DEC. 26, Wednesday, sunny
We called Val's sister and her husband this morning and chatted for about 20 minutes. Wonderful SKYPE! Not much today, we sat and read, went for a walk and Val did her vacuuming. We had 'hot chicken sandwich" for dinner, my favorite with St-Hubert BBQ sauce
DEC. 27, Thursday, sunny
We went to the beach today after Val did her exercises. We drove towards San Jose and checked out a few beaches. Found one near a hotel where we could potentially launch the kayaks. That's one of the problems about this area, there is a big and powerful surge that makes it really hard if not impossible to launch a small craft. Anyway, we found a fairly quiet beach and spent about an hour there sunbathing and reading, and watching the bikinis go by of course!!!
Afterwards, we went over to the golf course in San Jose near my old condo and checked out the prices. We won't be golfing here....$69. each and that's after 2 p.m. for 9 or 18 holes.
We drove back home and as I was doing a left turn on a left turn signal, this guy with California plates came out of nowhere and damn near hit us broad side. If Val hadn't yelled and if I hadn't had fast reflects, we would have hit. That's the last thing I need here; an accident! Anyway, after my heart began beating again, we drove into our lot and parked. That's enough excitement for one day.
Called Fleetwood and spoke to Paul's boss as he is away on holidays again. He assured me he would talk to Paul on Wednesday and to call back Thursday and he would have an answer.
DEC. 28, Friday, sunny
Not much today. Val did her exercise and I walked Tucker then we read. This is a really quiet park. There are about 12 campers as one left this morning and another yesterday. Everyone stick to their site and don't socialize much. They are friendly but they stick to their site. No happy hour here! The only guy that's over regularly is our neighbor George who is by himself as his wife had to go back to BC due to family affairs.
After Val cleaned up, we went cycling towards town. We saw this beach form the highway and tried to get to it by going through this hotel but they refused us entry. The place was like Fort Knox. Anyway, we headed back after stopping for a beer and tacos at this road side Mexican restaurant.
DEC. 29, Saturday, sunny and warm
We went to Todos Santos today! We invited George to come along and drove highway 19 north. Todos Santos is approx 69 KM from here. It is a small and typical Mexican village. A farming community where they grow vegetables and sugar canes. It is also a village that was adopted by some Californians looking for a small place where they could indulge in their art of painting and crafting. Thus it has become a popular little place to come to and shop. There is a small RV park which we investigated while here but would not stay at....too small and falling apart.
Anyway, as we drove down here, we stopped at a small beach and explored the shore and took some pictures. We then saw some rver's not far in a field so we decided to go over and check out these boon-dockers. I put the 4X4 on and we drove onn this trail and found our way across a gully and then into the RV'ers site. There were about a dozen here, mostly B.C.'ers and a couple of Americans. From here we went to another beach call "Playa Los Cerritos". A beautiful beach full of white sands, bikinis and surfers. There was a couple of bar/restaurants and it was BUSY!!!!! The surf was nice and high and the water was full of swimmers and surfers. This used to be an RV park but they closed it and turned it into what it is today. I guess there is more money to be made this way. There were some houses and more being built.
After looking around, we carried on to Todos Santos. we had lunch in "MIGUEL", a small, funky mexican restaurant where there were a lot of people, mexican and norte americanos. We had a wonderful chili filled with pescaros (fish) and camaron (Shrimp) It was delicious and was wahed down with a couple of cerveza (beer).
Afterwards, we walked the main street where all the gadgets, art and paintings are. George, all of a sudden, got hit by the "Montezuma Revenge" and spent the next 30 minutes running to the bathrooms. Poor guy was defintely not feeling well so after purchasing a new pair of sandals for Val ( hers broke apart while walking), 2 small lizards for mounting on our wall above the mirror and a very beautiful table cloth and 4 matching napkins, we left and brought George back home. He went straight to bed once we got here. Poor guy! really feel for him!
DEC. 30, Sunday, sunny
We stuck around home today. Val did some cleaning and I washed half the rig as it got too warm to carry on. this trailer is bloody big to clean!!
George is feeling a bit better but venturing far from his trailer, just in case. We learned that a few people here have been sick with one guy getting salmonella poisonning. He had to go to the local clinic. Serious stuff.
Another rig left today. a small family and the guy had to return to Utah to work.
DEC. 31, Monday, sunny with cloudy periods
After Val did here exercise, we went shopping for groceries at wal-Mart and Costco. We had lunch in town at another little mexican restaurant. I am really amazed at the amount of gringos here and they seem to treat mexican with contempt. Anyway, after all this we headed home and had happy hour. I bought margarita mix and tequila at Costco so we had a couple of Margaritas. George and Norm, both single guys, came over and joined us for a few drinks. We had a good chat and fun then it was time for dinner.
Now, it's 8:30 p.m. and waiting for the New-Year! Hope it is better than 2007 but not as good as 2009.
SEE YOU ALL NEXT YEAR!!!!
LOTS OF NEW PICTURES IN THE LINK TO OUR PICASA SITE.....CHECK IT OUT!!!!
Monday, December 31, 2007
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
December 21 to 25, 2007, in Los Cabos
DEC. 21, Friday, sunny with cloudy periods
Wind was blowing more than usual today. Val did the laundry and I put up the rest of the toys up around the rig. Got the X-mas tree up and the illuminated palm tree. They look great all lit up.
In the afternoon, we gave Tucker a haircut and a bath. He was really good putting up with us and our mistakes and even now, looking a bit scruffy, he isn't mad at us. What a good guy!
It was cooler in the evening but still nice enough to be able to sit outside. We had a very nice sunset
DEC. 22, Saturday, sunny
Sent an e-mail to UPS in Salmon-Arm to have our mail forwarded to Phoenix. It's 9:30 a.m. and already 70*F
Went to Cabo San Lucas for a bit of sightseeing and some groceries. Afterwards, we went to San Jose del cabo to look around. Everything has changed and grown. I saw where my previously owned condo was and that also was hard to recognize. Everything has been built up so much. There is also a small golf course whcih we will try out as it isn't expensive.
We also stopped at a couple beaches to check them out.
DEC. 23, Sunday, overcast
Much cooler today and it looks like it's going to rain but it didn't. We went to San Lucas and walked the tourist harbour and usual routes. Everything has grown and changed. It is no longer the little sleepy town I knew from the early 90's. Even the famous "Iguana bar" was gone....too bad! The harbour is now full of hotels and highrises and gone are the little stands that sold little trickets. It's really too bad.
We had lunch in a small bar than I found a car wash and got the truck washed then we came home.
Val made her famous meat balls for dinner...Yum....Yummmm!
DEC 24, Monday, Cloudy and sunny
X-Mas Eve! WOW!!!!
Took Val out for breakfast this morning and although we had a very nice meal, Val got hit by the "Mexican curse" and had to run to the bathroom where she remained for most of the day.
The restaurant was really nice with a nice view. We even watched a cruise ship come in to the harbour of San Lucas
In the latter part of the day, we called the kids and wished them a Merry Christmas. We also learned that Val's daughter, Joanne is pregnant and due next August. Fantastic news.
DECEMBER 25, Tuesday, sunny and warm
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!
I slept in until 8 a.m. which is highly unusual for me. It felt great. After breakfast, we walked around the cmap grounds and wished everyone a Merry X-mas and met all our neighbours. In the afternoon, we called my family by in Quebec and also Jeffrey whom we hadn't been able to get a hold of yesterday.
A great day and a great dinner. Val cooked a turkey and all the trimmings. It was delicious.
Wind was blowing more than usual today. Val did the laundry and I put up the rest of the toys up around the rig. Got the X-mas tree up and the illuminated palm tree. They look great all lit up.
In the afternoon, we gave Tucker a haircut and a bath. He was really good putting up with us and our mistakes and even now, looking a bit scruffy, he isn't mad at us. What a good guy!
It was cooler in the evening but still nice enough to be able to sit outside. We had a very nice sunset
DEC. 22, Saturday, sunny
Sent an e-mail to UPS in Salmon-Arm to have our mail forwarded to Phoenix. It's 9:30 a.m. and already 70*F
Went to Cabo San Lucas for a bit of sightseeing and some groceries. Afterwards, we went to San Jose del cabo to look around. Everything has changed and grown. I saw where my previously owned condo was and that also was hard to recognize. Everything has been built up so much. There is also a small golf course whcih we will try out as it isn't expensive.
We also stopped at a couple beaches to check them out.
DEC. 23, Sunday, overcast
Much cooler today and it looks like it's going to rain but it didn't. We went to San Lucas and walked the tourist harbour and usual routes. Everything has grown and changed. It is no longer the little sleepy town I knew from the early 90's. Even the famous "Iguana bar" was gone....too bad! The harbour is now full of hotels and highrises and gone are the little stands that sold little trickets. It's really too bad.
We had lunch in a small bar than I found a car wash and got the truck washed then we came home.
Val made her famous meat balls for dinner...Yum....Yummmm!
DEC 24, Monday, Cloudy and sunny
X-Mas Eve! WOW!!!!
Took Val out for breakfast this morning and although we had a very nice meal, Val got hit by the "Mexican curse" and had to run to the bathroom where she remained for most of the day.
The restaurant was really nice with a nice view. We even watched a cruise ship come in to the harbour of San Lucas
In the latter part of the day, we called the kids and wished them a Merry Christmas. We also learned that Val's daughter, Joanne is pregnant and due next August. Fantastic news.
DECEMBER 25, Tuesday, sunny and warm
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!
I slept in until 8 a.m. which is highly unusual for me. It felt great. After breakfast, we walked around the cmap grounds and wished everyone a Merry X-mas and met all our neighbours. In the afternoon, we called my family by in Quebec and also Jeffrey whom we hadn't been able to get a hold of yesterday.
A great day and a great dinner. Val cooked a turkey and all the trimmings. It was delicious.
Friday, December 21, 2007
December 20, 2007 In Los Cabos
DEC. 20, Thursday, sunny and clouds
Here we are in Los Cabo at Villa Serena RV Park, near Cabo San Lucas. We will be here for a month of relaxation, fun and sightseeing. Cost is $392. u.s. which is cheaper than I originally anticipated. There was another Park we wanted to go to nearer San Jose del Cabo but unfortunately it was destroyed by the last hurricane that came through and it is still under repair. Actually, a few of the RV Park have been damaged quite extensively. This one seems to have been either spared or they quickly repaired everything as there is no evidence that we could see.
We left this morning around 9:30 a.m. and had no problems getting on Mex 1. We drove over and through 3 passes and climbed to 2000 feet at some places. Went by Los Barilles and then around 12:30, we crossed the Tropic of Cancer at Parallel 23* 27' and formally entered the Tropics. We stopped for the obligatory pictures. There's a big white ball in the parking lot which wasn't here the last time I was here. There was also a bar which was closed. Took a few pictures and left.
Drove through San Jose via a new 4 lanes highway. This place has grown tremendously. I hardly recognize anything but this is for later. We drove on towards Cabo San Lucas via the 4 lanes corridor highway and found Villa Serena on the left. Had to make a U-turn and come back to it. WE ARE HERE!!!!! Yiiippeee!!! It is a balmy 80*F (25*C), cloudy and humid. The RV spaces are wide and easy to back in. Full hook-ups of course. There's also a small bar/restaurant on site.
We went to Wal-Mart for milk, cerveza, water jugs and also bought a 5 gallon tank for spare fuel for the return trip. People here are very friendly and eager to meet us. A nice welcome.
While here, I want to get an oil change as the motor worked extra hard coming down all this way. Total mileage since we left home is 10378 km or 6486 miles (this includes all sightseeing side trips) and 2212 km (1382 miles,includings all side trips) from San Diego CA to Los Cabos, Baja.
N 22* 54' 22" W 109* 51'47"
Alt: 224 feet
Distance today was 214 KM at an average of 36 MPH
Total time: 5 hours
Life is but a journey filled with adventures
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
December 16 to 19, 2007
DEC. 16, Sunday, sunny
Up early and, after saying our goodbyes to everyone, we got on the road heading for Mulege from Guerrero. Made arrangement with Ronald and Louise to meet again in Mulege (mooh-lah-hay)
We headed east on Mex 1. It was fairly straight and flat until we reached St-Ignacio. The desert had little vegetation. We began to find more rolling hills and around a corner, we found ourselves again in front of yet another military check-point. These are getting boring but I guess with that much gun power, the bandits stay away, right!? This time they stopped us and asked us a bunch of questions. We said "no comprende" and they waved us through. He did try to open the back door to the truck but Tucker was right there and he backed off ( the soldier) It was kind of funny in a sense...Tucker just wanted to lick him. 2 miles further we came upon St-Ignacio where I fuelled: 61.732 Litre @ .567 Sure can't beat these prices. St-Ignacio is an oasis with hundreds of date palms. We did buy one bag of dates and they were really good. It is a small village and very typical Mexican style. Further down the road, we came upon the "Three Virgins", an extinct volcano, last erupted in the early 1800's although we did see a couple plumes of what looked like steam from the side of it.
A bit further we came upon an escarpment where the whole valley opened up on us and we began to descend to the sea of Cortez or the California Gulf. The hill consisted of grade between 4 to 12 %. It zig-zag down and I had to gear down to first gear and the Jake was working full time. I still had to use the brakes once in a while. IT WAS STEEP!!!! The hill is call "Custa del Inferno" ( the hill from hell) and it wore its name well!! It will be interesting to climb on the way back!??
We arrive in Santa Rosalia safe and sound after following the sea for about 5 km. This is where one can take a ferry to the mainland. You end up in Gaymas but it is expensive.
An hour later, we arrived in Mulege. Our campsite, Villa Maria RV Park, was situated about 1.5 miles from the town along a small river which disgorges into the sea. It consist of 7000 people and all are very friendly to RVer's. We barely got set up when 2 Mexican showed up with all the wares for sale. GOOD GRIEF!!!!!!
Our new friends arrived an hour later and after they set up, we all went into town with our bikes by following a trail along the river. We went to the bank and got some cash and found a laundry where we can wash our clothes tomorrow as the one is the campsite is not working. We had a beer than headed back. After dinner, Ron and Louise came over for a visit. We chatted and told stories than it was time for bed.
There is another camper beside us. A single man with a van. Friendly guy and informative about the region. We paid $20. per night which seems the standard price for any camping in the Baja.
N 26* 53' 50" W 111* 57' 51"
Alt: 3 feet
Distance today 280 KM at an average of 40 MPH (60KPH)
DEC 17, Monday, clouds/sun
We all went into town to do laundry. We took my truck as I had to drop off one propane tank to be filled and get fresh water. After laundry we wandered through town and looked into a few shops. Ron and Louise went to use the phone and we all met in this little side street cafe where we had tacos and beer. Louise speaks fairly good spanish so it's a great help.
After lunch, Ron and Louise decided to walk back to the site so we drove back and checked out a couple of other rv places. From here, we drove to Los Cocos, a beach along the Bahia Conception where a fellow we met at the laundry, was staying. WOW! What a beach. White sand and calm blue/turquoise water. We chatted for a while and through our conversation, I found out that he knew Pat Muldoon, a friend of mine from my previous life! What a small world, I keep saying.
Came back home, dropped off Val then headed back into town to pick up my propane tank. Cost: $20. for 30 lbs.
There is now 2 other rigs here. Canadians we met back in Guerrero. We had happy hour together then Louise made Val and I sushi for dinner. It was absolutely delicious! We had a few more drinks afterwards with more stories and laughs than it was bed time again.
A very nice evening and we exchanged addresses and e-mails to keep in touch. We also made arrangements to meet again in January on our return from Cabo.
DEC 18, Tuesday, sunny
We left at 8:30. It was hard to leave Ron and Louise but we had to. We drove along the Bahia Conception for about 12 miles then headed inland. This area is absolutely gorgeous and pictures don't do it justice! We are looking forward coming back this way.
The road to Loreto was easy rolling hills then we headed west towards the Gigante mountains. We began climbing and at some points, I had to gear down to first as it was so steep. We even met 2 cyclist climbing this hill and they didn't look very happy. There were a few switch backs and at the top (2500') we found ourselves driving along a plateau and slowly make our descend towards CD Insurgente which is situated in a fertile valley. Just before we got there, we again had another military check point. this time the soldat wanted to check the inside of the rig which I unlocked for him but didn't take the slides out. He seemed happy just to look in the bedroom. The second sldier took my name and license plate on a piece of paper. We stopped in town for lunch and took on fuel: 56.442 litres for $32. From here, we headed south to Ciudad Constitucion and a 4 lane highway....LUXURY!!!!
About a hundred kilometre later, we found ourselves in rolling hills again and narrow roadway. We finally turned left and began a long descend towards the Sea of Cortez and LaPaz, capital of Baja. Yet another military check point as we arrived near the city.
Casa Blanca RV park was $20 per night with full hook-up (sewer, low water pressure and 15 amps power). It is a nice park, well secured and within walking distance to the harbor front. The place is almost full...mostly Canadians again.
N 24* 07'51" W 110* 20' 31"
Alt: 19 feet
Distance today 483 KM in 8 hours, our longest yet
DEC. 19, Wednesday, cloudy/sun
Got up to a balmy 50 degree F. We went into town in the morning to mail a letter and get more cash. We then walked the water front and Val bought herself a nice little sleeveless top.
From here we drove south to a neat little village where we saw this pretty little church. We looked around then decided to drive on to Los Barriles and I am glad we did. Found out that the site we were looking at is too small and full as it is. There is no other suitable site so we will definitely have to go to Jose del Cabo tomorrow.
Came back and fuelled in LaPaz: $53.30 for 94.014 Litres. I think I was almost empty!?
Tomorrow, we leave for the Cabos, our final destination before heading back north.
Up early and, after saying our goodbyes to everyone, we got on the road heading for Mulege from Guerrero. Made arrangement with Ronald and Louise to meet again in Mulege (mooh-lah-hay)
We headed east on Mex 1. It was fairly straight and flat until we reached St-Ignacio. The desert had little vegetation. We began to find more rolling hills and around a corner, we found ourselves again in front of yet another military check-point. These are getting boring but I guess with that much gun power, the bandits stay away, right!? This time they stopped us and asked us a bunch of questions. We said "no comprende" and they waved us through. He did try to open the back door to the truck but Tucker was right there and he backed off ( the soldier) It was kind of funny in a sense...Tucker just wanted to lick him. 2 miles further we came upon St-Ignacio where I fuelled: 61.732 Litre @ .567 Sure can't beat these prices. St-Ignacio is an oasis with hundreds of date palms. We did buy one bag of dates and they were really good. It is a small village and very typical Mexican style. Further down the road, we came upon the "Three Virgins", an extinct volcano, last erupted in the early 1800's although we did see a couple plumes of what looked like steam from the side of it.
A bit further we came upon an escarpment where the whole valley opened up on us and we began to descend to the sea of Cortez or the California Gulf. The hill consisted of grade between 4 to 12 %. It zig-zag down and I had to gear down to first gear and the Jake was working full time. I still had to use the brakes once in a while. IT WAS STEEP!!!! The hill is call "Custa del Inferno" ( the hill from hell) and it wore its name well!! It will be interesting to climb on the way back!??
We arrive in Santa Rosalia safe and sound after following the sea for about 5 km. This is where one can take a ferry to the mainland. You end up in Gaymas but it is expensive.
An hour later, we arrived in Mulege. Our campsite, Villa Maria RV Park, was situated about 1.5 miles from the town along a small river which disgorges into the sea. It consist of 7000 people and all are very friendly to RVer's. We barely got set up when 2 Mexican showed up with all the wares for sale. GOOD GRIEF!!!!!!
Our new friends arrived an hour later and after they set up, we all went into town with our bikes by following a trail along the river. We went to the bank and got some cash and found a laundry where we can wash our clothes tomorrow as the one is the campsite is not working. We had a beer than headed back. After dinner, Ron and Louise came over for a visit. We chatted and told stories than it was time for bed.
There is another camper beside us. A single man with a van. Friendly guy and informative about the region. We paid $20. per night which seems the standard price for any camping in the Baja.
N 26* 53' 50" W 111* 57' 51"
Alt: 3 feet
Distance today 280 KM at an average of 40 MPH (60KPH)
DEC 17, Monday, clouds/sun
We all went into town to do laundry. We took my truck as I had to drop off one propane tank to be filled and get fresh water. After laundry we wandered through town and looked into a few shops. Ron and Louise went to use the phone and we all met in this little side street cafe where we had tacos and beer. Louise speaks fairly good spanish so it's a great help.
After lunch, Ron and Louise decided to walk back to the site so we drove back and checked out a couple of other rv places. From here, we drove to Los Cocos, a beach along the Bahia Conception where a fellow we met at the laundry, was staying. WOW! What a beach. White sand and calm blue/turquoise water. We chatted for a while and through our conversation, I found out that he knew Pat Muldoon, a friend of mine from my previous life! What a small world, I keep saying.
Came back home, dropped off Val then headed back into town to pick up my propane tank. Cost: $20. for 30 lbs.
There is now 2 other rigs here. Canadians we met back in Guerrero. We had happy hour together then Louise made Val and I sushi for dinner. It was absolutely delicious! We had a few more drinks afterwards with more stories and laughs than it was bed time again.
A very nice evening and we exchanged addresses and e-mails to keep in touch. We also made arrangements to meet again in January on our return from Cabo.
DEC 18, Tuesday, sunny
We left at 8:30. It was hard to leave Ron and Louise but we had to. We drove along the Bahia Conception for about 12 miles then headed inland. This area is absolutely gorgeous and pictures don't do it justice! We are looking forward coming back this way.
The road to Loreto was easy rolling hills then we headed west towards the Gigante mountains. We began climbing and at some points, I had to gear down to first as it was so steep. We even met 2 cyclist climbing this hill and they didn't look very happy. There were a few switch backs and at the top (2500') we found ourselves driving along a plateau and slowly make our descend towards CD Insurgente which is situated in a fertile valley. Just before we got there, we again had another military check point. this time the soldat wanted to check the inside of the rig which I unlocked for him but didn't take the slides out. He seemed happy just to look in the bedroom. The second sldier took my name and license plate on a piece of paper. We stopped in town for lunch and took on fuel: 56.442 litres for $32. From here, we headed south to Ciudad Constitucion and a 4 lane highway....LUXURY!!!!
About a hundred kilometre later, we found ourselves in rolling hills again and narrow roadway. We finally turned left and began a long descend towards the Sea of Cortez and LaPaz, capital of Baja. Yet another military check point as we arrived near the city.
Casa Blanca RV park was $20 per night with full hook-up (sewer, low water pressure and 15 amps power). It is a nice park, well secured and within walking distance to the harbor front. The place is almost full...mostly Canadians again.
N 24* 07'51" W 110* 20' 31"
Alt: 19 feet
Distance today 483 KM in 8 hours, our longest yet
DEC. 19, Wednesday, cloudy/sun
Got up to a balmy 50 degree F. We went into town in the morning to mail a letter and get more cash. We then walked the water front and Val bought herself a nice little sleeveless top.
From here we drove south to a neat little village where we saw this pretty little church. We looked around then decided to drive on to Los Barriles and I am glad we did. Found out that the site we were looking at is too small and full as it is. There is no other suitable site so we will definitely have to go to Jose del Cabo tomorrow.
Came back and fuelled in LaPaz: $53.30 for 94.014 Litres. I think I was almost empty!?
Tomorrow, we leave for the Cabos, our final destination before heading back north.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
December 13 to 15,2007 to Guerrero Negro
DEC. 13, Thursday, sunny
We left around 8:20 after dumping. Stopped on the outskirt of town to fuel up then drove on south on Highway One. The road was very good all the way and wide until San Quintin where it became a bit more narrow. I should mention that the famous "TOPES" here are not like the mainland but consist of a dozen small rumbles followed by a gentle hump! Very interesting but also very frustrating. They are well marked and one is better to heed the warnings. Not sure which is worse!?
As we drove, we went over a lot of rolling hills. Nothing too steep but enough to slow me down. The road follows the contour of the mountains so lots of curves. Averaging about 38 MPH ( 60 KMH) We encountered our first Military check-point near Santo Thomas, approx 1 1/2 hour from Ensada. we came back to the Ocean again as we approached San Quintin. Very pretty with sand dunes and brushes. We stopped in San Quintin for lunch at a Pemex. Nice thing about them is that they all have BIG parking areas so lots of room to manoeuvre.
As we drove to San Quintin, we saw a lot of cactus farms. They were neat and planted in rows. As Val said, it was precise like a military cemetery. After lunch, we drove on and climbed again and then headed south on a plateau. We drove for about an hour then it opened up to a very nice valley. We went down at "very slow", Jake on, through switch backs and then across the valley to another mountain pass. At the top, it began going down again with switch backs all the way down into El Rosario.
It is very cool here. Never once did we go over 60 *F (15*C) during our whole drive. Rosario is a small village, muddy form the recent rains we had and rumble strips through the whole village. We found our camp site for the night on the East side of town, behind a small motel call "Mount Sinai". We paid 150 pesos for the night for sewer, water with no pressure and 15 amps electricity. The camping area was a half dried up mud flat with cement pads. As we were the only one here, we had our choice of where to park.
Another camper arrived with BC license plates. We met the driver, Tim, who was headed for Los Barilles, south of La Paz. His wife was flying down to meet him there. He said he left BC on Monday.....WOW! As we were chatting, another vehicle came in. A van with a young couple form Alberta. Yet later, another truck came in with Washington plates. So we had company!
Tim and us went to a local restaurant for supper. A neat place called "Mama Espinosa Place". They really good sea food. I had Burritos los logasta ( lobster) and Val had the same. The whole thing with beer cost us $40. us. I also filled up here 65.284 Litres @ .57 cents a litre.
Came home and read for a while then headed for bead. Early start schedule for tomorrow as we head for Guerrerro Negro. It's been a good day!
N 30* 04' 02" W 115* 42' 57"
Alt: 146 feet
Distance today 249 Km ( 150 miles) in 5 hours at an average of 58KPH (35MPH)
DEC. 14, Friday, sunny
We woke up to heavy dew this morning. Everything is soaked outside. We packed and hooked up the fifth wheel, ready to leave by 07:30 a.m. and.....no power to the motor for the lifting the legs. Checked everything and can't find any loose wires, checked the fuses inside and all is well there. Went into town to find a mechanic and brought someone back. He looked at it and shook his head negatively. Tried another place to no avail. Even stopped another BCer going by but he wasn't mechanically inclined, so he said. Back to the rig, I prodded in the small enclosure where all the wires are and BINGO!! Found a fuse. Of course, I had checked all my papers on the trailer but there was no mention of any fuse other than the ones in the main box. Got that changed and VOILA, the legs went up and we were on the road again by 8:45 a.m. We had no shower this morning as there was no water pressure to speak of so decided to wait until we got to Guerrero. WHAT A START OF A DAY!!!
We had been told that this section was going to be the most scenic and it was true. WOW! WOW! WOW! is all I can say. It was beautiful. The road was narrow but good, the mountains were bigger and higher and the road followed a valley for a while until we climbed to over 2500 feet and came on this plateau which was covered with all kinds of cactus, some unique only to the Baja. There were cholla, cirio or boojum tree is a unique cactus that looks like an upside down carrot and unique to the baja, we also saw guaves, bolla, sanguaro. We were driving through the Sonoran Desert Vegetation sector. The road in these parts and all other parts for that matter follow the contour of the land so there is a lot of curves and hairpin turns. They were however well marked and as long as I paid attention to the signs, there was no problemo.
We went through 2 military check point but were never stopped. What I hate about these is the fact that they force the traffic to get off the road and go around on this gravel road full of potholes, and not small ones either. One has to deal with the drop off from the road and getting back on so it is slooooow drive. They are all young boys and everyone has a rifle at the ready. I wonder if they have ammunition!???
We stopped at Cantivina for a break and had breakfast here. It was good. We had nothing exciting, just nuevos c/jamon (ham and eggs) scrambled. Coffee consisted of instant maxwell house. We drove on and came into an area covered with boulders, small, big and huge. It was really strange. Then we came upon this huge dried up lake and followed that around and then the road a slow descent and got straighter as we went which allowed us to put the hammer down and get up to a speedy 100 kmh. I was becoming concern with the fuel situation. We were down to les than 1/4 tank with only 54 km to spare before empty when we finally arrived in Villa Jesus Maria where there was finally a Pemex with diesel. Filled up @57 cents a litre. Took on 87.005 litres. That's the problem with having a small tank. We had covered 315 km by now.
We crossed the 28th Parallel about 30 km down the road and although we went around this traffic control circle, we didn't have to stop except to pay 20 pesos to have our tires spary for insecticite!????. Yes that is true. This place consist of a HUGE Mexican Flag, a military base, some communication tower and a BIG metal ensign of an eagle however seeing it from a distance, it looks like a U magnet rod. About one km down the road, there was a military check point and again we were not stopped. Guerrero Negro was another 40 km and we finally arrived at our campsite, the MALARRIMO Hotel and RV Park around 2:20 p.m. or 3:20 p.m. local time....we changed time when we crossed the 28th.
The place is half full. Most are here overnight only. The BCer's we had met in La Buforora are also here. One of them, with the motorhome, was driven off the road by a commercial truck who they figured was asleep behind the wheel as he was half way across into this lane. Anyway, he had to go off the road and did a lot of damages to the underside. One has to understand that going off the road on this highway is a big thing as there is a sharp drop off of at least 1 to 3 feet and some places, even more. He was able to come back on the road on his own and limp into here. The truck driver never stopped of course, no surprise there. Our neighbours are from Alaska and he's very chatty. Mid age couple living as full-timers.
N 27* 58' 05"
W 114* 01' 49"
Alt: 19 feet
Distance today 368 KM in 5 hrs and 45 minutes
Life is but a journey filled with adventures
We left around 8:20 after dumping. Stopped on the outskirt of town to fuel up then drove on south on Highway One. The road was very good all the way and wide until San Quintin where it became a bit more narrow. I should mention that the famous "TOPES" here are not like the mainland but consist of a dozen small rumbles followed by a gentle hump! Very interesting but also very frustrating. They are well marked and one is better to heed the warnings. Not sure which is worse!?
As we drove, we went over a lot of rolling hills. Nothing too steep but enough to slow me down. The road follows the contour of the mountains so lots of curves. Averaging about 38 MPH ( 60 KMH) We encountered our first Military check-point near Santo Thomas, approx 1 1/2 hour from Ensada. we came back to the Ocean again as we approached San Quintin. Very pretty with sand dunes and brushes. We stopped in San Quintin for lunch at a Pemex. Nice thing about them is that they all have BIG parking areas so lots of room to manoeuvre.
As we drove to San Quintin, we saw a lot of cactus farms. They were neat and planted in rows. As Val said, it was precise like a military cemetery. After lunch, we drove on and climbed again and then headed south on a plateau. We drove for about an hour then it opened up to a very nice valley. We went down at "very slow", Jake on, through switch backs and then across the valley to another mountain pass. At the top, it began going down again with switch backs all the way down into El Rosario.
It is very cool here. Never once did we go over 60 *F (15*C) during our whole drive. Rosario is a small village, muddy form the recent rains we had and rumble strips through the whole village. We found our camp site for the night on the East side of town, behind a small motel call "Mount Sinai". We paid 150 pesos for the night for sewer, water with no pressure and 15 amps electricity. The camping area was a half dried up mud flat with cement pads. As we were the only one here, we had our choice of where to park.
Another camper arrived with BC license plates. We met the driver, Tim, who was headed for Los Barilles, south of La Paz. His wife was flying down to meet him there. He said he left BC on Monday.....WOW! As we were chatting, another vehicle came in. A van with a young couple form Alberta. Yet later, another truck came in with Washington plates. So we had company!
Tim and us went to a local restaurant for supper. A neat place called "Mama Espinosa Place". They really good sea food. I had Burritos los logasta ( lobster) and Val had the same. The whole thing with beer cost us $40. us. I also filled up here 65.284 Litres @ .57 cents a litre.
Came home and read for a while then headed for bead. Early start schedule for tomorrow as we head for Guerrerro Negro. It's been a good day!
N 30* 04' 02" W 115* 42' 57"
Alt: 146 feet
Distance today 249 Km ( 150 miles) in 5 hours at an average of 58KPH (35MPH)
DEC. 14, Friday, sunny
We woke up to heavy dew this morning. Everything is soaked outside. We packed and hooked up the fifth wheel, ready to leave by 07:30 a.m. and.....no power to the motor for the lifting the legs. Checked everything and can't find any loose wires, checked the fuses inside and all is well there. Went into town to find a mechanic and brought someone back. He looked at it and shook his head negatively. Tried another place to no avail. Even stopped another BCer going by but he wasn't mechanically inclined, so he said. Back to the rig, I prodded in the small enclosure where all the wires are and BINGO!! Found a fuse. Of course, I had checked all my papers on the trailer but there was no mention of any fuse other than the ones in the main box. Got that changed and VOILA, the legs went up and we were on the road again by 8:45 a.m. We had no shower this morning as there was no water pressure to speak of so decided to wait until we got to Guerrero. WHAT A START OF A DAY!!!
We had been told that this section was going to be the most scenic and it was true. WOW! WOW! WOW! is all I can say. It was beautiful. The road was narrow but good, the mountains were bigger and higher and the road followed a valley for a while until we climbed to over 2500 feet and came on this plateau which was covered with all kinds of cactus, some unique only to the Baja. There were cholla, cirio or boojum tree is a unique cactus that looks like an upside down carrot and unique to the baja, we also saw guaves, bolla, sanguaro. We were driving through the Sonoran Desert Vegetation sector. The road in these parts and all other parts for that matter follow the contour of the land so there is a lot of curves and hairpin turns. They were however well marked and as long as I paid attention to the signs, there was no problemo.
We went through 2 military check point but were never stopped. What I hate about these is the fact that they force the traffic to get off the road and go around on this gravel road full of potholes, and not small ones either. One has to deal with the drop off from the road and getting back on so it is slooooow drive. They are all young boys and everyone has a rifle at the ready. I wonder if they have ammunition!???
We stopped at Cantivina for a break and had breakfast here. It was good. We had nothing exciting, just nuevos c/jamon (ham and eggs) scrambled. Coffee consisted of instant maxwell house. We drove on and came into an area covered with boulders, small, big and huge. It was really strange. Then we came upon this huge dried up lake and followed that around and then the road a slow descent and got straighter as we went which allowed us to put the hammer down and get up to a speedy 100 kmh. I was becoming concern with the fuel situation. We were down to les than 1/4 tank with only 54 km to spare before empty when we finally arrived in Villa Jesus Maria where there was finally a Pemex with diesel. Filled up @57 cents a litre. Took on 87.005 litres. That's the problem with having a small tank. We had covered 315 km by now.
We crossed the 28th Parallel about 30 km down the road and although we went around this traffic control circle, we didn't have to stop except to pay 20 pesos to have our tires spary for insecticite!????. Yes that is true. This place consist of a HUGE Mexican Flag, a military base, some communication tower and a BIG metal ensign of an eagle however seeing it from a distance, it looks like a U magnet rod. About one km down the road, there was a military check point and again we were not stopped. Guerrero Negro was another 40 km and we finally arrived at our campsite, the MALARRIMO Hotel and RV Park around 2:20 p.m. or 3:20 p.m. local time....we changed time when we crossed the 28th.
The place is half full. Most are here overnight only. The BCer's we had met in La Buforora are also here. One of them, with the motorhome, was driven off the road by a commercial truck who they figured was asleep behind the wheel as he was half way across into this lane. Anyway, he had to go off the road and did a lot of damages to the underside. One has to understand that going off the road on this highway is a big thing as there is a sharp drop off of at least 1 to 3 feet and some places, even more. He was able to come back on the road on his own and limp into here. The truck driver never stopped of course, no surprise there. Our neighbours are from Alaska and he's very chatty. Mid age couple living as full-timers.
N 27* 58' 05"
W 114* 01' 49"
Alt: 19 feet
Distance today 368 KM in 5 hrs and 45 minutes
DEC. 15, Saturday, sunny and warmer
Tried to get propane in town but they don't have the hook-up for our tanks. Oh OH! We went for a tour sightseeing the town and the old lighthouse which was actually north of the 28th and on a dirt road. There was an abandoned old salt mine and a couple of small crosses where 3 people died. Came back through town after going to another road that took us to an active salt industry. The dry the sea salt than turn it into useable salt and export it to Canada and the U.S.
Through town, we stopped at a side road diner and had fish tacos. Delicious. Tomorrow we head south to Conception Bay
I am sitting in the motel bar writing this and sending it via WIFI. Modern techno. We met a few Canadians here too. One couple we seem to be connecting with and have made arrangements to meet again in Mulege (mooh-lah-hey). They are from Yukon of all places and are both french but speak excellent english.
Life is but a journey filled with adventures
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
December 10 to 12, 2007
DEC. 10, Monday, sunny
We were up at 7 a.m. and ready to go by 9 but first I had to call Fleetwood to see where we were at. I should have known better than to expect anything but disappointment. This is getting to be a very frustrating exercise. Either that guy at Fleetwood is stupid, incompetent or he is playing games with us. It's like talking to a dummy. I think it's time to seek help from Trailer Life or Good Sam.
Anyway, we got on I-5 and headed south by 9:15. A half hour later we crossed into Mexico at Tijuana. We were not stopped at the border so headed on south onto the 4 lanes highway through town. The road to Hwy 1D was very well marked and it was a pleasant and easy drive to get through Tijuana. Unfortunately, with all the excitement and stress we forgot to take pictures of the border but did manage some of the drive south. Past Rosarito, we got on 1D and drove through 3 toll booths between here and Ensanada. Total cost was 163 pesos ( approx $15 us)
The scenery down was very pretty. We stopped once along the highway ( in a populated area) and had no problems all the way to Ensanada. Driving through town was not difficult at all and we saw no topes. We found our campsite thanks to Church's book and were parked by 11:30 a.m.. Cost was $25/night. The park is dirt with cement pads for patio. Each site is separated by a cement curb and there are lots of trees. We are near the port and downtown. We have 15 amps for electricity and water and sewer hook-ups. We are not using the water for obvious reasons. There is also cable TV but we can only get one English channel. There was a cable in the tree about 75 feet from our site which I had to pull part way to us then hook up my two TV cable extensions to it so it would reach our site. WELCOME TO MEXICO!!!!
There is two other rigs here. One is a single guy headed for San Quintin in a Terry trailer ( he left the next day) and the other is a young couple of about mid 20's with a baby of about 2 yrs old. They are from Salt-Spring Island in B.C., Canada, and are driving a camper van ( they left that afternoon). They are on their way to Cabo San Lucas where their parents will meet them for Christmas. He's taken maternity leave and she doesn't work.
We went into town as to find the immigration office which was easy and so was the process however we had to go to a bank approx. 5 blocks away where we had to get papers stamped and pay 100 pesos. Then we had to return to the office and after filling our tourist card, we paid a further 430 pesos to another bank within the building. Total cost: approx $53. us for both of us. After that we walked up the street to a big Gigante (pronounced higante with emphasis on the "h").
Came home, had dinner and relaxed. I am still FUMING over this Fleetwood stuff.
N 31* 51' 02" W 116* 36' 47"
Alt: 52'
Distance today 160km
DEC. 11, Tuesday, RAIN!!!!!
Yes we woke up to more rain but it did clear up in the afternoon. The park is drowned in pot holes. We used the camp's shower facilities which surprisingly, has hot water. After breakfast, as we were leaving, we looked for the camera and couldn't find it. That's when it dawn on me that I left it at the Gigante grocery store. We drove up and after finding someone that spoke english, we were told that yes they had our camera which I had left in the grocery basket. What a LUCKY s.o.b. I am!!! God was definitely smiling on me this day. I tried to leave reward money for the girl who found it but they refused. We profusely thank them all and left. Mexico is living to my impression that is safer and more honest than our countries combined!!!
After this excitement, we went into town for some sightseeing and get info from the Info Centre. We walked what is call the touristica area with lots of shops and stopped at a bank to get more pesos. We went along the port and looked over the fish market where we bought fresh fish for dinner. We stopped at a little stand and had fish tacos, of course.
After this, we went for a drive to La Bufadora Point. Along the way we fuelled for $0.67 cents a litre found a Wal-Mart and Costco on Hwy 1. La Bufadora is a blow hole at the foot of a cliff where the ocean comes into and a narrow crevasse causes the wave to break and blow back into a showery mist. I understand that it is best to see it at high tide and when there is waves. We did see some blow back however. There was the obligatory row of huts selling everything from blankets, to hats and jewellery. Val almost bought a bracelet for "almost free" but she resisted. They were really persistent and I am proud of her for not succumbing to temptation.
Along the way here, there was a few mud slide across the road which made the drive all the more challenging. The road was curvy and hilly with a zig-zag down drive into La Bufadora. We even met three couples form BC and Alberta (they were all related). We chatted with them for a while then headed on back home.
Good dinner of fresh fish prepared with Love by Val. Delicioso!!!
CHECK OUT THE NEW PICTURES
DEC. 12, Wednesday, sunny
Today is computer day and getting ready to leave tomorrow. I have planned out our intiniary and hope to be in Cabo San Lucas by December 19. We bought a phone card yesterday and I will call San Jose to make reservation for a month. That's near Cabo. I am planning on driving directly to the Cape and along the way, mark out site we would like check out and stay longer on the return trip. I also need to wash all the window onthe truck so that I can see the road properly.
Val did her exercise like the good girl she is and I am being lazy like the bad boy I am. Went for a walk around town. It is sunny and warm but not too much. Enough to wear shorts, barely!
Life is but a journey filled with adventures
We were up at 7 a.m. and ready to go by 9 but first I had to call Fleetwood to see where we were at. I should have known better than to expect anything but disappointment. This is getting to be a very frustrating exercise. Either that guy at Fleetwood is stupid, incompetent or he is playing games with us. It's like talking to a dummy. I think it's time to seek help from Trailer Life or Good Sam.
Anyway, we got on I-5 and headed south by 9:15. A half hour later we crossed into Mexico at Tijuana. We were not stopped at the border so headed on south onto the 4 lanes highway through town. The road to Hwy 1D was very well marked and it was a pleasant and easy drive to get through Tijuana. Unfortunately, with all the excitement and stress we forgot to take pictures of the border but did manage some of the drive south. Past Rosarito, we got on 1D and drove through 3 toll booths between here and Ensanada. Total cost was 163 pesos ( approx $15 us)
The scenery down was very pretty. We stopped once along the highway ( in a populated area) and had no problems all the way to Ensanada. Driving through town was not difficult at all and we saw no topes. We found our campsite thanks to Church's book and were parked by 11:30 a.m.. Cost was $25/night. The park is dirt with cement pads for patio. Each site is separated by a cement curb and there are lots of trees. We are near the port and downtown. We have 15 amps for electricity and water and sewer hook-ups. We are not using the water for obvious reasons. There is also cable TV but we can only get one English channel. There was a cable in the tree about 75 feet from our site which I had to pull part way to us then hook up my two TV cable extensions to it so it would reach our site. WELCOME TO MEXICO!!!!
There is two other rigs here. One is a single guy headed for San Quintin in a Terry trailer ( he left the next day) and the other is a young couple of about mid 20's with a baby of about 2 yrs old. They are from Salt-Spring Island in B.C., Canada, and are driving a camper van ( they left that afternoon). They are on their way to Cabo San Lucas where their parents will meet them for Christmas. He's taken maternity leave and she doesn't work.
We went into town as to find the immigration office which was easy and so was the process however we had to go to a bank approx. 5 blocks away where we had to get papers stamped and pay 100 pesos. Then we had to return to the office and after filling our tourist card, we paid a further 430 pesos to another bank within the building. Total cost: approx $53. us for both of us. After that we walked up the street to a big Gigante (pronounced higante with emphasis on the "h").
Came home, had dinner and relaxed. I am still FUMING over this Fleetwood stuff.
N 31* 51' 02" W 116* 36' 47"
Alt: 52'
Distance today 160km
DEC. 11, Tuesday, RAIN!!!!!
Yes we woke up to more rain but it did clear up in the afternoon. The park is drowned in pot holes. We used the camp's shower facilities which surprisingly, has hot water. After breakfast, as we were leaving, we looked for the camera and couldn't find it. That's when it dawn on me that I left it at the Gigante grocery store. We drove up and after finding someone that spoke english, we were told that yes they had our camera which I had left in the grocery basket. What a LUCKY s.o.b. I am!!! God was definitely smiling on me this day. I tried to leave reward money for the girl who found it but they refused. We profusely thank them all and left. Mexico is living to my impression that is safer and more honest than our countries combined!!!
After this excitement, we went into town for some sightseeing and get info from the Info Centre. We walked what is call the touristica area with lots of shops and stopped at a bank to get more pesos. We went along the port and looked over the fish market where we bought fresh fish for dinner. We stopped at a little stand and had fish tacos, of course.
After this, we went for a drive to La Bufadora Point. Along the way we fuelled for $0.67 cents a litre found a Wal-Mart and Costco on Hwy 1. La Bufadora is a blow hole at the foot of a cliff where the ocean comes into and a narrow crevasse causes the wave to break and blow back into a showery mist. I understand that it is best to see it at high tide and when there is waves. We did see some blow back however. There was the obligatory row of huts selling everything from blankets, to hats and jewellery. Val almost bought a bracelet for "almost free" but she resisted. They were really persistent and I am proud of her for not succumbing to temptation.
Along the way here, there was a few mud slide across the road which made the drive all the more challenging. The road was curvy and hilly with a zig-zag down drive into La Bufadora. We even met three couples form BC and Alberta (they were all related). We chatted with them for a while then headed on back home.
Good dinner of fresh fish prepared with Love by Val. Delicioso!!!
CHECK OUT THE NEW PICTURES
DEC. 12, Wednesday, sunny
Today is computer day and getting ready to leave tomorrow. I have planned out our intiniary and hope to be in Cabo San Lucas by December 19. We bought a phone card yesterday and I will call San Jose to make reservation for a month. That's near Cabo. I am planning on driving directly to the Cape and along the way, mark out site we would like check out and stay longer on the return trip. I also need to wash all the window onthe truck so that I can see the road properly.
Val did her exercise like the good girl she is and I am being lazy like the bad boy I am. Went for a walk around town. It is sunny and warm but not too much. Enough to wear shorts, barely!
Life is but a journey filled with adventures
Sunday, December 09, 2007
December 7 to 9, 2007
DEC. 7, Friday, raining
Rained overnight and most of this a.m. It s now 10:30 and it just finally stopped! Val did her exercise following a tape/cd she bought. I downloaded skype, installed it and bought user-time for $14 cdn. For those who haven't used this system, it cost .02 cents per minute to call from the US to Canada. I like it because it is stable and reliable providing one has a good connection, of course.
We went into San Isydro, near Tijuana and got some info on the crossing and also bought $200 worth of pesos. From here, we drove to Coronado peninsula where the 3rd Fleet is located however all the Aircraft Carriers were out, probably in the Gulf near Iraq and Iran!? There is also a big old hotel where presidents and big name Stars have stayed. We did more sightseeing then came home. Stopped to get milk and butter and also bought a locking cap for the truck
DEC. 8, Saturday, more rain
Yes, more rain overnight and again, it stopped later in the morning. It is really cool too....59*F ( 14*C) We went sightseeing again. Drove to a local Info centre, got a map of San Diego and some pamphlet. Drove to Pomona Point where there is a big Naval supply base, a lighthouse and one of the busiest Coast Guard Station. It was really interesting and even did some walking on the beach looking at rock formation and tide pool.
We also found a beach for dog where there were at least a couple dozen dogs out. We let Tucker roam free and he had a wonderful time sniffing and meeting new friends. He ran like crazy, chasing or being chased and I think he was very happy at the end of this outing. We went into a local restaurant near the beach and had Mexican coffee and burritos. From here, we visited the water front in downtown and finally came home after stopping to buy beer and wine for Mexico.
A very nice day indeed even if it was cool. At least it didn't rain on us
DEC. 9, Sunday, clouds and clearing
We had sunshine when we got up but it is cloudy right now. At least the rain has abated. This is our last day here. Tomorrow, we enter Mexico at Tijuana and head south to Ensada where we will spent 2-3 days.
Val did her laundry this morning and made a bunch of calls to her family then we headed out. We went to WAL-MART first then to Balboa Park. That was a really beautiful and neat park with lots of museums and fancy buildings built roman style. We walked around the park then headed to "Old Town" where San Diego was originally built. I had been here before and not much has changed. It's an old colonial Spanish style town. We had a beer here then headed home.
We are home and it's time for supper then we get ready for an early start. I have downloaded a bunch of pictures so check them out
Life is but a journey filled with adventures
Rained overnight and most of this a.m. It s now 10:30 and it just finally stopped! Val did her exercise following a tape/cd she bought. I downloaded skype, installed it and bought user-time for $14 cdn. For those who haven't used this system, it cost .02 cents per minute to call from the US to Canada. I like it because it is stable and reliable providing one has a good connection, of course.
We went into San Isydro, near Tijuana and got some info on the crossing and also bought $200 worth of pesos. From here, we drove to Coronado peninsula where the 3rd Fleet is located however all the Aircraft Carriers were out, probably in the Gulf near Iraq and Iran!? There is also a big old hotel where presidents and big name Stars have stayed. We did more sightseeing then came home. Stopped to get milk and butter and also bought a locking cap for the truck
DEC. 8, Saturday, more rain
Yes, more rain overnight and again, it stopped later in the morning. It is really cool too....59*F ( 14*C) We went sightseeing again. Drove to a local Info centre, got a map of San Diego and some pamphlet. Drove to Pomona Point where there is a big Naval supply base, a lighthouse and one of the busiest Coast Guard Station. It was really interesting and even did some walking on the beach looking at rock formation and tide pool.
We also found a beach for dog where there were at least a couple dozen dogs out. We let Tucker roam free and he had a wonderful time sniffing and meeting new friends. He ran like crazy, chasing or being chased and I think he was very happy at the end of this outing. We went into a local restaurant near the beach and had Mexican coffee and burritos. From here, we visited the water front in downtown and finally came home after stopping to buy beer and wine for Mexico.
A very nice day indeed even if it was cool. At least it didn't rain on us
DEC. 9, Sunday, clouds and clearing
We had sunshine when we got up but it is cloudy right now. At least the rain has abated. This is our last day here. Tomorrow, we enter Mexico at Tijuana and head south to Ensada where we will spent 2-3 days.
Val did her laundry this morning and made a bunch of calls to her family then we headed out. We went to WAL-MART first then to Balboa Park. That was a really beautiful and neat park with lots of museums and fancy buildings built roman style. We walked around the park then headed to "Old Town" where San Diego was originally built. I had been here before and not much has changed. It's an old colonial Spanish style town. We had a beer here then headed home.
We are home and it's time for supper then we get ready for an early start. I have downloaded a bunch of pictures so check them out
Life is but a journey filled with adventures
Friday, December 07, 2007
December 4 to 6 In San Diego, CA.
DEC. 4, Tuesday, sunny
Got up early, showered, packed and left by 9:15 a.m. Drove I-10 west to I-60, got off at Mtn View in Chino and arrived at McBride RV Repair shop on Oaks St around noon. Checked in and were told they will get to it first thing in the morning which was fine by us. They gave us a site with water and electricity (30 amps) and then we went for lunch in Chino at Riverside cafe, a neat little yuppy place.
It is sunny and warm, around 79*F ( 23*C). Checked out a couple of other places then came home and read.
N 34* 00' 11" W 117* 40'37"
Alt: 707'
Distance today 154 KM
DEC. 5, Wednesday, sunny
We got up early again and left our rig by 8:30 a.m. so they can start on it. These folks are the nicest people we've ever met. They all bend backward to accommodate us and the staff in the office are polite, friendly and most helpful. What a pleasant atmosphere! Fleetwood should take lessons from these guys!!!
We went to the local airport for brunch as it had been highly recommended by Dennis at McBride. It was very good. From there, we drove to Prado Park, a Regional Park which turned out to be very nice with a couple of small lakes and we gave Tucker a good run. He enjoyed it. We also visited an old farm built in the 1800's and built of adobe bricks. Also visited a huge mall but didn't buy anything.
In the latter part of the afternoon, we went back to the airport and had a beer in the lounge/bar. People were friendly and the waitress was cute!!!! You should see the size of a mug of beer....HUGE!!!!!!
Came home and learned that they have another hour of work to do in the morning then we can be on our way. We had dinner and spent the rest of the evening reading. In bed by 10 p.m.
DEC. 6, Thursday, sunny with some clouds
Up early again and left while they finished the job. We went to a local restaurant, had coffee and read for an hour then drove back to McBride and after paying our bill, saying goodbye to everyone and paying them compliments on their hospitality, we left and got on Hwy 71, south to Hwy 91, East to I-15 and turned south. About an hour out we remembered that we left our spare set of keys at McBride. We called them and the will send them via FED-EX overnight.
At Hwy 52, we headed west to I-5 then south to our site, Santa-Fe RV Park. It is situated right beside the freeway so very noisy. Sites are tight and it is expensive; $30 per night including taxes and that is with PASSPORT AMERICA.
After setting up, I had to go to town to get some propane. Paid $35 for one tank....highway robbery!!! I knew it was expensive here but this is ridiculous. We are here until Monday morning. It is cooler now and the clouds are getting thicker. The forecast is for rain for tomorrow.
N 32* 49' 38" W 117* 13' 54"
Alt: 122'
Distance today 180 KM
Got up early, showered, packed and left by 9:15 a.m. Drove I-10 west to I-60, got off at Mtn View in Chino and arrived at McBride RV Repair shop on Oaks St around noon. Checked in and were told they will get to it first thing in the morning which was fine by us. They gave us a site with water and electricity (30 amps) and then we went for lunch in Chino at Riverside cafe, a neat little yuppy place.
It is sunny and warm, around 79*F ( 23*C). Checked out a couple of other places then came home and read.
N 34* 00' 11" W 117* 40'37"
Alt: 707'
Distance today 154 KM
DEC. 5, Wednesday, sunny
We got up early again and left our rig by 8:30 a.m. so they can start on it. These folks are the nicest people we've ever met. They all bend backward to accommodate us and the staff in the office are polite, friendly and most helpful. What a pleasant atmosphere! Fleetwood should take lessons from these guys!!!
We went to the local airport for brunch as it had been highly recommended by Dennis at McBride. It was very good. From there, we drove to Prado Park, a Regional Park which turned out to be very nice with a couple of small lakes and we gave Tucker a good run. He enjoyed it. We also visited an old farm built in the 1800's and built of adobe bricks. Also visited a huge mall but didn't buy anything.
In the latter part of the afternoon, we went back to the airport and had a beer in the lounge/bar. People were friendly and the waitress was cute!!!! You should see the size of a mug of beer....HUGE!!!!!!
Came home and learned that they have another hour of work to do in the morning then we can be on our way. We had dinner and spent the rest of the evening reading. In bed by 10 p.m.
DEC. 6, Thursday, sunny with some clouds
Up early again and left while they finished the job. We went to a local restaurant, had coffee and read for an hour then drove back to McBride and after paying our bill, saying goodbye to everyone and paying them compliments on their hospitality, we left and got on Hwy 71, south to Hwy 91, East to I-15 and turned south. About an hour out we remembered that we left our spare set of keys at McBride. We called them and the will send them via FED-EX overnight.
At Hwy 52, we headed west to I-5 then south to our site, Santa-Fe RV Park. It is situated right beside the freeway so very noisy. Sites are tight and it is expensive; $30 per night including taxes and that is with PASSPORT AMERICA.
After setting up, I had to go to town to get some propane. Paid $35 for one tank....highway robbery!!! I knew it was expensive here but this is ridiculous. We are here until Monday morning. It is cooler now and the clouds are getting thicker. The forecast is for rain for tomorrow.
N 32* 49' 38" W 117* 13' 54"
Alt: 122'
Distance today 180 KM
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
December 1 to 3, 2007, preparing to leave
DEC. 1, Saturday, sunny with cloudy periods
Very windy and gusting to 40 mph. Trees are actually bending over almost in half at times. It lasted most of the day and finally abated totally early evening. The rain abated early this morning and now we have warnings about flash floods everywhere. Joy of living in the desert, I guess.
Blanche and Garry from Harrison Hot Spring in BC came over to chat about HTR. We had a nice visit. They had been to the Baja so we picked their brains on what to expect and where to camp. We met these folks back in Desert Hot Spring.
After they left, we went for a drive into town then came home and relaxed.
DEC. 2, Sunday, sunny
Not much happened today. Val did laundry and I washed the windows on the outside of the rig. Also changed the filter on the main water line in preparation for Mexico. We finally have WIFI connection after being out for 4 days.
Went for a walk around the park and to the club house. They had a Arts & Craft fair (small one) on the patio so we looked at that then came home and read
DEC. 3, Monday, sunny
It is getting warmer which is good. This past week has been fairly cool dipping to a low of 69*F ( 14*C)
Called Sears again this morning and they finally returned my call around noon. We have the authorization to proceed with the repairs so that's good news.
Called Fleetwood since he didn't return my call and got some excuse about month end audit but he promises to call me back as soon as he finds out.
Mailed our Christmas cards and wrote to RV Times about an ad in their magazine. Also drove to a RV place and bought an in-line water filter for under the sink.
Loaded all the toys and got ready for tomorrow. This is our last day here. Blanche and Garry came over to return some papers I had loaned them and we had happy hour.
We had a nice dinner, watch the TV for a while and went to bed.
Catch you all next time, we are ready to go!
Very windy and gusting to 40 mph. Trees are actually bending over almost in half at times. It lasted most of the day and finally abated totally early evening. The rain abated early this morning and now we have warnings about flash floods everywhere. Joy of living in the desert, I guess.
Blanche and Garry from Harrison Hot Spring in BC came over to chat about HTR. We had a nice visit. They had been to the Baja so we picked their brains on what to expect and where to camp. We met these folks back in Desert Hot Spring.
After they left, we went for a drive into town then came home and relaxed.
DEC. 2, Sunday, sunny
Not much happened today. Val did laundry and I washed the windows on the outside of the rig. Also changed the filter on the main water line in preparation for Mexico. We finally have WIFI connection after being out for 4 days.
Went for a walk around the park and to the club house. They had a Arts & Craft fair (small one) on the patio so we looked at that then came home and read
DEC. 3, Monday, sunny
It is getting warmer which is good. This past week has been fairly cool dipping to a low of 69*F ( 14*C)
Called Sears again this morning and they finally returned my call around noon. We have the authorization to proceed with the repairs so that's good news.
Called Fleetwood since he didn't return my call and got some excuse about month end audit but he promises to call me back as soon as he finds out.
Mailed our Christmas cards and wrote to RV Times about an ad in their magazine. Also drove to a RV place and bought an in-line water filter for under the sink.
Loaded all the toys and got ready for tomorrow. This is our last day here. Blanche and Garry came over to return some papers I had loaned them and we had happy hour.
We had a nice dinner, watch the TV for a while and went to bed.
Catch you all next time, we are ready to go!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)