March 12, 2023
A Tale of Sand, Rattlesnakes and the Search for the Ultimate Fish Taco
Winter is my slow season at work, so when my buddy Gene suggested a ride in Baja, it didn’t take much convincing to get me to go. A few months earlier while riding a trail, Gene had met Rebecca, a veterinarian and accomplished dirt bike/adventure rider, who makes an annual winter trek to Baja to volunteer her time in a small animal clinic in Mulege and explore some of the smaller towns and trails in Baja. We met and started planning the ride in early January. By early February, our group had shrunk from 5 to 3, and we loaded our bikes and headed for the border.
After a short 3 hour ride to Grand Junction, we loaded all the bike’s into Gene’s trailer and hit the road.
Just a short 11 hour ride to Yuma, AZ…
After arriving in Yuma, AZ, we unloaded the bikes and went for a quick ride before getting dinner and a hotel for the night. The next morning, we crossed the border at Los Algodones, which turned out to be a great choice. It was a Sunday morning, and there was no one in front of us. After a brief stop at the customs booth to get our tourist cards, we were officially in Mexico!
We rode south along the Colorado River past several farms, and then west toward Highway 5. As we headed down Highway 5, we started to experience some of Baja’s unique landscape with the Laguna Salada (Salt Lake). This part of Baja is in the Sonoran Desert, and the lake, which is dry most of the year, sits about 10 meters below sea level.
Heading farther south, we twisted through some hills and toward San Felipe on the coast. In San Felipe, we had a great lunch across from the malecon (boardwalk). The weather was a little cool, but there were a few people brave enough to swim in the ocean. Others rode horses on the beach.
From San Felipe, we headed south along the coast toward Gonzaga Bay. It got WINDY! The scenery was beautiful, but the wind was brutal. We got to Gonzaga Bay and checked into the San Alfonsinas Inn just in time to watch the Superbowl with some new friends. Go Chiefs!
After a few drinks, Al and Kirk kept calling Rebecca “Rhonda” so that became her name for the rest of the trip!
Alfonsinas was a great place to stay. It was one of the nicer hotels of the trip. The bar and restaurant were great, and the sunrise views were fantastic!
Our second day in Mexico began with a beautiful sunrise over a calm bay, but as calm as it was in back of the hotel, it was fiercely windy again walking out the front door. On this morning, we also learned our first lesson about gassing up when you have the chance. When we rolled into Gonzaga Bay the night before, we decided to skip the gas station and get checked into the hotel. When we road back to the gas station in the morning on the way out, the power was out and generator was down, so the pumps were out of commission. With very little gas in our tanks, and 230km to the next gas station, we hit the road.
Luckily after a short ride we met Nacho at the New Coco’s Corner who was able to sell us a few gallons of gas that he had. It would not be the last time that we bought gas from someone with a 5 gallon can.
Our next gas stop at Punta Prieta was similar…
With a little more gas in our tanks, we headed south to Guerrero Negro, crossing into Baja California Sur, and on to San Ignacio for the night. San Ignacio is a nice little mission town with a town square and several small restaurants and shops.
We found a couple of rooms at the Hotel Posada. Very simple lodging, but a bargain at $30/night.
We left San Ignacio in the morning, heading toward Mulege. We rode by Three Virgins Volcano and made a stop in Santa Rosalia to see a church that was designed by Gustave Eiffel, the same guy who designed the Eiffel Tower. The church was actually built in France and displayed next to the Eiffel Tower in 1889 before being disassembled and shipped to Baja where it was erected between 1895 and 1897. The building is all metal.
That afternoon, we arrived in Mulege, found our accommodations next to the river, borrowed a Jeep and headed to Taco Tuesday at Playa Buenaventura. It was a beautiful drive along the coast of Bahia Concepcion.
On the way back to Mulege, we stopped to admire the view. We also made a quick stop at Mulege Brewing Company where the entire bar was serenaded by a guy picking up carry out, singing “Danny Boy”. You just never know what is going to happen in Baja!
That evening, locals were having a party at The Racing Bar, so we made our way over for some tacos, beer and great sunset views over the river.
The next morning, “Rhonda” had to work at the animal clinic, so Gene and I left to explore the area. We rode south to the small village of San Nicolas and had our own adventures.
Despite a couple mishaps in the sand, we made it back to Mulege in time to take Gene out for a great birthday dinner. After dinner, we saw a strange glow in the window across the street. The owner of a local coffee roastery was roasting beans that had just arrived, and even though he was closed for the night, he invited us in to see his roaster and sample some fresh coffee.
The next morning, we visited the P.A.W. Clinic to meet the volunteers and see what great work they are doing for the community. Check out their website to learn more here.
Then, we continued to explore the area around Mulege.
After a quick ride around town and some amazing fish tacos, we took the afternoon easy back at the house. Originally, we were supposed to go fishing, but it was so windy that no one went out that day. Also not a great day for riding.
This is the end of part 1. Do we make it out of Baja? Are there really rattlesnakes? What makes a fish taco really good? Stay tuned for part 2 to find out!