Baja California Trip Resource

Done, that was more than enough motivation.

 

I love that view as well. There are a few others that give a similar feel, like the elevated paved pull off on a stretch of Hwy 5 before you get to Gonzaga Bay. Parts of the road south out of Bahia de Los Angeles, north and south of San Rafael, with some intensely beautiful desert landscapes. The mini Grand Canyon area on the way to San Evaristo. So many more to find too!

This is the problem with Baja.

 

Ha! I was at the post office mailing a book when your order came in, and I had an extra copy of my book in my Tacoma... so it got mailed today, too! Look for it on Tuesday...
Here are photos of places you mention, so other TW'ers can get jazzed...

 

Just for general interest... I made a webpage to show each mission site in Baja, from north to south.

Missions were the first European 'colonies' in California (or anywhere in the New World). The church was the center but missions also included irrigation works (dams, canals, reservoirs), farms, housing, hospitals, defensive structures, etc.). 'California', before 1769, was the peninsula we now call Baja California
On the second page, are photos at some of the mission visitas, from past and present. [A visita was a satellite chapel attached to the head mission of that region]
https://vivabaja.com/mission-site-photos/

 

This is one of those sections, past San Francisquito near Rancho Piedra Blanca.

These huge Saharous seem larger than those south of San Felipe. I love this area.

full vid on my channel (it looks great on a big screen at 4k)

https://youtu.be/lC1LIGWOVYM

 

re: crime in Baja

Years ago, San Felipe resident Bruce Barber told me the way he discouragesd people from visiting Baja, he'd tell them: "The banditos on the highway are very sophisticated these days. They will stop you, then scan your credit cards via satellite uplink, instantly moving money out of your bank account."

I've been to some of the most remote locations in Baja and have only met friendly people. Between 2010 and 2019 I visited Baja ~50 times. Just like everywhere, be aware of your surroundings.

 

Have tagged to watch on the big screen tonight, thanks.

 

Just visited your site. Sure makes me want to visit. What would be the best route from Phoenix, Hiway 8 along the border to Mexicali and then South on 5 or some other route?

 

I must defer to other 'Zonies' as I live near San Diego. However, I think crossing at San Luis Rio Colorado (south of Yuma) is popular. Just across the border is the INM office to get your FMM and I think the first street beyond is Highway 2 to Mexicali and Tijuana. Get on toll highway 2-D, and that avoids the city and exit onto Highway 5 for San Felipe. The silly road engineers did not make a southbound exit, so you drive north a long block to where you can make a U-turn to head for San Felipe.

 

Jim, don't scare them too much! LOL

https://youtu.be/nsdZKCh6RsU

 

Thanks!

 

Llanos San Fermín

 

Remote area and was the route of an old old road south from the sulfur mine. I drove it in 2003 and off road races have used it a few times, too.
I do show it on my map:

 

See it on the 1962 Howard Gulick map:

 

I did that a year ago during the Mexican 1000 -- very scenic part of the world with some big axe cardón. Stopped along the way to check out the Apache Tears. Also bumped into a cool memorial for first responders.

 

Have you driven that Matomi section east to the highway? I was going to check out the spring from MX-3 down La Salida, and come out that way east to MX-5. Ran into the San Felipe race and aborted. It looked pretty like pretty loose gravel and sand wash in the satellite views.

Or maybe a better question, are all the lines on your travel maps routes you have actually driven?

 

Short answer is yes, but that short road to Arco del Triunfo and the other two just north, that I only show short pieces of; no.
My maps show roads I drove and logged for the road guide or roads that I mention in the guide to give the user a visual perspective of the area.

One thing is for sure, I have driven every mile of Arroyo Matomí, from the waterfall/ ranch to Hwy. 5. The first time was in 1979, when Hwy. 5 was not yet built. My first attempt to reach the waterfall was in 1978, and a flash flood in the arroyo had me turn around just a mile from the ranch house!

Matomí is a mostly sandy 4x4 or dune buggy road and sometimes the 'narrows' have big rocks to negotiate while other times those rocks are covered with sand. A working ranch was recently established there and a locked gate was in place a couple miles from the ranch. A more recent report said the gate was open.

The last time I drove the full length of Matomí (east to west) was in 2006, see the photos: https://vivabaja.com/p618/


The last time I tried (going the opposite direction) was 2017, and I found the rocks in the narrows exposed and a bit too big for me to try, being solo: https://vivabaja.com/p317/ (on page 2)

 

Apache tears (obsidian pebbles) are all over the area! I found them where the Azufre Wash Road (Cañada el Parral) meets the Llanos San Fermin road. Dull black until you crack them open to expose shinny 'dragon glass'!
On a tour to Matomí I led in 2004, I took this photo of two ladies collecting some at that location. You may know them as Baja Nomad 'GeoRock' (Suzanne) and Mexray's wife, Pat:
From https://vivabaja.com/p204/ :

 

You make it hard to stay north. Got your book today, btw. It's really great!

If you ever want a 2nd rig along, let me know. Stuff like the rocks in the narrows or widowmaker don't give me hesitation, solo or otherwise, anymore. A few decades of hard trails all over the West has gotten me comfortable with a variety of sketchy trail. I watch for soft sand and deep silt in Baja more than anything.

 

Looking north at the Sea of Cortez and Ligüí, BCS