Baha California--Tecate, San Jose del Cabo

[handn]

We are leaving Monday. First leg will be from San Carlos Sonora to Tucson, Az. where we will have tow vehicle and AS serviced and inspected. From Tucson we will take U.S. I-8 to the Tecate Baha California North border crossing. For those coming from the east, Tecate is a better choice than Tijuana because traffic over the border is light and the road to Ensenada passes through Valle del Guadalupe, Mexico's premier wine growing area. For those of you who have tried to drink Padre Kino, Mexico's budget bulk wine, wines from Valle del Guadalupe are more than passable (and expensive).
We will take two or three days reach to Santa Rosalia even though it is only about 500 miles from Tecate. At 35-40 mph, 250 miles is a days drive and campgrounds are not spread evenly apart. From Santa Rosalia we will go to Puerto Escondido and from there to La Paz and then to San Jose del Cabo. We will probably return on the La Paz--Topolobampo ferry.
From Tecate it is about 1200 miles one way to San Jose del Cabo.
We are taking this trip because our loved dog is geriatric and cannot travel by boat like she has done in the past. Friends are bringing our boat from San Carlos to Santa Rosalia. We will park the Airstream at various marina's so the dog will have a place to stay when we are out in the water and we will have a car for land travel.
I will post the highlights on this thread from time to time when I get a wi fi signal.
We made the trip in a Hi-Lo in 1990 with a caravan. My memory of the trip was that the roads were narrow and rough and the scenery was spectacular. The Hi-Lo broke a spring but things like that are easily repaired in Mexico. Not so automotive electronics. A vehicle breakdown may mean an airplane trip back to the U.S. for parts.
It is an adventure but that's why I purchased an Airstream. Wally Bynam didn't spend all of his time sleeping in KOA's and cruising the interstate.

[pbearsailor]

Serious envy here.

We were down there for a couple of years on the boat and I sure want to do it with the trailer as well. So many great memories from Baja for me--fish tacos in front of La Perla in La Paz, the old metal church in Santa Rosalia (and the great hot dogs), and mostly just the nice people. We waited out hurricane season at Refugio on Angel de la Guarda, but I can't figure out how to get the trailer out there to the island.

Hope you're able to find enough WiFi to post. This is definitely one of my future trips.

-steve

[handn]

We made it from San Carlos Sonora to Tucson where we determined our old dog wasn't up to making the trip. She is being treated for degenerative mylopathy. We are hopeful of being able to resume the trip but it won't be for a while.

[JFScheck]

So - my stupid question of course is - how safe do you feel when you are south of the boarder?

[Photobum]

Just back from three months in Aticama. Mexico is safe as long as you pick your spots. And at 15 pesos to the dollar it is hard not to enjoy the values....

[handn]

I initiated the thread but never did make the trip. My old dog was never strong enough to consider it and made it only a few months. We are leaving soon to go from San Carlos, Sonora to La Paz on our boat. If the fish are biting, we will go to San Jose del Cabo. We anchor in remote anchorages all the way down and have never had any trouble with theft or violence.
A neighbor just came back from a trip down the Baja. He took highway 15 on the mainland from Nogales Arizona to Los Mochis, Topolobampo and took the ferry across to La Paz. On the way back, he drove highway one all the way back. He stayed at Loreto, Puerto Escondido and Bahia Los Angeles.
He reports the Vagabundos Campground in Cabo San Lucas is closed. He has a cabover camper and stays at motels, water parks and other facilities if campgrounds are not available. If planning such a trip it pays to be flexible as far as accommodations and speak a bit of Spanish.
Cabo San Lucas sustained quite a bit of damage in Hurricane Odille and is slowly recovering.
The peso is 15 to the dollar but gasoline is about $3.50 and diesel about $4.00.