The turkey is in the oven, we’ve been busily preparing the feast and though the game is on the TV, I find myself sitting outside enjoying the sun and sea.  Since our walk this morning, I’ve been in a reverie and thinking back to the years past.

For decades I’ve loved this place.  From the first moment I laid eyes on “The Baja,” I knew there was something magical about this place. Since my first fish-hook dipped into the waters of the Sea of Cortez, I’ve enjoyed it’s bounty. And my first trip deep into her desert captured my wonder and awe.

It’s been my mission over the years to share this place with as many people as possible, that’s why I built Baja Rentals. So this Thanksgiving, I’m giving thanks for all Baja has given me; new friends, great times, and a family to match no other.

In the background, I keep hearing the commercials for Black Friday, so here’s what I’m going to do—I’m going to offer a Black Friday Special of my own, for no other reason than to share a little bit of San Felipe and Percebu with you.

The Special: 25% off your next stay at Baja Rentals during the 2011-2012 season. This is obviously dependent upon availability. To get 25% off, though, you need to call and book your stay on Black Friday (November 25, 2011) between 9:00 AM PST and 6:00 PM PST, AND you have to call me directly on my cell phone, because I want to talk to YOU!  My direct cell is (619) 992-2569. 

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.  We hope to see you soon!

-Franco Cremascoli

Even before the days of Baja Rentals, I remember the races with great fondness and the times we had as a family preparing for the race as it passed by Percebu.  When I was younger it was the anticipation of what was to come that would grab me weeks ahead of time. We’d get up early, load up in the truck or buggy with a couple of coolers, grab the camera, maybe stop by the cantina for an early breakfast with a cozuela chaser (when I was in my late teens and early twenties, of course), then bounce our way up the road through the wash into the desert just east of Laguna Percebu. We’d find a nice spot with the hundreds of other people who’d made the trek down for the race and make a family day of it.

When I was a kid, the racers were modern-day super heroes.  As I got into my late teens and early twenties,the races where an excuse to have an epic party.  Now that I’m older and have a family of my own, the races are a chance to share with my kids the excitement, thrill and wonder of “The Baja.” And just like me when I was younger, my kids, too, look forward to the sheer power of the vehicles as they speed by in a cloud of dust.  Motorcycles, quads, baja bugs, buggies, and the almighty trophy trucks grab our imagination and envy year after year.

With a week to go and teams making the final preparations for the 44th Annual Tecate SCORE Baja 1000, we want to let you know we’ve still got some availability in a couple of the houses in Percebu. So if you’re a spectator or a crewmember, give us a call and book up one of the remaining houses for the race weekend.  We’d love to have you and share in your ‘round-the-fire stories after race-day.

In the U.S. call us toll free at (855) GO-2-BAJA or email us at kathi@bajarentals.com, space is limited and dependent on availability, so don’t dally!

Start your race tradition this year.  We’ll see you in The Baja!

In town shrimp is selling for $12 to $15 dollars a kilo. The shrimpers are pulling in quite a harvest, so we’re eating well around here. There is a bounty in our local waters, and the fishermen and shrimpers are taking full advantage of it.

For us, this past weekend was amazing on the water.  I caught two of the largest corbina I’ve ever seen. Between them, I have over forty pounds of filet’s.  But that’s not all, a neighbor of mine pulled in over fifty fish in two hours.  The fishing is, dare I say, off the hook!

If you are a fisher, the time is ripe for a trip to Baja Rentals!  And as always, I look forward to seeing you.

You may or may not have noticed, but we have a new phone number and address.  We’ve also added a new member to our team, Kathi.  She’ll be handling all of your reservations and keeping things in order here in the U.S. while we’re in Mexico making your stay great.  Our new contact information is as follows (and can be found on our Contact Us page):

Baja Rentals
PO Box 8
San Luis Rey, CA 92068-0008

Toll Free Telephone: 855-GO2-BAJA (855-462-2252)
Fax: 619-550-3607

We now accept credit cards and PayPal!
We are putting new systems in place to enable you to make reservations easier.  We are now using PayPal so you can more easily and securely lock down your reservations.

Facebook and Twitter
We’ll be blogging with information on happenings and interesting points, and we’ll be posting pictures to our Facebook page (be sure to “Like” us and let us know what your think).   We will also be Tweeting, so be sure to follow us on Twitter (@Baja_Rentals).

Well, back to packing up the truck.  I’m off and running and look forward to seeing you in Baja!

Our concern was that the dogs separated from ours, who know the area better, and had either wandered into the desert or been picked up and spirited away.  Either way the prospects seemed bleak though we maintained hope and prayed for a favorable outcome.  We searched the desert, combed the beaches and let everyone we came in contact with know we were looking for a couple of lost dogs.  Our neighbors lent a helping hand and the whole community pitched in to search and get the word out. As the hours passed and the days mounted we became more and more distraught.

Yet with the use of all this technology, the fact of the matter was we are in a remote and rustic area where things just don’t move that fast.  But, we know we can count on our neighbors and our community, which is one of the most appealing aspects of our little corner of Baja.  The people here, both local and ex-pat, are amazing!  Even in the darkest of hours we held out hope because those around us supported the endeavor.  Then, when one old fisherman, who we’d run into on our initial search for the dogs a couple days ago, came across them on a bluff at the edge of the desert, he collected them and, at some expense to himself, made the trek to let us know he had them.  He didn’t know of a reward, he probably didn’t even know such a monumental search had been mounted, he just did what a good neighbor would do, he reached out and helped a member of his community.

To that end, the dogs are back and no worse for the wear.  Tails are wagging and we are all breathing a sigh of relief.

Thanks to everyone for your help and support.