March 8, 2015 – Well we crossed back into the U.S. on a busy Saturday this morning at Tecate with more adventure in store for us that include a police escort on the Mexican side and the Sherriff telling us to move along at our regular meeting spot on the American side. But we made it safe and sound with lots of driving excitement on our last day on Hwy 3.
A few days before we had left Mulege and the weather was changing, lots of rain and much cooler temperatures. We awoke at Mario’s RV Park to a very cold morning and headed out to Bahia de Los Angeles. We arrived under sunny skies but the rain started later and really poured. Chris, Dixie and Roland went fishing on day 2 with Marcos and were rewarded with some dandy Yellow Tail. We had a breakfast hosted by Dave & Elaine and Bob & Diane, very yummy. Our tour of town included the Museo, always popular, the Diaz Chapel, a few groceries and the viewpoint. Our friends Don & Sandy were still at Daggetts campground but were heading out in a couple of weeks. Bety & Antonio were in Ensenada however we did see them after we left and were headed to Vicente Guerrero at our lunch stop.
Dinner was good as always at Cecila’s Restaurant, Baja Fiesta, and it good to see Casey & Amy from last February’s tour, they were volunteering at a local orphanage. Then next on Day 28 we were off to Sordo Mudo and our last excursion at the LA Cetto Winery. This was fun as Alejandra did the tour and the tasting which folks really enjoyed. Bob & Patsy finally got to plug into 50 amps and do the laundry, better late than never. One more Happy Hour with a presentation from Doug about the school for the deaf and it was early to bed as we scheduled to leave at 7:30 AM for Tecate. We also saw Tom & Andy from Santispac as they pulled in while we were camped there.
And ends another Baja Amigos RV Caravan Tour, #23 for Dan & Lisa but who is counting?
Did you know?
The 22nd parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 22 degrees north of the Earth’s equatorial plane. It crosses Africa, Asia, the Indian Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, North America, the Caribbean and the Atlantic Ocean. The majority of the border between Egypt and Sudan follows the parallel. At this latitude the sun is visible for 13 hours, 29 minutes during the summer solstice and 10 hours, 47 minutes during the winter solstice. The only location where latitude 22 crosses the United States in on the Island of Niihau and Kauai in the State of Hawaii. Latitude 22 degrees north crosses Mexico, coast to coast including Los Cabos on Baja California Sur.
Latitude 22+ is the name of a famous Restaurant Bar in Cabo San Lucas owned by “Croatian Mike“ which can be found at Km 4.5 on Transpeninsular Highway #1 next to COSTCO, behind the CFE Sb-Station. On March 3, 2004, Latitude 22+ moved to this new location and now seats 120 patrons with ample parking and cooks over a mesquite grill with a mesquite oven.
It all started somewhere back in 1959, on a stick pole Tuna boat Called ‘TheCounte Bianco’, out of San Pedro, California. The boat was on her death bed and soon to be retired, or turned into a bait boat. She was being replaced in the fleet by a brand new 250 foot Seiner type fisher, so this was to be her last run. The skipper was a cousin to Mikes Dad, and snuck him aboard, not exactly snuck him aboard, but berths on a tuna boat, were tighter than a ducks ass. So as a favor, he put him on for the last run. The boat ended up down at the ‘Cape’ as the old timers called it, and although there was nothing there but an old Tuna cannery and some small Palapa homes, Mike new he was going to return.
It took until 1974, Mike returned on a Sport fisher named ‘The Avante’, she was a 68 foot Sport fisher built Redondo Beach by a rascal named Bobby Cornelius. Bobby and Mike were good friends and seeing Mike just got divorced and his wife ended up with his little beach bar in Manhattan Beach, with no money, nor apparent future. Here was his chance to return to ‘The Cape’, which y now was called Cabo.
The Cape still wasn’t what you could call a town, but it was showing possibilities. Time share hadn’t raised her consuming head, but there were some good hotels, and the place was showing possibilities. Mike spent 3 years there on the Avante, shuffling people from ‘The Cabo San Lucas Hotel, to the Islands of ‘Sicorro, Partida’ and ‘Clarionun’. Then the new Port Captain, asked Cornelius to leave, for operating without proper papers. Once again Mike knew he would return! But it would not be until 1988.
Mike was recovering from old war wounds from a bad operation in Santa Monica when once again found himself broke from giving another of his ex-wives through another misguided marriage, another Manhattan Beach bar. While on the mend, two old friends, Don Deford and Ted Van Huisen bought a 41 foot Pacifica named ‘THE DEALERSHIP’ and not being sea going type guys asked Mike to take the boat to Cabo and they would fly down. Actually they were great guys and knew Mike was on the verge of shattering and it was their way of helping, they knew from many conversations how much He wanted to get back. One night in ‘88’ Mike kicked the dock lines in Redondo Beach and I guess the rest is as they say History.
Enter Latitude 22, The Cannery, and Latitude 22 Road House. Now you know the rest of the story!
