Best of Baja

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. I must have taken close to 200 pictures but will only spare you 25 or so, if you can bare with me. Enjoy.This picture was taken in 1984 (25 yrs. ago). This is our son Danny at 2 or 3 years of age. He always carried his beloved crocheted pillow wherever he went. We camped on the beach 30 miles south of San Felipe, Mexico with our good friends Shawn and Jane. Who by the way weren't married yet. Shawns parents built a beautiful beach house right near where we camped a few years later. We've been meeting together at the beach house about once a year eversince.
This is the beach house we stay in. The waves have taken away some of the shoreline so they lined the cliff with big telephone poles to protect it from any more erosion.
The tide goes out twice a day. It's quite rocky in some spots. But fun to look for sea creatures.
This is the new LDS chapel in San Felipe. They translate the service in english for the gringos.
Fresh Mango's are the best.
We were the only ones in this restaurant "Taco Factory" which is usually crowded. The economy is really slow. The service was slo and not so delicious as years past. We'll probably try something else next time.
View from the beach house.
Getting ready for a night ride.
Bonfire with a few skyrockets, the s'mores were especially delicious.
Rick coming in after a long motorcycle ride with Shawn.
Alien space men found lurking around the corner.
Kenzie and Moriah collecting shells at Shell Beach.


The sunsets were especially spectacular.
Rick and Shawn planning their next Baja trip on motorcycles. Serious business.
Beautiful sunrise.
Jeep rides on the beach.
Dead sea lion on beach with vulchurs up on the mesa waiting for us to leave.
Great lighting just before sunset down by shell beach. It rained on us while we were taking pictures and a rainbow came out. We also saw lighting off in the distance. The weather was in the 80's we've never felt it so pleasant in all our years coming down to Baja.
Shawn, Jane, Nancy and Rick



Adios Amigos......till next year.
Zach, McCall, Shawn, Jane, Moriah, Kenzie, Nancy, Rick

Rocky Point Mexico - Spring Break

Our government warned everyone to stay out of Mexico because of the problems. But in Rocky Point there were no " bumps" to be found. Life went on as normal - just a little less tourists and and alot quieter at night... ("No Fireworks"). The weather was perfect, in the mid 70's with a slight breeze to cool you off. We stayed at the "Playa Bonita" Trailer Park which was probably half full of guests. No standing in line for a shower or the bathrooms this time. Just 5 families from our ward came down: Steiner's, Colliers, Faie and her boys and the Cooks stayed in the condo next door at the "Sonoran Sky" and my son Jon also stayed at the condo resort "Las Palmas". Both are good condos and we want to go down again and try them out some other time. We sure missed the 8 other families from our ward that couldn't make it down this year but we tried to make the best of it anyway. We were there from Sat. to Wed. and only a 5 hour trip hauling a trailer. On Sunday we went to church at the LDS chapel in town and saw many people that we knew. The shopping was great at the Fish Market and the dirt mall (which isn't dirt any more) but small store shops with cement flooring and air conditioning too. I bought a couple large ceramic pots, and the typical "cheap Mexican junk" like one vendor called it and everything was "practically free". I did do some great bargaining getting some things down to half the price they first quoted. We did go to the bakery and had fresh Mexican sweet bread that had just come right out of the brick oven. We took a trip out to Choya Bay and the tide was out and lots of sea creatures were to be found. My favorite activity was sitting on the beach most of the afternoon reading my book. I loved it when the vendors wandered by selling all their wares. That's the ultimate shopping, you don't have to leave your chair. My favorite treat was the fresh mangoes they would peel and put on a stick with some fresh lime squeezed on it. Steiner's had a rousing game of ping pong and volleyball always going. Rick brought the boche balls and had fun playing them with Doug in the waves. Kenzie was no where to be found always off playing with her friends from Stapley. She did not want to come home. We did have a fire on the beach and cooked up s'mores and sang camp songs for FHE. On the way back to the States
we did have to wait at the border for an hour which wasn't too bad. On the way through the border town one school had all the little children waving to all the Americans, I thought that was
so sweet I wish I had gotten a picture of that. I hope we can go down again next year. The only thing I regret not doing was to ride a horse on the beach, but we just ran out of time. I love Mexico. It's a great tradition and memory making vacation.

My Version of Baja

Rick just got back from his semi annual motorcycle trip down to Baja Mexico. He left Dec. 6th and returned at 3 a.m. on Dec. 11th. Rick usually writes up a 30 page blow by blow account of the trip (which you can find on his web site at Bajarick.com) which takes another month to accomplish, but this is my version which is ultra short. I always love to look at the pictures which are usually always the same barren desert and cactus pictures. When you go down to Baja it's not just a vacation trip, it's an adventure. We've been going down to Baja (San Felipe) yearly as a family with our good friends Shawn and Jane to their parents beach house. It is very relaxing and the best get away ever. But you never know what could happen, being that it is Mexico and somewhat primitive. Rick and his two buddies Shawn and Linkus usually start out their journey from the San Felipe Beach house, then they ride 200 to 300 miles each day to various destinations. Their goal is to ride hard and fast and to get in as many miles as possible. This year they rode to the Pacific Coast and back over to the Sea of Cortez side I think in one day. A few of the problems they encountered were, Shawn kept having his motorcycle engine heat up so that kind of slowed them a little. One day the wind was so strong that they had a hard time keeping their bikes on the road. Linkus twisted his ankle showing off for the camera. Rick's ribs were hurting from a previous injury he think happened at the gym. And on the way home Shawn's truck's drivers side mirror was taken out by another truck that veered into his lane a little too close. Shawn got a few cuts on his arm and his truck was pretty messed up. Rick received some shrapnel onto his truck which wasn't too bad just a few nicks. But all in all it was a successful ride, which means to me they came home in one piece. Rick's only regret was that he missed the funeral of his Aunt Ann which was held up in Salt Lake in Monday. But Linkus was flying in from Tennessee and it was the only time they had available to do this. I actually saw something on this trip that caught my interest and maybe will want to do an adventure of my own. It is to spend some time at the village of San Ignacio. They have package tours that take you to see the whales and burro rides to caves of ancient Indian hieroglyphics and you get to stay at a fabulous bed and breakfast under the palm tree groves. That's my kind of adventure! Who's in it with me and when can we go? Check out the website below:
http://www.ignaciosprings.com/content/view/8/10/http://www.ignaciosprings.com/content/view/8/10/

Endless Summer

coined this blog the "Endless Summer" because it's just been one week after another of great summer adventures. I love the old movie "The Endless Summer" where a couple of surfers travel all around the world filming their surfing adventures. Wouldn't it be grand if life could be full of
endless summers and not a care in the world except when the next "big wave" would be coming in.
Well, I guess we wouldn't appreciate the "Big Wave" as much if we didn't have some little rollers along the way. I sure love and appreciate each and every little adventure we've been able to go on.
It's not really where you go, but who you go with and who you meet along the way that makes the difference. We started out for San Felipe, Baja Mexico on Wednesday, June 18th. This is the latest we've ever gone and we along with Packers were just a little hesitant it could be blazing HOT. It was hot and humid but I was pleasantly surprised with a little ocean breeze how comfortable it was. Except at night sleeping under the stars you'd wake up in the middle of the night with your sheet soaking wet and shivering to death. Kenzie brought her very good friend Leah Tate along and McCall Packer loyally came with her parents Shawn and Jane. (Usually we have a bit more girls). Danny and Lachelle also came along, (Danny's first step back into Mexico since his mission). Baja is all about friends, eating, sleeping, quading, floating, sleeping, shopping, firecrackers, SHELL BEACH,sacrament mtg., eating, games, reading, sweating, dancing and more sleeping. By the time you leave Baja you're pretty much comatose. We had a few normal quads that broke down, (that always sparks Rick's attention). We tried a fire on the beach one night for F.H.E. roasting marshmellow's. That was something new we've never tried. It would have been good but the marshmellow's had all stuck together on the trip down in the heat. I really liked playing games at night with the girls. We played spoons and catch phrase. It was totally relaxing and totally awesome.