Rancho Santa Inez at Catavina

N 29*43.794 W114.41.825 This is our first “basic” campground. That means it has a small bathroom with flush toilets (a two-holer), but no hot shower. We’ll get to try our Chalet outdoor shower for the first time after our run in the morning. The photo shows the campground with the Chalet in the lower center; it’s basically a big dirt parking area, with a few sites near the edge that have trees and fire pits. It probably wouldn’t be a great place if there were 20-30 campers here, but tonight there is only one other than us, so it’s quiet, beautiful and feels very private. There’s a little restaurant connected to this place, really just a couple of tables and a cooking area. We’ll have to try something there during our visit. The second photo, taken about 100 yards from our campsite, gives you a glimpse of what Catavina is famous for. There is an area of about twenty miles along Mex 1 (the Peninsula Highway), with Catavina in the center, where there are prolific granite boulders and numerous types of cactus. There’s also an interesting tree called a Boojum Tree that grows here. Supposedly this is the only place in the world where they grow. It has a thick trunk that narrows as it grows higher, with short branches the full length of the trunk. It looks like a large upside-down green carrot with short branches! We’re told there are also lots of pictographs in the area. Tomorrow we go out to explore, with photos to come!