Paula
Super Nomad
Posts: 2219
Registered: 1-5-2006
Location: Loreto
Member Is Offline
|
|
Coco's Corner to San Felipe?
I was just reading a thread about this road from april 2007. Don and I are thinking about taking it when we drive up to Montana in a few weeks, and
crossing at Mexicali. It sounds like the road was in fairly bad condition at that time, and I'm wondering if any Nomads have driven it recently.
Has it improved or become worse?
We'll be going up in a Honda CR-V, and taking our dog who doesn't tolerate heat well. The AC in the car is fine, but we wonder about finding a
dog-friendly hotel in San Felipe. He can't spend the night in the car in the heat. He's a really pampered pooch but he does just fine on bumpy
roads
|
|
|
Cypress
Elite Nomad
Posts: 7641
Registered: 3-12-2006
Location: on the bayou
Member Is Offline
Mood: undecided
|
|
Paula, It's a ruff road, but if you aren't in a hurry and willing to go about 10mph for miles, a neat trip. From Puertecitos north it's OK. Plan on about 3
hrs. from HWY1 to Gonzaga and 4 hrs. from Gonzaga to Puertecitos.
|
|
|
Price
Nomad
Posts: 168
Registered: 8-29-2003
Location: Las Vegas/San Felipe
Member Is Offline
|
|
Try the El Cortez - I take my dog into the bar - I would think they would have no problem with a dog in the room -
|
|
|
Paula
Super Nomad
Posts: 2219
Registered: 1-5-2006
Location: Loreto
Member Is Offline
|
|
Thanks, Cypress, this is the kind of information we are looking for. Someone said
it hadn't been graded in several years, and I wondered if it had been since April 2007. Vut the driving time involved will make the difference. Our
thought is to go from Guerrero Negro to San Felipe in one day. It sounds as though that could take about 9 hours
Price, it's good to hear of a dog possibility, thank you!
|
|
|
David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64859
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
|
|
It was smooth in July of '05, then the Baja 1000 and flash floods came after... "06 was rough and last time over (Feb. '07) was still very rough from
about 8 miles south of Puertecitos to Gonzaga Bay (40 miles).
San Felipe to Puertecitos (55 miles) is well paved, but mostly slow because of the insane dips in the highway.
Gonzaga to Hwy. 1 (36 miles) is a better graded road... so only 40 miles will be very slow driving for you.
Photos of the '07 trip on that road start at http://vivabaja.com/207/page3.html
[Edited on 7-14-2008 by David K]
|
|
|
Paula
Super Nomad
Posts: 2219
Registered: 1-5-2006
Location: Loreto
Member Is Offline
|
|
David, thank you for the info! That report was fun to read, and I loved the picture of your footsteps with Elizabeth in the sand.
I have a pretty good idea of how the road was last year at this time now, but I still wonder if it has been graded since the race last fall, and if
the big washouts have been fixed? It looks reasonable as it was then, but if it has gotten worse I'm not sure we'd want to do it in the late July
heat.
Soooo... has anyone driven it this year? I'll offer homemade chicken mole and a pitcher of margaritas next winter to anyone who has driven the road
since last december or so  
|
|
|
David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64859
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
|
|
Paula... they are on the Nomad Trip Reports Forum... all this year:
Here's one: http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=32105
another: http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=31861
another (with pics): http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=31310
|
|
|
Paula
Super Nomad
Posts: 2219
Registered: 1-5-2006
Location: Loreto
Member Is Offline
|
|
David, you are my hero of the day! Your search skills are much better than mine, I knew this info was here, but I couldn't find it. It occurs to me
now that I might have gone to trip reports and read the list rather than using the search feature.
We'll look forward to you and Elizabeth coming by for dinner and Baja talk. Maybe you'll be down this way on your honeymoon?
|
|
|
TMW
Select Nomad
Posts: 10659
Registered: 9-1-2003
Location: Bakersfield, CA
Member Is Offline
|
|
I did the trip the first of June and it's is still the same old bad road.
|
|
|
David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64859
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
|
|
Wow, so nice Paula!!! Thank you!!
|
|
|
Paula
Super Nomad
Posts: 2219
Registered: 1-5-2006
Location: Loreto
Member Is Offline
|
|
TW,
Thank you, I think that answers my question.
Depending on mood and sense of adventure, we'll either ask at Coco's in a week or so, or wait until fall to try the trip when the weather is cooler.
|
|
|
Desertbull
Senior Nomad
Posts: 558
Registered: 8-27-2003
Member Is Offline
|
|
I drove the road south just over a week ago and north two days ago...same-same-same...it's a rough road for any stock vehicle.
We drove it in a built off road car with suspension and it was still jarring, but stock trucks & cars are beaten and shaken brutal by that road.
There is no one at Coco's Corner...no one to ask anything.
If you venture on that road in the summer time you should bring mucho water in case of a problem for all passengers including the dog...just south of
Puertocitos there is heavy construction on the highway that is being paved which will open up the road all the way to Hwy 1. The pavement now goes
south of Puertocitos on a raised high speed American style highway...they are making amazing progress. Sooner than later there will be a Starbucks at
Punta Bufeo...Allen will soon have many neighbors and travelers near his remote beach villa...
The rocks are sharp and the washboard road is brutal..I know Mike H. is pointing his finger at me now, but anyone going down that road should carry
two spare tires...I know Mike H. never carried a spare. RIP brother!
IMHO, in a few years, when that road is completed the trip from San Felipe to Guerro Negro will be a mere 6.5 hours and the Pacific side of the
peninsula will suffer from the loss of the traffic. I never thought I'd say this but San Felipe will no doubt be a serious hub of travel, as is
Ensenada now, in the not so distant future.
My recommendation if you are not a hard core desert traveler / survivor versed in "just in case situations" is to wait until the fall when the
temperatures subside.
In both our trips up and down that road within the past 9-days, we saw only one vehicle on the road between Puertocitos and LA Bay in two complete
trips...so you are on your own.
Travel safe
DREAM IT! PLAN IT! LIVE IT!
|
|
|
bajamikey
Nomad
Posts: 106
Registered: 4-6-2008
Location: Newport Beach,CA/San Josa Del Cabo
Member Is Offline
Mood: baja with a cold pacifico
|
|
hi paula i'm in loreto now will be leaving some time next week for az will stay over night in gonzaga bay
|
|
|
![[*]](images/xmbforum/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
