WE MADE IT!!

And what a journey it was!

36 hours of driving...

I haven't driven since...

and I don't plan on it anytime soon.

We got here about 2 weeks ago, but have not had access to a good area of internet service...so all I managed were some facebook status updates.

But here we go with some fun pictures and more detail!

Leaving Crescent City, CA I made sure I had compiled some good tunage to blast in the car since I am not a car talker. (poor Spencer) Some Prince, U2, Footloose, George Michael, the Pina Colada song, Otis Redding, Sarah Brightman, only to name a few. And we were set!

We did about 8 hours down the gorgeous Cali coast until we stopped at my Grandma Anne's in San Jose to stay the night. I love my Grandma! This woman is 97 years old, and everywhere she goes people assume she is in her young 70's. She doesn't miss a beat, this lady. She had Spencer and I laughing so hard. We love her!

The next morning we were up and going at about 10 am after more visiting time with Grandma; we hated that our visit with her was so short. She really is fantastic.

We got to L.A at about 4pm to see our fantastic friends L and T Earl. I had forgotten to bring in the camera, and considering it was a tiny hike from our car to their apartment, I wasn't going back to get it. It was so great to see them and their beautiful children. They only had 1 the last time we saw them, and now they have 3 of them. Good ones too!
We were planning on staying the night at their place but after traversing L.A traffic we decided we had better try to get as far south as possible that night. So we headed back out on the road at about 8 pm and got to Chula Vista (the last city before the border) at about 11.

I woke up the next morning....scared. I had been so excited for months before about getting down here, but once it was right in front of me; I wanted to chunder.

The border in one word: INSANE!

We made it unscathed and unchecked~phew.

Drove straight through Tijuana, and Ensenada. We didn't even stop until we needed gas which was about 5 hours into Mexico. No idea where we were, but there was a PEMEX gas station. A really really nice one! Right in the middle of nowhere.

*NOTE TO PEOPLE DRIVING INTO MEXICO*~ Bring your own toilet paper.

That's all I have to say about that.

We drove 14 hours that first day into Mexico. We made it all the way past the border of Baja California and into BCS (Baja California Sur). We stayed the night in Lareto. I've got to be honest...I was having a pretty rough day that first day. I can't tell you how many times I had the thought "What the crap are you doing?" Driving thru Baja Cali, there is nothing. Tijuana, and Ensanada...but other than that...bleakness. Land of D.e.s.o.l.a.t.i.o.n. Not to mention about a dozen military checkpoints with armed militia carrying huge rifles wanting to dig through all your personal belongings. I didn't even want to take any pictures...as I wanted to expunge it from my mind.

BUT THE NEXT MORNING WAS GREAT!
As we left Lareto we came upon the AMAZING site of the Sea of Cortez



GARGEOUS!

We weren't far from Cabo at this point, and when we made it to Constitucion, we decided to stop for lunch. Constitucion is only 30 minutes from the Pacific side where Magdelena Bay is and where the resort that Spencer is working with is being built. Constitucion is such a beautiful little city too! They are a major farming community and keep there city very clean and orderly. This is where I wouldn't mind living once the resort is finished!

We ate at a DELICIOUS little restaurant called El Taste. (I chuckled)

Oh, and you know how when you drive pretty much anywhere in the U.S that has trees you have to keep a sharp eye out for deer. Well, here you have to keep a very sharp eye as well b/c if you smack one of these you will NOT be the winner.



The only place where cows may be considered a predator.

They were EVERYWHERE! I almost annihilated us and 3 cows the previous night! No sense of boundaries.

This is what the highway looked like sometimes


So we had driven thousands of miles and numerous hours over potholes and in these sand dunes, swerving to miss cattle, and circling huge mountains, in our little tiny Lexus, and had no injury whatsoever to the car...then we get 10 minutes outside of Cabo. The truck in front of us spewed off a metal plate; we run over, and it punctures a hole in our exhaust pipe. Now, our nice Lexus sounds like it belongs in The Fast and the Furious and looks like it needs a spoiler. 10 minutes left!! Well, I guess we should just be grateful it wasn't worse...but honestly...10 minutes left out of 36 hours. Isn't that a Murphy's Law somewhere?

Awww...but we made it!

Love those Pacific sunsets.

The hurricane that blasted the shores the previous week had created this cliff of sand on the beach. At least 20 feet high.
Behind this beach cliff is Terrasol. Condos we were staying in while finding a place to live and waiting for it to be ready.

And now we are in, and can't wait to have visitors!!

To tempt you....here it is...


our back patio and my fabulous tan.
You can't see it in the picture,but that is the Sea of Cortez and the famous arch behind the palm trees

There...that's better.

That is our room

And here is your room
Two Full size beds


This place was a STEAL! Normally these 1300 sq ft condos rent for about $1300/month. But thanks to a dwindling economy...we got these for $800!

PLEEEEEEEEASE COME VISIT!! Or even if you are stopping here on a cruise ship....LET US KNOW!