Valle de Guadelupe, Feb 2-3, 13

 

This is our last stop before leaving Baja, Mexico.  We drove to Valle de Guadelupe which is an area that has many vineyards and winerys.  We stayed at an RV park called Surdo Mudo which is actually run and owned by a Deaf School here in Northern Baja.  It was quite lovely with many orange and lemon trees among the palms trees.  We went to winery -- L A Cetto.  We toured the winery and then had a tasting of lots of the different wines that they make.  Tomorrow we leave for Tecate to cross the border back into California.  We are staying at the same RV Park in EL Cahon and watching the superbowl with Dan and Lisa (our new friends and wagon masters of the trip).  Then we are onto Las Vegas for a couple of days.

Our camping spot at Surdo Mudo.

Mike at LA Cetto Vineyard.

Me at the L A Cetto Vineyard.
 

Vicente Guerrero, Feb 1, 13

Today we drove to Vicente Guerrero...just a little closer to the end.  We stayed behind a restaurant called Baja Fiesta.  This is where we had out last meal as a group.  It was a good evening.  Tomorrow we are on our way to the vineyards of the Baja.

Bahia de los Angeles, Jan 30-31, 13

Off to the beach again!  We are going to Bahia de los Angeles.  There is only one road into this town off of the main highway 1.  Once we turned off the main highway it was a 35 mile drive to the town.  This town only got electricity 3 years ago (that is how rustic some parts of the Baja are).  It is a very beautiful area.  Not a lot of people live in there.  The campsite was called Brisa Marina.  The only services offered were -- dump.  We parked in a spot that was right along the beach.  There were tons of shells all along the beach.  It was a low key day--later in the afternoon we had a "Happy Hour" and some locals and other RVer's came by.  The next morning it was a bit overcast but Mike and I went out in a 2 man kayak.  It was lovely and you could see right into the water  and the fish swimming around.  Later on we took a little tour around town.  The town at one time had been a big mining town -- so we checked out the Museum -- which was very interesting.  There is a 92 year old American man, Herman Hill, who was a big miner way back.  We went by to visit him and he shared some very amusing stories about his life and mining days.  He had written a book about his experiences -- Mike bought it.  Later we went back to the beach and walked with the dogs to the light house.  All in all ... a good time in Bahia.

Who are those people?

Mike at the museum.

In front of a church made of Onyx.

Mike relaxing in our spot at Bahia.

 

Guerrero Negro, Jan 29, 13

We are on our way north again.  Today is just a big travel day.  We left Mulege and are driving to Guerrero Negro -- we stayed here on our way south when we went to see the whales.  This time we are staying at a different campground that is behind a restaurant called Mario's.  The RV lot was paved with huge clam shells.  Off to the side of the lot there are piles and piles of plate size clam shells.  We ate Mario's for dinner and tomorrow we are off to Bahia de los Angeles.

Mulege, Jan 27-28, 13

We are on our to Mulege today.  We went through Mulege on our way south when we stayed at the beach at Santispac.  We stayed at an RV park in town called the Serenidad Hotel and RV Park.  A cute place with a restuarant and pool.  The first night we went to Ray's Place for dinner --- the best seafood I have ever had!  The next morning we went to the light house, the prison - which is now a museum and the old Loma Linda Hotel.  The hotel is now abandoned, but it was once a hotspot for the rich and famous before the highway came thru.  There was an airstrip behind the hotel they would fly in on.  Later we went to the bar and had toooooo many margaritas....ugghh!

Ray's Place

It was so yummy!

Me and Ray!

Mike and me at Ray's Place

Help!  Get us out of prison!
 

Puerto Escondido, Jan 26, 13

We had a really long drive today going North (you know the dreaded N word) we stopped in a marina port south of Loreto.  It's kinda sad going north on the same road drove south on.....  We stayed in the parking lot of the marina.  There was a really excellent restaurant there and we had some great fresh cabrilla fish.  It was more of just a relaxing day.  Tomorrow on the road again.....

Marina parking lot.

Morning view from the marina

I had to scale the wall.
 

La Paz, Jan. 24-25, 13

On the road again...another hour down the road to La Paz, one of the biggest cities on the Baja.  After we left Cabo we are working our way north.  Mike says we are not aloud to say the "N" word (meaning north), cause that means we are going closer to home and we are not ready for that yet.  We went for a walk down the Malecon (basically that is a boardwalk --- the stretch of shops and hotels and restaurants along the beach).  It was lovely with lots of sculptures and sites to see.  Stopped for a beer along the way. 

Next day we went to the market area and shopped around....lots of huge slabs of meat and fish and assorted body parts -- a real Mexican market not a tourist place.  Then we had some beef tacos (shredded beef) at a taco stand...very good.  We went back to the RV park and went to the pool.  That evening we went to a great restaurant.  The ambiance was excellent  and there was even a rooster in one of the trees (yes, there were trees in the resaurant).  They had traditional dancers there for us, it was fun.  There was a birthday party going on and I joined it with their dancing.  All in all it was a fun evening.

Me and my buddy Dan!

Just bought my new cowboy hat.

Dog food at the feed store in the market square.

On my way to the pool!

I love this scar faced man like crazy!

See me -- I am the tall blond one in the middle!

 

 

 

Pesacadero, Jan. 22-23, 13

On our way to Pescadero today.  Only a about an hour drive from Cabo to Pescadero.  The "RV Park" we are staying at is a work in progress and the road to the park is wild and wooly--but kinda fun.  Once we got there it was a great setting with palm trees and about 1/4 mile walk to the beach.  The beach was probably about a mile long and not many people.  It is a destination for surfers, so we got to watch a lot of surfing.  The waves were huge.  Mike decided to try a little boogie boarding...he was doing just fine ....until he wasn't.  He tried to wrestle with a big wave and it took him down and smashed him to the bottom.  He hit his head pretty hard and has some injuries to show for it.  He also felt his neck pop so he has been dealing with a very stiff neck--it is getting better day by day.  The dogs love frolicking on the beach..it is fun to watch them in the water.  We ate dinner in this little place in town that is basically someones backyard, but they have a little restaurant set up there.

The next day we went about 3 miles down the road to another little town called Todos Santos.  It was once again a great little town (I know I say that everytime).  This is another town know for it's "artsy edge".  The town has a huge art festival every year.  We ate fish tacos at George's Taco Stand....hmmm yummy.  When we got back from town we spent the afternoon at the beach.  That night we grilled some huge shrimp that we bought out of the back of someones truck.  Loving life!

We bought a hammock at the blanket factory.

Looking good!

The road into the campground.

Cabo San Lucas, Jan 19-21, 13

On our way to Cabo San Lucas today -- this is the 4th time in 17 months that Mike and I have been in Cabo -- I feel like it is our home away from home.  I love it here!  We went to a great little place for dinner the first night.  The second day went into San Jose Del Cabo -- which is a really neat town -- with a great town square (not so small) lots of shops and restaurants.  That evening we went to the craziest restaurant for dinner -- Latitude 22 -- home of "No Bad Days" -- the most eclectic bar with tons of funky stuff.  On the third day we went to the beach -- what a great day -- we took the dogs -- they loved it!  Then we went to another beach later for Happy Hour and appetizers....life is good in Cabo!

Kelly & Mike out to dinner.
 

I wanna be a beach dog!

I love to play ball on the beach!
 

Rancho Verde, Jan 18, 13

Today we are on are way again -- we are traveling from one beach to another... but before we get there we are stopping at a ranch in the mountains.  First we stopped at a great little artsy town called El Triunfo.  The town was very quiant and cozy --- we loved it -- ate breakfast there and we both had an enchilada omelet -- excellent! We then went o
n to the Ranch for a very relaxing evening.

Church in El Triunfo.


 

Mike and his Enchilada Omelet!
 

Playa Tecolote, Jan. 16-17, 13

We drove a long ways today -- we went around LaPaz which is a very big city right on the coast.  We arrived to our destination on the beach -- it was very beautiful, but the weather was still a little colder than what we were all expecting and the wind was blowing like a bat out of hell.  There were tons of seashells on the beach and the sand was perfect.  Rosie now is very familiar with a "Puffer Fish" which has very sharp like spiney things -- she does not like them!  I guess you learn that when you try to pick one up with your mouth.  The next morning we climbed this large hill behind our beach.  It didn't look so bad from the bottom, but it was a tough climb and little scarey coming down.  That evening we had a potluck among the caravaner's -- all in all another great day on the Baja.

Charlie and Rosie are adjusting to traveling.

y Charlie & Kelly on the beach.

Doesn't Mike look like a happy camper!


I climbed that mountain -- the highest peak - I was scared!
 

Our Baja Amigo's -- all of us in our new Mexican Sweatshirts! 

Ciudad Constitucion, Jan 15, 13

We left Loreto and started the drive across the Peninsula to the other side of the Baja.  We stopped in Ciudad which is a major agricultural area of the Baja (Mike would want you to know that).  It actually was kind of flat and reminded me a lot of Kansas.  We did some grocery shopping -- which is kind of an event.  They have some big grocery stores -- but they don't necessarily have the things that we are used to.  The frozen food section is basically non-existent except for ice cream -- which is a major food group in Mike's diet.  We then went to this RV park in the middle of nowhere.  It was okay -- but what made it better was the owner -- Mike, who was originally from England.  He was a character and we enjoyed talking with him -- or rather, listening to him -- he liked to talk.  It was just kind of a stop over on our way to the beach.

Loreto, Jan 13-14, 13

Today, Jan 13.  we drove to Loreto -- which was only about a 75 mile drive from where we were.  We are staying in a quiant, very nice little RV park called Rivera Del Mar RV Park.  It is only a short walk to the beach or the town square.  We went to some friends of our caravan Wagon Masters house for a Mexican Fiesta dinner -- there was even a Mariachi Band.  It was all very fun and very tasty. 

This is me with Lisa, she and her husband Dan are our Wagon Masters.

The Mariachi Band - serenading us.

 

This morning, Jan 14, we took an excursion to the Mission Javier -- which was an 18 mile drive up a mountain to this absolutely beautiful Mission in a very clean and nice little town.  The drive was kinda scarey...they have been working on parts of the road that got washed out during the last hurricane.  When we got back Mike and I walked to the town center and ate some fish tacos.  We then made a couple of touristy purchases.  In one  of the stores -- that was quite huge-- I shopped around while Mike had a beer at the bar -- which was part of the store.  Now if stores were like that in the US -- maybe more men would go shopping.

The Mission Javier-- it's about 300 years old. Inside the Mission.

 

The door behind us is full of crutches -- people who come to this Mission become healed and don't need their crutches when they leave.

Looking down the street from the Mission.

We are standing in front of a 300 year old olive tree.This is way we came to get to the Mission.

 

 

Surprise!  This is Mike's new bar!

This is another Mission that is in town.

This is where we are camped at the RV Park in Loreto.

Part of the campground behind our camper.