Little Leo's Overland Adventure to Baja and Back

[joeyabisa]

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My son is 4 and I can relate to so many of your stories but this one is something else. Don't beat yourself up over the camper sitch. It's way more important that you got out there than that you got it all perfect. What a fantastic trip. The Baja is a trip I'm so excited to do with my boys as well. Nothing really to add here other than encouragement that you are truly killing it.

Thanks seldonseensmith! Even with the shortened Baja adventure I'm still very happy with our trip. It's so nice to be able to take Leo on these adventures. For the most part as a 4 year old he's easy to travel with. His mom and myself have taken him on trips since he was 6 months old, Hawaii, the Philippines twice and 6 months before this trip he went to Spain with his mom. He gets around! Yes, definitely take your kids down to Baja. There are so many wondrous things for the little ones. Only thing I would add is get a little inflatable raft or rent a boat or kayaks so you can explore the little islands and coves. Thanks for the encouragement!!

 

[joeyabisa]

The following day we said our goodbyes and headed out. We drove around Prescott a little bit to see what the town was like. It's a nice town with a fairly large “Main St” like downtown area and a park in the center. I thought about stopping into the Overland Journal headquarters but then decided not to. Why would they want to talk to us? It isn't like we were on some epic journey around the world. So we left Prescott and now my mission to Winslow, AZ.
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insert photos of Prescott here. Oh wait! I forgot to take some. Typical!
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Winslow was the first place my family moved to when we came to the States. I was 4 years old, Leo's age. When my dad passed away last year I really started treading over memories of my childhood and thoughts of Winslow came up often. Perhaps I remember it because it was so different from the tropical environment we had come from. Or maybe I think about Winslow because Leo is 4 and reminds me of myself at that age and memories of my dad and living there. I'm not exactly sure why I've been wanting to go. What was I hoping to find? I DID want to find the house we once lived and I wanted to see where my dad worked, which sometimes he would bring me.

 

[joeyabisa]

We moved to Winslow because my mom applied for a nursing job in the states and was offered a job with the Bureau of Indian affairs. She basically told my dad the she was taking the position and was taking the kids, he could come or not. My dad chose to come. He left a marine engineering position in the Philippines and ended up in the last place there was any marine engineering going on. His very first job in the United States was at Travel Lodge on Route 66 as a maintenance man.
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Post card of Winslow Travel Lodge with
my dad's Ford Ranch Wagon in the front. 1972

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What it looks like now... Google Maps photo

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I did try and take a photo when we got here but the camera battery died the moment I turned it on.

 

[joeyabisa]

Anyway, not to get too side tracked on this side story. I couldn't put a finger on what I was feeling about this place and my life here once. It's beyond nostalgia, it's deeper. Saudade would be the best word to describe it. A deep longing for a life that once was, for my dad, mom, for the old Navajo couple that used to watch me, who I thought were my grandparents, and for that little boy who was me. My trip to Winslow did nothing to fill the emptiness but made it more acute. I sat in my truck, parked across the street from where the travel lodge used to be. The only remaining landmark I remember as a child.

 

[joeyabisa]

East on 40 and North on 191 we drove. The wide openness and beauty of this land made me want to stop, climb to the top of my truck, spread my arms out, and yell “I love this country!”

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[joeyabisa]

Traveling up 191 was very pleasant especially the farther north we got. At one point we reached a section just south of 160 where they were repaving a long stretch. There was only one lane open and they had an escort system, conveying north and southbound lanes one at a time. I just missed the northbound set of travelers so we had to wait about 35 minutes while the escort brought the line of cars north then escort the southbound travelers back our direction.
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I was at the front of the line so while we waited I was able to talk to the woman who was holding the stop sign. A nice Navajo lady named Marilyn. It was in the high 90's and she was appropriately dressed with a head wrap, a wide brimmed hat, long sleeves and big wrap around dark glasses. In that thirty or so minutes we'd exchanged stories of our childhood in Arizona and she taught me a little bit about Navajo culture. Before we parted I handed her three ice cold cans of pineapple juice and in return she said a little prayer in Navajo for our safe travels. I like those moments when you can make friends and connect with another person in that moment's time.

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I'd made two huge mistakes because I was winging it without a map. Two places I wanted to see, Antelope canyon which was about 115 miles to the west and some back country camping in Valley of the Gods. My memory didn't serve me well and I was completely off when it came to Antelope Canyon. I really wanted to go there because it's the only pocket canyon Leo could easily get to because you can drive right up, park, and walk in. My second mistake was missing the turn for Valley of the Gods. It didn't show up on GPS, it was starting to get dark and I wasn't sure I should backtrack so forward I went looking for a place for the night.

 

[unkamonkey]

Sorry dude, you missed 2 unique areas, they need to go back on your list. Some people have spent years in that area and still haven't seen all that is there. I've been going to that area for over 25 years and my list just keeps getting longer.

 

[biggerbearser]

My father took me to Bahia de Los Angeles 22 or 23 years ago, when I was 6 or 7, in late August in a van without AC. It was a pretty rough trip but I remember it to this day. I plan to take my son, currently 3, there in a couple years though I'll be sure it is during a cooler period in my Land Cruiser with AC =)

 

[Brian7660]

Great story! I can't wait to take my kids down the Baja(when i have some!). Making some fine memories there I remember sleeping in the back of my van with my wife in Conception Bay in Oct. and SWEARING we were not going to try that again without A/C. But alas, we are heading down in a next month in another van without a/c!! Even the painful memories are thought of fondly after a while.. Brian

 

[joeyabisa]

Sorry dude, you missed 2 unique areas, they need to go back on your list. Some people have spent years in that area and still haven't seen all that is there. I've been going to that area for over 25 years and my list just keeps getting longer.

Hey Unkamonkey, yeah, bummed! I'm in the early stages of planning another trip to Baja and bringing a case of maps this next time. I think I'm going to go to those two places on the way to Baja and on the return head back the same way and visit other places.

 

[joeyabisa]

My father took me to Bahia de Los Angeles 22 or 23 years ago, when I was 6 or 7, in late August in a van without AC. It was a pretty rough trip but I remember it to this day. I plan to take my son, currently 3, there in a couple years though I'll be sure it is during a cooler period in my Land Cruiser with AC =)

Hi biggerbearser, I bet that was rough but glad you look back on it. Fondly I hope. A couple of years I think would be perfect for your son. I think when they're close to 5 they're more inquisitive and engaged to their surroundings. And helpful too! Lol! One suggestion - get a blow up raft and a little 3hp outboard (craigslist, cheap)! There are so many little islands to explore. I wish I'd had one when I was there.

 

[joeyabisa]

Great story! I can't wait to take my kids down the Baja(when i have some!). Making some fine memories there I remember sleeping in the back of my van with my wife in Conception Bay in Oct. and SWEARING we were not going to try that again without A/C. But alas, we are heading down in a next month in another van without a/c!! Even the painful memories are thought of fondly after a while.. Brian

Hi Brian7600, Lol! Hopefully it won't be as hot when you go next month. Have a blast! Am envying you as I type this. I am definitely going to Bahia Conception on my next trip down. BTW, did you make it out to some of the little islands just off shore? Would love to visit those as well. Next time I'm bringing an inflatable raft and a little 3hp outboard. I would kayak it but Leo won't be doing that for some time. And yes, the painful memories are thought of fondly after a while.

 

[hansrober]

Thanks for the wonderful soulful trip reporting. What a Dad! I had to reminisce of my younger days coming to visit my uncle here in Jacksonville from Texas, enjoying the sun and surf and sand as a little one. Baja sounds awesome!

 

[joeyabisa]

Thanks for the wonderful soulful trip reporting. What a Dad! I had to reminisce of my younger days coming to visit my uncle here in Jacksonville from Texas, enjoying the sun and surf and sand as a little one. Baja sounds awesome!

Thanks hansrober for your kind remarks and am glad you like the trip report. BTW, I ran across your trailer build last week and think it's awesome. I have an M101A2 as well that I'm still working on but have recently thrown the original idea out the window and might be going in the direction you went with yours. Yes, Baja is wonderful- if you get a chance, definitely go. Your rig would work out really well there.

 

[joeyabisa]

After missing Valley of the Gods we proceeded to Moab and hung out there for a couple of days. The only pictures I took on the way home were of Arches. Next trip to Baja: Maps, make an effort to take more photos, M101A2 Camper, inflatable raft and outboard.
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