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MISION SANTA MARIA 2010: An Epic Adventure by David K

Memorial Day Weekend 2010 will be one that is firmly ingrained in our memory!

Mision Santa Maria de los Angeles, founded in 1767 and abandoned (as a mission) just 2 years later because the location was just too difficult.

Difficult in many ways, but difficult getting to is one of them!

When the Franciscans founded Mision San Fernando Velicata in 1769, their supply route from Bahia San Luis Gonzaga even avoided Santa Maria, detouring to a canyon north of the Camino Real, which goes through Santa Maria.

In the 1950’s to 1970’s, the owner of Rancho Santa Ynez, Doña Josefina Zuñiga and her ranch manager Fred Hampe constructed a road to the mission and beyond. The goal was to make the historic oasis valley accessible and continue on to Punta Final on the gulf coast south of Bahia San Luis Gonzaga. Josefina also owned Punta Final Resort and a road between the two places would have been convenient.

The Mexican government finally built the last segment of the Baja Highway from San Quintin to Santa Rosalia in 1973, making access easier to Punta Final from Santa Ynez, albeit still not a direct route. Josefina courted the president of Mexico to have her direct route via Santa Maria be built and paved. All she got was a paved driveway off Highway One. The engineers no doubt considered the Santa Maria route to be far too difficult or expensive to build and they instead constructed the road to Gonzaga Bay from Laguna Chapala, some 31 miles south of Santa Ynez. Road building efforts by the ranch ended.

Since the 1970’s, the road to Mision Santa Maria has become somewhat famous as a four wheel drive challenge. Often earning the route the nick name ‘Mission Impossible’. 40 years of erosion and lack of maintenance (except from travelers moving rocks) have made the short trip to Santa Maria a multi-hour ordeal that can leave a lifetime of memories. This latest trip was no exception!

The explorers were members of Internet forums, one for Baja travelers ‘Baja Nomad’ and one for Toyota Tacoma drivers ‘Tacoma World’. The original leader of this group was going to be ‘BajaCat’, but a late change prevented his leaving and caused him to ask me to post the details and promote the run. I had been to Mision Santa Maria three times before (1999, 2003, 2007).

My wife Elizabeth ‘Baja Angel’ and I were in a totally stock 2010 Tacoma Off Road 4WD double cab and met up with Paul ‘HB Murphy’ and his lady ‘Zoom’ in a 2009 Tacoma Off Road 4WD double cab but with a lift, oversize tires and a front locker. We crossed the border together about 11 am Friday. Paul got called over for inspection by Mexican customs. We pulled over and waited just ahead. In a few minutes we were again southbound on Highway 1-D with beautiful views of the coast to Ensenada.

Some off road racing activity was noticed as the Baja 500 was just a week away and many racers were ‘pre-running’ the racecourse to familiarize themselves with this year’s route. The normal farm activity traffic was found from Camalu to San Quintin. Other than that it was an easy drive to El Rosario and the wonderful Baja Cactus Motel operated by Antonio Muñoz. We arrived about 4:45 pm and topped our fuel tanks. I noted the best mileage yet on my new Tacoma of 18.7 miles per gallon.

Already in El Rosario for the overnight stop was Neal Johns in a 2003 Tacoma with pop-up camper, Chris (‘CG’) in a Dodge Dakota with a rear locker and off road mods, ‘Kurt G’ who rode with CG, and Teddi ‘Baja Bucko’ who rode with Neal.

We all went to dinner at Ed Lusk’s Bed & Breakfast restaurant, called ‘Baja’s Best’ and enjoyed his fresh squeezed orange juice tequila sunrises, margaritas, and cold beer with dinner. We enjoyed lobster, scallops, and chicken burritos before returning to our deluxe rooms at Baja Cactus.


Neal Johns & Baja Bucko (Teddi)


HB Murphy (Paul) & Zoom


CG (Chris)