauty, great food & drink, and great adventures.

I hope you enjoy the video!

Direct YouTube link or via my blog.

4x4abc - 12-14-2021 at 07:24 PM

what lighthouse are you showing towards the end?

honda tom - 12-14-2021 at 08:55 PM

lighthouse is due west of Villa Jesus Maria

pjpvi - 12-15-2021 at 08:32 AM

Quote: Originally posted by honda tom

lighthouse is due west of Villa Jesus Maria

Yep, that's it.

pjpvi - 12-15-2021 at 08:35 AM

The art was painted on sometime between my visit around the end of March this year and this visit.

David K - 12-15-2021 at 09:46 AM

Location is Morro Santo Domingo, overlooking the entrance to Laguna Manuela :light:

Well-illustrated on the 2010 AAA Map:

4x4abc - 12-15-2021 at 09:47 AM

lighthouse Punta Morro Santo Domingo

TMW - 12-16-2021 at 04:31 PM

I cut a rattle snakes tail off as he went in a crack in the lighthouse foundation many years ago. It is my lucky charm.

BajaDanD - 12-19-2021 at 01:13 AM

It wasn't so lucky for the snake

Skipjack Joe - 12-19-2021 at 07:17 AM

good corbina fishing below the lighthouse.

BajaBlanca - 12-19-2021 at 08:36 AM

Great video :biggrin:

It was so fun giving away the blankets to Tidiana/Abraham and the 7 kids. It has been so cold at night, they were a Godsend for sure.

Christmas will be awesome with all the baseball goodies! I had Olimpia, our scholarship tuition recipient (about to graduate in Law) wrap them for Christmas! It is going to be a blast having a party to give them their gifts.

Now to read your blog! Merry Christmas amigos.

boe4fun - 12-19-2021 at 11:54 AM

Great video, thank you.

advrider - 12-19-2021 at 12:01 PM

How would the camping be at that lighthouse, we would be in small camp trailer?
Where is Rancho Escondido? Is that on the road from BOLA to El Arco? Looked very interesting?
Really enjoyed the video... Thanks

[Edited on 12-19-2021 by advrider]

geoffff - 12-19-2021 at 01:12 PM

I love camping at that lighthouse! Punta Morro Santo Domingo. I do it for most of my trips. The access road is sandy 4x4 but otherwise easy, from what I remember. It is often foggy there.

[Edited on 12-19-2021 by geoffff]

geoffff - 12-19-2021 at 01:26 PM

Nice field repair!!! I have a series of photos just like that. Red ratchet straps to the rescue! Glad you got it welded up.

David K - 12-19-2021 at 01:30 PM

Quote: Originally posted by advrider

How would the camping be at that lighthouse, we would be in small camp trailer?
Where is Rancho Escondido? Is that on the road from BOLA to El Arco? Looked very interesting?
Really enjoyed the video... Thanks

[Edited on 12-19-2021 by advrider]

See 'Escondido' over there by the Km. 110?

advrider - 12-19-2021 at 05:58 PM

Its been added to the camping list. Thanks David, I totally missed it, I see it now. I think BajaBlanca and Les visited there as well.

David K - 12-19-2021 at 06:34 PM

It was closed and abandoned the two times I wanted to check it out, Jan and June of 2017. I saw newer photos of it open, since.

Skipjack Joe - 12-20-2021 at 02:00 AM

Quote: Originally posted by advrider

How would the camping be at that lighthouse, we would be in small camp trailer?

Depends on the size of the trailer. The road from Laguna Manuela is uphill and very sandy. It can get quite windy up there during certain times of the year (Jan-June).

pjpvi - 12-20-2021 at 09:50 AM

Quote:

Merry Christmas amigos.

Thanks Blanca. Merry Christmas to you and Les and thanks for all you do for that community!

Quote:

How would the camping be at that lighthouse, we would be in small camp trailer?

As mentioned, a bit of sand to get there but nothing too deep. Depending on your tow vehicle shouldn't be bad at all. There were two large converted ambulances camped there when I went by. Not great picture of them below.

Quote:

Where is Rancho Escondido? Is that on the road from BOLA to El Arco? Looked very interesting?

It's pretty close to the hard right turn when heading from BLA to El Arco where left goes to Puerto San Francisquito. You'll see a sign for it on the main road. We really enjoyed our stay there. A very nice family owns and runs the place.

Quote:

Nice field repair!!! I have a series of photos just like that. Red ratchet straps to the rescue! Glad you got it welded up.

Thanks Geoff. I'm pretty sure it was seeing your post a long time ago that made me think of strapping it all together to get out. This point has become a regular stop for me too. I really like it out past the light house.

Thanks for the nice comments everyone!

wilderone - 12-20-2021 at 10:21 AM

re camping at lighthouse - "bit of sand to get there but nothing too deep" It's pretty deep and loose - required 6 people to push a VW uphill - 'course a piece of cake coming down. There is a ridgetop road, accessed a bit north than that main uphill climb near the lighthouse. A lot of roads criss-cross there. If you can't do that uphill, there is an RV area near the beach at the base. All full last time I was there - we set up camp in the middle of a side road near the wetlands lagoon. Whales sometimes hang out at the mouth of the lagoon, and a sea lion colony walking distance north of the lighthouse. White sea bass off the rocks.

pjpvi - 12-20-2021 at 10:28 AM

Quote: Originally posted by wilderone

re camping at lighthouse - "bit of sand to get there but nothing too deep" It's pretty deep and loose - required 6 people to push a VW uphill - 'course a piece of cake coming down. There is a ridgetop road, accessed a bit north than that main uphill climb near the lighthouse. A lot of roads criss-cross there. If you can't do that uphill, there is an RV area near the beach at the base. All full last time I was there - we set up camp in the middle of a side road near the wetlands lagoon. Whales sometimes hang out at the mouth of the lagoon, and a sea lion colony walking distance north of the lighthouse. White sea bass off the rocks.

Good point. I'm assuming vehicle has 4x4 and larger off-road tires. Not sure how your VW is outfitted but from what I'm picturing I can understand your perspective. My van weighs in around 11,500 lbs when loaded for trips like this sitting on 35" tires with limited slip front & rear diffs for reference.

From Laguna Manuela over the Morro Santo Domingo to Variety Beach

David K - 12-20-2021 at 10:43 AM

These photos are from my Trip Report #4 (April 2017):

Palapas by the bottom of the sandy climb up to the lighthouse.

Variety Beach, named by Nomad 'Whistler' (our late amigo, Glenn) where so many varieties of fish can be caught (corbina, croaker, halibut, white seabass, calico bass...)

vacaenbaja - 12-21-2021 at 07:26 PM

https://www.discoverbaja.com/2021/10/04/tom-millers-wsb-secr...
I recall a Tom Miller anglers guide to Baja California I believe mention of "Variety Beach" Fished and camped there once. Many people through out the decades have been hitting this once super productive spot. I doubt that it offers the same action as before, but I hope that there are still some fish left!!

advrider - 12-21-2021 at 08:47 PM

Good info, I would be in a Chevy 4x4 with good tires and the ability to air down. My trailer is an off-road Australian trailer built to go any place you can tow it.
Thanks for the pictures David, looks amazing. It appears the best camping is below the lighthouse, maybe at the little palapa's?

[Edited on 12-22-2021 by advrider]

phmilo - 12-23-2021 at 09:42 AM

Quote: Originally posted by advrider

Good info, I would be in a Chevy 4x4 with good tires and the ability to air down. My trailer is an off-road Australian trailer built to go any place you can tow it.
Thanks for the pictures David, looks amazing. It appears the best camping is below the lighthouse, maybe at the little palapa's?

[Edited on 12-22-2021 by advrider]

Do you have a Bruder? We worked on one of those in our shop, they are pretty cool. I keep thinking that would be a good thing to drag down and back, but for the few nights on the trip it's a big expense.

David K - 12-23-2021 at 10:15 AM

Quote: Originally posted by vacaenbaja

https://www.discoverbaja.com/2021/10/04/tom-millers-wsb-secr...
I recall a Tom Miller anglers guide to Baja California I believe mention of "Variety Beach" Fished and camped there once. Many people through out the decades have been hitting this once super productive spot. I doubt that it offers the same action as before, but I hope that there are still some fish left!!

Tom and Shirley Miller had a Mexico West camping party at Laguna Manuel (maybe 1981?) and it was he who told us about the long sandy beach to the north of the Morro... and how to get my 4WD Subaru there. I got into owning 4x4 Subarus after Tom so greatly praised his as a 'Super Sand Bug' south of San Felipe! That was in 1977 and I was seeking a replacement for my Jeep Cherokee Chief which spent more time at the dealer and mechanics than it did in Baja (it was a brand new Jeep)!

I commented at the bottom of that article:

David Kier says:
October 6, 2021 at 10:38 am
Tom Miller, during a Mexico West camping trip to Laguna Manuela, had shared that fishing spot with us around 1980. It quickly became a favorite of ours for surf fishing! Calico bass by the rocks and corbina, croaker, and halibut off the long, sandy beach. Another friend, years later, said his amigos called it ‘Variety Beach’ for that reason. Thanks for the story. Good memories there!

Here's my dad and I at Variety Beach in 1983. It was the final fishing trip to Baja for him. Loading up my Subaru. Photo by my mom.