Sunrise at Bay of LA, always one of my favorite sites in all the world. 

The calm before the storm. 

Two of the three GMC chase vehicles that Don Mackey contributed to the ride. Some of the guys had to suffer all day in the Yukon XL with the CD player and adjustable lumbar supports. 

The ride out of LA Bay is always nice, but this year the early riders got a special treat as the sun burned through the early haze and chased the clouds from the tops of the islands and mountains along the way to SF Bay. 

One of my favorite lunches in all the world. San Franciscito Bay. 

This is the view from lunch. 

I'm always envious of the people renting the little cabanas. What they lack in amenities they more than make up for in character and view. 

A couple of guys on Kawasaki's who were riding around the peninsula. We usually see several groups of people dual-sporting around Baja. We ran into these guys later in the day out on the trails. 

The lunch this year was fantastic. Lobster salad, grilled fish, fresh tortillas, etc. 

We stumbled across this two cycle diesel engine hooked up to a small generator out in the bush. The farmer was using it to power a well pump. 

Some dune buggies we ran into Southwest of SF Bay. At least they knew where they were going. We had just returned from a scenic tour of the peninsula South of El Barrill after failing to find a turn. If not for a topo map, a GPS and a friendly family of locals, we'd probably still be wandering around down there. 

John Lee chatting with the dune buggy pilots. 

John Lee and friends. 

John Lee and friends pose for a picture.

We stopped in a small village for a cold soda. The family sold sodas out of their house. 

Probably my favorite picture from this year's trip. Our group of riders and some locals at our soda stop. 

Local festival in the square at San Ignatio. This is a beautiful oasis town that produces most of the dates in Mexico from its date palms. It's quite a site to come around the corner on the desert plateau and see this valley filled with green date palms and lakes. 

Adam on the steps of the mission church. 

San Ignatio is the traditional half-way point of the ride. It's a popular spot for oil & filter changes and new tires.