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El Camote
Senior Nomad
Posts: 514
Registered: 9-7-2003
Location: Above the clouds
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Mood: y Blues
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El Otro option
Lo Siento, mi fellow nomads but I have to strongly disagree on your suggested route. If you have a sturdy, reliable vehicle with working A/C take the
scenic east coast. Instead of running through the entire length of Hell-A., O.C. and San Diego Counties as well as TJ and the Ensenada to San
Quintin-slowly-snake-through-the-cities-and-putt-putt-behind-semi-truck-nightmare (I'm not even mentioning the mordida and tope-from-hell risks), take
a drive through the country.
Taking the west coast runs you through populations of say 12 million people. What are the odds you're going to be stuck in traffic no matter what
time of day? Taking the east coast you'll pass through maybe a total of 3 million. I like those odds much better!
Go 5S to 210S to 210E (the 2nd half of this is brand new and lightly traveled!) to 15S for only 5 miles to 10E. Get past San Bernadino and you're
wide open for a scenic, fast desert drive. 86S expressway (wide open, baby!) to Westmoreland then rt turn onto S30 at the only stop sign in town.
This takes you directly down to 8E bypassing both Brawley and El Centro. If you need to supply up before crossing, stay on 86S into Brawley and
through town to 111S (another new portion of hwy) through Calexico and direct to the border.
Mexicali can be a pain to get through during the day (but easier than Ensenada imho) so another option is to bed down in the Brawley/El
Centro/Calexico area. There's a recent thread on good motels if you do a search. Get up with the roosters and you'll fly through Mexicali (the
border guards aren't awake enough to bother searching you if you're red-lighted) and easily make BOLA before dark with time for stops, if you wish,
but there's cool spots to camp along the way. I really don't believe the south of the border drive from TJ to Bola vs. Mexicali to Bola is any
different time-wise and it's a hellava lot more relaxing and scenic - with the right rig.
Here's a rough timetable:
Pasadena (210) to the border - approx. 225 miles - 4 hrs.
Border to San Felipe - 125 miles - 2.5 hrs.
San Felipe to Puertecitos - 52 miles - 1.5 hrs.
Puertecitos to Gonzaga Bay - 48 miles - 2.5 hrs.
Gonzaga to Hwy 1 at Chapala - 36 miles - 1 hr.*
Chapala to BOLA turnoff - 32 miles - .5 hrs.
BOLA rd. - 41 miles - 1 hr.
*actual time will be longer as this leg (pardon the pun)requires a stop at Coco's Corner and a fria cerveza or two.
   
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BajaVida
Senior Nomad
Posts: 541
Registered: 9-1-2003
Location: Motown, Califas
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Mood: muy cool
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now Mexray why would you buy wine
between lard (Manteca) and a hard place (Escalon=step)?
or is that between a rock and a hard place (I get confused sometimes)
No se apure y dure.
Don\'t hurry and you\'ll last longer.
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neilmac
Nomad
Posts: 127
Registered: 1-3-2005
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El Otro option....
I thought it was a lot longer from Puertocitos down to the hwy.... How fast do you take the washboard to make it in a half day?
I've only been as far as Puertocitos, that last 15 mile took an hour.... what's the rest of it like? I'm in a 2x import truck...
Neil
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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El Camote...
that was route I wanted to go except I don't know the best way from Coalinga to Mexicali and I don't know how much longer (timewise) it would be. 2
hours longer is no biggie. Remember with the Wrangler and Kayaks I can not haula$$ on any open sections. The road south of Puertecitoes is fine, I
have driven to Mex 1 several times via that route. Unless I can save 5+ hours going to SD/TJ and Mex 1 south I would just as soon go through San
Felipe. So how time would I save going the 'regular' route????
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rts551
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6699
Registered: 9-5-2003
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I agree with El Camote. I have been traveling south for many years and only take HWy 1 if I have a trailer.
Crossing at Mexicali is a breeze in the off hours. Usually take my time south of San Felipe. Spend the night in Gonzoga or Guerro Negro (destination
Punta Abreojos).
Traveled this route from Sacramento many years.. and the last ten from Tucson. The only difference is I bypassed LA completely by going through
Palmdale when living in Sac.
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Mexray
Super Nomad
Posts: 1016
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: California Delta
Member Is Offline
Mood: Baja Time
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BajaVida...It's really quite simple...
In life, we take one STEP at a time, and a little LARD must fall.
OF...to find Franzia's liquid treasures, one must get out of the FAT, but not go so far as to get STEPPED on!
In reality, during the overstock wine sale in the fall, they usually don't have much of their 'boxed' wine, but rather bottled vino under several
other labels they use. We've bought great white table wine bottles for around $8 a case (that's right 12 bottles!) (take that, Chuck!). Also some
very drinkable reds for $20 a case, and some really mellow stuff for less than $30 a case! We like it on our corn flakes when the milk sours in the
frig...
According to my clock...anytime is \'BAJA TIME\' & as Jimmy Buffett says,
\"It doesn\'t use numbers or moving hands It always just says now...\"
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El Camote
Senior Nomad
Posts: 514
Registered: 9-7-2003
Location: Above the clouds
Member Is Offline
Mood: y Blues
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The Road
Neil, that last 15 miles or so into Puertecitos is the worst of the entire trip! South of Puert. is just honest dirt w/ some washboard and a bit
rocky climbing the 3 hills. Honestly, it's been a year since I've been on it but I doubt it's changed much.
Anon, I just realized you're driving a Wrangler. How do you attach the Kayaks, on top of the hardtop? Make sure they're padded well and stop to
check them often once you hit the dirt. First time on the SF to Gonzaga leg I was driving a CJ-7 with very stiff suspension. The CJ had leaf springs
front and back. We averaged 10 mph. and took 2 days to do it! The road is much improved now and I think the Wrangler has much more keister-friendly
suspension. I really don't think you'll find much of a time difference taking the east coast. Please keep track of your driving times for each leg
and report back after, or during, the trip. I'd be very curious to know.
Ray, I never knew the true meaning of Manteca. That tops Atascadero, which I've heard meant mudhole, for unappealing town names. You're scaring me
with this talk of fine boxed wines and vino on cornflakes. Are you trying to fill the soggy shoes of Mike Humfreville while he's away? 
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thebajarunner
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3718
Registered: 9-8-2003
Location: Arizona....."Free at last from crumbling Cali
Member Is Offline
Mood: muy amable
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Baja Vida and I can go 'Lardsville' (Manteca) even one better.
Just South of Manteca is our Stanislaus County town of Salida.
Can't you imagine the perplexity of a visitor from Mexico when he spots the big road sign that says "Next Exit-Salida"
(For the Spanish impaired.... salida translates to exit)
By the by, I still say it is not worth doing the San Felipe washboard to miss the glory of Catavina, not to mention honorable gas at El Rosario.
Baja Arriba!!
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