Advice Needed: Trip to Baja (Mar 07)

[60seriesguy]

I was invited to a tentative trip to Baja in March '07. I don't have all the details yet, but I didn't sleep last night thinking about the possibilities. I've never been down there, and barring travel time to and from San Diego, we'll have about a week in Baja. Years ago I bought a book on Baja camping, which I re-read last night, and I'm starting to think that a week, with families (small children), might keep us confined to Baja California Norte.

I have a lot of questions but having a hard time getting them organized. So I'll start by asking advice from Scott and BajaTaco and the other experienced Baja adventurers on the board.

What's a reasonable route for seven days in Baja, with families? Is reaching Guerrero Negro out of the question? Bahia De los Angeles?

Any recommended books, articles or websites?

Thanks in advance!

[TACODOC]

I'm interested in this as well, I would love to make the trip down but have heard ALOT of horror stories about crooked federales etc...

[justfred]

I love Baja. I've been going there all my life, mostly to the area south of San Felipe.

A few years back, I took a trip to the tip, in a 1965 Land Rover 109, right-hand-drive, soft top. I'm sure I have pictures somewhere but the only ones I could find are these:
http://www.obtainium.org/gallery/9511_baja

I'm one of those people that feels like most of Baja is safer than the US. Sure, there are federales, young punk kids with machine guns; and crooked cops. But if you speak a little Spanish, don't act like an arrogant gringo, don't take anything that might be prohibited (no guns at all, no drugs of course, no expensive items, mellow on the overtly military gear) you should be fine.

In a modern rig, you could make it to the tip and back, but you'd be mostly driving. GN or Bay of LA should certainly be doable. Most of the major paved roads are about like a backcountry neglected 2-lane would be here, doable in any vehicle. The dirt highways tend to be washboard and will beat the hell out of you and your vehicle, but I do like the back road from (can't find my map at the moment) central Norte near Catavina to Puertocitos via Gonzaga Bay.

Gas is hard to find. Fill up wherever you find a station. Magna Sin is like standard unleaded here. Not sure how the prices compare to here lately, but I imagine they're about the same if not more. If you get less than 250 miles to a tank, bring a spare tank; but that said I made it with a 125 mile range and a few 2-galloners. Bring lots of spare water; 20 gallons wouldn't be too excessive if you're camping. Buy beer and liquor (I suggest Negro Modelo and Herradura, respectively) in Mexico; bring your water and all your other food with you because the grocery stores suck. Bottled water is fine to drink, as is water in most but not all restaurants. Most restaurants are fine to eat in; some are great, some are filthy scary.

AAA has a great map and a great book. Topos are really hard to find, tho there's one guy that does them if you can find him.

Get insurance. It may keep you out of jail if you have an accident. Don't have an accident! Drive slow - slower than the speed limit if you can stand it. Yes, it's really slow - why are you in such a hurry, gringo?

I'd (slowly) blow through Tijuana and Ensenada. Stop for lunch in Rosarita area. Aim for San Quintin for the first night. The rocks around Catavina are cool. GN seemed like a dump to me, but I guess there are whale watching tours around there. The east coast - San Felipe - is great, I tend to like it better than the ocean side. Haven't been to Bay of LA but I hear it's one of those "end of the road" sorts of places where people who go where the road leads them, drive to, end up, look around, and decide to stay.

I'd say you'd be better off not having an agenda, just spend half your time going south, and half north. I grew up in El Centro, so I'd tend to come home through Mexicali - maybe you can shower at my parent's house - maybe not.

Have fun!

[Ursidae69]

I hope I can make a trip in this time frame too. I want to see the whales again. Anyway, to answer your question, here are my 2 cents. The family aspect with smaller kids will mean more frequent stops, so less miles covered. I'd suggest not going in through San Diego/TJ, but through Mexicali. Something like:
Day 1: El Centro California to San Felipe
Day 2: Drive to Gonzaga Bay
Day 3: Stay in Gonzaga, relax
Day 4: Drive to Bay of LA
Day 5: Stay in Bay of LA, relax
Day 6: Drive back to Gonzaga Bay
Day 7: Drive back to El Centro

Driving down the eastern coast is awesome, fewer people, more remote. When I take highway 1 from San Diego I don't even think about stopping until I'm at El Rosario or further south. Just too developed for my tastes.

If you don't have it already, you should buy a Baja Almanac. Hmm, just checked their site (http://www.baja-almanac.com/) and they are sold out. Bummer, hope you have one already. Also, the Baja Nomad board (http://forums.bajanomad.com/)is a good resource for Baja research.

[LexusAllTerrain]

If you go in thru Mexicali, like suggested before this is what you will encounter to the south.:D

http://community.webshots.com/myphotos?action=viewAllPhotos&albumID=549866025&security=ZhcOND

[ChuckB]

This is an awesome thread! Would love to make a Baja trip, but it isn't going to happen for a while... :mad:

[Scott Brady]

I will form a detailed response when I get home from Oahu.

I have a nice loop that you would enjoy, and will show you most of the Ecosystems in the North.

Basically, a loop from Tecate down to Valle Trinidad, Mike's Sky, Meling Ranch, San Martir Range, then down to Gonzaga and back up through San Felipe and Mexicali.

[flywgn]

I know the route that Scott will outline for you and it will be a wonderful week-long trip. My only addition is that on your return trip up the east coast take plenty of time to look backwards. IMHO the best views are looking south and sometimes paying too much attention to the rocks and ruts of the road can detract from rubber-necking.

We're down there frequently as we have a house at Punta Bufeo and use it as 'base camp' for trips further south.

Gas is not all that hard to find. If you go south on the east coast, top off in San Felipe. The new station in Puertecitos (notice the spelling) just might be open by next March. The lights were turned on when I came north yesterday. There is gas at the Pemex station at Rancho Grande and if it's out, then the store on the west side will sell you some.

El Rosario has a Pemex station. When you get to Laguna Salada (junction of Hwy 1 and 5) there's a restaurant and tire shop but no gas. Gas can usually be found at the intersection of Hwy 1 and the Bahia de Los Angeles roads, otherwise plan on filling up at Rancho Grande on the way north.

The country is as safe as anywhere else in North America. There were several shootings in Phoenix during the three days I was gone last week.

I don't recommend driving at night. Not because of fear of persons, but livestock roam about and often appear out of nowhere. Then too, if you're on the main Hwy 1--Transpeninsula Hwy--headlights can be blinding and enormous potholes loom without warning. Some of those holes deserve their own ZIP Codes.

Take plenty of water along. It's a desert peninsula.

There's much more to add to a list of necessities. Maybe as your ETD comes closer you might want to update.

I've taken the liberty of dropping a couple of photos at the bottom.

Allen Russell
Prescott AZ (for the time being :) )

[60seriesguy]

Allen, how's diesel availability throughout that loop? I have about a 1,000 range on the highway but estimate this range to drop up to 25% when driving dirt roads and heavily loaded. So let's day 750 mile range, maybe another 200 miles out of the two jerry cans. All the other vehicles on the expedition will be gasoline powered.

[60seriesguy]

Also, one more question. I'm assuming I won't be taking a boat with me, maybe a kayak. I've been doing some research on fishing from the surf, any tips people on this forum want to share? Any particular tackle to bring or bait to source?

[ChuckB]

Also interested in the Diesel availiblity...

Anyone do some surfing when you go south?

[Jonathan Hanson]

Henry, I like Scott's route because you'd see parts of Baja not many experience (pine forests!). However, I wouldn't miss Bahia de los Angeles, which is possibly the most beautiful seascape on the peninsula. That is as far south as I'd go in seven days, and plenty far enough to experience Baja fully. If L.A.Bay is crowded you can head 20 miles south to Bahia las Animas, much more remote.

I've never fished on the Pacific side. For subsistence fishing while sea kayaking on the Sea of Cortez coast I always take a light spinning setup with ten-pound line, and a bunch of Kastmaster lures. This almost always nets a few rock bass if you cast off rocky shores. They're delicious.

[awalter]

Tourist cards & Insurance are a must.

Pot holes (chasms) seem to be a thing of the past on Mex 1. I've made 3 trips as far south as San Ignacio in the past 3 months & don't recall hitting any. The roads up the east coast are another story.

There are some good surfing spots, but all are on the Pacific.

Most all Pemex stations now carry diesel.

Don't be afraid to shop in the local Mercado's. The larger ones are well stocked & items are very recognizable.

Fuel prices are running about $2.40 per gallon for unleaded & $1.90 a gallon for diesel.

If surf fishing, no license required. From a kayak or panga, a license is required.

[Scott Brady]

Diesel is at nearly all of the Pemex stations now in Baja. Remote fuel (in small villages) may be more difficult.

[flywgn]

Yep, diesel easy to find. I also have a diesel. They don't have it at the Pemex station in Rancho Grande, but the store on the other side of the road (the 'Rodriguez' Store) has it.

The potholes with ZIP Codes I am referring to are on the stretch from Km54 to Puertecitos on Hwy 5.

I concur about stopping at the locals. There are several 'cantinas' south of San Felipe that are good. Our favorite is the little one on the east side of the road at Playa Cristina about 5 miles south of Puertecitos. There's a sign designating it. Cow Patty's at the north end of Puertecitos is okay, but you can count on beverages only. They often run out of hot dogs (yep, hot dogs) and burritos. Alfonsina's has good food (Bahia San Luis Gonzaga); so does the restaurant at Punta Bufeo (Sra. Francisca doesn't like the designation 'cantina') but they are not always open. Heck, if we're in residence when you come by in March we can offer you a cold one and a tortilla. :beer: :lurk: Afterall, trout season in ID won't be open yet.

Allen R.

[BajaTaco]

... So I'll start by asking advice from Scott and BajaTaco and the other experienced Baja adventurers on the board.

Hi, I just got here and it looks like everyone else has pretty much made my involvement in this thread much easier :D

Regarding the fishing - in March, on the Cortez side, I think you will have better chances of catching something offshore in a kayak than you will from the beach. The water is still pretty cold and as a result, there will likely be less fish around the shores. Also, where beach casting is concerned, natural bait seems to be much more effective than lures from what I have seen and experienced. Out on the water might be a different story though, I haven't tried. One of these days I plan to master one of the local techniques. It involves an aerosol can and a spark plug. And it works GOOD! (and no, it's not what you think - not toxic to the environment at all).

For your itinerary, I think you should tell us what your style is first. The itinerary should be based on your (and your families) style. Or if you are with a group, and they are looking to you to make the itinerary, then what the cumulative style of the group is.

[EDIT] Henry, I can gather some pretty good assumptions of your singular style, based on what I have seen and read about your rig and your travels. But with your family and other families, I guess maybe it would be best to elaborate :)

[underdog]

The potholes with ZIP Codes I am referring to are on the stretch from Km54 to Puertecitos on Hwy 5.
Allen R.

Man, do I know about THIS stretch. I was cruising along, up on the footpegs of my BMW R80GS, doing a fine job of weaving in and out of the potholes and nailed one that I just couldn't avoid, at 50 mph. Put a SERIOUS dent in my front rim. It was a miracle that I didn't flat.

That stretch from San Filipe south to Puertocitos is a nice one though with lots of good views of the Sea of Cortez.

As for food, my last trip down there we were on a quest for the best fish taco on the peninsula. There are taco stands everywhere and we had some really good tacos. We pretty much subsisted on 'em entirely. With a little beer to wash 'em down. The best fish taco we had was at one of those little family owned stands just north of La Paz called Mr. Taco. That'd definitely be too far to explore in a week though. My suggestion would be to stay in B.C Norte and take a little time to enjoy it. You could get all the way down to Cabo and back but you'd be driving several hundred miles a day. Too much wheel time and not enough taking in the scenery and culture.

[60seriesguy]

[EDIT] Henry, I can gather some pretty good assumptions of your singular style, based on what I have seen and read about your rig and your travels. But with your family and other families, I guess maybe it would be best to elaborate :)[/QUOTE]

We'll have to see how the composition of the group plays out in the months to come; inevitably, some people who are planning to go won't make it, but as it stands right now, it's a mix of single folks, married couples, and a few families that have smaller kids. The latter have requested that the entire trip not be a suicide run down to Cabo and back, which is reasonable (there will be time for other trips like that, he, he!). This is their gig, I'm just an honored guest of a group of people I've been wanting to travel with for years. Whatever they want to do, is fine with me, I'm just along for the ride and the comraderie and the scenery and the awesome experience of driving into Baja.

My ideal trip would probably be longer, have fewer rigs, more boats, and involve more serious fishing and exploring and more remote areas. Does that make sense?

I'll be driving my diesel BTJ62 Land Cruiser and towing my expedition trailer. I'm planning to travel as light as possible (within reason) but because it's my first trip and I have a 2,600 mile round trip just to get to the meeting point, I'll probably prepare for a more remote trip than this one will turn out.

My copilot will be my best friend, a fellow Cruiserhead, fellow immigrant (him from South Africa fifteen years ago, me from Venezuela twelve years ago) and old college roommate. We've traveled many miles together and there's nobody else I'd rather have on a trip than him. He travels even lighter than me and he'll be flying out from Baltimore, so it will fall to me to have the rig prepared and enough gear for him.

I don't really plan any modifications to the Cruiser before the Baja trip, just focus on reliability and making the interior more comfortable for a long trip. I've been having intermittent electrical issues and plan to pretty much re-wire every accessory on the truck, starting with redesigning the dual battery setup. Ditto for the trailer. I already set both my rigs for this kind of travel.

I'm debating a boat. Now that I hear I might not get a whole lot of fish from shore, I might look deeper into this. I thought maybe an inflatable 10' boat with a small outboard would be nice, it reminds me of fishing expeditions in Venezuela. But that might be more hassle than it's worth....and beyond my budget.

[Scott Brady]

My ideal trip would probably be longer, have fewer rigs, more boats, and involve more serious fishing and exploring and more remote areas. Does that make sense?

Henry,

You are another brother from a different mother :victory:


I don't really plan any modifications to the Cruiser before the Baja trip, just focus on reliability and making the interior more comfortable for a long trip. I've been having intermittent electrical issues and plan to pretty much re-wire every accessory on the truck, starting with redesigning the dual battery setup. Ditto for the trailer. I already set both my rigs for this kind of travel.

Good plan. If you have a fridge, a stock Toyota can run pretty much everything in Baja with ease. There are a few spots in the San Martir that will be fun with the trailer, but no big deal for your rig.



I'm debating a boat. Now that I hear I might not get a whole lot of fish from shore, I might look deeper into this. I thought maybe an inflatable 10' boat with a small outboard would be nice, it reminds me of fishing expeditions in Venezuela. But that might be more hassle than it's worth....and beyond my budget.

That time of year would be good with a boat, as the water is COLD. That depends on your route though, which might limit the beach time.

[60seriesguy]

Henry,

You are another brother from a different mother :victory:



Good plan. If you have a fridge, a stock Toyota can run pretty much everything in Baja with ease. There are a few spots in the San Martir that will be fun with the trailer, but no big deal for your rig.




That time of year would be good with a boat, as the water is COLD. That depends on your route though, which might limit the beach time.

I figured as much, I think I have a lot of lost brothers on this board! :)

I don't have a fridge yet, but that will be remedied soon! The trailer I'm pretty comfortable with, it's been on some hairy places. In fact, its maiden run after Phase II was on Martinez Canyon!

I did a cursory check on Ebay and Craiglist and found some pretty good deals on boats. I may buy one a few months before the trip, take it down, then sell it when I get back, I don't have much use for one in this area.

Thanks for all the tips, folks, keep them coming! I've been daydreaming about this for days, I realized it's been a LONG time since I've gone on this kind of expedition.

[BajaTaco]

...We pretty much subsisted on 'em entirely. With a little beer to wash 'em down. The best fish taco we had was at one of those little family owned stands just north of La Paz called Mr. Taco. .

Aww man, you're making me hungry... and I just ate dinner! :p



...My ideal trip would probably be longer, have fewer rigs, more boats, and involve more serious fishing and exploring and more remote areas. Does that make sense?

Yep, that makes sense. I think with varied styles and little ones along on the trip it is best to play it conservative as far as how deep into the backcountry you go, how many nights without a room, and how far south - unless you are with a rare group that likes to camp the majority of nights and cover lots of backcountry in the day. I think it would be difficult to really give the Pacific coast, Cortez coast, and mountains all fair time in 7 days if you are coming from the US border, without staying up north in the locales closer to the border. So I would suggest picking one of those (Pacific, Cortez, or Mtns) as your priority destination and then creating something from there.

[BajaTaco]

LOL - Scott was typing as I was.





Good plan. If you have a fridge, a stock Toyota can run pretty much everything in Baja with ease.


LOL! So without a fridge, you can't do it! It won't make it! LOL - I am gonna make that quote part of my signature. :p

[Scott Brady]

:hehe:

[dmc]

Henry,

As you mentioned we don't have firm commitments from anybody yet. Well aside from me and Darren. we're having our own little discussion in our forum. I'll see what I can do about getting you added.

I'm glad you started this thread because eventually i'd be over here seeking the wisdom and advice of the baja experienced.

My prediction is this; 5 trucks (including you and Ross:jumping: :clapsmile) A little more driving than our previous discussions. Ideally I'd like to take more time and cover more ground but I need to respect the wishes of the wives that allow their husbands to go on other adventures without them. My only criteria is we make it to the top of Mount Diablo. However I'd like to see as much as we can in our time there. I'm pushing for a border crossing early on friday morning instead of friday night or saturday morning to give us an extra day.

For everybody else. Feel free to barrage us with info. the more we can get the better.
dmc

[dmc]

I will form a detailed response when I get home from Oahu.

I have a nice loop that you would enjoy, and will show you most of the Ecosystems in the North.

Basically, a loop from Tecate down to Valle Trinidad, Mike's Sky, Meling Ranch, San Martir Range, then down to Gonzaga and back up through San Felipe and Mexicali.


I like that route Scott. Not because i know anything about it but because I recognize all those names from the Baja 1000. Our next trip to Baja will be as competitors (hopefully 08) so this trip will be a partial "pre-run just to check out the terrain before we build our rig" type of trip. Yeah we've been saying it for years now and still haven't done anything about it. I'm hoping a nice relaxed trip in the Cruisers will be just the impetus we need to start building the pre-runner.
dmc

[ChuckB]

Fish tacos... now we are talkin'!!!

[Hltoppr]

Yeah...a fridge is a must...if you're on 4 wheels...:ylsmoke:

-H-

[LexusAllTerrain]

If you have a chance stop by Laguna Percebu, they have a small Cantina, and you get lot;s of great conversation and advice of the roads:victory:

[cpg]

Here are some pictures about a hour south of Bahia de Los Angeles at Las Animas. We where there for a few days and the whole beach to are selves.

Fishing from the shore was very good with the inflatable kayak it was even better. Crocodiles, Kastmasters, feather jigs, Rappalas, They all seem to work well.

We where down for 2 weeks and the 2 favorite campsites where Las Animas and San Francisquito.

[Scott Brady]

Awesome pictures and sweet 80!

Great to have you on the forum :)

[cpg]

Here are some photos of San Francisquito.
This is a very nice beach with very clear water excellent snorkelling. If I remember it is about 3 hours of rough dirt road from Bay of LA.
Last time down did not stop at Las Animas and headed straight from the border to San Francisquito. Yellowtail bite was on !!

[LexusAllTerrain]

Here are some photos of San Francisquito.
This is a very nice beach with very clear water excellent snorkelling. If I remember it is about 3 hours of rough dirt road from Bay of LA.
Last time down did not stop at Las Animas and headed straight from the border to San Francisquito. Yellowtail bite was on !!

Wow! that is a great looking bay!

[cpg]

Thank you !! here are a few more pictures.