I finally uploaded my pictures, and even though they mirror Mike and Lori Ann's, I thought I'd share them. I'm ready to plan a second trip already, this time for two weeks, so we can explore more than just a couple of the dusty side roads we had to rush by. A beautiful place that needs more time to fully appreciate. As Bruce said: "Most Americans think there's banditos in Baja who want to take our heads off, but the experience is always the exact opposite". What a great country, culture, and experience. Mark my words . . . in ten years I'll be a retired expat happily living on the beaches of Baja.
Waiting for Bruce and the race car in Santo Tomas on Monday, day one of the race.
Our first rest stop after Bruce had driven his first leg of the race and rejoined the group. Somewhere between San Thomas and El Rosario.
Stopping for lunch at Mama Espinoza's in El Rosario
Mama Espinoza is 108 years old and still active in the business. She was under the weather this day, but Bruce spotted her daughter, who he's known since the 60's
She spoke of her mother, and of Bruce and the early days.
After lunch, we began the 170 mile drive across the dry, dusty, windy desert between the Pacific and the Bahia De Los Angeles on the Sea of Cortez. The temperature reached 104.
It was soon after this point that Becca and Phil Moore got a flat tire, our first and only breakdown on the entire trip. We reached the Bahia just as the sun was beginning to set.
Day 2, Tuesday, sunrise over the Sea of Cortez
The group ready to leave for our next stop over - Loreto.
And, we're off!
Stopping for lunch at a taco stand within the oasis at San Ignacio
Also a checkpoint for the NORRA
And a place where you can use the bano for 5 pesos:-)
The Mission San Ignacio was built between 1728 and 1840, and still stands today
Off again! Continuing to Loreto
A side trip through Santa Rosalia offered another chance to get tied up in a couple of one-way street circle abouts. We drove around in circles three times before we were able to break the pattern.
Driving through Mulege, right before the Bahia Concepcion
As we approached we began to burn daylight
A beautiful sunset before we hit Loreto.
Wednesday, May 13th - A beautiful sunrise the next morning before heading off to San Jose Del Cabo, and the finish line.
Charly and Jon - We swapped buggies at the lunch stop so they could see how David Barrett's chassis rode - (They loved it, as do I)
One of the many churches we passed in each town
All of us wearing our Dust to Destiny shirts to cheer Bruce over the finish line. This is the amazing Lobster Taco place where we ate in Rancho Leonero.
Then, thanks to Mark Landon, who accidently crossed the finish line about a half hour earlier, he took us back so we could all crossed the finish line together
Clearly we confused some people
The woman in the middle holding her hand up (third from the left) was pitching a small fit and wanted all of us to turn around.
No comprende, we wanted to finish
at least somebody was happy for us . . .
He wasn't too sure . . .
We took over the first row when we arrived . . .
But thought better of it and moved them against the back wall before the officials asked us to leave.
Here comes Bruce!
Let the celebration begin!
On the road at 6 since it was now Friday and we only had three days to get back home. Breakfast at Las Fuentes in Todos Santos - a beautiful small town on the Pacific side of the peninsula
It was really hard to leave all of this behind . . .
Heading home we hit some road work that had us stopped for about an hour outside of Bahia Concepcion. This night we stayed in a "rustic" hotel in Mulege.
The next night, we stayed in San Quintin at the Old Mill Hotel. A really nice place, not just the hotel, but the beautiful ocean that surrounds it.
We're in the home stretch now, just a few more hours to the border. So, again,, cars are moving at 6- am
Chase car extraordinaire, Bill!
I was down to about 10 bucks in pesos, but I was determined to cross the border on just this amount. Fortunately, Doran had pity for me and threw me a 20 spot (and Winnie offered as well)
Mike and Lori Ann as we headed into Ensenada.
Cool hotel-slash-winery in the wine region of Ensenada. Those odd little boxes on the hill are hotel rooms!
Closing in on the Tecate border
Waiting at the border - For a race weekend it wasn't bad, less than an hour to get across.
Mark Landon heard I was low on cash and donated about 20 pesos to the cause. At this point, I just had to make it about a quarter of a mile.
Mike and Lori Ann made it across before me. Our agent was the slowest of all lines open - he was a bit of a talker.
Back in the good Ol' USofA
The end of an amazing trip with a terrific group of travelling friends. I couldn't have asked for a better team with which to travel. Truly, they went out of their way to work together and make the trip enjoyable for all. Thank you all for a great week!