Katy - We were ready to go to breakfast at 7 when the dining room opened. Breakfast was as good as last night's dinner. I had green chiliquiles, Bob had scrambled eggs mixed with machaca and a fried tortilla cone filled with beans, and Hil had panqueques. Our waiter laboriously squeezed a ton of oranges for our juice. A great last meal in Mexico!
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| A fab breakfast! |
We set off north at 8 AM through desert with very little vegetation, but colorful mountains to our left and turquoise water to our right with scatterings of small villages and campers along the shore. Bob was able to spot the national observatory atop the Sierra San Pedro Martir where we were so many days ago. After 30 miles the water disappeared, replaced by salt flats of the Colorado River delta.
A friendly farewell!
We approached Mexicali about 11 AM and turned east on Hwy 2D that runs along the border, then angles down towards the San Luis Rio Colorado border crossing. We entered the town, full of dentists for cheap, but supposedly high quality, dental work popular with US citizens, turned north towards the Wall, and got in line to cross into the US. DJT’s Wall is truly ugly, 20’ high and covered with razor wire with yet another even higher wall 75' north draped with more wire.
The infamous Wall (doubled!)
In between the two walls yet more coils of concertina barbed wire on the ground! We crept along for 30 minutes. Since there is NO signage, we weren’t sure if we were in the correct lane or not. Finally we reached multiple entry booths, drove into one and handed over our passports. The guard handed them back and that was it!
We took 195 up to Interstate 8, stopping at Dateland for one more delicious shake. It may be our last visit as we saw even more Trump items for sale (Trump chocolate bars!), and started the final slog past Tucson and into Green Valley arriving at 5 PM.
A last dateshake
A lot of driving, but a wonderful trip full of missions, amazing plants and great food! 80 bird species seen, approximately 1600 miles driven.Thanks for coming along!
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| Mon, Apr 13 - Miss Mitsy's home! |
A few notes:
-Hygiene has greatly improved in the last decades. We ate salads, fresh fruit, ice cream. No more tummy trouble than traveling anywhere. Always drank purified water.
-We had plenty of pesos, but credit cards were accepted everywhere for gas, snacks, lodging. Rancho Meling was the only place that preferred cash.
-The US State Dept has a Level 3 warning about travel in Baja: "Level 3 (Reconsider Travel): Baja California", but we never felt in any danger here or on our last trip driving to Mazatlán in 2024.
- Recommended Books: “Baja California Land of Missions” by David Kier
“Plant Guide Maritime Succulent Scrub Region” by Jim Riley, et al
“Baja California Plant Field Guide” by Jon Rebman & Norman Roberts
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