Friday 1st June
Los Barriles – Playa Santispac 569 km
Departed Baja Sunrise RV Park 6:30 just as the sun was coming up. Jorge, Sergio and the three dogs -Canella, Rocky and Miel – came out to say goodbye. Los Barriles has been our home for seven wonderful months but now it was time to say goodbye. With heavy hearts we turned onto Mex 1 and headed north, taking in our last views of the beautiful Bahia de Palmas. There are no plans to return but this place does get under your skin, someone described it as having ‘perfect imperfections.’ It is in a beautiful setting, but it is not a picture-perfect resort town. It is a very real working town catering for sport fishing, kiteboarding, retirees and snowbirds which makes for a good mix of locals and visitors. There is an excellent variety of restaurants and markets owned or operated by locals and the atmosphere in town is friendly and relaxed. There is plenty to do, fishing, paddle boarding, kit/wind surfing, snorkeling, diving, kayaking, pickleball, hot springs, cool lagoons, ATV safari, hiking, biking, arroyo exploring, and so on. We have met some great people and have had to say a lot of goodbyes these past few weeks as gradually, everyone left to go home for the summer. Now it is our turn and Rick and the dogs are the last ones left. We have made many new friends here and have had a busy social life over the months, especially playing pickleball and having one or two margaritas over dinner. We will be taking some very fond memories with us as we leave, and I am sure we will find a way of getting back one day but for now, adios LB.
So, we were back on the road, onwards and upwards to new adventures. Our first stop was Bahia de Concepcion and one of our favourite places, Playa Santispac – 200 pesos per night, no hook ups.
Apart from a couple of campers and four sailing boats moored in the bay we had the place to ourselves.
It had been a long drive and we couldn’t wait to have a dip in the warm, shallow waters of the Bahia. A short walk from the RV was Armando’s restaurant where they make a very good margarita. After an early dinner and another dip in the sea, it was an early night for us all.
Saturday 2nd June
This morning we took the dogs for a walk along the coast to the next bay.
Back at the RV we all went into the sea to cool off. The dogs love the water and are fascinated to see the fish darting about in the shallow water. It was the first time we had seen Kira swim.
Back on the road by lunch time, we continued north to San Lucas, a small cove just south of the mining town of Santa Rosalia. The RV Park was located down a sand track and was quiet, just a few long stay residents still there. We didn’t have any hook ups and the cost per night was 180 pesos.
Our journey so far had not been without incident. First, on arrival in Santispac my mobile was missing. I was convinced it was somewhere in the RV and had just slid somewhere because of the tossing and turning of the Mex 1 road. When we got to San Lucas and had 3G we used FindMyPhone, it turned out its last location was at 2:30 on the 1st June in Loreto. We had stopped at a view point over looking Loreto bay for a sandwich lunch. It’s a mystery how the phone got out of the RV, but it obviously did.
The next incident happened just before we arrived at San Lucas. Tony glanced at the rear-view camera and noticed the bikes were missing. We stopped when a cut out in the road appeared. The bike rack had cleanly sheared off, there was no sign of the rack or the two bikes attached!! We could see where the rack had hit the bonnet of the Toyota which was on the tow dolly but where it happened we have no idea. We saw or heard nothing!
Postescript: a few days later the phone was found. I was outside watching one of the slide outs being extended. I happened to glance underneath and there it was, wedged on a shelf. The phone had obviously slid under the sofa and somehow fallen through to the outside of the slide out! It had crush damage to the top but did turn on. No sign of the bikes tho!
San Lucas Cove is about 15 kms south of Santa Rosalia. We took the car into the town late afternoon. The buildings in Santa Rosalia are very different to anywhere else we have seen in Baja. There are a lot of wooden bungalow style homes, some with very slopping veranda’s or roofs, indicating their age. The town has a French colonial influence because a French company called El Boleo mined copper here in the 19th century.
Iglesia Santa Barbara de Santa Rosalia. The building is made of metal and is said to have been designed by Gustave Eiffel.
Back at San Lucas Cove we went to the small and lovely restaurant they had on site. The food was first class, delicious and the owners, Renee, Janine and their daughter Alexandra made us very welcome.
Sunday 3rd June
Santa Rosalia - Catavina 450 Kms
North of Santa Rosalia we turned inland into the mountains, leaving the Sea of Cortez behind. Traveling through the Sierra de San Francisco and the Vizcaino Desert, crossing the border into northern Baja at Guerrero Negro.
Entering the Valle de los Cirios we come into a sparsely populated desert area that still has very little influence on it from the outside world. Approaching the small community of Catavina, giant boulders and a wide variety of desert plants and cacti in perfect condition appear in this protected wonderland.
We pulled in at Rancho Santa Inez and parked under a large mesquite tree for shade. We paid 120 pesos for the night and had the place to ourselves. No phone signal, no electric light, just perfect desert silence.
Monday 4th June
Catavina - San Quintin - 186 Kms
The buzz of a lot of Mexican bees was coming from our mesquite tree. Couldn't locate it but it sounded like a large hive somewhere up in the branches. After breakfast the dogs had a good run around before we got on the road to make our way west to the Pacific coast.
As we came down from the mountain plateau to the town of El Rosario we drove into coastal fog.
Coming through the mountains a couple of small deer like animals ran across the road. They looked very like berrendo, a rare desert pronghorn antelope. There are very few of these animals left. For water they use the dew that comes from coastal fog and feed on plants with a high moisture content. They are protected and usually, are only found further south in Vizcaino. Unfortunately, I wasn't quick enough with the camera.
Camped at El Pabellon RV Park (180 pesos-no hook ups) right behind the sand dunes. The beach was covered in sea mist, but the dogs loved it. The sun made an appearance late afternoon.
Sandy had been to this beach before. On the sand track from the main road to the beach she knew excatly where she was.
Tuesday 5th June
San Quintin - Yuma AZ - 526 Kms
Leaving El Pabellon we continued north travelling through San Quintin and the agricultural fruit and vegetable growing area.
The sun came out as we approached the beautiful Santo Tomas Valley and wine country.
Stopped for lunch in the Guadalupe Valley, overlooking LA CETTO Winery before making our way to the border town of Tecate.
At the border crossing in Tecate we queued for about 30 minutes. A Border Officer came onto the RV to check we didn't have any prohibited food, such as fruit, veg and meat. We went into the immigration office to get an I-94. On land borders there is no stamp in the passport. The I-94 card Is stapled into the passport showing entry date and required exit date in six months. There was some confusion for a while explaining why Tony had gone in and out of the US twice since January - when we were buying the new RV. After a few tense moments we got it straightened out and we were on our way, back in the USA.
Exiting the border into California we took the CA-94 east through ranch country to pick up the I-8. Back on wide well maintained roads, what a pleasure. Mex 1 is not easy, long very narrow stretches with pot holes.
As we crossed from San Diego to Imperial County we were in rock and boulder country with steep gradients and high winds. As we entered the Imperial Valley, fields of wind turbines came into view.
The high country soon turned into hot desert with temperatures over 42 degrees. A lot of the Imperial Valley is irrigated with water from the Colorado River via a canal system called the All-American Canal. It is incredible to see how the dry desert suddenly turns into green fields of crops.
At first Kira was a nervous traveller in the RV because of all the bumps and jolts we experienced on Mex 1, but she has now started to settle down nicely.
A long day on the road today and we were pleased to reach our destination, Quechan Casino Resort, near Yuma, not far from the Mexican border town of Algodones. We parked for free in a reserved area of the large car park, just a couple of other RV's and trucks with us.
Wednesday 6th June
Yuma - Lake Havasu - 155 ml
Crossing the CA/AZ state line at Yuma we took the US 95 north.
Part of the canal system that irrigates large areas of desert.
The Yuma Proving Ground is a large area of desert used by the United States Army for testing military equipment.
A tank crossed the road and went off into the desert in a cloud of dust.
Lake Havasu State Park at the side of the Colorado River.
The lakes claim to fame is that they have the old London Bridge. The bridge was originally constructed in 1831 to span the River Thames. By the 1960's the bridge was not coping with all the motorised traffic and was gradually sinking. The City of London sold it to an American entrepreneur who was building Lake Havasu City. He wanted it to help attract tourists to the area and his idea seems to have worked.
The bridge spans a channel from the City over to an island on the Colorado River. It was good to see it operating as a working bridge and not just an ornament. What a different environment, from the fogs and smogs of Victorian and early 20th century London, to the sun and desert heat of Arizona - over 40 degrees today.
Thursday 7th June
Lake Havasu - Page 336 ml
Early morning paddle in the Colorado River before we start our day’s journey.
Continued north following the Colorado to pick up the I-40 east at Kingman. This interstate follows the old historic Route 66. We started to climb and soon reached over 7000 ft and the Ponderosa Pine trees stared to replace arid desert. The temperature dropped 20 degrees, it still felt warm but with a freshness in the air instead of feeling like the inside of an oven.
At Flagstaff we turned north onto the US-89, saying goodbye to Route 66. As we descended the pines trees disappeared and were replaced by desert scrubland. We were now heading into Navajo country, passing the Grand Canyon to the west and the Painted Desert to the east. The colors in the sandstone rocks and sand along this stretch is incredible, subtle shades of blue, green cream, pink, grey, brown.
Wahweap RV Park is near to the shore of Lake Powell just outside the town of Page near the Arizona/ Utah state border. This large picturesque lake was created when the impressive Glen Canyon Dam was built across the waters of the Colorado River. The lake caters for all types of water sports and has a busy marina. Page is at the northern edge of the Navajo Reservation, the largest Native American reservation in the US. Tomorrow we go to explore some of the Navajo land at Antelope Canyon.
Friday 8th June
Our day started in Page at Chief Tsosie’s, Antelope Slot Canyon Tours. The company advertise air-conditioned transportation and it certainly was, as we climbed into our four-wheel drive open sided truck, I felt like I was going on maneuvers. As soon as we turned off the highway it was a bumpy but fun ride to the mouth of the canyon.
We gathered with our tour guide Nate at the entrance to the canyon. He explained how the canyon had been carved out of sandstone by winds and water to form a tight passageway through the rock. Most of the guides had face masks on to guard against the amount of sand they could potentially breath in, particularly as they are in the canyon every day.
Inside the canyon it is like being within a sandstone bluff with the occasional beam of light shining through the ceiling onto layers of sandstone colours. This canyon has been well photographed and is recognisable from pictures in tourist brochures, but nothing prepares you for the real thing, it is quite extraordinary. The pictures speak for themselves.
Antelope Canyon is the most photogenic place we have been. Although we were there with several other tour groups, the canyon still retained a very ethereal atmosphere. Winding through tiny dark passageways, breaking out into wide spaces with a brilliant searchlight of sun piercing the ground. High chimney like structures with a hint of sunlight coming through. An amazing array of colour tones from deep purple to bright yellow, to pale pink and cream. A special place, natures work of art.
