Every good adventure starts before the sun even thinks about rising. That was us on a Thursday at 6 a.m., rolling out of the Summit 4X4 shop with coffee in hand and a full line of rigs behind us. The plan was simple. Drive south. Cross the border. Make memories. This was our San Felipe run with Camp4Lo, and none of us had any idea just how good this weekend was going to be.
Our crew was stacked. Jesse, Kelly, Denise, Jayden, Alyssa, Vinny, Dan, Arel, Uriel, Tatum, and me (JP). Solid people. Good energy. The kind of group you want when you are heading into Baja.
The plan was to meet up with Jason, Christina, Jillian, and Stace in Yuma, then caravan all the way to San Felipe. Except, true to the off-road lifestyle, Jason’s Jeep decided to break down the night before.
That is how these trips go sometimes. Something always tries to slow you down.
Jason decided he would get the Jeep fixed in San Felie. Solid move. So we kept rolling toward Yuma and obviously stopped at Mr. G’s. If you know, you know. Hot food, cold drinks, rigs parked outside covered in dust and attitude. A perfect way to start a Baja run.
From there, we met everyone at the Applebee’s in Calexico. At this point, our caravan was seventeen rigs deep. You do not blend in when you roll up to a border crossing with that many Jeeps and Toyotas and support rigs. The crossing itself went fine, but getting FMM cards for seventeen rigs worth of people took almost two and a half hours. That is Mexico. It moves at its own rhythm. You just let it happen.
Once we started driving south through Mexicali, the vibe changed instantly. Mexico hits you with its own pulse. The traffic breathes differently. The roads feel alive. The unwritten rule out there is simple. The biggest vehicle gets the right of way. Nobody says it, but everybody knows it.
After around 140 miles of desert road, the Sea of Cortez opened up in the distance. Just like that, we rolled into San Felipe. Our first stop was Kiki’s Camp, where Matt had tacos ready for everyone. Hard to beat that welcome. We were met by friends old and new. Jason, Christina, Jillian, Stace, Travis, Jerry, and Brian from Tembo Tusk.
We checked in across the street at Hotel San Borja, dropped our gear, and got cleaned up for dinner at Matilde’s.
If San Felipe is a vibe, Matilde’s is a masterpiece. It is right on the beach with a full tribute to Baja’s off-road racing history. Jerseys, trophies, framed photos, and stories hanging on the walls. The place sits somewhere between fine dining and classic Baja soul, and the food matches the atmosphere. Their queso fundido with shrimp alone is worth the drive.
During dinner, Jason was catching up with the owner, who had just learned about the passing of Wade Kelson. In true Baja fashion, he brought out a special edition bottle of Don Julio and passed it around for a shot in Wade’s honor. If you ever crossed paths with Wade, you know why that moment meant something. Big heart, big personality, big presence. The kind of guy Baja remembers.
After a long dinner with full stomachs and tired faces, we headed back to the hotel for some sleep. Friday was going to be a big one.
Friday. Desert miles and the good kind of tired
Morning came fast. Coffee, gear, quick Baja driver meeting, and then we hit the gas station for fuel, snacks, and those last-minute things you always forget.
Our route took us out into the desert behind Matt and Keith. After a few miles, they gave us the signal to go for it. And that is all it took. Every single person turned into their own version of Robby Gordon. Baja has a way of waking up the kid in you, mile after mile of whoops and washes and the kind of open terrain that makes you feel small in the best possible way.
We eventually made our way to the Chenowth Legacy Lodge. If you love off-road history, this place is unreal. Ivan Stewart’s car. Vintage race gear. Old stories in every corner. It has a bar, a restaurant, a pool, and this beachfront view that makes you want to stay longer than you should. We hung out, told and heard stories, grabbed drinks, and soaked it in.
We headed back to town for dinner at Taco Factory on the malecon, then wrapped up the night with a get-together at Kiki’s with Bruce behind the bar. Simple, easy, perfect Baja night.
Saturday. Crawling, go fast lines, and the highlight of the whole trip
Saturday kicked off with coffee and another driver meeting. Then we split into two groups. The fast crew and the rock crawlers. We joined the rock crawling group with Jesse leading the way through a section of the 2021 Ultra4 “King of the Bajas” race course.
It was exactly what you want from a Baja trail. A little rough, a little technical, a lot of fun. Somewhere along the way, we helped an attendee change a blown tire right in the middle of the desert. That is off-roading. Everybody helps everybody. No questions. No hesitation. No man left behind.
A few more miles in, we rolled into what became one of our favorite stops of the entire trip. Raceland Baja. This place is unreal. George Peters built a full-on off-road paradise out there. Shop space, welders, tools, a bar, a kitchen, pool tables, and even a swimming pool. It feels like the kind of place racers dream about.
George and his crew cooked tacos and salads for everyone, and after two long days of wheeling, jumping into that pool felt like hitting the reset button. We stayed for hours and did not want to leave. As soon as we pulled out, we knew we would be back next time.
Back at Kiki’s, the Tembo Tusk crew had their taco party ready. Good food, good music, raffle prizes, and Bruce working the bar again. Then we headed into town to visit a local dive bar where Harrison Ford reportedly partied back in the day. Just another Saturday night in Baja.
Sunday. A sign, a surprise, and a story we will tell forever
We packed up Sunday morning and headed to the San Felipe sign on the malecon for group photos. Everyone in the group except Denise knew what was about to happen. After a few pictures, I got down on one knee and asked her to marry me. She said yes, and that moment set the mood for the whole trip home.
We fueled up, laughed when a gas station attendant mistook Jesse for an employee because of his matching green shirt, and rolled toward the border.
Everything was smooth until Google Maps betrayed us and sent us into the Sentry Lane. Seven rigs got routed into secondary inspection. It was chaos, but we all eventually cleared through.
We stopped at Mr. G’s one last time before making the final push back to Prescott. Back at the shop, we unloaded, swapped into our daily rigs, and headed home for a few hours of rest before Monday morning reality showed up.
Epic crew. Epic memories. A weekend we will be talking about for years.
Huge thanks
A massive thank you to Matt for putting this whole trip together and showing us some of the best parts of San Felipe. And to everyone who joined us and made memories with us in Baja. Trips like this remind you what life is about.
We will be back.
Video
We tried to document this trip as much as we could, and this video is what came of it. Let us know what you think!
