Playa Tecolote is at the end of the road through La Paz. A collection of very small, very rickety restaurants, and a half mile of dunes and raw beach where anybody is free to pull up and stay as long as they like. When we were here in the past it was always very windy, which was no fun at all, but this time we got days of light breezes and suddenly the whole character of the place changed for us. We had planned to go somewhere else for Ouest’s birthday, but instead this place turned out to be perfect.
Puerto Balandra is just around the corner from Tecolote, and is one of our all-time favorite beaches. Shallow, clear, and beautiful.
The minute we pulled into the RV park in town Ouest grabbed her board and took off. I thought the learning curve would be steep, but she immediately pushed off and glided around without incident. This also seemed to confirm her status as a goofy footer.
I lost an arm for the awning. Again. Two times I’ve forgotten to hook it, and two times the spring loaded mechanism that is supposed to hold it has failed me. Grandparents are visiting soon. I’m sure they’ll be thrilled to haul yet another one of these things down with them.
The bus has two gas tanks. One is a big 50 gallon tank at the back that I’ve never used, and that I suspect might be full of rust. The other is 32 gallons and has never dirtied a filter. Anyway, we really don’t need the ability to drive seven hundred miles at a time—we generally just stop and fill the smaller tank every two hundred miles or so. It doesn’t have a working fuel gauge, so two hundred is our easily-safe zone. Anyway, after camping on the beaches we’ve begun craving more fresh water, and that big rear fuel tank is looking awfully tempting. Not to just dump water into, but to cut a hole in and stuff a water bladder into. Plumb that in-line with the existing water tank and we’d be sitting pretty for a week at a time, as opposed to our current two days worth of water supply. This might be a Mazatlan project.
26 Comments on “La Paz Beaches”
Goofy footers rule!! Go Ouest!!!
Ooh! An empty tank? How nice. We have a 30 gal. auxiliary gas tank but our main gas tank is only about 13 gallons so we kind of need some spare gas on hand. Don’t like to keep the spare too full, though, because we don’t need the extra weight. If I had an empty tank, I’d probably turn it into a waste tank. Ours is only about 20 gallons and combines grey and black water so this tends to be our limiting factor when boondocking.
We have NEVER been to Tecolote when it wasn’t windy. Good for you guys for catching a break.
Our black and gray tank is the same as yours. But when we boondock we are generally able to dump the gray water direct from the kitchen sink and shower outdoors, leaving the black tank for black only. A week easy. Fresh water is definitely our limiting factor with two kids onboard. 🙂
Nice project for converting old gas tank for water storage, drop down, cut open top and good to go, nice idea!
What a beautiful beach! It looks like you have made your way down into the Baja. Beautiful. Hoping to someday be adventurous like you and make it into Mexico! There is just something about driving this big rig there that makes me uncomfortable. Maybe when we downsize as the kiddos leave the RV nest 🙂
Thousands of old farts drive huge rigs down here each year with no problem. Don’t fret!
You two will be our mentors on that one! Now to figure out where we would find good internet for work. Any insight or thoughts on that one?
No. Internet sucks everywhere (especially the States). I’m extremely grateful I have no real need for fast reliable internet.
Pat,
I would bet on the tiniest amount of fuel left in the tank to taint the smell of the freshwater for months, even through a bladder. I would plan on opening up the tank, cleaning it crazy well and letting it air out for a long time before installing the bladder. Sounds like a fun project.
Is there still a ferry running from La Pez to Mazatlan? Does it accommodate RVs?
Thanks guys, water and weather look warm. Its cooling down up here in San Diego.
Josh
Yep, it takes rigs at least as long as 36 feet, maybe more, I’m not sure.
It wasn’t that long ago that you guys were there on the boat. Evolution at its finest:)
Mark and Cindy
You commented on Mazatlan and I know what ferry you’re going to cross on! We’ve played chicken with that boat on several occasions. This trip will allow you to roam the decks and not worry a hoot about nothing! Enjoy…
What is that on Ouest’s head in the skateboard shots? Have you gone over to the dark side?? Super cute pics. 🙂
Yes, for the skateboard she’s got a helmet. I know firsthand how easy it is to flip backwards on a skateboard. The same can’t be said for a bike. My opinion at least.
Hope it was clear I was just teasing… I understand the difference, most definitely. My son actually wears full pads & a helmet for skateboarding – he’s a total daredevil, and I’d like him to live a while longer. For biking and scootering, I’m much more relaxed. Happy travels!
Smart to have a cute helmet for skateboarding. My granddaughter got a compound arm fracture from ripsticking – without a helmet! Just stupidity- the arm was no problem, but if she had hit her head it could have ruined her life.
My brother was skateboarding along the shoulder of a road when he hit some loose pebbles. It knocked him off the board and he smashed his head on the ground — the injury changed his life. He went from a normal little boy to a dude who would spend the rest of his life in assisted living. He is now 42 and always regrets not wearing a helmet. Not that I ever wore one either but I guess I got lucky.
Hey Pat, where is that RV park? We only know of the one at KM 16….
We don’t stay there much but it’s nice to know about!
http://www.aquamarinarvpark.com
They were closed for a few years I guess, but open again now. Nice place.
Years ago I had a VW bus with a rusty fuel tank. A shop teacher advised me to seal it with liquid fiberglass resin. We mixed it up, poured it in the tank, and turned the tank slowly all around to coat the inside. There’s probably a reason why that was a bad idea, but I drove the van for a few more years and the fuel filter stayed clean after that – it had been plugging up every week before that fix.
Happy Travels!
Your birthday parties are the best! I love simple family celebrations together. Happy Birthday to sweet Ouest! This grammie wants to thank you for your recommendation of the MagnaTiles. Our granddaughter is the same age as Lowe and we have her much of the time so I bought some & they are a HUGE hit! My goodness, she played with them for nearly two hours today! Safe & happy travels!
I just got MagnaTiles for my grandson for Christmas! He will be 2 in a couple of months. Thanks for the recommendation!
Hi guys, great to follow your new trip, looks like your timing it well with the weather. Good idea about getting more water storage, if your tank isnt to bad, you could de-rust it with osfo (phosphoric acid) and then coat it with something like rustoleum W9-200 which will coat metal and is a potable coating, but if its a rusted out mess, you are in Mexico and the labor is reasonable, I would price getting a stainless or aluminum tank built, junk the rusty mess and do it right. IMHO happy cruzin
Shoot, you could get a fabricator down there to pop in a new tank for almost nothing.
Especially if you wait to make it to the mainland.
No smell in your bladder then……..
Yeah, I’ve been thinking the same thing.