Cabo Vacation

For the past week the Warrens and Ericksons have been vacationing in San Jose del Cabo.  Yes, we all had a wonderful time and didn't want to come back to the colder weather.

The trip down was fairly uneventful, although we did experience turbulence on the flight to LA.  After our arrival in San Jose del Cabo, we picked up our rental car and crammed ourselves and our luggage into our compact car, which they call a standard sized car down there.  

We checked into the resort (Coral Baja "WorldMark") and headed for the restaurant on site, Mama Mia's.  Great food and great Margaritas.  It's on the Sea of Cortez and in a great location.  

Activities we participated in include:  lunch at the Finesterra Hotel in Cabo san Lucas, where we'd had a brunch two years ago on our Airstream Caravan.  Quite a fancy hotel just a short distance from the famous arch and we could also view the dolphin pool.  

We shopped in Cabo san Lucas, but didn't buy much.  As usual, they pressure tourists into viewing timeshare presentations and want us to buy anything and everything.  Too bad for them we did all our shopping two years ago when we could pack everything into our trailer.  

Wednesday we all headed for Todos Santos, an artist community on the Pacific side of the peninsula.  Who should we run into on the street but four Airstream couples on this year's caravan.  We knew Tom and Penny Angelini and John and Judy White from previous caravans and had also visited with them while we were on our "By the Sea" Caravan in January down in Chula Vista where they began their caravan and we were ending ours.  This was a very warm day and I had to tell myself to stop complaining about the heat and sweat!  "Just think of the poor cold people back home!"

On the way back we found a road that took us out to the ocean and what would be a beautiful beach if only it weren't also somewhat of a garbage dump.  It could be a spectacular place - if only...

The girls and Bruce took off for a day of desert exploration, leaving us to hang out by the pool and beach all day.  Oh well, someone had to do it!  Sunday Bruce left by himself for his day of exploration and didn't return until 10:00 PM.  It's kind of amazing what he can find to entertain himself.  He finds things the rest of us never knew existed, even with all the travel guides, such as a waterfall.  I was totally convinced there were NO waterfalls in Baja, but the pictures they took proved me wrong.  

We all now look a bit like raccoons, but had to have some proof of our trip to the sunshine.  

Returning home took awhile.  Long lines at the aeropuerto, just as there were when we arrived.

Luckily, there were eating and shopping opportunities, of which we took advantage.  The reason we couldn't leave Mexico on time was the faulty hydraulic cargo door.  We didn't want our luggage falling out, did we???  And, in LA, the reason given was: plane delayed.  As if that's a reason???  Then they mentioned mist in SF.  Only mist???  Finally about 3 hours late, we almost missed the boarding because we were becoming so used to being delayed. 

 Upon arrival in SF we went into a holding pattern for about half an hour because they were stacked up.  We did get somewhat acquainted with our fellow travelers, having seen them constantly for an entire day!  At 2:00 AM we arrived in Santa Rosa, glad to be back in the USA, but really really sorry our vacation was over!  It's going to take awhile for my Spanish to disappear from my vocabulary I fear.

Hasta Luego

Borrego Springs

The caravan has ended and we're staying an extra day for the Super Bowl party.  I'll have to summarize the past few days (without WiFi).

Chula Vista was great.  We arrived before the Baja Caravan left, so had time for some visiting with our good friends on Wednesday.  They invited our caravan to join theirs for Happy Hour and it was a real "old home" reunion.  John and Judy White, Dick and Judy Martiny, JoAnn and Felix O., David Knight, Pennie and Tom Angelini, and probably others I can't remember at the moment.

It was a lot of fun introducing our unit friends to our past-caravan friends.  

At Chula Vista we toured their nature center, which was extremely well done.  Watched the feedings of the eagles, manta rays and sharks.  

Thursday night we took the trolley into San Diego and ate in Little Italy.  We went to the same restaurant where we ate two years ago before our Baja caravan - Filipe's.   Larry and I split our dinner and still took home half of it.  

Friday morning was a driving day to Borrego Springs.  This is really an oasis in the middle of the desert.  For the third time we were the first to arrive.  On a national caravan we'd be kicked off, but our unit caravan leaders don't care at all.  We are giving everyone small tidbits of information about life on a national caravan to prepare them for next summer's Viking Trail caravan to Newfoundland.  

Friday night was our Surprise Happy Hour with hearty appetizers out in the desert.  We took our 4 wheel drive truck and went out to the scenic overlook of the badlands for the sunset.  We weren't alone, so it must be a very popular place.  The pictures will have to wait until we get home because we've been warned that the disk is full on this computer.  

Saturday morning we drove to the Anza Borrego State Park visitors' center - a very short distance from the park.  This morning Larry rode his bike back over to talk to the ranger.

And now we wait for the Super Bowl party.  Several other couple are staying as well, so we won't be lonely.  

Tomorrow we head for home and plan to arrive Tuesday sometime.

Wednesday it'll most likely be back to the Greenbrae Ranch for more sorting of Grandpa's house.