postholedigger
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Baja 500 border traffic
I'm pretty new to this forum but have been frequenting Baja on a regular basis due to having a friend's place to stay at, at first in Rosarito but
now in Ensenada.
Last year I found myself driving back up across the border on the Sunday after the Baja 500. I couldn't find a way to the border that wasn't blocked
by el policia. So I tried a different approach by going to Otay. In the end, I ended up taking 6 hours getting across the border. The traffic was
insane.
I'm down here in Ensenada now and I have a few friends who were planning to come down here (unrelated to the 500). I just wanted to know if the bad
border crossing is the same across the board every time a major event happens down here? Or was my 6 hour ordeal fairly isolated? I just want to give
my buddies a heads up. They wanted to come down for some tacos and a little boat tour of the harbor and fish market. Maybe this isn't the right
weekend?
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bajaguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9247
Registered: 9-16-2003
Location: Carson City, NV/Ensenada - Baja Country Club
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Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
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Anytime there is a holiday, either in the US or in Mexico, border crossings going north are a problem. Plen ahead and adjust your schedule. Crossing
north on a Tuesday works, as well as using a SENTRI pass. We cross at Otay with the SENTRI pass and our longest wait on a Monday was 35 minutes.
Where in Ensenada are you????
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surfer jim
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Location: high desert
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Sundays are allways crowded and with the extra traffic from the race it can only get worse....I say go another weekend.....
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fulano
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If it's any consolation, the entries for the Baja500 are down 40% this year.
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ILikeMex
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Mood: Whishing I was there
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| Quote: | Originally posted by fulano
If it's any consolation, the entries for the Baja500 are down 40% this year. |
If you don't watch it I'm going to sue your ass for defimation of SCORE
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postholedigger
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| Quote: | Originally posted by bajaguy
Anytime there is a holiday, either in the US or in Mexico, border crossings going north are a problem. Plen ahead and adjust your schedule. Crossing
north on a Tuesday works, as well as using a SENTRI pass. We cross at Otay with the SENTRI pass and our longest wait on a Monday was 35 minutes.
Where in Ensenada are you???? |
Yeah, I don't cross enough to justify getting a Sentri (though it is an alluring thought). I just can't wrap my cheap-burro mind around it.
I'm in northern Ensenada between El Sauzal and Downtown. Near the University/Papagayo area where the main road splits.
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Paladin
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When is the Baja 500???
Or for that matter, are there any holidays I've missed between June 2 and June 20??
Yep those are the days of a long dreamed vacation to Baja.
Bring on the drug dealers, I'm ready
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64859
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Paladin
When is the Baja 500???
Or for that matter, are there any holidays I've missed between June 2 and June 20??
Yep those are the days of a long dreamed vacation to Baja.
Bring on the drug dealers, I'm ready |
Tech inspection/ registration is/ was TODAY... the race starts TOMORROW A.M. (Saturday May 31)... http://www.score-international.com
What is raced?: Some photos from 2 years ago: http://vivabaja.com/606 and from the '03 500: http://vivabaja.com/500
Some say the race has gone to the dogs...
[Edited on 5-30-2008 by David K]
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bajaguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9247
Registered: 9-16-2003
Location: Carson City, NV/Ensenada - Baja Country Club
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Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Paladin
When is the Baja 500???
Or for that matter, are there any holidays I've missed between June 2 and June 20??
Yep those are the days of a long dreamed vacation to Baja.
Bring on the drug dealers, I'm ready |
Try this link, click on the "download edition", then scroll to the events page
http://www.bajanews.info/
[Edited on 5-30-2008 by bajaguy]
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bajabound2005
Ultra Nomad
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Location: Punta Banda, BCN
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Mood: words cannot describe...
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A SENTRI pass is good for 5 years...if you only crossed 2x a year, IT'S WORTH IT! We cross about 1X/month....the first time we used it, we had NO
WAIT. That was worth the price of admission right then and there.
Friends don't let friends drink white zinfandel.
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sylens
Senior Nomad
Posts: 584
Registered: 4-6-2005
Location: Ensenada
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Mood: ando bajando
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sentri
bb2005 and bajaguy are right. they convinced us to go sentri, despite our scottish penny pinching inclination. used it for the first time wednesday
and crossed at san ysidro in 12 minutes. took us four hours last december.
well worth it.
lili
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postholedigger
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As I post I hear the sound of souped up VW Baja Beetles and other 500 candidates ripping past us on the way to Ensenada. I suppose the toll booth
lines will be a precursor for how border traffic will be without SENTRI.
BTW. I don't drive the same car down every time (I do Mission work) so I would have to coordinate and set up multiple SENTRI's along with others who
drive the same cars down so the complications/ costs (the benefits still alluring even after the costs) would still be staggering (at least from my
analysis and the inquiries I've made).
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Ken Cooke
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Mood: Pole Line Road postponed due to injury
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Personally, I like crossing in Tecate.
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Pescador
Ultra Nomad
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Registered: 10-17-2002
Location: Baja California Sur
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Ken Cooke
Personally, I like crossing in Tecate. |
Yeah, me too. We crossed Monday at about noon and it took less than 20 minutes and we even had to go to secondary because we had been south for 8 1/2
months. I hope I never have to cross again in Otay or Tijuana.
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postholedigger
Nomad
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True, the one time I crossed through Tecate we only had to wait for 10 minutes. Then again, unbeknownst to us, we missed the border closing time by 2
minutes. 2 minutes later and we would have found ourselves having to backtrack to Otay or San Ysidro.
BTW, maniacs decided it was worth coming down this weekend so we'll see how they fare come Sunday evening and they take a flying leap at the border.
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BajaWarrior
Super Nomad
Posts: 2307
Registered: 9-27-2006
Location: Mission Bay, San Diego. Playa Hermosa, San Felipe.
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Mood: Anxious to get south
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Ken Cooke
Personally, I like crossing in Tecate. |
The longest line I've ever encountered crossing any border on a Sunday night was at Tecate and that was around April '07.
Non holiday weekend. 2 1/2 hours.
Haven't had a bad trip yet....
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8947
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
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Mood: Pole Line Road postponed due to injury
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| Quote: | Originally posted by BajaWarrior
| Quote: | Originally posted by Ken Cooke
Personally, I like crossing in Tecate. |
The longest line I've ever encountered crossing any border on a Sunday night was at Tecate and that was around April '07.
Non holiday weekend. 2 1/2 hours. |
My longest line I've ever encountered was crossing in Tijuana on a Sunday morning - March '07 - 3 hours. Boy, did I need to use the restroom when I
finally made it into the U.S.!!
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postholedigger
Nomad
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Yeah, one time I'd gone on a long run and had to get back across the border right after. I hit the showers and skipped on the gallons of water I
usually drink after a run just so I wouldn't have to be worried about having to pee while I waited in border traffic. I was so dying for the bottle of
water I had sitting next to me but fear kept me from drinking it till I got to within 2 cars from the border booths.
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