In front of my Discovery II lay the Bay of Conception in Baja California Sur, Mexico. With bright blue skies above, a breeze strong enough to create three-foot waves and the morning temperatures creeping towards the high seventies, I had to grin. This had been the dream for the last five years, if not longer. I sat back, sipped the black coffee (since my milk had gone off in the now ice-less cooler), and simply looked around. Behind us the mountain range glowed, the pale pink and maroon of watermelons, with scattered boulders, cacti, and numerous silvery green shrubs. I had camped just beyond Playa La Perla in an area surrounded by Elephant trees, cordon, barrel cactus, and even a few bright red and yellow flowers grew, these colors reminded me of New Mexico.
I’d come along way.
I’d bought this Beast of a D2 in 2020 in Santa Fe, only after asking, “Does it need anything major?” Oh no, I was told, it’s great. I should know better by now but it was my dream vehicle. I paid $3100 and was happy. But, well, it’s an oldie, 1999 with over 200,000 miles and yes it needed something. A long five-page list of somethings.
Those first years were hard, I loved driving it but couldn’t trust it even to go from my land to town, only 30 miles away.
The bugger kept breaking down and none of the regular (non-Landy) shops were able to work out why. I bit the bullet in 2023 and had it towed to Southwest Rovers in Albuquerque, they even knew this specific vehicle and had taken care of it for the previous owners. Such a relief. I asked them to start by assessing whether I could drive it to Baja and what it’d need. That’s when the five pages came back over email. From head gaskets to brake systems, to suspension to…well, pretty much everything needed some love and new parts.
I sold my motorbike.
By summer of 2024, the Beast had a clean bill of health. Time for a test run. The scenic route from Santa Fe took me through Abiquiu’s red cliffs, Chama’s thick forests, and into Pagosa Springs, Colorado. A small tourist town of 1800 in winter, it’s packed in summer due to the location at the base of the Rockies, along the San Juan River for fishing, tubing, kayaking, as well as the ponds, reservoirs and lakes near by. The towns is famous for the deep clean hot springs and spas. Glorious.
Over summer, I was working at William’s Creek Reservoir as a campground host, living in a tent, and spent my time off exploring the back roads in the Land Rover. With the dogs coming along, I didn’t want to pack up the tent each overnight trip so with a bit of elbow grease and some choice words, the back seats came out. I first stored the recovery gear, tools, spare parts, folding shovel, air compressor, first aid kit, and even bear spray.
The bed was then made over that using two-inch foam and sleeping bag/blankets combination. With a cooler, a container for dog supplies (leashes, bowls, food) and a tote for my kitchen needs, I took Tuesdays and Thursdays to drive random forest service roads, building my confidence again.
It had been a while since I’d gone far into the backcountry in a 4×4, I’d been living and traveling in a two-wheel drive Dodge B1500 van for quite a while. Yet it all came back to me, windows open, watching the dogs’ ears flapping in the dusty mirror, stopping by rivers, and always coming back to the lake where I worked, one of the most beautiful places I know. I’d park up, make coffee on the hood of my sweet Beast, and realize how lucky I was.
I soon began planning the trip back to Baja. Which way would I drive this year? I’d been down three winters in a row and thought about taking a new route. This isn’t the first Land Rover I’ve known, my family traveled across France and Spain, England to Scotland, spent months camping on various coasts in a Series II. My brother, Pete, has had Range Rovers and Defenders.
I’ve gone for the old and unreliable ones, a 1958 and a 1972, neither of which took me far, distance-wise, but brought me into the Land Rover community in the States. I’ve written about Shorty, the ’72 before, aka “The Breakdown Machine”. That one put me off Landies for quite a while. Well, two years.
However, this trip from New Mexico to Baja California Sur would be the furthest I’d driven in any of my Landies. I had roughly 1250 miles ahead of me, in winter, camping in the back with two medium size dogs and all my stuff. Nothing to worry about.
The beginning of January in New Mexico was incredibly cold at night, even snowing briefly, and so I drove south as soon as my other commitments allowed. The Landy was packed full of camping gear but also paintings, juggling clubs, books, and an e-bike, all to enjoy in Mulegé, Baja. That too had been a goal, to live ‘The Life’ near water whether a river, an ocean or lake and only four years ago, I’d found the ideal place for me to live with Billie Holiday and Teddy, two rescue dogs. Near the Bay of Conception in Baja California Sur, Mexico in Mulegé.
After a quick first stop at the Caballo Reservoir, I simply drove steadily all afternoon and crossed into Arizona by five. Tired but happy, we settled for the night near Bowie, down a dirt track leading towards Dos Cabezas Peaks in the distance. Chilly. Peaceful. Restful. The dogs ran free. I sipped hot chocolate and gazed at the stars, making wishes on the satellites zipping past.
Onwards to towards Dateland the next morning, the drive was monotonous as I stuck to the interstate but it was just so smooth. The two Series Rovers I’d had would not have been anywhere near as comfortable and the engine sounded great, handling was easy, speed fast enough to zip around slower vehicles as needed. My mind wandered though, concerned about where to cross into Mexico. News was full of cartel shootings, San Felipe, my original planned stop, was under a curfew after four deaths in one week. A fire closed down the highway pass near Tecate though so it would have to be Mexicali, but early enough to drive through and past San Felipe that first day. After another night on a patch of desert track with the dogs running around, a small campfire, and good food, I was ready to do this, drive into Mexico in the Landy.
I grabbed a coffee in Calexico, exchanged some cash, putting most of it in a hiding place back with the dogs, and called my brother. Then ready at last, I followed the traffic over the border without even a short chat to the officers who were waving me though. Three blocks away in a narrow section of tall half-used storefronts, parked cars and a traffic lights, a police car pulled up beside me, lights flashing. The driver, the male officer in his fifties, waved me down a side street. The young female officer came to my window. An infraction, she said…the dogs, the driver’s license, the truck, the dogs…she wasn’t sure about which it was but she was positive that I’d broken a law.
Talking to her in Spanish, she went back and forth between me and her boss, only to insist I pay $10,000 MX ($500 USA) or follow them to another location. As much as I didn’t want to do either of these, I was a solo woman in an old vehicle in an unknown city. I didn’t feel safe pushing back. Although when she wasn’t looking, I set my phone to video the last part of the conversation, the part when she looked in my wallet as I took out my driver’s license, she demanded the $2000 MX. The rest of my cash, I couldn’t help but think how lucky it was I’d hidden it in the back with the dogs. The officer reached for the two thousand, rolling it up and tucking it into her uniform sleeve. All on camera.
They set me free.
I pressed save on the video, not sure what I’d do with it. Alone now, in a run-down side street with vehicles up on blocks, everything was dust-covered, and the buildings deserted with windows covered by plywood, I took a deep breath. Let it out. Drove south.
I’d only just begun. There was no stopping me now. And this is what I woke up to…
Part Two covers the trip through San Felipe, San Luis Gonzaga Bay, Bahia de los Angeles, San Ignacio, Santa Ines and arriving at Mulege.
2. Sleam’s Artwork has new offerings of original art and gifts each week: After years of mostly doing cartoons or text, I’m getting into painting. I didn’t know that watercolors would convey the vibrant colors of Mexico so well. This winter, I focused on capturing the streets, homes, and beaches of Baja California Sur. They’re available as downloadable files to print as well as on various practical things like mugs, totes, wearables, mouse-pads and more! I’m having fun. I hope you like them.
3. Wanderlust Journal: SUBMISSIONS OPEN! We’re taking ideas through the website contact form, just give a sense of what you want to share with our international audience of over 179,000 so far! We focus on personal experiences, approx 1500 words, include a short synopsis and bio please.
4. Check out the travel poetry books available through Wild Dog Press
5. Writers: If you are looking for a developmental editor, check out how I can help your writing become what you aim for, building upon your skills and showing you patterns that might or might not like to continue using…
I’m working with Tongass Mist Writers in Alaska. Have a look here:https://www.tongassmist.com/event-details/commit-to-the-page-a-10-month-manuscript-revision-and-publishing-quest
6. Donations really help. Wanderlust Journal is a free online resource for publishing and reading travel essays and photo-stories. Same for Substack. Pretty much for everything I do…! It’s lucky I live in a little caravan (Travel trailer to you) and enjoy nature more than shopping. Anyway, even if you can only give a little, it helps me do what I’m committed to doing, ever since a teenager, and that is documenting other lifestyles, cultures, experiences and then sharing them with you.
Think of these projects next time you are able to give a little, thank you.
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