Before we left Yuma on Monday morning, we stopped at Ed Whitehead's Tire Pros for new trailer tires. Gonzo Muñoz (store manager shown in the picture below) provided much technical and safety related information earlier in the week so I could research and decide. A little homework and I came to realize that the tires on the RV were not as specified on the invoice for the trailer. After some digging, I found the correct tires required for the trailer (a higher load rating). My research confirmed Gonzo's excellent advice!
After a stop 50 miles down the road to re-torque the wheels, we were on our way! Along the way, we passed through the Imperial Sand Dunes. We found out that the first roads over the sand dunes in Arizona and California were actually wooden roads. As the sand dunes shifted, they could disassemble the roads and move the sections to a more easily passable area. Who knew?
When you look at the dunes, you get an idea of why they did this.
After some hectic driving along San Diego's major thoroughfares, we arrived at our resort - the Chula Vista RV Resort on the Chula Vista Marina. As you can probably appreciate, the real estate value of such a place is very high, so the spaces are a tad compact for a 38' trailer with two slides.
As you can see our canopy touches the hedge border to our property line, so we are cozy to say the least.
But, as you can see from above photos, the view from our camp site is worth it!!
While on one of our walks around the marina, we were fortunate enough to see a tall ship in harbour.
She is called the Bill of Rights, and she is owned by the South Bayfront Sailing Association (more about her here - SBFSA). We were lucky enough to have an impromptu tour of the ship with Don Johnson, one of the volunteers.
He told us of a tour that they do at Christmas time called the Parade of Lights through San Diego Bay. Sonya had read about this (in one of her many tour books) and wanted to wander through the area to see the lights. Of course, we had to sign up right away to be able to sail aboard the Bill of Rights through the bay area, rather than walk or drive.
Provisioning begins!
As with any trailer trip, there are always repairs or alterations. One of the things that the caravan leaders suggested was a two prong plug with a ground cable attached so that you can manually ground the electrical. They also said that you need to be able to reverse the plug, as polarity can be reversed while in Mexico. Good thing I brought my dremel and soldering iron!
I also ordered an Autoformer (what the heck is that?) when we got here. The Hughes Autoformer is a surge protector and voltage booster that protects the RV from power spikes as well as low voltage or high voltage situations. The darn thing weighs 35 lbs, but can protect from having to purchase a new refrigerator, air conditioner or water heater! Just another form of insurance.
In addition to new tires, I installed a tire pressure monitoring system on the truck and trailer. The guides also suggested that we bring along belts and hoses as these are not that easy to get along the Baja peninsula.
Here is all the stuff that needs to be stored!
One of the things that Sonya brought along was an AED -yes, an Automated Electronic Defibrillator. As our friends Dianna and Gord are not traveling with us, I am pretty sure that we will be the only ones with an AED on board!
Not to be outdone in the provisioning department, Sonya provisioned up with beans, spices, nuts, 3 (yes 3!) bottles of Sriracha sauce, a 38 day supply of tofu and of course a new cookbook on Mexican cuisine.
In order to give you a taste of our trip, Sonya has provided the following recipe for "Not Your Mama's Party Mix", (an update on Christmas Nuts and Bolts recipe) from The Veggie-Lovers Sriracha Cookbook.
3 cups wheat squares cereal (such as Wheat Chex)
3 cups rice squares cereal (such as Rice Chex)
3 cups corn squares cereal (such as Corn Chex)
3 cups toasted oat cereal (such as Cheerios)
2 cups pretzel sticks
1 - 10 oz can cocktail peanuts
1 - 10 oz can fancy mixed nuts
1 cup melted coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, or a mixture of the two
1/2 cup Sriracha (YUP 1/2 cup!)
3 tbsp Bragg Liquid Aminos or low sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp garlic powder
Preheat oven to 250 degrees F
Assemble all the cereals and other dry ingredients in a big roasting pan.
In a measuring cup mix the coconut oil, Sriracha, liquid aminos (soy sauce), and garlic powder.
Drizzle over the cereal mixture while stirring gently until everything is coated.
Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.
Stored in an airtight container at room temperature, it keeps for 1 month.
This recipe will really light up those old Christmas Nuts and Bolts!
REMEMBER - it is a bit warm and spicy - so what goes in also comes out a bit warm and spicy!
Our Itinerary for 38 day adventure (22 STOPS IN 38 DAYS!):
| Location | Arrive | Days | Depart |
| Potrero, CA | 2016-11-07 | 1 | 2016-11-08 |
| Tecata / Ensenada | 2016-11-08 | 2 | 2016-11-10 |
| El Pabellon-Lazaro Cardenas | 2016-11-10 | 2 | 2016-11-12 |
| Catavina | 2016-11-12 | 1 | 2016-11-13 |
| Guerrero Negro | 2016-11-13 | 1 | 2016-11-14 |
| San Ignacio | 2016-11-14 | 1 | 2016-11-15 |
| Bahia Concepcion | 2016-11-15 | 3 | 2016-11-18 |
| Loreto | 2016-11-18 | 3 | 2016-11-21 |
| El Centenario | 2016-11-21 | 1 | 2016-11-22 |
| Tecolote | 2016-11-22 | 3 | 2016-11-25 |
| Rancho Verde | 2016-11-25 | 1 | 2016-11-26 |
| Los Cabos / Cabo San Lucas | 2016-11-26 | 4 | 2016-11-30 |
| Pescadero | 2016-11-30 | 2 | 2016-12-02 |
| La Paz | 2016-12-02 | 2 | 2016-12-04 |
| Puerto Escondido | 2016-12-04 | 1 | 2016-12-05 |
| Bahia Concepcion | 2016-12-05 | 3 | 2016-12-08 |
| Mulege | 2016-12-08 | 2 | 2016-12-10 |
| Guerrero Negro | 2016-12-10 | 1 | 2016-12-11 |
| Bahia de Los Angeles | 2016-12-11 | 2 | 2016-12-13 |
| Catavina | 2016-12-13 | 1 | 2016-12-14 |
| Vicente Guerrero | 2016-12-14 | 1 | 2016-12-15 |
| Valley of Guadalupe | 2016-12-15 | 1 | 2016-12-16 |
| Tecate | 2016-12-16 |
Sonya's sister Diane thought that we may be a bit bored on this part of the trip and should look for a little more variety!
At Potrero, we have the advantage of doing a Hudson Bay Start. Our friend Ken always suggests a Hudson Bay Start! What is a Hudson Bay Start you ask?
Well, fur trapping and exploration in Rupert’s Land (Canada of Old) in the 1600s must have been a high risk job to say the least. The trappers would have to survive on their own in the wilderness so having the right supplies in the correct amounts was literally a matter of life and death. To minimise this risk the trappers developed a technique known as the ‘Hudson Bay Start’.
The Hudson Bay Start was a test. A test to make sure the trappers had the right equipment before they headed off into the wilderness. They would pack up as if they were going to leave for the season but only canoe a short distance and camp overnight to make sure they had neither forgotten anything, nor taken too much. They would then return home, correct any mistakes, before heading out for real.
While Potrero is our "Hudson Bay Start" I don't expect to be able to convince Sonya to leave any of her cookbooks behind!!!
Until next time hasta luego,
Paul & Sonya
The Hudson Bay Start was a test. A test to make sure the trappers had the right equipment before they headed off into the wilderness. They would pack up as if they were going to leave for the season but only canoe a short distance and camp overnight to make sure they had neither forgotten anything, nor taken too much. They would then return home, correct any mistakes, before heading out for real.
While Potrero is our "Hudson Bay Start" I don't expect to be able to convince Sonya to leave any of her cookbooks behind!!!
Until next time hasta luego,
Paul & Sonya