I typed a long response to your first questions that some how I accidentally lost when my finger went astray. If you did not receive it, let me now and I'll answer it again. With regards to travel security issues, I have been driving up and down the Baja for eleven years and have never had any kind of problem, BUT I follow a few simple rules and everyone I know who does things has never had a problem. The most important one is: 'Don't drive after dark'. That has been true even before the current problems at the border. Mexican truck drivers and farmers and even car owners are notorious for not having functioning tail lights and it is very dangerous to come over the top of a hill at high speed and not see the 10 ton truck in front of you. Likewise, the cows and horses like the warmth of the sun warmed pavement at night and you never know when you will come across one of them spread out on the road. The other problem between Tijuana and San Quintin is that it is pretty heavily populated and there is a lot of pedestrian traffic on or near the road as well as a lot of vehicular traffic. You have to drive very defensively in these areas and that is much easier to do in the daylight. Now, with the drug problems, I have been told that some travelers have been 'hijacked' on the highway between Ensenada and Tijuana, even on the toll road. All of the incidents that I have heard about have occured at night. I always time my border crossing so that I am across the border before noon and then I have plenty of time to get at least to the San Quintin or El Rosario area. I have NEVER had even the inkling of a problem and I don't know any one else in Loreto who has either. A little common sense goes a long way. Would you drive through East LA after midnight? Once you are south of San Quintin, the traffic is much lighter and less stressful. From there on, I think it will find it rather relaxing. Be sure to know what your driving range is. There is little gas between El Rosario and Guerrero Negro. Be sure to have a full tank when you leave El Rosario. As I mentioned in my first response,
www.bajanomad.com is the best source for up to the minute information on road conditons, places to stay and places to eat on the way down the Baja. Let me know if I can answer any other questions you might have. Paul