Rosario de Arriba in photos (1949-2025)
Full name: Nuestra Señora del Rosario de Viñadaco Founding date: July 24, 1774 (relocated 2 miles west in 1802) Mission #19 Catholic Order: Dominican Founded by: Padre Francisco Galistéo Condition: Adobe ruins at both sites Closing date: Closed in 1822 GPS/ Access: 30.066944, -115.718889 (first site) Mex. #1, Km. 58.5, south of San Quintín, just uphill. Read more: HERE The first ‘El Rosario’ […]
1974 Score Baja Internacional
In July of 1974, at the invitation of the government of Baja California and Ensenada businessmen, Mickey Thompson brought his SCORE organization (originally developed for Short Course Off Road Events, with grandstand viewing) to Mexico for the first of many point-to-point desert races on the peninsula (and in the U.S.). Mexico had cancelled NORRA’s permit […]
Santa Gertrudis in photos (2001, 2012, 2017)
Full name: Santa Gertrudis Founding date: July 15, 1752 Mission #15 Catholic Order: Jesuit Founded by: Padre Georg Retz Condition: Stone church construction completed in 1796 Closing date: Closed in 1822 GPS: 28.051117, -113.085325 Access: Mex. #1 Km. 189 (north of Santa Rosalia), east 47 miles. Read more: CLICK HERE >>To see where Mission Santa Gertrudis is, see maps and directions at bottom of […]
San Fernando in photos (1926-2025)
Full name: San Fernando de Velicatá Founding date: May 14, 1769 Mission #18 Catholic Order: Franciscan Founded by: Padre Junípero Serra Condition: Adobe ruins remaining date to the 1790s Closing date: Closed in 1822 GPS: 29.971109, -115.236434 Access: Mex. #1, Km. 121, south of San Quintín, 2.3 miles southwest, cattle gate at 1 mile (open in 2025). >To see where Mission San Fernando de […]
Santa María in photos (1906-2022)
Full name: Santa María de los Angeles Founding date: October 16, 1766 (relocated 30 miles northwest and renamed on May 26, 1767) Mission #17 Catholic Order: Jesuit Founded by: Padre Victoriano Arnés, Padre Juan Diez Condition: Adobe outlines at 1766 site. Adobe buildings at second site, from 1768-1769. Closing date: Abandoned in 1774 or 1775. GPS/ Access: 29.731742, -114.547379 (second site/ Santa […]
Travel log on El Camino Real,1792
Longinos Martínez, José (c. 1755–1803) José Longinos Martínez (b. ca. 1755; d. 1803), naturalist in New Spain (1787–1803). A native of Calahorra, Spain, Longinos studied botany at the Royal Botanical Garden in Madrid before traveling to Mexico in 1787. Longinos preferred the study of animals and spent his time in Mexico studying birds, butterflies, fish, and mammals. He traveled through […]
Auto Club maps of San Felipe South area (1930-2010)
Not all years included, see message at bottom. Maps shown for historical education. 1930: 1934: 1955: 1959: 1962: 1967: 1971: 1973: 1974: 1975: 1978: 1979: 1980: 1982: 1983: 1984: 1985: 1987: 1988: 1989: 1990: 1991: 1992: 1994: 1995: 1996: 1997: 1998: 2000: 2001: 2003: 2004: 2007: 2010: Missing some Auto Club Maps, can you […]
Gulick’s 1954 El Camino Real Maps and Notes
Gulick, Howard E. “The Baja California Mission Trail – Loreto to El Rosario.” *Unpublished paper made available by the author. Encompasses intelligent and informed suppositions about the route of El Camino Real. Although it is supplanted by first-hand field research, it remains a model preliminary study, marshalling all manner of indirect evidence of the trail. […]
Rock Art: Petroglyphs, Pictographs, Geoglyphs
The stories these forms of communications would be wonderful to know! What do we mean by petroglyphs, pictographs, and geoglyphs? *Petroglyphs are rock carvings (rock paintings are called pictographs) made by pecking directly on the rock surface using a stone chisel and a hammerstone. When the desert varnish (or patina) on the surface of the […]
Photographs
See over 1,600 location photos on this interactive map. Zoom in to reveal multiple photos at specific locations. CLICK HERE to quickly find photos at Baja locations (1999-2022)! Baja California Travel and Camping Photos (1965-2025): 1965-1999 Photos “David’s Old Baja Photo Album” 1974 Score Baja Internacional (Ensenada & Mike’s Sky Rancho) 1999 – 2004 Baja Trip […]
San Borja in photos (2001-2017)
Full name: San Francisco de Borja Adac Founding date: September 1, 1762 Mission #16 Catholic Order: Jesuit Founded by: Padre Wenceslaus Linck Condition: Adobe ruins from 1759-1773. Stone church from 1801. Closing date: Closed in 1818 GPS: 28.744547, -113.753997 Access: Mex. #1 Km. 52 (south of Punta Prieta at Nuevo Rosarito), east 22 miles or Mex. #12 Km. 45 (L.A. Bay highway), south 21 […]
Viva Baja Index (frequently updated)
A Advice for […]
Edward H. Davis 1926 Photos
Edward H. Davis photographed the Baja California Native people and mission sites during his 1926 expedition. His San Diego County and other photo collections are preserved on many sites like SanDiegoHistory.org The next three photos show how adobe ruins vanish when unprotected from the elements: +24 years= +73 years= +84 years= +93 […]
Rancho San Gregorio 1960, 2001, 2022
San Gregorio is an old ranch in central Baja California, 8.6 miles (14 kms.) southeast from San Borja. In the canyon are many fruit trees (including citrus and guava) that are watered from a natural spring. It is such a picturesque location, it made the cover of a popular 1980 guidebook. We appreciate ranch owner […]
Historic Images
J. Ross Browne from 1868 Margaret Brown Baldwin Photos from ~1900 Edward Nelson Photos (1905-1906) in boxes 40 to 44 Margaret Wood Bancroft Photos from early 1930s Margaret Wood Bancroft 1934 Lost Mission Search Peveril Meigs’ Northern Baja Photos (1925 to 1936) Peveril Meigs photos on Calisphere Edward H. Davis Baja California Photos of 1926 […]