ghebinkim
New member
- Joined
- May 21, 2009
- Location
- Sunnyvale
- Moto(s)
- 2011 XR1200X
2017 Redshift MX
2018 Redshift EX
- Name
- Kevin
Hey BARF,
Amelia and I took our DR350's down to the tip of Baja and back. Had a scheduled rendezvous with a friend in La Paz so we booked it down, but messed up the timing so we didn't actually meet up with the friend. Booked it back up to meet a friend who was briefly in town, but weren't able to meet up with him, either.
So, we ended up taking more pavement than I had wanted or anticipated, but still had a great first Baja trip.
The name of the game was to make good time, eat good food, and not spend a ridiculous amount of money (camp most nights, buy groceries for one meal per day, etc.). About halfway down we decided we should also probably stop crashing and/or drowning the bikes.
The trip was roughly planned for, but only in the sense of having an approximate route in mind. The AAA Baja map was pretty useful, if not a little outdated. It seems as though Baja has become really developed in the past couple years - Pemex stations abound, and way more paved roads than the map suggests. Brought a handheld Garmin unit as a last resort, but probably could have benefited from downloading a more detailed map. Used BajaBound for insurance and spend $65/bike for liability only since the DR's were too old to be eligible for comprehensive. Not that it would have mattered much, anyway, since KBB values each bike at around $800
Tried to get tourist cards in Ensenada, but the office was closed for the next two days and we didn't feel like waiting around. Never had a problem with the federales asking for any documentation, though. In terms of bike prep, we really didn't do much except for mounting fresh tires and changing the oil/filters.
Including cost of tires, insurance, and all costs accumulated during the trip, we averaged $107/day (for two people) over the course of 12 days.
On to the pictures...
Camped the first night about 10 miles past Ensenada along Hwy 3, on the way to San Felipe.
Stopped in Ojos Negros for some pastries and coffee (Dos panes y dos cafes, por favor). I think she was enjoying her pastry
Hwy 3 has some pretty scenic but boring stretches...
Staying hydrated with the $18 hydration pack from Big 5.
Always time for a selfie. Actually, I think that's the only picture of us together from the entire trip.
Lost a screw at some point. Good thing we packed duct tape!
Relaxing on the beach at Pete's Camp just north of San Felipe. Kind of a rip off at $15/night for a spot on the beach, but was recommended by a coworker so we gave it a shot. Nice spot to camp, and I don't think we would have done much better than that in the nearby areas since it's so populated.
The little cabana at Pete's Camp. Pete's Camp is an interesting mix of people passing through (like us) and retired foreigners. The restaurant/bar has decent food and prices are a little higher than your typical side-of-the-road taco stand, but still cheaper than in the US.
Short dirt detour while headed south from San Felipe to Coco's Corner.
There's currently about 30 miles of unpaved road to get from the eastern coast back to Hwy 1 through Coco's Corner. The AAA map indicates something closer to 60 miles.
Took pictures w/ Coco.
Camped next to an abandoned building south of Coco's Corner. Hurricane damage, perhaps?
The stars were great for the next few nights.
Managed to break a windscreen, so duct tape to the rescue... again... (seeing a common theme here?)
Stopped for lunch in Santa Rosalia, and this guy was super eager to say hi.
Amelia and I took our DR350's down to the tip of Baja and back. Had a scheduled rendezvous with a friend in La Paz so we booked it down, but messed up the timing so we didn't actually meet up with the friend. Booked it back up to meet a friend who was briefly in town, but weren't able to meet up with him, either.
So, we ended up taking more pavement than I had wanted or anticipated, but still had a great first Baja trip. The name of the game was to make good time, eat good food, and not spend a ridiculous amount of money (camp most nights, buy groceries for one meal per day, etc.). About halfway down we decided we should also probably stop crashing and/or drowning the bikes.
The trip was roughly planned for, but only in the sense of having an approximate route in mind. The AAA Baja map was pretty useful, if not a little outdated. It seems as though Baja has become really developed in the past couple years - Pemex stations abound, and way more paved roads than the map suggests. Brought a handheld Garmin unit as a last resort, but probably could have benefited from downloading a more detailed map. Used BajaBound for insurance and spend $65/bike for liability only since the DR's were too old to be eligible for comprehensive. Not that it would have mattered much, anyway, since KBB values each bike at around $800
Tried to get tourist cards in Ensenada, but the office was closed for the next two days and we didn't feel like waiting around. Never had a problem with the federales asking for any documentation, though. In terms of bike prep, we really didn't do much except for mounting fresh tires and changing the oil/filters. Including cost of tires, insurance, and all costs accumulated during the trip, we averaged $107/day (for two people) over the course of 12 days.
On to the pictures...
Camped the first night about 10 miles past Ensenada along Hwy 3, on the way to San Felipe.
Stopped in Ojos Negros for some pastries and coffee (Dos panes y dos cafes, por favor). I think she was enjoying her pastry
Hwy 3 has some pretty scenic but boring stretches...
Staying hydrated with the $18 hydration pack from Big 5.
Always time for a selfie. Actually, I think that's the only picture of us together from the entire trip.
Lost a screw at some point. Good thing we packed duct tape!
Relaxing on the beach at Pete's Camp just north of San Felipe. Kind of a rip off at $15/night for a spot on the beach, but was recommended by a coworker so we gave it a shot. Nice spot to camp, and I don't think we would have done much better than that in the nearby areas since it's so populated.
The little cabana at Pete's Camp. Pete's Camp is an interesting mix of people passing through (like us) and retired foreigners. The restaurant/bar has decent food and prices are a little higher than your typical side-of-the-road taco stand, but still cheaper than in the US.
Short dirt detour while headed south from San Felipe to Coco's Corner.
There's currently about 30 miles of unpaved road to get from the eastern coast back to Hwy 1 through Coco's Corner. The AAA map indicates something closer to 60 miles.
Took pictures w/ Coco.
Camped next to an abandoned building south of Coco's Corner. Hurricane damage, perhaps?
The stars were great for the next few nights.
Managed to break a windscreen, so duct tape to the rescue... again... (seeing a common theme here?)
Stopped for lunch in Santa Rosalia, and this guy was super eager to say hi.
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