BigOly - 12-31-2023 at 09:58 PM
Peace, love and fish tacos. Happy New Year from BigOly!
David K - 12-31-2023 at 10:47 PM
Happy New Year to you, too!
shari - 1-2-2024 at 05:00 PM
thank you BigOly and Wishing all my amigos a Happy New Year too!
BigOly - 1-2-2024 at 09:37 PM
You are so kind. Best wishes to you and your family.
BajaBlanca - 1-3-2024 at 09:43 PM
Happy New Year!
David K - 1-5-2024 at 10:18 AM
How Old is relative to Baja California's history timeline!
For me, 'old' was the glory days before the highway of 1973. Many tourists arrived by private plane while the rest of us drove 4x4s or VWs to go
beyond the pavement.
Famous Perry Mason creator, Erle Stanley Gardner, loved exploring and writing about Baja. So much, that he used specialty vehicles and helicopters to
go where his 4x4 caravans could not.
Some of his personal photos were given to me by the Temecula Valley Museum, allowing me to share them with you (his Baja book covers are shown at the
end): https://vivabaja.com/esg/
In the 1950s, Howard Gulick traveled the peninsula in his Willys Jeep station wagon, often with others, to document the roads, towns, and people of
the peninsula (for the Lower California Guidebook). Here is an album of some of his photos, north to south. Click on the thumb images to enlarge and
read the caption: https://library.ucsd.edu/speccoll/baja/gulick/gulick1.html
All 1,446 Baja photos from Howard Gulick: https://library.ucsd.edu/dc/search?f%5Bcollection_sim%5D%5B%...
Older?
Margaret Wood Bancroft took many photos in the early 1930s: https://www.flickr.com/photos/sdnhm-library/albums/721577112...
In 1934, Margaret was on an expedition to find the Lost Mission of Santa Isabel. They searched from El Rosario across to San Felipe. Photos in Valle
Chico (Matomí Canyon and north) are interesting. https://www.flickr.com/photos/sdnhm-library/albums/721577115...
Looking at old photos gives us a time portal to the past! I have many other photographer's photo collections here: https://vivabaja.com/historic-images/
The old days?
AKgringo - 1-5-2024 at 12:59 PM
For me that was 1986! We spent a month checking out Baja on the way to Zihuantanejo. I had made long trips to Mexico before in the late 50s and 60s,
but Baja was new to me.
I was ten years old in 1957 when my family wintered in Manzanillo for the first time.
BajaMama - 1-9-2024 at 05:59 AM
Used to stay in Rosarito a lot 1986-1992. After a hiatus, we started going to Punta Chivato area in 2003, have spent a lot of time on the road to get
there (the drive is part of the fun). I will say, I was shocked at the size of Rosarito and Ensenada when we drove through the first time in 2003.
Not even close to the sleepy little beach towns they were a decade earlier.
pacificobob - 1-9-2024 at 08:22 AM
1969 we drove from la paz to TJ after riding the ferry from matz. 19 long days.
mtgoat666 - 1-9-2024 at 08:37 AM
My first trip was circa 1970, the parents took us kids to disney land, and we did a side trip to TJ and Rosarito and ensenada, stayed at old rosarito
hotel.
I have fond memories of circa 1970 rosarito, when i next visited rosarito in late 1980s it was a chithole (and still is)
[Edited on 1-9-2024 by mtgoat666]
BajaMama - 1-9-2024 at 09:25 AM
Well if SoCal trips count, I think I was maybe 7 or 8 the first time my family ventured to TJ 1967 or so. Then in 1971 we stayed in Ensenada and
fished in the bay. I remember getting a flat tire in TJ, the owner of the house we were in front of came out to help and I gave his daughter a
balloon I had. Of course, being Mexican, she ran into the house to bring me a gift, too.
Road trip of a lifetime....
AKgringo - 1-9-2024 at 09:44 AM
The 1986 road trip started in Anchorage the first week of February. A family of five in a Suburban, we covered 15,000 miles by the time we returned
in early May.
Driving down Baja was about a tenth of the trip, but provided some of the best memories.
RFClark - 1-10-2024 at 03:03 PM
My parents went to TJ during probation and took us there one time in the mid ‘50s. The place was a Navy Liberty town.
First went by myself in ‘63. The place was still a Liberty town and still grim.
Started working in Mexico across from El Paso in the early ‘70s El Paso was mostly military back then so Juárez was also a Liberty town. Better
than TJ in those days. You could only travel about 30Km south w/o a mexican “visa”!
Lived in Colonia Polanco for most of a year in the late ‘80s it was a really great place in those days. Mostly locals not tourists. The first of the
spray can artists worked the near by “Zona Rosa”. Club Med had a location at Ixtapa on the beach. In those days the Winter guests were mostly
Canadian and European, so the club was top optional as the Americans mostly had left.
Worked there ever since off and on. Live there now!
Picture of the Wife at the Angel about ‘88-89 I married above myself.
Street spray can art
“The Pyramids of Mars”
Designed by William “Bill” Sandell Production Designer “Total Recall”
[Edited on 1-10-2024 by RFClark]
Cliffy - 1-10-2024 at 06:12 PM
My mother went to TJ from Los Angeles with a gal named Mary Vega who owned the restaurant Casa Vega she worked at down on Olvera street. Mary Vega
grew up in TJ. This as around 1945. They went down for a weekend and upon going back my Mom was stopped at the border because when asked where she was
born she of course said---- NORWAY where she was born Unfortunately she didn't have her Naturalization papers with her as she was turned back to
Mexico
Mary went across without her and returned a few hours later and my Mom hid in the trunk of the car and got back across that way !!
BajaBlanca - 1-12-2024 at 09:38 AM
In the trunk of the car! Now that is a good story!
Good ole days for me would be 1975 when a very dear friend had an artist friend living in Rosarito and took me there quite a few times.
Were there long lines then driving back? I don't seem to remember any.
The old days...
BigOly - 1-15-2024 at 09:05 PM
First time in Baja was 1995. A special we couldn't refuse. Alaska Air + 5 nights at a hotel in Cabo (forget which one) for $138.00 PP. My girlfriend
and I, both realtors that could never be fooled, bought a Time Share at Solmar Resort. Now it is a very different place, Solmar that is. After free
drinks and catching marlin on a boat they provided we fell in Love. Next year we were married forever and finally found property to build a casa on.
Long story short, we built a house in Los Barriles.. After a 13 year battle we both fought Debbie passed from cancer. After a few years alone I met
my Debbey who was just walking along in Florence. Now we are the next forever.
fandango - 1-15-2024 at 09:39 PM
BigOly, I remember your earlier bird posts. Here’s to your happy forever. 🍹
SFandH - 1-17-2024 at 03:57 PM
I started surfing K38 in the mid-70s on day trips from OB in San Diego. Drove to Cabo in my brand-new 84 Dodge PU, surfing along the way. Stayed at
the Mar de Cortez and surfed the rock / old mans every morning. I still have visuals. It was a trip.
Bajatripper - 1-27-2024 at 08:29 PM
My first time in Baja was 1963, as a kid accompanying my stepfather, Dr. William C. Massey, on an archaeological expedition sponsored by the National
Science Foundation. Although the trip was originally meant to be a one-year affair, unforeseen circumstances led all of the family with the exception
of Bill to remain living in La Paz for the next five years...among the best things that ever happened to me. At the time, La Paz had a population of
around 35,000, very different than it is today. But I still enjoy living in the city.
Bajatripper - 1-27-2024 at 08:32 PM
My first time in Baja was in 1963, as a kid accompanying my stepfather, Dr. William C. Massey, on an archaeological expedition sponsored by the
National Science Foundation. Although the trip was originally meant to be a one-year affair, unforeseen circumstances led all of the family with the
exception of Bill to remain living in La Paz for the next five years...among the best things that ever happened to me. At the time, La Paz had a
population of around 35,000, very different than it is today. But I still enjoy living here.
David K - 1-28-2024 at 09:53 AM
Nice story, Steve. Thanks for sharing!
Russ - 1-29-2024 at 07:07 AM
BigOly! What a treat to hear from you and other old timers. I was addicted to your posts. Such fantastic photos and stories.
[Edited on 1-29-2024 by Russ]
Meany - 1-29-2024 at 09:42 AM
Hola Russ. Good to see ya back on line. Hope your down south. Gooooo Fishing.
The old days...
BigOly - 1-29-2024 at 10:20 PM
Great to hear from you Russ. Your photos were always a joy!