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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65537
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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May 2026 Trip (14th to 18th): Trip album about done... see more photo samples here.
Hey Nomads,
It is so great to get back to my beloved Baja... Especially since we got old and between finances and health issues for us (me: spinal fusion this
year)!
I will be riding with my friend Dave W. in the Baja Bound sponsored Toyota Tundra... This will be very much like last year, but for two additional;
days, as we are traveling further south... San Borja mission and L.A. Bay/ Las Flores.
Again, we will be hitting up historic locations and other points of interest I have been to, but some over 25 year ago! It is great fun to compare old
with current photos. Back on Monday (hopefully!)
See last year's (multi-part) trip report here on Nomad or the condensed photo album: www.vivabaja.com/baja-525
I hope to create another detailed trip report for the sites we are going to try and checkout, between Puertecitos and Las Flores.
If you see the big, white Tundra with big Baja Bound and now a Toyotas in Baja stickers on the side, give us a wave or stop to say hi.
[Edited on 5-27-2026 by David K]
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pauldavidmena
Super Nomad
Posts: 1814
Registered: 5-23-2013
Location: Centerville, MA, USA
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I hope you have a great time visiting Baja! Have you already had your spinal surgery? I had spinal fusion of my L5/S1 disc (IYKYK) back in 2015, and
it made quite the difference. During the last few years, I couldn't sit in a chair for more than an hour at a time, which made driving - something I
love to do - quite challenging. Post-surgery, I still need to listen to my body when it tells me to take a break and stretch or at least move around.
And I found that even though I am 99% pain-free, I have to think twice before lifting something heavy.
In any case, ¡Buen viaje!
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65537
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Quote: Originally posted by pauldavidmena  | I hope you have a great time visiting Baja! Have you already had your spinal surgery? I had spinal fusion of my L5/S1 disc (IYKYK) back in 2015, and
it made quite the difference. During the last few years, I couldn't sit in a chair for more than an hour at a time, which made driving - something I
love to do - quite challenging. Post-surgery, I still need to listen to my body when it tells me to take a break and stretch or at least move around.
And I found that even though I am 99% pain-free, I have to think twice before lifting something heavy.
In any case, ¡Buen viaje! |
Exactly correct!
Yes, my spinal fusion (L4-L5) was last February so just over 3 months ago. Still have some back pain around the surgery area but the sciatica (right
leg) pain is gone 100%!
Thank you!
I am all packed and ready to go... around noon Dave will pick me up.
He has Starlink in the Tundra, so I will be able to answer questions or give reports, from the road.
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cupcake
Senior Nomad
Posts: 794
Registered: 4-23-2024
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Have a great time, David, and please post some photos.
Glad your surgery was so successful and you are headed to Baja so soon afterwards!
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mtgoat666
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 20977
Registered: 9-16-2006
Location: San Diego
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Mood: Hot n spicy
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| Quote: Originally posted by David K |
I am all packed and ready to go... around noon Dave will pick me up.
He has Starlink in the Tundra, so I will be able to answer questions or give reports, from the road. |
Dk,
Enjoy the trip. Unplugging from tech distractions is the best way to experience vacation. Turn off your phone, and leave it off for duration of the
trip!
Woke!
Hands off!
“Por el bien de todos, primero los pobres.”
“...ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” “My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America
will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”
Pronoun: the royal we
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Don Jorge
Senior Nomad
Posts: 681
Registered: 8-29-2003
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Have a great trip DK. Best action plan post fusion is walking, stretching and resistance training. Baja is a a great place for all of that.
Every town in Baja now has a gym or several and of course walking and stretching in Bajas natural beauty is good for the body and the soul too.
Are you going to post pictures of the trip? Jaja..
�And it never failed that during the dry years the people forgot about the rich years, and during the wet years they lost all memory of the dry
years. It was always that way.�― John Steinbeck
"Until a person learns to respect nature and talk to the animal world, he will never know his true role on Earth." Enzo Mallorca
"Nature bats last." Doug "Hayduke" Peac-ck
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wilderone
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3904
Registered: 2-9-2004
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Via con dios, David - I hope all goes well - WIWT
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65537
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Thanks 😊
In Calamajué wash now!
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65537
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Road to L.A. Bay is great with just one short detour at a new bridge near town.
Had dinner with Graham at Restaurant Liz, almost across from the Train engine display in the town plaza.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65537
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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I will have a nice trip report for you all. Of course it will have too many details and too many photos, lol!
Had dinner with Graham and slept at Daggett's. Saw Las Flores and the cemetery there and at L.A. Bay. Paulina works at the museum and gave us a great
tour.
Thank you Paulina!
Went to Montevideo painted cliff and Mission San Borja. Overnighted there. Ana Licia gave us the mission tour and had the palapa rooms ready.
Saw the sand-filled harbor of Santa Rosalillita and had breakfast at the. El Parador Cafe and Motel, at the L. A. Bay junction. It was great!
Last night was at Dave's house near Nuevo Mazatlan and back across the border at Mexicali East. It was great being a passenger in Dave's Baja Bound/
Toyotas in Baja Tundra.
[Edited on 5-18-2026 by David K]
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65537
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Agua del Mezquitito, exit east at Km. 120.5, about 1 km.
Day 1 since getting home has me downloaded the 220 camera photos and now in the middle of editing them to look their best. Lot's of work on my PC!
Next, I need to download the photos I took on my cell phone, which are possibly better quality??
Most of the sites we visited I had been to before. Dave W. wants to learn of all the cool and historic Baja locations I know of or have been to.
1974 vs. 2026, same kid, same location, just 52 years apart:
========================================================
1958 vs. 2026, Andy Anderson in a Howard Gulick photo (I knew them both personally when I was young!)
[Edited on 5-20-2026 by David K]
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65537
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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More at Agua del Mezquitito
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65537
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Start of the day from San Felipe South Campos, Friday
As I organize and edit the hundreds of photos from both my Canon camera and Samsung phone, I can begin to put them in more of an order rather than
random.
Same as last year's May trip www.vivabaja.com/525 I am a passenger in Dave W's Toyota Tundra, sponsored by Baja Bound Insurance. Dave stated a new Facebook group, Toyotas in
Baja and it's logo is on the side, as well: www.facebook.com/groups/toyotasinbaja
The Day Begins
We have a passenger who is a popular fixture in the South Campos and Punta Banda communities, LaMoine Fulton. He lives just a couple of kilometers
south of Dave's place.
Km. 99 Viewpoint
More to come... also see more on my VivaBaja Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/vivabaja
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65537
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Alfonsina's
One thing for sure, a trip like this with all the bumps and hiking, sure wears the old body of mine!
After visiting the waterhole of Agua del Mezquitito, we went to Alfonsina's for breakfast. First, the Tundra needed breakfast!
A dining room with a view:
We chose the patio table:
My breakfast was excellent, Bahía Style Eggs:
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65537
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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After breakfast, we drove to the 1769+ mission-era warehouse on the shore of the bay. There supplies for the new Franciscan missions (and later
Dominican) could be offloaded in be staged for the next burro train. See the photos in this new post: https://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=103527
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Tioloco
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5913
Registered: 7-30-2014
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Logistics in 1770 were very impressive considering the remoteness.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65537
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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The Gonzaga Onyx (Salt/Soda) Springs
After we examined the mission warehouse ruins, we headed across Mex 5 and about 2 miles beyond. From the beach south of Alfonsina's you can see it,
what looks like a glacier or snow field. Google Earth, as well... a mineral slope 1,200 feet x 500 feet. In the arroyo as you near it, large pieces of
onyx lay about. In 2002, there were many smaller samples, as well. Like at El Volcán, this was a place where the minerals, coming up in springs,
solidify into the precious stone.
In the January 1959 edition of Desert Magazine on page 9 is the article 'Trail to a Baja Salt Spring' : https://archive.org/details/Desert-Magazine-1959-01/page/n8/...
In 2002, my son (Chris at 13 years old) and I made the hike from my Tacoma, 1/2 mile. The drive was about 2 miles from Rancho Grande Market.
In 2026, we could not drive as close as in 2002:
2002:
In 2026:
2002:
In 2026:
See 'Soda Spring' on my 2018 map:
Last week, the short side road off the large wash to the onyx 'glacier' was pretty bad, and no tracks but many rocks instead, compared to 2002. The
hike was a little longer from where we parked.
Next, we go to see the old Coco's Corner, driving to it from the new Coco's Corner... where we saw a grave. After that, we go to Calamajué!
[Edited on 5-22-2026 by David K]
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65537
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Coco's (Old) Corner 1986-2021
South of Gonzaga Bay, about Km. 179.5, is the new Coco's Corner (2021 +).
Coco died late the next year. See more in my Coco webpage: https://vivabaja.com/coco/
We leave Mex #5 there and take the older, bypassed route to the original Coco's Corner (4 miles south) to see what came of it. From there, we went on
to the Calamajué mill and mission.
Coco? See the new Coco's Corner in the background:
Old Coco's Corner, May 2026:
The same spot in 2001:
L to R: David Kier, Coco, Sarah Kier, David Eidell, Miguelito Humfreville.
Sort of a sad thing when things don't last... In a way, by moving north to the highway, Coco did preserve his dream for a few more years!
Coco's old Corner (not labeled) was at the junction of roads, 4 miles south of the new corner.
[Edited on 5-22-2026 by David K]
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Pablito1
Junior Nomad
Posts: 73
Registered: 4-24-2011
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Many thanks David for sharing.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65537
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Glad you are enjoying it.
Sorry, the updates are slow in coming.
Besides the photo organizing, other events are keeping me busy!
There are more photos posted on my Facebook groups (it is just easier and instant). A webpage for the trip is also under construction.
Coming up:
After seeing the Calamajué mission, we examined the white mineral bench just inside the canyon. That was my first time as I always drove past.
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