Tecate, Mexico Campout 2014

The Great Outdoors San Diego Chapter,
in collaboration with the
San Diego California Men’s Gathering, present:
Tecate, Mexico Campout 2014
April 4 - 6, 2014 (3 days, 2 nights)
Contact: Brent at 858-663-2865 or via email: [email protected]
Escape to “Tecate’s Hidden Gay Getaway” and join us for a relaxing weekend filled with
hiking, great food, and cultural activities unique to the area!
Tour the Tecate brewery! Sample local cuisine. Camp at the
fantastico Rancho El Tule, “Tecate’s Hidden Gay Getaway”!
Participate in fun, optional cultural activities throughout the
weekend. Take your pick of hike options, one of which is a
challenging hike through a river valley with large boulders. Enjoy
some great campfires and stargazing! And enjoy the amazing
culinary talents of Chef Rafael and his rancheros. Oh, and shop
for some cool local crafts and treats on the way out - as you like.
While this is an overnight campout, all food, water, coffee and
transportation from downtown San Diego to the ranch and back is
included as part of the trip cost. Campers will just need to get
themselves to downtown San Diego and bring their tent, bedding,
clothing, toiletries, 10 essentials, passport and spending money
for any alcoholic beverages and crafts/souvenirs on the way
home. (A more detailed suggested packing list is provided later in
these trip notes.) Our hosts, the rancheros, will be Cesar (his
family owns the ranch where we’ll be camping and hiking), Rafael
(the chef and Mario’s partner), Mario (artist extraordinaire and
Rafael’s partner), and 5 of their compadres from the Tijuana/Tecate area of Baja, who have all helped create
this experience for us and will be preparing, serving and cleaning up after all of the meals and leading all of the
fun activities for the weekend. Later in these trip notes are a few pages directly from them with more details
on all the great stuff they have planned for us. (You just might fall in love with these guys like I have.)
Itinerary
We’ll all meet in downtown San Diego and depart in prearranged transportation by 10:45 AM on Friday, the
4th. Carpooling to and from downtown San Diego is encouraged. Please let us know when you register if you
intend to drive to downtown San Diego or if you would like a ride and from what area. (For those coming
from further out of town and who would want to stay in San Diego overnight on the 3rd, please let me, Brent,
know of your interest and I’ll do my best to arrange for you to stay with someone in San Diego - likewise if you
think you’ll be too tired to drive back home from San Diego on Sunday evening, the 6th.)
There will be a nominal parking fee for each car for the weekend. Information on parking location and cost will
be provided to registrants whose payments have been received.
Disclaimer: GOSD is a non-profit, all volunteer club predominately serving the Gay & Lesbian community
Itinerary continued…
Friday
10:00 Gather in downtown San Diego
10:45 Depart downtown San Diego
11:45 Arrive at border
12:30 Brewery tour
Lunch
Liquor store
Arrive at ranch/tour of the ranch
Set up camp
Dinner
Campfire, etc.
Saturday
8:30 Breakfast
The Big Hike
Lunch
Activities
Dinner
Stargazing
Campfire, etc.
Chef Rafael makes s’mores at the campfire
Sunday
8:30 Breakfast
Pack up camp
The Not-so-big Hike
Depart the ranch / light lunch
Souvenir shopping in Tecate
2:00 Cross border
3:00 Depart for downtown San Diego
4:00 Arrive in downtown San Diego
Our host, the illustrious Cesar
Disclaimer: GOSD is a non-profit, all volunteer club predominately serving the Gay & Lesbian community
Meals
All meals, coffee and water will be provided while we are in
Baja. The menu will be shared with registrants closer to the
event.
If you have any special dietary needs, including
vegetarianism, please let us know via the registration form
when you register. The rancheros are happy to accommodate
those needs. Alcoholic beverages are up to individuals to
purchase themselves. We will stop at a liquor store in Tecate on
the way to the ranch so those individuals who wish to drink
alcoholic beverages during the weekend can purchase what
they intend to drink. (Best to have Mexican currency handy for
that.) The guys in Tecate will of course take the necessary
precautions to ensure that the water and food they provide is
safe.
Mario and Rafael
Weather
Tecate and the ranch are at about 1,775 ft elevation. Average high temperature for the Tecate area in April is
in the low 70s, whereas average lows are in the low 40s. The Tecate area gets an average of only 1.02 inches
of rainfall in April. So it is a good idea to bring warm, layered clothing - and rain gear just in case. As we get
closer to April, it is advised to check on the forecast for the Tecate area.
Camp Site Amenities
There are 3 outdoor “cold” showers, one indoor warm shower, and 1 indoor
flush toilet. It’s OK to “water” the grounds outside too as needed and to bring
a solar shower bag. There will be lots of bottled water provided by the
rancheros.
Pet Policy
No pets. The goats don’t like the competition. ;) (Don’t worry. They’re fenced in, unless they’re being herded
around the ranch.)
Hospital/Medical Insurance
As is customary with all Great Outdoors trips and many CMG events, attendees must sign a waiver (included in
the registration form), essentially stating that your safety and well-being are your responsibility. That being
said, we are of course taking all the practical steps we can to ensure appropriate access to first aid and
medical care. We will have on-site antivenom for scorpions, black widows and rattlesnakes. There will be
some cell phone access near the property. And there will be vehicles on-site we can use to go to a hospital in
the unlikely event that is necessary. (The hospital we would use in such an unlikely event is Hospital Santa
Catalina:
http://www.hospitalsantacatalina.com/)
Given the fact that this trip is to Mexico and that we will be camping almost an hour outside of town and away
from the nearest hospital, we recommend that you take that into consideration when making your decision to
go on this trip. We recommend that you if you have any known health issues that might be of concern to you
in such an environment, you might consider not going on this trip. That being said, we each assume some
Disclaimer: GOSD is a non-profit, all volunteer club predominately serving the Gay & Lesbian community
degree of risk when going on any camping trip, especially to remote locations. This trip is essentially no
different.
What to bring:
▪ Passport
▪ Phone/Camera, Charger
▪ Shirts
▪ Shorts, pants
▪ Sunglasses
▪ Socks, Underwear
▪ Rain Gear
▪ Hiking Shoes
▪ Towel for showers
▪ $/Mexican currency for alcoholic beverages, souvenirs
▪ Toothbrush, toothpaste
▪ Warm Sleeping Bag, Pillow
▪ Razor, Shaving Cream
▪ Sleeping Pad / Air Mattress
▪ Sweater / Fleece pullover
▪ Ear plugs
▪ Tent
▪ Lantern / Flashlight
▪ Soap / Shampoo
▪ Hat
▪ Warm jacket
▪ Camping Stool / Chair
▪ Sun block
▪ Ten essentials
▪ Flip-flops for showers
▪ Prescriptions/Medications
Don’t forget to bring your ten essentials (listed on Great Outdoors website).
We hope to see you on the trip! I’m super excited about it. And I know that Cesar, Rafael, Mario and the rest
of the rancheros are as well. A lot of love and energy has gone into the prep and planning of this trip. It will
certainly be a unique experience and one that we hope you’ll be raving about afterwards.
One of the hiking trails
Disclaimer: GOSD is a non-profit, all volunteer club predominately serving the Gay & Lesbian community
Tecate, Mexico Campout 2014
April 4 - 6, 2014 (3 days / 2 nights)
Registration Form - one form per person please
FEES
Name (please print) _______________________________________
Circle all that apply
G.O. or CMG Member?: ____ Chapter/Member #: ______________
Applicant:
Fee
Cell (preferred)/Land Phone: _______________________________
Camping In Tent
$245
Email (will be kept confidential): ____________________________
Non-members add*
$20
Mail address: ____________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
* Includes 1 year G.O.
membership
Emergency contact: _______________________________________
I am driving (to downtown San
Diego) with:
Sharing a tent with:
Can you offer a
ride (to downtown
SD)?
Do you need a ride
(to downtown
SD)?
Special dietary
needs? If yes,
please specify:
Y
N
Y
N
Relationship: _______________ Phone: ______________________
Medical Insurance Carrier: __________________________________
Group / Policy # __________________________________________
(Individual travel and accident insurance is available from your local
travel agent)
Physician: _______________________________________________
Physician’s Phone: ________________________________________
Y
N
Note: If you have any medical conditions that we should be aware
of, please write them on the back of this form or communicate them
to the Trip Leader prior to the event.
Trip leader's use:
Date: __________________
Check #: ______ Amt: _____
Refunds available if canceling before 4/1/2014.
Health Problems/allergies: It is the responsibility of participants to carry on their person a record of
significant allergies, medications and medical history in the event of a medical emergency.
Disclaimer: GOSD is a non-profit, all volunteer club predominately serving the Gay & Lesbian community
WAIVER OF LIABILITY, MEDICAL RELEASE AND ASSIGNMENT
I am aware that my participation in GREAT OUTDOORS may include potentially hazardous activities and I am
voluntarily participating in these activities with that knowledge and the understanding that I will use my own
best judgment to avoid injury to myself and others. I agree to follow the directions of the trip leader and
abide by the rules of the facility I am using. I hereby release GREAT OUTDOORS, including its officers, trail or
trip leaders, agents or other persons working with said organization from any liability for injuries, physical or
mental, which I may suffer by reason of any participation in these activities. I recognize in waiving this liability
that I am assuming sole responsibility for my actions and cannot blame any injuries on any other persons
connected with the GREAT OUTDOORS.
I hereby agree to assume full financial responsibility for any and all bills incurred by me for medical treatment
as the result or my participation in this GREAT OUTDOORS activity. In the event that I am unable to consent to
medical care, I hereby authorize the trip leader to consent to emergency medical treatment for me, including
hospitalization and surgery, as may best be determined under the circumstances.
Sign by the X _____________________________________ Date:
_____________________________
Send signed, completed registration form and check (payable to Great Outdoors) to:
Great Outdoors, Attn: Brent, 1580 Union Street #403, San Diego, CA 92101
Disclaimer: GOSD is a non-profit, all volunteer club predominately serving the Gay & Lesbian community
Rancho El Tule
Tecate’s hidden gay getaway.
Rancho El tule
Rancho El Tule
Your camping adventure in Tecate Mexico.
!
Hola Amigos!
It’s a pleasure for us at Rancho El Tule to welcome you to our campground and share
with you this amazing, beautiful and peaceful corner of our state called Tecate,
recently registered as “PUEBLO MAGICO” (magical village) by the Mexican
government due to it’s natural beauty and culture. We are a group of 10 gay local
Baja guys who enjoy hiking and bonfires in Baja, always looking for fun activities and
good natural local food. We now want to share this exceptional experience with you.
What’s included in your weekend adventure?
From the moment you cross the border into Tecate, The rancheros will take care of
you until we take you back to the border. We’ll pick up your camping equipment and
luggage at the border and put them in our vans to be taken to the ranch, the same
crew taking and tagging your luggage will remain with the luggage until it is handed
back to you at the ranch, meanwhile you’ll take an easy 10 minute walk down the hill
to the Tecate brewery where a light lunch will be served before you start your brewery
tour after all it is not a good idea to take a beer factory tour and tasting on an empty
stomach. As soon as the tour ends the race is on! Passenger Vans will be waiting for
you to take you to the Ranch. The luxury of a secluded and completely peaceful
location comes with a price, the road to the ranch is a very nice highway for the first
20 minutes and then we take the dirt road, a rough and dusty 20 to 30 minute drive
that will remind you of the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland. Once at the ranch, our
crew will hand you your equipment to set up camp before night falls. Your campsite
is marked so you know exactly how much space you have to set up your tent. You’ll
have plenty of time to settle down and look around or take a warm shower in the
cabin or a cold one in the outdoor showers by the campsite before dinner. The main
cabin is where the ranchers sleep but it’s always open for you and stocked with
snacks, water and coffee. The Main cabin is also where the main kitchen and warm
shower are.
!
Rancho El tule
Way more than just hiking
Once you are installed, the ranchers will form teams (4-5 men) and give you a quick
tour of the place, your guide will tell you where to go for food, water, showers and he
will show you where you can charge your phone and other equipment. The Ranch
doesn’t have any power and phone signal is weak and very expensive since it is
international roaming. A hotspot will be available to you free of charge at specific
times in case you need to be in touch with the outside world but because we are at a
remote location, the area where we usually get reception is away from the
campgrounds, you’ll be about 200 yards from the main cabin. Dinner will be served at
the dining room and immediately after that you’ll be invited to the welcome bonfire to
enjoy s’mores by the fire, drinks, music and games. Your tent is located away from the
bonfire to keep it quiet so you can go back to bed whenever you want. A hot
breakfast is served at 8:30 so you can wake up, have coffee and wonder around the
ranch, we can’t text you to let you know breakfast is ready so the chef will come out of
the kitchen beating a loud pan to let you know is time to eat! After breakfast, the hike
leaders will take you to a strenuous hike, if you decide not to take the hike , you are
welcome to enjoy the ranch and relax. After the hike lunch will be served and then
you will have some time to relax. Your Saturday afternoon will be filled with fun
activities, this is our chance to show you why we are a magical village. Our cultural
exchange ranchers will teach you how ancients settlers of these lands used to grind
acorns and other seeds and you’ll learn how to make your own salsa, you’ll also have
a chance to learn Mexican playground games and other activities designed to show
you our culture and make you feel like a kid again. After an excellent Mexican ranchstyle dinner the ranchers will take you to the rock deck to see the night sky, an
amazing experience since city lights are too far away and the stars look amazingly
bright. After that you’ll enjoy another bonfire to finish the day. Sunday’s breakfast will
be served at 8:30 as well, followed by an easy hike and then is time to wrap up and
go back to Tecate. A packed lunch will be handed to you before the vans take you to
do some sightseeing inTecate so you can eat in the car or sit down by the Plaza and
enjoy your lunch as you do some people-watching. This is also your chance to do
some shopping, Tecate is famous for its pottery and pastries so you can take back
home some souvenirs and sweets!
We are committed to take good care of the environment
Rancho El Tule is committed to preserve the natural beauty of this land with the lowest
carbon footprint possible. Our ranchers will take care of any trash and items you need
Rancho El tule
to discard since all trash needs to be taken back to the Tecate to be sorted, taking all
compostable items to one of the familie’s orchards and the rest goes to the landfill to
be recycled or to be properly processed.
Safety first!
For your safety and everyone’s piece of mind, transportation includes insurance for
the trip to and from the ranch, basic first aid equipment is provided by the ranch
including black widow, rattlesnake and scorpion antivenin. Hospital Santa Catalina is
our medical service provider and they accept the following insurance policies:
Rancho El tule
Rancho El tule
you can contact the hospital directly to see if your insurance plan is accepted or have
any other questions the number is 011+52 (665) 654 5555.
You’ll love the food!
Our chef is a graduate from the San Diego City College, Culinary Arts School in Point
Loma (a Culinary Institute Of America member school), he’s worked for Nordstrom
Café and T-Deli in Hillcrest, among other restaurants and he’s the co-owner of EL DELI
snacks and pastries in Tijuana. His cooking approach is local, fresh and simple with an
emphasis on Mexican and Asian flavors.
!
We hope to see you here and share with you our land, food and traditions.
Rancho El tule