2 Month windsurfing trip to La Ventana Mexico

La Ventana 17

This may be the last Baja email I send. Pancho and I are parked under a lighthouse in downtown San Felipe, a town at the north end of the Sea of Cortez. We're about a 4 hour drive from the border, so will be back in the USA mid day tomorrow. We came to Baja south on route 1 through Ensenada, and are now headed north on route 5 today instead. It used be unpaved for many miles, but they've pretty much paved the whole thing now. Most of the places we went through today were unpopulated except for a few small towns. Gas stations are sparse. In fact we actually ran out of gas driving in to San Felipe today. We saw a Chevron station ahead, and just when we were cresting the hill to get to it, the motor quit. We had to jump out and push the van (with trailer) to crest the hill, then coasted into the gas station. Incredible. We had a nice taco dinner in San Felipe and were serenaded with La Bomba by the guitar player in the picture. He said he's lived in San Felipe for 35 years.

Route 5 on the way to San Felipe.

La Bomba!

Spent last night on a cool sand spit on the Sea of Cortez. Really beautiful. Mangrove trees, a little island to wade out to. Then the whitecapped sea on the other side

Camped on the sand spit.

Mangrove trees.

The wind has been honking hard the whole trip back. Very windy on the Sea of Cortez.

View from my van on the sand spit.

The sand spit bathrooms.

No running water. You scoop water out of this thing and pour it in the toilets.

Toilets in the sand spit bathrooms.

Frank in scenic Loreto.

Lunch in Loreto.

Historic church in Loreto.

We entered the USA through the truck crossing in Mexicali. The line's supposed to be shorter there. It wasn't too bad. They xray'd us on the way back into the US. But this time they told us to stay in the van while they did! I like the way the Mexicans did it better. We spent the night by Lake Isabella, CA to visit Mike McGroarty who we met in La Ventana, and to see Lake Isabella. Mike gave Frank an old Bic Electric Rock. Lake Isabella apparently gets very windy. It's a small-ish reservoir, but big enough to sail in. We then had breakfast in Bakersfield, CA with Dave Goehring who we also met in La Ventana. Then on to Frank's Dad's place in Walnut Creek near San Francisco. I visited my son Max in Berkely while Frank had dinner with his Dad. Then home.

Border crossing in Mexicali.

Our friend Dave Goehring in Bakersfield, CA.

My son Max and I in Berkeley.