Days 21-23

Mile 5213 - Day 21

We ended up in Sacramento and stayed at a hotel a very short distance from "Old Town".  We did the touristy things all evening; went to the museum, wondered around the shops, had a few beers and a good dinner.  On our way home so no more tacos for now…

Mile 5792  - Day 22

Just more pavement today.  We could have made it all the way home but it would have been one hell of a long day.  As it was, it was only a damn long day.  7+ hours found us in Portland.  (Boy is this place getting weird!)  A couple of beers, some dinner and a little wondering around wraps up the evening.  We'll head out fairly early tomorrow and be home soon thereafter.  

Been another fun trip.  There are a few (lots of)  towns in Baja that we haven't yet visited, but they are all pretty remote and at the end of a dirt road/path.  Many of them are nothing more than a guy with a boat and a shack.  He fishes and sells whatever he doesn't need to survive.  If he is married, chances are his wife is at home (with kids?) and will gladly cook you an absolutely fantastic meal.  

We have been down some of those roads.  We have met some of the nicest, and most enthusiastic and friendliest people you could imagine.  I do want to venture out to as many of the others as I can.  …Another time. 

Total Miles 5986  - Day 23

Amazing trip.  Let's do this again!

Adiós

Mile 4827 - Day 20

Traveling from Arizona to California is dull on the best day.  It seemed like a long day today…

We chose Calabasas, CA as a destination for this evening.  No rooms available, but a nice town.  It turns out that the gas leak from the storage tank that had plagued the LA area for so long was just minutes from where we were.  All of the residents close to the leak were staying in the local hotels and consuming the resource. 

We ended up in Simi Valley.  Found a very nice place and walked to a local spot for a bite to eat.  Pretty calm night.  We'll burn up some more pavement tomorrow.  We didn't want to leave Mexico but now that we're heading north, we are getting slightly anxious so see home again (that is, until I see the weather up there!).  

Mile 4365 - Day 19

We have some friends in the Phoenix are that we wanted to pay a visit to on our way back North.  Extremely nice to see them and at the same time, sad to be leaving Mexico.  

Forget the crap you hear about dangerous, it just takes a slight adjustment in expectation to appreciate south of the border.  Everywhere, you'll find some of the most delightful people anywhere.  There's always a smile and a willingness to help (unless they're trying to sell you souvenirs). 

After lots of pavement we see our friends in Phoenix.  

As expected, we had a terrific time with Jack and Ray, laughing our asses off talking about old and new times.  A true delight to see these two again. 

Mile 3946 - Day 18

Well, we couldn't hear the karaoke bar last night…! they had live music in the restaurant just below our room.  It drowned out the karaoke.  Turning the air conditioning up to "super chill mode" helped drown out the group and made sleep somewhat possible.  Actually, they were quite good and if we hadn't been trying to sleep, they would have been nice to listen to. 

We hopped into the truck in the morning and pointed ourselves north, up to the top of the Sea of Cortez, then east across the top where the Colorado River empties into the sea, and then back down south along the shoreline to Puerto Peñasco, Sonora, Mexico.  Puerto Peñasco is located just across the sea from San Felipe. 

The town reminds me of what San Felipe should be.  A vibrant  waterfront,  with lots of activity, shops, restaurants, vendors and people and families everywhere all enjoying themselves. 

The drive was easy once I had the GPS programmed correctly.  At first I had things set for the shortest route, rather than the fastest route.  Reason being, I wanted to follow the coastline rather than just take the major highway.  What I didn't expect to encounter (silly me!) was dirt roads.  This particular dirt road we started out on didn't have a good feeling to it.  There were washouts and holes in the road that you couldn't see the bottom of.  Just a real nasty looking road that had not seen much traffic (we could see tracks where they turned off earlier).  

This doesn't show it well, but it's nasty!

We turned around and reprogrammed the guidance system to avoid those circumstances but still follow the coast.  It worked.  It was fast and scenic.  

Just around lunchtime, we drove past a truck selling shrimp cocktails in virtually the middle of nowhere.  Had to stop; glad we did.  Fresh and good. Filled the bill for lunch. 

A driving tour around Puerto Peñasco to Sandy Beach and on to Rocky Point.  Rocky Point was alive with activity.  Tons of people crusin the street along the malecon and around the block to do it again, while people are laughing and playing on the walk.  The shops and restaurants are all busy.  Nice place. 

We visit a few bars in search of the perfect spot for dinner.  We found it but I suspect they are all good…

By the time we have finished dining, the Malecon is alive with Banda (small musical groups) with, again, clashing tunes emanating from multiple places.  Families enjoying every beat and dancing all around.  Looks like a party, sounds like one too!  (Sure wish we could understand the words to the songs.)

The party continued well past the time we had called it quits for the night.  We could hear it from our room.  Es todo bien…

Tomorrow, we're heading back north of the southern border.  

Mile 3626 - Day 17

Just goofed around San Felipe today.  After a particularly raucous night, we got a bit of a late start.  No problem, we didn't have anything pressing. 

We went to what turned out to be an award winning restaurant for breakfast.   Capricho.  Funny actually, we discovered the place yesterday when an enthusiastic Maitre d' showed around his establishment with the hopes of having us dine there, then.  We explained that we had just eaten but would be back for breakfast.  

We were back as promised and who should greet us, but our bartender from a different restaurant the previous night.  It was like we were old friends!  It seems that he, his wife and the maitre d' are partners in the place and have won an award during last year's shrimp fest in town.  They have a bit of a Cuban twist on things and it's really quite good. 

A little shopping and exploring around the area to work off a couple of calories, followed breakfast.  When we got back to the Malecon, a cancer charity event was taking place. Lots of activities all over.  Center stage on the Malecon, we heard Elvis singing. Not only that, we recognized him.  It turns out we had met him 3 or 4 years ago in Ensenada and went to Baja Mar  (a community a little north of there) to see him perform.  Nice to see him again. 

A week or so ago, we met a great group of people that winter in the San Felipe area.  We had forgotten the exact Campo (usually American/Canadian communities) where they reside, but we knew the general area.  The next little while was spent driving through the various Campos look for them, which was an excuse for us looking at the properties with a possible interest in purchasing.  Didn't find either but nice exploring just the same. 

We ended up at Pete's Camp, a popular and well established camp with a great little bar full of delightful residents.  We have been here before and have always enjoyed it.  This time, just as nice.  Great conversations and cocktails. 

Back in town that evening, it was out for a nice dinner and a stroll around the Malecon afterwards.  Music, vendors selling food and people were everywhere.  Largely groups of brass instruments filled the air with fast paced tunes, each group clashing with  the next.  Chaotic, but everyone was having fun. 

Mile 3591 - Day 16

A little over 400 miles of twisty, narrow Mexican highway finds us at San Felipe in Baja north.  Luckily uneventful.   

We turned off of Highway 1 to catch Highway 5 which is a much faster route to town.  The first 20 miles are dirt road which is only semi rough.  They have been working on this road for years, paving it section by section. At present they are in the construction phase of this last section. It shouldn't be too long until it's smooth (+\-) pavement all the way. 

A large section of the stretch of road being worked on had some of the most interesting cactus and rock structures I've ever seen. I would always stop to appreciate and take a few pictures.  With the construction in full swing, the terrane of the past is now unrecognizable.  Perhaps the new road will provide a new splendor. 

San Felipe is located near the top of the Sea of Cortez, just below Mexicali. Before the 2008 crash, this place was a party spot for spring breakers and quite a boom town.  Partially built resorts are evidence to its once vibrant nature.  It still hosts the Baja 250 and is a stop off point for the Baja 500 and 1000 races.  And, any excuse for a celebration draw lots of people to town. 

We've noticed a few more business in town and people are saying that the economy is picking up a bit. 

We checked into a hotel that we had stayed in before. La Hacienda de La Langosta Roja (The House of the Red Lobster).  It is located just a block off of the Malecon, in the center of town.  

There is a restaurant and bar below the hotel and a Karaoke bar just across the street.  Neither of these had disturbed us the last time we were here.  This time, however, the karaoke bar didn't get into full swing until just about the time we went to bed and continued to howl until at least 3:00 in the morning, when all of the open exhaust vehicles made way to their own residences. 

That cackling was accompanied by a rusted fan motor strategically located inches from our bathroom window.  The motor loudly hummed with the occasional, painful, rotation of the fan blades.  Just enough to interrupt the rhythm of the straining motor.  All in all, not the most restful night. 

Mile 3167 - Day 15

I At breakfast we inquired about the guide to take us to the cave paintings.  I was given the phone number of Salvador Castro, the local expert guide.  I called him on his cell phone only to find out he was already about 10 minutes out of town beginning a tour. It seems we missed the bus!  Oh well, perhaps mañana.  

With our schedule now free, we take a stroll to the Mulege Museo (museum). It is the old prison.  Happens to be quite an interesting place.  They kept men, women and locos there.  The women had a separate area of the prison where they stayed 3 to a room in very small cubicles.  The male prisoners were housed in a larger courtyard.  The center area was locked to keep the locos in. Outside of the center, the surrounding area housed the non-loco prisoners.  The normal male prisoners were let out to go to work everyday to provide for their families. They would remain out to have dinner with the families before a whistle was blown at the prison to signal time to return and spend the night.  Strange…

We left the museum and strolled down the road that parallels the river and followed to where it meets the sea.  A 2-1/2 mile stroll it turns out!

When the hurricane hit in 2014, it caused a huge flood. Apparently the river camp up 12 meters (40 feet) and washed out most of the low area.  Many of the houses along the way were severely flooded if not washed away. The road we were following was heavily damaged and debris was everywhere.  It's nice to see the area largely repaired.  New road, houses looking good; normal returns to this tranquil area. 

At the end of the road is a perfect little restaurant and bar, La Patron.  Sitting mere feet from the waters edge in the most peaceful and relaxed setting imaginable.  How could we not stop in for a little refreshment and relaxation? We sat for quite a little while sipping a drink or two and sharing a huge seafood cocktail.  

We found ourselves on the verge of a siesta after sitting and watching the small waves lap the shore and the birds catching a snack of the fish swimming too close. 

A lazy afternoon found it's way into a calm evening.  Prior to dining we made way to a local bar and chatted with several of the local personalities.  Easy to get to know some people down here and always entertaining and educational. 

Janet had taken a stroll during the afternoon and consulted all of the online authorities to find a marvelous restaurant for the evenings meal.  Los Equipales rated highly on the websites for good reason.  Excellent food and atmosphere.  

The seafood combination with Yellow Fin, scallops, shrimp and lobster. 

Ribs

We have decided to press on tomorrow and not spend the day in the mountains.  We have seen enough artifacts and pictures to satisfy our curiosity enough, plus we will be traveling through some of the most beautiful cactus forests imaginable on our way to San Felipe. 

We stopped in to El Candil again, our local bar here, for a nightcap. Darned if we didn't run into Steve (we met yesterday) who has been in the area for a while, looking for the perfect piece of property to purchase. We chatted.  He left and we were just about to leave when Eddy and Kerri, who we also met yesterday) stopped by. We ended up talking to them for quite a little while before we actually did call it a night. 

Just outside our room at the hotel is the most fragrant grapefruit tree, that has some of the biggest fruit we have ever seen.  We went to a local Panadería (bakery) today and bought some pastries to go with one of these gigantic grapefruit for breakfast.  Looking forward to it. 

Mile 3167 - Day 14

Burned up a lot of pavement today (minimal off road, thank goodness).  We ended up in Mulege (pronounced: "moo-la-hay").  This is a town we very much enjoy.   This is an authentic Mexican oasis that has been discovered by a fair number of Americans, but they're spread out enough that is doesn't impact the nature of the area. 

As with so much of what we experience when we're south of the border, this place is full of friendly people.  

Once past the most popular tourist areas of Los Cabos to La Paz, the road reverts to its narrow, mostly winding self.  Coffee is hardly needed because the fear of oncoming traffic keeps you on your toes.  Trucks and busses commonly stray across the line into your lane and the lack of shoulder leaves you exactly no where to go.  You get used to it however and once so, it's not bad; plus the scenery will keep you wanting more anyway. 

Just outside of our destination are several little beachfront communities.  Even sand spits are lined with motor homes and 5th wheel trailers.  Some of the little camps are larger than some of the towns we have seen. 

Our first stop was at Bertha's for a well deserved cervesa.  Darned if we didn't run into a couple of very friendly  Canadians who were living in some of the palapas on the beach.  Eddy and Kenny.  Eddy was supposed to be packing up their stuff; he and his wife Kerri had to head back to Prince George.  Kenny, however had declared a party at Eddy's and even invited us to stop by as long as we brought a glass of tequila.  We finished up our cervesas, bought some tequila and headed over. 

It turns out Eddy is a local musician who teams up with some others and plays gigs around the area.  He used to be a drummer for Sammy Hagar.  

More great people. We finally headed into town to secure a room at Hotel La Hacienda.  Tomorrow we are hoping to take a trip up to the cave paintings in the nearby hills. 

Mile 2764 - Day 13 Feb 16, 2016

This morning at breakfast was the first time we were approached with the smooth introduction to our opportunity to make a "lifestyle investment"!  Timeshares have often gotten a bad rap so they are constantly renaming them to once again sound attractive.  We declined. 

We took some laundry over to a near by cleaner and 90 pesos later we assured all would be ready, clean and folded in just a few hours.   

After breakfast we just kicked back a little.  A little wondering around town, and a little sittin in the shade reading.  We have a busy afternoon planned and didn't want to get started too early. 

Around about 3:00 we headed off toward San Jose del Cabo and off to find the coastal dirt road that would take us back to Zac's for taco Tuesday.  

The road we were looking for was one that we had taken the previous year.  It follows the path of the rugged coastline and provides a fantastic view of the beginning stages of the Sea of Cortez.  We thought that perhaps we could catch a glimpse of some of the whales that are plentiful in the area this time of year.  Alas, no whales spotted but we have many more miles to travel…

Darned if we didn't find a great little spot enroute that provided a perfect prefunc.  Buzzard Bar & Grill was just right.  Nice little place and friendly people.  We did sample some unique hors d' oeuvres along with a couple of libations before continuing on to our intended destination. 

Zac's did not disappoint.  Lovely as usual. Beef, shrimp and fish tacos satisfied our appetites.  

We head back toward Cabo just as the sun is setting.  The twilight provides a beautiful backdrop to the now silhouetted mountains in the near distance.  I wish a photo could have captured properly what the eye could see.  

Needed to fill up the gas tank to get back to our hotel and to begin our trek back north tomorrow.  No problem; plug in the address of the hotel into the GPS and tell it to find us a gas station on the way. The Pemex she selects is just off the roadway on a dirt road.  

In most of Baja, anything that is not the main highway, is dirt road so we think nothing of it. 

We continue on along the dirt road after filling up.  There seems to be quite a network of dirt roads in this particular area and although I think I am on the correct path, things must have somehow gotten slightly off kilter.  

Before long we find ourselves underneath the highway that the GPS now assumes we are on, bouncing along in the draw.  It's dark by now and a little hard to get a good sense of the terrain.  We keep going until we spot a river crossing our path just up ahead and realize that our current heading won't provide the results we were hoping for.  Attempts to retrace our route in reverse doesn't go well either, because of the tangle of trails to choose from.  The wondering vaca (cow) adds to the urban feel. 

Luckily we spot a local, walking home from work, through the same draw that we now realize we are pretty hopelessly lost in.  We offer him a ride in exchange for helping us, help him to get out of this place.  

Worked like a charm!  He had an English vocabulary of about two words which seemed to be better that we were able to do.  Somehow, in spite of the lack of in depth conversation he was able to get himself closer to his casa and us out of the draw and back on the highway.  We thanked each other and headed in our respective directions. 

Fun day and even more unforgettable experiences. 

Mile 2695 - Day 12

We met our daughter and company again today.  We picked them up at their hotel in the early afternoon and took them for a late lunch to Todo Santos to visit The Hotel California.  We piled them all in the back of the pickup, along with a half case of beer and off we went.  I think everyone had fun and lots of sun. 

We had paid a visit to Todo Santos on our trip last year. At that time, the town appeared at though it had taken a substantial hit from the hurricane.  I'm glad to say that Todo Santos has recovered well. Most of the streets are paved in a fancy brick pattern.  The building are bright and vividly adorned and more people are evident on the sidewalks.  

It was heading toward dark by the time we dropped the gang back off at their hotel which gave Janet and I a night by ourselves to wander around Cabo.  

Since our peanut bar was close by, it was a natural first stop.  We got to talking to the bartender, Eduardo, who first tried to talk Janet out of having just a "boring margarita" and instead opt for a fancy premium margarita.  She decided to stick with the boring offering, and although Eduardo seemed disappointed, he obliged.

   Eduardo seemed to have an aggressive method to pop the top off a beer too (amusing and not boring).  So aggressive, in fact, that more often than not, the top glass portion of the bottle would remain with the cap, rendering the beer in all likelihood, full of glass chards.  It made me think of a professional tennis match; the first serve often hits the net, rendering it null.  The second serve is then presented with slightly less vigor.  Such was often the case with my beers. 

We decided to have a light, little bite to eat for dinner.  We left our saloon and headed toward some small restaurants we knew of that would have something on the order of a shrimp cocktail.  En route we eyed Papi Crudo Raw Bar & Cantina.  Looking like a likely candidate to fulfill our wants, we ventured in to meet David and his staff of two in a lovely little setting.

 David, apparently, comes from Las Vegas and California and has worked with the likes of Wolfgang Puck and the likes.  He has been in the restaurant business for years.  David recently opened this place and is beaming with enthusiasm about his plans and the potential for his little establishment.  We talked for a couple of hours while dining on oysters and shrimp.  Very nice.  It was getting a little late by the time we had finished so we went straight back to our room. 

Mile 2590 - Day 11

Yet again an easy drive. This time, however, we are in Cabo.  A little south of the Tropic of Cancer. 

Janet found us an excellent, quaint little hotel just a couple of blocks from all of the action in downtown.  Hotel Los Milagros; next time you're in town, it's worth checking out.  Cozy. 

We made a couple of stops on our way.  We happened to read about the Sanctuary of the Cactus, so of course we couldn't resist.  Actually it was very interesting. 

Apparently there are 156 species of cactus and Baja is host to 60 of them. 

The next stop, Zac's Bar & Grill, just east of San Jose del Cabo is a great place we stumbled across last year when we had to stop and ask directions.  The main road had been washed out by the hurricane that had blown through the previous fall and we needed to find out about other roads to get us to Cabo San Lucas.  Zac's is a place we have looked forward to visiting again ever sense. 

Once we were all checked in at the hotel, we made our way to yet another favorite.  The Saloon Bar in Cabo has cold beer and peanuts!  We had made arrangements with our daughter, her boyfriend and their friends to meet us there.  Once they arrived, we all spent the evening enjoying the tourist area bars and restaurants.  El Squid Roe, Cabo Wabo and more were on the list. 

Fun evening!

Mile 2427 - Day 10

We arrived in La Paz, just a short distance from our final southern destination of Cabo San Lucas.  We'll be heading there tomorrow. 

The truck was showing its hard miles and often rough trail with several pounds of dust in every nook and cranny imaginable.  To do it, and us a favor, our first stop was a well deserved car wash.  The truck is looking pretty darned nice now.  A few scratches are evident along the sides from the cactus and other bushes that were trying to impede our off road excursion, but they are only in the clear coat so I should be able to buff them out. 

We are staying at the Hotel Perla in La Paz.  A very nice hotel just across the street from the malecon and waterfront. Built in 1941 but obviously kept up to date through the years.  La Paz, by the way, is the capitol of Baja California Sur. 

Since we are only spending uno noche (one night) here, we only had time to visit a couple of our favorite spots: Stella Cucina Alforno and Tailhunter Restaurant Bar & Fubar Cantina.  It also happens to be La Paz Carnival this weekend.  

Because of the carnival, the street along the malecon is lined with fair type games, rides and vendors.  It was fun to walk along and see the excitement on the faces of the little children with their families, anticipating all of the thrills, trinkets and sweets. 

Sunday morning we will leave here for Los Cabos.  As long as the roads have been repaired since last year, we will take the 2nd longest route to Cabo, continuing along Highway 1, through San Jose del Cabo and into Cabo San Lucas. 

Mile 2204 - Day 9

Only traveled about 3 blocks today into the Hotel Posada Del Cortes, a very nice little boutique hotel.  The room we had at the Hotel Oasis was only available for one night but Janet found this nice little place for tonight's accommodations.  We'd certainly stay here again. 

The Blue Whale Festival begins today, to celebrate the annual migration of the whales.  The festival is progressively ramping up, starting with children's art, kite flying, a craft fair and this evening music and entertainment.  Tomorrow sounds even bigger but we'll be heading out to continue south to La Paz for the night. 

Our little hotel recommend a restaurant for lunch that we hadn't previously tried.  Almejas Concho Restautrante, a terrific find.  Almejas Is the word for Clams and they had a terrific menu featuring the bivalves.  We had a sopa de mariscos e almejas  con queso (seafood soup and clams baked with cheese). Excellent!

Most of the day was spent exploring the shops, stores and sights around town.  Tonight we're just kicken back. 

Mile 2203 - Day 8

I Kind of a funny but sad story… we were having dinner at the Hotel Morro in their newly remodeled restaurant and began trying to talk to the bartender, Angle, and the server, Jennifer, in our version of bastardized Espaniol while they were trying to help us learn more.  Actually the evening was very nice and I think we all had fun. 

One story that came out of our conversation/lesson was the fact that one whole block of downtown Santa Rosalia burned down last December.  It started at a hamburger stand.  Now the blocks in downtown are very small but nonetheless that's quite a bit of devistation for this little place. 

The now empty block. 

A typical block

Apparently what happened is the frying pan with hamburgers cooking, caught fire.  In an attempt to put out the fire, the lady that was cooking the burgers, dumped a bunch of water on it.  Of course the fire basically exploded and set fire to her spot which proceeded to burn through the rest of the buildings in that block.  

It seems that the fire department doesn't keep water in their hose truck because it tends to rust all of the equipment and things.  Instead, they have to drive the truck 10km down the road to fill it up before scurrying back to the scene and see what is left, if anything, that could use a little water.  

No one was hurt in the incident but some old historic buildings no longer exist. 

We landed in Loreto today, only about 123 miles from Santa Rosalia but we had the time available to spend before we need to be in Cabo. 

Loreto has quite an American look to it in an extremely tranquil setting.  Lots of American/Canadian snowbirds and expats make up the citizenry.  Cruise ships do visit this town so there are lots of shops to accommodate those requirements.  A lovely malecon borders the sea. 

We'll be spending a couple of nights here although in two different hotels.  Tonight we are staying at the Hotel Oasis, a sprawling hotel with all of the amenities.  We enjoyed staying at the Oasis on our trip last year.  This time however, they only had accommodations available for tonight.  Janet was able to find a lovely little boutique hotel for tomorrow so we'll make that short move for our next nights stay. 

Just a little bar hopping today to some local favorites.  We'll wonder around a bit tomorrow and see what's new in the shops and for any other activities that may be of interest. 

Mile 2073 - Day 7

Only 252 miles today but 132.3 of those miles were some of the most knarly off road miles we've ever done.  At some points the trail had the truck tipped to what seemed like 45 degrees while cactus and other various branches were scraping both sides of the vehicle.

 Now, it just could be that we took a slight deviation from the optimum route to find some of the almost impassible paths, but who knew?   We were warned that there were rough spots and boy, is that an understatement!  We did meet a touring French couple that took 2 days to do what we did in one…

Unfortunately the pictures can't come close to doing it justice.  

We did make one short stop enroute. San Rafael has 2 or 3 houses and a shack or two all located in a beautiful little bay.  We talked to one of the locals who was telling us that you can catch halibut just fishing from the beach.  Apparently he catches them all of the time when he's not diving for shellfish.  Wish we could have stayed longer and caught some fish ourselves. 

We arrived in Santa Rosalita and headed straight for our favorite, Hotel El Morro. It was late afternoon and approaching cocktail hour.  After that long and dusty trail, we were ready!  The restaurant at El Morro had been under remodeling for the last 3 years.  We were surprised and pleased to see the remodel was finally complete.  It's hours of operation perfectly fit the time that we had completed settling into our room.  We spent the rest of the evening wining and dining. 

Santa Rosalia was first settled by the French for copper mining.  Quite an interesting place with a mixture of French and Spanish architecture.  A working town that is trying to reestablish the mining operation.  

Tomorrow is a short drive down the east coast to Loretto for a couple of days before we move on to Cabo to meet up with our daughter and her friends.  

Mile 1821 - Day 6

We put in some miles today.  We have ended up in roughly the middle of Baja.  A pretty easy travel day. 

The roads in Baja are generally pretty good as far as pavement is concerned but over the years I have seen it decline quite a bit. They're repairing and improving sections and I would imagine one of these days it'll be an excellent drive.  As it is, most of the drive is on pretty narrow and often twisting passages that can put excitement on seeing an oncoming bus or semi.  Probably works better than coffee for keeping you awake and alert.  The GPS told us we'd be in for a 9 hour drive but I was able to knock 2-1/2 hours off of that.  Speed limits?

Thinking that we'd be in for a long ride, we left Rosarito Beach early and just grabbed a banana at the Pemex (gas station) where we filled up in Ensenada.  By about lunchtime we were heading through El Rosario and thought we'd stop for a little roadside dining.  Shrimp tacos and a shrimp cocktail were very tasty.  

El Rosario is located just at the point where the main trans-peninsular highway (1) leaves the Pacific Coast and takes a big arc inland before returning to the Pacific side at Guerrero Negro which is the border between Baja Norte and Baja Sur, the two states in Baja.  We will actually be turning off before that and head all the way out to the East side of Baja. 

Arriving in Bahia de Los Angeles on the Mar de Cortez, it wasn't long until we met a couple of different American groups all out on their own adventures.  One group from Arizona  is traveling by ATV off road from Gonzaga Bay (Bahia de Gonzaga) to Loretto and are now on their way back up.  The other group winter in San Felipe and were riding their dune buggys down to here for a few days of fishing and partying.  Both groups were great people. 

Not a heck of a lot going on in town.  We found a cocktail at a hotel up the street (that's where we met the ATV'rs) and headed back to our hotel for an absolutely terrific dinner.  

We'll hit the sack a little early tonight and do about 100 miles off road tomorrow on our way to Santa Rosalia in southern Baja.  (Don't tell Janet but it seems much of our off-road trip will be on the Baja 1000 course!)

Mile 1437 - Day 5

Since we were all permitted and ready to roll, it was a leisurely trip to Playa de Rosarito (Rosarito Beach).  A place we have visited quite a few times. Just 20 miles or so south of San Diego.  Travels today only took 1 to 1-1/2 hours.  A room at The Rosarito Beach Hotel and then off to explore.  

We found a little beachfront taco stand at a neighborhood we discovered last time through, and found that they are still serving fresh, made to order seafood and meats.  Great people, terrific food and cold cervesa!

Janet noticed that the beach had eroded substantially since our visit last year.  We noticed the same at Papas&Beer.  

A remote beach bar that had previously existed about 50 yards from the main bar had been washed away by the El Niño tides last November!  We began talking to one of the managers about the erosion and he showed us videos of the event.  Mother Nature doesn't screw around!

Finally off to Rene's sports bar.  It wasn't where it was supposed to be!  It seems that since we were last here, they have completely remodeled the place and turned it in to a Casino.  A very nice place but it's missing its neighborhood atmosphere.  We happened to meet the boss who showed us all around and told us about his future plans.  We'll have to stay in touch and see how things develop. 

Dinner was at La Estancia on the north side of Rosarito.  We stumbled across this place on the same day that we discovered our little beachfront taco stand.  At that time we just finished a lovely lunch but promised ourselves that we would return and sample their faire.  Darned glad we did. It is fantastic!  If you're ever in the area, put this place on your list. 

We have decided to put on some miles tomorrow and head to Bahia de Los Angeles, approximately 9-1/2 hours from here.  We should be up early and hit the road as soon as possible.