RATING: ♦♦♦♦♦
After spending last summer in Mexico without our motorhome, we wanted to see what it would be like to travel in Mexico with it. We started researching various caravans that would take us south of the border, and we discovered Escapees Chapter 8 Mexican Connection.
This group has been leading RV caravans to Mexico for decades. Their purpose is for RVers to enjoy Mexican culture, to give back to the Mexican people primarily through charity donations, and to enable Chapter 8 members to feel comfortable traveling in Mexico.
This is our summary of the 2019 rally. We’ve also written individual posts for each of the four campgrounds we stayed at during our month in Baja California.
Stop #1 – Campground at the US/Mexico Border
The group of 109 people (50+ RVs) met at Potrero County RV Park, in San Diego County, just north of the border town of Tecate, BC Mexico. We enjoyed 4 nights together as we learned about the things we would do and places we would visit in the weeks ahead. One day we carpooled to the border crossing and walked over to Tecate where we got our visitor visas that we would need while travelling through Mexico. After getting our visas, we spent some time exploring Tecate. Stops included a local bakery and a brewery.
The weather was rainy and chilly most of time we were at the park. But we still had fun meeting up with people we had met in Quartzsite and making new friends. We especially had fun playing bridge with Paul and Vicki, who we had met in Quartzsite. We were also happy to be assigned to a smaller travel group led by Lynn and Terri, who are other friends we had met in Quartzsite. Our travel group consisted of 7 RVs. This was the group with whom we would caravan to each of our campgrounds in Mexico. We would become fast friends with the people in our group.
Stop #2 – The Zoo
We caravanned into Mexico on February 15th, and drove through the hillsides to the Zoologico Parque del Nino Jersey. The zoo is located in the Valle de Guadalupe, which is a beautiful region in northern Baja known for its wineries.
We camped in the zoo’s huge gravel parking lot, right next to the wolf enclosure. We enjoyed their howling as well as the background sounds of many different animals, including lions, monkeys, birds, and a very vocal donkey. The weather continued to be rainy and cold for most of our stay, but again we made the most of our time here and had fun.
Our stay included a guided tour of the zoo, where we heard about how the facility partners with the San Diego Zoo in conservation efforts and rescuing animals from the threat of extinction. Our caravan, and others like ours, provides needed funds to help the zoo care for the animals. In addition to our camping fees, we collected enough money from our group to buy a used portable xray machine from the San Diego Zoo so the larger animals can be examined in their enclosures without having to be moved to the medical building.
On another day, we were invited to join the care takers in their animal enrichment activities. This felt a lot like playing with the animals. There were lots of laughs. The zoo employees love their work and find joy being with the animals in their care. Their enthusiasm was infectious.
While we were here, our group also found time for happy hour every day, going out to eat, visiting a winery, and we played bridge with Paul and Vicki. Unfortunately, we never got a picture of us playing cards. It was pretty serious business.
Stop #3 – Ensenada
After spending several days at the zoo, we continued southwest to La Jolla Beach Camp, on the ocean south of Ensenada. This was the main stop of our rally, and we were here for 10 days.
The campground is located on a slight hill overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It is a large parking lot, mostly sand and dirt. Because it had been raining so much, it was really muddy for the first few days. The weather was still cool and wet. Everyone said they had never seen so much rain and cold in this part of Baja. We had nice Mexican Connection Chapter 8 wool jackets, and we wore them a lot.
Despite the weather and mud, the beach itself was beautiful, with unusual natural hot springs running under the sand. When the tide was out, we could dig just a few inches into the sand and make a hot tub. Never saw anything like it.
We were busy here at La Jolla Beach Camp. We attended many organizational meetings where we were instructed on charity work we would be doing. I mentioned previously that one focus of Escapees Chapter 8 Mexican Connection is to give back to the people of Mexico. While we were here, we spent a day painting playground equipment at a local elementary school. Other days were spent collecting and sorting donations for a fund-raising auction that we held to raise funds for local charities, including the elementary school, dance classes, food and Christmas gifts for needy families.
But we had fun and explored, too. We spent a day on a guided bus tour of the city of Ensenada. On another day, some of us took a local city bus to a famous tourist attraction, La Bufadora, where the ocean shoots up through a blow hole when the tide is in. The ocean scenery was pretty, but it was apparent that the main attraction is all of the colorful souvenirs you can buy as you walk down to the blow hole.
We had the usual happy hour every afternoon. These were fun times to gather as a group to drink and munch and get information for the days ahead. We also found a lot of exceptional local restaurants to visit with friends, played more bridge, and we were entertained by a mariachi band and children’s dance group.
The 2019 caravan was led by Ed and Kassandra, who worked hard to plan a trip that would be rewarding and fun for the group, and it was a great success. The rally officially ended after our stay at La Jolla Beach Camp. We were now on our own to either continue travelling in Baja or head back to the US.
Stop #4 – San Felipe
After the rally ended, there was much discussion on what to do next. Some people were extending their stay at La Jolla Beach Camp, some were continuing south, some were driving home, and some were heading to the east side of Baja, to the town of San Felipe on the Gulf of California, also known as the Sea of Cortez. We decided to join this latter group, and we are so glad we did!
We were in a small caravan of three RVs that included new friends Bob and Cathy, our friends Lynn and Terri, and us. We had a five hour drive ahead of us that began at La Jolla Beach Camp, continued through the south end of Ensenada, then over a couple of mountain ranges to the east side of the Baja peninsula. The road itself was in good condition, but it was very narrow with no shoulder most of the way. We would call it harrowing.
Once we reached San Felipe, it was as if we had entered another world. The sun was shining and it was warm, the first nice weather that we had on this trip. Pete’s Camp, where we were staying, was on a beautiful beach with white fluffy sand that you wanted to dig your toes into. The area seemed prosperous, with pretty brightly colored homes on the hillside. There was a wonderful bar and restaurant overlooking the sea. Food was good and the view was spectacular.
Our three RVs parked in a U shape on the beach. We met up with some others from our group who had traveled from Ensenada separate from us. There were no hookups on the beach, totally dry camping. Every day was more beautiful than the one before it. While the previous weeks at the rally were fun, we had been struggling with the wet and cold. It now felt so good to have warm sunshine. We fell into a relaxed vibe.
During our stay, we spent a day in the town of San Felipe. It was Carnaval, and there was a parade with festive music and dancers. We also watched a volleyball tournament on the beach. Some of our rally group were staying at another campground in town. We met up with them a couple of times for happy hour.
It seems that there are quite a few expats from the US and Canada who have settled in this area. We can see why. It is a great spot, at least during the month of March. We’ve been told that it gets hot during the summer months.
We loved San Felipe, especially Pete’s Camp. The drive back to the US was on a good road, straight north to Mexicali. Our border crossing was fast and easy. It took about two hours to get home. Can’t wait to go back!
