We Visit "Old Baja" w/Some of the Skypark Gang
Many of us have steered clear of Mexico of late because of the
ever-increasing fees and paperwork snarls instituted by the Mexican authorities.
However, the idea of a visit to historic
Meling Ranch overcame
our distaste for the process and three Skypark aircraft headed down on Memorial
Day weekend 2004.
After a stop in Mexicali for customs & immigration formalities
(nice folks there, but: $50 for the airplane, $20 for each
passenger, over an hour elapsed time fiddling with paperwork, get the picture?)
we were off for the Ranch. Located in a small valley in the foothills of
the Sierra San Pedro range about 100 miles southeast of Ensenada , the ranch is
at 2100 feet, high enough to cool nicely in the evenings. A lovely flowing
stream, pure gold in arid Baja, pops out of the ground only a few hundred yards
uphill from the ranch and provides dependable year-round water.
While it is a working ranch, the Meling clan has hosted guests
since the 1940's. Family Matriarch Aida Meling ramrodded the operation up
to her death in 1998, after which the ranch closed down for several years.
Now Aida's daughter Duane has taken up the Herculean task of bringing things
back to "normal". The following pictures convey some of the ambience
of the place. Click on the
thumbnails for the full-size picture.
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Meling Ranch
Airstrip runs R to L at top of picture.
Rising terrain dictates one-way operation, and a go-around could be dicey! |
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Airstrip at Meling
This is the view from the "normal"
approach direction, "Runway 03". Note the distinct rise, and the hills behind.
Length is about 2400 feet and surface is good packed dirt. |
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Skypark Airforce at Rest
No tie-down facilities. Bring your own
ropes & anchors if you feel you need them. We just used chocks. |
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The Ranch "Courtyard"
A grassy courtyard is ringed by four
buildings containing guest rooms, a kitchen/dining hall, the swimming pool, plus
other structures. |
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Guest Rooms & Patio
Each guest room structure has its own
patio, elevated from the courtyard. Nice place to veg out and enjoy the sun or
shade. |
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The Stream
The stream pops up out of the sandy
canyon bottom just upstream of the ranch complex. Supposedly, a few trout reside
downstream but we didn't see any. |
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Water Central
This pump takes care of all water
distribution chores, including filling the pool, irrigating, and filling the
drinking water tanks up the hill. Yes, all from the stream, and it tastes great. |
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Power Central
Electric power is supplied by this
well-used 37kw Diesel plant, which is run from around 3pm to 10pm. After that,
it's oil lamps, but who stays up that late anyway? |
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Dining Hall
Food is served family-style in the
dining hall, a separate structure with kitchen attached. Be prepared to eat like
a ranch hand...no dieting here! |
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A Bit of Philosophy
And Duane is guided by it.... |
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The Cook?
Nope, just Paul. Much of the cooking is
done on these two wood-burning stoves, which were US Army surplus from
aught-something (as in pre-WWII) |
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Duane at Mealtime
Each meal is announced by the ringing of
the bell, sometimes accompanied by a "Soooowe - soooowee" hog call. And believe
me, they come 'a runnin! |
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The Gang At Work
There were 11 in our group, plus a
couple of other guests and an assortment of ranch hands & relatives. |
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Holly, Duane & Bob
Don't let Holly's expression throw you.
She was deeply involved in a piece of pineapple cake at the instant the flash
went off. |
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More Cake?
D: "Don't take my picture when I'm
getting seconds" |
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Native Construction Material
The earlier buildings were done with
classice adobe brick. Most have been faced with flagstone or other material to
protect the adobe from the weathering which is plainly visible here. |
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Some Repairs Needed
This adobe building obviously is at a
cusp. Either it gets fixed soon or it is history. Right now it serves as the
woodshed. |
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Dawn from our Porch
Days at the ranch start quitely....and
pretty much stay that way. |
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Everyone Rides
One of the major activities is crusing
the property on horseback. A few dogs always accompany you, but sometimes the
little ones want a break. |
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D on Horseback
Getting on & off took a little effort
but once on...well, it was 'back in the saddle again'. |
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Pat & Paul
Old ranch hands themselves, Pat & Paul
were right at home at Meling. |
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D Climbs the Hill
The horses were well-trained and
accomodated our rudimentary riding skills with no problems for either party. |
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Relaxing in the Pool
The swimming pool is filled directly
from the stream and is unheated, so while it felt great after a ride no one
stayed in the water too long. Air temps were min-70s while we were there but
reach the 100's in summer |
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Playmates
No TV, no video games, but the kids have
room to run and dogs to play with. |
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More Playmates
This sheepdog-mix was always ready to
play or to run with the horses. |
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The Graveyard
Seven generations of Melings, plus
Johnsons and other married-into names, are present in the family graveyard. |
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Early Graves
Some of the earlier graves were
unmarked, and very likely their exact occupants are no longer known. |
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View from the Graveyard
From its hillside location, the
graveyard has a nice view of the ranch complex. Airstrip is in the background. |
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Ham on the Hoof
In addition to cattle, the ranch raises
a few pigs, goats & chickens to supply their needs. |
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Grandmother's House
Currently boarded up and awaiting
restoration, this home features a classic wrap-around porch. |
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Work No More
There was an assortment of defunct
equipment and vehicles to poke over. |
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R.I.P.
This old International panel truck
finishes its last years as a storage shed. |
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Cream, Anyone?
This old hand-cranked cream separator
has seen better days, but makes an interesting decoration. |
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Relaxing at Mealtime
After a long day of running, taking it
easy at the dinner table makes sense. |
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More Relaxing
The damp flower bed makes a cool place
to snooze. This Great Dane mix is only about 3 months old, but when she grows
into those paws, look out! |
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More Relaxing
Playing with sister and the dogs all
afternoon made a nap before dinner imperative. |
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More Relaxing
Pat & Paul made it through dinner, but I
don't think they are up for the midnight show this evening. |
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Are We Going Out?
Maybe next trip.
Don't expect the Ritz, but Meling Ranch is
definitely the place for anyone seeking a taste of "Old Baja". |
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NOTE (April 2006): As indicated,
the above dates from 2004. At that time Duane did hint that long-term
operations were somewhat uncertain, so do check the status of the Ranch rather
than just dropping in....unless you're just passing by, of course. Try the
website
http://www.melingguestranch.com/sundown.php
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