Newest Road Report: January. 23, 2010

ROAD CONDITIONS DUE TO RECENT RAIN STORMS
(From Barriles PBE)

a. We are currently sitting at the Estero Beach Hotel in Ensenada due to a bridge washout at San Vicente. Have been here since Thursday.
Heavy rain again yesterday and it is still raining this morning. It
doesn't look good for getting out of here today. Frito and Sherry bajakids01@aol.com
(received Saturday, 7:30am 1-23-10)

b. We were on are way down this morning when we got stopped just
south of Ensenada. The Feds told us it would be about 3 to 4 days. We heard that several bridges
were washed out. Mike (received Saturday evening 1-23-10)

NOTES

Always watch out for vados filled with water. If you are not sure how deep the water is in the vado wade into the water some before driving into the water. NEVER camp in a dry vado.

If you have a smaller car and conditons at the border are not too busy, use the Immigration Office at the border to get or to validate your tourist card. It is located just inside the border. You can pay your fee at the bank nearby. This avoids the situation at Ensenada.

Ensenada

The Ensenada Migracion office where can pick up Tourist Cards is next to the Port Captain's Offices. Look for 3 tall palms on the north side of the street. If you have a large RV continue on the main road for about 1/8 of a mile where there is good parking. Parking is very tight near the office. They are open til 8:00 PM.

San Quientin

In recent years lots of new stations have appeared along this section of the road and there have not been any reports of cheating at the pump.

El Rosario

You MUST tank up here. If you use lots of gas fill an extra tank. The Cataviña station is often out of gas and may have no electricity to pump gas. There may be guys selling gas from barrels. There are a bunch of new speed bumps as of 2006 and the speed limit is set very low. The cops are waiting for you to pass a slow moving truck. This looks like a speed trap zone for about 1 mile through town.

Santa Rosalia

For 30 years there have been hundreds of of reports of rip offs at pumps at the Pemex station. Avoid this station at all costs.

Mulege

The Pemex station just south of Mulege and the station in town have inaccurately calibrated pumps in the past. If you did not get gas in San Ignacio and can not make Loreto you have no choice and must get gas here. One ploy is to bring a container with the number of liter clearly marked. Have it filled first to see how big the discrepency is...then? I just watch them very carefully the whole fill up. The restrooms here are sometimes very nasty but the store is fine.

La Paz to La Ventana

The road into La Paz from the north has many poorly marked topes as you near the city.

If you have never been to La Ventana make sure you have a very recent map. It is hard, the first time, to navigate from Hwy. 1 to Hwy 286 to La Ventana.

Just follow the highway into La Paz. As you near city you will see a huge white sculpture that is actually a stylized dove but looks more like a white whale tail. Keep to the right of the whale tail. Turn right at the first major 4 way intersection. Now you will be driving on a elevated 2 lane road on top of a levee.To your left will be a huge wide but shallow arroyo. To your right will be hoards of tiny concrete houses. Go for about a mile or so until you come to a major intersection with a 6 lane road. Turn left here and cross a brand new overpass that goes over the wide arroyo. Get in the right lane as soon as possible. Traffic will be very heavy. A short distance ahead will be a poorly marked off ramp that curves to the right. There should be a sign saying Los Planos. Go right at his off ramp as it veer southward for about a mile. Then you will come to a major intersection with stop signs and a windmill. Turn right here and pass some junkyards.

Continue on this highway (Mex. 286 but normally unmarked) for about 40 minutes. You will climb a mountain range from which you can see La Ventana in the distance to your left. Descend a steep very long hill. Towards the bottom of the hill you will see on your left a sign for La Ventana and signs for various resorts. Drive about 5 miles until you arrive at La Ventana.