2025 Update from our Board of Directors
As the year winds down, I thought an update on the status of our club was due. As you might remember, the club was struggling to stay afloat post pandemic and provide the membership with the service and activities they joined for. We were in the same boat as many businesses, membership down, expenses increasing, tough decisions had to be made.
One year ago, we were cleaning out the Rio Vista office that had been home for over 20 years. What a job that was! The Board of Directors were discussing what the future had in store, close the club down and go out of business or roll up our sleeves and give it another go. We made the tough decision to move into a much smaller office, open for business on a very limited basis and reduce the number of office staff.
The new office is located at 35 N. 2nd St. Rio Vista, Ca. 94571, it’s in the same office building as before, just a few doors down from the old office. The mailing address has also changed to PO BOX 549, Rio Vista, Ca. 94571. The phone number remains the same, (707)-374-5511; the toll free 800 number has been discontinued. Stop by and say hello, you’re always welcome.
Through the hard work of our office staff, some important upgrades were made. Changes to Mexican vehicle insurance have been made, increasing the value of the insured vehicle, from $75,000 to $100,000. Motorhomes up to $250,000. Full coverage will soon be available for rigs 25 years old rather than 20 years and there is now bi-lingual staff to assist with claims. We are again providing Mexican fishing licenses and providing up to date Baja travel updates and travel advise.
We have replaced the roof in the Loreto casa, upgraded some of the furnishings and made other improvements. It is open and ready for your stay! Check it out on VRBO (https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/20535993?source_impression_id=p3_1737217645_P3Goe_U_IdKw6F2n)
We are also working on providing activities and member get togethers. We recently had a great time with the Baja Explorer Caravan 2025, October 28-November 19th. We safely traveled as far south as Lorerto where we enjoyed welcoming warm Baja beaches, culinary delights and culture. Unfortunately, we are not in a position to offer the traditional Beaches and Whales Caravan this coming February, but we’ll be back the following year. We hope to offer a shorter Whale Express trip, watch for details. Keep an eye out for upcoming announcements on fishing tournaments and other fun outings.
We are looking to offer a Sierra Spring Caravan sometime in May 2026. We already have some members show interest in this trip, watch for details in the near future. Another activity on the burner is a rally in San Felipe, sometime in late October or November. No RV needed as where we will be staying has a nice hotel and restaurant. We would love to hear any ideas you might have, or if you are interested in leading a caravan or activity, we certainly would love to hear from you.
After the first of the year, the Vagabundos office will be open 5 days a week, Monday through Friday, 10:00 AM-1:00PM. Hopefully with the new expanded hours, we can better serve our members.
In closing, I want to express the entire Board of Directors’ gratitude for the hard work and dedication of the office staff. Executive Manager Karen Connolly, Insurance Specialist Maria Hernandez and Office Assistants Clara Fiedler and Maira Saavedra have gone the extra mile to make 2025 a success. The gains made are a result of their hard work; we are lucky to have them in our office. Also, most importantly, our club is in a much healthier position than a year ago, thanks to your, our members, continued support.
Safe Travels and happy Holidays
Scott McEwen
