Four Days after crossing the border we finally arrived in our temporary hometown of La Ventana, Mexico. Just describing the three days of driving from Punta Baja to La Ventana is no small task. It really feels like every time you turn a corner, every time you get through a valley or over a mountain the scenery completely changes.

On the subject of safety, the people here are extremely friendly. The gas stations don’t fill your cars up out of cans. (They even have the option of premium fuel) There are official banks with trustworthy ATMs, and I even witnessed a fellow tourist leave his card in an ATM, then a local ran after him to return his card. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend anyone with a pinch of common sense to embark on this journey. The roads are narrow, windy and sometimes have crossing livestock, but if you’re not speeding or driving at night, there is no reason to fear for your safety. I think one of the most interesting facts, however, is we never got pulled over. In our 8,000 miles of driving now, the only place we got police attention was Mississippi. Hmm…. Maybe we just don’t look like we have any money for bribes?

After waking in Punta Baja, prepping the Dolphin for travel, and saying goodbye to some of the local pooches, we began our trek again. Day 2 driving included endless mountains of boulders, and the largest cactus I’ve ever seen in my life. Guerrero Negro was the town we choose for our temporary home that night. It boasts the highest concentration of grey whales in the world, and much of the town’s business is focused around taking tourists out to them. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to see them and we hit the road again at first light.

For day 3 I had it stuck in my head that I wanted to camp at Bahia de Conception. I really had no reason other than seeing the name on the map, and my imagination telling me it must be amazing. On route to our night’s camp we made a friend on the road. Well, kind of, I don’t think he actually knew. There was a truck pulling a giant fifth wheel camper, on the side was the logo COUGAR. Jacqui and I both decided we liked driving near this Cougar. Call us a bit sinister, but the Cougar was so nice and flashy, we decided he was cop bait, and if we stayed near him we’d never get pulled over.

We finally said goodbye to our Cougar friend when we went for lunch in the town of Mulege. An absolute must see. One of the most beautiful towns we have had the pleasure of seeing. It’s literally known as an oasis, with a river flowing through the town, palm trees everywhere, and great food. But just around the corner from Mulege, after dodging some cows that were carelessly crossing the highway, is Bahia de Conception. It needs no words, just see the photos.

Day 4 doesn’t need a lot of description. It was an early start, a long drive full of cliff side views of the Sea of Cortez, and forests of cacti. With one last giant climb we finally found ourselves descending into La Ventana. A town that is hardly inhabited outside of the windy season. Almost every winter day when it’s finally cool enough over the sea, the desert sun heats up the mountain side which draws in the cool sea air causing a mad rush of wind. It’s almost like someone turns on the light switch everyday from 12-5.