Perpetual motion

. . . . . I've got to travel. Simply got to. This isn't about "vacations". It's not something optional, that can be replaced for other demands of life. I have to move. I have to go.

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Which way? Which way? ➡️⬅️⬆️⬇️🙄 ... ... ... After reading the news day after day, I eventually decided that as much as I wanted to stay on a Baja beach, I should head back to the states. 😰 Who knows what the next month could bring in either Mexico or the US? So much uncertainty right now - nobody knows what will happen, how many or which lives will be affected. 🙈 ... ... ... So over the past week I've been doing the long drive back from southern Baja to the border, arriving now in Arizona. Zennie was a trooper through a string of long driving days like I usually try to avoid! 🚐💨🏆 I am safe and sound, and want to say thanks to the folks who contacted me wondering. I appreciate it! 💚 ... ... ... I'm going to keep posting Baja pix until the planned end of my trip, pretending that the world is normal 🌎👍 and I am still on a beach somewhere. 🌊🌴😎 #virtualvaca ... ... ... Stay safe everybody, and take care of yourselves! 😊 ............. #mexico #bajacalifornia #bcs https://ift.tt/2UebP9c

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I sit at my #Baja beach camp reading the news, and there's a sense of unreality. The world is closing down piece by piece with dramatic attempts to halt the deadly #coronavirus spread. One day it's Harvard, then the NBA, then Italy. They declare an emergency in Washington state, New York, the whole US. The US bans travelers from Europe, and Guatemala bans those from the US. My head spins with how fast the situation is changing. ... ... ... Meanwhile, I sit at my Baja beach camp. Social distancing is easy here - it's practically baked into the sparsely populated landscape. Nobody here seems concerned. That's all in a different world, the world out there. I'm in my little Baja bubble, by a beautiful beach. #alternatereality ............. #mexico #bajacalifornia #bcs https://ift.tt/3aTPYJv

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No bad days, right? 😀 ... It's a saying I love, and a sentiment I try to keep. But sometimes, it's hard. ... ... ... It wasn't that anything terribly bad happened. I didn't suffer any injury more than a stubbed toe and a stiff shoveling arm. 💪 #Zennie got the shake, rattle & roll treatment, but that's par for the course and she's running fine. 🚐💨 The beach camping was crowded, but I headed up the arroyo, where there was still plenty of space! 👀👍 And who needs to be right on the beach anyway? It's not like I haven't spent weeks doing just that! 😜 ... ... ... So there's no real problem, just a bunch of little stress points that add up during the day, leaving a sense of dissatisfaction. 😕 This is when I have to shake myself out of it. "What are you complaining about girl? You're healthy, Zennie's strong, you're doing what you choose to do, and face it - this really isn't a bad #campsite." ⛺️👍 ... ... ... And that reminds me of another favorite quote - "#Attitude is the difference between an ordeal and an adventure." So cheers! 🍺😎 #nobaddays ............. #mexico #bajacalifornia #bcs https://ift.tt/3342Bz7

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You lookin' at me? 🐴 📸🌟 ... ... ... I'm happy to see there are still donkeys on the East Cape Road, because that's one of the things I remember from the first time I drove it. At least something hasn't changed! 🐴👍 ... ... ... But there are plenty of other changes. I still read people saying something like "You can pull off pretty much anywhere off this road and set up camp." Sadly, that is no longer true. 😰 Now most of the property along the road is fenced in. 🚧 Clumps of luxury homes appear now and then, and there is a plethora of real estate signs.🏡 It's obvious things are a-changing! ... ... ... You can still find lovely free beach camping spots ⛺️, usually where there's an arroyo so people haven't built due to flood risk. But before long, my crystal ball 🔮 shows a nice new paved road lined with beautiful homes with million dollar views. 💰🖼👀 ... ... ... If you want to see this luscious place before it's changed beyond recognition, this is a good time to do it! 🚐💨 #goinggoinggone ............. #mexico #bajacalifornia #bcs https://ift.tt/2TJFWE8

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The East Cape Road starts out looking so easy, doesn't it? 🚐👍 ... ... ... This long dirt road winds around the eastern tip of the Baja Peninsula. I was expecting #washboard, rough patches, some washed out spots. But let's just say this was more of a #driving adventure than I anticipated! 😱 ... ... ... When you've been driving for hours on a bone-jarring #road shaking everything you own to pieces, then you meet somebody going the other way who rolls down his window and says "You're not going through are you? It's bad up there. Water holes as deep as my bumper, and mud. No 4wd? If I was you, I'd turn around." 🥺 ... ... ... If we weren't so far into this road by then, if I hadn’t already had to dig us out of the sand that day, if we hadn’t passed a dip so sharp we dragged the read end, I might have taken his advice. Instead, #Zennie got to show her stuff! 🚐👍 #zenniethewondertruck ............. #mexico #bajacalifornia #bcs https://ift.tt/38p2Ju3

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Time to be moving on. Or not... 🚐💨👍👎❓ ... ... ... One of the things I love about solo travel is that I can change my mind as many times as I want to! I want to go Here, no I want to go There, no maybe Stay where I am another day, no I definitely want to go Here, but on the other hand There looks awfully nice too... 😜 ... ... ... There's nobody else impacted if I change my mind. No need to explain or justify. No need to make a final decision until I reach a fork in the road.🍴I can't do this all the time, because every once in awhile I do have a commitment to keep. 😬 But in general, I don't set #decisions in stone until the last minute. More chances to change my mind again! 😎 #wafflelikeapro ............. #mexico #bajacalifornia #bcs https://ift.tt/2VLBS8P

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This was NOT the shot I was trying for! 😜... ... ... ... You see, after some previous feedback, I decided I should figure out how to take an occasional picture with me in it! 🙄 So I set up the tripod to do just that, but discovered that a 10-second self timer is not quite long enough for me to run across the rocks and get ready. ⏳ All I got was shots of my butt as I went to sit down, and nobody needs to see that! 🙈😂 ... ... ... Anyway, when I cropped me out, I found this guy in the picture. 🧔🏻 I have no idea who he is, but he's the new star of my photo! 📸🌟 ... ... ... Do you have any tips on getting photos of yourself? I could use some help! 😎 ............. #mexico #bajacalifornia #bcs https://ift.tt/2vB7Vxs

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A beach with good #hiking = perfect! 🚐🌊🚶‍♀️⛰😎 ... ... ... From the big #beach where Zennie is parked, there are a bunch of paths that lead over the hills and down to smaller beaches like this. You can also walk around the rocks to get there (easiest when it's not high tide), but some days you want more than a beach walk! ⛰🚶‍♀️👍 ... ... ... When I first pulled into this place, I wasn't immediately in love with it. I mean there's a huge long beach with great views and only a few other campers, but that's the new normal! 😜 But when I started hiking around and realized the other places you can get to, then 😎💚🌊 #couldstayawhile ............. #mexico #bajacalifornia #bcs https://ift.tt/2uKkXZm

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It's always something! Know what I mean? If you've ever had a boat or a motorhome or an old house, I'm sure you know the feeling... 🙈⠀ ... ... ...⠀ The good news is that I'm learning more about how stuff works on #Zennie & getting better at #fixing things. 🛠👍 I call it "just too late learning" - figuring things out as soon as they're broken. 😜🤣⠀ ... ... ...⠀ So this was finally the time to tackle the failed USB charger (after carrying around the replacement for a few weeks)! 🙄 Surprise, surprise, it turned out to be a super simple #repair! 🥧👈 Somehow I always go into this expecting difficulties - missing parts, the wrong tools, an unexpected snag, etc. When everything goes smoothly, I'm kind of amazed! 😱 #alwayssomething #msfixit⠀ .............⠀ #mexico #bajacalifornia #bcs https://ift.tt/2T30xUQ

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Always there yet never the same. Endlessly fascinating. As hypnotic as a campfire. #lifeisgood ............. #mexico #bajacalifornia #bcs https://ift.tt/394fY4w

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Another day, another wonderful #beach! And #Zennie gets to admire the view at this one, too! 🚐👀🌊😎 ... ... ... I never would have found this sweet spot without a tip from @casacaravanbaja. These folks are experts in the area, and incredibly friendly & helpful! Thanks so much! 🙏😊 #campsiteview ............. #mexico #bajacalifornia #bcs https://ift.tt/2T4HxUx

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Awww... 😊🐢💚 So #cute! This baby #turtle is ready to start his journey into the sea, waiting for the evening release on the beach. ... ... ... Sadly not many of them make it to adulthood, but I like to believe that the little ones I get attached to will be the lucky ones! 🍀😎 #circleoflife ............. #mexico #bajacalifornia #bcs https://ift.tt/3bVmexh

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Just waiting for baby #turtles! 😀 Each evening, the new hatchlings from that day are released to the sea at sunset. 🌅🌊🐢💚 ... ... ... To protect the babies and give them the best chance for survival, this turtle sanctuary patrols the beaches in season. When they find a new #turtle nest, they relocate the eggs to this greenhouse where they can develop in peace, safe from animal predators and human activities. 🥚🥚🥚👍 ... ... ... Each stake identifies a different #nest, and you can see that some of the nests have been adopted. The numbers went up to 145, which means that many nests so far this season. Each can have about 100 eggs, so that's a lot of eggs! Not many will survive, but hopefully a few will live to return to the same #Baja beach years from now and repeat the process... 🐢😎 ............. #mexico #bajacalifornia #bcs https://ift.tt/2HEDqcy

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I know what you're thinking, but no, that is not me! 😜😂🤣 ... ... ... ... There's quite a bit of #surfing along the #Baja coast, and these guys make it look easy! 🏄‍♀️🏄‍♂️🏄 I took one surfing lesson years ago, where I was able to stand up for a nanosecond before I was on the way back down. 🏄‍♀️🌊🙈 ... ... ... Those who can, do. Those who can't, take pictures. 📸😎 ............. #mexico #bajacalifornia #bcs https://ift.tt/38Gr4fY

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Classic #Baja! ⛰🌊😎 ... ... ... On the Pacific coast the #waves are bigger than on the Sea of Cortez side, and I fall asleep to the sound of them crashing ashore. 🌊😊💤 But what the two sides have in common is one big beautiful #beach after another! ⛰⛱🌊😎 #homeiswhereyouparkit ............. #mexico #bajacalifornia #bcs https://ift.tt/38DM3zM

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Palm tree silhouettes = instant drama for any scene! 🌴😂 ... ... ... I am camped here in a dusty lot in the agricultural town of Ciudad Constitucion. By day, this is NOT the most scenic spot in Baja. 😜 But around #sunset the palm trees do their magic, and the place is transformed! 😍 #ilovepalms ............. #mexico #bajacalifornia #bcs https://ift.tt/31YMTF3

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This pueblo magico (magical town) is my favorite town in Baja. 😊💚 ... ... ... ... #Loreto is a pretty place, with tree lined pedestrian streets and a big malecón to stroll along the Sea of Cortez. 🌳🌊 ... It's got loads of history (by Baja standards at least), with the oldest of all the Spanish missions in the Californias. ⛪️1️⃣ ... There's cool stuff around, with awesome canyon hikes and the mountain Shangri-La of San Javier. 🚶‍♀️🌴 ... It's small enough to feel like a town not a city, yet big enough to have everything you need. ⛽️🌮 ... And most of all, it hits the sweet spot of having enough facilities for tourists, without losing its #authentic feel. 😇👍 #pueblomagico #loveit ............. #mexico #bajacalifornia #bcs https://ift.tt/39DPoz7