Run Report. Baja down to Conception Bay. Day 1

[bruceboogaard]

Run Report, Day 1, Baja to Conception Bay

Roger and I crossed the border at Tecate with ease. Remember to have your receipt for payment of the FMM permit. Otherwise they will charge you twice.

We made our way down to Ensenada on Mex 3 without any problems. We bought some gas and a few supplies in Ensenada and headed across the peninsula on Mex 3.

About 80 miles past Ensenada and 8 miles past the village of Trinidad we turned south on a dirt road for 22 miles to explore the road to and area around Mike's Sky Ranch.

They charged us $25 per rig to camp and wanted $25 per meal for dinner and $10 per meal for breakfast. *There were no amenities at the campsite other than a trashcan. Needless to say the place was completely empty. The road was wide and well graded with only two or three spots that a normal passenger car may not be able to get through.

*At Mike Sky Ranch there was a running stream may be 8 feet wide and it looked like there was a little bit of snow on the mountains to our east. We got there around dusk so we ended up sitting in the dark and a quick dinner and went to bed early.

On the road in to Mike's sky Ranch there were many nice campsites where we could've camped without any charge whatsoever. Generally speaking I wasn't too impressed with Mike's. Stay tuned for Day 2. This report issued to you from San Felipe.


Regards, SanDiegoBogeyJK

 

[bruceboogaard]

Run Report, Day 2, Baja to Conception Bay

Day 2.

Left Mike's Sky Ranch by 10 AM. We hit a military check point at intersection of Mex 3 and Mex 5. Very friendly military people. They liked our rigs and wanted to know where we came from in US and where we were headed. Very little inspection.
We stopped at a sidewalk food vendor in San Felipe and ate roasted chicken in our campfire chairs on a sidewalk next to the vendor.
We drove along the boardwalk obviously designed to appeal to the gringo tourists.
Filed our run report for Day 1 and headed to Puertocitos.
Continued south and found Camp Tano with very nice showers and toilets. 300 pesos. Tano gave us freshly baked banana nut bread which we consumed in one sitting.
For dinner we cooked a mystery meat we bought at Calimax in San Felipe. We are pretty sure it came from an animal.
Sitting by a campfire telling lies about the early years.
Stay tuned

Regards, SanDiegoBogeyJK

 

[bruceboogaard]

San Felipe's Gringo District

Regards, SanDiegoBogeyJK

 

[LexusAllTerrain]

I am surprise San Felipe has parking in the main blvd. Must be early!

 

[1stDeuce]

Looking forward to more of this report!! Wife and I are heading to Baja in three weeks, with Bahia Conception as our eventual destination...
There better be a lot more fish taco stands in the days to come!! :sombrero:

 

[1leglance]

I love these kinds of trip reports...
places I have been near but never to, thanks for giving me some new places to visit.

Looking forward to more, thanks for taking us along

 

[bruceboogaard]

Baja To Conception Bay, Run Report, Day 3

Baja to Conception Bay, Run Report, Day 3

Run Report, Day 3, Baja to Conception Bay

The government shut down fishing in the Gulf of California about half way up. We watched the local fishermen putting their boats in the water at night to avoid detection.

In the morning, from the beach at Tano's Camp, we awoke at 6:00 and broke camp by 8:30. Tano has cold salty showers and flush toilets. He gave us banana nut bread from one of his tenants.

The road from there to Gonzaga was paved without potholes

At Gonzaga, we got gas, ate at Alphonsina's restaurant by 10:30. We had eggs and chorizo for $7 US. We sat in front of a bay with fishing boats siting idle.

We headed south for 10 miles on a newly built road. The road after that is under construction. We traveled on a dirt road while we watched workers build the new road. The dirt road ran by Coco's Corner.

Coco is now 70 years old, and has no legs left after his most recent surgery. For the price of a beer or soda, free camping is included. He made us sign his guest book after he drew pictures of our jeeps and trailers.

We finished the 30 kilometers of washboard to Mex 1, and turned left towards Punta Prieta. 5 miles south of the turn, a large RV was broken down in the southbound lane of a very narrow two lane road with no shoulder and a 5' drop off on both sides.

We tried to contact his friends and insurance and a tow truck by satellite phone but to no avail. After an hour, we went to Punta Prieta and sent a tow truck back to rescue him. He later texted me to say "Thanks for the Grua!"

We turned east and drove to LA Bay were we camped for the night at Gringa's Camp at the north end of the bay--past all civilization. Highly recommended spot for camping. The legend has it that it was owned and operated by a American woman, but now camping is free and unregulated and right on the water. Bring your own firewood.

We finished cooking our mystery meat (bought in San Felipe at a Calimax) we thought was carne asada, and wrote this report. Photos to follow.

Stay tuned for Day 4.

 

[bruceboogaard]

. This is hopefully a photo to Gonzaga Bay from Alphonsina's Restaurant.



Regards, SanDiegoBogeyJK

 

[bruceboogaard]

. The view from Alphonzina's Restaurant. They have a hotel with 6 rooms.


Regards, SanDiegoBogeyJK

 

[bruceboogaard]

. Camping is free at Coco's Corner for the purchase of a cold beer! Plus there is public seating!


Regards, SanDiegoBogeyJK

 

[bruceboogaard]

The shade structure in front of Coco's Office shows evidence of prior partying! Unfortunately, when we went through, just old geezers like us!


Regards, SanDiegoBogeyJK

 

[bruceboogaard]

This RV headed for La Paz lost all 5 lug bolts on the main highway. No shoulder to the road, so when you breakdown, you sit on the Transpeninsular for hours while huge semis go by you at 50 miles per hour. Check your lug nuts and carry flares and don't drive at night!


Regards, SanDiegoBogeyJK

 

[bruceboogaard]

Gringa's Camp at sunrise. Porpoises woke us up herding fish into a circle for their breakfast!


Regards, SanDiegoBogeyJK

 

[bruceboogaard]

Run Report, Day 4, Baja to Conception Bay

We woke up this morning at Gringa's Camp at the north end of LA Bay to a pod of dolphins herding bait fish for their breakfast. Had coffee and breakfast as we watched Pelicans dive for fish wondering how come they don't break their necks as they enter the water.

On our way out we found a local Hatbor Tools "ferreteria" where we bought WD40 and a bolt. We had a coffee in town to use their WIFI to file our run report.

Then we headed south to reach San Fransisquito Bay 83 miles on a well maintained (for the most part) dirt road (not suitable for passenger cars.

We had lunch at San Rafael Bay and met Pancho.

We encountered two or three cars in the entire trip. Empressed by the cement "vados" along the way. 3 or 4 washed out spots but not a problem for 4 wheel drive. I used 4 wheel drive a few times.

Arrived at LA Bay about 3:30 and camped at Rancho Beto for $10 a night per car. Hot showers and nice toilets. Right on the water.

I kayaked in the bay just before sunset. Juan, a local fisherman, offered me a free sea bass to watch his boat which he couldn't pull out of the bay because the tide was too far out.

Photos to follow.


Regards, SanDiegoBogeyJK

 

[dstock]

Nice report! I think it's the first Baja one I've seen with expo trailers in tow. Having a trailer myself I was wondering how it is towing around Baja?

Have a great time!