2017 BAJA EXPEDITION #3, Mexicali-San Felipe; Blue Palm Canyons; Chapala to San Quintin

Km. 103 to San Juan de Dios, 22 miles.

Back out to Highway 1 at Km. 82+ I turn right (southbound) for my next excursion... to see what happened at San Juan de Dios.

Just 500 feet past the Km. 103 marker is the trucker restaurant El Sacrificio (at the signed road for Los Martires), on the left. Turn in here and go uphill past the restaurant. To the right was an airport runway used during the construction of Hwy. 1 in 1973... named El Arenoso, after the old ranch a few more miles down the road.





Set odometer to 0.0 at Hwy. 1 and the El Sacrificio (Martires turnoff) restaurant.

2.4 Fork, go left.
3.5 El Sauzalito Copper Mine. New Ranch built upon old town site.
4.8 Arroyo San Juan de Dios crossing (dry this time)
5.1 Fork: left to El Rosario via La Vibora, go right.
5.3 Fork: left to Los Martires and beyond, go right.
8.6 Fork, go right.
10.5 Road left to ranch.
10.7 Road in from left to ranch.
13.2 Pila (water tank) 'San Sebastian'
15.5 Fork, go left (gate on right fork).
16.9 Fork: left to El Sauce de Carter, go right.
20.1 Gate, close behind you.
21.5 Gate 'Rancho Las Palmas', close behind you.
21.7 Cross Arroyo San Juan de Dios. Rancho Las Palmas on left. Park on right across from water tank to visit ruins.




Cerro Matomí (the waterfall I was at three days ago is just the other side!)




Rancho Las Palmas at San Juan de Dios, from arroyo crossing.


Ruins unearthed with ranch behind.


Looking north from ruins to my truck and water tank along road.

BEFORE:

Jack Swords photo of 2003.

AFTER:

Looking south from the ruins. Rancher told me there is a mission period wall in the cardón cactus area. 2017






Rancho Las Palmas.
The resident there (Alfonso Duerte Espinoza) told me it was Sony Espinoza who bladed over the mission visita ruins in 2006. It was a very sad incident indeed. No reason for the destruction. Nothing has been done on the land since no crops planted. On smal part of a covered-over room has been opened back up.


BEFORE:

2000

AFTER:

2017





Here is the GPS map with track lines to get an idea of the route the road uses from Km. 103 on Hwy. 1 (ex-El Arenoso Runway), past the El Sauzalito copper mine town (now a new ranch) and on.


The red dots are true locations, the red lines are connecting the dots, but do not follow over the actual road, always.



Returning to El Rosario, I was enjoying the boojum trees and cardón cacti...




StuckSucks sent me the sundown time for my location, and I think this is the photo I took just then.




There's the screensaver shot!




Goodnight from Planet Baja!

One Day Remains!

 

DAY 7 of 7: Wed. March 8, 2017

It was just a week ago, but so many memories and these trip reports and photos preserve and share them.

I had a nice dinner with Antonio and Isela. We went to Ed's (Baja's Best B & B) to have some of his clam chowder, which is more shrimp than clams, all the better. Back at Baja Cactus for a final night in El Rosario to sleep before the long drive home.

Wednesday morning, quickly loaded my truck drove next door to top the tank and then, the other side of the gas station past the water purification place is El Popeye Car Wash. My truck had plenty of mud on it from the drive to San Juan de Dios. The arroyo crossings were dry but several deep water pools on the road could not be avoided. I asked for only an exterior wash and they soon put me into the stall and got to work on it. The charge was so low (80 pesos) I gave them a generous tip in appreciation for getting on the road quickly. Left El Rosario at 9:12 am.


Car Wash 'El Popeye' at Km. 57, just a few hunderd feet north of the Pemex.

Now, with the outside so clean, I just didn't have it in me to get it covered with that dust on the road to La Lobera (Km. 47.5), so I passed by. I was there last September.

I will include some of my kilometer notes.

Km. 25.5 Playa El Socorro
Km. 16.5 Fidel's El Pabellon (1.3 mi. in.







Nice place, next to a huge, flat beach.

Km. 16 El Pabellon (1.2 mi. in) 150 pesos per night. A HUGE caravan of RVs is all lined up and just pulling out. They are northbound and no way do I want to be caught behind a half mile long caravan! Before I get a photo taken of the place, I U-turn and get out just ahead of the lead RV.



Km. 17 Pemex station (Nueva Odisea)
Km. 14.5 Highway Fork (northbound), ahead is older route via Santa María.
Km. 11 Paved side road to Hotels Misión Santa María and Cielito Lindo. Pemex station 'Los Pinos'.



Km. 5 Fork (southbound), straight south for older route, new route curves.
Old English Cemetery is west of here.
Km. 4 Pemex
Km. 1.5 Los Olivos RV Park road west
Km. 1 Paved road west to Jardines road, Old Mill hotel, San Quintin bay shore.
Km. 0/ Km. 196 (from Ensenada). Point of newest section of Highway 1 (1973) south of here as highway narrows to 19 ft. to fit the construction budget.
Km. 169+ Mission Santo Domingo road (5 miles)
Km. 140.5 Paved road 62 miles to obsrvatorty (at 9,280').
Km. 105 new Pemex.
Km. 102.5 Road to Valle de Trinidad
Km. 90 Pemex, San Vicente
Km. 88.5 Road west to Mission San Vicente
Km. 79 Paved road west to Ejido Erendira
A road widening construction detour is 1.3 miles long.
Km. 50 Santo Tomás, Pemex, El Palomar RV Park (steep driveway).





The RV park is huge and empty. The owner tells me the hew highway crews will be making an improved entrance as widening made the driveway so steep, motorhomes are fearful to enter.

The remains of the final California mission to stay in operation are just outside the park and accessed by driving right through (turn left at the bus). This was the third location of the Santa Tomás mission, moved here in 1799 and operated until 1849. I go into lot's of detail in my book, 'Baja California Land of Missions' www.oldmissions.com


View north


View south to the campground/ RV park.


2017


2005 (weed free)

Km. 47 La Bocana and Puerto Santo Tomás road west.
Km. 41.5 Paved road east to Ejido Uruapan (hot springs).
Km. 40.5 La Grulla Market
Km. 37.5 Military Checkpoint

In Maneadero, I stop for lunch and have a bowl of Birria (60 pesos).





Takes a half hour just to get across Ensenada...

The highway to Tecate is excellent.
Km. 75.5 Pemex and Paved road into Guadalupe (Francisco Zarco) and the ruins of the last California mission to be founded (1834-1840): Guadalupe.

I have lots of pesos still, and fill my gas tank in Tecate. It is 16.10 pesos per liter for Magna ($3.25/ gallon at 18.80:1). I get 17.7 mpg from El Rosario to here (223 miles).

I get to the border line at 3:40 pm and am inside the U.S. at 3:59.
With traffic, I am home by at 6 pm. 1,064 miles since I left.

I will be ready to go back in about a month. Can't wait!!! VIVA BAJA!!!

 

This was trip #3 in 2017 to cover as much of Baja as possible.

Here is Trip #1 (January): https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/baja-2017-recon-trip-east-side-of-baja-norte.468548/
Here is Trip #2 (February): https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...baja-california-san-ignacio-to-loreto.474872/

 

Always looked forward to reading up on your trips and examining the pictures!

 

Thank you!

I believe it is important that we can use our Tacomas in the land that had so much to do with their development. Ivan Stewart creating the TRD model with his years of racing off-road in Baja California. The Toyota Tacoma factory is in Baja, along the road between Tijuana and Tecate (where my truck was made).

It just seems so natural to travel in Baja, go camping in Baja, enjoy the food and people of Baja WITHOUT FEAR from the false news stories and terror rumors. Every day, someone is shot or killed in a city in the U.S., do you stop going to all cities? I can't remember the last time an American on vacation was shot or killed in Baja. It can happen, but it can happen ANYWHERE. So, why not choose to go where you can really live... and drive your Tacoma?

Life's a beach!



Your Tacoma deserves a good life!

 

@David K where is the oasis waterfall located? Does it run year round?

 

Matomi Canyon, south, and west of San Felipe. I posted all sorts of road logs to it. Would you like a wider field map? Sorry I didn't see your question sooner.

 

See my other 6 trip reports in 2017 here, in this forum, that covers most of the fun areas of the 1,000 mile (road) long Baja Peninsula. I have one more trip to wrap up the research needed for the future guidebook.

TRIP #1: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/2017-baja-expedition-1-east-side-of-baja-norte.468548/
TRIP #2: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...baja-california-san-ignacio-to-loreto.474872/
TRIP #3: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...e-palm-canyons-chapala-to-san-quintin.480078/
TRIP #4: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...idad-san-quintin-remote-pacific-roads.488412/
TRIP #5: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/trip-5-june-2017-central-baja-guerrero-nego-el-barril-san-ignacio-bahía-tortugas-and-more.495653/
TRIP #6: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...southernmost-baja-14-days-3-000-miles.505996/
TRIP #7: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/2017-baja-expedition-7-tijuana-to-san-quintín-and-9-000-sierra-san-pedro-mártir.515492/

 

My New Maps for the areas of this Trip Report:

 

Prolly easier for them to clean the next day?

 

I think so, but to lose future business and referrals has to hurt. It may be cultural because when Mexico goes camping they park tightly together and then make noise all night with music until 4 am sometimes... this happens on Semana Santa (Easter week).