February in Baja - Part II Loreto

Leaving San Ignacio we ride to Santa Rosalia, an dirty, industrial town on the Sea of Cortez. Here we stop at the famous church designed by the person who designed the Effiel Tower. Is rare in Mexico to see an all steel church. 

The church front with pressed steel panels

The interior...

Then there are long, very long, stretches of riding over desert floors and rocky ridges. Long straight ribbons of highway interrupted with groups of tight twisties to get over over a rocky ridge. 

By midmorning we need a refreshment break, coffee or soda.  MotoQuest has a strict rule, anyone who has an alcoholic drink before the day's riding ends, gets their bike loaded on the chase vehicle's trailer and they ride in the truck the rest of the day. Great group, no one has broken the rule. Just keeping it safe for everyone. 

A roadside Loncheria, burritos, tacos, quesadias, pan...

Spotted an interesting broom being used to sweep up leaves on the sidewalk. Take a closer look. 

It's a palm frond. That's being economical... and practical.

A BIG sweep.

Came a round a bend and two burros were blocking my way. They did not want to move, so we had a Mexican Stand Off.  Can you hear the whistling music from The Good, Bad and the Ugly?

Finally dismounting, they saw I was taller than them so they moseyed off into the brush. 

My burro of steel is running great. No problems, handles the straights and the twists with ease. It did not care for Mexican regular octane fuel as it started pinging. Went back to premium whenever I find it, the pinging stopped. 

After a few twists and turns, located the well known mission in Mulege'.  The caretaker said it's only open when the Parrish priest comes, once a week... or less. 

A few more missed turns, finally landed in front of the old stone church in Loreto. It's in town but with their one way streets, I could see it but not get to it. Found an alley way to sneak in.

And finally worked our way to the Country Club resort for the night. No one can say that MotoQuest does not give you the best accommodations on their tours.

Doesn't this look more like Morocco than Mexico?    Yes they do grow dates here.

Sat out by the pool typing away on this blog, eating a Club Sandwich. Sorry, took a few bites before remembering to get a photo. Evidence that the day's riding is over is the half empty margarita glass.

My view from under the poolside canopy. That's the Sea of Cortez in the distance.

The next day, Saturday, we ride 232 miles to La Paz. The longest straightest roads so far. Had an energy drink to make sure I stayed awake.

In a small cafe along the La Paz beach front,  Frida was our waitress. Gerald, one of my riding friends, and Frida hit it off instantly. Gerald cannot say no to anyone. Has a huge smile and generous to a fault.

Frida wanted to sit on the sidecar rig. When I agreed, she whipped off the apron and jumped on.

Thought was a fair exchange for the beautiful grilled chicken sandwich she brought to my table. 

Okay, here' s your food art shot for today. 

Hey you see, I CAN take a better photo of food...

if I don't take a bite first.

One of our riders commented that he thought we are on an eating tour, interrupted with occasional motorcycle riding...  Might be! Maybe more to life than fish or shrimp tacos...  five times a day.

The maestro who made that beautiful sandwich? Caught him in the kitchen flipping pizza dough for another customer. Very talented people, friendly, smiling, preparing great food and making everyone feel welcome.

That's not a giant taco he's flying. The stone oven behind him is for the pizza. 

We are settled into our La Paz waterfront hotel. Bikes are parked for the night, happy hour is starting.

The view out the front door of my room...

 Yeah, hmmmm, well...

 you know motorcycle tours can be rough, dirty, sweaty, 

giving us that smelly biker reputation. 

Or they can be...

I'll close my door on that thought, see you on down the road. 

We are not at end of this Baja thing quite yet...

There will be a few days relaxing in and around Cabo 

before making the return ride north later next week. 

So more, much more to come.

Stay safe and ride far my friends.

CCjon

p.s. if you think riding Baja is a rare dangerous adventure, we are seeing dozens of bikes from the US and Canada down here.  It's safer than you read. Every native we have met is friendly and welcoming. Some towns are more insistent on everybody wearing masks in public. No big issue, roll with it and enjoy the atmosphere and the warming sun.

February in Baja - Crossed at Tecate

While Texas was under a winter cold blast, I headed down to Cabo San Lucas with a group of riders with MotoQuest, an Alaska/California based motorcycle tour company. Amparo liked the idea of my traveling with a support group, I was okay with that too as it removes any stress with where to spend the night, what to do if the rig breaks down in the middle of the Mexican desert, etc., etc...

Looking back at the Pacific Ocean as we leave the Los Angeles basin early Sunday morning.

Our first night was in Julian, California, a town of great pies and chilly mornings.

Second day we crossed into Mexico at Tecate, a small border crossing. 

Fuel can be an issue in Mexico so we filled up when possible.

And if you forget to get gas at the last PEMEX station, there are roadside vendors at strategic crossroads waiting to sell you a few gallons.

After having lunch in Ensenada, we crossed the mountains to the Sea of Cortez side,

 spending our first night in Mexico in San Felipe.

San Felipe is an active, vibrant community of the water.  People, restaurants, bars and modest motels here.

Leaving San Felipe,  we followed the coast south along

the Sea of Cortez,  also known as Gulf of California.

Part of the group gather for a photo stop

stopping for lunch in Alfasino. Great seafood tacos, the best so far.

Was low tide so the fisherman who overslept will have to wait until the next high tide.

Our third night was in Bahia de Los Angeles, 

still on the Sea of Cortez, a very small sleepy fishing town. The total opposite of San Felipe.

Here you had to look to find anyone or an open business, feels deserted.

The next day we crossed back over the mountains to the Pacific side, having lunch in Guerrrero Negro before proceeding south thru the desert to San Ignacio where we will spend two nights. 

What you will not see posted here are photos of the border crossing nor the military check points we encountered. Photos are prohibited. No problems, many young soldiers just curious about the sidecar.

Seeking whatever shade can be found to rest a minute in the desert.

San Ignacio is a small village, but is near the whale wintering grounds 

(can you call a whale nursery bay grounds?)

Where we will have dinner tonight, Rancho Grande on the town plaza.

You can see in the photo how warm it is here. Am glad we are here in February and not in August.

The Mission San Ignacio

The Mission's main alter,

note the hand laid stone floor.

Riding a motorcycle and talking on your cell phone at the same time is quite a feat.

A side street in San Ignacio

And a final black & white shot in San Ignacio to complete this posting.

More to come as the trip continues south,

to San Jose del Cabo at the southern tip of Baja.

Ride safe, Ride south, 

think fish tacos, cold margartitas

CCjon

2021 Photos in Review

When it comes to photography, 2021 was a year of contrasts, some high, some low, some new, some old.

Normally I don't do portraits, but in reviewing the images from last year, 

there were a few shots of personalities, so...

Mr Newman, a baker who visited Europe fifty years ago, 

built himself a castle complete with moat, in the central Texas woods.

If I were King...

John Klein, expert welder, fabricator, motorcycle rider

now 82 years old, self-employed, still working every day.

Keith is an intense quiet one, and a great photographer

A young engineer patiently waits for the old boiler to build steam..

Engine No. 487 puffing early morning coal smoke at the rail yard in Chama

Cumbres & Toltec rail yard, Chama, NM

The Yard Boss inspects the rails... 

From the loud, coal dust dirty rail yard to the quiet serene of a cold mountain stream...

a young man gets his first lesson in fly fishing

Six year olds play football with all the intensity of the pros,

Bears complete their first pass

A Vikings player makes a flying tackle on the Bears quarterback

May in the Smokey Mountains of South Carolina, was a gathering of sidecar rigs

First a beautiful red HP rig (High Performance)

Contemplating life with a cigar

This shot of Bob on his green Kawasaki rig became the front cover of a magazine.

 Sidecamper set up for a good night's rest

Texas sunrise...

A vital artery bridge for the Houston community

...and a Texas sunset at Oak Thicket Park.

Who knew a coal powered electricity generating unit could be so tranquil.

Then there is New Mexico... 

sunrise on Wheeler Peak.

San Francisco church in Rancho de Taos

Meadow Divided, 

with the yellow of fall aspen pushing against the green of summer not wanting to leave just yet.

Old Mill in Mora, NM

Unnamed country church near La Cueva, NM

January snow in the northern New Mexico valley

Winter eve at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, NM

Snowy gate

Frozen

Thus ends another year of exploring, looking and capturing the images I see in my mind.

2021 is just another chapter in the history, 

2022 is a clean page waiting to be written... where will you go?

I think I'll first head south of the border before I head north of the border this year.

Happy New Years everyone,

Ride safe, Ride far

CCjon