- places to avoid
I would sail right on by Cabo San Lucas. In fact, the last time we were
down there, that's just what we did. Do stop at Bahia Frailes and
Ensenada de Los Muertos on your way to La Paz. Also, one of our
favorite places that's not in any of the guide books is right off the
southern end of Isla Ceralvo. The holding is not the best (thin sand
over rock), but the snorkeling is great and you'll be all by yourself.

- provisioning
This is no problem in La Paz. Stop in at Marina de La Paz and ask for
their info sheet for cruisers. This lists lots of good info including
how to get around and where to get stuff. You'll also find lots of
other cruisers already there that are always willing to answer questions.

On leaving California, there's no reason to fill your boat with month's
of provisions. People who do usually wind up bringing much of it back
with them when they return.

- anchorages
- places to go
Get either Charlie's Charts or the Jack Williams guide (we had both).
They are both good and will give you a start. Don't limit yourself to
just places in the books though. Some of the best places we anchored
were ones that we just stuck our noses into and decided they looked good.

- any other helpful hints
Go Slow. Don't be in a rush. Check out
http://triciajean192.home.comcast.net for some photos of what it's like
down there.

Above all, remember the first two rules of cruising:
#1 Don't sweat the small stuff.
#2 Just about everything is small stuff.