Spoiler alert: We make it to the border!

 

Hurray - we have hit New Mexico and the cat still loves us! We have started walking him more with the harness + leash and I fear the taste of freedom has him craving more.  He is just as ready as us to get to Elias Calles!

Luca has Toby as an emotional support animal while he is forced to take math on the road.
C'mon Mexicali!

My view gets better and better each evening.

We get so excited to get out of the truck that we'd be impressed by just about anything.  But who doesn't love the beautiful flora of the desert south west?

We are all getting pretty loopy!  Max can get decidedly strange, but sometimes Luca and I don't even have to say anything and we lose ourselves in uncontrollable laughter and Max just has to walk away and shrug.

We are so not in Raleigh anymore!  These boulders actually remind me of a boulder field we are going to bypass in Northern Baja called Cataviña, so I am happy to see them here. 

Arizona is one gorgeous state and I am sad to be plowing through it laser focused on getting to CA and then the border.  I truly hope the pandemic will be more under control on our return and that we will be able explore more!

Waking up in the parking lot of the El Centro Hampton Inn.  Thankfully, Max has tons of points so we were able to rent a room for 'free' and then just sleep in the camper in the lot.

This is an image that strikes fear in the heart of anyone who has enjoyed exploring in a camper of any sort.  The fresh water tank was empty; honestly, the black and grey were in need of dumping as well.  As unexciting as it is - I wish I'd captured the process.  There is a whole layer to traveling whereby one must find dump stations and fresh water fill ups across the country and then, sigh, actually use them.  

It was so bloody hot.  My poor skin hadn't seen sunshine like that in a long, long time!


We were finally ready and got up at 2:30 to prepare for crossing at Mexicali at 4:00.  We could only figure out how to pull in to take up the entire self declare section, so the camper was searched and a dog was brought aboard. Then we came into this building to get tourist visas for Luca and me, and to take a step in Max's permanent residency process.  Easy breezy and the people were super nice.  


I think my Dad would be super happy to know his truck was entering Baja on yet another adventure! We ended up totally confused as we crossed in; I'm pretty sure we were supposed to pull over and have the truck inspected but we just kept going and no one shouted out or shot at us or anything, so we just kept trucking on and through.  Bienvenidos a México!

Comments

  1. KimFebruary 14, 2021 at 11:30 AM

    Congratulations! What an adventure!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. lynnaFebruary 14, 2021 at 1:15 PM

      Thank you. It was touch + go for a little while there and I thought we might just head back to NC for a few months to regroup. I am full of joy that we were able to continue + those hiccups just became part of our personal history; part of the adventure.

      Delete
  2. hira@bluest-one.comFebruary 16, 2021 at 12:32 PM

    Yay! Wish I could be there with you

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. lynnaFebruary 17, 2021 at 10:36 PM

      How I wish that, too, my beautiful friend! I can't tell you how much I would treasure that. Plus - you need a vacation! Thank you for all the hard work you do <3

      Delete
  3. CullenFebruary 16, 2021 at 12:43 PM

    Keep going El Centro sucks. I spent too much time there, as did your guy. Max sent me a pic of his new office view. I'm super jealous.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. lynnaFebruary 17, 2021 at 10:35 PM

      We think that you need to put in for a transfer and share a cubicle with Max! And, yeah, El Centro was a quick means to an end for us. There used to be a large bus repair/junkyard there that we'd visit in our bus each time we drove down the peninsula for spare windshields or new brake master cylinder type things.

      Delete

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