San Felipe, Baja

BAJA 250 STRIKES AGAIN!!!!

tombell56@gmail.com (bajatommy) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 23:36:00 GMT

It's that time of year again when all sorts of racing vehicles start rolling into town. Down here in the sleepy little fishing village of San Felipe, events like this cause quite a stir! Every year, about two weeks before the actual race, all the kids (and grown men) start to get a little antsy and you can almost feel the excitement floating on top of the spring-time breezes. All around town many fancy (and not so fancy) trucks, 4-strokes, quads, and VWs mingle with the locals and park along the Malecon to enjoy lunch, and enjoy the peaceful Sea of Cortez. This year the race will be on March 12th - 14th, but the town is sure to fill up long before!

For all the information you may need, including entry fees, maps, and lodging,... go to the official SCORE-INTERNATIONAL website

We hope to see you some where on the track!!

Valentines Day at the Q

tombell56@gmail.com (bajatommy) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 18:39:00 GMT

We here at Baja 24/7 hopes all of you had a great Valentines Day!!!

This year we celebrated Valentines day by heading off to the Quechan Casino in Yuma Az, and do a little shopping along the way. This weekend turned out to be very special for the Q, it was their 1 year anniversary. They celebrated with music, Native American folk dancing, and an amazing display of fireworks!!

The Q is host to three fantastic restaurants (and of course a Starbucks!) which were absoultely PACKED!!! There was even an hour wait just to get fries and a hot-dog! Note to self, note to self, note to self......... do NOT plan to eat at the buffett on Valentines Day! Let's just say that a 2 hour wait to get dinner is anything but romantic!

The rock band Foreigner was holding a concert there, we had to get some last minute tickets, and ended up sitting right behind the sound and lights guys! I have decided that Foreigner is the greatest rock band ever! The concert was fantastic, the guys sang and played their instruments like the were still in their 20's! The lead guitarist was unbelievable, the drummer was crazy talented, and the bass guitarist was the craziest of them all! The sax was super and the singer belted it out the entire set! We had a really great time!

Well, until next time.

Carnaval 2010

tombell56@gmail.com (bajatommy) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 22:22:00 GMT

Carnaval is right around the corner and San Felipe is gearing up for a few crazy nights for all the families to come out and enjoy. The weather is perfect this time of year to come out and spend time with friends and family. Carnaval is always a ton of fun with extravagant costumes, parades, music, dancing, and entertainment up and down the malicon.....and all over town too! So make your way to the malicon starting on Feb 12th and ending on the 16th, I know i'll be there with all my closest friends and making memories that will last for a lifetime.....see you there!!!

The Newest Member of the Baja 24/7 Team!!

tombell56@gmail.com (bajatommy) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 18:13:00 GMT

We would like to intoduce SeanHarrington who has been a member of the San Felipe community for over 6years and a full time resident for over 4 years. Not young enough orrich enough to retire, Sean was introduced to San Felipe by a long timefriend who was developing property in San Felipe. Enchanted with SanFelipe and enthralled with the prospect of learning the Mexican realestate & development business, and being more than just a littleburned out on owning and operating his own business in California,Sean jumped into San Felipe with both feet and never looked back. Hesays that the BIG secret about life in San Felipe is that despitesensationalized reports of violence in some parts of Mexico that hefeels as safe, or safer in San Felipe than when he lived in Carmel,Monterey, and the San Francisco Bay Area for more than 30 years.

Hisdue diligence started by making the rounds and visiting and touring allthe developments and meeting with the key people to learn of theirtrack record and their plans for the future. Sean regularly attendsmeetings of the San Felipe Developers Association, has attended "TheMeeting Point", a 3 day summit sponsored by The Mexican Government tomatch up Investors with developers, and holds an AMPI certification.

AMPIis one of Mexico's National Association of Real Estate Professionalsthat have, since 1956, gathered under the laws and codes of ethics andconduct to create a reliable, trustworthy and efficient real estateenvironment in Mexico.

Seanhas worked for both National brand realty companies such as ColdwellBanker Mexico, and was the Director of Sales & Marketing for a newdevelopment in the South Beach area of San Felipe where he had theopportunity to watch the company develop its infrastructure as well asthe company’s expansion of the electrical service to meet thedevelopments needs.

An amateur photographer and writer, Sean has written articles on thereal estate business for his own blogs, as well as supplying articlesand photographs for Mexico Living Magazine.

Oneof the reasons Sean choose to work for Baja 24/7 Realty Specialists isthat it was born out of a construction business with over 30 years ofexperience at the helm. Another reason was Baja 24/7's commitment to"doing it right" from the formation of their companies legal standingin Mexico, it's commitment to protect the buyers & sellers, it'smembership & support of API another of Mexico's NationalAssociations of Real Estate Professionals, and their commitment to thepromotion and direction of San Felipe for the benefit of all.

As he has said "I have seen the good, the bad, and the ugly in San Felipe Real estate".

Get informed on San Felipe's real estate market with Sean through his blog San Felipe Real Estate Musings II. Subscribe by RSS or email alerts and keep informed.

Youcan reach Sean in San Felipe at our downtown La Plazita Office from theUS 925 246-5329, or from Mexico 577-6196 his cell phone is 686 179-1849email baja247.realty.sanfelie@gmail.com or through the blog.

The Taste of San Felipe 2010

tombell56@gmail.com (bajatommy) — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 19:45:00 GMT

The time is here once again to enjoy all the wonderful flavors of the local cuisine that touristic San Felipe has to offer. Every year, the Rotary Club hosts 'The Taste of San Felipe', all proceeds go to benefit the community. I have taken part in this event a few times over the years and always had a fantastic time walking from restaurant to restaurant sampling all the tasty treats that were offered. This year, the event will take place on Tuesday, January 19 at 1:00pm - 3:30pm and the tickets cost $15usd (200pesos)each.

Happy Holidays from BAJA 24/7 !!!

tombell56@gmail.com (bajatommy) — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 22:38:00 GMT

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

I just attended the annual Christmas party at El Dorado Ranch, and had a lot of fun. There was a great band that played........

We had a taco lunch and some sodas as we listened to the band play. Then we heard that Santa was on his way! We looked up into the sky and there he was!!!

He waved to everyone and all the children yelled for him to come down. So here he came......

There were a ton of kids there, but everyone got a gift and some candy.

So, Merry Christmas to all....and, well you know the rest!!!

Happy Holidays!!

tombell56@gmail.com (bajatommy) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 18:34:00 GMT

How was everyone's Holiday? I hope your Thanksgiving was a blast!

We took a break from the office, but not from work thanks to modern technology, to visit our family in Central California. It was really good to see my Grandmother in Modesto, even though she was wearing a purple cast on her broken arm. But she was still as feisty and stubborn as ever! Here's a hand-painted picture of Grandma when she was in the Navy...

Then we went to Hal's (brother of the Famous Patty Bell) up in Sonora. The Mountains were beautiful and all the trees had gorgeous hues of red, orange, and yellow. The mornings were chilly but a nice hot cup of coffee was just the pick-me-up we needed.
LOL
We had a lovely Thanksgiving with our family, we ate dinner at the Moose Lodge and everything was delicious! It was a pot-luck type dinner and we brought salad and stuffing, but left with some of the extra ham.....it was fall-off-the-bone wonderful!!

On Black Friday we headed back down to the Bay Area. We tried to do a little shopping but there wasn't anything worth buying, all the best deals were already gone....and it was only 8am! We wanted to go to the mall, but couldn't get a spot. Oh well!

We continued on to San Lorenzo, it rained for a little bit but had stopped by the time we arrived at my Brothers home. There was an amazing rainbow, a full arch! The rainbow also had a friend!....
See it?

My Brother really keeps us in the loop when it comes to movies, this trip we all sat on the couch and watched "UP". Of course my nephew kept saying 'this is a good part', watch this!', etc... LOL. Here's my nephew reading to the Famous Patty Bell....
Isn't that sweet?

We had a great time, and even saw some dinosaurs!!!!!

Media de Noche Rodeo rolls into town!!

tombell56@gmail.com (bajatommy) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:18:00 GMT

Saturday was a really busy day in the little fishing village of San Felipe. But as the sun set behind the mountains, the baseball field filled up with many excited people ready to see some bull riding. There was a rodeo in town called Media de Noche Rodeo, and I was extra excited because it was my first rodeo! I went with a really good friend of mine named Ben, and it was his first too!

To fill up some time for the crowds to arrive they play a game with some of the youngsters.

Let's just say a few plastic chairs got broken and the kid in orange may have been clothes-lined. lol

The emcee sang a few songs to a very impatient crowd. What a trooper for toughing it out!

And to keep the kiddies awake.......

CAAAAAANNNNDDDDYYYYYYYY!!!

Then the riders were introduced, and they were all so very young! Their ages ranged from 16-19 years old! Their mothers all must have really gray hair!!!

Here are a few of the shots I took, enjoy!

Well my friends, I hope to see you at the next rodeo, you really don't want to miss it!

P.S., check out this hilarious video!!!

This is one of the couples who was trying to win free beer at the rodeo.
http://pattysblog.baja247.com/2009/11/18/media-de-noche-rodeo-rolls-into-town.aspx

So much to do on Nov.14th!!

tombell56@gmail.com (bajatommy) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:18:00 GMT

Every now and then, the town of San Felipe has somewhat of an event conflict. Now that most of the Snowbirds have returned from up north to spend the winter season in Baja, things seem to start jumping. See all those pictures at the top?? It's all on November 14th....this Saturday!

We will definitely be at the Home Show which will be held at El Dorado Ranch in front of the Pavilion starting at 10am and will run until 5pm. Admission is only $50pesos, about $3.75usd, and kids 5 and under are free.

The Lions Club is hosting their 4th annual Turkey Trot Poker Walk starting at 11am at Fandangos Bar. There will be prizes for the top 3 poker hands, drinks (5 drinks, so try not too get so hammered that you forget to return to the bar for all the fun!), spaghetti dinner, raffle drawings, and as always....your annual t-shirt. The tickets are the usual $25usd and the "Trot" is always a blast!!

There is also an event at F.A.M.A., but this one's by invitation only. I only mention it because I will be attending, and have to remember to save room in my tummy for the lunch that will be served. LOL

Rodeo de Media Noche will be in town at the baseball field starting at 5pm and will end whenever! There will be classic rodeo action, clowns, live bands, and lots of fun! It costs $15pesos (donation) to enter, all funds go to the local Red Cross and UABC (the University of Baja California at San Felipe students).

Baja Java is holding a wine tasting from Bibayoff Winery, Valle de Guadalupe. A 6 course dinner by Chef Antonio Santoya, yummy. And Classical Mexican Vocalists from Mexicali will perform. Tickets are available at Baja Java (on the highway next to Pete's Camp) for $40usd. Everything there starts at 5pm.

In the Ejido, there will be an authentic Mexican Feista with folk dancing, live music, and a meal and drink are included in your ticket price of only $5usd or $65pesos. The proceeds will go to the purchase of a school bus for the Ejido schools. The fiesta will be held at 2pm in the Salon Social. I will try to remember to save room in my tummy for this one too!!

Anime Festival!

tombell56@gmail.com (bajatommy) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 22:05:00 GMT

This past weekend here in San Felipe was an animation convention that took place in the Rockodile. A ton of teenagers were bussed in from Mexicali to spend a day doing what they love...........play video games and socialize. This is the first time San Felipe has hosted something of this nature, and I hope to see it many more times in the future! Everyone had a fantastic time thanks to the vision of Derek Hamlin, the Master Mind. Here are some of the pictures I took, I hope you enjoy!!

The Emcee was dressed as Sub-Zero (the only costume I reconized) and the pinata looked oddly like Derek!

All the kids, and a few older kids, had 3 chances to whack the candy out of it's brains.

This room was FULL of kids glued to the games trying to prove who's better.

Some had REAL talent!!

Some of the costumes were really really good!

And finally the Master Mind himself.....Derek

Well, everyone....I hope you enjoyed the pictures, and next time.....I hope to see you there!

Sunshine

tombell56@gmail.com (bajatommy) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 18:50:00 GMT

A while ago we got a new addition to our family, a teeny puppy that was some sort of mix of Chihuahua and Terrier. A little solar powered puppy who we affectionatly named Sunshine.
Can you spot her?

However, on the 10th while we were getting ready to go check out all the fancy sand-rails that came down for the Poker Run, Sunshine squeezed out of the front gate and was attacked by a pack of neighborhood dogs. We ran out there as fast as we could and chased the dogs away, Sunshine came straight to me but was in much pain. We spent the morning calling all around town for emergency Vet service but there weren't any in town that day. A vet-tech gave Sunshine a shot for pain and inflammation, she seemed to get a little better, but after a few hours, she passed away. We are all terribly broken up over the loss of our cuddly little pup. She was a good dog and a great friend. Here are a few pictures we would like to share with everyone.

Her first day at the beach, she had a great time.

She would have stayed there all day if we let her.

Trying to win over Daisy.

Ready to party!

Rolling to the store.

And finally, her favorite daily activity.......

This is Sunshine playing with Sophie.
http://pattysblog.baja247.com/2009/10/12/sunshine.aspx

Good-Bye little Sunshine, you always brightened everyone's day. You will truly be missed.

Health Care in San Felipe, Baja, Mx

tombell56@gmail.com (bajatommy) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 14:59:00 GMT

It seems like health care in Mexico is a big issue on both sides of the border lately. Most everything I've heard is positive and reassuring,
I received this e-mail from a friend of mine the other day.

"Just an idea, but one of the fears gringos might have about coming here I think could be health related and I can personally allay any fears there as I had a recent emergency do to issues stemming from my diabetes and not only was I professionally tended to, but with care and feeling and consideration for the best AAAAANND the most comfortable and accessible treatment for me. If Americanos have any fears about coming here for health reasons I can personally allay them as this is the second time I have had life threatening problems taken care of here in a humane, courteous, correct and warm way. Gary"

I personally don't have much need for any kind of extra fancy insurance, I'm not much of a dare-devil, but if I ever get hurt or sick.....I have no fears of going to the local Centro de Salud to patch me up in a very professional manner, and at a price that won't break the bank!

If you want to read up on other great stories and tips, be sure to visit our friends at Mexico Living

Salud!!!

Pete's Camp Poker Run!!!!

tombell56@gmail.com (bajatommy) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 17:18:00 GMT

POKER RUN!!!!!!

The beloved Pete's Camp Poker Run is here yet again, and I'll be adding another T-shirt to my collection! I just wanted to make sure everyone had the information they need to attend this years function. We always love seeing all the friends we haven't seen in a while and catching up on the latest gossip. I really hope to see you here!!!!!!, So here's all the info I could scrape up!!

Race starts on Saturday October 10th 2009 at 9am, Check-in is Thursday 5pm-10pm, Friday 8am-10pm, and Saturday 7am-9am. The cost to enter is $40usd, and includes a T-shirt (yay), a poker hand, FUN, trophies, and More!! Multiple entries per vehicle is O.K. The courses are about 50 miles, and starts and finishes at Pete's Camp Off Road Park.

For more information please visit the Pete's Camp website at petescamp.com

F.A.M.A. Fund Raiser!

tombell56@gmail.com (bajatommy) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 17:38:00 GMT

Ok. Ok, I forgot to blog about the Fund Raiser at the LightHouse for Casa de Fe. But, I did go to it. We had a great time, raised some funds,caught up with friends and even won one of the raffle prizes. The food was delicious and the music was fantastic!

But I'm making it up to you. There is another Fund Raiser coming up on the 30th. This one is for a great cause. F.A.M.A.(Fundación de Apoyo de la Mujer Adicta de San Felipe) is the local shelter for the recovering women of San Felipe. Maria de Jesus Ochoa is the Director of F.A.M.A; she lives at the facility and has dedicated her life to help the women of San Felipe recover from alchol, drugs, and even abusive relationships. The goal of this foundation is to get these women in need to learn to lead a functioning and fulfilling life. This is a cause that is very close to my heart, and I'm praying for a huge turn out to this event. So, mark your calenders for Sept. 30th from 4:30-8:30, the tickets are $5usd (ask about it at the Happy JackAss); the menu is Spaghetti and Meat Balls with Garlic Bread and Iced Tea or Lemonade. I think there may also be a raffle drawing, but I don't know what all the gifts are. We hope to see you there!!!!! P.S., don't let your puppies get your ticket!!

WORLD HABITAT DAY!!! Oct 5th

tombell56@gmail.com (bajatommy) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 21:50:00 GMT

I recently got an e-mail about the plight of much of the worlds population who live in horrible conditions, here is the letter I received, PLEASE spread the word!

"The United Nations has chosen the first Monday in October to be World Habitat Day - a day to stand up and let it be known that affordable,adequate housing should be a priority everywhere. I'm reaching out to ask if you and your readers would help spread the word by blogging about it. Raising awareness about this global problems the first step in making sure that everyone everywhere has a safe and decent place to call home. I've put together this blogger press release to help get the message out - there are videos, photos,banners, and even a Flickr photo petition you can use:

http://worldhabitatdaynews.com

If you are able to post about this on your blog it would really help spread the message and could help improve many lives. Please let meknow if you have any questions and if you are able to help. Thank you so much.

Liza

--
Liza Peiffer,
On behalf of Habitat for Humanity
http://www.habitat.org "

This is a cause we should all be fighting for!!

Dollar Day at the Lighthouse!

tombell56@gmail.com (bajatommy) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 18:20:00 GMT

Thursdays are the perfect day to go out for lunch. Every Thursday at the Lighthouse Restaurant is Dollar Day!! They have a special menu with tacos, chili rellanos, beans that come in a fried tortilla, burritos, and much more. The Lighthouse is always a great place to eat and the even have music on Friday nights. They will be hosting a fundraiser later this month, I'll tell you about it next week when I get more information about it. Anyways, this is what I had for lunch the other week.........

There's actually a flauta under that salad looking stuff!! I couldn't finish, but I sure tried!! LOL .And let's not forget about dessert!.......

A dollar!!!! Can you believe it??

Your mouth must be watering by now! If you don't know how to get there, just look for this.....(it's the only one in town!)
and you'll be there in no time!

If you like to drink, and I know a few of you who do, that have a beautiful bar, fully stocked!

So of course, I will be there as often as my wallet will permit it! We hope to see you there!!

Mexonline.........

tombell56@gmail.com (bajatommy) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 19:07:00 GMT

I have found a great new spot to advertise on the net. It is: www.mexonline.com , there's ssssooooo much to this site. Every time I go to this site, I end up staying there for well over an hour. As usual it starts with me reading one article, then another, then another. There's a ton of interesting things to read about, the history, holidays, places, real estate, travel and much much more! I tend to get caught up in the history or the stories about the holidays. If you know of any other awesome sites about Baja, please feel free to let us know, we love learning about the history and culture. Come check out the link to Mexonline's Real Estate Agents...
http://mexonline.com/baja/sanfelipe-realestate.htm

We hope you will find some time to check out the site and read all about the rich history and all the interesting stories. There are also sections for adventures and tours.

We hope to see you here!! San Felipe is a great starting point for all of your Baja adventures. We have a great family town here, where neighbors watch out for neighbors. We have several clubs that put together travel trips, fishing trips and many other adventures. You will never be alone here in Baja (unless, of course, you want to be).

My Daisy.......

tombell56@gmail.com (bajatommy) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 20:06:00 GMT

This is my cat, Daisy Adair. I got her almost two years ago from the streets of San Felipe. There aren't as many cats in this town as there are dogs. I wanted an ugly cat, but the Famous Patty Bell brought me a sick one instead. Tomato, tomatoe. She's never been the cuddly type except on her own terms. Usually on my foot or leg.

She's the focus of this blog only because she's been acting different. She's been being nice.....well, nicer. She's not a 'mean' cat, but she has her 'moods'. lol.

Anyways I found a site that I found to be fascinating and very helpful. So, if you think your cats behavior is stranger than usual, I suggest you go to www.catswhothrowupgrass.com/kill.php and take the quiz at the bottom. Here's my result...........

I thought so!!!

But seriously, if you need a companion, go to your local shelter or find someone who's giving away unwanted animals. Just make sure you get your new family member checked out .....and fixed. We have two animal rescue groups here in the San Felipe area. Please check out both of their sites:

(http://www.sfzapp.com/)

(http://www.sfanimalrescue.org/)

And the Circus rolls in.........

tombell56@gmail.com (bajatommy) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 20:31:00 GMT

Hi Everyone,

The Circus is in town!! This happens just a few times a year, and this year I was DETERMINED to go! I've been here in San Felipe a few years and watched the circus come and go, I was always so disappointed every time the circus left because I never found the time to attend . Every time they blow into town, they advertise by driving around with cages containing exotic animals, and loudspeakers telling everyone to come and see the show. So I begged The Famous Patty Bell to take me. She gave into the ol' puppy dog eyes and we went to the first show. We got there early, I was told the first show would be at 5pm.....it was canceled because of low attendance (this is a small town and the locals like to come out at night when it's cooler) so we went to the 7pm show. We had a GREAT time!!.....Even though we didn't understand anything they were saying LOL. Here's a quick recap of some of the highlights of the evening......

Big Cats!!!!!

Clowns!!!!

High Fliers!!!

More Clowns!!! YAY

More Big Cats!!!!

Fun Huh??? If I could, I would go to the circus every time it comes **practices the puppy eyes**.
I think we paid $8usd to sit in the front row .... well worth it! All the refreshments are about $2usd each, so bring a few extra bucks!

This silly clown plays the theme to Titanic on his custom gloves. It's strangely entertaining!
http://pattysblog.baja247.com/2009/08/04/and-the-circus-rolls-in.aspx

Have a good one!!

Facebook Family!

tombell56@gmail.com (bajatommy) — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 20:57:00 GMT

I joined Facebook a little while ago, and I'm liking it more and more as I explore all the things to do there. I also like it because it helps me keep in touch with my friends. San Felipe is a small town and you never really end up going too far out of your way to find people. Somehow I never seem to find the time to be a social butterfly. LOL. All the friends I have on Facebook, I personally know... except for a few; but they're here in town and I know them by name...and will know the in the future (it's a small town....remember??) There's games that you can play with your friends, like Mafia Wars. I don't really have the hang of it, I've been trying to play and I don't understand the stragety. A good friend of mine came into the office this morning and did a bunch of stuff, explaining as he went along ( I just smiled and nodded as he talked.....wwaayyyyyy over my head). So, I found another little game that looks more my speed. Now I've decided to play FarmVille, I get to harvest crops and work on building a little farm, I even adopted a lost cow that Linnie found on her farm. Anyways, back to the friends thing...... I keep telling everyone that I'm going to start going out more, but I get caught up doing other things. But that's OK, by keeping in touch and chatting with my friends and soon-to-be friends, I won't be too out of the loop when I eventually venture out of the house or away from the office. Well, I think I'll go tend my farm. I hope to run into my friends soon!! BYEEEE for now, and see ya next wek!