Rest Day in Loreto

 I was driving too many hours so paused in Loreto for a couple of nights. After leaving San Felipe, I was planning to stop in Guerrero Negro or maybe Mulege but because it was only 3:30 I decided to continue on to Loreto. 

I think that was a mistake as the sun quickly dropped below the mountains and it got dark by 4 o’clock, and I had to drive two hours on narrow pothole roads with cows before arriving in the dark in Loreto.

Starting the day with espresso in the town square. I suspect December will be more crowded!

I chatted with a guy at the camp who suggested a 35km ride up to the mission at San Javier. It did not disappoint!

And a bonus tarantula on the road! My first brush with wildlife that kills!

That’s a BIG Wall

 

The Drive from Joshua tree national Park all the way down to the border at Mexicali was painfully flat and boring. The beaches at the Salton Sea, were not inviting to swim, And the remaining part of the drive was very industrial. 

The border was super straightforward. Follow the signs get in line of course get pulled over cause they wanna look at the motorcycle and whatever’s in the back of the truck, but it was only five minutes then I pulled out and I could tell I was in Mexico right away.

Katie happened to call right as I was pulling out and I got a little bit I made a wrong turn and I was driving right along the edge of the wall. Then I jumped back into the city of Mexicali, but man I was on some Backstreets. It was rustic for sure!

There’s a little bit of chaos a little bit of garbage, a little bit of smell and a whole lot of sunshine

The picture below is from the end of one of the beaches at San Felipe

Finally time to wear shorts

 Making a run for the border. 

It was still chilly last night, but as soon as the sun hit the tent at 6:30, boom the temperature shot up. I had a nice tailgater breakfast oatmeal, and espresso.

Last night I arrived at dark and had to roam a bit to find a camping spot. Look at the sky! No service but a great view. 

I went for a little Joshua Tree hike to stretch this morning and now heading to the Mexicali border crossing. Wish me luck!

Back to Work : Baking and Selling

 So, because I arrived in Salinas, California on a Friday night, it was time to prepare for the Saturday market. Andrew had prepped most of the stuff but with beer in hand, he put me to work. 

The Secret Bakery was in full production mode!

Bread and pastries were prepared for the morning in which he woke up at 3:30 to do the final baking and I slept in until seven. I helped box and we drove into town set up and I helped sell for a few hours.

He stayed all the way through till two in the afternoon, but I ditched my shift early and went hiking with Wendy. What a beautiful day.

The day would not be complete without my first ever trip to Trader Joes and then an evening hot tub soak.

Tomorrow onto Joshua Tree!

The Adventure Begins 2025

 ​Well, after months of preparation, Shannon slapped me on the butt and said “Get yourself south!”

The Vancouver weather was definitely getting wetter and the days shorter. My mood was worsening and I was not enjoying the endless bike cleaning from muddy rides. 

I’m worried about the border crossings. And the truck may break. And someone might steal my stuff! And….

Oh, stop worrying and just get going

Canada-USA border at 6am was deserted. Only 2 cars and the guard was super friendly! Easy! I blasted down I-5 with the idea of making California first night. I ended up at Castle Crag state park for my first roof top tent. It was 2c and freezing! But fret not. I bought a Bluetooth battery pack and electric blanket! Super cosy

Day two was another sprint through Northern California ending at my old friend, Andrew’s place in Salinas.

 His wife, Wendy is a teacher and Andrew is a baker. Fun time but it was time to work. Fire up the ovens!

Retirement Looks Different From This Side...

Reigniting this blog from the early years. 

The kids were younger and we started the blog to connect with grandparents in Ontario. Now we are all older and looking for some new adventures.

I retired this summer (as some of you know - I've never been shy about talking about this!). I did agree to finish off work with the VSB in early September and immediately fly to Ontario to attempt "The Cord". Being so rookie to dirt biking and racing, Peter (brother-in-law, and really, the main reason I got into this stupic high risk sport) and I opted to do what is called the "Trail Ride". It does the whole race, but after the racers. Although less race stress, it proved to be a mistake as 700 riders ripped apart the trails before us, leaving some 3' deep channels that would eat my bike.

Here's a Facebook post about that riding weekend.

To ship my dirtbike from Vancouver to Peterborough, I used a matchmaker service called "Shiply". Did you know there are people driving trucks/vans/trailers back and forth across the country? Huh? I connected with a guy who picked up my bike and gear bag then dropped it across the country a couple of weeks later. Costs about $1000 one way. Very happy with how that worked out.

So now what? I've got about 5 weeks to prepare my truck, prepare my bikes and prepare my body for the upcoming journey to Cabo. Winter in Mexico!

More to come....