Van-Tramp adventures 2016

Van-Tramp · Jan 8, 2016

Official van-dweller again!

Yep, that’s right. As of the 1st of the year we had moved into the van. It took another 3 days to move everything we wanted out of the Airstream and into the van, but by the 3rd the Airstream was in storage and we were 100% official van-tramps. We made a fair share of additions to the van (detailed soon) just accommodate the addition of a female in a previously man-only van.

We spent our first night in the van (without the crutch of the trailer parked right beside us) at the Salton Sea SRA. Here we were able to give all systems a run-down, including van-breakfast-tacos cooked outside the van with the Campchef stove and oven combo which is removable from the van so I can cook those greasy meals, like bacon and eggs, outside under the awning.

[img=600x400]http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/IMG_7643.jpg[/img]

more at http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/official-a-van-dweller-again/#more-9114

my_vantasy · Jan 8, 2016

Awesome! Talk about togetherness...two adults and two dogs in a van...can't wait to hear more.

akrvbob · Jan 8, 2016

You're so close, it would be great to have you drop by the RTR!
Bob

masterplumber · Jan 11, 2016

akrvbob said:
You're so close, it would be great to have you drop by the RTR!
Bob

X2, would love to see you again and meet your traveling mate.

Goshawk · Jan 11, 2016

From pictures he is at RTR.

Van-Tramp · Jan 11, 2016

Yea, I was close (just outside of Yuma) but unfortunately we were headed south to Baja, MX

Goshawk · Jan 12, 2016

Got you confused with another. Have a great time On the tramp trail.

Van-Tramp · Jan 12, 2016

Baja or bust
http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/baja-or-bust/

We left the Yuma area, early Sunday morning, to cross into Mexico and make the 120 mile drive to San Felipe on the eastern coast of the Baja peninsula. Everything went smoothly crossing the border other than the fact that we made four attempts at finding the right place to get our Visitor’s Visa. It did not help that we were getting instructions from Dan who told us the wrong place to go. It was not until later in the day that we all realized he crossed the border at a different location all together. This is not the first time Dan has given us bad directions trying to get us killed. I will be watching him more closely now.

Nevertheless, we made it across, and after an hour ordeal, got our visas. It was then just a 2 hour drive to San Felipe, which went smoothly even with my first ever Military checkpoint. We arrived to the designated campground where we met up Dan & Marlene (and kids) of @Malimish and Nathan & Rene (and kids) of @Wandrly.

On Monday we enjoyed the sunrise in bed, played on the beach a bit, strolled in to town for lunch (tacos) and a bit of exploring, followed by some more dog-time on the beach before another happy hour before dinner and a good night’s sleep… some pics:

[img=474x276]http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/IMG_7684-1024x597.jpg[/img] [img=474x267]http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/IMG_7714-1024x577.jpg[/img] [img=474x316]http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/IMG_7726-1024x682.jpg[/img] [img=474x316]http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/IMG_7739-1024x682.jpg[/img] [img=474x316]http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/IMG_7765-1024x682.jpg[/img] [img=474x475]http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/IMG_7784-1022x1024.jpg[/img] [img=474x390]http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/IMG_7796-1024x843.jpg[/img] [img=474x316]http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/IMG_7791-1024x682.jpg[/img]
[img=474x712]http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/IMG_7788-682x1024.jpg[/img]

Canine · Jan 12, 2016

Looks like you are having a great time.When me and Vic were in San Felipe last winter,we got some of the best Mexican food I've evr eaten.Sorry,I can't remember the name of the restaurant.We kicked back and watched sunrises at Pete's Fish Camp for a week on our way back north.

caseyc · Jan 12, 2016

Hi Van Tramp,

I was wondering what happened to you. Glad to know you're happy and doing the van life. I'm doing the van life too, but minus the travelling. I will live vicariously through you!

Casey

Van-Tramp · Jan 13, 2016

Yea this past year has been a whirlwind, but Im still hanging around. Been out of the van for a while, but I'm happy to report I am back in it... for this trip at least (maybe more).

Van-Tramp · Jan 19, 2016

Goodbye San Felipe
http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/goodbye-san-felipe/

Well, that is it for San Felipe… for this trip at least. We camped on the beach for a week, explored numerous places to eat in town, and basically just beach bummed around for most of the time. I even tried my first few seafood tacos while here; Shrimp (not so likey) and Mantaray (not so likey either).
While San Felipe was not on my radar until the days leading up to the border crossing, I am happy we came here as it is a milder transition into Mexico than Ensenada (our original first week location) would have been. San Felipe’s economy is still tourist-based, but the number of people in town is likely a fraction of Ensenada’s.
Today we make the 260 mile drive to Bahía de los Ángeles, and some of those miles will be on dirt/gravel. This is not the first time Big Blue has been off-asphalt, but it has been a big concern for us as the definition of “dirt road” can be drastically different this far south. Fingers crossed

[img=474x267]http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/IMG_7831-1024x577.jpg[/img] [img=474x267]http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/IMG_7834-1024x577.jpg[/img] [img=474x380]http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/IMG_7842-1024x821.jpg[/img] [img=474x390]http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/IMG_7796-1-1024x843.jpg[/img] [img=474x267]http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/IMG_7865-1024x577.jpg[/img] [img=474x267]http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/IMG_7867-1024x576.jpg[/img][img=474x316]http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/IMG_7726-1024x682.jpg[/img] [img=474x276]http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/IMG_7684-1024x597.jpg[/img] [img=474x316]http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/IMG_7765-1024x682.jpg[/img]

Van-Tramp · Jan 20, 2016

We had heard stories of the road leading south of San Felipe. The final 25 miles of HWY5 before reconnecting to MEX1 had not yet been paved and was under construction. Knowing that this meant a whole different thing then in America, I was not expecting any comfort on that stretch of “road”. I aired the tires down to reduce some of the rattling and we set out hoping for the best. Our convoy partners took off the night prior, opting to stay a night in Puertecitos before tackling the road themselves. We hoped they would rescue us when Big Blue died…

[img=474x267]http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/IMG_7882-1024x576.jpg[/img]
[img=474x267]http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/IMG_7887-1024x577.jpg[/img]

Instead, Big Blue conquered the 25 miles like a champ! There was a lot of rattling, and a few noises that perked up even my seasoned ears, but otherwise all things went without issue. Two hours of dirt, gravel, and mountain passes, and we popped out onto MEX1 unscathed. We pointed South and picked up speed only to turn off MEX1 after 30 miles to head East, crossing the mountains again and arriving at Bahia de Los Angeles late in the afternoon.

[img=229x300]http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/bajamap-229x300.jpg[/img]

Van-Tramp · Jan 20, 2016

Shipwrecked in Bahia de Los Angeles
http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/shipwrecked-in-bahia-de-los-angeles/
More images on the blog post linked above. The embedded Instagram images do not appear on the forum

After a quick review of the local RV parks in the town, we settled into Guillermo’s RV Park for the night, which promptly ended at 6:30 PM for us. It was a long day on the road and neither of us had the will to stay awake any longer. The morning proved more to our liking.

[img=474x267]http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/IMG_7893-1024x576.jpg[/img] [img=474x267]http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/IMG_7894-1024x577.jpg[/img] [img=474x193]http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/IMG_7895-1024x417.jpg[/img]

By mid morning we had eaten breakfast and thought we were done with Bahia de Los Angeles thanks to such poor Internet within town (no cell signals and the entire town shared one connection). Before leaving we went to check out the campgrounds North of town, and were blown away with Campo Archelon. With it’s beachfront camping for small rigs only, Big Blue fit in perfectly beside the other van and tent campers who all came out to introduce themselves.

Very quickly, the decision was made to stay here a night no matter how poor the Internet in town was. The rest of the day consisted of a hike to the lighthouse down the beach, a bit of sun bathing, hanging out in the hammock with a few drinks, then a BBQ, and finally sitting under the sky watching the stars slowly crawl past.

[img=474x266]http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/IMG_7962-1024x575.jpg[/img] [img=474x267]http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/IMG_7971-1024x577.jpg[/img] [img=474x316]http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/IMG_7978-1024x682.jpg[/img] [img=474x267]http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/IMG_8012-1024x576.jpg[/img] [img=474x267]http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/IMG_8013-1024x576.jpg[/img]

The next morning just got better…

[img=474x267]http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/IMG_8026-1024x577.jpg[/img] [img=474x267]http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/IMG_8030-1024x577.jpg[/img]

… but I did have to get my butt into town at first light to get caught up on work. Afterwards we headed back over the mountains, connected to MEX1, turned South, and made our way to Guerrero Negro.

More images on the blog post linked above. The embedded Instagram images do not appear on the forum

Van-Tramp · Jan 26, 2016

Baja Sur
http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/baja-sur/

Before arriving in Guerrero Negro, to meet back up with the Mali.Mish and Wandrly families, we had heard that there was some problem for one of the two vehicles during that 25 mile span of poor dirt road. As it turned out, the VW bus decided to stop working on that drive (big surprise huh?) and they were towed to a hotel in Guerrero Negro.

We ended up at the only local RV park (Malarrimo RV Park) that was within walking distance of everything in town. This provided only a mediocre place to stay, but gave us access to all the tacos we wanted, and we did just that. Imagine just how pleased Kerri was with a weeks worth of tacos within walking distance. We hammered them down!

Other than that, Guerrero Negro was nothing exciting to speak of. We moved on as soon as the work-week expired, continuing our drive deeper into Baja Sur.

Sadly, all the images in this post are Instagram embeds, so if you want to see the images, you have to go to http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/baja-sur/

highdesertranger · Jan 26, 2016

very cool, thanks for sharing. a few of us at the RTR were wondering where you have been. highdesertranger

Van-Tramp · Jan 29, 2016

Van-Tramp · Jan 29, 2016

The following morning we ran back into San Ignacio for breakfast at a local restaurant before continuing the drive South. Between San Ignacio and San Rosalia lays dormant a three-peaked volcanic range that we had to cross, complete with lava flows and the steep grades associated with mountains in Mexico.

[img=474x316]http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/IMG_8124-1024x682.jpg[/img] [img=474x266]http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/IMG_8131-1024x575.jpg[/img]

Eventually we made our way into San Rosalia, a much larger town than San Ignacio, built around an old mine. With a few more hours to kill in the day we ventured into the old town on foot which included yet another historic church. The timing was just right for us to accidentally run into old friends from Alaska, @PerkyMog, who had just pulled into town behind us. Again, a few more pictures of the church and a quick visit to a local bakery before jumping back in Big Blue for a little more southern mileage before settling in Mulege for the work-week.

[img=474x316]http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/IMG_8140-1024x682.jpg[/img]
[img=150x150]http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/IMG_8138-150x150.jpg[/img] [img=150x150]http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/IMG_8137-150x150.jpg[/img] [img=150x150]http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/IMG_8148-150x150.jpg[/img]

Van-Tramp · Feb 2, 2016

A week near Mulege
http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/a-week-near-mulege/

As we entered town of Mulege, “Barbara” (Kerri’s Garmin GPS which she insisted on bringing even though it can’t speak a lick of Spanish) told us, in that monotone synthetic yet somehow demeaning voice, to exit the highway to the right. I do not know why I still listen to this stupid thing, as once again it lead my off a nicely paved highway and onto a steep gravel road that led to nowhere safe for Big Blue. Barbara insisted, with Kerri supporting her all the way. I gave up, lacking the constitution to argue with two women at once, even if one was very, very, bad with directions… and the other was a computer.

Eventually, after navigating another half-mile on the sketchiest back-alley dirt roads through some who-knows-what-that-smell-is kinda mud and just barely clearing a tree and a power line and nearly rolling Big Blue on it’s side, we made it to the other side and to another paved road. Wouldn’t you know it, it connected to the main highway just a few hundred yards from the dirt road Barbara sent us down. In another instance of her repeated attempt to kill us – I can’t prove it, but I know it – she chose the shortest (and most dangerous) possible path while ignoring the fastest, safest, paved, and commonly used path… Grrr.

Finally back on paved road we quickly found the turn off to start the two miles of dirt road to the campground we were hoping would work out for us. Not a quarter mile down the road we were on some sandy path with a dead dog, a dead couch, and a dozen vultures circling overhead as if waiting for us to sit on the very couch with the dead dog on the side of a path that Big Blue most certainly does not belong. A scary, yet lucky, u-turn without getting stuck in the sand and two miles of the correct dirt road, finally brought us to Ray’s RV Resort where we were met by no one at all, just like some zombie movie. We parked anyway.

[img=474x316]http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/IMG_8174-1024x682.jpg[/img]

And to both our surprise, Ray’s Resort turned out to be one of the coolest places we had stayed in Baja (to date). With a large open grassy area, orange trees dripping with those big orange balls of goodness, and still no one else around. We settled in for the night, then the next day, then the full work week and still no zombies appeared.

[img=474x316]http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/IMG_8175-1024x682.jpg[/img][img=474x267]http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/IMG_8213-1024x576.jpg[/img] [img=474x267]http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/IMG_8214-1024x576.jpg[/img]

Freshly squeezed orange juice accompanied every meal. Hot showers were the order of the day – uh well, every other day anyway – and the dogs had free reign to run and run and run. Speaking of which, I finally got off my ass and did a little running as well, and even a few short workouts, knowing that if I didn’t workout here then I’d probably never start up again.

During our 6 day stay we did meet the owner and was able to pay up for the camping and thanked her for all the free orange juice we could muster. I could have stayed here for many more weeks, but adventures just down the road does beckon like a siren singing to the unknowing sailors in the sea. That siren’s name; Barbara, I just know it!

Goshawk · Feb 3, 2016

Don't trust the GPS. People drive off old bridges all the time. Lol. But seriously I always use a map and GPS and common sense combined.

Van-Tramp adventures 2016

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