La Ventana ~ a conflicting mix of emotions will forever come into play when we hear that name. For La Ventana is perhaps both the best and worst of our time in Baja. It is fair to say that the town itself was not our favorite, yet our two weeks there were two of our best in the company of wonderful family and friends. And while the day to day took on a comfortable pattern, La Ventana is also where we said our final goodnight to Porter. La Ventana will always be bittersweet.
We spent 87 nights in Baja, camping at 19 different campgrounds (4 of them multiple times) 87 nights. Nearly 3 months. Here is a list of where we stayed so match up with the stories of our time that have been flowing as we traveled. I’m working on a follow-up blog but the writing is coming slowly. Baja, although wonderful, took a toll on us in more ways than one.
Estero Beach RV Park ~ Ensenada, BC
We had stopped at Clam Beach en-route and planned to stay, but after driving on the toll road 40minutes into Ensenada and with darkness approaching, we opted for the closer option of Estero Beach. Pricey at $40 night (negotiated down), we were irritated at paying so much, and yet in our two nights there we recovered from our traumatic border crossing, spent a couple of hours streaming Netflix, and during a break in the storm on day two dipped in the steaming hot tub. Just what we needed. Close to downtown, it offers nice facilities, laundromat, pool, hot tub, beach walk, and even a museum. We ended up staying here again for our final night in Baja before crossing the border.
Never fear. We are not actually living in Los Barriles. We did, however, end up spending more time there than any other place in Baja. More than three weeks during three different time periods. So I guess, basically, we were living in Los Barriles!
We were in Los Barriles. Still. We ended spending more time there than anywhere in Baja, for several reasons. But right then, as much as we were enjoying the town, we were searching for solitude.
After a wonderful weekend free camping with friends, followed by a scorching hot walking tour of lovely Todos Santos. We only had one thing in mind. We were searching for COOL.
BEER. We had been dreaming of beer. Now, don’t get me wrong. Obviously Mexico has plenty of beer. But we hail from the land of the brewpub, from a city with more brewpubs per capita than any other. We were dreaming of craft beer and we were not to be denied! Luckily for us, we found beer and Loreto!
I’m not entirely sure what I expected of Baja. I did know I was looking for that Special Place. That salty piece of land where I felt totally in my element. While the search may still be continuing on some levels, El Coyote Beach surely came close.
We spent little time in the USA at the beginning of our road trip down the PanAm. Have camped extensively in Oregon, and traveled quite often to California, we didn’t want the expense of stateside living to destroy our budget going forward. And, hey, the sunny beaches of Baja were beckoning!
Tillicum State Park – Waldport, Oregon
Our first night on the road, we opted for a short drive to a familiar spot. We have camped at Tillicum several times, always appreciating the miles of endless beach and some ocean view campsites, a rarity in Oregon. $27/ night with picnic tables, flushing toilets and water/electric but little else in way of amenities.
Well, we did it. After a tumultuous first week or so on the road, we are now at the beach and embracing San Felipe.
Happy New Year. I write this from a beachside palapa in San Felipe, Mexico… a fine place for a new start.
