Hi Dee---
 
We had our single, most enjoyable shelling experience in Guaymas around
Christmas and New Year in 1975/6.  We stayed in some condos that were
just being built on San Francisco Bay Beach, just north of the city.  We
had rented a 4-wheel drive vehicle in Tucson to allow us to reach the
more obscure beaches.  Our reference was "Shelling in the Sea of Cortez"
by Paul E. Violette in 1964 by Dale Stuart King, Tucson AZ.  This book
goes into exquisite detail about the beaches in the area, explaining
exactly what can be found, where, with maps.  I have since seen it
since in used book stores and at sales.  In addition, San Carlos Bay
nearby is a U.S. retirement community (at that time, mostly mobile
homes), which is written up in many Mexican retirement and travel books.
 
We have hesitated to return, expecting that we would be disappointed at
what we would find.  However, in the late 1980's and early 1990's, I read
some articles in what I think was the Houston Shell Club newsletter about
trips to the area that sounded pretty good.  Then, last year, Henry
Chaney of the Santa Barbara Museum gave a presentation about dredging in
the Pacific that included the region around Guaymas.  Since he had spent
quite a bit of time there, we asked him about development and how he
thought the shelling would be.  He was pretty encouraging.
 
The restaurants were all good, especially with shrimp dishes, which were
many and varied.  We also cooked in our condo; shopping was fun and we
even dug clams for dinner, an activity in which we had no experience but
lots of success.
 
If you send me your address privately, I can send you at least one
article on this trip that we wrote for our shell club newsletter, telling
what we found and where.  I think we have written two articles, but I may
not have copies of the second one.  I can also copy some of the maps from
the book; they were all hand drawn.
 
I am replying to the whole list instead of just you because I have become
frustrated lately at not seeing replies to questions similar to yours.
I'm usually interested in finding out about good places to go, and when
no replies appear, I don't know whether there were no answers or just
ones that I don't know about.  I'm just trying to start a trend.
 
I know you'll have fun,
 
Mary
 
Charles and Mary Owen------------------------------------------
3021 S. Michigan, Apt. 508
Chicago IL 60616
(312) 225-4261