The Road to Rancho El Nido

The Road that leads from

Barstow
to
Rancho El Nido

I left Barstow around 8:30 am on Monday, November 26, 2007. I thought enough to take down the reading on my odometer. It read 136014. The other "trip meter" odometer is broken so it is necessary to write it down. Traffic was relatively light and I made it to the border around noon.

The end of South Bound Interstate 5 at the Border

The Border Crossing Looking into Mexico

The Border Crossing Looking into Mexico

Before crossing I filled up in San Diego so not to have to deal with buying gas in Mexico anymore than necessary. Gas is slightly more expensive in Mexico and that's not even factoring in the Mexican pumps that they set to cheat you between 10-30% . It only takes about an hour and a half to get to Ensenada from the border and I drove straight through without stopping.

Map of Northern Baja California

About the time I was wandering through the streets of Ensenada working my way to Highway 1, my phone rang and it was my brother David. "Where are you now" he asked with obvious curiosity. I think he was checking on me to see if I was really going through with this adventure. Playing off his own Baja fever, he was living vicariously through me at the moment and was dying to hear of my discoveries. We talked about my adventure until I came to the turnoff for Punta Bunda on Highway 1. We signed off to save my batteries but I would not be able to use the cell phone for the next 48 hours anyway.

At that point, it was like I was entering the Twighlight Zone! That was the last of my cell reception until I got back to Ensenada. As much as I have been all over the Tijuana, Tijuana de Playas, Rosarita, Ensenada, Estero Beach, and Punta Bunda, the turn off to Punta Bunda is the furthest down Highway 1 that I have gone by vehicle. I have never traveled the full length of Baja by the Highway but just haven't yet found that opportunity. So that part of the adventure excitement was factored in. Then there is the general euphoria that I get just being in Mexico: the sights, the smells, the feeling, the whole experience. It is hard to properly explain that experience to anyone not familiar with being in Mexico but those who have certainly know what I am talking about.

Regional Map showing from Ensenada at the North,
Santo Tomas at the South, and Bahia Soleda to the West

Continuing South on Highway 1, you snake along winding one lane roads through hills and mountains. Not long before you get to Santo Tomas there is a military check point on the Highway. Lots of uniformed military with rifles waving and one soldier sitting on a Hummer that has been converted to look like a tank with some enormous gun mounted on top that looks like it could blow up a vehicle. Always gives me the creeps but this too is part of life in Mexico.

Not long after clearing the check point, you come to the Santo Tomas Winery. It looks like it is still under construction and they don't have a tasting room. It turns out that the tasting room is called Bodegas de Santo Tomas and is located in downtown Ensenada. The winery is made of rock and sits on a small hill that over looks the sprawling vineyards that surround it. It's postcard perfect.

Santo Tomas Winery and Vineyard

The Vineyards of the Santo Tomas Wine Region

The Vineyards of the Santo Tomas Winery

A couple more miles and you come to Santo Tomas the village. Not much to see but a couple of small general stores with the omnipresent Tecate sign, a Pemex gas station, a dozen or more small houses with the normal Mexican standard issue dogs running the dirt road streets. There is a dirt road that leads off some 16 miles or so to the Bahia Santo Tomas. This would be the road that I would be taking in another 24 hours but right then I was headed another couple of miles to a crook in the road called Palomar.

Palomar with it's Hotel, Restaurant, and Store,
all owned by the same family for years

Palomar was my destination to meet up with Mark Morgan. As it turned out, he and his family have a rented house back in Ensenada and I had passed him by when I went through. That left him a half hour or more behind me when I got to Palomar.

I told him to take his time and I went into the restaurant there to have my first fix of a local Mexican meal. After I finished the meal with a good Mexican beer, I started exploring the curious shop next door. Nothing there caught my fancy so I decided to drive around the area a bit until Mark showed up.

I was returning to the restaurant when he had just pulled up with his 15 month old son Andrew. We made our introductions and then Mark needed to buy some groceries to take out to Louise the caretaker at Rancho El Nido. I then followed him another couple of miles to the dirt road that turns left off the Highway leading to the ranch. Just before we arrive at THE dirt road, there is a spectacular view of the valley leading up into the mountains in the direction of Rancho El Nido.

View from Highway One looking towared Rancho El Nido

Right side of Highway One as Dirt Road approaches on Left

Right side of Highway One as Dirt Road approaches on Left

Looking North with Highway One on Left
along with scenery from above two pics,
gate to THE dirt road is in upper right of pic

Looking North with Highway One on Left

Gate to THE dirt road is in upper right of pic

First gate of THE dirt road by Highway One

View looking North standing at first gate of dirt road by Highway


Let
THE
Dirt
Road
Begin

The Front Gate to THE Dirt Road by Highway One

Starting Down THE Dirt Road into the Valleys between the Mountains

Remember to Turn LEFT at the Fork in the Road

About a half mile into THE Dirt Road
Notice the Bulldozer in the middle of the Photo

Notice the Fresh Graded Road, Signs of Work on the Road

This large Dozer parked off the road

Mark said that the Dozer had been there for two weeks and during that time they had done less than a day's worth of work. These are the frustrations with trying to get anything done in Mexico. This was within the first mile into THE dirt road. Good job guys, now only nine more miles to go. At half a mile per week, they should be done some time next year!

This ranch sits about a mile off the Highway and along THE dirt road. I love the look of this sweet little ranch all laid out there picture perfect. Right about now I am thinking I should just go hang out there. Maybe it's for sale. At the very least it is a good example of some of the many ranches that you can see along the way and realize that someone really got it together. As you are driving in and looking at this rancho on the left, there is another smaller ranchette that starts appearing on the right.

In the middle of this picture, off in the distance, lined up to the left of the closest white pole, a small ranch starts to appear.

As we pass by the small ranch you can see that they are
perched up on the hill with a great view but yet people
passing by on THE dirt road can hardly see a thing.

A View of the Valley in between the Mountains

The Arroyo as THE Dirt road winds through it

These photos of the Arroyo is part of the Santo Tomas River Bed

This Ranch is the Half Way Mark on THE 10 mile Dirt Road

This Ranch is the Half Way Mark on THE 10 mile Dirt Road

As I was flying up THE Dirt Road, I came around the corner to come face to face with this horse. I slammed on my brakes and came to a stop. Quickly I fetched the camera before the horse took off running. But this horse wasn't going anywhere. Notice the limited space to the right of the horse. I had to go off the right edge of the road to go around it. I thought it would scare as I got closer but not a chance. The horse owned the road and was just as curious about this gringo as I was about it. Slowly I advanced until I pulled up beside the horse and stopped for a chat.

This picture was taken out the driver's window. The horse was as unimpressed with me and yet remained somewhat curious about the new gringo so he decided to act friendly enough for some introductions.

Reaching out to touch the horse I thought for sure it would pull away but the horse still refused to budge an inch. We enjoyed a quick chat and I apologized for disturbing him. He said: "do I look like I care?" So we shared a moment and then I moved on my merry way.

There are at least two turns in THE Dirt Road that look like this one and make a sharp 90 degree turn with a boulder protruding on the inside corner. I got out and stepped off the road and it is about 11 feet to the edge with a steep drop off that could prove disastrous if you drove to close trying to get around the corner with a vehicle that was too large.

Mark took a 20+ foot travel trailer up this road to El Rancho Nido. He says that there are two building supply stores in Ensenada that will deliver out to the ranch.

SIDE NOTE: This is quite an amazing blessing when you consider that it takes just over an hour to go from Ensenada to El Rancho Nido. The miracle is that they actually deliver for free. FOR FREE. I can't get a lumber store in Barstow to deliver a couple of blocks for less than around $150. When you consider that much of the building supplies like block, brick, tile, etc., are hencho en Mexico, the cost is really kept quite affordable.

Between the half way ranch and Rancho El Nino, there is at least a half dozen of these spots pictured above and below, where the road crosses the creek. This is really the upper head source of the Santo Tomas River and runs all the way to the ocean some 22 miles away.

The creek at this point doesn't seem like much at all until you have to cross them. The crossing is like driving into a pond with depths up to 18 inches. The bottom is made up of rocks that vary from 6" to 12" and even larger. I found myself studying each one. Then just plunging on in and going for it, hollaring all the way through like when you are riding the roller coaster. Quite stimulating actually! There are some perch living along this stretch of the creek.

Yippee Ki Yeah! Ride em Cowboy!

Finally arriving at El Rancho Nido, this is looking back from the Front Gate of the Property looking West from whence I just came. Ok, the real story is that all of these Dirt Road pics were taken on the way out and none from on the way in. Hey, at least you get to see the wonder that is THE Dirt Road. Ten miles of one of the wildest dirt road that you will ever have the pleasure of traveling.

A Drum Roll PLEASE!

WELCOME
TO
EL RANCHO NIDO!
Looking East at El Rancho Nido
Front Gate is at the center of the right edge of photo

Looking East at El Rancho Nido
Front Gate is at the center of the right edge of photo

Looking back West in the direction from which I arrived,
this is the circle drive outside the cabin as taken from
the cabin front door. Casa de Louise is in the distance.

Arriving at the desired destination, it is now about 2 pm. Not bad considering all the adventure along the way. The odometer read 136014. Quick do the math. Wow! Three hundred and twenty-one miles. Not bad. But then factor in the ten mile dirt road, lunch back in Palomar, some more time waiting for Mark while I explored around, and my first time doing the drive and seven hours isn't such a big deal really. Especially given the scenery, the adventure, and the escape of it all and it is some of the best spent seven hours.

Now, are you ready to go explore El Rancho Nido? Well just CLICK HERE! Wait! Not yet. I have to go create that post. After that we get to go to Bahia Soledad! So stay tuned, coming to a blog near you!