Let the Adventure to Baja Begin

Let the Adventure to Baja Begin

January 20th 2016 (Wednesday)

“Hark, now hear the sailors cry, smell the sea, and feel the sky. Let your soul & spirit fly, into the mystic…”
― Van Morrison

Ok… so maybe we aren’t sailing but we were ready for the mystic adventure to Baja which lay ahead of us! Our Nissan Versa is just as sturdy as the ‘Pequod” in ‘Moby Dick’ and as fun as “The Flying Dutchman” from ‘Sponge Bob Squarepants’.

I shout to my 1st mate and wife Francis – “Raise the anchor!” (She takes off the emergency brake), “Unfurl the sails!” (she adjusts all the car mirrors). “Set course to the center of an ever setting sun!”. She gives me a blank stare and asks, “Are we using my Google Maps or yours?”

With our hatchback packed like a college student leaving home for the 1st time, we said goodbye to Huntington Beach. We left early to avoid traffic going into San Diego because people just love going to ‘Lego Land’ in Carlsbad on a Wednesday! So, we made our way into Tijuana and we were asked by Border Patrol to pull over for inspection. Oh shoot… they are gonna give us hell for all the Trader Joe’s® contraband we’re muling over! After a very quick inspection of the trunk and a couple questions over an awkward white trash bag of fresh laundry, we were on our way!

Driving in Baja is pretty straightforward. You take the “1D” Highway towards Rosarito/Ensenada. The scenery is breathtaking, a beautiful drive with no traffic along the coast. It’s like driving through a hybrid of southwestern mountains and southern California beaches. We drove for 9 hours straight, passing through Rosarito, Ensenada, and many other beautiful small cities (pueblos) before calling it a night at Cataviña.

We got a room at the “Misión Cataviña” and for a 3-star hotel; it was lovely, charming, and large. It was definitely taking the Marriot’s lunch money! Only wish we had more time to enjoy the place but Baja California Sur couldn’t wait for us!

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