All photos courtesy Lou Corsaro, all southbound until the last pair.


First photo in and already a sign accidentally uses an MUTCD arrow - the one in the middle sign belongs to México's northern brother. This also establishes a theme of México trying to get tourists to pay, pay, pay, by encouraging people to use the toll (cuota) roads to the beaches (playas). It gets worse.


Continuing through the convoluted interchange that marks the beginning of the toll road (Federal Highway 1D - the "D" means "cuota," no, actually, it means Directa, which is what you think it means) and taking the "down town" (talk about your loanwords) exit to loop back under the scenic overpasses of Highway 1 and its interchange ramps onto 3rd St.


Lou returns from the centro on Calle Benito Juárez (2nd St.) and comes back to that interchange all over again, this time EB with a tiny I-5 shield.


I guess this is the scenic route for tourists, arround the monument (Glorieta Cuauhtémoc). English isn't the country's language, but this close to the border there should not be a misspelling. And México should feel welcome to ask us for an Interstate shield template.


Picking up what I was saying before, México encourages tourists to use the toll. Hey, look, "scenic road" is in English! That must be the right way! Of course, it's easy to miss the little "D" that can cost you $40 or more. The truly scenic road, in my opinion, is the windy two-lane along the coast rather than the modern four-lane that cuts through the hillside. Your mileage and wallet may vary, but when in México, know where you're going before you've entered and don't let anything or anyone tell you otherwise. So when you see Glorieta Cuauhtémoc standing tall, continue straight around him. (Or go "arround" him and head back. (Sorry for that (and the multiple parentheses).))


Since Lou was here, a new interchange has been completed for a divided roadway into Lomas de San Antonio. The overpass carries the EB-NB movement.


Distance counts upward as you head south on Highway 1 from the border because it's leaving Tijuana. Mexican practice starts at large cities and counts up to the state lines - meaning, I suppose, you could have two km 20s if the city is in the middle of the state. I don't know if striped guiderail is the norm, or even why it's here - it appears that Highway 1 is on a low bridge. The toll highway is up on the fake hillside in the background of the first photo, which replaced what was once a real and beautiful hill.


An English sign sneaks into El Sauzal (and this photo, at the far left). Enjoy Mexican warning signs, too.


This old style km post (compare to the newer one above) is south of Ensenada. Distances reset in the city, even though it's in the same state as Tijuana. Guess the kilometrage rule isn't limited to one city per town. The city is within the eponymous municipality, which takes up almost all of Baja California, though the definition of a "municipality" is fairly loose given the number of towns and settlements within it, as well as the city of Ensenada itself.


After Lou's trip to Punta Banda, he was back on Highway 1 NB but well south of Ensenada, where people drink Jersey milk and never visit the Jersey Shore. Clearly the second photo must be farther north - and it's within a minute of the first photo - so where did 8 km come from? The milepost clearly agrees with the sign. Maybe it's 12 km to the city border and 20 km to the city center where Highway 1 meets Highway 3, and maybe that junction is the reset point. However, the 1/3 junction has moved about 2 km to the south side of the city from its historical location, so maybe neither of these signs is right.

Old Highway 1, Ensenada

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