Baja California

This trip has continued to be a fly by the seat of our pants adventure, and it has lead us to warmer temperatures. Now here we are in Baja California!

We had thrown around the idea of coming here since Thanksgiving. I, personally, had some reservations about safety. We talked to every waiter/waitress/bartender/local in San Diego that we could to get their feel for it, and overwhelmingly they said do it. Don’t be stupid or flashy, but do it. And I am so glad we listened.

Driving to Mexico

Driving to Mexico is definitely different than flying in. I’m so thankful for knowledgeable friends (Amy and Steve) and Google! To drive in here’s what we decided we needed:

*passport (not checked)

*Mexican auto insurance

*tourist visa (FMM) which you can do online and verify once you cross the border

*let your credit card company/bank know you’re traveling

*buy a cell phone Telcel SIM card once you cross- but T-Mobile has been amazing and hasn’t throttles me yet

*3 hard copies and a digital copy of everything just in case

Water

We know water in Mexico is different than the US, so we loaded up on drinking water, which we keep in our shower in case it spills it just goes down the drain. However, after being here, there’s plenty of places to buy filtered water pretty cheap, and we will refill our bags there.

All said and done, we were WAY over prepared, and that’s a great feeling!

At the Tecate border we needed a copy of our registration and that was it! They inspected our vehicle to make sure we didn’t have drugs or weapons and sent us on our way in under 5 minutes. No passport, no Covid test, no problems. Once we crossed in, we bought our SIM card and we were off!

Driving Through Baja

The roads have been very good. They are narrow with no shoulder, but well paved. If you’re on a toll road, they have the Green Angels who provide roadside assistance for free if needed, as long as you have your toll receipt. Tips are appreciated!

Gas

The worst part about driving has been the incredibly long stretches of absolutely nothing after San Felipe. You really have to plan gas out accordingly. The Gas Buddy app doesn’t work in Mexico, and even if it did there’s no cell service for miles (and miles). There are men literally selling gas out of the back of their trucks on the side of the road. Unfortunately, this is no help to us. We are a diesel vehicle. One traveler made us concerned the diesel wasn’t low sulfer, but the more people we talk to, the more we are hearing any Pemex diesel is fine, and if you can find an American brand gas station it’s fine too. So, our other issue is diesel with a small nozzle (not the high flow trucker nozzle). We have a plan in a pinch, but hoping it isn't needed. So far so good. Doing this trip in the age of the Internet really helps and we haven't been too worried, just a little for a second or two 😂😉

Military Checkpoints

These have been hit or miss. So far one had no military even there, one waved us through, and one did a pretty thorough check saying he smelled cannabis. We weren’t sure if he was messing with us or not, but after not finding anything he let us go.

Towns

San Felipe

Our first stop was a cute little beach town called San Felipe. It was really just one strip on the Sea of Cortez, and was pretty touristy with street vendors. Prices were very cheap. We stayed at Kiki’s on the beach for $35 split between us and friends we were traveling with; so $17.50 per night. We had electric, water (which we didn’t use), wifi, bathrooms, and showers. Everything was clean and showers were hot. There were about 7-8 stray dogs that hung around the park. All were very friendly. It was about a 15 minute walk to the main strip. I would recommend and return.

Mulegé via Guerrero Negro

Baja California Sur

We drove quite awhile to get to Guerrero Negro, which was the first sign of civilization we had seen besides men selling gas out of the trunk of their car. In Guerrero Negro we got gas, ate dinner, and got some sleep. At dinner another traveler recommended a place to stay in Mulegé, and I’m so thankful she did! The next morning we hit the road for Mulegé and the recommended Huerta Don Chano RV park. It was a little tropical paradise across from a lagoon. On the 15 minute walk to town we were always greeted by the same sweet stray dogs, and a 15 minute walk the other way took you to the beach. Mulegé is a nice small town, and a great stop for a few days before hitting the road again.

Loreto: We came for the beach and stayed for the food

It was getting close to Christmas so we skipped a ton of beach parking with no cell service to get to Loreto. We planned to stay in Loreto for 2 days and I’m sitting here typing this we have been here almost 2 weeks. This could be a really sappy and profound post because being here is truly amazing. But I’ll spare you and share the parking, the beach, and THE FOOD!

The go to park is Romanita because it’s in the center of the square and only $200 pesos per night, which is under $10 usd. They were full when we got there so we chose Rivera Park a little on the outskirts of town. It is $320 pesos per night or about $16 usd, but because we are staying so long we negotiated a deal. The showers and bathrooms are clean, Mrs. Yolanda works hard to maintain everything, and it’s very safe.

Since we have been here we have eaten at almost every restaurant, but our favorites are:

Mezzaluna: a nice break from traditional Mexican cuisine for some pasta

Zapata: amazing marlin tacos

Santo Cielo: clams in garlic and pesto. So good we went back twice.

El Ray Del Taco: best carne asada taco I’ve had. Unfortunately no pic bc it was so crowded John went in and ordered while I waited outside to order. He got food first and it is literally slapped on your plate as it’s ready until you say stop. So I ate standing outside. Here’s the fish taco though.

Honestly, nothing has been bad. Here’s proof:

Oh yeah, there’s a beach here too!

We planned on leaving today and got to talking to our neighbors so we decided to stay another day. This town just sucked us in, but in a good way!

On the road again tomorrow to La Paz. Spoiled me needs coffee creamer!