Baja has some great sunsets and sunrises. We had a great time, even though we came up short on reaching Mision Santa Maria. We hiked uphill four hours and it took three to get back, thanks to the GPS, to stay on the trail.

Puppies!

My daughter Sarah found these puppies under a tractor, across from Rancho Grande. Sarah stayed with Brandi's family on the beach while we hiked on Friday.

The part of El Camino Real we hiked, was built by the Franciscans after Junipero Serra's walk from Loreto to Alta California. Serra and the Jesuits who preceded him, reached Mision Santa Maria by walking up the canyon then made a steep climb to get out of the canyon on what we today call the 'Indian Trail'. In fact, this Indian trail was the early Camino Real route. It was so dangerous for pack animals, the new route was built which stays out of the canyon, just north of the rim. Both the old and newer trails join on the bulldozed road that ends about 2 miles east, from the mission. The Indian Trail or first Camino Real continues from the very end of the bulldozed road and drops to the canyon bottom. This can be seen in an aerial photo at http://vivabaja.com/missionsm/page6.html The newer Camino Real comes down the mountain and joins the bulldozed road below (west of) the end of it. It is very difficult to spot where it connects with the bulldozed road, halfway between the arroyo and the end on the ridge. Per my GPS, Chris and I were less than a mile and a half east from the end of the bulldozed road when we turned back! With a GPS to help stay on the trail (which isn't always obvious) I am estimating it would take 6 hours max. to hike from the end of the road (coming from Gonzaga) to the mission. Bring a minimum of a gallon of water (in cool weather) per person. A return hike down the canyon would make that less, if you drink from the year-round stream that runs to about a mile west from the Gonzaga side road end. Visit my Baja Missions web site for photos of Santa Maria and other Baja mission sites: http://vivabaja.com/bajamissions In April, 2003, I drove to the mission from the west, with my daughter and some of my Baja Internet friends: http://vivabaja.com/403 In May, 2007, I returned to Mision Santa Maria and hiked some of the Camino Real where it meets the road from the mission: http://vivabaja.com/msm Read more about this trip and other Baja adventures on the Baja Nomad discussion boards: http://forums.bajanomad.com See all my past Baja travel web pages, links to other Baja web sites, old and new maps of Baja, and more at: http://vivabaja.com