San Felipe.... we had planned a trip there about 6 years ago but never made it.  This time we did it!

We drove down to Punta Banda and had a bus party in front of the house on Valentine's day... it was also Charlie and Lynlee's Anniversary... any excuse for a party!

In the morning we got up early as usual and finished the cleanup from the party and made ready for the road.  Dead Battery!!!  I had left the lights on the destination sign on all night (In The Mood) and the 24 volt starting system had been drained flat.  Well, guess what... I was mucho flustered.  I proceeded to plug back into the wall (the cord had been kicked loose during the party) and see if the "converter/charger" would get it going.  Not a chance!  The system appears to make 12 volts out of 110 for the house battery and does not charge the 24 volt bank (2 8D 12 volt batteries in series).  I MUST figure out how that system works, ASAP!  Next step was the good old 12 volt battery charger on one of the 8Ds at a time and the jumper cables (one set, need to carry 2) on the other.  1/2 an hour of that and it finally fired up.  In the interim I had managed to grouch around enough to get Sandi POed too.... will I ever learn? 

We headed into Ensenada, stopped at the ATM and picked up some Pesos and turned onto Highway 3.  The hundred mile drive over the hills was slow and relaxing, narrow but good paving.  There were a few bumps I could not avoid and the end result was my computer on the floor with a scratch across the face of the LCD monitor… it still works fine but another minor pain in the butt, that setup needs to be anchored better… did I forget how to properly make ship shape or did I just get lazy?  Lazy. 

We arrived in San Felipe at about 1:30 and started to look for a place to hook up for the night.  We had found Club de Pesca on the Web, it looked good in real life as well as in their add.  No one at the office, a lady stopped and said to just find a spot and hookup, then check back after siesta.  We wound our way around to a row of beachfront concrete slabs with plapas, about 5 or 6 were open.  We whaled back and forth… back in or nose in, can we make it at all?  We chose back in and made a plan.  Sandi stood at the tail on the driver’s side so I could see her good, and started to wave me around.  After 3 or 4 false starts we were in with a 10 point (at least!) slip of a 8 foot by 40 foot bus into a 12 foot by 25 foot hole with only about 30 feet of road in front.  Good enough?  Heck No!  I wanted to get tucked close and angled just right so we could depart without taking down a palm tree or palapa, so we did that too!  The small group of women in the house directly across the road (I was nosing up to their front door, leaving inches, again and again) gave Sandi very high marks for her expertise in a job well done.  I am proud of her, she has become an accomplished “backer upper waver”, not an easy job! 

The dogs then got a run on the beach (all the pups came with us: Maggie, Chia, Tootsie, Tommy, and Chauncey (in order of seniority)) and Chauncey proceeded to run hard and fast and forget which way he had come from, spotted people in the distance and ran to them.  He was a mile down the beach, maybe more.  So, I got my exercise too!  I practiced my grumbling on the way. 

Friday afternoon, we walked up to the center of town, went past the office.. still no one there.. and stopped by the “Title Company” book store to see if Ed and Catalina were in.  Ed had arrived only an hour before and cat had just left for home.  We had a nice chat and headed back, it was getting dark.  We stopped and had a nice meal, went past the office.. still no one there.. and back to the bus for cocktail hour.  

On Saturday we could see no reason to move the bus an inch, we took a walk, went past the office.. still no one there.. and spent the night.  Sunday morning we pulled out in one smooth clean sweep and again went past the office.. still no one there..  We again stopped by the “Title Company” and both Ed and Cat were in, we visited for an hour or so and headed for the Mexicali border crossing. 

At the border we were treated to a panoramic view of an ordinary car only feet from the US inspection, just a few car lengths ahead.  The driver bolted fro the car!  Agents came from everywhere and got him to the ground within 15 feet of the car.  The trunk of the car was open, it was stuffed with rectangular plastic bags….. we guess the guy was embarrassed about all his dirty laundry and the agents must have thought it was bad taste for him bringing his laundry north…. That is what we figure. 

El Centro, turn left, over the hills…… some rain, need to get the wipers working, we hear it may rain again next year.  We were back at the Chula Vista KOA camp by 4 or so, got all tucked in and hooked up in time for cocktail hour. 

A longer trip that if we had taken a car, but a pleasant one with full facilities at our finger tips.