Baja (two wonderful opprotunities in '09) -OCT '09 Cancelled

[deminimis]

Scatter and fellow miscreants,
We've moved up our family Baja trip as I just couldn't wait until Feb. Wife was able to get the latter part of Dec, '08 and early part of Jan, '09 off. So thinking heading down the day after xmas (although I prefer xmas in Baja).

[scatter]

I'm sure we'll be there. We don't miss too many Christmases in Baja. It's cooler then, but great for riding, etc. I just don't go swimming as often. Sissy....

[BC]

sdwindasea,
you got me going on San Ignacio, peaked my interest (deminimis too for starting this thread).

We have a resident whale expert (9yr old) who has expressed interest in going down there to cap off our recent Orca encounter off San Juan Island, and a previous close encounter with a Humpback mother and calf off Maui a few years ago. The Gray's are next on the list.

So for you, Scatter, anyone else---any good localized intelligence, places to camp, stay, see....either with SMB or not, appreciated.

[deminimis]

PM'd ya.

[sdwindansea]

BC - we stayed at Kuyima and I have nothing but incredible things to say about them and the experience. I can't wait to get back down there again. They are definitely one of the more notable places in San Ignacio lagoon and are mentioned a lot in the book Eye of The Whale (which is a great book).

You can definitely drive your SMB to the lagoon, we did it in a Chevy Avalanche with no troubles. The worst part of the drive is the first 100 yards. After that it was just a long stretch of typical Baja washboard roads. I think it is around 2 hours of driving from the town of San Ignacio. I would just make sure to do the drive during daylight. It gets really windy there, but you will be fine in the van, although they have cabanas as well. The food was also excellent.

There are also several campgrounds in the town of San Ignacio, but we didn't have the time to stay there. Next time we definitely will as it seemed like a really nice town (oasis).

Here are our pictures from our trip San Ignacio 03/2007 - Kodak Gallery. Please let me know if you have any other questions.

-Geoff

[BC]

excellent, thanks for the info and links guys. good pics Geoff, definitely looks like a nice little spot and love the fact you can camp right there at the Lagoon. I may be back with more questions if I can put this together.

[geoffff]

As the other Sportsmobile "Geoff" here who's been to Baja (& specifically Kuyima), I have to chime in! Kuyima has a great reputation, and I've gone through them twice. Whale watching there -- getting so close to the whales -- really blows away any other whale watching trip I've had anywhere else.

Here's Kuyima trip in 2005 (Sportsmobile): mexico2005/whales

And my first Kuyima trip (pre-Sportsmobile): Baja 2001-2002

... and the whole Sportsmobile Baja trip: mexico2005

-- Geoff

[sdwindansea]

Jeez - that other "Geoff" is always trying to trump me . Just kidding, and I love your pictures & web site. Anytime we talk about San Ignacio we always say we need to get back there as soon as possible. It is definitely the most spiritual/life changing trip I've ever been on. It seems like many others have felt the same way. BC (and any others), I really hope you get the opportunity to go.

[BC]

I shoulda figured seattle geoff had been there too, of course. This is great, the more info the better. I'd really like to try and pull this off but it's an awful long haul for us just to the border, and then pretty far south beyond that. Where to find the time....

IF we can pull it off in March, let me know if either of you guys would be interested in a caravan/mini-group camp.

p.s. I'll try to post a trip report from our latest whaling venture, using the SMB as base camp on the west side of San Juan Island.

[sdwindansea]

BC - if you are able to go down in March, we'd definitely be interested. I know I wouldn't have to twist my wife's arm to go back again. If it helps, it is about a 14 hour drive from San Diego to the actual lagoon (Kuyima).