Mileage:  76,452

Rancho Grande RV Park Gonzaga Bay, BC,  Mexico

We were on our way before 7 am.  Our journey today took us west across mostly desert, El Vizcaino.  There was some early morning fog.

The road was extremely narrow with lots of tractor trailer traffic coming from the opposite direction.

This tractor trailer was laying on its side as we drove by.

As we approached Guerrero Negro, the road was being repaired and we were diverted onto a dirt bypass.

Leaving Baja California Sur and entering Baja Norte.

Caballero.

About 15 miles later, we stopped on a roadside pullout to eat lunch.  At that time, a family of bike tourers was passing by.  Tim asked them if they needed water and they pulled over and we filled their bottles.  The family of four was from Germany.  The father was pedaling a bike with his 4-year-old daughter in a seat on the front and his 18-month-old son in a trailer on the back.  His bike was also loaded with packs of supplies.  The mother’s bike was fully loaded with lots of other bags.  The baby was asleep and the little girl was cute as she could be.  She wanted out of her seat and she skipped around picking wildflowers.  This family has been traveling on their bikes about 25 miles a day from the Yukon.  They plan to cycle to La Paz and then take the ferry to mainland Mexico and down into South America.  They plan to ride this way for another two years…WOW!  We admire them and we worry for them at the same time.

A short while later, we turned right onto Mexico 5.  This is the road that will lead us to Mexicali and out of Mexico.  The scenery was beautiful. 

At last we arrived at the coast and Tim spotted a campground on the water.  We are parked right on Ganzaga Bay. 

Mileage:  76,219

Camping Petates San Ignacio BCS,  Mexico

It was dark when we got up and got ready.  We were hooking up the Jeep in predawn and then we left at first light. 

Today was a gorgeous day for a gorgeous drive.  I am trying to stay in the moment and not think ahead to what might be…today was a day to truly “Enjoy the Ride.” 

We traveled across the Sierra la Gigante to Loreto.  It was a little foggy but as the sun continued to climb, we were treated to spectacular vistas. 

We stopped at a scenic overlook as the water came into view.  The campgrounds on the Bay of Conception were noticeably empty…maybe a third as many campers as when we arrived when they were all mostly full. 

We stopped again in Mulege to fuel the RV.  I purchased two queso empanadas thinking lunch food but when we bit into them, they were like super wonderful cookies.  Empanadas filled with a cheese and cinnamon and brown sugar filling…such a good lunch!!

We got out in Santa Rosalia, an old mining town, to walk along the waterfront. 

We climbed again across the mountains.

We passed the 3 Virgin Volcanoes.  Last time we went through here, it was so foggy we couldn’t see the mountains…only the road in front of us.  We also passed several lava fields. 

We arrived at Camping Petates in late afternoon.  This is a peaceful camping spot along the lagoon.  The coots were out and I enjoyed sitting in a chair as they entertained me.

We decided to go to town and walk around this evening. 

The Rancho Grande Restaurant was open but had not a single customer.  We decided to sit on the patio and have a drink…drinks turned into dinner too.  This town is already hurting. There are no gatherings of greater than 10 people allowed.  The schools are closed.  The whale tours are shut down.  This restaurant was empty.  We had two great margaritas, 3 beers, and two great meals for $25.00.  These people will definitely miss the US dollars spent by tourists.  Mexico is less prepared than the US for a pandemic. 

Our plan is to continue to go north tomorrow. 

Mileage: 75,963

Misiones Trailer Park Ciudad Constitucion BCS, Mexico

At 4:19 this morning I got a text from Kyle and Allison that they were through security and waiting for their flight. They boarded shortly before 6 and thankfully, they were on their way home.

We were packed and ready by 7. We drove from Los Barriles, up and over the mountains and up to Ciudad Constitucion. We have to plan our route so that we have a place to camp each evening. We hope to get to the border by Monday or Tuesday. As we understand it, US citizens are being allowed to return.

This is a tense and difficult time for everyone. I took an extra moment this morning to watch the sunrise and several times today I have had to remind myself to breathe. David has been sending pictures of the children and it has buoyed me up. Today I am sharing smiles.

Day 4 Playa Norte RV Park Los Barriles BCS, Mexico

Today was our last day with the kids. We planned to take them to the airport hotel this evening because their flight is very early tomorrow and we are not meant to be driving at night. We decided to take the coastal road south and take the long way around to the hotel. It was a beautiful ride. We stopped to walk on beaches and to have our lunch. We got a little last minute sunbathing in as well as some whale watching. We saw lots whales today some breaching, some close, and lots of spray and splashes in the distance. All the whales seemed to be heading south out of the Sea of Cortez where they will travel around the peninsula and head up the Pacific coast. We had this last day to enjoy together and we aren’t sure when we will all see each other again….a bittersweet day.

We have seen burros and cows and goats and horses on the beach but until today we had’t seen a pig…you just never know what you are going to see!

We know that the State Department is urging everyone to return from abroad. We need to make sure that Kyle and Allison get on their plane tomorrow and then we will start to come home. We are far away. We are a slow 1,000 miles away on poor roads and with an RV towing a car… We hope to make it to the US border before closures happen. We are going to do our best.

Day 3 Playa Norte RV Park Los Barriles BCS, Mexico

We moved the RV last night to another site along the beach.

The kids decided on a low key day today. Beach time here in the park, pina coladas, walks, grilled fish tacos for dinner with fresh asparagus and fresh pineapple, and a fierce UNO game.

Day 2 Playa Norte RV Park Los Barriles BCS, Mexico

We packed our picnic and rode south along the coast. We stopped at Cabo Pulmo. Kyle was skipping rocks while Allison found pretty rocks!

We drove to the other cove and the kids took a walk along the shore.

We found a relaxing spot at Mirimar Beach where we spent the afternoon. Tim met a spear fisherman, Pepe, who said he and his buddy were looking for grouper and snapper…and probably lobster. They were out snorkeling and fishing by the reef when someone from the national park asked them to leave. Pepe said they forgot they weren’t supposed to fish there!

We drove to the lighthouse beach as well.

We grilled shrimp and made tacos with Mexican street corn or elote and nice green salads.

Playa Norte RV Park Los Barriles BCS, Mexico

We spent the morning moving from Pescadero to Los Barriles where we will spend the rest of the week with the kids. Up and over the mountains and to the Sea of Cortez we traveled. We stopped in the small town of San Antonio and wandered in the streets. There was a small very aggressive chihuahua nipping at Kyle’s heels as we walked. We stopped again in San Bartolo to get some mango empanadas and other Mexican sweet treats or dulces.

When we got to the RV Park, the kids put on bathing suits and went to the beach bar next door to relax in the sunshine. Apparently they were very pampered by excellent service…which is the norm down here!

In the evening we went to La Playa for a great dinner and some Salsa dancing.

Day 7 Pescadero RV Park El Pescadero BCS, Mexico

We had our coffee and packed our coolers. We took the Calle de Playitas out of town along the coast. We stopped at beaches, getting out to walk around and enjoy the views. We stopped for lunch and set up camp for a while. It was a little cloudy and windy but still so lovely to be on the beach.

We all took turns driving and when it was Allison’s turn she got to drive on this curvy road!

We watched for whales and saw a few. We were treated to a show when a humpback a fair distance away, breached several times and then did some tail flapping.

The kids napped in the afternoon and then we made mango margaritas and started our UNO tournament. Tim was winning and we had just dealt the cards for anther round when he suggested that the sunset might be pretty. We hastily cleaned up and jumped in the Jeep for a ride to the beach. We were very glad that we did.

We feel very fortunate to be here all together. We have not been bombarded with all the same information about the Covid-19 virus as you have…right now we are protected from the chaos and the panic. We don’t know what the future holds and we will have to make some decisions about whether we should travel north or shelter in place…and there are no easy, clear-cut answers. Please know that we are thinking of all of you…we are going to try to enjoy this time, breathe, and take things as they come.

Day 6 Pescadero RV Park El Pescadero BCS, Mexico

We had our coffee poolside, enjoying one another’s company on this beautiful morning. We drove to Todos Santos and walked around the town.

We stopped in the mission church to watch the nun lead the children in song.

We got jugo de melon from the street vendor and sat in the community park. We drove to the beach and had our lunch of guacamole and ceviche at the Beach Bar.

The lunchtime drinks made everyone sleepy and so there was siesta time back at the RV. The kids sat by the pool and then we showered and went back to town for dinner. We started at Todos Santo Brewing with drinks and appetizers. We were hoping to be there for live music but they had comedy night instead and we decided not to stay. We walked to La Morena and listened to some older men play the blues while we enjoyed more food and drink. The band was quite good but particularly the guy on the harmonica who could really play that thing!!!

We were tucked into bed before 10…tired and happy!!!

Day 5 Pescadero RV Park El Pescadero BCS, Mexico

I woke up at 3 AM to use the bathroom and just as I was walking back to bed, I saw my phone flash with a message. Kyle and Allison were on the plane!

We spent the day getting a few last minute things, cleaning, and preparing dinner for this evening. We were waiting to leave for the airport. We were both very excited! Finally, it was time to leave.

We took the toll road to the airport, avoiding all the Cabo San Lucas traffic/chaos!

By 3:45 we had our passengers and we were on our way.

We enjoyed our dinner on the beach. Grilled shrimp, fresh papaya, homemade potato salad, and fresh pesto Parmesan bread from the organic food market.

We stayed to watch the sunset and by that time, the kids were pretty tired. Even as we were leaving the sky continued to change…such a beautiful evening!