Cabo San Lucas (11)

9 - 14 February, 2007
Cabo San Lucas, Baha California Sur, Mexico
---population: 150,000
Villa Serena Trailer Park

Dear Friends of Barbara and Charlie (B/C) ...

[map]Humphrey again. This email covers the drive from to Los Barriles down the coast of the Sea of Cortez to Cabo San Lucas at the tip of the peninsula, 66 miles. We stayed here six nights.

Along the way we passed the Mexican monument marking the Tropic of Cancer (22.5 degrees north latitude) which we crossed here marking entry into the tropics and tropical temperatures.

A clarification of names. Cabo San Lucas is at the western end of “Los Cabos”, resort development stretching from San Juan Del Cabo on the right, an older laid-back town, to Cabo San Lucas, the modern tourist mecca on the left. The RV park was about 7 miles east of Cabo San Lucas and 15 west of San Juan Del Cabo, just east of Costco.

The area marks the convergence of the Sea of Cortez and the Pacific. In the 16th and 17th centuries the gulf side was a favored hiding place for pirates who plundered Spanish galleons. The early 20th century brought commercial fishing and when that petered-out, in 1974 the Mexican government began development of Capo San Lucas from scratch as a tourist center. So all the ritzy hotels, shops and crowded yacht harbor that you see in San Lucas, all to world-class standards, is only about 30 years old.


San Juan Del Cabo. We’ll start here. The town is built around the ubiquitous Catholic church, built 1720 and now beautifully restored; with typically narrow streets, very appealing tree-shaded shopping lanes, and “Shooters” a pleasant roof-top restaurant/bar overlooking it all. Here B/C are having lunch with Al and Terri.

Charlie at lunch at the Gardenia Restaurant in Cabo San Lucas with (right to left) Claudia and Jerry our Wagon Masters and Marita and Bill our Tail Gunners. Gardenias is famous for its tacos at reasonable prices for Cabo San Lucas. Charlie’s distressed look was caused by the announcement that they were out of cactus tacos.

Barbara and others went on a shopping tour to Todos Santos 40 miles north of Cabo San Lucas which was holding its annual crafts show. Alternatively there is the more traditional but upscale Marina Mercado Arts & Crafts Market at the Cabo San Lucas small boat harbor. Barbara noted that just about all of the crafts displayed were shipped over from mainland Mexico. Cabo San Lucas has a number of high-style stores, a modern two-story down-town mall, a Costco, Home Depot and soon a Walmart.

Cabo San Lucas has a lot of tourist things to do beyond shopping. One attraction is to take a small glass-bottomed boat out to see the fish, view the old cannery of 75 years ago, visit Lover’s beach for sunbathing (notice how Barbara caught Charlie blending into the geologic rock formation), watch the kayakers and ultimately the see roosting pelicans.

Note the cruise ship in port; Cabo San Lucas gets 1-5 daily.


A highlight of the stay was a catamaran sail at sunset. Charlie was very interested in the number of trimarans in the harbor both private (from up and down the West Coast and Mexico) and those used locally for sailing tours. For some reason he didn’t find the tri he designed and built 40 years ago in Seattle. Here Barbara has gained Margarita confidence sitting on the net between the halls talking with Al and Terri. Then the obligatory picture of B/C in the wind; the temperature was in the tropical 90‘s but the sea breeze made it a little chilly. The rock formations at the very end of the of the Cape, the advertised sunset and lastly the paved malacon around the yacht harbor on our way home from the cruise.

Next: La Paz, the beginning of our return north.

… Humphrey for Charlie and Barbara

Los Barriles (10)

5 - 8 February, 2007
Los Barriles, Baha California Sur, Mexico population: 1000?
East Cape RV Park

Dear Friends of Barbara and Charlie (B/C) ...

Humphrey again. This email covers the drive from CD Constitucion to Los Barriles (the barrels) back on the Sea of Cortez 40 miles south of La Paz, a 191 mile drive. We stayed here four nights. The town and the RV park was one of our favorites.

The East Cape RV Park was exceptional. It is owned by an very energetic American woman and an older Mexican man partner. They are developing the park first class. The swimming pools, water too cold to swim, was the site of our arrival meeting. Due to limited space in the park and the presence of another RV caravan, other meetings were held at our RV site, the largest available. The flowers in the park were beautiful.


Los Barriles is a piece of old Mexico but on the eve of development. The beach is expansive and beginning to attract resort hotels.


There are some beautiful homes for sale.


Town development is yet to come but they are electrified. Of particular interest to Charlie was the Thrifty Ice Cream store with ice cream found in Los Angeles.

One of Barbara’s highlights was introduction to red snapper, head and all, at a very nice thatched-roofed restaurant. She liked it. The waters around southern Baha have red snapper, tuna, dorado (mahi mahi), marlin and sailfish among others.

Next: Cabo San Lucas, finally

… Humphrey, for Charlie and Barbara

Cuidad Constitucion (9)

3 - 4 February, 2007

CD Constitucion, Baha California Sur, Mexico

--- population: 45,000
(CD is an abbreviation for Cuidad)
Palapa 206 Campground

Dear Friends of Barbara and Charlie (B/C) ...

Humphrey again. This email covers the drive from Loreto down the middle of the Baha to CD Constitucion, 96 miles. We stayed here two nights over Super Bowl weekend.

This is a prime farming area due to irrigation. The town seems like most mid-western farm town however the highway is lined with palms and set off from the town with frontage roads.


One highlight of the stay was a visit to the Ley supermarket that seems to be supplied by or owned by Safeway. It should look familiar to you: note the meat counter, produce area and shelf goods. And the checkout and sales slip. There are many such supermarkets in the Baja with counter people employing maybe better hygiene than in the states. In restaurants and from grocery stores we ate fruits, vegetables and drank the water with no ill effects.

Another highlight was a dance performance by a local children’s group of a wide age range. Very well done! I guess they too have after-school programs. The program included a line dance with the audience’s participation.

Then there was the Sunday afternoon Super Bowl. Barbara was one of the winners of an informal score lottery.

NOTE: Interestingly, thirty miles west of CD Constiticion at San Carlos on Bahia Magdalena is a thermonuclear power plant that apparently powers the southern peninsula. We passed a lot of reinforced concrete power pole laying along the side of the road for planting. We were in one or two remote towns where local power was from an electric generator at scheduled hours in the evening.

Next: Los Barriles

… Humphrey, for Charlie and Barbara

Loreto (8)

29 January - 2 February, 2007
Loreto, Baha California Sur, Mexico
- population: 11,800
Rivera Del Mar Campground

Dear Friends of Barbara and Charlie (B/C) ...

Humphrey again. This email covers the drive from Santispac down the coast of the Sea of Cortez to Loreto, 71 miles. We stayed here five nights. This has been our favorite town with easy walking access from the RV park.

The park was a little cramped with all of us in residence but Scout was satisfied. Adjacent to the park was a very nice restaurant with WiFi in which we had several meals during our stay. And we had another group dinner, filet minion as I recall, at another very nice restaurant. Here, next to Barbara, is pictured Gary and Nancy Goerz who have just started full-timing in the past year. They are members of "Escapees" headquartered in Livingston, TX which is now their mailing forwarding address.

Another afternoon activity was learning the right way to drink tequila: lick a dash of salt on your hand, down a jigger of tequila straight, then immediately suck on a lime. The instructors were Gaylord (retired contractor) and Yvonne (ex-secretary and Makah Indian from Neah Bay, WA.)

The Loreto waterfront is exceptional. A resort hotel fronting on the ocean. The divided road along the malacon or paved waterfront walk. The malacon with cruse ship anchored out. The town has an international airport but doesn’t attract many tour ships because it doesn’t have a landing pier. It was just announced by the Federal government in Mexico City that they will build one. Tourist hotels are already under construction and it is hoped that the local atmosphere won‘t be destroyed.


Loreto has a reputation for fishing; here fisherman await their guide. Some try fishing just off the dock (the splash is from a couple dive-bombing pelicans).

The town’s residential areas are quiet and laid-back.

Loreto is the site of the first mission in Alta (US state of California) and Baja California, begun in 1697. It was the origin of all mission built through out the Baja and the state of California. The mission has been restored as a tourist attraction.

Adjacent is a very attractive tree-arched shopping mall that contributes to the laid-back atmosphere of the town.

A modern elementary school. Free public education was decreed in about 1910; we saw lots of children in school uniforms. Across the street was an interesting house under construction. Thatched roofs are common and we had many a restaurant meal under them. This is how they are built.

Barbara and Charlie both agreed this is a town that they would like to return to.

Next stop: Ciudad Constitucion

… Humphrey, for Charlie and Barbara