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Baja XL Rally - A look back at the 2019 Race

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Photos & Story by Ted Donovan “Anyone. By Anything. By Any Means.” The 2019 Baja XL Rally stages With the Baja XL Rally Race returning in January/February 2025, I thought I'd post some of my photos, in stages, of the Baja XL Race in January/February 2019 that Michael Emery and I tackled. For those of you that don't know, the Baja XL is a rally race from Los Angeles to Los Cabos and back in 10 days. In 2019, we had overnights at Rancho El Coyote, Catavina, Puerto Lopez Mateos, Todos Santos, Cabo Pulmo, Ciudad Constitucion, Bahia Concepcion/Mulege, Mission San Borja and San Felipe and then back to the US. From the organizers: "The BAJA XL is a minimal assistance road rally. There are no rescue trucks, medical helicopters or travel guides. You have to rely on your own wits and resources to get out of trouble. The BAJA XL is open to “anyone by anything”. If it’s street legal you can drive it. The rally is open to cars, motorcycles, trucks and whatever

Laguna Hanson & Parque Nacional Constitucion de 1857 (16 images)

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If you drive an hour east on Highway 3 from Ensenada, you will find the turnoff to the pine forests of Laguna Hanson & Parque Nacional Constitucion de 1857. Another 20 miles of graded dirt roads up to the 5,000 foot Sierra de Juarez mountains of northern Baja California you'll find the national park. Opportunities to explore a different biosphere than the surrounding Baja peninsula exist here. Hiking, birdwatching, rock climbing, solitude, camping and cabins await you.  Well worth the day trip or a stay over if you are seeking adventure. On our visit, we we left the park to the north and ended up on Highway 2 along the US/Mexico border near La Rumorosa. Enjoy a couple images of the trip. Love the Baja California peninsula? Join our BajaVisitor Community page and post your photos, make recommendations, plus ask and answer questions. It's free to join at https://www.facebook.com/groups/735042030177279/ Need Insurance? Try Baja Bound!

Visit Mexicali's La Chinesca

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Story & photos by Ted Donovan Did you know Mexicali has the largest Chinatown in Mexico? It's true and you can visit the area. A group called La Chinesca is preserving the Chinese area of Mexicali and the traditions of those immigrants who came from China. The Chinese traveled to the hot, barren deserts of Mexicali, Baja California's capital, around 1900 to work on the railroads and irrigation canals being built on both sides of the border. After the construction was completed, many stayed and became merchants who opened up bars, restaurants, shops in the area now called La Chinesca next to the US/Mexico border. Mexicali's history can not be written with out the contribution of the Chinese immigrants. Underneath their shops and businesses, the industrious Chinese built elaborate basements, tunnels and pathways to both escape the extreme heat of the summers (as high as 120F) and to live/work unmolested from the local community. Unfortunately, over the decades many