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AKtundra
Junior Nomad
Posts: 26
Registered: 11-1-2011
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What's the Bucket List for a first timer?
I am new to the forum and may be trying to plan a last minute trip to the peninsula over the holidays. To those that have experienced Baja before,
what would be your top ten "must do's" ? (for my taste, a particularly remote beach, or little traveled road, is more interesting than a well
recommended nice resort )
What would be your top 3 "gotchas" to watch out for? ( this is a smaller list cause, as long as it is not unhealthy or too expensive I don't mind
making a few mistakes!)
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
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Welcome to BajaNomad, AK. Just head for the Gulf Side. The rest will take care of itself.
The Pac Side will be getting a bit chilly around that time of the year.
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mcfez
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8678
Registered: 12-2-2009
Location: aka BN yankeeirishman
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DENNIS throws good advice...it's a bit colder on the Pacific.
The Sea of Cortez is perfect for camping...outdoor sports....laid back.
Look into going from San Felipe to Gonzada Bay...if you have several weeks......add the Bay of Los Angeles (BoLA)
Use the search at the top left of this webpage for great posts about this.
or here...........
http://forums.bajanomad.com/misc.php?action=search
Some data links
http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=56210
[Edited on 11-14-2011 by mcfez]
Old people are like the old cars, made of some tough stuff. May show a little rust, but good as gold on the inside.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65410
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Look at various sites to choose, Baja Norte: http://vivabaja.com/tours
Various sites in Baja Sur we visited in 2009: http://vivabaja.com/709
Tell us if you have a 4WD, if you are camping or hoteling... Welcome to Nomad!
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Curt63
Super Nomad
Posts: 1171
Registered: 3-28-2009
Location: San Diego, Ca.
Member Is Offline
Mood: Fish tacos and Tecate
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Mulege, Bahia Concepcion, san ignacio
No worries
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BornFisher
Super Nomad
Posts: 2128
Registered: 1-11-2005
Location: K-38 Santa Martha/Encinitas
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Hussongs (Ensenada) comes to mind-----
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hussong's
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
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| Quote: | Originally posted by BornFisher
Hussongs (Ensenada) comes to mind-----
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hussong's |
Which is only a short walk to Anthony's...Baja's premier cultural interchange center. 
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AKtundra
Junior Nomad
Posts: 26
Registered: 11-1-2011
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Thanks for the leads !! Keep the ideas coming!!
We will be camping, with the occasional night in a hotel to clean up and feel like high rollers !
I plan to have a stock SUV, and do a fair amount of off-road driving here in AK.
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BornFisher
Super Nomad
Posts: 2128
Registered: 1-11-2005
Location: K-38 Santa Martha/Encinitas
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | | Which is only a short walk to Anthony's...Baja's premier cultural interchange center. |
Oh yes, Anthony`s! Where the DMR ( Descendants of the Mexican Revolution) and Ensenada Culture Club meets on the second Tuesday of the month. I know
it`s on my Bucket List!!
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KASHEYDOG
Senior Nomad
Posts: 649
Registered: 2-21-2007
Location: CARLSBAD,CA 619-990-0270
Member Is Offline
Mood: SO MANY TACOS, SO LITTLE TIME... Gotta Go, See ya there.... 
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Welcome to Baja Nomad, AKtundra 
Hope you can handle the "climate-shock" when you get here. Better get out of AK before the car freezes up..
I would agree with Dennis. Unless you think 60 degrees is warm, which considering where you're from you might.......
Don\'t mess with the old dog...... Age and skill will always overcome youth and treachery! Brilliance only comes with age and
experience.....  ....  ....
Are you getting the most out of life OR is life getting the most out of you ?? 
Twenty years from now you\'ll be more disappointed by the things you didn\'t do then the things you did.
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mcfez
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8678
Registered: 12-2-2009
Location: aka BN yankeeirishman
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| Quote: | Originally posted by AKtundra
Thanks for the leads !! Keep the ideas coming!!
We will be camping, with the occasional night in a hotel to clean up and feel like high rollers !
I plan to have a stock SUV, and do a fair amount of off-road driving here in AK. |
just how much time r u talking about?
Old people are like the old cars, made of some tough stuff. May show a little rust, but good as gold on the inside.
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KASHEYDOG
Senior Nomad
Posts: 649
Registered: 2-21-2007
Location: CARLSBAD,CA 619-990-0270
Member Is Offline
Mood: SO MANY TACOS, SO LITTLE TIME... Gotta Go, See ya there....
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I would bring everything you need to survive in a place with no stores, no food, no water, no electricity, no shelter, no gas stations, high winds,
blowing sand, sweltering sun and heat, no fire wood, snakes, bugs, coyotes, flies, scorpions......... Just bring your Wall Mart tent and a fishin'
pole. You'll be fine....
And call the local Federale if you run into trouble. Then hold your breath and wait. Oh yeah, tell them to ask for Mr. Blue when they get there..........
Otherwise refer to your other thread about "Packing tips for the desert and Mexico"
| Quote: | Originally posted by KASHEYDOG
You're gonna do what ????????????
Hey Aktundra, I suggest you go back to the play book and get the one titled how to survive in the wilderness of the BAJA, California desert. If you
continue with your current plan you will need to buy and leave everything it takes to survive in a place where there are few stores, no water, no camp
sites as we know in the US. Do you realize just how remote Baja is Or are you going on some "guided camping tour " of Baja???
Maybe I'm not understanding what you're thinking But if I'm right you need to come here on a trial run and stay in some of the places you're thinking
of and EXPERIENCE it first.
BTW ... what are you thinking of driving down there. First thing to remember and understand is Baja is not the U.S.A, it's a foreign
country and many car rental companies do not allow their cars to go to Mexico. You'll need Mexican auto insurance, passports, Mexican visas
to travel beyond a certain distance, roadside assistance. This is not going to be a pitch a tent we bought at Wall Mart yesterday thing.....
Again, I suggest a dry run first. Come down and check it out. Stay in some hotels and drive around. Sight see. I can tell from you're current plan
that you've never been here. It's much different then you've imagined........
And no I am not, as suggested earlier, lending you my stuff. It's taken me many years of "Wall Mart" trips to accumulate all the right stuff. No
offence.......
However, you're welcome to call me if you'd like some advice.
[Edited on 11-14-11 by KASHEYDOG] |
[Edited on 11-14-11 by KASHEYDOG]
Don\'t mess with the old dog...... Age and skill will always overcome youth and treachery! Brilliance only comes with age and
experience..... .... ....
Are you getting the most out of life OR is life getting the most out of you ??
Twenty years from now you\'ll be more disappointed by the things you didn\'t do then the things you did.
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AKtundra
Junior Nomad
Posts: 26
Registered: 11-1-2011
Member Is Offline
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Mcfez, If we can go anywhere, it will be 7-10 days over the holidays
Kasheydog, you remind me of me, when people tell me they are going to fly to ak, and go on some wild adventure ! Did you ever see that Sean Penn
movie about the kid that died at the "magic bus" on stampede trail outside Denali? We always have out-of-state folks that venture out into the Alaska
wildernes unprepared . In fact since the movie was made, a kid has died every other year or two, trying to cross that same river. I think they
finally hauled that bus out, because it was attracting hikers
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Hook
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9011
Registered: 3-13-2004
Location: Sonora
Member Is Offline
Mood: Inquisitive
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7-10 days IN BAJA?. Not much time in those short, daylight hours. You dont want to be driving much past dark. Unfortunately, the moon phases arent
conducive to much night time activity, either, during the holidays. Not driving; just other activities
The risk of uncomfortably high winds from San Felipe to Bahia de los Angeles would have me avoiding that area. Water wouldnt be swimmable for most but
MAYBE for someone from AK. Winds might also limit hired fishing. And the fishing aint great in those parts at that time, anyway.
I'd head straight to Concepcion, too, and make that a base.
Assuming a departure from the SD border EARLY one morning:
Day 1 camp:Catavina/Rancho Santa Inez-should be there in time for some hiking among the boulders before sunset.
Day 2 camp: Bahia Concepcion-base camp. I'd choose playa Escondida or Perla for some insulation from road noise.
Actually, I'd probably crash through Pompano's front gate and apologize over margaritas. Then, get the skinny from him on day trips from that area.
Outer Concepcion arm, San Sebastian, Mulege, maybe La Purisima, hired fishing for YT, Jim's Jungle tour.
That outta take up 4-6 days, depending on your good fortune in the Jungle.
Then, head back, stopping at Santa Inez again.
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Mula
Super Nomad
Posts: 1663
Registered: 8-16-2011
Location: San Nicolas y Lopez Mateos
Member Is Offline
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Ak tundra. . .
Hook's itinerary is the best.
That's what I would do if it were my first time down.
I'm an Alaskan who lives here full time now for the last 5 years.
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Hook
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9011
Registered: 3-13-2004
Location: Sonora
Member Is Offline
Mood: Inquisitive
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On second thought, crashing through his gate and apologizing over margaritas means it's later in the day. That's a day wasted, with your short
schedule.
Crash through and apologize over bloody's is the way to go.
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
Member Is Offline
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Speaking of lists for Baja....this'll keep you busy for a while:
http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=9392#pid26120...
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BajaBlanca
Select Nomad
Posts: 13242
Registered: 10-28-2008
Location: La Bocana, BCS
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I really liked Hook's itinerary too - it gives you room to explore many towns and villages and the Bay of Concepcion is one of the prettiest in the
world ... and the temps should be about perfect this time of year !
make sure you have the Baja Atlas Map guidebook
make sure you have shovel to dig yourself out of trouble and an air pump to refill tires you let air out of to venture to some out of the way beaches
and mostly: remember that a trip to Baja is NOT a vacation - it IS an adventure.
Buen viage !! and welcome to BajaNomadLand.
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rob
Senior Nomad
Posts: 509
Registered: 10-19-2004
Location: Pacific Coast, BCS
Member Is Offline
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I was about to contradict Dennis about the Pacific side being chilly over the holidays - around here (Pacific Coast west of La Paz) November/December
is warm and pleasant - even the northerlies, which can make life miserable on the Cortez, arrives here as a warm offshore wind.
Then I saw you only had 7-10 days.
This critical piece of information really restricts you to Baja California (Norte), in which case Dennis is totally correct. I'm with Hook/Blanca - no
further south than Concepcion, if you want adventure - find a new way over the mountains!
Buen viaje!
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Ateo
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5938
Registered: 7-18-2011
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Coming from Alaska anything is gonna seem warm down in Baja. Personally I prefer Northern Baja for camping. I like wearing a nice jacket, beanie,
sitting around a campfire.....
The first time I came to Baja I camped out at Punta Cabras. This is far from a secret spot, but I think it still holds some magic. That long stretch
of beach......sand dunes........waves.....
Having said that, I haven't been there in years. I prefer exploring new areas, but I reccomend Cabras for a first timer. Easy access. No need for
4x4.
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