Bahia de Los Angeles municipal buildings, park and town square...

Bahia de Los Angeles is located at the extreme southern end of the Municipality of Ensenada, which is a form of local government, similar to a county in the United States. In Mexico, states are divided into municipalities, which are subdivided into townships, and the city and municipal government is usually housed in the same building. Such is the case with the town of Bahia de Los Angeles, as the city and municipal government are housed in the same complex, just west of the city park.

Photo: The town park, as seen from the unnamed main street. Note that the sign points to many of the municipal services that the town offers.

Besides the municipal government building, the government complex includes the town's medical clinic, library, and a museum which features a glimpse back into the days when the area was better known for mining, rather than sport fishing and tourism. The tricolor Mexican flag flies proudly above the government building, which is what you'd expect. Utility, government and police vehicles are parked on the street in front of the complex. I got quite a laugh, out of a wrecked police truck which was lifted up on blocks, without wheels, and a first-responder ambulance, which was sporting a flat tire. The pace of life is slow at Bahia de Los Angeles, and I suppose the first responders mirror the slow pace of life.

Photo: A bandstand in the middle of the town square is a fixture in Mexico, and the municipal park in Bahia de Los Angeles is no exception, as it has a very fine bandstand.

Photo: Looking east, towards the bandstand and the Sea of Cortez in the distance. Due to the harsh, desert environment, note that the park doesn't have grass, and features "natural" landscaping that requires little water. As an aside, there is little extra water in Bahia de Los Angeles.

If you're looking for a lush, green, beautifully manicured park, such as Tijuana's beautiful Parque Teniente Guerro, you won't find it in Bahia de Los Angeles, as the town is located in a harsh, dry, desert environment; in fact, the yearly rainfall total is a scant 2 inches, so there is no water to waste on landscaping. That doesn't mean that the town park isn't beautiful, as it really is pretty, just in a desert sort of way. If you can get past the fact that there are no lawns in town, the park will appear pretty, as it features a bandstand in the center of the square, with five concrete sidewalks leading to it, as its in the center of the park. Instead of manicured grass, the majority of the park is sand, as in most of the local environment in Bahia de Los Angeles. There are concrete park benches, monuments and playground equipment for kids, just like you'd find in any other municipal park in Mexico. The vegetation consists of scrub cedar trees for shade, cactus, greasewood, and many small, non-native palm trees, which sort of gives the park an "island look." Well, at least maybe at nearby Isla Angel de la Guarda...

Photo: The municipal building, which houses government offices, is just west of the park.

The park has on display the remains of the smallest, real, used-to-work-for-a-living (not live-steam model) steam engine that I've ever seen, mounted on a concrete block, and sort of mounted on small rails, which appear to be about an 18" gauge, which would make it considerably smaller than the fabled Maine "two footers" of years gone by. The whole engine and tender combination can't be more than about 12 feet long, and the wheel arrangement appears to be 0-4-0 wheel configuration: If you're a railfan of steam engines, that will mean something to you. It's sort of hard to tell what this thing actually as the smoke stack, cylinders, pilot truck (if it had one...) and nearly all of the peripherals are gone, and the cactus is sort of stark, barren, and pitiful, as its just plopped on top of the concrete slab and the remaining wheels just don't fit the rails anymore...

Photo: This first responder might have a "problema pequenia," as his right rear tire is flat. Note that the other tires don't match. I really don't want to suffer a heart attack during a visit to Bahia de Los Angeles!

Photo: Junk cop cars are "stored" behind the municipal building.

I gathered that the engine served its life at the nearby San Juan Mine, as a plaque, that is attached to the tender states that it operated on the San Juan Mine railroad, and it was placed in the park as a memorial to a gentleman by the name of Dick Daggett. There is no information, that I can find, about this railroad, or the mine, on the internet, and during the time of my visit, the local museum was closed, so I can't comment further on the "Tom Thumb" steam locomotive.

Photo: Here's the remains of the "Tom Thumb" mining locomotive, on display at the east end of the municipal park. I wish that I could locate more information about this locomotive, and the nearby San Juan Mine.

Photo: Everybody has heard of the museum in town, but due to bad luck, it was closed during my visit, in October 2007. Well, maybe next time...

The municipal center and park are in the center of town, located along the unnamed main street, just south of the tourist information center. When you're hiking around town, take some time to visit the park and the municipal center, as it offers shady park benches, a place to relax, and an opportunity to reflect on the scenic beauty of Bahia de Los Angeles.

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