After visiting Cabo Pulmo, I started to make my way up the coast.

I was supposed to meet a friend in La Rivera who became sick with Covid-19, and unfortunately our rendezvous never happened! So, I continued up the coast alone to Los Barriles and met up with some friends I’d made on the beach in Santispec!

I camped on the beach at Playa Norte but opted to stay at the RV park as I wasn’t sure of the area. It was a great place to get to know the area from. The bathrooms and location are good and at $10 a night for dry camping, I had no complaints. On my first night I was invited to join a wedding party, and we celebrated into the night with some local Tequila! These kind of invitations only seem to happen when you travel alone!

I stayed a couple more nights and then moved to another great camping spot called Baja Sunrise RV Park. I ended up staying ten days here enjoying my beach front spot, the hospitality of the Owner, Manager and a new friend who was staying for the winter. I took these shots and scouted the area from here!

While in Los Barriles I did a lot of day trips. El Triunfo is high on my list of places to visit in the mountains. The quaint village is in the midst of being renovated which could take a while. Visit the bakery and buy a loaf of their home baked bread. Their almond croissants are the best!!

I got lost on the way to the waterfalls and hot springs near Santiago, but once I finally made it (the next week with friends) I was so glad I had made the effort. What a gorgeous place! Get there early and stay all day hiking the falls, swimming and soaking in the hot springs!

I love taking photos of doors, plants and churches! Oh, and of course food! Here are some of my favorites……

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Swimming at Los Barriles is great. The sea is calm, easy to swim in and so clear and blue! I really enjoyed dropping in deeply to the area at my perfect beachfront spot. Across the road next to the gas station is a tiny rustic restaurant which is well worth a visit or two!

La Paz was my focus on the way back up the peninsula. I just love the Malecón. I found a local spot to sit and people watch as I sipped my coffee. The water was calm and perfect for a ride on the SUP. I felt like I was in the South of France! The beaches to the North of La Paz are some of the most beautiful I’ve seen. I spent a wonderful day frolicking in the water, hiking up the rock between Tecolote and Balandra and and hanging out until sunset. My only complaint was the food at the main restaurant in Tecolote. Eat at the smaller less touristy ones, or bring your own picnic and only buy drinks on the beach!

As I slowly meandered my way back to the USA, I stopped at mostly local restaurants and cafes where I was greeted with the kindest of smiles and grateful restaurants who were happy for my business. Speaking Spanish fluently definitely made a difference to the way I was able to drop in with the locals and chat about my adventures. Not once did I feel unsafe or unwelcome. At the security checkpoints I was definitely a curiosity and at each stop they wanted to have a good look at the inside of my van. One security guard was happy when I offered him my guitar to play, and he turned out to be really good!

My next stop was Loreto. I stayed at the Rivera del Mar RV camping for $5 a night! This place is great for a couple of nights to regroup. They have laundry facilities, clean bathrooms/showers and an outdoor communal kitchen area. It’s such a great deal! I took myself out to dinner and walked to Orlando’s Restaurante. It was excellent!

I had been told to visit Bahia de Los Angeles on the way home. I’m glad I took the detour and spent a couple of days resting at Archelon Eco Camping. This was one of my favorite camping spots of my trip. There’s a little cafe/restaurant at the campo called Siete Filos to sit and watch the world go by, read and rest. It was such a relaxing place. I took a long blustery walk on the beach to view the lighthouse on the sandbar and watch the gulls dropping shells. There’s a little museum to visit here called, Museo de Naturaleza y Cultura.

Beware of potholes on the way back to the main road!

After Bahia de Los Angeles I was ready to go home and only stopped to sleep. I returned via Mexicali instead of Tijuana and enjoyed the newly finished road north. I’d like to return and check out the beachside communities of this area.

It was a relief not to have to watch out for potholes all the time, and I soon began to get excited of seeing family and friends back in the US. As I approached the border, I put my GPS on and followed the directions. As I drove by a very long line on my right, wondering what they were waiting for it I dawned on me that I was in the wrong lane!!! I could only go forward, so I made my way to the gate and started to explain in Spanish what had happened. The border patrol quickly informed me in English that all was ok, and I didn’t have to go to the back of the line! Phew! It was the only time I felt nervous at a checkpoint during my whole trip! Haha!

This will forever be a journey to remember!

Thank you Baja!