Gaucho
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Posts: 405
Registered: 11-7-2008
Location: Laguna Beach/East Cape
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Mood: Bohemia por favor...
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Trip Report 4/3 - 4/10 ~ Tecate > San Ignacio > Mulege
Hi All,
I'm finally getting around to posting this trip report. Better late than never, right?
Here goes. We spent the night at my mother-in-laws horse property in Jamul, (that's in San Diego County for all you lurkers in the Ukraine), on 4/2 so
we could get a jump on things and cross at Tecate early. Well, that was MY plan. We ended up crossing around 10am, a little later than I wanted. We
all had our FMT's from a previous trip, pesos in hand and Mex. insurance on line from Discover Baja. Got the green light so we were off and runnin' on
hwy. 3 towards Ensenada. We heard that we may run into some delays going through the wine country but it was a breeze. What a GREAT road they have
built. Just a beautiful stretch of road. Our first stop was a pee break/coconut snack.
Grandma loves coconuts...
Melina w/ the first of many adopted pets on this trip...
I admit, I'm more of a Pacific coast guy rather than a SOC guy only because I love to surf as well as dive and fish. Because this wasn't a surf trip I
was really looking forward to seeing more of the interior as well as the SOC. Next stop, San Quintin for lunch. I want to say, Baja Gringo (Ron) I'm
sorry I wasn't able to call you passing through S.Q. Long story short, no phone, running late, whining kids, blah, blah blah...The good news is I was
sooo stoked after this road trip I'll be back down soon, probably this summer.
Ok, lunch time:
Great little restaurant right on the corner called El Rincon.
Next stop, El Rosario.
[IMG]
Got gas in El Rosario. Must say, the female attendant was the happiest gas pumper I've ever seen!
Next stop, Catavina. The Dessert Inn was having a special, $89.00 US per night for a triple (taxes included). The main reason we stayed at the D.I.
was the pool. My kids love to swim but as it turned out the water was about 58 degrees.
Oh well...There were a fair number of people staying there on the night of 4/3. BTW, the Dessert Inn in Catavina needs new beds.
The next group of pics were all taken in Catavina behind the Dessert Inn:
If you look closely you see the ruins of an adobe house. Don't know anything about it. DK?
From Catavina it's on to Jesus Maria and Guerrero Negro. Not sure where we will stop for gas. One of my kids favorite games this trip was Eye Spy. Eye
spy with my little eye, A NEST!!!
Osprey at 11 o'clock!
I couldn't believe how green the dessert was. Lots of standing water even in Catavina.
Topped off in Guerrero Negro and then on to San Ignacio.
This must be da place!
All I heard the whole way down was, "what's a yurt?". Basically it's a fancy, round, tent. We stayed in the "Lily Pad" next to the river. This was our
home for the next 3 nights:
Lucas on the river bank, Easter Day.
Melina.
Gary and Terry, owners of the Ignacio Springs B&B put on a great Easter spread. Yurkey, I mean Turkey and ALL the trimmings. A FANTASTIC meal.
They serve a great breakfast as well.
Back to our Yurt.
The next day we spent tooling around San Ignacio. What a beautiful little town.
[IMG]http://i378.photobucket.com/albums/oo228/gaucho87/Spring%20Br eak%20Baja%202010/018_7A.jpg[/IMG]
"Melina on the Rocks"
We were all excited to see some whales in Laguna San Ignacio. It was late in the year for whales but we were hoping to see a few. We decided to go
with Kuyima to see the whales and we weren't disappointed:
The "do's and dont's" of getting close to the whales.
Lots of shells on the beach out front.
This "baby" was very curious...
Momma and baby.
Melina having a GREAT time.
A nice lunch after seeing the whales. L to R, Lucas, Co-pilot (Marcela), Grandma, Gaucho, Melina.
Goodbye San Ignacio...
[IMG]http://i378.photobucket.com/albums/oo228/gaucho87/Spring%20 Break%20Baja%202010/022_3A.jpg[/IMG]
Now it's off to Mulege via Santa Rosalia...
We stopped for gas in Santa Rosalia at the Pemex right across the street from this old processing plant.
On our way to Mulege. It was super windy this day 4/7, about 30 knots.
[IMG]http://i378.photobucket.com/albums/oo228/gaucho87/Spring%20Break%20B aja%202010/IMG_0888.jpg[/IMG]
We rented a small home in Mulege down near the Orchard from Cliff Taylor (Clementines B&B). Unfortunately we only had 3 days/2 nights in Mulege.
Can't wait to go back! This was our home:
Grandma's own casita off the main house
Super comfortable and well equipped:
Still some clean up left to do:
Lots of fish in the river. The dogs were goin nuts catching/eating fish!
We took a drive out to Santispac to do some swimming/shelling/lounging...
It was pretty quiet after Semana Santa. Only a few trailors on the beach.
[IMG]http://i378.photobucket.com/albums/oo228/gaucho87/Spring%20Bre ak%20Baja%202010/IMG_0908.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i378.photobucket.com/albums/oo228/gaucho87/Spring%20Break%20Baja%
As we were leaving the beach the guys in the lower left thought I wanted their picture...
Well, it was the last night in Mulege and Cliff recommended this place. I had a GREAT Dorado meal for about 70 pesos.
Evening in Mulege. Sorry for the photo quality or lack there of...
After dinner it was off to get some ice cream...
Well it was a pretty uneventful trip back. Just the usual military check points. Once we got back up to Ensenada and made the turn onto hwy. 3 again
we stopped at Mustafas' for lunch. Mustafas' is surrounded by a vineyard. Pretty spot.
Thanks for comin'!!!! 
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irenemm
Senior Nomad
Posts: 623
Registered: 7-16-2009
Location: vicente guerrero, baja
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Mood: relaxed
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Wow
Thaank you for sharing your vacation with us. I love the pictures it looks really great. One of these days we will make it south. Everything looks
really beautiful
Glad you had a great time. Nice looking family too
thanks
Irene
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htnfool
Nomad
Posts: 137
Registered: 3-27-2009
Location: Boise, Idaho/Mulege
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Mood: Fishy
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Great trip down the Baja. LOVE IT.
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shari
Select Nomad
Posts: 13048
Registered: 3-10-2006
Location: bahia asuncion, baja sur
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Mood: there is no reality except the one contained within us "Herman Hesse"
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glad you braved the trip...I really loved the pics of the kids enjoying baja and great shot of the baby whale's baleen plate...thanks for the report
and photos.
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Russ
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6742
Registered: 7-4-2004
Location: Punta Chivato
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Very nice report! Bet you need a vacation after that!
Bahia Concepcion where life starts...given a chance!
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Bajaboy
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Registered: 10-9-2003
Location: Bahia Asuncion, BCS, Mexico
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Awesome. Thanks for sharing!
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willyAirstream
Super Nomad
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Registered: 1-1-2010
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Thanks for all the info and Great pics!
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TMW
Select Nomad
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Registered: 9-1-2003
Location: Bakersfield, CA
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Thanks for sharing such a wonderful trip and the many great pictures. Just beautiful.
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paul r
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Registered: 4-18-2004
Location: San Luis Obispo/ La Mision
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...great report!! gracias !
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ELINVESTIG8R
Select Nomad
Posts: 15882
Registered: 11-20-2007
Location: Southern California
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Thank you for sharing Goucho. It sounds and looks as though you guys really had fun. Those are some great photographs too. Makes me want to leave to
go to Baja right now. 
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Baja Bernie
`Normal` Nomad Correspondent
Posts: 2962
Registered: 8-31-2003
Location: Sunset Beach
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Mood: Just dancing through life
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Thanks for the colorful trip report
Makes Jaime and I start pawing at the ground and thinking south...soon!
My smidgen of a claim to fame is that I have had so many really good friends. By Bernie Swaim December 2007
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Baja Bernie
Makes Jaime and I start pawing at the ground and thinking south...soon! |
That's good to hear, Bernie. Sounds as though you've rebounded well.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64831
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Hi Gaucho,
Thank you for sharing your trip with us!
The kids looked like they were eating it all up, how fortunate for them to experience another country and the history of Old California (Baja)!
The adobe ruins in the arroyo below the Desert Inn would be the remains of old Rancho Cataviña... that was abandoned long before the Transpeninsular
Highway was built in 1973... In fact, it was not even mentioned in guidebooks of the 1960's.
In the film 'Bajo California, the Limit of Time', the ruins below the hotel were used for the mission ruins scene... as Mision Santa Maria (15 miles
to the east) was far too difficult to reach.
Thank you again for the trip report!
Cataviña photo from a 1927 Auto Club Guide reprint:
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Natalie Ann
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2819
Registered: 8-22-2003
Location: Berkeley
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Thanks, Gaucho, for sharing your trip with us.
Looks like it was much fun for all.
nena
Be yourself, everyone else is already taken.
.....Oscar Wilde
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rpleger
Super Nomad
Posts: 1087
Registered: 3-12-2005
Location: H. Mulegé, BCS
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Mood: Was good.
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Thank you so much, brings back so many good memories...can't wait to get back to Mulege...
Richard on the Hill
*ABROAD*, adj. At war with savages and idiots. To be a Frenchman abroad is to
be miserable; to be an American abroad is to make others miserable.
-- Ambrose Bierce, _The Enlarged Devil\'s Dictionary_
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Gaucho
Nomad
Posts: 405
Registered: 11-7-2008
Location: Laguna Beach/East Cape
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Mood: Bohemia por favor...
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| Quote: | Originally posted by shari
glad you braved the trip...I really loved the pics of the kids enjoying baja and great shot of the baby whale's baleen plate...thanks for the report
and photos. |
It was a really fun trip Shari. Didn't even think about the drama being reported. What would you say is the best summer month in Ascuncion for surfing
and spearfishing? The water needs to be at least 70!
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Gaucho
Nomad
Posts: 405
Registered: 11-7-2008
Location: Laguna Beach/East Cape
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Mood: Bohemia por favor...
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Russ
Very nice report! Bet you need a vacation after that! |
You got THAT right! I definately could have used a little more "me time" on this trip. Next time. 
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Gaucho
Nomad
Posts: 405
Registered: 11-7-2008
Location: Laguna Beach/East Cape
Member Is Offline
Mood: Bohemia por favor...
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| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
Hi Gaucho,
Thank you for sharing your trip with us!
The kids looked like they were eating it all up, how fortunate for them to experience another country and the history of Old California (Baja)!
The adobe ruins in the arroyo below the Desert Inn would be the remains of old Rancho Cataviña... that was abandoned long before the Transpeninsular
Highway was built in 1973... In fact, it was not even mentioned in guidebooks of the 1960's.
In the film 'Bajo California, the Limit of Time', the ruins below the hotel were used for the mission ruins scene... as Mision Santa Maria (15 miles
to the east) was far too difficult to reach.
Thank you again for the trip report!
Cataviña photo from a 1927 Auto Club Guide reprint:
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Thanks David. I had a feeling you'd know what that adobe was!
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