Road Trip! Ensenada

[caboob]

First road trip to Ensenada from San Diego. Please chime in with travel tips. Will be renting a car in San Diego to get to Ensenada for business.

 

[BoomerD]

1) make sure the rental car company allows Mexico trips. Not all do.
2) buy Mexican insurance. Most US insurance is not valid in Mexico.
3) DON'T drink the water.

 

[IAteYourMother]

eat tacos there. SO GOOD.

 

[jadinolf]

Originally posted by: IAteYourMother
eat tacos there. SO GOOD.

Yeah right and don't drink the water.

 

[jagec]

Renting for a road trip is expensive. You sure that none of your friends have cars?

 

[uberman]

I spent a couple of years traveling around Mexico. I believe the best coastal fish market is in Ensenada. It's difficult to ascertain your proficiency in Spanish from this post, but you can always get by with hand signals, etc. You can buy beautiful jumbo prawns at the fish market and hire someone in the restaurants at the fish market to cook and peel them for you. They are delicious, from the ocean, not like the farmed crap that we get in US markets. The restaurants at the fish market are cheap for fish tacos etc.

Don't miss Hussongs Cantina where you can observe people making fools of themselves. If you stay there long enough you can also be part of the show. If you do stay awhile have your shoes shined. I had my white tennis shoes died, shined, and they looked great in the morning. The mariachi bands are great just remember you must pay for the music.

About 20 miles north of Ensenada you'll pass a beach with many people parked, swimming, hanging out on the beach. It looks like a fun place to boogie board.

There is a good winery in downtown Ensenada. I believe it costs about five dollars for a tour. They give you some cheese and are generous with the wine. Actually, I found the wine to be pretty good, which I believe is unusual because I've been in so many remote areas where the wine has gone bad because of the heat.

South of Rosarita Beach you can find good buys on statues, fountains, etc. made of concrete. Also beautiful concrete tables inlaid with tiles.

Unfortunately, I believe prices are fairly high in Mexico over the past couple years. I always stay in the same hotel when I'm in town and the prices are always $3-$6 a night. It is a Mexican hotel and the people are very friendly, but I won't give that information out in public. I want to make sure I can get in there when I hit town.

If you come back and post, let me know what the prices of beer were Hussongs. I use that as a barometer of my spending power in Ensenada. I need a vacation. Good luck.

 

[caboob]

Cool! Thanks for the tips. Looking forward to the fish tacos.

I'll check out Hussongs uberman. But $3-6 a night for a room? Is the room clean? Will be going with my wife so it may be an issue.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Don't break ANY traffic laws and obey the guys with fully automatic weapons.

 

[Armitage]

Keep your drivers license in your pocket with a twenty. It's amazing how quickly a traffic ticket can clear up when it falls out of your pocket while retrieving your license. Yes, I've seen this done.

 

[uberman]

Regarding hotels: there was that one and Atlan, Jalisco, oh great no cockroaches. But at night they came out of the hollow door and knocked things over in the room. They were three or 4 inches long and heavy and they knocked over paper cups sitting around the room.
There was a hotel in Guaymas, I was able to kill five scorpions before I went to bed. But they were alacrones. Those are small scorpions.
The room might I get in Ensenada is clean. I used to go there with a girlfriend.
My guess is you'll probably spend $20-$50 a night. Especially because it sounds like you'll only be there for a few days. Good luck.

 

[caboob]

Originally posted by: Armitage
Keep your drivers license in your pocket with a twenty. It's amazing how quickly a traffic ticket can clear up when it falls out of your pocket while retrieving your license. Yes, I've seen this done.

That is good to know!

 

[Dr. Detroit]

drive to the border, park on the US side.

Walk over, hire cab!

No chance in hell I would drive in Mexico.

 

[Armitage]

Originally posted by: Fmr12B
drive to the border, park on the US side.

Walk over, hire cab!

No chance in hell I would drive in Mexico.

shrug ... it's not that bad, drove down to Rosarita and Ensenada several times. And they are a fair ways down the coast you wouldn't want to take a cab. I'd sooner drive through Tijauna then walk through it.

 

[Armitage]

Originally posted by: caboob

Originally posted by: Armitage
Keep your drivers license in your pocket with a twenty. It's amazing how quickly a traffic ticket can clear up when it falls out of your pocket while retrieving your license. Yes, I've seen this done.

That is good to know!

It worked well when I saw it done - if that's what they want, you'll know. If not, you're just a dumb beloved patriot dropping your cash on the road.