Richard's Baja adventures started early. As a child his family visited Baja beaches south of Tijuana. In 1969 he decided to head down the peninsula with the goal of reaching the end. The obstacle was that there was no real road beyond several miles south of Ensenada. As is still his way, the '60 Chevy Carryall was loaded with the tools and equipment thought needed for the challenging journey. Included was a small dirt bike in case the vehiclebecame disabled.
There was a road of sorts-really more of a trail. It was not graded and was subject to periodic washouts. The rocks and sand were also challenging. Signage was pretty much non existent, the best strategy being following the most recent vehicle tracks. Other travelers were infrequent though help would be offered when necessary.
About 2/3 of the way down Baja, as he was heading towards Santa Rosalia, the right rear axle broke. He was able to limp into town, but no parts were locally available. He boarded a ferry to Guaymas, on the mainland, where he had two choices of axles. Not knowing which he needed he opted for the larger one, hoping it could be cut down if necessary. As luck would have it he needed the smaller one.
According to Wikipedia "Santa Rosalía boasts French influence, particularly in its architecture. The French Compagnie du Boleo founded the town in 1884 and exploited copper mines there until they closed in 1954. They built houses and installed the metallic Iglesia de Santa Bárbara.
Unlike many other mining sites, the industrial facilities which are located in the very middle of the town, were never dismantled. Of particular interest are the reverberatory furnace and the metallurgical converter, although they are currently not accessible by the public due to safety concerns. Old locomotives, mining equipment and machinery are visible everywhere. The main mining company offices (La dirección) have been converted into an industrial museum."
Working with a local mechanic, the mine's machine shop was able to cut down the new axle and repair the old one so the trip continued down the peninsula. The next stop was the Aquamarina and RV Park owned by Richard's good friend's father, Richard Adcock and his wife Mary Lou. Richard Adcock was an American who, after serving in the Merchant Marines in WWII, marrying an English woman when he was stationed in England preparing for D Day, made his way down to La Paz in the 1950s and fell in love with the location. By that time he and his English wife had three kids and lived in California. His wife declined to move to Baja so Richard moved alone. He planned a lighter service as La Paz at that time had no ship unloading facilities. He bought 5 surplus landing craft and towed them from San Francisco to La Paz. Mexican bureaucracy intervened and he had to abandon the plan. The fallback was to open a dive service. Richard met and married a Mexican Flight Attendant, Mary Lou and the dive service prospered. Some time latter he purchased a 130' Coast Guard buoy tender named the Columbine, which had served on the Columbia River. He sailed it from San Francisco to La Paz, significantly upgrading his dive service. The ship was renamed the Marisla and docked at his marina and rv park.
Once again Mexican politics intruded. He was advised that under Mexican law he was required to have a Mexican national pilot the ship. Clearly the expense of a captain was not in the business plan so petite Mary Lou stepped up, studying and practicing, subsequently passing the necessary exams for licensure. But...it was then pronounced that women could not be captains. Not to be deterred, litigation was filed on the mainland and the battle proceeded. In the end, the Adcocks prevailed and Mary Lou because the first ever Mexican ship captain.
Fast forward to the early 2000's when Richard and I had the opportunity to make a couple of trips to Baja. Highlights included "petting a whale in Scammons Lagoon,
visiting the "hurricane hole" Puerto Escondito on the east coast of Baja, now an upscale resort/yacht harbor,.
seeing the then closed Santa Rosalia mine maintenance area
Getting stuck overnight on an ejido dirt road south of Ensenada, towed two days later to the small town Maneadero where a mechanic shop was located in a muddy courtyard. The fuel line was bypassed with a flexible hose and functioned until years later when the truck was sold.
Letting my adored but naughty Boogerman run free on the beach in Mulege
Seeing the Marisla up close and staying at the Adcock Rv Park, Aquamarina
And breaking my foot on a rocky beach north of Los Barriles, and getting great treatment at the La Paz Military Hospital. I got to attend my retirement party in 2003 in a cast and on crutches. Elegant farewell to LA County. Sadly, we have not been back to Mexico. So glad to have seen it in its more undeveloped state and enjoyed the many opportunities to meet the lovely and always helpful Mexican people.
