We stopped off in the town of Mulegé for a few hours to buy some fresh food and fill up the water tanks. From there it was just a short drive further on to Bahia Concepción. There we were able to park fifteen feet from the water on any one of a dozen beaches.
Starfish were everywhere. The kids spent hours discovering them and being surprisingly gentle in the process.
The water is still warm up here so I threw out a surfboard and let the kids go nuts. They quickly got the paddling down and were zooming back and forth up and down the beach.
Being parked right in front of a dozen boats the obvious question is, “Do we miss the boat?” And, honestly, at this point I really don’t. We were able to enjoy this place so much more out of the bus than we would have on the boat. We were playing in the water with the surfboard, then riding bikes, then playing cars on the big car carpet, and I kept thinking, “Man, getting all this crap from the boat to the beach would have been a lot of work.” Not to mention we wouldn’t have had any shade or cold beer to drink after an hour in the sun.
Something else I feel all the time in our land travels is how much more I interact with the people and places I’m visiting, or even just passing through. Boat travel often left me feeling like we were living in a cocoon. Days and days would go by without human interaction, which I understand certainly has its place, but right now, with the kids, I feel like this is a better experience.
I’m sure I’m not looking at this from a totally unbiased viewpoint, but for now, for us as a family of four (with two of us so young), the RV is just easier—by a multiple of at least ten. But more than just being easier, I feel like it is a more enriching and engaging experience. We’ll see how I feel about it again in six months or so with more non-U.S. RV travel under our belts.
Despite the outfits, we still manage to rack up an ungodly amount of salty laundry.
There are some crazy travelers in the world—compared to guys like this, we are not among them. Riding a bike on Highway Mex 1 is nuts. This picture shows what is probably the widest shoulder on the entire highway. Ninety-nine percent of the time this guy is riding right in the road—a road which would not accommodate two trucks and a bike at the same time. Another guy we met is running the length of the Americas and doing an average of 50 kilometers (30 miles) a day through Baja. These guys are always treated very well by other travelers when they roll into the campgrounds—definitely given the respect their zaniness deserves.
Lots of water to be found in Baja this year. Lots of greenery too.
Time for more water and laundry, we came to Loreto, a town we’ve visited many times in the past. It’s grown on us to the point that we look forward to certain fish tacos, a certain grocery store that stocks Johnsonville sausages, a great book store, and the always wonderful Sunday market—but not to the point that we quite understand people spending much more than a few days here.
Sunday market.
One of the things I am most proud of our kids for is how they simply do not ever cry and scream and throw tantrums over “stuff.” Each of the kids had a little toy picked out at this stall, but when I found out how much he wanted I felt like the price was too high. The guy was stuck on his price and I wasn’t going to pay that, even though it amounted to maybe a fifty cent difference of opinion. So I told the kids they cost too much, they set them down, and we all walked away. Not another word was spoken about it. Of course part of that may have had to do with the horchata stand right next door.
I may have told this story before, but it relates. Every time we all go in to Walmart, or Target, or wherever, Ali goes off and does the shopping while I go with the kids to the toy aisles. They play for half an hour or more, and then when Ali gets there we say, “Okay guys, come on.” And they do. They just put the toys down and we leave. And every single time it happens I am amazed by it. You’d think I’d get over that amazement, but I never do.
Horchata, tamales, and a cupcake. Now that’s a good day at the market.
21 Comments on “Beaches and Towns”
I hear ya about the difference between boat and RV travel. When the wind pipes up during the night, it may rock the Dolphin a little but I’m pretty sure that when I wake up in the morning she’ll be parked exactly where she was when I went to sleep the night before. It’s just so much easier and less stressful.
First of, lovely trip. This is a political comment though, it only relates to you because you are a white (upper?) middle class family, which is the topic of my tiny mini political essay comment here, like millions of other middle and upper white middle class Americans, you have a lifestyle that is virtually flawless, let’s face it, it’s almost 2015, and us wasps are doing it pretty good, your families life, from what I see from your pictures and writings, is perfect, only from what I see, obviously no man including yourself would put his whole entire life(his family’s) most personal issues public, but if your always the same as you are, as a family, on your blog, in real life, your life is perfect, these days technology is so advanced and getting more advanced by the day, especially medical science it’s getting harder to Die of anything, so why wouldn’t us wasp white middle class families types not have a smile on their face all day?(including me, I’m not american, I’m Australian, but I’m white, as white as bread, all my family, like yours, I’m assuming your family ancestry is german ith a name like Shulte? I’m curious. My family is English and Irish, my eyes are. Blue like yours and. Even have naturally blonde hair as an adult at age 24 ( natural blondes are rare in white adults, the norm in white children. )
I hope you don’t get too offended by this comment, I have nothing against you, I love your family, they are adorable and precious, and I’d hate to think of anything upsetting them at all, like my own, also, I am a man, you have no IDE who I even am, except my name is trent and that I post on your blog a lot, strange, you let me make emotional comments about your kids, usually someone would call the police if a man did that(which is pathetic crap, not illegal, and even more sick morally to think all men are sickos) it’s just that because I am male the minute I mention kids I must be a pedophile then right? We’ll what about the millions of white fathers in America who not only wipe your kids ass, but cuddle them in bed? Isn’t that worse than making a cute comment on a child photo? I’m a white person too, I have a perfect life also’ I live in Australia, have been here since the year 1818. According to the UN 2014 report on quality of life based on country, Australia came second after Norway, what do I have to worry about as an Australian? The answer is nothing, except money I fuss, which isn’t an issue in life(and shouldn’t be for anyone) if I get sick, even in an emergency or normal care, it wouldn’t matter if the doctor charged me a million dollars, as an Australian citizen, the public Medicare system pays all medical fees freely.
Our standards in Australia are very high, by law, we have the same standards as you in the us I Guess, our doctors do six years med plus 5 years if they want to specialise . We have some doctors in Australia that people come from all over the world to see, like a famous brain surgeon here, I won’t name him, but he is the only neurosurgeon in the world who will operate on very advanced brain tumours, h saves a lot of lives from all over the world, just on example of how good life is in Australia, like in the us, for white people like my family and yours, to be honest, I never get depressed or sad, my family and my health are all I care about and since I live in the second best country in the world my mind is at ease and face is always smiling like your family. 😉 and the good news is things will only get better, but anyways, I’m single, no kids, you have kids, kids that make your life so enjoyable and happy and kids to both die and live for, I don’t, so your better off than me, we aren’t all equal, that is so unfair, isn’t i? Anyways, god knows how you will react to my comment, I couldn’t care less either if you ban me for life, the issue will be here to the sun explodes. From your blog. I have nothing against you, I consider you a great man and father.
I am curious to know if Shulte is german, thanks.
Cheers.
Trent
Trent, I’m sorry I’m not trying to be mean but what point were you trying to make? To find out if Pat has German ancestors? Maybe one too many Fosters last night?
The unspoken comment as far as I understand, is that we white middle class people who have it all, are users of opportunities and resources that are not available to many of those we encounter. Maybe he is suffering some class or race guilt…
Race matters. A lot, in our time and place as a fellow American to the hosts here. But class matters even more. And to their credit, Pat and crew seem to have come to understand that in the most important, if nascent, way.
Never would I decry their outcome. We all do the very best we can with the skills and experience we have. Some just happen to do it better.
And, so it happens, that is them. In spades.
Hard to imagine two kids less primed to do their part and more in saving the world than the jewels hewn by these two great parents – and all this said by a white hot loathing for the libertarianism that attends being web savvy and entrepreneurial these daze…
Someone had too much caffeine.
Sounds like more than just caffeine.
Yup, definitely methamphetamine. I hear it’s legal down under.
So I’ve been following your blog since the beginning and I’ve enjoyed all of it. It always sparks a little regret that I didn’t do some similar travelling before I got too entrenched in my life. The sailing trip was my favorite. I loved the way you explored the world as it exists today. Unlike most cruisers that seem to seek out the culture of the past and find the actual present day culture distasteful. A beer at a local bar? Lunner at Macca’s with the locals on a south Pacific island? Sounds good to me, that’s how the locals live – the real culture. They don’t wear grass skirts and drink kava all day, but that’s only culture most cruisers want to acknowledge and it makes their blogs boring.
The Great Race was cool, the van trip trip awesome, and now the bus trip is such a great way to stimulate the kids just at the time when their brains are developing.
Then after reading your most recent post it occurred to me; Jesus, these people have been hopping from town to town every fews days for most of the past 12 years. Does it ever get old and exhausting? Do you ever think of just stopping somehere you like? After a while don’t all the towns and beaches start to seem pretty much the same? I don’t know what the alternative is, but I would think that constantly being in new places would eventually become monotonous. Just consider your likely agenda; cruise down the road and camp near some town, play on the beach and get some tacos; then cruise down to the next twon, camp by the lake and hit the market; then cruise to the next town, beach, tamales, whatever, next town, next town, etc.. My comments are not meant to be judgement because in the not too distant future I would like to do exactly what you are doing. I’m just wondering if the reality of it is less satifying than I imagine. Or is it the kids that keep it interesting and without them you might be burnt out on it? Maybe I had too much caffeine today too, like Trent.
Methinks you’ve just described the proverbial “unimaginable.”
Godspeed on your dreams.
I’m surprised the kids don’t find Walmart overwhelming. There’s just so much stuff.
oh my goodness, Lowe looks just like Ouest in that last picture.
Is that the same surfboard you picked up in Bali on your first sailing adventure? That has certainly made the rounds if it is!
Yes the same surfboard we bought outside Sydney Harbour in ’05, and then attached to the ceiling of our VW bus in 2007. Now I must admit it has indeed came with us everywhere but has definitely not gotten much use. Until now??? https://www.bumfuzzle.com/Pictures_VW/Volkswagen/VW%20Surfboard%20Rack.jpg
Awesome photos!
We had a bit of a scare during our last road trip South of the border, but your story and images make me want to attempt again. Love the laid back lifestyle of Mexico, vacant beaches, warm water, cool people and Sunday markets. Awesome.
Best of all, though only a short way in advance of your non-consumerism teaching, is that these babies get to brush up on their Spanish while still so young as to take a hard grip on it.
Not sure if I’ve posted this to you before, but even if so allow it again for the benefit of the consumerists trapped but for reading your fine adventures:
http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/articles/article/2962/
Much love to your crew, landlubbers though they may be. For now…
Whoa.. is it weird Wednesday in Mexico too? Lowe looks so tired up against that wall. What a guy. Happy trails to you all.
Funny looked at the picture inside the rig looking out and thought, wonder does he miss sailing, and there was the answer, get out of my head!
Safe travels!
In my Youth we took a trip down the, at the time, newly opened highway 1 down the Baja Peninsula. In your pictures I see the places we stayed. Your kids too will keep these memories for ever. Safe Travel Kris
Really enjoying the Baja posts. We cruised on my father in law’s sailboat in Guatemala, Belize, and Mexico during our mini-retirement and also did a 6 month trip in an RV. With the RV you never had to wake up in the middle of the night and wonder if the anchor was going to drag.
Not only you are amazed! My 3 year old son has turned into a terrorist. It is so bad that we don’t want to go shopping at all. Completely different to my grown up daughters, and I am not doing anything different? Any suggestions? (and yes I have suggested the electric dog collars, but my wife will not listen).