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Xscapers Take Baja
San Felipe welcomes adventurous RVers

San Felipe, Baja California, Mexico- February 2018

Xscapers is a diverse community of today’s active, adventurous RVers, dedicated to enabling their dreams of working and sharing life on the road. Following is an account of their most recent Convergence in Baja California, Mexico.

On the morning of January 27, thirty-one RVs carrying excited Xscapers gathered at the edge of a mall parking lot in El Centro, California. After check-in and a short safety briefing, they began their adventure to Baja California. JP Smith, the Xscapers Convergence Director, shared “Surprising to many, the most complicated part of the week-long trip was the ten miles of US highway between El Centro and the border. We lost a few people for a bit because they missed an exit, but all found each other again at the border station.”

Crossing into Mexico was an easy affair, taking approximately two hours to process all 31 rigs. A welcome surprise awaited them on the other side of Immigration: a five-officer police motorcycle escort through Mexicali. This escort was organized by the local tourism board in cooperation with Victor’s RV Park, the group’s ultimate destination in San Felipe. Like a presidential motorcade, officers blocked intersections and held traffic to allow all the rigs to pass through the town safely and as one caravan. The locals found this entertaining, stepping out of their vehicles to take photos and videos of the seemingly never-ending train of RVs.

Once on the other side of Mexicali, it was an easy two-and-a-half-hour drive to Victor’s RV Park, a beachside paradise in San Felipe where the Xscapers looked forward to unwinding after the two-week long Annual Bash. Highway patrol and local police were waiting again at the edge of San Felipe to escort the group through town. Victor Rodriguez and his wife Lily, the owners of the RV park, welcomed their guests with cold beer and friendly smiles. A local seafood restaurant hosted dinner that evening, where the Xscapers enjoyed fresh fish and shrimp, caught earlier that day as the group waited at the border crossing.

The week passed quickly, much to the Xscapers’ dismay. The Rodriguez family planned many enjoyable activities for the group, in addition to events planned by Smith. There were door-to-door deliveries of breakfast tacos, fresh juices ready for cocktails delivered in the afternoons, and many sunsets viewed at the water’s edge with feet buried in the warm sand. Excursions spread throughout the week included paddle boarding, canoeing, shopping, off-roading, and even a visit to the Valley of the Giant Cactus south of town.

A farewell dinner concluded the event on February 2. A local taco shop welcomed the Xscapers with great food and cold drinks as the sun set. Many thanks and affections were shared as members prepared to depart the following morning. New to RVing and Xscapers, member Marni Pearlman gushed “It’s so wonderful to have spent the past few weeks with you lovely, crazy and awesome humans! A heartfelt thank you to each of you. You’ve taken our “trial timers” perspective to a full timers possibility. This group is a game changer and we couldn’t be more thankful.”

A police escort again accompanied Saturday’s return trip through Mexicali to the border, making the expected five-hour wait much shorter and more manageable. Several Xscapers also chose to stay in San Felipe beyond the end of the convergence, or to continue exploring further south along the Baja Peninsula. Smith said “all of the attendees declared the trip a huge success, with many planning to return next year. The only suggested improvement is that we make this Convergence longer!”

Xscapers Take Baja 1

Group photo of Xscapers beachside at Victors RV Park in San Felipe, Baja California. Photo courtesy of Tracey Ratcliff

Xscapers Take Baja 2

Xscapers enjoying an evening in San Felipe. Photo courtesy Cheryl Goldstein

Xscapers Take Baja 3

Victors RV Park in San Felipe welcomed the Xscapers to their campground, allowing the group to fill almost their entire park. Photo courtesy of Robert Fruth.