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Six Days in Baja (Dec '13)


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We have done this trip between Christmas and New Year's now for a few years and it is a ton of fun.  People freak out about going to Mexico but it's really an amazing place filled with friendly people, cheap and delicious food and miles of incredible dirt roads to ride.

 

Mexico does have problems with drug cartels but they are for the large part killing each other and not tourists on motorcycles.  We have quite a significant crime problem here in the US as well but none of us would be planning a motorcycle trip to So Central LA, Detroit, Oakland or Newark would we?  There are places in Mexico you just don't want to go, for sure.  I have been to Mexico about 22 times; 8 on a bike and have never had any issues.  Just your insurance, passport and a good attitude is all you will need.

 

This trip had us staying at:  Mike's Sky Rancho, Alfonsina's in Gonzaga Bay, Hotel Mision in Catavina, Hotel Cactus in El Rosario and Coyote Cal's in Erendira.

 

Attendees were: Me, Rich, Mike, JD and Maria.

 

I will post pictures next, but here's the video I put together...

 

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At the parking lot in Tecate (CA side) getting ready to cross the border.  Our goal day 1 was to get to Mike's Sky Rancho and head out in the morning for lunch in San Flippy then a night at Alfonsina's in Gonzaga Bay.

 

Mike on his 800

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Rich on his 690

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My GSA all ready.  Notice no hard panniers this time.

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Sticker sighting at a taco stand in VDT.  Jon Beck must have left that GS Trophy sticker.

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There's something about getting pole position at Mike's Sky Rancho.  The riding is always great as are the places we get to see, but it's the people you meet along the way that seem to have the most lasting impact on your life.

 

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Another sticker sighting.  The first photo I posted of this sticker on a previous trip got me banned from another forum.  I know; riding big bikes is THAT controversial!

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Senor Miguel enjoying a cerveza in San Flippy

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On our way down to Gonzaga Bay, we stopped at a beach to do some riding.  Here is where Maria got herself stuck in some tidal mud.  JD went to go save her and got stuck himself, but for the help of some nice locals in a Suzuki Samurai who got them un-stuck.

 

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Rich had to phone home to the boss each night :)

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Beautiful sunrise

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The light at this time is unreal

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Alfonsina's is a pretty good place to stay.  Good food but not fancy.

 

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The next day we headed over to see Coco and see if Maria would give up her panties :)

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Day three had us paying a visit to Coco at "Coco's Corner."  

 

Made a friend at the gas station in Gonzaga

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Here he is showing us a page from his visitor log from two years earlier when I visited him.  We took a side trip there to go see the "fountain of youth," a spring that comes out of the hillside and has deposited layers of limestone.  Rich didn't know he had a flat on the way out there, but luckily it held until we got back to Coco's to fix it.

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JD should have kept a closer eye on his bride.  Here's Coco working his mojo.

 

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Maria got Coco pretty worked up where he had taken off his shirt and insisted she give up her panties for his collection :)

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Many of the routes we took are contiguous with either the Baja 1000 or Baja 500 race courses.

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Miguel

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Senor Fudgy

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We also met up with Scotty Breauxman (Baja Rally) and a buddy of his driving a sweet D90 chase vehicle.  I heard this guy is Steven Seagal's son but my memory isn't that good.  More interesting conversation and things to come from that as well.

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Time to fix a flat

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Long day on the road but we made it to Catavina to stay at the Hotel Mision.  

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Rich was getting a bit amorous...

 

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Really nice restaurant there with great food.

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Next day would be out to the West coast, up the coast and back east to the hwy and up to El Rosario...

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The tracks out of Cataviña are really great.  It's 170 miles of mostly dirt that take you through thick forests of giant cactus, up the coast and then back on a really fast dirt road.

 

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Rich was having range anxiety so when we got to the highway we siphoned some gas from the supertanker

 

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Dinner at Mama Espinosa's in El Rosario

 

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Ran into Scotty (again)

 

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Next day was up the coast and a stop at the shipwreck

 

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Maria is pretty short, huh?

 

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Made it to Coyote Cal's

 

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Nice views

 

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Did I mention how good the tequila is?

 

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Gas if you need some

 

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A special goodbye the next morning from Lulu

 

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