calacowboy
Junior Nomad
Posts: 43
Registered: 5-5-2004
Location: ca
Member Is Offline
Mood: wondering....
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Trip report
Just got back from an 8 day trip to N. Baja. Would like to thank everyone who gave their suggestions so freely. My wife and son & I had a BLAST!
?..It was 15 years since I drove to Ensenada, what a difference. Very crowded on a Saturday, and only drove into a dead end once on the harbor drive
thru. Stopped at Santo Tomas resort for lunch, very good food, not what I expected, almost too nice inside (I wondered if I would be served, with my
shorts and T-shirt), lots of very old beer cans hanging from the ceiling. I kept trying to find the less formal dining and wandered into the kitchen
to my embarrassment. My son said the chiles rellenos were muy bueno.
Drove on down to San Quintin to stay at Cielto Lindo (camping, not the hotel). We checked out Gypys(wet buzzards) campground, which is closer to the
beach, but seemed better suited for RV?s, as it had no wind break. Had lunch there one day(Buzzards), chicken tacos were very good and cheap, $1 ea.
And it was windy both days we camped at CL .A couple of bug bites at nite. Very foggy in the morning, clearing by 10. Wave action was good for
boogie boarding, but not surfing. Water was about 65 degrees. Air temp 82. Did I mention it was a beautiful beach, Playa Santa Maria ? Now my idea
of camping when I am on vacation is to eat out every night, 2 dinners at CL, cracked crab, had to try it, my wife called it ?papreecafied?, very good.
The other dinner was at a north SQ restaurant , that was in one of the guide books, not very good. ?.I happened to run into the former owner of CL
who lives in a house right next door and we talked for awhile. He is developing the land right next to CL for mobile home park.
On to BoLA, yeeehaw, my first time going there. We had made reservations for Costa Del Sol thru the owner in Ensenada. Of course when we got there
our name was not listed. No matter, plenty of room. Did I mention it was 105 degrees ?... and humid?and they turn off the AC at midnight. The
sister-in-law who runs the hotel made a few calls to get us a panga for the next day. Very good guide, been living in BoLA for 35 years, highly
recomended. I have his card and e-mail if any one is interested. We fished till 1:00 ?4 yellowtail - 2 skip jack-6 bass-2 trigger fish?.then he took
us to a lagoona in Isla Ventana to snorkel and swim while he cleaned the fish. The guide cut some strips of yellowtail, put it in a baggie with some
soy sauce and lime, let it stew for 30 minutes and then eat with a little wasiby.Yummy! Great time had by all?..Other things we did?.Lunch at Raquel &
Larry?s, good fish tacos?.snorkeled off the turtle farm ?too lazy to go to La Gringa , next time. Ate most of our meals at the hotel, very
good?..talked to a long time resident with a last name Smith, told how the English had Gold and Silver mines in the 1800?s, that?s how he got his
name.
Back to the west coast?.and the cooling breezes of the Pacific. Drove to San Vicente next day, had lunch at the place next to the Pemex??Owner?s name
was Gabriel, talked my ear off, good food, and a little history of the town. On to Erendira, although didn?t stay there, camped at Malibu RV park
next to the Brussel Sprouts. Very nice beach camping?.surf fished the next day, caught 5 surf perch, good size, using sand crabs. Good boogie
boarding in the afternoon, warm water?..One of my better vacations, and the whole family agreed.
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elgatoloco
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4342
Registered: 11-19-2002
Location: Yes
Member Is Offline
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Baja rocks! 
MAGA
Making Attorneys Get Attorneys
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65178
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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You did good!
You went to many places, met the people at those places, and had a Baja experience! Thank you so much for taking the time to share your vacation with
everyone here at Baja Nomad.
What would like to see different next time, and what same places would you return to again?
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bajapablo
Nomad
Posts: 226
Registered: 1-27-2004
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Nice trip report cowboy.
I'm sure envious...where exacly is playa santa maria? Is it near playa pabellon (which is south of cielito lindo)? The wet buzzard is a cool spot.
the food muy bueno and the people that run it are wonderful. hope you got to interact with them a little. How old is your son and what did he enjoy
best? I am taking my kids next trip down...
\"changes it lattitudes, changes in attitudes\"
J.Buffet
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65178
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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It is that entire south and south-west facing beach from the entrance to San Quintin Bay to almost El Socorro. The small town near Cielito Lindo is
called Santa Maria... where the Santa Maria Sky Ranch used to be.
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surfer jim
Super Nomad
Posts: 1891
Registered: 8-29-2003
Location: high desert
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Good trip..you were able to hit a variety of places.....what vehicle do you drive and how did it work on the trip?......
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calacowboy
Junior Nomad
Posts: 43
Registered: 5-5-2004
Location: ca
Member Is Offline
Mood: wondering....
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Surfer jim
I drive '97 2w F150 supercab. Very good truck for Baja....I must confess I did get stuck in the dunes at the beach by Gypys....my fault ...I watched a
couple of trucks go over the dunes very easily and said I can do that...wrong......The great thing is a least 3 different families tried to help me
out, but it took the one with the winch to do it...My wife gave him $40 and I got an education.
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calacowboy
Junior Nomad
Posts: 43
Registered: 5-5-2004
Location: ca
Member Is Offline
Mood: wondering....
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bajapablo
You are right, the poeple at the wet buzzard are very nice, as we did chat with them while we waited for our meal.
My son is 13 and loves the water. He will fish or booogie board till dark if you let him. Usually he is whinny teenager ( what are we going to do
and when are we doing it), completly different on the trip....maybe I should go on vacation more often
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Big Al
Nomad
Posts: 184
Registered: 12-17-2002
Location: El Cajon
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Guide
Calicowbay, I am interested i the guide's name and number.
I like your wife am not at all impressed by the Papreecafied crab. It kills the flavor of the sweet crab. A little salt and a little butter or just
plain is all it needs.
Big Al
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